Fang-Lin found Hodaka outside his door that afternoon. Hodaka was wearing his street clothes and raincoat, looking out of place in this establishment of class and wealth.

"How surprising of you to come here, Hodaka," he said. "How may I ask did you manage to find my abode?"

"A lot of people in town seem to know where you live," Hodaka said, with honeyed sweetness. "I just pieced the information together before I found a more conclusive address from somebody close by. I think he was a repair man."

Fang-Lin raised his eyebrows. "It seems to me that you took quite the trouble of looking for me," he said. "Would you like to discuss things more over a drink?"

"Sure, I would like that."


Hodaka and Fang-Lin rode to a restaurant the Beijing Country Golf Club in his car and settled for two drinks. Some of the patrons there were familiar with Fang-Lin, for he was notorious throughout political side of China and this was one of his favorite hideaways from the public eye. Hodaka was quick to learn that he possessed one of the greatest fortunes in China, owned properties in Shanghai and Hong Kong as well as his estate in Beijing. He had been the favored target of matchmaking parents for over twenty years, ever since he had inherited his wealth at the age of eighteen, but he had escaped capture by anyone, even several noted beauties with fortunes of their own. There were whispered stories about broken hearts, shattered reputations, even suicides. And more than one wife had met him in the years of his younger days. Aside from others, some of his own family thinking that he was immoral, cruel, dangerous, and perhaps even evil, Fang-Lin was the most mysterious and fascinating man in the world.

Hodaka imagined the sensation it would cause if a Japanese widow in her thirties succeeded where all the titled Chinese concubines had failed.

Fang-Lin showed none of the signs of a man desperately in love. Even though he looked very kind, he intended to possess women, not marry them.

His eyes narrowed. I think he needs someone else besides a wife. A surrogate son perhaps? After all, he's a lot richer than my dad.

But he couldn't help wondering what it would be like to be his apprentice of a sort.

At last, Fang-Lin noticed.

"You don't seem to be your usual self, Hodaka. Any troubles at home?"

"None whatsoever. It's just thing like homework and real work itself."

"If you stayed with me, you'd never have to work again…or at least on occasion so that you can earn your keep."

"Me?" Hodaka just beamed. "You're offering me to stay?"

"Sure. It seems to me that your heart is not in the right place, and I say that your home is here."

He drained his glass.

"As the rain god of South Korea, the home of my nephew, you could say that you need a different sense of geography. It would be beneficial for you to get away from your troubles. There is question at all for you to live with me. And when summer comes, we can go back to South Korea if you like."


Back at Hina's residence, Aito popped in, looking troubled. Hina, who was rocking Sora to sleep in a cradle, was bearing a puzzled face.

"Aito, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you, Hina. I just spoke with my parents, I told them all about you and…they don't think you're the right girl for me. I even told them that Sora was legally my child and that I slept with you…. then again, there are nights where you can't seem to sleep."

"Have I been disturbing you?" Hina didn't seem too worried over Mr. and Mrs. Hamato's rejections.

"It's not a question of what's been disturbing me, Hina, it's a question of what's been disturbing you."

"The only thing that's been disturbing me is seeing you here, telling me that your parents don't me for a wife."

"Among other things," Aito went on to say. "Nothing has been the same since I told Hodaka about Sora."

"He told you to be his father, didn't he?"

"Well, yes. But Hodaka seemed to be growing more and more distant from us over the past year. It's like wants nothing to do with us anymore. He's even gone as far as leaving us."

Hina's eyes widened.

"Gone where?"

"How should I know? He could be in China for all I care. Ever since that race, he's become an entirely new person."

That description seemed very accurate on Aito's part, and he was right too. From the way Aito was describing it all, Hina began to see that Hodaka wasn't that poor, suffering boy who loved her more than anything in the world, even a blue sky. That Hodaka had transformed into a boy suffering from another early life crisis besides the narrow mindset of Kozushima's islanders and his overcontrolling father. But perhaps, there was little bit of the old Hodaka left within him. If that was true, she would go after him. She stood up to Aito, declaring.

