Come Play With Us, Come Play With Me, a cute x guy fanfic

Primer:

Cute x Guy is a 15-chapter love comedy manga series set in high school. Various characters can transform back and forth from one gender to another because they consume a potion made by either the main character's father or his rival. Tricked into taking her father's potion, Sumi is forever looking for an antidote to her situation.

Other transformers include Shizuka, who unknowingly takes his father's potion. He develops an interest in Sumi, partly because of their shared problem...er...situation. And then there is Hozumi, who takes Sumi's father's potion in hope that he could be less rough.

Not thrilled with his daughter hanging out with the son of his rival, Sumi's father asks Misaki to spy on them, so she also takes the medicine willingly.

Misono, an honored student, takes Shizuka's father's transformation chocolate by accident. Sumi's father intervenes, neutralizing Misono's transformation and erasing her memories.

Mitsuru, Sumi's love interest, is a normal guy who is oblivious to the transformations going on around him.

-CxG-

Untitled - Notepad

30 March 20XX

"Will you come play with me?"

I hear this sentence over and over. Try as I might, I cannot determine if I am the little girl saying it or I am the little girl sitting under the tree. All I know is this event took place approximately ten years ago.

Also, there is a man my father's age saying things along these lines:

"You can't escape."

"Stop bullying my darling daughter."

"I'm taking back my laboratory now, Doctor M."

This image seems more recent, but I cannot pinpoint the exact time.

You might think this is the start of a terrible fiction. But it is not. A fiction, that is. I freely admit it is terrible. My forte is science and logic, not baring my barely there soul.

So why am I doing something I am inadequate at? I, who pride myself on my cool logic and high IQ? Those memories would not leave me alone, so, taking the advice of a psychiatrist, I will try keeping a journal.

Why not get a physical journal, you ask, or at least use a specialized software for it?

Be serious. This is just a stepping stone so that I can go back to my research with a calm mind. I am not going to make this form of touchy-feely therapy a permanent habit.|

"Ding ding ding"

The Notepad writer glared at her phone. Sighing, she picked it up. After sending a few short text messages in reply to the unknown sender, she closed her phone.

Reading over her untitled Notepad file, she pressed the backspace key until all the text disappeared.

From: Shizuka Nishizawa

To: Sumi Takaoka

Date: 1 April 20XX at 13:50 UTC+09:00

Subject: Vacation

Hey you,

You'd better get on a computer before your phone chops this message off.

On a computer now? Good.

I'm having an okay time. On the one hand, I want to you to come with us. On the other hand, I'm kind of glad you aren't here.

Sudo is working at that same squid shop where you and I first met. The shop is packed (kids on school break like us must all come here) so we don't get to hang out much. Not that I want to hang out with him, mind. No matter how sweet he is, we're still rivals for your affection.

And guess what? Tsubaki Misono is here, too. I thought she turned down your invitation, rudely if the eyewitness account was anything to go by. Miyoko-san was still fuming on your behalf. Understandable. It wouldn't sit well with me either if I had to turn you down because I'd already made other plans I couldn't change and then someone else flippantly rejected your generosity just because she couldn't afford to be seen hanging out with us commoners.

Phew! How is modeling life treating you? Too famous for the likes of us now?

Joking, joking. I'm sure the day you look down on us is the day the world will end.

Hang in there, okay? And be calm. Hozumi can't be there to bail you out of trouble if you suddenly transform back.

Gee, I sound like your parents. Or do I? Have they ever pressed to you how important your two-hour time limit is? Have they tried to help you out when your transformation lands you in a tight spot?

Okay, sorry. I shouldn't be critical. After all, our mad scientist fathers are cut from the same contrary cloth, even if they want to be eternal rivals. I wouldn't take it to heart whenever they blather on about how you and I shouldn't even hang out together.

I think you already do get a better hang of this whole transformation business after you sort out your feelings (I don't envy you your trigger), so I'll shut up now. Just be careful and don't do anything I wouldn't do, okay?

What else? Oh, it seems we misunderstood that situation. Hozumi assures me that he and Sudo have nothing weird going on. Past. Future. Present. Misaki is the one getting clingy with Sudo. Oh, right, that girl showed up with two coupons she claimed you gave her. (Or him. Not like I know what she is at any given time. This opportunistic girl's been changing genders like she's been changing clothes. Next time you feel the need to invite her, also give her a non-transforming roommate, okay?)

Hachoo!

I hope you aren't gossiping about me with your dad. Anyway, it's too damn cold here. Good thing I'm not talking now since my teeth wouldn't stop chattering. Snowing at the sea, have you ever heard of the like?

Gah, I need a distraction. Perhaps they should hold that Mister & Miss Beach pageant again. You know, you ducked out of that former title and they didn't even notice. I suppose you could say I ducked out of the latter. But, hey, I only participated in order to spy on you.

