Author's Notes: I think this is the most ridiculous fic I've ever begun, but I think the Rukawa Brigade deserves some attention, don't you think so? *lone wind whistles across the plain* Minna? *sweatdrop*
Akina Michaels stared at the entrance of her new school.
"Shohoku Kanagawa Prefectural High School," her mouth formed the words.
"I hear she's from America."
"Explains the blonde hair. She's so tall!"
"How is she going survive here without knowing how to speak Nihongo?"
Akina turned around to face a bunch of girls staring at her.
"Ohayou, ojo-tachi," she said pleasantly, a dimple popping out. "And yes, I can speak Japanese, and probably as fluently as you can."
The girls looked struck. Then they hustled away, blushing.
Akina grinned. She always enjoyed doing that. Her flaxen hair, her tall frame, and her strong-jawed, Western face never gave a hint of her Japanese heritage from her mother. Certainly, she had grown up in the States with her father and mother, but both spoke Japanese in the house and made Akina well-versed with the language, although she still had a faint trace of an accent. Besides, she had visited Japan frequently in the past. And it was fun seeing her fellow Japanese gape when their language came flowing out of her mouth like liquid.
"Aa, Akina." Someone tapped her on her back.
It was a sleepy-eyed Rukawa Kaede, slowing down his bicycle.
"Oi, Kaede-kun," Akina Rukawa Michaels greeted her cousin. "Nice to see you again! You study here too, ne?"
"Mm. Youkoso," said Rukawa, giving her a short welcome before he zipped away.
"Hmf. Still an introvert, if anything," said Akina laughingly as she stepped in.
Akina picked up her bag after the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. It had been quite a day, adjusting to Japanese peers and teachers, but it had gone quite well for her. There hadn't been any trouble at all.
"Sumimasen, Michaels-san." A classmate tugged her sleeve.
"Hey, Hishida Machika, right?" returned Akina as she shouldered her bag.
The other girl flicked her raven hair. "Hai." Then she pounced in. "You are Rukawa-sama's cousin, correct?"
Rukawa-sama? "Yes, I'm Kaede's cousin. How did you know that? Kaede isn't all that open about relatives."
"We have ways," said Machika mysteriously.
"We?"
"Yes, we. Have you heard of the Rukawa Brigade?"
Akina scratched her head. "Rukawa Brigade? What's that, a group honoring the Rukawa clan? Because I haven't heard of it and I never knew such a thing exis-"
"Iye, it's a club devoted to Rukawa Kaede-sama," said Machika, glowing with pride.
What's with the club and -sama? He a lord here or something? "So desu ka," said Akina out of nothing to say.
"That's right." Then Machika looked furtively around, as if hunting for eavesdropper. "And we want you to join it," she finally whispered secretively.
"Nanda? Whoa, whoa, chotto, chotto!" A look of total surprise crossed Akina's face. "You're serious? You actually have a...a club for Kaede?"
"That's right."
"My cousin, Rukawa Kaede?"
"Mm-hm." Machika looked serene.
"I don't get it. Doshite...?"
"Have you ever seen Rukawa-sama play, Akina-san?"
"Well, yeah, he's pretty good, but I don't see-"
Machika plowed on. "Don't his plays give you little knobs of tingles in your spine?"
"Gives me what?"
"And isn't he soooo handsome?" Machika continued dreamily. "His hair, his fair skin, and his eyes...oh, his eyes..."
"Lady, this is my cousin you're talking about," interrupted Akina before things could get out of hand. "My mother's brother's son. Not a demigod, not a celebrity...just an ordinary person like you and I."
"Oh, Rukawa-san is most certainly not ordinary," giggled Machika, lost in the thralls of her imagination. "Would you like to know why?"
"Something tells me no," muttered Akina, looking at her in a strange way. "And I'm getting outta here before you go entirely plumb crazy."
"Chotto matte kudasai." A light hand was on Akina's shoulder before she could move. "I'm sorry that Machika could not...control herself and got carried away, gomen. We're still working on that."
Akina turned around to face an attractice, elegant girl with lustrous black hair who had suddenly glided beside her. "I am Shidehara Hoshiko," the girl said, "and I will explain to you this great misunderstanding."
"Please do," said Akina as she stared at Machiko, still babbling to herself, being carried bodily out by two more girls.
"Yes, Akina-san, there is such a thing as the Rukawa Brigade," said the Hoshiko girl. "We are a group of girls who give Rukawa our full support when he plays."
