A Day In The Life Of

by dave-d

Before she had come to like Sousuke, Kaname often worried that he would ruin her life. How much of her problems were her own doing? Just how much could happen in one really bad day?

1. Default Chapter

A light snow fell, the flakes looking like small white butterflies gliding slowly to the ground.

Kaname turned her face to the sky, feeling the chill caress of the snow, wondering what the occurrence might portent.

Would today be the greatest of days……one where everything would go smoothly? Would her test scores fill her classmates with envy? Could her planning for the school winter festival bring smiles of thanks and admiration from her peers?

She almost walked straight out into the busy intersection, her mind distracted by scenes of well-deserved satisfaction and happiness.

A gust of wind interrupted those thoughts, blowing her skirts in a tangle around her legs and sending a biting chill skittering across her chest. Could today be one of those days instead?

"Kaname, slow down. It is most difficult to keep an eye on you when you duck out of sight or run off unannounced. No doubt you did so to test my abilities, or to satisfy your need for athletic stimulation. But, I can see no reason for walking into the heart of traffic." His dark hair dotted with white, Sousuke walked quickly to Kaname's side.

Her sigh was so long and deep, that Kaname found herself momentarily starved for breath.

'Sousuke. Of course. How could I ever forget?'

She had a good idea of what type of day it was going to be.

"I didn't actually walk into the street, did I, Mr. Doom and Gloom. If I did, it would be to get away from this rather annoying shadow I have. See, the sun isn't even out, but the big blot on my life is here just the same!" Her hands were on her hips and she was looking directly at the young sergeant.

Sousuke looked behind himself. He looked left, then looked right.

"Kaname, I see no shadow. You insistence on the presence of an unseen entity gives me pause. My level of concern is rather high. Yesterday you said you had an albatross around your neck, but there was nothing there but a necklace. It may be that you are in need of an eye examination. Even worse, you may be experiencing the early stages of dementia precox." He took a small pad out of his pocket. "Please wait a moment while I write down the time and particulars."

Kaname's teeth chattered, but it was not from the cold. She yelled, causing the other individuals walking the street to put a great deal of distance between her and themselves. "HOW CAN ANYONE BE SO STUPID! Sousuke, can you answer me that?"

Sousuke looked at Kaname with a stunned look on his face.

"Miss Chidori, please. Do not be so harsh. You should know that I have the utmost respect for you. I do not believe that you are that stupid." He brushed his sleeves clear of clinging snow. "Mental illness is not stupidity."

"Oooooh. SOUSUKE!" Kaname stopped and stared at her faithful but unwanted companion. She was about to toss out another acerbic remark, but doubted it would be any more effective than the last one. Instead, she contented herself by stamping her foot, turning, and hurrying ahead on her own.

As Kaname was heading up the front walk of the school, she saw Kyouko. Cutting across the lawn area, she hurried to see her friend, and then caught movement out of the corner of her eye. It was a group of boys from the rugby team. They were pelting passersby with snowballs.

They lofted a couple in her direction.

"Miss Chidori, GET DOWN!" Sousuke's voice got to Kaname a fraction of a second before he did. She was tackled, sent face first into the snow, her school books scattering across the pristine white ground.

The first thing Kaname saw when she picked herself up was Kyouko and her camera. The flash caused her to blink a number of times. When her vision returned to normal, she saw Sousuke offer her his hand, to help pull her up off the ground.

"My mistake. I thought they might be grenades. An honest miscalculation. It is always better to be safe than sorry." The first thing that Sousuke saw was Kaname's snow-covered face. The second thing he saw was stars.

"Y-you y-you MORON! Why would anyone…… other than you…… have grenades at high school?" She swung her halisen with maximum force, sending Sousuke feet first into the principal, who was just then reaching the top of the steps. The principal and Sousuke bounced down the steps and slid into a series of large slushy puddles.

Kyouko's camera was working overtime.

"MISTER SAGARA!" The principal sounded understandably upset, his briefcase poring out water and his expensive new overcoat spotted with large splotches of mud and leaves. "Why should I be surprised to find out that it was you who caused this tragedy?"

"I apologize, sir. It was my fault. I was caught unawares by Miss Chidori's paper fan. I had not expected that she could knock me that far." Sousuke rubbed the side of his face, now sporting a large red area matching the width of the halisen.

"I see. She would have been my second guess. It seems you are not at fault after all. But, I strongly suggest that you stay out of trouble. I have my eyes on you, young man!" The angry man marched over to Kaname, who had just finished picking up her wet school books.

"M-M-Mr. Principal…… I..." Kaname didn't have the opportunity to finish with her apology.

"Miss Chidori. You will report to my office immediately after the start of your study period. It is a very good thing that your father is out of the country." With that, he strode swiftly towards the school, all too aware of the snickers and obvious laughter from the students and teachers he passed. He stopped, and turned around, looking at Kaname. "It would be an extraordinarily good idea to refrain from any other trouble today."

