A Shocked Answer
"Mitsune Konno, will you marry me?"
Kitsune looked at Kiyoshi in shock. "Wh-what?"
"Look, I know it's sudden, and I know we're really young, but I honestly think it could work!"
"Whoa, whoa. Calm down," she said. "I didn't…er…say no…um…exactly."
"So you will?" He looked at her hopefully.
"I'm…I don't know…maybe." She braced herself for his hurt look.
"Well, it could be worse," he said. She looked surprised by the fact that he wasn't crushed. "I mean, you could have flat-out said 'no'. Maybe means…what?"
"I'll think about it. Tell you what," she said, crossing her arms. "If you can give me six months to decide, then I'll give you my answer."
"It's a deal," he reached over and shook her hand. "Hey, guys," he called to his friends. "She said maybe!"
"Aw, darn it," said Kin, coming out from the kitchen. A tall man with dark red hair followed him out.
"So I guess neither of us wins," he said, looking disappointed.
"And what does that mean, exactly?" Kiyoshi said, his eye twitching.
"We had a…friendly wager on whether she would accept or not."
"What?! God, is my future this much of a joke to you guys?"
"Whoa, chill, K! We were just messing around. Oh, I'm Roake," he said, turning to Kitsune. "Wow. Man, she's hot. Hey, will you marry me instead?" She laughed, and Kiyoshi punched Roake in the arm. "Hey, I was just kidding, man. You gotta take a chill pill, bro."
"I'll chill pill you…" he muttered. "Holy cow, is it that late?" he glanced at his watch. "It's almost midnight! We should get going." He tried to stand, but tripped and fell into Kin.
"Dude, you ain't driving home like this. C'mon, Roake. I guess we're driving. You did pass the test, right?"
"Define 'pass'." Kin glared at him. "Hey, those questions are hard! I can drive well enough to get us home," he shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to be careful" They helped Kiyoshi into the backseat with Kin. Roake opened Kitsune's door and snagged Kiyoshi's chauffer hat. She laughed.
"You were right, Kiyoshi, they are definitely eccentric," she said.
"Yeah," he said back. "Oh, man, I feel sick," he groaned. "I don't think wine and spicy food mix."
"Dude, puke out the window!" Kin said. "I don't want to try cleaning barf outta my waiter costume." Kiyoshi gave him a weak thumbs-up and rolled down the window.
Roake got behind the wheel and looked at the car's panel. "Crap," he muttered. "You had to buy this clunker, didn't you, Kiyoshi? Everything's in English." He fumbled with the ignition, and managed to get it into gear. He drove down the driveway and out into the road. "God, I hate having the wheel on this side. What the hell were those Americans thinking?"
"So, did you enjoy yourself?" Kin said from the back seat.
"Yeah, I had a great time. It was…a little nostalgic, being back at my old haunt. Hey, tell me about your guys' band," she said, deftly changing the subject.
"Sure," Kin said. "Kiyoshi's lead guitar and vocals. We call him Spade on account of that shirt he always wears to our recording sessions. Since he had a nickname, we figured we'd each pick one. That's how I became Diamond and Roake became Heart."
"Why those names?" she asked.
"Well, I'm what you might call…filthy stinkin' rich. As for Roake, well, why don't you tell her?"
"It's cause I can't keep the ladies away with a ten-foot pole. I mean it. They love the mysterious bass player. And the hair," he ran a hand through his burgundy locks. "They can't keep their hands off me." They talked some more, and eventually pulled up to Hinata house. Kiyoshi was snoring gently as Kin and Roake picked him up and carried him inside.
"It's late. Why don't you guys stay here?" Kitsune suggested.
"Yeah, okay. We'll just bunk up in Little K's room."
"Why do you guys call him 'Little K', anyways?"
"Because he's so young. He's…what? Twenty? Twenty-one? Eh, it's in there somewhere. The point is, he's really young and he already has a bachelor's degree. I'm twenty-three, and I haven't even considered college yet. Roake's twenty-four, and he's almost done with his fourth year at Tokyo U."
