Sunday late afternoon, November 7 – Janpusaru Onsen Hotel
It had been another day of fun and relaxation at the scenic mountain onsen. Kyou had taken her class on another outing to explore the safer trails around the Kanetsuri Station, and Kouko had led her class to a spot where her students could try their hand at painting a waterfall. But in Tomoya's opinion, the best news was that Kotomi's pain seemed to be going away.
After having two more of the relaxing massages and another chance to relax in the mineral rich spring water, she felt well enough to go on a walk with Tomoya in the late afternoon. The onsen staff had told Tomoya that the uphill path from their onsen was very pretty, but it also became difficult for anyone that was mobility impaired… or prone to joint and muscle pain. On the other hand, the route back down to the station was easier and was also very lovely in the daytime. It didn't take long for Tomoya to decide. Going back down the winding but well maintained path, would be easier for Kotomi and they could rest at one of the little shops clustered around the train station before heading back. He only hoped that Kotomi wasn't bored. She wasn't surrounded by her technology here and, knowing where her comfort zone was, he wondered if this trip had been any kind of vacation for her at all.
Kotomi came out for her walk in a Tsukesage Kimono. The bright green fabric with the patterns of orange, red, and yellow explosions, made the garment look like an out-of-focus picture of the brilliant autumnal foliage that covered the steep valley all around them. Tomoya worried about the tightness of the obi around her midsection and how that might be painful in her condition. But, Kotomi didn't seem the least bit uncomfortable. For a moment he thought about suggesting that she wear something more comfortable, but he remembered that she always did like to wear the more traditional Japanese clothing.
Even though it was late in the afternoon – which is usually the warmest part of the day, the temperature was quite chilly. In fact, it felt cooler now than it did earlier in the morning. Tomoya had dressed for the cooler weather and Kotomi would be okay in her winter-weight Kimono. But there was concern for all the children that were out on another field trip with Kyou, as well as some of the other adults. Tomoya and Kotomi had seen all of them off earlier in the day and knew that they hadn't left with clothing suitable for this colder weather. So, borrowing one of the onsen's luggage carriers, Tomoya pulled a wagon full of jackets and blankets along on his right, while he held Kotomi's hand on his left. Even though he wanted to get the jackets to the station so that the children and all of his friends didn't get cold, he was still concerned that Kotomi's pain might come back. But she seemed to be doing much better today, regarding the pain.
"Do you think it was the massage or the water?" Tomoya asked aloud while wondering what might have been the beneficial agent.
"It might not be either." Kotomi replied, "It could be that the pain was a just a phase of this pregnancy and it has run it's course. In that case, it would just be a coincidence that the pain went away after yesterday's activities. So, to attribute cause and effect without further testing would be premature."
"Oh. Yeah, I guess so." Tomoya agreed, but he hoped that there was a connection. It wasn't so much that he wanted credit for alleviating her pain… but it would be nice to know about something that could help if the pain flared up again.
"Regardless of whether they were instrumental in treating my pains, I enjoyed them very much. Thank you for arranging it for me, Tomoya-kun." Kotomi looked over at Tomoya and saw that he was pleased to hear that. Moving closer as they walked, she took his arm and leaned into him as she added, "In fact… I plan to get one more massage this evening. And afterwards, if I'm feeling up to it, I would like to restart the normal marital function that has been missing of late."
"Huh?" Tomoya's mind was stumbling over Kotomi's words.
"I want to make out with you." Kotomi said plainly, "I have missed the feeling of having your hands touch me on my…"
"Hey!" Tomoya interrupted her before she could say something embarrassing on the path back to the train station. It wasn't terribly busy and there weren't a lot of people around, but Tomoya knew how voices could carry when you weren't surrounded by all the background noise of the city. And there certainly wasn't a lot of background noise out here.
"Hmm?" Kotomi looked up at Tomoya's face. The sudden interruption had surprised her and she was a little worried that he no longer wanted to make out with her. "Have I become unattractive, Tomoya-kun? Do you no longer wish to put your hands on my body?"