While Kaname was sputtering her acquiescence, Sousuke was remarking to Kyouko "I was thinking perhaps today would be a special day, given the occasion of so much snow during this month of the year. I hope that Kaname does not destroy the promise of such a day."

Kyouko's only answer was a smile. She was too busy snapping pictures to speak.

Kaname was very fortunate that her next attack on Sousuke was not witnessed by anyone on the teaching staff.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Kaname was still damp from her unexpected embrace of the snow-covered lawn.

She counted her blessings nonetheless:

(a) None of her books were beyond repair. That had happened yesterday. And last Thursday. Fortunately, Mithril was picking up the cost of replacement books.

(b) The remainder of the student council…… not to mention the photojournalist club…… did not witness her ignominy. That had happened on Monday, when Sousuke pulled off her sequined red shirt, because the bright sun made it look like it was on fire. Of course, the incident had to happen on Parent-Teacher Day, at the front of the school. At least the crossing guard had applauded...

(c) She hadn't pulled a muscle or bruised half of her ribs. Had that been Wednesday? Yes. Wednesday, while she was walking through the auditorium. The drama club had been rehearsing. Sousuke had been worried that the fog from the unseen dry ice might be poison gas, or an anesthetic agent heralding a kidnap attempt. He brought her to 'safety,' pulling her with him through a second story window. The window washer broke their fall.

Kaname walked into the classroom, hoping for some needed relaxation.

English class was usually uneventful. It was almost like an additional study hall for Kaname, who was fluent in English after her stay in America. She usually earned brownie points with her teacher, acting like an assistant teacher to the other students.

Today, there was a substitute, a young man raised in Chicago. A Japanese native, he returned to his native country when his father's restaurant folded. He was eager to look cool to the boys in the class, and was teaching them colorful phrases and slang.

Kaname had made the error of discouraging that practice. The other girls in the class had loudly voiced their agreement.

Kaname had effectively made herself a target. The boys all tried out their new language skills on her when the substitute stepped out of the room for a brief moment. That, of course, did not sit too well with Sousuke. An attack is an attack is an attack. It was his job to prevent the occurrence of danger, or to remove it efficiently when it reared its ugly head.

"Hey, Chidori…… nice rack!" The one boys comment had a number of like-minded guys chuckling. It also prompted Sousuke's own exploration of American slang.

"Kaname, has that boy been to your apartment and seen your bed?" That had Kaname turning red and stating an emphatic 'no.' After which the young sergeant asked "Why did he say you have a nice rack. In the U.S. military, that word meant a military bed, bunk, cot, or flop; as in 'hit the rack'. To conserve space on-board ship, especially troop transport vessels, bunks were arranged in a tier or rack; which may be the origin of this usage." He rubbed his jaw. "It also referred to the framework for mounting or hanging armaments or munitions such as a bomb load."

"He was talking about my breasts, you big idiot!" Kaname shouted. She blushed, realizing the classroom door was open and students were still walking through the hallway.

The guys in the class chuckled. The girls simply sighed and shook their heads. Kaname gave the one boy a look that promised great pain. Not because of his sly comment about her breasts. That was merely annoying. But, if he started Sousuke talking like a military dictionary….

"Yeh Chidori, nice hooters!" Another boy smirked, trying to get the ball rolling again. He took things a bit further. "Makes me wonder about poon tang!"He chuckled, feeling a bit smug.

Kaname blanched. When she found her tongue, she whispered "they're all assholes" under her breath. She didn't want to make a big scene, since that would only spur the jerks on, and had a risk of setting Sousuke off.

"I see, Kaname." Sousuke's keen hearing had caught Kaname's utterance. "You think they are all assholes." That had the class gasp, wondering what would happen next. "By that I assume you are not referring to 3d Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division. While conventionally known as All American or AA, those letters led to the nicknames All Assholes and All Afros. Also, due to their comfortable duty assignment, they were also tagged them with the name Air Mattress. Nevertheless, serving in Vietnam between 18 February 1968 and 11 December 1969.….. attached to the 101st Airborne Division Airmobile…… the 3rd Brigade fought in I Corps, primarily in Hue, before later being moved down to Saigon to defend Tan Son Nhut Air Base."

Kaname's hands tightly gripped the sides of her desk.

"Hey Chidori, you'll be happy to know that I'm Donkey-Rigged." The third boy pointed to his crotch. "You know, Hung Like a Horse." He swiveled his hips. "So why don't you bend over and Urk!"

The 'Urk' had nothing to do with gutter talk. It was the sound that the boy made when Sousuke's bolo wrapped around his neck, knocking him out when the heavy balls struck his temples. The Mithril operative had obviously heard enough.

