Here you are, all. The next part. Now, after this upcoming week, I don't know when I will be able to put up another part since I can't get online at home anymore due to modem trouble. I still can't figure out what is wrong. I have written a lot so far and decided to put this part and the next part together since I have no idea when I will be able to get to a computer with internet access to upload it.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this part and I hope it isn't too unrealistic or anything. I am a bit nervous about the 13th part of this fic, but never mind that.

Another thing, I don't know why links don't seem to work anymore when I post up parts. I never had that trouble before, but I seem to now. Maybe if I am lucky, they will show up this time since ff.net has been worked on a bit more. Anyway, as always, I do not own any of these characters or places associated with the game, manga, show, etc.
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Part 11: Questions & Answers...

"So, you are curious about the adoption," she said, handing Koushirou back his ID. "What have they told you?"

Koushirou lowered his head and said, "Nothing. They do not know that I know."

"Oh."

"I want to find my real parents. I feel that it is time that I meet them face to face..."
****
"Real parents!?! Koushirou is adopted?!?"

The girl was very surprised at the news and had finally figured out what had been bothering Koushirou.

"Is this why he's been acting so strange lately?"
****
"Mr. Izumi, would you like to go someplace and talk?"

"Yes, I would," he nodded. "I have found out a couple of things about myself that I want more information on."

"Your place of birth?"

The boy nodded.

"There are conference rooms here, we can go to one of them, preferbly my office."

The boy hesitated to move.

"What is the matter?"

"I can not stay. I really have to find my friend."

"Tell me, what does this gir...er friend look like?" Mrs. Mitsuishi asked with a smile. She had an idea who Koushirou was looking for.

"Well, she is about my height, has tannish-blonde hair, she's wearing a skirt, but I don't remember the color or anything..."

"I am sure that you will find her as soon as she wants to be found."
****
"I think they know I'm here. They've gotten too quiet and I can't hear them too well anymore."

The girl stepped from behind her hiding spot.

"I guess I've been spying long enough..."
****
"What do you mean?" Koushirou asked.

"Take a look behind you," the woman whispered.

"Behind me?" Koushirou asked, puzzled.

She nodded.

Koushirou turned and and saw that the girl he had described, was a little ways behind him.

"Mimi-san!"

"Hey there, Koushirou," she said while walking up beside him. "How's it going?"

"How long have you been here?"

"She has been here for a while. I noticed her ducking and hiding for a while. I just didn't say anything."

"Here I am looking all over for you, and you were here the entire time!"

"Sorry..."

"Forget it," he sighed. He then got quiet. "I guess you heard."

She nodded.

"You are trying to obtain some information about your biological parents."

He nodded. Before Mimi could continue, Mrs. Mitsuishi spoke up.

"If you really want that information, you can go into the conference room while I gather it for you."

"Okay."

"Just hold on for a moment."

The lady went over to the other two people who also dealt with those who came in. She was letting them know that she had a client to work with.

"Okay, let us go. It is right this way."

Koushirou headed towards the room, following behind Mrs. Mitsuishi. Mimi watched them as they both walked off. Koushirou noticed that it was just him following behind Mrs. Mitsuishi and stopped. He then turned around and noticed that Mimi wasn't with him.

"You are my partner, so you should probably come along with me."

The girl nodded awkwardly. She wasn't sure if she should hear such information or not, but she caught up with him anyway. After they made it to the conference room, both took a seat in front of a desk. Mrs. Mitsuishi left them both in there to go get the paperwork on Koushirou's adoption.

During their short time in there, Mimi was a bit nervous. She had lots of questions for Koushirou, but she felt that it might offend him in some way. Especially the obvious, "What is it like to be adopted," question. One question that racked her mind, though, was how he had found out about his adoption to begin with if neither Mr. nor Mrs. Izumi ever mentioned it to him.

Mrs. Mitsuishi returned with a folder filled with different papers. She took a seat behind the desk and started to look through the folder.

"After a while, I started to remember your case. I handled that one myself. The only reason I remember your case is because you were the fastest case I ever had to deal with and was also one of my first ones when I started working here full time."

"Excuse me?"

"It didn't take us too long to find a couple that was willing to take you in."

"So, what happened? Is there any way I can find my real family?" He then muttered, "The sooner the better..."

"Izumi-san, is there something the matter?"

