To understand the present, you must know the past...

The American School of Tokyo did not allow open campus for lunch. Neighbors of the school had told the school exactly what they thought of the students: nuisances. Especially the high school students. So, instead, the seniors clustered around the tables closest to the door, as if the mere thought they could walk out (and face detention) was an assertion of the independence they so desperately craved.

One table held two students, a boy and girl, sitting opposite from each other. Both had identical haircuts: shaggy layers, and both were speaking in rapid, native Japanese.

"So what are you getting him?"

Mokuba was in the process of lifting a sashimi roll to his mouth. His hand went still, the sashimi quivering precariously in between his chopsticks.

"You are getting him something?"

He set his chopsticks down. "Of course I'm getting him something."

Reiko crossed her arms, looking at him long and hard across the lunch table. "But you haven't yet."

"No. But I will."

They glared at each other before Mokuba lowered his eyes back to his sashimi. Honestly, he wasn't even sure why Reiko was harping on this issue. He should never have even told her when Nisama's birthday was.

"Mokuba-kun...I just don't get it. You practically worship the man, and yet you haven't done a thing. And it's the day before his birthday."

"Yeah, well, I've been busy," Mokuba grumbled.

"We're going shopping after school."

"You might be. I'm busy. I'll do it later." There was a dangerous edge to Mokuba's tone, the kind a boy's voice got just before a fight broke out. He wasn't sure why this made him so angry, so upset, but he did not want to talk about Nisama right now. Or maybe not ever.

"Okay. Okay. Hey, d'you think Johnny will go with me to prom?"

Mokuba was glad that the conversation had returned to non-Nisama related topics, even though he knew Reiko was only doing it as a favour to him and not because she actually considered Nisama to be a casual lunch topic. Like she did her crush on Johnny. And senior prom.

No, even Reiko knew that Nisama was in a league of his own.

He settled his mouth into a teasing grin, picking up his chopsticks again. "Prom is, like, months away, Reiko-chan. Ahead of yourself much?"

"No offense, but I'd like to go with a crush."

"Rather than me, you mean?"

"Well, you're better than going alone."

"Thanks. I think."

"Although I might be persuaded if we can arrive in the helicopter."

"You mean, you're too chickenshit to ask him. You didn't ask him to the fall formal, and you've had a crush on him since last June."

"People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."

Mokuba went white, eyes jumping to her face. She stared knowingly back at him, and he realized that the turn of talk to Johnny and prom hadn't really been a change of subject at all.