Author's note: Here's part 2 of the interludes, featuring the remainder of the couples from Shiroiwa. In fact, this chapter took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to write. With that being said, enjoy!
Thirteen Years Later...
Interlude Part 2
Yoshitoki and Megumi Kuninobu
"Did you order anything from the menu?" Yoshitoki Kuninobu asked his wife of five years.
"Yes, some coffee and some french toast." Megumi Kuninobu replied with a smile.
"How about you, Miwa?" Yoshitoki then asked Miwako, their daughter.
"Um...blueberry pancakes. I love pancakes!" Miwako Kuninobu exclaimed, smiling brightly as well.
Yoshitoki smiled at both his wife and daughter. As he grew older, he began to think that looks aren't everything, and while he may not be handsome as his friend Shuya, Megumi always complimented his appearance.
Megumi, on the other hand, had her short hair grown to mid-length, and always kept in in a low ponytail, secured by a yellow ribbon. Although she was quite pretty thirteen years ago, she actually looked more mature as the years went by, making her look more grown-up.
"So did you get any new photos at the zoo?" Yoshitoki asked.
"Yes, a couple to be exact. I took one for a baby seal and even a couple of giraffes." Megumi replied.
"That's great! I hope they appear on the next issue of Nature Magazine." Yoshitoki said with a broad smile.
"How about your show? There's going to be a special guest, right?" Megumi asked.
"Why, of course! Not to mention, he's quite popular." Yoshitoki replied.
Suddenly, both Yoshitoki and Megumi heard the ring a of bell; the door to the coffee shop had opened and two familiar faces and a small girl entered.
"Shuya! Long time no see! You sure look more grown up than I thought!" Yoshitoki exclaimed.
"Hey, Yoshitoki! So what's up? How's your family doing?" Shuya asked as he offered to sit with his friend.
"We're doing quite well, thanks for asking; Megumi's got a couple of new photos to show and I'm quite ecstatic about the latest guest on Lucky TV." Yoshitoki replied.
Noriko smiled as she shook Yoshitoki's hand and said, "You seem quite a charming person, and much more grown up, even. It's been quite a while since we last saw you and Megumi."
"Thank you so much for the compliment." Megumi replied as she smiled back.
Little Ryoko sat next to Miwako and the two girls began to chat about the recent school play and played tag together, although they wouldn't want their playful behavior to distract everyone else.
"So how's life for you and Noriko? I'm quite surprised that she ended up with you, and needless to say, I'm not angry about it." Yoshitoki asked Shuya.
"Well...we're doing well; I've got a concert coming soon, and life seems to be coming up roses for me, my wife and our daughter, Little Ryoko." Shuya replied.
Yoshitoki caught a glimpse of Little Ryoko and brought his sight back to Shuya as he said, "I remembered you naming your daughter after our caretaker from the orphanage we used to live in when we were young. That was very sweet of you to do so."
"Yeah...that way, she'll remind us of her, whom our daughter refers to as 'Big Ryoko'." Shuya said with a smile.
"As for myself, I'm actually becoming a pretty good chef, and I'm also planning to be a teacher in a culinary school soon." Noriko added.
"That's amazing! I'm becoming a pretty good photographer, having picked up some new photos from the zoo." Megumi said.
"Little Ryoko loves animals; she'll be delighted to see them!" Noriko exclaimed with a bright smile.
Megumi smiled back before Yoshitoki asked, "Hey, do you remember me pining for you back thirteen years ago, Noriko?"
Noriko was taken by surprise, and she and Megumi laughed for a moment before she replied, "Well...yes, I think I do remember. But you were in love with Megumi, right?"
"Yeah, I was. But you know, I'm gonna remain faithful to her, just you'll be faithful to Shuya, right?" Yoshitoki said.
"Of course. We even helped out Yuko when she temporarily hooked up with Shuya by setting up a blind date with Keiji Miyazaki, the son of President Miyazaki." Noriko said.
"I didn't see that coming! Good for her, it's great to know she deserves someone to love, too." Yoshitoki exclaimed with a grin.
