Broken Doll: An Alternate After Story

by Magnus Prime

(NOTE: Rated 'M' for language and some disturbing content.) Based on the first 'version' of the canonical After Story. It has been almost sixteen years since Nagisa's death, and an unexpected encounter with his daughter's guilt forces Tomoya to deal with his past losses and ends up reconnecting with old relationships while making new ones.

33. High-Tech 'Date'

Chapter Thirty-Three: High-Tech 'Date'

Fortunately, the week went by pretty smoothly, and I found myself at Friday before I knew it. It had also been relatively relaxing since I hadn't been bothered by the dreams that I'd been having, which was a great relief and had me feeling well-rested. I figured I'd need all the strength I could muster for my weekend of 'dates', so I was glad for my much-needed rest.

As usual, Mika came over to prepare dinners for me, but I noticed that she seemed to get more and more upset as the week progressed, which wasn't too surprising considering that I would be seeing three different women over the weekend. At first I wasn't sure what to say to her about it or even if I needed to say anything about it, considering that our relationship was kinda one-sided. In the end I decided not to say anything about it since I wasn't seeing any of the get-togethers as dates, regardless of what Kotomi and the others may have been hoping for.

"Are you excited about tonight?" Ushio asked eagerly as I checked my face in the mirror one last time.

"I wouldn't say I'm excited, but I am looking forward to finding out what she's been up to since high school," I replied as I finished up, looking over to give her my full attention. "We only met a couple of times in high school; most of my memories are from our childhood. When we were about eight, I mean."

"I see…"

"I know that she took up her parents' research after she graduated from Hikarizaka – they died shortly after we met, I think – so she's been doing stuff with string theory or something like that."

"That sounds amazing," Ushio breathed. "I don't think I could ever do something that amazing."

"Well, she's a natural genius," I said. "We all have our own strengths. If yours isn't in science, then that's perfectly fine; it just means that your strength is in something else."

"Thanks, Daddy," she beamed as we left the wash room. "I think my strength is going to be in being a mother, just like Mom."

I was about to point out that her mother never really had the chance to be a mother but stopped myself; I didn't want to be needlessly hurtful, after all.

"I know she never really had the chance to be a mother to me, but you told me she worked so hard to take care of me when I was in her womb, and really hard to give birth to me. That tells me that she really cared for me and wanted the best for me. I want to be like that for my children."

"Yeah, she thought the world of you," I told her, a little unnerved by her insight. Had she been reading my inner dialogue? "She was really looking forward to meeting you. It's a shame that….yeah."

"Yeah…" she murmured as we settled into our usual places at the kotatsu to wait. "So, um, Ichinose-sensei's supposed to pick you up at six?"

I smiled to myself; it was obvious that she was trying to lighten the mood by changing the subject, not that I minded. "That's right. Remember: I'm not sure when I'll be home 'cause of how much she has planned, but I shouldn't be back any later than about ten." I sent her a lopsided smile. "There's only so much we can do around here, after all."

Our conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door, and my daughter gave me a puzzled look. "Did you invite someone over, Daddy?"

"As a matter of fact, I did," I said, smiling as I got up to head to the door. "I trust you to be alone by yourself, but I thought you might like some company while I'm gone."

"Oooh, who is it?" she asked eagerly as she hopped up and followed me.

I simply held my smile as I answered the door.

"Hey, Tomoya," Kyou greeted before I could get a word out. "Thanks for inviting me o-"

"SENSEI!" Ushio squealed as she threw herself at her beloved teacher. "OHMYGOSH! It's been so long!"

"Yes, it has!" my former sparring partner laughed as she hugged the squirming teenager. "We'll have some girl time while your dad goes out and gets flirted with."

"Ouch," I winced. "What was that for?"

"Well," she said, flipping her hair as my daughter released her, "you had a chance with me but blew it." She raised her hands in a shrug, reminding me of how she used to act back in high school. "Now that Jeff's got me, you'll have to make do with leftovers."

"Oh, no," I deadpanned. "Whatever shall I do?"

She gave me an incredulous look before whapping me on the shoulder. "You jerk!" she laughed. "Seriously, though; I remember what you told me when you asked me to come over, and I really do hope you have a good time."

"Thanks," I grunted as I rubbed where she'd hit me. "I'm not too worried about tonight since it's Kotomi-chan; she's too…"

"Naïve?" Kyou suggested.

"Not exactly, but close enough," I said. "Anyway, my point is that she's not likely to try anything funny. I'm more worried about Sakagami-san; I remember her being more on the aggressive side…"

"She sure seemed that way at your session," Kyou noted.

"…so I'm concerned that if she likes me she'll be more likely to…act on it."

"I know boys at school who would love to have your problem, Daddy," Ushio giggled.

"He almost did have that problem back when we were in high school," Kyou quipped as she studied me. "Were your dad the type, he could have had his own harem back then."

"Kyou…" I warned as I heard Ushio gasp.

"Do you want the list again?" she countered as she held up her hands as though to start counting.

"No," I grunted. "I just want to find out how Kotomi, Sakagami, and Fuuko have been doing and be done with it."

She gave me a knowing smile. "Now, you know you won't get away with it that easily."

"I'll deal with it if it happens," I told her as I glanced up at the clock. "In the meantime, please stop teasing me. My friend should be here soon, and I'd like some of my wits for our time together."

She studied me for a moment before smiling and clapping me on the shoulder again. "All right, sorry. Seriously though, remember what I've said, okay? Just because you don't see it as a date doesn't mean that they won't."

"I know."

"Good boy." We then looked to the door at the sound of knocking. "Sounds like you're up. Good luck, killer."

"Thanks," I said, then sighed heavily as I opened the door to the sight of my old friend. "Good evening, Kotomi-chan; good to see you again."

One of Japan's greatest minds trembled on my front porch. "G-G-Good evening, T-Tomoya-kun."

I gave a smile to try to put her at ease. "Just give me a minute and I'll have my shoes on."

