When I called her "Raimei-san" as a joke she smiled in a nostalgic sort of way so I persisted with that nickname.

"Just so we're even with the formalities, why don't I call you Aizawa?"

I didn't quite see why she shouldn't, so that was that.

"Aizawa sounds way cooler than Kouichi anyway," she laughed at that, her liquid-honey irises searching my face for any sign of reproach. She got none.

* * *

Raimei-san was right. The ice in the stadium rink did form unevenly. Time today which should have been spent practicing was utilized instead for advertizing the event. There was a day-long celebration going on in Taipei and The Swan performers were to do some stunts on the street to bring the crowd's attention to the performance being held a few weeks from that day. As part of the troupe, Shijima and I had to tag along, despite our not being able to contribute anything. We were on-ice figure-skaters after all. Shijima had found other companions among The Swan performers so, during the period we were given to eat lunch, Raimei-san and I found a clean-enough step to sit on as we ate while Shijima ate with her new buds. The rest of the performing crew was a ways away from us, so Raimei-san could eat with embarrassing etiquette without anyone we know staring too much.

"Since I don't need to eat pretty, I won't eat pretty."

"I worry for your white jacket." I wasn't.

"Dude, relax. I've been eating for nineteen years." So she knows what she's doing?

"Doing something for a long time doesn't guarantee you doing that something right. Like trying to be patient."

"Or your thinking process."

"I take offence!" I laughed. She smiled.

An old lady was walking towards the direction of the steps we were sitting on. The steps we were sitting on led to a train station. She looked obviously troubled, turning her head slightly this way and that, contemplating something. Unlike the hordes of people moving around her, gazing straight ahead, destination in mind, she wasn't paying much attention to path she was walking to her destination, but more of her problem. Not to say that she was walking aimlessly. She was just distracted.

I don't know what possessed me to do what I did. It wasn't like it was something I had tried doing before. Nevertheless, as the woman approached, I asked her, from my position on the steps, how she was doing, the way anyone would ask an aged person how they were doing. Her reply was fast, the way some aged people's replies were sometimes. I did catch that she was on her way to the doctor and she needed ten dollars to see the doctor and she wasn't sure whether her son had put in money into her bank account for the doctor visit like she had asked him to and what she should do if she didn't have the money. She was such a sweet lady that I felt instantaneously sorry for her. She was about to pass Raimei-san and I now. It was either I help her now or let her pass me by.

I stood up and asked if I could be of assistance.

"Well, Dear, if you could, could you help me check the balance in my bank card?"

"Of course," I replied automatically, beaming.

The three of us headed to the nearest Automatic Teller Machines. Miraculously, none of the troupe realized us going. It seemed that way at least. Raimei-san grinned conspiratorially at me. Nobody had called out to stop us and the troupe was specifically instructed not to wander. At the ATM, I slotted in the old lady's card. She must have thought me a really trustworthy person, as Raimei-san pointed out later, for the lady told me her bank account number, which I promptly punched in. The screen then revealed that the lady had.. nothing in her bank account. Absolutely zero. I felt my brows furrow as Raimei-san's eyes dilated when she saw the figure on the screen. Her son hadn't sent her money after all.

"Umm.. Sorry, ma'am. There's no money in your account," I said, unsure of my intonation. My mind was racing for a solution as I slowly handed her her bank card.

"Oh... Really?" the lady said, the same distracted, worried look returning to mar her expression. "Alright then." It can't be helped, she implied. "Thank you young man, young lady," nodding to each of us in turn with a small appreciative smile. I felt greatly downcast and helpless. All she needed was ten dollars, and I didn't have that money on me right then, and neither did Raimei-san. It struck me suddenly, how important money was, for it to be within your power to render monetary help to anyone. She turned and walked awa-

"WAIT!" yelled Raimei-san. I winced. How inappropriate her bellowing was, considering that the woman was just ten paces away. I hoped the troupe coach wasn't anywhere near enough to hear that.

The head of everyone within earshot, mine and the old woman's included, whipped to her direction. Raimei-san grabbed my arm and strode over to the old woman.

"Wait. We'll help you, just give us a while."

And with an strong clap on the woman's shoulder and a reassuring smile, she took her black hat off her head and threw it onto the ground before her in one fluid motion, grabbed a pole leaning against an empty cart next to us, and twirled it impressively over her head before abruptly bringing it down with one end of the pole dangerously close to the space between my bespectacled eyes. "STAND AND DELIVER YOU FIEND!" she shouted, eyes ablaze with rage and murderous intent. A wind whistled through the streets, lifting the ends of her hair, creating the effect of her blonde crowning glory coming alive with the force of her ire.

