Pushing Haruhi behind him, Keiji whipped around at the voice, but then launched himself toward it. "Dad!"
Haruhi breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought those two we heard earlier had returned without my noticing."
The man caught the boy easily and looked at Haruhi suspiciously. Keiji babbled excitedly, "Dad, this is Haruhi. She escaped from a kidnapper. We have to help her!"
Bowing respectfully, Haruhi said, "My name is Haruhi Fujioka. I apologize for invading your barn and the state I am in. Your son was kind enough to apprise me that I seem to have gone from the frying pan into the fire."
"Interesting young lady that has stumbled into our midst." Putting Keiji down, he faced her and replied, "I am Yutaka Nippori. I see you have already met my son, Keiji. Now we need to get you out of here before those yakuza from the Sendo syndicate find out you're here. I refuse to see them ruin another young woman."
"But how, Dad?" They control all the phones as well as watch every road. They even took all the cars and trucks," Keiji whimpered.
Haruhi spoke up, "I have an idea, if you would be willing to help me."
"What's that?" Yutaka asked.
She grinned broadly as she suggested, "I'll hide in plain sight."
"It's too dangerous," the father said shaking his head emphatically.
"Don't worry. I can pull it off. I did it for two and a half years in high school."
Yutaka eyed her skeptically. Her short hair was plaster to her head by mud, but her figure was plain to see as the wet clothes clung to every curve. She brushed ineffectually at the straw clinging to her from burrowing into the pile for warmth.
"Look, all I really need is some baggy men's clothes and some strips of cloth or an old sheet I can tear into strips." She shivered as a light breeze blew through the barn.
Noticing her discomfort, Yutaka conceded, "We at least need to let you get cleaned up and warm. I'll take you back to my house and we'll talk more there."
"Thank you," Haruhi murmured with a small smile, wrapping her arm around herself for warmth.
"It's just across the yard," he said as he pointed in the direction they would be heading.
"Dad, do I have to go back to their house?" Keiji whined.
Yutaka looked torn. "I'd like you to come along while Haruhi gets cleaned up and fed, but then you need to head back so you're there to make breakfast in the morning. You know how they can be when things don't go the way they want them to."
Keiji nodded solemnly. "This is definitely not the time for them to decide to search all the houses."
The trio headed to the house with Keiji in the lead. "I'll get the bath water warmed up," he called over his shoulder as he ran down a hall.
Haruhi looked around appreciatively. "You have a very nice house here. Did your wife disappear the same time your daughter did?" she asked tentatively.
Yutaka smiled sadly. "My dear wife died from a fever two years after Keiji was born. My daughter, Hinako, was twelve at the time. She took over running the house and taking care of Keiji. I wish I could have given her a normal childhood."
Taking a deep breath to control her emotions, Haruhi offered, "I lost my mom when I was five. I had to step up and take care of my dad. He was lost without her."
Keiji bounced back into the living room where his father and Haruhi were still standing, talking quietly. "The water is ready. I found jeans and a sweatshirt that should be just baggy enough." He handed Haruhi a small bundle of white fabric. "I found this in the first aid kit. It didn't get rolled back up properly the last time it was used." The blush on his face was practically an admission of guilt.
"Thank you. Thank you both for all your help. I'll be back in a few minutes."
"Take your time. I'll make some tea for all of us and warm you up some soup," Yutaka called after her.
"I'll show you where the bathroom is," Keiji announced.
Fifteen minutes later, Yutaka looked up from his tea and saw a scruffy looking teenage boy with wild hair and baggy clothes. He blurted out, "Who are you and how did you get in here?"
Haruhi laughed and said, "You let me in."
His mouth hung open as he looked at the young 'man' standing in front of him. "You were not kidding about hiding in plain sight," Yutaka gasped.
Keiji clapped his hands and yelled, "Awesome!"
Taking a seat at the table, Haruhi picked up the cup of tea and took a sip. "That tastes wonderful. And the soup smells delicious."
Turning to Keiji, Yutaka said, "You need to get back to the house."
"Yes, Father," he replied obediently. "See you later, Haruhi."
"Thanks for all your help, Keiji. It was a pleasure to meet you," Haruhi remarked sincerely.
Keiji blushed slightly as he headed out the door.
Yutaka's expression turned serious. "How are we going to explain your presence?"
"I had an idea about that while I was in the bath. Do you have any relatives in Tokyo?"
"Yes, I have a cousin. His wife died about the same time as mine and he has a son Hinako's age."
"Perfect. You can tell everyone I'm your cousin's son. I was getting into trouble in Tokyo so he sent me here for the summer to help out around the farm. Just what do you grow here?"
"We grow the best sweet potatoes in all of Japan. We have a contract with the baseball stadium in Kobe to supply the concession stands. The manager always has us arrive early on game days and stay all day just in case there are any quality issues." Yutaka winked as he related, "Actually, he gives us tickets to the game so we can enjoy ourselves."
Haruhi perked up. "Do you mean Toma Matsunaga?"
Puzzled, he replied, "Yes. Do you know him?"
Unable to contain herself, Haruhi stood up and walked around the room. "I met him two and a half years ago when the Hinan family helped him regain control of his family's business that was stolen from him by a corrupt government official. That may be my way home."
Yutaka frowned. "The yakuza watch us too closely…"
"I may still be able to get a message to my friends through him," Haruhi speculated. "I'll have to think of something that will seem innocent, but they will understand."
"Okay, we need to get back on track with your story." Yutaka waved for Haruhi to take a seat again.
She settled at the table and picked up the cup of soup, sipping it appreciatively.
"How do we explain your arrival since they watch all the road?"
"That's easy. We tell the truth—well, at least some of it. The guy who kidnapped me, Wataru, stopped here for gas because a high school friend of his owns it. The attendant insisted that they contact the owner and confirm his story. We'll just say that your cousin asked Wataru to drop me off here and I slunk sullenly to your house while he and the attendant were in the office."
"Are you sure the attendant didn't know about you?"
"Not unless Wataru told him and I can't see him saying, 'Oh, by the way, I have a kidnapped girl in my trunk' as they're waiting for the owner to confirm Wataru's identity."
"Fair enough."
The pair sat in silence for several minutes. Haruhi finished her soup and Yutaka sipped his tea.
Haruhi started to giggle to herself and the farmer looked at her wondering, "Is she okay? Is the stress too much for her?"
Getting her amusement under control, she said, "I think I have an idea to deal with the yakuza. I just need a little information to flesh out my plan."
"Ask away. My neighbors and I would do almost anything to get rid of them without anyone getting hurt." He ran his hand through his hair nervously.
