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Wilhelm-Fay-Strasse 21, Frankfurt am Main (65936), Germany, 1600 hours (4:00 pm), June 7th 2028:
The air of this now-10-year-old headquarter was cooler than outside. It was a summer afternoon in Frankfurt. There’s only two hours left before the end of Sinn’s business hours, and Shelley Marsh was here for one reason. Her left-hand-drive Sinn UX (EZM 2B) GSG 9 was jumping every three or four seconds or so; last time that happened, she had been wearing her UX for a little over 8 years, so she traveled to Frankfurt to get it serviced, and it was the first time she walked into this new HQ of Sinn, which they moved into a year before.
Normally, it’s on the 22mm Isofrane 1968 rubber diver strap in an olive-like “NATO Green” with a DLC-coated black Retrosicuro buckle cause it fits the watch like a glove and is hella comfortable (even if it looks kinda big on her wrist), but for the sake of servicing, she refitted the original bracelet in submarine steel she bought it with. There’s only a week left before Sayo and Tsugumi’s wedding happen, but she wasn’t worry much as she read from others online that the service should be done in just 6-8 weeks, enough time for her to return to Frankfurt. Granted, it’s as simple as fitting a new battery and replacing the oil and a few other things, but there’s also a few other watches come in for servicing as well, so that’s probably Sinn giving themselves some leeway. Still, it would be a while before she gets to wear it again, but she does trust the people running Sinn more than those at A. Lange & Soehne (but then again, it could be because of Richemont cutting corners).
“Oh, so Sayo Hikawa and Tsugumi Hazawa is getting married?” asked the female employee talking to Shelley.
“Yeah, I’m traveling to Japan after dropping off here.” Shelley replied; “Does Mr. Schmidt heard about it?”
“Oh yes, he does actually knew about that.” she answered Shelley; “Like, he actually even kept a photo of Yukina Minato and Nana Nakagawa posing in front of a Taiko cabinet with Ritsuko Akizuki and Tilly Ramsay after Nana pop the question to Yukina at the Namco Akihabara arcade, cause Tilly was wearing the reintroduced 103 Ti Ar.”
“Yeah, cause Gordon has one of the original EZM 1 with that Lemania caliber…” Shelley drifted off.
“Like father, like daughter~” the staff quipped.
“So this service should take 6 to 8 weeks like before, right?” asked Shelley.
“Of course, but who knows, really?~” the female staff half-joked.
“Thanks. I think there’s only a few hours left now. See you again?” Shelley said.
“Yeah. And tell Sayo and Tsugumi that Mr. Schmidt send his congratulations to them~” she told Shelley.
“Sure~” Shelley smiled as she left the Sinn HQ to return back to the hotel.
Later…
The sky was now devoid of light as the sun settled down. It was a cool, clear night as Shelley prepares to go out for dinner, the buildings outside lit up and casting light down the paved streets of Frankfurt. After she packed up her carry (including a Convoy S21E in green with the SST40 LED), she glanced at her white Formex Reef GMT with the steel-inlaid 60-minute bezel of the standard Reef strapped to her left wrist with the 22mm grey Zuludiver HydraRib ribbed nylon G10 strap to check the time (her 24-hour GMT hand is set to British Columbia time, while the main hour hand is set to Frankfurt time).
As she heads out of the hotel premises, she noticed a couple waving at her; she quickly noticed who are they cause of their silhouettes and hair color.
It was none other than Kasumi Asou, a close friend of her little brother Stan and the childhood friend of Hikari Hinomoto and her hubby Koichi; next to her was Rui Asou, formerly Rui Maita, of SEM fame and also close buddies with Stan and Hokuto Ijuuin’s college friend. Shelley have no idea why they are here in Frankfurt, but it was nice to see them again.
“Shelley!” Kasumi exclaimed as Shelley rushed toward her and Rui.
“Kasumi! Rui!” Shelley smiled as she saw the lovely couple.
Kasumi was rocking her 39mm Longines Spirit Zulu Time in black and gilt with the green bezel (chronometer-certified under the old COSC standards) on the IWC Pilot-style 21mm green Dassari aviator FKM rubber strap with a brushed buckle, while her beloved junior hubby Rui was rocking his titanium black Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT (with the double chronometer-certified manufacture MT5652-U caliber) on the 22mm by 290mm Phenome nylon G10 strap in black and gray, with gold-ish ‘warm beige’ stripes framing the gray ones, with matte brushed hardware.
“So what are you doing here?” asked Rui; “Sayo and Tsugumi invited you to their wedding, right?”
