Nice to be With Jun
By Jo-Ryan Salazar
He sat in front of a laptop, listening to music. His hands were shaking, clutching the fabric on his pajamas, sweating profusely and shivering. It wasn't cold at all; it was summer, but it felt like a winter storm coming from the north blew in and drenched his house and the neighbors in the middle of a winter wonderland.
Satoshi Tainaka was never a boy that hung around with girls. He always talked about the hottest new videogames with his friends at school, and he ever went out of his way to divulge in a little Dungeons and Dragons. Naturally, he beat them all at D&D. Satoshi did well with his classes, and placed in one of his career plans, "I want to dive into the world of electronics and become an engineer." It was a courageous ambition from a shy young man.
However, his life turned upside down when he spent a day at the water park. And for the first time ever...he felt it.
The door opened. "Satoshi?" His hairs nearly jumped. It was Ritsu, fresh off another day at class, and a night out at the summer festival.
Satoshi groaned in despair. "Nee-chan...You gotta help me..."
Tilting her head sideways, Ritsu blinked. "Huh? Is there something wrong?" She walked over to the refrigerator to pour a glass of milk.
"Nee-chan...I think I'm in love."
The news caused Ritsu to spit what would have been her first gulp out in violent fashion. "What? Are you kidding me? You must be joking, right?"
The grip on his pajamas got tighter that the nails were close to puncturing his skin. "No, Nee-chan, you don't understand. I am actually in love with a girl, for the first time in my life!"
Ritsu quickly scarfed down the glass before sending it to the dishwasher. "Well, who is it? Is it me, Sa-to-shi?" she asked, dancing around, exhibiting her curves in suggestive fashion.
"No, you would not be my type."
"Huh? How dare you say that to your older sister!" She saw Satoshi on the verge of tears and decided to sit next to him, ruffling his hair a bit. "Kidding, kidding. You can tell me. Who do you have a crush on? Come on, spill the beans."
Satoshi thought about it for a little bit. "Uhhhh...I think it's one of your friend's sister's friends."
Friend's sister's friends? By process of elimination, Yui would be the one, and the sister is Ui. That meant that either Satoshi is in love with Azusa Nakano, or the other one would be...
"Was she wearing twintails?" Ritsu asked. Satoshi nodded. "I see. And were they long or short?"
"I think they were..."
Ritsu cocked an ear, grinning in anticipation. "You think they were...?"
"They were short."
"A-ha." Ritsu knew who her younger brother was crazy for. "You like Jun Suzuki, don't you?"
"That's her name?"
"Yep. That's her name. She is a bassist and will be in the light music club next year with Azusa and Ui."
"Jun Suzuki..." Satoshi clasped his hands together. "It sounds so heavenly..."
Ritsu waved it off. "You're giving her too much praise here. But why do you like her so much?"
Satoshi was shaking as he told his story. "Well, Nee-chan, I was with my friends at the water park yesterday, and I saw this girl in a green bikini talking with her friends, right? So I look at her, and she notices me and blows a kiss to me before she gets some yakisoba. I watched her walk, and the curves of her body are so awesome, and she is sexy and beautiful and sounds like a nice girl and..."
"Okay, okay, okay, I don't need to hear any more of that," Ritsu said with an outward palm in Satoshi's face, slightly annoyed by the circumstances surrounding her younger brother, who was crying desperately as he hugged her. "Whoa! Are you all right?"
He looked up with desperate eyes. "Nee-chan, you have to help me! I want to go on a date with her and confess. I love her! Please, you have to help me! I don't wanna die alone!"
"You'll be fine, you'll be fine, okay?" Satoshi's sobs caused a sighing Ritsu to pet his head, comforting him as he expressed his frustrations. "Oh boy, I guess I'm gonna have to ask the others about this."
"Hey Jun," Azusa asked her friend as they walked down the street with Ui after the Summer Festival was over, "even though we are at this point in the year, do you still want to join the Light Music Club?"
She thought about it for a bit. "Let's see...well, I guess it wouldn't hurt. But I'll only do it if the recruiting goes bad."
Azusa frowned. "I don't think about the worst-case scenario at this point."
Ui was beaming. "That sounds wonderful, Azusa-chan!"
"I realized something," Jun added, "There would be no reason for me to join the club in Mio and the others won't be there, you know?"
"What the heck are you talking about?" Azusa exclaimed.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding, I'm-" Suddenly, Jun felt her heart skip a beat, her breathing starting to feel a little hitched. She started to sweat, trying to catch her breath.
"Jun-chan, what's wrong?" Ui asked.
"Jun, are you all right?" Azusa wondered.
Her breathing turned into a smile of surprise, and she started to giggle a little bit. "Just for a moment...I realized that a boy is in love with me."
The news hit Ui and Azusa hard. "Ehhhhhhh?"
"Somebody is in love with Jun-chan?" Ui asked.
Azusa needed to know. "Who could it be?"
Jun placed her hands on Azusa's shoulders. "Azusa."
"Eh? Wh...What?"
"The president of your club, does she have any brothers or sisters?"
"R...Ritsu-sempai? Um...I know she has a younger brother."
"I see. Well, I'm going to go on my way now. See you!" Jun said, walking briskly to her house.
"Wonder why she's in a rush," Ui asked Azusa.
"Beats me."
Jun felt her heart start to race a little. "That younger brother of Ritsu-sempai...he couldn't be the one I blew a kiss to, could he?" She shook her head side to side, trying to wake out of her flash delirium. "Calm down, Jun, calm down. It's just a phase, just a phase." But while she tried to laugh it off, she would realize how ineffective it would be to stall the feelings someone so shy had for her.
Back at the music room that morning, Yui and Mio Akiyama were tuning their instruments while Tsumugi Kotobuki prepared tea and Azusa studied Ton-chan's swimming mechanics. Yui brought up one of her interesting questions to share with her bass partner. "Hey Mio-chan, which oil is better: safflower or sunflower?"
"Hmmm. That's a good question, Yui," she replied as she tested the resonance of one of her strings. "I think they taste the same."
A pout came from her lips. "Ehhhhh? You sure? I thought they tasted differently."
"But both are healthy," Tsumugi added, pouring Earl Grey into a set of cups. "They're low in saturated fat, and are good for frying."
"Whoa. Mugi-chan, you sure know some stuff about cooking, like Ui."
"We use those types of oils at my house, too. The chefs prepare their foods with it every day."
Yui whistled in approval. "I see." The four of them heard the door swing wide open, and they turned to see a heavily distressed Ritsu, her chest heaving. "Ricchan?"
Mio was disgusted at her partner's rude entrance. "Oy, Ritsu, why are you slamming the door open like that?"
"Mio." She quickly walked over to her, then fell on her knees, hugging her while sobbing. "What am I going to do, Mio?"
"Well, what is the problem, and why the heck are you grabbing me like this? Let me go!"
"No, you have to hear me out, Mio! My younger brother has a crush on one of Ui's friends and I have no idea what to do!"
"Ehhhhh?" Yui exclaimed. "Somebody in our band has a boyfriend already?"
Ritsu continued to sob. "Yui, it's more like one of your sister's friends has a boyfriend already. Mio, help me-OW!" She felt a headbump rise next to her hairband. "How mean of you."
Mio stroked her chin. "Well, there are students at this school who do have fans."
She leaned over. "Like you, Mi~~~o? Ow!" Another headbump, this time, bigger than the other, erupted.
"Will you shut up about that, please? Geez, Ritsu!"
Tsumugi placed her hands together and was clearly enthused. "I think it's wonderful. Your brother has someone she likes. It's a touching story that many cheap anime shows are known for."
Mio placed a palm to her forehead. "Mugi. Did you REALLY have to put it that way?"
