MangaMaid's Notes: Hello! So for those of you who don't know, this got a reboot! Due to reviewer demand, I've deleted all the old chapters and have now starting re-posting new chapters as they come out. So hopefully, the story will come out more in the way I intended it. Some of the plotline has been changed drastically from the old story and some of the characters have been tweaked, but it's all a part of the fine tuning process. I hope you enjoy the reboot. If you want to read the old chapters, PM me and I will link you to the Google Doc file where I moved the old ones.
...
The loud buzzing of an alarm clock rang through the silent air of a household as the neon red numbers showed it was 4 AM. Azure eyes opened and a slow hand fumbled around before reaching the noisy device and tapping the off button with a mild rap. Sitting up, a teenage girl yawned and rubbed at her eyes before stumbling out of bed.
It wasn't until she had reached the bathroom and water had been splashed against her face that she took her appearance in the mirror. Brown hair that fell just below her shoulder blades hung around a pale face while dark circles ran around her eyes. A sigh escaped her as she closed her eyes and began working at getting ready for the day.
After reaching for a toothbrush and toothpaste, she began brushing her teeth, slowly working away at it when one of her eldest sister, Kohaku, walked into the bathroom doorway. "Akira?" Kohaku asked, looking at her with surprise evident in her eyes. "You're up?"
Nodding, Akira went back to working on her teeth while Kohaku entered the room and began using the mirror to brush out her midnight hair. Silence hung in the air. Kohaku and she never really spoke too much anymore since their father had passed about two years ago. With only a single mother providing for nine children, Kohaku had thrown herself into working as an accountant to help out with finances. As such, Kohaku often was gone mornings and worked late into evenings.
Once they had finished their morning routines, Kohaku pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and glanced at Akira, an appraising look in her dark-coffee colored eyes. "You look… tired. Nervous about moving?"
Akira shrugged. She hadn't really thought about the move that was happening today. Her mother, Minori, a Japanese native, had begun to feel lost in the Oregon home without her husband, Robert Wagerman, especially since he had died right after the birth of their twin babies; a boy and a girl. Figuring it might be easier back in her home country, she had decided to move back to Japan.
Akira's parents had met while they were both in England. Both were there on a college trip and had met while studying at a museum. After the trip, they began a long-distance relationship for almost a year, until her father asked her mother to marry him and come live with him at his home in Oregon.
However, her grandfather, Minori's father, had forbade it, declaring that no self-respecting child of his would ever marry a foreigner. So that night, Minori had packed up her belongings and run off to America to marry her boyfriend and pursue a career she wanted, leading her to become a dance teacher. After that, the only family on Minori's side who kept in contact was her identical twin, Hiroko, who would later marry a Frenchman, resulting in her own disownment as well, and her mother when Akira's grandma could manage to call her.
Minori had been happy, until her beloved Robert had passed. Soon after, her father called her. Once he had found out from his wife that Robert had died, Akira's grandfather had decided to forgive his daughter and reach out to her, offering to pay for a home for her and her children and support them whenever money ran tight. However, there were conditions. They would all have to move to Japan and they would have to visit every month.
If she thought about it, the move really didn't bother Akira as much as she figured it should. The year before, Akira's best friend and next-door neighbor, Kumori Aisubachi, had moved to Japan as Kumori's single mother, Aisu, had suddenly insisted that her daughter go back to their home country without her. Once Minori heard about it, she had offered for Kumori to stay with her and her children until Aisu could come to get her daughter. Aisu agreed to it, she still wanted Kumori to go that year. So, Minori had called her best friend from high school and arranged for Kumori to stay with her and her son until they could move to Japan. As Kumori was her closest and best friend, Akira supposed that was the main reason she wasn't as upset as some of her family about the move.
Kohaku's voice shook her from her thoughts. "Well, I hope I'll be able to get a good job there. I might have to do some college, but I think Grandfather would support that…"
"Yeah…" Akira mumbled, her voice thoughtful. "I guess…"
A faint smile appeared on Kohaku's face and she turned to leave, pausing at the door, "Well, I'm just going to tell you right now. Mom's been up for an hour or so getting everything loaded up. She's ready to get going. You'll probably want to change and help Akane get ready."
Akira gave her sister another nod and Kohaku left. After looking over her reflection for a moment, Akira turned and went back to her room. She changed into the t-shirt and jeans that had been left out the night before before wandering over to the other bed in the room.
A small lump lay curled up in the blankets while a mess of black hair stuck out. Akira placed her hand on the lump and lightly shook. "Akane… Akane… It's time to get up…"
The lump gave a soft moan and rolled over.
Amused, Akira smiled and pulled off the blankets before lifting her five-year old sister to her sleepy feet. Akane rubbed at her sleepy brown eyes and looked up at Akira. Without a word, Akira began helping her sister dress and get ready. Several times during this, Akane dozed and nearly fell over, but Akira caught her before she tumbled. After she had finished getting the last piece of clothing, a warm coat, on Akane, Akira picked up her little sister who nuzzled into her left shoulder before dozing off. A slight wince appeared on Akira's face before warm smile replaced it as she grabbed their two backpacks and hoisted them on her free shoulder and walked out of the house to the rental van her mother had gotten from the airport.
As she stepped outside, Akira saw her mother buckling up Yuki in one of the car seats. Her baby brother seemed to be sleeping and she watched as her mother checked him over before turning to look at Yuri, his twin sister, making sure she was still sleeping in her car seat. Once Minori was satisfied she turned to see Akira walk up to her. "Oh good! You and Akane are ready!" She took Akane from Akira. "Thanks sweetie. I sent Kohaku in to get Sakura up and the twins and triplets are all set. So, once your sister gets up, we'll be off." Akira's muscles tensed and her mother seemed to notice as she said, "Don't worry. The flight will only be a few hours then we'll be in Japan. It'll be fine."
A rigid nod escaped Akira before she put the backpacks in the back of the van and hopped in, taking a window seat. As she heard a grumpy voice coming from outside, she closed her eyes, pretending to doze.
After a few moments or rummaging and noises of complaining, she heard the front passenger door slam. As the driver's door opened, she heard her mother speak. "Sakura, really. You are nineteen. This behavior is uncalled for."
"Uncalled for?" Akira wanted to shrink as she heard her second-eldest sister snap. "Mom, I have friends here! You are forcing me to move! To Japan! I think a little complaining isn't uncalled for!"