"If you want, we can start ordering. Maybe Little Ryoko can have pancakes, too?" Shuya asked.
"Sure!" Yoshitoki replied before Little Ryoko and Miwako returned to their respective parents and were ready to have breakfast together.
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Hiroki and Kayoko Sugimura
A cool breeze from outside ran into the Sugimura family's dojo as a man with long brown hair in a neat ponytail was helping his son on learning to perform a kung-fu kata. He smiled, knowing that the young boy would blossom beautifully into a full-fledged martial artist in the future.
As Hiroki Sugimura helped Eiji perform a few techniques, the younger boy almost missed on the first try, but began to get used to his growing abilities. Outside the dojo, a beautiful woman with slightly shoulder length brown hair saw her husband and beamed.
Kayoko Sugimura, whom Hiroki was married to for a good seven years, had been teaching flower arranging to her fellow pupils after she managed to finally get the hang of it. In addition, she was still the bright and cheerful young woman that she was years ago.
"Eiji, dear! I made you some lunch!" Kayoko exclaimed before Eiji noticed and smiled.
"Okay, mom. I'll eat." Eiji replied before giving his father a hug and saying, "Thank you for the lessons, dad."
"No problem, Eiji." Hiroki said with a smile before Eiji went inside to eat.
Kayoko then walked towards her husband and asked, "Hey, I was wondering if you'd do me a favor...would you mind listening in?"
Hiroki helped her sit next to him and reply, "Yes, what is it, Kayoko?"
"After watching you practice your martial arts on Eiji, I was thinking...maybe you should teach me the same thing. What do you think?" Kayoko said with a smile.
This took Hiroki by surprise, but he smiled back and replied, "Well...I think I can help you, although I don't want to see you get hurt."
"Really? Thanks!" Kayoko beamed before giving Hiroki a warm embrace before standing up.
Hiroki followed suit and got Kayoko into her main stance, letting her take a deep breath before he asked, "Ready?"
"Ready!" Kayoko replied before he taught her a few punches.
At first, she seemed a bit clumsy and clueless, but began to aim her punches in the right direction. Next, Hiroki taught her how to kick, but during one of the few kicks that he was teaching her, Kayoko nearly fell to the floor.
However, Hiroki helped her up and smiled warmly towards her before Kayoko resumed her training. Before long, she began to pick up the pace in her abilities, and jumped in the air to deliver a spinning kick.
Ten minutes after being taught kung-fu for the first time, Kayoko was noticeably panting but was offered a bottle of water and said after consuming most of it, "Hiroki...thanks for the lessons! I think I'm getting the hang of it!'
"I'm glad to hear, Kayoko." Hiroki said before giving her a small kiss on the forehead.
Kayoko giggled before she hugged him with a bright smile.
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Yoji and Yoshimi Kuramoto
As Yoshimi Kuramoto escorted one of the children to the playground, she smiled as she looked up at the sky. Today was a beautiful sunny day, although it might rain next week according to the weather report.
No longer the delinquent that she used to be thirteen years ago, she became more focused on love, family and life instead of being out on the streets with the future wife of Kazuo Kiriyama. In addition, Yoshimi loved her job at the orphanage because she loved playing games with children, which was ironic considering that she hadn't had children with her boxer husband Yoji Kuramoto.
However, a past event would bring back memories to Yoshimi as she rubbed her stomach with a small smile. Suddenly, she saw a familiar man with short hair arriving in his car: it was Yoji, with his always broad smile and chiseled good looks.
Yoji was quite successful in his boxing career, and while he enjoyed it, he'd also consider himself a devoted husband to the woman he loved thirteen years ago.
"Yoji!" Yoshimi exclaimed as walked towards him, giving him a warm embrace before asking, "So how did your training go?"
"Pretty good, thanks for asking." Yoji replied, smiling towards her.
Yoshimi smiled back before the two went towards a bench and sat together.
"Yoji...this may seem surprising to you, but about a week ago..." she said before she made sure none of the children would hear them by looking around the playground, knowing they were busy playing and laughing together.