"I'm going to look for him. Then I can convince him to return, we'll be married, Sora will be legitimized and we can bring balance back into the weather…forever. Now where in China did he say he was going?"

"Beijing, I believe. The headmaster told me. Yesterday, I was trying to look for Hodaka, asking him if he still wanted you, should my parents say otherwise. So I went to the headmaster, I asked him and he told me that Hodaka went to Beijing. Said that he was going to take a vacation some rich guy named Fang-Lin."


Fang-Lin's residence had two guest rooms, one for a couple, the other for a single person. Hodaka was given the single room, which had lime-green painted walls and a large wool bed fit for a king.

"Did you miss me while I was away?" Hodaka asked Fang-Lang over dinner.

"As much as the sun does when the moon comes up to take its place. But personal feelings are best kept aside for those of family and even closer friends."

"That's pretty assuring."

"May I ask the same of you?"

"Sometimes, back in Tokyo. The reason why I didn't want to go back to South Korea was…when I was with you, at the party in the Forbidden City, I felt like a prince. Back in the temple, I was like a god. But all the same I want some place in between, especially since the lives of the cult members was a lot simpler."

"Simple as it may, I have to take a meeting with my nephew over his finances."

He pulled out his cell phone and began dialing the number, walking to his office on the way. But Hodaka seemed too eager to help as he followed after him.

"Can I help you? I'm sure your nephew likes me better."

"Wait in your room," he instructed sternly, standing outside the office door. "This is a personal matter."

"Maybe after this we can talk about doing something tomorrow? Where would you like to go for dinner tomorrow night?"

"Someplace where I can work in peace."

"I thought we could do something fun for a change."

Fang-Lin chuckled. "Hodaka, you may think that I am rich enough to satisfy my needs and wants for the rest of my life, but that is not entirely true. I am a busy man."

And he closed the door.

Hodaka held his head proudly high until he heard the front door close behind him. Then he ran to lock the door. Safe from the eyes of the servants, he threw herself onto the bed and sobbed wildly. How could he have been foolish enough to escape the karma of his choice by living here? How could he have told himself that he could learn to be the apprentice of a man who was starting to show disinterest in him. And what was he going to do now? His mind was filled with the picture of Sora on a chair, crowned and laughing with delight. What should he do?

"Hina...," Hodaka cried brokenly, "Hina, I need you so much."


Little did he know that Hina was getting ready to board the next flight out to Beijing. Nagi was coming with her, carrying Sora and pulling their luggage at the same time.

"They say travel broadens the mind," Aito was telling her. "Maybe when you get to Beijing, you can do some sightseeing before you look for Hodaka."

"I suppose, but Hodaka's my top priority right now."

They made their way over to the gate where a commuter jet was waiting. It was twenty-nine minutes before it was due to leave, so Hina gave Aito a quick kiss of thanks and waved goodbye to him before running her way down the skybridge with Nagi and Sora following her in a quick pursuit. They sat close to the wing on the right-hand side, providing them with a good view of the city that they were about to leave behind. Hina and Nagi had never really left Tokyo before in all of their lives, so to them, it was pretty exciting, although Hina was thinking of what she was going to say to Hodaka as the plane took off for the neighboring country of China.

It was early the next morning when Hodaka gave no outward sign of his shame, but he condemned himself savagely for choosing to spend a vacation with Fang-Lin over the Bisin cult back in South Korea. He picked out some clothes for himself, a jade green shirt with a pair of black trousers when Mrs. Sue-Sing came in.

"I see you're already up, Hodaka xiān sheng."

"Hello, Mrs. Sue-Sing."

"You know, I heard that you intend to stay with us for some time. How long will it be?"

"Just a getaway trip. Mr. Fang-Lin says it's beneficial for me."

"Well, Beijing is very large and very rough compared to Tokyo."

