Chapter Thirty: Dance Up a Storm

I found myself walking down a long path that stretched into the distance, seemingly to infinity. The sky was a deep, rich blue, though it would turn cloudy and gray every so often. There were no buildings or road signs to be seen anywhere. I didn't know why, but I was forced to walk at the same pace, neither speeding up or slowing down. I walked alone and, oddly enough, I was missing my right arm.

After walking for a really long time, another path intersected with mine, and a girl with brown, shoulder-length hair started walking beside me, and the path widened just enough for the two of us. She had a warm, calming, and timid presence about her, and I felt happy and safe.

We hadn't walked for long before a baby appeared in my arms, but the brown-haired girl disappeared from my side at almost the same time, and then the baby disappeared from my arms, and I felt my heart stop and I stopped walking, though I continued to move forward, as though on a conveyor belt. The path stayed the same width as I moved alone.

I moved without walking for a long time before another brown-haired girl appeared next to me; she was short and had short brown hair under a blue and white hat, and even though I felt uncomfortable around her I started to walk slowly and felt my heart start beating again. I still moved forward at the same speed as before, though. As we walked she got taller and taller, becoming more and more beautiful, more full of life, and she started to glow, like the sun on a spring day. As she grew, her hair got longer and longer until it reached the small of her back. She was my life.

Another path intersected with ours, and a girl who was a little taller than the brown-haired girl and had long, purple hair came from the side and walked with us, on the other side of the brown-haired girl. She had a warm, calming yet bubbly presence about her, and I felt happy and safe; for some reason she appeared to me as three girls. While we continued to walk she somehow gave me nourishment, and I felt a twitch in my shoulder and held up my right hand, which had somehow regrown along with my arm.

Eventually the purple-haired girl stopped us and held out her hand toward me, and I realized I had a choice; I could move on, leaving the purple-haired girl behind, or I could take her hand and allow her to continue on the path with us. I knew, though, that if I took her hand that she would walk between me and the brown-haired girl from that point on, which made me uncomfortable.

I had a sudden sensation of falling, and I remembered what happened when I didn't take hold of her hand. I didn't know what to do, though: I didn't want to lose my sunshine but I also didn't want to fall forever…

"Hey, Okazaki; wake up."

"Huh?" I blinked, and a stack of papers on my desk came into focus. I looked up to find my boss grinning down at me. "Aw, sorry boss; I didn't mean to drift off there."

"You okay?" he asked as he eased himself onto the corner of my desk. "I'd normally say something like 'daydream on your own time' but this isn't like you. And on a Friday, of all days."

"Thanks," I replied, then clapped my hands on my cheeks before massaging them to try and re-center myself. "I'm fine, boss; just…had a couple of weird dreams lately, one this morning, and they've been bugging me." I grabbed the stack of papers before me and tapped them on the desk several times to get them reorganized. "That, and I'm accompanying my daughter to a school dance tonight. Sorry; I won't let it distract me anymore, don't worry."

"I'm not worried." He studied me for several seconds before speaking again. "So…girl trouble?"

"Something like that," I admitted. "Like I said; I'm sorry for drifting off like that, but I'm good now."

"So what's the problem?" he asked.

I blinked in surprise; while the boss and I had a good working relationship, he never really showed concern for my personal life. Or anyone else's, for that matter. "I…"

"Well, what is it? She too old? Too young? Too many?" He grinned. "I've seen how Ichika-san at the front desk looks at you."

"She wha-?"

He leaned toward me, his grin almost turning wicked. "What's your secret, man? You know, you're almost the poster boy for polygamy."

"Stop!" I yelled before slapping my hand over my mouth in response to a sudden bout of nausea. "I'm not like that, boss! She's eighteen, all right? Eighteen, and I don't know how to get her attention off me!"

"Eighteen, Okazaki?" he looked at me with disbelief. "How'd you manage that?"

"It's a long story, but I can say that I didn't deliberately encourage her," I replied. "Right now, I'm just trying to figure out a way to get her attention off me."

"Damn…" he muttered. "That's gotta be rough."

"You're telling me."

He shook his head with a wry grin as he clapped me on the shoulder. "Well, good luck with that, Okazaki."

"Thanks."

"Now get back to work," he said as he slid off my desk. "You have some catching up to do."

I found myself returning his grin. "Yes, sir."

The rest of the workday went smoothly; I got caught up on my workload and managed to make a follow-up appointment with the hospital during my lunch. All in all, it was a productive day.

As I walked home, however, I found myself feeling more and more anxious; not because I would be accompanying Ushio to the dance, but because I was sure that Mika would be there. And with as occasionally bold as she had become, I had no idea what to expect from her. Hopefully her friends would be there and keep her busy.

I marveled at how easily my right hand turned the key in the lock; I'd been doing it so much lately that I'd almost forgotten that I'd lost the use of it, however temporarily, not too long ago. "Man, how time flies…" I murmured as I entered my home. Knowing that the evening would be exhausting I headed to the bathroom and washed my face with warm water before heading to my room to change my clothes and lay down for a half-hour nap.

When I woke up, I could hear water running in the bathroom and figured that Ushio was getting herself ready for the dance. I checked the time on my phone as I headed to the bathroom and knocked on the closed door. "Ushio? Is that you?"

"I'm in here, Daddy," came her muffled reply. "Just getting ready for the dance."

"Okay. Just so you know; if you're wanting to be there by six we should be on our way in about a half an hour," I told her. "I'd like a few minutes in there to get ready myself, so let me know when you're done."

"Okay; I'll hurry."

"Thanks." That conversation done, I headed down the hall to the living room and fell into my spot at the kotatsu. I leaned back on my hands to look out the sliding glass window, then snorted as I got up to open the curtain. Once everything was squared away I looked out the window and worked on calming myself; I'd had a good nap, but it hadn't done anything to help with my anxiety. "Good grief, Okazaki; you're getting worked up over a high-schooler."

I couldn't ignore that fact that I was in a pretty delicate situation; the teen-aged daughter of two dear friends was actively (albeit awkwardly) pursuing me. Were it any other girl I could just ignore her and she'd eventually give up and go away, but Mika was the daughter of my two best friends, she went to the same school as my daughter, and she was still coming over regularly to help out with my recovery. Even if I booted her from dinner-making duties, the other two factors still weighed heavily and I had no control over those.

Another aspect of the problem was that the idea of a relationship between the two of us had been gaining support from those in the best position to put a stop to it; Kyou, Ushio…and, more recently, her parents themselves. I shook my head as I wondered how in the world they could be okay with the arrangement, even if Mika was legally an adult.