The first boy hit the ground a few heartbeats before the boy next to him, the one with the dart in the back of his neck. The knock-out agent made certain that he felt no pain. The same could not be said for the third of the transgressors, lifted up chair and all and thrown against the blackboard, followed soon by his desk and books.

Sousuke returned to his seat very quickly, the picture of innocence. "They merely needed an attitude adjustment. By that, I do not mean an adjustment to their pitch, yaw, or roll, as in an aircraft. Nor was I referring to the motivation of performance directed by command guidance or peer pressure, also called 'wall-to-wall counseling'."

Automatically trying to cover for Sousuke…… and making sure that the one boy would not die from strangulation…… Kaname was caught holding the bolo and the dart when the substitute teacher ran in, the loud crash still echoing in his ears.

The boys were sent to the infirmary. Kaname had the golden opportunity to visit the principal.

Her study hall time would be spent cleaning erasers.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Kaname found some things about science useful.

She was particularly fond of the principle stating that 'For Every Action, There Is An Equal And Opposite Reaction.'

Sousuke's actions did not go unpunished. Kaname's reactions conveyed her level of dissatisfaction far better than her tongue-lashing had. It was nice to know that there was a principle backing her up.

The Mithril operative's school uniform had started off dark blue. It was now near white, after having a whirling dervish of a girl pound on him with erasers shortly after the previous class.

The students were now sitting at their work benches. Her mood lifted, Kaname was actually whistling, even though she didn't usually care for 'experiment day' in Chemistry class. That mood soon evaporated when the teacher called out the pairings for the day.

Sousuke was her lab partner.

'Why did I even bother getting out of bed this morning?' she asked herself.

The teacher was in fine voice as he explained the first of the morning's experiments, his labcoat swaying slightly in the cold breeze from an partly opened window. "Please remove the following items from your cabinets. A pair of safety glasses for each student. Three glass jars for each team. A bottle of Hydrogen peroxide, making certain that the top is secure. A bottle of bleach. And a roll of paper towels or other absorbent material useful for cleaning up spills."

The teacher asked a question to the class. "Who can tell me what an 'unstable element' is?"

Sousuke raised his hand.

"Yes, Mr. Sagara?" The teacher had not expected him to answer. He was usually very quiet, keeping to himself.

"Teletha Testa…… uhhh…… someone I know with a good background in science has remarked on occasion that Miss Kaname Chidori is an unstable element." The class laughed.

Before the teacher could correct Sousuke, he was knocked off of his lab stool by Kaname's fist.

Shaking his head, the teacher said "I may have to agree with you, Mr. Sagara." Kaname turned beat red. Kyouko snapped a couple of pictures. "Mr. Kazama, can you answer the question?"

"Yes sir," Shinji replied respectfully. "An unstable element is a substance that breaks down by itself."

"Very good. Do I have a volunteer to tell me what a 'catalyst' is?"

"A substance that speeds up reactions" a pimple-faced young man said, stuttering.

"Yes, excellent. Anyone want to tell me what a 'decomposition reaction' is?

"A decomposition reaction is a reaction where a substance 'AB' splits up into its components 'A' and 'B.'" Kyouko's explanation was entirely correct.

"Aptly stated, Miss Tokiwa. From that we can all infer that 'decompose' refers to..." The teacher left the question hanging.

"When something falls apart!" Kaname rushed with her answer, not wanting anyone else to beat her to the punch.

"Yes. Falls apart chemically." The teacher's clarification did not sit well with Kaname. Sousuke's subsequent remark sat even less well.

"Mr. Sagara, you had your hand up, did you have something to add?" The teacher should have known better. Sousuke should have as well.

"Uhhh…… upon further thinking…… it is best that I do not answer. It would prove unwise for me to state that Miss Chidori often falls apart."

It was so quiet, that one could have heard the smallest of pins drop. The other students watched eagerly, as Kaname fought to contain her temper. Her face went from pink to salmon to rose to dark red, the mercury moving upward in her personal thermometer.

The teacher closed his eyes and put his fingers in his ears.

Sousuke ended up in the reagent sink, a test tube brush in one ear and a graduated cylinder in his mouth.

When the class had settled down again, the teacher moved forward valiantly, never missing a beat. "The reaction between bleach and hydrogen peroxide is a decomposition reaction. Hydrogen peroxide is an unstable substance."

He looked over at Sousuke, waving his finger in warning. "Bleach serves as a catalyst. When the bleach is poured in, the hydrogen peroxide decomposes into its base elements, but not completely. What you have left is water and oxygen, because hydrogen peroxide is in general a water molecule with an extra oxygen. So, when it breaks up, it loses that extra oxygen. Please put on your lab coats and your safety glasses." He continued. "There will be absolutely no horseplay, as usual. While water and oxygen are harmless in this experiment, you should be cautious when using the bleach. If it gets on your clothing, it will ruin them."

