Chapter Eleven: Fireworks
Shinobu got up early, preparing for okami duties before classes began. Thankfully the Narusegawas already knew and understood that most of the residents attended college or work before they arranged to come here. She braced herself and opened the door, regretting the fact that she had put them next to Keitaro and Naru's room. So any doors opening at this time would probably indicate trouble.
Thankfully, the corridor was empty. I guess I can dodge any awkwardness for now, she thought, hastily retreating down the stairs. It had been awkward the night before. Naru's stepmother had come over to where she and Kitsune were talking.
"Excuse me, Miss Maehara," she had said. "Have I done something to offend Naru? I just don't understand why she is so distant right now."
Shinobu looked to Kitsune helplessly, wondering how to put it tactfully… especially since she was partly—okay, mostly—responsible for the mess. (Un?)Fortunately, Kitsune had no such concerns.
She held out the box of alcohol filled truffles. "Well, Mrs. Narusegawa…"
"Please, call me 'Tomoka.'" She looked at the box and smiled. "I remember using these when I was in high school."
"All right. Well, Tomoka, I'm kinda blunt, so this might come out the wrong way. Now, I won't give away her secrets, and I can't know what she doesn't tell me. But I think I can guess part of the problem."
She reached for the box of truffles, then stopped herself and picked out another can of juice from the refrigerator. "See, I've been living her with her here pretty much non-stop since she moved in at fifteen. She's twenty five now. How long can ya say you lived with her since you married her dad?"
Tomoka pondered that. "Are you saying she resents that?"
Shinobu sweatdropped. Hoo boy. That struck her as a cluelessness matching Keitaro at his worst.
Kitsune shook her head. "No, I'm just saying that from her perspective, you probably haven't bonded with her as well as you hoped."
So, while Shinobu knew she was taking the coward's way out—especially after Kitsune's advice of helping Stepmother and stepdaughter getting together subtly—she was determined to sneak out of Hinata House like a thief in the night, because she really couldn't face Naru's disapproval today. She knew Naru had a right to be disapproving. She even had an overnight bag packed in case she needed to hide out. She had a few ideas on who she would ask. One of those choices left her slightly uneasy. She hoped it wouldn't be necessary to ask.
So, after making sure the rice cooker, the miso soup, the meat and vegetables were ready to serve, she slipped out the door, leaving instructions and a note behind saying she had to make an early start.
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"An early start?" Motoko said, looking at the note. "She doesn't start classes until eleven today if I remember right." She and Naru had been the first to the kitchen and had been surprised by the younger woman's absence.
Naru sighed unhappily, suspecting that this early start was mostly because of her own overreaction last night. I wish she hadn't done it, but calling her Maehara-san was probably too much. More pragmatically, it meant she was going to have to play the okami role for her stepmother and her half sister.
Seeing Motoko was still waiting for a reply, she nodded. "Well, I'm sure she has her reasons, and we'll have to just roll with it." I guess someone who's run away as often as I have can't fault her for doing the same. She looked around the kitchen. "Shall we follow her instructions and see if we can avoid turning her work in the kitchen into a disaster?" She took an antacid.
The two of them laughed… a bit self-consciously, knowing their own weaknesses in this area. But they both understood duty.
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Mei was the first of the Narusegawas out of the room. She knew she would be busy doing schoolwork today to make up for the time she was here, so a little free time was a good thing. Besides, her older sister had acted strangely, and she wanted to find out why. Okay, I'm pretty sure I know why, but I had hoped she'd want to visit with me at least. Having been away at a boarding school as she had been, she hadn't had too many opportunities to see her. And since her senpai/closest friend had already graduated from St. Ursula's High School, the occasional trip away from her studies didn't bother her.
She was preparing to knock on the manager's door when she suddenly heard some sounds of commotion in the kitchen. Veering over that way, she slid open the door to see Naru and one of her friends working the stove while a foreign girl sat at the table.
"No, Su," Naru was saying, "I have no idea where Shinobu keeps the bananas. They're not something I would normally eat."
"You should!" Su replied. "Potassium is supposed to be good for preggo women!"
"Maybe," Kitsune leered, "Shinobu keeps them in her room for when she's l-"
"Finish that sentence and die!" Naru snapped, spotting Mei and having a very good idea of what Kitsune was implying. She took another antacid. "Hello Mei!" Naru said in a genuinely cheerful tone. "I'm sorry we didn't have a chance to visit yesterday." I just didn't know how to do that without having to face your mother.
"Well," Mei beamed, "I'm glad that I caught you before you needed to head to your school."
"Well actually-"
"Did you have school today?" Su called out. "I thought you took it off because this was your big appointment day."