"O-Okay."

I got my shoes on and straightened to smile at my old friend. "I'm ready to go."

"B-Before we go…"

"Yes?"

She knotted her fingers a couple of times before looking past me. "Ushio-chan? You are Tomoya-kun's daughter, are you not?"

"She is," Kyou interjected; apparently she'd popped into Kotomi's line-of-sight. "Why?"

"I…"

"Down, Kyou," I said, turning to give her a smirk. "She's harmless; let her talk to Ushio."

She bristled, presumably at me addressing her like a dog, but stepped aside. "All right, but we're talking later, Master."

I raised defensive hands, shifting from a smirk to what I hoped was a disarming smile before turning back to my old friend. "What's up?"

She turned to gesture to a yellow VW Beetle convertible behind her. "I…have a computer…in my car…for Ushio-chan."

I remembered our conversation from before so I looked over my shoulder again, this time at my daughter. "Well, Ushio? Ichinose-sensei's offering you a computer. Are you interested?"

"Absolutely!" she exclaimed as she joined me at the door. "Thank you so much, Ichinose-sensei!"

"It…is one of our older machines, so…it…is not as powerful as our current machines," Kotomi stammered as her cheeks darkened, "but I hope that you can use it."

"I'm pretty sure it's faster than whatever we have right now," I quipped, and I could hear Kyou snort from behind me. "Did you want me to bring it in?"

"If you would, please; I am not very strong, so I asked some of the men at the lab to put it in my car."

"Come on, Ushio," I said over my shoulder as I headed toward the bright yellow vehicle. "I'm sure there's something in here you could carry."

"On it, commander!" she chirped as she skipped to the car. "Woooowww…. What a beautiful car!"

"Th-thank you," Kotomi said as she walked with me to her car. "I have always admired German engineering, and one of my coworkers recommended the color because…" She paused as we stopped by the Beetle. "…he said something about bright colors helping with any depression I might have."

"It certainly is bright," Ushio noted as she squinted at the sunlight reflected off the paint.

My old friend nodded once before reaching out to unlock the door. "The computer and monitor are in the back seat," she told us.

It took a couple of trips, but the three of us managed to get everything inside. "Where do you want this thing put together?" Kyou asked. "I know enough to be able to hook up the cabling and stuff."

"Why don't you put it in Ushio's room?" I said. "It's for her, anyway; I wouldn't be interested in using it."

"Got it, Master," Kyou replied, giving me a salute.

"All right, Kyou; sorry about that," I grumbled. "I spoke before I thought, okay?"

"I forgive you," she replied while dropping her hand. "It really didn't bother me that much, though; I just liked having the chance to tease you."

"Fair enough," I grunted.

"Are…Are we ready to go, then?" Kotomi asked, shifting her weight from foot to foot while knotting her fingers; impressive coordination, when I thought about it.

"Anything either of you need from me before I go?" I asked those who would be left behind.

Kyou and Ushio looked at each other before smiling at me. "I think we're good," Kyou announced. "Have fun, you two."

"Thanks. Have fun with your new computer, sweetie."

"Thank you, Daddy," my daughter beamed.

I followed Kotomi back out to her car and headed around to the passenger side while she unlocked her door. She got in and I heard a *click* from my door, which I took as my cue to open the door and get in. I couldn't remember ever being in a car before, so I'd either never been in a car or I'd been too young to remember. In any case, it wasn't lost on me that I was about to do something new.

"Please fasten your seatbelt," I heard Kotomi request as I looked around the interior of her car.

"Why? Are you a speed demon or something?" I quipped as I reached over my shoulder for the strap.

"Not at all!" she gasped, sounding horrified. "It is required by Japanese law!"

"Calm down, Kotomi-chan; I was joking," I said as I struggled with the belt.

"It is fastened like this," she said as she carefully took the unruly strap and wrapped it across me, locking the buckle into place. I felt more than a little embarrassed. "There. Does that feel secure? Is it too tight?"

"It's fine…I think," I replied, giving the belt a couple of experimental tugs.

Apparently satisfied, she nodded before starting the engine. "May I request an adjustment to our itinerary?" she asked as we pulled away from the apartment.

"I don't have a problem with it," I said with a shrug. "Why? Is there a problem?"

"I failed to account for the time of day when I planned our itinerary," she explained; I was grateful for context since I didn't know what 'itinerary' meant. "I would like to go to dinner first, then to the lab, and finally to…" she slapped a hand over her mouth. "…to the surprise."

"I don't have a problem with it," I repeated. "I thought we'd end up having dinner kinda late, so I'm glad to hear you bring it up. Where are we going to eat?"

She gave the name of a high-class restaurant, and I felt my wallet cringe. "I thought it would be a good place for us to reminisce. We have not seen each other in so long, and I thought of only the best for you."

"That sounds…great, but…I can't afford something that nice. I mean, you see that I live in an apartment, right? It's nowhere near as nice as your house. Or your parents' house, I mean."

"I still live there," she told me. "After Mommy and Daddy died, the house was signed over to me, though I did not know it until after graduating from high school. Prior to that, I gave the matter no thought, as my guardian was taking care of things for me."

"How long did you live by yourself?"

"From the time I was eight until the present," she replied. "I am, however, hoping to change that shortly."

"Ah," I said, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. "You, uh, looking to adopt a pet? A dog?"

"N-No," she said, and even in the fluctuating light I could see her cheeks darken.

I wasn't sure what to say after that so I looked out the window and watched the scenery go by. We went from run-down homes and apartments to a nicer area with more homes and trees, and finally into the city, with more lights and more people. Finally, we pulled up in front of a large hotel, and I looked up in awe at row upon row of windows, many of them lit up. "This is a nice place," I said. "Is the restaurant inside?"

"It is," she replied as she stopped by the front door and shut off the engine.

"You're not parking right in front of their front doors, are you?" I asked, feeling a little self-conscious at the glances we were getting.

