NOTE : For a rough conversion 1000 yen is about one dollar.
CH 25
Love is in the air
everywhere I look around
.
Love is in the air
in every sight and every sound
.
I don't know if I'l being foolish
I don't know if I'm being wise
.
but it's somethng that I mist believe in
and it's there when I look in your eyes
- John Paul Young -
Instead of doing homework in their room, Kaede and Kouta did it in the living room so they could catch the news. As Kaede feared, the station they were watching had a piece on students excitedly telling about how Kaede-san had ran an impossible distance 'really fast' to catch a girl who'd jumped off the athletic building roof, and how the girl had slowed down, mid air to land softly.
"And you think this Kaede may be Kami incarnate?" the reporter asked the girl.
"Who else could she be to do that?" the girl cried happily. "She was awesome!"
"I seen her in the bay in that black canoe!" A boy piped up. "I never saw canoes go that fast with no motor, they raced my jet ski.! And Kaede-san is really pretty!" he beamed.
"You said a black canoe? Like the one Kikumura Kouta used to save his sister?" the reporter asked.
"Not like, it was Kouta-san! He was pedaling when Kaede-san picked me out of the water after I fell off my jet ski."
"So this Kaede is Kikumura Kaede?" the reporter asked.
The boy nodded briskly. "She is, and wow, is she ever strong!"
"There goes our cover," Kouta said with a sigh.
"They will be beating on the door by morning." Kaede agreed.
"Maybe not," Takami said. "I kept the family name of Furuta. Unless you lead them here, they have no way of finding out where we live."
.
"Jackpot!" Ron yelled as they watched the news. "OK, we got their names, and the school they go to. What's this about a black canoe?"
Joyce looked up from her laptop. "A canoe painted black is what Kouta used to go rescue Kaede from men holding her on an island 12 kilometers out to sea."
"An outrigger?" he asked.
"A plain aluminum canoe," Joyce said and turned the laptop to show him the screen. "He went at night, got her, and came back during a storm. According to the news report, men were shooting at them too."
"That is one brave boy!" Ron said.
"Brave or crazy. Either way, he risked his life to save her."
"We have to find out the full story," Ron said firmly.
.
Kaede braced herself as they walked to school. They had avoided all the news people so far, but today was the first day of Phys Ed where they were going to do something and had to be dressed. The tube top under her shirt wasn't going to work, so Kaede had gotten a bra just for this one class. This was going to suck.
Changing was one of the hardest things Kaede had done. All the other girls being around her didn't bother her. She changed her bottom first, taking off her skirt and putting the shorts on. She then got her shirt off and the tube top, and with a frown, put that damn bra on. She slid the T-shirt over her head then put her shoes in the locker and got her sneakers on.
"Kaede?" Azami, a girl in her class said, "You can't have your hat on."
Kaede swore every girl in the locker room was watching her. "I know," she grumbled. She flung her hat off into the locker and slammed the door. Walking out, a room full of stares watched her go. Of course, they had to go out on the field to do exercises. Kaede felt like she was on display as the teacher had them line up in rows.
Looking over her students, the teacher said, "Kikumura, go take off that head band!"
"I'm not wearing a head band," Kaede replied.
Storming over to her the teacher looked at her head closely. "You ... those are part or your head!" she said in a gasp.
"Yeah, that's why I wear a hat," Kaede said dryly.
Flustered, the teacher returned to her spot in front of the class. "Sit-up position!" she announced. "We are going to to twenty!"
Kaede went through the exercise routine. None of the exercises were hard, and the jumping jacks were kind of fun. Next was a lap around the track, then they were going to go inside and and learn to play volleyball.
"We can go inside once we run around the track?" Kaede asked.
"Yes, the run first."
Kaede took off using her mind hands to help. She shot off down the straight and around the corner.
"Wow, "Azami said as they all watched Kaede race down the back stretch and speed around the second turn. Kaede raced up the the class that had stood watching her go. Kaede shot past them and turned to race inside.
"She's really fast!" a girl said.
.
Junso opened the door to his office and ushered Akio in. "Coffee, tea?" he asked her.
