A/N: At long last! It's an update!

Mei: For those who've been waiting and have stuck with Kari-chan this far, your patience has been rewarded!

Aki: In other words, Hikari finally tracked down her latest chapter -

Me: Rescuing it from a corrupted disk!

Aki: Whatever...

Disclaimer: Right...and I'm a mother...

Chapter 3: Revelation

Takao stared glumly out the window. For the past few weeks, Tokyo had had nothing but rain almost every day. Frankly, it was getting boring staying inside the house, especially since he had nothing to do.

It had been three months and two weeks since he and the other members of Team BBA had seen Hiromi. Ever since her mother had died – because of a heart attack, they were told – she'd not made contact with them, except for that one phone call where she'd told them about her mother's passing away and that she would be busy – the ruby-eyed teen had taken a job as an assistant secretary at a small-scale business firm so she could pay the hospital bill. Hiromi also added that she had to learn to support herself.

Takao picked up a small photograph that lay on his desk and shook his head. The photograph was one of them – Team BBA – taken in the days when Beyblading was still a simple pastime, made exciting because of the annual tournament amongst world-class teams. Back in the days when each one of them was still relatively innocent. Back when they didn't have to worry about anyone dying while playing their favorite sport. Back when they didn't have to grow up.

He sighed. It seemed an eternity since those days had passed. He frowned as he remembered the announcement in the news the other day. He'd almost forgotten. Somehow, Balkov had managed to be appointed Chairman of the Board, but of BEGA – the training center he'd formed a few years back, the same company that sponsored the Justice Five tournament. The tournament that had the future of the BBA riding on it… and the one that took Kai away from them.

And then, Takao smirked. He remembered that the only reason Balkov had set up the tournament was to prove that his training center was better than the BBA. He had hoped that – since part of the contract was that the BBA would shut down when its team lost – when his team of lackeys won the tournament, lots of bladers would sign up at BEGA and would receive an exclusive members' card. The card, he'd said, was the only way bladers would be able to get spare parts for their blades, so you had to be a member if you wanted to maintain your blade. If things had gone according to plan, Balkov would have been in control of the entire blading world, his one ambition ever since Takao had met the lavender-haired middle-aged Russian.

However, things had not gone according to plan; far from it, in fact. Almost no one had signed up to join BEGA, and, according to some, hobby shops were still selling parts even to those who didn't have the 'requirements'. It was the very irony of the fact that Balkov still lost even though his team had won that made Takao smirk.

Look's like Kai still carried out his promise… the stormy-eyed teen thought, recalling the day Kai had vowed not to let Balkov win. Even in death, he managed to pull it off…

In the distance, lightning flashed; thunder rumbled. Takao paid no notice to the din outside; the telephone had begun to ring. He strolled over to it and picked up the receiver.

"Moshi moshi?"

Hiromi sighed and picked up her brown handbag from the desk. Another workday for her had ended. Just in time to get caught in the rain and without a ride home…she thought miserably, gazing at the sky through the huge plate-glass window. She could take the subway, but the way to the nearest station entailed a five-minute walk in the storm; three if she ran and there was no traffic. Of course, there was always a cabby service available, but it cost more than her subway ticket. And she wasn't about to spend more than what was necessary, not now when the termination date was so close.

She sat down again, dropping her bag onto the mahogany tabletop, and glanced at the ring she always wore on her finger. She sighed and caressed her stomach. Not too long now… she thought, smiling contentedly as she remembered that fateful day.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this, Hiromi?" Kai asked as he watched her cross the threshold into the small chapel they had chosen. "If you're having second thoughts, I can wait until you're sure of your answer…"

The auburn-haired teen gazed back at him, her ruby eyes shining with determination. "Of course I want to go through with this, Hiwatari Kai." She said, smiling at the slate-haired blader. "If we wait a few days more, or even a couple of weeks, it might be too late by then."

Kai smiled that gentle smile he seemed to reserve only for her and held out a hand. "You have a point…are you ready?"

Hiromi took his hand and giggled nervously. "As ready as I'll ever be…"

The pair smiled and slowly began to walk towards the altar, where a priest was waiting for them.

It seemed like only minutes later that the sacred rite was carried out. Hiromi slipped the slim gold band onto Kai's finger, just as he did a few moments earlier.

There was no congregation to applaud their union, no tears of joy or shouts of approval. Kai, Hiromi, the priest, and two deacons – to sign the marriage certificate – were the only ones in the chapel.

