Chapter 3: Girl on Fire

Doujo absently watched the greenery pass by as their Defense Force van made its way through the mountainous curves of the Hakone region. Though Commander Genda, currently snoring in the back seat, indicated that a local library had requested the transfer of a rare and valuable book to the Kanto Library, Doujo suspected it was merely a pretense for the Commander to go visit the hot springs. As Tezuka drove the van, Komaki and Doujo sat in the middle row behind him. Doujo thought about a list of other things he could be doing, but the scenario played out something like this:

"In Hakone?" asked Komaki in surprise. Doujo echoed the sentiment.

"Well, yes," said Commander Genda. "A friend of mine runs the local library and I wanted to help him out a bit. In his collection is a rare and valuable book on the MBC's list. He wants to preserve it for posterity but he doesn't have the facilities or the funds to restore it. He's asked that it be transferred to the Kanto Library for safe keeping so the experts can look at it here."

"Is there any chance of the MBC's lackeys getting wind of this?" asked Doujo.

"Not really," said Genda. "That's why I'm only bringing a few people with me. And since you three seem to have nothing to do on your days off, I'm asking you to come with me."

"Should we pack any equipment?" asked Tezuka, always the pragmatist.

"Sure, but pack light. Like I said, I don't anticipate any resistance."

So, all four of them took a road trip for the weekend.

"Well, at least we get something to do," said Komaki to break the silence in the car. He was flipping through a magazine he had bought at a local convenience store along the way.

"I had plenty to do back at the base," said Doujo in a rather gloomy fashion.

"Nothing that couldn't wait until the work shift," commented his friend nonchalantly. "Besides, some black cloud has been hanging over you since yesterday." Komaki indicated over Doujo's head with a wave of his hand as if to swat the thing away.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," snapped Doujo.

"Well, it was quite a shock to see your princess dressed like that again. I don't think I'll ever get used to her in a skirt. If she was a little more photogenic she could probably be a model." The response was only silence.

"It was a double shock," Komaki continued, "to see that guy in the flashy sports car come pick her up. I didn't know she had friends like that. They seemed really familiar, to boot."

"Enough," said Doujo, cutting him short. "What she does in her spare time is none of my...our business." His friend shrugged and went back to reading. Of course, he didn't tell Komaki that he had received an angry text message from Shibasaki that night indicating that Iku was staying at a hotel in Ginza with some guy. His first thought was, What the hell did that have to do with me? But that later gave way to a rather sleepless night.

Doujo turned to the scenery once more. The sun was climbing higher into the sky now, and he glanced at his own reflection in the glass against the light. For some reason, he couldn't forget the expression she had when she drove away, without even looking in his direction. Iku looked tired, and the curve in her mouth made it seem like she was about to cry. He had the unsettling urge to know who her companion was if only to understand who it was she could go to at a time like that, besides himself.

The mountain road soon led into a bigger one. Left and right sprouted the main entrances to various onsen establishments in competition with one another. Each of them boasting the best mineral effects on their guests' skin, most likely, though the truth of it remained dubious. They then drove up a hill where the shrubbery seemed neat and tended. At this point, Commander Genza woke up again.

"Are we almost there?" he asked with a large yawn.

"Yes, Sir," responded Tezuka. "The GPS has indicated we turn this direction." Genda nodded in satisfaction as he folded his large, burly arms across his wide chest.

"This doesn't look like the way to the library," commented Komaki.

"Well we can't just drive up to the library's main entrance in this van, can we?" insisted Genda. "That would alert people to our presence."

"True," said Komaki tentatively.

"Oh! I like this song! Tezuka, turn it up!" said Genda, suddenly changing the subject. Tezuka did as he was told and the beat box melody of "Happy People" filled the little space, delaying any further conversation.

By mid afternoon Tezuka pulled into the Hakone Ginyu's main drive and into the lot. The wild shrubbery turned into neatly trimmed Japanese gardens with a slightly zen feeling to them. Doujo surfaced from his thoughts and looked around.

"What is this place?" he asked, as if he had stepped into some bizarre universe.

"This is where we'll be staying," said Genda as they got out of the van. Komaki whistled at the impressiveness of the place.

"Commander-" began Doujo. Wasn't Genda always the one complaining about budget constraints?