"I think my plan will make them want to leave of their own volition and never come back." She put her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her palm.
Curiously, he asked, "What do you need to know?"
Tapping her index finger against her chin, she stated, "I take it from your statement that you are a close-knit community, watching out for one another."
"Correct," he replied, a little puzzled.
Haruhi tapped the table. "For this to work, everyone would have to agree to the tale we're going to spin."
"If it's not dangerous and it would get rid of the yakuza, I think everyone would be willing. If only we could get the women and girls back," he said wistfully.
"One problem at a time. I need my best mind and his information network for that," Haruhi purred as she grinned wickedly. "Now, just one bit of information and I'll lay out my plan."
"What information do you need?" Yutaka prompted.
"I've only seen a sweet potato harvest from a distance when I was in middle school. Can you just harvest the bare minimum on top and come back later to harvest the bulk of the potatoes?"
"Yes," he answered tentatively. "Why?"
Drawing lines of the table with her finger, Haruhi outlined her plan. "Okay, here's my idea. When you start the harvest, short harvest while the yakuza is watching and make a big deal about how this is the best harvest you've had since the rodents were chased away. Then go back at night to harvest the rest of the potatoes and hide them. When the yakuza notice the additional digging, just say worriedly, 'I hope it's not the rodents again' and shake your head. Just be sure to keep it vague."
"That's…intriguing." Yutaka's forehead wrinkled in contemplation.
"That's just step one. Next, start pilfering from the harvest that the yakuza know about. When they notice the losses, look really concerned and say, 'Oh no, the rodents are back. I hope it's not as bad as last time' and give one another fearful looks."
Skeptically he asked, "Will we have to actually come up with rodents?"
Waving her hand, she replied, "No, these guys are from the city where you know there are rodents, but you almost never see them."
Yutaka pondered for a few minutes. "Is that all it's going to take to get rid of them?"
"Probably not. That's why there's a step three. Tomorrow, I want you to take me up to the house where Keiji is working for them and introduce me as your cousin's son. Then you'll explain that I have a lot of experience with cooking and chores because my mother died years ago."
"How will that help? It could even be dangerous for you," Yutaka protested.
Grinning, she said, "After we convince them that the rodents are back and eating the harvest, I will wait a few days and then start pilfering from the pantry while making it look like rodents have been chewing through the boxes and bags. I may even make some holes in the walls to add authenticity. Then you'll look really frightened and say, 'It's worse than ever. They never went into the houses before.' You might even consider making up plans for building a concrete bunker to live in until the rodents leave."
Yutaka started laughing. He wiped his eyes and sputtered, "You are a devious little minx, aren't you?"
"When you meet my friends, you can ask them," Haruhi said, grinning.
"It's getting late. I'll put you in Hinako's room for tonight."
OHSHC
Meanwhile, back in Tokyo, the Hinan brothers and their significant others were in a cuddle pile on the floor of Kyoya and Rene's living room. However, none of them were sleeping.
"Where can she be? She can't just disappear. I must be missing something." Kyoya released a sigh that was almost a sob. "I can't just lay here staring at the ceiling. I have to do something." He started to slip out from under Rene's arm when he felt a small hand grab his wrist.
"Stay," Reiko implored.
"I can't sleep and I don't want to wake anyone."
"No one is sleeping," Takashi stated quietly.
"I have to DO something. I'm going crazy just laying here. I must have missed something. I want to look at the security footage again." He tried again to get up but Reiko refused to let go.
"Here." Takashi handed Kyoya his glasses, then his tablet.
Mitsukuni said introspectively, "Reiko and I were talking on the way home from dropping Shiori off. Something doesn't feel right about this whole situation."
"I told Mitsukuni that I've had this feeling that's been growing over the last few months, since around Valentine's Day," Reiko whispered.
"Maybe we should re-examine our assumptions about the facts before we do anything," Rene suggested, gripping Kyoya's shoulder lightly.
Suddenly Chiharu sat up and shouted, "Reiko, I think it was Valentine's Day." She covered her mouth, embarrassed by her loud exclamation.
All heads turned to Chiharu as Reiko asked, "What do you mean?"
"That guy that accosted Haruhi right outside the apartments when she came over to study."
"Do you think he's involved with Haruhi's disappearance?" Takashi queried.
Chiharu shook her head. "No, he was expelled and his family sent him to a military academy or something like that. There's something niggling at the back of my mind about it though."
Kyoya tapped rapidly on his device, searching for the relevant security footage. "Wait, here it is," he announced.
"…She said she'd be here. I don't have all night,,,"
Hikaru gasped. "That makes it sound like Haruhi arranged to meet him at the apartments."
"No way," Kaoru disagreed. "It sounds more like someone else told him where Haruhi would be at a particular time so he could ambush her."
"With the security improvements on campus, this would be about the only place he could possibly get to her without being seen by the entire campus," Estee added.
Mitsukuni asked, "Reiko and Chiharu, who knew she was coming over that night? Was anyone around when you talked about it."
The young ladies exchanged a look and Reiko answered, "No one was around when we talked about it. But Haruhi probably told Shiori where she was going."
"Why that little…" Hikaru growled.
"There's no proof that it was her," Rene countered.
"However, it does fit the facts at hand," Kyoya pointed out. "I need my laptop. My tablet won't be able to handle the data analysis I need to do."
Everyone started shifting around to bring Kyoya a low table and his laptop. The Beringar sisters headed to the kitchen to make tea. Hikaru and Kaoru rearranged the pillows and blankets so everyone could comfortably face Kyoya, ready to help in any way he needed.
OHSHC
The sun shone through the window onto Haruhi's sleeping face. She sat bolt upright and looked around wildly in confusion. "This is not my room. Where am I? What happened?" Her heart pounding, she cast about her memory for clues.
Suddenly, it all came flooding back—the scavenger hunt, Wataru being called to work, kidnapped, escaping, meeting the Nipporis. She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. "It's okay—well, as okay as the situation can be. I wonder if Kyoya and the others have any clue what happened to me."
Though it was still early, Haruhi couldn't go back to sleep. "I guess I'll just get breakfast started."
An hour later, Yutaka walked into the kitchen, sniffing appreciatively. "It hasn't smelled this wonderful in the morning in years. Hinako did her best, but she preferred to be in the garden digging in the dirt or in the barn with the animals."
"My mother's recipes were my closest connection to her, so I love to cook. It kept her close for Dad as well." Haruhi turned around to hide her wistful expression as she finished dishing up the miso soup, rice and rolled omlette for each of them.
