"I am not your man!" Naota shouted at Haruko once they were inside
his apartment.
"Yes you are" Haruko said casually over her shoulder as she strode into the living-room. "I saw you first, so you're mine."
"Damn it Haruko, be serious!" He stormed after her. She was seated on the couch, lightly plucking on the strings of her bass. She kept her eyes lowered, not meeting his. "Why do you keep doing this to me? Wasn't ruining my life once enough for you? What next, are you going to get me evicted?" As if somehow summoned by this statement, there was an angry stamp on the floor above his apartment.
"Give her a valium, Naota! Take one yourself!" one of his neighbors shouted from above. Naota ground his teeth and clenched his fists tight until his frustration died down a bit.
"Listen, Takun..." Haruko said. Her voice was softer now, sensitive, and it struck him. She seemed to have transformed before his eyes. She had changed from the playful, eccentric woman he had always known into someone from a soap opera right in front of him. She stood up and came in front of him, not looking into his eyes. "I know what I did to you was wrong...and I understand why you're so mad at me...but I don't have any friends left, I've lost my job, I lost Atomsk, so my life's quest was for nothing...Takun, you're all I have left...I can't let some other woman steal you away from me now that I have you again..."
Naota stood, stunned. His jaw hung open as he struggled for something to say.
"Haruko, I..." she silenced him by placing a finger up against his lips. She finally brought her eyes up to meet his, and Naota felt himself drown in those twin oceans of green. There was an emptiness, a sadness in those eyes that he had never seen on Haruko before, and it scared him. After a few moments of silence she threw her arms around her, rubbing her face desperately against his shoulder.
"Takun...don't be mad at me...please..." she said, her voice trembling as if on the verge of tears.
"Haruko...I'm not mad..." he said, bringing his arms up around her.
"Really?" she whispered.
"Yeah...I'm actually a little flattered...I didn't know you felt this way..."
"Not mad?"
"Not mad." He smiled gently and patted her on her back.
"Then you won't mind this!" she shoved him back against the wall, slamming her body up against his in a flash, and pressed her lips against his. Naota's eyes became as large as dinner plates. Her kisses still had the same effect on him now that they had all those years ago; they drained him of his strength, left his legs wobbly and weak, sucked away all the thoughts that had previously been moving through his mind. His instincts began to take over again...his eyes flicked around, half expecting to see his father glaring at them with his face turning different shades.
"Admit it Takun, you still like that" Haruko said. All the sadness that had been in those eyes moments ago was gone. In its place was a fire that Naota could feel beginning to burn in himself as well. She leaned up and gave him a series of smaller, lighter kisses that still left him reeling. He felt the desire he had known for her in his childhood rising to the surface once again, felt his desire to return those kisses, felt his desire for more... "Its not wrong if we both want it..." Haruko whispered in his ear.
The ringing of the phone was a welcome interference.
"I'll get it!" Naota said quickly, hurrying to the phone and tearing it off the receiver. "Please say this is something important" he said into the speaker.
"Naota...its me..." Mamimi said from the other end.
"Oh...hi" Naota said, huddling up slightly, hoping that Haruko would not hear. After seeing how she reacted to Kitsurubami's strange behavior, he did not want to imagine what she would do knowing Mamimi had his phone number.
"Naota...there's something we really need to talk about..." she said. Something in her voice disturbed him.
"Mamimi, is everything all right?"
The response came in the form of the phone being torn from her hands, and the voice of Jakun made Naota go pale.
"She's all taken care of now."
"You bastard" Naota growled, "What did you do to her?"
"Nothing...yet. She'll stay just fine if you do exactly as I say."
"You gentleman may be the last line of defense this planet has" Amarao said firmly. He paced back and forth before the line of agents. They all wore dark suits and sunglasses, their hands were clasped behind their backs. Kitsurubami stood off to the side, watching the briefing with a feeling of dread.
"The enemy is powerful, and ruthless," he continued. "she is able to dodge bullets, so you will have to fire as many shots as possible and pray you hit the target....what?" he growled when he saw the apprehensive looks they all gave him. They instantly stood back up straight, their faces neutral. Amarao sniffed, and went on. "Do not engage in close combat unless totally necessary. She uses her guitar mainly to...what?" he growled a second time. Once again, they resumed proper posture. "Now, you remember that you all are agents of the Intergalactic Immigration Bureau. You maintain your best behavior at all times, and don't make any...what?"
"What the commander is trying to say," Kitsurubami jumped in, both figuratively and literally, "Is that this is a dangerous and crucial assignment. We ask that you all be as careful as possible, and take no unnecessary risks. And remember, this is a team effort, no bullheaded heroics."
"Yes ma'am." They all replied.
"Thank you agent Kitsurubami. Couldn't have put it better myself." He turned back to the line of agents and nodded gravely. "You are dismissed. Make us proud."
Kitsurubami handed each of the agents a folder containing information applicable to their mission. The last one in line muttered to her.
"What happened to his eyebrows?"
"Don't ask." She replied.
"Takun, where are you going, I thought we were having fun." Haruko whined as Naota moved for the door.
"I have to go someplace Haruko. I don't know when I'll be back."
"I'll come with you. Just let me grab my..."
"No!" Naota said firmly. "I have to go alone."
"Why?"
"Because I just have to, okay!" he snarled. He caught himself, and sighed. "I'm sorry...but this is important. I have to go someplace alone, or else something bad may happen. I'll be back as soon as I can, promise. Just wait here for me, okay?"