"What is it with Tokyo U.?" Kitsune said, tossing her arms in the air.
"What do you mean?"
"He's going to Tokyo U., Kiyoshi went there, and both Naru and Keitaro went there."
"Who are Naru and Keitaro?"
"Keitaro's the landlord of this dorm, as well as Kiyoshi's uncle. Naru's his wife… or will be in," she glanced at her watch, "fourteen hours."
"What? There's going to be a wedding? Here?" She nodded. "Aww, man. Roake, we're going shopping in the morning."
"What?" he said. "Why?"
"We need suits. Mine is too small, and I've seen yours… seen it on a corpse! I'll pay, but we're getting new suits."
"Whatever," Roake shrugged. They went inside and put Kiyoshi on his futon. They broke into a brief fight, and Roake smugly lay down on the couch. "I guess you get the floor. Darn, you're so lucky."
"Ha ha," muttered Kin. "You'd better not fall asleep tonight."
Kitsune laughed, and said, "Goodnight, boys." They grunted back, and she left the room. Instead of going to her room, she went out onto her deck to think about the day's events.
Month One Begins: Kiyoshi's First Challenge
In the weeks following the wedding, things slowly returned to normal. Kiyoshi, ever the smart-mouth, still called Naru 'Mrs. Urashima', much to her chagrin. It was an unusually warm day, and Kiyoshi was feeling restless, when Kitsune came to him. "Okay," she said, looking business-like. "You've got six months, starting now, to make me fall in love with you."
"Huh? But, what do I do?" he said. "I don't really know how to work this kind of thing."
"Just be a boyfriend! Urgh, men are hopeless."
"What, like go out to dinner with you every week? Put my arm around your shoulders while we watch a movie? Get really uncomfortable every time I see another girl?"
"That's exactly it."
He gulped. "Roger that, commander." She shook her head and walked away. Jeez, that was weird, he thought. I guess I should start thinking about where I want to take her for dinner soon. Crap, I gotta get the café up and running. He walked outside, thinking this, when he heard a loud clang and a yelp. He ran behind the house, and was surprised to see Motoko lying on the ground in front of Keitaro. "Motoko!" He ran over to her. "Did you pass out? What's wrong? Keitaro, did she have a stroke? Is she breathing?!"
"Whoa, chill," Keitaro said. "We were just sparring. I guess I won."
Kiyoshi looked up, his eyes burning with an inner fire. "All right, sempai." The last word was a curse. He drew his sword, which he had been habitually wearing, and faced Keitaro. "You may have defeated my master, but can you best me?"
"Is that a challenge, kid?" Keitaro said, adopting a fighting stance and grinning. "'Cause if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you're gonna get." Kiyoshi grinned back. They bowed to one another, and they were off. Kiyoshi jumped backwards, landed lightly, and launched himself forward. Keitaro, who had jumped forward to close the distance between himself and Kiyoshi, was caught off guard, and Kiyoshi kicked him in the stomach. "Oof," Keitaro grunted. "Hey, watch it."
"Fine. Sword contact only?" Kiyoshi called from twenty feet away.
"Yeah, that sounds good." Kiyoshi jumped forward again, aiming for Keitaro's sword, but missed, hitting only dirt. Keitaro struck back with lightning speed, and it took Kiyoshi's entire prowess to block Keitaro's shots. Kiyoshi feinted left, and then slashed the sleeve of Keitaro's shirt. "Hey, this was a good shirt," Keitaro said, as he took it off and threw it to the ground.
"I'll pay for it," Kiyoshi grinned. "The years have not been kind to you. I blocked your every shot with ease." It was a lie, and Keitaro could tell. Keitaro took his sword and held it parallel to his shoulders. Kiyoshi felt a sudden chill, and knew what Keitaro was planning.
"Darn right you will," Keitaro said. "Urashima Flash Blade, style one!" His sword seemed to glow as he hurled himself at Kiyoshi.
