Kanchigai

Ginger's smile practically stretched from ear to ear as she looked over the meticulously designed plan in her organizer. She expertly used her chopsticks to eat some more rice from her bowl at the breakfast table while keeping her eyes glued to her schedule for the day. The day of the Japanese midsummer festival had finally arrived, and after much campaigning and suggestion she'd managed to get several of her friends to come with her. Phineas, Ferb, Isabella, Gretchen, Django, and Adyson had all promised to come. As her way of thanking them, she had promised to set up all the girls with yukata, which were the traditional summer version of kimono worn to such festivals in Japan. The girls would be over in a few hours to begin going through yukata to wear, but that wasn't what Ginger was most looking forward to.

She flipped the organizer to an entirely different section; one that had a listing of every date she and her boyfriend, Baljeet, had been on. There was a circle around their scheduled date for that day and stars drawn on either side of it as well. Her heart beat a little faster in her chest as she thought about what she had in store for the evening, but she had no reason to believe it wouldn't work out exactly as she planned.

"You're going about this all wrong," Stacy told her in Japanese as she leaned against the doorway to the kitchen where she was eating.

"I don't even know what you're referring to and I still find that statement hilarious coming from you," Ginger replied without even deeming to look at her sister. She, too, kept their conversation in Japanese.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. And you're making a critical mistake here."

"The only mistake I've made is accidentally leaving my organizer out for you to look through. That's one mistake I am not going to repeat."

Stacy stormed over and sat across from her sister, glaring at her. "Cut it out okay? You haven't even thought if this is what Baljeet wants in your relationship right now."

"Oh please, he's a teenage boy," Ginger said, dismissing her sister's concern. "And I know he finds me incredibly attractive. There's no way he won't want to get a little more physical with me. Besides, it's the right time in our relationship for it."

Stacy sighed in disgust. "There you go again, sticking to that ridiculous schedule of yours. You can't plan out love. Believe me, I know."

Ginger narrowed her eyes at her sister. "Yeah, we all know quite extensively about how well you've handled your love life."

"Oh for crying out loud," Stacy cried, throwing her hands into the air. "Heaven forbid I try to have some private time with my boyfriend, of all people, in my own damn room!"

"In the house you grew up in no less! You know the rules, sis, and mom had every right to flip out on you like she did when she caught you guys."

"Hello? Right to privacy? I'm well over legal age for pretty much everything, you know. I can take care of myself. Besides, I really don't want to hear this from a girl whose concept of romance could be charted and graphed!"

"At least I'm trying to keep control of my love life and not just give myself in to every whim and desire that passes through my head! Do you even understand what restraint is?"

Ginger stood up as she'd ranted at her sister. Stacy did likewise for her rebuttal.

"Do you even understand what passion is? Your so-called 'love life' is about as dynamic and interesting as watching paint dry! You're being a total control freak, Ginger! How does Baljeet feel about having no say in your relationship, huh?"

"I'm not going to let myself end up like mom!"

Ginger practically screamed her last proclamation as she stood up, utter fury written on her face as she scowled at her sister. In that instant, Stacy suddenly realized what was really fueling Ginger's organization madness.

"This is about dad, isn't it," Stacy asked, slowly sitting back down. "And how he-"

"Just shut up, sis," Ginger said brusquely as she quickly set to bussing her dishes from the table. "How I manage and advance my love life is my business, just like how you fail to do so for yours is your business. Right?"

"There are some things in life you just can't control. Mom would be the first to tell you that. Hell, I'd argue there are some things you shouldn't even try to control. It's only going to make you miserable when things don't go like how you think they're supposed to."

"My plans have all worked perfectly so far. I have no reason to believe they won't continue to do so. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to start picking out which yukata I think my friends will like."

"Do you want my help," Stacy asked, turning to watch her sister leave.

Ginger stopped in the doorway and looked coldly at Stacy just before she left. "When have I ever?"

Stacy turned back to her coffee mug after Ginger had left. She looked down into it, unable to convince herself to drink any at the moment. As soon as she heard the door to Ginger's room close, she grabbed her purse which sat nearby, pulled her cell phone out, and hit her speed dial for Coltrane.

"Hey baby, it's me," she told him, forcing herself back to speaking English. "I'm gonna have to take a rain check on our date tonight. Something's come up and…yeah, it's about Ginger. I have a really bad feeling about tonight. I'll call you later if I can come over later. I'm so sorry about this…thanks for understanding. I love you."

