The buildings of the town come and go out of Paul’s field of view as Andrew’s car runs slowly but steadily atop the slippery road. The weather has suddenly got worse, and sleet has started to fall from the sky above, although the sunlight is still visible from a few openings in the dark gray cloud that has gathered on top of the city. Andrew has stopped talking since the sleet started to fall, fully concentrating on the roads ahead.

Paul has managed to get some information from Andrew about the town. It used to be one of the hidden villages during the feudal period due to the difficulty of traveling to the mountainside where it resides. Even as the towns and villages at the base of the mountain fall to famine, disease, or urbanization, the self-sustainability of the village means it survives through the difficult times following World War 2 up to the Japanese economic miracle in the 1960s. As Japan starts to open herself more to the world, the government tries to increase the amount of universities, workplaces, and tourism sites, and that is when they decide the village, which has survived for so long, as one of the prime candidates for development. They aptly named the new town Kakumachi, from the words meaning “to hide” and “town”.

Considering the condition of the village, the local government decides to expand the village into a small university town combined with a winter tourism destination site. This development means the town gathers a large amount of people, whether they are tourists, students, or new residents looking forward to moving to a newly developed town, which means a lot of opportunity to open up their own business.

Since the town is located on a mountainside, special care was needed to develop the buildings in order to fulfill Japan’s strict building safety standard, resulting in low-density building zones in order to prevent avalanches and landslides, and the damages such disaster can bring. This ultimately means a high population of people, but low density.

As Paul ponders on the newly-received information, the car makes a turn and enters a small paid parking lot. Apartment and mansion buildings stand tall around the parking lot, reducing the already scarce light and keeping it dark, yet relatively dry when compared to the area around it.

“We’re here. Come on, let’s go. Oh, you can keep your luggage in the car first. Just make sure you bring your bag with the signature stamp and your documents.”

“Okay,” Paul replies. He gets out of the car as soon as he slings his bag across his shoulders, with Andrew already getting out first. The rain and snow kept on falling down, soaking Paul’s coat and scarf with a small amount of water.

While Paul soaks in the cold weather, Andrew walks towards one of the more modern-looking mansion buildings. The automatic glass doors open up as Andrew approaches, and he goes inside without hesitating, with Paul briskly following him. Andrew then calls for the elevator, and promptly gets inside together with Paul before then pressing the button for the 5th floor. They both ride the elevator in silence, and they both swiftly disembark when the door opens. The 5th floor hallway is well-lit, and Paul sees around 10 doors, each assumedly connected to individual mansion units.

“This way, Paul.” Andrew says as he walks to the right. Paul follows him, and they come to a stop in front of the door to unit number 3. Andrew then rings the doorbell, and a few moments later the intercom, which is connected to the door bell, springs to life.

“Who is it?” A voice reverberates from the intercom.

“This is Andrew, and I have Paul here together with me.” Andrew replies.

The intercom is then turned off, and Paul can hear the sound of the door lock being disengaged before the door swings open, revealing a middle-aged Japanese man.

“Hello, Andrew! I’ve been expecting you. Please, come in.”

“Thank you very much. Excuse me for intruding.” Andrew says as he goes in with Paul following suit. They both take off their shoes and proceed inside. All three of them then sit down on the chair surrounding a table inside the living room.

“Pleased to meet you, Paul. I’m the real estate agent responsible for the leasing of this unit. You can call me Tora. Andrew already knows the details seeing that he’s the one who made the arrangements, but I will explain to you things regarding the room.”

“Please do.” Paul replies.

“So this mansion is a 1LDK, which means there are 1 bedroom, a living room, a dining room, and a separate kitchen. There’s also a toilet and a bathroom, and inside the bathroom there are both a bath and a shower. The first year of rent is covered by the university where you’ll be working at, so there’s no need to worry too much about that point, although you are responsible for paying the electricity, gas, and water bills, so please make sure that you pay on time for the utilities. There is also free internet connection that you can use, but since it is shared with the other residents, it might get slow at times. You’re free to install an internet connection on your own, but please note that I and my agency will not be held responsible nor assist you in installing it.”

“What about garbage disposals?”