"How predictable. Doomed Dragon Pit Block!" Kiyoshi's sword turned dark, to a shade lighter than black. He caught Keitaro's sword like it was nothing, and with a deft twist of his wrist, knocked the sword out of Keitaro's hand. It landed, blade stuck into the ground, just in front of Motoko.
Her eyes snapped open when the sword clanged into the ground. "Huh? My, I must have fallen," she said, confused.
"Sensei!" Kiyoshi cried, running over to her. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. And I thought I told you not to call me 'sensei' anymore."
"Oh, yeah, that's right. You were sparring with Keitaro, remember?"
"Yes, it's fading back in. Who won?"
"Keitaro did, but I avenged you!" Kiyoshi said, feeling proud.
"Indeed? Is this true, Keitaro?" He nodded. "Well, since you defeated the swordsman that defeated me, you have indirectly proven yourself my superior." She bowed. "Now you have truly graduated."
"I could never beat you, sen- uh, I mean, Motoko. I probably would have lost to Keitaro, as well, but he was tired from fighting you."
"Darn right," Keitaro said, walking over. "You owe me a shirt and a rematch."
"You'll get both," Kiyoshi laughed. "That was pretty intense."
"Yeah, I enjoyed it. It's a rush, fighting someone who's so good."
"I'm only good because you and Motoko trained me. If you'll excuse me, I have to plan something."
"Oh, ok. I'll see you around."
"Maybe." He turned and walked away, going into his room. He sat down at his desk and took out a piece of paper and began writing. "Let's see… we could go to the movies, or the aquarium, or the theme park. Along with dinner, that comes out to… ¥15,465! Well, I guess I could borrow from Kin… but I'd rather not. I've got twenty K saved up, so I should be all right… as long as we don't do too much more."
He walked downstairs, and found Kitsune sitting on the couch watching TV. "Hey," she said, looking up. "Sit down. You're just in time. They've got this new betting system… you don't even have to leave! You just tell them how much you want to bet, and if you win, they send you the money. If you lose, they bill you. You wanna put some down?"
"What the heck, I feel lucky," he said. He grabbed the phone and dialed the number on the screen. "Hello? Yes, my name is Kiyoshi Urashima. I live at Hinata house. Yes. Yeah, that Hinata house. Hmm… hey, there's a dog named Deuce? Wow, ten to one odds… that's good right? Yeah, if he wins. Okay, yeah. I'll put ten thousand yen on Deuce. No, I'm not drunk. I'm not crazy, either. I don't think I'm stupid, no. Look, it's my money, put it on the damn dog. Thank you." He put the phone back on the receiver and walked over to the couch.
"What do you think?" he said. "Do I have a chance?"
"Well, the odds are against you, but I think you've got a shot. I've got a thousand on Darkseid." The race began, and they both leaned forwards.
"And it's Rosebud, coming up strong is Rogerthat, followed by Nightfire. Deuce is bringing up the rear, just behind Darkseid."
"Well, I'm screwed," Kiyoshi said, thunking his head down on the couch. "Tell me when it's over."
She was silent for a moment, and then started laughing. She punched Kiyoshi's leg. "I don't believe it! Deuce won!"
He sat up. "You're kidding me," he said. It wasn't a question.
"Nope." He looked at the screen, where Deuce was standing proudly with a wreath around his neck.
"YA-HOO! Oh, man!" He grabbed Kitsune's hand and pulled her to her feet. "I won, I won, I won!" He hugged her. "I can't believe it!" He kissed her full on the lips, and she looked shocked. "Do you want to go out tonight," he said, trying to hide his embarrassment.
"Um, where?" she said, equally chagrined.
"Anywhere you want! I just made 100,000 yen!"
"You won how much?" Naru said, entering the room.
"Naru! I won a hundred thousand yen!"
"Holy crap! How?"
"I bet on a long shot at the dog races, and I won!"
"Wow. Congratulations. What are you going to do with the money?"
"Take Kitsune by storm! So do you want to go out?" He said, turning back to Kitsune.
"I'd love to, but you'd better go get your money, first," she said.
"Oh, man, do I get cash? Ahh, that would be awesome!"
"We can stop by the race track and pick up your check. We can cash it in a little bit."