""Which would you like?" Akio asked.
"Not me, you."
"I'm fine, I can get you something," she offered.
He held the chair by his desk and said, "Please, have a seat." Akio sat. He pulled up another chair and sat in front of her.
Collecting himself, Junso said, "I know you need ... companionship. Everyone does. I thought hard about it and I would like to be your friend."
"My boyfriend?" Akio asked eagerly.
"Your friend," Junso stated. "So as your friend, if you want to go do or see something, you tell me, and I will take you there if at all possible. I've got a short day today, so think about it, and if there is a place you want to go then let me know. If you can't think of anything, then we'll go to the shrine in Kamakura. That is a pretty place."
"I will go wherever you go," Akio said smiling at him.
"Yeah," Junso said in a huff. "I'm saying if you have a place you want to go, I'll take you there."
"There is something I would like to see," she said with a blush.
.
Junso got his hour and a half work done, then took Akio out to get a good view of the train tracks on an overpass.
"Here comes one!" Akio said excitedly.
Junso had no idea why she wanted to stand here and watch trains go by, but she was enjoying watching them. He bet she'd love the airport.
After watching trains go by the rest of the morning, he took her to a small restaurant and showed her the menu. In the back was the deserts. She got a tall glass of ice cream with strawberry topping and a cherry on top because it looked pretty. When it came, she tasted it and with a happy face reminiscent of Nana, she scarfed it down.
"Not so fast," he warned, "You'll get a headache."
She did and oched a bit, then took his advice and finished the last half slower.
After the snack, he took her to the airport to the observation deck. Again she was mesmerized by each plane that took off and landed. Every planes that taxied, she followed as far as she could. It amazed him she was transfixed by the simplest things.
"Having a good day?" he asked.
Akio nodded as she tracked a 747 taking off. "Today has been great. Thank you!"
"Your welcome," he said.
She lost track of the plane in the distance, then turned and hugged him. "You are doing things just for me!" she said happily.
Junso put an arm around her. "That is what friends do," he said.
Going back to the train station, they took the train home. Junso veered off a bit to walk the beach walk for a ways. There were a few people on the beach, but not many since it was getting cooler. By now, Akio was hugging his arm, just enjoying walking beside him.
Akio said, "I asked Kaede if I could be your permanent servant. She giggled but told me to take good care of you."
Junso smiled. "That's my Kaede," he said.
"So, can I?"
Junso though a moment, then said. "No, but you can be my friend of you want."
"You want to be my friend, and I want to be your fiend, but I still need to serve you," Akio said.
Junso clasped her hand and asked, "Is Kouta Kaede's servant?"
"No, he's her husband to be."
Junso nodded. "But, he has done everything he possibly can for her as a servant would, just as she does everything she can for him. That is because they are friends first. Akio, if you are my friend, you can't be just a servant."
Akio looked at him for a moment then she grew a grin and threw her arms around him. "Yes! I want to be your friend!"
"Then you are," he told her and kissed her. "My friend, Akio."
Grinning broadly, she said, "My friend, Junso."
.
Kouta and Kaede got out of homeroom for the day. Heading for the exit, Kaede saw Ushiyama Yuka watching the crowd. Upon seeing Kaede, Yuka came up to them.
"How are you doing?" Kaede asked.
Yuka cast Kaede a brief, tiny smile. "Mom and Dad had a huge fight. Mom kicked Dad out. He hasn't been back. Mom said something about a divorce."
"Are you OK?" Kaede asked, studying her.
"I feel bad that happened, but ... I'm not so nervous now. I don't have to be afraid in my own house," Yuka offered.
"Good. So no more jumping off roofs?" Kaede asked.
Yuka shook her head.
"If you have any more trouble, come find me," Kaede said firmly.
"Thank you," Yuka said meekly, then hurried off.
Kaede was happy she had saved that girl's life, and maybe made her mother a little more aware of her daughter's needs. What Kaede didn't know, was that man would end up with Mayu's mother, and things in that house were going to turn out much differently.
.