"This is also the guy who bought a building just so he could invade it," commented Komaki in a low voice understanding exactly what his friend was thinking.

"Well, I figured since you all have been doing so well, we might indulge a bit while we're here. Besides," said the Commander indicating over his shoulder. "The library is a short hike down that side of the mountain." As Tezuka unloaded their duffels a bell hop came up to them.

"You must be Genda-san," he said with a slight bow. "Ueda-san said we could expect you around this time." His three companions looked at the Commander quizzically.

"Well, it helps to know people," said Genda in a rather self-importan fashion. "I know the manager here. We went to school together. So naturally, I got a discount." Komaki chuckled at Doujo's exasperated expression.

"Let's just go inside and do a little feasting tonight. I hear their toro is to die for. We can relax in the baths afterwards and then pick up the book tomorrow morning."

"Why can't we just do it tonight?" asked Doujo.

"What would be the point of coming if we leave as soon as we get here? Honestly, man, you've got to learn to live a little," snorted Genda. "You used to be more fun when I first met you." Doujo bristled a little at that comment since he did spend the past six plus years of their acquaintance becoming the "perfect" officer so that he wouldn't be a burden to his superior. Ever since the "incident" almost seven years ago, Doujo had wanted to prove his worth to those on the Inquiry Committee who had grilled him mercilessly. Genda had appointed Doujo his right hand man for many years until his promotion. Many believed that Doujo would soon succeed Genda's old rank and be promoted to Captain. Though the ranking didn't matter to him, Doujo did his job and he did it well. No one had any complaints anymore.

-0-0-0-

Though Doujo had his misgivings about spending an unnecessary amount of money at an onsen when they technically had some business to attend to, the fact that neither Komaki nor Tezuka complained during their stay quieted his own gripes. They were, after all, off duty. Nothing was lacking in their extravagant meal and the service was excellent. Afterwards, Genda, Komaki and a reluctant Doujo went in for a soak in the mineral baths and even Doujo loosened up a bit as they sat and drank sake by the open air terrace. The season was just transitioning into fall and the weather was still mild and pleasant. A stray breeze blew a small, red maple leaf into the water next to him and he picked it up and twirled it between his thumb and forefinger

Genda was then stirred to recite a haiku involving falling leaves and autumn, which prompted applause and comments from Komaki.

"I had no idea you were poetic, Sir," Komaki smiled. Genda, being the oversized, thuggish type, would be the last person anyone would think to spout poetry from his lips. But then again, even yakuza could be educated people nowadays.

"Heh," Genda chuckled. "Something I learned from Orikuchi, back in the day. She was always the literary type." A wistful smile touched his lips.

"Ah," said Komaki with a knowing, almost sympathetic smile. He stared into the reflection in his sake cup with a warm expression and even Doujo could figure out that Komaki must be thinking of his princess, Marie. Involuntarily, his thoughts turned to Iku, and her troubled expression before she left the base. Something in his chest tightened and he frowned. He could only conclude that she was depressed about being shot. Doujo wondered if there was something else he could have done or said to make her feel better. Why am I thinking of that upstart country girl at time like this? Ever since she joined the Defense Force she'd been nothing but trouble for him.

His cool demeanor often wavered into outright rage or downright worry when it concerned her. Yes, it was his fault she'd joined the Force in the first place, but wasn't it her own fault that she got shot? Didn't he always tell her not to be so reckless? What was she trying to prove?

That she wasn't useless. That she was meant to be there. That he could rely on her.

These were the answers that came to mind. These were the things that her expressions often told him. For her to be wounded in combat must have been a blow to someone whose strength was her speed. But didn't she also have other redeeming features? Her determination, her loyalty, her courage and creativity to think outside the box had all been tested in the past and she came through every time. There was no question about how he felt towards her professionally.

But what was this nagging pressure in his chest? What else was there? He glanced over at the other two, deeply relishing in their sake and their reverie. Something in their faint, sentimental smiles told him that they had something he did not. This troubled him more today than ever. He hardly gave the concept of "love" a second thought but something was making him think about it now. What was it?

It was that expression on her face in the afternoon light that was painful for him to witness. The look of a girl who had run too fast and too far. Something about that look that made him want to...