"So, where do you want to go? You can pick anyplace you want."
"Hmm… I'll think about it. C'mon, let's go collect your money." They got up, and walked out the door. Naru stared after them for a moment, and smiled as Kiyoshi took Kitsune's hand. They walked out into the sunlight, holding hands, the wind ruffling their hair.
Month Two: Tests
After that day, Kitsune and Kiyoshi began going out every weekend. Kiyoshi and the rest of the band opened their restaurant, and it was quickly becoming a popular hangout for the younger crowd. They performed every Tuesday and Thursday, collecting extras from anyone who wanted to donate. One day, as Kiyoshi walked off stage, he noticed Kitsune sitting in the front row. "Hey," he said. "Did you enjoy the show?"
"You guys were great, as usual," she said, shrugging. "Did it suddenly get cold in here?"
"I don't know. I can ask Kin to turn it up a few degrees, if you want."
"No, that would make the other customers uncomfortable."
"Well, I'll just have to keep you warm myself." He draped his arm around her shoulders and drew her close. "Better?"
"Oh, you." She laughed and shook her head. "You passed your first test."
"My first… what test?"
"I'm not really cold, I just wanted to see what you'd go through to help me. You're so sweet, though."
"So, what other tests am I going to have to take?"
"I can't tell you. If you're expecting a test, you won't act naturally."
"I get it. You want to gauge my reactions. That's pretty cool."
"Oh, you and your 'cool!'" She threw his arm off of her shoulders. "Everything's always 'cool'. 'Hey, that shirt is cool', and, 'Man, that'd be cool.' I'm so sick of it!"
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I didn't know it bugged you. I'll stop saying co- that word from now on."
She grinned. "You're two for two, there, Kiyoshi."
"You- what? Oh, that was another test?!"
"Yep."
"Aww, man, you had me going." They walked over to the door. "It's almost closing time. Do you want to do anything afterwards?"
"Oh, I don't know. What do you think?"
"Let's see… today is Thursday… it's quarter to midnight. Hey! Doesn't that little tavern off of route 11 have an unlimited sake bar tonight?"
"Yes it does. I'm surprised you remembered. That's 3 and o. Way to go, Kiyoshi. I'll hang out until closing time, and we can grab Kin and Roake before we go."
"So you want it to be a 'hanging out' kind of thing, rather than a 'date' kind of thing?"
"Sure. Plus, we have a designated driver this way."
Kiyoshi laughed. "Too true, too true." He led her back in and brought her to a table. "Can I get you anything to eat before we go?"
"No thanks, I'm fine. You just hurry up and close this joint."
"Yes ma'am," he said, saluting and retreating back into the kitchen. She smiled as she watched the door swing, and sighed softly. She sat up abruptly.
"Oh man," she said to herself. "I think I might actually be falling for this guy."
Kiyoshi returned with Kin and Roake. The back of Kin's hand was a bright red. "I'm driving," he said glumly as they walked out. Roake held up his hand, which was also pink on the back, and smiled. "A little rock-paper-scissors," Kin explained. "American style." Kitsune started laughing, and they walked out into the chilly night air.
A Lover's Spat
Back at Hinata House, Shinobu braced herself for the worst. She was in the living room with Keitaro and Naru, and things were heading downhill fast. "Well, if you don't like it, tough!" screamed Naru. Shinobu winced.
"Oh, is that the way you feel?" Keitaro yelled back. "Well, fine! God, you're so bull-headed sometimes!"
"I'm bull-headed? Ha! Look who refuses to give up his job to be with his wife!"
"I'm trying to make money to support you! Way to bite the hand that feeds you!"
"Oh, puh-lease! When was the last time you dug up any shit worth it's salt, huh? I make all the money around here, dealing with a bunch of irritating little kids. Do you know what teaching is like?!"
"Oh, so I dig up shit now, huh? Not priceless artifacts? Not national treasures? Not beautiful works of art from a by-gone era?"
"Yes! Because no matter what you dig up, it's obvious somebody threw it away, first! That's why it's buried!"