“Yeah…but my Sinn UX GSG 9 is kinda out of juice, and only Sinn can service that…that’s why…” Shelley explained awkwardly.
“I see…I heard from Yukina about the same thing with her titanium 103 Diapal…” Kasumi sunk in Shelley’s answer; “But yours is oil-filed, so…”
“I know, it’s kinda frustrating that no one else can service it, but then again, there’s no one else making something that advanced.” Shelley replied.
Shelley paused for a bit to regain her composure.
“So, why are you two here?”
“Well, today is our 5th wedding anniversary, Shelley…” the green-haired Kasumi answered back.
“Oh, I get it~” Shelley chuckled, memories of Kasumi and Rui’s big day flashing back in her eyes for a split second; “Kinda insane that you two are still happily married after 5 years. And I think that’s just the surface level.”
“Yeah, Shelley…” Rui blushed; “I’ve known Kasumi since I made my debut with Michio and Jiro. Like, she’s a real fangirl for me, let me tell you~” he chuckled.
“Okay, but can we talk about that later, cause I’m kinda getting hungry…” Shelley smirked; “I’m going to Der Fette Bulle, cause you know…I found it interesting that there’s burger joints in Frankfurt, and I’m saying that while kinda knowing that the Hamburg steak is where the hamburger originated.”
“Oh, that sounds interesting…” Kasumi interjected; “We actually wanna go to that one restaurant on the 53rd floor in the heart of the city, but now you’re mentioning that…yeah, we’re in with you. And before you ask: yes, I’ve ate Hamburg steaks before and have a few burgers too.”
“And what about you, Rui?” Shelley asked the blonde-dyed former-teacher-turned-idol.
“Yeah, I’ve ate Hamburg steaks and burgers too~” Rui chuckled.
“Okay~” Shelley subtly smiled.
Der Fette Bulle, 1915 hours (7:15 pm):
Shelley sat in front of Kasumi and Rui at the table, with other diners around them. They just ordered their meals after arriving and secure the table.
“So, about what we were talking earlier…” Shelley said; “You know, Rui, Kasumi being a fangirl of you?”
“Right…” Rui scratch back of his neck.
“Yeah, he’s really hot, and he’s a former English teacher, so that’s why I clicked with him. And yes, I was a bit of a fangirl for him, but not of the crazy kind, you know?” Kasumi explained.
“Like having shrines dedicated to him at home kind of crazy?”
“Yes, Shelley…I actually want to see him live, cause shrines like that doesn’t replace actual experience.” Kasumi elaborated; “And actually, we clicked with each other right away. I was Koichi’s homeroom for his third year, and I teach Japanese, not too different from Rui.”
“Yeah, it’s kinda ironic that I ended up with her, cause Michio have to taught me the kanjis that I can’t read cause of my English.” Rui joked.
“Hehe~” Shelley chuckled; “I remember Ryo and Yumeko telling me about President Saito allowing anyone at his agency to date, cause I think he doesn’t buy into the idea of purity. Does he bless your relationship with Kasumi too, Rui?”
“Well, Shelley…yes, that’s the case.” Rui answered; “And yeah, he doesn’t believe in the idea of an idol’s purity, cause we’re all just humans, at the end of the day. Besides, the current situation makes the whole ‘no dating’ rule that was once common back then look even more tasteless to those staring at the issue.”
“Your two’s dynamics are like Sayo and Tsugumi’s, only that it’s language instead, and there’s an 8-year gap between you two~” Shelley joked.
“Yeah, I gotta thank him for giving me some English that I can use, but I also help him with his grasp on Japanese as well.” Kasumi replied; “And yeah, he’s 8 years younger than me, but I still love him very much, and vice versa.”
“Heh~…and I bet you two have a smoother road than Stan and Wendy, cause frankly, I’m surprised that they’re still together.” Shelley quipped.
“Oh, your little brother Stan…he’s quite the Japanophile, and it’s a joy for me to teach him Japanese that he can actually use, cause he’s so enthusiastic. But still, he’s kinda like a grounded weeb, if you catch my drift…” Kasumi joked; “And Rui has the same joy teaching both Yukina and Nana plenty of useful English as well to navigate this world.”
“Yeah, and Nana’s birthday is the same as Rui’s, and also Kokoro of Hello Happy World!, and Yukina’s birthday is like a week after Stan’s, but also the same as Louis Petrozza of Hell’s Kitchen.”
