Author's note: I wanted to make her friend Seiji out to be like a very reliable character as a friend. He's a touch Tamaki from Ouran High School Host Club, and a touch Kei from Special A; fun and serious. His last name, "Shimizu" means "clear water," and was the inspiration for this chapter and the "elements" theme to this story's titles. Minako reminds me a little of Tsubaki Domyoji from Boys Over Flowers; fun yet sophisticated. Sorry about all the music references. This fanfic is very soundtrack driven.

-Kero (6/21/11)

Chapter 2: Flow Like Water

Iku looked out into the ocean waters under the darkening sky and drank in all of its loneliness in one breath. As promised, Seiji took her to the ocean and left the radio on for a little mood music. Aluto's "Michi To You All" crooned quietly in the background. He leaned against the driver's side door of the car and watched the sun go down, glancing over to the slumped figure of his friend sitting alongside the curb of the road from time to time. He didn't venture to say anything, since he figured Iku would open up when she was ready. At times like these, however, he wished Minako were present. He texted her and received a response that she would meet up with them later as she was just finishing up at work.

"You weren't kidding when you said you were having a bad day, were you? I'm guessing it isn't all about that bullet wound on your leg," he said after a while.

"Mmm," was Iku's response. Her chin rest on her crossed arms as she hugged her knees closer to her.

"Does this have anything to do with that 'prince' you kept mentioning in high school and throughout university?" he ventured. When all he heard was silence, he was about to back off, but then Iku responded, "I found out who he is."

"Seriously?" he asked incredulously. Iku was infamous for her inability to remember faces, among other poor memory traits, but the identity of her 'prince' was mystery to all of them for so long even his interest was piqued.

"But I'm getting nowhere with it," she said quietly. "I'm branded as being a reckless subordinate but all I really wanted is his recognition. Or maybe," she paused thoughtfully, "that's not all I want?"

"Sounds like you're getting greedy. But it also seems very one-sided to me," shrugged Seiji. "Love is a multi-faceted, complicated thing," he said philosophically.

"This coming from a playboy," snorted Iku indignantly.

"Well, that's the image I like to maintain. The untouchable playboy is frivolous and it catches my rivals off guard when they try to put me in a corner, only to be surprised that they were being played all along. I'm always two steps ahead. That's what business is all about."

"My job is little more straightforward than that," smirked Iku. "But I think you're right about love. It's complicated, and it causes you to pine and ache for things you never thought you needed. It's like a shiny coin that you flip into a fountain, full of possibilities. Whether it lands heads up or down is anyone's guess but you flip it anyway, just to see. You tense with anticipation at the outcome, but at the same time, you don't want to look. It's all very exhausting."

"You might be Kaze no Bakemono, Iku, but even you can't dodge bullets forever. Ever think about where you want to be 10 years from now? Your birthday is this weekend, isn't it? Since you have the next two days off, you should take some time to think about that. Living in the moment is well and good, but after a while you look again and your 'moment' has turned into years. Can you look back and say you don't regret anything?" said Seiji, putting his hands in his pockets. "I know I can't."

"Neither can I," said Iku. She thought about all the times that she confronted Doujo about her 'prince' and how agitated he was since she was really talking about him from 6 years ago. The mortification she felt when she found out who her 'prince' really was caused an entire night's worth of tears and sleeplessness. She really wanted to crawl into a hole and bury herself that day.

"I don't regret my decision to join the Defense Force. This is really a great job. I love it. But I do regret some of the confrontations I had with him. I regret some of the things I said. He even seemed hurt by them. I'm unable to move forward now. I'm afraid," she concluded.

"That's rare coming from you, Iku. You're practically fearless to a flaw. This guy must be something special to make you say that. I kind of want to meet him," he smiled.

"Please don't. I have a feeling you wouldn't like him and you'd do something to provoke him."

Seiji chuckled in response.

"He's near perfect in everything he does. I'm doing my best to catch up with him, but it seems like the only view I have is of his back," she sulked.

"You're right, I don't like him," he said matter-of-factly.

