YOUR ORDERS
Chapter 13: Yellow Flag

PV: NARU

"And what would this doubt be?", Mizuho inquired. It's time for truth…

"Ara, ara! Have you ever lived here before?", Mutsumi asked, straightforwardly. When she wants, the turtle girl knows how to make a score. And she completed: "I ask you that because your feature isn't strange to me".

Mizuho smiled. It seemed she liked Mutsumi's frankness. Smiling, she answered: "Of course, Mutsumi-san, I lived in the vicinity, so many years ago… Until my father died and my mother was obliged to move on, because she needed a better job to support me and my brother".

"Oh, so you knew Hinata-sou already...", I said, getting astonished with Mizuho's revelation.

"Yes, and I remember a very special boy, for whom I made a promise, called Kei-kun… Would he be Keitaro Urashima-san, wouldn't he?", Mizuho inquired, keeping the smile.

"Ara, ara! So... So it was you who Said those things about Toudai, wasn't it? You said about love realization between a pair of lovers if they'd come in to Toudai, and so me and Naru made the same promise! Ara, ara, what an exciting event!", Mutsumi affirmed, with her eyes wide open due to the emotion. Mutsumi can stir emotions even to the birds singing, can you imagine that?

"I see, so you were also there... It's the girl missing in the promise episode. A promise made in childhood is a strange thing, don't you think?", I said, trying to suppress my apprehension. I felt something from Mizuho was disturbing me.

"It can be a silly promise to you, Naru-san, but I have the intention to carry it out… After all, I never was able to make a bond with anyone due to that promise. And I think that a man's heart can't be shared with anyone else, don't you think Mutsumi-san?", Mizuho responded, giving a cue to Mutsumi.

"Yes, I think so... Although I'm in love with Kei-kun yet, I don't care who'll be his match… He'll just be unapproachable to me… But, if he's fine, it's the only thing that really matters to me", Mutsumi said, somewhat surprised with the way tracked by the chat.

"Yes, I didn't share my lover with anyone", I deliberated dryly. If the chat followed those destinations, I stated very clear my boundary mark.

"Is Kei-kun dating someone, Naru-san?", Mizuho asked me. Damn, I was in a dead end. If that problem I had with him didn't happen, maybe the answer was what I wanted to stay. But it wasn't the case…

"No, Mizuho-san, he's alone at the present moment…", I answered, with a kind of coldness.

"Great, so I'll try to conquer him, it'll be funny!", Mizuho affirmed, very happy. What a damn, another trouble in my life, a new rival for me.

"That's good, Mizuho-san, join the team!", Mutsumi spoke, very content. Mutsumi entwined her right arm around Mizuho's left arm and led her to outside the room. I decided to follow her, because Mutsumi's sentence left me a little confused.

"Mu-Mu-Mutsumi-san, what sort of team are you talking about?", I asked, but with no intention of listening to the answer. If the reply was what I thought, it was a hard thing to listen all the time…

"Ara, ara! The 'Kei-kun's heart captors' team, Naru-san! All of us are included on it. If you don't have the means to oppose the enemy, join his team. But I believe that, afterward, it's any girl fighting for her own happiness…", Mutsumi explained me.

"Mutsumi-san, I think each girl is fighting for her own happiness from now on", I tried to correct her. Mutsumi looked to me confident.

"No, Naru-san. First, we need to join forces to outdo Kei-kun's opposition about getting closer to us; after that, any girl strikes on her own. He won't talk to us while we can't recover his trust on us", Mutsumi explained me.

More and more I'm sure that Mutsumi-san isn't as silly as I imagined…

PV: SHINOBU

Wow, I finally made dinner ready. Sure, thanks for Motoko-san's help. In the last time, Motoko upgraded some abilities non-related with martial arts. Cooking was one of them. Motoko decided to help me, and she always paid attention to what I have done, she asked everything about the details. Motoko have always been a dedicated girl and, since the moment when Urashima-senpai had no pair, she got more dedicated than ever. There was a moment when Motoko asked me something, so I asked and then I straggled from the thing I was making.

"Oh, Motoko-san, what thing would I do now?", I asked, very worried. I've always been afraid of making big mistakes.

"Sorry, Shinobu-chan, I don't stop making you so many questions, don't I? I was able to confuse you after so many questions… I'm so sorry", Motoko said, using the solemn mode she always did, making a bow.

"What's that, Motoko-san! You can ask me as you wish to, I don't care… The problem is that I missed the line, just like that, I don't like to make things that I won't be able to repair…", I explained.

"Shinobu-chan, life is full of small and big mistakes… And all of them have some solution. The only think without any solution is death. The rest, we can coutour some way. Due to that, don't be afraid of mistakes, Shinobu-chan. I had been afraid of making mistakes, and I've kept myself off from Urashima-senpai…", Motoko revealed, somewhat joyless. I had always known Motoko was in love to senpai too, and I had understood what she meant. She was afraid of taking that love on, and she have kept off from Keitaro-senpai. Some sparse tears insisted to roll down in the kendo practicer's face, what became a subject of worry to me.

