Akane Watanabe’s family crisis

In her apartment, Akane paces back and forth while holding her smartphone in her hand.

“Okay, I can do this,” she says. “My sister and I haven’t spoken since I left Japan. I mean she may be a little mad at me, but I’m sure she’ll understand after we talk. We’ve had our differences before and we’ve got over them. So, will be fine.” She stops and moves her index finger closer to the call button. She hesitates for a few seconds and eventually presses the button. She sits down on the couch and takes a deep breath. “Here we go. I can do this. I can do this.”

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After a few rings, the Facetime screen comes to life and Naomi’s face appears on her screen.

“Hello?”

Akane smiles. “Hi sis,” she says a little nervously.

“Oh, hi Akane!” Naomi smiles back happily.

“I’m glad you answered. It’s been a long time and I really miss you!” Akane puts her hand on her heart. “How are you?”

“Eh, you know how it is.” She shrugs. “I’ve been working a lot. I haven’t really been sleeping well either. Most of my energy goes to training the fighters and managing the gym. The cleaning is the worst. The sad thing is it never stops.” Naomi speaks in an unenthusiastic voice.

“Oh,” Akane’s smile slowly vanishes. “I just now realized,” she wonders. “Naomi’s eyes… They look really heavy. She really hasn’t been sleeping well. She looks stressed out, too. Is it because I left home? That couldn’t be it. Could it?”

“It’s a struggle. I mean it’s not all bad. We have many promising fighters but no one has really broken out of the pro-Japanese industry yet. So, finances are tight. We have to stage fights all the time just to break even.”

Akane scratches the back of her head as she starts to feel worse overhearing how difficult business is. And seeing her older sister struggling. “I see. I’m sorry to hear that.”

Naomi

Naomi then breaks a smile. “Well, enough about me. How are things with you?”

Akane quickly smiles back. “I haven’t had a fight in the last months. I am still training my hardest every day and looking at every possible option in my career. Nothing is for certain, but I may be able to get a fight with the German champion in the Lightweight division. The win against Vera Stone helped me a lot. It’s amazing how many fans I gained. So many people are messaging me every day and telling me how much they support me. Everyone here has been so nice. It’s been great.”

“I see.” Naomi’s expression turns darker. “That’s good to hear. You really did fight well against Vera.”

“Thank you, Sis.”

Her eyes shoot down. “I guess you’re getting along with your coach.”

“I really am,” Akane nods her head. “Oh, and Alesia just won the German Super Lightweight championship title! She beat the number one challenger, Katia Nagel, in a very difficult fight. You should have seen that. She was amazing but super stressful! I was sitting on the edge of my seat through the whole match. But just you wait, Naomi. I think big things are coming over the horizon.” Akane smiles sweetly and chuckles.

“Hmm, yes. Alesia.” She speaks her name like it is poison. “I know everything about her.” Naomi’s eyes shoot around. “And judging from the background behind you. You’re still living in her flat. I can’t believe you are still living with the gaijin enemy! Disgusting.” Naomi frowns as she feels her anger rising.

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“What?” Akane’s eyes grow in shock. “Don’t say that. Alesia is my friend!”

“Your friend?” Naomi looks at her little sister as if she were crazy. “Oh, please. What trash are you speaking? Did you forget she beat you, Akane!? You rolled over and surrendered your pride in serving the gaijin! Do you know that Akane?” Naomi yells in anger.

“Stop it,” Akane looks at her sister with a hurtful expression. “The way you’re thinking about them is all wrong. I’m not serving anyone! It’s not like that. We’re a team. Alesia and Regina have gone out of their way for me. They’ve worked with me and their promotion company will help make me a star. Germany has been good to me!” She looks down sadly. “We’re not enemies. We’re just…. Not.” Akane’s voice breaks.

“No, you don’t understand Akane,” Naomi snaps. “I can’t believe you left. You’ve betrayed our family and Japan by leaving! Look at you. You were the future of women’s boxing in Japan! Now, you want to be the German champion? What about your home? We need you more than them,” Naomi sighs. “Now, look at you. You obey the orders of a washed-up German coach and you have an ugly European haircut to top it off. Alesia even dressed you up like a German with a fake university sweater.”

Naomi narrows her eyes in rage. “They’re not helping you, Akane! They’ve disrespected you. You’re not a true Japanese anymore!”

Akane’s eyes quickly fill up with tears and she feels her anger swiftly rise. She grits her teeth together. “ENOUGH!”

Naomi stops her angry rant. The two sisters’ mood feels heavy and they lock eyes on their screens.

“Listen.” Naomi takes a deep breath and exhales. “We raised you to become Japan’s next great champion. You’re better than this, Akane-san! You’re just hurting yourself by doing this.”

Tears start to stream down Akane’s face and a sob escapes her lips. She just can’t believe how angry and mean her big sister is treating her. Akane keeps looking at her phone, but she can’t find any words to say. Her emotions are getting the better of her.

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“I know this isn’t what you wanted to hear, but this is how I feel, Akane-san.” Naomi looks away in shame from her sister. “We were a team and you just left us behind. Shame on you.” She looks at her little sister with pure disappointment. “I’ll never forgive you for this, even if you return.”