As Haruhi brought the dishes to the table, Yutaka contemplated the young woman who had stumbled into their lives. "Was it really just last night? And it's almost hard to think of her as a young woman when she looks more like a teenage boy. I hope this works. I'll head to the harvest meeting after I take her over to the yakuza house and introduce her—him."
"I made some onigiri for your lunch and packed a bento for dinner. They're in the refrigerator," Haruhi mentioned casually as she started eating.
"You didn't have to do that. Breakfast is more than enough," Yutaka protested.
Laughing, Haruhi replied, "It was force of habit. After doing it for thirteen years for my dad, I don't realize I'm doing it until I'm done."
They ate in silence for a few minutes before Yutaka inquired, "May I ask about your background—your story?"
Haruhi shrugged. "There's really not a lot to tell. My mom died when I was five. My father and I got along pretty good. I want to become a lawyer like my mother."
"How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?"
"I'm nineteen. I just finished my first year at university, but I actually have Junior standing because of challenge tests and online courses while I was in high school. I've had an internship with the firm where my mother worked…oh no, I hope Kyoya thinks to contact Mr. Naruse and arrange for my absence." Haruhi froze as she started to realize the implications of her situation.
Yutaka reached across the table and patted her hand gently, waiting for her to finish working through her thoughts.
"How will Dad react when they tell him?" She shook her head resolutely. "No. I will not dwell on that right now. We have work to do if we're going to take care of the problem here." She turned her hand over and clasped Yutaka's firmly. "We can do this."
Smiling at her, Yutaka said, "I sense you are a force to be reckoned with for all that you say there's nothing to tell. I definitely want to hear those stories before you leave us and head back to Tokyo."
Haruhi nodded her head resolutely. "When my friends get here, we will tell you some of the stories. Speaking of which, I figured out the message to have Toma send to Hinansho. 'Tell Mori-sempai that I'm having trouble with my bossa-nova partner.' With that, they'll know it's from me and who we're dealing with here. Since it will be coming from Toma, they'll know I'm in or near Kobe."
"Are you sure they'll understand?" he asked skeptically.
"Most definitely." Haruhi chuckled to herself, remembering the whole episode with Takashi's 'apprentice.'
Glancing at the clock on the wall, Yutaka said, "We should finish up and get going. I need to get to the harvest meeting by nine o'clock and I still have to introduce you up at the yakuza house. Are you sure you'll be okay?"
Finishing her last bite of breakfast, she assured, "I'll be fine. I'm tougher than I look. Just let me get the dishes done and we can go."
"Let me help."
She smiled and handed him a dish towel.
Ten minutes later the pair were walking down the road toward the yakuza house. Before they reached the front steps, they were surrounded. The gravelly voice of the Boss sneered, "What do we have here?"
Keiji banged open the door and yelled, "Haruhi!" as he launched himself at her.
Bracing herself, she caught him and swung him around. "All that practice catching Mitsukuni has now come in handy."
Yutaka said, "This is my cousin's son, Haruhi, from Tokyo. His father sent him here for the summer because he was causing trouble and figured the hard work on the farm would be good for him."
"And just how did he get here?" the Boss demanded.
Haruhi put Keiji down and said, "A guy my dad knows was headed back to Okayama after visiting his family in Tokyo. His friend owns the gas station here and figured he could get gas here and drop me off at the same time."
"Wait, I talked to a guy yesterday that the owner of the gas station knew, but I didn't see this guy," the nasally voiced underling remarked, waving a hand in Haruhi's direction.
"I got tired of waiting for you two to finish gossiping, so I headed over to Uncle's house," Haruhi admitted offhandedly.
Yutaka frowned at Haruhi and then addressed the Boss. "I was thinking this morning that Haruhi might be of more use to you up here in the house than with me out in the fields. His mother died six years ago, and he's been responsible for the cooking and cleaning at home."
The Boss smirked. "That sounds like a good idea. Little Keiji can't keep up with us. Come on in and I'll show you."
The group stepped into the living room. Haruhi looked around, snorted, and stated, "This looks like the apartment after Dad's last birthday party. Am I going to find two or three drunks hidden in the debris this time too?"
The yakuza laughed and the Boss answered, "I wouldn't be surprised." He turned to Yutaka and said, "I think he'll do."
"What about Keiji?" Yutaka asked. "Should he come with me or stay here to help Haruhi?"
The Boss considered for a moment. "I think he should stay here for now to run errands and deliver messages."
Yutaka nodded. "Okay, then, I'll head to the harvest meeting." He shot a glance at Haruhi and winked. "It looks like this might be the best crop we've had in years."
"I look forward to your report after the meeting," the Boss said dismissively.
OHSHC
Shoving his glasses up and rubbing his eyes to clear his bleary vision, Kyoya looked around the room at his brothers and their significant others. "It's been a long, hard night for all of us. I'm glad they finally fell asleep. I need some time with my own thoughts right now."
He read through the list of facts and suppositions the group have come up with during the night. "Hopefully Inspector Yoshinaga will take this seriously even though Haruhi has been missing for less than a day." Saving a copy of the file, Kyoya then attached it to an email and sent it to the inspector marked "URGENT."
"I'll try to get some sleep now, even though I doubt I'll get much rest." Shutting down his laptop and shoving it under the sofa out of the way, Kyoya settled down next to Rene and drifted into a fitful slumber.
Rene awoke slowly as he felt Kyoya finally settling down to sleep. "I hope he can get some rest. I can't imagine how he must be feeling. Haruhi has become such an integral part of our lives." He rolled onto his back and put one arm behind his head. "The plan was to head to Hinansho today. I wonder if we'll do that or stay here. Oh no, how are we going to tell Ryoji? He's already having separation anxiety with her here at university. I know, I'll contact Dr. Tae. I know Haruhi spoke to her about Ryoji last fall. Maybe she could come along to Hinansho just in case. Since I have to call her later about my internship, I can ask if she is available."
Feeling restless, Rene got up and headed to his bedroom to collect his clothes so he could shower and dress to meet the day.
While Rene was in the shower, Reiko and Chiharu woke up. They decided to get breakfast started, anticipating that others would be waking up soon.
Reiko started the rice and then set out the plates and bowls while Chiharu put the miso soup on to heat.
Hearing a soft sob, Reiko turned around to find Chiharu with her head bowed, gripping the counter edge tightly.
"What's wrong?" Reiko asked, rubbing her back gently.
"Will we find her?" Chiharu murmured. "And what happens if we don't?" She looked over her shoulder towards the living room. "I remember what they were like before she stumbled into their lives."
Reiko turned her around and looked her in the eyes. "Haruhi is strong and she will make her way back to us. We just need to do our best to meet her on the way."
