Okinawa (part 1 of 2)

by A Writer of Fact and Fiction

Rei and Yuuichirou fly to Okinawa with their friends to meet Rei's future in-laws. This story takes place immediately after 'The Visitors'. Rated M for some mature / adult situations.

Okinawa

(Part 1 of 2)

. . . . .

Rei and Yuuichirou are asked to fly to Okinawa with their friends to meet Rei's future in-laws.

This story begins immediately after 'The Visitors'. Rated M for mature / adult situations.

. . . . .

Chapter 1:

"Mako-chan my love, we're all in this together" Yuji reassured his girlfriend. "I haven't flown before, and neither has Taro. So it'll be a new experience for most of us."

Still not at all convinced, Makoto asked Ami, "You're sure it's safe to fly, Ami-chan?"

The blue-haired girl genius nodded back. "Flying is statistically much safer than even riding in a car, Mako-chan. Accidents are extremely rare. We'll most likely be completely fine."

"It's that 'most likely' part that worries me" the brunette grumbled as Usagi returned to the room and plopped down at the table.

"Well?" Rei grilled her friend. "Is Mamoru able to come with us?"

"Yes and no, Rei-chan" Usagi sighed as she reached for her teacup. "Mamo-chan still has one important exam to write, so he won't be flying on the same plane as we will." She sipped from the small porcelain cup. "But he said he can leave the very next day, so I'll only miss the one night with him."

"That's not so bad!" Minako said. "You'll still be together for the rest of the vacation. And I'm sure you'll make up for that lost night!" she giggled.

"But I wanted him with me on the plane!" Usagi pouted. "Another whole day wasted because of that stupid university! Ohhh! It's not fair!

Rei patted Usagi on the arm. "I'm sure you'll survive" the miko teased. "Did you tell Yuuichirou about the delay?"

"Hai, he said it should be no problem. He's going to call his parents now and have Mamo-chan's ticket changed to the following day." Usagi emptied her cup and held it out hopefully. "Mako-chan, is there any more tea?"

Makoto refilled Usagi's outstretched cup just as Yuuichirou entered the study room. The apprentice walked up to the brunette and kneeled on the floor beside her and Yuji. "Mako-chan, before I call my parents to have Mamoru's ticket adjusted, it'd be a big help to know for sure if you and Yuji are still coming with us. I really don't mean to rush you, but this way we can get everything settled in plenty of time."

Everyone stared at Makoto, who in turn stared down at the small brown teapot and sighed deeply. "Ami-chan, are you really sure about this flying business?"

"Definitely, Mako-chan. And please remember what my little Chieko told you when our children visited. If anything were to happen to any one of us, Midori and the other children wouldn't have been able to visit."

"I... guess so." She turned next to her boyfriend for emotional support. "Yuji honey, what do you think?"

The sixteen year old beside her gently grasped her hand in his. "My sweet Mako-chan, I don't want to talk you into anything you're uncomfortable with. That wouldn't be right. But I love you and will respect your decision, whatever it is."

"And... true love is stronger than fear" Makoto said softly, gazing into her Yuji's love-filled eyes as she remembered what he had told her earlier that morning at the park. A determined look suddenly appeared on her face and she told Yuuichirou, "I've never chickened out on anything in life before, and this is no time to start." Her voice became firm and confident. "Don't cancel our tickets, Yuuichirou-chan. We're going with you."

Minako and Usagi raised their hands in an excited cheer. "Yay!" Minako blurted. "I knew you wouldn't let something like a silly airplane flight scare you, Mako-chan! And just think, in a couple of days it'll be all over!"

"That's what I was afraid of" Makoto muttered.

Rei glared at the smiling blonde. "Minako-chan, you really do have a way with words. A horrible way!"

"So glad you're coming with us, Mako-chan!" Yuuichirou grinned. "I'll go call my parents right now." He got up and paused to place a quick peck on Rei's cheek.

"Yuuichirou honey, what should everyone pack?" his girlfriend asked.

The apprentice thought for a moment. "Well... it's much warmer there than it is here in Tokyo in springtime, so you won't need any thick jackets or things like that. Just bring typical summer clothing. And, uh... I'd like you to bring along your red bikini, Rei darling. You look so incredible in that!"

Rei blushed at Minako's sly grin. "Oh? Sounds like there's going to be lots of love-love happening in Okinawa!" the blonde tittered.

"You're one to talk!" Rei scoffed. "Maybe we should bring a long pole to pry you and Taro apart occasionally! I wouldn't want you to kill your boyfriend with exhaustion!"

Yuji laughed and his brother Taro's face turned bright red as Minako beamed up at him. "That won't be necessary, Rei-chan! We can manage just fine by ourselves!"

"I'm sure you can" Rei muttered.

"Yuuichirou-chan, should we all bring swimsuits?" Ami asked.

"Absolutely, Ami-chan" Yuuichirou nodded. "My parents' cottage is near Nanjo, really close to the ocean, but even if that water's a little cool it doesn't matter. They have a heated pool in the backyard, just behind a row of palm trees if I remember correctly." Ami's eyes lit up brightly at this piece of information and she smiled happily at Ryo.

"A pool? Palm trees? Just how large is your parents' cottage, honey?" Rei asked, impressed. "It doesn't sound like anything I'd call a cottage."

"You'll see for yourself in two days, my beautiful Rei-chan" Yuuichirou replied teasingly before strolling out of the room, whistling to himself.

"Rei-chan, Yuuichirou must be rich!" Usagi whispered after the young apprentice was out of earshot. "And to think he looked so poor when he turned up at the shrine. Almost like a beggar!"

"I suspected his parents were kind of well off" Rei replied, "but I didn't realize they're that wealthy." She paused, frowning. "This worries me."

"Why, Rei-chan?" Minako asked. "Don't you think you can live a life of luxury? I know I could!" she sighed, her eyes shimmering at the thought.

"It's not that. It's..." she frowned. "I'm just a fifteen-year-old Shinto miko, Minako-chan. Other than secretly being Sailor Mars, there's nothing really special about me. My family isn't exactly poor, but I wonder if Yuuichirou's parents will think I'm somehow... you know... beneath them." Rei's frown deepened as her doubts about the upcoming meeting grew.

"Of course not, silly!" the bubbly blonde answered at once. "Money isn't everything, you know. And anyway, you're bound to win them over, just as you won your Yuuichirou's heart. I should know, I'm an expert on that subject!"

Rei looked across the table at Makoto. "You've got company, Mako-chan. Now there are two of us worried about this trip."

"Welcome to the club, Rei-chan" the brunette said, her earlier rush of confidence now fading fast.

. . . . .

Ryo and Ami walked hand-in-hand towards her home in the bright afternoon sunshine, amid the bustle of Tokyo. They were both excited about the upcoming journey, but still felt deep pangs of loss after their little Chieko had left.

"I miss her" Ryo said quietly as they strolled together along a busy sidewalk.

"I do too, my love. She's a very special child. Our child."

Ryo suddenly grinned at his girlfriend. "I wonder if we'll be on vacation in some distant exotic place on the night she's conceived?"

"Perhaps" Ami replied with a smile of her own as they paused at a red light. Her eyes glanced around to be sure she wasn't overheard. "But in the meantime my love, we can always think of the coming years as... practice. Besides" her blue eyes twinkled mischievously, "what makes you think it will happen at night?"

"Ami-chan!" Ryo gasped. "You really have changed!"

"Have I?" the blue-haired girl asked innocently. "I don't think so, Ryo-kun. I think I'm the same quiet, studious girl I've always been, but with one very important addition."

"Love?"

"Hai. True, wonderful love" she sighed happily. They crossed the road and neared their destination, two young hearts beating together as soul mates. "I do hope Okasan is home" Ami said. "I know she won't mind us going to Okinawa, but I'd hate to spring the news on her at the very last minute."

"Do you think there's anything to what Rei said earlier? About her being accepted by Yuuichirou's parents?"

"I believe Rei is concerned about nothing really. She's very bright, well-spoken and Yuuichirou loves her dearly. His parents will see that in an instant. I'm sure everything will be just fine." As they walked past Ami's small blue car and up to her front door, she added, "I'm more worried about Mako-chan's fear of flying."

"Do you want to know a secret?" Ryo whispered shyly.

Ami reached into her purse for the house key. "A secret? I thought I already knew everything about you, my Ryo-kun." The coy way she spoke the words caused a blush to spread across her boyfriend's cheeks.

"Uh... well... I'm a little afraid of flying too."

Ami's eyes widened in surprise. "You are? Darling, please don't be afraid. You and I both know flying is extremely safe." She slipped the key into the lock and turned it, the door opening with a click. "In fact, I'm not thinking about the flight at all."

"No?"

"No, my love. I'm thinking about the time we will share in Okinawa together. And all the... practice I hope we have" she replied, smiling sweetly at him.

"Ami-chan!"

---

Chapter 2:

The following working day passed uneventfully at the Hikawa Jinja, though Hino Rei could hardly concentrate on her duties as shrine maiden. Her heart was a sea of conflicting emotions, not the least of which was tomorrow's flight and the big moment when she would be introduced to Yuuichirou's parents. Though she had quizzed her boyfriend several more times about them, the young apprentice's calm reassurances did little to ease her mind.

After providing a young couple with ofuda to help bring good fortune to their first apartment together, she found herself once more heading toward the shrine's business office where her grandfather was going over some paperwork. The old man looked up from his desk as she entered.

"Ojii-chan, we'll be closing soon. It's been quiet today, not as many visitors as usual."

"School's out, Rei-chan. Many people are traveling this week, so that's not unexpected." Hino-sensei leaned back, producing a creak from his chair, and smiled up at her. "As you too will be."

"Hai. Our flight leaves tomorrow morning at eleven."

"I know, granddaughter. Yuuichirou is presently at the airline's office collecting your tickets. He'll be back shortly."

"Are you sure you'll be fine while we're gone? Do you have the phone number of Yuuichirou's parents' home in case there's a problem?"

The priest gestured to a sticky note near the telephone. "The number's there, but you needn't worry. Those two apprentices who helped us before are excellent. The Hikawa Jinja will be running smoothly while you're gone. And I'll certainly be fine." He studied the young miko's expression closely. "You seem distressed, Rei-chan. Care to tell your old grandfather what's on your mind?"

"I worry about you, Ojii-chan."

"I know you do, child. But something tells me that isn't the only thing bothering you on this fine Thursday afternoon."

Rei frowned. "I'm worried about a lot of things lately, Grandpa. Like... making a good first impression in Okinawa."

Hino-sensei chuckled softly. "Don't sell yourself short, Rei-chan. You're a wonderful young woman, and being a miko is a very noble endeavor. Just be yourself."

The raven-haired girl nodded. "And then there's my first plane flight tomorrow. Not to mention how much I miss my Akane-chan."

"Your future daughter is a true joy, Rei-chan. If I had needed any more proof of your love for Yuuichirou, I found it with your child. And, I miss her too." He stood and clasped his hands behind his back. "As for the flight, I'm afraid I cannot help you there. I've never flown in my life, and have no plans to do so now. There's something entirely unnatural about shooting across the sky in a large metal tube."

"I'm glad Mako-chan isn't around to hear you say that!" Rei laughed. "She'd never get on the plane!"

"I honestly don't blame her" the elder Hino said. "She shows great courage to cast aside her fears like this. You're aware she's doing this mainly for you and your boyfriend?"

"Hai. Mako-chan has to be the bravest person I've ever met. She has an incredibly strong spirit."

The diminutive old man walked around the desk to where his granddaughter stood. "She lost her parents in an air accident when she was quite young, is that correct?"

"That's right, Ojii-chan. Mako-chan was four when her parents left her with relatives to travel to Fukuoka for a funeral. On the way back to Tokyo, their plane crashed into the bay as it was landing at Haneda airport. She told me there were two-dozen deaths, among them her father and mother. She's been terrified of flying ever since."

"I see." He sat on the corner of his desk. "So very tragic." He slipped a hand onto Rei's shoulder. "Granddaughter, there comes a time in life when each of us has to face our innermost fears. Makoto is doing so with this trip, as are you. I am entirely confident that you will both emerge from this as better, stronger people."

"Arigatou, Ojii-chan" Rei smiled.

The old man grinned. "I'm sure you and your friends have already faced many such fears in the past year as... Sailor Senshi."

"Grandpa, I shouldn't be talking to you about that!" the teenage girl exclaimed. "Like Setsuna said, some things are best left unspoken, at least for now."

"You have made me very proud, child. Go and meet Yuuichirou's parents tomorrow. Allow them to see what a wonderful young woman you truly are. They will undoubtedly feel the depth of love you and your Yuuichirou share for one another. That is all you need to do."

Rei leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for being so understanding."

"Have you finished packing?"

"Almost. I want to bring along some pictures of the shrine to show them."

"Good idea. It will allow them to learn more of your background. Are they Shinto?"

"Not really. Yuuichirou said they aren't particularly religious."

The old man shrugged. "We can work on that later" he laughed.

. . . . .

In a tiny but spotless apartment not far away, Kino Makoto wafted a feather duster over a shelf displaying a few small ornaments and photographs for the tenth time that evening. Beside her front door, a small suitcase sat ready to go, carefully packed and repacked numerous times throughout the day. As she busied herself, the brunette focused her thoughts on Yuji and Midori to block the upcoming flight from her mind. She had moved on to begin re-scrubbing her already gleaming kitchen sink when the phone rang, jolting her back to reality.

"Moshi moshi."

"Mako-chan!" Minako's voice blared loudly through the handset, causing Makoto to grimace. "Taro just called! The boys are ready to go! They'll take an early train from Nerima directly to the airport!" Her blonde friend's enthusiasm was infectious, and Makoto found herself smiling into the phone.

"That's great, Minako-chan! Then we'll meet them there."

"Hai! I'm so excited, Mako-chan! Just imagine, tomorrow at this time we'll all be in Okinawa! Warm sandy beaches, palm trees, and five whole days and nights of romance and love-love with our boyfriends! I'm not going to get much sleep tonight!"

'Or any other night, if you're alone with Taro!' Makoto thought, chuckling to herself.

The anticipation is just killing me!" Minako swooned.

"Minako-chan, please don't mention that word."

"What word?" the blonde paused. "Killing? Silly! You're still worrying about the flight, aren't you?"

"I'd managed to put it out of my mind until you called" Makoto sighed.

"Now remember, our flight leaves at eleven so you need to be at the airport before ten. Would you like me to come over in the morning and accompany you?"

"That really isn't necessary, Minako-chan. I'll find my own way there."

"And after we check our bags, we'll still have a little cuddle time with our boyfriends before we take off."

"Is that all you ever think about?" the brunette laughed. "Cuddling with Taro?"

"Well... yes! That, and doing other things with Taro! You know!" Makoto could almost see her friend wink. "After we're on the plane we'll be buckled in our seats for a while, so cuddling will be a lot harder!"

Makoto shook her head. "You really are something else, Minako-chan!" She thought for a moment. "Is it a big plane?"

"Yuuichirou told me we'll be going on a 747. That's a huge one, Mako-chan! It even has two floors! It's like a flying apartment building!"

The phone in the brunette's hand began to tremble and Makoto's fingers grasped the handset more tightly as she took a deep calming breath. "Apartment buildings can't fly, Minako-chan."

"This one can! All the way up past thirty thousand feet! That's about ten thousand meters to you non-world-travelling types!"

Makoto wiped her forehead. "Uh, that's a little more information than I need right now, Minako-chan."

"Oh, and it also helps to yawn occasionally after we take off. If you don't, your ears may feel funny when we're zooming up really high and the cabin pressure changes."

"Thanks again for the advice" Makoto muttered. "But please don't tell me any more! I have to go now, my apartment needs a good cleaning."

"Ok! See you at the airport in the morning! Sleep tight, Mako-chan!"

Minako hung up the phone, leaving Makoto staring glumly at her suitcase. "Flying apartment buildings!" she groaned. "Pressure changes! Thirty thousand feet! Thanks a lot, Minako-chan!"

. . . . .

"Mamo-chan, bring this shirt! I think you look so sexy in it!" Usagi appeared in Mamoru's living room, one of his short-sleeved shirts draped over her top.

"I'm flattered, Usako. But you've been saying that about every piece of clothing I've packed so far. My suitcase is nearly full."

"Just one more! Please!" The blonde slipped off the shirt and began folding it. "I wish you and I were flying together tomorrow" she sighed wistfully.

"It's just one extra day." Mamoru dropped the offered clothing into his bag and gently took his precious Usagi in his arms. "I'll be able to write my last exam, and it'll give you the chance to settle in and relax. And the very next day, we'll be together."

Usagi gazed up at him longingly, her big blue eyes sparkling. "When you get to Rei's future in-law's home, don't plan on too much relaxing, Mamo-chan!" she giggled. "We'll be too busy doing other things!"

"Oh?" The tall, handsome eighteen-year-old gently stroked her soft cheek with his fingers. "And what would that be, my Princess?" he teased. "Playing golf?"

In response, Usagi tilted her head back and pressed her lips to his.

. . . . .

After their evening meal, Rei set to work clearing the table and quickly washed the dishes, while Hino-sensei went outside for his customary evening stroll around the shrine's grounds.

Yuuichirou picked up a dishcloth and stood beside his girlfriend, drying the bowls and utensils and immediately noticing the slight quiver in Rei's hands. "Are you feeling ok, my sweet?"

Rei finished rinsing the last bowl and handed it to him before carefully slipping her diamond engagement ring back on her finger. "I... I need to go for a walk, Yuuichirou-chan. There's just so much to think about. Can we?"