"Sakura!" Minori hissed. "You will wake your siblings! Look, Shiori Minamino, my friend there, do you remember her?"
"Yeah… The one Akira's little freaky friend is staying with..." Sakura grumbled. "So?"
"Sakura! Be nice about Kumori! Honestly…" Akira listened as her mother to a breath before explaining, "Well, when Robert died and after your Grandfather offered the move, she called and said she and her son could help us out while we all get settled in Japan." Minori replied. "I thought it'd be a good idea since her and her son have been having some struggles recently, so we could help each other."
"Why couldn't she move here?" Sakura complained.
"She recently recovered from a severe case of pneumonia. The doctors thought she might not survive. Asking her to come here would be too much of a strain on her right now."
"So, we could wait…"
"Sakura…" Her mother sighed, "That wouldn't be right. Her son, Shuuichi, is in a highly prestigious school in Japan. If they moved here, he'd lose the opportunities that are available to him there. I can't ask that of them, Sakura."
Akira heard her sister harrumph before muttering, "So, why can she ask us to move?"
Opening her eyes slightly, she stared at Sakura's long, black hair. She could imagine Sakura's deep blue eyes, icy with anger, her full lips in an angry pout. She closed her eyes, pretending to fall back asleep before Sakura could see her looking.
"Think of this as a new opportunity, Sakura," Kohaku offered. "You can make some friends."
"What friends?" Sakura grumbled. "I won't know anyone there."
"You can always meet people. Besides," Minori said, "Kumori's there. You'll know at least one person."
"Oh yeah..." Sakura said, her voice dripping in sarcasm, "You really think I'd want to hang out with Akira and her little freak of a friend? Please... "
"Sakura, please try to understand. I'm doing what I think is best," Minori said, her tone tired.
"Oh, really, Mom?" Sakura's tone was petulant. "You think what you're doing is best for me?! By taking away my friends and ruining my life!?"
"I'm not ruining your life-"
"Oh yes you are!" Sakura snapped, her tone getting louder. "You think this move is some great thing for us! That we'll get something we don't have here in America! But really, it's only good for you! You just want to get away from the fact Dad died!"
The car fell silent at that. Nervous, Akira opened her eyes and clutched at a silver heart pendant hanging from around her neck. It was her favorite gift from her late father. Turning her eyes to her mom, she could see her mother's face showed no emotion, but her knuckles were white on the steering wheel.
At that moment, Yuri, who had woken up due to Sakura's yelling, began to cry. She bawled as she felt the need to express to the world she had been unpleasantly woken up. Fortunately, Yuki and the triplets, Sango, Tsubaki, and Ryuu, were all very heavy sleepers, so they didn't wake up. Unfortunately, Akane wasn't. Her eyes fluttered awake as she looked to her youngest sister.
"Mmm... Why's Yuri crying?" she asked, her voice heavy with sleep.
Akira murmured, her voice nearly a whisper, "She just is… Go back to sleep."
"But… I don't wanna…" Akane muttered before she dozed off again.
Watching the front of the car as if a bomb - or an ax murderer, she couldn't quite decide which - had been placed there, Akira reached over to Yuri's car seat and began to rub her back. Soon, the young toddler was calm and fell back into slumber.
As she looked at Sakura glaring at their mother, Akira saw a glossiness to Sakura's eyes. When she registered it, she began to absentmindedly rub her left shoulder. Her throat ran dry and she felt her chest begin to tighten.
Kohaku seemed to notice the glossiness as well and asked, "Sakura… You didn't go to that party in the next city over last night did you?"
"What if I did?" Sakura grumbled.
Minori spun to her second-eldest and gave her a look. "You went where? After I told you I didn't want you going to those parties?"
"What's wrong with a little fun?" Sakura asked, her tone irate. "What? Are you banning me from that too?"
"Sakura," Minori began. "You know that those parties serve alcohol! You remember the first time came home from one? You were so drunk that your father took you to the emergency room because we were afraid you had alcohol poisoning! You promised that you wouldn't go to another of those parties again!"
Sakura shrugged. "So me and my friends went to have some fun before I moved… No big deal."
"Oh yes it is! You gave me and your father your word, Sakura! I'm very disappointed in you! You may be 19, but you live under my house and my rules! We will talk about this later, young lady."
Sakura scoffed and stared out the window, glaring at the passing scenery while Akira looked them and bit her lip. As if sensing that Akira was going to say something, Sakura turned to her, staring her down. "What are you looking at?" Instantly, the words in Akira's throat died.
Within a few miles, they reached the airport. After they found their boarding area and sat, Akira looked around the large terminal, not sure what to make of it. It wasn't quite full but it wasn't empty either. She closed her eyes and began to mentally work through the last routine she had been learning at her mother's dance school. Three steps forward, second position into third, quarter turn to the right, arm sweeping down to the waist…
After a while, Akira wasn't sure how long it was, her mother shook her on the left shoulder, telling her the flight was boarding. Fighting a wince, Akira nodded and picked up Akane, carrying her onto the plane. After being settled in, Akira looked at the ground out the window, knowing it would probably be the last time she'd ever see American soil. Soon, she'd be in a new country, a new school and a new house. Her only comforting thought was that her best friend would be there. As the plane began to take off, she started to run through her routine again in her mind. Three steps forward, second position into third…
The sun had risen and according to Kohaku's satellite set watch, it was 8 AM, Sunday morning when they landed. As they exited, Akira put on her backpack, picked up Sango, who clung on to her neck, and held Akane's hand as they walked off the plane. Her mother held Yuki and Yuri, while Sakura, who had sobered up on the plane, carried Tsubaki, and Kohaku carried Ryuu. They began to wander around the terminal looking for Mrs. Minamino, Kumori, or even Shuuichi - not that anyone except Kohaku, Sakura and Minori had ever seen him. After several minutes, it was obvious that they were having no such luck.
"Let's wait here," Minori said, pointing to a long bench. "If we don't see them in several minutes, I'll find a phone and call Shiori."
While she sat, Akira leaned against the bench, closing her eyes. The noise of the terminal was loud and busy, but if she could just tune it out then maybe… Before she could try, Akane began to pull on Akira's hand.
"Akane? Do you need to go to the bathroom?" Akira asked as she looked at her younger sister.
Akane shook her head and gestured for Akira to bend down so she could whisper. When Akira obliged, Akane whispered, "Look at that lady. She looks sick."
