Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to any character of Princess Nine. The original characters are my own creation and are based on no real persons.
The Morning After
Seira and Izumi sat stunned at this revelation. "She'd just had a baby, why would she kill herself?' Seira asked confused.
Meeting her gaze, Amy said. "Remember mom said she had become depressed? She was suffering from Postpartum Depression. Now it's recognized as a serious mental condition. Back then no one really thought it was anything to worry about. Her hormone levels had gotten all screwed up, and she became depressed. One day when mom and Corey were taking a nap, she took the car. She pulled out in front of a truck, and was hit in the driver's door. She died instantly."
"Are they sure it wasn't just an accident?" Izumi asked intently.
"Yes," she said nodding her head, "the driver of the truck said they had made eye contact before she'd pulled out. He was going a hundred kph when she pulled out, so he had hardly touched the brakes when he hit her. The poor man needed counseling afterwards. When Corey found this out, he was mad. He was mad at his dad for not telling him sooner. He was mad at his mom for not wanting him. He was even accused my mom of having an affair with dad while his mom was pregnant with him. For nearly a month, he snuck out and spent the night on the streets. The police would find him, and bring him back. He wouldn't say anything, but just go to his room. This was during the summer, so he didn't have school. He did nothing but give our mom hell."
"Was that when your dad quit his job?" Seira inquired, curious.
Amy's voice became soft. "Yes, but not because of that, Corey had a close call that nearly cost him his life. That's when we moved. Dad decided he needed to be more central in Corey's life, and he couldn't do that traveling with the team."
"Corey almost died?" Seira asked, alarmed. "What happened to him?"
"He got into a fight, and was beaten up pretty badly. He was only twelve, but he was already as tall as you are Izumi. He was in the hospital for a while. He hasn't liked fighting since then. We really should get to bed. Izumi has school, and I have entrance exams."
"I'm amazed Amy" Izumi said, getting up and walking to her bed, "I've never heard of a family enduring so much hardship. I think you all must have a curse on you."
"We've had our share of suffering, but in a way, I think it's been a blessing. Dad took Lisa for granted, but her suicide opened his eyes. He's totally devoted to mom because of it. Lying in that hospital bed, Corey got a whole new outlook on life. He realized it was too short to go through it angry all the time. Even my rape had a positive side. I was a little full of myself. The press was heralding me as some wonder kid, and I got a big head. It made me realize I wasn't invincible, and I needed to work harder. I signed up for a self defense class, and my Sensei helped me to get over my fears, as well as teach me how to kick bad guy ass."
"That was a pretty harsh wake up call Amy. Still, I'm glad you're coming here, good night you two." Izumi said, turning off the light
"What kind of martial arts do you study?" Seira asked quietly, as they pulled the covers up.
Amy moved closer, and whispered, "It's a type of fighting designed for women. It combines karate and kickboxing along with some submission holds. Basically, it teaches vulnerable areas of the body and how to defeat your opponent as quickly as possible. Men are stronger than women; it's just how we're built. They would wear us down in a normal fight, so we need to target areas that can disable them. It uses a lot of kicks, because the upper leg is the strongest muscle group in the body.
"You have to teach me sometime. If we're going to be the Dirty Pair around here, we need to be able to back up our rep." She whispered back. Then giggling, they settled in, soon falling asleep.
-
Yuki was miserable. She had slept poorly. Normally, she would roll over to try and find a more comfortable position, but she couldn't do that. The brace she had to wear was making the bruised area around the injury throb. They had given her something earlier in the evening, but it had worn off. She reached up and turned the lamp over her bed on. It had only been two hours since Shinobu had left. She was fatigued, but unable to sleep, so she pressed the call button.
"Good evening, Miss Azuma, is something the matter?" The nurse replied through the speaker in the headboard.
"Yes, I mean good evening, my back is really bothering me. Could I get something to either help with the pain, or to sleep?"
"Certainly, I'll be down there shortly. I'll change your position while I'm there as well." She said switching off the intercom.
Yuki lay there waiting, thinking back on the night. "That was a fun party, and Amy was so grateful. She's such a nice person; I wish I could have talked to her more tonight. I wonder what it was she couldn't tell us? Will she trust me enough now to tell me? She was so cool fighting those guys. I hope she doesn't feel guilty about me getting hurt. I was such a coward; if she hadn't needed to look out for me, she would have seen that guy with the pipe, and I wouldn't be here in the middle of the night waiting for a stranger to roll me over in bed." She sat quietly, closing her eyes as tears formed again.
The nurse entered, carrying a syringe. She was older, in her mid thirties. "Hello Miss Azuma, I'm Nurse Tsugimoto, I have some more pain medication for you." Inserting the needle into the hose of Yuki's IV, she injected the contents into the line. "You should start feeling better in five minutes or so. Now, would you like to lie on your other side, or your back?" She said pulling the covers back.
