Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : Chapter 10 - Convergence

Jisho/Dictionary:
ANOO... : (An expression) Ummm...
DLP PARTY : The ruling party in Parliament. (In the manga.) Headed in this case by PM Saeki and MP Junichiro Asano, Kamui's father.
GANGURO GIRLS: Girls who tan their skin even powder them to a dark color, have blonde hair, mini skirts and are usually wild.
HIMITSU: Secret
KAKKOII: Cool!
KOMETO COALITION: Based on the Komeitko Coalition in real, present-day Japan. In this story, a new coalition of both the SCP and Nationalist Parties.
KONNICHIWA: Good afternoon.
MASAKA!: It can't be... /Oh no
MOTTO-MOTTO: Very very
NADESHIKO: Japanese ideal woman. Someone with the traditional trademark of long dark hair, quiet and sweet.
NANI: What?
O-BON: The festival to honor dead ancestors/relatives. People go to the shrines and graves, and use this as a family reunion. It's a long week holiday during the summer where people also dress in yukata and have a festival.
OMIAI: A matchmaking. It's usually a friend or relative who does the matchmaking. But there are usually dating agencies facilitated by a nakodo (a go-between, a matchmaker) who does this.
OTAKU: A really deranged, obsessed fan.
SCP PARTY: The opposition party in Parliament. (Not in the manga but I placed this based on real events.) Headed by Ryoichi Hino, Rei's father.
SENSHI: Soldier/Warrior. All of them are called sailor senshi.
SHIMATTA NA... Heavens/Goodness sakes!
SOU KA... Is that so?
TAKARAZUKA: An all-women theater. Women play the roles of both men and women. It's more vain than normal theater because even the women who play as men come out in glittery tuxedos and peacock feather boas.

In the Previous Chapter:
It is O-Bon, a weekly summer holiday for all of Japan to honor the dead. Kamui has gone to a nearby shrine a mere twenty minutes outside of Tokyo to celebrate O-Bon with his family... with Yuuka. Rei, on the other hand, has gone to a farther shrine to her mother's grave to celebrate a rare O-Bon holiday with her father. But just like every holiday in her life, it is Kaidou-san she spends it with, and there she meets Kaidou-san's wife and daughter, Risa-chan. The other senshi have been celebrating O-Bon apart from each other. Makoto's O-Bon this time is spent with her "boyfriend", the famous SanjouMasa, who in the holidays realises that it is not enough to spend just the holidays with Makoto. Sanjounin has actually decided he wants to move in with her!

(Remember: Kamui Asano is Jadeite; Kenta Maeda is Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura is Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato is Nephrite. See Author's Notes on WHY these names.)

Ichinichi. Nanagatsu. (September 1) - Business as usual

The month started with the biggest news for the political elite of Tokyo. Ryoichi Hino has called in new reforms to modernise the banking system, called by the Mainichi as the boldest reform of the year, which cemented an alliance with the Nationalist Party in supporting the SCP to form the Kometo Coalition. Even two of the DLP's own men were impressed with this reform and bolted out of their parties to be part of the coalition. One of them was MP Hisato Kaidou. The news has been on the front page of all respected local and international news for the days after O-Bon.

Teruhiro Saeki, current prime minister and leader of the DLP, was critized by international political analysts as poor and ineffectual -- unable to relate with his people. There had been calls from his party and the rival SCP and Communist Parties for him to step down and name his successor. This too has been on the front page of all major news bulletins, along with a picture of Junichiro Asano, as the favored (and obvious) contender to the DLP's as well as Japan's highest seat.

"The news about you is getting to be smaller and smaller," Akiko Asano spoke in jest and then she sipped her tea that morning, with five newspapers in front of her. "Look at the news of Ryoichi-san in the headlines. He has a big picture in the front page!"

Junichiro Asano huffed as he folded the technology section of the German newspaper he was holding. "Is that right?" he asked, adjusting his glasses to look at the newspaper his wife was holding.

"Aaa... Akiko... you had a bigger picture when you won Miss Tokyo years ago," Junichiro said, seeming indifferent, returning to his own paper. "My picture is very small on page one. Also on page three, page six and on the editorial section."

Akiko chuckled, almost choking on the tea she was sipping. "You are not the least bit worried that the SCP and Nationalist has formed a coalition against the DLP?" she asked, a bit surprised.

"If I win, I win... Akiko..." Junichiro simply answered. "The DLP has been holding the prime minister seats for the last thirty years, even when my father was still an MP. It is only right for Ryoichi-san to level the playing field."

"Sou! " Akiko nodded and winked at him. "Let's see if you'll react so calmly once things get to be more... complicated."

Junichiro smiled. "Things are always complicated. This is just the beginning." He then spotted Nishida who just passed by the door of the dining room to get his breakfast.

"Oi... Nishida!" Junichiro called. "Tell me... is there anything today that would surprise me?" He smirked at Nishida, and pretended to wait for an answer.

"Kamui-san on the third section of the Kyowa news?" Nishida answered quickly... without thinking. "He is quite a hit with the press."

"Really?" Junichiro almost knocked down his wife's tea cup as he grabbed her copy of the Kyowa newspaper. He quickly jumped to the third section... the Entertainment news, where there was indeed a photo of Kamui Asano at least discreetly on the second page, highlighting him as one of Japan's would-be idols.

"They didn't even mention me..." Junichiro seemed like he would almost cry (for joy, of course). "Why is it that your son gets to have your superstar pageant appeal?"

A sweatdrop fell above Akiko's head. She turned to Nishida instead. "Where is Kamui?" she asked.

"With his friend, Eine and Masato-san. He's helping them to move things from his apartment," Nishida answered, praying for his stomach not to grumble.

"He knows of our meeting today with a very special guest, doesn't he, Nishida?" Junichiro reminded authoritatively.

"Haii..." Nishida answered. "He should know. I will remind him."

"This meeting is very important, Nishida. But don't worry about it. I'll take care of Kamui myself." The elder Asano was saying this with his paper down, sounding very serious. "From now on, I'm assigning you to Kamui as his bodyguard."

Nishida gulped, now forgetting his hunger. "But Asano-dono..." he tried to plead but it was already final for the elder Asano and he already raised his hand to signal him to skip all explanation.

"My son is becoming popular in his own right, isn't he?" Junichiro said, leering as if the achievement was his own. "This meeting will definitely be a good thing for him."

"This is a new 'alliance' again, Junichiro? We were disappointed with the Tominaga as was Kamui," Akiko interjected calmly after sipping her tea. "Shouldn't you be too busy crushing Hino-san instead of being matchmaker?"

"I can't help it. I have good taste with alliances and with women," Junichiro grinned, winking at his wife, which Akiko knew was actually one of his most serious statements. "Why do you think this will not work?"

"Woman's intution," Akiko answered confidently.

Ichinichi. Nanagatsu. (September 1)

Kenta Maeda tied his long lusciously straight, shiny and impossibly luxuriously shampooed hair in a low ponytail to help out in moving house. Only Kenta-kun can look that good in ordinary work clothes, with his sweat glowing from carrying all that heavy luggage. Soujirou, on the other hand, wheezed as he dropped on the box he carried and had no qualms of showing the unglamorous side of surrender -- his curly hair tied in a low ponytail but with strands messily stuck to his face like cotton candy and his hands and knees shaking from all the weight he carried.

Upon entering the apartment, Kenta gently laid down the luggage he was carrying, quickly wiped his hands off his trousers and greeted the lady of the house like a true gentleman.

"Doozo yoroshiku..." Kenta did a short bow. "I am pleased to meet you, Kino-san. You have a very nice place."