"Which lady, Akane?"
"The one next to the lady with pretty red hair," Akane pointed to her. Akira's gaze followed and saw a face she knew from looking at her mother's high school pictures as Shiori Minamino. With her was, not a girl as Akane thought, but a boy with long red hair and deep green eyes. As if feeling eyes on him, the boy turned and looked her straight in the eyes. In response, Akira ducked her head, letting her hair hang in her face like a curtain, and studied her feet, finding sudden interest in her tennis shoes. 'Huh, the lace is undone.'
After a moment, she turned to her mother and whispered, "Mom? That is her right?" She pointed to the woman as Minori looked. A smile lit up her face as she saw her best friend looking around the airport.
"Shiori!" Minori called, standing up and waving at them.
Shiori and the boy turned to see Minori waving at them. Shiori began to walk with a little help from the boy to them while Minori gave Yuki and Yuri to Sakura -who passed Tsubaki to Kohaku- and began to run toward her best friend.
Akira leaned over to Kohaku, asking in a whisper, "Is that redhead with Shiori, Shuuichi?"
"Yes… At least, I think it is. My goodness, his hair's long… Last I saw him, it was short. Then again, he was only three. I'm surprised you knew it was him. After all, you were only two when we met him."
Looking down at her feet, Akira mumbled,"Oh, well… You know… I guess I have a good memory is all…"
Kohaku chuckled, "Wow… I wish I had a memory like that."
A nervous smile appeared on Akira's face, right before something tackled her off the bench to the ground. Luckily, Kohaku saved Sango by lifting her up before Akira was tackled. Akira looked to see a short person with choppy silver hair to the chin with a red streak over the left eye hugging her.
Akira winced as her body throbbed. "It's nice to see... you too… Kumori… Maybe you could not... tackle me off a bench next time? Ow..."
"Sorry! Sorry!" Kumori yelped, before getting off her friend and helping her stand. She tilted her head slightly, reminding Akira of when they were children and Kumori wanted something and grinned. Her ice blue eyes twinkled as she spoke, "Akira! You're finally here! You're here, you're here, you're here! Oh! My toy! Do you have it?"
Akira smiled, "Kumori… What kind of person would I be if I didn't bring it?"
"So you don't have it?" Kumori's eyes grew wide in horror, beginning to tear up as her lip trembled.
"Of course, I have it. You're my best friend. I wouldn't forget your favorite toy." With that, she pulled out of her pocket a glow in the dark yo-yo.
Kumori grabbed it, squealed in happiness, then glomped Akira again, this time not knocking her to the floor.
"Kumori… Ow…" Akira winced.
Kumori released her, raising her hands up as if she were surrendering. "Sorry! Sorry!"
"It's fine…" Akira said, rubbing her shoulder. "Not your fault."
Kumori began to narrow her eyes at Akira when Shuuichi chuckled at their little reunion. As if remembering he was there, Kumori grabbed Akira by the hand and dragged her over to the boy.
"Shuuichi, this is Akira Wagerman!" Kumori began to introduce Akira and Shuuichi at once. "Akira, this is Shuuichi Minamino!"
"Um…" Akira whispered, ducking her head and using her hair as a curtain."Hello, Shuuichi... It's nice to finally meet you…?"
"Hello, Akira. Likewise, it is a pleasure to meet you," Shuuichi offered with a warm smile, his eyes closing and head tilting slightly forward in acknowledgement.
Akira shot him a nervous smile from underneath her curtain of hair. Although he seemed nice, he made her nervous. Something was off. He had good manners, that much was obvious. But it was like he was an adult in a boy's body, his presence, the way he held himself, was… old. However, as everyone her mother started introducing her family to Shiori and her son, she shook it off.
Akira watched as Kohaku began explaining her work to Shiori. Happy to linger on the sidelines, she looked down and began to recite to herself her dance routine once more. Three steps forward, second position into third, quarter turn to the right…
A hand landed on her right shoulder. "Hi Kumori…" Akira murmured, not even breaking her concentration.
"Bored…" Kumori murmured.
"Sorry." Akira's routine continued.
After a moment, Kumori whispered, "What happened to your left shoulder?"
The routine stuttered to a halt in her mind, but Akira kept her nerves from showing on her face. "Nothing…"
"Bullcrap." Kumori barked quietly, mindful of the children around them, "I know you, Kit. Something's wrong, and I can't help if you won't let me."
"It's nothing, Kumori…" Akira said, looking away from her friend to see green eyes studying her, curiosity evident. Looking back to her friend, she muttered, "Just… I just jarred it… That's all…"
Kumori stared at her best friend, eyes narrowing as they flicked from one side of Akira's face to the other, searching for some sign of a lie. Nothing. Akira had too much practice, even for her now.
At that moment, Akira felt her mother's hand once again on her left shoulder. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to not let out a sign that she was in pain, as Minori spoke. "And last, Shiori, this is my third eldest, Akira."
"Oh, I remember you," Shiori said, smiling at her. "You were the one who drew whiskers on Shuuichi's face when you were younger!"
Akira's eyes snapped open. "I did what now?"
"Oh I remember that!" Minori said, giggling at the memory. "You two were so cute! What with Shuuichi being all stoic about it and you laughing your little heart out. I was surprised at your patience though, Shuuichi. Akira had a hair thing at that time if I recall and she kept yanking on your hair since it was the first time she'd seen hair that color."
Mortified, Akira buried her face in her hands. Kumori didn't help matters by starting to cackle in amusement. 'This is not happening...' Akira thought to herself.
As both women chuckled over the incident, Akira tried to force her mind into reciting her dance routine. Unfortunately, her embarrassment wouldn't let her focus.
"Ah… I'd almost forgotten about that day." Minori said as her laughter died down. "Anyways, we should be getting over to the house to unpack…"
"About that…" Shiori said, "Your father called me and told me that the key wouldn't come until tomorrow. You'll be staying with us tonight."
Minori gave a worried look to her friend. "Are you sure? I mean you just recovered and my family is-"
"It's fine! Honestly Minori, between you and Shuuichi, I can't even breathe without you both worrying! The doctors said it's completely gone and I'm in better health than I was before I went in. You're staying with us."
"All right. If you're positive."
"Of course I am. Unless you want to stay with your father?"
Minori made a face as if she'd just swallowed something unpleasant. "I see your point. Well, we'd better get a move on."
