Izzy slumped into the chair in front of his computer, parts of his body still aching. At least it was a
Friday, so he had the weekend to recover. He'd lucked out, and no one was home when he'd
gotten there, so he just went straight to his room and powered up his computer. At least they'd
left his hands alone, so he could type. He got on and instantly was greeted by just who he'd
wanted to hear from.
USAflowrgrl: Hey there! How's life treating you today?
MasterIzE: Fine, I guess.
USAflowrgrl: You guess? Izzy, what's wrong?
MasterIzE: It's...you're going to bug me until I tell you, aren't you?
USAflowrgrl: Especially now that I'm sure something is wrong. What happened?
MasterIzE: Remember I said I took out my frustrations on one of my would-be tormentors a
couple weeks back? Well, they decided to get a little revenge on me today after school.
USAflowrgrl: Oh, Izzy!
MasterIzE: Don't think anything is broken, I'll be fine. At least I can take the weekend to recover.
USAflowrgrl: So why are you online? You should be resting!
MasterIzE: What? And miss talking to you? This is honestly the high point of my day, Mimi.
USAflowrgrl: You can't keep doing this to yourself, Izzy! You can't just ignore yourself and worry
only about other people! I mean, don't you think they might worry about you for a change?
MasterIzE: No one ever has in the past. Why would that be different now?
USAflowrgrl: Damn it, Izzy, it IS different now! *I'm* worried about you!
'Did I just...' Mimi thought as she looked at her screen. She then touched her face and noticed
that she'd started to cry.
'Did she just...' Izzy likewise thought, reading what she said to him.
USAflowrgrl: Well I am worried about you, Izzy. I worry because I care about you. Just like I'm
sure all the others care about you too. You really need to get some help on this before something
really bad happens to you. I don't know how I'd feel if something really bad happened to you.
MasterIzE: Thanks, Mimi. I just wanted to get on just in case you'd had another bad day or
something. I worry about you too, after all. That's what you do for someone you care about.
'I think that came out right. I honestly don't know if I'm thinking straight right now, though. I
should sign off and clean up, then get some rest.
USAflowrgrl: Go take care of yourself, Izzy. I'll see you tomorrow for some EQ, right?
MasterIzE: Yeah. Take care. Later.
Izzy powered down his computer and hit the shower shortly after that, cleaning himself as best he
could. He touched his bruises gingerly, as they still sent sharp pains through him. Once finished,
he put on a pair of boxers and a loose t-shirt and curled up into his bed, quickly falling into a
deep, dreamless sleep.
***********************************************************
"So let me get this straight. For the past two weeks you've been consoling Mimi online after she
and Michael broke up, and now you think you're beginning to have feelings for her?" Joe asked
as he sipped his coffee.
"That's it in a nutshell. So tell me, Joe, am I going insane or am I just being stupid?" Izzy asked.
The two had met at a coffee house near Joe's college for a bit at Izzy's request.
"Izzy, I think you're just acting like how you think would be best for her, and there's nothing wrong
with that."
"That's not the point, Joe. I'm worried it might start to look like I'm trying to pick her up on the
rebound, which I'm not mind you."
"I doubt anyone sees it that way, least of all Mimi."
"How can you be sure?"
"Because we're all friends, Izzy, and we all want what's best for Mimi. You're acting out of your
friendship towards her, nothing more or less."
Joe finished his coffee and set his mug down, then pulled himself closer to the table.
"Now be that as it may, that's also not to say that you're not beginning to have deeper feelings for
her either." he said.
"You lost me on that one, Joe."
"The best relationships start as friendships, Izzy. There's almost a natural progression of things
from there, really. You may be acting out of just pure friendship right now, but that's not to say it
won't turn into something else on its own. And that, my friend, is something you have little control
over."
"And what about her? How do I know she might even begin to reciprocate?"
"I think Mimi would've said something to you by now if she didn't think she could feel that way
about you, too."
"All this set aside, I know it can't be for real."
"How do you know that?"
"Because, Joe! Come on, don't be silly!" Izzy said, getting frustrated. "I'm a...
"...total loser-geek type and she's everything but?" Joe said, filling in his sentence for him.
"Yeah. Something like that."
"Since when has that ever mattered when it came to matters of the heart?"
"Since when have I ever been versed in matters of the heart?"
"There's no book to follow by, Izzy. There's no rules or guidelines that say 'this person can only
love this person' or 'these two people are completely wrong for each other', contrary to whatever
you might have stuck in your head. If something is meant to happen between two people, it'll
happen. It has happened before, and it will keep on happening, regardless of barriers like social
status, race, belief, or even geographical location."