He shook off the remainder of that thought as the three of them decided it was time to turn in. Genda indicated they would accompany him to a meeting with the local library supervisor at an appointed time around noon, and then head out. As they donned their yukata given to them by the hotel, a boisterous group of men and women passed them on their way to the bath. He guessed they were mostly drunk already and that they were here for an annual office retreat.

As they passed the lounge area they saw more of them drinking and talking around the bar, mingling, gossiping, and generally socializing. These were things Doujo could never see himself do, no matter how drunk he was. But as they passed a closed lounge, presumably the karaoke bar by the sound of it, the door swung open to Youna's "Houki Boshi." The sound was a little amateurish, but on pitch and convincingly good.

"That girl's pretty awesome! She's on fire now that she's drunk," exclaimed one of the people stumbling out of the entrance way. He was holding up a colleague who couldn't walk properly on his own. "And here I thought she couldn't sing at all since she resisted her pretty friend's pleading so strongly."

"We'll beat them with the next song!" said a third individual, who was holding up their colleague on the other side. "It's a karaoke contest after all. I'll be damned if I let them win, 'cause I'm-"

"Right, right, the king of karaoke," said his friend rolling his eyes as they headed towards the men's restroom.

Genda took a peek inside and then burst out in a roar of laughter. Komaki's attention turned towards his superior and he started giggling when he saw who it was on stage belting out the song to her heart's content. To Doujo's complete astonishment, and even a little bewilderment, it was none other than Iku. The tall man on her left playing the tambourine he recognized as the one who had picked her up the other day in the sports car. Another woman was singing backup. All three of them moved and danced in unison as if they had been doing this act together for ages. The crowd of office workers in the audience was cheering and generally going wild over the performance. There wasn't a sober individual in that room.

A sigh of relief escaped his lips. He didn't know if it was because Iku seemed like she was having loads of fun, or if by the fact there were three of them, he concluded that she and the man were not romantically involved.

As she sung through the bridge and the last verse, it seemed like she was looking straight at him, and his heart felt as though it skipped a beat. What the hell was that? he thought to himself.

"Well I'll be damned," chuckled Genda, finally getting a hold of himself. "The girl can sing."

Komaki and Genda left chuckling down the hall but Doujo decided to stay, or rather, he couldn't seem to pull away from the image of the girl on stage. Her smile was infectious, her movements graceful. Every word had personal meaning to her, every gesture had purpose. Her magnetism not only excited those who watched her but it was...

He hardly found a word for it.

Spellbinding.

When the song was over, Iku and her friends stepped down for a rest. He noticed that a bunch of older men wanted to buy her a drink but all of them were turned down. Some of them were pushed away by the other girl and some were downright intimidated by the imposing figure of their tall tambourine player.

Ah, so they're her bodyguards, he thought to himself. Just as he was about to leave, he noticed Iku coming his way. For some unknown reason he felt himself getting nervous. Had she spotted him after all? Just as he was thinking of things to say she looked as though she were about to pass him but she stumbled forward and he caught her just in time.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, as if surprised that her footing was wobbly. Iku looked up and Doujo caught his breath. The liquor and the exertion on stage flushed her pale face to a pretty shade of pink. Even he couldn't deny how feminine she looked. No wonder everyone wanted to buy her a drink. Almost instinctively, he hovered over her protectively and walked her outside for some fresh air.

"Are you all right?" he asked as he gently lowered her onto a bench in the garden walkway.

"Sorry, mister, I don't mean to be a burden," she responded. Doujo looked at her quizzically. She squinted her eyes at him in the faint glow of the electric torches lighting the garden.

"Do I know you?" she asked, clearly drunk. "You seem really familiar to me." Doujo almost purpled.

"You know," he started to lecture, "you shouldn't drink to a point that you can't even recognize friend from foe. If I were some uncouth bastard I would totally take advantage of you."

"Pfft," Iku said with a wave of her hand, dismissing the thought. "I'm a combat professional. I can take care of myself. Besides," she added with a hiccup. "Who would want to take advantage of an awkward giantess like me?"

Doujo sighed. "You have no concept as to your own appearance, do you?" After a moment of hesitation he added, "It's your birthday today isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. How'd you know, mister?"