At that, Akira let Akane take one of her hands while Sango, now fully awake, took the other. As she followed her mother and Shiori, she kept her head down, purposefully not looking at Shuuichi. Kumori followed her, still laughing at her friend's embarrassment. Minori looked back at her daughter, frowning when she noticed that she was lagging at the back of the group. "Akira, is everything okay?"
Caught off guard, Akira looked up. "Oh… uhm… yeah…" At that she hurried to keep with her family, leaving Kumori and Shuuichi to the themselves in the back the group. As they walked, Kumori pulled out her yo-yo and began to play with it, smiling as it went up and down, up and down. While she played with it, she looked over to Shuuichi and saw him watching Akira intently.
"Fox...what are you doing?" the small girl asked, catching her toy as it spun back upwards and clenching it tightly. "You're staring at her like she's something to eat."
Concentration broken, Shuuichi blinked, his face forming an innocent expression as he looked down at the shorter female. "I don't know what you're talking about, Kumori." he spoke, the effect ruined by the mischievous glimmer in his emerald eyes, gold flecks around his irises sparkled.
"Your eyes are turning, Nii-san." the girl spat, stopping in her progress and spinning to face the male as he stopped so he wouldn't run her over, "I'm warning you right now; if you try anything with her, I will kill you, Reikai and it's cursed prince and his blackmail be damned. She's been through too much to deal with your 'games'."
Shuuichi glared at her, taking deep breath and lifting his chin in a silent challenge. He raised an eyebrow when Kumori merely hardened her glare, pulling her lips back in a silent growl. "I won't try anything, Kumori. I can control my curiosity, and you know it."
"Bullshit," the girl spat, an actual growl tearing from her throat. "Your ears are perked and your eyes are sharp. Something about her has perked the interest of your inner fox. I lived through your devil-borne curiosity when I went through my inheritance, Kurama. I am not putting her through that. This is your only warning. Stay away."
Kurama stared into Kumori's eyes, seeing the determination there. "Very well." he conceded, closing his eyes as a pleasant smile came over his face. "I will not play games with her, Kumori. Though, I cannot promise to stay away."
Kumori huffed, turning her back on the male. "Fine. But one thing goes wrong, Kurama... One thing, and I will be after your blood."
At that moment, Shiori turned to both of them. "Shuuichi? Kumori?" she asked, looking at them. "What are you doing back there?"
Turning to Shiori as if she hadn't been threatening the woman's son, Kumori beamed, "Oh, we're just trading gossip…Nothing new, I wanted to know what Yusuke had done because he wasn't at school today and Shuui-chan knows all!"
"Yusuke?" Akira asked, looking confused as Akane and Sango let go of her hands and ran up to walk near their mother.
"He's somewhat of a friend of mine," Shuuichi answered. "We work together in an after school work-study program."
Surprise registered on Akira's face before she turned to Kumori. "That's odd. You never mentioned being in an after school program."
"Oh. I'm not. Yusuke and Shuuichi are. Yusuke's in my class at school though. And he's always getting in trouble, and Shuuichi always knows why. Hence the 'knows ALL' part of my statement."
Nodding, Akira glanced at her mother before Shuuichi spoke to her, catching her attention. "So, Akira, how long have you and Kumori known each other?"
"Hmm? Oh… Let's see... What was it…?" She looked at Kumori.
"About nine or ten years wasn't it, Kit?"
"Yeah," she looked back to Shuuichi. "About nine years or so…"
"Really?" Shuuichi's voice took on a teasing tone. "I was under the impression that Kumori didn't like people."
"Hey!" Kumori said, slugging Shuuichi in the shoulder and glaring. "Akira's not people. She's family."
He chuckled, "Sorry." After composing himself, he said, "Anyways, how did you two meet?"
"Oh, um…" Akira looked away from Shuuichi as she began to recall the memory. "Kumori and her mom moved right next door to us and my mom and her mom got to know each other beforehand in some kind of class." Looking back at him, Akira felt her voice falter. She murmured, "Uh...Kumori tells the story better than I do…"
Noticing her friend's distress, Kumori nodded. "Right." Her brow furrowed. "Like Akira said, our moms got to know each other in this class and they bonded, both being from Japan and all, so my mom and I went to visit after kindergarten. The town we lived in was really small and we went to the same kindergarten, so I sorta knew Akira." She looked at Akira. "You did strike me as odd though, all that reading and stuff."
An amused smile lit on Akira's face. "Like you were any better with your odd red streak and constant fighting?"
"Point," Kumori acknowledged. "Anyways, I was at Akira's house and our moms decided to have us go play outside. You know, to let us get to know each other. It didn't work out very well at first…"
"How so?" Shuuichi asked.
She made a face. "Akira was more into the book she was reading than chatting or playing. Although, personally, I think she was using the book as a way to hide from me." When Akira's cheeks flared, Kumori noticed. "Aha! I knew it! You were hiding from me."
Ducking her head, Akira murmured, "Well… you had gotten into a fight earlier that day and split Johnny's lip remember?"
"Hey! He deserved it! He said he liked me," Kumori defended. She looked at Shuuichi's smirk. "Don't you even start, Nii-san. Back to the story, we weren't really getting along until this older kid in our neighborhood, Nate, walked by. He decided to pick on Akira."
Akira smiled. "I remember that. He made me cry and you smashed in his nose."
Nodding, Kumori beamed. "After that, she decided to keep me. And we've been friends ever since."
A quiet giggle escaped Akira. "I'm not sure that's entirely accurate. I thought it was you who decided to keep me."
Waving her hand dismissively, Kumori replied, "Details, details. Either way, we're the best of friends."
"Well, that's certainly an interesting way of making friends," Shuuichi answered, a slight smile creeping on his face.
Kumori snickered. "Right… Like you can talk."
Shuuichi didn't answer, but he raised an eyebrow with a certain glint in his eyes. Noticing the lack of response, Akira looked over at her friend and the boy she had just met, but after a moment decided not to pry. Instead, she shrugged off the curiosity and looked ahead as she wondered what the Minamino home was like.
As they walked the streets, Akira took in her surroundings. The buildings were much larger than the ones that had been in her hometown. Granted, her hometown was more rural than anything, seeing as how her Uncle Brian and his family had often poked fun at her family for living in what they called 'a little podunk town a couple of hours off from Salem'. Still, the buildings made her feel quite small.