Well, if they hold it now, the pageant has to be a winter edition - I would freeze my bum off if I had to wear a two-piece.

I crave my seafood. This is the point I usually damn my old man for making seafood my transformation trigger, but I won't this time. Believe it or not, I would rather be a girl at this moment. At least, it'll be diverting. Messing with Sudo in girl form, for instance.

Okay, okay. My taste in jokes is poor. Rest assured, flirting with Sudo is at the bottom of my to-do list. I'm not as in touch with my girl side as Hozumi seems to be with his. In fact, he is in girl form this whole time. But you probably know that already.

Oh, Hozumi just nudged me. She wanted to use my e-mail address. (He probably never needed e-mail when he was only a guy with scary eyes. *Shudder* Your dear father did the world a huge favor when his medicine worked its magic (or curse) and changed scary-eyed male Hozumi into sweet, doe-eyed female Hozumi.) So don't be surprised to see another message with my name on it.

Will this freezing weather never end? Can't go swimming, and seems like a cold is coming on. I hope it doesn't catch me.

This must be the fifth time Misono yawned. I have to wonder why she chooses to stay in our company. Don't get me wrong. I don't mind her being at the beach or at our hotel - Japan's a free country - but she never talks to us. Instead, she has her face buried in big tomes with all those complicated formulas more appropriate for college students. Even though I'm not interested, it isn't too flattering that she fell out of love with me so quickly.

And Misaki? Not my concern if she wanted to get chummy with Sudo. Less competition for me, the better.

Yes, yes, you aren't a prize to be won. Of course, it's you who will ultimate choose who you want to be with - I just want to help my chance in any way I can. All's fair in love and war, as they say.

Yet that Misaki... It seemed she got some perverse pleasure out of provoking me. Why? Does she think us boy-turn-girl body transformers are perverts or disgusting or something worse?

No, that's not it. She likes Hozumi, whom she knows full well is actually a guy. But then you have to be the most cold-hearted human being to ever begin to think of disliking Hozumi. Female Hozumi, I mean - the male one got hated on a lot, poor him.

And if Misaki did think we were perverts for being able to transform, she was one, too. But being a hypocrite suited her very well, that conniving little opportunist.

Hey, I can see you giving me grief for badmouthing her, so I'll shut up now. That girl and I will just have to learn to ignore each other. Or, at least, I'll have to.

Ah, well, hope you haven't fallen asleep reading this. When the phone reception is better, I'll call you.

Shizuka

From: Shizuka Nishizawa

To: Sumi Takaoka

Date: 1 April 20XX at 13:55 UTC+09:00

Subject: Hozumi-chan's trip

Dear Sumi-san,

Don't worry. Shizuka Nishizawa hasn't suddenly developed a split personality. I only appropriated his return address because I haven't managed to secure mine yet. He is okay with it.

Our resort is so nice. Thank you again for giving me a voucher and please thank the studio for us. They plan to shoot a calendar here in the summer, don't they? You'll get to come see for yourself then.

But in the meantime, I'll give you a little taste to go by. Oh, let's see. It's a charming villa, with a private beach, perfect for sunbathing without having to deal with perverts. And with such a good sunlight, I plan to stay out all day. All sorts of wild blue flowers (I don't know the species) decorate the high arch of the entrance. In fact, with flowers everywhere, this whole villa is like a botanical garden to my inexperienced eyes.

Sorry that I'm a bit late with your gift. Now that I'm taking a break from that other Hozumi's construction job, I'll hurry to finish your mittens. I know you said I don't have to give you anything in return for your chocolates, but I want to if you don't mind.

It's all so relaxing here. A quiet garden with insects, fish, and other wildlife that seem to know their place and don't break my immersion with miniature nature. I've invited Misaki-san and Misono-san to join me for tea because we girls have to stick together. Haha. I mean, I'm not threatened by them since they don't seem to care about being the cutest girl. But the best thing is they don't talk about boys. Considering who I am, I wouldn't be comfortable with that kind of talk. (But I don't mind if they talk about Mitsuru-kun. He's nice, this guy you like.)

A pink petal just fell into my lap. It's shaped like that lucky green clover, so things must be looking up for me.

Do you like ghosts, Sumi-san? Misaki-san wants us to do the test of courage at the little thatched-roof cottage out back of the villa. As of now, we can do two couples since there are five of us. If you finished your work early, I'd love for you to come. Preferably as Jun-san so we'll have three girls and three guys. Oh, and it'll be best if I'm your partner (that way, it'll be fair to your two suitors).

Oh, you are afraid of ghosts? While it's harsh of me to say this, you wouldn't enjoy yourself out here then. Misaki-san would love nothing more than making every activity ghost-related. Haunted house. Haunted boat. The haunted tea party (I might have to put my foot down on that one). Haunted rice field. Haunted tree. And so on and on.

