Screw The Rules - A Shinken Next Sequel
Here's the first of my post-"Shinken Next" pieces. It's my first real go-round with Takeru/Mako. I'm still much more of a Chiaki/Kotoha shipper, but I am definitely cool with Takeru/Mako. Here, Mako has returned to Japan a year after the events of "Shinken Next," meaning that, in my version of the Shinkenger universe, all six of them are back together in Japan! Woo hoo!
I am still percolating prequel/sequel ideas; these include Chiaki and Kotoha raising the twins, the gathering of the 20th generation, and Chiaki and Kotoha's wedding night.
I'm guessing at Mako's age here. The reason why this is important is that many old school Asians believe that if a woman does not marry before she turns 30, she is too old to ever be married; such a woman is often rejected as even a potential girlfriend. This theme still plays out in many modern Asian dramas; one of my favorite examples is the MBC (Korea) drama "My Lovely Sam Soon," also known as "My Name Is Kim Sam Soon."
Disclaimer: Samurai Sentai Shinkenger,all characters, and references therein are the property of Toei of Japan and TV Asahi. No infringement is intended or implied.
After saying goodbye to the other teachers at the Sakae Kindergarten, Mako started for the bus stop. She had barely walked a few meters when a car pulled up alongside her and gently beeped its horn. Mako looked over to see who it was and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was Takeru in his Mustang convertible. "Why hello, Takeru! I wasn't expecting to see you until tomorrow."
Takeru nodded. "Would you like a ride? I was just in the area and thought that I'd spare you the bus fare and give you a lift."
"Well, aren't you sweet? Thank you." She got into the shiny red sports car. Takeru pulled back into the street. Mako stole a glance at him as he drove. Ever since she had returned to Japan from Hawaii a year ago, she had reconnected with her fellow Shinkengers as if she had never left. Even though Chiaki and Kotoha were now husband and wife and the parents of twins Misaki and Daichi, and Genta was also a married man, all the Shinkengers, including Kaoru when she wasn't traveling, would meet fairly regularly, usually at L'Ebizou, the restaurant that Genta and his wife, Jeanne-Mirai, owned. Outside of the meetings with the others, Mako and Takeru met at least twice a week, typically at either the Shiba house or at a nearby café. Mako had always felt a kinship with Takeru, since he had seemed to rely on her advice most often during their tenure as Shinkengers, and now that she was back in Japan for good, she found that he had started coming to her for advice again.
At times, Mako wondered if her comfort at being around Takeru was a sign that her feelings for him ran deeper than just friendship, but she would quickly put the thought out of her mind. Takeru had never once indicated that he had any interest in her other than as a close friend, and she was content with that. Besides, Gedoushu or no Gedoushu, he was the head of the Shiba clan, and she was just one of his vassals. As far as she knew, the idea of the Shiba clan head finding love with one of his vassals was probably considered inappropriate, if not straight up taboo; at least Tanba would be likely to say so. Then again, Tanba had objected to Chiaki and Kotoha's union and had practically blown a gasket when the two were expecting. Still, there were times, like right now, when she would look over at Takeru and feel a stirring in her heart, as if something deep inside was telling her that she was lying to herself about how she truly felt about him. "This is kind of out of the way for you, isn't it?" she remarked.
Takeru kept staring straight ahead, mindful of the road conditions, but he answered cordially, "Not really." When he had to stop at a red light, Takeru turned to Mako and continued, "My equestrian instructor is in the area, and I had to see him about something, so I thought I'd drive by the kindergarten and see if you were around." It was only half true; Takeru's equestrian instructor did indeed have an office close to the Sakae Kindergarten, but he was currently out of town. Takeru had driven out near the school because he was anxious to get to see Mako, even though they had plans to meet the next day at the Shiba house. He had carried a torch for her from early on in their tenure as Shinkengers, but the unspoken rule that apparently frowned upon romance between Shinkengers, especially between the lord and one of his vassals, had kept him from expressing his feelings. He hadn't wanted to keep any more secrets after he had been outed as Kaoru's kagemusha, but he felt obligated to keep his love for Mako hidden until at least after Doukoku had been vanquished. Now that Gedoushu activity was at a low ebb and Mako had returned to Japan, Takeru had no reason to hold back, but something else, namely fear of rejection, held him back from confessing his feelings.
