Chapter 1: First Encounters
April 12, 2011 – 3 Years Ago
A splendid spring morning has risen in Kibitou, a city where windmills are always active. Life in this city has always been peaceful, and the streets are filled with lively events of the season. People of all ages walk the streets as they enjoy the bright and sunny morning.
Meanwhile at the Tachibana residence, Miya just looks out from the window to see that a fine sunny day, filled with blue skies, is dawned upon her. And as she dresses up and prepares herself for the new school year, she inspects the entrance of the house in order to see if her brother has already there. "Great! Nii-nii is not awake yet. Guess he's still tired from yesterday, saying that he had a kendo lesson to give at the dojo, and then spent the whole evening at Ayatsuji-san's place. I might as well wake him up then." She said as she goes to her brother's room.
Meanwhile, Junichi is pondering inside his "planetarium," which is the star-laden closet in his room. He's reminiscing about what happened during the three years that have passed, and as well as the current situation he's in.
"Many things have happened during the past several months. At first, I thought they're going to be just another ordinary days, especially Christmas. I could still remember the hurt that I've experienced three years back, and I couldn't even think about being in love again. That is until I volunteered in the Founder's Festival planning committee, and worked hand-in-hand with Ayatsuji-san. As far as I could remember, she gave the reason to move on in life. Yes, it is also her who also gave me the reason to love again. And for that, I will hold on to the promise that we made at that memorable tree that Christmas eve…"
But just as Junichi is still thinking about the person he loved while inside his closed space, a strange light is emanating from the other side of reality, which is just Miya opening the closet doors. "Nii-nii, could you get up now and hurry up? We're going to be late you know." She said while she saw her brother still lying in a dazed state. Then Junichi closed the door in his closet. "Gimme a few more minutes will you?" he mumbles. "What! It is way past seven in the morning, and don't blame me if either Ayatsuji-san or Tanamachi-san whacks you for being late!" Miya then taunted her brother. "Fine, fine, I'm going out already." Junichi says those words while he gets out of his closet.
As the leaves from the Sakura trees are falling in the streets of Kibitou, so does a beginning of a new school year at Kibitou High School. Many changes have happened there, for instance, all of the seniors during the previous year have graduated and moved on to different places and universities. And as for the first years during the previous term, like Miya, they have moved up to being second year students, likewise the same can be also said for the former second year students, only that this time, they are now the seniors that the underclassmen and women look up to. And Junichi Tachibana is no exception; he's now a third year student, and yet he acts as if he doesn't know it at all, only to realize it later during the entrance ceremony in which he found out that the one who will give the speech about the plan for the school year is none other than the newly elected Student Council president, Tsukasa Ayatsuji.
After the entrance ceremonies are over, Junichi went to the main hall and checked the bulletin board in order to see the class assignments. First he checked for his name on the board, and he found out that he's listed in class 3-A, aside from that, he will also be stuck in the same class with Kaoru, Masayoshi and Keiko, three of his old classmates. But the only thing that made him sad is that Tsukasa's name is listed in a different class. _
Morning classes are over, and lunchtime has come. And Junichi is just staring at the window when his old friend Masayoshi approached him. "Hey Boss!" he said. "Do you have time to check my new porno mag later in the afternoon?" Masayoshi asked his old porno mag buddy with a sleazy tone in his voice. "Sorry dude, but as much as I would love to, I have a kendo lesson to give later this afternoon." Junichi replied in a serious manner. "Oh yeah, I forgot that you are the acting master at the Homura Dojo. And not only that, you're also an activist too." Masayoshi said. "And this means… Dammit! I miss the old Boss!" then he cried loudly. "Hey, don't cry to me like that dude. I didn't say that I have no time for my old buddy, although I may some spare time sometime this weekend, hopefully that is." Junichi said while comforting his friend.
"And now that I think about it, it's already lunchtime." He remembered. "But I'm short on cash right now. I can't buy anything at this rate. Looks like I have to skip lunch altogether and pray for the best." Junichi just sighed at the thought. "Don't worry Boss, I'm gonna treat you for now, but remember our deal." Masayoshi said to his friend who's hungry at the moment. Then someone from their class approached them. "Umehara-kun," a familiar voice has stopped their man-to-man moments, and it is the Student Council president Tsukasa who approached them. "Can I borrow Tachibana-kun for a moment? I have something important to discuss to him regarding the Student Council." "Uhhh, okay. Feel free Ayatsuji-san." Masayoshi said to Tsukasa and he decided to leave the two. "Call me when you got some free time Boss!" He said to Junichi before he left them. "Good enough for me." Junichi then sighed. "Hey Tachibana-kun, I need to talk to you about something, but first, would you like to have… this bento that I made?" Tsukasa then offered to give one of her lunch boxes to Junichi. "Okay…" He then agreed and took it.
