Chapter 6

"Ok, let's go over the checklist one more time, just to make sure we've got everything."

"Ok, sure."

"Alright, so, not counting the basics… Unagi?"

"Check."

"Hmm… We got red miso, right?"

"Red and white."

"Excellent… Ok, sake?"

"Yes, please."

Nanako nearly tripped over her own feet. Thankfully her shopping cart was in front of her so she was able to catch herself on that, and once she regained her footing, she turned back around to face Sawako. "No, you idiot," she told her, "I mean did you get any?"

"Uh…"

"You didn't, did you?"

"Well… no."

"*Sigh* Didn't you hear me tell you earlier? 'Hey, Sawako, go pick out a good bottle of sake while I go on ahead.' Don't remember me saying that?" All the brunette could do was give back an embarrassed gesture of scratching the back of her neck. "Oh come on, that was only five minutes ago!"

"Oh relax, Nanako," Sawako said. "It's nothing to get your panties in a bunch. We only got one aisle left. I'll go get a bottle and catch you before we hit the registers, ok?"

Again, the blonde sighed. "Fine… But make sure it's good sake. I plan on using it for dinner tonight."

"Sure sure," said Sawako as she left, leaving the final aisle for Nanako to take on. This last aisle was the refrigerated section, and for Nanako, there was only one thing she needed from here: a dozen eggs. As she neared that particular section of shelf, she thought she spied from a distance a familiar silhouette standing in front of the stacks of egg cartons. Her suspicions were only confirmed when she ventured closer and saw that it was one of her neighbors. "Mina-san!" she greeted.

The neighbor in question was a one Mina Otake, a woman who (to an almost humorous degree) fit the physical description of a stereotypical old Japanese woman. She had silver hair that was pulled back and tied into a bun, a face with deep wrinkles, warm and friendly eyes that had been reduced to squinting slits in her latter years, a hunched-forward posture, and was dressed in a simple earth-colored shawl over more simple clothing… Yep, pretty much as unsuspecting as one could look at their age.

At the mention of her name she looked over to her left and gave Nanako back her usual pleasant smile. "Afternoon, Kuroi-san," she greeted back. "You're shopping today as well, I see."

Nanako stopped a few feet to the old woman's right, also standing in front of the egg. "Yep," she answered. "Getting the weekly shopping in, you know. Better now than yesterday, when the new sale week starts and the store's swamped."

"Mmm, I suppose that's true… Is Yamanaka-san with you as well?"

"Oh, yeah, she is. She just went back to grab some sake." She turned her gaze onto the stacks of egg cartons and began to look them over for the one with a far off expiration date. "I was going to make something with it tonight, actually. Though I don't know many dishes that use sake… Say, Mina-san, do you know any-?"

"I think you should stop this charade, Kuroi-san," Mina suddenly interrupted.

"… E-Excuse me?" The comment came so abruptly that Nanako didn't understand it right away.

The old woman pivoted on her feet and turned to face Nanako directly. No longer was she smiling, and she no longer had a friendly look in her eyes. Quite the contrary: they were now in the sternest state Nanako had ever witnessed them in. Mina continued. "You know, Kuroi-san, I was in the same position you were in," she explained. "I, like many others as a child, had a female sempai I learned under, and for a time, I thought I was in love with her as well… But I didn't act on it. Instead, I graduated, moved on, married my current husband, and I grew up… Perhaps it's time that you did the same…

Good day, Kuroi-san."

She gave the blonde a polite bow before turning away and leaving toward the checkout line at the front of the store. Nanako, however, was left petrified, a shocked and dumbfounded look upon her visage. She simply couldn't believe what she had just heard: Otake-san, who had been nothing but the nicest person to her and Sawako, had basically told her to end her marriage. Not only that, but also to 'grow up,' and that comment seemed to hurt her the most.

She was left in such a dazed state that she did not hear Sawako return and walk up back behind her. "Yo, Nanako, I got a bottle," she proclaimed, holding up a sake bottle of green glass. "And look, it's the same stuff we got at Daiwa, remember? Not sure if this is good for cooking, but hell, we can just drink it if it's not…" She finally noticed that Nanako had not turned back around to face her, and also that she seemed to be standing quite still. "Hey, Earth to Kuroi, you there?"

She finally snapped out of her daze and whipped back around. "Ah- Oh, sorry, I guess I didn't hear you."

"Thinking about something?"

"Yeah…"

"Hmm… Well, I got some sake. This any good?"