Chiharu took several deep breaths. "Thanks, I needed that."
The ladies were startled when a pair of arms wrapped around them. "Okaa-san will be back, just you wait and see. Either she will return on her own or otou-san will find her. I firmly believe that," Rene stated adamantly.
They all jumped slightly when the rice cooker *dinged* that it was done. Reiko asked, "Should we wake everyone up for breakfast?"
"Everyone but Kyoya," Rene replied. "He just fell asleep." As Reiko was about to leave the kitchen, he said, "Wait. Is it safe to wake up Mitsukuni? Has anyone tried it since his surgery?"
Reiko winked. "I didn't have any trouble while we were at the farm."
"Then I will let you wake everyone up," Rene said, waving his hands to indicate he didn't want to hear anymore.
Just before they finished breakfast, Kyoya's phone rang. "I'll get it," Rene shouted, jumping up from the table and diving over the sofa.
"I can answer my own phone, thank you very much," Kyoya growled from his place on the floor, reaching up to grab his phone off the table. "Good morning, Inspector Yoshinaga." His expression tightened more and more as he listened. "Thank you, Inspector. Yes, we are heading to Hinansho today." Kyoya ended the call and lean his forehead against the phone.
Rene waited for him to gather his thoughts and then said gently, "Come have some breakfast."
Sighing, Kyoya stood up and followed Rene to the dining room.
"What did the inspector have to say?" Takashi inquired.
"He just wanted to assure me that he is taking the information I sent seriously. It will take time to follow up on everything, but he will contact us regularly at Hinansho."
"What are you not telling us?" Hikaru demanded, watching Kyoya's eyes look to the side.
Kaoru shuddered. "They haven't found an unidentified body, have they?"
Kyoya looked up sharply. "NO! Nothing like that." He ran his hand through his hair. "They checked traffic cameras around the Nanjo estate during the time Wataru was supposedly there. Footage shows Haruhi in his car when he entered the estate. However, there was no one in the car with him when he left."
"Then she's still at the estate and they can get a search warrant," Rene declared.
Shaking his head, Kyoya responded, "They don't have probable cause to request a search warrant. And before you bring up the judges we know, the other problem is that the search warrant would tip them off and they could move her or hurt her."
Dropping into a chair, Kyoya held his head in his hands. "It's such a delicate situation. We don't know what they could decide to do to Haruhi. I just want her back safely."
"We all do," Takashi murmured, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
There was a knock on the door and Kyoya growled without raising his head, "If that's Shiori, I don't think I can stand to even look at her right now." He stood abruptly and headed to his bedroom.
While the others moved to the living room, Estee answered the door. Sure enough, it was Shiori.
"Good morning, Estee. Have you heard anything from Haruhi?" Shiori asked. "Or Wataru?"
Taking a deep breath to keep a tight lid on her temper, Estee replied, "No, we haven't. We've been packing up to head home to Hinansho for the summer. I'm just here at Kyoya and Rene's because I wanted to know when Atsuhiro and Tachibana will be here to pick us up."
Rene emerged from the living room. "Actually, it will be Kairi rather than Tachibana today. Kairi will be in the area delivering produce from the farm. After he finishes, he'll bring the truck here so we can load our luggage."
Shiori tried to look worried and solicitous as she asked, "Is Kyoya okay? He and Haruhi were really close."
Estee and Rene both bristled at her use of the past tense regarding Haruhi. Then Rene replied, "He had a rough night and he's still asleep."
"Maybe I could help him pack?" Shiori suggested.
Shaking his head emphatically, Rene stated, "You don't want to wake him. He can be quite a demon when he's woken up before he's ready."
Looking slightly worried at Rene's description of Kyoya's disposition, Shiori said, "Okay…I guess I'll go check out of the dorm."
After Shiori left, Rene asked Estee, "How are we going to get Haruhi's things from the dorm?"
"She checked out yesterday before lunch. Her things are stored in the alcove downstairs by the security office. Well, except for her overnight bag and satchel, which are in the corner of your living room. She had hoped we'd all spend the night together here before heading home to Hinansho."
The pair headed into the living room to discuss the plans for the day with the rest of the group. While they were talking, Rene noticed that Reiko and Mitsukuni were wearing the 'Classic Blunders' shirts which were looking rather faded and worn.
"That's what I'll do," Rene decided excitedly. "I'll get us all new 'Classic Blunder' shirts to wear until we find Haruhi. We can have a different color for each day of the week with the day on the back. Let's see, Monday will be violet, Tuesday indigo, Wednesday green, Thursday yellow, Friday orange, and Saturday red. Hmm, those are all the colors of the rainbow. What color should Sunday be?"
Rene pulled up the website on his phone and started scrolling through the available colors. "No, that's not it. I don't think that will do. Black is a maybe. Wait—this is perfect. Sunday can be rainbow tie-dye." As he was inputting the order, he decided to include a set for Ryoji and one for Haruhi. Arranging for rush processing, he indicated that the order should be delivered to Hinansho as soon as possible.
OHSHC
Shiori looked around the dorm room and realized that all of Haruhi's things were gone. "I guess they came and packed up for her. I'll have to check all of my things. Maybe they took something of mine by mistake and I can use that as an excuse to spend more time with them."
Her phone rang and she saw that the caller was Wataru. "Hey, what happened? I tried to call you yesterday and it went straight to voicemail?"
"Oh, I forgot to charge my phone yesterday morning before we headed out on the scavenger hunt. It was no big deal," he replied off-handedly.
"How did the plan go?" Shiori demanded impatiently.
"Well, I have some good news and some sort-of bad news," Wataru responded.
"Just spit it out. I'm not in the mood for games." She growled.
"Well, the good news is that I got Haruhi away with no one seeing us or being the wiser," he said with a smirk in his voice.
"And the sort-of bad news?" she demanded.
Wataru huffed. "She got away."
"That's only sort-of bad news!?" she shrieked.
"Well, it actually turned out to be a good thing because I was stopped by a police officer a block from my apartment in Okayama," Wataru retorted. "Apparently, she pulled the wires for the taillights and they weren't working. I gave the officer a song and dance about how it was a brand-new car and the damage was probably caused by my sister's cat that likes to chew on wires."
Shiori groaned. "So where did she escape? How soon can I expect her to be back?" She started to stalk around the dorm room.
Wataru responded dismissively, "She may never get back. Remember, she had no phone, money, or identification on her. The last time I saw her was three hours after we left Tokyo. I stopped at a gas station to give her a bathroom break…"
"You WHAT?!" Shiori shouted.