"Well, I had to. I know how the plot goes. Boy is in love with girl, boy tries to woo girl, girl doesn't understand the situation, girl goes out, life changing moment, girl's friends and boy's friends are involved...something like that, right?"
"Mugi-chan," Yui deadpanned.
"Huh?"
She flashed a thumbs-up. "You are my hero."
"Guys, let's cut to the chase here," Mio said, pacing around after putting Elizabeth on a stand. "So Ritsu's brother Satoshi is in love with somebody at this school. And it's one of Ui's friends." Her eyes were fixated on the twintailed guitarist still admiring Ton-chan. "Azusa."
Startled, she turned around. "Y...yes?"
"Um...have you ever fallen in love with a boy before?"
Azusa blushed wildly. "Mio-sempai, why do you tell me this? I can't answer that; I haven't experienced something like that!"
She say Yui rush to her in a frantic embrace. "Noooo, my Azunyan can't be cheating on me! I am the only one for her! The only one!"
"I never said I was yours," she deadpanned.
Yui nibbled the ear of a pouting Azusa. "But I still love you."
Ritsu finally came back to her senses. "Mio, Satoshi told me that Azusa is out of the picture. It's the other friend of Ui's."
Mio used a process of elimination. "That would be..."
Tsumugi followed suit. "That would be..."
Yui found out. "Jun-chan!"
"You brother likes Jun, Ritsu?" Mio asked.
The sniffles began to come back. "Yes. He was telling me how much he loved the way she blew a kiss and him and how his heart skipped a beat and how much she polluted his virgin dreams and all that stuff. He wouldn't stop!"
"Wow, how delightful," Mugi sighed.
"Speaking of which," Azusa recalled, "Jun was telling me that she had a strange feeling: that someone was in love with her. Ritsu-sempai, I think your brother may be the person. It all makes sense now!"
Ritsu's mouth began to twitch. "Jun was sensing it as well? She must have some awesome mind-reading power or something. A sixth sense."
"So why are you asking us to help you?" Mio asked Ritsu.
"Because I don't know how to help my brother out! I've never fallen in love with anybody in my life!" Mio cleared her throat. "Okay, maybe you are an exception. But I still don't know how to approach this so please," she said, clasping her hands with a bow, "help the President out here!"
"Yes, my Captain!" Yui said, saluting.
Ritsu ran over, holding her hands. "Really? You will?"
"Anything for my President, oh President!"
The tears formed in her eyes. "Yui..."
"Ricchan..."
A vein began to throb on Mio's head. "Both of you, knock it off!"
Practice was cancelled for the rest of the meeting, as this situation could not be ignored. "So what are we going to do here?" Mio asked the others. "And Ritsu, quit crouching in that corner of the room and get back here!"
Ritsu slunk back to her seat on the table, whining as she went along. "Mio...Mio..."
"How about we give Jun a box of chocolates with a love letter from Satoshi?" Azusa asked.
"Not gonna work. It's not direct enough," Mio said.
"Oh, maybe we can tell Satoshi that Jun-chan already has a boyfriend," Yui suggested.
"Sempai, Jun does not have a boyfriend," Azusa deadpanned with suspicious eyes. "So she is available."
"Yui, you said you were gonna help me," Ritsu cried. "How is that gonna help? I do not want my brother's heart to be broken!"
Yui scratched the back of her head. "Sorry, Ricchan. Teheheheheh."
As expected of someone who has studied such plotlines, Mugi had a plan. "I know something we can do."
They all turned to her. "What is it?" they asked.
"Let's set up a date for the two of them."
The others nearly fell off their chairs. "How the heck is that going to work?" Mio asked, hands on her hips.
"This isn't one of your anime-inspired ideas, is it Mugi?" Ritsu asked.
"Whoa, a date!" Yui said. "Ojousama knows best!"
Azusa kept her cool. "So what are they gonna do?"
"Well, I can give Satoshi-kun some cash for dinner and an evening cruise down Tokyo Bay."
"Whoa! A cruise?" Yui clasped her hands as her eyes sparkled like diamonds. "I've always wanted to go on one of those."
Tsumugi put a finger to her lips. "I think I can arrange things."
"Mugi, I think this will be a wonderful idea, now that I think about it," Ritsu said. "Thanks, you guys." It took them a few hours to lay the blueprint for "Operation First Date."
Jun Suzuki lay on her bed, fanning herself from the heat that was outside. The Suzuki house's air conditioner was undergoing repairs, and it got quite hot in her bedroom that she had to strip down to literally her sports bra and boy-shorts just to stay cool. Never mind that she scarfed down five water bottles that day; it was an oven.
She was clearly bored and wanted to earn some respite from the heat. Her bedroom had a few plushies, and had a dakimakura to boot. Jun opened the window and felt a fresh breeze rush in, closing her eyes as she felt the winds cool her shiny, drenched body. "Ahhhhh," she sighed with a smile, tousling her hair. There was no doubt that she was going to have her bedroom window open for the rest of the night.
And there was nothing else for her to do that day, which meant that she could get away with an overdose of her beauty sleep no problem. Jun laid on her bed, her arms and legs clutching her dakimakura. Her delicate, soft skin caressed the softness of the fabric as she began to dream, the smile on her face unchanged. Outside, the faint sound of a troubadour from the outskirts of town sang on his six-stringed acoustic hunk of wood. "Oh, it's so nice to be with you, " he sang. "I love all the things ya say and do. And it's so nice to hear you say you're gonna please me in every way. Honey, I got the notion you're causin' commotion in my soul..."
Yui's crossed legs dominated her focused stature as she entrenched herself in deep thought while Ui cooked dinner that night. Some gratin was on the house. "Onee-chan, what are you thinking about?" Ui asked, watching the mixture of potatoes and cheddar mesh together in the oven.
"Hmmm...Ui, has Jun-chan been asking unusual lately?"
"Eh? Why do you ask?"
"Well, Ricchan has been telling me that her brother is in love with her."
Ui stroked her chin. "Come to think of it, Jun was acting a little bit weird today and yesterday. She was telling me her heart was racing and she was sweating all over."
"You don't say," Yui smirked.
A ding. "Ah, dinner's ready."
"Ooooh! What is it, Ui?"
"Gratin," she replied with pride, placing a generous few scoops on a plate, garnishing with parsley, butter and a pinch of pepper before setting the plate on the table. "Want some?"
"Yes, yes, and yes, Ui! You rock!" Yui went to the table and dug right in. "This is good."
"I was wondering why Jun-chan was acting all unusual and stuff," Ui wondered, helping herself to some of the gratin. "Maybe this is the first time she felt love?"
"I was asking Mio-chan, Mugi-chan and Azunyan if we can help Ricchan with this and we decided that Mugi-chan should set up a date."
"A date?" Ui nearly dropped her silverware. "Really? I don't know if she'll be ready for something like this."
"Ehhh, but Mugi-chan told me it's going to work. It's easy. Ricchan's going to prepare a love letter. She's gonna hand it to me, and I hand it to you, and you put it in Jun-chan's bag without her knowing it until she sees it. Like that."
"Love...letter?" Ui's eyes were starting to spiral. "Onee-chan, I don't know if this would be a good idea..."
A little bit of gratin was on Yui's face as she pointed at Ui with her spoon. "Both of them will be on a cruise, too."
Ui raised her eyebrows, amazed at her older sister's confidence. "A cruise? Onee-chan...I guess I will help out."
"Eheheheh." Yui twirled her spoon around like a baton. "Hey Ui, look at me. I'm Ricchan."
"Mou, onee-chan, don't play with your food."
"That's no fun." Yui said through pursed, annoyed lips as the Hirasawa sisters continued with their dinner.