"Maybe you have a point..." Izzy said, beginning to admit that Joe was making sense. "But even
so, Joe, she'd on the other side of the planet from me. And with the Digital World being as
dangerous as we know it can be, along with the fact that we all made a promise to not disturb
things there unless we needed to, there is practically no chance of her and me ever getting
together."
The two of them sat in silence for a while, until Joe checked the clock and grabbed his bag.
"Look, I've got to go. I have a study session in half an hour." he said.
"Okay. Thanks for coming out to meet me." Izzy said, cleaning things up a little.
"Hey, I wouldn't be good 'ol reliable Joe Kido if I didn't." Joe said as he stood up. He adjusted his
bag a little, looking at Izzy one more time before he went. "Just one more bit of advice, Izzy.
Never say never, fate has a strange way of making things happen. You might be surprised
yourself sometime."
"Heh, Mimi said the same thing to me once. I guess we'll see. See you around, Joe." Izzy said,
his tone skeptical. Izzy put his jacket on and began heading back to his home, thinking about
what Joe had told him. Amidst it all, one negative thought still nagged at him in the back of his
mind.
'Get real, Izumi. Things like that just don't happen to guys like you.'
***********************************************
"You guys are kidding, right?" Mimi said, staring at her parents in disbelief.
"No, Mimi, we're not kidding. For the tenth time, we're not kidding!" her father said, beginning to
get a little annoyed at her questioning.
"The time is right, we have the money and we've been meaning to do it anyways. So we had a
talk last night, and we're going through with it." her mother told her with a smile. "We're taking a
week's vacation in Japan."
Mimi could feel her heart leaping as the reality of it sunk in. When it finally dawned on her that
they meant it, she hugged her mother and gave her father a big kiss on the cheek, and then ran
straight up to her room, turning her computer on.
"That girl sure has some weird priorities these days." her father said, watching his daughter take
off so quickly.
"Are you sure about all this, dear? Why didn't you tell her the real reason for this?" Mimi's mother
asked as she looked at her husband.
"Because I'm not sure about it yet, honey. This trip is necessary for just that reason." he told her
as he slouched into his chair.
"I just hope she doesn't get suspicious of it is all."
As a matter of fact, suspicion was the farthest thing from Mimi's mind at the moment.
"C'mon, c'mon! Stupid machine! Turn on faster!!" Mimi said, getting quickly frustrated with her
computer. As soon as it was on, she brought up her instant message program and thanked her
lucky stars. Izzy was on.
USAflowrgrl: Izzy! Are you available?
A long, tense moment passed as she waited for his response. She'd been communicating with
Izzy for almost 3 weeks straight now, and by now not a day went by that she didn't chat or e-mail
him. He had truly been a pillar for her through this entire ordeal, and her feelings for him had not
just awoken, but had changed over time. And with her parents' news for her, she knew what she
wanted to do more than anything else.
MasterIzE: Sorry for the delay, I was just getting another new MP3. You wouldn't believe how
hard it is to find a decent version of The Crystal Method over here these days.
USAflowrgrl: Save it, Izzy, I have a surprise for you! ^_^
MasterIzE: A surprise?
USAflowrgrl: My parents just told me, we're taking a week's vacation in Japan! Can you believe
it??
MasterIzE: You're kidding! Mimi, that's great! We'll all get to see you again! It's been so long,
too...
USAflowrgrl: I know. I'm still having trouble believing it myself. There's one thing, though.
MasterIzE: Oh, let me guess, only one day for all of us right?
USAflowrgrl: No, actually I'll be able to see you guys all week if I want. We'll be staying in
Odaiba.
MasterIzE: Then what is it?
USAflowrgrl: Izzy, I'll just be straightforward about this... I want to go out with you.
MasterIzE: Well I'm sure everyone will want to go out with you as well.
USAflowrgrl: I meant 'you' singular, Izzy. As in I want to go out alone, with you, on a date. A real
date. Just you and me.
Izzy sat looking at Mimi's last message to him over and over again. He rubbed his eyes, pinched
himself, and even slapped himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
MasterIzE: Mimi... I don't know what to say...
USAflowrgrl: You've been so nice to me and everything since Michael dumped me and all, Izzy. I
can't help the feelings that I have for you now. I'm very fond of you, and I want to spend time just
with you while I'm in Japan.
MasterIzE: I... I have to admit, that I've grown very fond of you too Mimi. I've only dreamed of
actually going out with you... and I'd give anything for that dream to come true. I'd be honored to
go out with you.