"Oh, do you have an appointment today?" Tomoka asked, suddenly coming through the door. "Maybe I can help you out there."
Mom… Mei thought, seeing her chance to talk with Naru vanish.
"Urk…" Naru said, recoiling. "Erm, I mean, welcome to Hinata House!" She bowed abruptly, dropping a teacup. "Gyaaaaa…" she muttered to herself.
"I can clean it," Mei said, jumping up and retrieving a broom she had spotted earlier.
"Thank you Mei," Naru said. Turning to Tomoka, she said, "I don't want to inconvenience you on your vacation, Gibo-san." She searched her mind for an excuse.
Gibo-san? Tomoka thought, wincing. I guess the girl at the tea shop was right about bonding. But I don't have anyone to blame but myself for that. "Oh, don't be silly, Naru-chan," she said placatingly. "I hoped we would have time to visit. From what Miss Maehara told me, you seem to have busy schedule, and I wouldn't want to force you to abandon something important for me."
Her words didn't so much placate as install a sense of guilt in Naru. She really didn't want to do this, and she remembered that she wanted to start being honest with herself instead of—as Keitaro had put it—holding it in until she burst. But, looking at her mother, she couldn't bring herself to say what she wanted. Besides, this might be my only chance to visit with Mei too. Her issues with her stepmother aside, she thought of her half-sister as her sister and loved her.
"I guess so," she said softly.
Kitsune looked at Naru's submissive expression, and gave Tomoka a sour look. That woman has no clue! Of course she had to admit she had no right to point fingers herself on that matter.
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"So, what the hell happened?" Motoko asked Shinobu, pointing to the overnight bag. They were sitting in their usual spot, drinking tea with the rare spot of good November weather. "I mean, I can't point fingers, having run away myself a few times. But this doesn't feel like you. Of course it doesn't seem like Naru to get mad at you just because her stepmother showed up either."
"Well, it wasn't that her stepmother showed up, or that I knew she showed up," Shinobu said, resignedly. "It was because I helped her come under a false name… I wanted to give them a chance to reconcile. It's what I'd want my parents to do."
Motoko winced. "Ah, that helps put it into context. I figured Naru was trying to avoid her." She sipped her tea for a moment to buy time while thinking of advice to give. Trying to stretch out that time, she asked "So, where are you planning to stay? Most Tokyo hotels are expensive, and the ones that aren't, you really don't want to stay at."
"Well, my first choices are to ask Kyoko or Mari, when I see them at class. Hopefully, one of them will be able to." They owe me after that debacle last month anyway!
"Hmm, and if they don't?" Motoko asked, concerned for her safety. Crime was low here compared to the rest of the world, but the rate was climbing.
Shinobu didn't answer. She looked down and reddened slightly.
That gave Motoko another reason to be alarmed. "Shinobu!"
"Hey! I'm over 20, remember? Let me worry about that" Shinobu snapped, defensively.
"Okay, okay," Motoko surrendered, startled at the ferocity of Shinobu's tone. "I'll drop it." She didn't want to, but remembered her talk with Naru earlier on the subject.
She cleared her throat. "Getting back to your question, I guess it depends on whether this is something she'll be over with quickly or whether she's brooding. If it's the first, she might be over it by the time you get home. If it's the latter… well you might be in trouble until some other distraction comes along to divert her."
"Great," Shinobu sighed. "Who's going to do that?"
There was a flutter of feathers and the sound of bells. Something flashed in the sunlight.
Motoko parried.
"Ohohoho!" came a familiar laugh. "You've gotten much better."
Shinobu and Motoko sweatdropped. "Ane-ue!" Motoko protested, exasperated. "This is hardly an appropriate place for this!"
It was Tsuruko, standing before before them dressed in her hakama and uwagi; the purple feathered Hayate on her shoulder, ajirogasa on her head. The other students gave them all a wide berth as they walked by.
"Oh, Motoko-han, don't be so disrespectful," Tsuruko replied with a mischievous smile. "I've come for a visit while my husband is taking our son on a training journey. I thought I'd come by to tell you before heading over to Hinata House."
Of course you are. "Well, there's your out," Motoko whispered to Shinobu. Turning to Tsuruko, she said placatingly, "I don't know if that would work so well, Ane-ue. We do have guests in the guest room this time." It's not a lie. I just didn't mention there's a second guest room, she told herself.
"Oh, it's no bother, Motoko-han. I'll just stay in your room and be just as unnoticed as last time."
Motoko suddenly understood Naru's influx of antacids. Am I ever going to get obligation free time to spend with Yuto-san?
"At any rate," Tsuruko continued. "I need to pay my respects to the Narusegawa woman for keeping you on track when you wanted to leave."