How's work? Are you having a lot of fun? It's tiring but the pretty pictures are well worth it, don't you agree? If it wouldn't cut into too much of my time at the construction job, I might go back to modeling again. The studio might want me as a princess opposite your prince this time around.

Speaking of princesses, say hello to Ariko-san for me, won't you? Even though we got off on the wrong foot, I would rather be her friend if she is Mitsuru-kun's childhood friend and your colleague.

Oh, it's almost two already. I'll have to get ready to go with Misaki-san to research the cottage for the test of courage, so I'll talk to you later, Sumi-san.

Your reliable friend,

Hozumi-chan :)

From: miiisakiii

To: sumi

Date: 1 April 20XX at 14:01 UTC+09:00

Subject: What you miss

Takaoka-san:

You know, Mitsuru-kun is down, down, down. His Jun-san isn't here. And dare I say he misses your other side, too, even though he always changed the subject the few times I tried to bring it up. I can't be MISAKI because I can't explain to him why my guy side suddenly appears out of nowhere. Not to mention I don't have my MISAKI glasses with me either.

(In case you aren't aware, my guy side needs different prescription glasses. Probably has to do with my shape changing so the eyes' focal point also changes in proportion to my growth. Good thing your father took that into account and provided me with the correct prescription glasses. Unlike you, I'll always be grateful to him for the transforming ability.)

It's all your fault, you know? I manage to comfort Mitsuru-kun somewhat, but your not boyfriend is giving me a lot of evil eyes so I can't do more. Jeez, what's his problem? If Mitsuru-kun turns his interest to me, Nishizawa-kun would have you all by himself.

Fine, I guess we're still rivals for Mitsuru-kun's love. But can you tell your not boyfriend to back off? I'm not his enemy here. Wait, maybe I should give him some seafood. As a woman, he might turn his antagonistic attention elsewhere.

Too bad I'm stuck with him with no way to obtain any seafood. I'm also with Mitsuru-kun so I can't complain too much. And there are also two other girls from our school (only one real girl, as you know). It's all locked and boarded up and I can't look outside to see where we are.

The wall near us is white. Pure white. No decoration. Impossible that a woman ever sees the inside of this place. Or a human being, for that matter. It's so large I can't see the other walls. But I have no desire to. The whole thing is soulless, sending blasts of chills down my spine. I just don't know how others withstand this place.

Especially that Misono-san. I slipped once on the floor and she shot me a cold look and went back to her reading like nothing happened. Jeez, not even an 'are you all right?' or anything. Hozumi-san did ask and felt over my legs and feet for damage. Good thing nothing seems broken.

The guys also expressed their concerns. Hmm, your Nishizawa-kun might not be so bad, after all. If he only learned to keep his disapproval (although why does he make what I do his business anyway?) to himself…

Back to this vast alien space. All is not lost. The mechanism controlling this place allows each of us one contact to the outside world. If you (or someone the others write to) manage to locate us, the computer will set us free. Otherwise, we stay locked in until tomorrow.

I don't want to stay in a ghost ship overnight, so come save us, Takaoka-san!

Misaki

A letter accompanied a bag of white chocolate candies from Mitsuru Sudo to Sumi Takaoka:

7 April 20XX

Dear Takaoka-san,

It must be strange to receive a letter from me through the mail. School starts in a few days so I can simply wait to meet you then. But I have to send my package now. My White Day chocolates won't wait - I'm more than three weeks late with them as it is. Next year, I promise to give them to you in person and on time.

I suppose I should confess that I only got close to Hozumi-san to learn how to make chocolate. (Your Valentine's chocolates were so delicious I couldn't afford to give you any less effort in return.) She kindly taught me and corrected all my mistakes. Her boyfriend (or girlfriend - she seems comfortable with either) would be one lucky person.

Don't worry. I have no more aspiration to be her boyfriend. To be honest, I like you, Takaoka-san. I don't know if that is love yet, but I'd like to find out. Will you be interested in taking this journey with me?

No rush. You can give me your answer when you're sure of your decision.

Some of our mutual friends might have mentioned what happened to us during our vacation to the resort Jun-san kindly got vouchers for. In fact, I believe you must have heard a lot from your brother already. But I still want to share my version since Jun-san most likely failed to mention how heroic and cool he was. He didn't have the full picture either. I'm not exactly clear on everything but I probably know a little more than he does.

We were kidnapped. Right out of our lodgings.

How did that happen? I'm still asking myself. One minute Hozumi-san, Nishizawa-kun, and I were on the front lawn and enjoying the tasty fruit candies in a large blue bowl. The next thing I knew, I woke up in this huge white room. And saw my two friends, Misono-san, and a girl with glasses whose name I don't know (you, Nishizawa-kun, and I went to the movie with her once) lying still.

