Family's Family

Taylor nodded. She was quiet. Things were starting to look more familiar. She couldn't help but compare him to her own dad. They were both largely absent, it seemed, but Ichiro was gone at work, making money and providing for the family, at least in one way. Taylor couldn't say the same about her own dad. She couldn't bring herself to apply a term like "deadbeat" to him, though it was probably accurate. She just knew that no one could understand everyone, and she imagined that he did his best with whatever it was he had to do.

Regardless of any domestic superiority Ichiro possessed over her own father, Taylor would never trade one for the other. Her dad was everything this guy was not: warm, kind, artistic, and humble, with a smile that never failed to make her feel good. This guy was as far from all of those things as anyone could be.

Taylor thought for a moment about what he'd said. Someone's secretary was scheming on Johnny? She probably wrote whatever the Japanese equivalent of "Mrs Johnny Higurashi" was in the margins of her appointment book. She had a question, though, and not feeling terribly charitable, she asked it directly.

"What do you think of Johnny's career?" She said, looking Ichiro directly in the eye again. Taylor had stood in the ring with Sarah Gatt and Akashi Tanikaze, this old guy didn't scare her.

Ichiro considered Taylor's words. "Hmmm." He said as he lowered his head. After some thought, he lifted up his head and looked at Johnny. "Junichi-kun is a grown man. He may do whatever he wishes with his life." He said finally. It was the truth. He felt as though actions had consequences and One could only control their own actions. Whether he disapproved of Johnny was irrelevant. It wasn't as though he was going to change Johnny's mind if he did. It was the same for Taylor. Whether or not he liked her did not matter. Johnny wasn't going to divorce her. The family would ultimately decide whether Johnny was honoring or dishonoring the family, not him. All he could do was bear the shame or praise, whichever Johnny accrued. It was the same for his father and most likely his father's father.

Johny shifted in his seat. "I don't think Dad's too keen on it. Ma kind of soured him on the whole wrestling thing, I guess. It's cool though." He said, trying to play it off.

"Your mother was always her own spirit." Ichiro said flatly. "She is also wrestling on her own now." He added.

Taylor wasn't going to let him get away with an answer like that. She reminded herself to stay cool, for everyone's sake, but especially Johnny's. She couldn't just go after the dude within the first ten minutes of meeting him, but she didn't much like Mr Higurashi as of yet.

"That's very nice of you," Taylor said, without sounding sarcastic. "But what do you think about it? I guess if you've never actually seen him perform, then you probably have no idea."

Wasn't he even curious? Did he really not understand how much his approval, or at least his interest meant to his son? Taylor thought that maybe him being some big shot executive and providing for the family was more about money or honor for him, and nothing much about the rest of the family. He definitely didn't seem all that concerned with any of them.

Taylor squeezed Johnny's hand under the table and glanced over at him. She hoped that she could support him enough to make up for his dad, at least a little bit.

"Hmmmm." Ichiro said as she listened to Taylor's words. "I've seen enough wrestling to know I don't care much for it. I think that fighting women is especially distasteful." It was hard to tell if Ichiro was talking about Johnny fighting women or women who wrestled men. His ex-wife was deep into the sport, so he knew all about women's wrestling and minded it less. There was just something that didn't sit well with him about Johnny wrestling them.

"If he wishes to pursue wrestling then he should take it seriously. If he were to achieve fame in a men's wrestling league, then that would bring much more honor to his family. If he must choose wrestling for a career."

Johnny squeezed Taylor's hand back and shook his head when they made eye contact. "It's cool, man. I am happy. I love my job. I get paid to work out and wrestle..." He turned and looked coyly at Taylor. "...sexy babes... all day." Johnny grinned. "And then at night I get to come home to the sexiest one of them all!" Johnny's heart beat rapidly in his chest just thinking about it. His life really was something else.

"That is what you care about." Ichiro stated, not turning it into a question. "I have also heard that Mamouru-kun was also in wrestling." He said and picked up his cup of tea and sipped it.

Taylor gave Johnny a look and squeezed his hand as hard as she could, knowing perfectly well she wouldn't be able to even make him flinch.

She couldn't have been more appalled by Ichiho's ideas, as a woman, a wife, and an ex-wrestler. So far, the guy didn't really care about Johnny, Mamouru, or Taylor, or what they did. As far as she could tell, he didn't seem to have any redeeming qualities about him. She sighed.

Her smile was gone, and in it's place was a look of near-helpless resignation. She wasn't even as upset about Johnny's dad being an ass as she was that her father-in-law was an ass, selfish or not. Regardless, she couldn't just say nothing. Keeping her mouth shut just wasn't her style.

"This isn't the same as that. He could try for a baseball career, too, but he's not a baseball player. If Johnny ever decides to make a change, then I'll support him all the way, but he's good at what he does, and people love him for it. He's an athlete, and a performer, and like... an entertainer. Maybe if you paid more attention, you'd be able to figure out what's good about it."

She unconsciously rolled her shoulders. "And if you think it's not fair to put men in with women, I can even prove you wrong whenever you want. In heels, too."