Kaname decided to play it safe. She put an extra two lab coats on, one backward.

"Alright, let's start off by pouring ¾ of a cup of hydrogen peroxide into the first jar."

Sousuke carried out the task quickly and efficiently. As he handled the colorless syrupy liquid, he added his own bit of knowledge to the day's activity. "Hydrogen peroxide was first used in World War II by the military of a number of nations. It was used in fuels for rockets and torpedoes." He had picked up the bottle of bleach, removing its cap with a deft twist of his hand.

"Like anyone here would care about that!" Kaname reached for the bleach bottle, but Sousuke held it over his head. Shinji had turned to stare at Sousuke starry-eyed. Kyouko smiled, her camera ready. "Give me the bleach, Sousuke. It's my turn."

"I must refuse, Miss Chidori. It is not exactly a harmless substance. It is my task to keep you safe from all harm." He might as well have been waving a red flag in front of a bull.

"Sousuke. Give. It. To. Me. Now!" With that last word, she kicked Sousuke in the shin and yanked hard on the bottle. She managed to get it out of his grip. She did not manage to get a hold on it herself, juggling it frantically until she tripped over her stool.

The room was soon silent again.

When Kaname located the errant bottle, she found it in front of an irate young lady. Bleach had spurted all over her dark hair. It had also trickled inside of her protective clothing, saturating her expensive new dress.

Kaname cursed silently. 'I should have called in sick today.' That girl was the last person the bleach should have landed on.

She was the school superintendent's daughter.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Kaname was on pins and needles.

The oral exam in World History could be on a number of different topics. Each student would be asked a different question, and would be expected to give at least a brief outline in answer. The more complete the response, the better the grade. This would be serving as a mid-term, counting towards thirty percent of the overall grade.

She didn't have the enthusiasm for the subject that Sousuke had.

'Damn his hide. No. double damn him. It's his fault, after all.'

Still, she had done most of the necessary work……. until last night. There had been only one more subject to study: Women in the military.

Women in the military.

That was the last subject that she had any desire to learn. Sousuke was in the military, after a fashion. Kaname wanted to be some place far away from Sousuke. She would choose any occupation diametrically opposed to his. Still, she had been dutifully prepared to learn the assigned material. She had planned to work on the remaining material last night.

After she got back from the grocery store.

Her cupboard had been nearly bare. She had a spoonful of tea left. That, two drops of milk, and a small bit of cabbage. There was no way she could put this off again, like she had every night for the past week. She needed a good meal.

She couldn't spend all night studying on a near-empty stomach.

There had been another issue at hand. Sousuke. She had hoped that she could have the blissful opportunity to go out and get her shopping done without seeing any sign of her unwanted shadow.

Of course, when she had left her apartment building, she heard something rustling the bushes. Running over to the roadside, she frightened eight lives out of a small black cat.

The poor creature bolted, crossing her path a number of times.

'Good thing I'm not superstitious.' She had laughed. 'Even better…… it wasn't him!'

No sooner had she said that, than she heard what sounded to be an echo. Every time she took a step, she thought she heard two footsteps.

"Oh NO," she said to no one in particular.

Was that Sousuke?

Kaname had spent fifteen minutes walking a circuitous route, trying to shake her echo. She had headed down bare alleyways and open areas of street. It was slower going, but she spent a fair amount of time walking backwards. She never caught a single glance of anyone, except for an elderly woman walking her dog.

Aware of Kaname's strange behavior, the woman had spoken to her pet in a hurried voice. "C'mon Pippit. No telling what's wrong with her!"

"Damn that Sousuke!"

Now he had old women and dogs thinking badly of her. She had smacked the halisen against her thigh with every other step.

The echo had still been there.

"Ah Ha!'

She had had an idea, knowing how she could flush Sousuke out.

"No. Please. Let me go. S-o-m-e-b-o-d-y h-e-l-p m-e-e-e-e..." She kicked over a number of garbage cans, causing a fierce some racket. Sure enough, she heard a series of rapid footsteps, culminating with Sousuke rolling into view, pistol drawn.

Sitting at her desk, Kaname looke around sheepishly. Everyone was looking at her. She must have smacked her fist hard against the desk or something. Yes, the wood was actually cracked.

She yawned. There was no way to stop herself. She yawned again. Nearly lapsing into sleep, her mind replayed the further events of the previous evening:

"SOUSUKE! I thought I told you not to follow me. Can't a girl go out for a breath of fresh air. I should scream for help and tell the police that you tried to attack me. They'd put you in jail for a while before I told them the truth. If I ever told them the truth." Kaname kicked garbage in Sousuke's direction.

She would resort to the foulest trick if it meant getting back at that moody military maniac.