Flipping her phone closed, Stacy quickly headed for her own room to go through her own collection of yukata. Whether Ginger liked it or not, she was coming to the festival as well now. Every fiber of her being told her that what her sister was planning would only end in disaster, and she intended to be on hand to help run damage control when it became necessary. She only hoped there would be something left of her sister's relationship with Baljeet after it all went down.

"These are absolutely gorgeous, Ginger," Isabella said, positively enchanted by the many different yukata that hung about Ginger's bedroom. "Are you sure it's okay for us to wear these?"

"You guys are my absolute best friends," Ginger told her emphatically. "You agreed to humor me and come to the festival. You have no idea how much this means to me. The least I can do is loan you all yukata for the evening. I just wish everyone could've made it."

"Couldn't be helped," Adyson said as she also browsed the collection. "Katie and Holly are in nonstop practice mode for the recital at the end of the month, and Milly's already going to the Tri-State Area Medieval Faire with Buford."

"At least you and Django are coming," Ginger said, quickly clasping Adyson's hands in her own. "I can't tell you how thrilled I am about having you along, Addie. Have you guys even been able to have a proper date yet?"

"Well…yeah," Adyson blushed deeply as she recalled the event. "He took me to this amazing Italian restaurant where they had this pair of guys playing music for couples on an accordion and violin. It was incredibly romantic. Then he took me to a nearby art gallery, which wasn't quite as romantic but I knew it was something he wanted to see."

"I hope you got a goodnight kiss," Gretchen noted, nudging Adyson with her elbow.

"Oh yeah, and I gotta say Django is one hell of a good kisser," Adyson said, fanning herself lightly at the memory of the kiss. "I think I could kiss that boy all day long."

"That's a sentiment I'm familiar with," Gretchen said as she fantasized about Ferb for a moment. "Although we've been taking it a bit farther than that."

Isabella tossed a number of yukata over Gretchen's head and pushed her onto Ginger's bed. "Try to keep your hormones in check for a while, girl. Oh, and Adyson? Welcome to the club. We've been saving a spot for you for weeks."

Adyson rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at Isabella. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. I took my sweet ol' time figuring it all out. But man was it worth it."

"Take some pride in knowing you two got it all figured out in the course of about a month," Gretchen told her after poking her head out from the pile of Japanese clothing. "The rest of us were in romantic limbo for years, after all."

Adyson suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious. "Oh. Right. Sorry about that, girls."

"Don't sweat it," Ginger told her. "Now let's get down to the biz here. You guys see anything you particularly like?"

"I kind of like this one," Gretchen said, touching the hem of a red yukata with an embroidered pattern that resembled goldenrod growing up from the hem at the bottom. "Red's a good color for me anyway."

"I think that'd work fantastically for you, Gretchen," Ginger told her. "I'll start adjusting it for your height and proportions here."

"Do you have any green ones that aren't quite so bright," Adyson asked, making faces at a couple of bright green ones.

Ginger hummed to herself in thought while she worked on Gretchen's yukata. "Check over by my dresser, there should be a forest green one with wildflowers on it over there."

As Adyson searched, Isabella gasped as she came across a yukata of deep purple hue with a pattern of pink lilies on it. "Oh my goodness, Ginger, this one is just amazing!"

"Go for it," Ginger told her with a smile. "It'd look dynamite on you, Izzie!"

"I couldn't possibly! This is just too nice!"

"Doooo iiiit," Gretchen told her emphatically. "Purple has always been your color."

"What about you, Ginger," Adyson asked as she finally found the yukata she'd been sent looking for. "Don't you need to pick one out?"

"Mine's all set," Ginger told her, looking to her closed closet. "And I kind of want to keep it a secret until tonight. I want to surprise everyone, especially Baljeet."

"Ohhh, got something planned," Gretchen asked, nudging Ginger and wiggling her eyebrows at her.

"Maybe," Ginger replied innocently. "That's between me and Baljeet. But I fully intend to show you all around the festival first."

"This is going to be one amazing evening, isn't it," Isabella said, sighing happily as she held the yukata up to herself.

"Yes," Ginger said, smiling as she looked quickly into her organizer once again. "Yes it is."

