The Next Evening:
Tsukushi waited nervously outside her apartment for the boys to show up for their dinner date. She was beginning to wonder if it really was such a great idea to get so friendly with them, after all who knew just what they might think they were entitled to do after dinner? She shrugged this thought off briskly, "they're not fools, and neither am I." She affirmed, "We're just going out for dinner, and dancing, and a few laughs; it'll be fun. We're almost old friends after all". Just then, Soujiro's limo pulled up; Akira stepped out to hold the door for her, but stumbled in shock as he took in her appearance. Tsukushi had chosen a classic 'little-black-dress' to wear this evening; its form fitting elegance and clean lines made her look every bit the young beauty. The ruby Saturn necklace she almost always wore didn't quite complement the look, so she'd set it aside for the evening, a pang of regret gnawing at her heart at this symbolic displacement. Instead, she wore a simple silver choker: no memories yet attached to its length.
Tsukushi smiled at Akira's obvious startlement, and ducked down to enter the car. Inside she was surprised to see that Rui was tagging along too. She blushed bright red as she caught him staring at her.
"Wow, Tsukushi," Rui smiled, "you never dress up this nice for me, but for these jokers you pull out all the stops?" He teased gently, never taking his eyes off her face.
"What . What are you doing here?" Tsukushi stammered.
Rui just smiled a mysterious smile, thinking, "Well, now I couldn't just leave you alone with this pair, now could I? When I heard what they were up to I invited myself along. I know you better than anyone, Tsukushi. If I'm not here to look out for you, you're sure to do something you'll regret." At this a confused expression flashed across his face, "though I'm honestly not quite sure what you think you're up to this time." He finished his thought.
Soujiro interrupted this silent communication to leer, "Sorry this fool has to ruin our date, Makino. I guess we'll have to make it a foursome after all."
"Don't worry, I'll protect you from these creeps," Akira slid in, next to Tsukushi, and eased his arm over her shoulder protectively. At this intrusion both Rui and Tsukushi looked startled, and Tsukushi straightened up somewhat uncomfortably in the seat.
"Well this isn't working out quite how I'd planned it," Tsukushi thought as the car sped off towards their destination. "but then, nothing ever does seem to work out right in my life, does it? Anyway, the night has only just begun."
The ride to the restaurant passed quickly, despite several uncomfortable silences, as the four of them pondered their goals. At last, the limo deposited their party outside a chic little French bistro.
As the group entered the restaurant, Rui took Tsukushi by the arm to escort her to her seat. Behind them, Soujiro hissed at Akira "This is Not going at all according to plan."
"Don't blame me," Akira whispered back, "It wasn't me who told Rui we were taking Makino out tonight. You're the one who can never keep his mouth shut."
"Ah fuck you too," Soujiro muttered, as they sat down.
They read their menus in silence. Finally, Tsukushi spoke up, "Umm. . . I don't recognize any of this stuff, can one of you help me to order, please?"
Soujiro, who was sitting on Tsukushi's left, grinned confidently; "let me handle this." He casually brushed his hair out of his eyes, as he slid his chair closer to Makino. Insinuating himself into her personal space, he began to explain each of the unfamiliar terms as he pointed them out on the menu. Casually he put his other arm over the back of her chair, and moved in even closer, till his knee was just brushing her leg. Rui, sitting on Tsukushi's left, merely rolled his eyes at Akira, who shrugged eloquently, as if to say, "ya gotta pick your battles."
Tsukushi tensed as she felt Soujiro inch closer; she felt overwhelmed by his clean, sharp predatory scent; nothing at all like Rui's cool mellow aura, or Doumyouji's tang of freshly scrubbed brimstone. But she remembered that she was here to enjoy herself, so she smiled brightly up at him and said, "You understand this all so much better than me; why don't you choose something you think I'll like?"
"It would be my pleasure," Soujiro replied gallantly, his handsome features breaking into a devastating smile.
