Saturday late night, February 26th – Melbourne Airport, Australia
"DEEEEEEENAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Aiko-chan's scream filled the long Arrivals hallway of the old Terminal 2 building. Dozens of other people turned towards the child's cry in time to see her leap into the arms of the tall Australian woman. And then… both of them cried at their obviously joyful reunion.
The rest of the party was glad to see Deena again too, but they would have to wait. Thanks to that annoying woman from DFAT, Deena wasn't in uniform and she didn't care who might see her cry as she held Aiko-chan in a crushing hug. And the little girl didn't hold anything back either. Her own tears flowed as she held onto her Deena-chan with all of her strength.
The tearful reunion between the two girls made everyone forget their weariness for a while. But, it also brought home their feelings for family and friends who were not with them now. The Major, Noto, Maya, Taiga, Minori, Umeko, and of course the four babies… all had been left back in Japan, and wouldn't be seen until they returned home in a few weeks. But none of them would be away longer than Deena's absence had been.
"If you like," Yasuko offered to Deena, "Aiko-chan could stay with you in your room tonight."
"Onee-chan!" Deena pulled the shorter woman in for a hug but replied, "No…"
"Huh?" Aiko-chan reacted like she was startled, and hugely disappointed.
"If it's okay with you, could I stay with both of you, tonight?" Deena asked. "I… I've missed you all so much!"
Ryuuji's smile was broad but not scary. He hadn't learned to smile differently in the last two years, but he discovered that people were less intimidated and scared of his smile when they couldn't see his eyes. That combination was still pretty fearsome, but there was a way to cope with it.
He had fallen into the custom of wearing the mirror-shades when on business with Ami… or business in general. Ryuuji found that people in the entertainment business didn't find it so odd if someone came to meet them wearing sunglasses. Others might think it strange, but a quick explanation usually satisfied their concerns. Sometimes, he considered wearing them to school as well, but after the first three or four weeks of the school year, that had been unnecessary. Word had spread quickly that the famous model, Ami Kawashima was enrolled at Tokyo U. The rumors also said that she was married to another student there. Since the two of them had several freshman classes together, and Ami wasn't bashful at all about telling people that she was married to Ryuuji, he was soon known as 'the husband of Ami Kawashima' to other students and even many of the teachers.
But for now, the only person that was looking at his smile was his wife. All the other attention was on the dramatic reunion between Deena and Aiko-chan. Ami had a smile of her own… or more like a smirk – as she leaned over and whispered into Ryuuji's ear.
"Don't get any pervy ideas. No matter how much you may have missed her, she is not sleeping in our room!" Ami was able to say without giggling.
"I never said…" Ryuuji automatically started defending himself before he saw Ami's playful smirk. Then he groaned, "Ami…"
"Hey, it's going to be work work work for me, while we're here. You can at least let me have a little fun teasing my husband." Ami pouted.
"All right. I'll give you that." Since Ryuuji had put the tour together, he knew better than anyone, just how busy the performers would be. He had been able to squeeze in a little time here and there for relaxation and sightseeing, but with the photo shoots, the music performances, and the fashion show, their schedule was pretty well packed. "While we're here, you can tease me as much as you like."
"That goes for all of us, right?" Hisako said as she leaned up against Ryuuji's other side and ran her fingers through his hair.
"Eh?" Ryuuji turned to Hisako and wondered what she was up to.
"Well, we're all going to be busy and doing our best, right? So, if that helps to get rid of a little stress, shouldn't we all get to tease you too?" She asked with a feline mannerism.
"Um…" Ryuuji was thinking of how he could explain why that was a bad idea when Ami answered.
"I don't see why not." Ami chimed in, "He may be my husband, but he is the manager for all of us. So, we should all be able to rely on him to help out if we're stressed."
"Ulp!" Ryuuji's concern escalated when he felt Suzume wrap her long arms around him from behind.
"Mmmmm, I can feel the stress of that long flight floating away." Suzume cooed into his ear.
The onlookers had something else to look at now, besides the reunion between the tall blond Aussie and the short Japanese girl with an explosion of orange-gold hair. Ryuuji, with his mirror shades on and the three models models clinging to him, looked like something out of a movie poster.
"Nanako!" Ryuuji called out when he noticed the shorter purple haired girl watching him with her cherished Hisako dangling from him like some kind of sexy ornament. He was about to explain that the girls were all just doing this as a joke. But Nanako had a barb of her own to toss.
"Don't worry, Ryuuji-sama. I completely understand. In fact, I might get stressed out on this trip and I hope you won't mind if I come to you and curl up in your lap."
The barb worked, but Ryuuji hadn't been the intended target. Hisako reacted as if she had touched a bare electric wire. She jumped away from Ryuuji and stared at Nanako. The image of Nanako curled up in a lap like a comfortable kitten was sweet and wonderful. But, the idea of her Nanako curled up in somebody else's lap was… intolerable.
"I… I don't want you to do that." Hisako blushed a bit as she admitted her jealousy.
Nanako said nothing, but she opened her arms for Hisako to step in for a hug. Considering the nearly twenty centimeter difference in their height, one might have thought it was mother and daughter holding onto each other.
"I don't want you to go to someone else when you are feeling stressed out." Nanako didn't feel embarrassed at all to admit her selfishness. Yet another advantage for the girl that had clawed her way back from the brink of death in her last year of high school. Unlike virtually everyone else in Japan, she felt a liberation from many societal and cultural norms. It wasn't that she had become immoral, but she was able to see life from a much bigger picture now and getting embarrassed about the little things was no longer in her nature. She had also become somewhat fearless in her ability to express herself.
Hisako had gotten used to Nanako's unbound spirit for the most part. But there were still times, like this, when her own actions were pulled up short by the smaller girl with the long purple hair and the enigmatic smile.
.
Saturday late night, February 26th – Hisamitsu Estate, Tokushima Japan
Shinako had led The Major, Minori, and Taiga to follow the maids that were heading for the nursery. Now, Yamada Yukiko stood alone before the matriarch and her favored grandson of the Hisamitsu family. She knew that this would be a test in more ways than one. Sure, it was important to secure an agreement that would allow the Yamada family to increase their presence in the area, but even more importantly – did Yukiko have the skills to forge a real relationship with one of Japan's elder families...
