Further Adventures of Ryuji Sakamoto

[der meister 3,241]

    The dreams always start before I’m asleep. Sharp memories of day past, vague sensations of what could have been, dancing like fae in dusky dew. At least, that's what it feels like ever since Seattle Bears' defenseman Ryuji Sakamoto got mixed up in some rather unsavory business at The Jump House, a local dive bar here in Redmond, Washington, and dragged me into the same chaotic, horrifying predicament. I find myself questioning just how real any of this truly is, whether the verisimilitude I have been experiencing has any grounding in reality, or if I've perhaps been in a drug-induced coma and this is the best my imagination can come up with to wile away the time. If so, I think I need to strengthen my imagination, as the idea of having deadlines for these articles, or even having a job altogether, seems like a bit of a slap in the face. One shouldn't define oneself by their occupation, after all.

 

    Having said all that, we're now in week three, though it feels like an eternity, of Sakamoto doing odd jobs for the mysterious Mr. Johnson, he of the wide-brimmed hat and yellowing smile. I hesitate to put too many details of those odd jobs in writing, in the event that these pieces become evidence in any kind of legal matter, but suffice it to say that Sakamoto, while putting life and limb on the line, appears to be thoroughly enjoying himself. In the past few weeks, he's purchased a number of rather odd items, most notably a black leather duster that weighs close to sixty pounds, by my estimation, as it is embedded with lengths of steel, which are themselves wrapped in Kevlar, making the whole jacket something of a bulletproof fabric shell. I tried making a joke to the effect of him being armored on and off the ice, but Sakamoto didn't seem to appreciate the levity.

 

    Speaking of on the ice, Sakamoto's point-per-game pace has slipped considerably, though he still has set new personal bests in goals [10], assists [40], points [50], and shots [174]. He's also only 13 hits shy of setting a new best in that category, with 10 games left to go in the season. It's interesting to note that despite his non-traditional background and non-traditional playing style, so far in his career he is averaging over half a point per game, along with almost 2 minutes of penalties per game, over 2 hits per game, and nearly 2 blocked shots per game. His statistical performance might not be befitting of a player drafted as high as he was at 7th overall, yet he is proving himself to be one of the league's best two-way defensemen, a true jack of all trades, master of none.

 

    "C'mon dude," Sakamoto whines at me from elsewhere in his home in Redmond, just a few blocks away from The Jump House, "aren't you almost done writing that shit? We've got places to go, and I love the looks I get when I'm wearing this jacket."