"What? No! Of course not!" Tomoya was getting lost with all the signals his brain was trying to react to. He suddenly realized that his response was terrible if matched against her second question when he saw her hurt expression. Desperately he explained, "Wait... I mean… I do still find you attractive, and of course I want to put my hands on your body!"
The few people on the path that could be seen, stopped and looked at the man that had just made a very bold and rather perverted claim.
"Hentai." a few voices said in disgust – and not too quietly.
"No!" Tomoya was about to protest through his embarrassment when a defiant thought occurred to him, Just a damn minute! I'm not a teenager any more. Who are they to call me hentai? Squaring his shoulders he said aloud, although not directed to anyone in particular, "We happen to be married. And if I want to put my hands on her... or do anything else with my wife, I can do it without anyone else's approval… or labels."
To prove his point, he pulled Kotomi to him and kissed her soft, but willing lips.
Kotomi had never understood the social landscape when it came to the appropriateness of intimacy. Many of the restrictive social norms that Tomoya and Kyou had tried to teach her were remembered for a while, but eventually lost since they didn't make any sense. And to Kotomi's way of thinking: if something doesn't make sense, it is irrational and unworthy of concern or retention. So, when Tomoya kissed her on the public walkway, it was no different to her than a kiss in a dark secluded room. She kissed back with the pent up passion that had been freed with the recent absence of pain.
A few people took pictures of the amorous couple, but most just scoffed and went on their way. Tomoya didn't care though. It had been a while since Kotomi was feeling amorous, and it was refreshing to be reminded of how good a kisser she was.
.
Sunday early evening, November 7 – Keyakidaira Station
Kyou was worried. It had gotten a lot colder than she had planned for, and most of the children didn't have their jackets with them. Many of the adults didn't either, but it was the little ones she was most worried about. The train was pulling into the station and she had come to a decision. Hoping that they were still at the onsen, she would call Kotomi and Tomoya and ask them to bring the children's jackets to the station. Of course, there were all kinds of other questions she worried about. What if they're not at the onsen? How long will it take them to get to the train station? How long will the station remain open? How much colder will it be before we get the jackets and can be heading back? Why didn't I think of this before we headed out this morning?
"Kyou-mama." Shuichi called out to his mother as they entered the station building.
"Not right now, sweetie. I have to call your father." Kyou tried not to sound brusque as she concentrated on her cell phone. But her concentration was broken by the laughter of the many children around her. She looked around to see what they were laughing at, but they were all looking at her. Finally paying attention to Shuichi, and with the sound of the cell phone ringing in her ear, she muttered a, "Huh?"
"Papa." Shuichi said simply and pointed toward the station's broad interior walkway.
"Eh?" Kyou followed the boy's finger to find Tomoya with a cell phone to his head, and Kotomi with a wagon laden with blankets and jackets. At the same moment, her phone stopped ringing and she heard Tomoya's voice.
"Hello Kyou-chan." Tomoya said with a smirk.
"WHAT?" Kyou cried out in disbelief.
"Jackets." Tomoya said simply as he held up a small child's jacket.
"But… how?" Kyou demanded.
"Come on Kyou, weather reports aren't that difficult to figure out." Tomoya poked at her.
Kyou was about to make a sarcastic retort, but noticed the sound of raucous laughter all around her. Apparently, the children had found her antics to be the funniest thing ever, and it was hard to get worked up into a snit, with so many happy children around her. Instead, she hung up the cell phone and turned to the children.
"All right. All of you that didn't bring your jacket, go see if Ojiisan has something for you." Kyou watched the excited children rush over to the wagon even as Tomoya's face changed from smirk to shock.
"O… Ojiisan? OJIISAN! I'm younger than you, dammit!" Tomoya sputtered indignantly at Kyou. But his defiance only made the children laugh more.
.
Sunday evening, November 7 – Janpusaru Onsen Hotel
The children had all gone back to their rooms for the evening and with them, most of the adults. A few of Tomoyo's boys were relaxing in the men's bath, but that left Tomoyo and Isamu alone in the mixed bath. With no one else around, they had the freedom to hold onto each other the way lovers do. Up to their shoulders in the aromatic hot spring water, their embrace was very romantic, if not entirely happy.