"Ha-?!?!!"

I had only a second to respond before the pole came whipping through the air towards my torso, and boy did I respond. Had I been a lesser athlete, the pole would have reached it's mark, but I had evaded. My eyelids flew back and my heart rate skyrocketed. My mind was whirling. What-? WHY? Did Raimei-san have a split personality? No, the notion was too stupid. Allergic reaction? Did I do something horribly, fantastically wrong? But she was fine a minute ag- SHOOT! She had executed a perfect somersault into the air and, like a levitating nymph of COMPLETELY-UNCALLED-FOR DEATH, she was holding her pole high over her head while in mid-air, ready for the strike. I dived to my left. A sickening thwack reverberated through the air from where the pole met concrete ground. There was a hushed crowd around us now, in a tight circle, meaning as many people as humanly possible had joined the crowd and were witnessing Raimei-san's public fit. They formed something akin to a solid wall around Raimei-san and I but with a substantially large area left for us to "fight". That was what the crowd expected us to do at least. I could see the old woman, melded into the crowd, watching my dear friend and I. Oh dear. I was really confused now. Raimei-san was brandishing, twirling and slicing her pole into the air this way and that, like a routine. I had no idea how a menacing routine would help in combat, but it was menacing and menace was an interestingly advantageous element to have in a battle. It sure worked on me. Duck, roll, leap, fake-right, run. It cotinued like this for a period of time much too long for me to bear with. 6 minutes? I was gasping, sweat rolling down my back as I crouched on one knee. Raimei-san was visibly worn too. Her pole was slick with the sweat of her palms and her chest was rising and falling like it did after a long training session on the trapeze. My mental capacity had only allowed me to comprehend how best to avoid injury the entire time she was attacking me and I had no time to think what to do about her crazed behaviour. Now that we were both catching our breath, My tired mind struggled to form a solution. Her coach would know what to do, sure, but he wasn't here right now was he? Should I just wait it out? Aw man, I don't have much time before she starts up again. I don't think well under pressure. How could-!

In an instant, her face switched from livid to shining satisfaction as her face erupted into a dazzling smile reserved only for the stage. Applause. I could not believe it. What in heaven's name-? She bowed, her arms open to the wave of adoring applause. Raimei-san picked up her hat, which I had long forgotten about, from the ground and walked the perimeter of the space we were given by the closely-packed crowd. The spectators threw what was undoubtedly... money. Money in the form of happily clinking coins and stately dollar bills came tumbling into the hat. My mouth was agape for a while before I noticed it was. As the last coin was thrown among its brethren in the black hat, Raimeisan bowed one last time, to the utter delight of the crowd, and thanked them for their time. She jogged over to me, grinning. Warily, I took one step back. She had let the pole fall to the ground at some point but I ain't taking any chances.

"Aizawa," she said, her tone a serious one. She was frowning slightly now. "You are the worst actor I have ever seen."

I just stared, indicating the need for an explanation.

"That was an act wasn't it? You couldn't tell that? Surely you..," she trailed off. "OH MY GOD!!" She sat, more of fell into seating position, on the ground and immediately started counting the money in the hat. Her lips opened and closed slightly and quickly as she murmured to herself. "Five-eighty, 'thirty, 'fifty..." When she was done, she leaped to her feet and ran. Startled, I looked at the direction she was running and saw the old lady from before. Waiting. Just like Raimei-san had asked her to. My friend's voice carried to me as she spoke. "Ten dollars. Just nice!" she said, handing the money to the old lady. I couldn't catch what was said afterward, but what I could tell from watching them converse was enough. The lady was grateful, and Raimei-san waved away the thank-yous.

Minutes later, as the two of us walked back to where we left the rest of the troupe, Raimei-san halted in mid-discussion of what excuse we would tell the coach who would certainly have noticed we were missing considering the amount of time we were away.

"That was nice,huh?" she stated softly, as though the thought had just floated into her mind. Her head tilted skywards and she slid the brim of her hat so it was no longer jutting over her head. Abruptly, she faced me again and said laughingly, "It's almost as if we were purposely moved to sit on the steps of the train station don't you think? So the lady would meet us and you could offer her help."

I smiled in agreement. "We wouldn't know," was my only reply.

Like a memory I had never noticed, I suddenly realized I was in love with Raimei-san.

***

Same as the chapter before and the upcoming chapter, when you find something you don' t understand, copy ad paste it into a review and I'll edit it the best I can!! Tell me if you like the story! Heheh!