"C'mon, guys, I'd really rather not kiss and tell," Django said, trying to dodge the question being posed to him regarding what it was like kissing Adyson.

"Do you think for a moment I'm going to let you get away with staying silent after you made me spill my guts about making out with Gretchen," Ferb asked, bumping Django somewhat hard from the side as they walked.

"Ferb's right, dude," Phineas added, bumping him from the other side. "We all talk in the huddle, remember?"

"Strictly speaking, we can't really huddle while walking," Baljeet noted. "But the sentiment remains nonetheless. We won't say a word to anyone else, Django."

"You guys are loving this, aren't you," Django muttered resentfully.

"Just making sure the rules apply to us all," Ferb told him, putting an arm around his shoulders. "Now talk."

"Kissing Adyson," Django began, "is like experiencing the sweetest, most lucid dream ever to me. For all her standoffishness and tough act, she is incredibly warm and loving underneath it all. She only shows that side to me, though, and only when we're alone together. But in those moments..."

Django stopped walking, causing his three friends to stop and look at him. Django looked to be suddenly at a loss, shaking his head and smiling only to himself.

"I'm sorry, guys," he said apologetically. "I just…I can't put it into words."

Phineas looked from Ferb to Baljeet before stepping back over to Django and putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's cool, man. We get the idea. It's great that you two are getting so close now."

"I have you guys to thank for all your support," Django replied. "I just wish we had more time available to us."

"Carpe diem," Ferb told him. "It's more than just a catch phrase for us, you know."

"No doubt," Django said, laughing lightly. "All the more reason why we decided to come out with you all tonight. I've heard good things about this Japanese festival."

"Ginger has been going on about it for months," Baljeet said as they resumed their walk to his girlfriend's house. "I'm eager to see what all the fuss is about as well. She mentions it at least once on every one of our dates anymore."

"Speaking of which, how's your dating life going, man," Django asked. "Any progress as of late?"

"Same as always, really," the Indian teen replied. "Which suits me just fine. There is something incredibly comforting about how regularly Ginger and I go out together."

"Well, Ginger is the master planner," Phineas noted.

"Yeah yeah, that's great and all, but where's the spark between you two," Django asked. "I mean, you guys have been going out for a long time now, right? Things have to be heating up a little between you."

"I, uh…well…see…" Baljeet nervously searched for words to explain his situation, but to no avail.

"Really, dude," Django asked, somewhat in disbelief at what he was hearing. "You are a teenager, right?"

"It's not as simple as you make it out to be, you know," Baljeet said defensively. "Prior to Ginger I had kissed exactly one girl, and it was a very brief kiss at that. I have no other experience with girls. Not to mention, I'm worried about doing something Ginger isn't ready for."

"I know that feeling rather well," Ferb added. "But it's not something you should be afraid to explore with Ginger. You two do care about each other a lot, right?"

Baljeet stroked his chin in thought as he considered the matter. "I suppose you're right, but all the same I wish I knew something more about what to do before trying anything."

"I hear you there, man," Phineas added in commiseration.

"Wait, you and Isabella are still on first base," Django asked, now really in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me!"

Phineas shrugged at him. "BJ's right, man. It's not that easy, at least for us."

"Maybe we could do some research on it sometime," Baljeet said, to which Phineas nodded in agreement. "The more you know, the better prepared you'll be after all."

Before Phineas and Baljeet could begin considering the idea any further, they were interrupted by boisterous laughter coming from Django and Ferb. Django had to hang onto Ferb's shoulder to avoid falling over due to laughing so hard.

"You guys do realize what that 'research' would entail, right," Django asked while trying to catch his breath.

"Well maybe there's a blog or online forum of some kind we could-" Phineas stopped himself as his brain finally caught up with what Django was referring to. "Oh, ugh. Seriously, dude? You had to go there?"

"It's hard not to when you make it so incredibly easy," Ferb told him, wiping a tear from his eye. "You didn't just walk into that one, you flew gleefully into it at about Mach one."

"I still don't get it," Baljeet noted with a blank stare. Phineas quickly leaned over and whispered into his ear, which quickly caused a horrified look to come across his face. "I'm pretty certain my mother would kill me if she ever caught me looking at that sort of website."

"Guys, really, just do what comes natural when the time comes," Django told them.