"Mo-Motoko-san, don't be like that... Now Urashima-senpai is free to go, try to conquer him this time! You're so beautiful and dedicated, you have lots of chance to amaze him", I solaced her.

"Shinobu-chan, I envy you. Despite the fact I love him, you don't care if another woman stays with him. This is rare happening today, my friend… I can't live without him, but…", Motoko whispered, with a hindered voice.

"But... you don't have the courage to say it, don't you? Motoko-san, what really matters to me is seeing senpai happy! And I know you can make him very happy. Wherefore, I'll be calm if you'll stay with him", I explained. I tried to end that chat, so I said: "Motoko-san, if we stay here making moans, dinner won't be ready. I think all the girls will have a chance to conquer him, all the girls will make up to the thematic bar… Enjoy this chance!". I wished the sentence could make her happy.

"Thank you, Shinobu-chan. Only you can beef up my morale in days like these…", Motoko said, smiling softly. As it happens, a sad helper isn't a prudent thing…

"As it happens, Motoko-san. I don't like to see anyone sad. Let's finish the dinner, I think I remember where I stopped…", I affirmed, trying to escape from that chat. But it seemed the chat didn't want to go away.

"Ok, but now I was thinking: this Mizuho appeared… Will she try something too? She seemed to have a great confidence about herself… If she want to be a couple to Urashima-senpai, it'll be one more problem", Motoko explained to me. Yes, so many worries made sense.

"Yes, but I believe all the girls have the same chance... Maybe Naru-san is taken aback, and Kanako-san indeed doesn't have any chance. I'm so sad about Kanako-san, because she's only deluding herself; he sees her as a sister, but she always tries on. Well, Sarah, Kaolla and I were too young for him… Just you, Mutsumi-san, Kitsune-san and this Mizuho-san are in the running…", I reasoned.

"Ok, but you and Kaolla are growing up... As soon as possible you will join in the contest, and you'll be hard rivals too…", Motoko commented. The compliment left me so blushing.

"C'mon, Motoko-san, when me and Kaolla finally grow up, someone will be the owner of Keitaro's heart. And I wish you're the chosen one…", I foiled, giving an answer to beef up the fencer's morale. Motoko said nothing, just got rubicund.

"Perfect, the dinner is ready. Now, we must to set up the table!", I said, full of cheer. Motoko nodded favourably and followed me to the dinner room, where we cleaned up the table for the next meal.

The more we put things in the table, the more girls came in the room. Surely, the smell of the food spread thru the inn, attracting the tenants. I thought an amazing thing that, even in the highest levels of tension, they hardly don't eat. They need something really harmful to make them lose appetite.

Everything was practically arranged in the table when I noticed Mutsumi was stepping down stairs and she's grabbed to Mizuho, both of them seeming to be too happy. And I also noticed Naru was behind of them, with her aspect showing quite discredit. I just prayed to Kami-sama not allowing that objects plenty of food flying thru the room. I didn't want any fight in that night. But I felt that, unfortunately, something really severe would happen in that banquet. I just took a long breath and said: "The dinner is ready, hurry up everyone!".

It's the first dinner of Mizuho herein the inn. Obviously, the chat will round about her life and the thematic bar, which we must prepare immediately. If the turmoil is inescapable, I wished no big sequels here.

After all the tenants were sat, Kanako conducted the thanks for food and began the work. It's the moment when Mizuho commented: "Shinobu-chan, you're really a handy chef. The man who marries you mustn't complain about food!".

That phrase made me happy. It's always good listening to praises about an ability you have. Speaking about pleasant things, I wanted to see until where the chat will continue to be civilized. Knowing my friends as I do, when the chosen subject is about Keitaro, I think the endurance won't exist any longer.

Even with all this stuff, I wouldn't change Hinata-sou for any other place in this world… Meanwhile, here's my place. The climate was stable during a certain time, but a risky conversation came up quickly.

"Oh, we must deal with the bar arrangements, girls…", Kanako spoke.

"It's true, it's the next weekend, we must begin to arrange eveything from now on!", Kitsune argued.

"Bar, what bar?', Mizuho wanted to know.

"A thematic bar we will make during weekends to collect money… We need extra money to keep the Hinata-sou", Kanako explained.

"Ah, a thematic bar with tenants from here, so I'll take part in it!", Mizuho said, very happy.

"You don't have any chance of it, my dear!", Naru protested.

"I don't mean it, no chance? Why can't I take part on it? I also live here…", Mizuho moaned, showing a certain annoyance with Naru's words, in her face.

"Do you wanna know why?", Naru insinuated.

NEXT...

Chapter written in Feb-09-2005, and translated in Jul-02-2006. A small chapter, just to complete the previous chapter and serving as prologue to the next one. I hope for reviews from everybody, I'd like to thank all of you read my saga. The chapter title, "Yellow Flag", is the next level of warning at Brazilian beaches, indicating stormy sea. Don't you miss the next chapters, min'na!