"Of course not!" she exclaimed as a young man wearing what appeared to be the hotel's uniform jogged up to the car. "Junichiro-kun will park the car for me."

"Who?"

"Good evening, Ichinose-sensei!" the young man greeted as he accepted the keys from my old friend. "It's good to see you again!"

"And you as well," Kotomi replied as we got out of the car. "How are your studies progressing?"

"Not as well as I'd like," he replied sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.

"You are applying yourself to your studies, I hope?" I heard her ask in a somewhat admonishing tone as I rounded the front of the Beetle to join them, and I saw that she'd narrowed her eyes ever so slightly at him.

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" he nearly yelped as he worked on scooting around her to take charge of the car. "I've been studying hard, honest!"

"Very well," she sniffed. "I will accept your word as true, and wish you success in your studies."

"Thank you, ma'am!" he replied, saved by the arrival of another vehicle behind ours. "Please excuse me; I need to make room for the next customer!"

I gave the flustered kid a wave as I opened the door for Kotomi. "You were kinda rough on him, don't you think?" I asked after we had entered what appeared to be the lobby for the hotel. "He's just a kid, isn't he?"

She turned to face me fully, and I felt a little intimidated by the look in her eyes. "Junichiro-kun and I have had many conversations regarding his career aspirations. He understands what he needs to do to accomplish his goals; I am simply assisting him in keeping proper focus on the long term."

"Okay, sorry," I said, holding up my hands. "I didn't mean to stick my nose in your business; I was just kinda feeling sorry for him."

She appeared to study me for a moment. Then, she sighed. "Very well; I shall reassess the manner in which I interact with him. I do not wish to cause him needless distress and potentially distract him from his efforts."

I blinked several times as I tried to process her words. "Um, thanks? I really wasn't trying to change your mind or anything. You know that, right?"

"I do," she replied. "But…I will admit that I have been concerned that I may have been harsher with him than necessary; having not become a mother yet I am uncertain how to properly encourage the younger generations."

"I...could see that."

"That is why I am deferring to your judgment in this matter; you have had sixteen years of child-rearing experience, and I believe that accounts for something."

"Well, eleven actually," I grunted. At her puzzled look I quickly added, "I'll explain over dinner, okay?"

"Very well. Shall we go, then?"

"Lead the way," I replied, gesturing to her. She nodded once before leading me down one of the many hallways leading from the lobby. On the way, I saw several of the staff stop and bow to her. "You're pretty famous around here, aren't you?" I remarked.

"Not at all," she replied as a passing cleaning lady stopped to bow to her. "I just like to come here to eat every once in a while. I like this place because it allows me a connection to my parents."

"What do you mean?"

She glanced over her shoulder at me as a bellboy stopped to bow. "They went here on several dates, and they brought me here several times when I was a little girl."

"That's pretty neat," I remarked. "But…does this place seem the same as back then?"

"No," she said sadly with a shake of her head. "However, in spite of all the changes I still feel Mommy and Daddy's presence here. I feel…connected." She glanced over her shoulder again. "I am sorry if that seemed incomprehensible."

"No, I think I get it," I replied. "It's like when Ushio and I were talking about visiting the old Theater Club room; even though there's nothing there to show that Nagisa was ever there, just knowing that she was there…" I raised my hand in a shrug, unsure how to finish my sentence.

"I believe you do understand," she said as we came up to a door with a small podium next to it, where a well-dressed gentleman stood, writing on something. "Good evening, sir; I have a reservation for two people."

He glanced up at Kotomi, then blinked in recognition. "Ah, Ichinose-sensei!" he exclaimed with a smile as he gave us his full attention. "Of course! Welcome! It's a pleasure to have you back in our humble establishment!"

"Humble?" I murmured to myself as I looked around at the fanciness of the place.

"Follow me, if you please," he said, gesturing to the doorway before leading us through it and into the restaurant proper.

We walked past several tables on our way, and I noticed that everyone already seated was dressed a lot nicer than I was. A lot nicer. I felt a little out of my league as our host stopped at a table barely large enough for two people. "Does this meet with your satisfaction, Ichinose-sensei?" I heard him ask. "Or would you prefer a larger table?"

"This table is perfect, thank you," she replied as she moved to take one of the seats.

As I took the back on my chair to pull it out, our host stopped me with a touch to my arm. "Just so you understand; I am not normally permitted to allow someone with your…fashion sense…to dine in our establishment, but you are with Ichinose-sensei so I'm giving you a pass," he informed me. He didn't seem to me to be a snob, just…'concerned' was the only word I could think of.

"Um…thanks?" I managed before quickly settling into my seat.

"Your server will be along shortly," he informed us before bowing and heading back to the front, presumably back to his podium.

"Please order whatever you would like," my old friend told me as she picked up her menu. "If I may, I would recommend…" She rattled off a couple of names that I didn't recognize, since they were in another language. "I have had those before, and they are quite delicious."

"I'm…glad," I said, not sure how else to respond. "What are they? I don't even know what you just said to me."

She gave me a puzzled look, and then blinked in what appeared to be realization. "Oh, I am sorry! Those names are in French, and that language was not part of the curricula, was it?"

"I don't know," I admitted with an increasing sense of awkwardness. "I know I didn't study French back then."

"I am sorry!" she repeated, then studied me with a bashful expression which actually looked pretty cute. "Can…Can you read the menu?"

"Huh?" I opened my menu to a bunch of gibberish. "I…guess not," I replied, feeling humiliated.

"Oh, no!" she lamented. "I did not mean to cause you distress! I wanted to eat someplace nice with you!"

"Well, It looks like you made the right choice from what I can tell," I said, looking around awkwardly. "I'm sorry that I'm not…up to your level."

"That is not true!" she exclaimed. "You are…wonderful."

I chuckled softly at her praise. "I hope you'll understand that…I don't feel too 'wonderful' right now," I said, looking around again.

"Would you be willing to eat with me regardless?"

"Huh?" I asked with a blink; what an odd question. "Well, sure, but…are you okay eating with me?"