"Yamada Yukiko, heiress apparent of the Yamada hotel and resort empire. A pleasure to meet you." Obāsama said with a smile. She wondered if this young woman would be rattled by her little display of prescience. But, from the look of satisfaction on Yukiko's face, there was no shock and the only surprise was a pleasant one.
"Oh, I do love to hear that. And from one so dignified as the matriarch of the Hisamitsu family. It is quite an honor." Yukiko bowed in respect to the elder woman, then asked, "I suppose you have already guessed one of the reasons why I tagged along on this little jaunt?"
"I believe so. With the responsibility that faces you now, it is inevitable that you will have to mix at least a little business with pleasure." Obāsama said.
"True. But I am not bringing with me anything so weighty that it should interfere much with your schedule." Yukiko promised.
"It won't be my schedule that is interrupted." Obāsama placed her hand on her grandson's shoulder and announced, "My grandson, Noto. He will be taking over the responsibilities of the Hisamitsu family businesses as soon as he has graduated from University. I promised myself that I would give him at least that much before he had to take on the mantle of obligation that awaits him. But, he is an exceptional young man… so I have decided to let him test himself in the shallow waters for now."
"I see." Yukiko now studied the young man. She did not envy him the future he had to look forward to. Unlike the Yamada family, the Hisamitsu was a far older and more prestigious family, but their businesses were tied to old ways and their value was on the decline. Unless something shook up their staid ways of thinking, it was only a matter of time before their esteemed family name became a mere gravestone along the winding path of Japan's history.
"You should not discount his abilities due to his age or experience. He has my full faith and any agreement he makes with you will be honored by the family." Obāsama assured the woman.
"I have every faith in Noto-san. After all, he is a talented and courageous young man." Yukiko said with a smile.
"Oh?" Obāsama raised an eyebrow at this unexpected praise. She was always wary of those that tried to sweet talk their way into a deal. "I was not aware that you knew my grandson that well?"
"Oh, not me personally… at least not yet. But I know his reputation from people who I hold in the highest regard." Yukiko replied to the doubt she heard in the old woman's voice.
"Kawashima Ami?" Obāsama asked. She knew that the hotel heiress was close friends with the model and former classmate of Noto's.
"It is Takasu Ami now. Even though she still uses Kawashima Ami for performances, to her friends it is Takasu." Yukiko dared to correct the Matriarch in her own house, but there was a reason for it. "Her husband is Takasu Ryuuji and he is a truly amazing young man."
Noto silently nodded his head in agreement. It was a conviction he believed himself, but was surprised to hear it from someone else.
"Has he ever told you the story of how we first met?" Yukiko asked.
"He stayed at your hotel when he went to Tokyo with Ami." Noto said.
"Of course, he is too much of a gentleman to tell more of the story than that." Yukiko smiled and continued, "I did not believe in him at first. In fact, I was certain that he was a corporate spy or a saboteur from some element of organized crime. I was convinced that he had deceived all of the people in his entourage and that he was trying to deceive me. I was sure that I was right and that if I watched him closely enough, I would catch him up in his lies and his cruel intent."
Noto felt a bit of anger but he remembered a time when he was scared of Ryuuji, just like everyone else… well most everyone else.
"But I was the one that was wrong, you see. Behind that scary face, there is no malice or ill will at all. I continued to watch him, even after I had been convinced of my grievous error. In doing so, I discovered a wonderful person who is as capable as he is kind. In the end, I found someone that has earned my faith and respect to such a degree – that I will trust him implicitly." Yukiko said.
"That's good… but I don't see what that has to do with my grandson." Obāsama said.
"Ryuuji-sama told me that Noto-san was someone who was courageous and reliable. Noto-san was one of only a few people to rival Ryuuji-sama academically. Ryuuji-sama and The Major both told me how Noto-san persevered and kept his calm in the face of adversity. But most importantly, Ryuuji-sama told me that Noto-san is someone that he himself believes in. Please excuse me if you find this insulting… I know that the Hisamitsu family has a long and honorable past but, to me, there is no higher endorsement of ones character than the recommendation from someone that I myself hold in very high esteem." Instead of bowing, Yukiko stood in defense of her statement. But there was no challenge to her declaration from anyone.
"Thank you, Yamada-san" Noto bowed. "I too hold Ryuuji in very high regard. I am grateful that you have accepted me for any business negotiations with the family." I only hope that I don't embarrass myself too much in dealing with someone so accomplished. Noto worried about disappointing his grandmother.
"Noto-san, you are already thinking of this as some kind of competition, aren't you? Something like chess perhaps?" Yukiko asked.
"Y… yes." Noto admitted.
"I will teach you a lesson that Ryuuji-sama taught me. In competitions like chess, there is a winner and there is a loser. But, not all business dealings are competitions. We will not be competing for the same resources. We will be working together… if my proposal works out. And whenever people work together, there is an opportunity for both of them to win."
Yes sensei! Noto almost said. He wanted to tell this amazing woman that he would be in her care. But that might not be appropriate when he was supposed to be on the other side of the negotiating table from her. All that he knew of business told him that he should not trust her, but her story about Ryuuji seemed genuine. Noto knew that his scary but bighearted friend could have that effect on people. After a heavy breath, he made his decision.
"I will not waste valuable time in second guessing Ryuuji's assessment. He also told me that you were a trusted and valued friend." Noto told Yukiko, "I will place my trust in you now. I acknowledge that I have much to learn from you. It may seem odd to say this since I will be negotiating with you, but I am placing myself in your care."
"As you wish." Yukiko smiled at the young man. Well played, young Noto-san. If I take advantage of you now, I will be taking advantage of my friendship with Ami and Ryuuji… and that is something I will never do. "Very well, you can place your trust in me. Who knows what will happen then? Perhaps, we shall become fast friends too."
.
One of the rooms in the sprawling house had been renovated as a nursery. Dressers with baby supplies, changing tables, and four cribs adorned the room… although one of the cribs was empty. Taiga and Minori were peering into the crib that held a pair of three month old babies sleeping back to back.