Mimi blushed a little at seeing Izzy's little confession of his feelings for her. She worried for a
second that maybe it was too soon to think about dating again, but that was quickly dispelled by
her overwhelming desire to be with Izzy.
MasterIzE: Oh, I wanted to mention that I scanned that photo you wanted a few days ago. I'll
send the picture over now, hang on.
Mimi held her breath for a moment as she watched the picture load on her screen. She'd asked
Izzy for a recent picture of him so she could see how he looked these days. He sent a picture of
himself in his school uniform, smiling a small smile. Mimi felt her heart leap again.
"My goodness, Izzy, you're rather handsome now..." she said to herself, smiling. Now she looked
forward to the trip even more.
MasterIzE: So when is the trip?
USAflowrgrl: Three weeks away. We come in on a Sunday and we leave the following Sunday. I
thought maybe we could go out the Saturday before I leave.
MasterIzE: Sounds good to me. I'll mark that on my calendar for sure. Get me the flight
information too, and I'll make sure to meet you at the airport. I'll just keep an eye out for a pink
haired girl in American clothes. ^_^
USAflowrgrl: Oh, I never told you, did I? I lost the color. I'm a brunette again.
MasterIzE: That's great to hear! See, even if it is true that gentlemen prefer blondes, I personally
prefer brunettes. ;)
USAflowrgrl: Oh, so you're not a gentleman anymore?
MasterIzE: I'm a gentleman by a higher standard, dear lady. :)
USAflowrgrl: ::blushes:: Well, I'll let you get back to your files for now. I'll see you soon, my
knight. ::blows kisses::
MasterIzE: I'll count the hours.
Mimi shut down her computer shortly after that and flopped onto her bed, closing her eyes and
sighing. She grabbed her huge body pillow and hugged it tightly, imagining it were Izzy as she
did. Three weeks would be quite some time to wait, but she could hold out for it. That would also
give her a chance to plan things out just right for that matter. She idly wondered how Izzy was
reacting to it all, considering he was still at school. Then she remembered what happened the
last time she wondered that and for a moment she thought she could hear his cheer from halfway
around the world.
And half a world away, Izzy didn't disappoint her as he celebrated by dancing all about the
computer room, cheering at the top of his voice. He didn't care who saw him, he was simply
ecstatic about it all.
***********************************************
It was Wednesday at school, and Mimi was getting ready to head home. Her friends walked with
her towards the parking lot, discussing about the date she'd set with Izzy for when she was in
Japan.
"...and he says the sweetest things, and is just the most perfect gentleman ever. He's gone out of
his way to help me feel better in these weeks, and since I'm going to be over there anyway, I
want to spend some time with him." Mimi said, finishing her story about Izzy.
"Talk about a whirlwind. You sure you're not rushing things, girl?" Nina asked.
"I used to be friends with him when I still lived in Japan, Nina. It's not like he's a stranger."
"Well I think it's great to see you getting back to your normal self, Mimi." Carrie said. "And I think
I speak for all of us when I say we all wish you luck on your date."
"Though I'm guessing you can subtract one person from that list." Janice said as she pointed up
ahead. Mimi looked over to see a dejected-looking Michael leaning against her car. Janice
leaned over to her friend. "Need some backup?"
"No, Janice. I think I've got this one covered." Mimi said, stepping up ahead of the others. She
walked over to Michael and looked him over. "You look down."
"Robin dumped me for some football player." Michael said, looking over at her. "And I did some
thinking, and I was wrong before."
"Oh were you?"
"Yeah. I'm really sorry. I don't know what I was thinking, Mimi. I need you back. Will you take
me back?"
"Oh, and I suppose you'll just want me to come right up to you..."
Mimi dropped her backpack as she sauntered over slowly to him, narrowing her eyes and smiling
slyly at him.
"...wrap my arms around you like this..."
She hung her arms around his neck, just like she used to.
"...say, 'Anything for you, baby!', and pull you in for a big, deep, passionate kiss."
She pulled him closer, her lips almost touching his. He smiled to himself at seeing how easy this
was, but then she stopped and pulled away from him a little.
"Well guess what?" she said. He looked at her quizzically, still smiling. Without warning, Mimi
thrust her knee up into his groin as hard as she could. The blow sent the breath out of Michael
and he doubled over in excruciating pain. As he sank to the ground, Mimi grabbed him by the
hair, pulling his head up so she could look at him, her fact now contorted into a look of disgust. "I
don't hang around with sluts like you. So go crawl into a gutter and go to Hell for all I care,
Michael. You treated me like crap for four weeks, and now it's my turn! Sayonara, kono kuso
bakayaro!"
