Saturdayevening, September 12 – Hisamitsu residence (Noto's home) [continued]
"Please, Kurosawa-san," the female police officer said, "just tell me everything you remember. If there are parts you don't remember, that's okay. But every detail can be helpful so take your time."
Hisako had a blanket over her shoulders and there was a cup of coffee in front of her. She couldn't look at it though. The patterns of light and shadow on it's surface reminded her of the reflections on the surface of the pool of blood in the hallway. So much blood in that hallway… Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and heard only the sound of her own voice and the pencil on the police officer's notebook as she recounted the horrors of the evening.
.
"You're not mean to everyone." Maya said as they walked along the street leading to Noto's house, "Why do you pick on me so much?
"The obvious reason would be that it's fun." Hisako chuckled.
Maya said nothing but her hands balled into fists as she walked along side her tormentor. Her frustration did not go unnoticed by Hisako.
"The altruistic reasons would be," Hisako looked thoughtful, "Because I like you. And because you need to grow up fast if you want your relationship with Noto to last."
"Huh?" Maya couldn't tell if Hisako was being serious or setting her up to be teased again. "How does that make any sense?"
"When I rile you up, your reactions are so cute." Hisako grinned, "You look like a silly manga character; flapping about in frustration with little poofs of steam coming out of your head."
"…" Maya wanted to object to such a childish characterization but that damn girl had actually taken pictures of her in some of her recent fits of indignation and… well…
"But we can't be like that forever. As much as I wouldn't mind you staying just the way you are. It would only lead to a bad end for you."
A bad end… "Why?" Maya wondered what Hisako meant by a bad end.
"Maya-chan," Hisako told her, "I am the kind of person that likes cute things and when you are blowing up, its so cute… most of the time. So I don't mind if you stay the way you are." Hisako continued walking but put a hand on Maya's shoulder before continuing, "But you're not marrying me… you love Noto and you are going to marry Noto, right?"
"Yes." Maya was still unsure where this was all leading.
"Do you think he is the kind of person to enjoy poking you with a stick to see your cute reactions?" Hisako asked.
"No." Maya pouted, "He's not like that. He's nice to me." Maya defended her fiancé.
"He is respectful of you." Hisako pointed out. "I poke fun and play with you because I like it when you are a playful person. He shows respect to you because…" Hisako didn't finish the sentence. She waited for Maya to draw the conclusion she was trying to explain.
"He is a respectful person." Maya answered at first. Then it dawned on Maya, "He wants me to be a respectful person."
"Sort of," Hisako corrected, "he already sees you as someone he can respect."
"He does?" Maya was surprised by this, "But why? What have I done?"
"At the very least you have earned his love." Hisako smiled, "Other than that, I don't know. Perhaps you should ask him that question. But before you do, there are a couple of things you should think about."
"What?" Maya was now listening to Hisako as if the taller girl had suddenly become a senpai or even a sensei. Without asking for help, she was getting advice on exactly the things that had been bothering her. "What should I think about?"
"If you ask him such a question, he may ask you the same thing. Be prepared to tell him why you respect him… why you love him." Hisako could see Maya seriously thinking about what she just said. She knew it was a pretty heavy thing for the teenager to think about but not as bad as the other thing Maya would have to consider. Taking a deep breath, Hisako continued, "But that's not all. If you just want to date Noto until the end of High School, that's one thing. But if you are really going to marry him and you want the marriage to last, you are going to have to stop being so childish."
"What?" Maya's anger flared. Just when I thought I could believe in Hisako, she has to go and say something like that to me! She's so infuriating!
"When you respond to things that you don't like with jealousy and anger, it is childish… and it tends to chip away at the respect one has for you." Hisako sounded as if she were reciting a lecture, or a passage from a textbook. It sounded forced and unnatural, but it did make Maya stop and think.
"You…" Maya's anger faded as she looked up at Hisako and saw a haunted expression. Suddenly it occurred to her that this was a lesson that Hisako had probably learned herself. In a friendlier tone Maya asked, "You went through this yourself, didn't you?"
"Yeah," Hisako said, "I used to let the press goad me into saying hurtful things. I said hurtful things about Ami-chan. I said hurtful things about the press. In the end, I was the one that was hurt the most."
Maya remembered all the articles that she had seen that had blamed the diabolic Hisako for the disappearance of Kawashima Ami from the spotlight. The fiery words from Hisako had helped to boost the ratings of entertainment shows and it had sold magazines, but Hisako herself had only ever suffered for it. Of course, Hisako was better now and she was even acting like a big sister to Maya. It seemed that Hisako was always there teasing her, but also helping her. "Why," Maya asked, "Why are you doing this for me?"