"Hmmmm...." Ichiro said when Taylor was finished. She was definitely not Japanese. "I do not have to like what Junichi-kun does to accept the fact that he does it." He stated. "He has chosen his career, his spouse and every aspect of his life on his won. He is a man after all. He will live with those decisions and I hope he will not regret them."

The food was set down before him and He lifted up his chopsticks and said the prayer. Johnny did as well and he began to shovel food in his mouth while Ichiro took careful, calculated bites. After a few moments, Ichiro stopped. "Fair or unfair is irrelevant." He said. "I find it distasteful." He said simply.

Johnny continued to pile more food into his mouth. He was chewing it pretty fiercely. He was getting a little agitated but he didn't want to explode.

Taylor looked to Johnny for help. She didn't understand it at all. How could he be like that? Maybe she was just holding him to a different standard and expected him not to be an ass because he was Johnny's dad, and sort of hers, but she couldn't deal with the way he brushed everything off. She could see why Junko left him, but she couldn't see how someone like her got together with someone like him.

She forced a weak smile at Johnny, but didn't eat a bite. She couldn't her stomach was in knots. She picked up her chopsticks, as if she were about to eat, and then took another shot at the conversation.

"So..." She said after some time had passed. "How did you and... Johnny's mom meet?" She was genuinely curious.

Ichiro finished his bite and listened to Taylor's words. "Junko-chan and I met at University. She was in marketing and I was studying business. We had some of the same classes early on. While I was working my way through the company and she remained in Tokyo doing the same, it was natural that we wed." He read the story like he was reading it from the back of a cereal box."

He took another bite and then thought about what to say next. The divorce had been bad and taken a lot out of Ichiro. He felt like it would be rude to speak about it even to his daughter-in-law so he chose not to and took another bite. He then looked at Johnny. "I can imagine how Junko-chan reacted to meeting Taylor." He said, thinking about it.

Johnny swallowed his bite down hard. "It's probably exactly like you thought it might be." He said with a laugh. "I know that I pretty much had it pegged." He said and nudged Taylor, grinning. "It's cool though. They're cool. Ma pretty much loves Taylor." He said beaming proudly. "Even though they were trying to beat each other up!" Johnny laughed.

"Hmmmm." Ichiro said after Johnny spoke. He then eyed Taylor. It seemed as if there was no one she did not threaten with physical harm.

Taylor leaned in toward Ichiro and whispered like she was filling him in on some secret. "It's how American girls break the ice." She said with a wink.

She took her first bite of dinner, while Johnny was closer to the end of his than the beginning. She did wish she could get the hang of the eating with people thing, it would be so much easier. She accepted it as part of her life, though, and she wasn't that hungry anyway.

"She must've been pretty hot in college. She's pretty hot now." Taylor remarked. "For being so old, I mean." She added. "You must've been quite the guy." She said casually, and took another bite.

"Hmmm." Ichiro said at Taylor's whisper. He took another bit e of his food and heard Taylor's words. "Junko-chan was never lacking in charm or beauty." Ichiro inhaled and exhaled deeply and then looked down at his food. "I was lucky, that is all." He said simply as he reflected upon the younger days with himself and Junko. She was always trying to get him into trouble. He had some issues with Junko and his own family. Though Junko knew quite well how to play the part of the Japanese housewife, they didn't appreciate the fact that she was in the wrestling business. Especially once the twins were born. There was always contention between his family and Junko and whenever the twins went to see them, Junko was never there.

Ichiro took one more bite and set down his chopsticks. "My family did not approve of Junko-chan's ways. They didn't like the fact that she was in the wrestling business." He said, deciding to tell Taylor. "When my sons and I visited them, she did not come with us."

Ichiro took one last sip of his tea. "It was nice meeting you." He said finally. "And it seems as though Junichi-kun is very happy to have you as his wife. I am also glad for that. However, I cannot give my approval."

"What...?" Johnny said, his eyes widening.

Ichiro looked at Johnny. "It is good that you wed without telling me." He said simply.

"Dad... that's pretty much bullshit." He said, pounding his fist against the table.

Ichiro remained calm. "I don't expect you to understand, Junichi-kun." He said. "It seems that Japan is moving in a new direction, away from old relics like myself. That is just how it is and I have come to accept it. I have to get back to Fukuoka soon anyway." He said as he inched towards the edge of the booth.

"Dad... fucking stop!" Johnny said, looking like he was close to tears. His hand gripped the table so hard his knuckles were white. "You can't just say you disapprove and walk away like it's not a fucking deal! Do you know how excited Taylor was to see you!? And now you've just been a total asshole the whole time!"

"Hmmm..." Ichiro said as he shifted back to face Johnny. "Junichi-kun, I am not sure where you picked up your speaking habits, but I think that if you've made choices that you're satisfied with, you'll be fine."

Johnny stared at the table. His eyes were wide but tears began to drip from his eyelids. "Fuck that." He said not lifting his head up. "At least... when you were fighting with Ma, there was some emotion in your voice. Fuck. I know that she said you used to be a real pimp and shit but the only time I ever saw you show any kinds of feelings was during the divorce! If I was lucky enough to see you at all, man! I think that's bullshit!"