TAICHI

Mom gave us a time to be back, and I made for the door, ignoring Rika's pout at being left behind. When it closed behind us, I turned to Rion. "Which way?" I looked up and down the sidewalk.

"Who cares," she said gustily. "I'm just glad to escape from them."

I laughed. "That's exactly what I was thinking!"

She laughed and grabbed my elbow, setting off briskly down the street. We glanced in the windows of shops and restaurants as we walked. "Seriously," she said, "my mom usually isn't that bad."

"Mine is. She can be really pushy. Sorry if she made you uncomfortable."

"I didn't mind that much." She gave me a quick smile. Our steps tapped in rhythm on the concrete. We passed a small playground before coming to an intersection.

"Are you getting tired?" I asked.

"No, I'm fine," she said happily. "Let's cross here and walk over the bridge." There was a short one spanning a small canal just ahead of us.

We crossed at the signal and began our ascent. "I played the violin for a while," I commented.

"Really?" She looked pleased and surprised.

"Mom was determined I should learn." I chuckled. "It was painful for both of us, but she doesn't give up easily. Rika started lessons the year after I did, and when she outplayed me after only four months Mom finally admitted defeat."

Rion laughed easily. "I'm sure you weren't that bad."

"No, I really was."

She laughed again, and the sound lightened my spirit. "I've always loved playing," Rion said dreamily. "I guess it's kind of the same thing as with karuta. I can hear the beauty in a perfectly rich note or melody. I play mostly for my own enjoyment." She shot me a self-deprecating smile. "Pretty selfish, I guess."

"Nah," I scoffed. "Your sense of hearing…it's a gift from God. It's natural that you'd appreciate things that remind you of perfection or beauty…anything that hints at the divine."

She pulled me to a halt at the top of the bridge. Freeing her arm, she leaned both elbows on the chest-high wall and looked out over the slow-moving river. I joined her.

"It's pretty," she said. The cold December air lent a crispness to the picture. The night was pure black, the half-moon translucent white. Reflections of the lights from nearby buildings danced on the surface of the water.

"So how are things with your club?" Rion asked.

"Good," I answered. "The freshmen are coming along, and Chihaya's going to be in the Queen match, you know."

"I heard."

I checked her profile. Her expression was unreadable. I sighed and turned back to the river. "I don't know how much I'll be able to compete next year, though. My parents want me to go to cram school." I'll have to try and negotiate a way out of summer cram school or I won't be able to go to our last high school tournament…

Rion interrupted my fretting. "Yeah, mine too. I'm hoping I can get away with just night classes. And they also want me to enter some violin competitions, because that will look good too."

A thought popped into my head. "Do you want to go into music?"

"Ah, I'm not that good. Believe it or not, I actually really like math and science, so I might look in that direction. I'm not sure. It just seems like it's too early to decide, you know? Why do I have to know what I want to do for the rest of my life when I'm only seventeen?" She sounded wistful.

"I know what you mean. My parents have been talking about my future for as long as I can remember." I rattled off the familiar litany. "I'm supposed to get the best grades, so I can get into a good school, and then into a good university, so I can get a good job and be a success."

Her gaze was fixed on the dark horizon. "Failure isn't an option, right?"

"No, failure is an embarrassment not just for me but for the whole family."

She sighed. "Why are they all so hung up on what others think anyway?"

I lifted a shoulder. "Maybe that's just the way the world works."

She angled her body towards me, still leaning against the wall. "Don't you get tired of always thinking ahead? Always having to consider the future?" I could see the earnest expression on her upturned face. She looked kind of adorable.

"Yeah," I admitted, distracted by the way her rounded features glowed softly in the moonlight. "Sometimes I second-guess things too much when I should just jump in and not worry about how I'll look."

She took a step towards me, her eyes sparking defiantly. "Sometimes you want to do something just because you want to, without worrying about what comes next."

She searched my eyes, looking for agreement. Her gaze dropped and seemed to rest on my mouth. Suddenly my heart was beating insistently in my chest.