"Oh like you can talk," Phineas shot back. "You've been dating Adyson for what? A little over a week now?"

"Yeah, but I'm not sweating this nearly as much as either of you are. I'm just gonna be patient and enjoy my time with her. When the opportune moment arrives, though, we'll see what happens. It's nothing to get all worked up or embarrassed over. We are all teenage guys after all."

"That may be, but I'm still not sure how ready I am for that kind of thing," Baljeet said. "I still sometimes have a hard time dealing with the fact that I even have a girlfriend, let alone the idea of getting more physical with her."

"There's nothing wrong with that at all, Baljeet," Ferb told him. "Just remember that while it shouldn't be the basis for a relationship, it is nonetheless still an important part of one."

Baljeet sighed and decided it was time to shift focus as they approached the Hirano home. "I'll think about it. For now, let's just get ready to go to this festival. Are you guys all set?"

"I think so," Django said, looking himself over. "I'm not underdressed for this, am I?"

"Dude, you're always underdressed for everything," Phineas told him. "Since when has that stopped you, though?"

Django nodded to him. "Hm, good point. I'm cool."

"I think we're all set, Baljeet," Ferb told him with a thumbs up. Just as Baljeet reached for the doorbell, however, the door opened and the boys were greeted by Adyson who was already dressed in the yukata she'd picked out earlier. It was forest green and had a pattern of wildflowers that looked to be growing up it from the bottom.

"Hey fellas," she said, stepping past the other boys on her way to Django. She smiled brilliantly at him. "Hi there, lover. Whadya think?"

"I think I'm definitely way underdressed now," Django said, swallowing hard as he looked over her. "You look fantastic, Addie."

"Aw, flattery will get you a kiss," she replied, giving him a quick one on the lips. She turned back to the doorway after. "C'mon, ladies, time's a-wastin'."

Isabella and Gretchen both stepped outside next, also in the yukata they'd each picked out earlier. As Ferb and Phineas both voiced their appreciation of their respective girlfriends, Baljeet waited anxiously for Ginger's arrival. It was only when he took a moment to re-tie one of his shoes that he saw another pair of feet emerge from the house. He stopped to look up and couldn't believe his eyes.

Ginger stood nervously fidgeting, a small black drawstring purse hanging from her hands. She wore a black yukata with a pattern of white orchids that came up the left side, and her long black hair was done up in a high ponytail. She smiled shyly at him as he slowly stood up.

"Wow," he said in amazement. "You look-"

"Fantastic, I know," Stacy said, interrupting Baljeet in the middle of his compliment. She appeared just behind her sister dressed in a white yukata with forget-me-nots as its floral pattern. "It shocked me too. I mean I honestly went, 'My little sister can't possibly be this cute!' I guess she did inherit some of my fashion sense after all."

"What are you doing here," Ginger said, the aggravation readily apparent in her voice. "Isn't Coltrane picking you up soon?"

"Change of plans, I decided to come to the festival tonight," Stacy told her.

Ginger turned to face her sister, narrowing her eyes at her. "And if I say I don't want you tagging along tonight?"

"Tough stuff, girly. This is what I want to do. Besides, I haven't had a chance this summer to hang out with the boys with all the help Candace has needed with her dress and the bridesmaid dresses. So deal."

"Ginger," Baljeet said, putting a hand on her arm to regain her attention. "Let's all just go together. I'm eager to see this festival you've spoken so highly of for so long, and I'm sure the others feel the same."

Ginger took one more scathing look at Stacy, who simply put on her best stupid grin for her. She turned back around, took Baljeet's arm, and began walking. The rest of the gang fell in behind them as they led the way to the festival. Along the way, Ginger was mostly silent as she fumed over Stacy's "sudden" change in plans. It changed nothing for her, though. Tonight would be a night to remember for her and Baljeet, and there was nothing that would stand in their way.

Danville's Japanese Festival was actually just a version on the traditional Bon Festival that was held across Japan every summer. The city's sole Buddhist temple was the site for the event, and the path leading to it was lined with lights and vendor stalls of all kinds that either sold food or souvenirs, or ran games of chance or skill for small prizes. The vast majority of people who attended the event did so in normal American clothing, but any girl or woman of Japanese descent was present wearing a yukata of some kind or another.

"So if this is a religious festival, why all the commerce," Django asked, looking dubiously at the stalls as they walked.