Across the table Akira mimed being blinded by the glare unleashed by Soujiro's grin. Rui merely crossed his arms and started to look grim.
Unfortunately for Soujiro, once the food was ordered, he no longer had an excuse to sit so close to Makino, and so reluctantly he returned to his rightful place.
Unbeknownst to all, lurking in a dark booth across the room, a furious Doumyouji fought violently against the two girls who held him down. "I'll kill him! Did you see the way he touched her? She smiled at him! How could he do this to me?"
"Shut up and sit down!" Sakurako hissed angrily, "We're invisible remember? Invisible!"
Shigeru who was holding Doumyouji down by the simple expedient of sitting on him added, "If you make too much noise, they're going to look over here. And do you really want them to see you like This?" With which words she proceeded to wrap her arms around Tsuakasa's neck. "Now be quiet or I'll kiss you!"
This threat finally quieted Doumyouji, and he managed to lower his tone to a plaintive whisper, "But what does she think she's doing, letting him touch her like that?"
"I think Makino's having fun," Sakurako opined. "She's got three guys there, at least two of whom really know how to treat a girl right, unlike some idiots I could name!" this last remark was punctuated by a sharp kick to Doumyouji's shin.
"Exactly!" Shigeru chimed in, "And if anyone deserves to be treated well, after all they've been through, it's Tsukushi!"
This not-so-subtle brainwashing had the intended effect of making Tsukasa feel even worse than before. "I have to remember not to piss off these girls," he thought. "They're way too good at this sort of torture."
Across the restaurant, dinner segued into dessert. The four friends had finally settled into their roles for the evening, and the tensions that had begun the date were easing off. Of course, the wine they'd had with dinner was probably responsible for much of this mellowing.
Akira regaled them with a story of one of his sillier mishaps involving a married woman, her husband, and his mistress; Tsukushi's eyes were sparkling as she gazed across the table; watching his reenactments with avid interest. Akira knew this technique well, and had used it many times with great success; make yourself seem a harmless fool, a warmhearted and sweet teddy-bear, and the women will come flocking. Of course, his wavy red hair, and charming good looks never hurt either. And he could see, his tale- spinning had drawn Tsukushi in, despite herself.
Rui was being characteristically silent. Who knew what thoughts were circulating behind his opaque eyes? Now and again, he would turn quizzically towards Tsukushi, and stare at her in some wonderment, as she busied herself taking in the food, the wine, the company, to their fullest extent.
Soujiro was somewhat annoyed at the turn events had taken, but as he leaned back in his chair, he had to admit, Akira had great technique. Perhaps he might have to borrow some of Akira's stories for his own ends. Of course, it was true, Soujiro's methods of seduction had always been more based on his suave confidence and knowledge of how to give a girl just what she wanted before she even asked. But hell, nothing like varying the format a bit, once in a while-just to keep the plays more interesting. . . . Though of course, the result was always the same, whichever technique the boys used. . . It was in this vein that his thoughts drifted, as he listened to the soothing rise and fall of Akira's voice.
As for Tsukushi herself, now that she'd allowed herself to relax at last; she was enjoying herself immensely. "Of course, it's not the same as a date with Doumyouji, and I'd never do anything perverted with Nishikado or Mimasaka, but still." she thought, with some satisfaction, "It's no wonder they're so successful with the girls. I never realized just how much fun a date with these charmers could be." The stress of her daily life, and the anger she'd felt ever since Doumyouji had dumped her melted away in the candlelight as she immersed herself in the sensations of the night.
In his dark corner, Doumyouji sat and glared silently; not at all liking the way the evening was shaping up, "What is this? First Soujiro, now Akira? Are they all going to have their way with her before the night is up?" he muttered angrily.
"They're getting ready to leave," Shigeru whispered, "Sakurako, go follow them and see where they're headed. Call us when you get there-I need to give Tsukasa a lesson in subtlety before we arrive on the scene."
"Will do!" Sakurako chirped, and stealthily followed the foursome out into the night.