It was like I could hear the idea forming in her mind. I had a pretty good idea what that reckless 'something' was that she wanted to do right this minute. My eyes took in the smooth and perfect contours of her lips.

I always held myself so carefully. I knew a lot of girls were attracted to me, so I took pains to keep them at arm's length. But tonight, what would it matter if I flirted a little? Especially since it was with someone who didn't actually have designs on me or anything.

It would feel so good to let down my guard for once. Just to do the first thing that came to mind, without…

"Without worrying about the consequences…" My voice came out low, huskier than usual. Something was pulling me toward her.

"Just living," she confirmed. "With no strings attached." She closed the distance between us.

My eyes drifted shut and all I knew was the feel of her lips pressed against mine. I gave in to the attraction I'd felt for her almost since we met. I didn't want to examine what this meant or how I felt about Chihaya or what my mother would think. I just…gave in.

I felt a cool hand against the back of my neck; she pulled me closer. The brittle walls around my heart seemed to crumble. After a few more moments, we reluctantly broke apart.

And reality came crashing in with full force. Oh my gosh, what have I done? What is she going to expect from this? She won't expect us to be going out now, will she? We couldn't even…she lives pretty far away…

"Hey," she interrupted my mental cyclone, and my eyes snapped to hers. She pressed one finger against my lips in a 'hush' gesture. "We said no strings attached, right?"

In the half-light I could see that her cheeks were flushed, but her expression was resolute. She wasn't hiding from what we'd done.

It steadied me. Okay, this is okay. Absently I captured the hand she held to my mouth. On another devil-may-care impulse, I brought her fingers to my lips for one last kiss before releasing her.

I exhaled a shaky breath and almost laughed with the relief. "Right," I confirmed. I felt the knots in my spirit loosening and falling away. "Sooo…" A mischievous smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. "What do you want to do next?"

She took a moment to consider, an impish expression creeping over her face. "I know!" She whirled about and quickly headed back the way we'd come. She tottered a little on the downhill, and I took her arm again. She grabbed on to my support, flashing me a carefree smile.

Her enthusiasm was infectious, and I felt freer than I had in a long time. Wandering around an unfamiliar part of the city, following a girl I'd just kissed for no particular reason to do something only she knew… It was exhilarating in a stupid sort of way.

We crossed the street and she stopped at the entrance to the playground we'd passed earlier. Wobbling a little, she pulled off one fancy sandal after another. She shot me a grin and tripped lightly toward a metal contraption, one of those big spinning wheels that make you dizzy when you're the one being spun on it. She tossed her shoes to the side and grabbed hold of the nearest rail. "This used to be my favorite," she said. Her face glowed with excitement. Before I could answer, she took off running, one hand tugging the ride around by the bar she firmly held. After most of a revolution, she squealed and leapt onto the spinning disc, scrabbling for a second handhold.

"Aaaaiiigghh-ha-ha-ha!" I could see the centrifugal motion pulling at her, and I was torn between concern that she would tumble off and the impulse to laugh at her silliness. The ride slowed and she hopped off, careening a little in her first few steps.

She challenged me. "Aren't you going to try it?"

The I-dare-you look on her face was too cute. "Sure. Why not?" I slipped out of my suit jacket and tossed it in the direction of her shoes. Ooh, and this wretched tie… I loosened the knot and undid the top button of my shirt. Ah, sweet freedom…

I stepped up to the rail as she had. Rion grabbed the one several feet behind mine. "Wait, wait," I stopped her. "Why don't you get on first and let me push this time?"

"Mm, okay!" She hopped on and braced herself. Her joy-filled face made me feel like a kid too.

"Hold on!" I yelled, starting to run. Rion was half-screeching, half-laughing as I went faster and faster. I realized too late I'd picked up too much speed for me to jump on as she had, so I let go and ran out my momentum while the giggler was left at the wheel's mercy.

A minute later she stumbled toward me, panting and saying, "Oh my gosh, I am so dizzy." She grabbed my arm to keep from swaying.

"Are you okay?" I asked. Her face was flushed.

"Mm. That was awesome," she panted. That grin was tempting me to kiss her again.