She took the bottle and looked it over, instantly recognizing it. "How am I not surprised you got this… Yeah, this should do fine… Well, that's everything, I guess."

"Sweet, then let's head back home." And so they did, after checking out their groceries and packing them into the boot of Sawako's red Scion xB. Nanako remained strangely quiet on the way back, something Sawako did notice, but chose not to bring up just yet…

-o0o-

Both women of the married couple lugged two full bags on each arm as they walked back into their house together. They made immediately for the kitchen, where they put their many bags down and began to put away the numerous food stuffs. And all throughout, Nanako was still not speaking a word.

Sawako had had enough. "Ok Nanako, out with it," she demanded.

Nanako snapped out of her daze again and looked her wife back. "Eh?" she sounded.

"You've been quiet the whole car ride back. Something's up, I know there is, so out with it."

"O-Oh, it's nothing, really," she replied.

"Bullshit. You never have and you never will be a good liar, Nanako. Out with it."

"*Sigh* Ok, fine… Well, I saw Mina-san at the store-"

"You mean Otake-san? The old lady next door?"

"Right."

"That's nice. Did you two talk?"

"A-Actually… She told me to… She told me to grow up."

Sawako raised an eyebrow at this, putting down whatever she had in her hands. "'Grow up'?" she repeated. "What did she say that for? When was this?"

"After you left to get the sake. I saw her in the next aisle and walked over to say hi. We talked a little, and then… Well, she told me that she was once in my position." Sawako again gave her wife a questioning look but chose to remain silent. The blonde continued, though there was clear hesitance in her voice. "She said that she had a sempai she thought she loved, but instead she 'grew up' and moved on… Then she told me that I should do the same…"

Sawako stared back, dead silent, at the telling of this story. Her mouth dropped from the shock of hearing such things from Mina, a neighbor that had always been so nice to her. "I-I… I don't believe this… So, she basically told you to divorce me?"

"I-I think so, yeah…"

"… That wrinkled old cunt!"

Nanako jumped. "Eh-! W-What?"

It was as if Wild Sawako made a sudden reemergence."Who the fuck does she think she is, getting away with saying shit like that!" Before Nanako realized it Sawako had already began to march toward the front door. "I'm going over there right now and giving her a piece of my mi-"

"Sawako, no, wait!" The blonde called out just as Sawako had stepped into the foyer. The outcry forced her to a halt before turning herself back around.

"What? Why did you tell me to stop? You can't let her talk about you like that, man!"

"But Sawako… I think she might be right."

"Huh? What do you mea-?" She stopped abruptly, a horrified expression creeping on her face. "Oh my God…" she whispered as she brought her right hand over her mouth. "D-Don't tell me… y-you really do want to d-divorce?" She absolutely feared a positive reply.

"Ye- Wha-! No, no, nonononono NO! Of course not! Absolutely not!"

"Then what the hell are you talking about!" The frightened look on Sawako's face had faded away, but now she looked more confused than ever.

"I mean, Sawako, that… I think I really am immature."

Now Sawako looked positively befuddled. "… That's it?" she deadpanned. "That's what you're all worked up about? Mina-san called you immature and you think she is right?" The other nodded back. "*Sigh* Nanako, I could have told you that. I know you're immature. I mean, damn, you got enough video games and otaku paraphernalia to make any teenage boy cream his pants. But that's nothing to get upset about. Hell, that's half the reason I fell in love with you in the first place: because you were so fucking goofy.

But just because you're immature doesn't mean you're not responsible or lazy- Ok, you are lazy, but it doesn't matter. You work, you pay bills, and get shit done. So who cares if you goof off a little."

For the first time since her conversation with Mina, Nanako managed to grin. "Thanks… But, uh, Sawako, I don't think she was calling me immature because I play games and stuff."

"Hmm? No? Then why?"

"I think it's because… Because I married you. I think that's the reason."

Sawako opened her mouth, as if she was about to say something, but quickly shut it when she found out she had nothing to say back (at least not for the moment.) She paused and scratched her chin in thought, but after a moment or two, came up with nothing. "Hmm," she sounded, "that… that's something I don't think I can explain, Nanako… So, you think that's why she called you immature?" The blonde nodded back. "… Shit, I don't know what to tell ya, babe… So, do you think she thinks I'm immature as well?"

"Possibly… Jeez, I wish I knew what to make of this. I mean, if she really thinks that way, how did she link us being married to immaturity?"

