Chapter Three: Unforgivable

One of the Kumada twins wandered all over Haruki High School before locating the person she sought in the last place she thought to look: her own classroom. Haruko sidled up to the girl sketching in her art journal and cleared her throat. Naota didn't have to look to know who it was. "Did your sister send you in for an acid attack?"

"What? No, of course not!" Haruko hadn't expected such a hostile greeting. "No, Saiga-san, I just wanted to give you this… and I wanted to talk to you." Naota accepted the fancy piece of cardstock, scrutinizing every word before raising an eyebrow.

"You're inviting me to your birthday party?"

Haruko sat down in front of Naota's desk, smiling. "Remember elementary school? We were good friends back then. I remember playing baseball with you and the Saitous– I thought it was so cool to be friends with them. I mean, what were the odds of two sets of twins being at the same school?"

Naota easily recalled their playground antics. "Yeah, we had a lot of fun together. Then we got to junior high and Atsuko ruined everything."

"I resent my sister for what she did to you, Saiga-san. You didn't deserve to be humiliated."

"Thankfully everyone has forgotten about it by now, but I despise Atsuko and so do my friends. She's selfish and arrogant and doesn't care who she hurts to get what she wants."

Haruko perked up. "Well, that's why I wanted to invite you to our birthday party. I do care that you were hurt, and I really want to try being friends again. You can spend the whole night ignoring her. What do you say?" Naota accepted the invitation with a little nod and a smile, prompting the redhead to release a high-pitched sound of delight. "Great! I can't wait to see you there!"

Naota wondered what her proven friends thought about the invitations. Kei had glanced at it disdainfully but still put it in his planner, and she had a feeling Izumi wanted to go just because it was the polite thing to do. When lunchtime rolled around she went to the garden and saw Chase seated beside Izumi by default. He waved a pinkie finger since it took both hands to support his huge sandwich. "Hey, did you get an invite to the Kumada party?"

"Yep," Naota answered plainly. She withdrew a couple pork buns from her obento while ignoring the disapproving look from Kei. "Before you tell me not to, I'm considering going because Haruko said she wanted to patch things up between us."

"She also asked if I could make their dresses," Izumi added. "I told her I'd come up with a few designs tonight."

Kei flashed his devilish smirk. "I can think of a few places for you to leave some needles." His sister scowled at the idea and he grumbled, falling back onto the grass. "If we're going to their stupid party that means I need a new dress shirt."

"If you hadn't dried it on the roof it wouldn't have blown into our neighbor's yard and his dog wouldn't have shredded it up," Izumi said matter-of-factly, earning laughter from Naota and Chase. "We can go shopping after school to get new outfits, assuming we all have allowance leftover from sakura matsuri."

Those words made Naota recall the battle with Sulvere and how satisfying it felt to see him vanquished. Part of her anticipated another battle so she could fight alongside Sailor Aries again; as if on cue Hye-Mi jogged up to them. "Hey guys!" she greeted cheerily. "You going to the Kumada birthday bash?"

"Yes we are," Izumi replied, "and we're buying outfits for it today. You should come with us."

She grinned. "Sounds fun! I don't even own a dress so you'll have to help me find one that looks good."

After school the group of five met on the front steps where Kei handed Naota the helmet he'd bought for her. "You two look hot together," Hye-Mi commented, snickering when they both blushed. She joined Izumi and Chase on the bus. "I've only known you guys for about a month, but why aren't Kei and Naota dating?"

Izumi released a beleaguered sigh. "I've wondered that for a long while– it's obvious they like each other. Everyone can see it, even our parents and some of the teachers. Nobody dares asking either of them out because everyone thinks they're already together!"

"But they're really not? That's dumb. I mean, Naota must trust your brother a lot if she's willing to zip around on a motorcycle like that with him. I'd rather die before riding with Byung-Sung on his crotch rocket." She glanced out the window as Odori Park rushed by. "How far are we going, anyway? Grandfather wanted me to repair some of our training weapons."

"I promise you'll be home in a timely manner," Izumi reassured. "With me in charge we'll be done shopping in about an hour." The bus merged onto a highway skirting Maruyama, heading south.

"Yeah… where exactly are we going?" Chase nervously parroted Hye-Mi's inquiry.