"In the first place, it's only based on the bon matsuri," Stacy told him. "It's not intended to be a perfect re-creation of it. And second, it wouldn't be much of a festival if people weren't enjoying themselves. Besides, it's all fairly inexpensive stuff. Not to mention delicious. I strongly recommend the choco-banana. It's a personal favorite of mine."

"All the same, you'd think people could do without indulging their materialism for just one day," Django complained. "Right, Addie?"

Django face-faulted as he turned and saw his girlfriend with a choco-banana in one hand, a huge mass of cotton candy in the other, and some crazy kind of mask that was sitting sideways on her head. She looked innocently at Django as she finished another bite of her banana.

"What," she asked as she began practically shoving what was left of the banana into Django's face. "This stuff's good! Try it."

Django ran his hand over his face before begrudgingly taking a small bite from the banana. "We have got to talk about curbing your impulse buying sometime."

Adyson stuck her tongue out at him. "Good luck with that. So, what'd you think? Tasty, right?"

"Yes, yes it was. You gonna share some of that cotton candy too?"

"Depends, you gonna lighten up and enjoy yourself?"

Stacy chuckled to herself and turned to check on the others in the group for a bit to give the two enough space to talk and enjoy themselves. Phineas and Isabella had stopped at a game stall. Isabella was crouched near to the ground while Phineas stood over her. As Stacy approached, she recognized the all-too-familiar, and reviled, goldfish scooping game.

"Any luck yet," she asked, peering over Phineas' shoulder.

"Well I'm out nine bucks so far," Phineas told her. Another light curse came from Isabella as she failed once again to get a fish. Phineas sighed and handed the man running the stall another dollar. "Make that ten bucks."

"How the heck are you supposed to do this with these stupid, flimsy things," Isabella said, looking at her newest paper scoop with scorn.

"You're using too much force," Stacy told her. "Be a little more deliberate about how you move it. Remember, it's not a net."

Isabella took a deep breath to calm herself and watched the goldfish swim just below her carefully. She spotted one swimming along close to the top and decided to make her move. She dipped the scoop into the water and, taking Stacy's advice, carefully moved it under the fish and lifted it delicately out and into her bowl.

"And there you go," Stacy told her happily. "Enjoy your ten dollar goldfish!"

Stacy heard Isabella call out her thanks to her as she continued making her rounds of the others. She spotted Ferb and Gretchen walking alone and stopped to admire the couple from afar. Gretchen hung on Ferb's arm as they chatted, but Stacy could see something more in their eyes as they looked and smiled at each other. There was some genuine happiness between the two of them, and she instantly knew it would be wrong to interfere with it for the sake of her own curiosity.

She then sighed and, after taking another look around, turned her gaze to the sky. Predictably, Ginger had disappeared with Baljeet the moment the group had broken up to partake in the festivities. She hoped feebly that her sister would be sensible, but deep down knew that she'd be needed for damage control soon enough.

Baljeet's back collided hard with a tree as he backpedaled. Ginger stood just a few feet away in the continually darkening woods, her bare shoulders peeking out from the edges of the yukata that she was just barely holding up by its edges. Baljeet's heart raced as he watched her slowly approach him. His mind, normally composed and sharp, raced with confusion and panic.

"What's the matter, dear," Ginger asked sultrily, dropping one of her hands slightly to reveal just a bit more skin. "Don't you like what you see?"

"No," Baljeet blurted nervously. "I mean yes! But…isn't this…I mean we're outside and…"

"No one will find us here," she told him soothingly. "And you can do whatever you like with me. I promised to always take care of you, and I intend to do just that, Baljeet."

"B-b-b-but we've only been…I mean we're still so young…"

Ginger finally stood just inches away from him. Her hands moved from her clothes to his face, cupping it gently as she leaned ever closer to him. "I don't care about age. I just want to make you happy. That's all."

Ginger felt her yukata fall open more in the front and closed her eyes as she prepared to kiss Baljeet. Instead, she felt his hands grip her shoulders firmly and push her back a bit. She opened her eyes to see Baljeet looking back at her, red-faced but somewhat more resolute.

"Ginger," he said, voice still wavering from nerves. "I don't think this is right."

"Wh-what?"