"Again, I don't know what to tell ya, because I have no damn clue… Hey, maybe that student of yours might know. The one with pink hair- crap, what was her name again…?"

"Miyuki Takara?" Nanako asked.

"That's the one: Miyuki. She's supposed to be a brainiac, right?"

"Yeah, that's for sure." She cringed slightly at the thought: how her students would go to Miyuki with question rather than their own teacher. "Yeah, maybe she'd know. You want me to ask her tomorrow at work?"

"Nah, we're classier than that. I say we both go visit her house tomorrow and ask her in-person."

"… You just want to see her house, don't you?"

"… Maybe…"

-o0o-

At around 17:00 the next day, Miyuki gathered Kagami and Tsukasa Hiiragi in the living room of her home to tell them about Sawako and Nanako's visit. Tsumugi was there as well (only because she kept insisting that she come over earlier that day.) Once the three were there and waiting, the pinkette said her words. "Ok, everyone, Kuroi-san and Yamanaka-san will be here soon. So, and I feel really bad saying this, but I want you, Kagami-san and Tsukasa-san, to not be seen by them when they're over."

Tsukasa suddenly shot her right hand up. "May I ask a question?" she inquired.

"Of course, Tsukasa-san."

"Ok then… Why?"

"Well, frankly, the reason they're stopping by is because they needed advice of a more personal nature. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but at any rate, I wouldn't want them to worry more by finding out something like this- I-I mean, if you don't agree, I-!"

"No, it's ok, Miyuki," Kagami interjected. "We understand." Surprisingly enough, Kagami was lying. She didn't understand. In fact, she wanted nothing more than to tell someone about this, someone like Nanako or Sawako: someone else that could possibly understand what was going on between her and Tsukasa. But her modesty got the better of her that day, and so she remained silent. After all, it was Miyuki that brought them in and gave them a home.

"That means you too, Kotobuki-san," she then said, turning her gaze to the blonde. "I'm still not ready for anyone else to find out about us, so if you can stay in my room while they-"

"Awwww, come on, Yuki-chan!" she whined. "They're not going to automatically assume we're together if they see me over. That's silly." But after she received a slight glare from Miyuki that only she saw, Mugi relented. "Oh fine," she huffed.

"Thank you," she said back with a smile, just as the buzzer for the front gate sounded. "Oh my, they're already here!" The three retreated to the upstairs and Miyuki straightened her appearance out before approaching a monitor near the front door and turning it on. Sawako and Nanako appeared from the other side, the former of which giving a wave. Miyuki unlocked the gate and the two arrive at the front door a short moment later.

"Good evening, Yamanaka-san, Kuroi-san," she greeted as the two entered and removed their shoes.

"Hi there," the blonde said back. "Thanks for having us on such short notice. Hope we're not intruding on anything."

"Oh, nothing at all, really."

"Say, is your mother home? Last time I saw her was during the parent-teacher conferences a few months ago."

"Oh, actually, she's out for the evening." With Sōjirō. Again. For the fourth time in two weeks. Ever since their first date, the two had been busy as bees getting ready for their future wedding, which was, realistically, at least six months away. Miyuki wasn't complaining, however: she had never seen her mother so happy than how she was right now. "Please, let's go to the living room. I made tea."

The teachers followed the pink head of hair into the adjacent room and sat next to each other on one couch as Miyuki left to fetch the aforementioned tea from the kitchen. This afforded Sawako a chance to look around at her surroundings. "Not bad," she complemented. "Not bad at all. Glad I thought of coming by, right?"

"Oh stop it," said Nanako. "Don't forget the reason we're here in the first place."

"Sure sure…" Miyuki returned a moment later with a tray, holding a trio of mugs with steaming hot green tea. She placed it down on the glass table and took a seat on the opposite side. She wasted no time in initiating conversation. "So, what was it you wanted to ask me?" she politely asked.

"Oh yeah, right… Well, it happened yesterday. Sawako and I were grocery shopping and, while she went back to get something, I saw my next-door neighbor in the next aisle and walked over to say hello. We talked for a bit, but then… she told me something really weird.

Well first she told me to 'stop this charade.' Then she said 'I was in the same position you were in. I had a female sempai I learned under, and I thought I was in love with her as well… But I didn't act on it. Instead, I graduated, moved on, married my current husband, and I grew up… Perhaps it's time that you did the same…'

That's pretty much exactly what she told me. Then she just bowed and walked away like it was nothing!"