Back at the Tainaka household, Satoshi was curled up in a ball, an inconsolable figure, clutching his knees, shaking. The door opened wide. "Satoshi?"
He jumped and turned around. It was Ritsu. "Nee-chan? Don't scare me like that!"
"I have a plan that will help you overcome your fear of girls."
"My fear will be overcome if you go away, nee-chan," Satoshi deadpanned.
"Hey, how dare you tell me that!" Ritsu cleared her throat. "Anyway, I will have you go on a date with Jun."
"A date?" Satoshi's face began to turn red, her mouth twitching like the Dickens. "You've got to be kidding me..."
"Look, this is the only way you will be able to confess to Jun, all right? Me and the others will have you go on a cruise with her and you guys will spend some time with each other."
"A cruise? Nee-chan, are you out of your friggin' mind? That thing is friggin' expensive! How are you going to afford something like that?"
"Mugi's family owns the cruise ship like that both of you will be boarding. She talked to me on the phone and told me that she made a deal with his father in which both of you get to ride the ship for one night at no cost."
"At...no cost?" His mouth was twitching again.
"Yep. No cost, no worries, no dinero. While all the others have to pay for reservations, you two won't need to pay anything."
"But what's on the ship?"
Ritsu placed a finger to her lips. "Heheh, you'll find out when you get on board."
"Nee-chan...I don't like the sound of this." Satoshi wondered if her older sister and company were doing a little too much to help him.
"The cruise is on Sunday, which is in a few days from now. So be sure to be smartly dressed. Oh, actually you don't have to worry about clothing; Mugi will provide you something nice to wear."
"Ehhh?" Now Satoshi was scared. "Nee-chan...I don't wanna..."
She wagged her finger. "Be ready, ready steady go..." Ritsu skipped happily to her room, humming L'Arc en Ciel. Satoshi slumped on to the sofa, sobbing quietly with a bitter chuckle escaping his still-twitching lips.
"Whoa," Yui said to Ui as they both made their way to campus the following morning. "Today looks beautiful. Birds singing, cicadas chirping, winds blowing..."
"Yep!"
Ritsu ran over to both of them, waving a pink envelope sealed with a heart-shaped sticker. "Private!" she called out, handing Yui the envelope, saluting her. "Here!"
"Thank you, Captain!" Yui replied, returning the salute as Ritsu ran back to the building.
"What's this?" Ui asked.
"Place this in Jun's bag while she's not looking."
"Oh, this is the one. Okay!" The sisters smiled, exchanging a thumbs-up before going their separate ways for their respective home rooms.
"Now, following our surrender to the United States at the conclusion of World War II," the homeroom professor said to Jun, Azusa, Ui and the rest of the class as the delved into their textbook, "and our subsequent occupation, Japan's entire imperial military was dissolved in the new 1947 constitution which states, 'The Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes.' Our current navy falls under the umbrella of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) as the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF)..."
Ui looked at Jun, who was jotting some notes. She looked at her binder, which had the pink envelope. "I can't give this to her yet," she thought. "Next period is P.E. That would be the best opportunity to give her this." She nodded and returned to paying attention to the professor's lecture, boring as it was.
Indeed, the next period was P.E., and the girls were changing into their gym outfits. "Hey Ui," Jun asked.
"What is it, Jun-chan?"
"I'm going to go outside and get something to drink. I'll be right back."
"All right. See you." As Jun left to skip over to the vending machine, Ui quickly unzipped her bag, opened her binder and pulled out the pink envelope. She zipped open Jun's bag and tucked the envelope between her textbooks and writing apparatuses.
Ui was able to close the bag with time to spare to return to changing in her gym uniform. "I can't believe we have to do that vaulting horse thing again," Jun said with a groan. "We did that yesterday, and apparently Coach Fukuyose wanted us to do it again because we weren't landing right."
"Well, you gotta do what you gotta do, Jun-chan," she replied sympathetically, placing the bag in her locker before closing it.
"Easy for you to say; you don't have any problem clearing the vault, Ui. You do it so gracefully, as if you're a swan."
Ui giggled. "Oh you, Jun-chan!"
She grinned. "Once more into the breach."
Fifty minutes later, they both returned to their lockers after going through the vaulting horse for five cycles. "Gah, that's a little bit too taxing for me," Jun said with a sigh. "Thank God I was able to clear it."
"You sure were," Ui said. "Good job."
"Oh, where did Azusa go to?"
Ui looked around. Nowhere to be seen. "I think she was able to change back to her uniform ahead of us and return to homeroom."
"I see. That reminds me, we have biology next period, right?"
"We do."
"I need to check if I brought my textbook with me. I don't know if I brought it with me."
"Oh? Did you forget it?"
"I don't have any idea, but I need to know." Jun blinked. "You're finished changing?"
Ui was back in her uniform. "Yeah, it didn't take too long. Is there a problem?"
"No, no, no, I was just surprised, that's all."
"Hmmm." Ui looked at her watch. "I'll be on my way then. See you at class."
"All right." As Ui was leaving the locker room, Jun noticed something pink peeking out of the notebook inside her bag. "What could this be?" She pulled it out. It was a pink envelope, sealed with a red heart sticker.
Her pulse began to quicken. The frown turned into a giddy smile and it was not going away for some time. "Ahahahahah...oh my God! I got a love letter! First-ever!" She ran over to Ui, still on her way to home room. "Ui, Ui, guess what? I got a love letter!"
"You did? Congratulations!" she said. Ui looked away for a little bit, her blank face breaking into a sweat for a few fleeting moments. She couldn't tell her that she was the one who placed that there.
"I sooo need to open this, Ui. Can I? Can I?"
"Um, sure, but can you at least change back to your uniform?"
Jun rushed back to change, then returned to Ui in the space of a minute. "Is that better?"
"I guess it is." That was quick, she thought to herself.
"Here goes nothing." Taking a deep breath, Jun opened the envelope, and read the contents of the love letter. Ui knew that was in Ritsu's handwriting, but she couldn't tell Jun that, either. "Dear Jun," she read, "you are the love of my life. From the moment I first laid eyes on you at the pool, and you winked and blew a kiss at me, I knew I had found my first love. Let us go on a cruise together, because you mean the world to me. Nobody, and I mean nobody, will ever tear us apart! I look forward to meeting you and your wonderful charms on Sunday. Love, Satoshi Tainaka." Jun sighed, mesmerized hearts dotting her eyes. "My first date...on a cruise...wow..."
"Isn't that wonderful, Jun-chan?" Ui said, smiling.
"And the two of us are going to go cruising along Tokyo Bay. I can't believe this guy wants to go the whole nine yards for me!"
"I'm happy for you, Jun-chan."
She grabbed Ui's hands. "I need to know what to wear. I'm not much into fancy dresses but I suppose I have to come up with something."
"I got my allowance from mom, and I think we can both go to the shop after school to buy you something."
"Really? Awesome! Thanks, Ui. Yay! I love it when we're cruising together," Jun sang. As they both walked back to class, Ui noticed Yui peering through the bushes, giving a thumbs-up and a smile. Ui just smiled back before turning away. So far, the early stages of Operation First Date were going as planned.
Practice for the club was uneventful, with the band just going through some new songs for the school festival coming up in a month. After practice, the girls decided to go on an excursion.
"Ladies," Ritsu said to the rest of the Hokago Tea Time five, "we need to find Satoshi something nice to wear."
"Something nice, oink oink!" Yui echoed.
"Can you knock that off?" Mio deadpanned to her.
"And this is why we are going...to this place!" Ritsu pointed to a store with a familiar word.
"Why are we in Ginza, and why are we heading to Matsuya, Ritsu-sempai?" Azusa exclaimed, pointing at the swaths of frequenters and tourists passing by.