Hiromi pulled away from the kiss and gazed into Kai's amethyst pools…and was shocked by the depth of emotion she saw.

Happiness.

Nervousness.

Joy.

Love.

The ruby-eyed teen blinked, and returned the smile he gave her. She couldn't believe the stories Takao and the others had been telling her about Kai. They had said that the stoic teen was incapable of expressing his emotions. Yet here he was, exposing his feelings to her, and for once, he was not afraid of doing so.

She enfolded her partner in a loving embrace, happy and grateful she had been 'the chosen one'.

She sighed again. That night, it seemed that they had had all the time in the world. Yet, not even two weeks later, it had ended, physically, at least.

Yes, she had known from the first day that she was pregnant with Kai's child and that she wouldn't be able to keep their secret any longer, but she was determined to do everything necessary not to let the cat out of the bag too soon.

The child within her squirmed, restless; she could feel its every movement, and it was as though she could feel what the baby felt as well. She brushed her slightly round belly, believing that even the lightest touch would reach the developing baby and soothe it; sure enough, the baby settled back into peaceful 'slumber', if you could call it that.

She stood up and glanced at the window; the rain had slowed down, so she wouldn't get that drenched if she took the subway. Having made up her mind, she picked up her bag, shrugged on her coat, and left.

Driing!

"Now who could that be?" Hiromi wondered out loud as she got up from in front of the television. She hurried into the hall and towards the front door.

"Hai?" she said as she swung open the door. And gasped. There, on her front doorstep, stood Max, Rei, and Takao. "What are you guys doing here?" she asked, glancing from one teen to the other. Her visitors just smiled.

"Oh, where are my manners?" Hiromi slapped her forehead, and then moved backwards into the hall, leaving space for her friends to pass. "Please, come in and, err…make yourselves at home."

"Thanks." Takao said. The stormy-haired teen was the first one to enter the house. "Pretty nice place you got here, Hiromi…"

"Yeah; I have my mother to thank for that…" Hiromi smiled wanly. "She was always great at interior decorating."

"We can see that…" Max said cheerily as he examined a rather expensive-looking angel figurine that stood on a marble mantel in the front hall.

Rei, who was already in the living room, sat down on one of the cushioned chairs. "So…how's your new job going?" he asked.

Hiromi sat back down on the couch and grinned contentedly. "Well, it's pretty easy work compared to helping to look after you guys."

"Very funny." Takao said, rolling his eyes. "Remind me to laugh later…"

Max grinned. It had been a long time since they had acted like this; much too long for his taste, and he was happy that his friends were lightening up, even just a little bit. Then he did a double take at Hiromi. Was it just him or…

"Hiromi…uh, are you eating right?" he asked tentatively, taking a seat next to her on the couch.

"Of course I am, Max," Hiromi replied, looking at him with a bewildered look on her face. "Why do you ask?"

"Well…" the blonde teen trailed his gaze to a nearby window instead of looking her directly in the eye. "I, err…noticed your stomach is, well…bulging."

Hiromi's eyes widened. He noticed… "Are you sure it's my stomach that's bulging?" she asked, forcing a laugh to hide her nervousness. "Because it might just be my shirt, you know…"

"Max's right, Hiromi…" Takao said, glancing pointedly at the auburn-haired teen. "Your tummy's looking sort of big…"

"And I don't think it's the shirt…" Rei added, "Especially since the blouse you have on is rather fitted."

"Um…" Hiromi dropped her gaze to the floor. Oh, man… she groaned inwardly. How can I break this to them?

After around five minutes of uncomfortable silence, Takao went to sit in the space at Hiromi's other side. He laid a hand on the nervous girl's shoulder. "Hiromi, did something…happen? Something you're not telling us?"

Hiromi blushed slightly and fidgeted in her seat. Rei leaned forward in anticipation; was she going to tell them?

"C'mon, Hiromi…you can tell us." Max said, reaching for his friend's hand, in order to assure her. "We're listening."

There were a few more minutes of silence. Finally, Hiromi took a deep breath, closed her eyes and leaned back into the couch.

"Do you remember when Kai and I arrived late at the hotel we were staying at? Nearly seven months ago?"

"Yeah, I remember…" Takao said, one eyebrow arched bewilderment. "You said that you went late-night jogging, and Kai was…training, as usual."