"Not to worry," Hodaka smiled. "I think I'll be staying out of the rough parts."

"Well," said Sue-Sing with some sort of ambiguity in her voice. "Do you think you'll like living here?"

Hodaka's face turned into one of doubt.

"I suppose so. I've got more than money to be here, thanks to Fang-Lin."

"But I've seen how horrible he acts to others. I've never even bothered to stand up to him because I could get fired and even I have some relatives like my uncle, my father and my baby sister to take care of."

"He can't be as bad you think," Hodaka reassured her. "I'm sure I could find you another job if you don't feel like working for him anymore. Maybe my boss Suga-san will help you with that."

"What does he do?"

"Works for K&A, it's a paranormal magazine company."

"I'm not sure if I'd be interested in that. I'm more of a down to earth woman. My husband fell victim to the coronavirus, but I managed to survive by being quarantined in a hospital. I didn't get out of that hospital ward until three weeks later."

"What about the rest of your family?"

"They were fine. Most of them anyway."

Hodaka could see the pain in her eyes, and thus, he proposed a precaution.

"Well, if he ever did anything that very illegal, you know what to do."

"I will," and with that Mrs. Sue-Sing left the room.

Hodaka left the room with a tiny bubble of excitement boiling in his heart. It was nice to be wanted, nice to wear pretty suits and dance in pretty rooms. So what if the social world of Beijing was Afilled with corrupt and dishonest politicians? He knew enough now to recognize that society's smiles and frowns, rules and transgressions, honors and ostracisms, triumphs and losses, were all part of a game. None of it was important, none of it mattered to the world of reality outside the gilded ballrooms. But games were made to be played, and he was a good player. He was glad, after all, that he'd come to Beijing. He liked to win.

Work was over for Fang-Lin and now he was on his lunch hour. Hodaka greeted him with cool good manners and ignored the expression of contemptuous confidence in his eyes. Hoping he was in a brighter mood than yesterday, Hodaka asked sweetly.

"Can we go out for lunch again?"

"I suppose so, where do you want to go?"

"Anyplace that's fancy, I would like to broaden my horizons if I'm going to be staying with you."

"How about the King's Joy?"

"Is it nice?"

"Better than nice, it's classy."

The King's Joy was located in Dongcheng. The exterior looked as old as the Forbidden City with its ancient architecture, but it had a nice atmosphere on the inside, and was recommend by many of the upper classes that it was a good place for a business dinner if anyone of Fang-Lin's stature wanted to impress their clients. The menu included fried rice, dumplings, lotus root soup, hawthorn, sweet pea puree, and dozens of other vegan meals. Hodaka had the fried rice with the black truffle roast asparagus. Even though it was healthy, he was starting to miss all the restaurants back in Tokyo, which seemed diverse and unique compared to what was on the menu, but it was obvious that Beijing was the same.

He heard the sound of a text notification on his phone and looked at it. It read "Where are you?" which came from Hina of all people.

If Hodaka was willing to satisfy Hina's concerns and put them to rest, he decided to give her the address of Fang-Lin's before adding. "Don't come looking for me unless I need you. They say that Fang-Lin is bad, but I think he's good."

Fang-Lin, who was finishing his organic seasonal greens, noticed Hodaka texting back to Hina.

"I say, Hodaka. Is there someone I should know about?"

Hodaka's heart leapt.

"Yes, the sender is Hina Amano, a friend of mine from back home. She wants to come over, but I told her only to come if it was that important."

"A wise decision if you ask me," he paused before adding. "How's about a trip to the Jockey Club. I have several associates waiting for me there."

"Sounds fun," Hodaka murmured, and he was wishing internally that he was going with Suga instead.

It was bright and sunny when they came to the Tongzhow Racecourse. Hodaka was grateful for the second tier of grandstand overhead. It made a roof for the privileged seat-holders below.

"Good show," one of the men chortled. "Dang-ko is a great little mudder."

"Do you fancy anything, Hodaka?" said a smooth voice in his ear. It was of course, Fang-Lin.