"Do you think I don't know about how Ryou used to feel about you? …She hasn't said this, but I think she's glad that Mika's getting the chance that she never got."

I mulled over Kappei's words; Ryou's prior feelings for me, communicated to Mika, along with all the time we spent together during my recovery…. "I guess I really shouldn't be surprised anymore," I sighed as I watched the clouds lazily drift across the sky.

Any further musings were interrupted by Ushio bouncing into the living room. "Sorry to take so long! The bathroom's available!"

"Thanks," I grunted as I got to my feet. "I'll be as quick as I can." I hurried into the bathroom and brushed my teeth and gave my face another wash. I'd already changed into the clothes I intended to wear to the event, dark clothes that wouldn't stand out, so all I needed was some basic hygiene.

After washing up I joined Ushio by the front door; she had already changed her shoes, so she waited excitedly while I worked on mine. Once I was ready we headed out.

"It seems kinda weird being out like this without Mika-senpai," she remarked as we walked. "I kinda miss her."

"I'm surprised that she wasn't waiting for us on the front porch," I replied; truth be told, I had become somewhat accustomed to her walking with us any time we went to the school for something. "It does feel weird."

"Do you miss her, too?"

I glanced over at her, expecting to see an amused look, but was surprised to find her looking up at me with an honest expression. "It's…different," I admitted, really not wanting to talk about it.

"Okay," she replied, and I felt her glance at me every once in a while as we made our way the school.

As we reached the bottom of the hill, I paused as the wave of memories washed over me again; meeting Nagisa for the first time, helping her with the Theater Club…

"Daddy?"

My daughter's voice snapped me out of my reverie, and I blinked several times to get back into the real world. 'Y-Yeah, sweetie?"

"Are you okay?" she asked with concerned eyes.

"Just…remembering," I sighed as we started walking again. "Let's get inside; we don't want to keep your friends waiting."

"R-Right."

We made our way over to the gym, where the dance was being held, and I opened the door to let her go in first. "Let's find someplace for me to park," I said. "After that, you can go and find your friends."

"Okay."

There were already a lot of kids there but not so many that we couldn't get through, and we quickly found someplace for me to sit. "Have fun, sweetie; I'll be here if you need me." Fortunately the music wasn't too loud so we didn't need to raise our voices…yet.

She knelt down to take my hands as she smiled up at me. "Thanks, Daddy; I really appreciate you doing this for me."

"You're welcome," I said with a soft smile. "Now go on and have fun."

"Okay!" she squealed, then spun on her heel and hurried into the mass of students.

My smile was tinged with a bit of sadness, knowing that in a few short years she'd be an adult, living her own life, and that these days of school events and fun and friends would quickly fall into her past.

"Hey."

I blinked out of my reverie to find one of Ushio's…no, Mika's friends looking down at me; it was the girl with the blue hair and glasses. "Good evening," I greeted.

"Good evening," she replied. "I'm surprised you didn't come with Mika."

"Actually, I'm here with my daught-" I quickly cut myself off, hoping she'd miss my near-slip.

She didn't, of course. "I take it you're not a college student, then?" her question was more of a statement than anything.

"I never said that I was," I answered, more carefully this time.

"And, based on your slip-up, you're most likely a parent to one of the first-years."

I sighed; damn her hearing. "That's right; I'm Okazaki Ushio's father."

"Where's her mom?" she asked while looking around.

"She died giving birth to Ushio."

I was pleasantly surprised to see a look of compassion cross her face. "Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't," I replied gently. "It's okay."

"So you're her dad…" She sat down on a nearby chair, leaving a one-seat gap between us, and pressed the side of an index finger against her mouth as she appeared to study me. "You must be…what, thirty-four at least?"

"Thirty-six, actually."

"So, what are your intentions toward Mika?" she asked as she crossed her arms.

"To get her attention off me."

"Off?" She blinked, and I could help but smirk; she clearly wasn't expecting that answer. "What do you mean?"

I sighed; strictly speaking, I didn't owe her an answer, but since she was a friend of Mika's and was obviously concerned for her… "Mika's the daughter of a couple of friends of mine; in fact, her mother and I attended this school at the same time. After my shoulder here was reinjured, she came over to our place to help out with meals and the like. For reasons that aren't mine to tell, she ended up attracted to me, and…" I shrugged with my hands.

"So you didn't do anything to encourage her?" she asked, eyeing me suspiciously as she adjusted her glasses.

"Not intentionally, no."

She eyed me a little longer before dropping her arms with a sigh. "Doggone it, Mika; why doesn't it surprise me that you'd do something like this?"

"If you have any ideas, I'm open to them," I told her. "She's a nice-enough girl, but she really should be with someone closer to her age. A lot closer."

"I agree. I mean, I'm sure you're a great guy and everything, but at your age you're going to totally outclass her in the maturity department."

"Thanks, but I wonder sometimes…" I chuckled, leaning back and crossing my arms as I looked out to the dance floor.

I felt her gaze on me a bit longer before she spoke again. "Listen, I'm sorry for the way I treated you on your…at the park. At the time, I thought you were some college kid who was trying to take advantage of her."

I shook my head in disbelief as I turned toward the blue-haired girl. "How old do I look, anyway? It seems like ever since Ushio started high school I've had nothing but teenagers flirting with me."

She snorted into laughter, which was understandable considering the uniqueness of my complaint. "The guys in my class would kill to have your problem," she said when she finally calmed enough. "Some of the girls, too. Seriously though; other than your eyes, you look like you could be in your mid- to late-twenties."

"What is it about my eyes that makes me look older?" I asked, then became concerned as she started to blush. "You don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable; I'm sorry for asking."

"It's fine," she replied, removing her glasses to dab at her eyes with the back of her hand. "Well, it's like you said back then; you've seen a lot, and it shows in your eyes. You have small lines around them, like someone who's lived long enough to deal with a lot of pain. Considering that you lost your wife, it makes sense."

"Thanks, I think."

"You have very intense eyes, too; Mika might like that, but I'm not sure," she continued as she peered into my face. "They're kind, too. Wow…"

I started to become concerned at the intensity of her gaze. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Wha-?" Her eyes widened, and I saw her swallow hard as she straightened up with her hand over her chest. "Yeah, sorry. Damn, not me, too…"

"Miss?"