Neither of them had yet said a word, but both knew the nature of the issue that was tearing at their hearts. According to the selection rules, anyone that was chosen for the exploration teams could only be individuals without dependents. No children, no aged relatives, absolutely no-one that relied on them for support. And truly, Sakagami Tomoyo did not rely on anyone for financial help or life-assistance. But, her emotional health was an entirely different matter.
It was only eight days until the next time she had to stand by, and watch four people disappear from her world – unsure if she would ever see any of them again. It was bad enough, thinking that anyone at all would be putting themselves at such risk, but those four people would consist of three that she had come to know well, and one she had come to love. The ache in her heart and the fear that battered her would be simple to resolve if not for one little problem…
Participating in these explorations meant everything to Isamu.
He had never done anything in his life that he could truly be proud of. Looking back, Isamu wondered how he had made it this far, and was still alive. He and his friends had always been a bit on the wild side. The rules and laws of man were nothing but challenges and he had broken most of them by the time most of his non-delinquent peers were studying to take their high school entrance exams. Going to school had been something he hadn't wasted his time on. Like his friends, they knew their futures were a joke, so studying for tests and going to high school was a joke too. Besides, there was too much fun to be had rather than sitting in stuffy classrooms all day. As his teen life spiraled out of control, it was inevitable that he would join up with the gang his friends were in – then they could all have fun together.
Except, fun wasn't as common as he had thought it would be. There was a lot of boredom, and some of the things that the gang did for fun really didn't interest him. Like a bored dog he would sit around – just waiting for something to happen. His friends were the same way. So, when something did happen, they would all get in on it. Not because they were all that interested, but it was at least an escape from the terrible, never-ending boredom.
One day, he and his friends had seen an easy mark. Some stuck-up school girl was alone and in the wrong place. The plan was easy… they would have a little fun with her, relieve her of her money, and use it to have fun at the arcade for a few hours. But the girl wasn't an easy mark after all and their plan turned into anger, then fear, then terror. The girl had been merciless as she waded through them like they were nothing but origami figures. She bent and crushed them like they were made of paper and there was nothing they could do to stop her. Several of his friends ended up in the hospital. Most of them had broken bones. At first it had infuriated Isamu how easily this platinum blond girl was singlehandedly destroying his gang. But when she had kicked him in the chest and sent him flying, he had seen something in her face. The vision was just there for a moment and then his body crashed into a brick wall and all light faded from the world for a while. But it was not something he forgot. The look in her face… in her eyes… as she ripped into them. She wasn't angry, but she wasn't having fun either. Like him, she was bored… and there was a terrible sadness there.
As he lay in bed waiting for his body to mend, he wondered about that girl. While the sun danced on the clothes drying on the line outside his window, he recalled how strikingly beautiful she was. And yet at the same time, she was terrifyingly dangerous and inconsolably sad. Isamu wondered if he would still be bored if he ever met a girl like that again… or if she would kill him. Either way, it would be an end to the boredom that his life had become.
But there had been other options. Unexpectedly, he had become a handyman and had discovered that he actually enjoyed helping people. After becoming good at his work, he found out how much he liked being proud of a job well done. A greater shock occurred when he realized that others were looking to him like a leader – but that was something he never really felt comfortable with. Then, completely unlooked for, an opportunity beyond his wildest dreams had come to him from the same people that had helped to turn him into a handyman. From people he trusted came a chance to do something dangerous, but important. He had found something that wasn't boring, and yet it was something he could be proud of. Unlike the handyman work, it was a chance to do what no-one else had ever done before… and it turned out he was pretty good at it. The danger and the risk might have been daunting to someone else, but it was like the very vigor of life to him. Isamu looked forward to it the way a child anticipates a trip to the amusement park, or the way a high school student craves a trip to the beach with his friends. His next chance was only eight days away now, and he could already feel his pulse racing when he thought of getting ready for the next time. But there was a problem. He wasn't stupid enough to be oblivious about Tomoyo's feelings, nor stoic enough to have ignored his own feelings.