"My other side. Nurse, please call me Yuki, I'm used to my teammates calling me that. Miss Azuma feels too impersonal." She said smiling.
Not meeting her gaze, the nurse said straightening Yuki's legs. "If you wish, Yuki, I would prefer; however, if you would call me by my title."
"Yes ma'am," she said looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound disrespectful. Shinobu said to use hers."
"Miss Maehara is still a child. She is a considerate girl, but hasn't learned to act professionally. A health care professional should refrain from making personal associations with their patients. It is possible to act with compassion without trying to make friends with everyone you meet." She said pulling Yuki's hip
"You don't like having friends?" Yuki asked as she rolled her shoulders over.
"It's not that I don't like having friends. It's just that a patient is here such a short time, and you'll never see them once they leave." She replied bending Yuki's knees, and pulling the covers back up. "It's better not to make personal attachments to them. Good night, Yuki. You should be able to sleep until we need to move you again. I'll see you in four hours." She turned off the light before heading out the door.
"Good night, Nurse, Thank you." Yuki said staring into the dark. 'What a sad outlook on life; I hope I don't become like that when I'm older.' Then she closed her eyes, waiting for the meds to start working.
-
The fights were almost over. Every hood and tough who wanted to build a rep was there. Toru watched as the final match began. The challenger was a well-built young man in his mid twenties. Toru had seen some of his earlier matches, watching him brutalize his opponents. At one hundred ninety meters tall, and well muscled, he was a powerful fighter. The defending champion was impressive as well, while not as sculpted as the challenger he was still massive. Akira Motokai was an animal. He was a head taller than the other fighter, and half again as wide. He had taken hits that would have broken the jaw of a lesser man with a laugh, while his thick middle absorbed even the strongest body blows. Toru had seen him stop a punch, and then crush the man's hand with little effort. The whistle was blown, signaling the start of the fight. The two circled each other, sizing the other one up. The challenger yelled, springing into the air, aiming a heel strike at Akira's face. Akira dodged, grabbed his opponent's leg and waist, and slammed him into the ground. Reaching down to pick him up again, he was rewarded with a palm strike to the face. The other man scrambled back to his feet as Akira smiled, "Heh, someone who thinks he can give me a workout."
"You need more than a workout lard-ass, a diet and liposuction would be a good place to start." The challenger said rubbing his back.
"Yeah? This extra forty kilos is what's letting you get a hand on me, so be a little grateful."
"I'd be grateful if you didn't fall on me. Show me what you got lard-ass."
Akira advanced slowly, crouching. He feinted, pretending to go for his waist. When the man crouched to intercept the move, Akira launched himself, bringing a forearm across the other man's face that took him off his feet. Before he could recover, Akira dropped his considerable bulk on top of the man. The air whooshed from his lungs, and he brought up the contents of his stomach. Akira, rolling off him, said before he got up, "Thanks for the idea. Now stay down. I heard the ribs break. Don't screw yourself up worse. Somebody call this clown an ambulance, it's over."
Walking through the crowd, Akira spotted Toru. "What do you want, asshole?"
"Akira, mercy for your enemy? People are going to think you're going soft." Toru said
"Let them think what they want. If they want to try me, they know where to find me. You never answered, what do you want?"
"Listen, Akira, do you remember Seira Morimura?"
Akira's face became dark, and his hand went to the side of his face. "Yeah, I remember her. I remember that old man that bailed her ass out in that alley too. Him shattering those bottles nearly cost me my eye. What about her?"
"I found her." Toru said, nonchalantly.
"Yeah? So where's she been hiding?" He asked his interest aroused.
"Kisuragi Girls' High School."
"What! How did a street tramp like her get into a fancy school like that? There's no way she had the dough to pay for it."
"I guess she's playing baseball for them." Toru said shrugging his shoulders. "They nearly made it to the National Championship last year.
"Man, I really got to start watching the TV sports. She must have been all over it."
"She was a terror with those cue balls of hers." Toru said putting a hand on Akira's arm.
"Don't touch me. I still haven't forgiven you for the last time. You pansies always need me to handle your trouble when you get your ass handed to you by somebody. Was Morimura the one who broke your nose?"
"No, it was her friend." Toru said embarrassed, "I wasn't the only one. Kino got a concussion, Kosuke a broken collarbone, and Minoru nearly a broken jaw. We can't handle her Akira. This girl can fight. She's no tiny thing either. She's taller than me and pretty strong."