"Ryuuji-sama and Ami-chan saved me from myself. They did me the honor of introducing me to all of their friends and so far, I have liked all of them." Hisako said.
"Even me?" Maya almost laughed, "I know I haven't been very nice to you."
"I actually liked you and Nanako-chan from the first time I saw you." Hisako laughed, "You were both so small and cute! I just wanted to pull you both up in my arms and cuddle you like stuffed animals."
"Um…" Maya wasn't sure she wanted to know that.
"Although… it's also true that I wanted to rip your arms and legs off when you had your little tantrum that made Ami so unhappy." Hisako added.
"Yeah," Maya didn't get upset from that criticism, she knew that she had been terribly wrong back then, "I was so stupid."
"That's it right there!" Hisako grabbed Maya by the arms, "You behaved badly, you hurt other people, and now you feel like an idiot! If you had taken a minute or two, to think things through at the beginning, the hurting other people and feeling like an idiot parts never would have happened. Right?"
"So…" Maya's defenses were crumbled but they were still present to some degree, "so when you say things like… you're going to kiss Noto-kun, what should I do… laugh?"
"Of course you should laugh." Hisako smiled.
"Huh?" Maya gaped in disbelief. She did not see the humor of this big chested, raven haired model kissing her fiancé at all.
"Even if I say I am going to kiss Noto-kun, do you honestly think he would let me?" Hisako winked, "Is that really the opinion you have of him?"
"OH!" Maya had never considered how insulting it was to Noto when she reacted that way. "I guess I do have some growing up to do."
"All right, we're here." Hisako put the packet of pictures in Maya's hands, "Go give these to your lover and I'll see you tomorrow."
.
"So that's why you and Kihara Maya were here?" the policewoman asked.
"Yes," Hisako asked, "is she going to be okay?"
"I don't know." the policewoman said, "she and Hisamitsu Noto were taken away in the same ambulance."
Hisako took a sip of her coffee and saw the reflections of the crime scene photographer's flash as the inside of Noto's house was processed. "Shall I continue?" Hisako asked when the policewoman stopped writing.
"Please do, whenever you are ready." the policewoman said compassionately.
.
Saturday evening, September 12 – Kawashima residence
Ryuuji looked ashen as he hung up his phone.
"What's wrong, Ryu-chan?" Yasuko asked her son.
"Somebody tried to kill Noto tonight." Ryuuji stumbled the words out.
"What? Noto-kun? But why?" Yasuko couldn't believe what she had just heard.
"He and Maya-chan are at the hospital now." Ryuuji's mouth was still running on auto-pilot and just repeating the words he had just heard.
"What about Maya?" Nanako asked. She had heard Maya's name but not the context so she was only curious and not yet stunned.
Ryuuji looked past his mother and saw Nanako playing with Aiko-chan on the floor of the living room and the jolt of seeing their smiling faces brought him back to deliberate thought. "Yasuko, could you take Aiko-chan to your room for a bit?"
"Yes… yes of course," Yasuko's smile was back in place when she turned to face the young girl.
After they left the room, Ryuuji asked Nanako, "Can you bring everyone else in here?"
"Yes," Nanako didn't ask why. It worried her that she had never seen Ryuuji so serious before.
.
Yasuko was busy with Aiko-chan in her room, but soon Ryuuji had Ami, Yuri, Suzume, and Nanako gathered around the table in the living room. They were all looking at him expectantly.
Ryuuji decided to just get to the point. His face wasn't any good at cushioning the blow anyway, "I got a call from Hisako. There's been an accident at Noto's house. I don't know all the details, but she is there answering questions to the police."
"The police?" Ami bristled.
"Yeah. She said that Noto and Maya are in an ambulance and on their way to the emergency room."
"No!" Nanako cried out. Her anguish was in that one word, so evident that Yuri instantly hugged the shorter girl to show her support.
"What happened?" Ami asked.
"Is Hisako okay?" Suzume asked.
"Is Maya okay?" Nanako asked.
"I'm sorry. I just don't know any more." Ryuuji knew those questions would come, but he had nothing else to give. Instead, he summoned up his sense of responsibility and said, "As much as I would like for us all to be together at a time like this, we need to split up for a while at least. Noto-kun and Maya-chan are at the hospital now, Hisako-chan is still at Noto's house."
"I'll go to Hisako." Ami said immediately. Then to Ryuuji she said, "You should go to Noto-kun, and Nanako-chan will go to Maya-chan."
"I'll go with you to see Hisako." Suzume announced.
"I'll go to the hospital too." Koigakubo Yuri said as she pulled out her phone, "I'll call a taxi. Ryuuji won't be able to push two wheelchairs."
"Thank you sensei!" Nanako moved over to sit next to Yuri-sensei. She was frightened over what they might find out and her teacher's presence gave her comfort and courage.