"Very pleased to meet you as well, Tsukino-san... and Mizuno-san," Kenta greeted, turning to the women beside her. "I have heard many things about you." (By 'many things,' that meant Soujirou's weekly reports via his mobile phone calls to him on the very brilliant, Biochemistry scholarship and honor student, chess champion, still-life apprentice painter, twenty-year old Ami Mizuno.)

Makoto's eyes were in a daze that she didn't answer. Isn't he in the Kin commercials? Sanjounin's friends were extremely kakkoii! Even his friend, Soujirou, was quite good looking even though he didn't have that much stamina. It was such a surprise to know how they were all connected. Ami-chan even goes to Tokyo Tech with Soujirou-kun!

Usagi, in the meantime, was completely oblivious and starstruck. Kenta was used to this kind of reaction anyway, even though a huge sweatdrop hung above him everytime he passed by her, politely asking to step aside ... he was carrying heavy things like the coffee table and she was in the way... onegai, Tsukino-san? But of course, being a gentleman just didn't help. It only made him more attractive.

"Soujirou-kun... are you alright?" Ami asked with concern, still by Makoto's side near the kitchen counter, helping her prepare the meals.

"Hai! Mizuno-san!" Soujirou answered instantly, standing alert on his feet as if being struck by lightning. "Do you need help with anything? Absolutely anything?"

"It's alright," Ami smiled cheerfully. "Mako-chan and I are doing well here."

"This is very unfair, Kamui! You're not paying me this time!"

Makoto immediately recognized that loud voice and it didn't sound drunk this time, which was a very good thing. Eine had been there earlier than Kenta or Soujirou and was the first to meet Makoto and her friends. She had invited everybody to help her with moving Sanjounin's things to her apartment, to which they were all too happy to oblige. (Minako, especially... except, she was running late.)

Eine entered carrying the biggest and heaviest case of all, gritting his teeth under that chain of his nose ring. Sanjounin entered as well, holding the other edge of the case.

"Konnichiwa!" Sanjounin greeted them, smiling happily.

"Asano-san!" Makoto, Usagi and Ami gasped in unison when they saw Kamui enter, carrying a guitar in its own leather case on his back without difficulty.

"You know each other?" Soujirou asked, very surprised.

"They are... Rei-san's friends who I've met a few months ago," Kamui told Soujirou, smiling at Makoto. "I'm honored that you remembered. I'm pleased to see you again."

(Makoto was surprised at Kamui sounding so formal. She often heard most about him from Sanjounin. Kamui being closest to Sanjounin was such a huge surprise since they differed in backgrounds. Makoto heard a few stories from Sanjounin about his friend Kamui chasing after a certain daughter of a politician. Makoto didn't relate it at that time but now she knew who he meant.)

"Masaka... This is such a huge coincidence," Soujirou exclaimed.

(By this time, Usagi was turning on the page of IDOL magazine which she found somewhere in Makoto's apartment, along with Ami-chan. Ami was successful in hiding her astonishment at the discovery of having Kamui Asano in the same apartment where her friend, Makoto lived. Usagi, in the meantime, was more transparent with her celebrity moment. IDOL magazine was an entertainment magazine but right now, Kamui Asano was featured there, being reinstated as someone who had more of the makings of a j-pop idol than the next mayor of Tokyo.)

"Masaka..." Ami-chan echoed, but because she saw Usagi-chan flip to the page of IDOL magazine where a small photo of Kamui was placed.

"Kakkoii!" Usagi exclaimed, excitedly showing them magazine on her hands. "See, this is Kenta-san's huge picture with Kin on this page and Asano-san's picture on this page!" Usagi's grin widened as she returned to gloss over the pages again, prompting a huge sweatdrop to fall on Kenta's, Kamui's and Soujirou's heads.

"Anoo..." someone groaned.

"Masaka! You are all very famous..." Makoto couldn't help but comment, jumping by Usagi and Ami-chan to see the pages on IDOL magazine herself.

Makoto did not really expect all this. Life changed immediately after O-bon. All of a sudden, her boyfriend wanted to spend everyday with her, he says, and the next week, they're carrying his things into her apartment. And the famous SanjouMasa actually had his share of high profile friends. Now, a commercial model and the son of probably the next prime minister were standing in her apartment.

"But I am, too... in Tokyo Tech--" Soujirou tried to say something but another groan interjected.

"Help me!" Eine finally shouted, gigantic drops of sweat falling from his forehead and his knees were shaking from the intense weight on his shoulders.

Makoto rushed to help him, beating Kenta and Kamui in reaching Eine. (Soujirou did not make an effort because he remained frozen, being interrupted from his sentence to justify his own popularity.) Makoto lifted the case Eine was carrying, showing some difficulty but definitely lesser strain than Eine, and laid it down on the floor with such great ease.

(Now this was a surprise for both men, Kenta and Kamui, whose egos were struck by such display of strength at that moment. Kamui, most especially, because Sanjounin's description of his girlfriend was somebody more feminine and had imagined a nadeshiko in his head with the way Sanjounin described her. Sanjounin's word was actually "graceful." He did mention that his girlfriend singlehandedly beat up this group of ganguro girls but they all thought that was a joke ... until this day.)

"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO HELP ME, KAMUI!" Eine angrily shouted, after breathing comfortably from all that weight.

"Shut up... I tried to help but Sanjou-kun would not let me," Kamui replied, looking curtly at Eine.

Kenta had a clear picture in his head how that scene went:

Kamui leaned over and tried to pick up a large case.

"Not that one," Sanjounin commanded.

Kamui shifted to another medium sized case.

"Not that one," Sanjounin commanded.

And this time, Kamui was about to reach a smaller case.

"Not that one," Sanjounin commanded, even before he was about to do that anyway.

"Sanjou-kun just allowed me to carry this," Kamui answered, with the guitar still on his back, putting a sweatdrop above Sanjounin's head.

"This is because Sanjou-kun knows that Kamui is most like him," Kenta explained. "Very destructive."

"Really?" Makoto whispered, now worried about Rei a bit.

"That is okay, Eine. I asked you and Kamui to help and you came," Sanjounin said, appeasing Eine gently. "Thank you so much for your help."

"I thought you were not fond of playing this one, Sanjou?" Kamui asked, pointing to the not so important instrument Sanjounin allowed him to carry.

"Only because it's very easy," Sanjounin answered, taking the guitar from Kamui to carry it to the empty room where the other instruments are kept.

"And because she likes this one," Sanjounin continued, beaming at Makoto to make sure she heard that. (Usagi gushed at that one. Soujirou kept a mental note of that line and how it was delivered so eloquently. Makoto... the thunder goddess... was able to be discreet of the electricity she felt down her spine.)

"Makoto-san, Rei-san is not with you?" Kamui finally asked.

"Anoo... Rei-chan wanted to be here to help but she is very busy," Makoto answered. "She said she has an appointment with her father."

"Sou ka..." Kamui sounded disappointed.

"We haven't seen Rei-chan for a long time. She is very busy lately," Usagi told him. "But... Mako-chan, isn't Minako-chan coming here to help you with your apartment too?"

Minako-chan...? That triggered something in Kenta Maeda, who for a long time, had been out of place in the entire conversation.

"She is coming, but she is running late. I don't know if..."

Kenta listened to Makoto talk but was too busy musing about this certain Minako he knew...

"We are going to meet, Mako-chan's boyfriend, Artemis-chan! They're going to rearrange Mako-chan's apartment together... it's like playing house!" A familiar voice had spoken from outside, as if to cue Kenta's thoughts.

"Eeto..." Makoto was a bit embarassed when she heard it, knowing who it was.