"Now it's your turn," she declared. "Get on and I'll push."

"No," I balked, my chivalry offended. "I'm too heavy."

"Pfft. Look at these muscles." She struck a pose, ostensibly showing off the biceps hidden under her woolen coat. "I work out with the Fujisaki karuta club, you know."

"Ooo, what a manly bunch," I teased.

"Hey!" She ran behind me and pushed my back, propelling me toward the dizzying device. "Don't give me that sass, you!"

"Yes, Captain!" I played along, stepping on the metal platform and grabbing a couple bars. "Y'know, it seems like I was a lot shorter the last time I did this."

She laughed and set off running. I pulled down into a crouch, surprised at how fast it felt we were moving when she finally hopped on. The momentum swung her back in my direction and she stopped just short of banging into my huddled form. My head was beginning to spin as the world slid past in a blur.

Gradually the ride slowed and Rion collapsed onto her back with a happy sigh. I sat down and lay back on the cold metal as well. The stars continued to rotate above us, more and more slowly as the ride wound down.

I sensed Rion's head swiveling toward me and turned mine to meet her gaze. We shared a look, smiling carelessly. "That was fun," I admitted.

"Mm. But if I go again I think I'm gonna be sick," she said candidly. I burst into laughter.

"Well, then what do you want to do next?" I asked. My heart leapt at the question. What am I hoping for exactly?

"How much time do we have left?" she asked

Time? "Oh my gosh, I forgot!" I pulled up my shirt sleeve to check my watch. "Yeah, we gotta go. We're late already." My spirits sank. I didn't want this to be over yet.

We found our things but I was still warm and didn't feel like donning my jacket yet. Rion was looking at her heels with distaste. An idea popped into my head, a way to extend the fun a little longer.

"Let me give you a ride," I blurted. I answered her questioning look. "A piggyback ride."

I was rewarded with her sheepish, cheek-dimpling smile. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Here, hold my jacket." She took it and I maneuvered around her, stooping a bit until she managed to hop on my back. I locked my arms under her legs, the silky material of her full skirt falling all over me. She wiggled a bit, wrapping her arms around my neck. Her cheek was distractingly close to mine and I could swear I felt her warm breath against the chilly night.

"Ready?" I asked. I felt her answering nod. In a playful moment, I took off running, setting her to squealing again and me to laughing. On the sidewalk I slowed to a brisk walk and listened to Rion's voice in my ear pointing out the things that caught her eye. In minutes we were approaching the restaurant, where three feminine forms cast looks up and down the street.

I had one gratifying moment of seeing shock on my mother's face. I almost laughed when I imagined the picture we presented—my shirt unbuttoned and tie hanging loose, Rion barefoot on my back with wisps of hair falling out of its pins. We probably looked pretty scandalous.

Mom composed herself in the time it took me to close the last couple meters between us. Rion slid to the ground as our parents stared in barely concealed amazement. Rika wore an obstinate look.

I still felt secure and happy and a little rebellious, so I decided not to apologize and instead took charge of the farewells. "Well, this has been fun. It was a pleasure to meet you, Yamashiro-san." I offered a quick half-bow to Rion's mother.

My mom pulled herself together enough to complete the ritual properly, despite the awkwardness of doing so while Rion wriggled into her shoes once again. Finally, we were ready to part ways.

Rion handed my jacket back, her face solemn. "Well," she tried to smile but didn't quite manage it. "I'll see you in June, I guess."

A pang of loss hit me. No strings attached… I guess I really won't see her again for six months. "See you." Our eyes held for a moment, and then she turned away to join her mother.

"Hey, Rika," I said, turning to my little sister. "I'll give you a ride to the car." I could see her wavering between acting mature and giving in to what she really wanted. I squatted in front of her. "Come on," I cajoled.

With a quiet giggle, she climbed on.

"Whoa, why are you so heavy?" I teased, pretending to almost drop her as I stood.

She squealed. I laughed. When I had her settled once again, she protested, "Oniiii-chaann!" But her voice carried affection I hadn't heard in a long time.