She suddenly shot up from her seat so quickly I was afraid she'd hurt herself. "I'm sorry, I have to go…uh, bathroom, right…"

"Okay. Thanks for your help," I said to her rapidly retreating form. "I hope she's all right…" I watched her until she disappeared around a corner before returning my gaze to the mass of students. It then occurred to me that I'd been so engrossed in my conversation with Mika's friend that I'd lost track of the time, so I started looking for my daughter's face among the students.

"Excuse me, young man." I heard a female voice say.

I heard her, of course, but since she obviously wasn't talking to me I safely ignored her as I settled into my seat and continued to scan the ever-growing crowd to see if I could find Ushio.

"Young man?"

After all, I'd been so caught up in my conversation with Mika's friend that I wanted to have some idea of where my daughter was.

I was startled by a touch to my shoulder along with another "Excuse me?" and I looked up into the face of an attractive older woman, with large violet eyes and dark-blue hair that fell to around her shoulder blades. "Young man, could you answer a question for me?"

I sighed as I realized that I was the 'young man' again. "I'll do my best, but you should know that I'm not a student here," I replied, hoping that would clear things up. "Not anymore, at least."

"Ah, my apologies," she said as she delicately dipped her head, and I noticed that she had part of her hair tied up in two bows similar to Mika's new hairstyle. "I saw you here and assumed you were a current student."

"No problem. Anyway, what's your question?" I said, not wanting to talk about my age yet again.

"Question?" she angled her head at me, reminding me of a puzzled puppy. "Oh! Of course!" She pointed out to the mass of students on the dance floor. "Can you tell me what is going on here?"

"It's…a dance," I replied; I didn't mean to sound patronizing, but I was having a hard time believing that she couldn't figure it out. "The school's having a dance event since summer break starts on Monday."

"I see," she replied, blinking several times as she settled into the seat next to me, and I got the sense that she was deliberately memorizing my words. "But if you are no longer a student of this school, why are you here?"

"My daughter is a student," I replied. "First-years are required to have their parents present for the event, so here I am."

She blinked in apparent surprise. "You mean…you are a father?"

"Yeeeeessss…" I replied slowly and carefully; this was definitely one of my weirder conversations. "If I have a daughter, then I would have to be a father, right?"

"Of course!" she exclaimed. "That is logical. I am sorry; I was in the library and heard the music start playing, so I came down to see what was going on."

"The library?" I repeated. "Kinda late for the library to be open, don't you think?"

"Oh, no," she replied, sending her hair swaying with the shake of her head. "I go to the library when I feel sad."

My forehead wrinkled. "That's…an interesting place to go for comfort."

"I spent a lot of time there when I was a student," she replied, sitting up even straighter. "I graduated before I could read every book, though, so I like to return to read the books that I missed. Since the school adds books on a regular basis, I never want for…comfort."

"Interesting," I said, genuinely intrigued. "What year did you graduate?"

"2004."

"Seriously?" I said, straightening as well. "What a coincidence; that's the year I graduated, too."

"Indeed?" she exclaimed. "But you look so young. If I may ask; what is your name?"

"Okazaki Tomoya. I was in Class 3-C, if that helps."

She pointed to her face. "Kotomi. You spell it…" she trailed off, then waved a hand in front of her face as it reddened. "So many years, and yet I still do that every so often…" She lightly patted her face a couple of times before looking to me again. "My name is Ichinose Kotomi. I was in Class 3-A but was not required to be in attendance."

"How come?"

Even in the relatively dim light I could see her cheeks darken. "I…was…"

"Hey, if it's embarrassing, you don't have to answer," I told her as I held up my hands defensively. "You hardly know me, after all."

"That is true," she said as she leaned forward to peer into my face. "But for some reason you seem so familiar… Would you please tell me your name again?"

"Okazaki Tomoya. It's a pleasure to meet you."

She sat up and pointed to her face again. "Koto… Oh my, I did it again," she said, ducking her head; something about her seemed childish even though she had to have been around my age. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Tomoya-kun."

"Tomoya-kun?" I repeated. "I think we're a bit past that level of honorific, don't you think? And I don't mean to be rude, but we don't know each other well enough for first names, right?"

She gasped as she covered her mouth, her eyes nearly the size of saucers. "Oh! I am so sorry! I did not mean to be so forward!"

"Don't worry about it…too much," I said casually as I gave her a lopsided smile; for some reason having her calling me 'Tomoya-kun' didn't bother me like I thought it would. "Maybe we knew each other in a previous life?"

"I have yet to find any scientific evidence to support reincarnation," she said, narrowing her eyes as she cocked her head. "It is possible, however, that we are experiencing the echoes of another timeline, one where choices were made that brought us together in some way."

I picked my jaw up off the floor, only speaking again when it was securely in place. "That was…quite the mouthful, Ichinose-san." Why did her name seem so familiar? Then, it occurred to me: "Hey are you the scientist that spoke here not too long ago?"

"I am," she replied simply.

I chuckled lightly. "Just out of curiosity: Did one of the students here ask you about your hair?"

"My hair?" She reached up to pat at her head, and when she touched one of her bows a light seemed to turn on. "Oh! One of them did, actually!"

"If we're thinking of the same person, then I know her; she told me that she…" I trailed off as I realized that telling her about Mika's fixation on her hair at the expense of the lecture could cause unnecessary problems. "She told me she asked you about it."

"Would you like to join me in the library?"

"Huh?" Where had that come from? "Uh, I can't; I'm here to keep an eye on my daughter for her 'safety'. In fact, here she comes," I said, smiling as Ushio approached us.

"Hello, Daddy," she greeted when she got close enough. "I found my friends, but then I saw you talking to someone and wanted to say 'hi'." She turned to my new acquaintance and bowed. "Good evening, ma'am; my name is Okazaki Ushio. I'm his daughter."

"Good evening, Okazaki-chan," Ichinose replied with a bow before pointing to her face. "Ko-" She cut herself off and I realized that she must have caught herself doing her former introduction. "My name is Ichinose Kotomi; it is a pleasure to meet you."

"A pleasure to meet you, too." Ushio replied, bowing again.

"So he is your father?" the scientist asked, gesturing to me.

"Um, yes ma'am," Ushio replied, looking at me with a puzzled expression. "If I'm his daughter, he'd have to be my father, wouldn't he…um, ma'am?"

"Of course!" Ichinose exclaimed. "That is logical. My apologies; I am a little…distracted."

"If I'm not rude for asking," Ushio said, "how do you know Daddy?"

I watched as Ichinose struggled with her reply, so I took pity on her and helped out. "We don't really know each other," I said. "She came down to find out what's going on here, and I just happened to be the first person she asked. Is that about right?" I asked, directing the question to the older woman.