"I'll go tell Yasuko what the plans are." Ryuuji stood to leave the room as others were getting ready to head out as well. As he walked to his mother's room, he fired off a text message to Haruta. Ryuuji knew he was a good friend, but Haruta was Noto's best friend and he should know. Having finished the message, Ryuuji opened the door to his mother's and Yuri's room and saw that Aiko-chan was already asleep next to Yasuko. I guess I'll write a note instead.
.
Saturday evening, September 12 – Hisamitsu residence (Noto's home) [continued]
"Kurosawa-san?" the policewoman prompted, "Kurosawa-san, are you okay to continue?"
"Yes, sorry." Hisako looked down at her stained clothes, "There was just so much blood… it bothers me."
"I understand," the policewoman said, "take your time."
.
"ERRK!" Maya squawked when Hisako grabbed her by the collar and jerked her back to the gate. "What the hell was that for?" she tried to say, but Hisako's hand was over her mouth.
"Something is wrong." Hisako was pulling Maya to be behind her.
"What?" Maya was nervous now. She could tell that something was really troubling Hisako and this wasn't just another tease or gag.
"The house is all dark and the front door is open." Hisako took a quick look around at the small front yard inside the gate. There was a recently planted tree with a decorative wrought iron rod giving it support on one side. Maya stayed behind Hisako as she moved over to the tree. Putting her back into the tree, she freed the rod of iron and pulled it from the ground.
"What are you doing?" Maya whispered.
"There might be someone bad in there." Hisako told Maya, "You stay behind the gate. If you hear me scream, or if I'm not back in five minutes, take off running and call emergency services."
"No way!" Maya whispered angrily, "I'm coming with you."
"Maya…" Hisako wanted to tell Maya to stay put for her own good, but she realized that she probably couldn't persuade Maya to leave Noto if there was a chance he was in trouble. Instead, she ordered, "Fine, but have emergency services dialed up on your phone and be ready to call them at a moments notice. Okay?"
Following Hisako's instructions, Maya nervously hit the numbers and held her thumb over the call button on her phone. She thought she was ready for whatever might happen. Thinking about all the things that could happen to her if there really was a bad person here, she was suddenly grateful that Hisako was with her.
"O… Okay, I'm ready." Maya answered quietly. She stayed behind Hisako as they crept up to the porch and looked inside. From there, they couldn't see around the corner into the living room, but they could see down the hall to where a body was laying in a pool of blood.
"Emergency Services, what is the nature of the emergency?" the sound coming out of Maya's phone startled both girls. Maya hadn't even realized she had pressed the button.
"There's a body… and blood!" Maya was going into shock, "So much blood…"
"Maya!" Hisako hissed, "Tell them to send an ambulance and police! I'm going to look inside."
Hisako could hear Maya answering questions as she crept inside the house with iron rod in her hands. Only a few steps inside the door and she realized that she wouldn't need it. She saw one Noto lying on the floor with a knife sticking out of his chest and another Noto hanging from a rope from the ceiling. A moment passed at the confusion but she had already been introduced to Noto's look-alike cousin so she wasn't too surprised. So only one is the real Noto… but which one? Hisako instantly turned to the one on the floor and ran to him. The real Noto wouldn't be stupid enough to hang himself! One hand reached to Noto's neck and another between his legs. His neck revealed a weak pulse, but she didn't notice him breathing. Her other hand told her that she had chosen the correct Noto. "MAYA!" Hisako screamed, "Get in here NOW, and bring your phone with you!"
"NOTO!" Maya screamed when she saw the body hanging from the ceiling.
"That's not Noto," Hisako said as she bent Noto's neck, pinched his nose, fastened her lips to his, and breathed much needed air into his unmoving lungs.
"What?" Maya looked from the hanging Noto, to the other that had a knife sticking out of his chest.
"Get down here – on the other side of his head." Hisako ordered between breaths.
"Okay," Maya was on the verge of slipping into shock herself as she knelt next to Noto.
"Lean a little closer," Hisako could see Maya's eyes starting to lose focus, but she leaned forward as she was told.
SLAP! The blow from Hisako's hand sent Maya sprawling to the floor.
"What the hell, Hisako?" an angry Maya shouted back at the model that had just left her hand print on Maya's left cheek.
"You were about to go into shock," Hisako breathed for Noto again then said, "I really need you to be all here or Noto is going to die. Do you get that?"
"Yeah, yeah," Maya rubbed her cheek but the urgency of the situation wouldn't let her stay upset with Hisako, "What should I do?"
"Do you see how I'm supporting his neck, pinching his nose, and breathing into his mouth?" Hisako asked.