Finally, they came up to a two-story concrete duplex with the name Minamino written onto the left pedestal of the yard's gate. Akira took in the well cared for plants in the small yard, a small smile growing on her face.
Her mother seemed to like it as well as she said, "Shiori, these plants are lovely!"
"Thank you. We work very hard at keeping them healthy," Shiori replied.
"Well, you and Shuuichi obviously know what you're doing!" Minori said, looking at her friend. "I hope you didn't tell him how bad I was at gardening."
"Oh no," Shiori answered, smiling. "Besides, it's not like you really had an opportunity to learn, considering…"
"My father?" Minori's tone turned slightly bitter. "I know…"
Noticing the tone, Kumori turned to Akira. "Have I mentioned I still don't like your grandpa?"
"You haven't even met him," Akira muttered.
"Doesn't change the fact he's an asshole."
Shaking her head, Akira rolled her eyes at her friend. Upon entering the Minamino home, everyone removed their shoes before walking through the entryway. As they entered, Shuuichi took a stairway on the right of the entryway, going upstairs, while Shiori showed them around the house.
The entryway consisted of a long hall with shorter walls on the left to reveal a small kitchen and dining room. On the right-side were two doorways, one that lead to a bathroom, one to a closet. Once she had finished showing them lower floor, they headed upstairs. Upstairs, there were five doors, two on each side and one at the end of the hall.
"The first door on the left is mine," Shiori said, gesturing to a closed door. She then pointed to the door next to it. "That's Shuuichi's room." Pointing to the door across from hers, she continued, "That's the office and next to it, across from Shuuichi, is where Kumori's been staying. And that room at the end of the hall is the toilet. Now, let's figure out office has a couch that can pull out into a bed and after we figure who's staying in there then we can decide where the others are going to stay."
As soon as those words came out of Shiori's mouth, Kumori latched onto Akira's arm and yelled, "Akira's staying with me!"
Shiori gave Minori a knowing look. "I have a feeling that Akira will be staying with Kumori."
"It seems that way," Minori agreed, trying not to laugh.
Akane looked at her sister, then to her mother. "I wanna stay with Kira-nee…"
"Well, if Kumori doesn't mind, then I don't see why she can't," Shiori offered.
Kumori grinned and looked at the younger girl. "Can I call you Minion?"
"Hey!" Akira turned a glare on Kumori and tapped her on the back of a head with a sharp rap. "Stop trying to turn my younger siblings into minions!"
"But they would make good minions!" Kumori responded.
While Akira began to explain exactly why her siblings would not become Kumori's minions, Minori turned to her friend. "Now's probably a good time to decide who's going to sleep where, while those two are distracted."
Shiori giggled, "Good idea."
After contemplating for a moment, Minori said, "I think the twins and triplets should be staying with me. Not that I don't trust Akira and Kumori to look after them, but I've seen them stay up much later than the twins and triplets' bedtime."
Kohaku offered, "Mom, Sakura and I should probably stay with you to help out, so we can all get some sleep. We can sleep in sleeping bags and such." She turned to Sakura with a smile. "Right?"
Sakura gave her sister a look, but agreed, "Right."
Minori looked at Shiori, "Well, if that's okay with you, then I guess we can get everyone's things settled in."
"That's fine," Shiori agreed. "As long as you're all comfortable, it's alright with me."
"It might be a little cramped, but I'm sure Kumori would confirm to you it's nothing me and my family haven't dealt with."
"Huh?" Kumori asked, turning at the sound of her name. "What am I doing?"
Minori smiled at her third eldest's best friend. "Nothing, dear, nothing. Why don't you help Akira and Akane set up in your room?"
Not pleased with this answer, Kumori frowned. However, instead of arguing, she turned to Akira and Akane. "Okay, let's go."
When Kumori opened the door, Akira looked around the room. It was different from Kumori's old room in Oregon, but that wasn't a surprise since Kumori wasn't going to be a permanent resident.
The walls were an off white, instead of Kumori's favorite shade of blood red. Several cardboard boxes were scattered across the room, some sealed while others were open showing they weren't fully packed yet. Across the room was a small bed next to the only window while a small desk was pushed against the left wall. A cardboard box sat on it with two picture frames against it. The right wall was practically empty except for some cardboard boxes lined up next to it.
"Welcome to my room," Kumori said, bowing with a flourish.
Akane giggled and ran in while Akira brought in their luggage. Without a thought, Akane flung herself on the bed, causing her sister to look at her friend with an apologetic look. "Sorry."
"It's fine, Kit," Kumori responded. "It was kinda obvious your siblings were getting bored with being quiet and polite. I was surprised they lasted as long as they did."
Akira shook her head before calling to Akane. "Aka-chan, do you want to help me and Kumori set up the sleeping bags?"
"Yeah!" Akane bounced off Kumori's bed, running to her sister.
Grabbing a bag from their luggage, Akira pulled out a small, lavender bag and handed it to Akane, who waited until her sister had her own larger blue bag. Akane watched as Akira pulled out her sleeping bag and carefully set it up, then began imitating her older sister. Once she had finished, she said, "Look! Kira-nee, look! I did it!"
Smiling, Akira turned to see Akane's sleeping bag set up, but set up, but slightly wrinkled in places. She smiled, "I see that. You did a good job!"
Akane beamed. "Thank you! Um, Kira-nee? Moona wants to go play outside… Can we go?"
"Why don't you go ask Mom and see if she has anything she wants you to do?"
Nodding, Akane ran out of the room. After she left, Kumori turned to Akira. "Moona? New imaginary friend?"
"Yes."
"Huh, when I last saw her, her imaginary friend's name was Danny Chevy."
Chuckling, Akira said, "According to her, Danny Chevy went into the Navy and is now a Captain. He apparently sends letters every month."
A laugh escaped Kumori. "Really?" She sat down on the floor next to Akira, who began smoothing out Akane's sleeping bag. "So, tell me, what happened?"
"What do you mean?"
"C'mon Kit." Kumori looked Akira in the face. "I know your shoulder is in pain. Let me see."
"Kumori, it's not-!"
"Don't. Don't you dare insult me by saying it's nothing. You and I both know better than that." She placed a light hand on Akira's right shoulder. "Let me see."