"Sorry my love, but I'm expecting a call from my parents soon. They need to confirm the traveling arrangements for us from the airport to their place, and a few other details."

"Oh... well do you mind if I go myself? I won't be too long."

"Of course, honey. I'll see you when you get back, if they still haven't called by then." The couple kissed and Rei quickly retrieved her purse from her bedroom. She headed briskly down the shrine steps toward the nearby park, her anxiety increasing with every step she took.

Twilight was not far off as she entered the peaceful green space, seeking solace among the trees. Taking a quick turn down a seldom used route, Rei came to a familiar bench at the end of the path and sat alone.

'I hope tomorrow goes well for us' she thought with a long sigh. 'And I hope Usagi and Minako don't get into their usual trouble! That's the last thing I need!'She sat quietly for a while, playing out scenarios in her head. 'I wonder if I should dress casually for that first meeting, or more prim and proper like Ami probably would?' she thought. 'Or maybe I should take a really elegant route...' With worry still getting the better of her, she glanced around to ensure she was alone before reaching into her small red purse. 'I haven't had a cigarette in ages' she thought. 'Maybe having one now will help me calm down.' Rei retrieved a long white pack from where she had concealed it at the bottom of her purse, and was about to open it when she heard footsteps quickly approaching. Her boyfriend appeared, wearing a familiar silly grin.

"I thought I'd find you here" Yuuichirou chuckled. "It's where you always come when you're really stressed out about something." He spotted the small white box in her hand before Rei hastily slipped it back into her purse. "You really are a lot more uptight about this whole meet-the-family thing than I'd realized, my love!"

"Yuuichirou-chan! It isn't nice to sneak up on people like that!" she admonished him, embarrassed.

He sat down close beside her on the bench and placed one arm around her shoulders. "My beautiful Rei-chan, please try to stop worrying about tomorrow. Like I said before, my parents are really nice people. Very understanding and easy-going. I have no doubt at all that you and they will get along wonderfully."

"I'm... still not sure" the miko sighed. "They lead a very different life than I do, Yuuichirou-chan. They have a family home in Kyoto, a cottage in Okinawa, and they fly all over the world! I'm just a fifteen-year-old high school student who works at an old shrine with her grandfather. Don't you see the problem, Yuuichirou darling? What if they don't like me? What if they refuse to accept our engagement?" Her slender fingers touched the small glittering diamond of her ring. "What will we do then?"

The teenage boy took her hand, squeezing it gently as he spoke softly to the love of his life. "Rei-chan, remember how rough I looked when we first met? Sprawled across the shrine steps that morning with all my belongings stuffed into a battered old duffle bag?"

"Hai. So? You've changed quite a lot since then, my love."

"As you've noticed, honey, my family is... quite well off. But they still allowed me the opportunity to leave home with no real plans, only to travel around Japan in search of my dream. Do you think my parents would have ever permitted something like that if they were all stuffy and proper, like most traditional wealthy Japanese families? Not a chance!" he laughed, shaking his head. "Having an unemployed son wandering around Honshu like a drifter would have tarnished their family image."

"Well... no, I guess they wouldn't" Rei relented.

"Of course not. But they did allow it. Not because they didn't care for me, but because they did care. They wanted me to find whatever it was is was looking for. Whatever would make me truly happy. And I did find it, that day on the steps of the Hikawa Jinja. I found... you" he whispered, his voice tender with emotion.

Rei's eyes grew moist and her arms embraced the young man sitting beside her. "I love you so very much, my Yuuichirou-chan!"

"And I love you, my beautiful shrine maiden. My life, my love, my soul mate. Until the end of time."

Their eyes closed and lips came together in a deliciously deep, lingering kiss.

---

Chapter 3:

"Minna, we're at the airport!" Usagi blurted loudly and unnecessarily to her friends as their train eased to a stop outside the Tokyo Haneda Airport's domestic terminal. She sprang from her seat, hopping excitedly from foot to foot in front of Ami and Ryo. "My first plane ride! I can't wait!"

"Usagi-chan, don't forget your things!" Ami reached for Usagi's pink purse that lay temporarily forgotten on the seat and passed it to her.

"Gomen, Ami-chan! I guess I'm not thinking very clearly today!"

The blue-haired girl smiled as she took her boyfriend's hand and the trio retrieved their luggage. As they walked toward the terminal building, Ami questioned her close friend. "Usagi-chan, please forgive me for asking, but I'm a little surprised that your parents agreed so easily to let you travel to Okinawa. Do they realize you'll be staying with Mamoru there?"

"Of course they do, Ami-chan! Well... my mother knows!" the blonde replied as she skipped happily along, leading the couple toward the entrance. "She also knows how much Mamo-chan and I love each other, so she didn't put up much resistance at the idea. Passing my school exams helped a lot too! Thank you for tutoring me! And thanks for your help too, Ryo-chan!"

"We're always glad to help" Ami replied modestly. "But... what about your father? He doesn't mind your going?"

"Otosan is away on business for at least a week!" Usagi replied with an evil cackle. "He doesn't suspect a thing!"

"Oh."

"I wonder if we're the first to arrive?" the blonde pondered as they entered the terminal's B1 floor. Everyone had earlier agreed to join up inside at a gathering point known as the Tower of the Moon, and Usagi suddenly hesitated. "Which way, Ami-chan?" She looked around the large unfamiliar building in utter confusion. "I'm lost already!"

"Turn right, Usagi-chan" Ami instructed. Not much farther along they spotted Rei and Yuuichirou who had arrived ten minutes earlier. Usagi waved wildly at them and rushed over, only the luggage she was dragging behind slowing her down. "Ohayou minna!"

"Good morning!" Rei and Yuuichirou greeted their friend, as well as Ami and Ryo when they caught up a few moments later. "I see you're being as hyper as ever, Usagi-chan" the miko grumbled.

"I can't help it, Rei-chan! I'm so excited! Aren't you excited?"

"Baka! Of course I'm excited!" Rei was wearing a thin jacket over a short, form-fitting red dress to ward off the morning chill of early April in Tokyo. Beside her, Yuuichirou was clothed similar to Ryo in a comfortable shirt and dress slacks.

"Is anyone else here yet?" Ami asked.

Yuuichirou pointed to two other bags beside his and Rei's. "Taro and Yuji got here before we did" he said. "They've both just gone to the washroom."

"So that only leaves Minako and Mako-chan" Ami replied. "Hmm... I wonder..."

"I'm not surprised Minako isn't here yet" Rei muttered. "She probably stayed up half the night and was too tired to make it to her train on time. As for Mako-chan" she frowned, "I really hope she hasn't had a change of heart and decided to stay home."

"Don't be ridiculous, Rei-chan!" Usagi scoffed. "When Mako-chan says she's going to do something, she does it! She'll be here!"

"I'm not so sure" Rei replied softly. "Not this time." She noticed a familiar blur of motion slicing through the nearby crowd and grinned. "At least Minako managed to show up."

The missing blonde appeared, weaving her way haphazardly between two groups of people with her swaying luggage in tow. She tore up to her friends nearly out of breath, the wheels of her small suitcase squeaking loudly in protest. "I made it!" she gasped. "Where's my Taro?"

"Ohayou, Minako-chan!" Ami giggled.

"Gomen nasai! Minna, ohayou!" Her eyes darted from side to side. "Is he here yet? Is he?"

"He's here" Ryo laughed. "Taro and Yuji are in the bathroom."

"Great!" she beamed. "That's a relief! But... what about Mako-chan?" The blonde lost a little of her bubbly energy as the others looked at her without saying a word. "Oh... maybe I should try calling her at home... in case she..." But Minako's mood instantly brightened once more as her boyfriend and his brother emerged from the nearby washroom.

"Taro-chan!" Ignoring her other friends momentarily, she rushed over and flung her arms around her Taro, nearly knocking the seventeen-year-old boy off his feet as she kissed him deeply.

"Hey you two!" Rei scolded the amorous pair. "This is a public place! Save that mushy stuff for later."

"Sorry!" Minako answered after their lips finally separated. "Honey, I missed you so!"

"I missed you too, my sweet!" Taro replied with a grin, straightening his rumpled shirt. "Ready for our big adventure in Okinawa?"

"Hai hai!"

Yuji walked up to his friends, sadly noting that his very special someone was still absent. Yuuichirou caught his eye after a brief glance at his wristwatch. "Don't give up hope yet, Yuji-chan. We still have a few more minutes before we have to check in."

"I just know my Mako-chan will be here soon!" the young man replied optimistically. "Maybe she's somewhere in the airport now but can't find us. It's getting really crowded in here." His eyes scanned the large hall before he politely stepped to one side to allow a large tour group of foreigners to go past. As the gaggle of tourists went by, a smiling brunette appeared out of the crowd behind them. Yuji's eyes widened and his handsome face instantly lit up with happiness. "Mako-chan!"

Everyone laughed as Yuji and Makoto repeated what Minako and Taro had just done, enveloping each other tenderly in their arms in the blink of an eye, and sharing a soft, sweet kiss.

"Some people!" Rei muttered, though she too was smiling as she spoke.

"Told you!" Usagi taunted the miko. "I said she'd come, didn't I? And I was right!"

"Shut up, Usagi-chan."

Yuji proudly escorted his girlfriend over, adding her bag to the collection. Makoto grinned at everyone. "Sorry I'm late. My bus was held up by road repairs. I suppose I should have taken the train instead."

"We were all beginning to think you changed your mind" Rei said.

"Some of us didn't!" Usagi interjected. Rei glared at the odangoed blonde who ignored the miko and gave her taller friend a quick hug. "I knew you'd come with us, Mako-chan! And Yuji did too!"

"To be honest, I wasn't completely sure myself until a couple of hours ago" Makoto whispered quietly to Ami.

"Now that everyone's here, shall we proceed?" Yuuichirou suggested, waving his arm with a flourish. Bags were collected and the happy travelers followed him and Rei toward an elevator, riding it two floors up to the departure area.

. . . . .

After checking their luggage, the small group found themselves at the end of a short line leading up to a security checkpoint. Makoto's eyes darted around warily. "What's going on?"

"It's routine, Mako-chan" Minako leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "They have to check everyone to make sure no one's carrying anything dangerous on the plane. Like a bomb or something. It's no big deal."

"A... bomb?" the brunette gasped. "No one said anything about bombs!"

"Mako-chan, sshhh!" Ami quickly turned and hushed her friend. "You should never say that word out loud in an airport, not even as a joke. They take safety very seriously here."

"That's good to know… I guess…" Makoto mumbled back, unconvinced. She watched as Yuuichirou emptied his pockets and placed his and Rei's small carry-on bag on a moving belt where it disappeared into a machine. He walked through an electronic archway to the other side and picked up the bag when it reappeared at the other end.

Rei followed him, casually dropping her purse on the belt and stepping through the scanner. Suddenly the machine examining her purse beeped loudly. An attendant walked up to her with a shallow plastic tray. "Excuse me, miss. Would you mind emptying the contents of your purse into this bin for me please?"

"Is there a problem?" Rei asked. The woman said nothing, watching quietly as the young miko obediently took her purse and dumped its contents into the offered tray. The other girls looked on, their eyes widening in surprise as a rectangular white box fell out, along with what appeared to be a small lighter.

"Is that what I think it is?" a stunned Minako hissed at her friends. "Rei-chan! I had no idea!"

Rei instantly began to blush, realizing she had forgotten to remove the cigarettes from her purse the night before. Her face promptly turned nearly as scarlet as her dress, her 'little secret' now having been revealed to the world. But it was her big secret, the last item that slipped from her purse and into the tray, which caused the girls and especially Ami in particular, to look on in panic. Sailor Mars' red and gold henshin stick plopped out into the center of Rei's belongings and the female security employee wasted no time in picking it up and examining it closely.

"What would this be, Miss?" she asked the increasingly flustered miko.

"Oh, that old thing?" Rei stuttered. "That's a... it's just a... a... keychain. I keep it with me for good luck. I'm sorry if it set off your alarm, I guess I shouldn't have brought it with me today" she apologized with a bow. "My mistake."

Several of the other girls glanced at one another, realizing that they too had brought their henshin devices with them. The uniformed woman turned it over between her fingers, studying it for a few more seconds. "It certainly seems harmless enough." She handed it back to Rei along with her tray and smiled politely. "Everything's fine. You may proceed. Have a safe flight, Miss."

The girls watching behind her all breathed a deep sigh of relief as Rei hurriedly refilled her purse and stood off to one side with her waiting Yuuichirou. One by one, the other teens passed through security, the buzzer sounding each time a purse went through the detector. Taro and Minako were the last to be checked, and the security employee examined the orange and gold device belonging to Minako with some amusement. "It seems like everyone has one of these lucky keychains today" she remarked to the blonde. "They're really cute." She passed it back to Minako and everyone hastily gathered their things and hurried on toward their gate.

"Whew, that was close!" Ami sighed to her boyfriend when they were finally past security. "I didn't realize our henshin wands would set off the security alarm! But I should have assumed they would" she thought aloud, disappointed at herself for missing something that now appeared so obvious to her.

"It isn't your fault, my love" Ryo reassured her. "How could you have possibly known?"

Makoto nudged Usagi as they walked along. "Usagi-chan, why didn't your special brooch set off the alarm?"

"Because... I... uh... forgot it" the blonde mumbled back. "It's still at home."

Rei overheard and frowned, scolding her friend. "You forgot it? That's just wonderful, Usagi-chan! I certainly hope we don't need Sailor Moon in Okinawa!"

"It was an honest mistake, Rei-chan" Usagi cringed. "In all the excitement of packing and everything, I guess it just slipped my mind." Her tone became indignant. "Well... at least I didn't set off any dumb alarms!"

"Great!" Rei teased. "If monsters attack us in Okinawa and we're all killed because Sailor Moon isn't there to help us, at least they'll have something nice to add to your epitaph: 'I forgot my transformation brooch and everyone died, but at least I didn't set off the alarm at the airport!'"

"Ohh! That's not a very nice thing to... Rei-chan, what's an epitaph?"

The miko shook her head. "You really are unbelievable!"

"Here we are" Yuuichirou announced a minute later. "Gate lounge ten. Our last stop before Okinawa."

Nearly everyone rushed past the rows of seats and up to the large windows overlooking the airfield. "There's our plane!" Minako squealed, squeezing Taro's hand tightly. Outside, a massive white jumbo jet stood parked at the gate, its tail proudly adorned with the red crane emblem of Japan Airlines. Minako spun from the window to wave her friend over. "Mako-chan, come see!"

Makoto stood motionless, seemingly rooted in place well back from the viewing glass. "I don't want to."

"Come on, silly!" she coaxed her companion over with another beckoning wave of her hand. "You can't stand there forever, you know. We'll be going aboard in about thirty minutes!"

Ever so slowly, the reluctant brunette edged toward the window, her boyfriend sticking close beside her. Makoto's eyes abruptly sprang comically wide as she spotted the waiting aircraft. "Yuji-chan!" she gasped, "It really is huge!"

---

Chapter 4:

Without uttering another sound, Makoto promptly strode over to the nearest chair and dropped heavily into it. Yuji quickly sat close beside her and gave his girl a comforting smile. "Having second thoughts, sweetheart?"

Makoto stared down at her shoes. "I had my second thoughts yesterday, Yuji-chan. And then third thoughts. And then fourth."

"It's ok, honey. It's not too late, you can still change your mind if you want to. And if you do, I'll go back to your apartment with you and stay with you all week. That is... if you'd like me to" he added shyly.

"You wouldn't think any less of me?" his brunette girlfriend asked searchingly. "Because I chickened out?"

"Absolutely not. My sweet Mako-chan, all I ever think about you is how incredibly wonderful you are and how lucky I am to have you as my soul mate. I love you."

Makoto remained silent as her friends quietly gathered around the couple. Finally she raised her eyes from the floor and looked at each one of their hopeful faces in turn, her gaze coming to rest on the young man sitting beside her, the boy she loved with every fiber of her being. Nearby, Usagi and Minako held their breath. Rei studied the brunette's expression closely, trying to appreciate what must be going through her mind and hoping her dear friend would somehow find the strength to conquer her greatest fear.

"Yuji-chan, I believe we have a flight to catch."

Her boyfriend's face broke into a wide smile. "I believe we do, my love."

Makoto looked up at her friends, wearing a wry grin. "But I'm still going to be a little nervous about it! Is that a problem?"

"No problem, Mako-chan" Rei laughed. "I'll help by keeping Minako under control as much as I possibly can during the flight.

"Hey! What did I do?"

Everyone took seats and Rei tipped her head comfortably onto Yuuichirou's shoulder while they waited for their boarding announcement. Across from her, Minako ignored the surrounding sea of plastic chairs, much preferring her Taro's lap. The miko snickered, whispering in her fiancee's ear, "Yuuichirou-chan, I'd be willing to bet Minako would sit on Taro like that all the way to Okinawa if she could."

"She probably would, Rei darling" the apprentice chuckled. "And if we were traveling first class, she'd have enough room. I'm sorry about that, by the way."

"Sorry about what, honey?"

"That we aren't going first class. My parents tried, but there weren't enough available seats on this flight. So rather than splitting us up, I asked that we all stay together."

"Your parents were going to fly everyone first class? Yuuichirou-chan, I... I don't know what to say." Rei frowned again as her concerns about the meeting grew ever deeper. 'What am I getting myself into?'she wondered. Glancing across the aisle again, the miko groaned aloud. "Look at that!" Rei hissed. "Everyone is staring at them!"

