Heart of Bokuto
Skuld_2K1
[xm_lee@yahoo.com]
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in my works. You're Under Arrest characters belong to Kosuke Fujishima and Co. Everything below is purely fictional, any similarity is purely coincidental and not intended. Lastly, please don't sure me as I don't have much money.
Chapter 5: Acceptance Game
Bokuto was truly heart-broken, seeing that its direct approach seemed only to bring more misery to its beloved officers. Currently, Kachou, Nakajima, Natsumi, Miyuki and Tokairin have been under its direct supervision for nearly half-an-hour already. The atmosphere was so tense, that if walls were made of glass, it would have shattered to shards in no time. Bokuto knew that it must do some cheering up if it were to discuss the matter maturely.
{I see that you people may not be ready to accept my allegations yet. It is understandable but let me state that I have my reasons for doing what I did. Perhaps all of you should lighten up a little. Let me also state that I have a poor sense of humor, so how about playing a little game?}
Natsumi, who was quite contented just being in close proximity to Shoji, got very agitated at that voice which she had quickly grown to hate. Turning to its general direction, she decided to give this so-called-god a piece of her mind.
"Well, well, games huh? Hasn't it already started? Perhaps its time for Round two, huh? STOP IT! We don't have time for this nonsense; just finish whatever you wanted to do with us. Just know that I have no regrets of dying now! We will cherish our last moments together to the best that we CAN!"
However, she didn't realize that she was half-choking Shoji to death by the collar. She didn't know where else to direct her intense anger other than the nearest humanoid to her, it didn't matter even if it was her parents who were under her grasp. The poor man had already turned purple when the other three managed to subdue her. 'Sorry Natsumi' was the last words she heard before everything went black. A single well-placed jab to the cranium was enough to KO Natsumi, courtesy of Kachou.
"You don't have to do so! It's just Natsumi being well.Natsumi!"
"Shoji-kun, your woman is suffering from mild hysteria. In that condition, she was not in the right presence of mind and could therefore only prove to be dangerous to anyone of us. You have first-handedly experienced just now that even you were no exception. I only acted for our general benefit. Am I understood perfectly, Mr. Tokairin?"
"I suppose you were right. Sorry for the outburst. Let's hope that she could get enough rest to calm her mind."
"Sure thing, partner."
Bokuto didn't know why things could only get uglier than it already was. That's the last thing it needed right now, getting on everybody's nerves. It seemed like a curse to him. But it knew that it couldn't stop now, otherwise a perfect opportunity would be lost forever. It wasn't about to let itself cry over split milk but instead was determined to help remedy the situation before it gets out of control.
{I must really apologize to everyone. I know that this might be too sudden to digest all this information in one go. I also know some people would need more time to get used to the truth than others. Let me say that I had sincerely wanted to help all of you; because the four of you made it sound like the end of the world was coming or something. Before I go on, allow me to compensate for any misfortunes caused.}
Seeing her partner down didn't do much to improve the mood of a half- angry and half-confused Miyuki. However, she has much more control over her emotions and certainly couldn't bring herself to release her tension on her one true love. Nakajima was indeed a pure sight to behold; half-trembling inside but tried to look tough on the exterior. Her handsome knight was holding her closely while relying on his shades to cover his fear. Just seeing him trying his best to console and protect her, Miyuki knew that she could leave things to him; she then passed out as well.
"KOBAYAKAWA! What's wrong? Please wake up, oh please please please..Kobayakawa!"
"Nakajima! Get a hold of yourself. Kobayakawa is just merely tired trying to swallow everything at once. You know how grounded she is on her science. Anything out of theory would only short her circuits out. Just let her sit this one through, ok?"
Nakajima Ken knew that Kachou was right. Brushing Miyuki's silky long hair, he felt like he was holding an angel in his arms. Nakajima looked at her beautiful face and could barely discern a slight contour in her lips, smiling at him. Even in this passive form, Miyuki was radiating her kind and gentle nature. Nakajima felt useless just being able to see her like this and do nothing for her. He stood up.
"Kachou! Requesting permission to allow Kobayakawa to use your bed."
"Same here for Natsumi."
"Granted. Let me help you."
But before Kachou could further extend his goodwill to help the two males, they had already laid their precious sweethearts side by side on his luxurious double bed. Making sure that they were as comfortable as possible, they each gave a final kiss on the foreheads of their respective girl friends. They, including Kachou, knew that it was up to them now to confront this entity. Tokairin Shoji started first.
"I don't know what you want. BUT, if you so much so as touch a single hair on Natsumi's head, I swear that I will tear down wall by wall to find you and put an end to your miserable existence. Do you understand?"
"We'll play your silly game! But you must promise to leave those two alone, especially my Kobayakawa."
{Of course. Now, if everybody agrees, let us set things right, one at a time. Mister Shoji, Mister Ken, and Kachou, I believe that I did inform you that I wanted to help all of you so that you people could get on with your lives peacefully.}
Ahem "Well, you are certainly doing a great job so far. Congrats." Kachou could be quite sarcastic at times. He must somehow pay it back for all the trouble that it had brought him.
{Please, Kachou, we don't have time for this! Allow me to finish first. Let us put aside the issue about me for a while. Do you two remember the actual purpose of coming to this room?}
Ummmm The two knuckleheads had really forgotten their real intention for entering Kachou's quarters. Without Miyuki and even with Natsumi out of the picture, they can't seem to recall no matter how hard they tried. Kachou, who the most clear headed of the three, didn't know in the first place why had the two couples busted him so early in the morning.
{A little recap. The couples have been honest with their other halves the previous night but sadly didn't want to share that honesty with the rest of the station. Probably you people were afraid of either too much or too little attention. This morning, you four devised a conspiracy to silence the truth. That means getting you, my dear Kachou, to comply with their demand of secrecy. Am I right?}
Nakajima and Shoji nodded in agreement. The chief suddenly felt very uneasy at the prospects that he has to face. It wasn't everyday that he get the see the two couples being so close and now they want him to shut up. Call him stubborn, but Kachou wasn't quite happy about just following demands blindly.