"Yes." Maya said. She had seen this before in a training video and read about it in health class.
"Good," Hisako took her hands away from Noto and grabbed the cell phone from Maya's hand, "Now you do it."
"Ah!" Maya said as she bent to her task. Although she had read about this before, she had never practiced it so she tried her best to mimic what Hisako was doing.
"Hello, emergency services? Are you still on the phone?" Hisako asked.
"Yes," a woman's voice came back, "help is on the way. Who is this now?"
"Kurosawa Hisako," She identified herself, "There is one person hanging, and another with a knife in his chest on the floor. That one is Hisamitsu Noto, a third year high school student. I'm going now to see about the body in the hall."
"There are three bodies?" the voice on the phone asked.
"That's all I've seen so far," Hisako told them as she got to the third body. "Oh no… the third body is Hisamitsu Shinako. She's been stabbed in the throat…" Hisako knelt into the pool of blood that surrounded Shinako and put a finger to the girl's throat as she lowered her ear to the still lips. "There is no breathing or pulse… there is a lot of blood… I'm beginning chest compressions and breathing. Please tell the ambulance to hurry!"
.
"How did you know how to do all that stuff? Are you a doctor?" the policewoman asked.
"No," Hisako had a small laugh, "I'm a model. Last year I didn't have a lot of work though. I ended up watching a lot of medical dramas on television."
"Ah, so you are that Kurosawa Hisako?" the policewoman started to write something down.
"She is." a voice spoke up from the other side of the police car where Hisako was answering questions, "And I am that Kawashima Ami." Ami didn't like the way the policewoman's last comment sounded. She picked up her phone and asked, "Are you done now, or do I need to call the Kawashima family lawyer?"
"This does not concern you, Kawashima-san." the policewoman tried to dismiss the blue haired teen.
"She is my best friend, she is staying at my house, and I am friends with the family that lives here." Ami rebutted the officer, "I am, in fact, a great deal concerned… officer."
"If we're done," Hisako also saw a worried Suzume standing with Ami, "I would like to go to the hospital and be with my friends." She didn't know why Ami had reacted that way, but so far the officer had been only courteous to her.
"Yes," the policewoman closed her notebook and thanked Hisako, "Thank you for the information you have provided."
.
"Ami?" Hisako asked after they were a block away from the Hisamitsu residence, "What's the matter?"
"I… I didn't like the way she was talking to you." Ami sounded too upset for it to just be that.
"She was just doing her job." Hisako offered.
"Why wasn't she doing her job when I had a stalker scaring me day and night? They only do their job when it's convenient to them!" Ami vented, "When I complained, they just made excuses and said how it was my fault for being a celebrity. My fault that someone was stalking me! I just… have a hard time… trusting the police anymore."
"I'm sorry Ami…" Hisako had known for a while now that Ami's disappearance from modeling had nothing to do with her, but she still felt bad about how she had behaved.
"Hey guys," Suzume cut in, "I know you want to get to the hospital soon, but maybe we should go by the house first?"
"Why?" Ami stopped and looked at the red headed girl.
"Um… I'm sorry to point this out, but Hisako-senpai has so much blood on her, she looks like she came from the set of a horror movie."
All three of the girls stopped and looked at Hisako then. There was blood on her arms and legs, her shorts and her shirt. There was even blood on her face and neck.
"It's okay," Hisako brushed it off, "if anyone asks, I'll just tell them I'm having a really bad period."
Suzume couldn't hold her reaction back and burst out with nervous laughter.
"Unf!" Ami put her hand to her face, "No, Suzume's right. Let's head home first."
.
Monday morning, September 14 – High School
"Sensei! Sensei! Sensei!" several voices in the classroom were clamoring for Yuri's attention as she walked in. A few of the students noticed how weary she looked and stopped bothering her but others… many others, were less observant.
"I saw Taiga at the front gate on Friday!"
"Is Taiga back?"
"Will she be coming back to our class?"
"I didn't see her but everyone has pictures of her from Friday when school let out!"
"They have pictures of Takasu-kun carrying you in his arms too!"
"Yeah, what's up with that?"
"Class repre…" Yuri started to call out, then remembered who the class rep was… and where he was. "Class, please be seated."
Some of them sat down but others were looking around for Noto and wondering why the usually punctual class representative wasn't already here.
"I SAID SIT DOWN!" Yuri thundered. In moments, they were in their seats. That's when the absences could be clearly seen. So many students were missing now. Half the class that was present, was wearing the cold masks now. The students in the classroom assumed that the absences were all related to the flu. Pointing to Minori, Yuri said, "Do the thing."
"Yes!" Amazingly, Minori knew what Yuri-sensei wanted, "Stand, bow, be seated."