"Remember the time we made love a week ago, Yoji?" Yoshimi asked.
"I did, Yoshimi. Was there anything special about it?" Yoji said.
"Well...a few days after, I took a pregnancy test, and I discovered that it was blue, indicating that I'm pregnant. Yoji...I think we're gonna have a baby!" Yoshimi exclaimed before embracing her husband.
Yoji smiled broadly and said, "I'm very glad, Yoshimi. I'm just wondering, thought, if it's going to be a boy or a girl."
"I don't know...but as long I get more tests, I'm sure we'll know the baby's gender." Yoshimi said, smiling back.
The couple then shared a brief but chaste kiss before they went towards the playground and helped out one of the kids on the swings.
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Shinji and Takako Mimura
"...in the net, he scores the game winning shot!"
A thunderous roar ran through the crowds as Shinji Mimura threw the three-point shot into the basket on the court. His teammates were thrilled and congratulated him, as well as the fans of the team he was in.
Of course, they weren't the only ones amazed by his performance: in the crowd, a beautiful, light-haired woman managed to make her way towards Shinji and smiled as he caught her eye. Takako Mimura was perhaps a popular actress, and was even in one of Keiji's films as his co-star.
As for Shinji, whom she was married to for eight years, he and his team were very popular as well, and enjoyed moderate success. Whenever Shinji was away from home, he'd used his hacking abilities to hack into his manager's computer, use his own e-mail address and sent Takako seductive messages.
To them, making love was a mantra to them both but after having Kenichi, they made sure to use protection, just like they have before they married.
"Shinji...over here!" Takako exclaimed by waving both hands, causing Shinji to look and notice her arms in the air.
He then walked towards her through the crowd and gave her a long, passionate kiss.
However, a boy yelling, "Dad!" caused both Shinji and Takako to break the kiss and notice Kenichi running towards them.
Shinji grinned before giving his son a hug and said, "So, your mother took you to see me play, huh?"
"Of course! This is the first time I've ever seen a basketball game, dad." Kenichi replied.
"Which reminds me...maybe when you get older, I might teach ya some moves on the court. Whaddaya say, kiddo?" Shinji said.
"Sure!" Kenichi said, and hugged his father once again.
"Oh, Shinji, you know how much Kenichi loves sports! He's in his school's baseball team." Takako said as she fluffed at her son's hair, causing him to laugh.
"Yeah, he sure does. Say, did you enjoy working with Keiji?" Shinji asked Takako.
"Of course, I did, although it took me by surprise when he winked at me on set; he reminded me of you, after all." Takako replied.
"Well...how's about a little reminding you of me when we get back home?" Shinji asked.
Takako was surprised at his question, but smirked before kissing him once again. "I'd like that." she simply said.
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Hiroshi and Izumi Kuronaga, Ryuhei Sasagawa and Sho Tsukioka
The night was still young, and a slightly tall yet rather built man with glasses and his attractive blond wife of four years were at a local bar drinking and talking about the upcoming class reunion. As Izumi Kuronaga order herself some wine, she noticed her husband ordering a whiskey as well.
In addition, her husband was also part of the Kiriyama Family. Hiroshi Kuronaga had obtained a newly fit physique, but he still had the muscle and brute strength that would rival either Ryuhei Sasagawa or Mitsuru Numai.
Izumi, on the other hand, was much more attractive than she used to be in school, and began wearing red lipstick and painted her fingernails red, and began dressing in the most fashionable outfits, giving her the appearance of a classic beauty without being slutty.
"So, let me get this straight: there's a class reunion coming soon?" Izumi asked as she sipped her white wine.
"Yeah, and we used to be in that class. You sure it's allright for the boss, myself and the others to go? It might be a big problem for the others, as they might think we've become shady people nowadays, but at least they'll notice how grown we've become." Hiroshi replied.
With a small giggle, Izumi smiled before she heard someone call out, "Hey, Hiroshi!"
Both Hiroshi and his wife looked towards the crowd and saw a man with his long blond hair in a low ponytail, and a beautiful, statuesque woman with short black hair accompanying him. That man was none other than Ryuhei himself, and he brought his wife of three years with him.