"So now you want some secrecy, huh? As far as I know, I'm the figurehead of the traffic department in this station. That makes me your boss. As such, I'll determine what to speculate or not. What makes you think that you can influence me otherwise?"
{You have a good point there. But I believe that their argument is stronger. Mister Shoji, present him the 'evidence'}
With that, Shoji took out five photos from his shirt pocket. He selected one of them at random and placed it on the table for all to see. Just one look at it and Kachou's complexion turned quite blue in an instant. He attempted to secure it but Nakajima's reflexes were much faster. To give our beloved readers some hints, the photos were about some shots in the locker room involving a certain Lieutenant Kinoshita. And the subject of those photos didn't seem to be quite 'presentable' to the general public. The two officers chose to let Kachou simmer down for a while. Shoji has learnt a thing or two about intimidation from being close to Natsumi. He knew that now was the best time to sharpen that skill.
"Ah, Kachou, it isn't wrong to admire somebody, especially somebody of the opposite gender. But you must know that you were swimming in very deep waters right now. I'm sure the good lieutenant would love to get her hands on these depictions of her. I'm also positive that the owner of these photos would get very high regards from her. Right, Kachou?"
"We were just merely fighting fire with fire. As much as you wanted to publicize our relationships, we would feel very compelled to do the same. I hope that we can come up with an agreement on this matter. We really wanted privacy this time. If you chose to respect ours, we would also do the same to yours. The decision is yours, choose wisely."
Kachou had literally frozen himself in an iceberg. He knew that he was beaten; to let his cool image shattered by this scandal was not worth it. He began to melt slowly, slumping in his seat. They had really hit home this time, or paid him back in his own coin, as the expression goes.
"Alright! All right! You guys win, happy? I swear to keep whatever I knew about last night a secret among us. There will not be a sixth person to know about this. Is that to your satisfaction?"
{Correction: there will not be a 'seventh' person to know about it. I, on my part, could certainly zip up if you really wanted it that way. Just knowing that you people are together is ample compensation for me.}
"What if you tell the eighth or the ninth?"
Grrrr "Fine, I would not tell any living person about it, Ok?"
"That will do. Just make sure that you are a man of your words. Here, take this back and make sure you keep them somewhere safe. Otherwise, we can't really deny its presence."
"All you need to do is to act normally. If anyone inquires about our 'outing', just tell them that we had a vehicle malfunction and couldn't proceed with our plan. Thankfully you were 'passing by' and offered us a ride to the station because we remembered that we still have some unfinished reports to file. We were unable to return because of the storm and chose to spend the night at our respective desks, maintaining proper distance with each other. No spicing up, or else." mockingly sliced his neck with his finger
Kachou swallowed hard. He knew that this was an easier-said-than-done task. But he knew just as well that his reputation was at stake. If word gets out about his 'obsession', he would not only have to answer to the rest of his subordinates but to the higher ups as well. His career would be smeared. And to top things up, Kinoshita would blacklist him and he didn't knew if he could live with that consequence. Shoji took him out of his reverie by giving him further instructions.
"The story about me and Natsumi must go something like this. My flight was delayed, so I returned to the station at around 11 p.m. That is when I met my unexpected welcoming party, consisting of Natsumi, Nakajima and Kobayakawa under very strange circumstances. Naturally we were hungry and proceeded to chow down an entire week's worth of snacks. Think of it as a reunion party. We chatted about our lives until the break of dawn, which will explain our absence from work today."
Shoji invented the last part of the script by himself, seeing that they were all tired and needed some R&R (rest and relaxation). Nakajima agreed with the leave and chuckled at the growing list of demands that Kachou would have to agree on. Both of them waited for his answer.
"Understood. I will convey your script to any person who asks about it, being extra careful with Yoriko and Aoi. I will not divulge anything about the confessions. Other than that, the four of you are granted sick leave for a day. Come back tomorrow."
"YEAH!!" high five
"Couples one." "Kachou zero."
On hearing the voices of their beloved, Nakajima and Shoji turned around only to receive a wet smooch on the lips by Miyuki and Natsumi respectively. It negated any words of joy. The gesture was enough to show them how relieved they were. It even made Kachou turn away in embarrassment. They only parted from each other after two full minutes.
[Traffic Control Department Office, 9.25 a.m.]
"Aoi-chan, have you seen Kachou, Natsumi, Miyuki or Nakajima?"
"Ah, Yoriko-chan, I'm afraid that I had not seen either one. What's wrong?"
"They're aren't here! Don't they know that they were late for more than an hour already?"
"Maybe they're a bit tied up this morning."
"I don't think so. Nobody answered the phone at their homes. I think that they're up to something again."
"Yoriko-chan, don't you think it's time for us to go on patrol?"
"Patrol duty can wait. Right now, our job is to find out what is going on between those four. Hehehe." glasses twinkling
[Kachou's Quarters, 7.27 a.m.]
In the back of their minds, they knew that there is still one unresolved issue that must be settled right here and right now. From the time that they were pouring their hearts out last night until now, something has been watching them diligently. The chill that had long gone was beginning to return. The Heart of Bokuto was always present with them, like a loyal canine to its master.
If a building could clap and cheer, it just did.
{Fore mostly, congratulations on a job well done. I didn't expect that it will end so nicely, but that's all for the better I suppose.}
Bokuto was about to continue when it saw the sour expressions on everybody's faces. It needs to do something to clear up this misunderstanding and it needs to do so fast. Natsumi looks as if she was ready to kill, cracking her knuckles very audibly.
{If I could, I would have been begging on my knees already. Please make this easier for me. I know that I have no right to interfere with your lives but sometimes even extra-terrestrial beings such as myself get restless. What can I do to convince you of my good intentions?}
"If you know what's good for you, the only answer would be 'nothing'. Even if you didn't interfere with us last night, I still would have told Kobayakawa about my true feelings for her. Who needs you?"