"Minami ward. There are plenty of shopping centers in the metro but my favorite complex is right at the base of Kosekiyama. I discovered it when I attended a seminar at Mugen Academy last year."

He pondered the name of the school. "Mugen… I think my dad spoke with someone about enrolling me there. Isn't it a college prep school?"

Izumi nodded. "That's the one. They have a fashion design program I applied to before the year began, but I never got an acceptance letter. If I had gotten in I would be in a class reflecting a real studio with state-of-the-art computers and design software, access to the highest quality materials, and the chance to earn a designer internship in Tokyo."

The way her eyes sparkled made Chase and Hye-Mi share a knowing look. "You really have a passion for fashion," the latter remarked. "That's super cool. I can't even sew the button back onto my favorite shorts."

Upon disembarking at Mugen Plaza, Izumi grabbed a school brochure while the trio waited for Kei and Naota. Mugen Academy offered intensive studies in a variety of arts and sciences, and their sports programs frequently produced national champions and Olympians. Most of the students spent their money at the Plaza, an eclectic mix of designer shops, indie boutiques, artisanal galleries, bookstores, technology retailers, home goods and one large grocery store. Izumi was so focused on imagining herself in this setting that she jumped a little when her phone received a text from Naota. "Apparently they're stuck in traffic," she relayed to her friends. "I suppose we can start without them." With that she took hold of Chase's hand and led him up the escalator to a menswear boutique.

Izumi breezed right by the clerk, heading straight for a wall of shirts. "Don't you need to know my size?" Chase asked.

"I can already visualize what will accommodate your body type," she replied, setting up a dressing room for him. He stepped out in one ensemble a minute later.

"You look so good!" Hye-Mi gushed.

"I feel pretty good, except this shirt is a little tight." Chase didn't want to flex his arms for fear of tearing the fine fabric.

Izumi mulled that over for all of a second. "Try the light blue one, it's lyocell." He reemerged, spreading his hands for approval. She circled him a couple times before shaking her head. "Try it with the tan corduroys." When Chase exited the dressing room this time both girls made sounds of approval. "Perfect. You don't even need a tie."

"My turn!" Hye-Mi cheered. "Doll me up, Zumi-chan!" Chase paid for his outfit, then they wandered around the second story looking for the perfect dress shop. Along the way they were joined by Naota and Kei. Everyone followed Izumi into a boutique with feminine, flirty clothing geared specifically for nights on the town. Naota picked out a strapless navy blue dress with a beaded bodice and ruffled hem. She gave a little twirl in it, glowing when her friends said it made her look like a pixie.

For Hye-Mi, Izumi thought a nice violet would complement her tanned skin. The onlookers giggled as grumbling and fumbling emanated from the dressing room, then she emerged in a highly rumpled manner. After Izumi adjusted the garment Hye-Mi frowned at her reflection. "That's a lot of leg," Chase remarked. "Good thing you're in great shape."

"It's too much leg," she lamented, "you can practically see my underwear!" She grimaced at the hip-high hemline although the dress was asymmetrical and reached her knee on the other side.

Izumi disappeared into the racks and came back with a full-length royal purple gown. "I think your legs are your best asset, but try this one if you want to keep them covered."

When Hye-Mi appeared in it, nobody said a word; it may have been because the gown was backless, perfectly framing her sculpted muscles. Having never shown off so much skin in her life made her self-conscious, but via the mirror she noticed her friends staring in awe. A shy smile graced her lips. She'd never left anyone speechless.

For an entire week the Kumada party was all anyone at Haruki could talk about. Izumi got the details ahead of her peers when she fitted the twins for their dresses, learning the theme would be Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Haruko met her outside the youth center, leading her past the decorators to a vacant room. "Your party is going to be amazing," Izumi said. "Everything looks so elegant."

"Thanks," Haruko grinned. "Rio was our mom's idea since we couldn't come up with a theme."

Izumi placed the dress on her client and began making adjustments. "What exactly do your parents do? I don't think anyone has ever met them."

"Our mom doesn't work but she's pretty good at spending Daddy's money. He was an underground rock star for a while but now he owns a label. The DJ is some kid he says is up-and-coming." Haruko rolled her eyes. "I just hope he plays something besides that annoying electro stuff they listen to in America."