"That…would be an accurate assessment," she replied, blushing furiously.

"Are you okay?" Ushio asked with concern in her eyes. "Can I get you some water?"

"No no," she replied while fanning herself. "I am not accustomed to being in the presence of so many people; I will head back to the library."

"Can I go with you?" Ushio blurted then looked to me. "Is it okay, Daddy? I just want to make sure she gets back okay."

"Sure," I grunted as I started to my feet. "I'll go with you, too. I still need to keep an eye on you while you do your good deed."

"Thank you, Daddy," she giggled.

As I followed the women to the exit it occurred to me that I had ended up accepting Ichinose's invitation to the library, albeit indirectly. Oh well, at least my little girl was happy.

As we tried to leave we were stopped at the door by one of the staff…or faculty or whatever. "Excuse me, but where are you going?" the man asked. "This exit is off limits."

"I…am returning to the library," Ichinose explained. "This nice young lady and her father will be accompanying me."

"Ah, Ichinose-sensei!" he exclaimed, startling me with his sudden change in demeanor. "I'm sorry; I didn't recognize you at first! Please, go ahead."

"Wait, please!" I was startled again as a voice called out right behind me, and we all turned to see Mika, with her hands folded and a worried expression. "M-May I come with you?"

"Hello, you are…?" the scientist asked, studying our friend.

"She's a friend of ours," Ushio explained. "When Daddy was recovering from surgery, she helped him by cooking meals for him."

Ichinose studied the teenager a moment longer before recognition flashed in her eyes. "Are you not the student who inquired about my hair?"

"Yes, sensei; that was me," Mika replied, ducking her head. "Hiiragi Mika. I'm really sorry about that; I just thought your hair was so cute and wanted to know how you did it."

"Yes, you said as much when we spoke after the Q&A," Ichinose remarked. "Thank you for your kind words and it is a pleasure to see you again."

"Oh!" the teenager squeaked again before bowing. "It is a pleasure to see you again as well!"

After a bit more back-and-forth the four of us started on our way to the library, Mika having received Ichinose's permission. We were pretty quiet as we headed over to the old building, or at least I was as I followed the three girls – women, really – who talked amongst themselves about stuff. As we walked the hallways and ascended the stairs, memories of comparatively simpler times washed over me; even though the halls had been repainted and parts of the school remodeled and updated, there was enough of my Hikarizaka High for me to feel nostalgic. I put my legs on autopilot as I remembered meeting Nagisa at the bottom of the hill and our many discussions about life and stuff. I remembered how hard she tried to restart the Theater Club and all the help I gave her even though I thought it was a lost cause.

In fact, I paused as we passed by the room that had been used for the club and stepped over to peek through the window. Like that time so many years before, boxes littered the room; they must have been using it for storage. I sighed sadly as it seemed like time itself was trying to erase all signs that Furukawa Nagisa ever existed.

"Okazaki-sama?" I heard, along with a gentle touch to my shoulder.

"Sorry," I said, forcing my gaze from the storage room over to Mika, who was studying me with a worried expression. "Just…remembering."

"What were you remembering, Daddy?" Ushio asked with a soft smile.

I gestured to the door next to me. "Your mother used this room for the Theater Club when she was trying to restart it; I was just remembering all the fun times we had…as well as the not-so-fun times."

"I remember some of the things you told me about it," she said quietly. "I'm ashamed that I never thought to come and visit the room where she worked so hard."

"Don't worry about it," I replied with a heavy heart. "It's not like you'd find any sign that she'd ever been there."

"But I know that she's been there," Ushio insisted. "And I think that because of that I still might be able to feel her in there."

"Okazaki-sama?" Mika said with pleading eyes. "If it would be all right, would you tell me about your time here? Not just at the Theater Club, but…just, what the school itself was like when you attended and what school was like for you? Like, your daily life?"

I snorted as I self-consciously ran my fingers through my hair. "I was kind of a boring person…but I guess I could understand why you want to know."

She said nothing in response but smiled fondly, creeping me out again.

"I…have good memories of this place," Ichinose said; I had almost forgotten that she was there.

"What kind of good memories, sensei?" Ushio asked.

The older woman's face lit up as she brought her hands together, the movement causing a light *clap*. "Oh, so many! I remember reading about nuclear physics, and biology, and astronomy…" Her eyes lost focus as she reminisced; presumably, those were her happy memories.

"I'm…very happy for you, sensei," my daughter replied as she exchanged amused glances with Mika and me.

"Thank you," the scientist replied as she refocused her smile on us. "It becomes harder and harder to experience the joy of discovery once one has read so many books. I find myself eagerly anticipating new discoveries so I can read about them and experience that joy once again." Her smile then started to fade. "That is one of the things that I do not like about growing older; the difficulty in finding that joy."

Our smiles faded as well. "I'm…sorry you're having so much trouble, Ichinose-sensei," Mika offered. "I hope you're able to have the joy you're wanting…um, more often."

"Thank you, young lady," Ichinose replied humbly. "I envy you in that everything is so new and fresh to you, that… I am sorry; shall we continue? I do not wish to detain us by prattling on." She turned and continued down the hallway, and the rest of us gave each other uneasy glances as we started to follow her again.

Eventually we made it to the library and the three of us watched as Ichinose produced a key and started to unlock the double-doors to the library.

"How come you have a key to the library?" my daughter asked.

Ichinose smiled briefly as she continued to work on the lock. "The school gave me a key when I first started attending and then gave me a copy when I graduated; I do not know why, but I am grateful."

She appeared to be having too much trouble with the lock so I stepped forward. "Here, let me help with that," I said as I reached for the key. "I've had some experience with stubborn locks."

"You sure have," Ushio giggled.

As I took hold of the key Ichinose suddenly gasped and quickly jerked her hand back. "Ah!"

"Are you okay?" I asked, my concern overriding my focus on my task. "I'm sorry; did I hurt you?"

"Ichinose-sensei?" Ushio chimed in. "Are you okay? Your face is really red."

"Ushio, go get some water for her," I ordered.

"I am not hurt…" Ichinose protested politely.

"Maybe so, but you're still looking kinda wobbly there," I told her as I returned my attention to the library doors. "Mika, help make sure she doesn't fall over or something. We'll get her to a chair as soon as soon as I get this stupid door open."

Fortunately she didn't protest any further and we got her into the library and into one of the many chairs inside. "Thank you," she said as she accepted the cup from my daughter. "I am unharmed, really; it just surprised me more than anything."

"What happened?" Ushio asked as she took a seat next to the scientist.