She forced herself to divert her eyes, trying to ignore the amorous blonde girl with the ever-present red bow in her hair. Minako now had an arm around her blushing Taro and was kissing him repeatedly on the cheek, despite surprised looks and raised eyebrows from the other waiting passengers. Rei instead took a last glance around the area at her other friends. Ami and Ryo, to no surprise, had a small travel guide opened between their laps and were studying it intently. Makoto and Yuji were chatting quietly to themselves. And Usagi was... missing.

"Where has odango-atama gone?" Rei muttered. "We'll be leaving any minute now!" Craning her head around, she finally spotted her absent friend off in the distance, further down the corridor at a small shop. The blonde came away carrying a cone in her hand, heaped high with pink ice cream and covered in colorful sprinkles. As Usagi strolled back she took a huge bite of her treat, and then another, grinning happily at the miko.

"That idiot!" Rei fumed. "Doesn't she know we'll have lunch on the plane? All that ice cream, at this hour of the morning, and then a meal? She's going to make herself sick again!"

Her complaint was interrupted by an announcement that boarding of their flight to Okinawa had begun.

. . . . .

"Here are our places, Ryo-kun." Having reached the upper deck of the 747, Ami slipped into the window spot of a left side group of three seats, with Ryo alongside her. Across the aisle from them in the right side seats, Taro and Minako took their places with Minako commandeering the window. Rei and Yuuichirou settled in behind Ami and Ryo after Rei had slipped off her jacket. A moment later Yuji and Makoto appeared at the top of the stairs, the brunette still disturbed by the notion that she wasn't just on an airplane, but also had to climb a flight of stairs inside the thing to get up to her seat. Makoto gave Ami and her boyfriend a weak smile as she passed, finding herself and Yuji on the right hand side directly behind Taro and his girlfriend.

Usagi stopped in the aisle, looked again at her boarding pass then up to the seat numbers, and scowled. "Ohh! I don't think I have a window seat! And I really wanted to look outside!"

Ryo rechecked Usagi's pass for her. "Seat C. You're supposed to sit beside me, Usagi-chan."

Ami smiled at the disappointed blonde. "Usagi-chan, you can have my place at the window. I'll sit beside you, and Ryo can take your place next to the aisle."

"Would you? Arigatou, Ami-chan!" Usagi's bright smile returned instantly. "You're the best friend ever!" The blue-haired girl and her boyfriend moved aside, allowing Usagi to squeeze into the window position she so coveted.

Behind her, Rei sighed in despair. "Even on a plane, there's just no escaping that girl!" She then glanced to her right, curious as to how Makoto was coping. The tall brunette was already tightly buckled in. Yuji held her hand, their fingers intertwined. 'So far so good' the miko thought.

Directly in front of her, Usagi peered out through her window at workers who were completing the baggage loading process. "Oh! We're up so high, Ami-chan! Look at how small those people outside are!"

Rei broke out in laughter. "Baka! We're still on the ground, Usagi-chan! At least wait until we're actually flying before you say things like that."

"I know we're not flying yet, Rei-chan! Do you really think I'm an idiot?" the blonde yelled over her shoulder. Rei opened her mouth to reply, smirked, and decided to hold her tongue, upsetting Usagi further.

"Fine! Don't answer me. See if I care!"

Across the aisle, Yuji looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings with fascination before returning his gaze to the beautiful girl on his left. "Everything ok, my love?"

"I'm ok. Yuji-chan honey, if you weren't here with me right now, I don't think I could do this" Makoto admitted. A muffled thump came from somewhere beneath them, causing her to gasp softly. "What was that?"

Yuji looked out the window. "Looks like they just closed one of the cargo doors, Mako-chan."

"Oh. Is that what that was?"

Minako's head popped up over her seat back. "You're doing great, Mako-chan! I think you're going to love flying!"

"Don't count on it."

. . . . .

Forty five minutes later with the jumbo jet at its cruising altitude, Makoto finally began to relax, if only a little. Her memory of the takeoff was mostly a blank by now, all she could recall was the gasp of pain from her boyfriend as they had roared down the runway and she tightened her grip on his hand into a vise-like clench. And a fleeting moment when the plane had lifted off the ground, its nose pointing sharply skyward while Minako screamed "Wheee!"

'That girl is totally insane!' Makoto thought.

But now, cruising high up among the puffy white clouds, everything was surprisingly tranquil. A stewardess worked her way down the aisle pushing a food trolly, and Makoto and Yuji accepted their dubious-looking meals with polite thanks. Back across the aisle, Rei gave the seat in front of her a gentle nudge.

"Tip your chair forward so I can put my tray down, Usagi-chan. The food's here." The miko frowned at Usagi's silence and nudged the chair again. "Usagi-chan! Move your seat upright please!"

"I think she's asleep, Rei-chan" Ami whispered.

"Asleep? I can fix that." Rei grabbed Usagi's seat back with both hands and rattled it firmly. "Wake up, Usagi!"

"Ahhh! Nani? Are we there already?"

"No! Tip your seat forward so we can eat, it's lunchtime."

"Oh. Ok! I'm starving!" The seat pivoted away from her in a shot, and Rei lowered her tray table while glaring at her grinning boyfriend.

"What's so funny?"

"Rei-chan my darling, remind me never to make you mad!" Yuuichirou chuckled.

. . . . .

Their meal complete, Makoto and Yuji handed their trays back to the flight attendant. "What did you think of the food, my love?"

Makoto made a face. "Awful." She leaned forward, peering between the seat backs while asking, "Minako-chan, is all airplane food like-", but stopped and quickly sat back.

"What's wrong with Minako-chan?" Yuji asked.

"Nothing that a long cold shower wouldn't cure. She's cuddling with Taro. Again."

Yuji grinned back at his girl. "I never realized my brother was so... romantic."

"I don't think he has much choice in the matter, Yuji-chan."

Rei also noticed the amorous couple to her right after the flight attendant passed by, bringing Usagi yet another soda. "They're still at it!" she whispered to her Yuuichirou. "That girl is a complete embarrassment!"

The captain's voice came over the cabin speaker, announcing that they had well-passed the half way point of their journey and would be beginning their descent into Okinawa's Naha Airport in another twenty minutes. "Ladies and gentlemen, you'll be happy to know the weather at our destination is warm and sunny. The current temperature at Naha is... twenty six degrees Celsius."

Ami turned her attention from the in-flight magazine she had been browsing. "Ryo-kun, I do hope there are coral reefs in the ocean near Yuuichirou's parents' home. I'd really like to see them."

"I'm sure we can arrange a day trip, Ami-chan my love. If we can... find the time" he added with a blush.

"Ryo-kun! Why, you've become nearly as bad as-"

"As bad as you, Ami-chan?" Rei asked from behind her. Ami reddened and quickly flipped the pages in her magazine.

"Something tells me that after this trip, all of us guys are going to need a second vacation... to rest up from this one!" Yuuichirou grinned.

"You really think one will be enough, Yuuichirou-chan?" Rei asked sweetly. She leaned toward her boyfriend and softly kissed the young man's cheek. Her voice dropped to a sultry near-whisper. "It will take more than one vacation for you to recover from what I have in mind for us on this holiday, lover boy."

"Ah... yes... ok" the young apprentice stuttered.

---

Chapter 5:

After having consumed an inordinate amount of soda, Usagi squeezed past Ami and Ryo and ventured back to visit the plane's washroom. On her return, she dropped into the vacant seat beside Makoto. "Mako-chan, we're all so very proud of you!"

"You shouldn't be, Usagi-chan. It's just flying, after all. Millions of people do it every day." The brunette sounded like she was trying hard to convince herself that hurtling along high above the ground was somehow a normal occurrence. The aircraft swayed slightly, causing Makoto to tighten her snug grip on her boyfriend's hand.

"How do you like flying, Usagi-chan?" Yuji asked.

"At first it was really exciting!" the blonde replied. "But now... it's kind of boring. I wish I'd brought along a manga to read." She sighed. "If only Mamo-chan was here with me, it would have been a lot more fun. I miss him so much."

"You'll see him tomorrow" Makoto reminded her. "I'm just happy you didn't bring that heavy monster suitcase you brought with you when we went to the resort last year. If you had, the plane probably wouldn't have been able to get off the ground."

"Mako-chan!" Usagi gave her friend a sour look. "Don't tell me you're teasing me too now! Listening to Rei-chan complain about me is bad enough."

"I heard that!" Rei glared past her boyfriend at the blonde.

Minako's smiling face appeared above the seat in front of Yuji. "What's wrong, Usagi-chan? Aren't you having fun?"

"Obviously not as much fun as you are" Rei muttered from across the aisle. Minako giggled and promptly disappeared back into her Taro's warm embrace.

"Sex-crazed maniac!" the miko grumbled. She asked her boyfriend, "You haven't said much about where we'll all be staying, my love. Are your parents putting everyone up in a hotel?"

Yuuichirou shook his head. "Everyone's staying at the cottage, honey. They often use it as a guest house when their friends visit. There'll be plenty of room for all of us."

"Oh. Uh... are you sure that's a good idea? I mean... you're positive your parents won't object to all the girls wanting to spend the nights with their boyfriends?"

"Not a problem, Rei-chan. You'll find that my father and mother are very relaxed about the whole thing. You'll see."

"Do they know we've been sleeping together?"

"I think they've figured that part out by now, darling" the apprentice chuckled.

The young miko's slender fingers straightened her engagement ring. "Honey, do I look ok?"

Yuuichirou smiled warmly at his love. "Ok? Rei-chan my darling, you look simply stunning. Breathtakingly beautiful, as always."

Rei's deep purple eyes sparkled at the compliment. Her lips parted as she leaned into him and the couple kissed deeply, evoking a groan from Usagi. "I hate being alone! I want my Mamo-chan!"

"Shouldn't you be eating or something?" Rei teased the frustrated girl after her kiss had ended.

"Hmph!" Usagi trudged back to her seat just as the captain's voice announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, we are now beginning our final descent into Naha."

Makoto's strained tone betrayed her rising concern. "Did he have to say 'final'?" Through Yuji's window she caught a glimpse of the blue waters of the East China Sea, now appearing much closer as the aircraft continued losing altitude.

"I know what you're thinking, my sweet" Yuji reassured her. "Please try your best to put it out of your mind."

Around the cabin, the 'fasten seatbelts' lights flickered on, causing Minako and Taro to finally call a reluctant halt to their cuddling. Minako sat back, unfolded her armrest and clicked the buckle of her seat belt together. "We have to stop for a while, Taro-chan. We're going down now."

"Minako-chan, did I ever tell you what a rotten way with words you have?" Makoto scolded her. "Can't you just say... I don't know... that we're landing?"

"Gomen nasai, Mako-chan!" the blonde apologized with a giggle. "That's what I meant to say!"

While Rei slipped back into her red stiletto pumps, Ryo whispered a question to his girl. "Why does Mako-chan seem to be worrying so much at this moment of the flight, Ami-chan? We're nearly there."

"She lost her parents when their plane crashed while it was landing, Ryo-kun" Ami replied, keeping her voice down. "This will probably be the most difficult part of the entire flight for her."

The big jet was now quite low, its wings seeming to skim just above the foamy white wave tops that rushed past at incredible speed. Yuji turned from another fascinating glance through his window to find his girlfriend's face pale, her hands tightly folded in her lap and her beautiful green eyes locked straight ahead. He slipped his left arm around her, waiting until he thought the moment was just right and the plane nearly down, before softly calling her name.

"Mako-chan?"

"Yes?"

Her head turned toward him just enough that, moments before the wheels touched the runway and much to her surprise, he kissed her. Not a shy, quick peck, but a passionate, tenderly lingering caress that caused Makoto's eyes to slowly close as she tasted the sweetness of her young man's lips, relishing in the boundless love that flowed between their hearts each time they shared a moment of intimacy. Utterly losing herself in her beloved Yuji, she briefly forgot they were about to land and wasn't even aware of the slight bump as the massive plane gracefully touched down and began to slow.

After a few more seconds of bliss, the couple slowly parted. Makoto's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the airport terminal zipping past their window in the distance.

"We've landed already?"

"Hai" her boyfriend smiled. "We have, my love." The sixteen year old boy blushed as Rei and Yuuichirou applauded them.

"Now that's how to do it right, Yuji-chan!" Rei grinned at the teen. "Good thinking!"

"Minna, welcome to Okinawa!" Yuuichirou announced.

Makoto's cheeks reddened as well, but at that instant in time, she didn't care. "I love you, Yuji-chan."

. . . . .

After retrieving their luggage from the baggage carousel, the group of young travelers made their way toward the exit, chatting excitedly amongst themselves. In the arrivals area, Yuuichirou and Rei spotted a man in a chauffeur's uniform holding up a sign with the words "Kumada party" neatly written on it in hiragana script. "I think someone's expecting us, darling!" Yuuichirou joked. The driver escorted them outside into a warm, gentle breeze where a second driver and a pair of gleaming black airport limousines stood parked at the curb.

"I feel like a movie star!" Minako blurted, her blue eyes shimmering brightly. The driver bowed deeply before holding their door open, and she slipped comfortably into the soft leather rear seat of one of the large luxurious cars, along with her Taro. Makoto and Yuji joined the couple in a second seat that faced them. The guests of honor entered the other limo, followed by Usagi, Ami and Ryo.

"I really like this, Yuuichirou-chan!" Usagi exclaimed. "It's so luxurious! Now this is how a Queen should always travel" she added with a haughty wave of her hand.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty, but would you mind moving your big feet?" Rei asked. "They're taking up all my legroom."

"Quiet, Rei-chan! My feet aren't big!"

The two cars eased away from the terminal and pulled into light traffic, with Minako and Makoto staring through the windows. As they entered an expressway, Minako pointed and squealed, "Look, Mako-chan! Palm trees!"

"I see them" the brunette replied, feeling incredibly relieved to be away from airports and planes and onto firm ground again.

"Taro-chan, isn't this so romantic?" Minako sighed.

'More 'romance' is the last thing you and Taro need today!' Makoto thought to herself.

In the lead car, Yuuichirou told his love, "We'll be there in under an hour, darling." Rei gazed at the passing scenery but she was still far too concerned about meeting her future in-laws to fully appreciate it. As they rode along, Ami and Ryo tested their memories by identifying locations they had studied in their travel guide.

"Ami-chan, aren't we passing through Onoyamacho now?"

"Hai! And after we cross that bridge we'll be in Asahimachi, Ryo-kun."

"Only Mizuno Ami and Urawa Ryo could turn a spring vacation into a school field trip!" the miko teased. She paused to glare at Usagi. "Usagi-chan, this day is very important to my Yuuichirou-chan and me. We both know the kind of trouble you and Minako always seem to get yourselves into. Please don't do anything to mess things up."

"I won't, Rei-chan" her friend solemnly vowed. "I'll even try not to eat too much!"

Yuuichirou glanced at his watch. "It's nearly three, Usagi-chan. If you can hold out until five-thirty, I'm sure you'll enjoy the dinner my parents have planned for everyone."

"Dinner? Sugoi!" the blonde beamed happily.

"Darling," Rei questioned her fiancee, "I never asked you this before, not directly. I didn't want to seem too... forward. But exactly how rich are your parents? You never really told me."

"They're millionaires, honey."

"Oh..." Rei gasped. "I should have known."

. . . . .

The surrounding landscape gradually changed to low green hillsides as the two cars neared Tsutaya. A narrowing road began to wind across the countryside, gradually switching back to suburbs as they approached Nanjo. "It won't be long now!" Usagi said.

Yuuichirou nodded. "It's been a while. I kind of miss this old place."

"Would you rather live here than in Tokyo?" Ami asked.

"It doesn't really matter where I live, Ami-chan" the apprentice answered. "As long as I'm with my wonderful Rei. That's all that matters."

"That's very true, Yuuichirou-chan" Ryo agreed. "It's not important where we are, but who we're with." He gave his blue-haired girlfriend a happy smile. "Ami-chan my love, I would follow you anywhere."

"You already have, Ryo-chan" Usagi grinned. "You followed her here from the moon."

"And I would follow her across the universe if it meant being with the girl I love" Ryo added shyly.

"My Ryo-kun!" Ami slipped her arms around her young man and kissed him softly on the lips.

"I was wondering when you two would finally start!" Rei laughed.

---

Chapter 6:

After driving through Nanjo, the small convoy of two limousines shuttled their excited passengers past Nakayama and turned northeast onto a quiet side road. The Philippine Sea came into view through the right-side windows and Usagi pressed her nose up against the glass. "That ocean looks so big! Rei-chan, your future in-laws must have a beautiful view from their cottage!"

Rei didn't answer her friend. She rubbed her hands together nervously, closed her eyes and uttered a silent prayer to Amaterasu that things would go well for her and Yuuichirou. The side road lead them to a winding lane way that carried the miko and her friends nearer the ocean. Yuuichirou smiled at the love of his life. "We've arrived, my sweet." He pointed, "There's the cottage."

Rei peered out the window, her mouth falling open in shock. Instead of an old, rustic house on the seaside like she had imagined, the dwelling her Yuuichirou had referred to as a cottage was in fact a large, modern two-story mansion, its white walls reflecting the dazzling Okinawa sunlight nearly as brightly as the sea beyond.

"What do you think of our home for the next five days, my love?" Yuuichirou asked softly. "I really hope you like it."

"Yuuichirou-chan, it's... it's... oh my!"

In the second car, the other two couples' heads twisted from side to side as their car followed the first limo past an opened wrought iron gate and onto a circular paved driveway. "This must be the hotel we're staying at" Taro mused. "It's quite impressive!"

"It can't be a hotel, Taro-chan" Minako corrected her lover. "Yuuichirou said we'd be going straight to his parents' home from the airport."