"So cute!" Minori sighed.
"Why don't they get their own cribs?" Taiga asked.
"They are supposed to," Shinako gestured at the empty crib next to the one that held the twins, "but the girls had other ideas."
"They're happier when they are together? I've heard that is not so unusual with identical twins." The Major said.
"Identical!" Taiga's squeal of excitement almost woke the babies. She immediately recognized her mistake and clamped her hands over her mouth. Her reaction was not unusual though. The frequency of identical twin births was always low, but in a country with a low birth rate, they became quite rare.
"There is some excitement in the family about that." Shinako told them, "If they truly are identical twins, this would be the first time in the Hisamitsu family history."
"What do you mean, if they truly are?" Minori asked.
"It was a dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancy… which is to say that each of the twins was in it's own placenta. That is normal for fraternal twins. But, the placenta's were fused so there is a chance that they are truly identical after all." Shinako explained.
"Whether they're identical or not, they are both beautiful." Taiga said dreamily. She had an infant sibling of her own now, but these were babies from people she went to school with. And that made them different somehow. Taiga was lost in her own space as she looked at the wisps of light brown hair and their peaceful sleeping faces.
"Thank you, Taiga." Maya said from the doorway. The sleep from her nap hadn't entirely left her but she had made it to the room's entrance in time to hear Taiga's praise.
Taiga snapped out of her daze and spun around to see a slightly disheveled Maya leaning against the door-frame. She realized that she had just been seen having a pure cute moment and old reflexes started to kick in. It's not like they're special or anything. They're just boring babies. All wrinkly and bloated, they look like some kind of larvae.
Taiga stopped as if she had run into a wall. She could hear the blood pounding in her ears and her mouth was already open… ready to spew the words that would shore up her defenses and renew her image. Words that would let everyone know that she wasn't soft, or weak, or… kind.
She could feel Minori staring at her and she could see the truly thankful look in Maya's eyes. Thankful and… exhausted. Exhausted?
Three months old…
Taiga remembered well just how much one baby had worn her mother out. The first three months had been devastating to a woman who always seemed full of strength and will. Taiga had tried to help out as much as she could but she was in her final year of high school and was trying to do her best in her classes – to prove to her mother and to herself that she could be a dependable person. There had even been a few times Taiga had come home from school and found her mother crying… for no apparent reason.
And Maya had two of them.
"Maya… you look awful. I mean… Are you okay?" Taiga asked.
"I tried to look nice for you…" Maya pulled at the clothes she was wearing to straighten them out.
"No." Taiga trotted across the floor and put her small hands on Maya's face, forcing her to look the smaller girl in the eyes.
"Taiga?" Maya suddenly remembered the event in the school hallway when the Palm Top Tiger knocked Ryuuji out with a single punch. She thought maybe she should get away quickly, but she knew she was no match for Taiga in either speed or reflexes.
"Maya… I haven't always been the gentlest person around, but I did help my mother with her new kid. So, if there is anything you think a person like me could do to help… I mean…" Taiga stopped in surprise when Maya went to her knees and gave her a hug around her waist.
"Thank you Taiga! Thank you so much!" Maya began to sob against Taiga's chest as she clung to the slender but fierce friend.
Minori started to move over to the pair but Taiga waved her off with an I've got this gesture. She had watched her own mother go through the baby blues soon after her brother was born and it had lasted long enough that Taiga and her stepfather worried that it might actually be postpartum depression. Taiga had read up on that that affliction thoroughly, but her mother had recovered on her own soon after. So Taiga had an idea what her friend might be going through.
"Hey, I can look at the babies later. Let's get you back to your room, okay?" Taiga insisted.
"Um… okay." an exhausted Maya accepted Taiga's help at getting off the floor and led the way back to her room.
.
"PPD?" The Major asked Shinako, after Maya and Taiga had left the room.
"We think so." Shinako said glumly.
"What is that?" Minori asked.
"Postpartum Depression. It can happen to a woman after childbirth. There are a lot of symptoms, none of them good. They range from mood swings to…" The Major paused. Knowing what the Hisamitsu family had gone through a year and a half ago, he didn't want to say it.
"...thoughts of suicide." Shinako finished it.
"No!" Minori gasped in horrified shock.
"Don't worry. We have consulted physicians and are taking every precaution." Shinako assured the pink haired girl.
"Maybe… we shouldn't be here." Minori worried.
"No, having friends around her is a good thing. I think." Shinako then glanced at the doorway where Maya and Taiga had recently been. "I will have to re-evaluate your friend Taiga-san though."
"Why?" Minori asked.
"To be honest, I was concerned about Taiga-san coming here. I have heard many stories about your 'Palm Top Tiger' – as she is called. But… Taiga-san may be exactly what Maya-chan needs right now." Shinako said thoughtfully – as if she were considering many options.
Minori wanted to defend her best friend. She wanted to demand that Taiga should never be uninvited from a gathering of her friends. But something in Shinako's voice told her that the opinion of Taiga might already be changing to a more favorable perception. And best of all, Taiga was doing it herself.
.
Tuesday late morning, March 1st – Melbourne Australia
Towering over the sweltering, sunny landscape and dwarfing the other buildings of Melbourne was the impressive Eureka Tower. And, three hundred meters up inside that tall spire, was the observation deck of the tallest building in the sprawling city. From the huge glass windows, incredible vistas could be seen of sea, shore, city, country, forests, and hills. And against this backdrop Ami, Suzume, and Hisako would be having their first Australian photo shoot. This one was for a Japanese fashion magazine targeting summer clothing styles.
Ryuuji looked at the list of what they would be doing for the next several days and a lot of the work turned out to be like that. It made sense to him after he thought about it. Sure, it was still winter back home, but summer was just around the corner when you considered the time it would take to do the photography, put together the layouts, print and distribute the media… and of course, the time it would take to manufacture enough of these garments to stock them in the stores. The aspects of scheduling and planning interested him for a little while, but it wasn't a very deep subject and he was soon back to being bored. That was what most of being a manager was all about – long periods of boredom, salted with a few moments of urgent activity. It hadn't been that long since the model's last break, so he was settling in for a long wait until the next period of brief urgency.