"Nothing I do seems to be working," Iku said, burying her face into her crossed arms.

"We should consult with Minako about this," Seiji concluded. "She wants us to meet her in Ginza at Bar Lupin at 8 p.m. Let's have some drinks and forget our troubles."

"Sorry, Seiji. I've been complaining this entire time. I haven't even asked how you were doing. Do you have troubles too?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. Yours are much more interesting. Besides, my troubles seem to have faded after seeing you again." Iku looked up at him just as his sincere expression segued into the cheeky comment, "Just seeing you in a skirt was amusing enough to make me forget." Iku took a handful of sand in her hand and threw it at his expensive shoes.

-0-0-0-

"Good grief, there you two are," said Minako in exasperation as Iku and Seiji walked into the bar. "What took you?"

"The beach," was all Seiji had to say before Minako's expression changed from irritation to sympathy.

"Bad day, Iku?" she said in a more kindly tone.

"Well, she did get shot," commented Seiji.

"Seriously?" exclaimed Minako, gesturing for Iku to sit down.

"It's just a flesh wound," insisted Iku. As they settled in, the handsome bartender asked for their orders in his silky voice with a smooth smile to match.

If I was a normal girl, I bet I'd fall for a man like this, Iku though to herself.

"I'll have a martini," said Seiji.

"Margarita," responded Minako. "Our friend here is rather glum tonight. Considering she was shot at today, I wouldn't blame her. Why don't you suggest something?"

The bartender looked at Iku thoughtfully. "A Tequila Sunrise?" Iku looked at him curiously.

"As a reminder that no matter what happened to you today, the sun always rises tomorrow," smiled the bartender.

"I'll take that," smiled Iku.

As the bartender prepared their drinks expertly in front of them, Iku watched his graceful hands. In the background, Hebe was singing about "Love" on an imported CD. Iku half heartedly listened to Minako's conversation while the bartender served her. Since graduating from high school, Minako went into freelance photography and many of her pictures were featured in nature, cultural and arts magazines nationwide. Iku figured that her conversation would be related to that.

"So," continued Minako, "I'm finishing up a project of pictures for a collection I'm calling 'Emotion.' The publisher's deadline is in a few weeks and I'm really excited about it."

"You seem to be doing well," remarked Seiji.

"I have no complaints," she smiled. Noticing that Iku wasn't contributing to the conversation, she nudged a shoulder against her.

"What's with you? I'd expect you to be happier to see me and ready to party hard tonight since it's your birthday weekend. And look!" Minako dove into her satchel and pulled out a brochure for a hot springs hotel. "Doesn't this look fab? It's close enough too, so we can go there, and get you back in time for work."

"Eh?" Iku remarked looking at the elegant brochure. "It looks expensive."

"That's what we have Seiji for," laughed Minako. "What good is having a rich friend if you can't mooch off of him?"

"Thanks," said Seiji sarcastically as he sipped from his glass.

"She certainly doesn't mince words, does she?" smiled Iku.

"It even has an open karaoke bar! It'll be just like old times; getting drunk and singing to our heart's content," said Minako with a self-satisfying smile.

"I don't remember those 'old times' she keeps talking about," commented Seiji.

"Yeah, maybe she's confusing us with other people?" asked Iku.

"Hey! Stop talking about me like I'm not here," pouted Minako. Seiji and Iku both laughed.

"Fine, we'll go. Only if it will help Iku feel better," he added. "And maybe forget her 'prince' for a while."

"Huh? Why would she want to do that?" asked Minako.

"Well, she's found out his identity, for one."

"What? Seriously?" exclaimed Minako. She checked her excitement when she saw Iku's face. "But, isn't that great news? So who is he?"

"I can't even say who it is, I'm so embarrassed," said Iku painfully, her ears turning red just at the thought of him.

"Soooo..." said Minako, leading her on. "It's someone close to you? Someone you work with?"

"It can't be..." started Seiji.

"Your demon instructor?" exclaimed Minako with a hand over her mouth as they both came to the same conclusion. "Holy shit." Both her friends started to laugh.

Iku gave both an inward and outward groan.