"Well if this is where they live, then I think we underestimated just how wealthy they really are!" Yuji uttered in awe.

"This place makes my house in Nerima look like a run-down old shack!" Makoto added with a chuckle as their car braked to a stop beside a large silver Mercedes sedan. Their chauffeur promptly appeared beside the car and opened their door, bowing again as the teens exited the vehicle.

"Welcome to the Kumada's Okinawa residence" he said as the girls and their boyfriends gathered behind their limo to await their luggage. "I hope you will enjoy your stay."

"We will!" Minako bubbled enthusiastically. She spotted Rei emerging from her car and rushed over, giggling at the miko's astonished expression as she stared up at the imposing home. "Rei-chan! Nice place you and Yuuichirou have here!"

"What on earth are you babbling about, Minako-chan? It's not ours!" the raven-haired girl scoffed.

"Well... it may be someday."

"Nani?" Rei stared at the blonde.

"She's right, darling" Yuuichirou said. "Someday, this will be yours." He thanked the driver and turned to his beautiful young shrine maiden, gathering her into his arms. "Ready to meet the Kumadas, my love?"

A faint, feeble "no" was all Rei could muster, but she had no choice in the matter. As her friends joined her, two people appeared in the doorway of the mansion and waved. Usagi promptly waved back, yelling "Konnichiwa!"

A soft groan escaped the miko's lips. 'Why did she have to be the first one to open her mouth?'

Usagi began to stride toward their hosts when she suddenly felt a firm restraining hand on her shoulder. "Usagi-chan!" Makoto whispered, "Don't you think Rei and Yuuichirou should greet them first?"

"Oh! You're right, Mako-chan! What was I thinking?"

"You weren't thinking at all!" Rei hissed at the blonde. "As usual." Donning her brightest smile, she took her Yuuichirou's offered hand and the pair walked up to the door together.

Deep bows followed, and the tall, distinguished-looking older gentleman smiled warmly at them. "Great to see you again, son! It's been far too long. And this lovely young lady beside you must be the girl you've fallen so madly in love with. I can certainly see one reason why!" Yuuichirou's parents were dressed in expensive kimonos and Rei blushed, suddenly feeling like some poor waif off the street, though she valiantly continued to smile.

"Takeo-san, Noriko-san, it is my pleasure to introduce you to my fiancee, the love of my life, Miss Hino Rei." Yuuichirou announced proudly.

"It is a great honor to finally meet my Yuuichirou's parents" Rei spoke, bowing again.

"What a lovely young lady you are, Hino-san!" the petite woman smiled. "We've heard so many interesting things about you. But you must be feeling tired after your flight. Please introduce us to your friends, then we can all go inside to relax and get to know each other better."

After another round of polite introductions with the other teenagers, Kumada Takeo grinned. "Now that all the stuffy formalities are out of the way, let's go sit and chat. Minna, welcome to our humble home."

Makoto glanced over at Ami and whispered, 'humble home?', producing a soft giggle from the blue-haired girl. With the Kumadas leading the way, Rei and Yuuichirou followed them into the mansion with their friends tagging close behind.

After removing their shoes, everyone gathered in a large sitting room and chose spots on two long over-stuffed sofas. The elder Kumada offered, "Would anyone like something to drink?"

"Hai hai! I'll have a soda please!" Usagi asked, "And would you happen to have any-"

A not-so-discreet nudge from Makoto silenced the blonde. "Usagi-chan! Wait for dinner!"

Kumada Takeo laughed. "You certainly must be the same Tsukino Usagi we've heard about! My son warned me about your... ah... love of food."

"Usagi-chan is famous across the Minato ward of Tokyo for her insatiable appetite, Kumada-san" Rei added, slipping her friend a quick, stern look from the corner of her eyes.

"I'm not insatiable, Rei-chan! I just like to eat!" the blonde shot back.

"The catering company will arrive with our meals in... oh... about another hour, Usagi-chan" Takeo told the girl. Usagi beamed happily, eliciting another chuckle from her host.

"Daichi-san isn't preparing dinner today?" Yuuichirou asked his father. He turned to his fiancee and added, "He's the family chef, Rei darling. Though he doesn't live here, his home is in Nanjo. Oh, and his wife also drops by a few times a week to tidy up the place."

"Don't forget that he's our part-time gardener as well, Yuuichirou-chan" Takeo laughed. "Unfortunately, he isn't with us this week. He and his wife recently had a second child, so I insisted he take some time off to be with her and the new baby. Which means that, for now, your mother and I are roughing it."

Minako diverted her eyes from the opulent surroundings to stare at Taro. "This is roughing it?" she whispered unbelievingly.

"Do you have many staff employed at your home, Kumada-san?" Rei asked the attractive older woman.

"Just Daichi-san and his wife, Hino-san. May I call you Rei?"

"Of course, Kumada-san. Please do."

"Then you may call me Noriko, Rei-chan" she smiled.

"This is certainly a lovely home you have, Kumada-san" Ami complimented Noriko. "I'm honestly quite surprised. After hearing Yuuichirou-chan refer to it as a cottage, I was expecting something considerably more... modest."

"Calling it a cottage is just a little family joke, Mizuno-san. We've always thought of it that way because it's where we vacation often. That is, when we aren't traveling or at our main home in Kyoto." She looked closely at the blue-haired girl and the boy who sat close beside her, holding her hand. "You're quite famous in your own right, Mizuno-san. It's an honor to have the brightest student in all of Japan staying with us."

Ami blushed at the compliment and smiled back shyly.

"Ami-chan even won a car in the All-Japan Examinations last year, Okasan" Yuuichirou told his mother. "She's become an excellent driver."

"Oh? That's quite impressive, Mizuno-san. If you and your friends would like to explore the area during your stay, please feel free to take my car. I don't drive often so it's really a waste to have it sitting around unused."

"Arigatou gozaimasu, Kumada-san." Ami humbly thanked her with yet another shy smile.

"Father still doesn't drive?" Yuuichirou asked his mother.

"I never found the time to get my driver's license" their male host admitted to the group, somewhat embarrassed. "When we're in Okinawa, I rely on my Noriko to take us where we need to go."

The teens continued chatting with their hosts until the doorbell rang. "That must be our meal" Takeo said. "Yuuichirou-chan, would you mind showing the caterers where to set up?"

The boy nodded and gave Rei a quick kiss on the cheek, causing her pretty face to redden. "I'll be right back, honey" her fiancee promised. He disappeared down a wide hallway, leaving Rei feeling as though she was sitting on pins and needles.

"Rei-chan," Takeo said, "I understand that in addition to being an excellent student at your private school, you also work as a miko at the Hikawa Jinja."

"That's correct, Takeo-san" Rei nodded. "A member of the Hino family has served at the shrine for many generations now. My grandfather is the Shinto priest there."

Takeo told his wife, "Noriko honey, the next time we're in Tokyo we simply must visit." He continued, "I'm looking forward to meeting your grandfather, Rei-chan. He sounds like a very learned man."

"Hai, he is, Takeo-san. My Ojii-chan is really quite special" she added, a touch of pride in her voice.

A few minutes later, Yuuichirou reappeared in the hallway. "Minna, dinner's on. Come and get it!"

Everyone but Rei laughed as Usagi abruptly sprang from the sofa. "I'm ready! Lead me to the food, Yuuichirou-chan!"

The miko groaned inwardly. 'So much for Usagi's promise not to eat so much!' she thought with a sigh.

---

Chapter 7:

After enjoying a selection of delicious main courses followed by a decadently rich dessert in the Kumada's large dining room, Usagi leaned back in her chair wearing a huge, satisfied grin. "Yuuichirou-chan, I wish I ate like this every day!"

"If you did, you'd need a larger fuku before we go back to school, Usagi-chan!" Makoto teased. She was impressed by the quality and variety of the catered meal, and made a mental note to try her hand at one of the new Okinawan dishes her Yuji had particularly enjoyed when they returned home next week.

The unperturbed petite blonde made a face. "I can't help it if I have a healthy appetite, Mako-chan! Like I told you before, I'm a growing girl."

Takeo asked, "Yuuichirou said you are a very accomplished young chef, Makoto-chan. I'd like your opinion on what we've just sampled here. Do you think I should compliment the catering company, or find someone else in the future?"

"I'd use them again, Kumada-san" the tall brunette replied confidently, though she was a little surprised to have her cooking knowledge suddenly put to the test. "In my humble opinion, the goya chanpuru was nearly perfect and the umi-budo was very nice as well. Our dessert was also quite good, although I would personally have used a little less sugar."

Yuuichirou's father listened intently as she spoke. "That's pretty much the way I saw it, Makoto-chan. My son is absolutely right, you certainly do know a thing or two about the culinary arts. I'm very impressed!"

"Arigatou, Kumada-san" Makoto replied with a smile. Beneath the table, Yuji softly squeezed her hand, feeling extremely proud of his girlfriend.

Yuuichirou refilled his and Rei's long-stemmed glasses from an opened bottle of vintage wine. "I think I'd better bring the luggage upstairs soon, while I'm still able to move!" he remarked. "After that big bowl of anmitsu I just put away, I could use the exercise."

An idea suddenly popped into Rei's mind about how best to 'exercise' her Yuuichirou, but she temporarily set aside the amorous thought and smiled sweetly at him instead.

"Yuuichirou-chan, when you're finished here, why don't you escort everyone upstairs to their rooms so they can get settled in?" his father suggested. "Afterward, you can show them around the house and grounds. I have to go make an overseas phone call. I shouldn't be very long."

"Good idea, Otosan" the young apprentice nodded. Kumada Takeo excused himself and left the table after accepting a polite round of thanks from his guests.

Noriko turned to Rei and smiled. "I occasionally enjoy an after-dinner cigarette with my coffee outside on the rear deck, Rei-chan. Yuuichirou told me that you smoke too, so why don't we both sit outside together and chat for a while? It's a lovely evening and the ocean view is quite stunning at this time of day."

Everyone stared at the miko as she hesitated, Rei's quivering voice rising above faint giggling from Minako across the dining table. "Um... of course, Noriko-san. I'd... like that." She shot a panicked glance in the direction of her boyfriend, who smiled back reassuringly.

"Go ahead, Rei my love. You and mother can engage in a little girl talk while I give our friends a tour of the place. We'll meet up with you both in the living room later on."

Rei tried her hardest to ignore her friends' glances and stood up. "I... uh... need to find my purse, Noriko-san. Please excuse me a moment, I'll be right back."

"Take your time, Rei-chan" the woman replied in a friendly tone. "I'm sure we'll have plenty of things to chat about."

The miko gulped, her stomach churning nervously as she walked out of the dining room. Noticing how stressed his girl appeared, Yuuichirou promptly followed her and caught up to his fiancee as she reached the other end of the hallway.

"Still feeling nervous, my love?"

Rei glowered up at him. "Of course I'm nervous, Yuuichirou-chan! I have to be alone with your mother and we've only just met. What if I say something dumb? She'll hate me!"

"Don't worry, darling" he answered soothingly. "Just relax and be yourself."

"Why does everyone keep telling me to do that?"

"My parents approve of you, sweetheart. I already know they do."

"They... do? Are you sure, honey?"

"Most definitely, my love. You've made quite an impact since we arrived, Rei-chan. They really like you a lot!" He grinned, "Then again, what's not to like?"

"Well... uh... and another thing!" the flustered girl continued. "Why did you tell your mother that I smoke? If the girls see me, I'll never hear the end of it!"

"It isn't exactly a surprise to our friends, my love. Not anymore. Remember what happened at the airport?"

"That's not the same thing!" Rei insisted. She snatched up her purse with trembling hands as Minako and Taro joined them, followed by Makoto and Yuji who were still discussing the dinner menu.

"I'm sorry. I only mentioned it to her because it's something you both have in common, Rei darling." Yuuichirou replied. "When you're outside on the deck together, I'm sure you'll find plenty of other things to talk about."

"If you say so." Unconvinced, Rei gave Yuuichirou a quick kiss on the cheek and began heading back to the dining room, only to frown even more deeply when Minako winked at her as she walked past.

"Enjoy your coffee and cigarettes with your mother-in-law, Rei-chan!" the blonde tittered.

Rei shot her a glare that could melt an iceberg. "Shut up, Minako-chan!"

. . . . .

Upstairs, Yuuichirou swung open the first bedroom door and stepped back. "Who'd like this one?"

Minako peered inside, spotting the large bed and beyond that, an expansive picture window that reached nearly from floor to ceiling with a clear view of the ocean. Before anyone else could speak, she grabbed her boyfriend's hand and dragged him and their luggage inside. "We'll take it, Yuuichirou-chan!"

"Are you sure, Minako-chan? There's five other rooms up here."

The blonde sat on the edge of the bed and jiggled up and down. "No squeaks. That's even better!" she giggled. "We'll stay here!" She smiled alluringly at Taro, her lover's face instantly turning red.

Makoto groaned. "Minako-chan, is that all you ever think about?"

"Of course not, silly! I think of other things too... sometimes!"

"You're impossible." Makoto and the others followed Yuuichirou down the hall and eventually everyone had chosen a room. Ami and Ryo set about unpacking in a bedroom chosen by the couple because it had a writing desk containing a small selection of interesting books.

Ryo hung the last of his short-sleeved shirts in a closet and turned to face his girl. "Ami-chan, it looks like you'll be able to see those coral reefs after all. It was very nice of Noriko to offer you the use of her car."

"Yuuichirou's parents are just as friendly and outgoing as he described, Ryo-kun" she agreed. "I believe we're going to have a simply wonderful time here." The love of his life slipped her pale blue one-piece bathing suit into a drawer and slid it closed, smiling coyly at him. "With or without the coral reefs."

"Are there any other attractions you'd like to see while we're in Okinawa, my love?"

"I can think of one very special attraction, Ryo-kun. I think it's the nicest attraction of all. One I'd like to see... quite frequently."

"Oh?" Ryo wondered. "What's that, Ami-chan?"

In response, his girlfriend sat on the edge of their bed, her smile growing as she playfully bounced up and down on it just as Minako had done. "No squeaks."

The fifteen-year-old boy's eyes widened. "Ami-chan!"

. . . . .

On the large elevated wooden deck behind the home, a very nervous Hino Rei took another sip of her coffee. Across the table from the raven-haired miko, Noriko gazed out across the nearby sea. "Isn't the view wonderful from here, Rei-chan?"

"Hai, Noriko-san. It's incredible."

The older woman could feel the tension in her future daughter-in-law's voice. "I understand this day must be more than a little uncomfortable for you. Meeting your boyfriend's parents for the first time is always a stressful thing. It certainly was for me" she confided with a smile.

"It was?"

"But of course, Rei-chan." She was quite pleased to find the girl to be everything her son had said she was, and more. "When Yuuichirou wrote and told us he'd begun working at the Hikawa Jinja, I thought it was a very good decision on his part. Certainly better than aimlessly wandering around Japan. And now, after meeting you and your dear friends, I realize just how wise that decision was."

"Arigatou, Noriko-san" Rei replied, audibly relieved. "I can't tell you how happy I am to hear that."

"Did Yuuichirou ever tell you that my great-grandfather also worked in a shrine at one time?"

Rei's eyebrows went up. "No, he never mentioned anything like that."

"He was training to be a Shinto priest, like your grandfather is, but found the discipline a little too demanding. So he left." She smiled warmly at Rei. "So I understand more than you realize about your life. I know you are hard-working, very disciplined and extremely devoted to the people that matter in your life."

"I always try my very best" the miko replied modestly.

"Those are all things Takeo and I value quite highly. I believe our Yuuichirou is a very lucky boy to have met you, Rei-chan. Takeo and I think you are a simply outstanding young lady. I'd formally like to welcome you into the Kumada family."

Rei couldn't believe her ears. Everything was going far better than she had dared hope, and she was rapidly developing a strong liking to both of her fiancee's parents. 'My Yuuichirou wasn't kidding' she thought. 'They really are wonderful people!' Now feeling much more at ease, she calmly continued chatting with Noriko while on the grounds below, her friends emerged from their exploration of the large house and strolled together across the back yard. She watched as her Yuuichirou waved them forward, still acting as an impromptu tour guide.

. . . . .

"There are the palm trees you mentioned, Yuuichirou-chan!" Minako exclaimed as she and Taro strolled across the grass. "I love them!"

Beside her, Makoto asked, "What is it with you and palm trees, Minako-chan?"

"I don't know. They just look so... exotic, I guess."

"I fell out of that one once when I was a kid" the apprentice pointed at one of the trees with a laugh. "It really hurt!"

Yuuichirou led everyone further back along the property toward the large swimming pool, complete with diving board at one end. They reached it and were surprised to find it sitting empty. "That's odd" the young man puzzled. His father strolled up to them and he gestured toward the pool. "You haven't filled it yet this year, Otosan. Have you given up swimming?"

Having finished his phone call, Takeo had rejoined the teens and now explained, "We found a small crack in it last autumn, Yuuichirou-chan. The damage has since been repaired but Daichi-san hasn't had time to set it up yet. I'm sorry to disappoint everyone, but I'm sure you can appreciate how a new baby can take up a lot of a man's time."

Though feeling even more disappointed than the others, Ami nodded in agreement. "That's completely understandable, Kumada-san. Children do have a way of taking over your life... and your heart" she added softly, remembering her little Chieko-chan and how a single precious day with their six-year-old daughter from the future had so brightened hers and Ryo's lives.

Taro promptly stepped forward. "Kumada-san, my brother and I know a thing or two about pools. We helped maintain a public pool back home in Nerima for a time. We'd be happy to clean it and get it up and running for you, if you don't mind. With Yuuichirou and Ryo's help it won't take long. We can start first thing tomorrow."