"That's right." Hiromi said, her eyes still closed; she didn't want to look at anyone just yet. "A few days before that – you guys were out doing who-knows-what, leaving Kai and me alone in the hotel room – well…let's just say Kai did something unexpected…"

"What, try to put you through training, since we weren't there?" Takao asked.

Hiromi cracked a smile and shook her head. "No. He…erm…" Hiromi blushed once more. "He…proposed to me…"

Three mouths dropped open upon hearing that last part; none of the three boys could speak from sheer shock. Takao was the first to recover.

"He WHAT?" he sputtered, jumping up from the couch.

"He proposed-"

"I know he proposed to you!" the steel blue-eyed teen said, waving his arms around wildly. "I just can't believe he actually did that!"

"Whoa…" Max said, slumping back in his seat. "Kai actually liked someone. And right under our noses!" he grinned and shook his head. "How stupid of us not to have noticed…"

"Well, he kept it pretty well-hidden…" Hiromi grinned.

"Anyway, Hiromi…what happened on that night? You know, the night when you went jogging and all that…" Rei prompted. The neko-jin was still in shock over what he heard, but he wanted to get to the heart of the matter.

"Right…" Hiromi nodded. "Well, there's not much to tell except that that night when we came home late, Kai and I had…err…just 'tied the knot'."

"NANI?"Max, Rei, and Takao exclaimed in unison, once more shocked beyond belief. "You guys actually married?"

Hiromi had to giggle; her friends' faces looked so silly! She nodded her head in reply. "Yes, I'm glad to say we did."

"Cosmic…" Max said, his eyes still wide with disbelief. "It boggles the mind…"

Takao shook his head. "I don't believe what I'm hearing! Kai actually went and did…that." Rei kept silent; his companions had echoed his exact sentiments."Then…that means…" the Chinese boy straightened up suddenly as realization struck. "That means…Hiromi…you're…"

Hiromi nodded, blushing. "Yes, Rei…I am."

Silence reigned once more, if only for several moments. And then…

"WOO-HOO!" Takao yelled, pumping his fist in the air. Then he started dancing around, chanting, "Kai's gota baby!"

"Congratulations!" Rei said, coming over to her and patting her on the shoulder. Max, overcome with shock, couldn't say anything but 'Oh, my gosh…' over and over.

"I'm going to tell Kyouju!" Takao said as he walked over to the phone. He picked up the receiver. "Is that all right with you, Hiromi?" he asked, looking at the auburn-haired teen.

Hiromi nodded, smiling pleasantly. I shouldn't have kept it a secret from them… she thought, gazing around at her friends. It wasn't right. In fact, we should never have kept the whole thing from Takao and the others…

The next thing she knew, Max's arms were around her. "I'm so glad you told us, Hiromi," the sapphire-eyed teen said, a broad grin on his face. "It's not right for someone to bear any burdens alone, like you undoubtedly have been these past months."

"You're right, Max." Hiromi answered, returning the hug. Oh, that felt good! She hadn't hugged anyone else after Kai's death, because she was afraid it would stir up memories of 'those times' and she hadn't wanted to risk breaking down from the intense emotion she thought she'd feel. But she'd been wrong; it was a huge gesture and reassurance that everything would be all right. "I'm sorry I kept it from you guys for so long…"

"Hey, you still told us the truth, right?" Rei said, sitting down beside her. At that same moment, Takao put down the phone and walked back to the couch.

"Ouch…it's a good thing Chief didn't visit with us…" he commented, rubbing his right ear. "If he had, every single glass thing here would have been shattered."

"That loud, huh?" Max asked, referring to what must have been Kyouju's shouts of exhilaration. Takao merely nodded and sat back down.

"So…about the baby…"

The next two-and-a-half months passed by quickly for Hiromi and her friends. There was so much to do.

Kyouju nearly freaked when he heard that Hiromi hadn't gotten her home ready to 'accept a child', as he put it, and immediately told her that she needed to take a maternity leave from her job. She'd complained at first, saying that she needed the money, but the bespectacled teen explained that with maternity leave, she'd still be receiving her paycheck, so it was nothing to worry about; Hiromi calmed down after that.

Next had come the whirlwind shopping spree – for the necessities, of course. They had bought a small crib, two or three small pillows, two packs of disposable diapers and around ten cloth ones, towels, three babies' pajamas, several small shirts, and other odds and ends that they thought a baby might need.