"He is right. We hate to be such 'ingrates' but you seemed not to understand that we were quite shaken up by you and your revelations as well your self-proclaimed role of cupid."
"Not to mention the generous change in the room climate." creak
"Bokuto-san, perhaps it is best that you leave things alone. I understand that you might have sincere intentions to help Nakajima and me. But, try as you might, you can't take away all the misfortunes and disasters that awaits us. Instead, you might even worsen it in the process. All living things are born with a basic ability: the right to determine its own destiny. Just as much as you want to determine your own path, we have our own way to go. How we walk the road before us, it's up to us to decide."
Hearing all that, Bokuto knew that somehow, it has made mistakes. Nothing is perfect. It knew that it would need time to ponder about the wisdom behind their words. At first, it was sad that the couples that it tried to help only ended up with more suffering. Now, it must choose a new way of life before it is too late to make amends.
{Tell me then, what should I do? What could I do to make up for my mistakes?}
"As Nakajima said, nothing. Or, as Kobayakawa said, you choose. All they wanted to tell you is that you should be more concerned about yourself. Do you really intend to continue doing what you were doing for, let's say, an eternity?"
{It's not that I don't want to know about myself and my real purpose in this world. Where else do you think you can find talking buildings with ultra-unreal abilities? I had no company for such a long time, even in a station filled with people and emotions. If you were in my position instead, how much better do you think you would've done?}
At those words, our five officers couldn't help but feel a little sorry for this entity. The realization hit them like a speeding bullet. If they were really indeed in its shoes, they too would feel that same kind of loneliness. After just merely able to watch and not do anything, the loneliness would gradually evolve into determination to change things as they see fit. So it's true, they would have done exactly the same thing as Bokuto did. Natsumi began to slowly understand, and felt sick at herself for being so inconsiderate. The feeling was quite mutual between the five. A long silence ensured.
[Bokuto PD, first floor, 9.50 a.m.]
"Yoriko-san, I don't know if we should be doing this. I mean, what if they were really sick and couldn't answer the phone..."
"All four at once? That's rather hard to believe. And I got to know from the cafeteria lady that they were indeed here this morning. And guess what?"
"I have no idea."
"Tokairin was with them. Just like he mentioned in that postcard yesterday, he was back to Bokuto PD and Natsumi kept it from us like a selfish child. No, more like a selfish lover it seems. Hmm."
"Then they could've taken the day off for a little R&R among themselves. Nothing's strange about it."
"Negative. Everything about them is strange, especially when all of them are missing at the same time. And I, Nikaido Yoriko, would stop at nothing to uncover the whole truth. Come on! I believe that some janitors said they saw them in the station some two hours ago. They must still be here. I could sense them. Wahahaha!" sweat drop from Aoi
[Kachou's Quarters, 9.55 a.m.]
Nobody had budged for nearly 10 minutes. All those who were present are knitting their eyebrows, deep in thought. There was one exception though. One who was knitting her eyebrows but her mouth was visibly chewing on some candy bar. This one couldn't take the pressure for another second and breaks the silence with a huge BURP.
"Natsumi! We're wrecking our brains trying to figure something serious here. We would appreciate it if you were a little more conducive. For example, sitting still for once."
"Hey, no need to snap at me! I know I'm no good when it comes to thinking but you can't expect me to portray a Japanese Doll all the time. Everybody got to do something."
"Now, now, Kobayakawa was just saying that Tsujimoto could at least do some brain-storming and perhaps come up with a good opinion or two."
"I only hope that I could live long enough to witness that memorable moment. Ha!"
"That's a good one, Kachou. Maybe she should get some thinking aids first."
Bwahahahaha Kachou and Shoji were looking for a little excursion, which they found in teasing Natsumi's brain department. What can be said about those two is that they aren't really going to be much wiser as the two heads connected with one together literally with the strength of one Tsujimoto Natsumi. The impact made a sickening-to-others-but-gratifying-to- Natsumi sound. What followed next was heated bickering between the three which soon escalated to five as the noise level increased ten-fold, causing the serious couple to loose their much needed concentration. Exchanges of strong words soon turned into exchanges of strong and not-so-strong blows. When the dust finally settled again, they were pretty much covered in bruises and anime plasters.
{Hey, people. That's what always happens when I don't intervene. I hope I had made a point there. Seeing you people fight is no more entertaining than watching those fake wrestling shows you get so often in television; mindless violence but not actually violence, just a show of childishness in big grown-ups.}
"Bokuto-san, didn't you agree to shut up until we have come up with a verdict?"
{Excuse me, miss Miyuki. But you also said that you people would discuss the matter in a civilized and mature way. That little argument just now tells me a different story. Hmm?}
"Just shut your lid before I do it myself!" Natsumi wasn't some plucky girl that you can string along. Instead you will be one who is 'stringed' if you ended up on her wrong side.
"Come here, Tsujimoto! We'll be having our serious meeting now."
With that, the five officers were huddled up in a corner, talking in quick, silent whispers so that our readers couldn't make out the conversation. That applies to Bokuto as well; its powers are useless when confronted with the "Plot Device" TM. After a minute or so of intelligent discussion, the five officers nodded their heads, followed by a short cackle of evil laughter. Bokuto could only wonder what diabolical scheme they had in store for it, sporting a sweat drop if a building could do so. Slowly but surely, they laid out the fruits of their discussion. Miyuki went first, of course.
"Bokuto-san, after that discussion, we came up with a final verdict. You, the Heart of Bokuto, are found NOT guilty of trying to bend us to your will. We chose to believe your good intentions to help us by giving you a chance to prove yourself as a dependable ally."
{Really? Does that you mean that you people are ready to accept me?}
"Not so fast. You really think that we are going to just let go of that incident involving drastic changes in the room temperature? Think again, smart guy."