"That's what you said about Morimura. I think you guys just can't fight. Ok, I'm in. Let me know where to find her. If she's good looking, I might have some fun after I'm done pounding her. It'll be nice to do a girl big enough to handle me."
"She's only fifteen Akira, she's probably still a virgin." Toru said grinning.
"Oh, that's even better," he said. Then he sang in a childish tune, "I'm going to pop a cherry."
Neither of them saw the figure step out of the shadows. Watching them walk away, Kosuke adjusted the sling holding his arm, and quickly went the other way. Tomorrow morning he was going to Kisuragi. He had to warn them about this.
-
The sun shone into Izumi's bedroom, the rain ending during the night. Izumi stirred, rubbing her eyes while she sat up in bed. Looking at her clock, she saw it was five minutes before her alarm was to go off. She reached over, and turned it off. "No sense waking those two up before they have to." She said quietly. She eased out of bed, and made her way into the bathroom. Taking off her pajamas, she turned on the shower, and stepped in. Thinking of Amy's rape, she opened the door, and double-checked that no one was there. "Calm down Izumi. She was attacked in a public shower, not her own bathroom." Amy had worried she would be ashamed of her. Actually, the opposite was true. Knowing now what Amy had been through, and was still able to be friendly and outgoing, made Izumi respect her that much more. "She must have been terrified that it was going to happen again last night, but she found the courage to fight back. I froze when that guy grabbed me. If she hadn't been there…" Izumi shuddered. Finishing her shower, she stepped out and wrapped herself in a towel to check on them. Peering over the sofa back, she couldn't help but smile. Seira was lying on her back, holding Amy, who had cuddled against her, and had her arm draped across Seira's stomach. "What I wouldn't give for a camera right now. Oh well, I'll get dressed before waking them."
A little while later, Seira stirred, her left arm numb. Opening her eyes, she looked into Amy's face. "No wonder." She said softly. She watched Amy sleep a little longer, before gently shaking her shoulder. "Hey," she said lightly, "if you're done using it as a pillow, I'd like my arm back."
"Huh?" Amy said groggily, "What'd you say?"
"Get off my arm please."
"Oh! Seira, I'm sorry! Are you ok?" she said sitting up.
"I'll be fine, once the feeling comes back. You know, we're even sleeping like the Dirty Pair." She kidded.
"I'm sorry; I don't know how I ended up there. I'm usually not a restless sleeper."
"It's fine, don't worry. I wasn't in the same spot either."
"Oh, you're up." Izumi said. Looking behind them, they watched as she finished tying the bow of her uniform. "You two looked like you had an interesting night. You didn't molest her did you Seira?"
"Don't even go there, Izumi." Seira said scowling.
"Good morning, Izumi, I hope you slept well." Amy said smiling. "I want to apologize for waking you again."
"Don't apologize for things you have no control over Amy. I'm glad you were able to get some sleep. She said returning the smile. "The shower is warmed up, I'm going to go start breakfast. Do you two have a preference with your misoshiru?"
"Anything is fine." Amy said, "Do you have any coffee, or juice? I'm getting a little tired of tea. It's all I've drank since coming here."
"Sure, is orange juice ok?" When Amy nodded, she added, "What about you Seira?"
"I don't usually eat more than some toast. Whatever you want to make is fine Izumi. Amy, you take your shower first, I don't have any appointments to keep."
"Ok, I'll be quick." Throwing the covers back, she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Standing, she promptly fell when her right knee gave out.
"Amy!" They both said scrambling to her.
"Ow! That didn't feel too good." She said crawling onto the bed. She pulled her lounge pants off, revealing the bruise was still swollen, and tender to the touch.
"That does it." Izumi said walking towards the door. "I'm telling my mother about this. You need to see a doctor. Your testing will have to wait."
Izumi walked down the hall and knocked on her mother's door. Corey came walking out of the guest room at the same time. "Good morning Izumi. I wasn't sure what time everyone got up, so I just got dressed when I woke up. That room is something else. I thought I was staying at a five star hotel."
"I'm glad the accommodations were to your liking. Did you get enough sleep?" She said smiling warmly.
"Yeah, I'm used to getting up early to do chores, so it's tough to sleep in."
Ms. Himuro answered the door dressed in her robe. "What is it Izumi? You don't usually wake me before you go to school."
"It's Amy mother. She bruised her knee in that fight last night. The swelling hasn't gone down, and her leg collapsed when she tried to stand on it. I'm afraid she did some serious damage running on it. I think she should see a doctor about it."
"Let me go take a look at it Ms. Himuro." Corey said moving towards Izumi's room. "I've seen more than a few sports injuries, I'll let you know."
"Fine, I'll get dressed, and you can tell me at breakfast." She said nodding. "Izumi, I trust your judgment. I'll call the school, and postpone her tests until this afternoon." She said closing the door.