The volume of the person who spoke was increasing as she was getting close to the door.

"This is going to be fun, Artemis-chan! I've only seen SanjouMasa play before but this will be the first time I'll meet him!" the voice continued.

Everyone in that apartment became silent in listening intently to that voice. Eine looked at Kenta, raised an eyebrow and silently mouthed a question as to why he was smiling by himself, to which Kenta simply huffed and smiled without answering. He knew that voice. Soujirou was right... this is such a huge coincidence.

"He's Mako-chan's boyfriend! (Sweatdrop again falling above Makoto's head.) You like him too?"

Wait... Kenta was confused just as the men in that room were. Was that Aino-san's ...? Kenta always found her alone rehearsing the lines by herself. It couldn't be.

(Luna, who was keeping silent all this time, wanted to claw Artemis as soon as he entered for being so careless in breaking the secrecy of the girls being senshi.) Ami-chan rushed to the door and opened it for Minako, who thankfully had stopped talking as soon as it opened.

"Ami-channnn!" Minako greeted happily, entering the door in capri pants, tied shirt and a bandanna on her hair -- the work clothes she had shopped for, perfect for helping fix the new apartment for Makoto and meeting the SanjouMasa. Minako had expected a small party -- only the girls and SanjouMasa, so she was surprised to see all these other faces looking at her.

"Eh? You were all alone?" Eine immediately asked, standing to see who else was outside, finding no one, except a white cat with a crazy moon tattoo on its forehead wrapping itself around Minako's legs in fear. (Note that the cat with the strange moon tattoo did not shock him.)

"We heard someone with you," Eine continued, looking at Minako, who was too frozen to speak. "It sounded like a male voice but he suddenly disappeared. This is strange... it can't be..."

Eine bent down to study the white cat with the crazy moon tattoo...

"Sou... sou... " Usagi rushed to Minako's side, trying to tone down Eine's observation with a grin. "You can't suspect that it was Artemis-chan. See? He's a cat!"

Usagi haplessly picked up Artemis and showed him closely to Eine and the rest of the boys.

"Meow?" That cat was not as good an actor as its master and at that time, it almost died of a heart attack.

"It's okay, Eine. There's a perfectly logical explanation."

It was Minako's turn to (almost) die of a heart attack upon hearing that voice. Masaka... Kenta-chan! SanjouMasa was here and also... Kenta-chan! This is way too perfect! It was a good thing she had shopped for her 'work clothes' that day! (Only Minako can think of these things in a crisis.)

"I know Aino-san too, because we work together in the new play," Kenta explained. "She's very good at practicing lines on her own and she can impersonate a male voice very well."

Heh. Minako was not too thrilled with that explanation. She was hoping that Kenta-chan would say that there was really a man walking with her, but he immediately ran away because he was too jealous that she wanted to visit SanjouMasa. But no, they would rather believe a crazier explanation that she can sound like a man or that her cat can talk! (Who cares if it's true...shimatta?)

"Really? Can you try speaking to us like that again, Aino-san?" Eine asked... seriously.

"Baka..." Kamui interjected with a huge sigh.

"Hora! It's time to eat! Who would like to have some food?" Makoto interrupted, saving the day. It was a good thing that Sanjounin's friends were sensible enough not to trust a weirdo like Eine at that moment, even if he were blurting out things that were absurdly true. It was also a good thing that food was such an easy bait for Eine.

"Anoo... Mako-chan, our lunch is not yet ready," Ami-chan reminded gently, pointing to the bread baking in the oven.

"That's okay, Ami-chan... we'll just have this snack first," Makoto answered, feigning calmness with her frilly apron and serving the huge plate of snacks that she took from the kitchen counter.

Eine and Minako were the first to get from the plate -- the former because he ate anything, and the latter, because she wanted an excuse to stuff her mouth before anyone else could ask for her to speak like a man again. The rest were just completely hesitant to pick what looked like hard, dried mucus with familiar seaweed wrapper disguised as food.

Kamui, Kenta and Soujirou looked at Makoto, the owner of the house, and seeing her innocently expectant expression at the food she served them, were too grieved and too polite to say no. (Soujirou became queasy at the mere sight.) Kamui gulped a bit and took the first thing on top of that plate, with its sticky residue left on his fingers as he ate it, and imagined that it was gyouza. Kenta and Soujirou soon followed so all three swallowed the unknown, at least to see relief in the eyes of their host. Sanjounin was beaming brightly behind her and Kamui almost mistook this as betrayal for not having to gulp down anything on that plate... until he found himself chewing on something delicious.

"This is quite good," Kenta complimented in between chews, speaking truthfully. "What is this?"

"It is delicious, Kino-san," Soujirou added. "The rice is actually cooked well with more flavor and it melts in your mouth along with the salmon."

"Onigiri," Sanjounin answered, smiling proudly this time because... "I was the one who made it. I learned to make special onigiri by adding flavor to the rice from Makoto."

"You made this? You cooked the rice this way yourself?" Kamui asked in disbelief.

"Hai!" Sanjounin answered proudly.

"Well, it's a good thing you told them. You almost scared these guys, Sanjou-kun!" Eine told Sanjounin without hesitation, taking another piece of onigiri from the plate. "I didn't know what it was myself... I mean, shimatta na... how can it look like shit? It's only onigiri, Sanjou-kun!"

There were too many sweatfaces with this followed by an awkward silence. Kamui was the only filled with a dark aura. Still bearing his composure and surprisingly holding a second onigiri, turned to Eine.

"Eat." Kamui commanded, handing the plate forcefully to Eine.

Sanjounin laughed, much to Makoto's surprise that it didn't offend him. He knew Eine too well and was used to his tactlessness. The nice thing was that he didn't expect this day to be momentous -- even to the point of his own friends knew her friends. And that everyone else would be united because of him making onigiri. Eine was actually quite right -- it was just onigiri, and if his own sensei didn't teach him to pay attention to simple things like that, he couldn't make one that was as good.

"Things are changing for us, isn't it?" Sanjounin directed his remark at Kamui, who could not understand that strange happiness on his face.

"Nani?"

"I mean, Soujirou is right. This is such a huge coincidence," Sanjounin explained. "And she is the only one who's not here."

"It is only a coincidence," Kamui sulkingly replied. "She is busy. I'm not a stalker like Soujirou."

"Oi, Kamui-kun! I'm not a stalker!" Soujirou shot back defensively, trying to see if Mizuno-san heard that through his peripheral vision.

"Sanjounin is right. You have to admit that this is more than a coincidence," Kenta finally remarked, as was his tradition of concluding all conversation with the most sensible statements.

He looked at Aino-san, who was busy talking to Mizuno-san. The white cat, he had observed, was clinging to her so closely like her familiar. Kenta recalled Aino-san practicing her lines and remembered her voice distinctly... but no... Eine can't be right.

"It seems more like it's fated." Kenta concluded that with a last bite of the onigiri.

Ichinichi. Nanagatsu. (September 1)

Rei Hino wanted to call Makoto on her phone to ask her how things were at her apartment. She wanted to be there with Usagi, Minako and the others, and especially to meet SanjouMasa, whom Minako had raved so much about. For a long time, it had only been Usagi who had a boyfriend. (In fact, for the past millenia probably since the Silver Millenium.) So Rei really wanted to see how Makoto was reacting to all this. But Ono-san said that the schedules of those in the SCP were more hectic than ever because they were all busy with the passing meeting for the passing of her father's banking bill. This was the only time that most of them are available.