Rolling his eyes at her theatrics, even though she couldn't see him, Wataru growled, "Oh, lay off. I took the back roads and only stopped at the gas stations owned by my friend from high school. The bathroom break was near Nagoya and I only made two stops for gas after that. It had to be one of those stops and both were out in the middle of nowhere. Without identification or money, she's stuck wherever she is."
"Just as long as she stays away long enough for me to hook Kyoya or Rene. Goodbye." Shiori ended the call and put the phone on the table. Then she flopped on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
OHSHC
Mitsukuni and Takashi were packing luggage into the truck while the rest were checking apartments for food and making sure everything was clean.
Rene was taking one last look around his and Kyoya's apartment when he remembered that he was supposed to call his advisor about the clinical internship for the next year. Sitting on the edge of a chair in the living room, he found 'Professor Tae' in his contacts and initiated the phone call.
"This is Shimura Tae. How can I help you?"
"Hello, Professor. This is Rene Hinan. You asked me to call you about my internship."
"Ah, yes. Thank you for calling. I think we may have found a place for you."
"That's good news." Rene paused and then asked, "Professor, would you be available to come to Hinansho for the weekend?"
"Mr. Hinan, I believe that would be highly inappropriate…"
"Oh, wait, you misunderstand," Rene interrupted. "It's nothing like that. You remember Haruhi Fujioka? She was in your Introduction to Psychology last fall."
Dr. Tae responded with a puzzled tone, "Yes? What does she have to do with this?"
"Well, she disappeared yesterday and we think she was kidnapped. Her father works at Hinansho. He's going to know something is wrong when she doesn't return with us this afternoon," Rene explained in a rush. "Did Haruhi speak to you about grief counselors for her father?"
"Now I understand. Given his unresolved feelings about his wife's death and the sudden disappearance of his only child, he may need psychological support. Thank you for clarifying that, Rene."
"So, will you be able to come? I can have Shima prepare a room for you," Rene offered anxiously.
"Yes, I will come. And it would be nice to relax at Hinansho for the weekend. I hear it's a beautiful place," Dr. Tae agreed.
"I'll send you a copy of the brochure with the map and you just need to give your name to the front desk clerk," Rene said happily.
Shimura debated with herself for a minute before she commented, "Rene, I think you will make a great counselor. You try to anticipate the potential problems so you can plan in advance how to face them."
Sighing softly, Rene replied, "I learned that from my best friend. I just hope I can return the favor by helping him find his significant other and getting her back."
OHSHC
Inspector Yoshinaga looked up the contact information for Wataru Nanjo in the Okayama information database. "Well, it matches what Kyoya passed along to me in his information so it should be the correct person." He asked the desk sergeant to place the call and let him know when Mr. Nanjo was on the line.
Ten minutes later, the inspector's desk phone rang. "I have Mr. Nanjo on line one," the sergeant reported.
"Thank you. I will take it from here." Activating line one, he said, "This is Inspector Yoshinaga of the Tokyo Police Department. Am I speaking to Wataru Nanjo?"
"This is he," Wataru replied. "How may I help you, Inspector?"
"Do you know a young lady named Haruhi Fujioka?"
"Yes, she was my sister's roommate at university," he replied offhandedly.
"When did you see her last?"
"Well, I had lunch with my sister and her group of friends yesterday. Haruhi was part of that group. After lunch they were going to play a game but one of their members had to take care of some business, so they asked me to fill in. It was a scavenger hunt and we were paired up by drawing names. Haruhi was my partner."
"What time was this?"
"It was one o'clock when we started the game. About fifteen minutes later, I received a call to report to work as soon as possible."
"So are everything matches what Kyoya told me," Inspector Yoshinaga thought. Then he continued the questioning. "Was the call to work expected?"
"No. I wasn't supposed to start until the following Wednesday, but some emergency came up and they wanted me as soon as possible, even though I was in Tokyo, seven or eight hours away."
"What did you do with Miss Fujioka?" The inspector used an accusatory tone to try to shake him up.
Wataru kept a tight rein on his emotions so he wouldn't accidently reveal something to the inspector. "We were just a couple blocks from my parent's house when I got the call. I told Haruhi I would pick up my things from the house and then drive her back to campus. I asked her to wait in the car while I ran in to grab my bags. I wasn't in the house very long—maybe five minutes—but she was gone when I got back to the car. I figured she decided to continue the scavenger hunt on her own. Just before I got the call, she was pointing out a 100-yen store where we could get some of the items on the scavenger hunt list."
"So, the last time you saw Miss Fujioka was sometime between one-fifteen and one-thirty yesterday?" Inspector Yoshinaga clarified.
"That's correct. I wish I could be more help." Wataru smirked as the inspector seemed to accept his story without question.
"Thank you for your time," the inspector said before ending the call.
Staring at the phone with a frown, Inspector Yoshinaga thought, "I have a gut feeling that he knows more than he's saying. He seemed to already know that Haruhi was missing. Granted, his sister may have already told him. But his story sounded prepared and rehearsed."
He drummed his fingers on the desk as he considered the things Wataru had said. "I'll have the computer techs take another look at the traffic cameras for the area around the Nanjo estate from one o'clock to two o'clock. Maybe they will find a clue about how Haruhi disappeared."
After getting the computer techs started on their search, the inspector decided that his next course of action was to do a thorough background check of Wataru Nanjo, including his time spent in America.
OHSHC
At the harvest meeting of the farmers, Yutaka was explaining Haruhi's plan for getting rid of the yakuza.
"It seems too simple to actually work," Manpei, the resident skeptic, sneered dismissively.
"That's why it can work," declared one of his neighbors. "Most of it is left to their imagination. Remember these are city folk."
There was shared laughter as someone called out, "Yeah, remember how they reacted when that little gopher stuck his head out when we were watering the garden patch. You'd think a man-eating lion had just pounced on them out of the cornfield. One of them screamed like a girl."
Yutaka brought attention back to the front of the room where he stood. "Okay. We're all on the same page, right? When we begin harvesting the day after tomorrow, we'll make a big deal about how this is the best crop we've seen since we finally got rid of the rodents."
"What if they want us to describe the rodents?" one timid farmer asked.
"Be as vague as possible. Mention how sneaky they are and how few people have actually seen them and lived to tell the tale."
Another farmer asked, "You really want us to just harvest the topmost potatoes. Are we going to let the rest just rot in the ground?"
"No, we're going to divide into two groups. One will do the short harvest during the day and the other will harvest the rest at night."
"What if they ask where everyone else is?"
"We'll tell them they are preparing the next field for harvest. And remember, when they ask about the extra digging in the already harvested fields, look very worried, shake your head, and mutter, 'I hope it's not the rodents again.' That should make them nervous."