Tomoyo and Isamu had fallen in love. Normally, that would have been a good thing, but their strongest desires weren't exactly aligned. In fact, they clashed like the polar opposites they were. Isamu eagerly awaited the excitement of the next mission, while Tomoyo would have him give all of that up, and just stay home where it was safe.
"Tomoyo," Isamu summoned the courage to speak first and asked, "Would you still love me if all I did was home repairs and roofing jobs?" Even as he asked the question, he knew how she would answer... and it would resolve nothing. Perhaps the question really should have been asked of himself.
"Of course I would!" Tomoyo's heart beat a little faster for a moment while she hoped that he was about to decide to give up on the dangerous adventuring that frightened her so much. But, if he did that for her, then he would… "But… you would hate it wouldn't you?"
He could have played dumb and she might have dropped it, but Tomoyo was a smart girl and would see through his unclever non-response in a heartbeat. Instead he admitted, "Yeah, I guess I would."
"You would still give it up if I asked you to? You would do that for me?" Tomoyo asked. She didn't sound excited or hopeful to hear the answer though. She knew what he would say, but a sacrifice like that wouldn't help either of them.
"Yeah." Isamu thought about how much he would hate being left behind by the other guys if he gave up the missions... how much he would miss the excitement of going to another world. The thrilling tension of keeping his cool while he was there, so they could all come home safely. But still… if it meant that much to her, "For you. I'd give it all up."
"I really appreciate that." Tomoyo hugged him tight. Knowing the sacrifice he was willing to make for her happiness, filled Tomoyo with a comforting warmth. Sure, the hot spring she was sitting in was heating her body up, but this was a different kind of warmth. It was something she felt at more than just a physical level. But, as happy as the gracious offer made her feel, it was an offer she could not accept. She was not so vain and selfish that she could make that kind of demand of him. Nor could she accept that kind of gift. "But… I am not ready to ask that of you."
"Huh?" this time, Isamu's confusion was honest. Having made the offer, he had been sure that his adventuring days were over.
"You need this. I can see how much it means to you, and I won't step in your way." Even if it kills me every time, to watch you go! Tomoyo held onto him tight so he couldn't turn and see her tears.
"Tomoyo…" he wanted to say something kind and meaningful, but his mind was irritatingly blank at this crucial moment.
"You better promise me…" Tomoyo said through her tears, "that you'll always come home to me!"
"I'll always come home to you. I promise." Isamu was caught in the bittersweetness of the moment. Part of him wanted to celebrate that he could still go on the expeditions, but he knew what this was doing to the one he loved and there was no joy there.
"Don't take unnecessary chances… don't do anything stupid! Promise me." Tomoyo knew Isamu wasn't the kind of person to take those unnecessary risks or intentionally do something stupid… but she wanted to hear him say it.
"No stupid stuff. I promise." Isamu pulled her a little closer and kissed the top of her head. "Going on these expeditions is one of the two most important things I'm doing with my life. I promise you that I will take every moment seriously. I won't get lazy. I won't let you down."
"Th… thank you, Isamu." Tomoyo raised her head and kissed Isamu. Even though he would still be going on the missions that troubled her so much, she felt more assured now. Hearing him express his feelings had calmed her frayed nerves. And yet, there was something he had said that bothered her just a little. "Um… what is the other thing?"
"Eh?" Isamu cocked an eyebrow.
"You said that the expeditions were one of two important things in your life." Tomoyo explained her question, "What is the other thing?"
"Heh." Isamu smiled and looked deep into Tomoyo's eyes as he told her, "Coming back to you, of course."
.
Monday early morning, November 8 – near the Janpusaru Onsen Hotel
Kyou found herself wandering through dark places. She was desperate to find something... but she couldn't remember what it was. All around her, she could sense things moving furtively in the shadows, but try as she might, she could never get a good look at more than the reflection of eyes momentarily looking back at her.
"Where can it be!" Kyou demanded – still without truly knowing what she was looking for.
Her outburst seemed to cause a disturbance in the foreboding environment. Something… or some things that were bigger, faster, and far more dangerous than the sneaking things had been stirred up. And they were hunting the prey that had disturbed them.