So Rei woke up early to attend to the appointment that she set with her father. And now, in the halls of Parliament, Ono-san walked beside her, dressed in a distinct emerald green suit and gallingly commanded another secretary that day to fetch Hino-dono's documents. In the Parliament offices, people would normally either mind their own business, do not even bother to be distracted by anything because of the hectic pace, or would just be too polite to notice anybody. Ono-san was just not used to and considered it really impolite that people would not even look discreetly from their peripheral vision this new visitor who had just entered Parliament, because Rei Hino, though dressed in a gray tweed suit was strikingly more noticeable than everybody else in there.

"Can't you pick up the pace, Hino-san? Or we will be late for this appointment," Ono-san grumpily ordered. The clunky sound of her thick heels quickening in tempo.

Rei huffed and then, she stopped. Raising her chin, she said haughtily, "Please go ahead, Ono-san. I know my schedule."

"Hino-san..." Ono-san said, turning back towards Rei. "This is Parliament. People have hectic schedules here. I am just concerned about the time."

"We are twenty minutes early, Ono-san. If you want to hurry, you can go ahead."

"If that is the case, then we are right on time!" Ono-san said, trying to smile instead to appease her.

And then Rei started walking. Slowly and greatly aware that this irritated Ono-san. They reached the end of the hall where Ono-san led her to the door that had her father's name in kanji and English in the metal plate -- which was a happy moment for her and Ono-san to finally separate. Rei immediately entered without knocking, and seeing her father's office for the first time gave her a moment of awe. Photos of her father shaking hands with various officials from all over the world and photos of him in various festivals and events made her realise only now how much she forgot how her own father actually looked like. The last long moment she had at him was probably during her mother's funeral. Right now, there were only glimpses of him at the Sumida and even during O-bon. The rest were stills of him in the newspaper she was reading.

That Ono-san had to make an appointment to meet him made her feel like a citizen asking the next would-be prime minister. It felt like an honor and a privilege ... only if he kept those appointments with his very own daughter.

"Konnichiwa... I'm honored to meet you for this appointment." Rei bowed formally and greeted.

"So..." she stood up and snickered. "How does it feel sitting there in my father's seat?"

From behind that seat, he smiled upon hearing that. Gently turning the seat 180 degrees to face her, Kaidou-san then stood up, walked towards Rei and politely bowed. "Konnichiwa!" he greeted.

"Don't worry, Rei-san," Kaidou-san said, smiling at her. "I will not dishonor your father even with just this simple thing of sitting at his desk. I am not yet worthy to do even that. Please... sit down."

Rei sat down and took a quick glance at her father's empty seat. Masking her disappointment, she asked, "My father is in a different meeting?"

Kaidou nodded, sitting at the visitor's chair opposite her. "This is regarding his public relations," he answered.

"Unn..." Rei replied, realising that her father was now meeting with Ono-san instead and was even more disappointed.

"Don't worry, Rei-san. You are a part of that. You are Hino-dono's daughter and the press has taken a liking to you lately because your name has been cleared in the incident at the ambassador's party."

"That is a bit strange. At first they wanted to think I was taking something as far fetched as drugs and now I have a good reputation?"

"You can't blame them, Rei-san. You stirred things for no apparent reason in a private party. There is no logical explanation at that time than that," Kaidou explained. "But the latest articles cleared you and they were written very well in two respectable newspapers. Somebody in the press must really like you that much."

Rei couldn't help but smile at that. "Anyway..." she coughed. "I came here to tell my father personally that I am shifting courses from Asian Philosophy to Management at Waseda. But I understand this may be too trivial as compared to his public relations so I would like to ask for your help in telling him that."

"It could sound as if you can't make up your mind so there must be a good reason."

"Please tell him that I would like to help my grandfather in managing the Shrine. He is already old and must rest. I can also help him in the cultural concerns of his office, such as preserving historical landmarks and shrines."

"He is currently busy with other things that are related to the economy. It sounds complicated, but you see, Hino-dono will not--"

"He has allied with the Honohouchi because this is his weakness, isn't it? He knows that pursuing economic bills are the priority but if he wants to connect with the rest of Japan and show nationalism, he is supporting these cultural concerns but realised instead to delegate it. He can even delegate some questions to me."

Kaidou-san raised both eyebrows and was greatly surprised at this new knowledge. "I thought that you disliked politics, Rei-san," Kaidou-san told her, adjusting the frame of his glasses.

"Kaidou-san... will you please tell my father?" Rei asked instead, dodging his statement.

Rei felt Kaidou-san look at her with that same liquid stare he did last O-bon so she felt awkward in looking straight into his eyes. She tried to remain steady in her seat in order to act professional. This was her debut into political negotiations so she was dismissing her gift of sensing the true aura that surrounded Kaidou-san. He always had a mild-mannered and gentle disposition so anything past that was completely ... very much unlike him.

"I will, Rei-san," Kaidou-san finally answered after a long awkward silence. "I just have one question.You knew that you would be meeting with me instead of Hino-dono, didn't you?"

"Hai." Rei nodded, trying to sound indifferent. "This is not the first time."

Kaidou-san smiled. "I thought you would not want to meet me after what I said to you last O-bon," he told her.

"You have shifted to the SCP and now you are my father's right hand man. I think you are only doing what you think is right for him."

"I am also doing what is best for you, Rei-san. When you're with Asano Kamui, you become attached to his reputation and it has only brought you bad publicity in the newspapers."

"You must learn to trust me, Kaidou-san."

"It's not just that," he said, adjusting his glasses. "You know that I've always looked after you."

There was no better answer. Rei looked down at her toes to concede to that answer with a little guilt. Kaidou-san smiled at his gentle assurance to her but still with the mutual understanding in that silence that neither will submit to any kind of compromise on the matter regarding Kamui Asano. But this was not the end of it.

Kaidou-san stood up and initiated thanking her coming to this appointment with a bow.

As she was heading towards the door, Rei took one last look at his father's photographs and felt a wind of nostalgia blow memories that did not belong to her. She then fidgeted with the small pendant of the necklace she wore to acknowledge the source.

"Kaidou-san, would you know if my mother had ever been inside this office?"

Kaidou-san thought for a moment and said, "It's very likely but maybe I probably wasn't here yet at that time."

Sou ka...If her mother had walked here, Rei imagined as she was walking down the halls of the Parliament offices, Risa Hino would've been an instant celebrity. A real looker. In all the photographs in her grandfather's album, her mother was very beautiful. Risa Hino would've been the best public relations asset of her father if she were alive to stay by his side.

Rei hadn't realised that while imagining this, she was fulfilling the destiny that she thought was her mother's. She was able to get whispers from the Parliament office's onlookers that Ryoichi Hino's daughter was such a beauty, and she was getting gazes even from women who were the gatekeepers to gossip press releases that reached Ono-san's office. Rei's sixth sense remained oblivious to this because she was too pensive in thought, marking every landmark in that building in case her mother's spirit left a memory there.

Then the phone rang ... about forty times to break this meditation. She was already nearing the exit of the building.

"Rei-san!" The voice at the other line exclaimed.

"Kamui-san?"

"Hino-san..." A burlier voice spoke and he was in front of her. "I am Nishida," he said after startling her. "Asano-san sent me."

"Why weren't you at Kino Makoto-san's apartment? All of your friends were there." Kamui continued to ask on the phone.

Kamui's voice sounded demanding but she was surprised to have learned that Kamui-san was there too. "What are you doing in Mako-chan's apartment?"

"Sanjounin is my friend. So are Kenta-kun and Soujirou-kun who both know Aino Minako-san and Mizuno Ami-san."

"Really? This is such a huge coincidence!"

"It is... are you finished with the meeting with your father?"

A short pause. "Yes, I am."