A sigh escaped Akira before she began rolling up her shirt. Once her left shoulder was revealed, the reason for her pain was evident. A dark, reddish-violet bruise was blooming, starting from the top of Akira's shoulder, moving down all the way to below her shoulder blade. Amongst the purpling-red skin were a couple of nasty, scabbing cuts. At the sight of the wound, Kumori let out a whistle.
"Damn..." Kumori's whispered. "What happened?" When Akira didn't respond, she closed her eyes. "You okay?"
Shoulders stiffened and, without a word, Akira pulled her shirt on. Gaze distant, she murmured, "I'm fine." With that, she stated smoothing out Akane's sleeping bag again.
"Have I said bullshit, yet? Cause that, right there, bullshit."
Silence hung in the air until the door opened. Both teens turned to see Akane walking into the room, a frown on her face. Akane asked, "Kira-nee?"
"What's wrong Aka-chan?"
Akane ran over to her sister and hopped into her lap. "I'm bored."
"Bored? Weren't you playing with Moona?"
"Mommy doesn't want me and Moona to play outside and Moona doesn't wanna play inside. She wants to go outside…" A pout began to form on Akane's face. "So I don't know what to do…"
"Why doesn't Mom want you playing outside?" Akira asked, looking at her younger sister.
"Cause Mommy's afraid Moona and I will get into Miss Shiori's flowers. But this house is scary. I don't wanna play inside."
"I see…" Akira looked at Kumori before looking at her sister. "Well, where's Cuddles? You like to play with Cuddles inside."
"I don't know…" Akane paused as she thought before her lip began to tremble. "I think I left Cuddles at home…"
"Or maybe she snuck into your backpack?" Akira asked, a small smile on her face. She handed Akane's backpack to her. "Why don't you check?"
Taking the backpack, Akane opened it. Looking inside, she gave a happy cry. "Cuddles!" With that, she pulled out a stuffed lamb with a pink ribbon and bell around it's neck. She then pulled it to her and began snuggling it. "You scared me! Don't you ever do that again!" Turning to her sister, she smiled. "Thanks Kira-nee."
Akira ruffled her sister's hair. "Of course." Placing a quick kiss on her sister's forehead, she said, "Do you know where Mom is?"
"Downstairs… She's talking to Ms. Shiori with Kohaku. Sango, Ryuu, and Tsubaki are playing down there."
"And Sakura?"
Akane's grip on her lamb tightened slightly. "Taking a nap."
"I see. Kumori and I are still a little busy right now. Why don't you go downstairs and play with Cuddles? You can probably even introduce her to Ms. Shiori. I'm sure she'd love to meet her. Right Kumori?"
"Oh, most definitely! Shiori loves animals!"
"Cuddles says she's a little afraid of her." Akane turned to Kumori. "Are you sure Ms. Shiori is nice?"
"Is sugar sweet? Is sweet-snow absolutely fantastic?" At Akane's still worried look, Kumori got on eye-level with her. "Shiori is the nicest lady I know, besides your mom. She's like Mrs. Holcomb from the ice cream shop back home. Remember? The lady who always gave you extra sprinkles?"
Akane looked at Akira, who gave her an encouraging nod. She then turned to Kumori and nodded. "Okay." Feeling a little better, she walked to the door and paused, seeing a figure in the doorway. She gave a quick, meek 'hello' before running out the door and out of sight. It was that hello that caught Akira and Kumori's attention.
Kumori glanced up from what she was doing, pouting at the redhead in the doorway. "Shuui-chan! You're interrupting girl-time!"
Shuuichi merely smiled at the annoyed girl, closing his eyes in amusement. "Oh? Am I really?" he asked, in what Kumori knew was a teasing tone.
"Yes!" Kumori exclaimed. "And what are you doing in the doorway anyway? Were you spying on us?"
"I was doing nothing of the sort."
Eyes narrowing, Kumori stared him down. After a moment, she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm, "Right…"
"Did you need us for something, Shuuichi?" Akira asked, looking distinctly on her hands.
"My mother wished to ask if you had any preference for dinner. Your mother and siblings have already said they didn't mind what they ate."
Akira shrugged, still not looking him in the face. "I personally don't care." She turned to Kumori. "Do you want anything?"
"Sweet snow!" Kumori answered.
"Uh… Kumori, that's not dinner…" Akira said, covering her face with on hand.
"B-but...Sweet snow…"
A chuckle escaped Shuuichi as he looked at the young silverette. "Mother has already set that aside for dessert, Kumori, don't worry."
"Yay! Sweet snow!"
After watching her friend for a moment, who began to dance and bounce around in excitement, Akira answered, "Uhm… Well, I guess as long as there is ice cream, Kumori doesn't really care what we have."
Shuuichi nodded. "Well, I'll go tell Mother then. " He turned to leave, but paused and turned back to the girls. "Mother needs someone to help her set up for dinner. Would either of you be willing to help?" Looking at Akira, he continued, "Your mother is busy with the triplets."
"Me!" Kumori yelled, jumped up. She practically bounced out the door, before stopping at the doorway, spinning on her heels. "Akira? Aren't you going to come?"
Akira shook her head. "No. I've got other things to set up anyways. You go on ahead, I'll come down in a while."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, yes," Akira said, waving her hand in a dismissive manner. "Go make sure that nobody gets into the sweet snow before dinner. I'll be fine."
"Okay." With that Kumori left, Shuuichi going with her.
After they were gone, Akira opened Akane's backpack. She rummaged around before pulling out a small blue longsleeved nightgown covered in multicolored hearts. Setting it on Akane's sleeping bag, she moved on to her own backpack, pulling out a blue pajama set with silver fox patterns Once they were folded and placed on her bag, she stood and looked around Kumori's room.
She wandered over to the desk, she picked up one of picture frames and looked at it. A smile grew on her face as she recognized it. The picture was of her and Kumori, taken last year when Kumori was leaving for Japan.
Studying the old picture, Akira smiled as she took in her younger self's shoulder length hair, green graphic tee emblazoned with the recycle symbol on it, and jeans. She lightly touched her necklace as she saw it glinting from her old self's neck. Looking over the photo to the younger Kumori, a quiet snicker escaped her as she saw Kumori's all-black apparel, contrasting greatly with her friend's silver hair. Both girls were smiling at the camera, but it didn't quite reach their eyes, showing how sad they were at being forced to part.
Akira set down the photo before picking up the other one. She looked over it, recognizing it as a family portrait, taken many years back.