Trying to stay alert, he mostly watched the girls work. But he was also keeping his eyes on the others that were there too. Nanako and Umeki had started out sticking with him and watching their friends work, but while high fashion modeling may be glamorous, it wasn't always exciting. After the first hour, he had chased the other two away under the pretense that there wasn't enough room where they were shooting – for all three of them to be standing around idly. He promised to take turns with them, for the responsibility of watching over their friends, but secretly he hoped they would have more fun hanging out with his mother, Yuri-sensei, Deena and Aiko-chan.
Aiko-chan was doing well with her singing jobs, but she still hadn't broken through into the modeling world. Ryuuji was partly glad for that. He knew that the model or idol route was very tempting for a young girl, but Aiko-chan was a bright as well as talented, and he didn't want to ruin an education that would last her a lifetime for an ephemeral career that might die after only a few months.
"Hey." Deena's greeting broke Ryuuji out of his brief daydream and he realized that his eyes had been fixated on Hisako's legs. There was a brief moment of panic that someone might have noticed but he was still wearing his mirror-shades, so no-one should be able to see where his eyes had been looking. Which was… fortunate.
"Hey. Uh… where is your imouto?" Ryuuji replied and looked around for Aiko-chan. Little Aiko-chan had glued herself to her tall Aussie Nee-san since their arrival and he was surprised to see one without the other.
"She's conked out. Your sister… I mean, your mother's got her now." Deena said as she handed Ryuuji a black coffee.
"Thanks." Ryuuji took the paper cup of coffee and asked, "Is she asleep?"
"Oh yeah. She's got a good little nap going on, but we'll wake her in an hour if she doesn't wake on her own." Deena said. Then her tone changed a bit since she felt like she was asking something that might be personal, "I heard you have a little one of your own now."
"Oh yeah! He's six months old now, and growing so fast." Ryuuji fished out his phone so he could show her the photos of his son.
"I kept a recording of the broadcast of your wedding. And, I kept all the magazine articles about you guys too." Deena admitted while fidgeting a little.
"What… really?" Ryuuji had to remind himself that Deena had been such a Japanese culture fan-girl that she had learned the language on her own. And, she had already known who Ami and Hisako were before they had ever met.
"Yeah. The press release when Ami had her child was so sweet. I… I had that picture framed." Deena told him.
"Wow… I… uh… thanks." Ryuuji was at a loss for words. He had run into a few of Ami's more ardent fans at the college, but he never suspected someone he knew to be like this.
"I was really hoping to see the baby too…" Deena was worried that they hadn't brought their child along because they thought it might be too dangerous. If that was the case, she wanted to tell them that, despite the rough and tumble reputation that places like the Outback get, Australia was definitely a safe place to bring a child.
"We wanted to bring them too, but with the schedule that we have…" Ryuuji started to explain.
"Them?" Deena asked.
"Oh yeah. I'm surprised she didn't tell you. Yuri-sensei also has a son now. Both of them are staying with Noto and Maya and their little girls. They had twins, you know." Ryuuji said.
"Twins?" Deena peeped. She looked like she might explode from a cuteness overload as she imagined all these babies together.
"I'll tell you what. This summer… well, summer for us anyway. I'm planning a reunion for late July or early August…" Ryuuji asked the tall blond to join them. It would be impossible for anyone not to see the look of profound happiness on Deena's face at that moment.
.
Tuesday late morning, March 1st – Hisamitsu Estate
Bundled up in rugged boots and warm jackets reminiscent of the ski gear they had worn on their senior trip, Noto, Maya, and Shinako escorted their guests out to the stables to see the horses they would be riding for the day. The grounds around the stables had the dirty and mushed up look of snow that had been tread into the frozen mud, but the pasture behind it had been sprinkled with a new layer of fresh white powder and the hills and trees that they would be riding up into sparkled with the winter wonderland look of the Japanese alps.
Noto and Shinako led the others to the horses that had been assembled for the day's ride. Taiga and Minori walked with Maya between the two of them. The disconsolate young mother had tried to beg off the little journey up into the surrounding hills, but Taiga wouldn't hear of it. In fact, she was about to launch into a full blown rage when Shinako reminded Maya that there were certain responsibilities with being a hostess. Maya had accepted Shinako's reprimand, but still seemed to be dragging herself from one place to another.
"That's it. The whole depression thing just sucks. Sometimes you gotta just trust your friends to help you out." Taiga tried to encourage Maya but her well intended advice was taken the wrong way and Maya turned on her.
"You don't know what it's like. You just get mad and then you get over it. Don't try to tell me what to do if you don't know." Maya grumbled. But her sneer turned to a look of panic when she saw the raw anger on Taiga's face and her gloved hands balling into fists.
"You stupid bitch! How dare you say that to me!" Taiga yelled as she pulled Maya's collar down until their faces were mere millimeters apart, "You think I don't know depression? Idiot, I LOST RYUUJI! Don't you EVER think that you have more right to depression than me!"
"Sorry." the fear of getting a pounding from the Palm Top Tiger melted into regret when she saw the tears that were also on Taiga's cheeks. It had been a year since Taiga had come home to find a calamitous welcome, worse than anything she had imagined. And it was clear that the pain from her loss hadn't entirely dissipated. Maya bowed her head at the regret for having said something so thoughtless, and for needlessly hurting a friend. "I guess I really am just a stupid bitch, huh?"
"Ah!" Taiga realized that her own words had also been pretty thoughtless. She put her fist under Maya's chin and pushed the girl's face up until they were looking at each other once again. "No, that was my bad. I still need to work on anger issues, I guess. You're not stupid, and if anyone around here is a bitch…"
"It's me!" Shinako interjected with a smile.
"Huh?" Taiga, Maya, and even Minori were all surprised by the woman's bid for the title.
"It's true. Although this little group may have a better opinion of me, if you ask the rest of the Hisamitsu family I'm sure that's how they would describe me. It's not undue either. I've been Obāsama's enforcer for over ten years so there are a lot of feelings I've tread on, and a few ego's I've had to crush." the woman explained with an interesting mixture of pride and sorrow.