"My father holds an ownership stake in this building," Tsumugi said with a glint in her eye. "There are some pretty good outfits here for Satoshi-kun."
"But Mugi-sempai, this is a women's department store!"
"There are some shops that cater to guys, too."
As they answered the store Yui tried on one of the wigs for sale that was displayed on the mannequin heads at one of the stores on the first floor, flashing the devil's horns. "Hell yeah!" she exclaimed.
Naturally, Mio wanted none of it. "Oy, Yui, put that back!" She complied, pouting.
"Here we are," Tsumugi chimed as the girls entered the fifth floor.
"Whoa," Mio said as they made their way down the halls of apparel. "These are some pretty expensive outfits."
"Hey Mio," Ritsu teased, "care to buy me one?"
"As if I want to!" Up came a headbump. "Stupid Ritsu!"
"Owwww!"
"I think we have something in store," Mugi said. "Here's one of the owners."
"Milady is here," said one of the staff members on the floor. "And how can we help you today?"
"Could you give me Look Number 52 from Louis Vuitton, but make it sized for someone who is about to enter junior high?"
"Absolutely," he said. A couple of runners presented Tsumugi and the girls with a ready-to-wear set. It consisted of a black wool satin dinner jacket with velvet lapels, a printed cotton T-shirt, satin pants, a scarf in silk and black leather shoes. An all-black outfit.
Ritsu whistled. "Mugi knows a well-dressed person when he sees one."
"That looks awesome, Mugi-chan!" Yui exclaimed.
"Nice," Mio said.
Azusa grinned. "Satoshi is going to look so mature when he wears that!"
Ritsu waved it off. "You're being too nice to my bro, Azusa." The twintailed kouhai stuck her tongue out in protest.
Tsumugi put her hands together. "Oh, that reminds me. My dad asked if you guys could perform on the ship while Satoshi-kun and Jun-chan have their date."
"What?" the other exclaimed.
"Mugi, are you telling me that you dad wants us to perform on the date?" Ritsu asked.
"Mmm-hmmm!"
"Wait a minute. Don't tell me you're up to something with us getting involved here!"
"No, my dad really wants us to perform on the ship, and he wants us to play our music."
Ritsu stammered hesitantly. "Ehhhhh, Yui what do you think?"
Yui held Tsumugi's hands in a committed stance. "I wanna play on a ship! I am so in, Mugi-chan!"
"For real?"
"I think it would great to perform on the ship," Azusa said.
"Azusa too?"
Mio had her reservations. "All those people..."
Ritsu had tears in her eyes. "Mio, I am happy you're still on my side here..."
And those reservations were gone. "But I guess I'm over it now."
"Ahhhh, mou! You people! Dammit! I guess it can't be helped, then. But Mugi."
"Yes?" she asked.
"We don't have any money to pay for outfits...or..." She mewed like a cat, putting her index fingers together. "Mugi...could you help us out and buy us something?"
"Ritsu!" Mio exclaimed, annoyed as she gave her another headbump.
Tsumugi beamed, flashing a wad of 10,000-yen notes. "Don't worry, Mio-chan, I anticipated that we would have to buy from this store anyway, so you can just leave it to me."
Ritsu bowed to the cash cow of the crew. "You're right. We'll leave it to you, Mugi."
While the band raided Ginza for something fashionable, Jun dragged Ui to Shibuya, and 109. "Holy cow, I so wanted to check this place out to find my dress to wear on Sunday," she said with a bubbly tone to her ecstatic state of mind.
"I can tell, Jun-chan."
"But I don't know which one to choose, Ui. So many awesome, sexy clothes. Man, this is difficult! I can't even choose!"
"You gotta slow down, Jun-chan. Slow down, take a deep breath, and you will find something."
She was still smirking, grabbing on to Ui's arm. "First date...a cruise...a new boyfriend...this could be too much for me here...ahhhh...haaaah..."
It was obvious to Ui that her friend was hyperventilating. "Hang in there, hang in there."
They both entered a store called Mitsumaru Ingni, which featured some interesting designer dresses. Jun gawked at the details, the fabric, the appeal while Ui trailed along. Ui felt like she was taking care of two sisters. One of them was older sister Yui, the other...Jun. "Hey Ui, can we buy this?"
"What is it?" Ui asked, turning around. "Hey, that looks pretty good." Jun was pointing to a mannequin that wore a simple white long-sleeved blouse with black miniskirt, black scarf, belt and thigh-high stockings.
"If I want to go on a cruise with Satoshi, I want to look my cutest," she said.
Ui laughed. For the first time in a while, she saw Jun feel elated to fall in love with someone. "The price tag for the whole set isn't too bad, either. I think we can do it."
"Really? Thanks a bunch, Ui!"
"All right, all right...hm?" Her cell phone was ringing. It was Yui. "Onee-chan?"
"Hey Ui, great news, we're going to be performing on the ship!"
Ui nearly dropped her phone. "You are?"
"Yeah. Isn't that great?"
"Well...I guess it is..."
"And you know what else? Mugi-chan told me I could bring you along as a VIP!"
"Really?"
"Yep!"
"Thanks a lot, onee-chan!"
"See you at home. And don't forget to give me my ice cream, U~~i~~~!"
"I won't forget. See you."
"Hey Ui, who was that?" Jun asked.
"That was onee-chan telling me..." Ui had to make up something. "...that she earned a passing grade in another of her supplementary exams."
"Yui-sempai is doing very well in her studies, isn't she?"
"Well, she is, but I do have to do a little bit of prodding. She's all right though."
Jun smiled, flashing a Vulcan salute. "Nice."
Ui looked around. "I like this shop, too. I wanna buy something as well. Let's see here..." Ui wanted to purchase something fancy for the cruise.
Finally, the big day arrived. Sunday. The day when both of them would go on their first date. Neither Jun nor Satoshi realized how eventful this day would really become.
Jun looked at herself in the mirror, admiring the dress she wore. She primped her short twintails, then applied a little makeup and a touch of eye shadow before giving her lips a lustrous shine of red.
"I've never felt this excited in my life," she said to herself. A young jazz bassist, soon to take over for Mio Akiyama as the main bass player of the club next spring. "I wish the ship had donuts we both can eat."
Jun grabbed her purse and left the house striking a pose. "I'm Jun Suzuki and I approve of this first date!" she proclaimed with a deep laugh, piercing the heavens with a Vulcan salute before walking towards the school, where her boyfriend was waiting hesitantly.
"Ugh, why do I have to wear this?" Satoshi groaned, wearing the suit that the girls bought at Matsuya outside the school, holding a red rose. "And why do I have to hold a rose?"
"Come on, it looks good on you," Ritsu said. She broke out a napkin. "Oh, my baby brother is growing up before my very eyes! I can die happy now!"
"Spare me the melodrama, nee-chan."
'What was that?" she snarled, crossing her arms. "Hmph! At least be thankful, Satoshi."
"I'll be thankful if you leave, nee-chan."
"I will! Have fun on your trip, Satoshi! Tell me about it when you get back!"
"See you." Satoshi faked a wave and a smile back at Ritsu before turning away, waiting for Jun.
"Excellent," Ritsu sneered to herself with a manipulative face. "Now all I need to do is go back to the house, get changed and head to the dock ahead of those two!"
Five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten minutes passed. Then Satoshi noticed Jun humming and skipping along. "Oh my God, she is beautiful," he said, blushing like the rose he was holding. "Like an angel from heaven..." It was as if it was unfolding in slow motion. All that was missing was wings and a halo.
"Well there you are, sweetie pie," Jun said, walking over to him.