Izumi followed after Corey, running to catch up with him. He knocked on the door as she reached him. "It's Corey, Can I come in?"
"Yeah, were decent." Seira called through the door.
They entered the room. Amy was lying back in bed. Seira was sitting on the edge looking concerned.
"What's going on Amy? You know enough not to run on a fresh injury. Let me see it."
Throwing back the covers, she smiled weakly and said. "Yuki needed help, and I didn't think it was that bad"
Corey leaned over, touching it lightly, causing Amy to take a sharp breath through her teeth. "This is a hematoma, sis. It's probably going to need to be drained. You're right Izumi; she needs to see a doctor. The swelling probably increased as she slept. The pain from her standing triggered a reflex action and she fell."
"What's a hematoma?" Seira asked, worried.
"A bruise forms when blood vessels in the skin are broken, filling the damaged tissue. A hematoma also involves the tissue underneath, pushing the skin outward. A tissue injury heals from the inside out, with new tissue replacing the damaged. Normally the blood's reabsorbed as the injury heals, but sometimes, the body encloses that blood, preventing it from being reabsorbed. The area stays inflamed and painful. A doctor needs to drain the blood from that area."
"Doesn't it normally take a couple days for swelling like this to go down?" Amy questioned him.
"Yeah, but if it's keeping you from walking, he'll probably want to drain it anyway." He said frowning.
"How do you know this stuff?" Seira asked amazed.
"I plan on studying sports medicine in college. I've taken some introductory classes in school; advanced first aid, biology, anatomy, and chemistry."
"You're going to be a doctor?" Izumi said surprised
"That's what I hope to do, or maybe work as a trainer for a professional team. I'm not sure yet."
"He's been accepted to Western Michigan University with a full ride athletic scholarship." Amy said looking at him proudly.
"That's great, in what sport?" Seira said smiling at him.
"Baseball. I was all state the last two years at catcher." He said meeting her gaze. "I was offered one for football, but I'm done playing that. I've seen too many older linemen with messed up knees and backs. I want to be able to walk normally when I'm fifty. Besides, I'm on the small side for a college lineman these days."
"I can't believe you're not big enough." Izumi said astounded. "What kind of monsters do you grow over there?"
"I'd need to put on another ten to twenty kilos if I wanted to be effective. Pro linemen are usually over one hundred and fifty kilos. Think of it as our equivalent to sumo wrestling."
Seira whistled, imagining Corey that big. "That's ok. I think I like you just as you are."
"Amy, I'm calling mom. I didn't tell her anything last night, but she needs to know about this. You need to put some ice on that again and keep it elevated with your knee bent." He said walking out the door.
Izumi followed saying, "I'm sorry Amy, but I need to finish getting ready for school. I'll bring your breakfast here."
"Oh, no Izumi, don't put yourself out like that. If Seira helps me, I can make it to the table." Amy said moving to get up.
"Amy! Didn't you hear Corey?" Izumi snapped. "You need to keep your leg elevated. I won't have you aggravating your injury because you're worried about inconveniencing me." Then with a smile she asked. "How would you like an egg sandwich? That's easy enough to make, and you won't have to juggle a bunch of plates."
Amy, cowed by Izumi's intensity, meekly sat back, and nodded. Grabbing Seira's pillow, she bunched it up and put it under her knee.
Seira stood up after Izumi left saying, "If you're not going to be using the shower, I guess I'll get mine over with." She started to walk away fumbling with the sash of her robe. After a minute, Amy heard her cursing. Her face flushed, she came back and stood by the side of the bed. "Can you get this untied? I tied a double knot after this damn robe fell open in front of Corey, but now I can't get it out."
"Corey saw your boobs?' Amy said excitedly, her eyes wide. "No wonder he said he loved you."
"Don't start. He was a perfect gentleman. As soon as he noticed, he looked away and told me. If any of the guys I'd known on the street had been there, they'd have stared at them, or tried to cop a feel." She said kneeling on the bed as Amy tried to undo the knot.
"I'm glad he didn't freeze. I told you he's shy about stuff like that. I'm pretty sure that's the first time he's seen a real pair. I have to tell you Seira, I'm a little jealous of you. Your boobs are twice the size mine are." She said, finally working the knot loose.
"Don't feel that way. I agree with Izumi, you have a nice body, don't be ashamed of it. Some guys like small chests. Who knows, you could just be a late bloomer. Now that you're done growing, maybe you'll fill out a little." She said climbing off the bed. "Thanks for the assist with the knot."
"You're welcome." She said, and then pulling the neck of her shirt out, looked down and added, "You heard her, start filling out already!"