"Oh, I don't know." Yukiko chimed in with far less sorrow and more pride, when she made her claim, "To take over the Yamada company, I had to defeat my elder sisters in a competition. I'm pretty sure they, and their factions, would say that I deserve that title.
"Ha!" Taiga laughed, "Maybe we should start a club?"
"I'm in!" Yukiko announced.
"Me too." Shinako added.
Taiga's mood was considerably better now with the sudden camaraderie of her fellow self acclaimed 'bitches', but Maya was soon downcast again. The burnt-orange haired girl was quietly walking next to Taiga now, but her reddish brown eyes were on the ground and she looked like she was on the verge of tears. Maya didn't notice the concerned looks that were being exchanged by her friends, or the worried look that Noto wore almost all the time now.
"Here are your horses. They are all old retired horses, so they should be gentle rides." Shinako told them.
Minori had once asked what the old horses were retired from, back when she had gone on the trail ride in Hawaii. The answer hadn't been anything to be cheerful about. It didn't really matter what they did before. At this stage in their lives, they could be trail ride horses… or pet food. They were too old for their previous careers and nobody had a retirement program for old horses. So, as used-up as these horses might be, they were the lucky ones.
Taiga walked up to a horse that was almost all black. It had a white star and a stripe on it's nose, but was otherwise as black as ink. Since she had taken lessons years ago, she had learned something about horses and knew that this one looked like a Tennessee Walker, except for its smaller size. She had seen a few of those fast horses when her father had taken her to a horse race once, and she knew how big they were supposed to be. So this horse is either a runt, or it's a different horse breed that just looks like a smaller version of a Tennessee Walker. But the idea of it being a runt appealed to Taiga. You're just like me, aren't you?
"I want to ride this one." she said as she raised her hand to pet the big animal.
"Oooh, it sure is a pretty one." Minori said, while patting the painted pony next to her.
One of the stable-hands came over to help her mount the horse, but Taiga surprised him by lifting her leg high into the stirrup and pulling herself up into the saddle by herself. While the stable-hand instead helped Minori onto her horse, Taiga set about looking at her saddle and seeing what she could do to make it more comfortable for the way she was used to riding. Cinching up the straps to bring her legs higher was all she really needed to do. Then she took the reins and folded them over her wrists in the way she had been taught, and she was ready to go. She was about to call out to the others to hurry up when she noticed something odd about the horse. It had made a little shake when she cinched the straps for her legs, and another when she took the reins in her hands. It's head was held a little higher and the horse felt different… and yet familiar. Taiga's eyes were open wide and her smile was one of pure joy when she realized what she was sitting on.
Minori was finally ready after getting a lot of help from the stable-hand. She was just looking up to see how everyone else was doing when she saw something incredible. The black horse that Taiga was sitting on started to trot in place with high elegant steps. Then it slowly started to turn around as if it was slowly rotating with a thrilled Taiga sitting in the middle of the spinning horse.
"Taiga! What did you do?" Minori gasped, then she looked at her own horse and wondered if it would suddenly start doing that.
"I… I've ridden that horse several times… and it never did that before!" Maya said from atop a gentle brown and white horse.
"This horse was trained to ride English style." Taiga said with enthusiasm and asked, "Do you train for dressage here?"
"No, these are all older horses that were acquired for the family to take trail rides, and for the workers to get to some of the more remote places on the property. I don't think Obāsama is aware that he can do that." Noto said. From his expression, it was clear that he had no idea any of the horses had been trained that way either.
"What is his name?" Taiga asked while canting out of the stables to the snowy pasture.
"Midnight Star." Maya called after her and urged her own horse to catch up to Taiga. Unfortunately, it was more of a plodder than a trotter and she quickly fell behind. But Noto was nearby, so she turned to her husband and told him, "I… I want to do that!"
"Huh?" Noto asked, but his attention was on something else. More precisely, it wasn't on Maya's words so much as it was on her expression. For the first time in several days, Maya was holding her head up and seemed excited about something.
"I want to learn to ride English style, like Taiga!" Maya pleaded with him now, "Please, is that something that I can do?"
"Yes. But don't think that you will learn it overnight. Ask Taiga how long she was training before she learned to ride like that. It's something you will have to stick to… if you really want it. Do you?" Noto didn't want to discourage his wife, but he didn't want to set her up for disappointment and failure either. He liked the energy he was seeing and more than anything, he wanted to challenge her to do her best. And, by doing so, pull herself out of her fugue.
"Yes! Yes, I do!" she said to Noto. Then turning back to Taiga, she urged her horse to try and go a little faster while calling out, "Taiga! Wait up! I need to ask you some questions!"
"How long can all of you stay?" Shinako asked. She was also thrilled that something had finally sparked Maya's interest and lifted her out of her postpartum despair.
"I will have to be returning tomorrow." Yukiko said sorrowfully.
"I'll see you off to the station." The Major said to Yukiko. Then, turning to Shinako he said, "I will be able to stay for three weeks."
"Taiga can stay until the next semester starts back up, but I need to leave on the twelfth or thirteenth for a baseball camp near Sendai." Minori answered.
"Good. I wish you could stay longer, but I know your dream is important to you." Noto said to Minori. Then he told everyone, "I can't tell you how much I appreciate what your presence here is doing for Maya. I invite all of you to stay for as long as you can."
"We'll do what we can. For now though, let's see if we can get these horses into a gallop and catch up with those two girls." The Major said with an sporting smile.
.
From her window overlooking the big field that led to the nearby hills, Obāsama saw the smaller girl and Maya riding out front and the rest of the group galloping to catch up with them. An eyebrow raised at the sight of seeing her daughter-in-law finally doing something other than moping about. She was also surprised at the horses themselves.
"Huh… I didn't know those old horses could gallop." she mused.
.
Tuesday evening, March 1st – Melbourne Australia
With the photo-shooting over for the day, the models and their friends finally had a chance to relax together. Since it was the end of summer in the southern hemisphere, everyone decided to try out the hotel's swimming pool and eat at the little café at the poolside. Ryuuji and his party weren't the only people down at the pool and Ami and her friends weren't the only girls there either, but their entrance certainly drew a lot of attention. With Ryuuji as the only man surrounded by nine pretty girls, he looked like some kind of Asian prince with his harem in tow.