Kyou couldn't see them either, but she knew they were coming. As dark as it was, she could still hear them crashing through the bushes and trees as they got closer. Kyou instinctively reached for… but there was no dictionary, nor anything else she could use near by. In fact, she was shocked to find out that she was…
"Naked? Naked! What the hell am I doing out here naked?" But she didn't have time to think about that quandary. The sounds of several large dangerous things crashing through the underbrush were getting much closer now. "I… I have to get away. But… I still have to find that thing! If only… there was some kind of clue…"
Just at that moment, Kyou caught a glimpse of something bright… or at least brighter than the rest of the dim shadowy world around her. As she got nearer, she saw that there were two strips of paper seemingly stuck to an enormous, but dead tree. Without slowing down in her race to get away from her pursuers, she ripped the papers from the tree and took them with her. Dodging creeping tree roots and low branches that seemed to reach out toward her as she ran past, she couldn't look at the two strips of paper for a few moments. But she finally got her chance when she broke out of the gnarled forest and into a wide clearing under a moonlit sky. Slowing her pace a little, she read the terrible words:
Greatest Curse. Romance. A good friend's tragedy will requite your greatest desire.
Future Good Fortune. Hopes and Dreams. A hardship is postponed, but it's day of reckoning will come. Stand firm and strong through the hardship and the treasures you seek will finally be yours.
Words that she had long tried to forget came rushing back to her. Stunned by those accursed words, she stopped moving and stared at the strips of paper that had suddenly taken away all hope of finding what she was looking for, and replaced it with an awful dread. No! This was an old fortune, it... it is expired. It doesn't apply to me any more!
In the midst of her defiant rant, something knocked her down in the middle of the field, but it wasn't the pursuers. The smaller creatures were holding onto her as if to protect her. Kyou no longer felt like she was in danger, but a terrible feeling of wrongness was far scarier than running from an invisible threat had been. It's not fair! I tied that curse to a tree! I am done with it... it no longer applies to me! This isn't right!
"NOOOOOOOO!" she screamed into the night and tried to free herself from the small creatures. But there seemed to be no escape. The creatures would not let her go and the sense of wrongness only got worse.
A good friend's tragedy will requite your greatest desire.
A hardship is postponed, but it's day of reckoning will come.
... the treasures you seek will finally be yours.
"I'm happy now! I don't need any treasures if it means tragedy for a friend. I DON'T WANT THIS!" Kyou screamed against the unfairness of an uncaring fate. Struggling as her voice echoed through the moonlit glade, she still could not dislodge the small animals that clung to her. She tried to make the creatures understand that she had to move. She had to stop something terrible from happening but they didn't understand. They only held on tighter the more she struggled. The determined creatures were clinging to her as if they were trying to save themselves… or trying to save her.
.
"No!" Kyou's eyes were wide open and she was panting. She was also in one of the rooms at the onsen and she slowly realized that she had just awoken from a nightmare. Although awake now, she still felt as if she was weighted down. And she was hot.
"Kyou-mama?" a sleepy voice called out to her in the darkness.
"Huh?" At first Kyou hadn't recognized the voice, but the fog of sleep was quickly clearing from her mind and she remembered that she was sleeping in the room with Shuichi, Shuji, Michiko, and… Ushio. And she wasn't just sharing the same room with them any more. For whatever reason, they had all migrated to cuddle up to her as they slept and she was buried under their warm bodies. It was Ushio's gentle voice that was calling out to her. Kyou turned to see the little girl's face above where it had been resting on her thigh. When did she start calling me Kyou-mama?
"Are you okay? Were you having a bad dream?" Ushio asked.
"I'm better now, thank you Ushio. You can go back to sleep now." Kyou said in her caring mom-voice.
"Okay." Ushio took Kyou at her word and plopped her head back down on the warmth of Kyou's blanket covered thigh. In that close comfort, she was quickly sleeping again.
But sleep would be elusive for Kyou. The nightmare had rattled her and she couldn't shake it.
Dammit! I almost never remember my dreams. As soon as I wake up, I forget everything – even if it was something I wanted to remember. So why… WHY do I have to remember this? Those stupid fortunes from years ago! Why now? Why…
.