"But you're in love with him?" asked Minako tentatively.

"How do you figure?" asked Seiji.

"Well she's as easy to read as a book. If she wasn't why would she be trying to get his attention? Or is it his approval you seek?" After a moment, Minako added, "Why don't you aim for his undying love? Just exactly what kind of girl are you?"

"I think shoujo manga has fried your brain, Mina. I can't believe you said that with a straight face," commented Seiji.

"I can't seem to propel forward. And I can't go back. I'm stuck." Iku rest her forehead at the edge of the bar. "I don' know what I want anymore."

"Wow, a shot in the leg really has this effect on you? What a gloomy vibe. Where's the fearless kaze no miko I used to know? Are you going to let a little bullet slow you down?" egged Minako.

"She's trying to find a way to make him turn around and look her way. Something that doesn't involve getting shot again, preferably," said Seiji with a wry smile.

"Yeah, I agree that's not really the kind of attention you need," said Minako, pursing her lips. "Well," she said, slapping Iku on the back hard enough to get her to sit up again.

"Ouch! Take it easy, I've been shot today," Iku grimaced.

"We'll figure something out on our way to Hakone Ginyu. Three heads are better than one, right?" Iku looked at them both dubiously.

"Just go with the flow for now," Minako laughed.

As they exited Bar Lupin, Iku failed to notice the couple sitting in the corner closest to them, who couldn't help but eavesdrop since the three were only slightly less loud that average drunks. Commander Genda and his female companion Orikuchi Maki were quietly amused by the three's antics.

"So that's where she rushed off to," commented Maki with a bemused smile.

"You know that photographer?" asked Genda.

"Somewhat. She does good photography for our news magazine. We were in a meeting together this afternoon. She's freelance but lately I've seen her regularly in the publisher's building. Working on some kind of collection book, so I hear. I had no idea she knew Iku."

"They seem like old friends," nodded Genda. "But Kasahara seems to be in a funk."

"Well, she can't always be bright and shiny can she? Not when her love interest is anything but interested," said Maki drolly. "The irony of their situation never ceases to amuse me. At least Iku woke up to her own feelings. If he keeps playing deaf, blind and dumb she might just head in another direction."

"She wouldn't," said Genda stubbornly. "You weren't there at her interview. I swear she had everyone in stitches, well, except Doujo, with her determination. On that speech alone, I decided to let her into the Force." He took another sip of his Ginza Mary.

"She came through, that kid, even though Doujo tried to put her through the ringer. She's a valuable asset, generally. I'm glad Doujo inspired her. If you could only see her trot along beside him on duty."

"You make her sound like some sort of Defense Force pet."

He laughed, "Maybe," and added, "But the way he always goes off rescuing her makes you scratch your head and wonder how he could possibly be ignorant of how he feels."

"Well," Maki surmised, "even a girl of her caliber can only be steadfast for so long. Doujo needs to wake up or else one day, he'll turn around and she'll be gone."

"Are we still talking about those two?" asked Genda with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm steadfast to you no matter what, you big lug," she teased and finished her Kamikaze.

"I guess I see your point," said Genda after thinking on it a bit longer. "Well, since Doujo and his squad have been performing well, I think it's time I rewarded them. After all, they do have the next two days off."

"You're going to interfere, aren't you?" she laughed.

"Maybe just a little bit."

"You're such a softie."

Author's note: Aluto's "Michi To You All" is an ending theme song to Naruto Shippuden and is essentially a love song. I would imagine it was a love song from Seiji's POV. The violin background makes it more sweet and melancholic at the same time.

"Bar Lupin" is the main setting for the J-drama "Bartender," and the bartender serving Iku is none other than Ryu Sasakura created by Araki Joh for a little cross-over cameo.

Hebe is a member of the Taiwanese group S.H.E. who broke out a solo album in which one of the songs is entitled "Love." The song relates how everyone lives in a world of unrequited love and that they've forgotten how to love. I totally heard it in the background of the bar while writing this chapter.

Hakone Ginyu is an A+ rated contemporary onsen in the Hakone region outside of Tokyo.