"I do appreciate the thought, Taro-chan. But I couldn't impose. You are our guests."

"It's no trouble at all, Kumada-san!" Minako interjected. "After bringing us all the way down to Okinawa to stay at your lovely home, it's the least we can do."

"Well... if you'd really like to, then by all means!" Takeo grinned. "Yuuichirou-chan, you have wonderful friends here."

"Hai, Otosan. I do. They're the best."

. . . . .

After wandering around the spacious back yard for a time, admiring the landscape and enjoying a warm ocean breeze, Takeo led the group back into the mansion. Usagi promptly ran off to the kitchen to quench her thirst with another soda, while everyone else gathered again in the sitting room and waited for Noriko and Rei to return from their private chat.

"So... how do you like the place so far?" Takeo asked.

"It's quite the cottage you have here!" Yuji chuckled, still in awe of his first taste of the life of the well-to-do.

Takeo laughed. "I see Yuuichirou has kept the 'family cottage' joke alive. Our home in Kyoto is much more in keeping with traditional Japanese style than this-" He was interrupted by the distant sound of a ringing telephone. "Please excuse me for a moment while I take this call. Minna, please make yourselves at home."

After he left, Minako leaned against her boyfriend and sighed wistfully. "We should have our own place like this someday, Taro-chan. I could get used to living like a millionaire!"

"Uh, I'll see what I can do about that, honey" Taro grinned.

"Nothing like turning up the pressure on the boyfriend, Minako-chan!" Makoto teased the blonde.

"I'm not pressuring my Taro, Mako-chan. I know that becoming rich like this takes a lot of time and effort. After all, Rome wasn't burned in a day!"

"I think you mean 'built in a day', Minako-chan" Ami smiled.

"Oh. That's true too!"

Makoto regarded her blonde friend with amusement. "Something tells me you're feeling jealous of Rei, Minako-chan. She's going to marry into money, and probably have the kind of life the rest of us can only dream about."

"Me? Jealous? Well... uh... maybe just a little."

Takeo wasn't long, returning to the sitting room just as his wife and Rei entered from another direction. The teens were amazed to see Rei smiling happily, the miko appearing much more relaxed and self-assured than she had in days.

The elder Kumada frowned. "I just got off the phone with our office in Berlin, Noriko honey."

"Problems, Takeo?"

"Hai. That important business deal they were working on has stalled. It appears our German friends wish to renegotiate the terms."

"Oh? I'm sorry to hear that. Will they be able to manage?"

Takeo shook his head. "I don't think so. Our new man in the Berlin office lacks experience. He's in over his head. It looks like I'll have to fly there tomorrow and help straighten things out."

"But we just got here!" Yuuichirou exclaimed. "Can't it wait until our visit is over?" As he spoke, Usagi entered clutching her soda and sat down on the sofa beside Minako.

"I'm afraid not, son. This is something that has to be dealt with immediately." The man sighed, "I'll need your assistance in this one too, Noriko honey. You and the director's wife get along very well, and having you there with me would certainly help smooth things over."

"I understand." Noriko had encountered situations like this many times before, and news of yet another sudden trip out of the country was not much of a surprise to her. "How long will we be away?"

"Just a couple of days. Three at most. We'll leave tomorrow on the first available flight."

If this turn of events had happened earlier in the day, Rei would have jumped for joy. But now she felt keen disappointment, having gotten along so incredibly well with her fiancee's parents, and especially with Noriko.

Takeo addressed his son. "Yuuichirou-chan, we'll be home before you and your friends return to Tokyo. I promise we'll make up for lost time then. But as of tomorrow, you and Rei are in charge. I assume you'll keep things running smoothly until we return?"

Yuuichirou nodded. "No problem, Otosan." He smiled at his girl. "We'll be fine."

Rei confidently added, "You can certainly count on us, Noriko-san. I'll make very sure everyone pitches in to keep things in perfect order while you're away."

"I know we can rely on you, Rei-chan" Noriko replied with a warm smile.

On the sofa, Usagi and Minako exchanged worried glances. "Oh-oh! I think we're going to have a very different vacation than what we planned on, Usagi-chan" Minako whispered to her. "We both know what Rei can be like when she's in charge."

"I think you're right, Minako-chan" Usagi whispered back glumly. Rei overheard the conversation and glared sternly at the duo.

Usagi and Minako both fell silent, grinning sheepishly at the raven-haired girl.

---

Chapter 8:

With the hour of nine p.m. arriving in Okinawa, the sun had long since set upon the subtropical island and the Kumada's large stately home. But daylight had not slipped away without first pausing to redecorate the evening sky above the blue-green Philippine Sea in nature's soft pastels. Inside the mansion, Yuuichirou and Rei sat in the living room with Takeo and Noriko, making the most of their limited time together before the Kumadas would have to excuse themselves to prepare for their early morning flight. The engaged couple's friends had decided it would be best to spend this evening to themselves, to allow Rei additional bonding time with her fiancee's mother and father before they left for Germany.

Upstairs in Aino Minako's bedroom, a beautiful girl with impossibly-long golden blonde hair stood gazing through the oversized window, watching a tiny light bobbing and flickering somewhere far out at sea. In the window's reflection, feelings of anticipation and growing passion brought a smile to the girl's lips as she waited for her Taro to finish his shower. But further thoughts of her love were interrupted by a knock on her opened doorframe. Minako turned around to find Usagi standing in the hallway, an unsettled look on her friend's face.

"Something wrong, Usagi-chan? Are you missing your Mamoru too much?" Minako teased the other blonde.

Usagi stepped into the bedroom and sighed heavily. "I'm worried, Minako-chan. Worried about Rei, and what's going to happen here in the next few days."

"I think I know what's bothering you" Minako said. "We both heard what Yuuichirou's mother said to Rei earlier about looking after things while they're gone. And how Rei promised Noriko she'd make sure we all help her keep everything perfect."

"That's exactly what's bothering me, Minako-chan! Sooner or later, Rei-chan is going to ask for our help with something. But I'm not perfect!" Usagi groaned. "I just know I'm going to do something wrong or make a mistake, and Rei-chan will get really mad at me again. I don't know why, Minako-chan" she fretted. "It just happens!"

"Me too, Usagi-chan" Minako nodded understandingly. "Isn't it strange how bad things always seem to happen to us?"

"We can't disappoint Rei if she asks for help, Minako-chan! Not this time!" Usagi waggled her index finger at the other blonde to emphasize her point. "This vacation is much too important for her and Yuuichirou. Somehow, we need to help show her future in-laws what a capable person she is without causing another disaster. But... I'm afraid I'm just going to wreck everything."

"That's not the only problem, Usagi-chan. If Rei asks us for help and we mess up now, she will never forgive us. Never ever! Remember how mad at us she got when her grandpa was in the hospital and we helped out at the shrine? This would be a million times worse!"

"No!" Usagi gasped. "That day at the shrine was bad enough! Rei yelled at us for a whole week after that!"

"We kind of deserved it though" Minako admitted, smiling wryly. "I have to admit, breaking those light bulbs and putting that big scratch in the hall paneling with that stupid ladder wasn't too bright."

Usagi began to snicker. "Neither was soaking the shrine's kitchen floor in soapy water! But that was my fault, Minako-chan."

"Well at least you weren't the one who blew up that box of ofuda!"

"No, but I broke the kitchen window!"

The two blondes looked at each other and began to giggle, then suddenly burst out laughing, collapsing against one another for support. Eventually reigning in their emotions, their grins began fading, then abruptly vanished as both girls came to a sudden grim realization.

"Minako-chan!" Usagi gasped. "I think Rei-chan could be in big trouble!"

. . . . .

Further down the hall, Ami and Ryo lay close together across the top of their bed, their feet dangling off one side. The Okinawa travel guide they had brought along sat propped open between them, and the couple was browsing it to find places they and their friends may like to visit.

"How about a trip to Shikinaen Garden, Ami-chan?" Ryo suggested, pointing to a feature on the map. "We'd have to drive all the way back to Naha, but according to these pictures it looks really nice. Something I think Mako-chan and Yuji in particular would enjoy."

"It does, Ryo-kun! I'll add it to the list" Ami nodded. "I was thinking of Azama Sunsun beach, but it's still rather early in the year. It may still be closed." She noticed Usagi trudging past their open door from Minako's room and called to her. "Usagi-chan, have you thought about taking a day trip while we're here? If there's someplace you'd like to visit, please let us know."

The blonde paused and thought for a second. "Now that you mention it, there is one place I'd like to visit, Ami-chan. I saw an ad for it on the tv set in my bedroom earlier. Do you think we could go to the Okinawa Zoo and Museum?" she asked hopefully. "Some of the animals look really cute."

"Let me check, Usagi-chan." Ryo quickly leafed through the guide. "Here it is. It's in Okinawa City, Ami my love. Looks to be about an hour's drive north from Nanjo."

I think we can manage that, Usagi-chan" Ami agreed at once. "It sounds like fun."

"Arigatou!" Usagi's mood instantly brightened and she wished the couple a good night before continuing down the hall to her room.

"Are you sure you don't mind driving so far on unfamiliar roads, my love?" Ryo asked after Usagi had gone. "We've never been there before. There's a chance we may become lost."

"I'll never get lost as long as I have you to help guide me, Ryo-kun." The blue-haired girl set aside the book, got up and quietly eased their bedroom door closed until it clicked shut. "On second thought" she spoke softly, "getting lost may sometimes be the best thing that could ever happen."

"It could?"

"Hai." She sat again on the bed, reclining beside her young man, reaching out to slowly run her fingers through her boyfriend's thick, dark hair. She leaned closer, until her lips nearly touched his, her bright blue eyes aflame, her heart filled with with yearning for her Ryo. "I want to get lost tonight, my Ryo-kun. Lost in your smile... lost in your eyes... lost in our love together."

Ryo's lips gently closed the gap between the teenage lovers and the couple shared a deep, tender kiss.

. . . . .

Outside the mansion, seated on a bench near the railing along one side of the wooden deck, Kino Makoto and Ito Yuji silently gazed upward into the indigo night sky. Makoto's brown ponytail brushed softly over Yuji's arm as she snuggled against him, their shared warmth fending off an evening chill that was quickly forming in the spring sea air. From above them came the faint sounds and flashing red and green lights of a jet airliner as they watched it pass high overhead.

"Arigatou, Yuji-chan. Thanks for helping me make it through my first plane ride. And especially... the landing part."

"It was my pleasure, Mako-chan." He smiled happily in the near-darkness. "I'm glad I actually was a help. At least now I know you're still not tired of my kisses!" he joked.

"Never, my love. Never in a million years" the brunette sighed happily.

Yuji sat silently for a time, lost in thought. "I do have one regret."

Makoto's head shifted slightly on his shoulder. "What's that, honey?"

"It's just... Sweetheart, I'll probably never be able to give you the kind of life you truly deserve. A life like this, where you don't ever have to worry about things like paying the bills, or riding on some rattly old bus every day to a boring job someplace. The kind of things we'll have to deal with in a few more years." The sixteen-year-old boy's gaze dropped to the railing. "You deserve so much better than that."

"Do you honestly think those things bother me, Yuji-chan?" she asked him softly. "They don't, honey. You've given me so much more in life already. True love, and happiness, and a feeling of contentment inside that I can't even begin to describe. Having you love me and care for me is the only life I truly want."

"Really?"

"Really. I don't need to be rich, my love. I just need to be with you."

"I love you, my beautiful Mako-chan. So very, very much."

"I love you too, my Yuji-chan. With all my heart." She kissed his cheek. "It's getting chilly out here. Let's go upstairs to our room, where we can be... nice and warm together." Holding hands, Yuji and Makoto left their bench and reentered the house.

. . . . .

In the living room, Kumada Takeo studied the photograph in his hands. "Your shrine seems like such a peaceful place, Rei-chan. An island of tranquility in the chaos that is Tokyo."

"It really is, Takeo-san" Rei answered. "At least it is... most of the time."

"Takeo and I have heard several upsetting stories about the city, Rei-chan" Noriko said. "Didn't they have a number of disturbances there lately? I've heard tales of dreadful monsters that seemed to appear from nowhere and attack innocent people."

"That was true in the past" the miko admitted. "But there haven't been any youma attacks lately. I'm sure whatever it was has gone now."

"That's quite a relief!" Noriko sighed. "I certainly wouldn't want you or Yuuichirou getting caught up in that sort of thing. It sounds quite dangerous."

'You have no idea' Rei thought, suppressing a smile. She discreetly changed the subject. "Would you like more coffee, Noriko-san?"

"No thank you, Rei-chan. Takeo and I should think about getting some sleep soon. Tomorrow promises to be quite a long day." She handed back most of the pictures. "May we keep this one?" She held up a photo of Rei and Yuuichirou dressed in their shrine clothing and standing together under a large red torii gate.

"Of course" the miko agreed. "I'm sorry it's a little blurry. Usagi isn't exactly highly skilled in... handling a camera."

"You can learn a lot about a person from the friends they keep" Noriko smiled. "Your companions are all very close to one another, and to you. Anyone can plainly see that they love and respect you greatly."

"They're very special" Rei acknowledged. "I consider myself truly lucky to know them."

Takeo stood, lazily stretching his arms. "Time to call it a night, Noriko honey. We have to be on the road by seven."

"I'll take you to the airport in mother's car, Otosan" Yuuichirou volunteered. "You can catch a little more sleep before we get there."

"If you don't mind, I'll do the driving to the airport, Yuuichirou-chan" Noriko insisted with a knowing look. "I wouldn't want your father and I to miss our flight."

Takeo laughed at his son's pained expression. "Yuuichirou has to be the slowest, most cautious driver I've ever known, Rei-chan. Unlike his mother!"

"I've noticed that too, Takeo-san" the miko grinned. Her boyfriend shot her a playful glare and the two couples soon ended their chat with bows and goodnight wishes.

As the teens excused themselves and walked upstairs to their room, Yuuichirou gave Rei a questioning look. "Well, my sweet? What do you think of mother and father? Still worried?"

Rei smiled happily. "Not anymore, my love. Your parents are wonderful! Just as you said they would be." She felt incredibly relieved at how well she and they had gotten along, her earlier fears now but a distant memory. "I really like your mother! We have so much in common" she added.

"I knew you would."

"You did, did you?" Rei squeezed his hand. "My Yuuichirou has learned to foretell the future! So tell me, o wise one, what's going to happen next?"

"Next? Hmm... I see... us going into our bedroom."

"Hai. And?"

"I see us getting into bed."

"Ok. And then?"

Yuuichirou grinned slyly. "And then I see us... falling asleep in each other's arms."

"I think you missed a step there, lover" the miko whispered as they reached the upstairs hallway.

"I did?" Yuuichirou asked innocently, stroking his chin in mock bewilderment as they arrived at their bedroom door. "Whatever would that be, Rei darling?"

"Let me show you" Rei replied, her voice soft and alluring, her eyes aglow with desire for the young man she so deeply loved. She closed the door and slipped her arms around him. "It begins like this..."

---

Chapter 9:

Yuuichirou twisted his head to one side and peered drowsily through contented, sleep-filled eyes at the beeping alarm clock beside his bed. He reached out a hand and clumsily batted at it, finally silencing the intruding noise after a few missed attempts. The girl who lay snuggled close beside him sighed softly.

"Is it six already?"

"Afraid so, Rei darling. It's time to get up."

"I'm too comfortable, honey" she whispered in his ear. "Just a few more minutes." She pressed herself more tightly against him, her head resting beside his shoulder and one arm draped comfortably across his chest.

The young apprentice happily complied, in no real hurry to leave the warm, soft bed they shared. "Did you enjoy your first night in Okinawa?"

"Of course I did" she replied coyly. "Why do you think I'm still so sleepy, lover?" Rei's hand slid up to caress her fiancee's cheek. "You, my love, are simply incredible" she purred. "In every way."

"I know."

The miko abruptly propped herself up on one elbow, glaring playfully at the now-snickering boy. "And incredibly modest too, obviously!"

"Just kidding, darling!" Yuuichirou grinned.

"Well... you are incredible" Rei relented with a smile.

They shared a soft, sweet kiss before the young lovers reluctantly abandoned their bed and slipped into their robes. "Mind if I use the upstairs shower?" Rei asked.

"Please do, my love. I'll use the downstairs one. See you at the breakfast table." Another lingering kiss, and Rei stepped out into the hall and toward her shower. Passing Usagi's closed door, she heard snoring from inside.

'How on earth does Mamoru deal with that racket?' she pondered. 'Maybe he uses ear plugs.' Moving on, she was surprised to find the bedroom door adjacent to the bathroom already open, the room empty. 'Mako-chan and Yuji must be early birds today.'

. . . . .

Downstairs in the mansion's large, well-equipped kitchen, Makoto was in her element, preparing breakfast for her hosts while Yuji assisted her. A night of tender passion had left the young soul-mates feeling blissfully happy, and Makoto hummed to herself as she worked, despite an earlier polite objection from Noriko.

"You needn't put yourself out like this, Makoto-chan" the woman had said appreciatively. "I don't expect our guests to have to work for their room and board when they stay with us."

"It's no trouble at all, Noriko-san. I'm just glad to do whatever I can to help!" Makoto had replied with a bright smile. "Your regular cook isn't here, so what better time and place to pitch in?"

"Arigatou, Makoto-chan. From what I've heard of your skills in the kitchen, I'm sure Takeo and I will enjoy whatever you decide to prepare."

Now alone in the kitchen with her Yuji, Makoto was putting the finishing touches on bowls of her best miso soup and an egg-and-rice dish when Rei walked in. "I thought I'd find you two here" the miko said. "Having fun?"