She gave me another puzzled look. "Of course. I did invite you here, did I not?"

It then hit me how ridiculous I was sounding. "You did. Sorry about that; I guess I feel out-of-place around all these people dressed so nice."

"I am sorry to hear that," she replied with a soft smile. "If there is anything I can do to…make you feel more comfortable, please let me know."

"Thanks," I said as I averted my eyes, only to find the gibberish again. "Um, could you help me figure out what to order? Like I said; I can't read the menu."

My eyes widened as her face positively lit up. "I would love to!" she exclaimed, then ducked her head bashfully at several disapproving glances sent our way. "Would you prefer chicken, pork, fish, or something else?"

My face scrunched as I thought. "I like them all, but…I guess I feel like chicken tonight."

"You do not look like a chicken, Tomoya-kun," she giggled, then her expression turned serious as she studied me again. "You are definitely not a chicken…"

"Hey, Kotomi-chan," I said, waving a hand between us. "You okay there?"

"Huh?" she blinked, and for the briefest moment I thought I saw an actual question mark over her head. "Oh! Chicken! Of course…" She quickly redirected her gaze to her menu. "Of course…"

She helped me figure out what to order, and I managed to mimic the strange-sounding language to our server when she arrived. "Thank you," our server said as she collected our menus. "Your orders should be out in ten to fifteen minutes."

"That gives us some time to talk," Kotomi said, scooting closer to the table as our server departed. "What have you been doing since high school?"

I sighed heavily. How was I supposed to answer that question, especially coming from someone as…accomplished as Kotomi? "Well…not much, really; after graduation I found work as an electrician, working with Yoshino Yuusuke. You remember him from the session, right?"

"Ah, yes; he was the musician whom you inspired, correct?"

"Y-Yeah." I'd forgotten about that. "Anyway, Nagisa and I moved in together while I worked and she finished her last year of high school."

"She had to repeat her third year; am I correct?"

"Yeah. So we moved in together and eventually married. It wasn't too long after that that we found out she was pregnant." I paled, realizing what my statement implied, but Kotomi didn't seem fazed by it so I continued. "Anyway, we did the whole 'expecting couple' thing, visiting the doctor regularly and stuff until it was time for Ushio to be born. Mom Furukawa and the midwife were there, and…yeah." I looked to the side as I scratched my nose in anticipation of the pressure behind my eyes. Surprisingly, it didn't come. "Huh; that's weird."

"I am sorry for your loss," Kotomi said quietly. "I am glad that…you could still be with Ushio-chan."

"Thanks," I murmured, still puzzled over my lack of reaction. "Yeah, after Nagisa died – that's so weird – I basically gave Ushio to Nagisa's parents so I could fall apart."

"What is 'so weird', Tomoya-kun?" she asked. "You have spoken of something 'weird' twice already."

"Oh, uh…" I chuckled awkwardly. "It's just that…ever since I met Pastor Jeff and talked with him about Nagisa, I've been feeling less and less grief over her death. It's weird…"

"I am happy for you," she said, though she sounded reserved about it. "I have yet to recover from my grief over the loss of my parents."

"Maybe you could talk to Jeff?" I carefully suggested.

She appeared to mull over my words, and it looked like she might have been experiencing her loss again. "Per…Perhaps I should," she finally said. "Thirty years is a long time to hold onto grief."

"I think I know what you mean," I said with a sympathetic smile.

She studied me for a moment before a smile spread across her own face. "Yes, I suppose you would. But I would like to hear more of your story."

"Sure. Where was I?"

"I believe you were falling apart," she said helpfully.

"Right! Anyway, I knew I wasn't up to raising a kid so Mom and Pops took care of her while I worked, smoked, and drank myself stupid…kinda like my dad, really." He and I weren't that different, were we? "I finally pulled myself together enough when she was about five so I took custody of her again. I've been raising her ever since."

"And you appear to have done so wonderfully," she said, her eyes nearly shining as she leaned forward in her seat. "She's a lovely young woman, both in appearance and in character."

"You talked to her at the lunch, then?"

"I did," she nodded. "She had nothing but wonderful things to say about you, about how you loved her and took such wonderful care of her. She believes that she has the character that she does because of you."

"Well… Like I said: Mom and Pops Furukawa had her for her first five years," I told her. "I was an absent father for her early formative years."

"Granted, but her loveliness cannot be solely due to their influence," she countered. "True, you missed her early years, but from what I understand you more than made up for it after you assumed responsibility for her."

"I…felt like I had a lot to make up for," I admitted.

"And you did so, and wonderfully," she said, smiling as she leaned forward even more, resting her elbows in the table and her chin in her hands.

Fortunately I was saved from her amorous expression by the arrival of our server. She placed our meals on the table with the usual announcements, thankfully forcing Kotomi to sit up again. "Please let me know if there's anything else I can do for you," she told us as she bowed. "Otherwise, please enjoy your meal."

"Thank you very much," Kotomi replied before I could open my mouth. As our server headed to another table she said, "What a lovely young lady."

We put our hands together and thanked someone for the dinner before diving in.

"So, what have you been up to for the last decade-and-a-half?" I asked as I worked on picking up a piece of chicken with my chopsticks. "Based on what Mika's told me, you're a scientist at some lab and specialize in string theory."

"That is correct," she replied in a tight voice. "But before I begin: What is your relationship with the Hiiragi girl?"

"Right, I forgot to tell you about that," I said. "Actually, I think I mentioned it at the session, but… A few months ago I reinjured my right shoulder and ended up in the hospital. While I was there, some doctors offered me an experimental treatment that could give me my range of motion back."

"Ah, I believe I heard about that," she remarked. "Drs. Fujibayashi, Mori, and Miyamoto?"

"You know them?" I asked in disbelief.

"Only in passing," she replied. "They conferred with our medical research department regarding the tissue stimulator."

"Huh," I grunted. "Small world."

"But what does this have to do with Hiiragi-chan?" she asked, looking puzzled.