"There! You're all set!" Kyouju exclaimed, settling down to admire his 'handiwork'. Chief had been the one to instruct Takao and the others where to place the crib, how to put away the baby clothes in the closet, etc., while Hiromi had relaxed and watched them work. She smiled.

"Thanks, guys. You don't know how much I appreciate this, you guys helping out and all that..."

"Anything for a friend," Takao said, wiping his brow. He'd put together most of the baby's crib – which they'd set up in Hiromi's old room. Max was at the department store, buying some baby toys, while Rei was in the kitchen, cooking dinner.

"Well, I'd say this house is pretty much set." Kyouju said, smiling up at a very pregnant Hiromi. "I've got to go now, though; my parents need me at the restaurant."

"Then by all means, go." Hiromi urged. "I wouldn't want your parents to chew you out for being late on my account."

Kyouju smiled back before he closed the door. "If you need anything-"

"Just call. I know." Hiromi gave a small wave. "Thanks again."

The door swung shut, and Takao and Hiromi were left to themselves. For a few moments, it was deathly quiet. Then Takao spoke.

"What do you think it'll be?" the stormy-eyed teen asked as he went and sat down in a cushioned straight-back chair sitting in a corner of the room.

"Huh?" Hiromi did a double take; she'd been staring out the window before Takao asked the question.

"I mean the baby." Takao explained, reaching for a heart-shaped pillow and fluffing it up. "Do you think it'll be a boy or a girl?"

Hiromi shrugged. "I don't know. My termination date is pretty close so…"

"Yeah. Guess we'll know by then, huh?"

Suddenly, from downstairs…

"Guys! Dinner's on!" Rei called.

"We'll be there!" Takao replied. He got up, and then held out a hand to Hiromi. "C'mon, let me help you," he said.

The auburn-haired teen looked puzzled. "What?"

Takao gave a lopsided grin. "You don't expect a very pregnant mother to make it down that staircase by herself, do you? If you fell, that would jeopardize the baby!"

"Well, you're pretty knowledgeable…" Hiromi said suspiciously as she took his hand, allowing herself to be led downstairs.

When they got there, the succulent aroma of spaghetti assaulted their senses.

"Wow, Rei, that pasta smells pretty good!" Hiromi commented as she sat down at the table. The neko-jin, wearing a white apron, smiled.

"Thanks. I guess Uncle was right when he said I take after him."

Takao, after spooning an ample amount of pasta onto Hiromi's plate, helped himself to huge serving. "Itadakimasu!" he said, before picking up his fork and digging in.

"Well, someone's hungry…" Rei commented. He slipped off the apron and sat down opposite Hiromi; he glanced up at her and saw she wasn't moving. "Hiromi?"

"Huh?" the ruby-eyed teen snapped out of her reverie. She grinned apologetically "Sorry, Rei, what is it?"

The raven-haired teen gestured towards her plate. "You're not eating."

"Sorry…I was just…thinking…"

"'Bou' wha'?" Takao asked, his mouth half-full of chewed spaghetti.

"Yuck!" Hiromi exclaimed, covering her face with her handkerchief at the sight. "Takao, when will you learn better table manners?"

The blue-haired teen swallowed. "Sorry. What were you thinking about, Hiromi?" he asked again.

"Nothing…" Hiromi forced herself to smile, to assure her friends that all was well. She picked up her fork and began to shovel tiny bites of the pasta into her mouth. However, her movements were mechanical; her thoughts were elsewhere.

Oh, Kai…she sighed sadly, if only in her mind. If only you could see Takao and the others now…

A gentle breeze teased him awake. Slowly, the amethyst pools opened and, blearily took in the surroundings. Where was he, and how did he get here?

Then he remembered, and his shoulders drooped slightly at the thought. He sighed sadly.

The same wind that awoke him now parted the clouds that blocked his view, and then carried towards him the sweet whisper of his beloved.

"Oh, Kai…if only you could see Takao and the others now…"

There was a sadness in her voice that did not belong there; he knew he was the cause and felt guilty for it.

But there was something else Hiwatari Kai knew that the girl he beheld now did not; he could see them, and he was pleased with what he saw.

"If only you knew, Hiromi…"

"I'm back!" Max sang out as he closed the front door behind him.

"Max! There you are!" Takao said, jumping up from the couch. "What took you so long?"