Alesia yawns as she walks into the main room. She stretches her arms up and groans. “Man, why am I still feeling so tired?” Alesia then sees Akane looking at someone on her phone. “What’s going on?” Alesia asks with a smile while walking towards her. “Oh! Are you talking to Naomi?”

Naomi shoots daggers into Alesia. “And there’s the gaijin!”

“Huh?” Alesia’s stupefied eyes grow. “Gaijin?”

Akane growls as she feels her tolerance finally snap. “SHUT UUUUP!” She gets up holding the phone close to her face. “Listen to me, Naomi! Alesia isn’t a gaijin! She’s my friend. MY FRIEND! You already failed me and our family. You’re over 30 years old, Naomi, and you still live with mom and dad! You have no independence and no respect for anyone! I, at least, have ambition! I’m working hard and doing my best to be better as a boxer and a person. One day, I’ll be the German champion! Then I’ll come back take the Japanese title by force just to spite you! I’ll watch you choke on your words!”

“Good luck with that,” Naomi snaps back with fury. “You’re nothing but a damn gaijin yourself now. No matter what you do you’ll never…”

Akane closes her eyes and presses the button on her screen to end the call. The room is dead quiet. The young Japanese woman slowly sits back down on the red couch with tears dropping on her lap and sobs escaping through her lips. Alesia freezes still with her jaw half open. Her eyes shoot to her friend and her expression saddens as her heart throbs seeing Akane so upset.

Alesia walks over to Akane and sits next to her placing her hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, dear,” she says softly. “I’m so sorry.”

“I knew it.” Akane puts her hands on her face as she starts sniffling and sobbing while tears keep falling from her sad watery eyes. “My sister hates me.”

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Alesia opens her mouth and quickly closes it. She isn’t entirely sure to say. She can’t imagine how it would feel if her younger sister Sophie hated her. And she doesn’t want to imagine it. Plus, Alesia feels a little responsible for this situation. “I don’t think that’s true. She still loves you just… in a possessive way. She’s just angry because she thinks she lost you.”

Alesia closes her eyes as she feels her mind starting to race at light speed. “Naomi blames me for taking her little sister away. I did beat Akane twice in the ring. Those fights were not easy.” Alesia opens her eyes and frowns. “If I’m being honest, I’d probably be a little-pissed off, too, if my sister got knocked out twice by another boxer and then decided to train with them. It’s hard to shake those kinds of feelings off because it feels like admitting defeat. But that’s not true. It showed how far Akane is willing to go to succeed.”

Alesia then remembers when Akane walked into her locker room after their second match ended. “At the time, I was stunned. It must have been a huge bitter pill to swallow when Akane asked coach Regina for help, but she did it anyway because she wanted to get stronger no matter what. No one should damn her for that. If anything, it’s inspiring and it shows how strong-willed she is. Akane really loves boxing.”

“Akane,” the blonde woman says. “Just give Naomi some time. She’s just upset right now.” She smiles warmly. “She’ll come around. She just has a certain kind of mindset she doesn’t want to change yet, but she’ll come around when she keeps seeing you perform. Believe me.”

Akane wipes away some tears with her sleeve. “I just… wish she treated me like a sister again. I’m not asking for much, am I? How the hell am I not Japanese anymore? What does that even mean?”

“That’s ridiculous. Of course, you’re Japanese. You’ll always be Japanese.” Alesia grabs her shoulder tighter. “There’s nothing wrong with being German at the same time. These days, it’s perfectly normal to have a complex identity.”

The German champion leans over, gets closer and takes a better look at Akane. “I know this doesn’t make things better with Naomi, but look at what you’ve accomplished so far. You’re building a new life for yourself here. You’ve worked so hard and your boxing has gotten so good as a result. Plus, Regina and I love you. And don’t even get me started on Sophie. She thinks you’re the coolest thing on the planet. Also, German boxing fans won’t shut up about you either. It’s actually made me kind of jealous.” Alesia chuckles.

Akane sniffles and makes a sheepish smile. “You really think so?”

Alesia shakes her head. “Akane, I am Germany’s Super Lightweight champion. I know a strong woman when I see one. Give yourself some credit. Don’t let anyone diss you. You fought and knocked Vera Stone out. Everyone thought it was impossible. So, stand up for yourself. You’re the storm that will take the Lightweight title. No one can stop you.”

Akane cleans some more tears off her cheek. “Heh. That’s Little Storm.” She takes a deep breath to relax. “You’re right. I need to put things into perspective. I know who my real friends are. I need you and everyone. More than ever. I can’t thank you enough for helping me. Thank you.” She closes her eyes and bows her head.

Alesia’s cheeks turn slightly red from embarrassment. “You can stop that. I only helped a little. You did most of the work, but I’m here for you.” She nods and smiles. “Now, no more crying. You’re getting me all depressed.”

“Okay.” Akane raises her head and smiles. “I’ll stop. I just need a distraction. Aren’t FC Bayern playing tonight?”

Alesia throws her right fist in the air. “You betcha! Champions League match. Let’s watch it!”

Akane laces her fingers together and closes her eyes. “Should I get the beers?”
Alesia shoots Akane a bored expression. “What am I dumb. Of course, get the beers.” She laughs. Akane laughs and goes get the drinks.

Alesia then looks away in thought. “Note to self: look up the definition of ‘gaijin’.”