After shooting that Japanese insult at him, she drew back her hand and slapped him hard across
the face, leaving a large red mark. She then stepped back, picking up her backpack, and looking
over at her friends.
"I'd give that one a 9.5." Nina said, holding up a number card with a 9.5 on it.
"Are you kidding? She stuck the landing! 10 all the way!" Carrie said, holding up a 10.
"Gotta go with the crowd here, 10 hands down!" Janice added, also holding up a 10. Mimi smiled
and bowed politely before her "judges" only to wave goodbye to them again, get in her car and
drive home. She felt she was finally past all of her pain, and now it was time to move on to
something better. Something a whole lot better.
*******************************************
Two and a half weeks passed, and with them came even more chats with Izzy. He didn't stop
being his normal nice self to her, nor did he alter things much at all save perhaps giving her a
virtual hug before they would part ways online. The two of them grew more and more fond for
each other as the time of the trip came closer. It was the Wednesday before Mimi left for Japan,
and this time she wasn't online with Izzy, but her best friend in Japan, Sora Takenouchi.
USAflwrgrl: And that's the whole story, Sora.
Wolfluvr: That sure explains the guy Izzy punched out in the cafeteria a while back. He broke his
nose, you know?
USAflowrgrl: Whoa! Izzy told me he "vented his frustrations" on someone, but he never
mentioned that!
Wolfluvr: Yeah, we were all pretty amazed. I hope you guys have some fun together.
USAflowrgrl: Actually we'll be going out twice. The first time we're double dating with Tai and this
new girl, I think Yuki is her name?
Wolfluvr: That's great I'm sure it'll be fun. I can't wait to see you together, though, I think you'll be
such a cute couple!
USAflowrgrl: That's honestly that last thing I'm worried about, though I have to say, Izzy sure has
become rather handsome hasn't he?
Wolfluvr: Don't ask me, I've got my honey. :D
USAflowrgrl: I know, I know. He sure doesn't look like the Izzy I remember, though. And he's
been so nice and caring and sweet to me and all.
Wolfluvr: It makes me happy to hear all that, Mimi. I'm sure you'll have a good time.
USAflowrgrl: Actually, Sora, I need to talk to you about just that.
Wolfluvr: Huh?
USAflowrgrl: See, I know what all Izzy's been through not just recently, but over the years. He's
told me of all the teasing he used to get, and the bullying and all. It almost broke my heart to hear
how badly he's been treated in the past.
Wolfluvr: Yeah, Izzy's had a rough time of it. But what does that have to do with you guys?
USAflowrgrl: I need some advice, because I know you have a little experience in this area. See, I
don't just want us to have a good time...I want to give Izzy a "good time" if you catch my
meaning...
Mimi blushed profusely as she admitted her plans to Sora. It was pretty ironic that her situation
with Michael would lead to her wanting to sleep with Izzy, but she couldn't deny her feelings for
him anymore. She wanted to do something for him, and this was the best idea she had come up
with.
Wolfluvr: You want to sleep with him!?
USAflowrgrl: Well...yeah. I do.
Wolfluvr: And you're sure you don't think you're rushing things a bit?
USAflowrgrl: Sora, I can't deny how I feel! He has given and given to me without even thinking
about himself, and that's just not fair at all. I honestly think...I'm falling in love with him.
Wolfluvr: All of this just from chatting with him online?
USAflowrgrl: I know it looks bad, Sora. But I've been over this at least a hundred times in my
head and I'm certain of myself. I want to do this, for him and for myself I guess.
Wolfluvr: When are you planning on doing this, anyway? When will you have that kind of free
time?
USAflowrgrl: The night before I leave Japan. I've got a good deal of this planned already.
Wolfluvr: Then let me guess, you want some tips from me on how you can please him?
USAflowrgrl: Well...yeah...
Wolfluvr: Mimi, I just want to know one thing for certain: are you sure you're not just rebounding
from Michael?
USAflowrgrl: I'm sure, Sora. I liked Michael before, I cared for him a lot. But the feelings I feel for
Izzy, they're so much stronger! It's almost overwhelming!
Wolfluvr: Okay, Mimi, no need for so much detail. I believe you, I really do. He must really have
romanced you, huh?
USAflowrgrl: I'll show you my chat logs sometime, and you can see for yourself.
Wolfluvr: Well, then, let's get down to business shall we?
Over the course of the next hour or so, Sora and Mimi went over several different points, all of
which got Mimi's face to turn about 3 different shades of red. If she did end up going through with
this as she planned, neither she nor Izzy would ever forget that night.