"I'm getting there," I said with a raised hand. "After my surgery I wasn't able to use my right arm for a while, which made dinner prep a real joy."

"Could your daughter not make dinner for you?"

"She…" How was I supposed to explain it? "She was part of the reason my shoulder was reinjured, so she lived with Nagisa's parents for a while."

"You expelled her from her home?" she gasped, a hand going to her chest.

"No, no," I said, waving my hands. "Because… Because of the circumstances around it, she needed counseling for a while. She moved back in after the sessions were done."

"Ah; I believe I understand," she replied with a nod. "I am glad that she seems to have recovered nicely. And I am glad that you have recovered as well."

"Me?" I said in alarm, before I realized that she was likely referring to my shoulder. "Oh. Yeah, thanks."

"Getting back to your dinner difficulties…" Kotomi said as she fixed me with her gaze. "Would it be safe to assume that Hiiragi-chan started preparing your meals for you?"

"Yup," I said as I poked at a broccoli sprout. "She's the daughter of a couple of good friends of mine, so we kinda have a history. In fact, her mother was my class rep our third year."

"I see," she replied, her eyes briefly losing focus. "Would it also be safe to assume that she developed her attraction to you during this time?"

"Sort of, but that's a bit of a story, and not mine to tell," I told her.

"I see…"

"Anyway, I've been working on regaining my strength and flexibility for a while now. In fact, I have an appointment a week from tomorrow that'll hopefully be my last," I said, flexing my right arm.

"Oh, how wonderful!" she exclaimed, her eyes brightening. "To be free of a past injury… How long has it been since the initial injury? Just now, you said you reinjured it."

"It's been about twenty years, now."

"That is a long time," she mused as she briefly looked down at the tabletop. "I…should be grateful to Hiiragi-chan for her efforts to care for you."

"She worked pretty hard," I said. "She found out what nutrients I needed and made meals that were full of them, protein and stuff."

"I see." She looked up from the table and gave what looked like a forced smile. "I am glad that you are doing well overall, then."

"Thank you. What've you been doing since high school?" I asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Well, as I believe you are aware, I am the team lead for the research team assigned to string theory."

"Yeah, I think you mentioned something like that," I said. "What are you working on now?"

She ducked her head with a light blush. "That is what I would like to show you after dinner."

"Oh. Okay. Well, is there anything else you could tell me? Schooling, family, anything like that?"

"N-Not really," she replied, looking down at the table again. "Daddy has a brother but I have never met him, so I have not thought to contact him."

"I see." I looked around the restaurant, unsure of what to ask next. Had she done anything since high school but work? "Um…any hobbies? I know you like to read, but is there anything else? What does your average day look like?"

"Well, I wake up in the morning and wash my face. Then I eat breakfast and then go to work. After work, I go home and read, prepare and eat dinner, then read some more before going to bed."

"Do you go to any movies or any kind of…I dunno, entertainment?"

"Oh, yes!" she exclaimed, nearly dropping her chopsticks as she clapped. "I have attended many scientific conventions and discussed many things with many people!"

I blinked at her several times, starting to feel a little concerned. "Have you dated at all?"

"No," she replied with a shake of her head. "I do not have time for entertaining men."

Huh? "So…where did you find the time for this?" I asked, spreading my hands to indicate the restaurant.

She blushed so fiercely I briefly worried that she'd pass out. "I…I…always…have…time for you, Tomoya-kun."

I blinked at her several times. "I'm…not sure what to say to that. Thanks?"

"Y-You're welcome," she said while fanning herself with a hand. "Please… I would like to return to our meal."

"Sure," I replied as I tried to ignore a gnawing feeling in my stomach.

We ate an awkward meal, and after paying we waited outside for the valet to bring Kotomi's car.

"So, what's the name of the lab you work for?" I asked, partly for the information and partly to gauge her mood.

"Sci-Tek Laboratories," she replied evenly, though I noticed that she didn't look at me.

"Cool," I said lamely. "So that's where we're going?"

"Tomoya-kun," she started, turning toward me, "why are you asking a question that would generate an obvious answer? Are you unwell? Shall I take you to the hospital?"

"No, no," I said, waving my hands. Then I slumped. "Sorry, I really did want to know the name of your work; I also wanted to know if I upset you or something."

"I…am mildly distressed," she admitted. "But my distress is due to my own foolishness and nothing you have said or done. I apologize if I have given you reason to believe that I hold ill will toward you."

"I'm fine," I replied as the valet pulled up in her car. "I…hope you…I dunno, feel better soon."

"Thank you," she replied with a smile before turning her attention to the valet to receive her keys. "Thank you very much, and here is a tip," she said as she pressed a bill into the young man's hand.

His eyes widened when he saw the value of the bill. "Thank you very much, ma'am!" he exclaimed as he bowed repeatedly. "Thank you very much! Have a p-pleasant evening!"

"To you as well," she returned as she headed over to the driver's-side door.

I simply gave a small wave as I got in on the passenger's side. "So, how far is the lab from here?" I asked as we pulled away from the hotel, already uncomfortable with the silence.

"We will be traveling for about twenty minutes," she replied evenly. "Sci-Tek Labs is on the city border and away from densely populated areas in case of…unexpected issues."

"'Unexpected issues'?" I echoed. "Have you had any unexpected issues before?"

"Not to this point, no," she replied, glancing at me out of the corner of her eye. "We have many safeguards in place in anticipation of such events. I acknowledge that we cannot account for every possibility, but we account for as many as we can based on experience, both ours and those of other labs."

"That's cool," I said, decidedly impressed. "Sorry if I sounded insulting."

"Not at all," she replied evenly, glancing at me again. "One of the many qualities I appreciate about you is your candor."

Many? "Um, thanks."

She said nothing for the rest of the trip and before I knew it we were pulled up to a huge, white building. At least, it looked white by the nighttime lighting around it. The overall shape wasn't anything special; it looked like a large box, with several boxes attached to it. "Nice place," I remarked, more to myself than to my friend.