"First of all, the girl you saw on Friday wasn't Aisaka-san." Yuri told them, "Her name is Aiko-chan. She is only nine years old."
"What?" several students opened their phones to look again at the picture from Friday.
"So," Yuri sounded like an avenging angel now, "Pass the word. If I find out that anyone has an up-skirt picture of her, I will personally scoop your eyes out with a melon baller! Is that understood?"
"Yes Sensei!" Many students were deleting the pictures from their phones whether they were up-skirt shots or not. After all, how do you explain having a picture of an unrelated grade-schooler on your phone?
"Finally, I have some grave news to tell you." Yuri sat back down and tried not to cry in front of her students again as she told them, "Saturday night, Hisamitsu Noto and a cousin of his were attacked in his home by a family member. They were both stabbed, and they are still in intensive care in the hospital.
"No!" several students were on their feet from the unexpected shock of this news.
"If not for the courageous efforts of Kihara Maya and Kurosawa Hisako, they would likely be dead now." Yuri looked back up at her stunned students, "You should all take the opportunity to learn CPR. You never know when it might be your turn to save a life."
"Is…" a girl from the front row spoke up, "is there anything we can do?"
At first, Yuri was tempted to thank her for offering but dismiss the idea and continue on with class. Then she remembered something they had said at the hospital. She told the class, "If you want to help, you can donate blood. Noto and his cousin lost a lot of blood…"
"Sensei!" two students stood up, "We'll go down to the nurses office and see if we can put together a blood drive!"
"I'll go to the office and see if we can get the whole school involved!" another student popped up.
Yuri watched in amazement as her class jumped into action. They really are a most incredible class. I'm gonna miss them so much!
.
Monday morning, September 14 – Hosei Elementary School
"That didn't take long," Ryuuji said to his mother. Withdrawing a child from elementary school was an easier process than they had thought it would be.
"They barely even looked at the guardianship papers," Yasuko commented, "I wonder if Aiko-chan's mother called them in advance?" Yasuko wanted to lighten the mood for the kids, but she knew they were all thinking about Nanako and Maya at the hospital – waiting for any word on Noto's condition. No notes had been sent to explain their absence from high school today. Yuri would be there and she knew where everyone was and why they weren't at school.
"Well, let's get this over with." Ryuuji was bitter. One of his best friends was in the hospital and they were in the school that had bullied little Aiko-chan. The fierce scowl on his face would have scared even his friends had they not also felt bitter as well.
Aiko-chan held Yasuko's hand but her head was down and it was easy to see that she dreaded going back to that classroom again.
"Come on Aiko-chan," Yasuko smiled to the scared girl, "going to your class will be different today."
"It will?" Aiko-chan looked up to Yasuko and saw the confident and glorious smile that only Onee-chan could project.
"Of course," Yasuko winked, "you have your friends with you today!"
Aiko-chan smiled as she thought about that. Besides Onee-chan, I have Ryuuji-sama, Ami-senpai, Hisako-senpai, and Suzume-senpai with menow! Aiko-chan looked up at her friends and smiled too. She decided that Onee-chan was right; they were her friends and everything was going to be okay this time.
A few teachers and students were in the halls as Aiko-chan and her friends quietly walked to the classroom to clear out Aiko-chan's belongings. The students ran off quickly. A few teachers looked like they were going to approach the group but, after they saw Ryuuji's face, they suddenly remembered they had something else to do.
"This is the classroom." Aiko-chan said as she stopped in front of the closed door. She was about to open it when Ami stopped her.
"Just a second Aiko-chan," Ami turned to her fiancé and said, "Mirror-shades."
"Oh, right." Ryuuji pulled the glasses out of the case and put them on. Aiko-chan smiled up at him as she opened the door.
"Well if it isn't freak…" the voice died out as Yasuko and the teenagers followed Aiko-chan into the classroom. Ryuuji came in last and tried to find the voice that he had heard. The sunglasses did little to hide the scowl on Ryuuji's face, so when Aiko-chan's classmates saw him come through the doorway, they instinctively started backing toward the other end of the classroom.
"What… what's the meaning of this?" the teacher sounded almost petrified.
"Here," Yasuko handed her a copy of the release form, "Aiko-chan will be leaving this school today. I will need your folder and her friends will be helping her clear out her belongings."
The teacher was glad that she only had to deal with Yasuko. She seemed pleasant enough. The others were giants and, glasses or no glasses, the guy looked scary as all hell to her. She quickly retrieved the folder and handed it to Yasuko.
Instead of simply taking the folder, Yasuko took a few minutes to look through it. Then she turned to the teacher and asked, "This can't be all of it. I don't see any record of all the bullying that Aiko-chan has been subjected to. Where are those records?" Her voice still sounded sweet but there was no mistake that this was not a question, but a demand.