"The line at the cashier was murder…" the sapphire-eyed teen replied, dropping his packages – which, thankfully, didn't contain anything breakable – on the floor next to the coat rack.

"Well, then, it's a good thing Hiromi had enough sense to save some of the spaghetti." Rei said, coming out from the kitchen. Apparently, he'd just finished putting away the dishes.

"Great! I'm starved!" Max said happily. He immediately went into the kitchen; soon, the threesome in the living room heard the sound of the microwave oven being turned on.

"So, Max, what's in the packages?" Hiromi asked, getting up from her seat. She went over to the coat rack and picked one of them up, albeit with a little difficulty.

The blonde teen came out of the kitchen, carrying a plate of spaghetti. "Just baby toys. Stuffed animals, rag dolls, bath toys – the usual stuff you get for a baby."

"Oh. They must have cost a lot." Hiromi smiled at the slowly maturing teen.

Max shook his head and waved off the comment. "Nah. It's not like I bought the whole store; it's just a selection of what I thought were the reasonably priced, yet enjoyable and fun ones."

"I see. Thanks, Max."

"No problem." The golden-haired teen took a moment to gulp down more spaghetti, and then continued, "Besides, you gave me the money, remember."

"Yeah, I know. I thought you might have spent a little extra on my account, that's all."

"Well, there's no worry in that," Max grinned. "Those toys were pretty cheap; in fact, there's still some money left from the amount you gave me."

Hiromi looked puzzled. How could there still be money left? Toys don't come that cheap…she thought. After a few moments, she shook it off and smiled back gratefully.

"Err, guys, I really hate to go," Rei began as he approached the coat rack and took his jacket. "But my apartment still needs some cleaning..." Rei had moved into a new apartment just five days ago; everyone had helped him with the move, as was their custom.

"Sure, Rei, no problem. Thanks again!" Hiromi said, grinning broadly at the kind neko-jin, who gave a small wave before he shut the door behind him.

There was silence for a time. Max gulped down the last of his spaghetti; he glanced around.

"So, what happened to the baby's room?"

The eighth of November, two weeks after Hiromi's house was set up for the baby. The auburn haired teen was outside, on the back porch, enjoying the night breeze by herself.

The wind whistled through the breeze, a soft, eerie lullaby; up above, silver moonlight glowed brightly within its celestial orb, its luminance enhanced by the slight blanket of clouds that blocked it out every so often.

Hiromi took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, contemplating the events that had happened so far. And now, another thing was going to happen to her and her friends; she wasn't sure when, but she knew it had to be soon. She took in another breath of sweet night air.

And then she felt it: a gnawing pain in her lower abdomen. She breathed in sharply, attempting to make the pain go away. She couldn't; it was then she knew it was now.

Slowly, she made her way into the house and over to the phone, her breath coming in short gasps all the while. She quickly dialed the number of the hospital and requested an ambulance be sent to her address; she knew it would be the best course of action at this point.

When she was done, she replaced the receiver, and the picked it up again; she dialed another number and impatiently listened to the insistent ringing on the other end. Finally someone picked up.

"Hello?"

"Takao, it's Hiromi."

"Oh, hey! What's up?"

"It's time."

"What's taking so long?" Takao muttered irritably. He got up from his chair and paced the length of the waiting room. Max, Kyouju and Rei watched him silently.

"Well, this is Hiromi's first time..." Kyouju said

"Yeah. It could take anywhere from two to eight hours just to deliver one baby." Rei added, his tone of voice telling the stormy-eyed teen to be patient.

"Well, she's already been in there for two hours and thirty minutes," Takao replied, taking off his customary baseball cap and twisting it nervously in his hands. He slumped against the wall. "I'm just worried, that's all…she is our friend. What if something goes wrong in there?"

Max smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, buddy. The doctors won't let anything happen to her."

"Yeah, well, even professionals can make mistakes, y'know…" Takao mumbled. He placed the now-rumpled cap back on his head.

"Well, if you're so nervous, why don't you take a short walk?" the bespectacled teen suggested. "It could help."

"No way!" Takao exclaimed. "I might miss the announcement!"

"Good point…"

Suddenly, they heard the door swing open, and they glanced towards it eagerly. There stood a white-garbed doctor, a clipboard in hand.

"You are here with…Tachibana Hiromi?" he asked, looking at them over the tops of his horn-rimmed spectacles.