"You know what, forget it. I'm not going to sit here and be insulted by you!"
"Fine! Then maybe you should just get out!!!"
"Fine!"
"W-wait, sempai!" Shinobu called, but it was too late. Keitaro jumped up, walked over to the door, put his shoes on, grabbed his coat, and walked out the door. "Oh, Naru-sempai, look what you've done!" She looked over at Naru and gasped. Naru was crying, tears streaking her cheeks.
"I… I didn't mean it, Keitaro," she mumbled quietly. "I'm so sorry I yelled at you. Please come back. Oh, Keitaro, I love you!" Shinobu sat down on the couch next to Naru and hugged her. Naru hugged her back, and cried on her shoulder until she fell asleep.
Meanwhile, things were going a little differently for Keitaro. "I can't believe she'd speak to me that way! I am her husband, and she owes me at least a little respect. I'm a grown man and I can make my own choices." He was wandering, stomping down the street and into town. Not paying attention to where he was going, he ended up walking right into a dark alley.
"Hey, pops," said a mysterious voice from the end of the alley. "C'mere."
"What do you want?" Keitaro growled. "I'm not in the mood for any of your crap."
"Now now," said the voice. "That's not very respectful, old man. You should always respect your betters."
"Ha! My 'better', are you? I'd love to see you prove it."
A boulder of a man resolved from the shadows. He was seven feet tall, and weighed in at four-hundred pounds, all muscle. "All right, let's go," he said as he stalked menacingly towards Keitaro.
Keitaro gulped loudly. "Um, maybe we can talk about this?"
"Oh, no, talking time is far past." He threw a punch, missing Keitaro, and cracking the brickwork. "I'm gonna pummel you into a bleeding pile of stupid!" He lashed out again, Keitaro dodging, but followed it with a sharp kick that connected firmly with Keitaro's stomach. Keitaro fell to his knees, grunting in pain, and coughed. He could dimly see blood. The tall man strutted towards him. "Not so big now, are you? I suppose I should tell you my name, so you at least know who killed you. My name is Bakesa. Bakesa Tokade. Bakesa "The Undertaker" Tokade."
"Oh, shit," Keitaro groaned. "I had to pick a fight with the most notorious murderer in the last twenty years." Bakesa picked him up by his collar and held him in the air. He drew back his fist, and Keitaro closed his eyes. Suddenly, Keitaro heard a pair of thumping sounds, a grunt, and a loud crash as he fell to the ground.
"Is he alive?" a familiar voice said.
"Dammit, we're too late!" said another. Keitaro opened his eyes, and was greeted by a welcome sight. "He's alive! Shirai, he's still alive!" Haitani crowed.
"All right! Hey, buddy, you okay?" Shirai said to Keitaro.
"Yeah. I've take worse beatings at Hinata House," he said weakly as he tried to stand. He fell into Haitani, who grabbed him and helped him stand.
"That's a load of bull," Haitani replied. "You're hurt, no matter how tough you try to act. We're taking you to the hospital. Keitaro protested weakly as they helped him into the back of their car. "Say, Shirai, what should we do about that mountain of muscle back there?"
"Hm? I guess we should call the police." Shirai took out a cell phone and dialed a number. "Hello? Is this the police? We've got a giant of a man KO'd in an alley. He was trying to pummel our friend. Well, I don't know exactly where we are. Can you trace the call? Thanks. Hm. You're right, anonymity would be best. Call us… The Support Staff!"
"What?" called Haitani from the driver's seat. "Oh, that is so lame!"
"I don't hear you giving any ideas." He put the phone back to his head. "No, officer, I'm still here. You're on you way? Great. Thank you." He hung up the phone and turned to Haitani. "Let's ride, buddy!" Haitani laughed, revved the engine, and they shot down the street towards the hospital.