Wednesday morning, November 10 – The Park across from the Furukawa Bakery
Melissa, Ryota, Tomoya, and Kotomi were in the park with several members of the team that built the little gadgets that the explorers used. Most of the time, their specialty gear stayed hidden in the bottom of the tool boxes, but this time they had put something together for a different purpose. Ryota held what appeared to be a white plastic ball in his hand and was looking at it with a curious expression when Tomoyo and the rest of the boys arrived. Kotomi noticed them approaching, and became very excited.
"Tomoyo-chan! I have such wonderful news, I'm sure you will like it." Kotomi gestured to the ball in Ryota's hands.
"Wonderful news…" Tomoyo repeated as she looked at the ball. Now that she was closer, she could see that it was patterned much like a futball but with some kind of sparkly thing at the center of each pentagon.
"It looks like a ball." Hiroki commented dryly.
"It is far more than just a truncated icosahedron." Kotomi explained, "This is a survey device that will dramatically increase the exploration team's survivability odds."
"Oh?" Tomoyo took a little more notice of the bejeweled ball now and the rest of the team also seemed a little more keen to hear about the ball as well.
"It has sensors to detect atmospheric pressure, temperature, particulate contamination, ultraviolet light level, and it has a receiver to pick up JJY time broadcasts." Kotomi said excitedly.
"JJY what?" Takeshi asked.
"It's a broadcast signal that constantly tells the time and date." Tomoya answered. Then he confided to Takeshi, "I had to ask too."
"How is that going to… increase our survivability?" Isamu asked. The ball did sound useful, but he didn't see how it would save lives or anything.
"On the next mission, we will send the ball first. It will take all its readings, then it will transmit those readings back to us. That way, we will know exactly what the weather is like before you get there, and we will know what time of year it is too." Kotomi told them.
"I see. So we can take just what we need." Kenta saw the use of it now. The little ball would tell them if they had to prep for summer or winter on the other world.
"Or… if we should abort the mission." Tomoyo added.
"What?" several voices clamored.
"If it tells us that there is an extremely high or low temperature…" Tomoyo knew that she was predisposed to cancel a mission more than anyone else here, but still… they should all be able to see the logic of not going to a world that was dramatically different than their own.
"I understand your concern, Tomoyo-chan. But I don't believe it is possible to go to worlds like that." Kotomi said.
"Why not?" Tomoyo wasn't a super-genius like Kotomi, but she hadn't slept through her math or science classes either. She asked Kotomi, "If there are an infinite number of parallel worlds, then there are an endless number of variations. There may even be worlds without any atmosphere at all out there."
"I'm sure there are, but we do not have any access to them." Kotomi replied. "I do not yet know how to create my own gateways, so we are still using the gateways created by the Ushio entities. That means that we will only be able to go to worlds where both a Tomoya-kun and a Nagisa-chan exist."
"Oh… are you saying that as a fact now? I thought it was only a theory before?" Tomoyo felt a lot better having heard this, but she wanted to know how sure Kotomi was – of this assumption.
"I suppose it is still a theory, and admittedly one that I will probably never be able to prove." Kotomi said thoughtfully, "But, all evidence points to this being a valid supposition."
"I see." Tomoyo would rather it have been a proven fact, but she had to admit that she was willing to trust anything that Kotomi was willing to put so much faith in.
"Ryota-san, you don't look as thrilled as I thought you would be." Melissa called out the techiest member of the exploration team who was still dubiously looking at the ball.
"Is it… is it too late to make any other modifications?" Ryota asked.
"What do you have in mind?" the leader of the engineering group asked. If it had been anyone else to ask that question he might have felt insulted, but not with Ryota. He and the members of his team had discovered that this former tough was quite the technician and often had excellent suggestions.
"Cameras." Ryota said, "It would be nice to know if there is a group of people around the ball when we are about to transit over."