Leaving school was getting easier. The news vans and reporters had faded away, and no one was bothering kids leaving the school. Kaede also noted a couple of police cars and police were out walking the street. Apparently, the community got tired of the press hounding kids as they left school.
Meeting their Yuka and her escort at the entrance gate, they headed home.
"How was your day, Yuka?" Kouta asked.
Yuka sported a smile. "I think I may be getting a boyfriend," she said.
Everyone praised her, including Kouta. Yuka stayed silent. That was not the response from Kouta she had been hoping for!
They met Nana and Umeko at the usual intersection. Nana was bright and bubbly as always.
Not long after that, a western looking man ahead of them beamed a smile and said. "Kikumura Kaede, Kikunura Kouta ... did I get that right?"
He had a bad accent and the camera around his neck and prrss badge spoke of trouble.
Ayame and Umeko stepped up ahead of the group. "Be on your way," Ayame said.
Ron took a step back. "I only want to speak with the Kikmuras," he said defensively.
"Be on your way!" Ayame and Umeko chorused and stepped ahead, pushing him back.
"Yeah, yeah, OK!" Ron said holding his hands up. "I only wanted to ask a few questions!"
The pair forced him back so Kaede and her entourage could pass. Once Kaede's group were past the man and walking on, they turned and followed.
"Please, just a few questions?" Ron called after them. He walked towards them. Ayame and Umeko turned back, eyeing him angrily. "Will it do any harm to talk to me?" he asked.
Ayame and Umeko waited until Kaede and her group had gotten a ways down the sidewalk, then made an impossibly long jump to catch up.
"Damn, a school kid with body guards," Ron noted sourly. He had to wonder what politician trained them. He'd come all the way to Japan to get snubbed. He also wondered how they learned to jump that far.
.
Kouta had found one use for his big mound of money, food for all these servants. Since most of the 'servants' stayed at the Maple Inn all day, Kouta bought the food for the house so they could eat without worry. Kouta and the family still normally ate in the dinning room, but now the living room had a long table big enough to seat all 12 of Kaede's servant/ guards.
The dining room table was getting pretty full also. Besides Takami, Yuka, Nana, Junso, Kouta, and Kaede, Akio also gushingly asked to eat with Junso.
At first, Kaede was fine with all the girls eating in a separate room. With Akio here, she realized she was unconsciously beginning to treat them as servants. That wasn't right. If they were going to eat here, it should be all together. She asked Takami about making a bigger dinning room. Kouta agreed to pay for it. It was going to take some time for the extension to be made, but Takami agreed to get a contractor in to do the work, and make it look original, and not a cheap add-on.
With the rainy season creeping upon them, another problem was all those girls having to walk from their apartment (that they were paying for) five blocks to the Maple Inn. The extension of the dinning room was expanded with a second floor to add a few more bedrooms, which also made the dinning room bigger. When Takami showed Kouta what it would cost for it in original materials instead of modern laminates, he was very glad he had all that money to pour into the project. Suddenly, his big pile of money was shaved down to a mere fifty thousand yen.
"Don't worry," Takami told him, "You already have earned two hundred thirty thousand from investing with me and your father."
With the rain, wearing a wool hat became pointless. Their rain hats and umbrellas hid all the horns well enough going to and from school, and in school, most of the kids and teachers now knew Kaede had horns, so hats in school became pointless. The one thing Kaede would not give up was the tube top under her shirt so she didn't have to wear those stupid bras except for Phys Ed.
By the time the heavy rains hit, the addition to the Maple Inn was done. Everyone was now under one roof. Their first dinner all together at three long tables put end to end was like a party. Akio was happy sitting by Junso close enough to nearly be in his lap. Ayame, Umeko and Ayame's sister Rai insisted on serving the meal. Even with three of them, they were running to get all the food down so they could take their seats. Even the normal dinner chatter seemed like cheers to Kaede.
Another thing Kouta noted was the wait for the bath was longer, even with four at a time going in. Of course, Kaede, Nana, Yuka and Takami were first, but Kouta and Junso were dead last.
At least Kouta finished his school work before his turn came.