Friday, so he had the weekend to recover. He'd lucked out, and no one was home when he'd
gotten there, so he just went straight to his room and powered up his computer. At least they'd
left his hands alone, so he could type. He got on and instantly was greeted by just who he'd
wanted to hear from.
USAflowrgrl: Hey there! How's life treating you today?
MasterIzE: Fine, I guess.
USAflowrgrl: You guess? Izzy, what's wrong?
MasterIzE: It's...you're going to bug me until I tell you, aren't you?
USAflowrgrl: Especially now that I'm sure something is wrong. What happened?
MasterIzE: Remember I said I took out my frustrations on one of my would-be tormentors a
couple weeks back? Well, they decided to get a little revenge on me today after school.
USAflowrgrl: Oh, Izzy!
MasterIzE: Don't think anything is broken, I'll be fine. At least I can take the weekend to recover.
USAflowrgrl: So why are you online? You should be resting!
MasterIzE: What? And miss talking to you? This is honestly the high point of my day, Mimi.
USAflowrgrl: You can't keep doing this to yourself, Izzy! You can't just ignore yourself and worry
only about other people! I mean, don't you think they might worry about you for a change?
MasterIzE: No one ever has in the past. Why would that be different now?
USAflowrgrl: Damn it, Izzy, it IS different now! *I'm* worried about you!
'Did I just...' Mimi thought as she looked at her screen. She then touched her face and noticed
that she'd started to cry.
'Did she just...' Izzy likewise thought, reading what she said to him.
USAflowrgrl: Well I am worried about you, Izzy. I worry because I care about you. Just like I'm
sure all the others care about you too. You really need to get some help on this before something
really bad happens to you. I don't know how I'd feel if something really bad happened to you.
MasterIzE: Thanks, Mimi. I just wanted to get on just in case you'd had another bad day or
something. I worry about you too, after all. That's what you do for someone you care about.
'I think that came out right. I honestly don't know if I'm thinking straight right now, though. I
should sign off and clean up, then get some rest.
USAflowrgrl: Go take care of yourself, Izzy. I'll see you tomorrow for some EQ, right?
MasterIzE: Yeah. Take care. Later.
Izzy powered down his computer and hit the shower shortly after that, cleaning himself as best he
could. He touched his bruises gingerly, as they still sent sharp pains through him. Once finished,
he put on a pair of boxers and a loose t-shirt and curled up into his bed, quickly falling into a
deep, dreamless sleep.
***********************************************************
"So let me get this straight. For the past two weeks you've been consoling Mimi online after she
and Michael broke up, and now you think you're beginning to have feelings for her?" Joe asked
as he sipped his coffee.
"That's it in a nutshell. So tell me, Joe, am I going insane or am I just being stupid?" Izzy asked.
The two had met at a coffee house near Joe's college for a bit at Izzy's request.
"Izzy, I think you're just acting like how you think would be best for her, and there's nothing wrong
with that."
"That's not the point, Joe. I'm worried it might start to look like I'm trying to pick her up on the
rebound, which I'm not mind you."
"I doubt anyone sees it that way, least of all Mimi."
"How can you be sure?"
"Because we're all friends, Izzy, and we all want what's best for Mimi. You're acting out of your
friendship towards her, nothing more or less."
Joe finished his coffee and set his mug down, then pulled himself closer to the table.
"Now be that as it may, that's also not to say that you're not beginning to have deeper feelings for
her either." he said.
"You lost me on that one, Joe."
"The best relationships start as friendships, Izzy. There's almost a natural progression of things
from there, really. You may be acting out of just pure friendship right now, but that's not to say it
won't turn into something else on its own. And that, my friend, is something you have little control
over."
"And what about her? How do I know she might even begin to reciprocate?"
"I think Mimi would've said something to you by now if she didn't think she could feel that way
about you, too."
"All this set aside, I know it can't be for real."
"How do you know that?"
"Because, Joe! Come on, don't be silly!" Izzy said, getting frustrated. "I'm a...
"...total loser-geek type and she's everything but?" Joe said, filling in his sentence for him.
"Yeah. Something like that."
"Since when has that ever mattered when it came to matters of the heart?"
"Since when have I ever been versed in matters of the heart?"
"There's no book to follow by, Izzy. There's no rules or guidelines that say 'this person can only
love this person' or 'these two people are completely wrong for each other', contrary to whatever
you might have stuck in your head. If something is meant to happen between two people, it'll
happen. It has happened before, and it will keep on happening, regardless of barriers like social
status, race, belief, or even geographical location."