As I was about to wake them, to make sure they weren't unconscious or worse, they all sat up like they were programmed. For a sickening moment, I was afraid they might be robots or clones. When the glasses girl threw herself at me, I almost heaved a sigh of relief. Almost because she was a little heavy even though she looked to be of small stature. (You were lighter than her.)

What passed in the next hour wasn't anything to write home about (but I write them down anyway, for the sake of completeness, so forgive me). Nishizawa-kun scowled at the glasses girl, but she either didn't notice or didn't care, for she didn't let go of me. Hozumi-san knitted what looked to be sky blue mittens (I didn't ask how she hid knitting gear on her person). Misono-san flipped back and forth through a thick blue book (anti-gravity or some such thing) and made notes in a much thinner notebook (I was too afraid to ask where she kept the two books on her person).

By the way, no one had any idea where we were, so nothing was accomplished on that front.

And I'm sorry, Takaoka-san, for confessing my association with Hozumi-san to this glasses girl first. I made her promise to let me breathe in exchange for this non-juicy detail. Forgive me, please?

Our kidnapper finally decided that we were properly bored out of our heads, so they activated an avatar (a hybrid of sun and snowflake with a human face. Human-sized head. Our kidnapper would have no future or past as an artist, trust me) on one white wall to interact with us. Or, more accurately, to order us around.

"Welcome to Satan Ship. Where you'll be guests for the next forty-seven hours."

As expected, it was a computer generated voice. The avatar's mouth even moved to match the sound. No indication whether the sun-snowflake hybrid was controlled by a man or a woman.

"'Satan Ship', realllly? What an inspired name."

I inwardly hissed. Shut up, Nishizawa-kun.

"You're welcome to choose a different name for it if you like."

Before Nishizawa-kun or someone else could make things worse, I stepped forward. "What do you want us on this ship for?"

"Why, Mitsuru Sudo-kun? To play with me, of course. I'm very lonely, you know."

I cast a wary glance over my fellow captives. Predictably, Nishizawa-kun was scowling, Hozumi-san wringing her hands, Misono-san cutting everything in her line of vision with her stare, and the glasses girl freezing. That last part worried me, but she was not quite in shock yet for she blinked. Slow, but still there with us, mostly. Couldn't be helped. We could get her to a doctor after I sweet-talked the avatar into letting us go.

*Sigh* Our kidnapper must be so desperate if they thought this medley group could provide some decent entertainment. We were so bored staring at the white wall, for goodness's sake!

"No deal. We didn't ask to come here."

"Well, that's just too bad, Nishizawa-kun. My ship, my rules." How the sun-snowflake hybrid with a human face managed to convey superiority with any kind of dignity was beyond me. But did it it did.

Hozumi-san must have seen my face, for she took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. As if she wanted me to leave the negotiation up to her. I returned the squeeze, telling her it was fine with me.

"What game are we playing?" she asked in a voice so sweet it would be a terrible waste if our kidnapper had no romantic interest in females.

The avatar's uncertainty permeated every space of available air. Or so it seemed. "Unlike your comrade, you would play with me without protest?"

"It depends on what kind of game you have in mind. But I'm not easily shocked."

Of course, you aren't. You live with a man, after all. Yes, that big man is still around. But it's like a green elephant in the room. She doesn't mention him and I don't ask.

"You're honest. I like that." The avatar scrunched up its face like it was in deep thought. Then it smiled (ghastly sight - I'm glad you weren't around to witness it). "Okay, tell you what? I'll take suggestions from you, Hozumi-kun. If I like any, we'll play that game first."

So Hozumi-san rapid-fire tossed our kidnapper game suggestions. Most of them went over my head (I was raised to play with nature and other children, not with artificial toys - not sure if that made me too culturally inept. Ariko would say so, but we can't all be sophisticated like her. Oh, I don't think you've met my childhood friend yet, am I right? Remind me to introduce you sometime soon).

"Okay, let's go with this one," announced the avatar. I could almost hear its non-existent hands clasping together. It seemed to really like Hozumi-san, so I bet we could quietly escape and it wouldn't care as long as she stayed behind.

"Each of you has someone important to you. Write an e-mail message to this person. If one (or more) of these outside contacts comes to this location within the next twelve hours, you win and I'll let you all go."

"Is that all? No catches?"

"So skeptical, but the world would be a less interesting place without someone like you around, Nishizawa-kun. Yes, that is all. Oh, this is on an honor system, but please try to not mention that you are some form of captive or held against your will. It hurts my feeling, you know, when I just want to play with you all."

Nishizawa-kun got up and turned his head back and forth. "How am I supposed to write this e-mail in this blank room?" To my surprise, he sounded entirely serious and not mocking at all.

"Of course, I'll provide each of you with your own e-mail console if you choose to play. Therefore, I don't have to remind you to not type anything you don't wish me to see, do I?"