Natsumi had only agreed because Shoji had to practically kiss the anger out of her. Poor Tokairin will need some lip balm for a while.
"We want you to do something for us."
Kachou had a way of ordering people around that even the rest of the officers were nodding their heads in compliance.
{Agreed. I will do my utmost. Please give me your instructions.}
"Since we all have our little secrets to keep and want as much privacy as possible, we want you to be our 'safe keeper' for an indefinite amount of time. Also, you are not allowed to make sudden environmental changes without our prior consent. Please make a mental report to us first before doing anything."
sigh {Yes, I think that I can do that; I suppose that you would like me to start as soon as possible. Is that right?}
"Of course! You're officially our employee from now onwards."
{Then I suggest that you better start looking for cover. One Nikaido Yoriko and another Futaba Aoi are on their way here. ETA is 20 seconds.}
"WHAT?!!"
It is only then that they remembered the time. Time for work had long past and it is only natural that their co-workers would be suspicious if their chief had gone missing with three of his subordinates. They were now in a state of panic; everything that they had so painstakingly planned would go down the drain if Yoriko finds them here.
{Everybody, calm down. Listen, miss Miyuki and mister Ken will hide in the wardrobe while miss Natsumi and mister Shoji will take refuge under the bed. Kachou will pretend that his stomach had disagreed with him badly. To your positions, quick!}
In a blink of an eye, they were well into hiding. They didn't even realize that Bokuto had deliberately placed the two couples with each other so that they wouldn't be so afraid and even if worse comes to worse, at least the pairings were correct. All the couples need to do now is wait.
Yoriko and Aoi didn't even bother to knock. Instead of avoiding embarrassing situations, they were actually looking for it. They slowly peered into the room for their suspects. Seeing no one inside, they were about to leave when they heard the sound of water flushing coming from the bathroom. Kachou appeared from it a moment later, looking like he had dumped the load of a lifetime.
"Now what are you two doing here? Don't you have patrol duty right about now? I'm beginning to think that you two really like to write apologies. If not, resume your duty immediately."
"But Kachou, Yoriko-chan and I were really worried this morning when not only you but Miyuki-chan, Natsumi-chan and Nakajima-kun were missing from work as well. Did you know why?"
"To satisfy your curiosity, I've had such a terrible stomach ache this morning that I didn't leave the toilet for nearly an hour. After that, I was so tired that I had accidentally fallen asleep in that position until your arrival woke me up. As for the other three, I had granted them a day off because of some tiring night case yesterday. They were probably too sound asleep right now to answer any phone calls. Now I suggest that you return to your duty before I permanently remove you from it. Understand?"
"Right away, Kachou. Come on, Yoriko-chan. We at least know the reason behind their absense so let's get back to work."
"Aww, Aoi-chan, you're no fun. Well, at least my curiosity is satisfied now."
Just when the two had turned around, they seemed to hear more than one sigh of relief. It couldn't have come from Kachou only. They knew that he was hiding something. Yoriko's glasses gleamed as she spurned around quickly.
"Oh, Kachou, there's just one more thing. I got word that Senior Officer Tokairin is back but there's no trace of him this morning. Do you have any idea why?"
"Well, alright I'll tell you. Make sure that you don't tell anybody in the traffic department. The return of Tokairin was supposed to be a pleasant surprise for the rest of them. We're having a party to celebrate his return. Do you understand perfectly?"
Both of them nodded knowingly.
"Good. Now, GET BACK TO WORK!"
In an instant, they were out of sight. Kachou took precautions by making sure that they had driven out of the driveway with their patrol car before letting his guard down. He was supposed to give the all-green sign but decided to do a little 'investigating' of his own. Placing an ear on the wardrobe door, he could hear slight some slight shuffling sounds followed by a burst of muffled giggles. This he must see with his own eyes. But when he opened the wardrobe suddenly, he only found the two standing there patiently. The scenario didn't match the sounds a second ago. While he was standing there dumfounded, Nakajima had taken Miyuki out, hand in hand. Natsumi and Shoji left at their own discretion as well.
Miyuki, Nakajima, Natsumi, and Shoji knew that they had gained a new ally; a friend they could trust. They were ready to pardon it for its slight misdeeds in knowing that now their secrets were a little safer under its care.
"Thanks, Bokuto-san, you really are a life-saver. I couldn't imagine what damage Yoriko could have caused if she finds us there."
{Anything for my dear officers.}
"So I assume that you would have no complaints about your new job, friend?"
{Yes, miss Natsumi. However, there is this issue about you coming late for work.}
"Am I hearing what I think I'm hearing?" creak
Gulp {No, miss Natsumi, I was just merely babbling incoherently} sweat drop
"I think that this is going to be a beautiful and lasting friendship. Right, Nakajima?"
"Couldn't agree more myself, Tokairin. Bokuto, we're here to back you up just as you were there for us just now."
{Anytime, pal, anytime. Just call me and I'll be there.}
"Friends forever!" chorused the four in unison.
[FIN]
Author's Notes:
1) Finally this series is over. In total, it took me a week's worth of free time to write this fic. It wasn't supposed to break new grounds, but I hope that you have enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed typing it. Sure, the finger and shoulder cramps were nothing to brag about, but the satisfaction from a job well done is like no other.
2) The author would like to profusely apologize for any spelling or grammar mistakes. As much as I think I can rely on Word to help me, there will always be errors, which were deeply regretted.
3) Originally, the author wanted to keep the YUA characters true to their TV depictions but decided that it was impossible to do so in expanding the plot. So, blame the "Plot Device" TM for any 'OOC'ness in this chapter.
4) Any sort of typed-feedback is greatly appreciated. Good or Bad. Just be gentle on the server or my friends are going to complain about the mail host 'not liking' them or something of that sort. Here: [xm_lee@yahoo.com]
5) Hope to see you again real soon. The author is now currently busy studying for a public exam this year and perhaps won't have time to write another fic for quite some time.
