Chapter 15- Prelude to Tomorrow

While Valerie stood there pondering why Takashi and Kaori just told her that it was all a secret Tetsuo was still hiding from Valerie inside the dojo after receiving the bright red handprint on his face. He had just now noticed that Akira had gone through all of the trouble to seal up the dojo so that nobody could get in or out without him knowing it. Tetsuo sat there on the main floor thinking about what Akira had in mind. It was then that the white haired teen's head shot up after hearing the sound of pots and pans clattering to the floor in the large kitchen that occupied one of the back rooms in the dojo. A quick stream of curses followed this sound. Curiosity immediately took over and Tetsuo got up and started walking over to the kitchen when Akira came running out of the kitchen covered from head to foot in flour. Akira spotted him and quickly grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him into the kitchen.

Tetsuo: "Hey, hold it! What the hell are you doing?!"

Akira: "I thought I could do this by myself but I guess I can't. Can you please give me a hand with this since you're here? I know you don't really like me but I sure could use some help right now."

Tetsuo surveyed the kitchen. It looked like a tornado had swept through it. The floor, like Akira, was completely covered in flour. The sink was full of discarded pots, pans and dishes. Various bits of vegetables, mushrooms and meats littered the counters. A smirk formed on Tetsuo's grayish face.

Tetsuo: "Looks like you're trying to make a feast here."

Akira was wringing his hands nervously as his fellow psychic beheld what he had done.

Akira: "Yes. I was trying to cook a very large meal for everyone when Kaneda and the others come here. As a sort of celebratory meal. But I haven't been able to do anything right! I was never allowed near a stove when I was in the Akira Project and I guess Drake couldn't cook at all! Please help me Tetsuo, please?"

Tetsuo looked up at Akira's pleading blue eyes and sighed.

Tetsuo: "Alright, I'll help you out. But you have to do everything that I tell you to do okay?"

Akira: "Hai! Domo arigato gozimasu Tetsuo-kun!"

Tetsuo: "Yeah, whatever. Now first of all, you don't start to cook a meal like this before the morning that Kaneda's supposed to go out and get everyone."

Akira: "Oh..."

Tetsuo: "Secondly, we should clean up this mess so that we'll have a clean place to work with! You start putting the crap on the counters into the garbage and I'll sweep and mop the floor. Then we're both doing' the dishes."

Akira: "Hai. Hey Tetsuo, how come someone like you knows so much about kitchen stuff?"

Tetsuo: "Don't you ever tell anyone else but if you must know Home Ec was one of the only subjects in school that I was good at."

Akira: "Did you ever cook?"

Tetsuo: "Okanomiyaki and beef stew were my best meals. Don't tell anyone though."

Akira (nodding): "That's not a problem. Please hand me that sponge."

And so Tetsuo and Akira aka Spark began working on cleaning up the kitchen and the whole time that they were doing this something else was going on. Kai had just finished working on the living quarters that were in the building to the rear of the complex. He had managed to make the two largest rooms into bedrooms, the men on the left and the women on the right. Plus he had fixed up the two bathrooms in the living quarters for men's and women's use, replacing the showerheads. He sat out on the porch to take a quick break, for he had been working all day. He watched as Kaneda got himself ready to hit the road in the morning, with Kei there to assist by giving his bike a tune up. He had also heard from Kaori and the others that Akira had locked himself in the dojo and that Tetsuo was hiding from Valerie. Kai observed all of the activity taking place in their new home and he could have sworn he had heard Akira cursing inside the dojo over an hour ago.

Kai: "Sometimes I wonder how I got mixed up in something like this."

"Speak for yourself!"

Kai whirled around to see Yamagata standing there with a big smile on his face.

Kai: "Where the hell did you come from?!"

Yamagata: "I just teleported over here from the cabin. I think I'm starting to get the hang of the whole psychic power thing, what do you think?"

Kai: "You're right, I can sense you're getting better, keep it up!"

Yamagata sat down on the now clean wooden porch right next to his best friend. He heaved a great sigh of contentment as he watched and listened alongside his smaller companion. Yamagata had always found it funny that the happiest times in his life usually involved Kai. All that time wasted in the school, hanging out at that public fountain watching other people live their lives while Tokyo Shoe Shine Boy played softly in the background. Ah yes, that had to be his favorite song. Yamagata could hardly remember a time where he felt more at peace with himself than now.

Kai: "...hey Yamagata..."

Yamagata: "...yeah, what?"

Kai: "Do you like this place at all?"

Yamagata: "Sure, it's a hell of a lot better than some dirty city. I mean, look at the advantages...No smog."

Kai: "No seedy drug dealers trying' to push stuff on ya."

Yamagata: "No other gangs to push us around or steal our stuff."

Kai: "Nothing but trees, flowers, streams and ponds..."

Yamagata: "...and good friends."

Kai turned to look into Yamagata's dark eyes when he heard that last statement, but instead found himself surrounded by a warm and loving embrace, of which he felt like it could last forever. Kai leaned in closer and rested his head against Yamagata's chest, listening to the melody of his heartbeat. Slowly the pair looked into each other's eyes and Kai spoke softly...

Kai: "...please never leave again Yama-kun."

Yamagata smiled and ran his fingers through Kai's soft dark brown hair, his voice barely above a whisper.

Yamagata: "...I'll do my best Kai. Believe that."

And as their tender embrace grew stronger, their auras appeared around them and intertwined, the colors forming a protective cocoon of softly glowing and shining silver...

Meanwhile, in the dojo Akira and Tetsuo had just finished cleaning up the kitchen and had now sat down on the floor armed with pencils, cookbooks and recipe cards. They had now hit the planning stage of what was to be Akira's big welcome to the newcomers tomorrow.