Here I'll have to take a break. This letter is getting long so I'll start the rest on a fresh sheet.

Bye for now,

Mitsuru

Another letter from Mitsuru Sudo in a separate envelope but in the same packaging as the first letter and the chocolate candies:

7 April 20XX

Dear Takaoka-san,

I'm back. As you know, I didn't send you an e-mail. I didn't know your address, for one thing. But, mostly, I didn't want to worry you. I figured Nishizawa-kun was smart enough not to say anything about the kidnapping if he wrote to you, which he was, according to Jun-san. And, in this instance, no one would ever find out anything was wrong from Hozumi-san.

Not sure if the glasses girl had someone she wanted to burden. (Please tell me her name the next time we meet. It's disrespectful of me to keep calling her "glasses girl".) The prospect of freedom seemed to reanimate her and she attacked the keyboard for a while, so perhaps she did write someone.

Misono-san, however, went back to her thick book. Being released early didn't appear to interest her. Or she was counting on one of us to win this game with the kidnapper. But it felt like more of the former than the latter.

With nothing to do other than watching others doing nothing exciting, I reached into my pocket and came up empty-handed. *Sigh* Should have known that our kidnapper would confiscate our phones. I wonder if I wasn't the most clueless person ever since no one else reached for their phone. Or, at least, they didn't reach for it this late in the game.

"You are not thinking of cheating, are you, Sudo-kun?" the avatar asked in a silken voice.

I froze in my track. How did the kidnapper see my fumbling attempt to locate my non-existent phone?

As I mentioned, I must be the most clueless person around. This ship was the kidnapper's domain ("my ship, my rules"), so of course, he/she had eyes all over the place. Even though I still think those opaque human eyes on the sun-snowflake avatar couldn't see anything and were only there for some creepy effect.

"How is using my phone cheating? Most likely, you don't allow the phone signals in here."

Finally, a display of brilliance on my part. It's a pity no one else was similarly impressed, if the lack of reaction was any indication.

"It's the intent that counts, Sudo-kun. One or two lines of writing is no effort on your part. Even for some unlikely reason, you get lucky and your recipient can decode your location just from your few snippets of crumbs."

"I..." I squared my shoulder and plunged forward. "I have no intention of cheating. Everyone is preoccupied while I have nothing to do, so I want to check my phone, signal or no signal."

"Don't have anyone to write to? That's a shame."

I seriously didn't need my kidnapper to feel sorry for me. But as I didn't think being confrontational would result in anything useful, I bit my tongue and sat down with my back leaning on the white wall.

"I'm here with Sudo-kun, so there is not a person outside for him to write to."

The glasses girl again. I don't mind you staking your claim on me as long as you refrain from squeezing the breath out of my body. Which she actually did. Refrain, that is. Scary thought. Disloyal thought.

Wait, is that a veiled insult since she typed to someone who is not me while suggesting I have no one other than her?

"Thank you for the support," I said. Hopefully, I managed to keep venom out of my voice.

I can hear you now, Takaoka-san. So do I or do I not care whether she clings to me like some barnacle? To be honest, I don't know. It's nice to be wanted, even though I don't want her in return. Yet it's unfair to her if I don't set things straight.

The avatar (a three-dimensional sphere now that it got away from the wall) floated right in front of my face. "Don't pout like a kid deprived of his favorite toy, Sudo-kun. Although your pout is kind of cute."

Pout? For your information, I do not pout. No grown man does.

Okay, okay. We all know that is a lie of the first order, so I didn't have the guts to retort that. I could almost hear the kidnapper snicker through the avatar. Thankfully, my fellow captives seemed to have better manners, although I didn't much like the look on Nishizawa-kun's face.

A small space opened next to the wall I was leaning on. "You amuse me, so I'm returning your favorite toy."

Nishizawa-kun fell down on the floor and laughed until tears streamed out of his eyes down his face. So much for reprieve. I snatched the phone up and busied myself checking it. Yup, no signal but who cared at this point? Let them laugh if they wanted - I wasn't going to give them any rope to hang me.

Thus, I spent the next few hours ignoring my fellow captives, and the avatar when it wasn't literally in my face (I must be so mad I didn't even freak out whenever it did that to me). Which it was, once or twice. But since I refused to play, it got bored and harassed others instead.

So you don't get "completeness" from my letters, after all, Takaoka-san. Sorry about that.

You probably know how the rest of the story went. Jun-san kicked in the invisible door and jumped right in front of the three-dimensional sun-snowflake.

"What's this? A den of iniquity?" I was glad I wasn't a recipient of his smile. Jun-san was really scary here, with his eyes and voice promising retribution.

"It is if you think games are evil, Jun Tadano-kun."

Nishizawa-kun's eyes widened. "You! Why? How?"