"Oh, you mean you cheer for him on his games," said Akina, looking relieved.
"Yes, we do that," nodded Hoshiko. "But we are more than just another group of cheerleaders."
Akina looked at her apprehensively.
Hoshiko's voice was lilting and patriotic. "The Rukawa Brigade! We are a united community of bonded girls who have pledged their lives as a dedication to the greatest man there ever was..."
Akina stared at her, incredulous.
Hoshiko's eyes were gleaming and her hands were trembling with passion. "Rukawa Kaede! Oh, there has never been such a man!"
Akina's jaw dropped.
Hoshiko struggled to compose herself before she would end up like Machiko. Evidently, she had much more experienced and had learned to control herself before her hormones could get the best of her. "Anyway," she said breathlessly, "we would like to invite you to our exclusive group."
Akina shut her mouth and opened it again. "You people," she said disbelievingly, "are nuts."
"I understand you are a close family relative, his cousin, and therefore cannot feel the attraction," Hoshiko said matter-of-factly.
"And I'm glad you know that!" Akina jumped in. "Furthermore, I don't see what is there to make such a fuss out of my cousin. Hontou, he plays very well and he doesn't look so bad; danga, is he worth all this...worship?"
"Oh yes, and much more!" Hoshiko declared with much conviction.
Akina was bewildered. "I give up," she lapsed into English, muttering to herself.
"Akina-san." Hoshiko was thoroughly composed now, the ice queen once more. "We don't expect you to exhibit the same devotion to Rukawa-sama as we do-"
"And you shouldn't!" snapped Akina, switching back to Japanese.
"-but we are inviting...no, offering you this chance to for us to share this wonderful experience with you," Hoshiko said without missing a beat despite the interruption.
"Offering me...wonderful experience..." trailed Akina stupidly. "Look, he is my cousin! I can't fall for him! That's not right!"
"As I've said, you don't have to. But we want you to join us, just to see how it is. You know." Hoshiko glinted.
Akina got it. The Brigade needed a liaison between them and Rukawa, and from the looks of it, the Brigade was not going to let go of her, Akina, before she would agree to join.
So Akina brought out her trump card. If she was going to be dragged into this, she won't do it without her own throw.
"Why?" she challenged.
But Hoshiko was ready. "We need you, Akina-san," she said simply. "Let's face it, Rukawa-sama is very picky with his companions, and we need someone for the right connections."
"Connections for what?"
Hoshiko looked pensive. "We're still thinking of that. But right now we'd like to be sure we have our asset before we do any brainstorming."
"So you're saying is that you're going to use me to change something drastically in Kaede's life?"
"Confidential matter, I'm afraid."
"For some reason, that frightens me even more." Akina played in her last card. "And if I don't want to join?"
Hoshiko shrugged. "The Brigade is only for those who are willing."
"You're kidding."
"Iye. So says the Code of the Brigadiers."
"Code of the...man, your Brigade is really serious, ne?"
"We must have rules so we won't run into chaos and anarchy."
"And politically correct too," commented Akina, grinning.
"Domo."
Akina considered. This was all madness, a club devoted to idolizing her cousin Kaede. But the girls seemed to be truly sincere...and rather amusing. And Hoshiko didn't turn out to be as snotty as she thought.
"I'll join, on one condition," she finally said.
Hoshiko looked shrewd. "What is it?"
"That I don't have to be entirely a member; I could just watch the fun and take off whenever I like."
"Like an honorary member?"
"Yes."
Hoshiko was wary. "I don't like the taking-off-whenever-you-like. We must have an agreed length of time of your stay so we won't jeopardize anything."
"Like a contract?" said Akina, feeling very silly.
"That's a good idea. You decide."
"Me? I get to decide how long?" Akina raised her eyebrow. "This is better than I expected. What about a month?"
Hoshiko shrugged again. "Works for me. It's your decision."
"But guessing from how much you...er, need me, you'd probably want me to stay longer."
"Of course. But we're a non-profit organization so we can't push you in."
"Good. I like that kind of attitude." Akina snapped her fingers. "It's a deal then. One month."
Hoshiko brightened up. "Good. We'll expect to meet in five minutes at the gym's front door."
"See you then," said Akina as Hoshiko walked away. And when she was out of earshot, Akina muttered to herself, "What have I gotten myself into?"
chapter one, owari