To be continued..
Tsukushi waited nervously outside her apartment for the boys to show up for their dinner date. She was beginning to wonder if it really was such a great idea to get so friendly with them, after all who knew just what they might think they were entitled to do after dinner? She shrugged this thought off briskly, "they're not fools, and neither am I." She affirmed, "We're just going out for dinner, and dancing, and a few laughs; it'll be fun. We're almost old friends after all". Just then, Soujiro's limo pulled up; Akira stepped out to hold the door for her, but stumbled in shock as he took in her appearance. Tsukushi had chosen a classic 'little-black-dress' to wear this evening; its form fitting elegance and clean lines made her look every bit the young beauty. The ruby Saturn necklace she almost always wore didn't quite complement the look, so she'd set it aside for the evening, a pang of regret gnawing at her heart at this symbolic displacement. Instead, she wore a simple silver choker: no memories yet attached to its length.
Tsukushi smiled at Akira's obvious startlement, and ducked down to enter the car. Inside she was surprised to see that Rui was tagging along too. She blushed bright red as she caught him staring at her.
"Wow, Tsukushi," Rui smiled, "you never dress up this nice for me, but for these jokers you pull out all the stops?" He teased gently, never taking his eyes off her face.
"What . What are you doing here?" Tsukushi stammered.
Rui just smiled a mysterious smile, thinking, "Well, now I couldn't just leave you alone with this pair, now could I? When I heard what they were up to I invited myself along. I know you better than anyone, Tsukushi. If I'm not here to look out for you, you're sure to do something you'll regret." At this a confused expression flashed across his face, "though I'm honestly not quite sure what you think you're up to this time." He finished his thought.
Soujiro interrupted this silent communication to leer, "Sorry this fool has to ruin our date, Makino. I guess we'll have to make it a foursome after all."
"Don't worry, I'll protect you from these creeps," Akira slid in, next to Tsukushi, and eased his arm over her shoulder protectively. At this intrusion both Rui and Tsukushi looked startled, and Tsukushi straightened up somewhat uncomfortably in the seat.
"Well this isn't working out quite how I'd planned it," Tsukushi thought as the car sped off towards their destination. "but then, nothing ever does seem to work out right in my life, does it? Anyway, the night has only just begun."
The ride to the restaurant passed quickly, despite several uncomfortable silences, as the four of them pondered their goals. At last, the limo deposited their party outside a chic little French bistro.
As the group entered the restaurant, Rui took Tsukushi by the arm to escort her to her seat. Behind them, Soujiro hissed at Akira "This is Not going at all according to plan."
"Don't blame me," Akira whispered back, "It wasn't me who told Rui we were taking Makino out tonight. You're the one who can never keep his mouth shut."
"Ah fuck you too," Soujiro muttered, as they sat down.
They read their menus in silence. Finally, Tsukushi spoke up, "Umm. . . I don't recognize any of this stuff, can one of you help me to order, please?"
Soujiro, who was sitting on Tsukushi's left, grinned confidently; "let me handle this." He casually brushed his hair out of his eyes, as he slid his chair closer to Makino. Insinuating himself into her personal space, he began to explain each of the unfamiliar terms as he pointed them out on the menu. Casually he put his other arm over the back of her chair, and moved in even closer, till his knee was just brushing her leg. Rui, sitting on Tsukushi's left, merely rolled his eyes at Akira, who shrugged eloquently, as if to say, "ya gotta pick your battles."
Tsukushi tensed as she felt Soujiro inch closer; she felt overwhelmed by his clean, sharp predatory scent; nothing at all like Rui's cool mellow aura, or Doumyouji's tang of freshly scrubbed brimstone. But she remembered that she was here to enjoy herself, so she smiled brightly up at him and said, "You understand this all so much better than me; why don't you choose something you think I'll like?"
"It would be my pleasure," Soujiro replied gallantly, his handsome features breaking into a devastating smile.