"Good. I sent Nishida to pick you up. There is just this ... " Kamui coughed. "... small matter I'm taking care of. But it will be over soon. I'll meet you at the Kitawa Shrine. Nishida will take you there."

"Eh? So soon? It's nearing lunch, Kamui-san and --"

"Asano-san..." Nishida spoke on Rei's phone, after forcefully grabbing it from her. "Your father wants you to do well in that 'meeting.' Don't mess it up. I'll take care of her from here." He then pressed a button to end the call and gave it back to Rei without any apologies.

"Let's go, Hino-san," Nishida commanded, bowing low to her.

"Nishida-san? Are you serious? It's already nearing lunch and--"

"Please, Hino-san... don't make it too hard. I'm just here to obey orders."

That was actually a plea? "Nishida-san... Kamui-san can't order me around like that," Rei replied, crossing her arms.

"He can't do that to you but I'm obliged to follow his orders, so..." Nishida said, pulling the sleeve of her tweed suit. "Kitawa Shrine is just twenty minutes from here."

If he was able to get the young Asano to go to O-bon without any difficulty, Nishida could easily get Rei Hino to the same place despite her pleas (and contemplations to transform into Sailormars if she didn't trust Kamui-san that much.)

Minako Aino's Omiai adventures that happened before O-bon

Adventure 1:

It was 5 am when the matchmaker called asking Minako to wake up because they finally found the right guy who would suit her relentless 'sugar energy.' Her date arrived at 5:30 am when Minako was still groggily brushing her teeth. He was wearing a sleeveless (and tight!) jogging outfit and shorts, very excited to meet her that his very handshake shook Minako so much, her knees almost gave up. (But that was because she still wasn't fully awake yet.) He laughed, said she was so cute about fifty times and grabbed her arm for them to start a "great relationship" bright and early in the morning.

He probably ran fifty kilometers and Minako made a centimeter past the door. Did he remember to come back?

Adventure 2

The little man at the dating agency profusely apologised for being such a poor matchmaker, mistaking 'sugar energy' as literal physical compatibility. So the next week, he promised Minako the kind of man he asked for -- dashing, had a good voice, and looked like an idol. (Plus points!)

The date came on time. 7:30 and with a single rose between his... er, her mouth. Minako recognized him... er, her because she was famous in the takarazuka theater. (#$!)

Adventure 3

"Ohayoo... Aino Minako? These are for you." He said, standing at the door of the Costume Department, holding a huge bouquet of red roses. "I always thought you were cute."

"..."

"#$&!#(!($(!$#(!$(#!)!"

Really terrible, ugly and gory scene of Minako wringing her matchmaker's neck for matchmaking HIMSELF as her date.

Sigh.

"Aino-san?"

No answer. Busy with gruesome imagination of burning down the dating agency.

"Ah... Aino-san?"

Such a sweet voice. She recognised it now. Was that Kenta-chan standing before her, holding a bouquet of roses? Suddenly the gory scene of burning and gnashing of teeth had disappeared and a fog seemed to envelop only her and Kenta-chan, who was standing in her midst, wearing a cape. (for that scene in the play)

"Haii...?" Minako asked sweetly, as petals flew in the fog as though enthralled by the strings of a violin.

A lot of petals were indeed flying since Kenta was holding a worn-out bouquet of roses, where only two or three remained intact of what was left of that matchmaker's gift to her.

"You dropped this," Kenta said, handing her the bouquet of roses by stretching out his hand as far as he could until she could reach it. He swiftly pulled back his hand and tried to discreetly step back to what seemed like a safe distance as soon as he felt Aino-san having taken the bouquet.

"Aino-san... something must have happened, right? Something terrible?" Kenta asked her, sounding concerned. "You don't really ..." cough "... do that to people, right?"

The sight of the bouquet brought back the imagination of asking Sailormars to burn down the dating agency and Kenta was again afraid to see such murderous stare in Minako, until... she realised what Kenta-chan had asked her.

"I guess I got lost for a moment. I've never done that before..." she said, a film of water glistening in her repentant eyes.

"Aino-san..." Kenta said gently, now finding it safe to get (just a little bit) close to sit near her. He even knelt down to console her. "Do you need a doctor?" He asked, sounding genuinely concerned. (He was referring to a psychiatrist.)

Kenta-chaaaan...Minako could almost cry and hug him. "I'm okay, Maeda-san," she answered, trying to smile as cheerfully as she can. "I'm going to say sorry to him tomorrow at the hospital."

Ichinichi. Nanagatsu. (September 1) - Finally at Kitawa Jinja

"How long till he gets here, Nishida-san?" Rei asked grumpily, sitting at the steps of the Kitawa Shrine's front porch.

"He must be held up by his father," Nishida answered, taking a bite from his onigiri. "All I'm asked to do is hold you here until he arrives."

Rei glanced at her watch, which said that it was already 1:30 pm. "It's already past lunch," she complained. "If you give me back my phone so I can call him, we would have known where he really is."

"I can't allow that. This is a very important meeting and Asano-dono won't allow any interruptions," Nishida explained, patting Rei's mobile phone which he secured in his pocket. "Besides, I asked you to eat something. Here, why don't you take some of this onigiri. Kamui told me his friend made it himself just this morning."

Rei took one look at the molten rice cakes in the bento box that Nishida was holding and resisted the urge to feel queasy. She wanted to be at Makoto's place right now where she was sure to get the 'right kind of onigiri.' She just couldn't trust this one... not knowing they came from the same place.

"I can't stay here any longer, Nishida-san. I'm going home," she announced impatiently.

"I can't allow that, Hino-san. Please wait just a little longer. Asano-san will be here in a while."

Rei shook her head. "What do you mean you can't allow that? I'm not your hostage," she said in great indignation, flipping her hair. "I'm going home!"

"Hino-san... I can't allow that," Nishida warned in a really low tone.

Rei stood up and didn't say anything. She stood to her feet and was only about two steps until Nishida blocked her way, onigiri on one hand, chewing rice with his shades on and one eyebrow raised.

"I told you to eat something," Nishida told her in a low commanding tone.

"Oi, Nishida... what are you doing with Rei-san?"

Rei was screaming inside when she finally heard that voice. There stood Kamui Asano, dressed in a very formal black coat and tie that looked more fancy than any of his business suits.

"She wanted to leave," Nishida answered, finally dropping the phone in his pocket in Rei's hands. "How was your important meeting?"

Kamui shook his head. "It was so stuffy in there that I almost couldn't breathe," he said, scowling at Nishida. "It's a good thing it ended so soon or I have to make an excuse to leave."

He then dismissed all that and walked towards Rei, smiling when he reached her. "You mean you almost let her escape?" Kamui grinned, looking at Rei as if he nothing happened. He took a good glance at her from head to toe dressed in that gray tweed suit, happily appreciating to have seen her in formal clothes as though she was going on a political campaign.

"You're late..." Rei said coldly, not even looking at him.

"Let's go then, Rei-san. I'm going to show you something."

Kamui immediately grabbed her hand before she could even complain or struggle. He sounded very excited too, after that announcement, and had a cheerful look on his face as he dragged her inside the Kitawa Shrine. She was almost tripping in her skirt at his speed but Kamui didn't stop until they reached the porch that faced a huge pond in the Kitawa Shrine.

"Look at this," Kamui said, finally letting go of his grasp. He pointed to a medium sized paper boat that had two small candles inside it.

"My father taught me this tradition here in the Kitawa Shrine," he said, handing her the paper boat and gently held her hand to walk her towards the pond. "One O-Bon when I was younger, he took me to show me my grandfather's grave and my great grandfather's grave. They were all in government and they were all high ranking politicians. They made sure they had enough male heirs and groomed them to become their own successors."