Baljeet let go of her shoulders as he looked down and away from her slightly. "I care greatly for you, yes, but…I really don't know if I'm ready for this sort of thing yet. Plus, I don't want to feel like we're sneaking around to do it either. It seems unfair and…dishonorable."

Inside her head and heart, Ginger felt like panic alarms were screaming at her. "But…but I love you! I want this for you! For us!"

"And I'm not sure I want this yet!"

"Tonight is supposed to be the night, Baljeet! It was supposed to be perfect! I had it all planned out!"

"I can't plan out how I feel!"

Ginger gasped and staggered backwards a few steps as Baljeet seemed to throw the words in her face. She clutched her yukata around herself, suddenly feeling incredibly vulnerable. The realization that Stacy had been right all along horrified her. Baljeet started to step towards her to apologize, but she whirled and ran from him as fast as she could while hastily trying to re-dress herself. Baljeet tried to follow but ended up tripping over several unseen tree roots. He ran back into the festival, thinking he'd seen her head back there, but quickly found himself utterly lost in the crowd. Cursing himself, he sat on the steps leading up to the temple and held his head in his hands. After a few minutes of self-cursing and self-loathing, he noticed someone standing over him and looked up at them.

"Come with me," Stacy told him. "We need to talk, gitei-kun."

Baljeet waited patiently as Stacy quietly prayed at the temple to honor her ancestors. Several other people of Japanese descent were doing the same, and though he'd initially felt compelled to do the same Stacy had urged him not to do so just to try and fit in. So he waited in silence until her return a couple of minutes later.

"How much about our family has Ginger told you, Baljeet," Stacy asked him as they slowly walked around the temple grounds together.

"Apart from her rather antagonistic relationship with you, not much," he replied. "Sometimes she'll mention something about your mother's work, but nothing more than that."

"So she never mentioned that neither she nor I were born in America, then."

"No, she hasn't. But that hardly matters to me. I was born in India and lived there for some time until we moved here after my father's promotion."

"Lucky you. We didn't have that kind of luxury."

"But your mother is a doctor, right?"

"Both of our parents are doctors. That's how they met, after all. We were both born in Tokyo and lived there pretty happily for quite some time. At least we thought it was a happy life."

"What do you mean?"

"One year, mom wanted to surprise dad on his birthday. I was nine years old. Chizuru would've been about four."

Baljeet looked at her in confusion. "Who's Chizuru?"

"That's Ginger's Japanese name," Stacy told him, which earned her another even more confused look from Baljeet. "What? Did you honestly think a full-blooded native Japanese family would name their daughters Stacy and Ginger? By the way, my Japanese name is Satomi. But please, just stick with Stacy and Ginger for us. We've gotten so used to our American names that it's all we call each other anymore. Only our relatives in Japan still call us by our Japanese names."

"That must get confusing."

"Don't get me started. Anyway, we're digressing. Mom picked me up from school that day and we spent the afternoon getting cakes and presents and all sorts of stuff. Dad wasn't going to be home until late; at least he wasn't supposed to be."

"I don't like where this is going."

Stacy half-smiled at him. "You're perceptive; and, unfortunately, right. We got home and walked in on him with some other woman from his nursing staff. They were…well, you can figure out the rest. Mom was devastated by it. We moved out the same night into the home of my baa-chan, and after I finished that year of school we moved to the Tri-State Area and mom made us change our names to something that sounded American. We haven't seen dad since then, but every once in a while I know he calls to check on us."

"How do you know?"

"The phone calls are always short and end with my mom using some Japanese insults I wouldn't use on my worst enemy."

"Oh. That's quite a story, but what does it have to do with me? And more to the point, what does it have to do with me and Ginger?"

"Everything," Stacy said as she stopped walking. "Ginger may have been young, but she remembers that day pretty clearly. She remembers the chaos and confusion and how much it tore our mom apart. She told me once she never wanted to feel like that again, especially when she found someone to love."

"And that's why she's so obsessed with planning and organization, isn't it?"

"Perceptive observation once again. She's planned as much of her life out as she could, and that includes your guys' relationship."

"Here I thought she just wanted to have an advance idea of what kind of dates we'd be going on. I didn't know it went this far."

"I didn't either until I snuck a peek in her organizer one afternoon. She was pretty livid that I found out, but not as angry as I was at her for what she was intending to pull."

