Chapter 01 - Boston's Beginning
Rich in history, old-world charm and modern vitality, yet Boston is a stranger to the 18-year-old standing along its busy street. "I'm here now," she sighed, "and there's no turning back." Picking up her luggage, Tsukushi make her way to her assigned university - Boston University, College of Arts and Sciences.
Dragging her luggage on the pavement, Tsukushi's thoughts returned to the scene of her last conversation with Tsukasa. The scene reminded her so much of the first time she had left him in the rain. She had fought within herself and she had told him before that she never wanted to repeat the scene again and yet she had done it again when she insisted on coming to Boston. "Tsukasa..." It was the first time she uttered his first name and he was not there to hear it. The autumn wind blew as she stood along the banks of the Charles River, looking beyond it and blinking back her tears.
Taking a deep breath, she turned away from the river to stare at the magnificent building in front of her. "So, this is where I'm going to be for this one year," she muttered quietly, "It's beautiful...How I wish Papa, Mama and Susumu could see this..."
************
"Sojiro, have you seen Tsukasa?" asked Akira as both lazed by the garden bench of Eitoku. Sojiro shook his head and stare blankly into space. "I wonder how's Rui?" he said instead of replying Akira, who shrugged. "Ah, ah...what's happening to the F4?" commented Sojiro, "Rui's in France with Shizuka and Tsukasa no longer comes to school after Makino's departure." Akira nodded. Both fell into silence as they lay back on the bench but it was not long before running footsteps broke this silence. Both looked up and spotted a familiar figure running towards them and exclaimed, "Shigeru!"
"I...finally...found...the...both...of...you," she said as she panted. "Yo! Take a minute to catch your breath," said Sojiro. Akira agreed. It didn't take long for Shigeru to catch her breath before she continued, "I need your help on Tsukasa."
"Huh?" both exclaimed, bewildered. "He's very upset with Tsukushi's departure," said Shigeru as she took a seat next to the guys, "I want to help him but I don't think I can do it alone." Sojiro and Akira sat up straight, tempted by her idea. "So, what do you want us to do?" asked Akira, grinning.
************
"Let's see," muttered Tsukushi softly as she scrutinised the map, "This is Sherborn Street and I need to turn left to Bay State Road...Here it is..." Walking down Bay State Road, Tsukushi admired the brownstones buildings, a reminiscent of turn-of-the-century life in Boston's Back Bay. Autumn leaves lined the floor of the pavement, bringing colours of orange, red and yellow to the road. "A different picture from home," thought Tsukushi as she soaks in the atmosphere.
"Er...Excuse me," said Tsukushi, "Is this the Admissions Reception Centre?" The lady at the counter nodded and asked, "Can I help you?" Tsukushi dug into her bag and pulled out a stack of documents, which she handed over to the lady. After flipping through the papers, the lady looked up and replied, "Wait a minute, please." The lady left with the stack of documents while Tsukushi waited. She appeared shortly again with a package in her hand. "Ms Makino, please sign on this," she said, indicating the column for signatures, "This package holds your university handbook and course schedules. Here are your keys to your dormitory and room."
Tsukushi smiled and took the items. "Your dormitory is not far from here. Just turn to your left and walk straight down," instructed the lady, "You'll see Shelton Hall on the same side of the road." Tsukushi thanked the lady and head out the door. The walk to her dormitory was another 15 minutes or so and Tsukushi couldn't wait to offload her stuff in the room. School doesn't start till next week and she wanted to make use of this week to familiarise herself around the campus and the city.
Her dormitory stood almost at the end of Bay State Road and was originally an apartment hotel built in 1923. Its structure reminded her of the apartment back in Tokyo except for its height and colonial feel. There are nine floors and Tsukushi's room is located on the sixth floor of the building. Rooms are suite style and her room was one of the two attached double rooms with a shared bathroom. "I wonder who's in the next room," she thought as she was uncomfortable with the idea of sharing a bathroom with a stranger, "I hope it's a girl...I don't think a guy would be good..."
Looking around her room, she finds it fully equipped and the window view gave her the city of Boston. Flopping onto her bed, she stared at the ceiling and sighed, "Ah...I think I'm going to like it here. It's a Boston beginning..."
************
"You what?!" exclaimed Sojiro and Akira. "Shh...Not so loud!" hissed Shigeru as she darted her head around to make sure that they were alone, "I managed to find out which university Tsukushi has gone to and arranged for Tsukasa to study there as well."
"How?" asked both Sojiro and Akira disbelievingly. "Well, I have my ways," replied Shigeru proudly. "But what about Tsukasa's mother? She would find out, wouldn't she?" commented Akira. "No worries about that! She's gone back to New York," said Shigeru, "Anyway, I've done all this in secret and I've informed Tsubaki-oneesan about it. She's all for it." Sojiro shook his head and replied, "Don't you think it's a wasted effort? You think their mother wouldn't know?! She's has spies all over the place and you're talking about America where her empire is based!"
"Well, as long as we continue trying to thwart her plan in keeping them apart," said Shigeru nonchalantly, "I'm sure she'll grow tried of it for it will take too much time away from her business and after all, it's her empire she's trying to protect." Sojiro and Akira stared at her and thought hard. "I agree with you," said Akira, "There must be a time she'll grow tired of this. She can't be keeping an eye on her empire if this keeps taking her away. She'll probably realise that it's not worth doing this if it means losing her empire."
Sojiro nodded and replied, "All right then. Let's not waste any more time. How do we get Tsukasa to Boston without being found out?" Shigeru grinned.