Her name was Risa Yamazaki, and she was a popular fashion model. As time went by, Ryuhei was grateful to Kazuo Kiriyama for keeping an eye on his own brother, and as he matured along with him, he knew that 'the siblings that fight together, stay together.'
"Allow me to introduce to you my high school sweetheart, now my beautiful wife. Her name's Risa." Ryuhei told Hiroshi.
"Hello." Risa said with a wink.
"Well, now. She is quite a babe, possibly a bit more stacked than Izumi." Hiroshi replied.
Izumi playfully smacked him on the head before she said, "Hey, I still have my natural B-cups, you know."
Both men laughed as Ryuhei asked, "Say, I got an idea: maybe you can swap girls for tonight, and see if you like busty women like Risa, how bout that?"
Hiroshi pondered about it briefly before he asked Izumi, "You don't mind, do you?"
"Well...never engaged in swapping before, but what the hell. But as long as you still love me, Hiroshi." Izumi said as she kissed him on the cheek.
"Sure. Let's do this." Hiroshi said as he high fived Ryuhei.
However, another familiar face arrived with his 'girlfiend'.
"Hiroshi! Ryuhei! I just love hanging out at clubs with you guys! Hey, have you ever met my wife before?" Sho Tsukioka asked, all decked out in the fanciest clothes.
Sho had become a force to be reckoned with along with Kazuo and Mitsuru, and although he was at first glance, flamboyant and happy-go-lucky, he still had a narcissistic streak, and claimed that he and his 'wife' were the most beautiful couple in the town, and was occasionally nicknamed a 'badass' by Mitsuru.
"Lemme guess, you're now bisexual, is that true?" Ryuhei asked.
"Nope." Sho replied.
"Then this wife of yours is...?" Hiroshi asked, rather confused at the supposed woman's feminine appearance.
"Hello? She's a he, and he's always dressed himself as a woman. After all, he's gay, just like myself. Remember how that Miyazaki fellow allowed homosexuals to marry each other as well?" Sho told them as the crossdressing 'woman' snuggled next to him.
Getting a closer look, despite the long red hair, long legs, sexy body and smoldering gaze, Ryuhei and Hiroshi eventually confirmed that it was indeed a man.
"Good to know. Say, what's her...I mean, his name?" Hiroshi asked.
"It's Kazuki. Gorgeous name, isn't it?" Sho replied.
"Hi there!" Kazuki said with a playful smile as he blew a kiss towards the duo.
"Yeah, sounds like a fascinating name to us." Ryuhei replied. "Which reminds me, would you guys mind if I join in on your swapping rituals?" Sho asked.
Both Hiroshi and Ryuhei were taken by surprise as the glasses-wearing man replied, "Uh...Ryuhei and I aren't bisexual, but we'll make you a deal: The four of us, including myself, will be goin' at it, but the two of you can watch, but please don't try and ogle the two of us while we're busy."
"Oh, my! That actually sounds kind of fun." Sho exclaimed with a huge grin.
"Well, come on, let's go crash a hotel or somewhere private; definitely not our boss's home, because he'd got his kids there." Ryuhei said, giving Hiroshi a high five before the six adults left the bar.
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Mitsuru Numai and Hirono Shimizu
As for Mitsuru, he was out on the town at another bar with his long-time girlfriend, Hirono Shimizu. A right hand man of Kazuo's, he considered himself to be a teacher to younger, fresh new members of the Family, which included Ryuhei's brother.
Hirono, on the other hand, was a former member of Mitsuko's street gang from junior high, and managed to form her own street gang: the Scarlet Devils.
"You're looking quite attractive tonight." Mitsuru told her with a small grin while taking a sip of his favorite beer.
"Why thanks. You're not so bad yourself. I bet the girls would go crazy over you, since you're still single like I am, but I really wouldn't consider marriage at this very moment. How about you?" Hirono replied.
"Me neither. But you know, maybe we can give it a shot, although you might not be fond of having kids, like your friend Yoshimi." Mitsuru said.
