Old Friend

Days passed quietly, and Saturday morning arrived. Sunlight slipped through the curtains as Arvin sat cross-legged on his bed, lost in meditation. His earlier sessions had been about healing his body. This one felt different. It was a quiet completion.

His chi was back to full, moving easily through the channels he'd trained for years. The warmth current easily spread into body, something he hadn't felt since the crash. Just yesterday, his inner strength had found its balance again, a steady well he could tap into whenever he needed.

The injuries that had weighed him down were gone. The sprained neck and dislocated ankle had healed in just three days of practice, good food, and rest. He was whole again.

Arvin stood up from his meditation and flowed through a series of stretches and martial arts moves. His body felt light, more responsive. After a quick check of himself, he headed to the bathroom for his morning routine, then made his way to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Christina was already at work on breakfast. The smell of coffee mixed with something sweet baking in the oven. She looked up as he walked in.

"Good morning," she said. "You look better today."

Arvin didn't catch her words, but he smiled and nodded anyway.

Fang Chou sat at the table, newspaper in hand, though his eyes were on his phone. He'd been making calls, setting things up for a meeting later. He spotted the change in Arvin right away.

(Chinese) "You've recovered," he said, more a fact than a question. "I can tell by the way you move."

Arvin nodded and took a seat. (Chinese) "Yes, Mr. Fang. I feel much better now."

The twins were still asleep. Saturday gave them a break from their busy school week, which surprised Arvin since back home, Sunday was the only day off. The house stayed calm, the morning quiet except for Christina's cooking and the occasional rustle of Fang Chou's paper.

Today was the day that Arvin had been waiting. Fang Chou's meeting with his friend could bring answers. The thought hung in the air, bring up a hidden tension beneath the peaceful morning. Would he find a way home? Would he finally know what happened? Or would it just lead to more question and waiting?

Christina set a plate in front of him. Eggs cooked the way he'd shown her, though she'd added her own twists, and a warm piece of what looked like egg custard straight from the oven. Arvin gave a small bow of thanks. He ate, his mind already on the day ahead.

He was ready now, body and spirit back in tune. Whatever came, he'd meet it with the focus his master had drilled into him. (He just hoped it'd be good news.)

______________________________

The morning passed quietly. By evening, Fang Chou stood outside Street School, a bar tucked among New York's older buildings. The setting sun splashed orange and purple across the sky, bouncing off glass towers and washing the brick in gold. This place had seen decades come and go, holding onto its old-school charm.

Fang Chou paused, taking it in. The neon sign flickered, throwing a soft red glow on the sidewalk. It'd been two years since he last met Leonard Sakaki here, his college buddy turned government bigwig half year ago.

Leonard's half-Japanese roots had always tied them together. Raised with his dad's traditional ways, Leonard shared a cultural thread with Fang Chou's Chinese background. Back in college, they'd bonded as two Asian guys or one and a half, as they'd joke, figuring out life on an American campus. 

And that bond stay strong until now.

Fang Chou fixed his jacket and pushed open the heavy wooden door.

The smell hit him first. Old wood, booze, and the bar's signature dish. The lights were low but warm. It wasn't the packed chaos of their student days. Tonight, a steady trickle of people kept it lively enough to chat or order without yelling.

He spotted Leonard in their usual corner. . The guy stood out, his sharp suit clashing with the laid-back crowd. Some things never changed. Leonard had always been the formal one, thanks to how he was raised.

Fang Chou grinned to himself and picked up his pace, putting on the look of a guy late for something big.

"Please accept my sincere apologies for the delay, Vice Director Sakaki," he said, keeping his face straight but letting a playful spark show in his eyes as he sat.

Leonard turned, eyebrow up, confused for a second before catching on. He played along, face serious, though a twitch at his mouth betrayed him.

"I must express my disappointment at your tardiness," he said, voice smooth with authority. "You should've been here first. Are you not aware of my demanding schedule?"

The light overhead picked up the silver in Leonard's dark hair, a sign of the years since their wild college days.