"Th-Thank you," she said as we came to a stop near what appeared to be the main entrance, where we exited the car. "Please, follow me." I followed her up to the doors and waited as she worked on getting us inside. First, she typed a code in on a keypad, then she placed her hand on what I recognized as a hand scanner, and then moved her face close to a panel above it, and I realized that it was probably scanning her retina; very impressive.

Finally, she spoke into what looked like a wall speaker: "Ichinose Kotomi."

A panel on the wall suddenly slid open, and I found the business end of a gun-like emplacement pointed at me.

"And guest!" she quickly added, and the weapon retracted back into the wall. "I am sorry, Tomoya-kun! I am unaccustomed to entering with anyone in who is not a fellow scientist!"

"Don't…worry about it…" I gasped, holding my chest as I tried to force my heart rate back down. "I'll…be fine…"

We made it inside, and she apologized several more times as she led me down several hallways, finally stopping at the same time we stopped in front of a pair of double doors. "My work is in here," she told me, then pushed the doors open…except they wouldn't budge. "I…do not understand…"

As she looked around for I-don't-know-what I took a chance and reached out for one of the door handles; it opened easily at my push.

"How did you do that, Tomoya-kun?" Kotomi asked, almost sounding indignant. "It would not open for me."

"I…pushed it?" I said, feeling sheepish. Was Kotomi really that weak?

"Amazing…" she breathed as we finally headed through the double doors, and I noticed that the lights seemed to come on by themselves. "You are so strong…"

I mumbled some form of gratitude, not having the heart to ask about her arm strength. "You must have loosened it for me," I finished in an attempt to soothe a potentially bruised ego.

It turned out to be unnecessary. "This is what I am responsible for," she announced proudly as she stopped in front of a huge machine and leaned against it with a smile.

"Wow…" I breathed as I tried to take in the sight of the thing. It was roughly cylindrical, mounted horizontally, with several tubes and wires attached to it at several points. Partway along its length, I could see what looked like a cylindrical protrusion sticking out of its side, with what looked like a lid on a hinge. "This is pretty neat. What's it do?"

"I am so happy that you asked!" she chirped as she led me to the protrusion and leaned against it as well. "This machine is based on my parents' research into string theory. I cannot explain all the details regarding the process, but this allows us to see into other realities."

"Other realities, huh?" I gave the machine another once-over; it didn't look that impressive, but I never remembered Kotomi as a liar, so… "That's pretty cool," I decided, chalking my impression sup to too many science-fiction movies. "Is there a reality where I'm not a loser?"

"Tomoya-kun!" she huffed, striding up to me with a look of indignation…I think. "As far as I am concerned, there is no reality where you are a loser! You are wonderful!"

"Thanks," I said as I took a step back; she was so close that I could have sworn we were breathing each other's air. "So, why did you want to show me this?"

"Because…you are very special to me," she replied, suddenly turning sheepish as she looked at the floor between us. "And the viewer is very special to me, so…I wanted to share it with you."

Dang; such an honest and open admission. "Thanks, Kotomi-chan. I…didn't mean to, um…treat you badly."

"You did not mistreat me," she said, meeting my gaze with an intensity that caused me to take another step back. "In fact…" Before I knew it she had grabbed my hand and was nearly dragging me to one end of the room; maybe she was stronger than I thought.

When we came to a stop again, I found myself standing before another cylinder, this one set vertically and clear, like it was made of glass. Next to it was what appeared to be some kind of control panel. "What's this?" I asked, genuinely intrigued.

"I am so happy that you asked!" she chirped, and I had to suppress a sense of déjà vu. "This is based on the Viewer technology," she explained, and I could even hear the capitalization in her words. "It is still a work-in-progress, but if I am successful this will allow us to travel to those other realities."

"Seriously?!" I asked as I gaped at the device. "You can do that?"

"Not yet," she admitted. "As I have said, this is still a work-in-progress; it is all academic, as they say, at this point."

"That's still pretty neat," I remarked as I looked at the gizmo with more respect. "I'm no scientist, but it looks like you have some idea of how to get someone over there. How do you get them back?"

"Excuse me?" she asked with a puzzled expression.

I gave my question more thought. "Well, you're working on a way to transport someone from our reality to another, right?"

"That is correct," she said with a proud smile, not undeservingly as far as I was concerned.

"Do you have any idea yet on how to get them from the other reality back to ours?"

Her smile faded as her eyes widened, and I jumped as she snatched up a nearby…something and started poking at it; it took me a moment to realize that it was one of those handheld portable computers. "I cannot believe that I did not think of that!" she exclaimed as she poked. "Thank you, Tomoya-kun! You are so smart!"

"Yeah…no," I said as I looked around the room at all the technological marvels. "If I was that smart I wouldn't be working as an accountant at an electrical company."

"I am certain that we would have realized our omission eventually, but that could have occurred after we sent someone over," she countered as she placed the computer back down and fixed her gaze on me again. "Besides, working for an electrical company is important work."

"Not as important as this," I counter-countered as I indicated the room with a sweep of my hands.

"But consider this," she said, taking a step toward me she continued to fix me with that gaze that had me backing up again. "Without your efforts to maintain the financial stability of your company, it would shut down. Without the electrical company, we would have no electricity, and without that I could not do all this," she said, indicating the room much the way I had.

"All right, Kotomi; you win," I chuckled; she had a valid point, after all.

"I like to think that we all win," she said as she continued to gaze at me; what was with her, anyway? I was starting to feel like a lab specimen.

"Was…" I swallowed to try to wet my suddenly dry throat. "Was there anything else you wanted to show me?"

"Th-There is," she replied, and her stutter was unmistakable. "But not here."

"Is this the surprise you mentioned?" I asked, experiencing a rare flash of intuition.

"Y-Yes," she said, then fell silent as she led me from the room containing her life's work and down several hallways back to the entrance and out to her car.