While the girls all headed to the café and started trying to make sense of the menu, Ryuuji spotted a group of young men nearby and watching all the girls with interest. He knew that sooner or later they would make their way over, so he decided to cut to the chase and approached them instead. When they noticed him approaching, many of them tensed up.
#Hello, do you speak English?# Ryuuji had been continuing his English proficiency with classes at his University and help from Yuri and The Major, so it was really no surprise that they understood him.
#Yeah mate. We speak English.# one of them replied.
#Ah good. And my English is not so bad?# Ryuuji asked.
#It's fine. You… got some business with us?# the man asked suspiciously.
#The girls. I thought you might want to know some things.# Ryuuji pointed out Ami and Yuri and said, #Those two are married.#
#Those two and those two are in relationships with each other.# he pointed out Hisako and Nanako, then Suzume and Umeki.
#So, the only ones available are the goldie and the two blondes?# the man asked.
#Well, the girl with the golden hair is actually a grade schooler, so I wouldn't recommend it.# Ryuuji suggested. He watched the men blanch and look again at the girl that had just been identified as too dangerous to touch.
#So… ah… what's the story on the other two?# the man asked.
#The tall one is an Admiral in the Australian Air Force… I think. She's here representing her government. And the shorter one…" Ryuuji trailed off. All of the men had lost interest and were wandering away. Apparently, none of the men had the stomach for dealing with a government worker… or someone in the military… or both. He never got the chance to tell them that the last member of the party was his mother.
"What was that all about?" Ami looked up when Deena asked Ryuuji what he had been up to with the group of men.
"Nothing really. So, what looks good on the menu?" Ryuuji asked to deflect the topic of conversation.
Deena gave a little huff. She knew he had just blown off her question but she would let him get away with it. She started to explain the menu options to Ryuuji but his attention wasn't all on the food. He could see Ami's disapproving look and he knew he would have to be giving her a full accounting later.
.
Tuesday evening, March 1st – Hisamitsu Estate
The horses had taken them pretty far up into the surrounding mountains. They had passed the tree line and come upon a shoulder of the mountain where there was a high meadow with an old wooden house and small stable. In other times of the year, this meadow would be full of grasses and wildflowers, but in these lingering days of winter, there was still a lot of snow on the ground.
The Major stood gazing out the big window that overlooked the wide porch, the snow covered meadow, and the distant line of mountains that rose up on the other side of the river valley far below. The fading light in the sky gave the snow covered peaks pastel hues that ranged from pink to blue. But it was the meadow that had The Major's attention.
"I believe the phrase from your country is - 'a penny for your thoughts' Major?" Noto said as he offered the older man a steaming mug of cocoa.
"I was just thinking how much I would like to see my son playing in that field. Throwing himself into the powder to make snow angels. Rolling up snow to make a snow man. Having snowball fights with his friends. Maybe even… learning to ski." the Major mused while the heat of the mug warmed his hands.
"Did it snow much in the place where you were raised?" Noto asked.
"Nebraska?" The Major chuckled, "Oh yeah. It snows a lot there. You can build lots of snowmen, but it's not easy to learn to ski there."
"Why not?" Noto asked.
"Imagine a landlocked territory that almost has as much area as all of the Japanese islands combined. It is vast, but it is almost all low hills and farmland. There's not a single mountain in the state." The Major sounded a little nostalgic while describing the place where he had come from.
"Please excuse me for saying so Major, but it sounds awfully boring." Noto said. He had been about to ask if it at least had any nice beaches when he remembered that The Major had said it was landlocked.
"A place is boring when the people are boring." The Major quipped then explained, "Not everyone feels that way, but a lot of people have very happy lives in Nebraska."
"I suppose that is true of any place." Noto agreed. He took a sip of his cocoa then told The Major, "This land belongs to the Hisamitsu family and we have used it as a family retreat for over a hundred years. I can remember coming here on family vacation trips when I was growing up. I played with the other children out there…"
The Major noticed that the young man's voice trailed off and he knew that Noto might be remembering better times as a child when he played in that meadow with his look-alike cousin. The cousin who tried to kill him when her obsession and jealousy drove her insane. The cousin that had turned out to actually be his older sister. But in the golden days of his youth, in this place, she was just a cheerful girl that was always glad to see him and always willing to play with him. While he was lost in thought, Noto's free hand absently covered the spot where the cold steel blade of the knife had stabbed into his chest.
"I'll never forget how you and Yuri-sensei… and Ryuuji and Ami, came to our rescue. If it hadn't been for you, Nanako would have died. And if that had happened, I don't know if Maya would have ever recovered from that." Noto said quietly but firmly.
The Major felt the gratitude and tried to think of something to say, but Noto spoke again before he could find the right words.
"So, in my opinion you… all of you… are family. At least you are to me. And I'm pretty sure Maya would agree to that as well." Noto looked up to the Major and told him, "So, you should look for invitations to join us for family retreats. I look forward to all of our children playing together too." Noto said.
"Noto-kun, I appreciate the offer, but won't your hands be full with the affairs of the actual Hisamitsu family soon?" The Major asked.
"I will. There will be members of the family that I've never heard of coming out of the shadows to seek me out. Some of them will be trying to curry favors, while others will be harboring grievances for some decision I've made. Shinako has been preparing me for this… eventuality. I'm sure you've heard the axiom that it is lonely at the top." Noto asked mirthlessly.
"I have. But I hadn't heard that the position you were going into was so desperate." The Major asked.
"It wouldn't be so bad if the family businesses were in ascendancy, like the Yamada family." Noto nodded over to Yukiko who was talking and laughing with the other girls at the moment. "But the truth is that the Hisamitsu family is in decline. I already know that I will have to make many tough decisions. They will be unpopular, but they will be necessary. And, until my efforts bear fruit, I won't be making any friends within the family. It is likely that Shinako will soon be the only member of the family that I can trust… for quite some time."
"Have you always known that this burden would fall to you?" The Major asked.