Rich in history, old-world charm and modern vitality, yet Boston is a stranger to the 18-year-old standing along its busy street. "I'm here now," she sighed, "and there's no turning back." Picking up her luggage, Tsukushi make her way to her assigned university - Boston University, College of Arts and Sciences.
Dragging her luggage on the pavement, Tsukushi's thoughts returned to the scene of her last conversation with Tsukasa. The scene reminded her so much of the first time she had left him in the rain. She had fought within herself and she had told him before that she never wanted to repeat the scene again and yet she had done it again when she insisted on coming to Boston. "Tsukasa..." It was the first time she uttered his first name and he was not there to hear it. The autumn wind blew as she stood along the banks of the Charles River, looking beyond it and blinking back her tears.
Taking a deep breath, she turned away from the river to stare at the magnificent building in front of her. "So, this is where I'm going to be for this one year," she muttered quietly, "It's beautiful...How I wish Papa, Mama and Susumu could see this..."
************
"Sojiro, have you seen Tsukasa?" asked Akira as both lazed by the garden bench of Eitoku. Sojiro shook his head and stare blankly into space. "I wonder how's Rui?" he said instead of replying Akira, who shrugged. "Ah, ah...what's happening to the F4?" commented Sojiro, "Rui's in France with Shizuka and Tsukasa no longer comes to school after Makino's departure." Akira nodded. Both fell into silence as they lay back on the bench but it was not long before running footsteps broke this silence. Both looked up and spotted a familiar figure running towards them and exclaimed, "Shigeru!"
"I...finally...found...the...both...of...you," she said as she panted. "Yo! Take a minute to catch your breath," said Sojiro. Akira agreed. It didn't take long for Shigeru to catch her breath before she continued, "I need your help on Tsukasa."
"Huh?" both exclaimed, bewildered. "He's very upset with Tsukushi's departure," said Shigeru as she took a seat next to the guys, "I want to help him but I don't think I can do it alone." Sojiro and Akira sat up straight, tempted by her idea. "So, what do you want us to do?" asked Akira, grinning.
************
"Let's see," muttered Tsukushi softly as she scrutinised the map, "This is Sherborn Street and I need to turn left to Bay State Road...Here it is..." Walking down Bay State Road, Tsukushi admired the brownstones buildings, a reminiscent of turn-of-the-century life in Boston's Back Bay. Autumn leaves lined the floor of the pavement, bringing colours of orange, red and yellow to the road. "A different picture from home," thought Tsukushi as she soaks in the atmosphere.
"Er...Excuse me," said Tsukushi, "Is this the Admissions Reception Centre?" The lady at the counter nodded and asked, "Can I help you?" Tsukushi dug into her bag and pulled out a stack of documents, which she handed over to the lady. After flipping through the papers, the lady looked up and replied, "Wait a minute, please." The lady left with the stack of documents while Tsukushi waited. She appeared shortly again with a package in her hand. "Ms Makino, please sign on this," she said, indicating the column for signatures, "This package holds your university handbook and course schedules. Here are your keys to your dormitory and room."
Tsukushi smiled and took the items. "Your dormitory is not far from here. Just turn to your left and walk straight down," instructed the lady, "You'll see Shelton Hall on the same side of the road." Tsukushi thanked the lady and head out the door. The walk to her dormitory was another 15 minutes or so and Tsukushi couldn't wait to offload her stuff in the room. School doesn't start till next week and she wanted to make use of this week to familiarise herself around the campus and the city.
Her dormitory stood almost at the end of Bay State Road and was originally an apartment hotel built in 1923. Its structure reminded her of the apartment back in Tokyo except for its height and colonial feel. There are nine floors and Tsukushi's room is located on the sixth floor of the building. Rooms are suite style and her room was one of the two attached double rooms with a shared bathroom. "I wonder who's in the next room," she thought as she was uncomfortable with the idea of sharing a bathroom with a stranger, "I hope it's a girl...I don't think a guy would be good..."
Looking around her room, she finds it fully equipped and the window view gave her the city of Boston. Flopping onto her bed, she stared at the ceiling and sighed, "Ah...I think I'm going to like it here. It's a Boston beginning..."
************
"You what?!" exclaimed Sojiro and Akira. "Shh...Not so loud!" hissed Shigeru as she darted her head around to make sure that they were alone, "I managed to find out which university Tsukushi has gone to and arranged for Tsukasa to study there as well."
"How?" asked both Sojiro and Akira disbelievingly. "Well, I have my ways," replied Shigeru proudly. "But what about Tsukasa's mother? She would find out, wouldn't she?" commented Akira. "No worries about that! She's gone back to New York," said Shigeru, "Anyway, I've done all this in secret and I've informed Tsubaki-oneesan about it. She's all for it." Sojiro shook his head and replied, "Don't you think it's a wasted effort? You think their mother wouldn't know?! She's has spies all over the place and you're talking about America where her empire is based!"
"Well, as long as we continue trying to thwart her plan in keeping them apart," said Shigeru nonchalantly, "I'm sure she'll grow tried of it for it will take too much time away from her business and after all, it's her empire she's trying to protect." Sojiro and Akira stared at her and thought hard. "I agree with you," said Akira, "There must be a time she'll grow tired of this. She can't be keeping an eye on her empire if this keeps taking her away. She'll probably realise that it's not worth doing this if it means losing her empire."
Sojiro nodded and replied, "All right then. Let's not waste any more time. How do we get Tsukasa to Boston without being found out?" Shigeru grinned.