A Chance Meeting
Kin turned the lights off as the car pulled up to Hinata House. "A little trick I picked up from sneaking out," he laughed to the others. Kiyoshi was passed out, but Roake groaned weakly. "Hm. I'm gonna need help." Roake opened the door, stepped out, and collapsed. "Yep. I'm gonna need a lot of help." He helped Roake back onto his seat, and walked up the stairs to the house. "Huh. The lights are on? Why isn't everyone asleep by now?" He opened the door an poked his head in. "Hello?" He ducked back out as a beer bottle crashed against the door next to his head. From inside, he heard voices, and then footsteps.
Shinobu opened the door. "Sempai?" she said. She looked at Kin with a crestfallen gaze. "Oh, it's you. Um… who are you again?"
Kin dropped onto his face. "I'm Kin," he said, dusting himself off. "Kiyoshi's friend? I've got a few drunken people out in the car, and I was wondering if I could get some help bringing them up here?"
"I'll help you," Motoko said, rising from her seat. They walked outside, and the door swung slowly closed behind them. "I needed to get out of there."
"Why? Did something happen?"
"Yes, something happened. That bastard Urashima walked out on Naru, and now she's heartbroken." They heard another beer bottle smash. "Heartbroken and drunk, that is."
"Huh. So, Kiyoshi's uncle Keitaro ran out on his wife? Why? What happened?"
"They had an argument. Apparently, Keitaro wanted to go work on another Pararakelese excavation, but Naru starts teaching soon. She wants him to stay home with her, and he wants her to go with him. They started yelling, both said some things they should regret, and Urashima stormed off. I swear, if I find him…" she unsheathed her sword menacingly. Kin gulped loudly.
"So, um, here's the car. Help me get Kitsune." They lifted her onto Motoko's back. Kin lifted Kiyoshi with a grunt, put him onto his back, and then grabbed Roake's arm. "C'mon, buddy, let's go up the stairs."
"I will when the ground stops moving," he murmured back.
Kin sighed. "Come one," he said, hoisting him to his feet. They walked back up the stairs and to the door.
Motoko knocked on the door. "Shinobu? Hold her throwing arm, we're coming in." Motoko eased the door open and poked her head in. Shinobu and Su were restraining Naru, but just barely.
When Kin walked in, with Kiyoshi on his back, Naru flipped out. "Come back –hic- to –hic- yell some more, did you –hic- Keitaro," she slurred. "Take –hic- this!" She threw Su off of her, grabbed Shinobu, and threw her across the room.
"Shit!" Kin yelled, as the young woman flew towards him. He dropped Kiyoshi to the floor, and pushed Roake down beside him. He caught Shinobu, but the impact knocked him back into the door with a pronounced thud. He grunted, and then realized that his hand was on Shinobu's butt. He blushed furiously and set her down. "Um… sorry about that," he said, staring at the ground.
"It's… erm… okay," she stuttered, also blushing. They stared into each other's eyes.
"Damn you, Urashima!" yelled Naru, as she reached for another heavy object to chuck at Kiyoshi.
"Wait, Naru!" yelled Motoko. "This isn't the Urashima you're looking for."
"This isn't the –hic- Urashima I'm looking for," she said back, calming down. She started crying again, and rested her head on Su's shoulder.
"I… I… I can't believe sempai would do something like this," Shinobu said, "but I saw it with my own eyes."
"From what I've heard of Keitaro," Kin interjected, "that doesn't sound at all like him. Kiyoshi says that he's always laughing, kinda goofy, and really clumsy."
"That's our Keitaro!" Su said happily.
"Well, Motoko?" Kin said. "Shall we escort these three to their rooms. I guess Roake is sleeping in Kiyoshi's room tonight." The two gathered their drunken charges and walked down the hallway. As they placed them into their respective beds, they heard the phone ring.
"Hello?" Shinobu said from the main room. "Oh my God! He what?! We'll be there as soon as we can! WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'MINOR SURGERY?!!!" She fainted, and the phone landed back onto the cradle.
Hospital Visit
The next morning, the entire gang loaded into Kin's car and Keitaro's van, and drove frantically to the hospital. In the van, Shinobu was describing her phone call from the night before. "It was… somebody. I think his name was Haiti, or something like that. He said that Keitaro was hurt, and that he was in the operating room. He said it was a minor surgery, but I'm still so worried. I hope that sempai is all right."