"Okay, relax," he said to himself. "Just do what Nee-chan told you to do." In gentlemanly fashion, he got down on one knee, kiss's Jun's right hand, and gave her the rose. "You're Jun Suzuki, right?" he said, faking a grown man's voice with absolute perfection. "I'm Satoshi Tainaka."
"Oooh, such a gentleman! I never knew you had such manners, even though you're shorter than me."
Satoshi turned and coughed as if to suggest, does that really matter? Back to what Ritsu taught him. "I always wanted to treat a lady right." As if on cue, a black stretch limousine wheeled right in, Satoshi opened the door. "Come, our ship is waiting."
"I can't wait," Jun said, giggling while sniffing the rose and its fragrances. She got in, and so did Satoshi.
The limo sped off. "And how are you two doing?" a female voice said behind the wheel.
Jun was surprised. "Miss Yamanaka? This is a surprise."
"Hi kids!" Sawako winked from her rear-view mirror. "I'll be your chauffeur today. I'll be driving you to the dock, where you will be boarding your ship. We'll be there in about 30 minutes. I hope you enjoy your cruise!"
"Th...thank you." Jun clutched the folds of her skirt, her mouth twitching in surprise.
"Is there something wrong, Jun?" Satoshi asked.
She was startled. "No, nothing, it's just...I can't believe one of our chauffeurs is one of our teachers..."
"Damn you, Nee-chan!" Satoshi thought to himself. Ritsu apparently relayed the plan to Miss Sawako, and she wanted to play her part in the whole ploy.
"Anyway," Jun said, inching closer to Satoshi, wrapping an arm around him as her fingers stroked his thighs, "tell me a little bit about yourself."
The disguise had been shattered into a hundred magic crystals, painted pure and white. "Um...well...I like donuts..."
"Whoa, really? I do too! That is unbelievable! We both like donuts! That is great-ahhh!" Sawako was switching lanes so abruptly that Satoshi fell into Jun's arms—and cleavage—unexpectedly. "Oh my. So brave..."
Satoshi unwittingly took a whiff. "She smells so good," he thought, smiling through his tomato-colored face. "And it feels so good. I could be like this forever..."
"Could you get back into your seat for a bit? I can't breathe."
Satoshi immediately got back to her seat as Jun's pulse started to quicken for a little bit. Both of them looked the other way, embarrassed by the first bit of skinship they had. Jun had the naughty face switch turned to on and Satoshi's knees began to shake as the limo inched closer and closer to the dock.
"Whoa," Satoshi said as the two of them got off the limo, "this is one huge boat!"
"Nice boat," she said. The Moderna, with five decks. A proper cruiser.
"A School Days reference?" Satoshi thought with a look of disgust.
"Come on, let's get on board, darling!" Jun happily dragged Satoshi along as he shed crocodile tears.
"Are you sure this is a good idea to eavesdrop on them?" Mio asked Ritsu as the band watched from a distance, dressed in similar formal fashion. Well, Mio was actually in a stylized business suit.
"Oh yes, it sure is," she replied, grinning in her abbreviated chinadress and high heel boots. "I wanna see how my little brother does on his first date."
"But wouldn't this be privacy violations of the worst kind?" Mugi asked, hanging on to her hat as the winds picked up for a few fleeting second. "I mean, it's great that we're going on a cruise, but we didn't come to eavesdrop on Jun-chan and Satoshi-kun..."
"Ritsu-sempai, I don't think this is a good idea, either," Azusa said. "Let's just enjoy the cruise."
"Trust me, it's more fun when we see two fresh lovers blossom in the twilight," she replied, hands on her rosy cheeks, sighing. "Blossom, blossom..."
"Look, look," Yui said, spotting a comet racing across the Tokyo skies. "A shooting star!"
"Nice, Yui. Well, let's go!"
The others groaned except for Mugi, who was humming and spinning around a little, as they got on board the Moderna.
"And what would the mademoiselle like?" the maître d' said with an obviously forced French accent inside the dining room.
Jun looked at the menu, stroking her chin, scanning the entrees on hand. So many choices, so little time, she thought to herself as Satoshi idly sipped a glass of strawberry-flavored tonic water. "Hmmm...can I order surf and turf?" Satoshi looked at her with a quizzical expression before looking towards the coast.
"We do have freshly-imported Atlantic salmon broiled with butter and herbs and Kobe filet mignon available; did you want those two together."
"Jun, are you all right?" Satoshi asked. "I mean, order whatever you like, but for goodness sakes don't order the most expensive items on the menu!"
"Oh, no need to worry, monsieur," the maître d' said. "Lady Kotobuki has made both of you special guests on this ship, so all meals and the cruise proper are subsidized by the combine."
He blinked. "So we can order to our heart's content? What?"
"Darling," Jun said, "I think I'll be fine. Make it two, waiter!" Satoshi was consigned to putting a palm on his forehead, grunting.
"Two orders of salmon and filet mignon, with artisan bread and all the trimmings it is." He took the menus from the two of them. "Thank you very much. By the way, you will love the preparation of our dinner tonight. The chefs are young aspiring sous chefs from Italy, and they have been specifically hired by Lady Kotobuki to provide dinner and dessert."
Jun's ears perked. "Dessert? Do you have donuts? Please tell me you have donuts!"
"We have a tray of donuts and other pastries on the table over there," the maître d' said, pointing to a table decked with donuts, muffins, cupcakes, tortes, tiramisu and other baked goods. Jun quickly grabbed her plate and hustled to the table to grab five of them before returning the table where a distressed Satoshi watched, still sipping his tonic water indignantly.
"Thanks!" she said.
"Our pleasure, mademoiselle. We will have your dinner shortly. Thank you." The maître d' left Jun and Satoshi to themselves in due fashion.
"Jun," Satoshi said with a boyish pout, "do you really have to be this eager to eat? This is a date, you know, not just a dinner."
"What are you talking about, my love?" Jun said with her mouth full. "This is heaven you brought me to! Of course I have to be eager. I love this boat! And I love you."
"That's nice, but please don't talk with your mouth full." Jun offered a donut. "Huh?"
She smiled, the chocolate donut bits sticking to her teeth. "Here!"
"Thanks." He quietly worked on the torus of sweetness as the boat continued to pace around the harbor. "So Jun, tell me a little bit about yourself."
"That's a good question. Actually, you are the first person to ever ask me that."
"I am?"
"Yeah, you are. Usually when I'm at school, I only get to talk about classes, studying, practice with my club, but not much about boys. But you know something?"
"What's that?"
"I know a cool person when I see one."
"Cool person?" Satoshi wasn't getting what Jun was trying to say. "It's not like I'm that interesting; it's just that I was interested in...in..."
Jun peered closer. "In what?"
"I can't...say it." He was frozen like an ice cream stick. "I can't..." Satoshi's palms were sweating, and he was shaking as Jun licked her lips like a ravenous she-wolf about to stalk her prey. His heart was palpitating a little, and his mouth began to twitch. Just say it, a voice rang in his head. Just say the damn words! It won't hurt, it will all be over; just say it! Say it!
Meanwhile, the band members were watching the trying scene from a distance, hiding behind a bush. "Heheheh, look at my little bro just trying to struggle with all his might," Ritsu said, laughing like a maniac.
"Will you cut it out; they will hear you and will see that we're eavesdropping here!" Mio snarled.
"Ganbare, Satoshi-kun," Tsumugi said, pumping her fists.
"I don't think this is a good time to invade their privacy like this," Azusa said.
"Oooh, I can see the coast from here," Yui said, watching the boat rock. "This is a nice ship you got, Mugi-chan!"
"Isn't it?" she replied. "My parents bought this from a local company that hosted cruises. Now it's for invited guests only, and my family subsidizes all the food."
"Guys, pipe down," Ritsu said, a finger to her mouth. "Let's see what happens next."