"Shouldn't you decide on the music since you'll be the ones dancing to it?" Izumi paused to pin the sleeves. "What do you want him to play?"

Haruko gave a tiny shrug so as to avoid getting poked in the armpit. "Like, tropical-sounding stuff. Music you'd hear at a cool beach party, like chillout or whatever."

Atsuko appeared just then, scoffing. "Right, 'cause we totally want to put everyone to sleep with ambient music. Since we couldn't agree on a playlist, Daddy's making one for us."

She jumped when a manicured hand fell upon her shoulder. "Your father has excellent musical taste. You might not believe that, but I've known him a lot longer than you two." Atsuko looked back at her mother, a slender woman with violet eyes, sleek raven hair, and an air of regal authority.

"Kumada Okaa-san," Izumi greeted, bowing. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Saitou Izumi."

The woman glided over on a pair of Louboutins. "Please, call me Rei. I'm quite impressed with your work, Izumi-chan. I wasn't expecting an amateur designer to display such skill."

Izumi basked in the compliment as she began altering Atsuko's garment. Aside from the occasional irritable sigh the pink-haired girl said nothing while she prodded and tugged. Her yellow georgette dress fell in breezy layers and featured beaded flower clusters on the straps. Haruko's dress was made of turquoise satin with lettuce hems and a ruched bodice. "These are so pretty!" she complimented.

"You are pretty talented, Saitou," Atsuko added with only a hint of reluctance.

"Thank you," Izumi said graciously. She had the twins surrender their fashions and jotted down a few numbers on her notepad, then she looked up to find a stack of yen bills before her.

"This should cover the rest of your labor costs, Izumi-chan," Rei said with a smile. "I look forward to seeing the finished products."

She bowed low. "Thank you all for your time. I'll see you at the party!"

A few days later Izumi dropped off the dresses at the Kumada's luxury penthouse. They were presented in fancy boxes as if they had come from an upscale boutique, and Rei admired the professionalism of her daughters' friend. "Saitou isn't really our friend," Haruko regretfully admitted, "but everyone likes her because she's really nice and a great tutor."

"I'm surprised Izumi-chan wants to design clothes instead of model them," Rei remarked. "I bet some European blood is responsible for her figure and those pretty eyes."

Atsuko immediately scoffed. "That's probably why Chase likes her so much– she looks more American than the rest of us. It's not fair that she gets the hottest guy in school without even trying."

Her mother raised an admonishing eyebrow. "Haven't I told you there's more to life than boys? It's much more important to get into a good university than have a boyfriend. In any event, I'm sure there will be plenty of young men eager to dance with you tonight. Why don't you two get ready while I check on dinner?" She paused to sniff the air. "Yuuichirou, are you burning something?"

Haruko made a happy sound and carried her garment box into the bedroom, her sister following with a smug little grin on her face. "What's that look for?"

"Oh, I was just picturing Izumi's expression when we steal Chase and Kei away from her and Naota. It'll be easy with these." She withdrew a small bag of pills from her pocket, smirking.

"What the heck are you doing with those? Are you planning to drug them?" Haruko regarded her twin in mild horror. "I know I told you I like Chase, but that's not how I wanted to get closer to him!"

"They're not for the boys, you idiot," Atsuko scoffed. Her sister still frowned. "Don't look at me like that, I'm doing you a favor. If you stopped letting people get in the way of what you want I wouldn't have to use drugs." She threw the lid off her box and held the yellow dress against herself. It made her look sweet and innocent; no one would suspect a thing.

Haruko crossed her arms, glaring. "You have no idea what I really want, Atsuko. You only care about your own wants, always. You've been jealous of Naota since she was voted class rep in junior high. Maybe if you and Kimura hadn't embarrassed her during her graduation speech, we'd still be friends with her and the Saitous and Kei would be your boyfriend right now!"

Atsuko rounded on her. "Naota is a no-talent nobody who's kept Kei wrapped around her little finger since elementary school. He deserves better than that– he deserves me. At least I would treat him like a real man and give him what he wants instead of leading him on all the time."

"Listen to yourself! You have no idea what Kei wants– you can't read his mind!"