"Kaname. I assure you, it is only..."

"'Coincidence,' Sousuke? Were you going to say that word again? For your sake…...and the police force's…... I hope not." Kaname kicked off a shoe and began to unbutton her skirt. That would make her claim look realistic.

"Uh..."

"Well, Sousuke!"

"It was only that I was worried about you. I was ordered to wait by my radio tonight, but I was concerned for you. I would not want to see you hurt." Sousuke's voice was very sincere.

"Oh. I see. Well. That's very nice of you Sousuke." Kaname smiled, but soon forced herself to stop. What was she doing? What was that annoying feeling. She didn't have time to waste.

"Miss Chidori? Kaname Chidori, is that you?" It was a man's voice. Mr. Nokibasu, the janitor from her building. A very kind man.

And one of the biggest gossips around.

"What are you doing out here? Ah..." When he had walked close enough, he saw Kaname's hand on her partially unbuttoned skirt, her unzipped coat giving him a good opportunity. He saw her bare foot, an oddity on a chilly January night.

"I see. Wouldn't it be better if the two of you found a room? You guys must be really noisy if you had to leave the apartment. It's a good thing I stumbled across this, and not Miss Akiyama. She's an incurable blabbermouth."

Kaname was too stunned to offer a rebuttal as the man practically ran down the street, whistling happily. When she could move again, she whacked Sousuke hard on the shins with the paper fan.

"Ouch. Kaname, that hurt."

"Yes, Sousuke. It was supposed to hurt. It will be all your fault if I end up with a bad reputation!" She swung again, but Sousuke dodged this time.

"Reputation, Kaname?"

"Never mind Sousuke. I don't have the time right now." Her words would turn out to be a prophecy. The grocery store closed at 9 o'clock nightly. She and Sousuke arrived at the storefront at 9:06.

The lights were off and the door was barred.

"No..." Kaname deflated on the spot. She actually sat down on the cold ground. "I wasted all this time when I could have been studying. And I didn't even get any groceries. I'll probably starve to death." Of course, she was only being melodramatic. It was a poor choice of words.

"I will not let you starve." Naturally, Sousuke's mind naturally turned to a military style op. He could have simply offered to share his ample groceries with her. Or, share the cab fee to the all night food emporium further down town. There wasn't any reason he couldn't have suggested fast food or a nice restaurant. "Kaname, if you truly need groceries, I will help you get them here. We could put the money in the cash register. It will not be a problem. I can assure you."

Kaname's mind was spinning too fast. Otherwise, she would have clobbered her companion simply for suggesting such a thing. "Sousuke, how are you going to do that? The door is closed , barred, and double-bolted."

"Over there, Kaname. There is another door. I will exam the lock." After a quick perusal with a small flashlight and a series of probes, he gave his report. "It is a simple lock. I have defeated similar devices in Iran, Syria, and North Korea. This should be no different. I will leave the decision up to you." He had given her a way out, not knowing that he did, or that there was reason to.

Kaname was about to say 'No,' if only because it had sounded like Sousuke wanted her to say 'Yes.' Her stomach chose that minute to rumble. Then grumble. Then roar. "OK, soldier. Maybe you can be of some use after all."

With a set of professional lock picks, it took less than three minutes for Sousuke to gain entry into the unlit room. The air coming out was exceedingly chill, but the winter's air made it impossible to tell. After he held the door for Kaname, he propped a brick in the doorway, holding the door open. While he was reaching in his coat for a large flashlight, he heard Kaname kick the brick away.

"You're supposed to be the professional here, but I was the only one smart enough to keep us from being caught. I can't believe you would be so stupid to leave a brick holding the door open, Sousuke. That was a clear sign that someone was inside." She crossed her arms over her chest.

The flashlight shining on her face, Sousuke had a clear view of her smug smile.

"Kaname. The brick was there in case the door cannot be opened from the inside." He saw the look on Kaname's face sour quickly. Sousuke checked.

He swore.

The door had no handle or mechanism on this side.

"Oh! Great job, Sergeant Stupidity. Now what are we doing to do?" Kaname gasped when she leaned up against something cold and hard. Sousuke shined the light on one of many hanging beef carcasses. "Get. Me. Out. Of. Here. Right this instant!" Kaname felt as if her flesh were crawling.

This was just too creepy.

Sousuke earned another crack on the head with the halisen. He was going to leave Kaname there alone while he explored further. She sank her fingers deep into his coat, not about to let go. After a few moments, he sighed. It spoke volumes.

"A sigh, Sousuke? There had better not be any more bad news."

"Uh. Kaname. I really wish you had not kicked that brick." Those were that last words he spoke for the next fifteen minutes. He was too busy trying to fend off a furious and determined Kaname. She had said that she was going to hang Sousuke up on one of the wicked looking hooks.