"But my grandfather raised his son to be more like his successor than his own child, and was very strict. My father swore that he would never do that to his own children. So my grandmother brought him to this pond and told him to float a paper boat with two candles. One would stand to burn for honoring all our ancestors and the other would allow our ancestors to grant all our wishes."

Kamui smiled as he handed Rei the paper boat in his hands. "My father swears that it works, Rei-san," he said, very amused. "He only had two wishes -- to become Japan's best prime minister and to marry the most beautiful woman."

Rei was speechless. She didn't know that Kamui was this sentimental. She was used to all kinds of traditions being a miko but even in Hikawa Jinja, there were not a lot of invented family traditions. She never had one, save for the birthday dinners she supposedly had with her father but had it with Kaidou-san instead.

"Let's go, Rei-san..." Kamui told her after lighting the candles on the paper boat.

Only when she saw how sincerely expectant he was did she feel touched. Kamui shared a private family tradition with her since he could not be part of her O-Bon. A soft breeze blew as soon as she released the paper boat in the pond, allowing it to move on the streams of the waveless pond. It was the same kind that spoke to her when she was searching for shadows of her mother's memories at the Parliament offices. Only then was Rei convinced that it was true, so she closed her eyes and made a wish...

"Why don't you go make another one like this and make a wish?" she asked Kamui.

"I already made the same wish as my father because he convinced me that there is no other thing I should ask for except those two," Kamui said, smiling. "And I also made another one at Hikawa Jinja."

Rei gulped guiltily at having known that. She had kept the wood block he wrote where he wrote his wish. The one that said "miko."

"What about you?" Kamui asked. "What did you wish for?"

Rei raised her right hand's forefinger to her lips and said, "Hi-mi-tsu..." she whispered, winking.

Kamui sighed. "Sou..." he conceded. "I should have made one more wish. I would like to taste my favorite dish... home cooked like my mother used to make when I was younger. Ever since my father became elected as an MP, he and my mother became too busy with political campaigns. All I eat is take-out or those done by the cook."

He was polite enough not to say anything like instant curry, which he did eat occasionally. But right now, it didn't seem to matter to Rei. All this talk of food was making her motto-motto miserably hungry...

"My mother..." Rei mumbled, trying to take her attention away from her stomach. "Today I was at my father's office to meet Kaidou-san... and I can't help but wonder if my mother was also able to visit there like I did. But I looked and saw that there were not even pictures of her in his office."

"Your mother?" Kamui thought for a minute. "That's possible. My mother had been involved since my father's campaign so it's very possible. I can ask my mother if she knows. She's been around that place long enough."

"Domo..." she thanked him, very appreciative. "I thought Kaidou-san would know."

Kamui's eyes narrowed into a scowl upon hearing that name. "Kaidou-san... I always knew that he would not be loyal to the DLP," he said. "I know he is supposed to be your father's successor but why are you meeting with him often?"

"He's always been there ..." The light in her eyes were fading. "... to take the place of my father because he was too busy even to meet me."

Take the place of my father... Kamui repeated in his thoughts. The phone conversation he had with her last O-bon echoing these words. "Rei-san..." he began, his tone rising when he realised. "Does this mean that Kaidou-san was your--?"

Rei gave a weak nod, mesmerized as the paper boat floated on the pond, watching the wick of the candles melt onto the paper.

"Sou ka... did he ever--?"

"No... I was just a child then," she replied before he could finish, relieving him of little tinges of jealousy that were about to show. "And he did what he had to do to be my father's successor ... he got himself married to a prominent politician's daughter."

Kamui's disposition had now changed. He had underestimated Kaidou-san's loyalty. It was just in the wrong place. It always belonged to Hino-dono. And more so did Kamui relate to the Kaidou-san's circumstances -- a shadow of that just happened to him hours ago. He watched the paper boat be engulfed in flames and slowly sinking into the water to fulfill a wish. Then Kamui looked back at Rei, sullenly watching the same thing as he was, and remembered his own wish.

"Rei-san..."

She was surprised at having felt his distance and his whisper suddenly closer to her. Kamui's hand was touching her cheek and gently pulling her chin closer to him. His eyes were half-open and they were focused on Rei's lips so he was not able to see the mixed feelings of confusion and panic in her eyes.

What had happened this morning? This was just one of Rei's thoughts as she felt his breath mist on her lip, amazingly pragmatic at a time like this! Kamui, on the other hand, did not feel the need to explain anything. He did not want to ask permission. He just wanted to know what it felt like to finally put to rest this growing curiosity inside of him.

Rei sighed, surrendering. She put her hand on Kamui's hand that touched her cheek and nodded at him. Kamui's smile seemed devious at the time he saw that, being elated with his success in persuading her to give permission. So he drew himself closer and slowly...

She gave a deep growl like that of a bear... which then seemed to sound like it was being flushed and her lips were not moving... What the hell was that...

It is said that when you're near death, moments of your life flash before your very eyes. In this case, Rei remembered the episode of Minako-chan's Girl School Battle:
"Rei-chan, do you fart?"
Everybody else spat their tea hearing Minako's question.

Rei wasn't near death, but she wanted to die that time because her stomach growled again and loudly this time, with more unique sounds as though one was burping and water was being flushed. She didn't even know it could do that. Even Minako-chan didn't hear her make sounds like that. At least you can control a fart.

"Was that you, Rei-san?" Kamui asked, smiling and not afraid to hide his amusement. "So you're not perfect, after all!"

"It was because you were late," Rei answered pushing herself away from him, her irritation increasing coupled with intense feelings of hunger. If he wasn't so impolite to ask the obvious and did something about it instead, she would have forgotten about it.

She huffed, flipped her hair and started walking away from the pond with only the intention of leaving him there and going home.

"Where are you going?" Kamui asked, grabbing forcefully at her arm to stop her from walking. She gave him a cold piercing look for what he just did to which he simply shook his head and returned back a grimacing stare at her.

"Tsk tsk...That'll be of no use now," he told her sternly. "Your stubborness won't solve anything. Besides, you should've said something earlier."

I wanted to but you dragged me... She wasn't able to say that since her stomach spoke for her, making her blush of shame instead. (Sweatdrop above Kamui's head.)

"I've asked them to prepare lunch for us here. It should still be here," he said, grabbing her wrist again to lead her back inside the Sanctuary.

"Matte!" Rei shouted, almost tripping from the speed at which he was dragging her. She pulled back her wrist free from his grasp and stared angrily at him, never mind if he was defiantly staring angrily back at her.

"What is wrong with you, Kamui-san?" she asked, rubbing her wrist to relieve it from the strength of his grasp.

Seeing that made Kamui feel vulnerable, then guilty. "I'm sorry... " he apologised, moving back a step away from her so that she would not feel threatened. "I just had a long day today. It started out to be good until late this morning. And I wanted to see you because... "

He sighed. "... it may be a long time again before I see you again."

Sou ka... it was her turn to feel vulnerable except she had mastered the art of masking it. "This is about your father's meeting?" Rei asked, wanting to make sure it was not because of what Kaidou-san had said -- about her not seeing Kamui-san.

Kamui nodded. "It seems that implicating Yuuka was too successful. When my father read it, he found me another fiancee," Kamui explained sullenly. "And this time, he's dedicated to this matchmaking event than ever."

"Then, are you marrying her?" Rei asked, a little daunted.

Kamui shrugged. "Let's just say my father is convinced that this is more of a heavyweight than Yuuka so it's harder to get out of," he had on his signature smirk in saying that.

"Many things are happening in Japan, Rei-san," he continued. "Prime Minister Saeki cannot hold his post any longer. Very soon, he'll be sure to give that leadership of the DLP and then my father will become the prime minister."