"Maybe you have a point..." Izzy said, beginning to admit that Joe was making sense. "But even
so, Joe, she'd on the other side of the planet from me. And with the Digital World being as
dangerous as we know it can be, along with the fact that we all made a promise to not disturb
things there unless we needed to, there is practically no chance of her and me ever getting
together."
The two of them sat in silence for a while, until Joe checked the clock and grabbed his bag.
"Look, I've got to go. I have a study session in half an hour." he said.
"Okay. Thanks for coming out to meet me." Izzy said, cleaning things up a little.
"Hey, I wouldn't be good 'ol reliable Joe Kido if I didn't." Joe said as he stood up. He adjusted his
bag a little, looking at Izzy one more time before he went. "Just one more bit of advice, Izzy.
Never say never, fate has a strange way of making things happen. You might be surprised
yourself sometime."
"Heh, Mimi said the same thing to me once. I guess we'll see. See you around, Joe." Izzy said,
his tone skeptical. Izzy put his jacket on and began heading back to his home, thinking about
what Joe had told him. Amidst it all, one negative thought still nagged at him in the back of his
mind.
'Get real, Izumi. Things like that just don't happen to guys like you.'
***********************************************
"You guys are kidding, right?" Mimi said, staring at her parents in disbelief.
"No, Mimi, we're not kidding. For the tenth time, we're not kidding!" her father said, beginning to
get a little annoyed at her questioning.
"The time is right, we have the money and we've been meaning to do it anyways. So we had a
talk last night, and we're going through with it." her mother told her with a smile. "We're taking a
week's vacation in Japan."
Mimi could feel her heart leaping as the reality of it sunk in. When it finally dawned on her that
they meant it, she hugged her mother and gave her father a big kiss on the cheek, and then ran
straight up to her room, turning her computer on.
"That girl sure has some weird priorities these days." her father said, watching his daughter take
off so quickly.
"Are you sure about all this, dear? Why didn't you tell her the real reason for this?" Mimi's mother
asked as she looked at her husband.
"Because I'm not sure about it yet, honey. This trip is necessary for just that reason." he told her
as he slouched into his chair.
"I just hope she doesn't get suspicious of it is all."
As a matter of fact, suspicion was the farthest thing from Mimi's mind at the moment.
"C'mon, c'mon! Stupid machine! Turn on faster!!" Mimi said, getting quickly frustrated with her
computer. As soon as it was on, she brought up her instant message program and thanked her
lucky stars. Izzy was on.
USAflowrgrl: Izzy! Are you available?
A long, tense moment passed as she waited for his response. She'd been communicating with
Izzy for almost 3 weeks straight now, and by now not a day went by that she didn't chat or e-mail
him. He had truly been a pillar for her through this entire ordeal, and her feelings for him had not
just awoken, but had changed over time. And with her parents' news for her, she knew what she
wanted to do more than anything else.
MasterIzE: Sorry for the delay, I was just getting another new MP3. You wouldn't believe how
hard it is to find a decent version of The Crystal Method over here these days.
USAflowrgrl: Save it, Izzy, I have a surprise for you! ^_^
MasterIzE: A surprise?
USAflowrgrl: My parents just told me, we're taking a week's vacation in Japan! Can you believe
it??
MasterIzE: You're kidding! Mimi, that's great! We'll all get to see you again! It's been so long,
too...
USAflowrgrl: I know. I'm still having trouble believing it myself. There's one thing, though.
MasterIzE: Oh, let me guess, only one day for all of us right?
USAflowrgrl: No, actually I'll be able to see you guys all week if I want. We'll be staying in
Odaiba.
MasterIzE: Then what is it?
USAflowrgrl: Izzy, I'll just be straightforward about this... I want to go out with you.
MasterIzE: Well I'm sure everyone will want to go out with you as well.
USAflowrgrl: I meant 'you' singular, Izzy. As in I want to go out alone, with you, on a date. A real
date. Just you and me.
Izzy sat looking at Mimi's last message to him over and over again. He rubbed his eyes, pinched
himself, and even slapped himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
MasterIzE: Mimi... I don't know what to say...
USAflowrgrl: You've been so nice to me and everything since Michael dumped me and all, Izzy. I
can't help the feelings that I have for you now. I'm very fond of you, and I want to spend time just
with you while I'm in Japan.
MasterIzE: I... I have to admit, that I've grown very fond of you too Mimi. I've only dreamed of
actually going out with you... and I'd give anything for that dream to come true. I'd be honored to
go out with you.