She sounded very determined.

Kaname's anger turned to fear soon enough. It was dark. It was very cold. She was locked in the room with the otaku's otaku. Would they freeze to death? If they didn't, what would happen when the store owner or a clerk found them in there? If she missed school on midterm day...

Sousuke was a calming presence. He took off his own coat and placed it over Kaname's, against her protest. He put his arms around her, to give the young woman his body heat. Growing sleepy, she lay her head on his shoulder.

'This is almost nice. Almost very nice' she thought.

The hours crept along, doing their best imitation of a disinterested snail. In the wee hours of the morning, Sousuke stood up, swearing.

"What's wrong, Sousuke?" Kaname was barely awake.

"It may be nothing. I forgot to check to see if this room has more than one external door." Sure enough, there was another one partially hidden by ropes of hanging poultry. It opened from the inside with little effort, leading to a small unused alley way. "We are safe." Sousuke sounded very relieved.

"I'm safe, Sousuke. This was your last day on earth. Help me find that brick."

Kaname would never have guessed that Sousuke could run that fast.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

"Miss Chidori. Kaname Chidori! Are you sleeping?"

The voice sounded incredulous at first. Then angry. Then amused. Kaname's eyes popped open. It was her Foreign History teacher. He held a large stack of test questions in one hand and his grade book in the other.

"Ah! So glad you could join the rest of us. I apologize if I am inconveniencing you." The class laughed at the teacher's remark.

Kaname was mortified. She had zoned out. Right before the exam. With everybody watching. Her thoughts were dark and violent:

'Damn you, Sousuke! You... will... pay...'

The teacher walked to the front of the class. "Today, I will ask each of you a question. Please give as complete as an answer as you can. Feel free to use the blackboard, globe, or maps if you like. You may not use any books or notes however, unless you wish a failing grade. Today, let's start with the ladies. Hmmm. Lets' see…… what should the first question be..."

'Not women in the military. Not women in the military. Not women in the military. Not women in the military. Not women in the military.'

It became a mantra of sorts. Kaname kept thinking those words inside her head.

'Calm down, Kaname. With all of the possible topics, what are the odds that he will call on you for that one?'

"The changing role of women in foreign militaries." The teacher said.

Kaname felt like her head was stuck in a guillotine.

"I will accept anything from ancient times up until the current day. I'll take volunteers, if anyone is so bold." The teacher scratched the back of his head. "As a reward, each volunteer will get to choose the era and country she wishes to speak about." The teacher looked about the room, seeing if he had any takers.

No one spoke or raised their hand.

"Now, someone here must know something about the subject, right?" The teacher began looking somewhat cross.

'Silence is golden,' Kaname thought.

She did not remember where she had read that saying before, but it often held very true. She could weather this storm. If someone spoke up, wishing to curry favor, others would naturally follow suit.

The teacher would be certain to switch the topic before all of the girls had a chance to answer that one question.

"Kaname. You should speak about the concubines. It is a very interesting story." It was Sousuke's voice. "I told you that one before."

He had.

From memory.

Weeks before the class had even reached this study block.

How could he expect anyone but a military freak to remember that story?

"Mr. Sagara, I will ask you to please remain silent. There should be no feeding of questions. No doubt Miss Chidori knows that subject very well." The teacher made it sound as if that topic was now off limits.

Kaname was ready to kill Sousuke. He only had one chance at life. If the teacher felt Kaname was too well versed on the subject, he might give her a different question later.

If that happened, she would find some way to thank him instead.

"But, I do find that tale amusing" the teacher said, smiling. "So, I will make an exception in this case. Miss Chidori, if you will."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Gym class was going to be utter hell.

Today of all days, the school had scheduled the annual physical achievement awards. The competitors would have to run laps... do push ups and sit ups... then work-out on various equipment.

If certain strict requirements were met, a student could win a medal and letter of commendation.

The award meant a lot to Kaname. Her pride was on the line. Everyone was expecting her to succeed again.

But, there was a near insurmountable problem. She was exhausted from her lack of sleep the night before. Her hands were still somewhat numb from spending time in the grocery store freezer.

Not only that, her heart was still beating double time after her ordeal in World History.

Kaname swore under her breath. Her arms were sore and weak. If she didn't keep them moving, they would probably cramp or stiffen up. Maybe she should loosen them up by using the halisen on one particular irritant.

'Sousuke. Just one more thing today. I swear. I will call the newspaper and tell them everything I know about Mithril. Just to get you out of my hair.'

Waiting for the grueling competition to begin, her thoughts had turned back to Foreign History class. Her teacher's smile had burned itself into her retina. The words he spoke still echoed in her ears, slowly, like a tape played at one-third speed:

"Well, Miss Chidori. I'm afraid that will go down as an Incomplete. In a midterm, I might as well call it what it is. Failure."