.
Junso got out of the bath to head for bed. He'd had a full day and wanted some rest. Upon going into his room, he found his futon ws already out and made. Akio was laying out his clothes for tomorrow, wearing a sheer white nightgown. Seeing him come in, she beamed him a smile.
"Junso! I have everything ready for you," she said happily.
The nightgown Akio had on was sheer, sheer. He was able to make out all her body details. DAMN, she was gorgeous! All he could do was stand and stare at her.
Seeing him gaping at her, Akio spread her arms, turned in place and asked, "You like this? I got it just for you."
"I ..." he said weakly and gave up on trying to form a coherent thought.
Coming over to him, Akio put her arms around him and softly said, "I like being your friend, I really do. Please, I want to be more. Junso, you are a wonderful man and have been paying attention to only me. Will you please let my dream come true?"
Junso only had one response. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her. The rest seemed a blur. Their clothes had disappeared by the time they got laid down on the futon. The sweet kisses, petting and tasting her wonderful flesh felt like a dream. Sweet sounding gasps, more kisses and petting that he wanted to go on forever. Junso forgot about being tired. His only thoughts were of the luscious woman in his arms.
.
Kouta and Kaede settled down in bed in their usual position, Kouta on his back, Kaede snuggled up to him.
"That was a nice thing you did, making that dinning room and those bedrooms," Kouta told her.
"It was the only right thing to do. Besides, you are the one who paid for it," Kaede replied. Leaning up, she kissed him. "Thank you."
Kouta chuckled and asked, "Was that English or Mandarin? My brain is fried."
Kaede laughed and climbed up to straddle him. "English. I know, all those sounds are bouncing around in my head too. I don't want to think about words right now."
Seeing the soft look she was giving him, he kissed her. Locking lips, they enjoyed a luxurious kiss as Kaede shrugged her top off.
Kouta petted Kaede and got a good suckle. She pulled him on their sides so he was able to wiggle out of of his pajamas. Petting and kissing, Kouta rolled over onto her and kissed his way down to her belly, which made Kaede grab his head and let out shuddering coos. Gently caressing her leg, he kissed his way down onto her hip. He'd never gone this far south before, and it was exciting them both. He made his way back up the outside of her leg, then kissed across her belly.
"Kouta!" Kaede cried in a gasp. She then flipped them over so she was on top. This time when their groins met, they were naked. Panting heavily, they kissed again. Kouta petted her and softly kneaded her breasts as Kaede moved her groin to slide along his hard shaft. He was rock hard, so hard it was pulsing.
Kouta was uncaring they had rolled right off the futon. Kaede continued to slide herself over him, Kouta held on tight, trying to kiss her even deeper. His heart was pounding a mile a minute.
Suddenly, the end of his shaft felt warm and moist. Kaede sat back a bit and he slid partway into her. Gazing lovingly at each other, they shared a look or surprise.
"Kaede," he asked softly.
"Kouta," she said in a soft breath, and sat back harder.
He slid in a bit farther and was stopped. Grabbing Kaede's hips, he slid out a bit, then she sat as he pushed hard. If felt like he'd hit a brick wall, but in pure lust alone, he broke through. They both cried out as he sank into her. Gripping each other tight, they rolled over again so he was on her, her legs wrapped tightly around him as they hugged for dear life.
In Kouta's mind, he wanted to stop. His body refused and drove into her again and again.
Kaede cooed out the sweetest sounds and bucked into him as if to help drive him deeper.
"K..K... Kouta!" Kaede cried in gasps.
Feeling an orgasm rising, Kouta desperately wanted to slow down, but he was helpless against his lust.
"... give... it... to ... me..." Kaede gasped out as she bounced in his grasp.
His body erupted. It wasn't just an orgasm, Kouta swore his nether region exploded and shot up into her as he gasped out a cry. Even that wasn't enough, he kept going as Kaede cried out and gripped him impossibly tight as if she was trying to pull his whole body into her.
In another few minutes, Kouta lay on Kaede, panting and feeling dizzy. "Wow," he panted out, still holding her tight.