"You wrote to Sumi." Jun-san gave Nishizawa-kun a look that said 'you are an idiot for asking'.

The glasses girl tugged at my arm. "Someone finally came for us, Sudo-kun. Can we go now?"

I mentally rolled my eyes upward. Don't ask me. Ask the kidnapper.

Apparently, Nishizawa-kun wasn't satisfied with Jun-san's answer. "What about your modeling job?"

"Done." Jun-san held up his phone and showed us some pictures from the modeling session he participated in. (As expected, Jun-san was stylish in everything he did.) "I asked the studio to release me early so I had time to locate you guys."

While Jun-san was amazing, for the studio to actually let him go early, he must have some inside help. Either his..your mother's or Ariko's (those modeling pictures looked suspiciously like the ones she would choose).

"I actually expected Sumi Takaoka-kun, but you'll do in her place, Jun-kun."

Doesn't it scare you, Takaoka-san? This creepy avatar wanted you all along.

Jun-san, however, never lost his cool. "Sorry, I don't have time for games." He took out some black gadget (it looked like your garden variety electrical plug but with a trigger) and shot through the avatar, destroying it into what seemed like a million pieces.

I waited for it to become whole and come back to life. After all, the avatar was a piece of computer code, which could be run again and again. But it never did. Jun-san had apparently fried it for good.

Rest in peace, sun-snowflake. In my head, I knew the kidnapper was alive (and hopefully unharmed), but my heart felt sorry for him/her just the same.

Wait, what's that crumbling noise? I looked up and felt my legs turn to jelly. The white wall near us cracked and was about to fall down on everyone on the floor…

To be continued in the last and final letter (hehe, I sound like a movie announcer, don't I?)

Mitsuru

Letter from Mitsuru Sudo in an envelope labeled 'Final' from the chocolate candies package:

7 April 20XX

Dear Takaoka-san,

Last I left off, the cracked wall was about to flatten everyone inside the white-walled ship...

"Run!" Jun-san pointed toward the exit he made and ran to Misono-san, who was still reading her thick book, unconcerned with the ship's walls coming down on us.

Everyone else didn't need to be told twice. We all rushed out through the invisible door.

And I almost wanted to run back inside. We apparently landed in the middle of nowhere. Except for the kicked down door, nothing was left of the white-walled ship on the outside. It's like some invisible hand simply erased the ship's existence. And possibly everything still in it. Sweats trickled down my spine...

"Jun-san!" I ran toward the door. "Misono-san!"

"Hold on, Mitsuru. We'll be out in a few."

It sounded like Jun-san and not some artificial impostor, but I pushed forward anyway. However, some invisible wall prevented me from going all the way in. My fists beating down on it didn't put even a dent.

Defeated, I slumped down near the invisible door/wall. Hozumi-san came over and sat down, quietly keeping me company.

The glasses girl (who must be most anxious to escape, for she temporarily forgot my existence) pointed to the east (the sun was about to set in the opposite direction). "That looks like movement. Let's go that way."

"Could be wild beasts, waiting to devour unsuspected travelers like us," Nishizawa-kun said with a straight face.

She put her hands on her hips. "You have a better idea?"

"No."

"Then shut the hell up and follow me."

Nishizawa-kun raised his hand in a salute. "Yes, ma'am." He turned around and winked at me.

"Go on ahead." I waved them on. "I'm going to wait for Jun-san and Misono-san."

Hozumi-san smiled at me and got up. "I would rather stay with you, but if I don't go with them, they might rip each other in two along the way."

I chuckled at that. "Yeah, you'd better keep an eye on them. I'll be fine here, thanks."

So they went (after the glasses girl's protest at leaving me behind was overruled). A while later, Jun-san walked out with Misono-san. Her eyes looked puffy like she had been crying. No, I don't think Jun-san bullied her or anything of the sort, but, more than anything, I finally had my pieces of the puzzle.

Jun-san stayed that evening, but he returned home early the next day for more photo shoot sessions. We all hung out, having lots of fun (even Misono-san smiled, a rare but much appreciated sight).

Well, except for Nishizawa-kun and the glasses girl. Supposedly, she fed him some seafood and he got an allergic reaction. Feeling guilty, she stayed behind with him. I was glad for the reprieve, but couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for them. Incidentally, we got two new additions to our little group that evening. Misaki-san, if you remember him from the amusement park, and your brother's friend Shizuka-san.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Drained from the earlier ordeal and feeling like I was the only person who didn't know the script of a play in progress, I walked to the edge of our lodgings and sat down on a bench there. Perhaps the solitude could help me figure out what part I was supposed to play.

Something plastic and cold touched my hand. "Here."

"Thanks." I took the drink (my favorite lemonade) and sipped it.

Shizuka-san sat down beside me on the bench. "Pretty night, isn't it?"