"I guess… since middle school, I knew there was a chance that I might be the one they'd pick. But, until my last year of High School, I had hoped that the family would choose one of my cousins… instead of me. I had already picked out a dream career that wouldn't have made any trouble for anyone." Noto fondly remembered his lost ambition to be an editor for an entertainment magazine, then to become a freelance writer. Ryuuji hadn't seemed to have any ambitions back then – he had even written off going to college because of the expense. Everything is upside down now. Ryuuji is in the entertainment industry while I'm…
"I'm gonna give you a little piece of advice that it took me years to understand." The Major sipped his cocoa and kept his eyes on the darkening skies while he told Noto, "Everybody needs a hobby. For the next decade or two, you're going to be going all out with all the requirements on your time. Between raising kids in your immediate family and running the family business, I'm guessing you might be missing a lot of sleep. But, sooner or later, you'll look around and wonder why you're bored. Maybe the kids will all be grown and gone, or the family business will have been straightened out enough for you to take a step back. Whatever the reason is, you will need something to fill that gap… something you really enjoy, something to keep your moving."
"Major?" Noto was confused. As far as he knew, he and The Major were not too different in their positions in life. Both of them were just starting out with their families and… Then it hit him. Although he was still in college and only taking the first baby steps into the career that had been decided for him, The Major had gone from being a full time military man to a reservist that only worked one weekend a month… or something like that. His wife was now a full time teacher at a prestigious school in Tokyo, while The Major had become a full-time dad.
"My father builds bird houses out of scrap wood." The Major went on, "He's always been good with wood. He's been fixing houses and barns and fences for as long as I've known him. But his kids are all grown and gone and he's sold his business to some younger men. So now, he makes bird houses."
"Are they any good?" Noto asked.
"The bird houses? I guess so. My mom told me that he had made so many that the whole front yard was filled with them. She started selling them just to get her yard back and now they make an income from his recycled bird houses." The Major chuckled at the idea of his mother trying to clear out the front yard by selling birdhouses on the side of the highway to tourists and passers-by.
"I'm afraid I won't have time for that." Noto did like the idea of creating something with his own hands though.
"It doesn't have to be bird houses. It could be a lot of things. Golf, scuba diving, chess, stamp collecting… there are a lot of possibilities. What was it that you wanted to do back in high school?" The Major asked.
"I wanted to be a writer." Noto said. Even as he said the words, he realized the possibilities. Writing didn't require a lot of equipment or setup time. It didn't require club memberships or maintenance costs. It was something he could do in his spare time, and it was something that he could leave for a while and come back to. But most importantly, it was a dream he no longer had to give up.
"You're smiling again. Did I help you come to a happy decision?" The Major asked.
"Yeah. Thanks for that." Noto actually felt as if a burden had been lifted from his shoulders when the truth was that there was now something else that would be demanding his time. But it was something he enjoyed dearly, and that was all the difference. Noto decided to try and return the favor and asked, "So, Major… was there something you dreamed of doing when you were in High School?"
"Heh." The Major laughed and, turning to Noto said, "I wanted to be an astronaut."
"Oh, uh… that was a pretty ambitious." Noto smiled, but he wouldn't be able to help with a dream like that.
.
Wednesday afternoon, March 2nd – Tokushima Japan
Noto and The Major drove Yukiko back to the Okayama Station to catch the Shinkansen back to Tokyo. It was a long drive, but more comfortable and quite a bit faster than taking the local trains to get there. And, with The Major driving, it gave Yukiko and Noto more time to firm up their arrangements. Just as they got to the train station, their conversations were interrupted when all of their phones erupted in a cacophony of audible alerts. All of them reached for their phones, but there had been no disaster. Ryuuji had sent them all an avalanche of photos from their trip so far.
Aside from the vertigo inspiring pictures from the Eureka Tower, there were also pictures from this morning when the girls had apparently gone to a photo shoot in Melbourne's Botanic Gardens. It was a little bizarre seeing these pictures of their friends and loved ones in summer clothing and surrounded by lush green vegetation and flowers, when everything in Japan was still cold and gray from the lingering winter.
"Wow, Yuri-sensei looks nice in that evening dress." Noto commented as he flipped through the pictures on his phone.
"I'll bet Onee-chan got her to wear that." Yukiko could imagine the modest teacher getting embarrassed and trying to beg off wearing something so… sexy.
"You're probably right." Noto agreed.
"Um… which picture is this?" The Major had parked the car and was thumbing through the pictures that had been sent to his phone now.
"It's number forty-seven on my list." Noto called out and scrolled through the remaining pictures in his phone. He took a little extra time looking at the ones of Nanako and Hisako. With a bittersweet smile, he wondered if they had any idea how much they were being missed. Maya's depression had hit her as soon as they had left for the airport. It hadn't been a gradual thing either. One minute she was waving goodbye to her friends, and the next minute she was bawling. But, at least things were looking up on that front.
"How soon can you start breaking ground?" Yukiko interrupted his family thoughts with business, but she did have a train to catch, so it couldn't be helped.
"I will have to talk things over with Obāsama, but I believe we can get started before the end of the month." Noto offered. Yukiko's plan to develop a resort vacation area aimed at Japan's aging population, was a sound idea. It was her timetable that would be a problem for Noto. The Hisamitsu family had assets all over Japan, but he didn't have any authority for anything outside of Tokushima… yet.
"All right, the sooner the better. I'll be counting on you." Yukiko said as she turned and walked quickly into the terminal building. She tried to hide her smile from Noto. It wouldn't do to have her business partner and kohai see the mirth on her face at the moment. She knew it was a nearly impossible task to have that much heavy equipment in place in the time frame they had been discussing, but it wouldn't hurt anything if he failed by two or three weeks and it would be an important lesson for him about over-committing.
.
Noto moved up to the front seat to sit next to The Major after Yukiko left. He pulled out his tablet and started looking at where the family had any heavy equipment that was idle. Unfortunately, there were too many places and none of them were close.
"I know a few things about logistics." The Major told Noto, "Are you sure you can hit that schedule? It's pretty aggressive."
