It was a particularly rainy afternoon in New York City, and the weather seemed to reflect the feelings of a young woman who had just arrived at Grand Central Station. Days earlier, Mai had decided to leave everything and everyone she knew in Southtown behind. She had spent too much time pursuing Andy, and it was all for naught. She thought New York was far away enough, and besides she had a friend there who would let her stay until she found a place to live. All the same, she wasn't sure if she had done the right thing.
After claiming her luggage, Mai carefully studied the printed directions in her hand. She then hailed a taxi and relayed those directions to the driver. Ultimately, she found herself in front of a townhouse on the Upper East Side. She paid the cabbie, unloaded her bags, went up to the door, and rang the bell. Another young woman answered the door, with her was a tall, muscular man and a boy of about fifteen.
"Hello, Mai," said the woman as she showed Mai inside and her two companions helped bring in Mai's bags. "Sorry we couldn't meet you in the station, but, well, you know how it is being a celebrity."
"It's okay, Shermie," said Mai. Her friend was, of course, Shermie of the band CYS, and Shermie's "family" was her fiance Yashiro and their friend Chris.
Mai was immediately given a tour of the house and shown what would be her room. "Thanks again for letting me stay with you guys," she said.
"No problem," said Shermie.
With that, Mai was left alone to unpack and settle in.
Several days passed, and Mai was still miserable. Andy may be miles away now, but he was still on her mind. And the fact that she was living with a happy couple didn't help matters. Sure, Chris didn't have anybody, either, but of course he was still a bit young to be thinking about comitment.
Mai's state of mind did not go unnoticed, and finally Shermie got an idea. "Come here," she told Mai one evening. Once she had Mai's attention, Shermie started up a program on her computer and showed it to Mai.
"It's one of those instant messenger programs," explained Shermie. "I've made several friends with it, they know me as 'SpiralBelle'. All you need to do is give yourself a nickname, and you should have several new friends in no time!"
Mai took Shermie's place at the computer, and chose the alias "AkaiKunoichi".
"You should be able to handle everything from here on out," said Shermie as she left Mai alone at the terminal.
Several new friends indeed, thought Mai. She was the only one present! "What a waste!" she said out loud after about ten minutes and prepared to exit the program.
But before she did, a chime sounded. Mai looked up, and saw that someone known as "SilverFlame" had sent her a message.
SilverFlame: Hi there!
AkaiKunoichi: Hi! I was just about to leave!
SilverFlame: Well, good thing I caught you, then. I gotta tell you, though, I'm usually a bit shy.
AkaiKunoichi: Really.
SilverFlame: Yeah.
AkaiKunoichi: I hope you don't mind me asking, but are you a guy or a girl? Hard to tell from your nick.
SliverFlame: I'm a guy. Have been for 23 years. I'm assuming you're female, unless you don't know that your name translates to "Red Ninja Girl".
AkaiKunoichi: LOL. You're right, I am a girl. 21 years old, born and raised in Japan so I know every word. I live in the USA now, though.
SilverFlame: So do I.
Mai and "SilverFlame" talked together for many hours, until Shermie asked Mai to let her have the computer back.
AkaiKunoichi: I have to go now. I'm on someone else's computer.
SilverFlame: Can we talk again soon?
"Shermie, can I use your computer again tomorrow night?" asked Mai.
"Yes," said Shermie. "Just tell me beforehand."
AkaiKunoichi: Yes. Why don't you give me your e-mail address and I'll let you know when?
SilverFlame: Sounds fine to me.
The two exchanged e-mail addresses, then said their goodbyes. Then Mai let Shermie have the computer.
"See, I told you you'd make new friends," said Shermie. "And you seem to be happier now."
"Well, actually only one person showed up," said Mai. "But we did hit it off, as you could tell."
Many weeks passed, and every night Mai would chat with "SilverFlame" for as long as Shermie would allow, and they e-mailed each other a lot. With every conversation, Mai's feelings for "SilverFlame" grew, and the feeling was apparently mutual. In fact, Mai completely forgot about Andy as thoughts of this new love took over. However, the two still only knew each other as "SilverFlame" and "AkaiKunoichi", even with their e-mail correspondence. And neither knew what the other looked like.
SilverFlame: Could you send me a picture of you?
AkaiKunoichi: Sorry, I don't have a scanner or digital camera. But what does it matter what I look like?
Well, actually there was both a scanner and a digital camera in the CYS house, but Mai still didn't want to send "SilverFlame" a picture.
SilverFlame: You're probably right. In that case, I won't send a picture either.
AkaiKunoichi: Fine by me. You're so nice, I wouldn't care if you were cross-eyed.
SilverFlame: You took the words right out of my mouth.
The two continued their correspondence, until one day, Mai finally decided to ask a very big question.
AkaiKunoichi: Should we meet? I mean, I know you said you were shy IRL, but I still would like to see you face to face.
SilverFlame: I guess. I'll see if I can get a ticket to New York and book a hotel room.
AkaiKunoichi: Let me know how it works out. Then we can arrange a time and place.
After she logged off for the night, Mai told Shermie about her planned meeting. "I think I should have a new dress for the occasion," she said.
"No problem," said Shermie. "I can make you one. After all, I did make the stage outfits for Chris, Yashiro, and myself."
It didn't take very long for Shermie to make a new dress for Mai. It was a short, red satin dress with a matching jacket. By sheer coincidence, the day the new outfit was completed was the day "SilverFlame" e-mailed Mai, telling her that he would be coming to New York by train and arriving at Grand Central station at about 6:30 the following Friday evening.
SilverFlame: But how will I find you?
AkaiKunoichi: I will be wearing a short red satin dress with a matching jacket, and will have a white rose corsage pinned to the jacket. I will also be wearing a special, fancy hairpin.
Mai was, of course, reffering to her grandmother's hairpin.
SilverFlame: I will be formally clad as well. And when I see you, I will offer you a boquet of red roses wrapped in pink tissue paper. Of course, I may not be as talkative as I have been.
AkaiKunoichi: That's all right. See you Friday.
At last, the big night came. Mai sat nervously on a bench, looking out for the man she knew only as "SilverFlame". Many guys looked in her direction, but none were formally clad. A man in a suit did walk by with a boquet wrapped in pink tissue paper, but it wasn't a boquet of red roses and he paid no attention to Mai.
Finally, Mai saw a man walking right towards her. He wore a light blue suit and carried a boquet of red roses wrapped in tissue paper in one arm. The suit matched his blue eyes, and he had blond hair to his waist. Mai made her way over to the man, who she knew had to be the one she had been chatting with and really loved. The two nearly collided, and both were surprised when they stopped and got a good look at each other.
"Mai?" said the man.
"Andy?" said Mai.
"Yes," replied the man. "Also known as 'SilverFlame'. And you must be 'AkaiKunoichi'."
"I am!" said Mai.
The two then laughed, then Andy said, "So, know any good restaraunts around here?"
"Andy, this is New York!" Mai reminded him. "There's lots! But there's a very nice one right within walking distance from here. I'm buying."
So "SilverFlame" and "AkaiKunoichi" left the station hand in hand and walked to the restaraunt.
When they got to their table, Mai said, "Now we can talk all we want to, and use our real names!"
"Indeed," replied Andy.
That's exactly what they did, and Mai said that she would return to Southtown with Andy
Then Andy said something shocking, yet sweet. "If you come back with
me, it will be for keeps."