Manpei spoke up again. "I'm not sure about the next part of the plan. After the harvest is complete, you want us to start pilfering the yakuza stores?"
"Yes. I am working on using a claw hammer to make a few potatoes look like they've been gnawed on by a large rodent. When they see those is when we look really scared and announced, 'Oh no, the rodents are back.' That should really set them on edge."
The tallest farmer stood up to draw everyone's attention. "Do you really believe that this Haruhi can pull off the pantry pilfering he claims he can do at the house?"
Yutaka had kept the secret of Haruhi's gender to himself, so he responded, "Yes, I have full confidence in him."
"Then I say, let's do this."
"Just one minute," Manpei demanded. "What does this Haruhi want in return? Half our profits? To take the yakuza's place?"
Yutaka chuckled. "That reminds me. All he wants is that the person who delivers the load to the baseball stadium ask Toma to contact Hinansho with the message, 'Tell Mori-sempai that I'm having trouble with my bossa-nova partner.' It's probably a code to contact a friend working at Hinansho."
Watching his friends and neighbors fan a flicker of hope into a blazing conspiracy, Yutaka made a decision. "Oh, and there's one more thing I'd like you all to keep in mind. Haruhi has assured me that after the yakuza have been dealt with and he can contact his friends, they will help us find our missing women."
That brought a rousing cheer from the whole crowd, even the skeptic.
OHSHC
The six yakuza returned to the house at the end of the day and found dinner waiting on the table. "Now this is more like it," the Boss announced, settling into a chair at the dining room table and helping himself to the various dishes.
As soon as the yakuza finished eating, they headed to the living room and settled down to watch television.
"Come on, Keiji, let's do dishes and get to bed," Haruhi called, stacking dishes from the table and carrying them to the kitchen sink.
"I guess it's better than having to do it all by myself," Keiji huffed, following her example and clearing dishes from the table.
Haruhi drew the sinks full of water, started washing the dishes, and slipping them one-by-one into the rinse water. "Come on, Keiji. You can rinse and dry. I'll put them away when I finish washing."
As Haruhi finished putting away dishes and Keiji finished wiping off the table and counters, the Boss came in from the living room and remarked, "That was the best dinner we've had since we got here. And I don't think the house have every been this clean."
"There's a list on the counter for supplies the next time you go shopping," Haruhi commented, pointing to the paper and pen.
"I'll keep that in mind. You to can have the rest of the night off."
"Thanks, cooking and cleaning beats digging around in the dirt and muck," Haruhi said as she grabbed Keiji's hand and pulled him toward their bedroom.
OHSHC
Ryoji ran out the front door of Hinansho as soon as he saw the car and truck come through the front gate. He was puzzled at the somber mood as everyone climbed out of the vehicle.
"Haruhi, I've missed you so much," he called, looking around for his daughter.
Rene and Kyoya walked up to him and Kyoya said, "I'm sorry, Ryoji, but Haruhi isn't with us."
A shiver of fear ran down Ryoji's spine as he looked from Kyoya to Rene and back again. "What are you talking about? Did she stay behind to finish a project or help someone else?"
Rene took Ryoji's arm and said, "Let's go inside to the alcove where we can talk privately."
Before they reached the front door, a car pulled in and parked. "Professor Tae, I'm glad you could make it," Rene called, inclining his head surreptitiously toward Ryoji.
Understanding Rene's meaning, she followed the three men across the lobby and into the alcove.
Ryoji rounded on Kyoya and demanded, "Where is Haruhi? What's happened?"
Meanwhile the twins, Estee, and Coco were greeted by Ageha, Hibiki, and Masaya with Fuyumi and Seiji looking on. "We're going to have so much fun this summer," Ageha declared, grabbing her brothers' hands and dragging them inside.
Estee and Coco followed, laughing at Ageha's enthusiasm at seeing her brothers.
Mitsukuni, Takashi, Reiko, and Chiharu saw Tachibana's worried expression and waited for him to approach them. "I got the security team's report on the bare bones of the problem. Can you give me an update?"
Mitsukuni stepped up and stated, "Haruhi disappeared between one and two yesterday afternoon while we were involved in a scavenger hunt…"
"I have that from security. Have there been any new developments today?" Tachibana exerted all his professionalism to keep a cool façade. "It's as if my own daughter were missing. I feel so helpless not being involved."
"Inspector Yoshinaga of the Tokyo Police is handling the case personally. Traffic cameras show Haruhi arriving at the Nanjo estate, but not leaving. Kyoya may have a more recent report, but he and Rene are with Ryoji right now," Mitsukuni's voice tapered off to silence.
Taking a breath, Tachibana said, "Thank you for the update. Dinner will be ready in the small dining room soon. Staff already has orders to take your luggage to your apartments."
"We will find her and she will be safe," Takashi stated, his tone daring anyone to contradict him.
Rene and Kyoya allowed Ryoji to rant at them for a while about losing his precious daughter before the stranger in the room broke in after the third repetition of his grievances. "Pardon me. My name is Shimura Tae and I was Haruhi's psychology professor last fall. She and I talked about you several times."
Ryoji glared at the professor for interrupting him. "What do you want?" he demanded.
"I want to help. I can see that you are extremely upset right now. I found your daughter to be strong and resourceful. She will be home soon I have no doubt. Until she returns, I'd like to help you."
"Help me how?" he asked suspiciously.
Before she answered, Tachibana knocked on the wall to get their attention. "Dinner will be served in the small dining room in fifteen minutes."
"Thank you, Tachibana," Kyoya replied.
Professor Tae returned her attention to Ryoji. "I want to help you sort through your feelings and emotions."
Before Ryoji could respond, Rene pleaded, "Please try, for Haruhi's sake."
"For Haruhi then," he whispered, his expression softening.
Rene wrapped his arm around Ryoji's shoulders. "How about we have dinner first? Then you can tell Professor Tae all about Haruhi."
OHSHC
Inspector Yoshinaga contemplated the reports on the desk in front of him. "How did he get away with this behavior for so long without spending time in prison? It must have cost his family a bundle to keep these scandals out of the media."
The Japanese school records showed nearly annual school changes. The psychological evaluations clearly stated he had sadistic and misogynistic tendencies. The vague notes about classmates uncomfortable being alone in his presence suggested a pattern of aggressive behavior.
More disturbing were the reports from the American college and police departments. If Wataru Nanjo were ever to return to the United States, he would be flagged as a sexual predator. The number of women he assaulted and the damage he inflicted in just four years was criminal. Clearly, his family's money and the lawyers it could buy were the only things going for him.