"No, the old place is going to be a bit crowded in about a year and I would like to contact my real parents..."
****
"The baby!" Mimi thought, coming to the realizatinon of why Koushirou was acting so strange. "He's doing this because he isn't all that fond of Mrs. Izumi's being pregnant. I wonder if he's actually...jealous. Like sibling rivalry or something, like Miyako-chan and her siblings."
****
"That is going to be a bit difficult to do, Mr. Izumi."

"Why did my biological parents put me up for adoption? Was I born to an unwed mother who couldn't take care of me or embarassed her family because of it? Did they just hate the idea of becoming parents and would rather get rid of me than to actually try? Tell me! I have a right to know that and of my true place of birth as well as the names of my biological parents!"

"Okay, if you must know, I will tell you."

The lady then gave Mimi a look. Mimi got the hint and was about to leave.

"No, wait. I want her to stay. She's my partner through all of this," he then glanced over at her, "and my friend..."

"Okay, if you insist," the woman smiled.

The lady poured herself a cup of tea and ran her fingers through her short, stringy blonde hair while Mimi took her seat again.
****
"That was nice of him to allow me to stay. Besides, I'm nosy and I'm curious what's going on! Okay, never mind that. I'm just curious what his real family is like. I wonder if they were a bunch of computer nerds too."
****
"Your mother and father were not wed when they had you. Supposedly, they had been together for a long time. Why they never married is unknown, unless you could find some friends that knew them very well. They could probably tell you why they never married, but other than that, it probably really isn't any of our business."

"I suppose..."

"The two were pretty well known. I actually remember them."

"You knew my biological parents!?!"

"In a way. I didn't know them personally, but I knew of them. I used to be a student teacher at their University when they were still students."
****
"She must be much older than she looks..."
****
"Your father was a very smart individual. Great with mathematics and technical stuff." The woman laughed a bit. "All that was over my head. I was a student teacher in English Literature. He was fairly well known too, pretty popular."

"I'm the complete opposite," Koushirou muttered to himself.

Mrs. Mitsuishi started to study Koushirou and gave him a smile.

"You know, you resemble him a bit. I don't know how I missed it! It's the eyes. You look a little like him, but you look like a clone of your mother. I can see a lot of your mother's features in you. Well, never mind that. The two went to the University together and met there I am guessing. I am not too sure. Oh, it was Tokyo University, btw."

"*Tokyo U!?!" both Mimi and Koushirou exclaimed.

"Yep, one of the toughest places to get into," she confirmed. "Anyway, your father and mother both graduated from there. Your father, who found the University life fascinating and exhilerating, decided to make a career out of it. He originally went to school for engineering, but decided to become a teacher instead. He moved to Odaiba, along with your mother, and became an instructor at Odaiba University. He was well known there. I got to know him after a while. I had a job there as an English Professor as a side job. I taught night classes. I dropped out of the teaching profession altogether about 14, 15 years ago and moved here to Hikarigaoka to work here at the orphanage permenantly. I feel that helping children find homes is my calling moreso than teaching them or young adults."

She sipped on her tea before continuing on.

"Now, I know you are wondering about your birth and how, on paper, you are not considered a full Japanese...inhabitant I guess you could say. You know what I mean, right?"

Koushirou nodded. Mimi shrugged. She didn't get what she meant.

"Your father was asked, along with a bunch of other University Instructors all over Japan, to go to this conference in America. I, unfortunately, was not able to attend, mainly because I had work that needed to be done here. Your father was picked to go. I am only assuming that your mother wanted to go as well. She was already pregnant with you and looked to be pretty far along. This is all I know...she and your father left with it being just the two of them and came back with an addition. They stayed in America for a few months before returning with you. Everyone that was a part of the staff at Odaiba University threw a big party for them. I was there too, even though I was about to resign from the business."

"Koushirou-kun..."

"Hai," Mrs. Mitsuishi nodded to Mimi. "He was born in New York City, not here in Hikarigaoka like you all thought since you were probably living here with the Izumis."

Koushirou nodded. The news surprised Mimi. She had an "American" friend that didn't know a thing about America.

"Up until recently, I always thought I was born in Hikarigaoka since I had lived here at such an early age. I have known for years that I was adopted, but I had no idea that I wasn't even a full blooded Japanese citizen!"

"In a way, you are. Both of your parents were Japanese, which makes you a full blooded Japanese person, it's just that you were not born here in Japan which is why you are considered to be Japanese American on paper since you were born over there."

"I suppose, but it is still surprising," he muttered.