In it, a very young Kumori, perhaps maybe three years old at most, dressed in a little black dress with a silver ribbon at the waist, sat in her mother's lap, beaming at the camera. Her hair was a perfect platinum, no red streak apparent. Aisu sat in a white chair, held her daughter close, her eyes warm and happy as she smiled. She matched her daughter by wearing a black cocktail dress, while a diamond bib necklace hung around her neck with matching drop earrings.
If she didn't know any better, Akira would have thought it was Kumori holding a baby, and not her mother, in the picture. The resemblance between mother and daughter nowadays was uncanny to say the least, except that Aisu lacked Kumori's red streak.
A headless male figure dressed in a business suit complete with silver tie, stood behind mother and daughter, his hands on Aisu's shoulders. While Akira had never seen him, she knew that the man was Kumori's father.
She didn't know exactly what had happened between the family, but she did know that something had driven Aisu to take her daughter to the U.S. and leave her husband. The only picture Aisu and Kumori had of him was the very one she was looking at, where his head had been removed due to an error on the photographer's part. Once, when they were little, she remembered a classmate asking Kumori about him which had resulted in Kumori getting sent to the principal's office while their classmate went to the nurse's office with a fat lip. Akira was smart enough to not repeat their classmate's mistake.
"Interesting, aren't they?" a voice asked from behind her.
Akira gasped, dropping the photo, and spun to see Shuuichi standing behind her. Her balance, unstable from the momentum of her spin, caused her to flail for a moment before she fell on her rear. As she fell, she knocked her injured shoulder on the desk, causing a hiss of pain to escape from clenched teeth. Without so much as missing a beat, Shuuichi bent down to look at her, his face concerned.
"I didn't mean to startle you. Are you all right?"
Blood flushed her cheeks and she looked down, unable to look him in the eye.
"Are you injured anywhere?"
"No." Her voice came out no louder than a whisper.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I'm fine. You just… I mean… I didn't… I didn't know you were behind me… That's all." Akira barely glanced up at him from the corner of her eyes before dropping her gaze back to the ground.
Shuuichi's eyes rested on her, gaze intense, as if he didn't believe her. As he did so, Akira wished she could shrink into nothing, if only to be away from that look. Another moment passed before he offered her his hand.
"Thank you," Akira mumbled, as she took his hand and he helped her up. Looking down at her feet, she asked, "Uh… What were you saying is interesting?"
"Hm? Ah, I was speaking of Kumori's pictures." He paused to pick up the one Akira had dropped. After he set it back in it's place, he turned back to her and continued, "They say a lot about her, don't you think?"
"I… I guess..." Akira whispered, not really meeting his gaze.
"Do you often not look new people in the eyes?"
"Huh?" Surprised, she met his gaze and saw questions in them. She opened her mouth to answer, but her head dropped down before her words came. "What… Why would you ask that?"
"Everytime I or my mother speaks to you, you avoid eye contact. I noticed that you have no problem doing so with your family or Kumori. I'm merely curious if you just have trouble speaking with new people or if my mother and I have done something to offend you."
Swallowing, Akira muttered, "You're very observant…" Forcing herself to look him in the eye, she began to speak, her voice choking a little as she began to explain. "It's… It's not you… I just… I've never been really social… New people… They… They… I'm not… I... I can't really… talk well… I mean, speak with… Wait, no, I mean… I don't know…" A sigh escaped her and she buried her face in her hands and spoke, her voice muffled, "I'm sorry… I'm just not good at talking to people my age or older..."
"I see."
"I don't mean to be rude… I just don't know you or your mom very well… So I…"
"It's all right." Shuuichi placed a hand on her right shoulder, causing her to look up from her hands. "I didn't mean to pressure you. As I said before, I was merely curious."
She looked down, her face looking quite embarrassed. "You probably think I'm being stupid…"
"Not at all. Everyone gets nervous from time to time. I didn't mean to make you self-conscious about it."
Nodding, Akira looked up and gave him a hesitant smile. "So… Uhm… Did you need something?"
As Shuuichi opened his mouth to speak, Kumori came up the stairs. "Akira? Shuuichi?" When she came into her doorway, she said, "There you two are! Honestly, Shuui-chan, how long does it take to tell someone dinner's ready?"
"Pardon me, Kumori," Shuuichi responded. "I'm afraid I startled Akira and inadvertently caused a bit of a delay."
"Ah, snuck up on her, did you?" Mischief glinted in Kumori's eyes. "You need to work on that, Shuui-chan. Anyways, you two better hurry or we'll start without you!" Kumori spun and left, going back down the stairs.
A nervous laugh escaped Akira before she said, "We'd better get down there… If we don't hurry, Kumori will have our heads for keeping her from her 'sweet snow'." She then left the room and followed Kumori downstairs, Shuuichi following close behind.
Dinner was a rather quiet affair save for the younger children's occasional comments. After dinner, it was time to get the younger Wagerman children ready for bed. Once she had Shiori's permission to use the bath, Minori began to usher her smaller children to the bathroom, but Akane began to pout. "I wanna go with Akira."
Looking at her mother, Akira shrugged. "I don't mind."
Minori looked at both her daughters, before nodding. "All right, Akane. You can stay up and have your bath with Akira, but afterwards you go straight to bed. Okay?"
"Yes, Mommy."
After Minori closed the bathroom door, Akira looked at Kumori, who responded, "So, we're watching Minion until bath time, huh?"
Akira whacked her friend on the back of the head again. "What did I tell you about calling her Minion? Akane is not a minion!"
"Ow!" Kumori rubbed the spot where Akira had hit her. "That hurt!"
Akane looked up at both teens, confusion in her face. "What's a minion?"
However, Akira didn't hear her sister as she replied to Kumori. "Good! It was supposed to."
"Whaaaat?!" Kumori asked, her eyes tearing up. She turned to the kitchen where Shuuichi and his mother had begun to do dishes and cried, "Shuui-chan! Akira's being mean!"
The annoyed look on Akira's face deepened. "Don't bring him into this! You're the one who called my little sister Minion."
"But she would make a good minion!"
"Doesn't matter. My siblings are not underlings to be used for whatever schemes come into your head."
A pout formed on Kumori's face. "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Shrugging, Kumori smiled, "Okay! So, what should we do with her?"
Akane looked up, clutching her lamb. "Cuddles says she wants a story."
"A story huh?" Akira asked, getting down to her sister's height. "What story would Cuddles like?"