Ichinose glanced up at me from under her eyelashes. "I…am…not accustomed to being touched…especially by a man."

"Oh," I said, surprised by the revelation. "Well, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable; I'm sorry."

"Do not concern yourself with it," she said with a wave of her hand, though her face was still red. "You did not know, so it is okay."

"As long as you're okay; I thought I'd static-shocked you or something," I said.

"Okazaki-sama?" Mika tugged at my sleeve, eventually pulling me a short distance away. "I-I could be wrong, but I think Ichinose-sensei finds you attractive."

"Are you sure you're not just…what's the word? Projecting?" I asked half-teasingly.

She shook her head, her expression serious. "No. With the way she's been looking at you …" She glanced over at Ichinose, who had gotten up from her seat and was examining the bookshelves, Ushio by her side. "Like I said; I could be wrong. I just don't want you to end up in another awkward situation."

Her behavior had seemed odd, so… "All right, Mika; thanks, I'll keep that in mind." I sent her a lopsided smile. "Are you afraid of competition or something?"

"No," she stated while holding my gaze. "Because, in the end, I will give you every good reason to marry me."

"O-Okay," I said, unsettled by her intensity; I really needed to stop trying to tease her like that. "N-Noted."

"Don't worry," she said, smiling as she patted my arm affectionately. "It's not your fault that so many girls like you; you're handsome and have an awesome personality, so you don't have to worry about me taking it out on you like the girls at school do to their boyfriends."

"Thanks, I guess," I chuckled. "They still do that, huh?"

"Not all of them, of course," she said with a wink and a claiming of my hand. "Shall we rejoin the others?"

"S-Sure…" I replied as she dragged me over the bookcase.

As we got closer I heard Ichinose squeal in delight. "Ah! This one is new!"

"Good for you, sensei!" Ushio said with a patient smile.

"I must read this one!" she gushed as she pulled the book from the shelf and hurried over to the window. As I watched, she settled onto a cushion that was already on the floor.

"Are you sure that cushion's clean?" I asked as she laid the book on the floor before her.

"It is," she replied, never taking her eyes off her prize. "I cleaned it myself when I first arrived."

"Ooookay."

She looked up at me with a gleam in her eye, then scooted to one side of the cushion and patted the other half. "Will you read with me, Tomoya-kun?"

"Me? Um…" I looked around self-consciously at my daughter and my admirer. "You know we're not alone, right? Besides…" I knelt down and scanned the open book. "Yeah, just as I thought; this is way outside my understanding. Thanks for the offer, though," I said as I straightened and dusted off my knees.

"Oh."

"Besides, why are you asking me, anyway? We just met; I could be a creepy guy or something," I told her.

"You're not creepy!" Mika protested.

"I know that," I said, then gestured toward the seated women, "but she doesn't, and that's my point; she's showing way too much trust too soon, and that could get her in trouble later."

"A white picket fence."

"Huh?" Ichinose's statement was out-of-the-blue, but something about her words seemed…familiar.

"A white picket fence," she repeated as she rose to her feet and met my eyes. "I was practicing my violin when a boy who looks a lot like you came into my yard, looking for a lost ball. Taking the appropriate number of years from your facial bone structure and complexion has you looking almost exactly like the boy I remember."

"That's amazing, sensei!" Ushio gushed. "How could you remember something like that, from so…so…" she blushed as she was apparently about to say something embarrassing.

"From so long ago?" Ichinose asked, briefly glancing at my daughter before returning her gaze to me. "I can remember because he was the only friend I had; all the other kids avoided me, presumably due to my intelligence and hobbies." She took another step toward me. "But not Tomoya-kun; he accepted me for who I was – and am – and taught me many new things, new ways to play."

"I-Ichinose-sensei…?" Mika sounded worried.

I stared at the accomplished scientist, dumbfounded by her words…and then something about her face just…clicked; the large violet eyes, the placement of the bows in her hair…memories of happier times rushed over me, unbidden. "Wait a minute…that was you?"

She nodded. "I was practicing the violin when you came into my yard, looking for a lost ball. Mama believed you to be a nice boy and told me to introduce myself. It turned out she was correct, because we became very good friends."

I suddenly felt shame; I could tell it was not because I had forgotten in general, but because of something specific I had forgotten. "If that's true, then what happened? Why did we stop being…friends…? Oh my god…your birthday…"

"I believe it was because you did not show up for my birthday," she replied quietly. "It was very hard, but I believed you had your reasons."

"I was embarrassed," I realized, feeling my face burn as long-lost memories returned in full force. "I had promised to bring more friends for you but no one would come with me, so I was too embarrassed to show my face. After that, I ended up forgetting out of shame."

"That's too bad," Ushio said sadly. "You probably had a lot of friends when you were young, right Daddy?"

"Yeah…" I grunted as I tried to deal with the sudden and somewhat unwelcome memories. "If I remember correctly, they weren't interested in meeting with the 'weird girl'… I mean, that's what they called you. Damn me, I just gave in to peer pressure." I looked into a face that looked more familiar than before. "I'm really sorry about that, Ichinose. What can I say? I was a stupid kid back then; I just regret that my stupidity hurt you."

"I forgive you, Tomoya-kun," she said with a small smile. "I…am just glad to be able to see you again."

"Well, I don't know if I'm the 'Tomoya-kun' you remember," I told her while managing a wry grin, "but it's good to see you again, too."

"So, you remember her?" Mika asked worriedly.

"Kinda," I admitted while rubbing the back of my neck. "Most of it's fuzzy right now, but I think I remember enough."

"It must be exciting, meeting an old friend again," Ushio said encouragingly.

"I don't mean to be rude," Mika interrupted politely, "but I'd like to get back to the party."

"Hey, that's right!" Ushio said, rapping herself lightly on the side of her head. "I got so caught up that I forgot. My friends are probably wondering where I am."

"Yeah, you're right," I said, checking my watch. "We should head back. Are you going to be okay, Ichinose? Can we get anything for you before we head back?"

"Please, wait," my old friend said. Then, as the rest of us watched, she returned her book to the shelf, came back and moved her cushion from its spot near the window to behind a nearby desk, and then moved to stand before us. "I wish to accompany you."

The three of us exchanged a glance. "You sure?" I asked. "You remember how many people were down there, right?"

She nodded, albeit hesitantly. "I remember; however, I believe that as long as I am with you that I will be all right."

"You're more than welcome to join us, sensei," Ushio said with a sweet smile. "You're a friend of Daddy's, after all. What do you say, Mika-senpai?"