"What bullying?" The teacher blanched.
"I am referring to many kinds of bullying." Yasuko's smile flattened a little and her voice lost some of its usual bounciness, "One example would be the loathsome little boy that called Aiko-chan a 'freak' when we first walked in."
"But she is a freak." a boy stammered in defense of his earlier outburst.
"What?" Ryuuji whipped off his glasses and glared at the boy.
"EEP!" the boy's face lost all color but the front of his pants darkened as the room acquired the smell of urine. The other students in the room pressed back against the far wall even more and some of them started crying.
"Onee-chan." Suzume called out from where she had picked up some of Aiko-chan's books. She held up a text book and flipped through it. When she saw that Yasuko wasn't taking her eyes off the teacher, she said aloud, "Some pages of this textbook are marked over with crayon while other pages have been torn out completely."
"Aiko-chan," Yasuko asked, "did you do that to your book?"
"No, Onee-chan." Aiko-chan's sad voice wasn't the only sound in the room. A few more students in the room started crying as their inexcusable actions were exposed.
"I… I had no idea! I didn't know!" the teacher exclaimed.
"Suzume-chan," Yasuko called out without turning away from the teacher, "bring me that book." The teacher and students watched as the unbelievably tall girl brought the book over to the blond woman at the teacher's desk. Yasuko looked at the cover of the book and found the same book on the teachers desk. Without saying a word, she swapped the two books.
"Y… you can't do that! I use that book to teach the lessons!" the teacher gasped.
"Then you're in luck." Yasuko made no move to give back the book, "This will be your lesson. Whenever you look at that book, you should remember this lesson."
"But…" the teacher started to protest.
"Or maybe I should go through all of Aiko-chan's belongings and see just how bad of a teacher you are?" Yasuko simply smiled and waited for the teacher's response.
The teacher said nothing. She was being disgraced in front of her class but there was nothing she could say. She had known of the bullying but had written such things off to the kids-will-be-kids philosophy. She looked at the floor and hoped these people would leave soon so she could get back to the usual routine of her class.
"Aiko-chan, do you have everything now?" Yasuko still had her eyes on the teacher as she asked the question.
"Yes, Onee-chan!" Aiko-chan answered.
"Be very sure," Yasuko sounded cheerful again as she said, "after all, you're never coming back to this place again."
"Yes Onee-chan, I have everything!" Aiko-chan practically cheered, "I can't wait to go see my new school!"
Aiko-chan was out the door with Suzume when the teacher quietly asked, "What makes you think it won't be the same for her at the next school?"
"Easy," Yasuko said without turning around to face the shamed teacher, "you won't be there."
.
The procession from the elementary school to the train station had been quiet for a while. Finally, Suzume couldn't hold it back any more.
"I just have to say…" Suzume turned to Yasuko and said with amazement in her voice, "Wow, Onee-chan can be scary!"
"Huh?" Yasuko acted as if she didn't know what that could be about.
"You destroyed her!" Hisako confirmed.
"I'm sorry you had to see that." Yasuko smiled a little, "Someday, you may have kids in school. When you do, remember that there are some teachers like Yuri-sensei that are a marvel, but there are bad teachers too."
Ryuuji walked along in silence and wondered how many times his mother might have gone to his schools to face the teachers down when he was growing up. Looking at Aiko-chan, he wondered how much worse his school life might have been if she hadn't been there for him. Thanks mom. I'll have to remember to thank Yuri-sensei for being an awesome teacher too.
.
Monday morning, September 14 – On The Train
Ami looked up from her phone with a smile that she hadn't been able to muster since before the tragic events of Saturday night. "Noto-kun is out of the ICU." she told the little group, "Still no word on Shinako-san."
"What's an ICU?" Aiko-chan asked.
"That's the intensive care unit." Yasuko told her, "You only go there if you're in really bad shape, so coming out of it is a good sign."
"They'll be better, I just know it." Aiko-chan sounded certain.
"What makes you say that?" Yasuko asked in a friendly voice. She didn't want to stifle this little drop of sunshine one bit.
"Because Hisako-senpai and Maya-chan are heroes." Aiko-chan said with conviction.
Hisako's expression changed from concern to one of utter surprise. Normally a line like that was a set up for an insult, but Aiko-chan was too honest and too innocent for that.
"They were my heroes when I was in the hospital and they'll be Noto-kun and Shinako-san's heroes now."
"So that's how it works?" Yasuko wished they could all be as confident as Aiko-chan.
"Yup!" Aiko-chan confidently answered and went back to looking at the scenery moving past the windows.
A stunned Hisako looked up from where she sat to meet Ami's eyes.
"No pressure," Ami smiled, "… Hero."