I nodded. You could see clear through the clouds to heavens of twinkling stars.

"Then come join us. Jun's getting restless that you're out here alone."

I must have opened my mouth at that. Last I noticed, Jun-san seemed pretty preoccupied with Misono-san. But Shizuka-san wouldn't lie to me, would she?

"I'll come in a bit. Just want to think about something first."

"Your girlfriend?" She tilted her head in a teasing manner.

"She isn't my girlfriend yet, but I'm sure she will like this place."

"Then ask her out and invite her along next time."

You hear that, Takaoka-san? I'll take you out to our beautiful country lodgings if you agree to go out with me. *Whistle innocently*

"Thanks. How about you, Shizuka-san? Do you have anyone you like?"

Her smile was pretty and serene. "I do, but it's more of a one-sided love at the moment."

"Is it Jun-san?"

"Not really. I'm not exactly his type."

"But you are so beautiful!" Was I mad at Jun-san on her behalf?

She closed her eyes. "While I appreciate your support, Mitsuru-kun, the truth is we cannot control other people's actions. If I like Jun, he doesn't have any obligation to like me in return."

Why did I get the feeling that this conversation wasn't merely about her love life? I shook my head. Faced with this new puzzle, my earlier discomfort had all but disappeared.

So Shizuka-san and I went back to the others. After dinner, we played the test of courage challenge the glasses girl concocted earlier (and which Misaki-san perfected. Hmm, even though they worked independently, they seemed to be strangely in sync in their thinkings). As I know you don't like ghosts much, I'll spare you the details. If you're curious, I'm sure Jun-san can fill you in since he was paired with me. (More or less, I think we're okay again. I'm glad because I didn't much like being at odds with Jun-san.)

Oh, and the glasses girl was correct about our direction back from the invisible ship. We'd been walking straight along the path between rice fields for only about ten minutes or so when we reached our lodgings.

Sorry, Takaoka-san. My hand no longer wants to move, so I'll have to end this series of letters here.

Please enjoy your chocolate candies and I'll see you in a few days.

Yours,

Mitsuru

E-mail from Sumi Takaoka sent on 1 April 20XX at 08:27 PM:

Dear Mama,

Thank you again for letting me borrow your laptop. You asked to be informed of the things going on down at Cottage G, so here's an update. It's longer than I intended but hopefully, you're at home now, relaxing after a long day at work.

It seemed that Mitsuru-kun being taken was unplanned. I'm of two minds on this. On the one hand, my friends shouldn't involve him, even accidentally. On the other hand, I was happy to see him hanging out with my fellow body transformers.

On a more surprising (or perhaps not) news, Papa was mostly behind the kidnapping plot. Jeez, I'm so mad at him. How could he look at me with his usual guileless face this afternoon, promising to do all he could to help, when he actively worked to sabotage me?

And my own friends, the hostages, didn't really help either. Shizuka and Hozumi-chan seemed to have this silly mistaken belief that I had to be sheltered. Especially Shizuka, who wrote a gossipy e-mail of everything and nothing under the sun. I had Misaki-san to thank for flat out stating that she was kidnapped.

Speaking of Misaki-san, she and Shizuka seemed to put on a show of squabbling to distract Mitsuru-kun from finding out about us body transformers. But, if you ask me, Mama, I think it's already too late. (Not to mention Misaki-san slipped up and gave Shizuka dried shrimps. Idiots. That said, I still wouldn't live without them.) Mitsuru-kun looked at Jun as if he knew that Jun was actually me.

Well, it was only a hunch. But he was too subdued and none too bubbly, which was uncharacteristic of Mitsuru-kun in Jun's company.

Some time back, Mitsuru-kun did mention that secrets would not remain secrets if everyone knew them. But, even with that mindset, would he still feel betrayed that I never trust him with the truth? After all, he was only speaking generally at the time.

Sorry, Mama. You'll only tell me that I have to decide for myself about what to do regarding my secret. Ah, well, nothing can be done at the moment, so I suppose I'll sleep on it. Worst come to worst, I can always ask Shizuka or Hozumi for advice. (Well, Hozumi-chan is a better choice since she's usually judgment-free. Also, he/she isn't in love with me.)

Moving on, I spoke with the kidnapper about why he/she basically worked as Papa's pawn. Never got a clear answer on that, but I believe I might have an idea.

You remember the hat I had back in my first grade? I didn't tell you then that a gust carried it to a muddy riverbank. It got dirtied almost beyond repair.

Out of nowhere, a girl my age appeared. Startled, I loosened my grip. The newcomer told me to wait under a tree near us. She then went after the hat with some kind of a plastic stick (I had - still have - no idea where she kept it) before it floated downstream.

I thanked her, but as she put the hat in my hand, she said:

"Will you come play with me?"