"About how long have you known of your adoption?"

"I don't know," he said while scratching his head. "I guess ever since I was about eight..."
****
"Second grade?" Mimi asked herself. She then remembered back to when she and Koushirou first got the assignment and he was so against doing it.

"Well, I was just wondering if, well, I could get out of doing it," Koushirou finally said. "Could I maybe be exempt, like Mimi-san here? I have an A average, a low A average, but I've kept it this entire school year!"

"Is there any particular reason why you want to get out of this assignment?"

"Um...no, not really," he said while lowering his head.

"Then I can't allow you to get out of this assignment. Tachikawa's situation is different. She has special living arrangements and doesn't live with her mother and father."

"Yes sir."

"To be honest, I really want you to work on this project," the man admitted. "I've seen projects similar to these that you've done in the past from previous years and they're all quite dull, Mr. Izumi. I've pulled up files on you going back to your second grade year and any type of an assignment dealing with family is dull. Only worth C material or lower."

"That's why I didn't want to do the assignment, sir," Koushirou lied.

"It seems that whenever your parents are mentioned in general, you seem to space out," Mr. Ishidzuka said while taking off his glasses. "Any assignment dealing with your family is never done with your full potential."

"So that's why he's done terribly over the years. His carrying around this secret for all of these years had been depressing him, which is why he has never been able to do good on any type of an assignment dealing with his family."
****
"That is a long time to carry around a secret like that, Mr. Izumi."

"You have said all of these things about my father, but nothing about my mother other than she had me in America and that she and my biological father were never married. What was she like?" Koushirou asked, getting off the subject of how long he had known of his being adopted.

"She was just as smart as your father, only not as popular, and she wasn't into mathematics like him. You look exactly like her, minus the glasses of course. She was very pretty, but pretty lonesome and quite quiet."

"Lonesome how?"

"She, too, was put up for adoption."
****
"It must run in the family or something," Mimi muttered to herself.
****
"Really?"

She nodded.

"Your mother was from Odaiba. She was living in the orphanage there, but she was, unfortunately, never adopted. She got into the University on a full scholarship since she had no family to help pay for her to go to such an exclusive school."

"Wait, how do you know all of this stuff?" Mimi asked. "If you deal with lots and lots of cases, how come this one is so memorable to you?"

"Like I said, it was an early case of mine and it didn't take us long to place Mr. Izumi. And I also semi knew his parents. Only semi because they were much younger than me and they had their own crowd to hang out with."

"I know, but seems like everything you've said so far, seems like something that only a close friend would know. Not an acquaitance."

"Just call me observant," the woman smiled. "Those two were the best couple around and it was a real pleasure working with Mr. Izumi's real father."

"But how do you know about Koushirou's mother being put up for adoption too?"

"When the child of a couple is brought in, we have to find out the parent or parents' past history."

"Oh..."

"So, what about my mother?"

"After she moved back to Odaiba with your father, she became a teacher. She always seemed like the type that would love children. She taught at Odaiba Elementary."

"So both of my parents were teachers?"

"Yes, but she taught for different reasons. Your father just wanted to share his knowledge of mathematics with everyone, which is why he chose to become a mathematician, but your mother just liked the idea of helping others. While in the University, in her spare time, your mother used to do volunteer work at the nearby Children's Hospital. She really loved children, I am assuming, since she was so faithful when it came to going. That was her extra curricular activity. I am also assuming that is why she taught Elementary School, to be with children."

"At least we know where you got your math skills from if your father was a mathematician," Mimi smiled.

The boy nodded but started to frown a bit.

"What's wrong?" Mimi asked.

Koushirou ignored Mimi's question and turned his attention back to Mrs. Mitsuishi.

"You still haven't told me why I was put up for adoption. Here you are saying that my mother loved children, yet she left me to complete strangers..."

"Sorry," the woman apologized. She then lowered her head. "Poor Hiroaki-kun & Miki-san."

"Those were their names? My father's name was 'Hiroaki' and my mother's was 'Miki'?"

The lady nodded.

"Fukami Hiroaki & Misayoshi Miki. It was pretty sad, their situation."

"It could not be helped, their putting me up for adoption, could it?"

The woman nodded sadly.

"You see, you will never be able to locate your parents. They are both..."

"Both what?"

"Maybe I am not the right one to tell you this. You should really talk to the Izumis ab---"

"No!" Koushirou shouted as he stood up, pounding his fist down on the desk in frustration.