Back in the dining room. Jun tilted her head to the side. "Satoshi?"
"Your body is what endears me to you!" he screamed out loud, his chest heaving like crazy. Jun was surprised at the confession her boyfriend made, but she smiled because she never knew that an elementary school kid could talk so naughty. Satoshi looked around. All he saw was the chefs and some staff members looking at him to suggest that he had a cause of far-fetched autism. One of the younger cooks whistled, amazed by the young man's courage. Well, it was either autism, or accessing things he shouldn't under his bed.
"That was loud," Ritsu said to Mio.
"Oh dear..."
"Your nose is bleeding again, Mugi-sempai," Azusa deadpanned, plugging the blonde's nostrils.
A tilted head rested on her clasped hands. "Oh, how beautiful it is!"
Satoshi tried to make a run for it, but before he could, he found himself on the ground with Jun on top of him. "Eeek!"
"I should let you know that I wasn't offended when you told me that my nice body turned you on, sweetie pie," she said, licking her index finger while making a sadistically naughty face.
Satoshi gulped. "Wh...what? S...sweetie pie?"
"I must have done something right down at the pool," Jun said, straddling Satoshi while tousling her short twintails in a clear attempt to get that up. It was going to erupt, whether Satoshi wanted it to or not. All she needed to do was touch it. "Don't you think?"
"J...Jun," he whispering. "You..."
Ritsu tugged at her collar, gulping. She did not think that Jun would be this affected—positively, mind—by such simple words. Tsumugi's nosebleed had gotten so bad that the tissues plugging the nostrils were saturated. Luckily they did not spill on to her dress and they were able to carry her away to another room to get some clean air. The band was going to have to keep watch over Mugi for now, hopeful that her epistaxis would subside in time for the performance.
The maître d' returned with a couple of plates full of salmon and filet mignon, prepared in typical fashion. "Mademoiselle, we will set the plates here."
"Thanks!" Jun replied. She turned to Satoshi. "How about we eat? Oh, and you don't have to worry about ordering seconds; I already have you, Sa-to-shi."
The tears began to form in his eyes as his sheltered world crumbled like a crushed Ritz cracker.
"Mugi-chan, are you all right?" Yui asked, fanning a giggling Tsumugi, whose nose was still bleeding a little.
"Yes, I am," she replied. "I felt like I saw ecstasy before my very eyes."
"How many more times is your nose going to bleed on our watch, Mugi-sempai?" Azusa cried.
Ritsu placed her hands on her hips, smiling sympathetically. "Hmmmm, seems whenever she sees a lovely scene, she gets anemic and all." Grabbing a taiyaki from a tray in the room, she gave it to Tsumugi, who munched it up. The blood she lost would be restored easily.
"Mugi, I think we need to practice upstairs," Mio said, looking at her watch.
"Hey guys," Yui said, "Look! Odaiba!" They weren't paying attention. Yui Frowned. "Ehhhhh? But Odaiba is there."
"Let's go practice, guys," Mio said as the others left the room.
"But Mio-chan, Odaiba..."
"We can look at Odaiba later, let's go!" She dragged a crying Yui out of the room, an angry vein throbbing on her head.
"This steak is pretty good," Satoshi said, savoring a piece as dinner winded down. "And why are you drinking wine; you know that you are underage!" He saw Jun sip a glass of cabernet sauvignon and groaned. "I can't believe they snuck this here."
"What are you talking about?" she replied with a hiccup. "I am just fine..." Another hiccup. "I'm going to head upside and take a look at the view." She was barely able to stand up.
"Oh dear God..."
Suddenly, Jun passed out. But before she fell to the ground, Satoshi broke her fall, a boy well-indoctrinated in the technique of the princess carry. A lithe arm draped over her head. "I think I had a little too much to drink." She caressed his face. 'You're such a gentleman," she purred.
Satoshi had to carry her out of the room to get some fresh air. "Excuse us!" he said. Their dinner was finished anyway, so not much had to be disposed by the staff.
Ritsu gave a thumbs-up from a distance, sniffling a little. "Well done, dear boy! My little brother is becoming a man!"
"Hurry up and let's go, Ritsu!" Mio snarled, yanking her away.
"But I...I...I wanted to see Satoshi carrying a woman to their privacy."
"Knock it off, or else I will throw you off this ship, so help me God! Come on!"
Ritsu was relegated to whimpering in the twilight.
Satoshi looked at the lights coming from the city as Jun rested on his lap. "Geez, Jun, it didn't have to be this way. What were you thinking, ordering a glass of wine?"
"I guess...I was being a little irresponsible," she whispered as his hands caressed her face. "It's embarrassing, isn't it? Here I am, on a date with you on the ship and then I decided to drink wine, and I end up passing out, and now I am looking at your face. You're so handsome, Satoshi."
He blushed, and laughed a little. "Thanks, I guess."
"You've never been around a girl before other than your sister, huh?"
"Unfortunately, the antics of nee-chan make it difficult for me to open up."
"She's that invasive, huh? How mean of her."
Satoshi wasted no time in being honest. "She is a nice sister. But you are even nicer."
Her eyes were half-shut. "Satoshi..."
"You're so beautiful, Jun. Every part of you I like. Everything. Even the scent of you gives me energy. You give me a feeling that I cannot explain, but it feels so good."
Jun realized that this was no ordinary young boy. This was someone who would do anything to make her happy. Satoshi wanted to do something with his life rather than just be by himself. He wanted to be with her. He wanted to be the one who would understand her. He wanted to know what turns her on and off. Satoshi wanted to be her man, and he would die trying if he had to. And that was his mindset. He didn't want to be alone for the rest of his young life.
"Such beautiful words," she replied, her voice trailing in the wind. "I really mean that much to you, huh?"
"So much, Jun, so much. Truly, you are someone I would die for."
Her heart began to pulsate. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. A pulsation of love. This was too much for her to handle, it seemed. Was she going to be ready for her first kiss? Something had to tell her that it was just a dream, too good, too sweet and rich! Satoshi felt the same way. Satoshi's heart was also pulsating with the same rhythm. And he was the one taking the lead. This was unprecedented.
Their lips had to meet.
Their tongues needed to touch.
The sweetness needed to be shared, right?
Right?
A piercing scream could be heard. Mio. "What was that?" Satoshi said.
Jun snapped out of her dreamlike state. "Oh my God, is that Mio-sempai? Satoshi, we have to find out what's going on!"
Immediately, the two of them made a run for the first floor of the ship, where the band would be playing.
"No," Jun said, seeing the band and other guests being held at blade-point by a group of 40 thugs dressed in identical suits and shades.
"What the hell?" Satoshi said. The security was also held at bay by the thugs. "What is this, Kill Bill all over again?"
"Don't anybody move!" the leader of the thugs said, a tall, mean figure. He lurched towards the captain of the ship who was held by three henchmen in suits. "Where's the money, Captain?"
"This ship does not have any cash boxes," he said. Boom! A kick in the gonads.
"Fool! Why is this ship owned by the Kotobukis, then? There has to be cash somewhere, riiiiight? Where is it?"
"I told you, there is none-OW!"
His patience was running thin. "You old piece of scum. Bastard. If you don't tell us where the money is, everyone in this ship is dead!"
Satoshi had enough of this. "Hey, what do you assholes think you're doing invading this place?"
Jun was startled. "Satoshi!"
"And just who the hell are you, boy?" the leader said with a chuckle.
Satoshi was defiant as ever. "That shit doesn't matter! Get you filthy hands off the band, the guests, and my sister!" He made a charge to save Ritsu.
"Satoshi, no!" she cried.
But it was too late. With a wave of his thumb, the leader motioned one of the thugs to give a bone-crunching roundhouse kick to Satoshi, who was sent flying into a wall.