It had felt as if the entire world had come rushing to a halt. The class had been silent out of utter disbelief. Silent for all of fifteen seconds. After that, the snickers and titters started, growing to a terrible crescendo. Some students had actually ended up laughing. One girl had to be sent to the nurse's office for oxygen. She had guffawed too hard and too long.

Why did some of the students act that way? Why did some people refer to her as an idol?

Failure.

She had never heard that word before.

Failure.

She knew that she was over-reacting, but it almost seemed as if her whole future had been pulled out from under her feet like a rug. And she had Sousuke to thank for it.

How could anything be worse than that?

She soon found out.

"Mr. Sagara," her teacher had called out. "We will take things out of order this time. Please tell us the tale that Miss Chidori was unable to recall."

Kaname was filled with righteous indignation. She was certain that none of the other girls had read that far into the assignment. The concubine story the last piece on the last page, written in small print.

Even the teacher had admitted that he added it as an after-thought.

Sousuke had left his seat, checked all of the pieces of chalk for adequacy, and chosen the one that best met manufacturer's expected criteria. He drew a map of Asia as it had been many centuries ago.

He wielded a pointer like a sword. He even put one leg up on a chair. His narrative was told in a strong voice, the cadence well metered:

"It was the third year of King Ho-lu's rein, in the fifth century B.C., during the Spring and Autumn period, in what would become China. The small nation of Wu had seized the initiative against the much greater nation of Ch'u. That was thanks to Sun Tzu. Before him, Wu's generals had wanted to attack Ch'u, but no action was taken. The generals Wu Tzu-hsu and Po p'i spoke with one another, saying 'We nuture officers and make plans on behalf of the king. These strategies will be advantageous to the state, and for this reason the king should attack Ch'u. But, he has put off issuing the orders and does not have any intention of mobilizing the army. What should we do'?"

"After a while, the King of Wu queried Wu Tzu-hsu and Po p'i. 'I want to send forth the army. What do you think? "They replied "We would like to receive the order.' Yet, the king secretly felt that the two of them harbored secret enmity for Ch'u and was deeply afraid that they would take the army out only to be exterminated. He mounted his tower, faced into the southern wind, and groaned. After a while, he sighed. None of his ministers understood his thoughts. Wu Tzu-hsu secretly realized that the king would not decide, so he recommended Sun-tzu, who's name was Wu, and who was a native of Wu. He excelled at military strategy, but dwelled in secrecy far away from civilization, such that ordinary people had no inkling of his ability.

"Wu Tzu-hsu, himself enlightened and wise, and skilled in discrimination, knew that Sun-tzu could penetrate and destroy the enemy. One morning when he was discussing military affairs, he mentioned Sun-tzu's name seven times. The king had noticed, saying 'Since you have found an excuse to advance this officer, I want to have him brought in.' He would go on to question Sun-tzu about military strategy, and each time that he laid out a section of his book, the king could not praise him enough.

"Greatly pleased, the king inquired: 'If possible, I would like a minor test of your military strategy.'

"Sun-tzu had said: 'It is possible. We can conduct a minor test with women from the inner palace'.

"The king had replied: 'I agree'.

"Sun-tzu went on to say: 'I would like to have two of Your Majesty's beloved concubines act as company commanders, each to direct a company.' He then went on to order all 300 women to wear helmets and armor, and to carry swords and shields. They would all stand. He instructed them in military methods, that in accord with the drum they should advance, withdraw, go left or right, or turn around. He had them know the prohibitions, then ordered 'At the first beating of the drum you should all assemble...at the second drumming you should advance with your weapons...and at the third should deploy into military formations.' At this, the palace women covered their mouths and laughed."

The timing was just too perfect.

A number of the girls in the class laughed at that image. Kaname couldn't help herself and joined in. It sounded like something that Sousuke would try. That thought gave her pause.

'I better never mention that idea to him!'

A look from the teacher settled the girls down.

Sousuke continued with his tale:

"Sun-tzu then personally took up the sticks and beat the drum, giving the orders three times, and explaining them five times..."

There was another interruption.

"He was very lucky" one boy said, chuckling. "If he made an army out of the girls in this class, it would have been five sets of orders and ten explanations." The other boys laughed. The teacher had to cover his mouth, but made certain not top play favorites.

The boys felt his withering stare.

Once again, Sousuke picked up the tale:

"The women all laughed as they had done before. They laughed continually, as if they would never stop. Sun-tzu saw and was enraged. His eyes opened wide...his hair stood straight up under his helmet...his sound was like a terrifying tiger...and the swelling of his neck broke his tassles. He said to the Master of Laws 'Get the executioner's axes.'

"Sun-tzu then said: 'If the instructions are not clear, if the orders and explanations are not trusted, it is the general's fault. When they have already been instructed three times, and the orders explained five times, if the troops still do not perform, it is the fault of the officers. According to the prescripts for military discipline, what is the procedure?'