Sawako picked up the explanation from there. "When we got home Nanako told me what had happened, and when she did, I wanted to march right next door and clock the old bat in the face." Miyuki flinched at that. "But of course I didn't. But we did try to figure out why she would say those things and we both came to a conclusion that was she calling Nanako immature, but it was because… Well, because she married me."

"That's what we came by to ask you," Nanako continued. "We can't, for the life of us, understand how she came up with that sort of conclusion. I mean granted yes, I'll admit, I'm a bit immature, but it's not because I married Sawako (at lease I don't think so.) And, well, you're pretty much the smartest person the both of us know, so we thought that maybe you could help us figure it out."

Miyuki grinned at the complement but that quickly faded when she began to think the story over. Her gaze dropped to the mug of green tea sitting in front of her. "Hmmm…" she sounded. "That is rather odd… If I may ask, how old is this neighbor?"

Sawako answered "She has to be at least in her late sixties, or somewhere around there (though she look a bit younger than what she is.) Why?"

The girl's gaze lifted. "Well then, that actually makes sense now. I ask because those are rather old ideals."

"Oh?"

"Correct. You see, as you are probably aware, personal bonds have always been expected with the sempai/kouhai relationship. Traditionally, these bonds are meant to be ones of respect and mentoring, with romantic aspects, which may or may not occur, are not often talked about. But in more modern times, romantic aspects have been given more light and, in some cases, encouraged.

Likewise, more traditional thoughts (which began to fade out due in slight part with the integration of Western culture) sees someone who remains emotionally or romantically attached to their sempai or kouhai as a sign of immaturity and/or an unwillingness to let go of childhood attachments.

I think this is why she told you that, Kuroi-san."

Nanako's eyes widened at the sudden realization. "Oh my God," she exclaimed, "that's it! It all makes sense!"

"Yeah, but there's one problem with that," Sawako interjected. "I'm not and never was your sempai. Granted I'm a year older than you, but we were just roommates."

"But Mina-san doesn't know that. She thinks you were my sempai."

"But there's a bigger problem here: she still called you immature right to your face! You shouldn't take that, Nanako. I say you call that bitch out give her a piece of your mind!"

"Oh come on, Sawako. We can't blame her for thinking like that. That's probably just how she was raised."

"But that doesn't mean we can't tell her she's wrong… Miyuki, what do you think we should do?"

"Eh-!" the girl flinched. "W-Well, I can't say she's completely to blame, but-"

"Yuki-chan~!"

A young, female voice sounded at the top of the stairs in the adjacent hallway, followed shortly after by the thuds of descending footfalls. While the eyes of the two teachers shifted to the doorway, Miyuki turned as still as stone. "Oh crap…" she whispered aloud.

A moment later, Miss Kotobuki poked her head into sight. "Yuki-chan~! The remote to the television in your room died. Where are the batteries?"

In response, Miyuki Takara did something none of the other three thought was possible for her: she got angry. Understandably, she asked only one thing of Mugi: to stay in her room while Sawako and Nanako were over, and she failed to do just that, seemingly out of sheer forgetfulness.

Regardless, the pinkette suddenly shot up from her chair, her arms straight and parallel by her sides, and turned her reddened face to Mugi. "Kotobuki-san~!" she yelled. "I told you to stay in my room while Kuroi-san and Yamanaka-san were over~!"

Miyuki's yelling actually succeeded in frightening Mugi so much that she voiced a yelp as she ran back up the stairs in retreat. Miyuki took a moment to retain her composure, and when she turned back to the couple, her face turned red for a new reason: embarrassment. Both Nanako and Sawako were quite literally staring back at her.

"… Well…" Sawako finally said. "What was that about?"

"N-Nothing!" she instantly defended. "It was nothing!"

"That didn't look like no-"

Again, the girl snapped. "I said it was nothing!..." In another shock, Miyuki's usual light and polite manner seemed to drop, instead replaced with rather deadpanned straight-forwardness. *Sigh* You want my honest opinion? I think you should go talk with this neighbor and tell her that she offended you. I'm not saying you should burn her house down, just politely say that you were offended by her comment and that the way she did it was uncalled for.

Ok?"

The wide-eyed teachers nodded their heads in response. "Uh, s-sure," Nanako replied. "We'll do that… Uh, thanks again, Miyuki, for letting us stop by. And thanks for helping us out."