-
"We'll probably go to Tokyo University. It's near here, and we can go see Yuki after she's done." Corey said into the phone.
"I'll meet you down there." Kimiko said on the other end. "I can't believe you didn't tell me this sooner Corey. I'm disappointed in you."
"I know mom, and I'm sorry. It was just so late, and I didn't want you all to worry." He said his head down, scuffing his foot. "I have to go. I should help with breakfast, and I need to get Amy her ice pack. I'll let you know when we're getting ready to leave. Talk to you later, bye."
"Goodbye dear." She said before the line went dead.
Corey hung up the phone, and searched for the kitchen. Hearing activity on the other side of the central room they'd first sat in, he soon reached his goal. Izumi was standing by the stove, stirring a pot. There were two more pans simmering on other burners. He walked up next to her and said, "Hey Izumi, what can I do to help?"
She jumped, and then turned saying, "Corey, you surprised me! I didn't hear you coming. Why don't you make Amy's egg sandwich? The pan is in the cupboard above the stove."
He reached over her, opening the door. "Excuse me." He said when he bumped into her.
"That's alright," She said blushing lightly, "I should have moved."
He set the pan on the stove, and went to the refrigerator. He took out two eggs, and the milk. "Izumi, I need a small bowl. I'm going to make her an omelet if that's ok."
"Sure, they're in the cupboard next to the sink." She said watching him.
Corey quickly prepared the eggs, and when the pan was heated poured the mixture in. Going back to the refrigerator, he took out some grated cheese. When he judged the eggs were done, he sprinkled some on before folding it over. Izumi handed him a plate, and with a practiced hand, he neatly deposited the omelet onto it.
"Very nice." Izumi said clapping lightly, "You've done that before. I have some rice ready, why don't you take her some."
"Mom's usually gone before we're done with morning chores, so we take turns making breakfast." He said placing the toast on the plate. "I'm surprised you don't have a cook."
"I won't make someone do something I'm capable of doing myself. You know, I still can't get over that you're mom is Kimiko Suzuki. That party was like a dream come true. I never thought I'd get to meet her."
"Meet who Izumi?" Ms. Himuro said entering the kitchen.
"Oh mother, I forgot to tell you last night with everything else that happened. Amy and Corey's mother is none other than Kimiko Suzuki!"
"The tennis player?" She said with a surprised look in her face. "She never mentioned that in any of the correspondences. If the Parent's Association had known that, they would have welcomed Amy with open arms."
"Amy wanted to do this on her own. Succeed or fail based on her own merits. Mom was going to let you know that she was an alumnus of Kisuragi, but Amy wouldn't let her." Corey said, filling the ice pack. "Well, I guess I have everything, so I'll take this to Amy." He said picking up the tray, and walking out of the room.
"Mother," Izumi asked quietly, "Do you think I'll ever meet someone like him? Hiroki and Corey are both wonderful young men, but someone else won their hearts before I could."
"Izumi," Ms. Himuro said laying a hand on her shoulder, "You're still young. You have a lot of time to find someone for yourself. I didn't meet Ryo's father until I was in college. That's two years away for you. Your father was a wonderful man as well. There are a lot of nice young men out there yet. Be patient, he'll come along eventually. All of you girls on the baseball team are fine young women. I bet you each meet someone by the end of your senior year."
"Hikaru and Seishiro seem happy together as well. If Seira can get the nerve to tell Corey how she feels, she'll be the third." Izumi answered, turning down the stove. "There, everything's ready. I'll go tell Seira and Corey. Amy is confined to bed until you take her to the doctor."
"It's that serious?" Ms. Himuro asked, pausing setting the table. "Izumi, does Corey think it will be a long term disability?"
"He wasn't sure, but he's erring on the side of caution. I'll be right back." She said as she walked out of the room.
"This is discouraging." Ms. Himuro said quietly. "Why, when things were looking so promising, did it suddenly start going so badly?"
-
Mr. Mita drove into his normal parking spot. He liked to start his day before the students began arriving. Kanako was with him, planning on doing some extra studying. Looking up, he saw a young man sitting on the front steps. "Stay here Kanako until I find out what he wants."
"Ok. Father, be careful." She said looking worried.
Climbing out, he made his way towards the school. "Excuse me young man. You are aware this is private property. If you don't leave, I will call the police."
Kosuke looked up, relief on his face. "Finally, someone has shown up. Are you involved with the baseball team?"
"I'm Mr. Mita, the principal. What business do you have with them?"
"I'm here to warn them. The girl from America is in great danger. You've got to tell her." He said standing and putting his left hand on Mita's shoulder.
"What do you mean she's in danger? She was attacked last night!" Mita said his face dark. "We're you involved?"