.
Monday morning, September 14 – Hospital
"I really don't like hospitals." Nanako was holding Maya's hand in the hallway, as the hospital staff moved Noto into his room.
"I was just thinking the same thing." Maya said quietly.
When the staff moved out of the room, the two girls started to enter but were blocked by a nurse, "I'm sorry, only family is allowed into the room at this time."
"But we…" Maya was about to protest when a voice called out from behind her.
"Young lady, are you Kihara Maya?" the girls turned to see an older but still regal looking woman in a Kimono looking at them.
"Yes Obasama," Maya said to the family matriarch as she bowed, "I am here with my friend, Kashii Nanako."
"Good morning, Hisamitsu-sama." Nanako bowed as well.
"Come," Obasama walked past the girls, "with me." The three of them walked into Noto's room. For some reason, there was no longer a nurse at the door trying to deny them entrance.
Noto was still unconscious from the treatments that had been used to save his life. Standing around his bed, Maya and Nanako watched as the imperious matriarch's expression changed to one of love and sadness. She was looking at Noto's sleeping face and she reached out to caress a bit of hair out of his closed eyes.
"Please," Obasama asked Maya, "tell me everything you know."
Maya didn't think twice. Obasama had asked for it so she told her. Maya gave as many details as she could even when she started crying from the horrid memories that the telling of the story evoked. Nanako held her orange haired friend as she did her best to recall the incidents of that terrible night. She finished telling the story when she got to the part about getting in the ambulance. "I remember holding his hand and begging him not to die but… I just don't remember anything else. I'm so sorry!"
"Do not be sorry." Obasama told her, "Had you not been there, he would be dead. I am grateful to you for being there."
"But," Maya sobbed, "if he hadn't fallen in love with me… or if I had said no when he asked me to marry him… he might have ended up with Noriko and this wouldn't have happened."
"Noriko could never have married Noto." Obasama said with finality.
"I heard that the family had forbidden it, but if I hadn't been in the way…" Maya could not shake the feeling that some blame inevitably made its way back to her.
"You have nothing to do with it." Obasama told the distraught girl, "Noriko was Noto's older sister, by blood."
"What?" both Maya and Nanako were stunned.
"Their parents were killed in an accident soon after Noto was born." Obasama told them, "They were split up and raised by different family members… as cousins. I had thought this was best at the time. They were only babies… no-one anticipated that one of the children might fall in love with the other."
"Did… did Noto know?" Maya asked.
"No." Obasama replied, "Those of us that knew made a pact that we would never tell the rest of the family… including the children. So, you see… it was never your fault, no matter how you look at it."
"Thank you very much, Obasama." Maya said respectfully. Maya also understood the implication. As she wasn't married yet, she was not yet in the family, so Obasama's vow was intact. Now, Noto could know the truth about his sister without anyone breaking their promise.
"Now, about these Hospital rules." Obasama took a ring from her finger and handed it to Maya along with a card that she pulled out of her purse, "if anyone gives you a difficult time, show them this ring. Use the card to call me if it is necessary."
"Thank you, Obasama!" Maya looked at the card. It simply had a stamped symbol and a phone number on it. The ring had no stones, but it had an ornate design on it. It took Maya only a few moments before she made the connection that the symbol on the ring made the stamp on the card.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I will be on my way." Obasama swiftly walked to the door, "As fortune would have it, I have another grandchild to check on in this place. It seems that she would have been dead if it had not been for your friend."
My friend? Hisako? My friend… Hisako!
"Thank you very much, Kihara-san." The matriarch said as she left, "I am indebted to you both. After my grandchildren are healed and they can walk in the sun again, I shall show you the full measure of my gratitude."
Maya was too stunned to say anything. Obasama is indebted to me? Hisako is my friend. Obasama gave me her signet ring. What should I do?
"So… your friend?" Nanako smiled at the stunned Maya.
"Oh Nanako," Maya threw her arms around her purple haired friend and sobbed, "I was so scared. I didn't know what to do. If it hadn't been for Hisako-chan…"
"It's okay," Nanako patted her friends back and smiled. She gazed over the head of her sobbing friend and looked at Noto's face. You need to wake up soon Noto. Your Maya needs you now, more than ever.
.
Monday afternoon, September 14 – Kabanoki Elementary School
They had eaten a quick lunch near the train station and hurried on to the local Elementary school to get Aiko-chan enrolled. Everyone in the group decided to accompany Aiko-chan to her new school so that there would be no misunderstandings with her new classmates.
Ryuuji was back in his mirror-shades as they walked the halls to classroom 3-2 at Kabanoki Elementary School. Yasuko, Hisako, and the teenagers were all in better spirits – thanks mostly to Aiko-chan. She was so happy to be going to a new school that she couldn't stop smiling. Of course, the message that Noto-san was out of the ICU-thing helped too.