"I feel awful!" Kiyoshi said from the driver's seat.
"Why?" said Motoko. "You couldn't have prevented his injury."
"Keitaro's hurt? That's why we're going to the hospital? Oh, I'm just really, really hung over." Kitsune growled and punched him in the back of the head, causing him to swerve dangerously. "Sorry!" he said, as a lump rose on the back of his head. They pulled into a parking spot and piled out.
When everyone was present, they walked into the lobby and up to the reception desk. "Hi," said Shinobu. "We're looking for Keitaro Urashima's room?"
"Let's see," said the nurse. "He's in room number 304. That's on the third floor."
"Thanks, baby," said Roake. "How about your number?"
"You dog," grumbled Kin, as he grabbed Roake's arm and dragged him away.
"Noooo!" he called. "I'll return to you!" They shoved him into the elevator and packed in around him. The door opened, and an elderly man made to enter.
"Back off, you old fart! We're in a hurry, here!" Kitsune yelled as she shoved him backwards and hit the door close button.
"I think she's hung over too," Kin remarked.
"Shove it, rich boy!" He backed away from her as far as he could. The door finished closing, and they continued up to the third floor. Everyone piled out as soon as the door opened, nearly trampling a man pulling an IV drip behind him. They burst into Keitaro's room.
"Sempai!" Shinobu called, running to the bed. "Oh, sempai, are you all right?"
"Who the hell is 'sempai'?" said the American businessman in that bed. Shinobu backed up, blushing bright red.
"Hey guys," Keitaro said from the other bed. "How are you?"
"How are we?" Said Kiyoshi. "How are you? What was with the surgery?"
"Oh, I got into a fight last night. The guy was huge, you should have seen him. Anyways, he kicked me in the gut, and that apparently damaged my appendix. That's what the surgery was for. Removing my appendix. I'm still a little sore, but otherwise, I'm fine."
"Oh, Keitaro, I'm so sorry!" Naru said, running to his bedside. "If I hadn't said all those horrible things, you never would have gotten hurt."
"That's right," Keitaro said, frowning.
Kiyoshi slapped him. "You… you bastard! You should apologize to her!"
"Why should I? Do you know what she said to me?"
"Yeah, and I know what you said to her! Did you know that while you were out getting the crap beaten out of you, she was sitting at home crying her eyes out. Do you know what you put her through? And now you talk to her like that?! God, what is your problem?"
Keitaro looked shocked. "Naru, I… I'm sorry." He hugged her. "God, I'm sorry. I didn't realize what an ass I was being. I'm so sorry." She hugged him back and smiled.
"It'll be okay, sweetie," she said. "I still love you."
"And I love you." He hugged her tighter, and suddenly dropped back. "Oh, shit, I think my stitched popped." Naru gasped and let him go. He began frantically pushing the 'Call Nurse' button.
"Um… we're gonna leave now," said Kiyoshi. "Geez… I hope that nurse hurries up. Wow. That's a lot of blood."
"Urgh! Bye, Keitaro," Naru said, grabbing Kiyoshi and hauling him out the door.
"What the hell," said the American, shaking his head.
The gang passed Haitani and Shirai on the way out. "Hi guys!" Haitani called.
"Hi… whoever you are!" they called back in unison. Shirai and Haitani dropped onto the ground with a groan.
Month Three: A New Suitor?!
It was a warm morning, but not unbearable. Kiyoshi was lying lazily in a hammock without a shirt on. He had set it up the day before. It doesn't get any better than this, he though happily as he took a sip of lemonade. The girls were on a shopping trip; Keitaro was at the museum, working on a new exhibition; and Kin and Roake were working down at the restaurant. Kiyoshi yawned and set his lemonade back down. He closed his eyes and sighed, laying back. A fly buzzed around his nose, and he swatted at it, nearly capsizing his hammock. Getting up to check if anyone had seen him, he heard the sound of a car door slamming. He put his shirt back on and walked up to the top of the stairway. His mouth dropped open.