"A new one."
Akira looked at Kumori. "Well, Cuddles has heard all my stories. Kumori, do you have any new ones?"
A devilish smile appeared on Kumori's face as she clapped her hands together with a cackle. "I do, I do! This is the story about a young prince…"
When Kumori had finished her story, Akane looked up, a smile on her face. "I'm glad Prince Yusuke got to come back to life. Did he and Princess Keiko get married after he came back?"
"I don't know, the story isn't over yet."
"Oh." Akane looked at her lamb. "Cuddles says that was a good story."
"Really?" Akira said, smiling at her sister. "Does that mean Kumori is Cuddles's new storyteller?"
"Yes. But only if she tells the rest the story of Prince Yusuke… Cuddles wants to hear the rest of it."
"I see." Looking at her sister, Akira said, "Okay, Aka-chan. Mom and the others got out a while back, so bathtime. Cuddles needs to stay here okay? You can get her after our bath." She stood and picked her sister up, carrying her to the bath.
Once the bathroom door had shut, Shuuichi walked to Kumori and gave her knowing smirk. "I wonder what Yusuke would think about your calling him a prince."
"The bastard would laugh and ask if I have a crush on him and think he's my prince charming."
Kurama shook his head amused. "Probably. I never did hear exactly how Yusuke came back to life from Koenma. How did you find out?"
"Let's just say some flying bubblegum told me."
"Ah… And I suppose Hiei and I are going to appear in your story as well?"
"Maaaybe, if I don't get caught by Mr. Diaper-head."
Before Kurama could speak, Akane's little voice could be heard singing a common children's song that he recognized. Pausing to listen, Kurama heard splashing as Akane began to squeak before turning back to Kumori.
Inside the bath, Akira giggled as she watched Akane squeal in laughter and splash to the lyrics. It felt nice inside the bath, the warm water helping ease the ache of the bruise on her shoulder. She looked at her necklace and lightly fingered it while Akane continued her playing. Deciding to take the moment to relax, she closed her eyes and sunk down so the water came up to her neck.
"Kira-nee?"
"Mmm?" Opening her eyes, Akira looked at Akane to show she was listening.
"What do you think our new house will be like?"
Akira looked at the ceiling. "I don't know Aka-chan. Grandfather and Mom talked out the specifics. Whatever it looks like, I'm sure it'll be fine."
"Promise?"
"Of course."
"Okay…" Akane let out a large yawn.
Smiling, Akira picked up her little sister and stood. "That's a sign that it's time for bed."
Getting out of the tub, both sisters dried off and dressed into their nightclothes, Akira still leaving her necklace on. When they finished, Akira opened the door and stepped ahead of Akane only to bump into someone. Looking up, her eyes met Shuuichi's and immediately, she ducked her head.
"Oh… Uh… Shuuichi… I… uh… didn't see you there…"
"It's all right." There was a pause before Shuuichi spoke. "I see you like foxes."
"Hm?" She looked up at him.
He gestured to her pajamas. "At least, I believe their foxes. I've never seen any silver ones before."
"Oh. They were a gift… From Kumori." A nervous laugh escaped her. "N-Not that I don't like foxes… I mean… They are my favorite animal… But…" Akira looked down, unsure of what to say. As luck would have it, Akane tugged on Akira's pant leg.
"Kira-nee… Cuddles and I are tired…"
"I-I'd better get Akane to bed. Uh… G-Good night." With that, Akira picked up her sister and rushed up the stairs. As soon as she was safe in Kumori's room, Akira set her sister in her sleeping bag. After making sure Akane had her lamb, Akira settled into her own sleeping bag.
She placed a hand to her chest. Her heart was still pounding from her last encounter with Shuuichi. While she had never been quite comfortable with anyone of the opposite gender, but Shuuichi… He unnerved her. Somehow, every time she spoke with him, she couldn't focus on her routine. That was dangerous. She wasn't sure if it was because he seemed older than he should be or if it was some kind of odd crush, but it made her uncomfortable all the same.
A sigh escaped her and she clutched her necklace. Whatever it was, it wasn't worth losing sleep over. If anything, she'd probably never see him again. That settled, she closed her eyes and began to recite her routine again. Three steps forward...
Outside the Minamino home…
The back door of the Minamino household opened and two figures snuck out, the taller one closing the door without so much as a sound. They moved near a large tree and once they were under it, one of them spoke.
"Kurama," Kumori hissed, her arms wrapped around her body. "Why'd you have to bring me out here? It's cold!"
"Kumori, you know as well as I that we can't have anyone in the house overhear us. If any of them found out about Reikai, they could be put in serious danger."
"Yeah, yeah. I know, I know." A sigh escaped Kumori as she looked at the full moon. Looking back at Kurama, she spoke. "Anyways, you said this was urgent and you want me to contact Koenma about this?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Unsure, Kurama's brow furrowed. "Well, I'm not sure how to phrase this…"
"Spit it out, fox. Coddling was never my style."
"Akira has a rare Makai artifact, the Demon's Heart."
"The Demon's whatsit?"
"The Demon's Heart. It's an artifact that has the potential to increase the power of any demon by at least a hundredfold."
"And you're sure she has it?"
Kurama turned to Kumori, his eyes serious. "Positive."
"How?"
"It's her necklace. The Heart has an enchantment on it to hide its true form from humans and demons. However, once the Heart begins to bind itself to a soul, the enchantment begins to break. It's already begun to slip. How long has she had it?"
Thinking back, Kumori answered, "I think she got it around the time I became her neighbor…" She bit her lip. 'Damn. She's never taken it off. Not even for baths. This isn't good. Akira…'
"I see. Well, Koenma needs to be informed. I know how you think of him, but since you know Akira better than I, perhaps you should be the one to tell him."
Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Kumori nodded. "Right. I'll go. And what are you going to do Kurama?"
"I'll contact Hiei and keep watch for now. He and other demons will begin to notice the Heart's presence soon, if they haven't already. Once you return with Koenma's response, we will be able to make a better decision."
"Okay. See you soon." With their discussion over, both vanished into the night.
Manga Maid's Ending Comments: Well, that's rebooted Chapter 1. Please let me know what you think of the reboot! Also, for anyone curious, the song Akane was singing in the tub is a traditional Japanese children's song called Zui Zui Zukkorobashi. To give people a basic idea, it's similar to Eeny Meeny Miney Mo.