When they got to the right classroom, the students had just come back from lunch. Yasuko knocked on the door and waved the teacher to come out into the hall for a moment. She was wondering how she was going to talk the teacher into letting them all come in the room for a moment when they young woman shrieked.
"Oh my gods, you're Kawashima Ami!" the young teacher gushed.
"Ulp… yes?" Ami was stunned at this level of fan anxiety from a teacher but then, fans could be anywhere.
"Do you mind if we do a quick presentation to your class?" Suzume quickly asked the teacher.
"Presentation?" the teacher asked the tall red head.
"It's on rumors, lies, and bullying and how important it is to do well in school." Suzume smiled.
"Oh, that sounds like a wonderful thing." the teacher opened the door, "Just give me a moment to get my class ready."
"What's going on?" Ryuuji asked Suzume.
"I have an idea…" Suzume smiled.
.
Ami stood in front of the class and asked, "How many of you know what a model is?"
All of the students raised their hands.
"Is that normal for third graders?" a disbelieving Ami asked the teacher.
"Oh… uh… I kind of share my hobby with the class." the teacher blushed.
"Okay," turning back to the class, she introduced herself, "I am Kawashima Ami and I would like to talk to you for a minute about how bad lies and rumors are."
The excitement in the room quickly waned when the kids thought they were going to get another boring lecture.
"This is my bestest friend," Ami pulled Hisako into the room, "Her name is Kurosawa Hisako."
"What?" the teacher jumped up from her desk in alarm. A few of the students gasped.
"Now a lot of people think that Hisako is a bad person because some mean people spread rumors and lies about her. They said she was the reason why I stopped modeling for a while. But the truth is that I went back to school because education… is… important! Right sensei?"
"Uh, yes!" the teacher was confused. Now that she heard the name, she knew it really was Kurosawa Hisako in her classroom with Kawashima Ami. How can this be? I thought they were mortal enemies!
"Well, I am modeling again and now I am modeling with two really good friends. Hisako is one, but also, Minami Suzume!" Ami pulled Suzume into the room and she waved cheerfully to all the kids.
"I'm Suzume and I'm in middle school now but I'll be in high school next year!"
"Wow! She's in middle school?"
"Cool, three models!"
"It is cool, but sometimes people aren't bullied because of someone else's lies. They get bullied because of how they look." Suzume pulled Ryuuji into the room and pulled off his glasses, "What do you think when you see this guy?"
"Oooh scary!"
"He's real scary!"
"I'd start screaming until the police came."
"That would be mean!" Suzume waved her finger at them, "He may look mean, but he is really a big sweety. In fact, he is such a good guy that someone in this room plans on marrying him…"
"What?" the teacher and the students all asked.
Ami smiled and held up her hand to show off her engagement ring.
"Wow, what a pretty ring!"
"No way! Kawashima Ami must be fearless!"
"That's so cool!"
"Now I have one more person to introduce to you but first, can I get the tallest student in the class to come forward?" Suzume asked.
A boy got up from his desk and went to the front of the room with the models.
"Now I'm going to have you stand back to back with my friend, Aiko-chan." Suzume noticed that the boy was now blushing as their backs touched. "Okay, you can all see that Aiko-chan is taller by about five centimeters, right?"
"Yes." the class responded.
"What if I told you that Aiko-chan is also in third grade, just like you?" Suzume asked.
"No way! Is she a repeater?"
"In third grade, really?"
"Wow, she's really tall!"
"She didn't fail a grade. In fact, she is very smart!" Suzume told them, "And yes, she is quite tall for her age. So, like us, she wants to be a model too."
Yasuko took this opportunity to hand over the transfer papers to the teacher.
"Oh my!" the teacher reacted when she realized what she was holding in her hand, "Class, please welcome Aiko-chan. She will be starting at our school today!"
"Yay!" the classroom cheering could be heard down the hall.
.
"Well. I think that went well." Suzume was proud of herself.
"It went amazingly well," Ryuuji said as he patted her head, "I'll have to remember your improvisation skills from now on, Suzume-chan."
Suzume blushed from Ryuuji's praise and feeling his hand on her head. Hisako and Ami smiled when they saw the full face blush on their younger, but taller friend.
"Oh, Suzume-chan, you'd better lie down when we get home. You look a bit feverish." Ami teased.
"Ami-chan…" Suzume pleaded for mercy with her expression more than her words.
"A bit? She looks like she's burning up!" Hisako said with feigned concern. "Maybe Ryuuji should carry her the rest of the way?"
"Guys… stop!" Suzume whined. She blushed harder to the resounding laughter from her friends.