"Your reproach is entirely justified, Vice Director," Fang Chou replied, nodding respectfully. "I assure you it won't happen again."

Leonard snorted, his mask slipping. "Very well, I'll overlook it this time. But if it happens again, I'll have my secretary block your calls. You'll deal with the consequences."

He delivered the line with perfect pomp, but his warm eyes undercut the act.

"I appreciate your generosity," Fang Chou said, looking properly chastised, though a smile tugged at him.

They both went quiet, the little skit done. The silence stretched, easy and familiar, built on years of knowing each other.

"Pfft," Leonard cracked first, laughing. "Man, we're still doing this? What a couple of dorks we are."

Fang Chou grinned and loosened his collar. "Hey, some traditions never die. Still getting the same drink too, I bet?"

They stood and hugged, a solid, back-slapping kind that felt right after so long.

"Good to see you, Leo," Fang Chou said, settling back into his chair. "Still hitting the gym every day, huh?"

"Got to keep up with Jenny," Leo said, flexing an arm with a laugh. "What about you? Christina's cooking catching up?" He nodded at Fang Chou's stomach, smirking.

"Hey, watch it," Fang Chou chuckled, patting his gut. "This is called cultivating comfort. Besides, try saying no to her food."

"Touche. I still remember that fish chowder," Leo said, eyes going dreamy. "I dream about it sometimes."

"Had it Tuesday," Fang Chou said, grinning at Leo's jealous look. "The kids basically licked the bowls clean."

"Rub it in, huh? I'm stuck on Jenny's health kick. Kale, quinoa, the works. A guy needs real food sometimes."

"She's keeping you alive, man. I'll probably drop ten years before you."

"Yeah, but I'll be dreaming of this place's wings when I go," Leo said, sighing big.

"Let's fix that," Fang Chou said, waving at the server. "Hey! Five orders of wings. Two with tartar sauce, three spicy. And two cold beers."

The server nodded and headed off.

"So," Fang Chou leaned in, "how's home? Jenny still running those spin classes?"

Leo ran a hand through his graying hair. "Same as ever. Jenny's still shaping up her clients, and Claudia's killing me with college applications."

"Didn't she plan to retire when Claudia hit high school?"

"Yeah," Leo said, rolling his eyes, "but two weeks at home, and she said that she was going nuts from boredom. Said she needed the studio. I told her to just work out there, but you know Jenny."

"Once a trainer, always a trainer," Fang Chou nodded.

"Speaking of," Leo sat up, "what's with the formal email? Through work address, no less? You could've just texted."

Fang Chou shrugged, a little sheepish. "Wasn't sure you'd see it otherwise. Mr. Vice Director. Congrats, by the way. Late, but still."

Leo waved it off, grimacing. "Thanks, but I'm over it. Reminds me of those slimy that lobbyists crawling around me now."

"Anyway, enough chat. What's up? You've got that look."

Fang Chou started to answer, but the server came back with their food. The wings looked perfect, sauce shining. The smell hit them hard. Fang Chou tipped the server before they eat.

"Food first, talk later," he said, grabbing a wing.

Leo nodded, took one, and bit in. His eyes shut. "Oh man, this is it. I've missed these."

"Still the same?" Fang Chou asked, dipping his in tartar sauce.

"Better than I remember," Leo said, going for another. "Jenny'd kill me if she saw this."

They ate the first plate in silence, just enjoying it. Leo licked his fingers and gave Fang Chou a look. "Alright, out with it. What's so important?"

Fang Chou checked around, making sure no one was close. He leaned in. "Remember how Christina showed up? I think it's happening again."

He laid it out Arvin story. How he got here, the weirdness of story, and why it smelled like Christina's case. Leo listened, face getting heavier with every word.

When Fang Chou finished, Leo leaned back, grabbing a wing absentmindedly. He thought it over, then spoke in low voice, almost as if he whispering.

"This isn't like anything I've seen," he said, glancing around too. "Since the promotion, I've been digging into some dark stuff."