She received a withering look. "He's a boy, Haru. They all think the same. He'll never see that Naota won't put out for him unless he gets it from someone else."

"So your grand plan is to drug Naota and Izumi so you can spirit Kei away and screw him?" Haruko shook her head in disgust. "I swear I don't even know you any more. When did you become this demented?"

Atsuko only narrowed her eyes, smiling slyly while holding up her cell phone. "If you don't help me with this plan, I'll send those slutty pictures your ex took to everyone at school." Her sister's jaw dropped. "All you have to do is give Saiga and Saitou their party favors, then stay out of my way." Haruko looked at the floor in shame, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "Good. I knew I could count on you."

Naota knocked on the door of the Saitou residence, twisting from side to side in hopes that Kei would answer. But it was his mother who opened it and exclaimed how gorgeous she looked. "That color is magnificent on you!" Kaede fawned. "And your hair! It must be Noyuri's styling."

"Yeah, she managed to tame my kinks with a lot of hairspray," the girl explained. "How are things going here?"

Just as Kaede opened her mouth a shrill cry rang out, followed by "are you trying to scalp me?!" Naota peeked into the restroom and found Izumi attempting to curl Hye-Mi's thick locks. Her annoyed expression revealed that she had already been made-up with bronzer, shimmering eye shadow, and deep red lip gloss. "You look completely different!" Naota exclaimed, causing Izumi to fumble the curler.

"Are you people trying to incapacitate me?" Hye-Mi glowered. "I'm already stressed out, you don't have to throw in a neck burn to boot. How are girls supposed to survive this kind of torture?"

"Such is the price of beauty," Izumi returned. "Now keep still. And Kei would like to see you," she said to the girl in the doorway.

Naota approached the room at the very end of the hall where light spilled from a tiny gap. She pushed the door open, gasping as her eyes fell upon Kei's bare upper body. He whirled around but relaxed upon seeing who it was. "Hey Nao-chan, you look amazing. Is Zumi making any progress with Hye-Mi?" She just stood there silently, and he quirked an eyebrow when he realized she was staring at his torso. "Naota?"

She abandoned the V-shape of his lower abdomen, wishing she'd noticed it sooner… like way before becoming the Azure Guardian. The thought of those lean muscles pressing into her made her blush profusely. "Uh-umm… sorry… what?"

"How is Hye-Mi coming along?" Kei stood with his shirt draped over one shoulder, withholding a smirk at having caught her checking him out. Just-friends didn't stare like that.

"Good… she looks good. Izumi's styling her hair." Naota prayed he wouldn't move so she could keep admiring him.

But Kei ruined the image by plucking a small bottle off his shelf. "My boss gave me this cologne but I'm not sure if I should wear it. He said it would drive the ladies wild." He laughed a little and spritzed his chest. "What do you think?"

Naota leaned forward to inhale the scent while restraining herself from throwing her arms around him and repeatedly kissing his pecs. "It smells good… classy." She knew there was a better word. "Debonair."

"Great, I worried it would make me smell like an old guy who's trying too hard." With a satisfactory grin Kei finally slipped into his shirt and Naota released a heated breath, raising a hand to her temple to stop the headiness. "Are you okay? You look a little flushed." He wanted to milk this moment for all its worth.

Naota vigorously waved off his concern. "No, I'm fine, really. Maybe a little thirsty but there'll be plenty to drink at the party, I'm sure." Before her hormones could run any more rampant she spun on her heel and fled, taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart. Yeah, there were things she wanted to do with Kei that definitely weren't in the realm of friendly.

"Can we get this show on the road now?" Hye-Mi demanded from the living room. Izumi laughed at her nervous yet eager demeanor. "Where the heck is Anderson? He was supposed to be here ten minutes ago." Kaede answered a knock at the front door just then. It was Chase, who bowed and introduced himself. Izumi watched the interaction carefully to get a read on her parents' opinion of the boy. They would be seeing more of him if she didn't lose her courage tonight.

Once outside Naota gasped. "Chase, your car is backwards!"

He laughed amiably. "No it isn't, you people just drive on the wrong side of the road." The boys helped Hye-Mi and Izumi gather their dresses into the SUV. "So where's this youth center, Izumi? Do you mind navigating for me? You look beautiful, by the way."