"I haven't decided yet, sir."

When the riders came onto the track, Hodaka cheered and applauded with the rest. He agreed twenty times with Fang-Lin's friend Joe Bai-yung that even the naked eye could pick out Dang-ko as the handsomest horse there. All the time he was talking and smiling his mind was methodically making its way through the options, the plusses and the minuses of his life. It would be highly dishonorable to live with Fang-Lin for the rest of his life. It seemed to him, that Fang-Lin was molding him into becoming his legal ward, even though he already had parents, who already safe and secure in their own little world back on Kozushima. No one would ever question who his real father was. Not quite true, they would wonder but it would make no difference despite their differences in nationalities. He would eventually be The Rain God of Busan, and the Son Figure of Fang-Lin.

What kind of honor do I owe Fang-Lin? He has none himself, why should I feel he's entitled to it from me? It's not like I'm going to stay here forever, so I shouldn't have to be his legal ward.

Dang-ko won. Joe Bai-yung was in transports. Everyone crowded around him, shouting and pounding on his back.

Under cover of the happy rowdiness, Hodaka turned to Fang-Lin.

"What can we do next?"

"Next? Why there's work to be done in the office of course. You stay and watch me, Hodaka, perhaps you can actually learn a thing or two about politics."

Hodaka and Fang-Lin rode together down the highway to the Great Hall of the People. The younger lad wrinkled his nose at the smell of both the smog and the cleaner air found within the upper-class areas of the city. His island home and Tokyo never reeked this way, except when in a fish market. When they got to the hall, he had little time to take in the architecture before being led into Fang-Lin's office, which was located in the office building of the standing committee. It was medium sized, but far from fancy, with Fang-Lin's personals scattered across his desk. Hodaka watched him typing up some documents in a chair. He didn't know what the contents were, nor did he care, but he did try to take a long glance at the words, out of curious pining for information.

At the same time, every minute of it was torture. Why couldn't he hurry? Hurry, hurry, hurry, said his mind to the tick-tock of the clock. It was nearly two hours after Fang-Lin finished his speech, made seven phone calls and wrote to several of his fellow politicians about the current climate of Asia, when they left office and went over to a mansion in Shadow Creek where Joe Bai-yung and his wife Fifi were hosting a dinner party to welcome Hodaka.

"Should I wear something for the occasion?" he asked Fang-Lin.

"It's best that you go as you are," Fang-Lin said in a fatherly tone. "That way, people will be able to see the real you."

There were five men, five women and three waiters for each course that occupied the modernly styled dining room of the Bai-yung mansion. All of them were friends of Fang-Lin. Roast chicken and egg foo yung was served to all with glasses of water and vintage wine leftover from the 90s. Hodaka sat next to Fang-Lin, watching the other eating politely. It reminded him all the social dinners that he and his parents went to, remembering the same lean people and the same mindless babble of how things were going on in the world. He took a bite of his chicken and did his best not to slurp and or eat with his mouth open. After swallowing a chunk, Fifi Bai-yung spoke out.

"My husband tells me that you are the Rain God of South Korea, are you not?"

"Quite right, Mrs. Bai-yung," said Hodaka in his ever-growing Mandarin language. "I am also delighted to be here."

The truth was, he felt like an outsider amongst these men of governmental power.

"I also understand that you've made quite a show back in the Imperial City."

"Yes, I did. But I think it was more a natural phenomenon than a show."

"I expect it was," said Mai Win-chu sitting opposite of him. "But I think out of all the Japanese people that I know of; you are a very positive exception."

"Meaning?" Hodaka frowned.

"That you are a special case. Some of the Japanese men that I've met in my entire lifetime often view me as a sex symbol. But to make peace with a local group in South Korea, why, I also happen to believe that you're very open-minded."

"Why thank you," Hodaka smiled, dabbing his mouth with a napkin. "I like South Korea just as much as I like Tokyo. Maybe the Koreans are not as bad as my people believe them to be."