"So you know about how she…"

"Tried to jump you in the forest near the festival? Yeah. I would've tried to give you a heads up, but I didn't think you'd believe me after how much I've tried to shake your dating life up; which, by the way, I only did to try and get her out of her stupid plan. I never meant anything mean by all of it."

"I appreciate the sentiment, though. It makes a lot of things make much more sense now. But all the same…what am I supposed to do now? I don't know where Ginger went off to, and even if I did I don't know what I would say to her."

Stacy stopped walking and turned to fully face Baljeet. "I'm pretty sure I know where she is, but as for the rest that's up to you alone."

Baljeet looked down at the ground dejectedly. "I'm not even sure she'll want to see me again."

"Look, twisted though it may have been Ginger did what she did for your sake, Baljeet. She's loved you for so long and so intensely that she just wants you both to have the perfect life together and that's a big part of why she went crazy trying to plan every moment of it. What you need to decide is if that's what you want out of your relationship, or if you're not really comfortable with a life set on cruise control. If the plan is actually what you want, then I suggest picking up where you left off in the woods."

"I think I've already made it abundantly clear that that is not what I want."

"In which case you're going to have to take charge of things for once. And to be honest, that's how I've hoped things would turn out. So don't be afraid to change things up or be a little bold on occasion with her. That's the sort of influence she needs in her life."

"I'll see what I can do, but I am still a nerd at heart. Nonetheless, I do care a lot about Ginger. I want to be with her, but I don't want to be the only one who's happy in our relationship."

Stacy smiled and hugged Baljeet. "Don't forget that sentiment when you talk to her. It'll help you figure out exactly what to do."

Baljeet nodded to her after she let him go. "So, can you lead me to where she is?"

"I could, or you could just look over there," Stacy said, pointing to the top of the steps in front of the temple. Ginger stood there, her yukata properly reset, and looking incredibly remorseful.

"How did you know she would be there?"

"I saw her there as we came out of the temple. Now go get her, gitei-kun."

"You called me that before. What does that even mean?"

Stacy just giggled and winked as she began walking away from him. "Oh you'll find out on your own someday. I have a pretty good feeling about that."

Baljeet sighed to himself, but gave a silent thanks to Stacy for her words as he approached his girlfriend. As he did, he could tell she had been crying pretty hard by her bloodshot eyes and dampened sleeves. He stood in silence a couple feet away from her, wondering if she would be the first to say something. After almost five minutes of silence, Baljeet finally knew he'd have to take the initiative just as Stacy had told him. Fortunately, he'd figured he knew exactly what to say.

"This country is pretty amazing when you think about it," he told her as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and wandered a bit away from her. "Where else could two immigrant kids from such different countries as ours meet up and start having a relationship?"

"I guess you're right," Ginger replied meekly.

"But you know what the greatest thing about it is?"

"What would that be?"

"That we have the freedom to screw up."

"I don't recall any part of the Constitution that gives us the freedom to screw up."

"Sure there is. People just call it 'freedom of choice' because 'freedom to screw' up doesn't sound as attractive."

Despite her continued sorrow, Ginger couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the idea.

"It's thanks to that freedom to screw up that so many people before us did so many amazing things," Baljeet said, continuing his train of thought. "I mean none of the really great things or ideas that came about were perfect the first time though. Not to mention there wasn't a whole lot of planning involved in how things were supposed to go."

"There was at least some planning though."

"Yes, there was. But there were still screw ups. Things went sideways. Unexpected events happened. And yet people picked themselves up, dusted themselves off, and carried on. Just because things don't go how you think they should doesn't mean it's the end of the world."

"I don't know how people can live with so much uncertainty in their lives. How can you possibly live like that without worrying about what might happen next?"

"I think that's part of what life is about: not knowing what's next. And the measure of us, as people, is in how we deal with those unexpected things."

"I'm not measuring up very well right now, then. All I could do is run away and cry like a baby."

"But you came back here," Baljeet told her as he stepped up and took her hands into his. "And you're here with me now, which means you don't want to give up on us. Right?"

Ginger nodded silently as more tears rolled down her face. Baljeet reached up and tried his best to wipe them away as he looked into her eyes.

"I care very deeply for you, Ginger. Don't ever doubt that. I'm just very uncomfortable with physicality, especially in places that are not exactly private."