He dropped his voice more. "There was a trafficking case a few weeks ago. All girls, mostly teens. Nothing like your guy."

"What happened to them?" Fang Chou asked, setting his wing down. His stomach turned.

Leo's face went hard. "I tried to find out. Got shut down fast. Started asking about those files, and the same day, my director hauled me in. Told me to know my place. They've got people everywhere in my office. Bet the director's one of them." He sighed. "The system's rotten, Chou. Those girls are probably gone already."

Fang Chou stared. Leo kept eating. "How can you eat right now?"

Leo stopped, put the wing down. "You think I want to? First month on the chair, I couldn't sleep. Woke up sweating, thinking about those files." He wiped his hands, rubbed his nose. "You cope, or you break. I almost broke."

"I didn't know," Fang Chou said soft.

"Jenny saw it. Got me talking to a friend of hers, you know, mental health doctor and all." Leo took a long pull of beer, shoulders dropping, then squaring up. "I'm figuring out how to box it up. Do what I can where I can. Otherwise..." He waved a hand.

Fang Chou grabbed his shoulder across the table. "That's tough, man. Real tough."

"Anyway," Leo said, picking up the wing, "your guy. What's the plan?"

"That's why I'm here. I need options."

Leo chewed, thinking. "Same as Christina, I guess. He's got to disappear. If they shipped him, they're looking. Hard. And they've got eyes everywhere, even my office."

"How long?" Fang Chou asked.

"Two years is safest. He'll be an adult, look different. They might think he's dead or gone. You could even list him as family for a visa, since he's half Chinese." Leo's tone turned practical.

"If he rushes, eighteen months minimum. Maybe a year if I pull strings, but that's almost zero chance as I'm on their radar now."

Fang Chou's face sank. "Two years? That's a tough one to sell."

"It's that or he gets nabbed," Leo said flat. "They don't let go of their investments easily."

Fang Chou sighed, seeing no other way.

"I'll talk to him. Like we did with Christina."

"Good. He sounds smart. He'll get it."

They sat quiet, the weight settling in. The bar buzzed louder, but their corner stayed heavy.

After a bit, Leo eyed Fang Chou's plate. "You finishing those?"

Fang Chou looked down, pushed it over. "Lost my appetite. Go for it."

"For real?" Leo's eyes lit up. "Jenny's got me on this diet that's killing me. I've been craving these for so long."

"How are you still skinny?" Fang Chou asked, watching him dig in.

Leo grinned. "Five miles every morning, bro. Jenny doesn't mess around."

Fang Chou laughed, despite it all. "Some things stay the same. You're still a bottomless pit."

"Life's too short for to waste a good food," Leo said, wiping sauce off his chin.

They finished their beers while Leo cleaned the plates. He came back from the bathroom, checking his watch.

"Anything else? Jenny's got us doing yoga tomorrow," he said, pulling a face.

"That's it," Fang Chou said, grabbing his jacket. "Thanks for the advice. And everything."

"No problem. It's what friends do," Leo said, meaning it. "Let me know how it goes with the kid. Bring him next time. I'd like to meet him."

"Will do. You'd get along just fine, I guess."

They stepped into the cool night, the street alive with noise.

In the parking lot, they clasped hands and do a quick hug.

"This was good," Leo said. "Let's not wait two years, yeah?"

"Deal. Say hi to Jenny and Claudia."

"Same to Christina and the kids."

As they drove off, Fang Chou's mind started working on how to break it all to Arvin. He just hoped the young man would see patience was their only option right now.

∘₊✧───────────────────────────────────────────────────✧₊∘

Hey guys!

Back again with another weekly chapter!

Thankfully, I managed to write this one per my schedule, Saturday or Monday the next week.

Also, I'm still honing my craft so you might notice from time to time, the writing style will had some changes. It'll eventually stop at the final style that I'll use for the rest of the fanfic.

Alright, that's it guys.

Hope you'll enjoy reading this one as much as I enjoyed writing it!

As always, thanks for sticking with me on this journey. Let's keep enjoying the story together!