"No wonder I had a bad feeling after talking to him. I certainly hope Haruhi is not in the clutches of that…monster."
After taking several deep breaths to regain control, he picked up the phone and said, "Sergeant, please contact the police department in Okayama. I want to ask them to interview a witness for me."
"Right away, sir."
OHSHC
On Monday, the shirts arrived just before lunchtime. When the front desk called to inform Rene of his package, he bolted down to retrieve it. Rather than taking it to his apartment, he sat down in the middle of the hallway, whooping with glee.
Rene was like a kid on Christmas morning as he opened the box and started pulling out the packages until he found the one with his name on it. He promptly tore the plastic and extracted a violet shirt that said 'Monday' on the back and had the 'Classic Blunders' on the front.
His whoop had attracted the attention of every apartment on the floor and they all came out to see what was wrong. Seeing the doors opening and his companions coming out, he declared, "I bought all of us new shirts to wear while we locate Haruhi." Then he started tossing the packages to them.
There were three packages left when he stood up and carried two to Ryoji. Presenting them, Rene said simply, "I bought a set for you. There's also a set for Haruhi when she gets back."
Ryoji pulled the blond into a hug and whispered, "I know we got off on the wrong foot when we first met, but I want to thank you for all that you've done…for Haruhi and for me."
Through the open apartment door, Rene saw Professor Tae sitting on the sofa in yoga pants and a tank top waving teasingly at him. Blushing brightly, he stammered, "Excuse me for interrupting, Ryoji."
Releasing him, Ryoji whispered back, "No problem. We were just making plans for me to interview some grief counselors. Thank you for bringing Shimura to Hinansho." Then he closed the apartment door.
Slightly stunned, Rene turned back to the box and the final package with Kyoya's name on it. Picking it up, he pondered, "It's after eleven o'clock, so it should be safe to wake Kyoya. On the other hand, he hasn't been sleeping well since Haruhi's disappearance."
Before Rene could decide whether or not to knock on Kyoya's door, it opened and the occupant stepped out with a morose expression. Glancing around to find the people he had come out to look for, he said, "I just got off the phone with Inspector Yoshinaga. He went to the Nanjo estate this morning under the pretext of following up on a 'missing person' report, but no one knew anything about Haruhi. He said even Shiori seemed surprised that Haruhi had not been found yet."
"Isn't that good news that she's not being held captive?" Coco asked.
"At least she's not being held captive at the Nanjo estate. There was some other bits of news that are…disturbing. Apparently, Wataru Nanjo has a history of aggressive behavior against women. His family has covered it up and kept him out of prison, but he is considered dangerous."
There were gasps from Reiko, Chiharu, Estee, and Coco that prompted their significant others to draw them close. "He seemed so charming," Chiharu whispered, shuddering. Takashi kissed the top of her head comfortingly.
Kyoya drew a deep breath and continued, "Inspector Yoshinaga contacted a colleague in Okayama to have Wataru interviewed. The Okayama police sent an officer whose usual beat is in the area of Wataru's apartment. When the officer reported back to his superior about the interview, he included the fact that he had stopped Wataru on Friday night to give him a warning because of nonfunctioning taillights."
In his frustration, Kyoya wanted to pace-or hit something. Instead, he continued, "The officer said that Wataru was reluctant to open the trunk, but looked surprised when it was empty. Then Wataru gave some excuse that his sister's cat had pulled the wires loose because it like chewing on cords. Disabling the taillights is the first thing Tachibana and Hotta taught Haruhi to do if she was trapped in the trunk of a car."
Mitsukuni brightened. "Wait, that means that Haruhi escaped somewhere and Wataru didn't notice!"
"Then why hasn't she contacted us?" Rene whined.
Kyoya hit his palm against his forehead in response to Rene reversion in behavior. "Because she has no phone, no money, and no identification with her."
"Couldn't she just go to the police?" Coco asked.
"It would still take time for them to confirm her identity," Hikaru offered.
Regaining his composure, Kyoya said, "Inspector Yoshinaga has sent details of Haruhi's case to all the police between Tokyo and Okayama. However, if Wataru took the route through the rural areas, it may still take some time to locate her."
OHSHC
On Tuesday, the farmers began the harvest, following Haruhi's plan. It was working very well. Barely a quarter of the crop was harvested under the watchful eye of the yakuza and it was still filling the storage bins. The farmers were discussing the possibility of using the fake plans for the concrete bunker to build an extra storage facility for the secret harvest.
On the fourth day of harvesting, the Boss asked about the extra digging, just as Haruhi had predicted. Tensions started to mount as delivery dates for orders neared.
The next Monday, the pilfering of the yakuza-supervised harvest started. Yutaka's carved sweet potatoes made the rodent threat seem very real. When the yakuza arrived back at the house that evening for dinner, they were all looking very nervous.
"Is anything wrong?" Haruhi asked the Boss.
He hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Have you seen any unusual rodent activity around the house?"
"I've heard that farms tend to have more trouble with rodents, but I haven't noticed anything different than I was used to seeing in Tokyo. Why?" Haruhi responded as she set dinner on the table.
"Never mind. Just let me know if anything out of the ordinary happens."
"Will do. Enjoy your dinner."
OHSHC
The Hinans and their significant others spent a lot of time together at Hinansho. Reiko and Mitsukuni postponed their trip to the other farm to check on the plantings because they didn't want to miss any news about Haruhi.
Haruhi had been missing for ten days when Inspector Yoshinaga arrived at Hinansho to give the group and update.
"All of the police departments between here and Okayama have reported in and there is no sign of her. However, new information came to light this weekend. Wataru went to school with someone who owns a number of gas stations in the rural areas. Not all of those areas have local police. It is even suspected that yakuza have been trying to take control of some of the more lucrative farms."
Kyoya breathed a sigh of relief. "Haruhi could easily blend into a farming community with her strength and work ethic."
The inspector continued, "All of the police forces have asked for volunteers to go to the rural areas and ask about newcomers. It's a lot of area to cover, but hopefully we'll hear something soon. I'll keep you informed."
Kyoya accompanied the inspector to his car. "Thank you for all you've been doing. Oh, you should tell the officers looking for Haruhi to look at men as well as women. She was a very convincing male in high school, and she could probably still pull it off. I have my own sources of information, but none of them have found a single clue as to Haruhi's whereabouts."
Inspector Yoshinaga clapped Kyoya on the shoulder. "You are a remarkable group. I have a gut feeling that Haruhi will be home soon." Then he climbed into his car and drove away.
OHSHC
Haruhi checked the time and then surveyed the disaster that she had spent the night creating in the pantry. There were three holes 'chewed' in the walls in various places and different sizes. The bag of rice was laying on the floor, nearly empty and similarly 'chewed.' Boxes had claw marks and holes. Plastic was shredded and can labels were ripped.