"The Master of Laws said: 'Decapitation!'

"Sun-tzu then ordered the decapitation of the two company commanders, the king's favorite concubines.

"The King of Wu ascended the platform just as they were about to behead his beloved concubines. He had an official hasten to them with a statement that read: 'I already know that the general is able to command forces. Without those two concubines, my food will not be as sweet. It would be appropriate not to behead them'."

A number of girls in the class sighed.

They sounded relieved that the concubines might be spared. Kaname sneered. It looked as if some people were taking this all a bit too seriously.

Leave it to Sousuke to get everybody in a tizzy!

Sousuke kept on, without missing a beat:

"Sun-tzu said: 'I have already received my commission as commanding general. According to the rules for generals, when I as a general am in command of the army, even though the king issues an order to me, I do not have to accept it.'

"He then had the concubines beheaded."

A number of the boys cheered. One drew his finger across his neck like a knife.

"I hear that history often repeats itself. We could stand to lose a few girls. Because we're not at war, we'll save the cute ones and get rid of the ones who won't put out." The boy's suggestion was met by a raucous cacophony of assent.

Kaname decided that the halisen did not need to be reserved only for Sousuke.

The girls cheered when Kaname did her best to decapitate the boy in front of her. Paper cuts would have to suffice.

The teacher was tempted to bring the hammer down, but was struck by a simple but startling fact. The kids were acting up because of what they heard.

They were actually paying attention.

Nonplussed, Sousuke began again:

"Sun-tzu again beat the drum, and the women went left and right, advanced and withdrew, and turned around in accord with the prescribed standards without daring to blink an eye. The two companies were silent, not daring to look around. Thereupon Sun-tzu reported to the king of Wu: 'The army is already well-ordered. I would like Your majesty to observe them. However you may want to employ them-even sending them forth into fire and water-will not present any difficulty. They can be used to settle All under Heaven'."

Sousuke went on to finish the tale, noting how Sun-tzu eventually convinced the king to act, and that the actions would lead to great victories.

The dramatic way the women were used to illustrate Sun-tzu's theories about military organization lead to his receiving his appointment. Or so it was written.

With charts and diagrams drawn entirely from memory, Sousuke mentioned that women were normally not used as soldiers in ancient times, with a number of noteworthy exceptions, all of which he mentioned. He contrasted that fact with the current role played by women in armed forces across the globe.

The reaction to Sousuke's telling was overwhelmingly positive. The class had showered him with praise.

The teacher had given him an A+.

Kaname had seethed. He had gotten that grade at her expense.

'That otaku bastard!'

After class, Sousuke had come close to gaining his redemption. He explained to the teacher about Kaname's and his misfortunes the night before. The teacher, in deference to Sousuke, had decided to give Kaname another chance. She answered her question well and was given a B grade.

But, there was a stipulation.

Kaname had to write 'I will NOT wait until the last moment to read my assignments' fifty times on the blackboard. When she was finished, she could barely lift her right arm.

Kaname's thoughts returned to the present.

She looked about the gymnasium with a sense of impending doom. Each apparatus seemed ten times as imposing as it had the year before. Each challenge looked near insurmountable. The ropes filled her with dread.

'Were they a mile long last year, too?'

The horse and uneven parallel bars were only slightly less intimidating.

With good graces, Kaname accepted the heartfelt wishes and encouragement of the other girls. It almost seemed as if all of their hopes and aspirations rested on her. How could she ever think about letting them down?

The signal came, and the events began. Kaname gave it everything she had, the activities all blurring together. At the end, she could no longer feel her arms. Ren and Kyouko had to hold her up. She waited breathlessly as the principal stepped to the podium.

"I want to applaud each and every student who participated here today. I do not think I am exaggerating when I say that the parents and faculty members must all be as proud of you all as I am. You are all winners as far as we are concerned. But, as you know, the standards are high. That is why an award recipient should be viewed as an athlete among athletes, a source of great pride for the entire school. First, I ask you to cheer our valiant athletes."

The crowd responded enthusiastically, and Kaname felt some of her strength coming back.

"Now, for the moment you have been waiting for. Once again, just like last year, Jindai High School has placed a student athlete on the national list."

Cheers rang out. Kaname tried to fight back a smile. Did the principal mean to say 'exactly like last year'?

She had won the award the year before.

The room quieted. Everyone anxiously awaited the name of the boy or girl who had brought the school honor.

"This year's recipient is Sousuke Sagara. Congratulations, Mr. Sagara."

The crowd was loud and boisterous, chanting their new hero's name, last year's hero long forgotten.

Kaname didn't hear a sound except the rush of blood in her ears.

She mouthed Sousuke's name.