"Happy birthday," he said almost sheepishly. She gave him such a winsome smile that caused an awkward stirring in his chest.

"I'd better get back to the competition. We have one more number fore the judging," she lamented with a grimace. "But I have a feeling I'm going to be sick." She looked as though she were about to tip forward and Doujo caught her again, holding her up.

"Good grief, not here," he said, perplexed as to what to do next. "I should just leave you," he muttered under his breath, but even Doujo knew he could never do that. He sighed again. "I'll see if I can find someone to help you to your room." As he got up in search of help something caught his sleeve. Before he could turn around Iku got up and stumbled into him, wrapping both her arms tightly around his waist. Doujo stood frozen in shock.

"Don't go," she whispered into his back. He could feel her warm breath through the fabric of his yukata. Doujo could feel his ears grow hot.

"Why is it you're always walking away from me?" she asked rhetorically. Doujo wondered who she was talking about.

"All I ever get is this image of your back." Her arms squeezed him tighter. "When can I finally catch up with you, you stupid man?"

Who was she calling stupid?

"When will you turn around and look at me, you goddamn bastard?"

What the hell?

It almost sounded like a confession but Doujo couldn't be sure with all the cursing involved.

"I'm not your prince," he said finally, after a long pause.

"I'm not talking about him," she retorted sullenly.

Who the hell was she talking about, then?

They were suddenly interrupted by a visibly drunk mid-level office worker who stumbled into the garden. He squinted in the dim light and lit up when he recognized Iku.

"There you are, baby!" he smiled exuberantly. "Everyone's waiting for your last number before the judging starts." Iku let go of Doujo and looked at the intruder with disdain.

"Do I know you?" she asked in a dangerous tone. Obviously, she didn't like being called "baby."

"Aw, come on! I'm the one who bought you that first drink!" he gushed and reached forward to grope her. Doujo stepped forward but Iku was faster. She pulled the man's arm towards her and swept his legs out from under him. To Doujo's dismay, the fact that she was wearing a yukata meant that a little more cleavage and leg showed during the execution of the move than he was used to.

"For heaven's sake, Iku, how much fan service are you going to give this pervert?" he said in exasperation before pulling her away from the man now lying on the floor and in the perfect position to look up the slit of her robe and at her underwear. Iku straightened her yukata with a swift pull and brushed a lock of hair out of her face.

"That's how it's done," she said with a self-satisfied smile. As Iku stumbled back towards to karaoke bar, she called back absently at him, "It was nice talking to you, mister." Doujo shook his head in disbelief and followed behind her to make sure she made it back safely.

-0-0-0-

When all was said and done Commander Genda's mysterious "book transfer" went off without a hitch, although none of them really saw it happen or knew what that was all about. Tezuka was irked that he had slept through most of the highlights of the weekend. Shibasaki would berate him later for not getting a photo of Iku singing karaoke while drunk to be used as blackmail material. Genda and Komaki's amusement at seeing Iku lasted the entirety of the trip, to Doujo's chagrin. Iku's team had won the karaoke contest as listed on the lounge's "wall of fame." Their rendition of "Sakura Kiss" had won over all the audience in the end. All the participants gathered in the lounge couldn't stop talking about it. Komaki and Genda couldn't stop laughing about it. In the end, Iku had no idea her four co-workers had even stayed at the same hotel as their paths did not cross again.

But Doujo had seen a side of her unknown to him before, and he couldn't hide the faint smile that touched the corner of his lips.

Author's notes:

A yukata is typically worn at onsens, usually with the onsen's trademark printed on it, and is often referred to as a summer kimono being shorter in length and having only one layer of cool cotton fabric.

"Houki Boshi" is a theme song to the Bleach animated series, which I've used before in another fanfic, but the tune is so catchy and infectious I totally heard Iku's voice channeled through it. "Happy People" by Skoop on Somebody is a brilliant part of the Bleach soundtrack, and if you know the song, you'd laugh that it's Genda's favorite.

"Sakura Kiss" is the incredibly girly opening theme song to Ouran High School Host Club, sung by Chieko Kawabe. Highly appropriate b/c it's a song sung by a cross-dressing girl!

For full emotional effect, I recommend listening to the songs as you read.