6) What new terror awaits our beloved officers in the next fic by me? Stay tuned!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in my works. You're Under Arrest characters belong to Kosuke Fujishima and Co. Everything below is purely fictional, any similarity is purely coincidental and not intended. Lastly, please don't sure me as I don't have much money.
Chapter 5: Acceptance Game
Bokuto was truly heart-broken, seeing that its direct approach seemed only to bring more misery to its beloved officers. Currently, Kachou, Nakajima, Natsumi, Miyuki and Tokairin have been under its direct supervision for nearly half-an-hour already. The atmosphere was so tense, that if walls were made of glass, it would have shattered to shards in no time. Bokuto knew that it must do some cheering up if it were to discuss the matter maturely.
{I see that you people may not be ready to accept my allegations yet. It is understandable but let me state that I have my reasons for doing what I did. Perhaps all of you should lighten up a little. Let me also state that I have a poor sense of humor, so how about playing a little game?}
Natsumi, who was quite contented just being in close proximity to Shoji, got very agitated at that voice which she had quickly grown to hate. Turning to its general direction, she decided to give this so-called-god a piece of her mind.
"Well, well, games huh? Hasn't it already started? Perhaps its time for Round two, huh? STOP IT! We don't have time for this nonsense; just finish whatever you wanted to do with us. Just know that I have no regrets of dying now! We will cherish our last moments together to the best that we CAN!"
However, she didn't realize that she was half-choking Shoji to death by the collar. She didn't know where else to direct her intense anger other than the nearest humanoid to her, it didn't matter even if it was her parents who were under her grasp. The poor man had already turned purple when the other three managed to subdue her. 'Sorry Natsumi' was the last words she heard before everything went black. A single well-placed jab to the cranium was enough to KO Natsumi, courtesy of Kachou.
"You don't have to do so! It's just Natsumi being well.Natsumi!"
"Shoji-kun, your woman is suffering from mild hysteria. In that condition, she was not in the right presence of mind and could therefore only prove to be dangerous to anyone of us. You have first-handedly experienced just now that even you were no exception. I only acted for our general benefit. Am I understood perfectly, Mr. Tokairin?"
"I suppose you were right. Sorry for the outburst. Let's hope that she could get enough rest to calm her mind."
"Sure thing, partner."
Bokuto didn't know why things could only get uglier than it already was. That's the last thing it needed right now, getting on everybody's nerves. It seemed like a curse to him. But it knew that it couldn't stop now, otherwise a perfect opportunity would be lost forever. It wasn't about to let itself cry over split milk but instead was determined to help remedy the situation before it gets out of control.
{I must really apologize to everyone. I know that this might be too sudden to digest all this information in one go. I also know some people would need more time to get used to the truth than others. Let me say that I had sincerely wanted to help all of you; because the four of you made it sound like the end of the world was coming or something. Before I go on, allow me to compensate for any misfortunes caused.}
Seeing her partner down didn't do much to improve the mood of a half- angry and half-confused Miyuki. However, she has much more control over her emotions and certainly couldn't bring herself to release her tension on her one true love. Nakajima was indeed a pure sight to behold; half-trembling inside but tried to look tough on the exterior. Her handsome knight was holding her closely while relying on his shades to cover his fear. Just seeing him trying his best to console and protect her, Miyuki knew that she could leave things to him; she then passed out as well.
"KOBAYAKAWA! What's wrong? Please wake up, oh please please please..Kobayakawa!"
"Nakajima! Get a hold of yourself. Kobayakawa is just merely tired trying to swallow everything at once. You know how grounded she is on her science. Anything out of theory would only short her circuits out. Just let her sit this one through, ok?"
Nakajima Ken knew that Kachou was right. Brushing Miyuki's silky long hair, he felt like he was holding an angel in his arms. Nakajima looked at her beautiful face and could barely discern a slight contour in her lips, smiling at him. Even in this passive form, Miyuki was radiating her kind and gentle nature. Nakajima felt useless just being able to see her like this and do nothing for her. He stood up.
"Kachou! Requesting permission to allow Kobayakawa to use your bed."
"Same here for Natsumi."
"Granted. Let me help you."
But before Kachou could further extend his goodwill to help the two males, they had already laid their precious sweethearts side by side on his luxurious double bed. Making sure that they were as comfortable as possible, they each gave a final kiss on the foreheads of their respective girl friends. They, including Kachou, knew that it was up to them now to confront this entity. Tokairin Shoji started first.
"I don't know what you want. BUT, if you so much so as touch a single hair on Natsumi's head, I swear that I will tear down wall by wall to find you and put an end to your miserable existence. Do you understand?"
"We'll play your silly game! But you must promise to leave those two alone, especially my Kobayakawa."
{Of course. Now, if everybody agrees, let us set things right, one at a time. Mister Shoji, Mister Ken, and Kachou, I believe that I did inform you that I wanted to help all of you so that you people could get on with your lives peacefully.}
Ahem "Well, you are certainly doing a great job so far. Congrats." Kachou could be quite sarcastic at times. He must somehow pay it back for all the trouble that it had brought him.
{Please, Kachou, we don't have time for this! Allow me to finish first. Let us put aside the issue about me for a while. Do you two remember the actual purpose of coming to this room?}
Ummmm The two knuckleheads had really forgotten their real intention for entering Kachou's quarters. Without Miyuki and even with Natsumi out of the picture, they can't seem to recall no matter how hard they tried. Kachou, who the most clear headed of the three, didn't know in the first place why had the two couples busted him so early in the morning.
{A little recap. The couples have been honest with their other halves the previous night but sadly didn't want to share that honesty with the rest of the station. Probably you people were afraid of either too much or too little attention. This morning, you four devised a conspiracy to silence the truth. That means getting you, my dear Kachou, to comply with their demand of secrecy. Am I right?}
Nakajima and Shoji nodded in agreement. The chief suddenly felt very uneasy at the prospects that he has to face. It wasn't everyday that he get the see the two couples being so close and now they want him to shut up. Call him stubborn, but Kachou wasn't quite happy about just following demands blindly.