"Don't be too sure," Rei answered, her turn to smirk. "It could be my father. The Kometo Coalition is now almost as big as the DLP."

Kamui raised both eyebrows, being very impressed at what Rei just said. "I thought you hated politics, Rei-san?" Kamui asked. It was probably the second time he had asked that.

I did... but there are just people who are powerful enough to change what you believe. And there was another brilliant answer in Rei's mind but at that moment, her stomach growled the loudest.

Kamui was actually liking how this conversation was going and did not want to risk getting her grumpy again especially since he was the reason for that. So he innocently looked up the ceiling and didn't say anything. He was impressed with himself though that that was the most tactful thing he did, and didn't notice that he was smiling.

"Kamui-san..." Rei said sweetly. It was her turn to smirk. "If you speak of this to anyone, especially to Minako-chan, I'm going to ask Phobos and Deimos to take care of you."

"No problem, Rei-san," Kamui answered, grinning. He grabbed hold of her wrist gently this time. "It will be... Hi-Mi-Tsu."

Ichinichi. Nanagatsu. (September 1) - The way home

Momentous things happened to all senshi that day. Except that they didn't know that the things to come will not happen because of their account. Collateral damage... or so it would seem later on. Except that things were happening, in Makoto's case, the opposite as Rei Hino -- it was too fast and it seemed too good.

She would now be used to him as SanjouMasa ... this guy who was now cleaning up the beer cans of Kin and plates of onigiri and chips in her small apartment. Minako called him that over and over again, very excited to finally meet this extremely kakkoii rock star in the clubs of Shibuya, even though he was not an established idol yet. (Usagi joined Minako in this idol worship.) His instruments were now in her spare closet, which Makoto originally intended to place all her old things once she gets married. (Sigh.)

SanjouMasa's friends were really very helpful and she was pleased to meet all of them. Asano-san had to leave early because of a meeting with his father. In the afternoon, Usagi-chan left first to meet up with Mamoru and then Ami-chan decided to leave early to do more studying for her paper. Soujirou instantly rose as soon as this announcement was made and he walked with her going home. Minako... blushed and froze when Kenta offered to walk the way out with her.

"So this is it... all the work is finally over!" SanjouMasa exclaimed, tiredly leaning his arm on the wall. He looked at his watch and shrugged. "I'm going to be late for band practice so I better be going now," he said, smiling at Makoto.

"Aren't you staying for dinner? ... SanjouMasa?" Makoto winked.

"That's ok. I can cook," he answered, winking back. "Your friend Minako is asking why we're only putting in instruments in your apartment and not my clothes. I had to explain to her many times that I'm not really moving in. Just my instruments."

Makoto then she realised that she herself wasn't as romantic as she thought. And he was... which was completely odd. When Sanjounin first proposed the idea of living together, she threw the rag she used in cleaning the center table and asked, What do you think of me? One of your ganguro otaku?

"See how useful I am, Makoto? I clean up after everybody else!" Sanjounin announced proudly, admiring his cleanup achievement.

"Yare yare..." she teased, sticking out her tongue at him. "You deserve two points for it then!"

Heh... Sanjounin grabbed his jacket on the sofa and playfully leaped in front of Makoto and kissed her ... on the forehead. "That is for teaching me how to cook good onigiri and promoting it to my friends," he said cheerfully and then kissed her lips.

He then took one look at Makoto's apartment and to the place where all his instruments are stored. "I'm just trying to make sure that everything that is important to me is in this place." Those were Sanjounin's last words before he left.

Soujirou observed how Sanjounin managed to do it. He didn't do anything much. Those were just compliments. Soujirou was guessing that it was probably in the way Sanjounin delivered his words -- words that would make a girl's eyes glisten upon hearing them. Because no matter what Soujirou did, he couldn't seem to score with Ami Mizuno.

"Give yourself plus points for trying," Kenta Maeda encouraged sleepily after Soujirou called him on his mobile phone for his weekly update on Ami Mizuno. "This is only your first time in trying women."

"Second time, Kenta-kun! Second time! I had a girlfriend before, remember?" Soujirou answered defensively, screeching on the other line which later became Kenta's wakeup call.

The truth was that Ami Mizuno had heard a lot about Soujirou Nishimura-sensei's reputation. He was one of Tokyo Tech's star alumni and Soujirou never let anyone forget that. She never believed it at first until Nishimura-sensei took her to the faculty room to show her all his plaques of recognition. But anyway, that only happened once during their date. Nishimura-sensei was actually very sweet and he never ran out of topics to talk about. He just couldn't stop talking.

And at the end of the day, when Soujirou was walking Ami Mizuno home from Makoto's apartment, he realised that Ami Mizuno was only being friendly. The goal of being the top scholar in Biochemistry for her to become one of Japan's best doctors preceeded him -- Soujirou Nishimura, the top student in Tokyo Tech's history.

"Sugoi! How were you able to do that?" a boy in the Crown Game Center at Juuban was asking Soujirou, who managed to rack up the highest points in pinball. Both of the boy's friends were mesmerized. Soujirou was inputting his name as the game's top scoring player for the fifth time. The top 7 places were also his name. This was how he he'd always choose to spend his day when he was depressed.

"Well, it's very easy once you figure out the number of probabilities that the ball will land on this pin," Soujirou explained, pointing to the arcade game. "You can assume a certain number, x, and then compute the number of times it will appear on this side of Hyperspace and then to this side of the pin. The angle thirty degrees to the--"

"Shimatta na...I didn't know that guy was such a nerd."

"Yeah! And it's only a game!" the other boy answered, walking away from Soujirou. (Huge sweatdrop hovering on his head upon hearing them say he was a nerd.)

GAME OVER.

"Game over... this is how it is even in real life," Soujirou complained, haplessly leaning over the arcade counter to present his winning tickets to Motoki, the arcade manager. "I may be the most brilliant person in the world but I lose on the dumbest things!"

"And now... presenting today's champion in the Iron Grandmaster Chess Tournament... Ultraman Master!"

"Ultraman Master?" Soujirou curiously asked when he heard that from the television. He couldn't believe what he saw. A publicly televised chess tournament? Ultraman Master did arrive dressed in the traditional Japanese hero costume... with an insignia of a rook in his chest.

"What is that?" Soujirou's mouth was agape in disgust and disbelief.

"That's the Iron Grandmaster," Motoki explained. "This is a new program that is as famous as the Iron Chef! There are various challenges of chess all over the country and the winners all converge here in Tokyo."

(The Iron Chef is a famous cooking competition in Japan. It was very famous that even the US adapted it, starring William Shatner as its host. Putting an Iron Grandmaster Chess Tournament would not be so weird in Japan.)

"Dressed like that?" And they said I was a nerd!

Motoki laughed. "Well, part of the plan in chess is to bluff your opponent to conceal your moves, right? It works somehow. Besides, the women actually like it."

"What kind of women are these? Chess is a game of strategy. It's so easy to win!"

"Why don't you join in then if you're a chess genius? The winner gets 15 million yen and you're surely going to be famous!"

Famous? That's all it takes to be famous? Soujirou laughed. He could beat anyone at chess easily. He could think six or seven steps further than anybody else! But he can't be found dead looking like that! Not in that hideous Ultraman costume wearing tights and tightly concealing his face in hot silver velvet while playing chess.

Suddenly, the polyphonic sounds of an old Sailor-V arcade game began playing in the background. It was a teenager who played and probably trying to reminisce the old glory days of Sailor-V. Soujirou looked at the picture of Sailor-V plastered on the machine and then began reminiscing as well.

