Act 2: Mr. Sugiyama’s Fortune Telling

As Shoji walks off and looks below at the bottom of the bridge he spots an old man fishing at the riverbank next to a near-empty bucket of fish. Never in Shoji's life has he been drawn to a person before as he notices something that this man has that he doesn't for the first time he is weak. Shoji walks below onto the riverbank and sits on the ground next to the modestly dressed Fisherman.

The fisherman looks at Shoji as he asks him with a smile "Would you like your fortune told?"

Shoji looks at him in confusion "What's a fortune?"

The Fisherman begins to laugh hysterically "You never heard of a fortune?"

Shoji, frustrated at the fisherman's response casually and clearly lies "Of course I do, I merely forgot about it!"

The Fisherman smiles, "Then let me see your hand."

Shoji gives his left hand to the Fisherman as he asks "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions as I read your palm?"

Shoji's response "Of course not, ask away."

The Fisherman begins to trace his finger over Shoji's left hand as he says "I've never seen such a scarred and bruised hand before."

Shoji, shocked at the absurdity of palm reading, Shoji asks "What does that have to do with my fortune?"

The Fisherman responds to Shoji's question while feeling his hand "To see one's future one must look at the past to see any recognizable patterns that will occur now and later."

Shoji thinks about what the Fisherman said for a moment as he begins to understand what fortune telling is. He says "What's your name, old man?"

The fisherman lets go of Shoji's hand and grabs his fishing rod as he responds "My name is Sugiyama and yours is Hasegawa right?"

Shoji, surprised at how he knew his name, asks Sugiyama "How do you know my name?"

Sugiyama laughingly answers "I read your ridiculous sign!"

Shoji looks at his wooden sign and stands up to throw it into the river in a fit of rage as he yells at Sugiyama "Can you read my fortune now!?"

Sugiyama laughs at Shoji as if he were a jester and he was a king "Slow down you big baby I was just getting to that!"

Shoji sits down like a child being scolded by their parents but eagerly awaiting the results and asks "So what does it say"

Sugiyama responds by removing his joyous tone and replacing it with a serious and grim one "You're going to die tomorrow."

Shoji smiles and laughs at Sugiyama "That's the funniest thing you've said yet!"

Sugiyama continues to talk in a serious manner as he asks "What are you going to do tomorrow?"

Shoji laughingly responds in a prouder voice "I have a duel tomorrow."

Sugiyama asks "Are you not afraid of death?"

Shoji instantly responds "Why would I be, we're all going to die one day so why don't I do it doing something I love."

Sugiyama begins to smile and chuckle "Even if it's painful and humiliating you're okay with that?"

Shoji, ignoring Sugiyama's question, says "How do I die?"

Sugiyama responds "Hold on answer my question first then I'll tell you."

Instantly Shoji responds "Of Course I don't want to die like that but if it happens what else can I do about it."

"See, that's all I wanted to hear," says Sugiyama.

"Now are you going to tell me?" Asks Shoji.

Sugiyama takes a breath and pulls on his fishing rod as he responds "Tomorrow you will get sliced above the eyes and the blood will flow down into your eyes and that's when Shoji Hasegawa will die."

Shoji stops and thinks about it, leaving silence between both men with the only noise being the tugging on Sugiyama's fishing rod. Shoji responds by saying "That's pretty boring, isn't it?"

Both men begin to laugh as unexpectedly Sugiyama's fishing rod string snaps in half causing Sugiyama to ask "Shoji do you have a place to stay tonight?"

Shoji responds "No, why?"

"If you can get the fish that broke my rod into my hands I'll let you stay at my son's Ryokan for free tonight," says Sugiyama.

Shoji draws his katana with a smile on his face as he says "Alright then!"

Shoji starts to run towards the river as Mr. Sugiyama grabs Shoji's arm causing the two men's eyes to lock before saying "Remember ego is the death of all things"

Shoji, confused by the statement, shrugs it off with a simple "okay" as he runs after the fish. Shoji jumps into the water facing the fish's face as he grabs it and stabs it with his sword both lifeforms struggle one for survival and another for a meal the fish perishes and Shoji emerges from the river holding the fish-pierced sword in his left hand.

Mr. Sugiyama grabs the fish from the blade as Shoji tries to dry it from his own wet clothing. Mr. Sugiyama says "Let's go Home."

During the later hours of the day when the rising moon shines through the pink hues of the sky, in front of the Hiroen (porch) of Shoji's Inn Shoji is sitting down with the paper shoji doors open. Outside of the room, a butterfly sits atop a branch of the large cherry blossom tree in front of the Hiroen.

Shoji begins to notice the butterfly as it slowly moves toward him. Shoji draws his katana and horizontally swings at the butterfly. The butterfly lands on top of Shoji's blade without any damage caused by his strike.

Shoji pulls the blade closer to him to observe the butterfly as he notices a cut in one of its wings. Shoji thinks to himself "Even with a broken wing, you managed to avoid my blade."

The butterfly begins to fly off the blade as it hears the doors behind Shoji open "Would you like to have dinner with us?"

Shoji looks back and sees a young woman holding the door open awaiting his response "Yes I would, thank you."

19 Hours Remaining