“I know, it’s quite the coincidence that me and her have the same birthday as the HaroHapi vocalist.” Rui replied; “As for Yukina’s birthday being the same as the late Petrozza, Nana told me that she has a bit of angst over that ever since Petrozza’s passing in 2019, cause he’s quite the legend among Hell’s Kitchen fans. Like, no one dare to speak ill of him, at most pointing out that he has consistent issues with organization that cost him his victory at the end, but that’s about it…”
“Maybe that’s the other reason why Yukina and Nana got Christina Machamer on-board as the sous chef of the kitchen handling their reception, cause she’s the one that knew Petrozza for many years after the show.” Kasumi quipped; “I know she is there mainly because she and Scott Commings have similar winner paths, but still…”
“Probably…” Shelley replied before pausing a bit; “Oh, and Gordon Ramsay is attending Sayo and Tsugumi’s wedding.”
“Yeah, I know…like, the Ramsay bunch were at Yukina and Nana’s wedding months earlier, and that’s because he was the first to meet them and track their relationship progress.” Kasumi elaborated; “And I’m pretty sure that Sayo and Tsugumi invited him because of that reason.”
“But it’s not like he’s the only one, right?” Rui interjected.
“Of course!” Shelley replied; “Stan and Wendy were there cause they’re friends with them, and so were you two, right?”
“Yeah…” Rui scratched the back of his neck as he smiled awkwardly; “They’re our best buddies, after all, even if they’re younger than us~”
“And I can see a bit of my love story with Rui in both of them too…” Kasumi interjected; “Sure, Yukina was a bit of an ice queen, but she did recover nicely thanks to her friends…”
“And one of them has the same given name as you, right?” Shelley quipped; “Actually, I think there’s three more with Kasumi as their given name.”
“Yeah, Shelley…that’s why Yukina and Nana call me as ‘Kasumi-sama’, cause I’m about 20-something older than them. Hell, I’m even a few months older than the legendary Christina Wilson.” Kasumi answered back with a chuckle; “And as for my hubby Rui, there’s a purple-haired member of Wondersho with the same given name as well.”
Moments later, their order were brought to their table: three Caesar salads, two part of onion rings, chili cheese fries for Rui and Kasumi, garlic fries for Shelley, and three burgers (a New York for Rui, a cheeseburger for Kasumi, and an avocado chili burger for Shelley). Along with those are three glasses, along two Sprite bottles for the married Maita-Asou couple and one Fanta bottle for Shelley.
“Oh, finally our meals are here.” Shelley uttered as the server laid the dishes; “Shall we dig in?” she teases.
“Sure~” Rui grinned.
“Yeah, it would be a waste to call all of this and then eat nothing at all when it’s out.” Kasumi quipped.
The three then dug into their meals.
If Kasumi was honest, not even Hikari and Koichi’s love story has so much enjoyable cheese as this cheeseburger with Old Irish cheddar; that just elevates it beyond a normal cheeseburger. She didn’t mind that her hands were dirty after holding the burger, she just wants to enjoy it with her hubby.
And speaking of her hubby Rui, his New York is something else altogether, what with the strips of beef bacon and the same Old Irish cheddar, along with eggs, Spreewald pickles, tomatoes redder than Hikari’s hair, and red onions, combined with barbecue sauce and Joppie sauce. His face was brimming with smiles as his cheeks stretched to chow down on the burger, letting the cheese and sauces tingle his taste buds while the beef patty was handled by his teeth.
And then there’s Shelley; she was enjoying her burger as much as the Maita-Asou lovebirds were. The fresh avocado, tomatoes redder than Nana’s six-string Gibson Explorer-like ESP EX (no, Gibson isn’t stupid enough to take on Rolex over the Explorer name), and mild yet tingling jalapenos, stood in contrast to the 180g beef patty (that Kasumi and Rui’s burgers also has) and strips of beef bacons, and yet she was digging it the same as her friends were, made better by the mix of aioli and chili mayonnaise sauces.
Of course, they couldn’t forget about the onion rings that they ordered; they aren’t the crispiest ones out there in the world for sure, but damn are they still delicious! The fries were just as amazing too; Kasumi and Rui’s chili cheese fries was even cheesier than Stefan Raab’s Eurovision Song Contest 2000 song for Germany in an enjoyable manner, while Shelley’s garlic fries was crispy yet has a subtle hint of flavor that not even her smell can notice alone.
But all of this would have been hard to enjoy if not for their fizzy drinks, which has so much gas that it helps their stomachs digests all of this.
“Are you two enjoying it?” Shelley asked as she finished her part.
Rui swallowed whatever was left of his New York down his throat; “Yeah, Shelley, we are~” he smiled as he cleaned his mouth.
“You know what? I’m glad that Rui and I got to spend time with you on our 5th wedding anniversary, even if all you are here for is because you need to service your Sinn.” Kasumi addressed her before cleaning her mouth.