The two rode in comfortable silence until they got to Mako's apartment complex. Takeru pulled to a stop in front, feeling his heart deflating somewhat. He didn't want to yet say goodbye to Mako, even if they still had plans to get together the next day. He began to wonder what kind of excuse he could fabricate to spend just another couple of minutes with her. "Um, here we are," he said, trying not to look sad.
"Thank you." All of a sudden, Mako felt very lonely, and she looked at Takeru. "Um, would you like to come up for a cup of tea before you go home? I would kind of like the company, anyway, and I have something I want to tell you."
Takeru's heart began to beat faster. Was I hearing things, or did she just ask me up to her apartment? He smiled as noncommitally as he could. "Sure, I could do that." As he looked for a parking space, he began to wonder what Mako wanted to tell him.
o-o-o-o-o
Mako opened the door to her apartment. "It's not much, but it's home."
Takeru looked all around him at Mako's apartment. The whole apartment looked to be about the size of four of the Shiba house's sitting rooms. The tidy and understated decor was in varying shades of red and pink. It's quietly dignified, like she is, thought Takeru.
Mako went to lay her messenger bag on the desk in the corner. "Don't be shy; have a seat," she said, motioning towards the couch as she passed him on her way to the kitchen. "I'll get the water on for the tea."
"Thank you." Takeru sat down carefully on the couch, almost like he was afraid that he would break it. His attention was captured by what looked like a photo album on the coffee table. His curiosity piqued, he picked up the album to look inside. Some of the photos were of Mako as a child with an older woman that he deduced was her grandmother. Others were of the Shinkengers in various posed and candid shots, like Chiaki snickering as he held his fingers up as bunny ears behind Ryunosuke, Genta and Jeanne-Mirai standing in front of L'Ebizou on the day it opened, Kotoha, Kaoru, Jeanne-Mirai, and Mako as Mitsuba's bridesmaids, and group pictures at Chiaki and Kotoha's wedding and at the birth of the Tani twins. There were pictures of Mako with people he didn't recognize, but, judging from their attire and the background, Takeru presumed were friends of hers from Hawaii. One photo made Takeru do a double take, and he looked at it more closely. The picture featured him asleep with his head in Mako's lap; she was looking down at him serenely, one hand combing his hair away from his face. Takeru was still staring at the picture when Mako came into the den with a tray holding two teacups and a teapot. He looked up. "When was this taken?" he asked, pointing at the photo.
Mako set the tray down on the coffee table. She looked over at the photo and chuckled, her face turning pink. "Oh, that Kotoha. She thought that we looked too cute there to not take a picture. I don't remember exactly when, but I think it was the day we had to battle Mochibetori. You were pretty exhausted after it was just you and Genta taking him on, and after dinner, you just crashed in the sitting room. Ryunosuke wanted to carry you to your room, but I decided to let you be."
Takeru blushed. "I think I remember that day. We were all playing a game, and I couldn't keep my eyes open. Did I really fall asleep on your lap?"
Mako began to pour the tea. "No. Genta pointed out that you were about to fall backwards, and since I was closest to you, I was able to catch you before you cracked your head open." She handed Takeru one of the teacups.
"Thanks. For both the tea and for sparing me the head trauma back then." He held his teacup out to Mako, who clinked hers against it. "So you said earlier that you had something you wanted to tell me?"
Mako nodded. "It's kind of a big thing. I haven't told anyone else yet; you're the first one to hear this… I have a marriage interview next week."
o-o-o-o-o
Takeru's eyes widened and he nearly dropped his teacup. "What did you say?"
