Book Off Kyoto Novels & Stories

The conversation that was not about a problem. "What did you want to do this year?" she said. "Before everything started. We talked about a trip. You mentioned somewhere." Lewis looked at her. "Kyoto." "Tell me about Kyoto." "I read about it in a magazine three years ago. The kind with photographs. There is a route through the old city in the early morning before the tourists come out. Completely quiet. You walk and there is nothing to manage." He paused. "I thought about taking you there and having absolutely nothing to manage for four consecutive days."

he asked from the doorway, his coffee in hand. I turned the laptop toward him. “They want me to come to Kyoto.” He read the email quickly, then looked up with that small lift in his brows that meant he was impressed. “That is not a casual invitation.” “I know.” “So,” he asked, “what is your hesitation?”

He was staring at Arjuna, who sat across from them, reading a traditional Japanese map. "We aren't staying in a hotel?" Bumi asked, his voice low so as not to wake his brother. "No," Arjuna said, looking up. The dark circles under his eyes remained, but the haunting look of despair had been replaced by a quiet, fierce determination. "I’ve booked a Ryokan in the Higashiyama district of Kyoto. It’s been in the same family for four hundred years. No cameras, no press, no Mahendra Group. Just us."

I sat down and began eating without a word. He joined me five minutes later. “I spoke with Mr. Ayashida this morning,” he said lightly. “He’s opening a new children’s hospital in Osaka. It’s a big deal—international coverage. We’ve been invited to the opening ceremony.” I chewed slowly. “To cut down on stress,” he added, “I booked us a night there. Just one. So we don’t have to rush the train back late.” I nodded. I didn’t care. “We have a few hours before we leave. Do you want to shop for something to wear to the event? Or I can have stylists deliver options directly to our hotel in Osaka.”

Saturday. Private Airport, Kyoto, Japan. FUCKING HELL. Lee's plans were dissolving, and he had no clue why. He eased the bike to a stop outside the fenced off area of the private airport just outside Kyoto. He'd been hard pressed to follow the SUV without getting too close. With any luck the bodyguards hadn't spotted him. The family was supposed to remain at the conference for the duration of the event. Only once that was over were they to leave, at which point Lee's people were supposed to grab them.

"Not the tourist islands. Somewhere quiet. A little whitewashed house on a cliff in Folegandros or Milos. No paparazzi. No schedule. Just you, me, the sea, and enough feta to make us both regret it later." She laughs, clearly surprised. "Feta regret, huh?" she teases. I grin despite the pull on my split lip. "I'm committed." She nudges my elbow with hers. "Your turn. Ask me." "Where do you want to go?" She doesn't hesitate. "Japan. Kyoto in autumn. All the red maples. A ryokan with an onsen. Sliding paper doors. Tatami mats. You in a yukata looking stupidly handsome and trying to use chopsticks like you know what you're doing."

“I actually want to suggest we take one mount before going forth, but you look very excited and yeah, we’re kinda saving up our budget too, so… I thought you wanted to go on foot, and since we can beat anything that comes to our way before, I am confident in following behind you as you slaughter anything in front of us.” Jai looked at him flatly until he finished explaining all of that, upon which after his favorite windlet friend had finished, he couldn’t help but sighed a long sigh. ‘This is troublesome,’ Jai commented. Yes, there’s a reason there’s a parking lot in Takenoko. It does not only offer those who wants to park their mounts for a rest, but also offers to rent a mount for those w

I was going toward something. When the captain announced our descent, my hands trembled slightly against the armrest. The city appeared below—orderly, quiet, breathtaking. Kyoto glimmered like a watercolor, rooftops framed by mountains and trees just beginning to blush with spring. As soon as I stepped out of the terminal, I felt the difference. The air was cool and crisp, scented faintly with green tea and rain. Announcements echoed softly in Japanese and English. A few travelers passed, their movements graceful and unhurried.

Leslie said, and I sighed. “I’ve missed hot spring baths.” The train stopped, and we headed for one of the popular temples in Kyoto – Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine. We took a lot of pictures with a temple guide giving the history of the temple. I didn’t believe in any gods, unlike my parents and Leslie is Christian, so I couldn’t understand his fascination with temples. “Should we buy a charm or two? Maybe a souvenir?” Leslie asked. “Kid, these god statures aren’t for decorations and children touch things they shouldn’t. Let’s stick with the papers that won’t leave the temple.” I instructed and picked up a charm.

There were always things in October. He cleared them. We landed in Osaka on a Tuesday morning and took the train to Kyoto, which was two and a half hours of countryside and the specific quality of Japanese light in October that Leo had written about in his postcard and that was, arriving at it from the train window, exactly as he had described. I texted him a photograph of the light through the window. He replied within minutes: I told you.