The brunette grinned back. "Rei-chan, this place is fantastic!" Makoto pointed at a large stainless-steel appliance across the room. "They even have a full-size oven!" She sighed, "The things I could make, if only my apartment kitchen was this well equipped."

"Did you rest well?" Rei asked. She immediately caught the coy glance Makoto and Yuji gave one another and grinned. "I thought so!"

Makoto blushed as she ladled soup into a bowl. "Uh... anyone else up yet?"

"Usagi is still in bed, doing her best impersonation of a tractor. I think Ami and Ryo are still asleep too."

"What about Minako and Taro?" Yuji asked the miko. "My brother isn't usually a late sleeper."

"Those two?" Rei laughed. "I'll be shocked if we see them before noon!" She asked her friend, "Mako-chan, would you mind if I give you the kitchen duties for the next few days?"

"Would I mind?" the taller girl feigned surprise. "I'd be really upset if you didn't, Rei-chan!"

"I expected you to say that! Arigatou, Mako-chan. That's one less thing I have to worry about." She stepped closer to her friends. "Yuuichirou and I will be going to the airport with his parents. When we come back, I'll decide how we can best run the place while they're away. I really don't want to turn this into a work holiday, but with a property this large, there's bound to be lots to do. I'd like everything to be absolutely pristine when they return."

"Whatever you need, just name it, Rei-chan" Yuji agreed. "Us guys will start on the swimming pool while you're gone."

"Thanks, Yuji-chan. You're a big help. Now all I have to worry about is Usagi and Minako. Hopefully they won't destroy everything they touch like they did that day at the shrine" she grumbled as she left.

"Rei is really taking her job seriously, Mako-chan" her boyfriend observed.

"I don't blame her, honey. She wants to leave Yuuichirou's parents with a really good impression, and keeping everything spotless for them would be a big boost to her image. Would you carry this to the dining room please, my love?"

"Certainly, my sweet Mako-chan! Anything for the most wonderful woman in the world!"

As he turned to leave with the dish, Makoto kissed his cheek. "You were pretty wonderful yourself last night, Yuji-chan." All her young man could do was blush and smile.

. . . .

"That was an outstanding breakfast, Makoto-chan" Takeo pronounced after the meal. "If you should ever decide to open a restaurant in Tokyo, consider Noriko and I to be regular customers whenever we're in town."

His wife agreed, "This was quite delicious, Makoto-chan. I'm not exaggerating in the least when I say that your skills surpass those of our regular chef. Quite impressive."

"I'm really glad you enjoyed it" the brunette replied modestly. "I hope it holds you over until you get to Germany. The food we had on the flight here was... uh..."

"Disappointing?" Takeo laughed. "You're absolutely right, Makoto-chan! I'm not fond of airline food either, even the stuff they hand out in first class."

"I'll go load your luggage in the car" Yuuichirou volunteered. He and Rei excused themselves and rolled his parents' bags outside. They were joined by Ami and Ryo, who had roused themselves in time to wish their hosts a pleasant trip.

Rei and Ami examined the large Mercedes with interest while their boyfriends loaded its trunk with two suitcases and a matching pair of carry-on bags. "I wish we had one of these at the shrine instead of that tiny, slow van, Ami-chan. It could probably even carry more."

"It's a beautiful car, Rei-chan!" Ami enthused. "So large and luxurious. I can't wait to drive it."

Rei sighed wistfully. "A couple more months and I'll finally have my license too. Oh, while we're on the subject of driving, Ami-chan, I'd like to make you our official driver for the next few days. Would you mind picking Mamoru up at the airport later this afternoon?"

Ami nodded. "I'd be happy to. Can I bring my Ryo-kun along with me?"

"Of course. The last thing I'd ever want to do would be to separate you and Ryo! I'm sure the other guys can finish working on the pool by themselves."

The blue-haired teen smiled brightly. "I'll take good care of your car, Rei-chan."

"My car? Oh, I suppose it is, in a way. At least for a little while."

The Kumadas emerged from their home and after the other teens had wished them a safe flight and they had climbed into the car, Rei and Yuuichirou took their places in the rear of the Mercedes. Noriko pulled the silver car away from the mansion to begin the hour's drive to Naha airport.

Scant seconds later, Minako burst from the front door. "Did I miss them? Have they gone already?"

"You're a little late, Minako-chan" Makoto informed the breathless blonde. "They just left."

"Oops! I guess Taro and I shouldn't have taken so long to get out of bed!" she giggled.

"That's what happens when you sleep late" Makoto chided her friend.

"Who said we were sleeping?" Minako asked innocently.

The brunette could only shake her head in disbelief as nearby, Ami politely hid a smile. A moment later, a somewhat flushed Ito Taro also shot through the front door, still hastily fastening the last button on his shirt.

"We're too late to say goodbye, Taro-chan! They're already gone!" his girlfriend told him. "We missed breakfast too." She suddenly smiled coyly at her love. "Want to go back upstairs?"

"Oh come on, you two!" Makoto groaned. "Give it a rest!"

. . . . .

As Noriko drove briskly toward Naha, her husband opened a briefcase that sat on his lap and quickly rechecked some papers. Satisfied, he snapped the case closed and relaxed in the comfortable leather seat. "It's too bad Usagi's boyfriend isn't arriving until later today. You could have saved an extra trip."

"It's no problem, Takeo-san" Rei replied. "I'll send Ami to pick him up."

"I must say, you do have wonderful friends, Rei-chan" Noriko spoke from behind the wheel. "True friends like that are so rare nowadays. They're worth their weight in gold."

"We've been through an awful lot together" Rei said. "They've always been there for Yuuichirou and me."

"Chiba Mamoru is in his first year of university?" the elder Kumada asked her.

"Hai. He's hoping to study medicine."

"Yuuichirou-chan, have you given any further thought to going back to school?" his father questioned. "I know you're not particularly keen on working in the family business, at least not right away. So what are your current plans?"

"I'd like to become much more involved in Shinto, Otosan. Maybe someday even become a priest like Rei's grandfather."

"Oh? That's a very noble endeavor, son. I understand that becoming a Shinto priest is not exactly an easy goal to set for yourself. There's a great deal of intense study involved."

"That's true, Yuuichirou-chan" his mother added as she accelerated around a slower-moving vehicle. "It was too much for my great grandfather, and he was a very good man."

"Hino-sensei is an excellent teacher, mother. I've learned a lot from him so far."

"Rei-chan, you and your family have certainly turned our Yuuichirou's life around" Takeo complimented his future daughter-in-law. "I'd never thought it possible!"

Rei smiled at her love. "Ojii-chan has trained several apprentices over the years, Takeo-san. He recently told me that of all of them, Yuuichirou has shown the most promise. My grandfather is very pleased with him."

"He did?" Yuuichirou blurted in surprise. "When did he say that, Rei-chan?"

"Just last week, honey. Of course, that isn't something he'd ever tell you in person."

Beside the miko, her boyfriend beamed brightly. "I have promise!"

"Don't let it go to your head, son" his father chuckled. "Just remember to work hard and make your mother and I proud of you. Though I must say, we already are."

"Hai! I'll do that!" the young apprentice said with a grin stretching nearly from ear to ear.

Rei comfortably stretched out her legs. "I really like your car, Noriko-san. It's certainly a whole lot nicer than the Hikawa Jinja's tiny utility van."

"Arigatou, Rei-chan. It's nice, but the one I have in Kyoto is new and much better than this old thing. It rides more smoothly" the woman replied. "Which reminds me, we'll have to have you over to visit us at our main home soon, after our stay in Okinawa is over."

"My Rei-chan will be getting her full driving license in a couple of months" Yuuichirou announced. "She's really looking forward to it. I am too, having another driver will help out a lot at the shrine."

Takeo's eyebrows suddenly raised. "Your only transportation in Tokyo is a small van?"

"That's right, Takeo-san" Rei answered. "Apart from buses and trains, of course. And my grandfather doesn't drive."

"He's too short to see over the steering wheel!" Yuuichirou joked, receiving a playful poke in the ribs from his fiancee.

"I certainly think a van is not appropriate as our future daughter-in-law's only real means of transportation, Noriko honey" Takeo said. He smiled, "Now I have a very good idea what we should get Rei as an engagement present."

In the seat behind him, Rei's mouth dropped open in utter shock.

"Which would you prefer, Rei-chan?" Noriko asked the stunned miko. "A luxury car like this? Or perhaps something more sporty for a younger person, like a convertible?"

Unbelievingly, as though she were suddenly living in a dream world, Rei slowly turned to hear Yuuichirou reply for her. "Whatever it is, it definitely has to be red" he told his parents. "My Rei likes that color best. And I think red really suits her" he added with a knowing smile at his girl. "For... many reasons."

"Uh... but... I really couldn't..." she stuttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Arigatou, Yuuichirou-chan" Takeo nodded. "I'll certainly make a note of that."

'I can't believe this is happening!' was the miko's first thought. It was quickly followed by her second: 'Minako is going to be so jealous!'

---

Chapter 10:

The two brothers from Nerima and Urawa Ryo set to work on readying the Kumada's swimming pool, while their girlfriends watched the proceedings from seats atop the mansion's rear deck. Finding the equipment they needed in a garden shed in a far corner of the property, it didn't take long for the boys to clean out the remaining dried leaves and connect a large hose to a water pipe. As Taro swiftly unrolled the hose toward the pool, Minako stood and called to him. "Take your time, Taro-chan! Don't tire yourself out!"

The seventeen-year-old stopped and waved back. "No problem, sweetheart. This won't take much longer."

Minako returned to her seat, noticing the look Makoto gave her. "Nani?"

The brunette laughed. "After the night you and Taro just had, you're worried about him getting tired? I'm surprised he can still walk!"

"We've only been here one day, Mako-chan."

Makoto grinned at her. "Hai, one day. And by the time Yuuichirou's parents get back, you'll have your Taro so exhausted, he'll have to be carried down the stairs to breakfast every morning!"

The blonde giggled. "He doesn't get that tired, silly! At least... he hasn't yet."

The door behind them swung open and Usagi stumbled outside, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Minna, ohayou" she yawned. "Where's everyone else?"

"They've left for the airport, Usagi-chan" Ami said. "Rei and Yuuichirou should be back in an hour or two."

Usagi stopped in her tracks. "The airport! Ohh, that's right!" Suddenly wide awake, she skipped happily across the deck, long twin trails of golden hair streaming behind her odango. "Mamo-chan is coming today! I'm so excited!"

"I'm sure you'll be even more excited later" Makoto muttered. "It'll be just like having two Minakos and two Taros in the house."

"My Ryo-kun and I will be picking him up, Usagi-chan" Ami informed the girl. "His flight arrives at one thirty, so we'll be leaving for the airport at noon. Is it safe to say you'll want to come along?" the blue-haired girl asked with a smile.

"Hai hai!" Usagi beamed. "I'll be ready, Ami-chan!" She dropped into a deck chair beside her friend. "Could we go there sooner? What if his plane is early? I don't want to miss one single minute with him!"

"A little anxious, Usagi-chan?" Makoto needled her friend.

"I just can't live another day without my Mamo-chan!"

"Don't let Rei hear you say that, or she'll put him on a flight to Siberia."

"Don't be silly, Mako-chan!" Usagi scoffed. "Rei would never do something so cruel. We're best friends forever, remember?"

"I just hope you and her still feel that way after a couple of days here."

"We will" Usagi insisted. "This vacation won't be anything like that horrible day at the shrine. Minako-chan and I will be extra careful and not cause any problems at all. Won't we, Minako-chan?"

The second blonde didn't reply. She was preoccupied with peering between the palm trees, watching Taro position the end of the hose at the edge of the pool. "This is boring!" she blurted. "I'm going to go help my Taro-chan!"

"Minako-chan, no!" Makoto pleaded. Unheeding, Minako sprang from her chair and scurried down the deck steps. She sprinted across the lawn between the tall palms and ran up to her boyfriend, kissing his cheek.

"Your assistant is here, honey love! What can I do?"

"You want to help us, my sweet? Sure. Hmm..." Taro thought for a moment. "Do you see that valve way over there near the shed, where the hose is connected?"

"That thing with the red handle? Hai! I see it!"

"That turns on the water. Wait there until I give the signal, then ease it open, ok sweetheart? I'm going into the pool to finish installing the underwater lights."

"Got it!"

Taro climbed down the ladder while his girlfriend walked over to wait at the valve. Yuji and Ryo were nearly done, and it only took another minute to secure the last fixture. Meanwhile, the three girls on the deck stood watching at the railing.

"Ami-chan," Makoto asked apprehensively, "why do I suddenly have this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach?"

"I'm not sure, Mako-chan. But I have it too."

Minako spotted them and grinned back, flashing the girls a vee sign with her fingers.

"Looks good, Taro-chan" his brother said inside the pool. "We'll wait here while you test the lights. If everything works, we can start filling this thing."

Taro climbed out of the pool and flipped a switch. "Everything working ok?"

"Hai" Ryo called back. "All the lights are on, Taro-chan."

"Great! You're done in there." He flipped the switch off and waved them out of the pool.

Minako looked away from her friends and back toward the pool just in time to see Taro wave his arm. "Turning it on!" she yelled. She grabbed the handle and gave it a hard tug.

"Not yet, honey!" Taro's warning cry came too late. Cold water blasted from the hose, soaking Yuji and Ryo before they could react.

"Aahhh!" Ryo spluttered. The two boys scrambled toward the ladder while a deluge of water continued spraying into the pool.

"I knew it!" Makoto groaned. She and Ami raced down the steps and over to the ladder, arriving as their dripping-wet boyfriends crawled out onto dry ground.

"It's really cold!" Yuji gasped.

Makoto quickly helped her soggy boyfriend to his feet. "Let's get you inside and out of those wet clothes, Yuji-chan." She glared evilly at Minako who ran up wearing an all-too-familiar sheepish grin.

"Gomen nasai! My mistake!"

"Starting early today, are we?" the brunette growled.

"Minako-chan, you simply must try to be more careful!" Ami scolded her while her precious Ryo-kun stood dripping on the grass.

"I'm really sorry, guys. I guess I messed up this time" Minako mumbled to the boys. "These things happen, you know."

After another wordless, icy glare at the blonde, Makoto escorted her shivering boyfriend back to the house while muttering under her breath, "Funny how these things always happen when you're around, Minako-chan."

. . . . .

Having said their goodbyes to Takeo and Noriko at the airport, Rei and Yuuichirou strolled back to the parking garage and slipped into the front seats of the Mercedes. Pulling onto the road, Yuuichirou remarked, "You're in charge of the house now, Rei-chan my darling. Any orders for your loving Yuuichirou?"

"Let's get home as soon as we possibly can, honey. I don't like the idea of Usagi and Minako being there without my supervision. Anything could happen."

"What could possibly go wrong in a couple of hours, my love?" he asked.

"I don't know. And that's what worries me."

"Relax, my sweet. You've been incredibly happy since we arrived in Okinawa and you met my parents. Don't let needless concerns dampen your mood. I know! While we're on our way home, why don't you tell me what kind of engagement present you'd like? I can drop the appropriate hint to mother and father when they return." Yuuichirou gave the love of his life a knowing wink. "On second thought, I think I have a very good idea already."

"You do?"

Her boyfriend nodded. "A red convertible" he stated confidently. "Did I guess correctly?"

Rei sighed. "You did, honey. But it just wouldn't feel right to accept such an expensive gift from your parents, Yuuichirou-chan. Matching robes for us, or a nice set of bath towels is one thing. But... a car?"

"You'd rather have a set of towels?" he grinned.

"Of course not! I'd love to have my own car."

"Then pick one, darling. Whichever kind your wonderful heart desires. But... would you mind doing your loving fiancee one little favor?" he asked as they entered the expressway.

"What's that, my love?"

"Please don't choose something that can go really fast!"

The miko's eyelids fluttered coyly. "Why not, lover? Don't you trust me behind the wheel?"

"I've seen you drive the shrine's van, remember? In fact, just a few more weeks of therapy and my psychiatrist says I'll be as good as new."

"Will you stop it?" Rei laughed. "Don't be so paranoid, Yuuichirou-chan! I'll be a great driver. A lot better than Minako, that's for sure. Now there's an accident just waiting to happen." Becoming impatient, she glanced over at the speedometer, its needle hovering just below the posted limit. She frowned, "Would you mind picking up the pace, my love? We'll never get home at this rate."

"You really do have a lot in common with my mother!" Yuuichirou joked. "Always picking on the slow guy!"

The raven-haired girl grumbled, "Well, unlike some people here, Noriko and I aren't afraid to get where we want to go. We know how to use the gas pedal properly." For added emphasis, she stamped her right foot to the floor.

"That's what scares me!" her boyfriend teased back with an exaggerated shiver. Still grinning, he leaned over and looked at himself in the rear-view mirror. "Those grey hairs are coming in nicely, don't you think, Rei darling?"

"Just drive, honey."

"Yes dear."

. . . . .

Having changed into dry clothing, Ryo and Yuji rejoined their friends downstairs in the living room. Makoto brought out a fresh pot of hot coffee from the kitchen stove and set it on the table, along with several cups. "Drink this" she ordered. "It'll chase away the last of the chill."

Minako sat quietly at one end of the sofa while she waited for Taro to finish at the pool, still embarrassed after her earlier escapade with the water hose. A short time later, Usagi followed Makoto in from the kitchen, munching on a sugary dessert. She paused long enough to waggle a finger at the other blonde before sitting down beside her. "I'm so disappointed in you, Minako-chan!" Usagi took a last bite of her treat and rubbed her fingers together. "Ohh, that bun was really sticky! I should have kept that dish towel to wipe my hands on."