"Mmmhmm..." Hirono said with a small smile before she leaned in and kissed him full on the lips, causing Mitsuru to be rather surprised at first.
However, Mitsuru grinned and kissed her deeply, and after a few drinks, they decided to leave the bar, and he offered to take Hirono home.
Suddenly, they heard a voice of another woman saying, "Hey, handsome! Why don't you take me home tonight?"
Both Mitsuru and Hirono were obviously drunk, but not too drunk, and the latter recognized the woman as a friend of hers from her gang.
"Hey, Ruri! What brings you here?" she asked with a grin.
"Nothing much. Who's your boytoy?" Ruri asked, who was also noticeably drunk.
"This is Mitsuru; he's a friend of the Kiriyama Family, and perhaps Kiriyama's right hand man." Hirono replied, wrapping one arm around Mitsuru's shoulder.
Mitsuru grinned before pulling Ruri close to him and kissing her sweetly. "Nice to meet you, Ruri. That's a gorgeous name by the way." he said.
"Why thanks, your name is quite nice too...Mitsuru...that's a manly name for someone like you." Ruri replied with a grin.
"I noticed you were flirting with him while he and I were leaving the bar. I guess you're probably horny, aren't you?" Hirono asked.
"Pretty much. Say, can I join the two of you? I would love to have a little fun of my own with your man." Ruri said.
Hirono thought about it briefly before she replied, "Hell, a threesome might not be so bad after all. Come on!" before she and Ruri took both of Mitsuru's hands, and he grinned at both girls before saying, "I'm a lucky bastard."
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Kazuo and Mitsuko Kiriyama
As Yoko was busy finishing her homework, using a laptop as an assistant, she took a glance towards her brother, Nobuyuki. He was, as always, doing his homework as well, and she knew that they were both confident on scoring high scores on their tests.
Although Yoko strived to be a highly intelligent individual, Nobuyuki was the more carefree sibling, and in contrast to her quiet yet soft-spoken demeanor, he was extremely upbeat and occasionally excited at times. In addition, their parents were none other than the head of the Kiriyama family, Kazuo Kiriyama, and his wife, the delinquent-turned-gravure idol Mitsuko.
A week ago, Yoko and Nobuyuki went with their parents to pay their respects to Kazuo's mother and Mitsuko's parents at the town graveyard, and clearly, it wasn't the first time Kazuo had shown sadness after his emotions were fully reawakened thanks to the woman he loved. On the other hand, Mitsuko had began counseling when thirteen years ago to get her mental, physical and emotional life in order after falling in love with Kazuo, and to this day, had become more of a person with self-respect and respect for others, no longer the girl with split personalities.
"You do know that Mom and Dad need some privacy together tonight, right?" Yoko asked.
"Of course...I wonder if they hired a babysitter?" Nobuyuki replied.
"No, not that kind of privacy. A little different kind of privacy, but I never knew much about it...much." Yoko explained.
"After all, we're just children, and when we get older...hey, do you mean romance and love?" Nobuyuki asked curiously.
Yoko was immediately surprised at his remark; she did recall giving some chocolates to a male classmate she liked, after all.
"I suppose so." she replied with a small blush.
And since she and Nobuyuki were only children, they didn't know much about love, sex and romance, but Yoko was seemingly confident that when she and her brother get older, they might learn more about it along the way. But just what were Kazuo and Mitsuko up to?
Meanwhile...
At the dining room, Mitsuko sighed happily as she drank her wine. She and Kazuo were having a private dinner together, even though Yoko and Nobuyuki were given the opportunity to eat with them, and do their homework when they were done eating with their parents.
She was much, much more beautiful as time went by, and she was even nominated for the award of "Most Popular Model" by the fashion magazine Silk. As for her husband, he was much more resourceful than before, and even maintained a stoic, calm personality, something that their daughter possessed.
"From what I have heard, you threw a party to celebrate a friend's birthday last month. Lucky for us, we had a guardian to keep watch on Yoko and Nobuyuki. In fact, Miyazaki's son was there was well." Mitsuko said.
