Under the Right Circumstances…
Chapter 2: Fuuko's Interlude
Test Subject: Kirisawa Fuuko
Aged sixteen, this is one cool oneechan who enjoys combat training as well as playing video games in her spare time. And she wouldn't turn down a good fight or a bowl of pork ramen either. Despite her sometimes bossy and loud-mouthed demeanour, Kirisawa Fuuko has a kind heart and is always ready to help those in need to the best of her abilities.
["Gee, that wasn't very biased at all, was it?" ~K with sarcasm~
"I did add 'bossy' and 'loud-mouthed'!" ~G~
"Now I see the resemblance… ow!" ~K getting punched~]
Fuuko knocked on the door and slid it open. Two pairs of eyes innocently stared back at her as she entered the room. "Thought you guys might like something to eat," she said, setting a plate of cake down on the table.
"Thanks Fuuko-neechan," Ganko said in a sugary voice.
"Yeah, thanks neechan," Kenji said, equally as sweet.
"Uh, no problem," she said and then hurried out. The two of them were giving her the creeps… and what was this weird feeling in her stomach?
Fuuko sighed as she wandered downstairs. She was imagining things. As if sweet little kids like those two would be up to something. She sat down on the couch and flicked through a sports magazine. It wasn't so long ago when she had also been nine years old. Those were days when her mum had been around the house a whole lot more, and when her dad had still been around.
"Still haven't beaten Recca-kun, I see," Kirisawa Seta said with a grin as he took in her ruffled appearance.
"Seta!" her mum scolded, "Don't encourage her!"
"Oh, right," he said meekly, "go to your room, Fuuko." Then he whispered when her mum wasn't looking, "I want to know every detail."
She had also been nine when her dad ran out on her and her mum for another woman.
"Don't worry," her mum had said, dry-eyed, "I'll get a job. We'll cope."
And cope they did, going on with their lives as if nothing had happened. It was funny how life had a habit of throwing you down the deepest, darkest pit so that you'd have to choose whether to climb your way back up or not. Fuuko chose to seek solace in her training, which intensified with her determination to prove that she was strong… to her lost father and to herself. She'd chosen that path. And it was on that path that she'd found Ganko.
Fuuko had never been close to her no-nonsense mother, having inherited her father's easygoing, mischievous nature, and had been even less so after he left; but the little puppet-master had changed all that. The memory of Ganko and Kirisawa Hikaru's first meeting still made her smile.
"This is the girl you were talking about?" Hikaru looked at Ganko appraisingly.
"Yeah, Mum."
"She's quite a little doll, isn't she?" she said sourly. "Are you sure she's nine years old?"
Before Fuuko could answer, Ganko piped, "I'm quite sure I'm nine years old, Mum."
Hikaru suppressed a smile at the girl's boldness. "So you do have a tongue. I hope you know how to behave yourself."
"Sure thing, Mum."
This time Hikaru smiled openly. "That's the second time you've called me that," she said, "are you sure you're comfortable with calling a stranger that?"
"You're not a stranger," Ganko said solemnly, "you're Fuuko-neechan's mum. She's my big sister so you must be my mum."
Fuuko watched the exchange with growing puzzlement. It wasn't going quite as she expected. And that was the first time she'd seen a smile on her mother's face since her father had left. To her surprise, Ganko went even further and hugged her mother. "I'm glad Fuuko-neechan's mum is going to be my mum now," she said.
Hikaru was just as surprised as Fuuko. She looked down at the little girl who had lost so much, just as she and Fuuko had, and felt the tears she'd held in for so long come to her eyes. "It's going to be alright," she whispered, "I'm your mum now…" Then she looked up and smiled at Fuuko as she said, "…we're your family now."
It was funny how a little girl could bring down barriers seven years old between a woman and her daughter with just five sentences and a hug. But then again, Ganko wasn't just any little girl.
Fuuko came back to the present with a start as the phone began to ring loudly. She bounded to the kitchen and grabbed the receiver. "Kirisawa residence," she said, slightly out of breath.
"Fuuko?" Hikaru's voice answered.
"Mum?"
"Yes. I just want to let you two know that I'm off early today, so I'll be back in time for dinner, okay?"
"You will?" Fuuko said, surprised.
"U-huh, I'll pick up something on the way so don't bother cooking."
"That'll be great Mum."
"See you soon."
"Bye."
Fuuko hung up, grinning. It'd been a while since the three of them had dinner together, like a real family. Things sure were looking up for the weekend!
******
"So your mum will play along, right?"
"Yeah, I'm sure she will. What about your brother?"
"Heh, heh. He might not like it, but his owes me a huge favour. His boss absolutely loves him anyway, so it should be no problem. A lot can still go wrong, though. You do realise that if any of them catches on, it's all over, don't you?"
"Yeah, I know, but I don't care. It's all for a good cause."
"You're right. I guess if that happens, there's always plan B."
The two grinned at each other.
******
Fuuko looked up as two pairs of feet thumped down the stairs. "Hey," she said, "finished already?"
"Yup," Kenji replied as he slung his bag over his shoulder, "thanks for having me, neechan."
Fuuko opened the door for him. "No prob," she said, "you okay getting back home?"
"Sure. See you later Morikawa," he said without looking at Ganko, and ran off.
"'Later Gensuki!" Ganko yelled after him.
"So, you two all set?" Fuuko asked as she shut the door.
"Mmmm. When's Mum coming back?"
"You won't believe this, but she's going to be back for dinner."
Ganko grinned at the news. "That's great!"
As if on cue, a muffled thump came from underneath the staircase.
"Kondo!" Fuuko exclaimed, "I completely forgot about him. You think we should let him out?"
Ganko grinned. "Nah," she said, "let's just leave him there for a little while longer. It's not like he's going to starve to death."
"Right." Fuuko re-pocketed the small key then said teasingly, "So… are you going to tell me about the great idea you two came up with, or are you going to change the subject again?"
"Well…" Ganko said slowly, "it's a secret."
"Okay," Fuuko shrugged, "fair enough."
Ganko sighed inwardly. She didn't like concealing things from her oneechan. But the truth was, besides the fact that Fuuko could not know what their idea was, Ganko had the feeling that she definitely would not like it.
Author's note: Geez, I'm glad that's over. Sorry if some bits seem a bit confusing with the constant switch in narrative. This chapter seems a bit out of place, being less light-hearted and all *sigh*. And I still don't know how I'm going to do the next few bits. Please read on anyway and tell me what you think.
On the next chapter, the fun begins!