"I'm afraid I can't share your opinions on that, young man," Fifi said solemnly. "I still remember my mother's stories about the wars that went on in both Korea and Vietnam because of the Americans."

"Or did those two start it first?" Hodaka asked.

"The Americans are also responsible for the only the nuclear attacks on the cities of your native land," said Mai Win-chu sympathetically.

Hodaka tried to keep a civil face.

"It isn't in my right mind to say that America destroyed much during the war. After that, they made up and fixed everything, or so I think. I even have at least one American family living back home, on Kozushima. The Harrelsons, they're quite friendly."

Mrs. Bai-yung took another glass of her wine before continuing.

"Nice or not, my husband would not be civil with them should they even think of coming here."

"I should warn you, Mrs. Bai-yung, that they may not be civil to your husband in relation. Same goes for anyone else in Asia."

The lady in question stared at Fang-Lin as he said these words before taking another sip.

"My husband's feelings are his and not mine. Sometimes it is nice to share when alone, but when it public it is best to know when to hold your tongue."

"Quite a curious race, the bunch of them, the Americans, the Koreans, the Japanese. We weren't so friendly to them either during the war," said Huan Lin-see who was next to Fang-Lin.

"How curious do you think they are?" asked Hodaka.

"Every aspect of their existence," the man replied. "I'm sure you'll understand better in a few years."

"I think I already do," Hodaka's volume was starting to rise. "We are all human beings, aren't we? Does it really matter if we're different based on nationality or skin color? Even the Ainus back on my island thinks that we are all a part of one family."

"Well, there are language differences," Huan was saying. "An even though language is the key to world peace, it hasn't done much for the lower classes."

"Well maybe it's the governments that are stupid, why else would we go to war?"

Everyone just stared or gasped in horror at Hodaka's choice of words. He darted his eyes left and right before settling his fork down.

"I'm sorry. I guess I'm the one who's stupid."

He lowered his head in shame.


The rest of that dinner was spent in total silence until everyone else had finished off their plates. After a great deal of desert, Hodaka trudged his way back Fang-Lin's limo. Back the time they got back to his mansion it was close to darkness and Fang-Lin went into the kitchen to fetch a bottle of whiskey that he had been saving for many years before joining Hodaka in the parlor, the two of them sitting on opposite sides in the manner of enemy generals, from two opposing forces, about to make peace with one another.

But there would be little peace that evening.

Fang-Lin took one swig of his glass before addressing Hodaka.

"How do you like living here so far?"

"I'm afraid it's quite boring. I wish to leave tomorrow."

"Boring? Sometimes life has to be boring so that we can get used to how it works. Life isn't fair either."

"I know life isn't fair. Why else do you think I ran away to Tokyo four years ago. My life back home on Kozushima may have been strict, but at least my parents and I had our fun moments as a family. So at least it wasn't that boring."

Fang-Lin smirked while taking another sip.

"I'm not accustomed to being discarded like some dead fish, Hodaka. I can be quite lonely in the house and in my job as well."

Hodaka's eyes narrowed.

"So it's true then. Money can't buy you happiness after all."

"But what you can buy with money can you happy."

"I'd rather not go on about it. I'm trying to be very civil about it and I hope you do the same."

He got up and was just about to leave when Fang-Lin's voice stopped him in his steps.

"What if I told you that…with your abilities at bringing the rain upon others, could be beneficial for others in another way."

"What do you mean?" Hodaka was starting to become interested.

"Even as we speak, Tokyo was being flooded thanks to the rain and your own efforts. Pretty soon it will be uninhabitable and it's people will be lost to the waters as we triumph over how massive our country is compared to that island. After eighty years, we will finally avenge our people who died trying to protect Shanghai from the Japanese occupation."

Hodaka could not believe what he had heard.

"That so called-island happens to be my home! And if Tokyo gets flooded all the way, Beijing could be next."

Fang-Lin's eyes searched around the room and he took a gulp of the last drops of whiskey, finishing the glass.