"I said, I have a marriage interview next week." Mako took a sip of tea.
Takeru felt his heart shatter. "Why, Mako? Why do you feel like you have to do that?" he asked.
Without looking up from her teacup, Mako simply answered, "Because I'm tired of being alone." She glanced up at Takeru and tried to smile. "I can't help how I feel. I see Chiaki and Kotoha and their family, and I wonder, 'Why hasn't it happened for me? Why haven't I found someone who wants to marry me?' I'm 27 years old, and before I know it, I'll be 30, and no one will want to marry me then." Her smile faded and she turned away from Takeru.
"Mako." Takeru put an arm around Mako as he put his teacup down. "Don't say things like that," he said softly.
"I can't help it. It feels so unfair," Mako continued, her voice beginning to break. She set her teacup back onto the coffee table. "Finding that someone, getting married, having children… it came so easily to Chiaki and Kotoha, and they weren't even trying! I hate that I feel such jealousy towards them! I shouldn't, and I don't want to, but I do!"
Takeru pulled Mako closer to him, his heartbeat beginning to rush. "I understand how you're feeling. You know I do. But you don't need help finding someone who wants to marry you."
Mako wrung her hands in her lap, keeping her face turned away from Takeru's gaze. "Why do you say that?"
This is it. I have to tell her how I feel before I lose her again. "Because there is someone; someone who has loved you for longer than you know."
Mako looked sideways at Takeru, pouting skeptically. "Really? I suppose you're going to tell me who it is," she sighed, looking away from him once more.
Takeru took a deep breath. "It's me."
Mako harumphed, shaking her head. "Don't joke, Takeru," she sighed wearily.
Takeru slid a finger under Mako's chin to tilt her face up and towards him. His heart was all he could hear as he inched his face closer to hers. His lips, soft and warm, touched hers tentatively. As much as he wanted to kiss Mako silly, Takeru didn't want to scare her, so he gave her just one more kiss, a tender caress that he hoped would get his message across. Looking into Mako's eyes, he asked, "Did that feel like I was joking?"
"Takeru…" Mako's head felt like it was spinning and her breathing quickened. The feel of Takeru's lips on hers was like a spark on the tinder of her heart, and in a split second, she took hold of his face in her hands and pressed her lips firmly to his, tears spilling from under her shut eyelids.
Takeru's heart sounded like thunder in his ears. Initially surprised by Mako returning his kiss as suddenly and fervently as she did, his hands had spasmed, slightly releasing her, but they now again pulled her body to his as he kissed her anew. Mako… my lovely Mako, he thought, do you know how long I've waited for this moment, how many nights I laid awake in bed, wishing I had you in my arms like this?
Mako's arms wound themselves around Takeru's body. Eagerly taking in his kisses, she thought, Takeru… I thought… how? She gasped as his lips pulled away from hers to tease her neck. "Takeru," she sighed. His only reply was a lusty groan as he continued to kiss her neck. Takeru turned himself slightly and lowered Mako's body to the couch. Mako felt a mix of excitement, terror, and longing as Takeru laid himself down on top of her, feeling her heartbeat stutter as he kissed her softly, his lips reluctant to leave hers when he finally pulled away. Mako shivered as Takeru's hand reached out to palm the side of her face. "Takeru… how long… why?"
Takeru finally spoke, his voice husky. "Mako… I may be a samurai lord, but more importantly, I'm a man; a red-blooded man with desires, with a heart. For longer than you know, my heart has longed for you, but I was afraid that my longings would interfere with my duties. Even after we beat Doukoku, I was afraid to confess how I felt. Hearing about Chiaki getting up the nerve to go all the way to Kyoto to confess his feelings to Kotoha should have inspired me to get myself on a plane to Hawaii to do the same with you, but I was still scared."