She managed a polite smile over a giddy one. "Oh, thank you. You're going to head south to Odori, then take a right at the Museum of Modern Art." She paused to examine him. "You don't look so bad either thanks to my style expertise."

"I don't think I can pull off hubris like you," Chase countered, giving her a wink. "At least it's well-deserved. You dressed us, you dressed the birthday girls, but you saved the best for yourself. I see how it is." He stole another glance at the long, slender legs her high-low emerald green gown revealed.

Hye-Mi began hyperventilating when they arrived at the youth center. "What if everyone laughs at me? What if I just end up making myself look stupid? I've never done anything like this. I don't even know how to dance!"

"No one is going to make fun of you," Kei assured while attempting to coax her from the vehicle. "This is a semi-formal event. You're not the only girl in a long dress– Izumi is right there with you."

"And you look so pretty, Hye-Mi!" Naota added. "You're like a warrior princess!"

Hearing that returned some of her confidence even though her knees still wobbled. Naota hooked one of her arms while Izumi claimed the other, and together they strode into the building like royalty.

Haruko must have said something to her father because the music was in fact of the tropical house variety with plenty of ambient sections. It was perfect for slow-dancing to which was how Izumi spent at least two hours in Chase's arms. When the music picked back up she let it infuse her, twisting her hips and moving her feet in a distinct pattern the boy recognized. He stepped back to give her an incredulous look. "Are you… Was that a samba?"

She immediately blushed. "O-oh, yes… Until Kei and I started high school our parents made us take classical dance lessons. I haven't done it in a while, but this music is the perfect tempo."

"That's amazing!" Chase exclaimed, "I learned ballroom samba while in Rio." He straightened his back and held out a hand. "May I have this dance?"

Hye-Mi watched the couple dominate the floor with wild spins and sinuous bodies. "Oh my god…" she said to the classmates situated around her, "Would ya look at them? Those are my friends that're in a whole other league of cool." She was pretty sure someone had spiked the punch. It was only a passing thought, however, since her focus was captured by Kei and Naota as they attempted an improvised pasodoble since the latter had no experience whatsoever.

Both couples returned during an interlude and in that time Haruko apprehensively sprinkled the pulverized mystery pills into water glasses for Izumi and Naota. There was still time to ruin the plan but she was terrified of Atsuko's retaliation; no doubt it would come when she least expected it. Stifling her feelings of dread, Haruko approached the booth where her old friends sat. "Those were the best moves I've seen all night!" she praised, handing out the waters. "Need a drink?"

"Definitely!" Naota panted, and the birthday girl bit her lip while they drank. "I feel like Kei was a whirlwind and I am but a little leaf."

"Hey, you did pretty well letting me man-handle you," Kei laughed. He turned to Haruko. "Where can a guy freshen up around here? That dance made me all sweaty." Chase nodded in agreement.

"It's, um, down that hallway to the right," the redhead answered. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Atsuko abandon the clique she'd been speaking with to intercept the boys. She couldn't stand it any more, running from the party while burying her face in her hands. So it was that Haruko didn't notice the older male guests her sister had invited, the same unscrupulous college students who had sold her the drugs in the first place. When Naota and Izumi got up to go find the powder room, the boys followed them down the dark halls of the youth center.

Atsuko led Kei and Chase to an isolated storage room where a few more university acquaintances got the drop on them, roping them both to chairs before stealing away. "Let us go," Chase said evenly despite his thundering pulse. "This is crazy, Atsuko. You don't want to do this, whatever it is."

"Mm, I actually do," she glibly replied. "I guess since my sister chickened out I get the two of you all to myself. Naota and Izumi are finally out of my way." She paused to smirk. "Nobody is going to find them until my boys have had their way."

"You heinous bitch!" Kei spat. "How can you do this? We're going to press charges!" Atsuko rolled her eyes and positioned herself astride his lap instead of taking the remark seriously. "Get off!" he shouted, but the girl grabbed his jaw and shoved her lips against his, smearing them with sickly-sweet gloss.