"Cameras…" the stunned engineering leader repeated. Not only was it possible, it could be easily done. "I honestly don't know how we overlooked that. Ryota-san, I also don't know how far you got with your schooling, but it is never too late to go to college, you know. There are prep and cram schools that can help you get ready. And, you now have many friends who would volunteer to tutor you. When you are done with this project for Ichinose-hakase, please consider going back to school. I believe you would be an impressive engineer."
"That's a great idea!" Tomoyo added.
"Huh?" Ryota stared at the lead engineer and tried to figure out if he was being made fun of. When he didn't see the characteristic smirks that usually went with a slam like that, he turned to The Boss, and then to Kotomi and Tomoya to see if one of them could help him figure out what was going on.
"I think that is a splendid idea, Ryota-kun. But why wait until the project is over? You can start attending a cram school immediately." Kotomi agreed and suggested. Then, turning to her husband, she asked, "Tomoya-kun, could you look into local education offerings and see if there is something out there that would be a good match for Ryota-kun's needs?"
"Absolutely! In fact, I think I could get him enrolled in a program before the end of next week." Tomoya's expression was the first to suggest a smirk, but it wasn't because he was taunting the former tough. He could see the young man squirming at the thought of going back to school, but unwilling to squash everyone's expectations of him.
"Thank you very much." Ryota said sheepishly. He was glad that they thought so much of him, but also bemoaned the fact that his carefree days were now coming to an end.
.
Sunday afternoon, November 14 – Okazaki House (Sunohara residence)
Youhei walked in the front door and announced that he was home. He heard a return call welcoming him home from the kitchen, but he didn't smell anything cooking. After stepping into his house slippers and rounding the corner, he could see why. Yukine was sitting at the table waiting for him and looked like she wanted to talk seriously.
Youhei immediately wondered if he had done something wrong. He was supposed to have had this Sunday off, but there had been a special meeting called for the officers that would be participating in the next experiment and he had to be there for that. But Yukine isn't the kind of wife that would be upset with me about that. I know that a lot of marriages with police officers end in divorce because their partner can't take the stress of the spouse's job. But not Yukine! Please, not Yukine… With restrained trepidation, he took a seat at the table across from his wife, looked into her lovely blue eyes, and tried to smile. A number of opening lines came to his mind, but he decided to use one that would be the least smart-alecky.
"Where is Yoichi?" Youhei asked.
"He is still over at the Okazaki's. They invited us to dinner this evening so we'll pick him up then." Yukine told her husband.
"Oh, dinner at the Okazaki's, eh? That will be nice." Youhei tried to sound normal, but he was greatly relieved when her answer revealed why she wasn't cooking any dinner. At the very least, it wasn't because she was too mad at him to make his dinner.
"You-kun, there are a few things we need to talk about. But, before we start, I want you to promise not to be upset with me." Yukine said as she reached across the table and took his hands.
"Me? Upset with you?" Youhei blinked. That possibility hadn't crossed his mind. Yukine was absolutely one of the most caring and thoughtful people he had ever known. The idea of her doing something that would cause him grief was absurd. "I could never be upset with you."
"I had hoped you might say that. But when a girl has the kind of thoughts that I've been having, she starts to have doubts." Yukine's smile showed her obvious relief at Youhei's reply. And yet, she still looked unsure of herself.
"What kind of… thoughts?" Youhei swallowed hard. He had tried to keep her happy, but what if he hadn't done enough? What if she wanted her freedom now? What if… she wanted to leave? These were the questions screaming in his mind at the moment, but he was as afraid to ask them as he was afraid to hear her answers.
"Well… let me start with this house. Since it got fixed up, it is very nice. But it belongs to Okazaki-san, and we are still living here like freeloaders." Yukine said.
"Yeah, well…" Youhei let his words trail off. He had often told Tomoya or Kotomi that he wanted to start paying rent on the place, but Kotomi always refused.
"To tell the truth, I have been putting aside the amount of money that a house payment would be and I was hoping that we could buy this house from them when I got to my goal." Yukine's words sounded hopeful but the tone of her voice and the look on her face showed discouragement.
"What? Were you unable to save enough? Is it because I'm not making enough money?" Youhei asked.