Takao hopped up excitedly. "Yes, sir. How is she?"

"She's doing fine," the doctor replied, smiling.

"And the baby?"

"We've stabilized her."

"Yes! The-" Takao was about to do a victory whoop when he realized there was something wrong with the doctor's statement. "Excuse me? 'Stabilized', you say?"

The doctor nodded. "There was a birth complication; the baby was breech."

"What?" Kyouju leapt out of his seat. "Then-"

"Yes. However, we believe we've made good time; the ten-minute period had not entirely passed when we were able to rectify the problem. However, the child did not take its first breath, as was expected. It was only when we were about to break the news to Ms. Tachibana – that her child would not make it – that the baby did cry, albeit a little weakly. But it was a cry, nonetheless."

"And…?" Max prompted.

"As mentioned earlier, the baby has been stabilized. The delivery was no problem; however, the medical team felt it best to attend to the child first before announcing it you gentlemen."

"So, will the baby be fine?" Rei asked, still a bit apprehensive.

"Thankfully, the trauma caused by the momentary lack of oxygen did no damage to the windpipe, or to any other bodily organs. The child is now breathing on her own. Would you like to see Ms. Tachibana?"

"Yes, please," Kyouju replied.

"This way, gentlemen…" the doctor gestured towards a nearby corridor. Takao and his companions followed.

They passed a lot of white doors with pieces of paper tacked to the front; apparently, these papers depicted the name of the occupant. Soon, they came to a door that didn't have any identification; the sign gave the room number as 526.

"She's in here," the doctor said as he swung the door open carefully. "She's just woken up from the anaesthetic, so she might be a little groggy."

Takao stepped through first, followed by Max, then Rei, then Kyouju. For once, the four were respectfully silent; smiling, the doctor closed the door with a small click.

The room was fairly small, but comfortable. The walls were a relaxing cream color, and the bed, located at the far end of the room, had beige sheets. The small lamp on the bedside table gave a soft, sleepy glow. And, of course, in the bed was Hiromi, dozing peacefully.

Takao pulled a seat next to the bed. Next to him sat Max, and on the opposite side of the bed sat Rei and Kyouju. They kept quiet as they watched her sleep, her chest rising and falling in the steady rhythm of slumber.

Several more minutes passed in this manner, but none of them moved to wake her. They knew how important it was for the auburn-haired girl to rest. However, after around ten more minutes, something caused her to stir.

"Where-?" she began sleepily. She slowly turned her head to the side and saw Takao and Max looking at her. "Takao? Max?" She turned to the other side and saw Rei and Kyouju. Seeing her friends seemed to snap her awake, if barely. "What are you guys doing here?"

Takao smiled at her. "Well, we came to see you, Hiromi."

Rei smiled, too. "Yeah. We can't let you experience this alone."

"Besides, we wanted to see your and Kai's baby." Max added. He flashed his signature thumbs-up and grinned.

Hiromi nodded, smiling gratefully. "Thanks, guys. But…" she trailed off, yawning, "do you mind terribly if I ask you to leave? I'm…kind of tired…" and she yawned again.

"Sure, Hiromi, no problem." Kyouju said as he got up from his chair. "We just wanted to see if you were all right." He gestured to his companions, who followed his example.

"Well, we'll see you tomorrow, then," Takao said as a parting message. Hiromi nodded; already she was drifting back to sleep. Max closed the door softly.

Once outside, Takao asked, "Do you think they'll allow us to see the baby?"

"I'm not sure…" Kyouju replied. "I'll go ask." He approached the nurse's desk and conversed quietly with the nurse there. After a few moments, he came back, a broad grin on his face. "The head nurse says its okay."

The nurse Kyouju had talked with came up to them. "Follow me, please," she said, her voice soft and pleasant. The foursome followed obediently.

A/N: So...what do you guys think? Is it a girl or a boy? 3 Oh, I had such fun writing this chapter! I can't wait to post the next one -

Aki: Hikari? We, er...we have a problem.

Mei: What? Did the computer crash? I have the back-up disk...

Aki: Nope. Remember the rescued file for the next chapter? I did a file-check earlier; Chapter 4 and onwards is full of nonsensical scribbles...

Me: I get it sigh...Sorry, folks, but looks like there's going to be another long wait before the next update, since its apparent that the next few chapters for this story were corrupted beyond repair...But I'll do my best!

R&R, peepz! Dewa matta and God bless!