"They won't be able to press charges since they won't remember anything," she sing-songed. "That's the magic of Rohypnol. And it wasn't cheap, let me tell you." Kei continued to wriggle but that was about all he could do. He glared daggers at Atsuko as she slowly unbuttoned his shirt, running her hands over his chest and abs. "Where on earth did these muscles come from, Kei? Last time I saw you in P.E. you were scrawny and uninteresting."

"Leave him alone!" Chase yelled. Atsuko regarded him narrowly before coming to stand in front of him.

"I haven't forgotten about you, Anderson. I know I don't have Izumi's mile-long legs, or her full lips, or her 'eyes reflecting the winter sky'…" Chase gaped at the quote from their recent poetry assignment; she must have seen that line. "…but at least I have the audacity to take what I want when it's right in front of me." Atsuko sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, voice low as she kissed below his ear. "Admit that you've been strutting your stuff since you came to Haruki. Everyone notices, I'm just the only person bold enough to tell you that I appreciate it. You're very handsome, Anderson, and I bet this body of yours looks delicious without any clothes on it."

Chase jerked his head away from her lips. "I have never conceived the thought of hitting a girl before, but so help me."

Atsuko sighed. "Nobody is coming to help you, not that you need it. Why can't you just accept the fact that it's my birthday and you two are my presents?" Hungry eyes flicked between them. "I'm going to have so much fun after I unwrap you."

Suddenly there was a loud bang outside that caused all three occupants to jump. Atsuko's shrill cry filled the room as the door flew open with a noticeable dent in it. "Hye-Mi!" the boys called in relief. She surveyed the situation before taking three purposeful strides toward their captor.

"Hang on a sec!" was all Atsuko managed to get out before the back of Hye-Mi's hand met her face with such force she fell unconscious before she hit the floor. Hye-Mi then set to work untying their bonds.

"Where are Naota and Izumi?!" Kei cried.

"I got them," she answered, "they're passed out in the car. This bitch's cronies didn't get the chance to lay a hand on them."

"Thank god…" Chase breathed, wiping off Atsuko's lip gloss once his hands were free. "I don't even want to think about what would've happened if you hadn't been here."

Hye-Mi smiled wryly as Kei sprinted from the room. "I knew there was a reason for me to endure wearing this dress and having my hair yanked out and covering my face with glitter." The trio quickly made their way outside, filling their lungs with much-needed fresh air.

"What do we do?" Chase asked after a minute. "We were practically molested, and Naota and Izumi were roofied! How do we deal with Atsuko?" He paced frantically in front of the SUV, searching his pockets for the keys but forgetting he had left them in the ignition.

Kei held up his hands in an attempt to mediate the situation. "We can't think about this right now, we need logic on our side. Let's just go home, calm down, and figure it out tomorrow."

"Can I stay the night at your place? When my brothers heard I'd be going to a party they persuaded my grandfather to let them throw their own all-night booze fest. I don't want to go home to a bunch of drunk college guys. I've kicked enough ass this month."

"I should stay too… to make sure the girls are going to be okay. I can take them to the clinic if they want to go."

"All right, it's a slumber party," Kei declared. "Let's get the hell out of here." Thankfully his parents had enjoyed a night on the town and were staying at a hotel, so he didn't have to explain why Naota and Izumi had to be carried into the house. After situating the girls in their beds and donating his room to Hye-Mi, the boys sunk into the living room couches, Kei blowing out a long breath. "I can't believe I used to have a crush on Atsuko. She's a monster."

"I can't believe she's really that jealous of Naota and your sister," Chase agreed. "Why didn't she just roofie us?"

Kei shrugged. "I think she wanted to ruin their reputations or something– they're both way more popular than her. Maybe she wanted to tell everyone they hooked up with random boys at her party or something idiotic like that."

All was silent for a minute. "This is probably a bad time to mention it, but… I was going to ask Izumi if she'd like to go out with me sometime."

"Oh yeah? When did you decide that?"

"Just tonight, after dancing with her. I'm amazed by how much we have in common. She's so smart and talented and driven, and we like the same music and food, and the other day we talked about denim for two hours."

Kei laughed. "If you were able to have that discussion and weren't bored out of your mind, then I say go for it." He paused just long enough to punctuate his next words. "But know that if you hurt her in any way, I'll do much worse to you."