Ritsu was shocked. "Satoshi!" she screamed, her tears falling. The other members of the band could only watch in horror.
Jun rushed over to him, tears streaming down as well. A trail of blood could be seen coming out of Satoshi's mouth. "Satoshi, are you all right? You can't die! Satoshi!"
It was getting harder and harder for him to breathe. "Urgh...ah...hah...I guess...hah...I suck at...hah...saving the day, huh Jun?" He blacked out.
"Satoshi~~~~!" Jun wailed, deeply shocked at the sight she was seeing. "He can't...he can't be...!"
"And you're going to be next, you bitch," said one of the thugs, brandishing his sword.
Jun was trapped in a corner, on her knees, holding Satoshi who was clinging on to life from that vicious kick to the midsection. "Say your prayers."
"Noooooo!"
This was going to be the end for her, it seemed. But as Jun screamed and the blade was about to impale her, a guitar smashed into the back of his head, killing him instantly. She had an arm draped over her for protection, and she took the courage to look. First with one eye, then the other. "I'm...still alive?" She blinked. It was a familiar sight. "Wait a minute. You're the guy that was singing outside my house a few days ago!"
"Nicely identified," the man said, with a wink.
"Hey, who the hell are you?" roared the leader.
He cracked his knuckles. "Your worst nightmare, dear boy."
"Get him, you punks!" he said to the other 38 thugs, who all lunged at the stowaway. With one wave of his hand, the swords all shattered. Now they were all forced to use their bare hands. That didn't work out too well either. This was a fighter, knocking out all the henchmen with a system of quick, effective, and powerful punches and roundhouse kicks. They were clockwork. The band, Jun, Satoshi, and the other guests and staff were stunned at the stowaway's technique.
"Amazing," Jun said.
Satoshi slowly opened his eyes. "What the hell's going on?"
She was elated, as her tears showed. "You're alive!" Jun didn't realize that Satoshi's face was stuck between her cleavage. Not that she cared; she was just happy to see her boyfriend back to life, back to reality.
"You son of a bitch, you are dead meat!" screamed the leader, who charged toward the stowaway with his sword. The stowaway mere snapped his fingers, causing the sword to shatter. The leader tried to charge with his fist, but he grabbed it, and pulverized the bones in it. Still in disbelief that he had been demobilized in humiliating fashion, the stowaway proceeded to whip out in mere split seconds a series of 100 punches and kicks to the face, midsections, legs and thighs, before finishing him off with an uppercut, two diagonal kicks that shattered his ribs and a flyer that fractured his skull.
The leader crumpled into the ground, a bloody, disfigured mess lying helplessly against the wall as the stowaway dusted himself off. "Oh drat, I soiled myself," the stowaway said with a frown. There was blood on his freshly-bought shirt from Shibuya. He felt a slight laceration on the right side of her face. "Not bad, you bloody amateur." The others were in disbelief at how he annihilated a band of thugs in that gruesome a fashion. "My work here's done."
"That was...unbelievable..." Yui said. "Scary, even."
"More like scary good," Ritsu said. "Amazing."
"He's so dreamy," Tsumugi moaned, sighing like an angel.
"Mugi, let's not go there."
"Hey you guys, sorry about the trouble, and pardon my dust," the stowaway said to everyone in the room, who were applauding the heroics quietly.
Satoshi, who could still stand, went over to the stowaway. "Sir, thank you for saving us-"
"Oh, no thank you necessary, young man," he replied, scruffing Satoshi's head as if he was his older brother. "Ah." He grabbed a rose from a vase, and handed it to a dazed Mio, who couldn't believe the action and blood she saw. "Mio?"
"How do you know my name?" she asked, blinking.
"Don't kid yourself sunshine; someone will marry you, and you never know who it will be." He produced a calling card. "Besides, I got connections. If you want me to show you how to do what I did in half the time, here."
"Th...thank you," she said. "But who are you?"
Striking a pose before he left for his own boat cruising next to the ship, the stowaway identified himself. "Just call me Kakifly." He popped his collar and took off with a wave.
"I think I have a chance," Mio said.
"I don't how much of a chance that will be-OW!" Ritsu had that one coming. "I was only kidding!"
"Hmph!"
The maître d', who was a few floors above and was untouched by the band of 40, came in. "Everyone, I have already contacted the police, and they will get escort these troublemakers. The concert will be held on the top deck. Everyone, please evacuate the first floor. We are so sorry about all of this," he added with a bow.
"Oh! My Giita!" Yui rushed toward her guitar, which was untouched by the thugs, along with the other instruments. She hugged it lovingly. "I am so glad you are still alive!"
"That Yui-sempai likes her guitar, doesn't she?" Jun said, sniffling.
"It's her sword, her shield, and she protects it with her life."
"Like you protect me, love?"
"I guess so." Satoshi grimaced, shaking his head. "Ugh...my damn chest..."
As the police escorted the thugs off the boat and into a set of tugboats that would escort them to the nearby station, Satoshi and Jun watched the lights of Tokyo Bay, a shimmering, shining blend of lights. "By the way," Jun asked, "how did you know that the band was going to be here?"
Satoshi, looking at his wrapped chest, chuckled. "What you need to know about Nee-chan is that she is sneaky. And when she is on the boat, I knew that the others were going to be on the boat as well. And this is owned by one of Nee-chan's friends, so I knew that the band was going to be here."
"You know something?"
"What?"
Jun gave his nose a light tap. "You were awesome down there."
He laughed. "I wouldn't say awesome: I just don't want anyone attacking Nee-chan and her friends like that."
Jun whistled, looking at the stars in the sky. "I never knew my boyfriend had a sense of justice instilled in him."
He raised an eyebrow. "What, is it a bad thing?"
"Not really, I just find it...interesting that's all. It's one of your charm points."
Satoshi smiled. "Jun?"
"Hm?"
"If I ever wanted a second sister, you would be the one. But you're more than a sister to me. You're much more than that. I love you, Jun Suzuki."
"I love you too, Satoshi Tainaka."
With very few people to bother them, they shared a long passionate kiss. Tears flowed out of Jun's eyes as her tongue touched Satoshi's and as they embraced, the consummation began in earnest. The breathing became hitched, and the hunger for skinship never felt higher.
They were in love. On a cruise ship. Under the lights of Tokyo Bay. It was the type of fodder made for love stories. Now they were experiencing it in the flesh.
After what seemed like forever, a voice rang on the ship's intercom. "Attention, attention! The special Hokago Tea Time concert for Jun Suzuki and Satoshi Tainaka will begin shortly. All patrons, please gather on the fourth floor and the top deck. Thank you."
The noise awoke Jun and Satoshi from their episode of ecstasy. Jun looked at her watch. Precisely 30 minutes had passed since their first kiss began. "We are on the fourth floor, right?" Jun asked.
"I think we are," he said. "Yep, we are."
Jun saw the guests assemble and just above them, the band was setting up the stage. Seeing that their clothes were slightly disheveled and unbuttoned from their shining moment, Jun and Satoshi cleaned themselves up.
"Hey, you two lovebirds," Ritsu said with a few snare strikes and a crash of her cymbals.
"Nee-chan, you're embarrassing us!" Satoshi groaned.
"Yo, Ritsu-sempai," Jun said with a wave and a wink.
"Sorry about the incident downstairs," Tsumugi said. "They came in uninvited."
"Are your ribs all right, Satoshi?" Azusa asked.
"They hurt a little, but I think I'll be all right," he said.
"You're pretty strong, taking a shot like that."
"Heheheh." He gave a thumbs-up. "I'm an Ace."
Ritsu brushed it off. "Right, right."
"A fight on the ship, love on the ship, and great views from the ship," Yui said. "Holy cow! Now I've seen everything!