"Usagi-chan, please don't use clean dish towels like that" Makoto grumbled. "That's what bathroom washcloths and warm water are for."

"It was a little damp anyway, Mako-chan. So after I used it, I left it on top of the stove to dry."

Makoto stared at the blonde in alarm. "You did what?"

Ryo sniffed the air. "Does anyone else smell something burning?" Before the others could answer, a smoke detector began wailing somewhere nearby.

"The kitchen!" Makoto blanched. She leapt from the sofa and tore down the hall with Ami and the boys on her heels, to find one corner of the dish towel in flames on the still-hot stove. Gingerly grabbing the other end with her fingers, she threw it into the sink and opened the tap, extinguishing the tiny fire. Yuji quickly flung open a nearby window and reached for a large pot, fanning the air to disperse the fumes, while Ryo silenced the screeching detector.

The silence lasted just a few seconds, until it was abruptly broken by an angry yell.

"Usagi-chan!"

In the living room, Usagi cringed. "Oh-oh! Mako-chan sounds mad! I wonder what I did this time?"

Makoto soon returned, the ruined towel clenched tightly in her hand as she stomped back into the living room. She held the blackened cloth out in front of her friend's wide eyes. "Look at this! You could have burned the whole house down, Usagi-chan!"

"But... I didn't think-"

"Time for a new rule" the tall brunette sternly announced to the group. "From now on, Usagi and Minako are not allowed in my kitchen anymore."

"Hey! What did I do?" Minako asked defensively.

"I'm not taking any chances, Minako-chan. That part of the house is now off limits to the both of you. And that's final." Makoto folded her arms defiantly. "Understood?"

"Hai" both blondes mumbled.

---

Chapter 11:

"Finally!" Rei exclaimed, glancing at her wristwatch as their car pulled into the driveway. "I thought we'd have to turn around and go back to the airport for your parents before we even got home."

"I'm not that slow, darling!" her fiancee objected. "Am I?"

"You're not slow? Yuuichirou-chan, when we were driving through Nanjo, we were passed by an old man on a bicycle!"

"Uh... he was going downhill, Rei-chan" Yuuichirou muttered sheepishly.

She looked through the windshield, breathing a sigh of relief at the sight of the large white mansion. "At least the house is still standing. I guess those two walking, talking disasters haven't had time to wreck it yet."

Her boyfriend chuckled, "See, my love? All that worrying over nothing." He parked the car and escorted his girl to the front door.

Rei noticed that the lawn around the house was beginning to look a little ragged. "The grass and flower beds could do with some tidying up. I'll have to remember to add it to my list of jobs. Perhaps Yuji and Mako-chan wouldn't mind helping with that, they both like gardening."

"Sounds like my beautiful shrine maiden has everything all planned out!" Yuuichirou remarked as he held the front door open for his fiancee. Half-jokingly he said, "Would you like to call a meeting of your staff to assign duties for the day?"

"That's an excellent idea, honey" Rei answered to his surprise. "I'll do it right now."

"Uh, one little thing, my love." The apprentice tactfully suggested, "I know you want mother and father to see how well you can manage the place while they're out of town, but don't forget that this is supposed to be a nice, fun holiday for everyone. Try not to order them around like servants. They're our friends, and our guests."

Rei replied, "I won't, lover. I know I can be a touch... demanding at times. But I'll try to keep that part of my nature under tight control" she promised with a warm smile. "It helps that I feel so incredibly happy, my darling Yuuichirou. All my dreams are beginning to come true." She slipped her arms around her man after they entered the foyer. "Especially this one." Their lips met, the miko's eyes closing as they kissed passionately, holding one another in a soft warm embrace.

"Now what am I going to do?" Usagi's upset voice reached the miko's ears from further down the hall. "One little mistake, and now Mako-chan won't let me in the kitchen anymore! Do you know what that means, Minako-chan? No more sneaking snacks! I'm going to starve to death!"

Rei's eyes opened, the sweet moment of tenderness with her Yuuichirou interrupted by her blonde friend's loud complaint. She frowned, "Sounds like Usagi is causing trouble again. I'd better go find out what happened."

"Stay calm, Rei darling" Yuuichirou said softly. "I'm sure it was nothing important."

"No? Let's go find out." Rei dropped her purse on a small table, kicked off her red heels and strode down the hall and into the living room. Usagi and Minako were still seated together on the sofa, both girls looking decidedly unhappy.

"Ohayou, Rei-chan, Yuuichirou-chan! You're back!" Usagi looked up at the arriving couple with a hollow grin on her face.

"Obviously we're back" the miko replied curtly. "Well?"

"Uh... well what, Rei-chan?" Minako asked, just a little too innocently for Rei's liking.

"What happened while we were away, Minako-chan? I heard Usagi whining the moment we walked in."

"Oh, not much" Minako said with a nervous giggle. "You know, a little of this, a little of that." Her gaze shifted uneasily from side to side, increasing the miko's suspicions further.

"Usagi-chan, why did Mako-chan ban you from the kitchen?"

"It was nothing, Rei-chan! Honest! I just... ruined a dish cloth."

Rei relaxed. "That's it? Just a ruined dish cloth? That's not such a big deal" she said with relief.

"Hai!" Usagi nodded briskly. "No big deal!"

Without thinking, Minako added, "And Mako-chan put the fire out before anything else got damaged, Rei-chan."

Usagi glowered at the second blonde. "Quiet, Minako-chan!"

"Fire?" Rei's voice went up an octave. "What fire?"

"Ohh! Minako-chan, now look what you've said!"

Rei's hands began to tremble. "You caused a fire in the kitchen?"

"Just a teeny tiny one" Usagi insisted, holding up her finger and thumb a millimetre apart. "No harm done. And Ryo and Yuji are fine too."

"Oh? That's certainly good to hear!" Rei replied sarcastically. "Would you mind telling me what happened to Ryo and Yuji?" The miko's earlier happiness was disintegrating before her eyes, her mood quickly turning from joy to dread.

"That wasn't me!" Usagi blurted. "Minako was the one who nearly drowned them in the pool."

"Arigatou, Usagi-chan!" Minako grumbled. "Why don't you tell the whole world while you're at it?"

"Drowned? In the pool?" Rei spun on her heel. "Yuuichirou-chan, help me find the others. We're all going to have a little talk."

. . . . .

With everyone present and seated, Rei stood between them in the center of the living room. "Minna, listen closely please. I realize that you're all here for a nice holiday, to have a little fun in Okinawa together. But any further incidents like what happened this morning... I simply will not tolerate!" She glared at Usagi and Minako. "I'm going to be watching you two troublemakers extra closely for the next few days. Nothing is going to ruin this holiday and my chance to impress Noriko and Takeo. Nothing! Understand?"

"Hai."

"Good!" The young miko took a deep, calming breath, remembering what her boyfriend had said earlier. Her voice softened, "There's no reason why we can't all have a good time, all I'm asking is for everyone to help me out a little. Is that too much to expect?"

"No, Rei-chan" Usagi agreed. "No more problems."

"Arigatou. After lunch, I'm going to assign some duties. Nothing hard, just a little cleaning and tidying. Things like that. Does anyone mind?"

"I'm sure we'll all do our best to help out, Rei-chan" Ami said. "We know what this trip means to you. Things may have gotten off to a bad start, but it will certainly get better from here on."

"I hope so, Ami-chan." She turned back to the two blondes. "Let's put the past behind us, enjoy one of Mako-chan's delicious lunches, and start over again. On the right foot this time."

Minako smiled happily at the miko. "I promise to be extra careful from now on, Rei-chan."

"I know you will, Minako-chan" Rei smiled back.

. . . . .

The teens had gathered around the dining table and were busily feasting on the brunette's latest handiwork. "I haven't had Okinawan hirayachi before, Mako-chan. This is delicious!" Yuji complimented his girlfriend. "Can we have it again sometime, after we go home?"

"I'll make it for you any time you like, my love" Makoto promised.

"It even looks fancy too, Mako-chan" Minako added. "Or, it did before everyone ate most of it!"

"It's an easy recipe, Minako-chan. Would you like me to teach it to you sometime so you can prepare it for Taro and yourself?"

"Sure!"

Feeling much happier now that Usagi and Minako had promised to be more diligent, Rei resisted the temptation to comment on Minako's frightening lack of cooking skills, deciding instead to tease her friend in a different way. "Yuuichirou's parents told me that they're going to buy me an engagement present, Minako-chan. Something you may be interested in."

"A present?" Minako's curiosity was instantly piqued. "Wait, don't tell me! Let me guess!"

"Guess away."

"Ok! Is it... a new wardrobe? Some shoes, or a new dress?"

"No. Not even warm. Try again" Rei smiled, toying with her friend.

"Hmm..." The blonde's eyes glimmered brightly, "An all-expenses-paid shopping trip on the Ginza! That has to be it!"

"Sorry. Think bigger."

"Is it something involving school, Rei-chan?" Ami asked. "Perhaps... special classes or tutoring?"

"With the two best students in Japan already tutoring me and everyone else in our study sessions, that's the last thing I'd need, Ami-chan!" Rei chuckled. "Nice try though." Ami and Ryo both blushed shyly at the compliment.

"I know!" Usagi suddenly blurted. "It's a free pass to all the best restaurants in Tokyo for a whole year! That's what I'd want!"

"Wrong again. Usagi-chan, we're enjoying the best food in the country right now. Why would I ever want anything less?" Now it was Makoto's turn to feel a little embarrassed, the brunette glad to find Rei's mood once more happy and upbeat.

"I'm not that good" she murmured with a shake of her brown ponytail.

"Yes you are, my love!" Yuji insisted. "You're the very best!" He leaned to whisper in her ear, "In so many wonderful ways."

"Yuji-chan, behave yourself!" Makoto chuckled, playfully smacking his hand.

"I'll take a stab at it, Rei-chan" Taro offered, placing his chopsticks down on a plate. "Would it happen to be... a new car?"

Minako immediately locked her eyes on the miko, seeing a smile slowly creep across the raven-haired girl's lips. "They're buying you a car? No way!"

Rei nonchalantly sipped her tea. "That's it, Minako-chan. Taro is correct."

"No! I don't believe it!"

"Not only that, but I get to pick the kind I like. I'm leaning toward a cute red convertible. Do you think that's a good choice?" Rei teased her friend further, making the most of the moment.

Minako's mouth hung open, the wide-eyed blonde speechless at the revelation.

"Congratulations, Rei-chan!" Ami smiled. "You'll be the second driver among the girls. Ah... officially, I mean."

"You have to promise to take me for a ride in it!" Usagi mumbled around a mouthful of soba. "Promise!"

Rei laughed as she pictured Usagi riding along in a convertible with her long twin braids streaming out behind her odango like blonde flags. "I promise I will, Usagi-chan."

"This just isn't fair!" Minako groaned, jealousy turning her nearly as green inside as Makoto's blouse. "I wanted to be next to get a car after Ami!"

"Didn't you ask your father about one recently, honey?" Taro asked.

"Hai, Taro-love. He said he's thinking about it" Minako muttered with a deepening frown. Her expression abruptly became one of grim determination. "I'll ask him again!"

"You're going to keep pestering your father until he finally gives in, aren't you?" Makoto grinned.

"It won't happen, Mako-chan" Usagi snickered at the brunette. "The only driving Minako will be doing this summer is driving her father crazy!"

"I'll remember that, Usagi-chan!" Minako fumed. "You just wait! Some day soon you'll be walking to school in the rain, and I'll wave at you from my new car as I zoom past!"

"And straight into a telephone pole" Makoto promptly added.

"I'm glad everyone thinks that's so funny!" Minako scowled at the brunette amid a burst of laughter. "You'll all see!" She glared next at her boyfriend. "Stop laughing, Taro-chan!"

"Sorry, my love."

Deciding poor Minako had suffered enough, Ryo did the gentlemanly thing and changed the subject. "It's getting close to noon, Ami-chan. We should be leaving for the airport in fifteen minutes."

Across the table, Usagi hastily gulped down the last of her food and leapt to her feet. "Let's go now!" Without waiting for an answer, the blonde hurried away to find her shoes. "Come on, you two!" she yelled back down the hall. "I've got a Mamo-chan to catch!"

---

Chapter 12:

After lunch, Rei wasted no time in getting down to business and assigning chores to the other teens. Deciding it was best to lead by example, the miko had set herself the task of sweeping and washing the foyer and hallway floors. Outside in the center of the circular driveway at the front of the mansion, Makoto was already at work examining a large flower bed. 'Noriko's gardener hasn't touched this spot in a while' she thought. 'Weeds are creeping in everywhere.' Yuji soon appeared beside his girl with gardening tools and a large piece of cardboard.

"Use this, Mako-chan. It'll help keep your skirt clean while we work. Sorry I couldn't find any gloves in the shed."

"That's ok, Yuji my love. A little dirt on the hands now and then never hurt anybody." The couple kneeled on the cardboard, weeding the flower bed together while chatting happily under the bright blue Okinawan sky.

As the tallest of the group, Yuuichirou and Taro were given the task of washing windows, after an unsuccessful protest from Rei's fiancee. "Rei-chan darling, do we have to? The windows look just fine to me."

"Not to me they don't, Yuuichirou-chan. And they won't look clean to Noriko either, I'm sure." Well aware of her boyfriend's sometimes lax attitude around the shrine, Rei promptly provided the pair with cloths and glass cleaner from a utility cabinet and pointed toward the stairs. "For today, concentrate on the inside of the second floor windows. I'll be along later to inspect your work."

"Yes sir!" Both teen boys donned silly grins and saluted the young miko.

"Stop that, you two!" She shooed them away with a wave of her hand. "Go on, get started! The sooner we get things in order, the sooner we can all relax and enjoy the rest of our day."

Minako had been the most difficult of Rei's helpers to find work for. "Hmm... what can I let you do that won't get you into any trouble?" she pondered aloud.

"I could do the laundry" the blonde offered.

"Forget it! The last thing I need is for you to to flood the place in soapy water, Minako-chan! The shrine's kitchen smelled like a laundromat for weeks after you and Usagi made that mess with the washing machine." Rei thought for a moment. "I know. Follow me."

Curious, Minako followed Rei to the storage cabinet. The miko produced a long-handled feather duster and passed it to the girl. "Here, this should be harmless enough, even for you. Start in the living room. Dust everything, and don't forget the chandeliers."

"Hai!" Minako waved the duster around like a samurai sword before scurrying away. "I'm on it!"

"And don't break anything!" Rei cautioned the fleeing girl.

. . . . .

As they drove to the airport, Ami had to smile at the sight of Usagi's expression of sheer joy in her rear view mirror.

"I'm going to be with my Mamo-chan soon!" the blonde squealed, bouncing in her seat despite the belt that held her in place. "I'm so happy today!"

"Mamoru-san is in for a big surprise when he finds out about the mansion, Ami-chan" Ryo remarked from the left front seat. "He's probably still expecting it to be an old cottage."

"Yuuichirou's parents do have a very impressive home, Ryo-kun. I can't begin to imagine what their dwelling in Kyoto must be like." The petite blue-haired girl followed the road as it lead them northwest past Funakoshi, thoroughly enjoying her first time behind the wheel of the large powerful Mercedes.

"Some day, my Mamo-chan will be rich too, Ami-chan" Usagi stated confidently. "Then I'll live in a big fancy house just like Rei, with servants and everything! But I won't make my guests work or yell at them all the time." She paused, "Minna, do you think Rei has changed lately?"

"What do you mean, Usagi-chan?" Ryo asked.

"I think she's been acting different since we got here, Ryo-chan. Rei's behaving like she's a millionaire, acting all snobby and bossing people around like she owns the place. I think she's even worse now than she is at the shrine! Minako said she noticed it too."

"That's quite understandable under the circumstances, Usagi-chan" Ami replied. "Actually, I believe having this added responsibility is a good learning experience for her. Plus, she can prove to Noriko that she's more than capable of managing a large household."

"She's more than capable of yelling at me and Minako-chan, that's all I know" Usagi grumbled.

. . . . .

At the mansion, Rei had finished sweeping and had moved on to washing the floors. She was working her way down the marble-surfaced hallway with a mop and bucket of cool water when a high-pitched shriek of panic arose in the dining room. Tossing the mop aside, the young miko ran toward the source of the commotion. "Minako-chan! What have you done now?" She found the blonde frozen in a corner of the room, her feather duster laying abandoned on the floor. "What's wrong?"

"Big spider!" Minako gasped. "There's a giant spider in the chandelier!" She held out a quivering finger and pointed at the large crystal ornament.

"Nani? I don't see anything" Rei muttered, peering upward. A sudden movement caught her eye and she immediately recoiled. "There it is! You're right, Minako-chan, that thing's huge!"

"Kill it, Rei-chan!" Minako blurted. "Kill it with fire!"

"It's not a youma, Minako-chan! Pull yourself together."

"You're right! I'll take care of it! Give me a second to find my henshin stick and transform."

"Don't you dare! You'll blast a big hole in the ceiling!"

"Well... what else can we do?"

"I don't know..." Rei thought. "Wait! I'll get my mop and bucket. We can use the end of the mop to flick it into the bucket and carry it outside."

"I'm not going anywhere near that thing with a stupid bucket, Rei-chan! Some of the spiders here in Okinawa are really dangerous. What if it bites me?"

"You're as bad as Usagi, Minako-chan! Fine. Be a baby. I'll hold the bucket and you can take the mop." Rei left to empty the water from her wash bucket in the nearest bathroom and quickly returned. "Is it still there?"