Mimi started to feel sorry for Koushirou at that moment. She had never see him so upset over anything before. She couldn't even recall a time where he had lost his temper out of all of the years she had known him.

"They haven't told me anything after all of this time! What makes you think that they would say something now!?! They had their chances and blew all of them! I had to find out for myself that I wasn't really their son and I just found out a couple of nights ago that I wasn't even born here in Japan! I have a right to know all of this! I don't even know my real name!!"

"It was Misayoshi Koushirou," the woman said, looking down at the adoption papers. "You were given your mother's family name. The Izumis changed it when they adopted you. Now, as for your parents, they are both...deceased. They were both killed in a terrible auto accident."

Mimi gasped. Koushirou looked as if the entire world had just collapsed on him. He wasn't expecting something like that.

"They are...dead?!?" he asked slowly, sitting back down.

The woman nodded.

"It was caused by a drunk driver. It was a miracle that you survived that crash."

"I was with my parents when they died?!?"

"I suppose so. The papers say that you were and I doubt reporters would make something like that up. If I am remembering right, one of the policeman at the scene said that it was a miracle that the child survived the crash since your mother was holding you and it looked as if she were trying to protect you. Like she knew something was going to happen."

The woman started to type on the computer on her desk.

"Psychic abilities?" Mimi asked.

"Maybe," she said as she started to scroll through some files. "Everyone has a little bit of psychic abilities. Just not everyone is able to use them."

"My mother saved my life?"

"Looks that way," the woman said. "Oh darn, I can't find it."

"Excuse me, Mitsuishi-san, but what are you looking for?" Mimi asked.

"The article about his parents' deaths. I can't seem to find it, but I am sure the library has it. It happened sometime in April back in 1990."

The lady put the computer on stand by and turned back to Koushirou, who had been quiet for a while.

"Your case was at the Odaiba Adoption Center since your mother and father were residing in Odaiba. Since there were so many cases already, they transferred it here. At first, we thought that we would never find a family for you, until I remembered this couple who came in almost every week in search of a child to foster or adopt."

"My adoptive parents?"

"Yes."

"I thought that with adoptions, you place orphan children with blood relatives," Mimi said.

"Yes, that is normally the case, but we were having a tough time trying to find some for young Koushirou. His mother had no family since she was put up for adoption herself."

"How come she was put up for adoption?" Koushirou asked.

"I am afraid that I can not answer this. I really do not know. You could try the Odaiba Adoption Agency and ask if they know."

"There was nobody on my father's side that could take me in?"

"Well, both of his parents were deceased, he had no brothers nor sisters nor any other close family. Not even an aunt or an uncle, but we did find one relative, by mistake though. It was a coincidence actually. The person we found was your adoptive father."

"Wait, you mean, he is related to me, by blood?!?"

"Yes, I suppose so. He was a cousin of your father's, distant cousins. When we told him and his wife about your father, he said he knew of Fukami-san, but not personally. He didn't even know that he had died or that he had child. They were probably cousins by marriage by some other relative in the family. We were all very surprised when we found out that Izumi was a relative and was willing to take you in. They had been looking for a child for such a long while too, at least a year. See, before getting you, they fostered a lot of children regardless of religion, gender, age, or nationality. After they got you, they stopped. You should've seen the looks on their faces when they found out that you were going home with them. They looked as if a blessing had been bestowed upon them."

"Wow, I never realized I was that important to them," Koushirou said in amazement. "But I still wish they would have told me about this. Why did they keep it a secret from me?" he asked himself. "Mitsuishi-san, do you have any photos of my mother or father?"

"Sorry, I do not have anything like that. We have nothing left back by them and that includes photos. If it helps any, you could always try to find some information or class photos of them from the University they attended. They were both top students in their class."

"Okay, I will!" Koushirou said in determination, standing up along with Mimi. "Wait, what year did they graduate in?"

"Class of '85..."

"Mitsuishi-san, I would like to thank you for all of the help you have given me. Because of you, I now know about my real parents and what they were like."

"Well, I was at liberty to give you this information and was pretty much obligated to. Your files weren't closed off or anything."

"Meaning?" Mimi asked.

"He had the right to come and get this information and didn't have to wait until adulthood for it."

"Oh."

"It would be nice to know what my real parents looked like," he frowned.

"I know this is not going to help much, but all you have to do is look in the mirror. Like I said earlier, you look exactly like your mother, especially with that red hair of yours. Those plain, black eyes of yours definitely belongs to your father. The only difference is that your mother wore glasses and you don't."