Mimi blushed a little at seeing Izzy's little confession of his feelings for her. She worried for a
second that maybe it was too soon to think about dating again, but that was quickly dispelled by
her overwhelming desire to be with Izzy.
MasterIzE: Oh, I wanted to mention that I scanned that photo you wanted a few days ago. I'll
send the picture over now, hang on.
Mimi held her breath for a moment as she watched the picture load on her screen. She'd asked
Izzy for a recent picture of him so she could see how he looked these days. He sent a picture of
himself in his school uniform, smiling a small smile. Mimi felt her heart leap again.
"My goodness, Izzy, you're rather handsome now..." she said to herself, smiling. Now she looked
forward to the trip even more.
MasterIzE: So when is the trip?
USAflowrgrl: Three weeks away. We come in on a Sunday and we leave the following Sunday. I
thought maybe we could go out the Saturday before I leave.
MasterIzE: Sounds good to me. I'll mark that on my calendar for sure. Get me the flight
information too, and I'll make sure to meet you at the airport. I'll just keep an eye out for a pink
haired girl in American clothes. ^_^
USAflowrgrl: Oh, I never told you, did I? I lost the color. I'm a brunette again.
MasterIzE: That's great to hear! See, even if it is true that gentlemen prefer blondes, I personally
prefer brunettes. ;)
USAflowrgrl: Oh, so you're not a gentleman anymore?
MasterIzE: I'm a gentleman by a higher standard, dear lady. :)
USAflowrgrl: ::blushes:: Well, I'll let you get back to your files for now. I'll see you soon, my
knight. ::blows kisses::
MasterIzE: I'll count the hours.
Mimi shut down her computer shortly after that and flopped onto her bed, closing her eyes and
sighing. She grabbed her huge body pillow and hugged it tightly, imagining it were Izzy as she
did. Three weeks would be quite some time to wait, but she could hold out for it. That would also
give her a chance to plan things out just right for that matter. She idly wondered how Izzy was
reacting to it all, considering he was still at school. Then she remembered what happened the
last time she wondered that and for a moment she thought she could hear his cheer from halfway
around the world.
And half a world away, Izzy didn't disappoint her as he celebrated by dancing all about the
computer room, cheering at the top of his voice. He didn't care who saw him, he was simply
ecstatic about it all.
***********************************************
It was Wednesday at school, and Mimi was getting ready to head home. Her friends walked with
her towards the parking lot, discussing about the date she'd set with Izzy for when she was in
Japan.
"...and he says the sweetest things, and is just the most perfect gentleman ever. He's gone out of
his way to help me feel better in these weeks, and since I'm going to be over there anyway, I
want to spend some time with him." Mimi said, finishing her story about Izzy.
"Talk about a whirlwind. You sure you're not rushing things, girl?" Nina asked.
"I used to be friends with him when I still lived in Japan, Nina. It's not like he's a stranger."
"Well I think it's great to see you getting back to your normal self, Mimi." Carrie said. "And I think
I speak for all of us when I say we all wish you luck on your date."
"Though I'm guessing you can subtract one person from that list." Janice said as she pointed up
ahead. Mimi looked over to see a dejected-looking Michael leaning against her car. Janice
leaned over to her friend. "Need some backup?"
"No, Janice. I think I've got this one covered." Mimi said, stepping up ahead of the others. She
walked over to Michael and looked him over. "You look down."
"Robin dumped me for some football player." Michael said, looking over at her. "And I did some
thinking, and I was wrong before."
"Oh were you?"
"Yeah. I'm really sorry. I don't know what I was thinking, Mimi. I need you back. Will you take
me back?"
"Oh, and I suppose you'll just want me to come right up to you..."
Mimi dropped her backpack as she sauntered over slowly to him, narrowing her eyes and smiling
slyly at him.
"...wrap my arms around you like this..."
She hung her arms around his neck, just like she used to.
"...say, 'Anything for you, baby!', and pull you in for a big, deep, passionate kiss."
She pulled him closer, her lips almost touching his. He smiled to himself at seeing how easy this
was, but then she stopped and pulled away from him a little.
"Well guess what?" she said. He looked at her quizzically, still smiling. Without warning, Mimi
thrust her knee up into his groin as hard as she could. The blow sent the breath out of Michael
and he doubled over in excruciating pain. As he sank to the ground, Mimi grabbed him by the
hair, pulling his head up so she could look at him, her fact now contorted into a look of disgust. "I
don't hang around with sluts like you. So go crawl into a gutter and go to Hell for all I care,
Michael. You treated me like crap for four weeks, and now it's my turn! Sayonara, kono kuso
bakayaro!"