"No. I'm not blaming you at all." Yukine replied in a singsong way, "Kotomi and her godfather did some research a long time ago… while you were still in high school with me. When Tomoya's father moved away and they had to decide if they were going to keep the house, Kotomi wanted to know if it was worth keeping, or if they should just let it go."
"I remember that." Youhei recalled, "You girls were upset with Tomoya because he didn't care one way or the other – about the house his father had been buying for him… at least at first."
"Right, he had lost any affection for the place when he was having troubles with his father. But do you remember what changed his mind?" Yukine asked.
"Uh, yeah. It was worth more than he thought, right?" Youhei tried to recall everything he remembered from his last high school summer vacation.
"That's right. It had tripled in value since his father had made the contract to buy it. That was due to it's location in this growing community. Well, in the six years since then – until the beginning of this year, it has doubled again." Yukine told her husband.
"Wow!" Youhei was amazed.
"And in the months since Kotomi moved back to town and the experiments started, it has doubled again." Yukine added the latest information but didn't seem too happy about it.
"That's great! Isn't it?" Youhei was puzzled at the difference between the message and the expression on his wife's face.
"It's good for Okazaki-san, but Youhei… at this rate, we'll never be able to buy this place. Even though I save more and more money, this house just keeps getting more and more expensive." Yukine pointed out.
"Oh… oh yeah." Youhei's excited mood wound down as he too saw the problem. He knew how this could spiral into an argument that they had been through many times before. Yukine would demand that she should start working – to give them a dual income. But Youhei knew the sad truth. Yukine had not had the money to go to college and, although she had finished high school, she simply wouldn't be able to earn much in the present economy. Instead of ever bringing that up, Youhei had steadfastly insisted that her job was to be a wife and a mother. That had worked until now, but Yukine would be able to get a part-time job starting the next spring, since Yoichi would soon be starting school. Instead of starting into that topic again, he tried a different tactic. "Maybe we could buy a smaller place."
"What do you mean?" Yukine asked.
"Well, now that Fuko is out of her coma, she hasn't been living here with us." Youhei explained, "So I thought that with a smaller family, maybe we could…"
"What if I don't want a smaller family?" Yukine closed her eyes as she said it.
"Huh?" Youhei blinked. He could tell from her face and the way that she was squeezing his hands now, that this was what had really been bothering her.
"I know I'm being selfish. I've been thinking about this for a while now and… I want to make our family… bigger." Yukine said. Her eyes were still closed and it was clear that she was scared of the reaction she might get.
"Yu-chan… are you… are you pregnant?" Youhei asked in surprise.
"No." Yukine shook her head as she said, "Not yet. But I want to be! Is it so wrong that I want to give you another child?"
"Yu-chan!" Youhei barked at his wife who was still cringing with her eyes closed.
"Ah?" Yukine opened her eyes to see her husband smiling back at her and seeming not the least bit upset.
"Nothing… NOTHING… would make me happier." Youhei was jumping for joy inside. His fear that Yukine was dissatisfied with him was obliterated. He adored their son and frequently wondered what it would be like to have one… or even two more kids. But most of all, and this was something that was exceedingly rare, he had been able to surprise Yukine!
"But… what will we do about the house?" Yukine asked. The concern over the house and the shock of seeing Youhei so unexpectedly happy at her announcement were the only things holding back her joy.
"Between the baby's health and your own, you will soon have enough to worry about." Youhei said as he let go of her hands, got up from the table and walked around it to embrace her. While patting her still slim belly and remembering how she had looked when she was carrying their son, he told her, "You leave worrying about the house to me!"
.
Glossary
.
Janpusaru Onsen Hotel: The path is real, but there are two onsens, with different names. Following the practice of Manga and Anime, I keep the location names but change the business names… as much as possible.
Kanetsuri Station: Third stop up the narrow gauge railroad. From there, the Mannen Yuki (ten thousand year old snow) can be viewed from an observation deck.
Ojiisan: grandfather, senior citizen, or very old man
Sarutobikyo: Jumping Monkey Gorge. As described, this place really exists.
Truncated Icosahedron: a ball made of hexagons and pentagons – a soccer ball.