Narusegawa woman? Motoko thought. How does she know about the guests… then it sunk in. The last time Tsuruko was here, Keitaro and Naru were fighting. She probably doesn't know about the reconciliation. "You mean Mrs. Urashima?"
"Ah, so you fled that battle?" Tsuruko asked cheerfully.
"Ane-ue!" Damn, if she finds out I'm interested in a man… Well, actually… now that she thought about it she didn't know what Tsuruko might do if she learned she was interested in an unattached man. Maybe nothing. But she wasn't ready to go public yet. "It had to be."
It's as if Mutsumi was a dangerous maniac in addition to being clueless, Shinobu thought. It should prove to be an interesting week. Still, it was every woman for herself here, so she snuck off.
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"And Naru normally goes to her appointment this way?" Tomoka asked warily, looking at the Mechatama hovering in front of her?
"Sure does!" Su said cheerfully. At last a test subject for my project! "You just wrap your arms around it's neck and OWW!" She clutched her head while Naru—who had just walked in—rubbed the knuckles on her fist.
"I usually take the streetcar," Naru said. "It's about a 90-minute trip to Tokyo." It was a mixed blessing. On one hand, it meant Keitaro might be able to be there when the test revealed the gender of the baby. On the other, it meant…
"Oh, why don't I just drive you then?" Tomoka said. "You won't have to risk being forced to stand during the trip, and we'll have a chance to catch up."
"Erm… great…" Naru said, popping another antacid. "I guess I'll go get changed then…"
Upstairs, Mutsumi was waiting for her when she reached her room. "Ara, Nacchan… are you feeling an unusual amount of stress lately?" She was in her ambiguously intense mode.
"Well, I don't think it's much different than usual. Why do you ask?"
Mutsumi produced a large chart from nowhere. "Because I noticed your use of antacids is through the roof." The chart showed a steadily growing climb with a huge spike beginning yesterday. "You do remember what we talked about don't you?"
"Am I going to hurt my baby?" Naru asked, suddenly alarmed and automatically fumbling for an antacid.
Mutsumi gripped her hand. "Not directly. But there is a maximum limit and," She ticked them off with her fingers, "with the calcium an excessive use of them can cause kidney stones. A build up of magnesium can cause constipation, and sodium bicarbonate can cause water retention." Her tone and expression gentled. "Before you worry, these things take time to build up and aren't inevitable. So I don't want you to think you caused something terrible and stress over your stress. But if your stress is increasing your acid reflux, it is better to adjust your diet and talk to your doctor about something that can handle it better. And perhaps you should talk to her about whether your Sertraline dosage is adeq—"
Naru clapped her hand over Mutsumi's mouth. "Not so loud!" she hissed. "I don't want to go through the same nonsense with her thinking I'm crazy that I had to go through with everybody else!"
"Ara, Her? You mean your stepmother?" Mutsumi frowned. "You… haven't stopped taking it on account of her being here, have you?"
"No… but with all the commotion, I forgot to take it at breakfast," Naru said, looking away.
"Then take it now," Mutsumi said firmly. "It helps you."
"I will," Naru sighed. "I just didn't want her to overhear… I don't think my stepmother would understand, so I don't want to let her know."
"Well…" Mutsumi said clearing her throat, an alarmed expression on her face.
"She's standing behind me, isn't she?"
Mutsumi nodded sheepishly.
Naru didn't even turn around. Feeling humiliated at her secret being exposed, she opened the door to the room she shared with Keitaro, grabbed her pills. Hachi, bored and mischievous, made a dash for the door.
"Dammit," Naru growled, grabbing the leash and walking after the mutt as quickly as she dared. "Hachi!" Of course Hachi ignored her. She uncomfortably dry swallowed her medication as she pushed past both Mutsumi and her stepmother and headed down the stairs.
"Naru!" Tomoka said, worried. "Please, wait!" Similar to Shinobu's pursuit of Naru the day before, it didn't take Tomoka any great effort to catch up to Naru. "Please! Can't we talk?"
Naru whirled. While her instinct was telling her not to do this until her Sertraline kicked in, she couldn't really bear it any longer. Keitaro described it once as until you burst. It was a good description, because she did.
"Oh? Now you want to talk?" Her nostrils flared in anger. "Really? After all these years of not wanting to do anything to do with me, now you want to talk?" Across the courtyard, Naru could see the door to the tea room slide open. Haruka and Kitsune peered out, concerned. Wincing, Naru lowered her voice.
"Why would you want to talk now? I didn't see you at all from the time I was fifteen until my admission ceremony for Todai? Why couldn't you and dad even be bothered to come to my wedding?"