"So now you want some secrecy, huh? As far as I know, I'm the figurehead of the traffic department in this station. That makes me your boss. As such, I'll determine what to speculate or not. What makes you think that you can influence me otherwise?"
{You have a good point there. But I believe that their argument is stronger. Mister Shoji, present him the 'evidence'}
With that, Shoji took out five photos from his shirt pocket. He selected one of them at random and placed it on the table for all to see. Just one look at it and Kachou's complexion turned quite blue in an instant. He attempted to secure it but Nakajima's reflexes were much faster. To give our beloved readers some hints, the photos were about some shots in the locker room involving a certain Lieutenant Kinoshita. And the subject of those photos didn't seem to be quite 'presentable' to the general public. The two officers chose to let Kachou simmer down for a while. Shoji has learnt a thing or two about intimidation from being close to Natsumi. He knew that now was the best time to sharpen that skill.
"Ah, Kachou, it isn't wrong to admire somebody, especially somebody of the opposite gender. But you must know that you were swimming in very deep waters right now. I'm sure the good lieutenant would love to get her hands on these depictions of her. I'm also positive that the owner of these photos would get very high regards from her. Right, Kachou?"
"We were just merely fighting fire with fire. As much as you wanted to publicize our relationships, we would feel very compelled to do the same. I hope that we can come up with an agreement on this matter. We really wanted privacy this time. If you chose to respect ours, we would also do the same to yours. The decision is yours, choose wisely."
Kachou had literally frozen himself in an iceberg. He knew that he was beaten; to let his cool image shattered by this scandal was not worth it. He began to melt slowly, slumping in his seat. They had really hit home this time, or paid him back in his own coin, as the expression goes.
"Alright! All right! You guys win, happy? I swear to keep whatever I knew about last night a secret among us. There will not be a sixth person to know about this. Is that to your satisfaction?"
{Correction: there will not be a 'seventh' person to know about it. I, on my part, could certainly zip up if you really wanted it that way. Just knowing that you people are together is ample compensation for me.}
"What if you tell the eighth or the ninth?"
Grrrr "Fine, I would not tell any living person about it, Ok?"
"That will do. Just make sure that you are a man of your words. Here, take this back and make sure you keep them somewhere safe. Otherwise, we can't really deny its presence."
"All you need to do is to act normally. If anyone inquires about our 'outing', just tell them that we had a vehicle malfunction and couldn't proceed with our plan. Thankfully you were 'passing by' and offered us a ride to the station because we remembered that we still have some unfinished reports to file. We were unable to return because of the storm and chose to spend the night at our respective desks, maintaining proper distance with each other. No spicing up, or else." mockingly sliced his neck with his finger
Kachou swallowed hard. He knew that this was an easier-said-than-done task. But he knew just as well that his reputation was at stake. If word gets out about his 'obsession', he would not only have to answer to the rest of his subordinates but to the higher ups as well. His career would be smeared. And to top things up, Kinoshita would blacklist him and he didn't knew if he could live with that consequence. Shoji took him out of his reverie by giving him further instructions.
"The story about me and Natsumi must go something like this. My flight was delayed, so I returned to the station at around 11 p.m. That is when I met my unexpected welcoming party, consisting of Natsumi, Nakajima and Kobayakawa under very strange circumstances. Naturally we were hungry and proceeded to chow down an entire week's worth of snacks. Think of it as a reunion party. We chatted about our lives until the break of dawn, which will explain our absence from work today."
Shoji invented the last part of the script by himself, seeing that they were all tired and needed some R&R (rest and relaxation). Nakajima agreed with the leave and chuckled at the growing list of demands that Kachou would have to agree on. Both of them waited for his answer.
"Understood. I will convey your script to any person who asks about it, being extra careful with Yoriko and Aoi. I will not divulge anything about the confessions. Other than that, the four of you are granted sick leave for a day. Come back tomorrow."
"YEAH!!" high five
"Couples one." "Kachou zero."
On hearing the voices of their beloved, Nakajima and Shoji turned around only to receive a wet smooch on the lips by Miyuki and Natsumi respectively. It negated any words of joy. The gesture was enough to show them how relieved they were. It even made Kachou turn away in embarrassment. They only parted from each other after two full minutes.
[Traffic Control Department Office, 9.25 a.m.]
"Aoi-chan, have you seen Kachou, Natsumi, Miyuki or Nakajima?"
"Ah, Yoriko-chan, I'm afraid that I had not seen either one. What's wrong?"
"They're aren't here! Don't they know that they were late for more than an hour already?"
"Maybe they're a bit tied up this morning."
"I don't think so. Nobody answered the phone at their homes. I think that they're up to something again."
"Yoriko-chan, don't you think it's time for us to go on patrol?"
"Patrol duty can wait. Right now, our job is to find out what is going on between those four. Hehehe." glasses twinkling
[Kachou's Quarters, 7.27 a.m.]
In the back of their minds, they knew that there is still one unresolved issue that must be settled right here and right now. From the time that they were pouring their hearts out last night until now, something has been watching them diligently. The chill that had long gone was beginning to return. The Heart of Bokuto was always present with them, like a loyal canine to its master.
If a building could clap and cheer, it just did.
{Fore mostly, congratulations on a job well done. I didn't expect that it will end so nicely, but that's all for the better I suppose.}
Bokuto was about to continue when it saw the sour expressions on everybody's faces. It needs to do something to clear up this misunderstanding and it needs to do so fast. Natsumi looks as if she was ready to kill, cracking her knuckles very audibly.
{If I could, I would have been begging on my knees already. Please make this easier for me. I know that I have no right to interfere with your lives but sometimes even extra-terrestrial beings such as myself get restless. What can I do to convince you of my good intentions?}
"If you know what's good for you, the only answer would be 'nothing'. Even if you didn't interfere with us last night, I still would have told Kobayakawa about my true feelings for her. Who needs you?"