"I…" The older teen seemed to be at a loss for words, and it wasn't hard for me to figure out why. "I-It would be an honor if you came with us, sensei," she finally said, though she clearly looked uncertain.

"I don't know how interesting I'll be," I said to my genius friend. "But you're welcome as far as I'm concerned."

"Wonderful!" she replied, clapping her hands; Mika hadn't been kidding when she'd told me about Ichinose's childish aspects. "We have so much to catch up on, so I have no reason to believe that you would be uninteresting."

"Thanks," I grunted, not sure how to respond. "Well, let's head back, then."

We started back to the gym, but I found myself slowing as we passed by the old Theater Club room and I stopped to look inside yet again.

"Remembering happier times again, Daddy?"

I looked over at Ushio with a smile, though it felt heavy. "Yeah… Even though school sucked for me, sometimes I wish I could go back and do it all over again."

"I have an idea!" she chirped, hopping up and down all of a sudden. "Maybe the next time you have a weekday off you could come to the school and we could have lunch in here!"

My eyebrows jumped at the thought. "That's not a bad idea," I said, mulling over her idea further. "Yeah, I like that; next weekday I have off we'll do that."

"Great!"

That decided, we continued on our way back to the gym. Once there I reclaimed my seat, this time with my childhood friend sitting next to me as Ushio and Mika headed back into the crowd. "Have you had anything to eat?" I asked as I shifted my position to one more comfortable.

"If you are referring to dinner, I did eat before coming to the library," she replied as she sat turned toward me in her seat.

"Do you mind if I go get something? Ushio and I didn't eat before coming to the school because the school's providing food," I explained as I pointed to a group of tables on the other side.

"Oh, my! If you have not eaten then please, go ahead!" she exclaimed as she made a 'shooing' motion toward me.

I chuckled as I got to my feet and started over to the buffet tables. A quick glance over my shoulder showed her watching me with a smile so I gave her a small wave before committing fully to the serious task of food collection.

There were a few people around the tables, mostly students, and it didn't take long for me to find the paper plates and bowls and start loading up.

"H-Hi."

I sighed internally as I glanced over at what obviously was a student; my recent experiences with Mika and other girls around her age gave me a pretty good idea what was going to happen. "Good evening," I replied as I reached for a spoon to scoop some potato onto my plate.

"Wow…s-so formal…" she breathed, causing me to sigh internally again. "A-Are you in Class 3-A?"

"No, I'm-" How was I supposed to respond? If she really was flirting with me, then I needed to let her down gently. If, however, I was misreading her intention, then I could end up causing needless problems if I responded as though she was.

Fortunately, Mika came to my rescue. "Yamato-san!" she greeted as she joined us. "Sakagami-san's been looking for you!"

"Oh!" Yamato squeaked, her hand flying to her mouth. "I'd totally forgotten!"

"The last time I saw her, she was over by that corner," Mika replied as she pointed to one of the far corners of the room.

"Thanks!" she chirped before turning toward me to bow. "Please excuse me, senpai; I had forgotten that I was supposed to meet with a friend. I'll find you later!" With that she headed away, giving me a finger-wave as she left.

I rubbed at my temple with my free hand as Mika giggled lightly. "Thanks, Mika; she took me by surprise."

"You're welcome," she replied as she patted my arm. "And don't worry about Yamato-san; I'll…figure out how to keep her away from you."

"Don't like the competition?" I quipped.

"It's not that, Tomoya," she replied with a shake of her head. "I've been trying to give you space, after all. It's just that… I know that you're attractive to girls my age because of how young you look, and there are a lot of girls my age around here…" she trailed off as she indicated the crowd with a wave of her hand. "Honestly, I'm surprised that you've only been hit on once."

"We were in the library for a while," I pointed out.

"True," she acknowledged with a thoughtful nod. "And now that Ichinose-sensei's with you they might leave you alone."

"That's good," I sighed.

"Anyway, as your future wife I take your health very seriously, so I'm doing my best to keep your stress levels low."

My hand briefly paused in its journey toward a sandwich I smiled and picked it up and put it on my plate. "Thanks, I think."

"You're welcome!" she chirped. "Well, better get back to the gang!"

I returned her wave as she headed away from the tables, and my gaze was drawn to the way her hips...I shook my head as I forced myself to wonder if she'd had anything to eat yet. My eyes then widened as I realized… "Did she just call me by my first name? Rather than track her down and ask I finished filling my plate and made my way back to where my newly-discovered old friend sat waiting. "Sorry to take so long," I said while dipping my head. "One of the students, uh…wanted to talk to me."

"It is no problem," she replied. "In your absence I have discovered that I do not have a problem with large groups of people, as long as no one talks to me."

"You don't have to deal with groups at the lab?" I asked, my eyebrows rising.

She shook her head, sending her pigtails waving, which looked kinda cute. "No. I work with a small group of no more than around six at any given time. The only times that I am exposed to larger groups is when I give my lectures such as the one I delivered here recently."

I nodded slowly as I chewed, more on her words than on my meal; I could figure out what she was saying, it just took a little more effort than with most people. "Well, good for you," I offered after finishing my bite. "It's never too late to learn new stuff, after all."

"Indeed."

What I couldn't figure out, however, was the intensity in her gaze; something about it raised red flags so I deliberately returned my gaze to my meal. "So, what do you do at the lab?" I asked as casually as I could.

"I am the lead researcher for the String Theory team," she told me, noticeably sitting up straighter. "I offer support to those under my leadership and develop ways in which any discoveries can be utilized."

"That's pretty cool," I said, genuinely impressed. "Have you figured out anything you can do with this string theory stuff?"

She hid a giggle behind her hand. "I am sorry, but I am not permitted to discuss ongoing projects. Our website contains all of the information that we are permitted to disseminate."

I took another minute to translate her words to Idiot. "Okay, got it," I finally replied. "If I can ever afford a computer I'll be sure to look it up."

"You do not have a computer?" she asked, angling her head. "But computers are so inexpensive these days."

"Still outside the budget," I said, waving a hand to distract myself from my shame. "I'm a single dad who's been raising a daughter for the last decade or so; even with the help of extended family…" I trailed off with a shrug.

"I am sorry," she said with sadness in her eyes. "I did not intend to embarrass you."

"Besides, Ushio would need it more than I would," I remarked. "Right now, all she can use are the school's computers."

"Wh-What if I were to give you one?"

"Huh?"