Ginger nodded to him with a sniffle. "I can appreciate that. I've just watched too many dramas where this sort of thing happens, I guess. I should've asked you what you wanted. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't be so complacent about our relationship. I don't want everything we do to be just about my happiness. I want you to be happy too, Ginger. That means more to me than you can imagine."

"I just don't want to lose you because you feel neglected, Baljeet. That's how my mother lost my father…because he felt neglected due to my mother's devotion to her work. I'm terrified that someday I might lose you because I'm not doing enough for you."

"How could I ever possibly feel neglected when I have someone as loving and dedicated as you? Just remember, your happiness is just as important as mine, and I will do my best to make sure you never feel neglected as well."

From her vantage point, all Stacy saw was a lengthy talk between the two that ended with them kissing in each other's arms, which was all she needed to see to know things had worked out somehow. She quickly produced her cell phone and, after composing a quick text message to her younger sister, placed a call to her own boyfriend.

"Hey, it's me," she said once Coltrane picked up. "Mission accomplished. You still got time tonight? Great. I'll be over in a few. No, not my place this time. Mom's working the graveyard shift tonight, but I think someone else needs the house more than me. See you soon, baby. I love you."

Flipping her phone closed, Stacy began making her way out of the festival and on to her own romantic rendezvous for the evening, though not before taking one more look at her sister and "gitei-kun" as she now had resolved to refer to Baljeet, her presumed future "brother-in-law".

"That sounds pretty hot and heavy," Isabella said into her phone as she finished towel-drying her hair from her shower. She'd been home from the Japanese festival for an hour now and had called to let Ginger know she'd get her yukata back to her the next day. It had turned into a now fifteen-minute conversation about what had happened at the festival and what had happened when she and Baljeet had gotten back to her house.

"Gretchen was right," Ginger told her through the phone. "Making out with Baljeet was as physically satisfying as it was emotionally satisfying. I just went about it all wrong earlier. Being at home really did make things a lot more comfortable. I have to thank Stacy for the heads up that mom was working late tonight. I also have to thank her for setting me straight. There's a limit to what you can, or really should, plan after all."

Isabella laughed a little. "In my case there's almost no way I can plan anything."

"Yeah, no kidding. Phineas is kind of the incarnation of unpredictability, isn't he?"

"To say the least."

"But that does make your guys' situation even weirder."

"How so?"

"Well, I mean…you guys got together first among us. Yet Gretchen and I have gone farther than you guys have, at least as far as fooling around with our boyfriends goes. I would've thought you two being so much more spontaneous would be all over each other at this point."

"That's…complicated," Isabella said, trying to dodge the issue.

"It's none of my business, I know. I mean, you guys will go at your own pace and there's nothing wrong with that. It's just a little odd to me is all."

"Don't worry about it, Ginger. You're not the first person to tell me this."

"Anyway, I'm gonna go take another bath here and try to cool down some more. I'm still all hot and bothered."

"You do that. I'll see you tomorrow with the yukata. Oh, and thanks again for letting me borrow it today. It really was beautiful."

"Any time you want to borrow it just say so. Same goes for the rest of the girls. It's like I say, everyone looks good in yukata."

Isabella laughed and, after bidding her friend goodbye, closed her phone and tossed it unceremoniously onto her nightstand. She looked out her window across the street to the Flynn-Fletcher home to the light in Phineas and Ferb's room, which was still on.

'It is weird,' she mused as her thoughts turned to Phineas. 'But it's not for lack of desire that I haven't gone that far with Phineas yet.'

Isabella flopped down onto her bed and reached for a framed photo of the two of them together from one of their amusement park trips.

"It's because anymore I can't help but feel that just making out with you would be enough," she said, as if talking directly to Phineas. "I love you so much, Phineas…but I'm so scared of what's next for us."

As Isabella tortured herself with the same line of thoughts she'd been having ever since the pool party back near the beginning of summer, one thing became crystal clear to her. This wasn't something she could keep bottled up forever. Somehow, somewhere, sometime, she was going to need to talk to someone about it.

Next Episode Preview: Isabella's concern about taking the next step in her relationship with Phineas does not go unnoticed. Two very different people have two separate conversations with her to try and help her sort out her thoughts and feelings.

Translation Notes for this chapter:

The title "Kanchigai" means "misunderstanding". The rest of the actual Japanese used here is explained within the story itself.