She continued in her silence as she drove, and I felt the need to break it. "Are you okay, Kotomi-chan? Are you mad at me or something?"

"I am not," she replied stiffly. "I am…scared."

"Scared?" I asked, mildly confused. "What are you scared of?"

I saw her swallow before answering. "I am scared that…you will not be impressed with what I want to share with you."

I pondered her answer for a moment; with all her work with string theory, and the amazing gizmos she was instrumental in creating… I couldn't help but chuckle. "I think if it's you, Kotomi-chan, I think it'll be amazing."

I heard a gasp from her side of the car. "Th-Thank you. I…I need to focus on my driving, please; I do not wish to cause an accident."

"Okay."

We were quiet for the rest of the way to…wherever she was taking me, and we eventually stopped at what appeared to be a lookout point that overlooked the city. "W-We are here," she announced as she shut down the motor.

"Hey, this is pretty," I remarked as I got out of the car; as I approached the handrail I could see the remaining lights of Hikarizaka under the night sky. "That's…That's really pretty."

"I-I am glad you approve," I heard her say from behind me.

I turned to face my childhood friend. "So, what did you want to…show…?" My intended question was lost at the sight before me. "What the….?"

Kotomi lay on the hood of her car, with her feet resting on the front bumper, and she had propped up her upper body on her elbows. She had unbuttoned several of the buttons on her blouse, and I could see her gazing at me through the valley between her very impressive breasts. I also noticed that her skirt had been hiked up just enough for me to get a view of her white-

"Kotomi-chan? What the hell are you doing?"

"I-I am attempting t-to seduce you," she informed me as she shifted her position on the car, causing more of her panty to become visible.

"S-Seduce me?" I repeated incredulously. "I mean, I know you've said that you like me, but…" I gestured at her while trying to keep my blood flow from heading south; she was gorgeous, after all. "This isn't like you…is it?"

"Not for any other man, no," she said as she moved again, apparently trying to show me more of her chest.

"But-"

"Do you not understand, Tomoya-kun?" she asked in a hurt tone. "This is what I wanted to share with you."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "You wanted to share…?" I gestured at her again, unable to finish my thought.

"I wish to share myself with you," she said, confirming my suspicions as she rose to a seated position, and my gaze was drawn to a part of her blouse that had started to slip off her shoulder. "I have thought of you frequently since high school and decided that I would ensure that we would never be separated again, whatever it required. I have already lost you twice."

"Twice?" I asked while trying to keep my eyes on her face; she had a really impressive pair of- "When were those times?" I managed to squeak.

She angled her head at me, causing her blouse to slide further down her arm. "When we were in elementary school, and when we were in high school."

My stomach slid to my shoes. "Please tell me you weren't thinking of seducing me like this when we were kids."

"Certainly not!" she gasped. "I did not learn about…that…until my first year of middle school!"

I breathed a sigh of relief, but that still didn't fix my real problem; I had to take control of the situation before my increasing libido did. "Look, Kotomi-chan; I really appreciate that you're willing to…make yourself vulnerable like this, but..." I gestured helplessly at her. "This isn't the way to do it."

"But I love you, Tomoya-kun!" she cried. "I have loved you for a very long time!"

"How do you know?" I asked, grateful for the distraction. "We've only seen each other a few times in, what, almost thirty years?"

"That does not matter to me!" she protested. "I liked that boy who came into the backyard of my parents' home, and I still like him!"

"Kotomi, it's been decades since we were kids!" I pointed at my face. "Look at me and tell me that I'm the same kid you fell in love with back then!"

She swallowed several times as she appeared to gather her thoughts. "I will readily admit that you are not exactly the same boy I fell in love with," she admitted. "But…you are the same boy in all the ways that I love."

I hung my head; what was I supposed to say to that?

"Besides…I am running out of time…"

Something about the way she spoke snapped my gaze back to her, breasts and all. "What do you mean, 'running out of time'? Oh my god… Are you dying?"

"No!" she cried. "I am very healthy! I am just…coming to the end of my fertility cycle…"

"What? What are you…?" I trailed off as I realized what she was referring to; she would only be able to become a mother for a few more years before…

"What's the matter; about to hit the wall and need to find someone who'll fertilize an egg?"

Sunohara's words came back to me, unbidden, and I suddenly felt deep compassion for the not-so-young woman before me. "Your biological clock is running out and you want a baby; is that it? Or part of it, I mean?"

She nodded as tears streamed down her lovely face. "I invested so much of my time into my work that I did not give myself enough time to think of family," she lamented. "Now, when I think of marrying and having a baby, the only man I can think of is you."

I was deeply touched by her words; even after all this time, I was Number One on her list. Or maybe the only one. Still… "I'm sorry, Kotomi-chan; I…" I scratched my head as I tried to find the words. "Well, you were there at my counseling session, right? You heard that I'm still dealing with a lot of grief."

"I remember that, yes," she said as she sat, still partly undressed, on the hood of her car. "I also know that sexual intercourse makes men happy; that was another reason I decided to share myself with you."

Dammit, she was making it more and more difficult to turn her down. Fortunately, my values hadn't left me. "I believe that sex before marriage is wrong," I managed to say to the temptations before me. "That, and I'm still grieving Nagisa, even if it's just a little. Like I said; I appreciate your willingness to make yourself vulnerable like this, but…I couldn't do…this…under these circumstances."

"That is partly true," she said as she slid from her car and, thankfully, started to cover herself up again. "While I accept that your belief regarding marriage and your dedication to your lost wife are motivating factors, it is obvious to me that there is something else."

I blinked at her several times; I wasn't accustomed to being told what I really thought. "Okay, then; what is this 'something else'?"

"The Hiiragi girl," she said, and I definitely heard envy in her tone. "She has a part of your heart, much as you have all of hers."

"And you know this…how?"

"Your behaviors toward each other at your counseling session," she replied easily as she finished buttoning her blouse and started readjusting her skirt. "While I will acknowledge that I am not proficient in interpreting personal interactions, such knowledge was not required when it came to analyzing her feelings toward you."