"Indeed. However, when he asked if he borrowed a bottle of champagne for a date with one of your friends, it wasn't for free. He needs to pay 150,000 yen, and he forgot to do so." Kazuo said as they continued eating.
"Which reminds me...maybe you should call him." Mitsuko said.
"You're right. Maybe I will." Kazuo said, then went towards a sidetable with an handheld phone and dialed Keiji's home number.
...and so, at the Miyazaki residence...
Keiji knew the blind date was a great success and was happy to fully understand he found true love in Yuko. Of course, a month before the blind date, he attended a party at Kazuo's house and borrowed a bottle of champagne for a date with a former love interest.
He suddenly heard the phone ring and answered it. "Hey, this is the Miyazaki residence. This is his son Keiji." Keiji said.
"Ah, Keiji. There was some unfinished business you need to take care of." Kazuo replied.
"Sure, what's up?" Keiji asked.
"Remember the bottle of champagne you borrowed from me? You have to pay up the 150,000 yen I asked for. After all, if anyone borrows something from anyone who's notoriously famous, he or she needs to cough up the cash." Kazuo said.
"You're kidding me, right?" Keiji replied, raising an eyebrow.
"No, I'm not kidding. You got 48 hours to give me the money, or you won't be a regular guest at any of our banquets and parties. Understood?" Kazuo asked.
"Okay...I'll try and think about it." Keiji replied and ended the phone call.
Laying back on the bed, Keiji began to consider his plans on the money: just who will he turn to at a time like this?
...The next day...
Shuya was sipping on some coffee when the door to the coffee shop opened, revealing a familiar figure.
"Hey, Shuya, do you mind helping me out here?" Keiji asked as he adjusted his tie.
"Sure, shoot." Shuya said with a look of curiousity.
"Well...last month before I went on the blind date with Yuko, I borrowed a bottle of champagne for a date with a former flame named Tomoko. However, I forgot to give Kiriyama the money: approximately 150,000 yen." Keiji replied.
"Damn! Maybe I can help?" Shuya asked.
"Sure. Any ideas?" Keiji said, and the two immediately began coming up with a solution to the situation until Shuya imagined a light bulb on the top of his head.
"I have a plan. Maybe you can have your father give Kiriyama the money. That way, you'd be off the hook for sure." Shuya replied.
"That doesn't sound like a bad idea after all. Thanks." Keiji said, shaking Shuya's hand with a broad smile.
...That evening...
At the Kiriyama residence, Kazuo was lounging with Mitsuko near the pool reading the evening news when the butler came in and told him, "There's a visitor wanting to see you."
"Very good. I'll answer the door." he replied before getting a robe since he was wearing a speedo while his wife was in a bikini.
Approaching the front door, Kazuo opened it and to his surprise, it was Shouichi with a warm smile, and standing next to him was Keiji.
"Mr. Kiriyama, my son convinced me to help him give you the money for the champagne that he borrowed for a date one month ago. Here." he said before Keiji gave Kazuo the 150,000 yen.
"I hope you might find the money useful; maybe even split it with the three of us." Keiji said with a broad smile.
This taken the younger man by surprise and said, "My, you and your father seem to be very helpful together in paying up. Just remember what I've told Keiji, correct, Mr. Miyazaki?"
"Ah, yes, of course." Shouichi replied, shaking Kazuo's hand. Kazuo smirked before he closed the door.
When Shouichi and Keiji returned home, Shuya called up Keiji and asked, "So how'd things go?"
"Pretty good. I gave Kazuo the 150,000 yen that he promised me to have." Keiji said.
"Great! Which reminds me, do you think he and his girl would be at the class reunion?" Shuya asked.
"Probably...let's just hope he won't cause any trouble with himself and his cronies." Keiji said, the two shared a hearty laugh before ending the phone call, thus ending the ordeal between the Miyazakis and the Kiriyamas.
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The story will soon come to a conclusion at the class reunion, so expect a wonderfully happy ending in this sequel. See you real soon, and be sure to review!
With love for my fans,
Chrissy