"He is right. We hate to be such 'ingrates' but you seemed not to understand that we were quite shaken up by you and your revelations as well your self-proclaimed role of cupid."
"Not to mention the generous change in the room climate." creak
"Bokuto-san, perhaps it is best that you leave things alone. I understand that you might have sincere intentions to help Nakajima and me. But, try as you might, you can't take away all the misfortunes and disasters that awaits us. Instead, you might even worsen it in the process. All living things are born with a basic ability: the right to determine its own destiny. Just as much as you want to determine your own path, we have our own way to go. How we walk the road before us, it's up to us to decide."
Hearing all that, Bokuto knew that somehow, it has made mistakes. Nothing is perfect. It knew that it would need time to ponder about the wisdom behind their words. At first, it was sad that the couples that it tried to help only ended up with more suffering. Now, it must choose a new way of life before it is too late to make amends.
{Tell me then, what should I do? What could I do to make up for my mistakes?}
"As Nakajima said, nothing. Or, as Kobayakawa said, you choose. All they wanted to tell you is that you should be more concerned about yourself. Do you really intend to continue doing what you were doing for, let's say, an eternity?"
{It's not that I don't want to know about myself and my real purpose in this world. Where else do you think you can find talking buildings with ultra-unreal abilities? I had no company for such a long time, even in a station filled with people and emotions. If you were in my position instead, how much better do you think you would've done?}
At those words, our five officers couldn't help but feel a little sorry for this entity. The realization hit them like a speeding bullet. If they were really indeed in its shoes, they too would feel that same kind of loneliness. After just merely able to watch and not do anything, the loneliness would gradually evolve into determination to change things as they see fit. So it's true, they would have done exactly the same thing as Bokuto did. Natsumi began to slowly understand, and felt sick at herself for being so inconsiderate. The feeling was quite mutual between the five. A long silence ensured.
[Bokuto PD, first floor, 9.50 a.m.]
"Yoriko-san, I don't know if we should be doing this. I mean, what if they were really sick and couldn't answer the phone..."
"All four at once? That's rather hard to believe. And I got to know from the cafeteria lady that they were indeed here this morning. And guess what?"
"I have no idea."
"Tokairin was with them. Just like he mentioned in that postcard yesterday, he was back to Bokuto PD and Natsumi kept it from us like a selfish child. No, more like a selfish lover it seems. Hmm."
"Then they could've taken the day off for a little R&R among themselves. Nothing's strange about it."
"Negative. Everything about them is strange, especially when all of them are missing at the same time. And I, Nikaido Yoriko, would stop at nothing to uncover the whole truth. Come on! I believe that some janitors said they saw them in the station some two hours ago. They must still be here. I could sense them. Wahahaha!" sweat drop from Aoi
[Kachou's Quarters, 9.55 a.m.]
Nobody had budged for nearly 10 minutes. All those who were present are knitting their eyebrows, deep in thought. There was one exception though. One who was knitting her eyebrows but her mouth was visibly chewing on some candy bar. This one couldn't take the pressure for another second and breaks the silence with a huge BURP.
"Natsumi! We're wrecking our brains trying to figure something serious here. We would appreciate it if you were a little more conducive. For example, sitting still for once."
"Hey, no need to snap at me! I know I'm no good when it comes to thinking but you can't expect me to portray a Japanese Doll all the time. Everybody got to do something."
"Now, now, Kobayakawa was just saying that Tsujimoto could at least do some brain-storming and perhaps come up with a good opinion or two."
"I only hope that I could live long enough to witness that memorable moment. Ha!"
"That's a good one, Kachou. Maybe she should get some thinking aids first."
Bwahahahaha Kachou and Shoji were looking for a little excursion, which they found in teasing Natsumi's brain department. What can be said about those two is that they aren't really going to be much wiser as the two heads connected with one together literally with the strength of one Tsujimoto Natsumi. The impact made a sickening-to-others-but-gratifying-to- Natsumi sound. What followed next was heated bickering between the three which soon escalated to five as the noise level increased ten-fold, causing the serious couple to loose their much needed concentration. Exchanges of strong words soon turned into exchanges of strong and not-so-strong blows. When the dust finally settled again, they were pretty much covered in bruises and anime plasters.
{Hey, people. That's what always happens when I don't intervene. I hope I had made a point there. Seeing you people fight is no more entertaining than watching those fake wrestling shows you get so often in television; mindless violence but not actually violence, just a show of childishness in big grown-ups.}
"Bokuto-san, didn't you agree to shut up until we have come up with a verdict?"
{Excuse me, miss Miyuki. But you also said that you people would discuss the matter in a civilized and mature way. That little argument just now tells me a different story. Hmm?}
"Just shut your lid before I do it myself!" Natsumi wasn't some plucky girl that you can string along. Instead you will be one who is 'stringed' if you ended up on her wrong side.
"Come here, Tsujimoto! We'll be having our serious meeting now."
With that, the five officers were huddled up in a corner, talking in quick, silent whispers so that our readers couldn't make out the conversation. That applies to Bokuto as well; its powers are useless when confronted with the "Plot Device" TM. After a minute or so of intelligent discussion, the five officers nodded their heads, followed by a short cackle of evil laughter. Bokuto could only wonder what diabolical scheme they had in store for it, sporting a sweat drop if a building could do so. Slowly but surely, they laid out the fruits of their discussion. Miyuki went first, of course.
"Bokuto-san, after that discussion, we came up with a final verdict. You, the Heart of Bokuto, are found NOT guilty of trying to bend us to your will. We chose to believe your good intentions to help us by giving you a chance to prove yourself as a dependable ally."
{Really? Does that you mean that you people are ready to accept me?}
"Not so fast. You really think that we are going to just let go of that incident involving drastic changes in the room temperature? Think again, smart guy."
Natsumi had only agreed because Shoji had to practically kiss the anger out of her. Poor Tokairin will need some lip balm for a while.