After shooting that Japanese insult at him, she drew back her hand and slapped him hard across
the face, leaving a large red mark. She then stepped back, picking up her backpack, and looking
over at her friends.
"I'd give that one a 9.5." Nina said, holding up a number card with a 9.5 on it.
"Are you kidding? She stuck the landing! 10 all the way!" Carrie said, holding up a 10.
"Gotta go with the crowd here, 10 hands down!" Janice added, also holding up a 10. Mimi smiled
and bowed politely before her "judges" only to wave goodbye to them again, get in her car and
drive home. She felt she was finally past all of her pain, and now it was time to move on to
something better. Something a whole lot better.
*******************************************
Two and a half weeks passed, and with them came even more chats with Izzy. He didn't stop
being his normal nice self to her, nor did he alter things much at all save perhaps giving her a
virtual hug before they would part ways online. The two of them grew more and more fond for
each other as the time of the trip came closer. It was the Wednesday before Mimi left for Japan,
and this time she wasn't online with Izzy, but her best friend in Japan, Sora Takenouchi.
USAflwrgrl: And that's the whole story, Sora.
Wolfluvr: That sure explains the guy Izzy punched out in the cafeteria a while back. He broke his
nose, you know?
USAflowrgrl: Whoa! Izzy told me he "vented his frustrations" on someone, but he never
mentioned that!
Wolfluvr: Yeah, we were all pretty amazed. I hope you guys have some fun together.
USAflowrgrl: Actually we'll be going out twice. The first time we're double dating with Tai and this
new girl, I think Yuki is her name?
Wolfluvr: That's great I'm sure it'll be fun. I can't wait to see you together, though, I think you'll be
such a cute couple!
USAflowrgrl: That's honestly that last thing I'm worried about, though I have to say, Izzy sure has
become rather handsome hasn't he?
Wolfluvr: Don't ask me, I've got my honey. :D
USAflowrgrl: I know, I know. He sure doesn't look like the Izzy I remember, though. And he's
been so nice and caring and sweet to me and all.
Wolfluvr: It makes me happy to hear all that, Mimi. I'm sure you'll have a good time.
USAflowrgrl: Actually, Sora, I need to talk to you about just that.
Wolfluvr: Huh?
USAflowrgrl: See, I know what all Izzy's been through not just recently, but over the years. He's
told me of all the teasing he used to get, and the bullying and all. It almost broke my heart to hear
how badly he's been treated in the past.
Wolfluvr: Yeah, Izzy's had a rough time of it. But what does that have to do with you guys?
USAflowrgrl: I need some advice, because I know you have a little experience in this area. See, I
don't just want us to have a good time...I want to give Izzy a "good time" if you catch my
meaning...
Mimi blushed profusely as she admitted her plans to Sora. It was pretty ironic that her situation
with Michael would lead to her wanting to sleep with Izzy, but she couldn't deny her feelings for
him anymore. She wanted to do something for him, and this was the best idea she had come up
with.
Wolfluvr: You want to sleep with him!?
USAflowrgrl: Well...yeah. I do.
Wolfluvr: And you're sure you don't think you're rushing things a bit?
USAflowrgrl: Sora, I can't deny how I feel! He has given and given to me without even thinking
about himself, and that's just not fair at all. I honestly think...I'm falling in love with him.
Wolfluvr: All of this just from chatting with him online?
USAflowrgrl: I know it looks bad, Sora. But I've been over this at least a hundred times in my
head and I'm certain of myself. I want to do this, for him and for myself I guess.
Wolfluvr: When are you planning on doing this, anyway? When will you have that kind of free
time?
USAflowrgrl: The night before I leave Japan. I've got a good deal of this planned already.
Wolfluvr: Then let me guess, you want some tips from me on how you can please him?
USAflowrgrl: Well...yeah...
Wolfluvr: Mimi, I just want to know one thing for certain: are you sure you're not just rebounding
from Michael?
USAflowrgrl: I'm sure, Sora. I liked Michael before, I cared for him a lot. But the feelings I feel for
Izzy, they're so much stronger! It's almost overwhelming!
Wolfluvr: Okay, Mimi, no need for so much detail. I believe you, I really do. He must really have
romanced you, huh?
USAflowrgrl: I'll show you my chat logs sometime, and you can see for yourself.
Wolfluvr: Well, then, let's get down to business shall we?
Over the course of the next hour or so, Sora and Mimi went over several different points, all of
which got Mimi's face to turn about 3 different shades of red. If she did end up going through with
this as she planned, neither she nor Izzy would ever forget that night.