"Yes, but I'm not proud of it. Things got out of hand. Nobody was supposed to get hurt, at least not badly."
Mita grabbed him by the collar, slamming him against a column. "You animal! Because of you, one of my students is in the hospital with a broken back! You were going to rape the daughter of the chairperson of this school! Give me one reason I shouldn't rip your damn head off!"
Kosuke winced when he hit. He was surprised by the old man's strength. "I've never raped a girl, and I would have tried to stop it last night. I'll hit on girls, but that's as far as I go. When the other girl got her back broken, I felt sick. I've severed all ties with those idiots, but it's not over yet. The asshole that started this wants revenge for his broken nose. He's bringing in a monster. This guy's unstoppable."
"If you weren't there to rape those girls, then why did you attack them?" Mita said shaking him.
"All I know is some guy was going to pay us half a million yen if we kept that American from playing. We were just supposed to maybe break her hand or something. Penis for brains Toru changed the plan in the middle of it. I didn't really want to hurt the girl, but the money was too good, and I was promised it wouldn't be that bad. I'm not claming to be innocent. If you want to call the police, I won't stop you."
"You fought Amy though, didn't you? She's the one who hurt your shoulder, isn't she?" He said leaning into Kosuke's face.
Kosuke's face flushed at Mita's stubbornness, "Yes, and she kicked all our butts, but good. Look I'm not going anywhere, please call them and let them know about this. If Akira gets hold of her, you won't have a girl with a just broken back, she'll have a broken everything, and then he'll rape her when he's done. He has no compassion, none." Then all trace of bravado gone from his face, he added, "I know it a lot to ask, but I don't suppose it would be possible for me to apologize to them, would it?"
"I'm not letting you get within a hundred meters of those girls. Now, come with me." Mita said dragging Kosuke by his uninjured arm up the steps and into the school.
Kanako, watching this from the car, got out, and followed them. She peeked into her the waiting room of her father's office, only to see it empty, and the door to his office ajar. Peeking through that door, she saw the young man sitting on a chair as her father spoke to the police on the phone.
"Yes, this is Principal Mita of Kisuragi Girls' High School. I have one of the lowlifes that attacked my students last night here in my office. He is being cooperative, and I am in no danger. Please send an officer to pick him up. Students will be arriving in approximately thirty minutes, and I would like him gone from here before then. Thank you." Hanging up the phone, he looked at Kosuke. "I appreciate you coming down to tell me this, but the fact remains you were involved in a crime. Being a weapon was used; you may be looking at a charge of aggravated assault. If Miss Watson had been struck in the head as I've been assured was the intention, and she'd died from that blow, you would be an accessory to murder." Looking up, he saw Kanako watching through the door. "Kanako! Go away! You shouldn't be here!"
Instead of running away, she walked purposefully into the room. "Is it true?" She asked Kosuke. "Are you one of the creeps who hurt Yuki?"
Kosuke looked down before answering. "Yes, I was there. I wish to God I hadn't been." Looking up at her, he added. "I'm truly sor…"
SMACK! Kanako slapped him hard across the face. Tears in her eyes, she said, her rage barely in check, "You are inhuman! To do that to a sweet, loving girl like Yuki is unforgivable! Just the sight of you repulses me. I hope you rot in jail!" Then turning, she ran from the room.
"Kanako!" Mita called after her. "Come back here!"
"It's all right sir." Kosuke said, hanging his head. "I deserved that. I should have stepped in to stop things when Minoru grabbed the other girl. I probably would have gotten my ass beaten, but my conscience would be clear. I think that hurts more than my broken collarbone."
"I agree you deserved it." Mita said looking at him with disdain. "I was going to remind her that a lady doesn't use violence to make her point. I suppose I can understand though. Those girls on the baseball team have become almost like sisters. I've never seen a group of students so supportive of each other, and you and your friends have wounded them all."
"They were never really my friends." He said quietly. "I just started hanging with them last year. It was fun, shooting pool, having a couple drinks, trying to pick up girls. Toru always was an asshole, but he didn't start anything. I think he's too much of a coward. We got into some fights with other groups, but they usually started it." He looked up, meeting Mita's gaze, "Toru talked us into doing this. He said it would be easy money. We were there in case her brother was with her. We would hold him while he did the girls hand. Boy was he surprised when she fought back."
They were interrupted when the phone rang. Mita answered. "Good Morning, Kisuragi Girls'."
"Good Morning Mr. Mita, it's Keiko Himuro. I need you to reschedule Amy Watson's testing to this afternoon. She was injured last night, and we need to take her to the see a doctor."
"That's terrible!" He said, scowling at Kosuke. "Is it serious?"
"Right now, her right leg can't support her weight. Her brother thinks it's because the area is so swollen. We'll know more after the doctor examines it. I hope to be in by ten. I'll see you then."
