(Author's Note: I really don't know where I'm going with these chapters. I'm just trying to fill
space untl I get to the important stuff. Do you guys have requests? Something you'd like to see happen? Maybe you'd like to see Sora get stuck in a well or Yukiho fal over while ice-skating or Makoto skydive out of a 747 or something. Seriously, I am so lost now. I have all these amazing ideas but they can't come until later in the book!

Being an author is so frustrating, you guys.)

…in which Makoto returns because I ran out of ideas and she makes things interesting.

"Are you sure you have everything?"

"Yes, sir."

"Did you get that trophy?"

"I can't, I don't have free hands…"

"Ah…right. Put it in your bag, OK?"

"…right."

The door to the plane had been opened and people were quickly bustling out. Makoto and her father took a little longer than usual to get off, partially because of the large trophy they now had to lug around after Makoto's victory at the tournament and partially because of Makoto's new crutches.

Yes, crutches.

Eventually, the pair made it outside to the terminal, Makoto lugging her bags on her shoulders and her father carrying everything that required hands. The boyish idol had remained in Europe for an extra year after the tour ended. After her victory at the tournament (and her very brief stay at the hospital for a certain injury attained during said tournament), the two had decided to stay in Europe for a little longer and just sight-see around whatever countries they happened to be by, which they found quite difficult considering both of them only spoke Japanese.

The first person Makoto saw when she came into the terminal was Yukiho. Standing off to the right of her was Sora, and to her left was Kenchi. Kenchi waved to her as soon as he saw her, but the other two didn't seem to notice. Makoto hobbled over to them on her crutches and waited for her greeting.

Yukiho just blinked at her. Sora still didn't notice.

"…so, hi," Makoto greeted.

"Hi, Makoto-chan," Kenchi replied, waving again. "You have crutches."

"Apparently there was some kind of 'no-rules' rule at the tournament, so some guy broke my leg while I was there. It's nothing big. I won anyways."

"You won even with a broken leg?"

"That's how incredibly awesome I am."

"…wow."

"Ehehe~, yeah…so Yukiho, it's nice to see you again! I missed you so much~"

Yukiho blinked and squeaked.

"…Yukiho. Come on. Don't I get a hug?"

"…Makoto-chan, that's you?" Yukiho whispered.

Makoto nodded.

"You…I-I didn't recognize you. You grew your hair out again."

Makoto nodded again. "Really, Yukiho? I have longer hair and suddenly you can't recognize me?" she sighed.

"Your breasts grew too," Kenchi pointed out. He nodded seriously.

Makoto pressed on his foot with a crutch. He yelped.

"I-I'm just saying…!"

"Watch where you're looking, perv," Makoto snapped, blushing. "Geez, I only grew about an inch, anyways…"

"Congratulations, you moved up a size!"

"W-would you stop it…?!"

"I-I'm sorry…!"

Sora suddenly realized that his freakish acquaintance was standing right in front of him with a pair of crutches. "Oh, hey Makoto. Welcome back," he said.

"Hi Sora~!" Makoto cheered. "Did you miss me~?"

"…only slightly," Sora admitted. He smiled. "It's good to see you. Did you hurt yourself?"

"Some kid in the tournament broke my leg."

"Isn't that…illegal?"

"Not in Europe, apparently."

"…well. Alright then."

"I missed you the most," Kenchi decided. "I…I couldn't stop thinking of you the whole time you were gone. I'm really happy to see you. Welcome back."

"Thanks," Makoto said gratefully. "…these bags are starting to get heavy."

"What's in that thing?"

"A thirty-two pound trophy made out of solid gold."

"…WHAT?!"

"Just kidding." Makoto laughed.

Sora chuckled. "You always were the kind of person to make random jokes…"

"It's actually forty-nine pounds."

"WHAT?!"

"Europe is filthy rich in gold, apparently."

Yukiho squeaked loudly and opened her arms for a hug. "I want a hug…!"

"You'll get a hug, you cute little Yukiho!" Makoto squealed, leaning over to give the girl a half-hug. Yukiho squeaked again happily.

"So, Makoto," Sora began, "are you aware that about a year ago, your spy team spied on Ohime-chan and I on a date, using Jasper as a substitute for you? They even got Chihaya and Haruka in on it."

"Really?" Makoto gasped. "…wow, I'm proud of them! But why did they enlist Jasper? I don't even like Jasper. They should have known I would be upset about them choosing Jasper."

"Could you tell them to lay off?" Sora sighed. "I mean, by now it should be obvious that I'm not going to hurt Ohime-chan and—Kenchi, let go of her already…"

The dark-blue-haired boy pulled back from Makoto's lips for a moment to look at Sora. "Hm…? I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you, I was too busy making out with my girlfriend."

"I'm not your girlfriend," Makoto muttered. She blushed.

"Well, do you want to be?"

"Eh…?! W-well…I-I guess so, if you want me to…"

"Of course I do. Come on, Makoto-chan, let's go to some sort of closet so we can make out for three hours without interruptions."

"Th-three hours is a really long time…! I have to go home!"

Sora opened his mouth to protest in Makoto's defense, but her father beat him to it.

"What's this about making out in a closet?"

Kenchi looked rather frightened, and rightfully so. Even Sora had a healthy fear of Makoto's father. He also had a fear of Yukiho's father, but that was mostly because he was Yukiho's boyfriend, and most boyfriends have a healthy fear of their girlfriend's fathers.

"…ah, no…that was…a metaphor," Kenchi lied quietly. "A metaphor for…something."

Makoto's father just glared at him. "Who are you, and why are you latched onto my daughter's wrist?"

"Relax, dad," Makoto soothed. "This is Nakamura Kentaro, otherwise known as Kenchi. He's…my boyfriend." She blushed.

Kenchi nodded slowly.

Makoto's father just sighed. "Let go of her. We need to be going now."

"R-right…" Kenchi released the girl's wrist. Yukiho waved to Makoto's father, who nodded at her. Makoto waved goodbye to the three people who'd come to welcome her before hobbling off with her father. The others waved back.

"Well," Sora sighed. "As glad as I am that she's back, I'm also annoyed. That year went by really quickly, it seems, although I did get to spend a lot of time with you at my friend's house, Ohime-chan. That was nice."

"Yes, it was," Yukiho agreed. "Well, I-I'm going to go home and make Makoto-chan a welcome home and get well soon card. I hope her leg injury isn't really serious."

"I'm sure she'll be back on her feet in no time," Sora assured her.

"…I really did want to make out with her in a closet," Kenchi muttered. "Her dad…is kind of scary."

"Yeah, I know," Sora said. "Well. Anyways. Want to go see if she's available for ice-cream?"

"W-why do we always get ice-cream? Let's get pork instead—"

"YOU WANT ME TO EAT PIGS…?!"

"I-I'm sorry! I-I forgot you liked pigs…! Let's get seafood, then."

Sora nodded. "OK. Seafood place it is!"