Somewhere at the outer grounds, the two have gone at the nearby table and having their lunch together. "Thanks Ayatsuji-san, you sure saved me from total starvation back there." Junichi said with a smile. "It's okay Tachibana-kun; just remember that I'll need your help later." Tsukasa then replied with a smirk on her face. "I know. But, I believe that there's something else that you want to talk about right?" Junichi then asked her. "So you knew," Tsukasa then said "it seems that you are serious about being an activist after you have been elected as the acting master of the Homura Dojo." "Yeah, I'm really surprised for the students at the dojo to choose me as the acting master there." He then replied. "Well, you should be happy that you've been chosen." A voice came from the walkway and he's headed towards their direction, "ah, I recognized your voices." And then he took a seat. "Oh yeah Ayatsuji-san, this is Major Michihiro Koyabu of the JASDF, Major Koyabu, this is my classmate and the current Student Council president Tsukasa Ayatsuji." Junichi introduced them to each other, "thanks for the other day." "Don't sweat it; in fact I enjoy helping you out." Michihiro said to Junichi, then looks at Tsukasa and tells her what happened "The other day, there's a certain challenger at the dojo, so he sought my aid. And I sent my young trainees over." "That was a big help Major Koyabu." Junichi then said to him. And Michihiro then said "I'm just so glad that he didn't take your sign with him. That was awfully close you know." He adds.
But just as Junichi and Tsukasa have finished their lunch, Michihiro suddenly wears a sharp expression in his face as he readied his kunai, and then looks at the corner near the vending machine. Then he throws his kunai at the nearby corner and then threatened "You better come out now if you don't want me to blast through that wall along with that numbskull of yours!" "And I almost forgot to tell you Ayatsuji-san; he's also a master of the Ganryu Suiren style." Junichi whispered to Tsukasa. And a young girl emerges from the corner, "You don't have to do that dammit! I'll emerge when I want to!" she yelled at Michihiro. "Risa-chan, how many times I told you to quit that stalking habit of yours?" he then rebuked her sharply. "Anyway, have you heard of the Kibitou Homura Dojo? As you know, that dojo teaches the Hourai Zan'en style of kendo arts." He then introduced Junichi to the young girl. "This is Junichi Tachibana, and he's the young master of that dojo." And then he looks back at the two, "And sorry about earlier guys. Anyway this stalker here is Risa Kamizaki of class 3-B here at Kibitou High, and she's also affiliated with the Hannya Institute of Martial Arts in Nagoya." Michihiro then introduces Risa to them. And Risa then said to him, "You don't have to introduce me to them, besides I know Tachibana-kun during elementary school days. Although I never knew that he's now the young master of the Homura Dojo." Then she looks at the two and nodded at them. "Come to me anytime when you need help, although I'm a busy man too." Michihiro said to Junichi, and then he looks back at Risa and tells her something. "Hey Risa-chan, are you ready for this Sunday? Be on time for Master Ishida's sake! You're always showing up late at the meetings." "It's at 5 am right? I'll be the first to get there!" Risa then said to him as she smiled at him. "Alright if you excuse me guys, I'll take my leave now." Michihiro then said to them as he walks away.
After Michihiro left, Risa then looked at the two. "Do you guys want to come too?" she asked them, and then she gave Junichi a manual about the Japanese Air Force. "What do you mean by this?" Junichi asked her. "It's for Sunday" she then answered, "the new Century Bombers from America have landed at the Air Defense Command in Fuchu. And they're pulling off an air show there, so I have to see it." She adds. And Tsukasa interrupted their conversation, "Wait a minute, Kamizaki-san right? From what I heard, the security's very tight in the area." She said. Then Risa asked them, "Do you know Kiyohide Ishida of the Air Defense Bureau?" Junichi and Tsukasa looked at each other and both of them said to her "No." Then Risa explained to them "He's my Aviation instructor. And he's going to inspect the Century Bombers this Sunday." Then she explains further, "We'll be accompanying him as his bodyguards. Don't worry; I'll talk to my instructor about the two of you." And after pausing for a moment, she then asks them "You guys know that I'm an activist right?" the two just shook their heads off. "You know, when the Nagoya Democratic Faction assigned me to air studies two years ago, I saw the Century Bombers once. And seeing it changes the way you think about the air force, and the entire army." Risa tells them. And the two looked at each other and nodded in agreement, and Junichi then asks her "If you don't mind taking us along… what time are we gonna meet?" "This Sunday at 5 in the morning, meet me at the entrance to the Port Tower. And don't be late guys." Risa then answered, and the two nodded in agreement. Then Risa left them while Junichi and Tsukasa peered at the pages of the manual.