"You think you do," Mio retorted, shuddering.
"She thinks she does," Ritsu echoed.
"All right, ladies and gentlemen aboard the Moderna," said the maître d', "thank you for coming out tonight for our dinner cruise and concert, dedicated to Ms. Jun Suzuki and Mr. Satoshi Tainaka."
"Mister," Satoshi said with a smirk as the others applauded.
"We have for your entertainment Pony Canyon recording artists Hokago Tea Time performing for you this evening. Ladies."
More applause. "Good evening, everyone," Yui said, taking the microphone. "We are Hokago Tea Time, and we would like to dedicate this concert to the younger brother of our drummer Ritsu Tainaka, Satoshi, and his new girlfriend, a classmate of our second guitarist Azusa Nakano, Jun Suzuki. And I think Satoshi has a song he wants to sing with us, right?"
Satoshi was shocked. He almost forgot. "Oh yeah, I do."
"You're going to sing a song for me?" Jun exclaimed, her eyebrows raised.
"Mmm-hmmm."
"Cool! I wanna hear it."
"Satoshi-kun, come up to the stage and sing with us!" Yui said. "Ladies and gentlemen, Satoshi Tainaka!"
"Oh dear," he mumbled as he made his way to the stage, the guests applauding. He cleared his throat as he took the mike. "Hi everybody, my name is Satoshi Tainaka-"
"You're such a cute little boy!" said one guest in his 40's, to the laughter of the others.
"I get that a lot." More laughter. "Give it a few more years and that will all change." Even more laughter, but with applause. "Anyway, I am the younger brother of the energetic drummer of this wonderful band, Ritsu-nee-chan. I wrote a song that is dedicated to my first love, Jun. First, I want to ask a question: have you heard of this band called Gallery?"
No one raised their hands.
"Okay, have you heard of this song called 'Nice To Be With You'?"
Everyone raised their hands.
"So you have heard of the band." The audience laughed. "Well, this song is sung to that same melody. It's called 'Nice to Be With Jun.' Excuse my bad English here, but I'll try to do my best."
"You're awesome, Satoshi!" said another guest in his 30's.
"Ganbare, Satoshi!" chimed another.
"Thank you, thank you," he said. Ritsu generally counted down the beats, but this time, it was Satoshi's turn. Jun was all ears. "1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4!"
A few strums of E, D, and A by Yui and Azusa, and the song began. Tears came down her face as the light from a full moon shined on her like a spotlight.
Oh, it's so nice to be with Jun,
Together by the morning moon.
And it's so nice to hear you say
You're gonna love me every day.
Darling, you got the notion.
Two hearts on the ocean
Rock and roll.
More than just a friend,
You got something that's real.
You know it's gonna last a lifetime
And you better believe it, Jun.
And when you rock that bass,
My worries go away, and I'm not dreaming.
I know I'm gonna give my all to you!
And it's so nice to be with Jun,
Together by the morning moon.
And it's so nice to hear you say
You're gonna love me every day.
Darling, you got the notion.
Two hearts on the ocean
Rock and roll.
When you're feeling down,
I'm here to flash a V and make you laugh and cry,
Cause you know what I say is true.
When I feel the world's against me,
You're there to ease the pain and make me feel whole again
And today, I just wanna say...
That it's so nice to be with Jun,
Together by the morning moon.
And it's so nice to hear you say
You're gonna love me every day.
Oh, it's so nice to be with Jun,
Together by the morning moon.
And it's so nice to hear you say
You're gonna love me every day
Darling, you got the notion.
Two hearts on the ocean
Rock and roll...
He laid on his bed, basking in the afterglow of the morning after. It had been so many hours since Satoshi sang that song on the ship. And he wondered if this was all a dream, or something that would cause his friends to be jealous. On top of all that, his chest was still hurting from that shot. It wasn't a dream. It hurt too much to be a dream. This was real.
The first kiss. The hugging and kissing. And touching. And feeling up her...no! Did he really? Did those hands go places they weren't supposed to, but still did? He could still hear the sound of Jun moans and sighs ringing in his ears.
Groaning, Satoshi tilted on his side, wishing he never grew up too soon. "Hey Satoshi, breakfast is ready!" Ritsu said, placing two platters of bacon, sausages and scrambled eggs with toast on the table. "Better get dressed and head down here before it gets cold."
Interestingly, Satoshi already took a shower, but wanted to sulk in his room a little longer to internalize what just happened last night. Sighing, he decided it was time to face the music. "Coming!" he replied, heading down the stairs. "And I'm already dressed. See?"
"Looking sharp, looking sharp, loverboy!" she replied with a thumbs up and a wink.
"Excuse me, let me go eat," Satoshi deadpanned, tucking into his meal.
"You forgot to say 'Thank You,' bro."
He forced it. "Arigato, Nee-chan!" And it was back to eating.
"Forced it, but I'll let that slide." Satoshi laid a dirty look at Ritsu for a split second. "Ahaha, my little brother has a girlfriend..."
"And what about you, Nee-chan? Do YOU have a boyfriend? Ehhhh?" Being the smart-aleck that he was, Satoshi sipped his green tea triumphantly.
"Heh, I don't need boys in my life," Ritsu said, brushing her shoulder length hair a little for emphasis.
"Ironic you said that because one of the boys you don't want in your life is next to you eating breakfast."
Ritsu was in tears. "Uggghhh, I just lost the game."
"And it wasn't even close."
"Dammit! I will not lose to you!" she exclaimed, pointing at a bemused Satoshi. "Next time, you are cooking your own-"
The doorbell rang.
"Huh?" they both said.
"I think it might be her," Satoshi said, taking a sip of tea. "Get the door, Nee-chan."
"No, you get it, Satoshi, you're old enough!"
"Uh, Nee-chan?" He pointed to his half-finished meal, shaking his head.
"Grrr," she growled, "fine." Ritsu opened the door.
It was Jun. "Excuse my intrusion," she said.
"Oh, hi Jun! How are you?"
"I just wanted to help bring Satoshi-kun to school."
"Yes, Satoshi is still finishing his meal-"
"I'm done," he said, bringing his plate and cup to the dishwasher.
"That was fast!" Ritsu exclaimed.
"Nee-chan, I'll be on my way," Satoshi said to Ritsu, holding Jun's hand.
"Bye-bye~~~!" She watched the two of them walk toward Satoshi's school, sniffling a little.
"Look at those two," Mio said, walking over to Ritsu from her house.
"Aren't they adorable together, Mio?"
"They sure are."
"Hey Mio-chan, Ricchan, what are you guys doing?" Yui asked, running over to them while dragging Azusa with her.
"Watching those two," Mio replied.
"Oooooh."
"Did we come all this way just for this?" Azusa exclaimed. "We should be focusing on heading to class!"
"We got time, Azunyan."
She looked at her watch. "Oh, you're right, Yui-sempai. A whole hour..."
"Oh my, what a scene," Tsumugi said, joining the others in watching them walk away, holding.
"Mugi-sempai as well?"
"You know something, everyone?" Ritsu said. "I think my younger brother found the love of his life last night." The others nodded, smiling as they continued to watch.
"Hey Jun," Satoshi said to her as they strolled down the street.
"Hmm?" she asked.
"It really is so nice to be with you."
"It really is so nice to be with you, Satoshi-kun."
"I know, my love. I know."
THE END
A/N: This was a little vignette I wanted to write after spending a few months writing "Walk-ON! All Over Again." In January, I plan to return to completing AOA. Can't wait for the New Year to begin. I'm sick and tired of December, to be honest with you. Too much Christmas, not enough cowbell. Did I just say cowbell? Oh yeah, I did.
Thanks for reading.