"What if I were to give you one?" she repeated, straightening again. "I have several at home that I no longer use; I used them for my work, but the drives could easily be wiped, and-"

"Hold on," I said, raising my hand. "Thanks for your kindness, but…" I scratched my head as I worked on ignoring the sting to my pride. "It's my job to provide for my family, so to take a handout like that…"

"Very well." Her eyes briefly lost focus, then; "When is your daughter's birthday?"

"Huh? It was back in February. Why?"

She straightened even further, causing me to worry about her back. "Suppose that your daughter received a belated birthday present."

"Okay," I said, trying to hide a smirk; I already knew where she was going.

"And suppose that gift was intended to assist in furthering her education."

"I'm sure she'd appreciate that."

"What do you think, Tomoya-kun? Could you accept it under those conditions?" she asked with childlike eagerness.

I grunted more than sighed. "Look, I appreciate your generosity, but I'm not comfortable with Ushio receiving things from strangers. I understand that we're not strangers, but we haven't seen each other in years, so…" I scratched my head again. "Could I have some time t think about it? I'll probably be fine with it; I'd just like some time."

"I believe I understand," she said with a nod. "I will give you my contact information so we can correspond at a letter date."

"No, I'll try to get it sorted before we have to leave," I told her as I leaned back in my seat, having somehow finished my meal.

"I would like…"

Her hesitation drew my attention to her face, while was nearly scarlet…at least what I could see considering that she was looking down. "Yes, you would like…?" I prompted.

"I would like to exchange contact information, regardless."

I sighed. "I…suppose it's fine; we haven't seen each other in years, so…" I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cell phone. "What's your number?"

"We do not need to do that," she said, smiling in a motherly way as she held out her hand. "May I see your phone for a moment?"

"Um…sure," I said, handing over my phone with a puzzled look.

I watched as she got out her phone and held it next to mine. She tapped the screen on each phone a few times I heard a chirping sound. "There!" She handed back my phone. "I have exchanged contact information between our phones." I looked at my contact and, sure enough, her name and number appeared in my list of contacts.

When I accessed her info, a picture of her popped up; in it, she was dressed in what I assumed was her lab coat. Interestingly enough, she appeared to be wearing the same bows as the woman seated next to me. "That's pretty neat," I murmured. "I didn't know my phone could do that.

"Why do you not have a photo of yourself, Tomoya-kun?" I looked up at her word to find her examining her phone. "I have your contact information, but the image used is the default."

"I'm not very tech-savvy," I admitted.

"Are you afraid of it taking over your life?" she asked, wide-eyed.

I'd never thought of that and told her as much. "I guess I just don't have any real need for it," I said. "I mean, the only reason I have a cell phone is in case I need to call Ushio at home due to overtime or something like that."

"I see…"

"Excuse me?" came a timid sounding voice, and Ichinose and I looked up to the equally-timid gaze of a female student.

"What's up?" I asked, pocketing my phone as I straightened in my seat.

The only warning I had was a slight inward turn of her foot. "Would…Would you be willing to dance with me, senpai?"

It took me a moment to realize that it wasn't the girl who had spoken to me at the buffet table. "I, uh…"

"Young lady, he is not a student here," Ichinose informed her. "In fact, he is old enough to be your-"

"Tsuchida-san!" Mika called, saving me yet again. "There you are! Isamu-san's been looking for you!"

"What?" The girl quickly checked her wrist. "Oh, shoot! We were supposed to meet by the food tables to have dessert together!"

"Sounds like you need to get going," I said carefully.

"Right! Sorry, senpai! I'll find you later, I promise!" she called out as Mika dragged her away. As they left, I could swear I saw Mika wink at me.

"What a caring young lady," Ichinose said as she watched them depart. "Mika-chan? That is her name, yes?"

"Close enough," I replied; I really didn't want to get into a back-and-forth about honorifics. "I'd suggest you ask her what she prefers to be called; I don't think I've ever heard her called 'Mika-chan' before."

"I…will keep that in mind, thank you."

I stifled a burp, which caused me to realize that my new old friend hadn't eaten since coming to the dance. "Hey Ichinose; could I get you something to eat? Or at least something to drink?"

"I will admit that I am a little hungry," she replied. "If they have any sandwiches then I would like one, please."

"Anything to drink?"

"If they have something fruity, then I would like that; otherwise, I will have water."

"One sandwich and one fruity drink-slash-water coming up," I confirmed. "Be right back."

"Tomoya-kun?"

I paused and looked over my shoulder. "Yeah? Was there something else you wanted?"

"Could…Would you call me 'Kotomi-chan'?"

I mulled over her request but couldn't come up with a satisfactory answer. "Let me think about it while I'm getting your stuff, okay?"

"Okay."

I was approached a few times while trying to fill Ichi…Koto…her order, but Mika would always appear and find some way to get them away from me, and I was finally able to hand my old friend her food. "Sorry to take so long."

"I saw that you…had some trouble, but Mika-chan helped you. What a caring young lady."

"Yeah, I'm really grateful," I grunted as I scanned the crowd for the teenager's face.

"She is quite fond of you."

I froze, feeling a back muscle twinge in protest. "She… What do you mean?"

She ducked her head meekly before speaking. "I will readily admit that my understanding of human relations is somewhat…lacking, but I believe I have read enough about them as well as observed enough interactions to be able to at least formulate a hypothesis based on observation."

My nose traced several circles in the air as I worked on her sentence. "I think I get it, but what do your powers of observation have to do with Mika?"

"I have good reason to believe that she is attracted to you."

I chuckled softly. "Well, that's because she is."

I thought her eyebrows would climb around to the back of her head. "Indeed? You know this to be a fact?"

"Yes, I do," I replied dryly. "She told me about it – 'confessed to me', to use an old phrase – at the Founder's Festival."

"Then I perceived correctly?" she said, a smile starting to spread. "Oh, that is wonderful! That means that I can correctly deduce the state of a relationship!"

"Good for you," I chuckled.

"OH! I am sorry!" she cried, a hand flying to her mouth. "I was so caught up in my sense of accomplishment that I forgot what I was talking about!"

"So what were you talking about?" I asked, still amused.

"That you have a high-school girl vying for your affection," she replied while glancing at me repeatedly.

"Yeah," I grunted as I leaned back and stared at the ceiling. "And I don't know how to redirect her affections to someone more…well, younger."

"I am sorry that I cannot help you with that," she giggled, "but I do wish you well."

"Thanks; I wish me well, too."

Kotomi and I sat and watched the kids dance, eat, and gather in small groups to talk, and it seemed like it wasn't long before someone got on the PA system and announced, "Hikarizaka's Summer Dance will be ending in thirty minutes. I repeat: Hikarizaka's Summer Dance will be ending in thirty minutes. Thank you."