In another blink of the eye the pinkette's kind mannerisms returned. "Oh, it was my pleasure. Please, feel free to stop by anytime you want to." The teachers got up and gave Miyuki one final thank you before heading out the door, and once gone, Miyuki made for her upstairs room to give another blonde a right good scolding.

"… Hey, Nanako," said Sawako as the two passed through the front gate and onto the sidewalk, "Miyuki, she's not, like… a demon in disguise or something, is she?"

"Wha-? Don't be ridiculous," she laughed back. "Why would you say that?"

"Did you not see the shift she just did? It was like I was watching two different people swap places!"

"Oh come on, you're over exaggerating. I mean granted she acts nice ninety-nine percent of the time, but that doesn't mean she can't have her moments."

"Yeah yeah, I guess…" she then sighed. "… So, it's settled then? We talk to Mina-san and tell her how she offended us, correct?"

"Right."

"So let's stop by tomorrow and-"

"I say we go tonight, while I'm still feeling confident."

"Now that's the spirit!"

-o0o-

While said confidence still burned within Nanako, the couple took the train back to Sakura and then drove themselves home, returning there a little before 18:00. However, so determined was Nanako that, upon parking in their home's driveway, she didn't take the time to go inside. She took Sawako by surprise when she immediately got out of the passenger seat and walked over toward the neighboring Otake home to the right, leaving Sawako to catch up.

She walked right up the steps onto the front porch and to the front door, but before ringing the doorbell, took a moment to both calm herself down slightly and straighten out her appearance. Sawako finally caught up just as the doorbell was rung. She walked up and stood closely behind Nanako.

A short moment passed before the door opened, the doorbell answered by none other than Mina herself. Her eyes widened just slightly when she recognized who she just opened the door to. "Oh, Kuroi-san, Yamanaka-san, how unexpected. Tetsuo and I were just about to sit down for dinner-"

"Don't worry," Nanako interrupted. "I won't take up too much of your time. I just need to say a few things to you.

First and foremost, I will admit that yes, I am immature: I tend to slack off when I have work that needs doing, I have enough video games to rival most teenage boys, read more manga than actual books, and watch more anime than I do any other type of television. I admit that makes me immature, but I am just as responsible as any other adult. I teach students at Ryoo High School, I pay my bills and taxes, and I work hard to make a living… And furthermore, I am not immature because I married the woman I love, who just so happened to be my sempai. That might have been what you were taught when you were a kid, but that's not how things are today.

That's all I have to say… Good day to you, Otake-san." She then gave the other a bow before turning about-face and walking back home, again leaving Sawako to catch up. Mina, however, remained in the doorway with a shocked look on her face. Not only had the shoe been place on the other foot, it had be welded on.

The first thing Nanako did upon returning home (apart from removing her shoes, which really should be a given at this point) was head straight for the kitchen and grab a bottle of beer from the fridge, which she proceeded to gulp down with her head tilted back. By the time Sawako entered the kitchen afterward, half the bottle's contents were already in her stomach. "Jesus," she exclaimed. "That was bloody brilliant to watch, Nanako. I don't think I've ever seen you act like that before!"

The blonde rocked her head back forward and voiced a refreshed "Aaaah," placing the half-empty bottle on the counter. "Man that felt good. Real good! That was such a rush, my hands are still shaking!"

"Well ya did good today, hun." She walked over and placed a hand on the other's shoulder. "Now give me one of those beers before I divorce you for real."

"Not funny, Sawako."

-o0o-

Three days passed since Nanako Kuroi made her glorious rebuttal against Mina's comment. And since that day, they had seen little of her. Usually, during the evening, she would take a walk around the neighborhood, leaving her house at the exact same hour. But since that day, she suddenly stopped. Nanako began to wonder if she was to blame for this, that perhaps she was too harsh in her comeback. Sawako assured her she was in every right to do so, but Kuroi still wasn't sure… that is, until on the morning of the forth day, Sawako checked her mailbox and found a short but precise letter addressed to both her and Nanako. A letter from Mina.

Dear Kuroi-san and Yamanaka-san,

Nanako, I've thought about the things I've said and, after hearing how offended you were, I feel ashamed about my actions. You were correct to feel insulted. And to Sawako, who has been a friendly neighbor for the past few years, I apologize as well. It was wrong of me to presume so much about you wife and I hope, with this apology, that there will be no hard feelings between us.

Wishing you two the best of luck,

Mina

After that day, Mina resumed her evening walks, and since then she gained a certain blonde-haired neighbor as a companion.