"Yeah, wow," Kaede agreed in her own panting.
It was then Kouta noted the empty futon in the middle of the room, their blanket was spread out between here and there. They were only inches from the wall. Looking down on Kaede's sleepy face, he kissed her deeply with all the love he felt for her.
Breaking the kiss, Kouta rolled of her.
"We need another bath," Kaede told him.
.
Heading for the bath, Kaede leaned on Kouta and let out a giggle saying "I can't walk."
"I'll help," Kouta told her. He was sore too, but at least he had his legs. Going in, they got washed down then Kouta helped Kaede into the tub. She climbed sideways onto his lap and wrapped her arms around him.
They kissed again.
"I love you, Kaede," Kouta said softly.
Kaede grinned. "You sure did," she said with a smirk. "And I love you." She snuggled into Kouta and sat bathing in the aftermath of their mating.
.
Junso was exhausted. Akio was too damn good! After two rounds of sex, he just couldn't do any more. Sweaty and spent, as Akio was, they decided they needed a bath before they settled down to go to sleep.
An arm around each other as they headed to the bath wearing house robes , Akio asked, "Will you be my boyfriend?"
Junso kissed her and said, "I think we just established the fact I am, that is, if you really want me."
"I do!" Akio chimed. "We can sleep together now?"
"We will, though there hasn't been any sleep so far," he said with a wide grin.
Coming to the bath, Junso opened the door, expecting the bath to be empty. He ushered Akio in. Akio stopped short. "Junso, it's occupied," she said and pointed.
Looking in, he saw Kouta, Kaede snuggled up on his lap, arms around him, his arms around her. Kaede was sleeping and Kouta was all but asleep.
"Kouta?" Junso asked loudly in surprise.
Kouta looked up. His eyes went wide and he quickly said, "We'll be right out, Dad."
Junso backed out. "It's two in the morning, what are they doing up?" he asked, not even wanting to think about WHY they were up.
Akio put a hand to her face as she giggled. ""I'll go check their room." she said and hurried off.
Junso watched her, wondering why their room needed to be checked. Another thing he really didn't want to know. Maybe something had spilled?
The door to the bath opened, Kaede was leaning on Kouta with this silly grin on her face as they came out.
"Um, bath's free," Kouta said meekly.
Desperately hoping for a reason they had to take a bath in the middle of the night, Junso asked, "Something get spilled?"
"I'll say," Kaede said, then burst out with a giggle. Kouta blushed and added, "We'll clean it up." He led Kaede back to their room.
OK, so they spilled something, maybe a potted plant or a drink that one of them had taken into their room, Junso theorized. That HAD to be it!
Junso then noted Akio come out of their room and go to the cleaning closet to get a bucket of water and a few wash rags. Kouta guided Kaede into their room and took the bucket and rags from Akio. "I'll do that," he said.
"But..."
"I'll do it!" Kouta insisted, then disappeared back into his room.
Akio returned to Junso, they went into the bath to wash each other down then settled down to relax in the tub. Feeling good, Junso asked, "Did they make a big mess?"
"Not really, Their bedding was all over the place, it was saved," Akio said, snuggling into him.
Junso tried to imagine what could be spilled that they had apparently jumped out of bed, but they were dirty and the bedding wasn't. Confused, he asked, "What got spilled?"
"Virgin blood."
"Sex?" he asked in a squeak.
Akio laughed. "Yes, that's how it usually happens," she said, grinning at him.
"They ... are having sex?" he asked again in a high pitched voice. "They are only 14!"
"Ohh Junso," Akio cooed. "You know they are devoted to each other, right? So, what's the harm?"
"They are only 14!" he said in a gasp.
'Ahh, the age thing again," Akio said. "Junso, do you have any doubt they are going to stay together for life? I mean look at them! They are the perfect loving couple."
"They should not be doing so much loving," he grumbled. "They are only 14."
Akio kissed his shoulder. "Junso? Maybe you should be happy that they are happy? Once Kaede takes her rightful place as Empress, things will get very serious for them. Let them have their youth to play."