"That was fast," I remarked as I checked both my watch and my cell phone. "It doesn't seem like it's been that long."

"We were in the library for about thirty minutes," Kotomi noted. "Adding in the time it took to walk there and back and we could have easily used upwards of an hour."

"That's true."

We watched as the crowd of students started to diminish, and it wasn't long before Ushio approached us with a huge smile. "Thanks so much, Daddy! I had a great time!"

"Glad to hear it," I replied. "Are you done, then? There's still a little time before it's over."

"I'm done," she said. "My friends have already gone, anyway; I just finished saying good-bye to Shizu before coming over here."

"Well, let's get home then," I said, getting to my feet. "Kotomi-chan? Would you like us to walk you home?"

Her eyes lit up and she smiled excitedly as she shot up from her seat. "That would be wonderful!"

"Do you know if Mika's still here?" I asked my daughter. "I'd like to thank her for running interference for me."

"I saw her talking with her friends when I was on my way over here," she replied, then smirked. "By the way; Kumiko says 'hi'."

"Tell her 'hi' for me the next time you see her," I said, shaking my head with a smile. "Anyway, I'd like to let Mika know we're leaving in case she tries to find us later or something."

"I'll let her know and then meet you at the door," Ushio said. "Is that okay?"

"Sounds good, thanks."

She gave us an energetic nod and headed back to the center of the gym, and Kotomi and I started toward the door.

Ushio met us by the door a few minutes later with Mika in tow, though it looked more like the older teen was pushing the younger. "Senpai would like to talk to you before we go," my daughter told me.

I glanced at my watch. "I can spare a few minutes, but we'll be walking Ichinose-sensei home first, so we need to get going soon."

"Could I come with you?" Mika requested.

I studied the young woman as I considered her request. "I'll give your parents a call and let them know that we'll be seeing you to the station. You look pretty tired, so I don't think you should be by yourself."

"Okay."

"Let's get going before we all drop from exhaustion," I said as I grabbed the door handle and led the way out of the gym.

The air was cool, as expected for almost ten-o-clock at night, but it wasn't uncomfortably cold and we mildly shivered our way down the hill. "It's a little chilly," Ushio complained, though not too strongly as she adjusted her light coat around her.

"You can head home if you want," I told her. "I can walk Ichinose-san home, see Mika off at the station, and then head home myself."

"I'll stay," she insisted. "I wouldn't feel right, being in our warm home while you're out here."

"I'm fine, but if you want to stay with us then I don't have a problem with it."

"Perhaps we should see Mika-chan off at the station, first," Kotomi suggested. "You have school tomorrow, do you not?"

"Not tomorrow, no," Mika replied. "Today was the last day of school before summer break."

"Besides, you needed to talk to Daddy about something, right senpai?" Ushio said, giving her senior an amused grin.

"That's right," she confirmed, though she clearly wasn't takinig the bait.

We followed as Kotomi led us into a nicer neighborhood, the kind of place that I might visit bout would never be able to afford to live. "These…are some nice houses," I said, awed by our surroundings; even though it was dark, it wasn't hard to tell that we were in a higher-quality neighborhood.

"Wow, this looks so much like where I live," Mika breathed, unknowingly reminding me that her parents were much higher-class than I was. "If I didn't know better, I could end up getting lost here."

"Here we are," she said, stopping before a white house with a darker-colored trim. "This is my home."

"What a pretty house," Ushio remarked as she gazed up at the building.

"I would invite you in for tea, but it is late," Kotomi said to us. "Perhaps another time? A…rain check?"

"Sound good," I said with a smile. "Have a good night, Kotomi-chan."

"To you as well, Tomoya-kun," she replied with a small bow before quickly entering her house.

"She certainly seems well-off," Ushio remarked as we headed away from the house and toward the train station.

I glanced back at Kotomi's house. "If I remember correctly, that used to be her parents' home."

"It's not anymore?" Mika asked.

"I…think they died in some kind of accident a while back," I said, rubbing at my forehead. "Kotomi never told me herself that I can recall; I think I read about it and put two and two together or something."

We walked quietly for a bit longer before Ushio's voice broke ht silence. "Would it be okay if I went home? I guess I'm more tired than I thought."

"Could be the excitement wearing off," I remarked. "Sure, go ahead; I'll see Mika off and then head home myself.

"Okay. Thanks, Daddy."

We parted at a convenience store a short distance from our apartment but still on the way to the station. "That worked out well," Mika said as we continued on our way.

"Yup."

She was quiet after that, but I could feel her tension all the way to the train platform. Or maybe it was mine? "Well, the next train should be her in a few minutes," she said as she settled onto one of the benches.

"Did you have a good time?" I asked. "I didn't see you much, so I assume that you were with your friends."

"I did, thank you," she replied, smiling up at me. "Between spending time with them and keeping girls away from you, I had a busy time, but a good one. A 'busy-good time'."

I chuckled self-consciously as I shoved my hands into my coat pockets. "Sorry for any trouble I caused."

"You didn't cause any trouble," she giggled. "You can't help being so handsome and young-looking."

"Maybe I should have smoked longer," I quipped. "Then I'd look older. I don't know how Pops gets away with it, though."

"Who's Pops?"

I blinked as I realized they'd never officially met. "He's Nagisa's dad; he visited me at the hospital about the same time that you and your folks did. Anyway, the guy's smoked for as long as I've known him; it's a wonder that lung cancer hasn't taken him."

"I see…" she looked down at fidgeting hands resting in her lap. "Well, I'm glad you stopped smoking; I want you around for a long as possible."

"Thanks," I said, not sure how to respond. "You, uh, wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Sort of," she said getting to her feet and dusting off the back of her skirt. "I knew that I would be able to dance with you at the dance, so I was hoping you'd dance with me…here."

"Here?" I said, looking around. "But there's no music or anything."

She took a step toward me and I forced myself still; I wasn't going to have her chasing me around the station, which I could easily see her doing. "We don't need music, and I don't want to do anything modern or anything. I just…" She wrapped her arms around my middle and gently nudged me to one side. "…Just something simple."

I looked down at her open, honest expression…and sighed; I had yet to figure out how she could break my guard down so easily. "All right, Mika; I'll probably regret this later, but all right." I carefully wrapped my arms around her, and I could hear a happy sigh as she turned her head to snuggle the side of her face against my chest, and as I closed my eyes I tried to ignore a vision of her accepting my hand, separating me from the brown-haired girl…