Sailor-V... she was very popular about five or six years ago until she mysteriously disappeared. Soujirou thought she was really cute and incredibly cool back then. And, knowing that she fought for the principles of love and beauty, made Sailor-V a kindred in his book.

And it was at that revolutionary moment that Soujirou Nishimura finally realised that he found his true calling.

Ninichi. Nanagatsu. (September 2)

"Rei-chan... "

"Yes, ojii-san?"

"I'm sorry to bother you during your meditation but you have a visitor."

Rei saw that Phobos and Deimos heard the sound of heavy footsteps on the wooden floor but since that did not garner their attention, she knew it could not be Kamui. It was only about six in the evening and he did say he would be late because of a schedule phone meeting with his father. On the way home yesterday after their meeting at Kitawa Shrine, Kamui promised to make it up to Rei by going today at the Hikawa Jinja to cook dinner for her and her ojii-san. His schedule so far had not been so hectic. (Not at this rate.) Rei did ask what would make him busy in the next few days but Kamui said that it wasn't important for her to know until he did something about it and changed the topic immediately.

"I'm sorry I don't know a lot of dishes but I learned a few dishes when I traveled," Kamui apologised. "At least they're not the typical Japanese dishes you know."

He said that his friend, Sanjounin, who is incidentally Makoto's new 'boyfriend,' finally decided that he should go for cooking lessons when he learned Kamui himself can cook! (Sanjounin figured that Kamui didn't even need to, being the richest one. So the fact that Kamui can cook and he couldn't... shimatta na... Sanjounin then made sure he'd attend the next cooking lesson.)

The sound of the footsteps grew stronger and stronger, and Rei immediately recognized who it was from the glimpse of his shadow. Phobos and Deimos remained quiet standing at both sides.

"Why don't you ever say anything when it is he who arrives?" Rei teased, playfully pointing her finger at Deimos, who stood at her right.

She then leaned on the floor to stand to her feet, ready to expect her guest.

"Good evening... Kaidou-san," Rei greeted and gave a low bow. The Sacred Fire in the meditation room had not sensed anything but Kaidou-san's presence made the atmosphere a bit warmer.

When she rose from her bow to see him, Kaidou-san was standing in the center of the entrance, with the orange light of the sunset causing to fall the most flattering shadows on his warm and gentle face. Dressed in his usual blue coat and tie that he usually wore to work, Kaidou-san had a refreshing aura around him, much like a distinguished gentleman, and looking like every shoujo heroine's dream. He was carrying a bouquet of white casablanca lillies.

"You knew it was me, Rei-san?" he asked and smiling because of that.

"It was easy," she answered simply, trying to make the conversation short at the sight of those casablanca lillies -- which would mean that Kaidou-san now had an excuse to stay longer.

"These are for you, Rei-san," Kaidou-san happily told her as he handed her the bouquet of casablancas.

"Are those from Honohouchi-san?" she asked haughtily, folding her arms in refusal to accept. "He has called me about five times today and he still can't take no for an answer."

Kaidou-san grimaced disappointedly at that. "These are not from Honohouchi-san. These are from me," Kaidou-san said, still holding the bouquet.

"Sou ka..." she mumbled, a bit embarassed and puzzled at the reason of receiving those flowers from him.

"I thought that since you have not received one for your birthday that I should honor our tradition and still give them to you."

"Actually... I still received them on my birthday..."

He winced. "Really? From whom?"

She gazed dreamily at the casablancas and caressing its silky petals, she didn't know she was almost smiling when she said, "It's not important."

Kaidou-san nodded instead pretending to accept that answer. It couldn't have been... She was about twelve or so when she first stared into the glass window of the store to look at those casablanca lillies. She was probably too shy to say that she had liked them then, looking at him so innocent like that that he could not resist giving those flowers on her next birthday. Now it was the same daughter of Ryoichi Hino looking at those same flowers, but that was clearly not the look of innocence.

It was the look of longing.

If only Kaidou-san knew that he was lucky enough to even see that... Rei Hino would never ever show her true emotions, even just a glimpse of them to those who truly mattered. She was very alert in masking her true feelings, the little politician that she was who hated hypocrisy but was not true when it came to her own feelings.

"Does my father want to tell me something?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Isn't that always the case, Kaidou-san?"

He shifted his gaze on the floor. "Not today," he answered. "Today, I have come on my own."

Rei winced to express her disbelief.

"There is no other reason," he assured her.

She was looking at him suspiciously and was afraid to ask about the real reason. Onegai, Kaidou-san... not now... her heart was beating so fast.

"I have been making a lot of major decisions these past few weeks," Kaidou-san said, slowly walking towards her. "I have been thinking that it's about time that I decide for myself instead of deciding in behalf of other people."

"Because I've always wondered what would happen if I had..." Kaidou-san's voice trailed away and his eyes were under a spell, as he combed his fingers on a few strands of her hair.

The slightest sensation of his touch gave such an incredible shock down her spine that Rei dropped the bouquet she was carrying and found her knees weakened when she immediately sidestepped away from him.

Nobody spoke for a while. There was such a tense silence in between them, with the calm in Kaidou-san's eyes decidedly fixed on her apprehensive gaze. The cracking of the fire's embers had increased and the flames had heightened in tune with Rei's own inner emotions.

"It can't be..." she whispered. Disappointed.

So was Kaidou-san, who was all the more saddened that even she expected a brand of character from him. "I thought you would understand it now, Rei-san," he laughed quietly to himself.

No answer.

"Back then, both of us were too young and idealistic. And now we both changed. We were just at the wrong time."

Kaidou-san was drawing closer, walking towards her. For every step forward he took, she was able to take one back, until five steps of backwards chasing, Rei realised that Kaidou-san was just too determined so she pushed him away with her palm. Only then did Kaidou-san stop walking.

"You were always at the wrong time, Kaidou-san..." she told him. Only it was not enough to discourage him.

He was able to push himself through to press his lips onto hers, and with both hands holding her arms to catch her off balance in advancing away from him.

Rei Hino froze and the flames of the Sacred Fire were frantically waving its fiery hands in the air, at the same rapid tempo that her heart was beating.

Kaidou-san was too engrossed to mind the heated flames only meters away from him. Phobos and Deimos did. The two ravens flapped their wings and flew circling above them. They were both screeching loudly as they flew, now rapidly flapping their wings to let their black shiny feathers fall on their master's shoulder.

The flames now rapidly danced more than ever when Rei realised that the ravens had given such a reaction at that time. Like what they usually do on ominous times, Phobos had let some of her shiny feathers fall onto Rei's shoulders as a warning.

It can't be... Rei worriedly asked herself, opening her eyes fully to see that someone else had arrived. Who else would elicit such a reaction from Phobos and Deimos?

And now flying towards the exit, the two ravens flew past Kamui Asano's side, who was now standing in the middle of the doorway.

- tsuzuku -

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chiisai noto:
Remember, Kamui Jadeite. Kenta Kunzite. Soujirou Zoicite. Sanjounin Nephrite. Just a little reminder. ;) What can I say? Many things happened to everybody, especially to Rei and Kamui today. sigh I realized that everybody has been advancing in their destinies. I always figured Makoto would be the first one to advance... except... well, do you always get what you expect? ;) Minako, on the other hand, will always have a really cute plot. I finally found a plot for Ami-chan, since she's such an achiever. So of course, she'd be attracted to someone who's like that too. (Remember her manga story, Ami no Hatsukoi?) As for Rei... well, this is really how I've seen this pictured in my head and trust me, I feel more sorry for everybody. (Kinda strange, ne?) The next chapter ... should say what a real political aftermath should be for them all.