"Then, I am afraid, young Hodaka that you will be the one to damn us all."

Hodaka could see that the effects of the whiskey were starting to take it's toll on the older man.

"I'd appreciate you didn't say those words. I was in love with Hina and there's nothing I could do about it."

"Then perhaps, if given the opportunity to travel back in time, you should have thought twice before dooming us to extinction."

"People do crazy things when they are in love, even not realizing the consequences."

"Do you really think so?"

"I sure do."

"May I at least engage in a more appropriate farewell…to your life?"

Hodaka slowly found his body trying to leave the sofa.

"My life? Fang-Lin, if you're even thinking about wanting to kill me, you have another thing coming?"

"Why? If I kill you, perhaps I can save my country from suffering the same fate as your island."

"You don't even know what will come next! Maybe the rain won't stop!"

Fang-Lin gripped Hodaka's shoulders very tightly, bringing his face closer to his own.

"Then maybe I'll just have to find out for myself, won't I? Your existence has been nothing but a burden to almost everyone who's path you've crossed, Hodaka Morishima…why if your parents found out that you were an ame-otoko, they would have abandoned you the moment you were born."

Hodaka found the sudden urge to attack Fang-Lin and he did by grabbing the candle stick decoration off the nearby table and slamming it into Fang-Lin's forehead. He fell to the floor and Hodaka got out of the way, watching his upper body falling upon the sofa. Hodaka now had every means to contact Hina and amount a rescue, but had little time to do so, out of fear that Fang-Lin would wake up and attack him. He whipped out his phone and immediately texted her.

"HELP ME! UNDER ATTACK!" he typed rapidly.

He just stood there, waiting for an answer, when he felt the strong right hand of Fang-Lin slapping his right cheek and sending him to the floor, his phone sliding away from his grasp. At the moment the phone had completely halted, Hina made her reply.

"Coming over!"

Before Hodaka knew it, Fang-Lin was turning his face-first-fallen head over so that their eyes would meet each other. Hodaka couldn't see the Irish green eyes of Fang-Lin, but the darker ones of his father, and the beatings that he suffered at his hands had finally paid off, giving Hodaka the courage to fight back. He screamed for two seconds before Fang-Lin placed his right hand over his mouth, and his left hand formed a huge fist, which threw a right jab at Fang-Lin's right eye.

Meanwhile, while looking over some documents in his office, Mrs. Sue-Sing heard Hodaka's scream. She ran out into the parlor just in time to witness Hodaka trying to fight back at the drunken politician, but Fang-Lin was gaining the upper hand, both of his hands pinning Hodaka's arms down.

"Now what was it that we were discussing? Oh yes, how your parents would have killed you as soon as they knew about your abilities."

Then Fang-Lin felt something else. His secretary using the candlestick to bash the back of his head. His face turning into a mug of shock, he fell on top of Hodaka, who tried to wriggle free. Mrs. Sue-Sing helped wrangle Fang-Lin's body off of him and set him down on his back.

"I think it's about time the world saw the real Fang-Lin," she said to Hodaka. "And if I were you, I'd be getting out of here right now."

"That's exactly what I intend to do."

Hodaka rushed straight into the guest room as soon as he said this. He picked up his suitcase and retreated for the door. The last thing he did was sit down by the road, waiting for his beloved.

He didn't wait too long, though, for the taxi cab that was carrying Hina pulled up next to the entryway. Hodaka stood up and there was Hina in the backseat, looking worried. Seeing her, Hodaka ran over to her door, opened it up, threw the suitcase into the bottom of the seat next to her and threw his arms around her.

"Hina, you have no idea how relieved I am to see you!"

He entered the car and shut the door behind him.

"Back to the hotel please," Hina instructed the driver. "I came for my visitor."

"Right."

As they drove back to the motel where Hina, Nagi and Sora were staying at, she and Hodaka spoke quietly in the back.

"How much did you miss me?"