Koushirou forced a smile onto his face. He didn't find that response all that flattering. He still would rather see it for himself.

"Arigatou gozaimasu," he thanked her while bowing.

"Sayonara," Mimi bowed.

With that, the both of them left. The two walked away from the building in silence. Koushirou still had one question that remained unanswered.

"Why were they so eager to adopt a child and what made them foster them so much? I think I remember Mitsuishi-san saying something about an incident that occured with them."

"Koushirou..."

"Oh, huh?"

"I-I'm sorry about your parents," Mimi spoke up, not knowing exactly what to say. She just felt obligated to.

"That's okay, Mimi-san. I am just glad that I found out the truth about them. I can now rest a little better knowing."

"Why do I have this feeling that there is more to this situation than you are letting on? Was your being adopted the reason you are so jealous over your future brother or sister?"

The question caught the young computer whiz offguard. He wasn't expecting such a question.

"I can tell that you are jealous. The fact that you are willing to move out showed me that."

"Move out? I'm not planning on moving out...yet."

"What about that 'the old place is going to be a bit crowded in about a year and I would like to contact my real parents,' statement you made!"

"I just feel as if I am going to be in the way," he sighed. "I mean, I'm not even their son. When they have a child of their own, a true Izumi, why would they bother with me?"

"Izumi Koushirou! You stop that right now! They love you very much and having a baby is not going to change that! I would expect this attitude from a child, but not from someone your age!"

"You don't know what it feels like! You don't know what it's like, knowing that you're in a family that you don't even belong to! All of a sudden, they're going to have a child of their own--a real child for them! One who knows where his or her place is along with his or her real mother and father."

"I'm sorry. You're right, maybe I don't understand. Even after you said that, I still don't entirely. But I do know one thing..."

"What's that?"

"I know that you should just give it a try and stop jumping to conclusions as to what your life will be like with this addition. It would make Mrs. Izumi very happy. Having a child is one of the most important and meaningful times in a woman's life. Try to be happy for her and quit being so selfish!"

The boy nodded. He knew that Mimi was right. He really shouldn't get mad about his mother having a child, but he still couldn't help but feel a bit insecure over the situation. There was still that detail of his not being their real son.

The two continued to walk until they reached the subway station to go back to Odaiba. It was now after 1:00. The two hopped on and got themselves a seat. When they finally got back to Odaiba, it was nearly 2:00. Mimi hadn't even noticed.

"Here we are back in Odaiba!" she said, stretching her arms. "What do we do next?"

"I'm going to Tokyu U and Odaiba University to find out more about my parents."

"But aren't all of the schools closed on Sundays?"

"Not this month. It's open for those trying to get into the school. Students are still taking entrance exams."

"Oh," Mimi said, finally noticing the time. "But, um, I..."

"You don't have to help. I know you're anxious to get away from me."

"That is not true!"

"You keep acting as if you have something else to do."

"Well, I was planning on going over to that club over near the docks for a small get together, no big deal."

"Then go on to the party that Sora-san is throwing."

"You know about her party?"

"I've known about it for a while. I was invited as well by Taichi-san, but I just wasn't planning on going. You should really go. All of your friends will probably be there and you really shouldn't waste your time on me..."

"Waste my time? I chose to hang out with you! Just for that, I am going to that party later! Let's get over to Odaiba University and Tokyo U and while we are at it, we can go to Odaiba Elementary to find out more about your mother! They are bound to have some photos of past instructors."

"That's a great idea, Mimi-san! Odaiba Elementary probably would have some information about her!"

"Let's go and see what we can find out!"

For the first time all day, Koushirou smiled and it wasn't a forced one.

"Right!"

The two started to walk away from the station, until Koushirou spoke up.

"Mimi-san, are you sure you wouldn't want to attend the party? I am sure that it would be much more fun to hang out there than with me."

"I'm sure," she smiled. "I can go later, now let's head on over to Odaiba University! It is probably the closest!"

Koushirou nodded, and the two took off...
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Notes

Note 1: That's an inside, Love Hina joke. In that anime, the main character, Keitaro, is trying to get into Tokyu U, but he keeps flunking his entrance exam. I wonder if Tokyo U is the same as the University of Tokyo or based on that and if so, I wonder if getting into that school is as difficult as they make it seem on Love Hina. ^^ (Click here to go back to where you were)