Her stepmother looked taken aback. "Naru… I know I wasn't.." her voice trailed off. Naru was giving her a glare that showed over ten years of her hurt and resentment. So, she bowed. "I am sorry. There are no excuses for how I treated you back then. I don't have any right to protest what you said. But-"
"That's right. You don't. You might be ready to start playing 'mommy' to me, but that doesn't mean I'm ready to forget everything and be the daughter!" She looked around and spotted Hachi running up the hill to the old Annex ruins. Great! I don't want to have to climb up there today! "Dammit, Hachi! I'm going to turn you into a rug!" She stalked off in his direction. She felt ashamed for her outburst. Damn it. If I was like this for Keitaro, no wonder we had problems. Now she was going to have to make up to her as well as to Shinobu.
"Na-" Tomoka started, reaching out her hand.
Mei politely grasped her sleeve and shook her head. "Mom… maybe you better let her cool down."
Tomoka looked at her and grimaced. "I… suppose you're right."
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"Ooh, sorry Shinobu," Mari said, apologetically. "I promised I would go home overnight. We're visiting my grandfather. He's getting up there in years, so there's no way I can get out of it. Otherwise, it would probably be a lot of fun."
"Well, thanks anyway," Shinobu said. "Family is important, you know?" She turned to Kyoko. "So, can I crash at your place overnight?"
"Umm, that's going to be difficult to manage," Kyoko said, using the euphemism for No. "I have a prior commitment."
"Oh?" Shinobu asked, slightly crestfallen. "You have a family or club obligation?"
"Nope," Kyoko said cheerfully. "My boyfriend's coming over tonight!"
Shinobu and Mari blushed deeply.
"At least show a little tact!" Mari hissed, pounding her on the head. While she also rotated between her and her boyfriend's place, she thought it was something to be discreet over. Still… "Have you considered asking your boyfriend, Shinobu?"
"Wow, I didn't think it possible you could turn more red," Kyoko said to Shinobu. She snapped her fingers, remembering. "Oh, that's right. You're still a vir-"
"SHUT UP, KYOKO!" Mari snapped. She turned. "Look, Shinobu, the first isn't as bad as…" her voice trailed off. Shinobu had already fled out of the classroom.
"Her innocence is so cute," Kyoko smiled.
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Naru sat in her room, finishing her brushing of Hachi… the dumb dog had gotten burrs in his fur again. Well, I guess I'll need to take public transportation, she thought. After that, even if she could bear to face her stepmother again, it would be pretty tactless to expect a ride after her tantrum. Sighing, she got changed and collected her purse. "Don't even think of running!" she said to Hachi, pointing her finger.
Hachi gave an indignant wurf and lay down on the tatami.
Satisfied he'd obey, she turned back to the door.
There was a knock. Surprised, she slid open the door.
Her mother was standing there, keys in hand. "I imagine we need to head out to my car now if we want to make it to your appointment," she said flatly."
Naru cringed slightly. "Okay," she said equally toneless. Now how do I get through this?
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Shinobu ran from the building, face burning in embarrassment. She wasn't so naive as to be unaware of what they were talking about. Sometimes she found herself feeling longing too. But for her friends to treat it in such a matter of fact way was a bit shocking. Is something the matter with me that I'm so shy about it? She decided to head over to her usual meeting place where she and Takane found each other between classes. She'd just wait and catch up on her reading for the class she cut. But she saw Takane was already there, an iced coffee in one hand, cell phone in the other.
"Shinobu?" he asked in surprise. "Was your class canceled too?"
"Umm, well something came up and I needed to cancel it." She sighed, knowing there was no way to explain the why to him. But, she thought, I need to ask him this anyway. So I better not put it off. "Takane-kun? "Can I ask you a favor?"
"Sure, Shinobu-chan," he replied cheerfully. "What is it you need?" He took a drink from his iced coffee.
"Umm, can I sleep with you tonight?"
Takane spewed the drink from his mouth.
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Author's Notes
And so, we end on a cliffhanger this time.
"Call me Tomoka." I needed a name ("Naru's Stepmother" sometimes gets unwieldy). She doesn't have a name in the manga. I couldn't find any mention in the section on the anime (which I expressly avoid treating as canon) either.
"How long can you say you lived with her since you married her dad?" According to the manga, Naru was four or five when her mother died. Mei is ten years younger than Naru. Based on the information I can cull, Mei would have been about five when Naru went to Hinata House.
"Hey! I'm over 20, remember?" The Japanese age of majority. Equivalent to our saying I'm over 18 (or 21). Based on the information culled from Mugendai, Shinobu would be about 21 right now.