"We want you to do something for us."
Kachou had a way of ordering people around that even the rest of the officers were nodding their heads in compliance.
{Agreed. I will do my utmost. Please give me your instructions.}
"Since we all have our little secrets to keep and want as much privacy as possible, we want you to be our 'safe keeper' for an indefinite amount of time. Also, you are not allowed to make sudden environmental changes without our prior consent. Please make a mental report to us first before doing anything."
sigh {Yes, I think that I can do that; I suppose that you would like me to start as soon as possible. Is that right?}
"Of course! You're officially our employee from now onwards."
{Then I suggest that you better start looking for cover. One Nikaido Yoriko and another Futaba Aoi are on their way here. ETA is 20 seconds.}
"WHAT?!!"
It is only then that they remembered the time. Time for work had long past and it is only natural that their co-workers would be suspicious if their chief had gone missing with three of his subordinates. They were now in a state of panic; everything that they had so painstakingly planned would go down the drain if Yoriko finds them here.
{Everybody, calm down. Listen, miss Miyuki and mister Ken will hide in the wardrobe while miss Natsumi and mister Shoji will take refuge under the bed. Kachou will pretend that his stomach had disagreed with him badly. To your positions, quick!}
In a blink of an eye, they were well into hiding. They didn't even realize that Bokuto had deliberately placed the two couples with each other so that they wouldn't be so afraid and even if worse comes to worse, at least the pairings were correct. All the couples need to do now is wait.
Yoriko and Aoi didn't even bother to knock. Instead of avoiding embarrassing situations, they were actually looking for it. They slowly peered into the room for their suspects. Seeing no one inside, they were about to leave when they heard the sound of water flushing coming from the bathroom. Kachou appeared from it a moment later, looking like he had dumped the load of a lifetime.
"Now what are you two doing here? Don't you have patrol duty right about now? I'm beginning to think that you two really like to write apologies. If not, resume your duty immediately."
"But Kachou, Yoriko-chan and I were really worried this morning when not only you but Miyuki-chan, Natsumi-chan and Nakajima-kun were missing from work as well. Did you know why?"
"To satisfy your curiosity, I've had such a terrible stomach ache this morning that I didn't leave the toilet for nearly an hour. After that, I was so tired that I had accidentally fallen asleep in that position until your arrival woke me up. As for the other three, I had granted them a day off because of some tiring night case yesterday. They were probably too sound asleep right now to answer any phone calls. Now I suggest that you return to your duty before I permanently remove you from it. Understand?"
"Right away, Kachou. Come on, Yoriko-chan. We at least know the reason behind their absense so let's get back to work."
"Aww, Aoi-chan, you're no fun. Well, at least my curiosity is satisfied now."
Just when the two had turned around, they seemed to hear more than one sigh of relief. It couldn't have come from Kachou only. They knew that he was hiding something. Yoriko's glasses gleamed as she spurned around quickly.
"Oh, Kachou, there's just one more thing. I got word that Senior Officer Tokairin is back but there's no trace of him this morning. Do you have any idea why?"
"Well, alright I'll tell you. Make sure that you don't tell anybody in the traffic department. The return of Tokairin was supposed to be a pleasant surprise for the rest of them. We're having a party to celebrate his return. Do you understand perfectly?"
Both of them nodded knowingly.
"Good. Now, GET BACK TO WORK!"
In an instant, they were out of sight. Kachou took precautions by making sure that they had driven out of the driveway with their patrol car before letting his guard down. He was supposed to give the all-green sign but decided to do a little 'investigating' of his own. Placing an ear on the wardrobe door, he could hear slight some slight shuffling sounds followed by a burst of muffled giggles. This he must see with his own eyes. But when he opened the wardrobe suddenly, he only found the two standing there patiently. The scenario didn't match the sounds a second ago. While he was standing there dumfounded, Nakajima had taken Miyuki out, hand in hand. Natsumi and Shoji left at their own discretion as well.
Miyuki, Nakajima, Natsumi, and Shoji knew that they had gained a new ally; a friend they could trust. They were ready to pardon it for its slight misdeeds in knowing that now their secrets were a little safer under its care.
"Thanks, Bokuto-san, you really are a life-saver. I couldn't imagine what damage Yoriko could have caused if she finds us there."
{Anything for my dear officers.}
"So I assume that you would have no complaints about your new job, friend?"
{Yes, miss Natsumi. However, there is this issue about you coming late for work.}
"Am I hearing what I think I'm hearing?" creak
Gulp {No, miss Natsumi, I was just merely babbling incoherently} sweat drop
"I think that this is going to be a beautiful and lasting friendship. Right, Nakajima?"
"Couldn't agree more myself, Tokairin. Bokuto, we're here to back you up just as you were there for us just now."
{Anytime, pal, anytime. Just call me and I'll be there.}
"Friends forever!" chorused the four in unison.
[FIN]
Author's Notes:
1) Finally this series is over. In total, it took me a week's worth of free time to write this fic. It wasn't supposed to break new grounds, but I hope that you have enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed typing it. Sure, the finger and shoulder cramps were nothing to brag about, but the satisfaction from a job well done is like no other.
2) The author would like to profusely apologize for any spelling or grammar mistakes. As much as I think I can rely on Word to help me, there will always be errors, which were deeply regretted.
3) Originally, the author wanted to keep the YUA characters true to their TV depictions but decided that it was impossible to do so in expanding the plot. So, blame the "Plot Device" TM for any 'OOC'ness in this chapter.
4) Any sort of typed-feedback is greatly appreciated. Good or Bad. Just be gentle on the server or my friends are going to complain about the mail host 'not liking' them or something of that sort. Here: [xm_lee@yahoo.com]
5) Hope to see you again real soon. The author is now currently busy studying for a public exam this year and perhaps won't have time to write another fic for quite some time.
6) What new terror awaits our beloved officers in the next fic by me? Stay tuned!