"Hello?" said an incredibly handsome man wearing a white suit. "I'm looking for Mitsune Konno, is she around?"
"Um… she's… uh…" Kiyoshi stuttered. He shook his head. "Sorry. Ahem. She's in town shopping. May I ask who you are?"
"My name is Tamichi Kironawa," the dapper man replied. "I am here to speak with Ms. Konno."
Kiyoshi looked down the steps and saw the gigantic stretch limousine. "Damn," Kiyoshi said quietly. "I'm Kiyoshi Urashima, my uncle owns this place. I'm the only one home right now. You can come inside and wait for a while, but I don't know when she'll be back."
"No, that's quite all right. As the owner of a major corporation, I'm much to busy. If you could give her this, I would appreciate it," Tamichi said as he tossed a small box to Kiyoshi.
"Will do. Have a nice day."
"You as well, my good man." The businessman turned on his heel and walked down the steps with a precise and aristocratic manner. Kiyoshi watched as he entered his car and drove away. Feeling bitter, Kiyoshi flipped him the bird.
"'Good man' this," he grumbled, turning around and walking into the house. "I hate rich people. They're always so condescending towards the rest of the world. Except for Kin, that is. I wonder how the restaurant is doing right now? Maybe I should give them a call." As he walked towards the phone, the door burst open and the girls flooded inside.
"You won't believe the sales we found!" Kitsune cried, as she set down a seemingly impossible number of bags.
"That was the worst waste of a day," Motoko grumbled as she walked to her room.
"Hey guys," Kiyoshi said with a nod. "Good to see you. It was getting kinda boring." He looked down at the box in his hands. "Oh, right. Kitsune, some guy stopped by and told me to give you this."
She took the box from him. "Thanks," she said, tugging the ribbon. She took the box's lid off and took the small metal disk from inside.
The disc started beeping, and Kitsune dropped it in surprise. A light flickered from within, and a hologram appeared. "Hello, Mitsune Konno," said the hologram of Kironawa. "My name is Tamichi Kironawa, head of Kironawa Enterprises." The girls all gasped, while Kiyoshi looked confused. "Doubtless, you've heard of me. Still, you may not remember that we met once before. Think back to your teenage years, or more specifically, your senior prom."
"That was him?!" Kitsune said.
"I would truly enjoy a chance to reminisce upon the old days. Meet me at this address." The number's scrolled across the image. "I look forward to seeing you. Come on the seventeenth, around seven. Until then, au revoir." His image bowed, and it faded into black.
Immediately, Kitsune was bombarded with questions. "You went to the prom with Tamichi Kironawa?!" Shinobu said, disbelieving.
"Yeah, but back in those days he was just Teachy Tamichi," she shrugged.
"You… dated a teacher?" Motoko said, her eyebrow twitching.
"No way!" Kitsune said. "Although…" She shook her head. "We just called him that. He was really smart, almost as smart as Naru. I went to prom with him, and would have dated him more, but his father died and he was forced to take over the family business."
"The family business?" Kiyoshi interjected, forcing himself between Shinobu and Su.
"Are you kidding me?!" Shinobu said. "You've never heard of Kironawa Enterprises?"
"No. Should I have?"
"Uh, YEAH! Hito Kironawa was once the most famous clothing designer in the eastern hemisphere. Half of the clothes we just bought are his designs. Tamichi hasn't introduced his own styles yet, but rumor has it that he's just as good, if not better than, his father."
"Oh. I see. And you used to date him, Kitsune?"
"Well, we just went to prom, but we probably would have dated, if his father hadn't died."
"I see…" Kiyoshi said. SHIT! I can't stand against something like that! Oh, man, I'm gonna lose her to some sissy rich boy. "Um, so when did he say to meet him?"
"The seventeenth at seven. Why?" She got a suspicious look on her face.
"Oh, no reason. Just curious." He gave a forced, cheesy laugh. "I'm not plotting his imminent doom or thinking of ways to keep you two separate. Ha ha ha! You're so funny!" The others dropped on their faces as Kiyoshi grinned.