Across the table Akira mimed being blinded by the glare unleashed by Soujiro's grin. Rui merely crossed his arms and started to look grim.
Unfortunately for Soujiro, once the food was ordered, he no longer had an excuse to sit so close to Makino, and so reluctantly he returned to his rightful place.
Unbeknownst to all, lurking in a dark booth across the room, a furious Doumyouji fought violently against the two girls who held him down. "I'll kill him! Did you see the way he touched her? She smiled at him! How could he do this to me?"
"Shut up and sit down!" Sakurako hissed angrily, "We're invisible remember? Invisible!"
Shigeru who was holding Doumyouji down by the simple expedient of sitting on him added, "If you make too much noise, they're going to look over here. And do you really want them to see you like This?" With which words she proceeded to wrap her arms around Tsuakasa's neck. "Now be quiet or I'll kiss you!"
This threat finally quieted Doumyouji, and he managed to lower his tone to a plaintive whisper, "But what does she think she's doing, letting him touch her like that?"
"I think Makino's having fun," Sakurako opined. "She's got three guys there, at least two of whom really know how to treat a girl right, unlike some idiots I could name!" this last remark was punctuated by a sharp kick to Doumyouji's shin.
"Exactly!" Shigeru chimed in, "And if anyone deserves to be treated well, after all they've been through, it's Tsukushi!"
This not-so-subtle brainwashing had the intended effect of making Tsukasa feel even worse than before. "I have to remember not to piss off these girls," he thought. "They're way too good at this sort of torture."
Across the restaurant, dinner segued into dessert. The four friends had finally settled into their roles for the evening, and the tensions that had begun the date were easing off. Of course, the wine they'd had with dinner was probably responsible for much of this mellowing.
Akira regaled them with a story of one of his sillier mishaps involving a married woman, her husband, and his mistress; Tsukushi's eyes were sparkling as she gazed across the table; watching his reenactments with avid interest. Akira knew this technique well, and had used it many times with great success; make yourself seem a harmless fool, a warmhearted and sweet teddy-bear, and the women will come flocking. Of course, his wavy red hair, and charming good looks never hurt either. And he could see, his tale- spinning had drawn Tsukushi in, despite herself.
Rui was being characteristically silent. Who knew what thoughts were circulating behind his opaque eyes? Now and again, he would turn quizzically towards Tsukushi, and stare at her in some wonderment, as she busied herself taking in the food, the wine, the company, to their fullest extent.
Soujiro was somewhat annoyed at the turn events had taken, but as he leaned back in his chair, he had to admit, Akira had great technique. Perhaps he might have to borrow some of Akira's stories for his own ends. Of course, it was true, Soujiro's methods of seduction had always been more based on his suave confidence and knowledge of how to give a girl just what she wanted before she even asked. But hell, nothing like varying the format a bit, once in a while-just to keep the plays more interesting. . . . Though of course, the result was always the same, whichever technique the boys used. . . It was in this vein that his thoughts drifted, as he listened to the soothing rise and fall of Akira's voice.
As for Tsukushi herself, now that she'd allowed herself to relax at last; she was enjoying herself immensely. "Of course, it's not the same as a date with Doumyouji, and I'd never do anything perverted with Nishikado or Mimasaka, but still." she thought, with some satisfaction, "It's no wonder they're so successful with the girls. I never realized just how much fun a date with these charmers could be." The stress of her daily life, and the anger she'd felt ever since Doumyouji had dumped her melted away in the candlelight as she immersed herself in the sensations of the night.
In his dark corner, Doumyouji sat and glared silently; not at all liking the way the evening was shaping up, "What is this? First Soujiro, now Akira? Are they all going to have their way with her before the night is up?" he muttered angrily.
"They're getting ready to leave," Shigeru whispered, "Sakurako, go follow them and see where they're headed. Call us when you get there-I need to give Tsukasa a lesson in subtlety before we arrive on the scene."
"Will do!" Sakurako chirped, and stealthily followed the foursome out into the night.
To be continued..