Junso frowned and let out a grumble of, "At least she's on birth control."
.
Ron was not about to give up. He was so close! He saw this Kikumura Kaede, he knew the school she went to and following at a distance, he saw the huge house she lived in.
The thing was, he could not get anywhere near her. There was always young women to get in his way, and in one case, pitched him off the sidewalk and into some bushes. His visa was running out, and all he had was what every other news person had.
Joyce stood back and watched the fun when Ron tried to get his interview. She was also collecting the history of this girl, and found it wasn't a pretty picture. Kaede had started life in an orphanage where she was bullied. Saved by Kouta insisting to his father they had to adopt her. Then men had killed her sister and kidnapped her. Through an act of extreme bravery, Kouta had recued her from an island off the coast. Later again there was another kidnapping attempt that killed her mother. She also found out Kaede had a run-in with Yakuza that left all the Yakuza gang dead.
Laying out everything she found in her hotel room, she told Ron, "I don't think we need to talk to her. We have a good story right here in her history. It shows why she is so well guarded now. Also, while you were trying to talk to her, I stood back and listened. Ron, whether or not she is this goddess Kami, that kid is going to be Empress of Japan. Quite the rise from starting out as a bullied orphan. This is a real life street rat to Sultan story. People will eat it up."
Ron looked out the window at the rain. "Yeah, you're right. The days of fun and sun are over anyway. Let's get this story home before someone beats us to it."
.
Kouta had made another drawing. The dinning room now extended out onto the back garden showed plants though the windows. Siting at one end of the long table, he drew a few of Kaede's guard in their work clothes sitting at the table talking. For some reason, he just loved the sight. He asked them to stay in place and drew them, abd as much of the room he could fit onto the paper, adding the plants that showed through the windows.
It took him a while, but managed to get their faces and hand gestures to look animated. He was finishing up as Kaede came over to sit by him.
"Kouta, that's great!" she said. The instant he was done, happy with what he drew, all the girls raced over to see what he did. They praised him as well. Kaede was not pleased when Umeko planted a kiss on his cheek.
.
Takami checked with the Art Director. Two of Kouta's originals were going to be auctioned off at the next event. Seeing his latest, she had that put up for display for a future auction.
The auction came up during winter break. The auction house was packed, only serious bidders were allowed in. After the auction, Takami and Kouta got to see the results. It wasn't another 500mil, but after the commissions, Kouta still got two hundred eighty million. Prints for his work were now going for 10,000 each. Although the price for each print was a little high for just reproductions, Takami had sold 200 of his prints.
Between his art sales and and his share of Takami and his father's profits, he was back to over 300 million yen in the bank. Not bad for a high school kid. Knowing his father was slowly building up his own business, Kouta invested another two hundred million with him.
To Kouta, living in the Maple Inn with his loving Kaede and his family, making money to help support them all and doing well in school, he thought all their troubles were over.
.
In North Korea, Dictator Kim and his top men were concerned about rumors from Japan. The spies there were telling of what had to be girls with modified DNA that allowed them to be able to do incredible feats. Apparently this DNA modification was a deeply guarded secret. China knew about is also, but they didn't wan to possibly get caught..
According to the spies, the 'super soldiers' they feared Japan was making were still in the development stage. It was up to North Korea to grab a couple of these experiments and bring them back to study what was being done, so North Korea was able to have their own Super Soldiers.
Knowing Japan and the USA were watching them closely, a large team of special ops were put on a freighter, disguised as migrant workers for China. In the middle of the East China sea, the Special ops teams took over the freighter, thew the Captain and any 'loyal' crewmen overboard and steered for Japan. Coming close, they broadcast that they were refugees, escaping and requested asylum from their home land. To help make the scenario look real, two North Korean ships went after the freighter with orders to sink it. The freighter was chased into Japanese waters. Japanese coast guard ships drove away the North Korean ships 11 miles from land.
North Korea loudly protested the 'theft' of their freighter and it's crew, calling it an act of war. After a week, they did get their ship back, but all the 57 men that were still alive refused to be returned, and were processed for asylum.
Just as planned.