"Hai! Still there!"

The raven-haired girl handed Minako her mop. "Try to trap it in the mop head somehow, then shake it into the bucket so I can run outside and dump the thing. Can you manage that?"

"I'll try" the blonde replied nervously. "But no promises." She grasped the wooden handle tightly while Rei stood with bucket in hand, ready to sprint for the door.

"Ok? Go."

With a squeamish expression, Minako tried prodding gingerly at the spider, succeeding only in making the ornate crystal chandelier jingle. "It isn't moving, Rei-chan. Maybe it's dead already."

"Try again, Minako-chan."

Another, firmer prod and the spider suddenly came to life, dropping onto the mop. To Minako's horror, it began crawling slowly down the handle toward her.

"Aaahhh!" In sheer panic, Minako swung the end of the mop around the room like a club, desperately trying to throw the spider off. "Get it away from me!"

Rei hastily ducked, dropping the bucket as the long mop handle whooshed over her head. "Baka! Are you trying to kill me?" But she didn't have to avoid it a second time. The mop came to rest with a loud thump against the dining table, just after crashing through a long row of wine glasses sitting on a nearby cabinet. The fragile stemware instantly shattered into a cloud of tinkling fragments.

"No!" Rei groaned in despair.

"It stopped moving!" Minako wheezed. "It's still on the mop, but I think I stunned it."

"You imbecile! Look, forget the bucket, just carry it outside on the mop before it wakes up again" Rei ordered. "I'll go open the front door for you." The two girls set off down the hall with Minako holding the end of the implement far out in front of her. As they neared the door, the spider twitched.

"Rei-chan! It's moving again!"

Outside the mansion, Makoto and Yuji were sitting on the front step, giving their knees a well-deserved break while they admired their work. "That looks so much better, Yuji-chan. You've got the makings of a really good gardener, honey."

"I get lots of practice in my vegetable patch at home, my love" Yuji grinned. "Weeds keep popping up everywhere. But I like it. Nothing beats the peace and quiet of working in the countryside on a warm sunny afternoon."

"Hai, I think so too. It's one of my fav-" The brunette stopped in mid-sentence, eyebrows raising in puzzlement as the front door suddenly burst wide open beside them and Rei leapt outside, waving her hand frantically.

"Get rid of it, Minako-chan!" the miko yelled.

"Watch out, Rei-chan!" Minako's voice screamed back from inside the mansion.

The two young gardeners were amazed to see a mop fly through the doorway, arc gracefully through the air and clatter to a stop on the paved drive.

Makoto turned to her boyfriend, chuckling "What were you just saying about peace and quiet, Yuji-chan?"

"Wow!" Yuji exclaimed. "Some people must really hate washing floors!"

. . . . .

With the excitement now over, Rei stomped back into the mansion and fixed an evil glare on Minako.

"I know what you're going to say, Rei-chan" the blonde mumbled apologetically. "But try to look on the bright side. At least we got rid of the spider!"

"Hai! The spider is gone, along with a complete set of expensive wine glasses!" Rei fumed. "It would have been cheaper to hire an exterminator! Do you always have to destroy everything around you, Minako-chan? How on earth am I going to explain this disaster to Noriko?" With Minako reluctantly trailing behind, the miko stormed back into the dining room and waved her arms at the carnage. "Just look at this mess!"

"Sumimasen deshita, Rei-chan. It's a shame, I just finished dusting those."

"Would you like to dust them again before we throw them in the trash?" Rei growled. She shook her head in disbelief. "Well, what's done is done" she sighed. "Let's clean it up."

. . . . .

Yuuichirou calmly shrugged off Minako's latest misadventure after he and Taro finished their window washing job and came downstairs to join their girlfriends. "Don't worry about it, Minako-chan" he reassured the apologetic teen as the couples sat relaxing on the two sofas. "Accidents happen. I'm just relieved that spider didn't bite you!"

"It was a very large one, honey" Rei told him. "And the best thing is that I stopped Minako from transforming and using her Crescent Beam on it."

"Now that could've been a really big problem!" her boyfriend chuckled.

"I have to admit, that would have been fascinating to see" Taro said. "After all this time together, I've never actually witnessed you or any other Sailor Senshi use their attack powers, Minako my sweet."

Minako's head tipped up from where it had rested on her boyfriend's shoulder and she smiled brightly at him. "Would you like to see me in action right now, honey-love?"

"Doesn't he already see that every night?" Rei teased.

Minako made a face at Rei, then smiled again at her Taro. "I can transform into Sailor Venus and shoot something for you with my beam attack! Maybe I can find a good target in the back yard..."

"No!" Rei yelled, while beside her, Yuuichirou had the sudden disturbing image in his mind of the stately old row of palm trees behind the mansion being instantly sliced into kindling by Sailor Venus' energy beam.

The miko held up her palm toward the blonde like a stop signal. "Hold it right there, Minako-chan! Don't even think of doing something crazy like that in my house. Haven't you caused enough destruction for one day?"

"Ok! Ok! Don't get so panicky, Rei-chan" Minako relented. "Some other time, Taro honey."

The phone rang, and Yuuichirou began to rise from his seat. "Don't get up, my love" Rei said. "You and Taro must still be a little tired after washing all those windows. I'll get it." She left the room and a dozen brisk steps carried her into Takeo's study. Rei sat on a corner of his large desk while she took the call.

"Kumada residence."

"Konnichiwa, Rei-chan. It's Ami."

"Hi, Ami-chan. Everything fine?"

"We're still at the airport. We're going to be here a while longer than we'd planned" came the reply. "Mamoru-san's plane took off two hours late because of heavy fog at Haneda this morning. Just letting you know we'll be waiting here until he arrives. We'll return as soon as we can."

The miko clearly overheard Usagi muttering away in the background. "Ohh! Stupid fog!"

"No problem, Ami-chan. See you when you get back." Rei said goodbye, hung up the handset and returned to the living room, asking, "Has anyone seen Mako-chan lately?"

"Not for a while, sweetheart" Yuuichirou answered. "She and Yuji finished weeding the driveway flowerbed some time ago. They were upstairs getting cleaned up when Taro and I came down."

"Maybe they're changing into fresh clothes. Mamoru's plane is a couple of hours late, so I'll go ask her if she'd mind delaying dinner for a little while."

She trekked to the second floor and down the hall toward the brunette's room, finding Makoto's bedroom door tightly shut. Rei raised her knuckles to knock, but instead found herself taking a step back as soft, sweet sounds of intimate love emanated from inside. Smiling, the miko strolled back downstairs to her boyfriend and sat close beside him.

"Did you find Mako-chan and Yuji, sweetheart?"

"Hai" Rei chuckled. "I found them. No need to ask her to hold off on dinner though. Looks like it's already going to be a little later than usual."

"Oh? Why?" Yuuichirou suddenly broke into a big grin. "Oh!"

"Must be all that fresh air and sunshine!" Rei laughed.

---

Chapter 13:

Makoto and Yuji had gone back inside the mansion a few minutes after the flying mop incident, intending to tidy themselves up before rejoining their friends downstairs. The couple travelled up the long staircase and along a thickly-carpeted hallway to the bathroom beside their room and washed the last traces of soil from their hands. "That's much better" Makoto said after drying her fingers. "We're both presentable again."

"Almost, sweetheart." Her boyfriend brushed a speck of dust from her top and smiled. "There. Now you're absolutely perfect!"

"Perfect?" the brunette laughed. "Don't you think that's stretching things a bit, Yuji-chan?"

"Not at all, my love! You're always perfect to me. In every way." Taking her hand in his, they returned to their room just as Yuuichirou and Taro were leaving it, the older boys' upstairs window washing duties finally finished.

Yuuichirou gestured toward the glass. "I think we've done an excellent job here, wouldn't you say so Taro-chan?"

"Absolutely, Yuuichirou-chan. Maybe I can find work washing windows in Tokyo if my university plans don't pan out" Taro grinned. "What do you think?" he asked the arriving couple.

"To be honest, I don't notice any difference in the window from the way it was before" Yuji answered. "Sorry guys."

"Whatever you do, Yuji-chan, please don't tell Rei that!" the apprentice groaned. "She'll make us wash them all over again!" The two teenage boys congratulated each other once again on a job well done as they headed down the hall. "Hopefully my darling Rei won't dream up anything else for us to do" Yuuichirou remarked to his companion as they walked away. "This little chore was more than enough for one day." They disappeared downstairs, leaving Makoto and Yuji alone in their room.

Yuji closed their bedroom door. "I think I'll change my shirt, honey. This one feels a little musty." The sixteen-year-old stood beside the bed and began unbuttoning the top of his white short-sleeved shirt, only to have his girlfriend reach out to help.

"Let me take care of that for you, Yuji my love." Makoto's deep green eyes met his as her fingers slowly worked their way down the garment, unfastening each button in turn until the cloth parted and his chest was bare. She slipped the shirt off his shoulders and allowed it to fall to the floor behind him.

Before Yuji could stoop to pick it up, she suggested, "How about if we rest here a little while, Yuji-chan? There's no real hurry to go back downstairs." The thinly-veiled intention of her question caused her boyfriend to blush just a little.

"That's the best idea I've heard all day." He gathered the brunette in his arms, his heart racing as he reveled in her soft warmth pressing snugly against his chest. Yuji's voice dropped to a whisper. "I love you, Mako-chan."

"I love you, my Yuji."

All else was quickly forgotten as they became lost in each other's gaze. The teenage lovers' lips met and tongues caressed in an ever-deepening, passionate kiss. Rapidly overcome with desire for her young man, Makoto breathed out a soft moan of delight, and then another as her fingers roamed across his bare back.

After their lips slowly parted, Yuji smiled shyly at the stunningly beautiful brunette in his embrace. "I don't think anyone will miss us for a while, Mako-chan my love. That is, uh... if you'd... like to..."

Makoto nodded ever so slightly and whispered her reply through soft, sensuously parted lips. "Hai. I'd like to."

The young lovers' small universe soon changed from the four walls of their room, down to their large soft bed, until finally their whole world became just each other, and the sweet, tender intimacy of a boy and a girl sharing hearts, bodies and souls in eternal love.

A few minutes later in the hallway beyond their bedroom door, Rei paused, smiled and walked away.

. . . . .

Yuji's head came to rest beside his lover's on the single pillow they now shared, the love of his life sighing blissfully as he tenderly caressed, then ever so softly kissed her cheek. Enveloped in the afterglow of sweet ecstasy, the couple lay wordlessly for a time, punctuating the silence with frequent delicious kisses. Eventually their eyes slipped closed, and Makoto and her Yuji drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.

. . . . .

At the arrivals gate of Naha airport, Usagi struggled to see past the throng that had gathered beside the railing. "Ohh! Why am I so short?" the blonde grumbled. "I can't see a thing from here!"

Standing nearby and scanning the arriving passengers, Ryo was the first to spot Mamoru as he emerged from the baggage area. "I see him, Usagi-chan."

"Where, Ryo-chan? Where is he?" Usagi twisted her body to and fro, peering through the crowd. "There he is! Mamo-chaaan!" She burrowed through the waiting mob, weaving this way and that, until breaking out into a clear spot. The happy blonde rushed up to her boyfriend, flinging her arms around him in a bear hug. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, Usako" Mamoru wheezed breathlessly within her tight clench.

"Gomen, Mamo-chan!" After reducing her squeeze and allowing him enough freedom to bend to kiss her, Usagi grabbed his hand and escorted her boyfriend back to where Ami and Ryo stood waiting.

"Konnichiwa" the eighteen-year-old greeted his friends with a bow. "Thank you both for accompanying Usagi here to meet me. I hope my late flight didn't keep everyone waiting too long."

"We've been hanging around this stupid airport forever, Mamo-chan!" Usagi groaned, only to beam brightly an instant later. "But everything's better now that you're finally here with me!"

"Did you have a good flight, Mamoru-san?" Ryo asked.

"It was quite interesting, Ryo-chan. Things got a little rough for a while when we first headed out over water" Mamoru replied. "As a matter of fact, it became so bumpy for a time, the flight attendants had to end lunch early."

"I'm so glad Mako-chan didn't have to experience conditions like those" Ami said with relief.

"She handled her first flight well?" Mamoru asked the blue-haired girl.

"There were some stressful moments, but I'd have to say she did wonderfully. Yuji was a big help to her as well."

"Mako-chan was really brave!" Usagi interjected. "I wish I had courage like that."

"I somehow knew she'd go through with it" Mamoru smiled. "Makoto's spirit is as strong as they come. How about your first plane ride, Usako? Did you enjoy it?"

Usagi's big blue love-filled eyes shone up at him. "I missed you."

Mamoru tenderly kissed his princess. "You needn't anymore, Usako" he told her softly.

"Hai. Never again."

"Well now that the flying ordeal is finally over for all of us, at least for a few days, I guess we should finish this part of the journey" Mamoru said. He reached to grasp the handle of his luggage. "Are we taking a bus to Yuuichirou's parents' cottage?"

"No bus, Mamo-chan!" Usagi smiled happily up at him. "You're going to be very comfortable during our ride back to the mansion!"

"Mansion?" Mamoru raised an eyebrow. "What mansion, Usako?"

"You'll see!" his girlfriend grinned teasingly. "Ami-chan will be driving us there."

"You rented a car to pick me up, Ami-chan? I'm honored!"

Usagi impatiently began dragging him toward the exit before Ami could reply. "And we didn't rent a car either!" she laughed.

"Now I'm really confused!" her boyfriend puzzled. "Well, I suppose it will all make sense soon enough. Lead on, Usako my love!"

. . . . .

Makoto stirred, awakening to a feeling of complete and utter contentment. Having lived on her own for so long, and having formed no close friendships until being reunited with the other Senshi, she had developed a protective aloofness over the years. But somewhere in the depths of her heart, the brunette had always hoped against all odds that someday, somehow, a very special guy would enter her lonely life. A young man in whom she could confide, and share her innermost secrets and dreams with. Someone her heart could truly, totally love. And now, at long last, that special someone lay beside her, just a breath, a heartbeat away.

"My Yuji, you may never really know just how much I truly love you" she whispered to the still-sleeping boy. "You are my life, my everything."

Laying close beside him, she again allowed her eyes to close, and was about to drift back into sleep when a sudden thought occurred to her. 'How long have we been here?' Curiosity getting the better of the brunette, she raised her head and glanced at a small travel alarm clock Yuji had brought along. Makoto's eyes sprung wide. "I should have started making dinner ages ago!" she gasped aloud, bolting upright in bed.

"Hmm?" her young man mumbled, now partially awake. "What's that, sweetheart?"

"Yuji-chan, we've slept late! We've been here nearly two hours!" The words took a moment to sink in, then he too instantly bolted upright.

"Mako-chan! Everyone's going to be looking for us!"

"I know! Let's get dressed and get downstairs fast!" Makoto swung her legs over the bed, but not before giving her love a final quick kiss on his cheek. "Minako will never stop teasing us after this!" she muttered. "Well... I don't care!"

Down in the living room, Taro and Yuuichirou quietly listened in as their girlfriends argued over the color choice for Rei's engagement present. The miko was adamant, "For the last time, Minako-chan, I'm not choosing yellow! I don't want to drive around looking like a giant canary!"

Minako was thinking up a suitable reply when the teens heard two sets of footsteps hurrying down the stairs. Rei and Minako looked at each other. "Is love-love time over already?" the blonde giggled.

The footsteps continued into the kitchen, more quietly now, as though they were trying to avoid detection. Rei stood and strolled down the hall, with Minako following.

Makoto and Yuji burst into action the second they reached the kitchen. "Yuji-chan, fill a big pot with water!" The brunette swung open a cupboard door and seized a sack of rice. "Then add about two scoops of this!" She held up the bag over her shoulder without looking, rummaging in the cabinet for curry powder.

"This one?" Yuji asked, holding up a pot.

"Find a bigger one, honey!" Makoto glanced over her shoulder. "I'll use that for something else!" With a pirouette that would make a champion figure-skater proud, Makoto whirled around, taking Yuji's pot in one hand while passing him the rice with the other, then spinning back to the cupboard to grab the curry. Meanwhile, Yuji found a larger cooking pot and ran across the floor, skidding to a stop in front of the sink while he juggled the sack of rice in his other hand.

"Are you going to tell them?" Minako asked from where she and Rei stood watching in the kitchen doorway.

"Hai. But I want to see a little more of the Kino-Ito cooking show first" Rei snickered. "It's quite entertaining."

The frantic pair overheard, suddenly stopped their acrobatics and spun to face the two girls.

"I'm sorry we haven't started dinner yet" Makoto mumbled. "We just... uh... lost track of time."

"That's what happens when you sleep late, Mako-chan!" Minako giggled with a waggling finger, turning Makoto's own words from earlier in the day back on her.

The brunette gave Minako an icy glare before asking Rei, "I suppose everyone's long back from the airport by now."

"Mamoru's flight was two hours late, Mako-chan. They haven't returned yet."

"Oh!" Makoto grinned sheepishly. "I wish I'd known."

"I tried telling you earlier, but I didn't want to interrupt. You and Yuji sounded... kind of busy" Rei grinned.

"Rei-chan, I have an idea!" Minako blurted. "You know how we tease Ami and Ryo about always... studying?"

"Hai. So?"

"Well, when Mako-chan and Yuji are having love-love fun together, we can call it gardening!" she tittered.

The brunette and her boyfriend both reddened deeply. Makoto glared daggers at the giggling blonde and quickly changed the subject. "I thought I told you that you weren't allowed in my kitchen anymore?"

---

End of Part 1