She looked torn, uncertain, but finally shook her head. She bit her lip as he left.
"Yes you are" Haruko said casually over her shoulder as she strode into the living-room. "I saw you first, so you're mine."
"Damn it Haruko, be serious!" He stormed after her. She was seated on the couch, lightly plucking on the strings of her bass. She kept her eyes lowered, not meeting his. "Why do you keep doing this to me? Wasn't ruining my life once enough for you? What next, are you going to get me evicted?" As if somehow summoned by this statement, there was an angry stamp on the floor above his apartment.
"Give her a valium, Naota! Take one yourself!" one of his neighbors shouted from above. Naota ground his teeth and clenched his fists tight until his frustration died down a bit.
"Listen, Takun..." Haruko said. Her voice was softer now, sensitive, and it struck him. She seemed to have transformed before his eyes. She had changed from the playful, eccentric woman he had always known into someone from a soap opera right in front of him. She stood up and came in front of him, not looking into his eyes. "I know what I did to you was wrong...and I understand why you're so mad at me...but I don't have any friends left, I've lost my job, I lost Atomsk, so my life's quest was for nothing...Takun, you're all I have left...I can't let some other woman steal you away from me now that I have you again..."
Naota stood, stunned. His jaw hung open as he struggled for something to say.
"Haruko, I..." she silenced him by placing a finger up against his lips. She finally brought her eyes up to meet his, and Naota felt himself drown in those twin oceans of green. There was an emptiness, a sadness in those eyes that he had never seen on Haruko before, and it scared him. After a few moments of silence she threw her arms around her, rubbing her face desperately against his shoulder.
"Takun...don't be mad at me...please..." she said, her voice trembling as if on the verge of tears.
"Haruko...I'm not mad..." he said, bringing his arms up around her.
"Really?" she whispered.
"Yeah...I'm actually a little flattered...I didn't know you felt this way..."
"Not mad?"
"Not mad." He smiled gently and patted her on her back.
"Then you won't mind this!" she shoved him back against the wall, slamming her body up against his in a flash, and pressed her lips against his. Naota's eyes became as large as dinner plates. Her kisses still had the same effect on him now that they had all those years ago; they drained him of his strength, left his legs wobbly and weak, sucked away all the thoughts that had previously been moving through his mind. His instincts began to take over again...his eyes flicked around, half expecting to see his father glaring at them with his face turning different shades.
"Admit it Takun, you still like that" Haruko said. All the sadness that had been in those eyes moments ago was gone. In its place was a fire that Naota could feel beginning to burn in himself as well. She leaned up and gave him a series of smaller, lighter kisses that still left him reeling. He felt the desire he had known for her in his childhood rising to the surface once again, felt his desire to return those kisses, felt his desire for more... "Its not wrong if we both want it..." Haruko whispered in his ear.
The ringing of the phone was a welcome interference.
"I'll get it!" Naota said quickly, hurrying to the phone and tearing it off the receiver. "Please say this is something important" he said into the speaker.
"Naota...its me..." Mamimi said from the other end.
"Oh...hi" Naota said, huddling up slightly, hoping that Haruko would not hear. After seeing how she reacted to Kitsurubami's strange behavior, he did not want to imagine what she would do knowing Mamimi had his phone number.
"Naota...there's something we really need to talk about..." she said. Something in her voice disturbed him.
"Mamimi, is everything all right?"
The response came in the form of the phone being torn from her hands, and the voice of Jakun made Naota go pale.
"She's all taken care of now."
"You bastard" Naota growled, "What did you do to her?"
"Nothing...yet. She'll stay just fine if you do exactly as I say."
"You gentleman may be the last line of defense this planet has" Amarao said firmly. He paced back and forth before the line of agents. They all wore dark suits and sunglasses, their hands were clasped behind their backs. Kitsurubami stood off to the side, watching the briefing with a feeling of dread.
"The enemy is powerful, and ruthless," he continued. "she is able to dodge bullets, so you will have to fire as many shots as possible and pray you hit the target....what?" he growled when he saw the apprehensive looks they all gave him. They instantly stood back up straight, their faces neutral. Amarao sniffed, and went on. "Do not engage in close combat unless totally necessary. She uses her guitar mainly to...what?" he growled a second time. Once again, they resumed proper posture. "Now, you remember that you all are agents of the Intergalactic Immigration Bureau. You maintain your best behavior at all times, and don't make any...what?"
"What the commander is trying to say," Kitsurubami jumped in, both figuratively and literally, "Is that this is a dangerous and crucial assignment. We ask that you all be as careful as possible, and take no unnecessary risks. And remember, this is a team effort, no bullheaded heroics."
"Yes ma'am." They all replied.
"Thank you agent Kitsurubami. Couldn't have put it better myself." He turned back to the line of agents and nodded gravely. "You are dismissed. Make us proud."
Kitsurubami handed each of the agents a folder containing information applicable to their mission. The last one in line muttered to her.
"What happened to his eyebrows?"
"Don't ask." She replied.
"Takun, where are you going, I thought we were having fun." Haruko whined as Naota moved for the door.
"I have to go someplace Haruko. I don't know when I'll be back."
"I'll come with you. Just let me grab my..."
"No!" Naota said firmly. "I have to go alone."
"Why?"
"Because I just have to, okay!" he snarled. He caught himself, and sighed. "I'm sorry...but this is important. I have to go someplace alone, or else something bad may happen. I'll be back as soon as I can, promise. Just wait here for me, okay?"
She looked torn, uncertain, but finally shook her head. She bit her lip as he left.