Noting my confused face, she went on about how her parents were never home and all her friends were cylinder glasses.

I didn't know what to make of her, but she seemed kind, so I agreed to play with her after I finished cleaning my classroom.

This was where things got weird. My school didn't allow students to have long hair, so my new friend simply cut it with a pair of scissors (like the stick, seemingly conjured out of thin air).

I felt guilty about her hair, but since it couldn't be undone, we both cleaned the classroom. Then we went to her house and my new friend cleaned my hat for me. No idea how she removed all the mud, but the hat was as good as new.

That was the last time I saw her. Her family moved two days afterward.

You see where this is going, don't you? Yes, my one-time friend was the kidnapper. She slipped up when she acted aloof and didn't try to blend in. Well, aloof was her default mode, but she should only pull strings from behind if she didn't want me to catch on.

*Sigh* I'm probably reading too much into her goal. Perhaps it was as simple as what she told me ten years ago: "come play with me". She admitted as much (that she wanted Sumi) when Jun found where she was keeping everyone.

"Where" was an abandoned warehouse conveniently located within a walking distance of Cottage G, but some optical illusion (if Papa was bankrupted from making this projector thing, it would serve him right) concealed its true appearance.

Oh, and I don't know whether it was Papa's creation or hers, but the kidnapper did have a forcefield installed. Had to activate it to keep Mitsuru-kun from coming in before I finished my interrogation (and you know how well that turned out). Made me wince when I saw his hands, but he was content to stay quiet so I pretended not to notice. Only felt marginally better that Hozumi-chan must have treated his hands already since I smelled salve on them.

Mitsuru-kun is such a sweet guy. In contrast, I'm the selfish one for continually keeping him in the dark.

Gah! I still can't figure out what Papa hoped to get out of this whole kidnapping plot. Thinking it over and over isn't going to be too conducive to my getting a restful sleep so I'll leave it to you to shame him into revealing what in the world he wanted.

It's almost eight-thirty, and I have to wake up early, so I'll send this e-mail now. If your work schedule is full, I'll see you at home tomorrow evening.

Your dutiful daughter,

Sumi

E-mail from Tsubaki Misono sent on 5 April 20XX at 10:00 AM:

Sumi Takaoka-kun:

You asked me why I did what I did. I did not have a good answer to give you then. I still do not, but if I wait, I fear I'll never answer you.

We go a long way back, you and I. It was only after your father erased my memories that I began to recall the circumstances under which you and I first met. Doctor Takaoka contacted me and offered to restore my memory in return for doing him a favor. For some reason I could not explain, I agreed to his terms.

I won't recount the rest since you already know what happened. You are to be commended for quickly putting the pieces together. As we both know, I'm not easily impressed, so cherish the praise, as I am unlikely to make another one for a long, long time.

If you'll recall, I told you once that I hate spineless people. You let your classmates at your elementary school walk all over you by doing the shares of job not belonging to you. And now the same thing happens: you let your mother bully you into working for her and taking on jobs on a few days' notice regardless of your prior commitments.

You must think I am a hypocrite for coming to your Cottage G after refusing your invitation. I will not deny that label but will point out that I received the voucher from your father, as part of the deal we had.

To be honest, I believed you could not be the same girl from ten years ago. Time has a way of rubbing innocence off one's soul. I speak from experience. The me now would not cut her hair to help you.

Since I have not been nice to you, I could only conclude that your invitation was made in some form of misguided pity or in return for the time we shared ten years ago. Even then, I apologize for refusing you in the manner I did. Making a scene is hardly my preferred way of doing things, as much as your friend Nishizawa-kun likes to believe otherwise.

You proved me wrong, both about your kindness and what I perceived as spinelessness.

The kidnapping was a game. I was testing your priorities. You won when you dropped everything to come save your friends and me. And when you could but did not shame me in front of your other friends.

I hope my answer to your question is satisfactory.

Tsubaki Misono

E-mail reply from Sumi Takaoka sent fifteen minutes later:

Misono-san:

I understand why you turned down my invitation, no need to apologize. And thank you for answering my question.

Hope you have a good day,

Sumi

P.S. Come play with us again sometime. :-)

10.

A letter to Sumi Takaoka left with Tsubaki Misono's neighbor from ten years ago:

Blue Hat Girl,

We somehow neglected to introduce ourselves, so that name will have to do as a salutation.

To be honest, I dislike someone like you, always bending over backward to please other people. It's how my parents are never home because they have to go to parties to raise money for their research.

But, for some strange reason, when I come near you, I feel happy. You seem to be able to radiate joy and life and hope. As I wanted those things in my life, I approached you when you were busy trying to clean your blue hat.

Thank you for playing with me, even only for one day. If we meet again in the future, I hope you will ask me, "Will you come play with us?"

Untitled Girl

-CxG-

A/N: Thank you for reading my story.