She'd even devised a 'footprint' to walk through the ketchup from the torn container. The trail led to the smallest of the holes in the wall.
Hearing the sound of the yakuza coming down for breakfast, she set the tableau that she wanted them to witness. The light was on in the pantry but not in the kitchen. Haruhi was kneeling in the pantry doorway surveying the damage.
The Boss entered the kitchen, demanding, "Why isn't breakfast ready…" He tapered off when he saw Haruhi and the devastation in the pantry.
Haruhi whipped around. "This is how I found the pantry this morning. I don't know what happened. Everything was fine last night after dinner."
The nasally voiced yakuza shrieked, "It's the rodents! They'll attack us in our beds! We have to get out of here."
The Boss growled, contemplating the mess. He turned to Haruhi and said, "Take Keiji and head to Yutaka's. Inform him that we will be leaving today with all of the crops that have been harvested. We're going to cut our losses. He is to bring Keiji and four additional drivers to the storage facility in one hour."
Dutifully, Haruhi collected Keiji and headed to the Nippori's house. They didn't dare talk on the way because they didn't want to give anything away.
Yutaka was just finishing his breakfast when he looked up in surprise. "What are you two doing here?"
Haruhi grinned and winked before she reported, "The Boss wants you, Keiji, and four drivers at the storage facility in one hour."
Returning her grin, he replied, "I'll get right on that. Have you two eaten?"
"No, the rodents ransacked the pantry overnight and there was nothing left to make breakfast."
"Go ahead and help yourselves. I'll go arrange the crews to get the trucks loaded," he offered. To Keiji he said, "When you finish eating, you go get the drivers."
Keiji gave his father a hug as he replied, "Will do, Dad."
"Don't worry about the dishes," Haruhi said. "I'll clean up after Keiji and I finish breakfast."
OHSHC
Kyoya was tacking up a large map of the area from Tokyo to Okayama in the alcove near the front desk when Ryoji found him Tuesday morning. "I'm sorry I blamed you for her disappearance."
Turning to face him, Kyoya replied, "I just wish I could find her. This has enlightened me about just how limited my information sources are. They are extensive in the urban and suburban landscapes but non-existent in the rural areas." He waved at the map on the wall. "Just look how much of Japan is rural. That's a huge blind spot."
Ryoji laid a hand on Kyoya's shoulder. "You're young yet. You still have plenty of time to fill the gaps in your knowledge and experience. Don't be so hard on yourself." Looking over the map, he asked, "What are you doing with this?"
"I asked Inspector Yoshinaga to send me all the areas that have been searched for Haruhi. I'm going to mark them on this map. I'm hoping it might give us some clues about where she might be."
"Then I will leave you to it. Shimura is taking me to interview a couple more grief counselors," Ryoji called over his shoulder as he spotted the professor in the lobby.
OHSHC
The Boss stood on the tailgate of the truck to address the men standing around. "Yutaka will drive this truck to the stadium. Keiji and I will be riding with him. The rest of you have your drivers and destinations. Remember payment is required to be in cash. Jiro will take the car and buy supplies. We'll meet at the stadium by five o'clock. Got it?"
Without waiting for acknowledgement, he jumped down and headed for the passenger side of the truck. "I can't wait to get out of here and back to Tokyo. Sendo-sama may not be happy with my decision, but when I explain the facts, I'm sure he'll agree that farming is not as lucrative as it appears."
Keiji was already sitting in the middle of the seat, waiting for the Boss and his dad. After ensuring the load was secure, Yutaka climbed into the driver's seat and the convoy left for Kobe.
An hour later, Yutaka pulled the truck into the parking lot of the stadium and positioned it near the concessions entrance. The three climbed out to stretch their legs. "Keiji, go tell Toma we're here with the sweet potatoes."
"Yes, Boss," Keiji called as he took off in the direction of the office.
Knowing it would take a while for them to get back because the office was on the other side of the stadium, the Boss said, "I'm going to the café over there to get some breakfast. Stay here and guard the cargo."
Yutaka nodded in acknowledgement and then settled down to wait. "It appears that Haruhi's plan has worked. Even though the boss didn't say anything, I can tell they're heading for Tokyo as soon as they get the money from selling the potatoes."
Keiji hurried to the office. When he arrived, the door was open, but he knocked to alert the occupant to his presence.
Toma looked up from his computer and grinned. "Keiji, it's good to see you. I've been worried ever since I found out the yakuza took over your farm. How have you been?"
"It's been interesting lately," Keiji replied with a matching grin. "I need you to do something."
Toma's brows knit as he asked, "Do you need me to sneak you away and hide you?"
"No, nothing like that," he laughed. "I need you to call Hinansho and give them a message."
Sitting up straight, Toma demanded, "How do you know about Hinansho? Who gave you a message? Why don't…"
Keiji held up his hand. "I can't explain right now. Will you do it?"
Eying Keiji questioningly, Toma took a deep breath and said, "Okay. What message am I supposed to give them?" He picked up his phone and started scrolling through his contacts until he found the right one and clicked it.
"The message is 'Tell Mori-sempai that I am having trouble with my bossa-nova partner,'" Keiji recited.
The ringing stopped and a voice intone, "Thank you for calling Hinansho. How may I help you?"
"My name is Toma Matsunaga and I was asked to leave the following message. 'Tell Mori-sempai that I am having trouble with my bossa-nova partner.'"
"Do you know who is supposed to receive this message?" the desk clerk asked, sounding confused.
Toma replied, "I don't know who wanted the message sent, just that I had to be the one to send it."
"I will do my best to deliver it. Have a good day."
"Thank you. That's all I can ask. Goodbye." Toma ended the call, stood up, and said, "Okay, I've given Hinansho the message. Shall we go see about those potatoes?"
"Sure. Let's go."
OHSHC
The Hinan brothers and their significant others were gathered in the alcove to see the map Kyoya had been working on all day.
"Wow, the rural coverage is awfully spotty," Takashi commented.
"Yeah," Mitsukuni agreed. "I wonder if phone service is spotty in those areas as well."
Kyoya was gesturing to an area near Nagoya when the desk clerk tapped on the doorframe to get his attention. "Yes?"
"I just had a strange phone call from Toma Matsunaga. He said he was given a message to pass along to Hinansho."
"What was the message?" Kyoya prompted.
"It was 'Tell Mori-sempai that I am having trouble with my bossa-nova partner.' Do you have any idea what it means?"
Rene stood up and yelled, "HARUHI!"
28