“Yeah, I didn’t think I would see you two in Frankfurt, cause that Sinn is too badass for me to neglect and no one in North America can service an oil-filled watch like that, but I’m glad that you two noticed me.” Shelley quipped. Kasumi and Rui paid for all of their ordered before leaving with Shelley.
The next day…
Kasumi and Rui were at Frankfurt Airport again, cause Shelley was taking a flight to Tokyo cause there’s a week left till Sayo and Tsugumi’s wedding.
“Thanks for accompanying us yesterday. It was very fun.” Rui said as he and Kasumi gazed at Shelley holding the suitcase with her right hand, while her white and steel Formex Reef GMT was strapped to her left wrist. Kasumi was rocking her second-hand black 41mm Omega Seamaster Professional 300M Quartz “Peter Blake” [ref. 2264.50.00 with the three-link bracelet – nicknamed so by collectors from Omega’s ads, even though Peter Blake himself wore a variety of Seamaster 300Ms of the time that was also advertised, including the original 300M Chronograph] on the 20mm Maratac single-layer nylon Zulu strap in olive green, while Rui was rocking his left-hand drive matte Sangin Kinetic II Pilot (with the rectangular date window at 4:30 on the dial) on the Zulu and RAF-like 20mm Haveston General Service single-pass strap in coyote brown-like ‘Khaki’ (from Set B).
“Yeah…it was an amazing experience~” Shelley smirked.
“And all of this was because of Sinn’s Hydro watches requiring special service that only Sinn could do in Germany…” Kasumi pondered; “Is it your only beater?”
“Not really. I actually have two MRP 844-shaped ones; which is a matte CWC Royal Navy Diver Quartz Mk2 and a blacked-out Momentum Sea Quartz 30 Eclipse, and the latter is solar-powered.” Shelley explained; “I’m taking both of that and my Formex and Aquadive Bathysphere for the occasion.”
“I’m guessing you have four of that because of the venue Sayo and Tsugumi chose~” Rui teased.
“Yeah, that’s the reason…” Shelley awkwardly chuckled; “And they’re basically overbuilt for the task.”
“Like my Sangin Pilot…” Rui quipped; “Seriously, it’s a pilots’ GMT with 300 meters of water resistance.”
“I know about them…” Shelley replied; “They don’t do new drops much, but it’s those StepManiaX dance pads; once they have a new drop, it will sell out in minutes. I think you’re lucky that you even have to begin with~”
“Yeah, but I had a much easier time getting this Omega Seamaster. It’s called the ‘Peter Blake’ by collector and enthusiasts, but really, Mr. Blake wore more than just this.” Kasumi explained; “I got a good deal on this back in the mid-2000s, and it’s kinda slept on for quite a while.”
“Of course, that’s before quartz have somewhat of a comeback in recent years.” Shelley chimed in; “Hell, Citizen have been selling more of those high-end Eco-Drives that once were known as Chronomaster in North America, but of course those are now known as ‘The CITIZEN’, being their equivalent to Grand Seiko. It’s kinda like Konami’s PS1-based arcade hardware in a way. You know? The System 573 that used to power almost all Bemani games, including DanceDanceRevolution.”
“Right~” Kasumi scratched the back of her neck; “There’s actually that time when Maho and Yuko were at a DDR tournament. And I can remember seeing the DDR cabinet, and I didn’t think much about it, cause you know, it was only out there for just 2 years. But I only found out a few years ago through Ritsuko-chan that it was indeed running on PS1-based hardware, so yeah. Oh, and about the Chronomaster line you just mentioned? Nana-chan has one in her collection, and it was her college gift from her parents and Yukina-chan.”
“Yeah, it was a JDM model, and it’s even more accurate than my Sinn~” Shelley smiled.
“Heh~” Rui chuckled a little; “You still have that flight to Tokyo, you know?”
“Yeah, Sayo and Tsugumi invited you to their wedding, after all…” Kasumi pointed out; “And she also invited me and Rui too cause of Yukina and Nana being our friends.”
“So…see you again?” asked Shelley.
“Yeah, we’ll be back a few days later…” Rui answered.
“And then we can talk some more at Sayo and Tsugumi’s wedding reception~” Kasumi chuckled softly.
“You’re welcome…goodbye~” Shelley walked into the terminal.
“Goodbye, Shelley~…we’ll see you again~” Kasumi and Rui both greeted her a farewell as Shelley disappeared into the sea of commuters and tourists flowing in and out to check-in her Japan Air Lines flight to Tokyo.