"Very well, I'll see you then." Hanging up the phone, he said. "It would seem you've achieved your goal. Amy was injured in that fight last night, and can't use her right leg. She's going to see a doctor. If the damage is too severe, she won't be playing baseball this year."
Kosuke hung his head, and tried to sink further into the chair. "Man, this keeps getting worse."
"I think it's a little late for regret young man. Next time choose your friends more carefully." Mita said sitting down.
-
Seira finished drying herself off. She was lost in thought, replaying everything that happened yesterday. She picked up her shirt from the floor where she'd left it the night before, and was assaulted by the odors from it. "Ugh! Why didn't I spread these out? It smells like something died. I wonder if Izumi has anything that will fit. Were about the same waist size." Wrapping herself in a towel, she stepped back into the bedroom, drying her hair. "Amy, let me get dressed, and I'll help you into the bath so you can wash." She said walking to the couch. "Do you think Izumi would mind if I borrowed a pair of panties?"
"Um Seira, you might not want to come out here like that. Corey's here." Amy said nervously.
"What!" Seira said bringing the towel down from her head. Staring daggers, she said. "God Corey, why didn't you say anything? What if I wasn't wearing a towel? Seeing my boobs last night wasn't enough? Were you trying to see everything?"
"I just brought Amy her breakfast! I didn't know you'd walk out of the shower while I was here, honest!" He said, blushing, with a panicked look in his eye. "I'm leaving, sorry." Running for the door, he collided with Izumi. They fell in a heap in the doorway, Izumi on her back with Corey on top of her.
"OW!" Izumi cried out. "What the hell are you doing Corey? You're too big to blindly run through doorways!"
Corey quickly got up, "Izumi! Are you all right? I'm sorry, but the look I got from Seira told me I'd better get out fast"
"What, are you scared of her now?" Izumi said rising to her elbows. "Damn you weigh a lot!"
"Did I hurt you?" He said offering her a hand up.
"Nothing but my dignity." She said tucking her legs to one side. Then taking his hand, she rose to her knees, and then in one motion smoothly stood up.
Seira, forgetting about being in a towel, came up and said "Are you sure you're ok Izumi? That was a major collision." Then slapping Corey on the arm, said. "You big dummy, watch where you're going next time."
"I usually do when I'm not being chased out of a room." He said looking down at Seira. "If you're ok Izumi, I'd better leave before Seira has another wardrobe malfunction, and I see something I shouldn't, again." He stepped around Izumi and was gone.
"Oh?" Izumi said curiously, "And just what did he see before?"
"That damn robe of yours fell open last night, and he saw my breasts." Seira said scowling.
"Trying to sink that hook deep are we?" She said with a sly grin. When Seira gave her a dark look, she continued. "I don't know why you got on him like that. You're wearing a towel; you didn't need to get so excited.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Then a smile touched her lips as they walked back into the room. "Izumi, you should have seen his face. The poor guy didn't know where to look."
"Well, think of how you'd react if he came out with just a towel around his waist." Amy said as they reached the bed. "By the way Seira, do you not normally wrap a towel around yourself when you come out of the bath?"
"I'm normally home by myself in the morning, so there's no need. I don't know why I did today. Maybe in the back of my mind, I thought he might be there, but I was thinking about everything that happened last night, so it wasn't a conscious choice."
Amy giggled. "I can imagine what Corey would do if he saw you like that."
Seira paused, "That's right, if we do become serious, will he expect to see me? Amy, will he want to have sex?"
"That's the normal progression of things." Izumi said looking at her reassuringly. "He would be a tender lover, if not a little clumsy at first. You'd probably have to do a lot of reassuring until he became more confident."
"He tried to kiss me last night." Seira said turning red, "He stopped right away when I said no. I don't think he'd force himself on me, but would he be disappointed if I didn't want it?"
"Seira," Amy said, patting the bed next to her, "sit down." Seira complied, and Amy, taking her hand continued. "Corey is always going to put other people's needs ahead of his own. That's just the kind of guy he is. That's why he wants to get into medicine, not to get a huge salary, but to help people. He has had ample opportunity for sex in the past. He is a hugely popular athlete back home, and has had girls flirting with him since his freshman year. He doesn't believe in sex outside of marriage. I know that sounds crazy, but that's the values our parents have inspired in us. My mom was a virgin until their wedding night, and dad encouraged that. If I hadn't been raped, I would've been one too. It's the greatest gift you can give to your spouse. It says, 'You're special, I've saved myself just for you'. Don't worry about Corey pressuring you for that. He wants your affection more than your body. If he tried to kiss you, it must have been a very intimate moment. Just what were you two doing?"