"Takeru…"
Takeru gently laid a finger on Mako's lips. "I should have been brave, but I wasn't, and when you started dating that guy in Hawaii, I thought my world was over. Do you know that I nearly didn't go to Chiaki and Kotoha's wedding, because I thought that it would only remind me of what I'd believed that I had missed with you? Jii was the one who made me go. I'm glad he did, not just because I felt such pride at seeing how far Chiaki and Kotoha had come, but also because I got to see you. Even if your heart was with someone else then, I was very happy to see you. Seeing Kotoha in her wedding dress reminded me of how lovely you looked as a bride when we were trying to stop Dayu from kidnapping all those brides. It made me wish that I could see you in a wedding dress again, but as my bride, for real."
"When you told me about breaking up with that guy, I felt a lot of things; anger at him for hurting you, sympathy for your broken heart, and, most petty of all, hope for me, for us. That day at the hospital, when Chiaki and Kotoha's children were born, when I held you as you cried on my shoulder, I wanted to kiss you so much it practically hurt me to hold back. It would have been so easy to make a move on you that day, but I love you too much to take advantage of you." When Mako's eyes widened at the words "I love you," Takeru continued. "Yes, Mako, I love you. I've loved you for years."
Mako's eyes filled with tears once more. "I had no idea," she whispered. "I knew that you treasured my friendship, but -"
Takeru shook his head. "It's always been more than friendship to me. Maybe not from Day One, but pretty soon after that. I always wanted to tell you how I felt, but I was the lord, and you were my vassal. That would have looked so improper to everyone. Can you imagine how Ryunosuke would have been like if he'd seen me act on my feelings?"
Mako found herself giggling. "Good old proper Ryunosuke. He probably would have said something like, 'Tono, you can't date Mako! You're the tono, Tono!'" She giggled again as she imagined Ryunosuke's consternation.
Takeru couldn't help but chuckle at Mako's caricature of Ryunosuke. "Probably." His face became serious again. "I don't know if it's actually written that the lord isn't allowed to have a relationship with one of his vassals, but even if it is, screw it. I love you, Mako, and I want to be with you, if you'll have me."
"Takeru…" By now, Mako couldn't stem the tears running down her face. She clutched him to her, burying her face in his shirt. "Oh, Takeru… I fell in love with you early on, but I decided that it wasn't meant to be for us because of those traditional roles and whatever. Even when I was with Robert, I don't think I stopped loving you. I'm sorry. I wish I'd known sooner how you felt, but you know… that thing about tradition and the lord-vassal relationship…"
Takeru sat up, pulling Mako onto his lap. "It's okay. I think tradition is out the window with our generation. I mean, not just with Chiaki and Kotoha falling in love and getting married, but with Mother adopting me. I don't know why we're going to worry about salvaging tradition where you and I are concerned, considering that the rules have pretty much been shot to pieces already. So I ask you again, Mako Shiraishi, will you be with me?"
Mako's voice seemed, to her, to sound like a stranger's when she nodded and whispered, "Yes, Takeru Shiba. Yes, I'll be with you." She kissed Takeru once more, feeling the worry over her marital concerns fizzle away as they both went deeper with their kisses. When they separated after what seemed like hours, Mako looked up into Takeru's eyes and remarked, "This doesn't mean we're off for tomorrow, does it?"
"Of course not," answered Takeru with a chuckle. "In the meantime, though, there's one thing that you probably do want to call off."
"What? Oh, right. I'll call the pro nakodo tomorrow and cancel." Mako leaned her head against Takeru's shoulder as they held each other. "Our tea is getting cold." We should probably get back to it, but I don't want to leave his arms… ever.
Takeru kissed Mako on top of her head. "Let it," he said. He sighed contentedly. The only warm thing I want right now is your embrace…
A nakodo is a go-between in a marriage interview situation. Traditionally, the nakodo is a family member or close friend who knows their community well, particularly the people who may be interested in marriage. Professional nakodo services are now available; this is what Mako used to set up her marriage interview.
So there it is; my first ever Takeru/Mako. Hope you enjoyed!