"I'll give you that," I said with a chuckle. "She hasn't exactly been subtle about it. But what about me? What makes you think she has 'part of my heart'?"

"The way you defended her," she replied, just as easily as before. "I will admit that this is harder to explain, but the way that you protected her from Sunohara-san was a major clue."

"I did what any decent guy would do," I retorted.

"But it was also unnecessary," she countered. "Hiiragi-chan was in no real danger, thanks to the presence of friends and family. But you were the one who acted first, putting yourself between her and her attacker, as it were, and you attacked him when he said…something untoward to her."

I remembered what she was talking about. "You…really think that I…?"

She nodded, albeit slowly. "I am, of course, open to correction, but I am certain that my assessment is correct."

I turned my gaze inward as I thought about her words. I knew that I'd accidentally allowed myself to…appreciate Mika's physical beauty on more than one occasion, but…was I starting to become drawn to her character, too? I wasn't very comfortable with the possibility.

"You do not seem very comfortable with the possibility, Tomoya-kun."

I blinked in surprise at her words; had she been reading my mind? "Well, I'm not."

"She is quite young, is she not?"

"She's…a bit younger than I am," I said, unable to meet her eyes due to shame.

"She is eighteen and you are thirty-six," she said simply.

My gaze snapped up to hers in alarm. "How did you know that?"

She angled her head with a puzzled expression. "Both of your ages were revealed at your counseling session."

"Oh…right…" I said, my face falling again.

I felt a hand touch my cheek, and I allowed my head to be turned so I was facing her again. "Tomoya-kun; your happiness is very important to me, so I want you to consider Hiiragi-chan as a wife."

I blinked several times; had I heard her correctly? "Are you serious? You really want me with her after…this?" I exclaimed as I gestured toward her car.

"No," she replied in a strained voice. "I want you with me, but I can see now that it cannot be. I am sorry for trying to seduce you; that was disrespectful of me. I…" She closed her eyes and I saw tears start to trickle down her cheeks. "I…I waited too long."

I wasn't sure what else to do, so I gently (and very carefully) held my old friend as she aired her grief under the night sky.

---

I waved to Kotomi one more time as she drove away from the apartment building, then headed to my front door on feet that felt heavier than when I left. I got out my key and started my usual fight with the front door, only to have it open on me, yanking the keys out of my hand. "Welcome home, Tomoya," Kyou greeted from the other side. "Whoa, you don't look so good; are you okay?"

"No, not really," I admitted.

"Ushio, make some calming tea for your dad, would you please?" she called toward the living room as she stepped aside to let me in. "Go sit down, Tomoya; if you need to talk about what happened, I'll listen."

"Thanks," I grunted as I worked on exchanging my shoes; then I suddenly remembered the time. "Hey, don't you need to get back home or something? It's pretty late, and I'll be fine."

"Thanks, Tomoya, but I'm a big girl now," she said half-jokingly as she followed me to the kotatsu and sat down with me. "Right now, you're more important, okay?"

I sent her what must have looked like an exhausted smile. "Thanks, Kyou; I appreciate it."

"So what happened?"

I sighed heavily, starting to feel sleepiness settling in. "Well, things were fine for most of the date…"

"You're calling it a 'date' now?" she interrupted with a coy smile.

"Just for the sake of simplicity, okay?" I whined. "Could I just tell the story, please?"

"Sure," she said, looking apologetic. "Sorry about that."

"Anyway, the dinner was fine, and the lab visit was pretty cool, actually. But the surprise afterward…" I shook my head at the thoughts and feelings that were still somewhat fresh in my mind.

"A little more than you bargained for?" she asked, then ducked her head at my look of surprise. "Sorry; it's just that I could hear Jeff asking a question like that."

"Yeah, me too," I chuckled. "Well… How do I put this delicately?"

"Just phrase it as though your daughter's sitting right here," Kyou suggested.

"Why's that?" I asked, looking over at her.

She gave me an awkward smile. "Because your daughter's sitting right here," she replied as she gestured to my daughter, who was sitting right next to her. I must have had some pretty bad tunnel-vision to miss seeing her sit down with us.

I sighed yet again. "Well…Kotomi, she…well, she tried to seduce me," I said, feeling like a boy who got caught with dirty magazines.

"She what?" Kyou said as Ushio gasped with her hands over her mouth.

"I'm not gonna go into details 'cause I want to preserve her dignity," I told the women, "but from what she said to me she's liked me since we were kids, and she carried that feeling to adulthood." It then hit me that my description of Kotomi's feelings sounded a bit like Mika's situation, though the length of time was considerably different.

"That's a long time," Ushio breathed, her hands dropping from her face. "You're the same age as her, aren't you Daddy?"

"Close enough," I grunted. "I think we were about eight when we met as children, so…" I lifted my hands and let them fall into my lap.

"So she seduced you?" Kyou asked, briefly glancing to the side, and it occurred to me that she might have been remembering when she had tried the same kind of thing herself.

"She tried," I said. "But I've never liked the whole 'sex before marriage' thing and I still miss Nagisa. In fact, I told her that."

"Ouch," Kyou said sympathetically. "That must have been hard for her to hear."

"Yes and no," I said. "She knows about Mika's feelings for me, but she also thinks that because of the way I stood up for Mika at the counseling session – you know, when Sunohara said what he did – she thinks that I have feelings for her as well."

"Well, do you?" Kyou prompted.

"Of course not," I snorted. "How many times do I have to keep telling you all; she's a great girl who'll make some blessed guy really happy. Unfortunately, that guy won't be me."

"Unfortunately?"

I stared at Kyou's surprised expression. "What's the matter, Kyou?"

"Daddy…" Ushio said with a surprised look of her own. "You just said 'unfortunately'…"

"I did?" I said, puzzled. "No, I didn't."

"You most certainly did say 'unfortunately', Tomoya," Kyou insisted. "I'm not lying, I promise."

I suddenly didn't feel so good.