"We were just calling home. I told him good night, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and next thing I know he was leaning over to kiss me." Seira said, dancing around the details.
"You should have let him Seira." Izumi said, "I wouldn't have minded. Although, it wouldn't have been my first, so maybe I can't say for sure."
Ms. Himuro entered into the room. "Izumi? What's taking you so long? You'll be late if you don't hurry."
"Oh no! I completely forgot about school!" she said running out of the room.
Ms. Himuro looked at the two girls on the bed saying, "You two definitely have a way of disrupting the routine. Seira, breakfast is ready, Please get dressed and join us if you would?"
"Oh crap! I forgot to ask Izumi if I could borrow something. I left my wet things in a pile last night, and now they smell like a swimming pool locker room."
"I'm sure Izumi wouldn't mind." Ms Himuro said walking into the closet. "You are about the same size on top, but you have longer legs. Would you mind wearing a skirt? Izumi has a knee length denim skirt that she bought recently."
"That sounds like just my style." Seira said following her. "I'm embarrassed to ask, but do you think she'd let me borrow a pair of underwear? Those aren't too fresh anymore either."
"I won't tell her. If you want to keep them, please do. She would be mortified if she found out. It's not you Seira; she's just particular about personal hygiene." She pulled out a drawer and handed Seira a pair of plain cotton panties. Opening another drawer, she pulled out a pair of mid-calf length socks. "Here, you'll need these as well. I'm sorry Seira; I don't know why I didn't get you these things last night when Mr. Yamagida went out. I was thinking of Miss Azuma, and you got lost in the works."
"That's ok Ms. Himuro, I didn't think about it either." Seira looked at the tag. "Great, we do wear the same size. Thank you, Ms. Himuro; are you sure she won't miss these? I can wash them and have them back by the weekend."
"Heavens no, she has plenty, she won't even notice." She said smiling. "Do you need a bra as well?"
"Oh, no, well I mean, I don't want to sound like I'm bragging, but I'm a little bigger than Izumi, and, well, you know." Seira said blushing. "I'll just go without until I get home."
"Why are you getting so flustered dear, I have them too." Ms. Himuro said smiling. "If you're going without, we should dress accordingly. How about this tan knit top?" She said handing it to Seira. "Then the finishing touch, this denim jacket."
"I thought Izumi didn't like denim, and here she has a closet full." Seira said shaking her head.
"Two pieces is hardly a closet full, Seira. The truth be known, I don't know why she bought them. She only wore the jacket once, and I don't think she's ever worn the skirt. I'm sure that she won't mind you wearing them. Well, get dressed and join us, will you?"
"Yes ma'am, I'll be there as soon as I get dressed, thank you again." Seira said bowing slightly.
Ms. Himuro smiled as she walked out of the closet. Crossing the room, she sat down by Amy. "How are you doing Amy? Is there anything you need?"
"I'm ok, Ms. Himuro. My leg hardly bothers me unless I try to stand on it. It was a complete surprise when it collapsed on me this morning. Hopefully, after the doctor drains the fluid buildup, I'll be able to walk on it again. What time do you need me ready to go by?"
"I'm sorry all I have time to do is drop you off at the hospital. I called the school to reschedule your tests for this afternoon, and told them I would be in by ten. We should leave by nine fifteen at the latest. Can you be ready by then?"
"Seira will need to help me to the bath, but then I can use the hand shower by the tub, so I'll be ready." She said with a confident smile.
"Wonderful. I'm sorry this has been such a trying experience for you. You are already dealing with emotional baggage no fifteen year old should have to. You're a joy to have here dear, let's pray things go better from now on." Ms Himuro impulsively reached out giving Amy a quick hug. Then she rose, and without another word, walked out the door.
Amy smiled at the gesture. "She's such a nice lady. I'm glad she found out about it. Now I have someone to talk to if I need to." Looking behind her, she called out, "Seira! Are you almost dressed? I need to get washed up. We only have an hour until we leave."
"I'll be right out Amy, I'm just about done." She called from the closet. Thirty seconds later, she stepped out. "What do you think?" She said twirling so Amy could get a good look. "I love it. I wish Emma had had something like this in her shop. It is so me!"
"You look great! It really suits you." Amy said giving Seira a thumbs up. "I bet Emma had them. If it were my store, I'd put them with the jeans. You said you were looking for a dress, so that's where she steered you. It probably never dawned on her to look at a denim skirt. I think that's exactly the look you wanted for seeing your mom. You look like a respectable young woman, that's still a little innocent. Perfect."
"Thank you so much for you encouraging words." Seira said formally, bowing exaggeratedly. Then straightening up, she moved to Amy's side with a grin. "C'mon, let's get you washed up.