“We have Mondays for plastics and pet bottles, Wednesday for burnable, Thursday for non-burnable, and Friday for cans. For large sized garbage you will have to contact the garbage disposal company directly in order to arrange a pick-up. In case you forgot, there’s a laminated paper attached on the side of the refrigerator that details the exact garbage disposal days and the telephone number for the disposal company. Are there any other question you would like to ask?”

“I think everything’s fine for now.”

“I see. In that case, let’s proceed. Do you bring your signature stamp?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Good,” Tora says while fishing out some documents from his bag. “Please stamp here, and here.” Paul simply does what Tora asks. After that, Andrew fishes out a hanko as well and stamps the document as well.

“Ok, that is all. Thank you very much.” Tora says while putting the documents back in his bag and gives the entrance key to Paul.

“Thank you for your help, Tora.” Andrew replies.

“No worries. Since the university acts as the guarantor, I can have an ease of mind when proceeding with this contract. Well then, if there’s nothing else, I will be going now.”

“Yes, that would be all. Thank you. Paul, let’s get your stuff from the car.” Andrew says while standing up. Paul and Andrew then go back to the car and take Paul’s entire luggage before returning to the room.

“Thank you for your help, Andrew.”

“No worries. Since you will be working on my department, securing your housing will be the least that I can do. Why don’t you introduce yourself to the neighbours before we go out to buy some necessities?”

“Yeah, I’ll do just that,” Paul replies while he takes a box of chocolate and a bag of coffee. He then exits the room, and heads to the door of unit number 2. He then rings the door bell, and like before, the intercom turns on, and a woman’s voice is heard.

“Yes, who is it?”

“Hello. My name is Paul Boone, and I just moved to room number 3. I simply want to give my regards to my new neighbours.”

A short silence is then heard before the door opens. A young woman sporting shoulder-length hair and a slender body stands in the room, separated from Paul only by the doorframe. Paul is captivated by the beauty that stands before him, and before he can speak, the woman opens her mouth first.

"Hello, Mister Boone. Pleased to meet you. My name is Koyama."

"Oh, yes, pleased to meet you, Miss Koyama. Once again, my name is Paul Boone. I'll be your neighbor from now on. It's not much, but please," Paul replies while handing over the box of chocolate and bag of coffee that he's holding. 

"Thank you for your courtesy, Mister Boone. I hope we can foster a good relation from now on."

Just as Paul was about to reply, Andrew's voice is heard from the door to the room.

"You done with the introductions, Paul?"

"Professor Yates?" Koyama blurts out suddenly.

"Oh, Koyama? This is where you're staying?"

"Yes, I live here with my mother."

"Oh, I see. Well then, since you've met, this here is Paul. He'll be working together with me as professor for the English department in the university. Do treat him kindly. Anyway, shall we go, Paul? You may want to get necessities for you as soon as possible, and my wife is waiting for me at home, so I can't stay out for too late today."

"In that case, should I accompany him, Mister Yates? Get him acquainted with the town and help him shop and everything."

"You will? Well, that will be very helpful. But remember, Miss Koyama. He may become your professor, and you his student."

"Yes, don't worry, Mister Yates. I understand just fine."

"I see. In that case, Paul, please go with Miss Koyama here. Good luck and have a good day."

"I will, Andrew. Thank you." 

Andrew doesn't respond, and instead he steps in to the elevator he called earlier, and rides it all the way down. 

"Well, Mister Boone, please wait for a few minutes while I go change my clothes. You don't mind, right?"

"Oh, no, please."

"Thank you. Now, if you will," Koyama says as she closes and locks the door to the room. Paul simply stands beside the door, waiting patiently for Koyama. Various memories regarding his last visit to Japan start to play inside his head. The food he ate, the streets he walked, and the places he visited. And then, his scar.

"Thank you for waiting, Mister Boone," Koyama says, breaking Paul from his daydream and back to reality. "Shall we?" She adds, gesturing towards the elevator. They both call the elevator, and promptly ride it down back to ground level once it arrives. They then step out of the lobby back into the cold, open air, where a thin layer of ice can be seen on the road and sidewalk; remnants of the sleet earlier. As if thinking the same thing, they both start to walk toward the bus stop, even as the snow continues to fall, blanketing everything in white.