"For about the whole time I was there. But let's not discuss it now. Let's wait until we get back to where you're staying. It about time I got myself acquainted with my son."

Hina smiled. He had finally accepted Sora at last.


The Holiday Seaview Inn was quite nice, both inside and out. It was lit by red colored lanterns and the rooms were small but comfortable. Hina brought Hodaka to their room where Nagi was watching Sora sleeping in his bed. Quietly, they walked over to them, joining Nagi on bended knee.

Perhaps it was their presence that Sora woke up.

"Mama!" he squealed.

"And Papa too!" added Hodaka. "Your father is home at last."

He took Sora from the bed and hugged him, kissing his forehead as well.

Nagi smiled at this, choosing to say nothing. His promise was being fulfilled.

After Sora went back to sleep, followed by Nagi who was sharing the bed with him. Hodaka and Hina had a chance to speak amongst themselves.

"What are we gonna do Hina? About us? And Sora."

Hina thought about it, but she didn't take too long.

"I think the best course of action is we get married. All we have to do, is go back to your island and ask your parents for their blessing."

"And after they find out that I impregnated you, they'll probably forbid it."

"Not unless you make them understand, Hodaka. All you have to do is give them a good talking to and tell your parents to let you speak before they pass judgement."

Hearing this, Hodaka felt relieved and satisfied.

"Maybe I can try this again."

He took out the ring, which he had always kept on his person, presenting it to Hina, who took out her right hand and he carefully slipped it onto her finger. She looked at it the same way she did when she woke up on the top of that cloud four to five years ago, but this time, her feelings were relieved.

Hina caught his chin in her hand, turned and held his face in the uneven garish light from the window. Suddenly she kissed him, then she put her arms around him and held him to her. "It happened again," she said. "My darling, hot-tempered, pigheaded, wonderful, infuriating Hodaka, do you realize we've been through this before? Missed signals, missed chances, misunderstandings that need never have happened. We've got to stop it. I'm getting tired of all this drama."

She buried her lips and her laughter in his messy hair. Hodaka closed his eyes and rested against her chest. Safe in the room, safe in Hina's embrace, she could afford his fatigue and relief. Luxurious weak tears of exhaustion ran down his cheeks, and his shoulders slumped. Hina held him close and stroked his back.

After a long time, her arms tightened with demand, and Hodaka felt new, thrilling energy race through her veins. He lifted his face to hers, and there was neither rest nor safety in the blinding ecstasy he felt when their lips met. His fingers combed her thick hair, grabbed, held her head down and her mouth on his until he felt faint and at the same time strong and fully alive. Only the fear of waking Sora and Nagi kept the wild cry of joy from bursting out of his throat.

When their kisses grew too urgent, Hina broke away. He gripped the stone sill of the window with corded, white-knuckled hands. His breathing was ragged. "There are limits to a woman's control, Hina," he said, "and the one thing I can think of that's more uncomfortable than a wet beach is a stone floor."

"Is that so?" Hina chuckled.

"Tell me you love me," Hodaka demanded.

Hina grinned. "What makes you think that? I came here to Beijing because I thought you were in trouble."

He laughed. Then he hit her on the shoulder with both fists. "Tell me you love me."

Hina trapped his wrists in a circle of her fingers. "I love you, you silly childish dreamer." Her expression hardened. "And I'll kill that bastard Fang-Lin if he tries to take you from me."

"Oh, Hina, don't be silly. I don't even like Fang-Lin. He's a horrible, cold-blooded monster who reminded me too much of my dad. I was only going to live with him because I wanted to be someplace more down to earth instead of the religious territory of Chang-min and the people at the temple." Hina's skeptical raised eyebrows forced Hodaka to continue. "Well, I did sort of like the idea of Beijing… and being an apprentice politician or however you want to call it… and spending a good time with him and some of his other friends when he was a good mood."

Hina's blue eyes glinted with amusement. She kissed Hodaka's imprisoned hands. "I've missed you," she said.