"I can if I can get things moving in the next day or two. We have a construction unit in Hokkaido that just finished a project, but they would have to be ferried and that would take too long." Noto tapped the monitor and the map of Japan expanded then zoomed into the northern half of the main island. "There is a group south of Sendai waiting to see if they win the bid on some seawall work, and another group in Aomori that just lost a bid for regional road repair. Finally, there are these guys in Osaka…"
"Wouldn't they be the closest?" The Major asked.
"Yeah, but they are really only set up for seawall work." Noto said.
"Hmm…" The Major slid his teeth across each other while he considered the problem.
"You have an idea?" Noto asked.
"Yeah… but keep in mind that I'm not used to moving civilian's around. But, if it was a military operation… I would have the Osaka and Aomori units on the road heading for Sendai as soon as possible. At the same time, have the Sendai unit start heading for Tokushima." the Major said.
"But… if the government in Sendai sees us pulling out, that may affect the bid… and we really need that business." Noto countered.
"Perhaps." The Major thought about the political implications for a moment and suggested, "If you tell them that you are replacing the local unit with a unit from Osaka that specializes in seawall repair, that might satisfy them."
"It… just might." Noto looked his map over again to make sure he didn't miss anything, then he pulled out his cell phone and called his grandmother.
.
Back at the Hisamitsu Estate, it was feeding time for the babies. Taiga had one of the twins in her lap and Minori had the other one. Obāsama had The Major's son and Maya was feeding Ryuuji's son from her breast. She hadn't intended to, but it had just happened so naturally. For the past three months, she would sit down with a child, her breasts would drop, and she would feed the baby until it was full or fell asleep on her. But… something was different. This little boy was grasping her finger and looking into her eyes like her own daughters had – hundreds of time now. But… there was something very different.
Maya felt as if that child's gaze was looking straight into her soul. This child was connecting at a whole different level than anything she had yet experienced from her own daughters. She felt as if his spirit was embracing her in a warm loving hug, and she was embracing him right back. A twinkle in his eye made it look like he even understood her feelings and was responding to her. Maya's eyes grew wide with wonder and love for this infant. But then, the guilt hit her.
Wait… why don't I feel this connection with my own daughters? Why do I just feel like a food source with them? Where is the warmth and the love? Do I… not love my own daughters? Oh no! What's wrong with me? Maya was starting to work herself into a panic when the sound of Obāsama's voice interrupted her.
"Are you planning on growing up big and strong so you can date one of my great granddaughters?" Obāsama asked the hungry boy that was clutching at her hands that held the bottle, "If you do, you better treat her right – or I will haunt you for the rest of your life."
"Obāsama!" Maya gaped at the bizarre comment.
"Well? I may not be alive by the time they are old enough to date." the old woman tried to justify her comment.
"That's not the issue! You can't threaten a baby like that." Maya said indignantly.
"Obāsama," Shinako interrupted what looked like it could turn into an argument with a message for the matriarch, "Noto-san has called for you. He is on the phone in your office."
"Very well." Obāsama started to hand over the infant to Shinako when she noticed how eager the young lady was to take the child, "This had better not be a ploy to take my great-grandson out of my hands!"
"Obāsama!" Shinako reacted as if she had been caught at something devious, then told her elder, "All joking aside, he wants to talk to you about moving the Sendai heavy construction unit."
"Unfortunately, that does sound like something he would want to talk about." the old woman regretfully handed over the bottle and then the infant to Shinako and left for her office.
"Ah, now it's my turn." Shinako wasted no time in taking Obāsama's vacated rocking chair and was soon comforting the jostled child.
"She does know that he's not hers, right?" Taiga asked Shinako.
Maya looked up nervously to see if they were talking about her.
"Huh?" Shinako blinked.
"You are holding Yuri-sensei's son… and Obāsama called him her great-grandson. But he's not." Taiga explained her question.
"Don't worry, she isn't going senile." Shinako laughed at the idea, "For several months, Nanako and Maya have been wondering if – someday, Ami's and Yuri's sons would marry Noto and Maya's twins. One of the reasons everyone was invited here was so that Obāsama could meet her prospective great-grandson-in-laws."
"Minori… uh… could we switch?" Maya asked. She didn't want to give up this darling little boy, but the guilt and fear was beginning to get to her. Her fear was that she lacked the capacity to love her own daughters. But, maybe I'm wrong. After we switch, I'm sure to feel that same connection with my own child. Yes! I'm sure of it.
"Sure, I don't mind." Minori replied in her usual cheerfulness. Maya stayed in her seat and the athletic Minori juggled the babies between them until she had a little boy and Maya was now seated with one of her girls.
The child latched on and looked up at her mother… but there was nothing there. There was no spark, warmth, or twinkle.
No!
Maya looked down and recognized the little girl she was holding, but there was no connection beyond the exchange of fluids. The little girl's eyes stared up at her mother's eyes, but Maya felt nothing. Well, nothing special anyways. There was the feeling of responsibility for the well being of a child, but…
Where is the love? Why don't I feel anything for my own daughters? I… I don't hate them but… there's just nothing there! Why? I want to love my daughters! WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?
Maya felt her emotional state falling like a rock. She bent over her daughter so no-one could see the tears come. Her friends knew nothing of the anxiety that troubled her now. All of Maya's anguished cries for help never left her tortured mind. But the others knew something was wrong. She may not have vocalized her fears, but she couldn't completely hide her shaking shoulders, or the sound of her sobs.
.
In her office, Obāsama looked at a map on the wall. It was huge and had many colored pushpins in it. She called this 'old school' and insisted that it was easier for her to get her mind around planning this way, than with some digital map on a tablet. But she didn't begrudge others their proficiency with them. And now, she was looking at the pins with the orange heads. It was almost Spring now, and the high mountain roads would either still have snow on them, or they would be slick with melting runoff. But, Noto was right. If they were careful and took their time, all the assets could be in place by the end of next week. She picked up the phone again and started issuing orders. There was reluctance to move their equipment on such short notice, but they all agreed.
And, it looked like Noto's greatest concern might not be an issue. If there were no transportation problems, the Aomori unit would arrive in Sendai, to replace the unit at the waterfront, only a few days after the Sendai unit left. This would be putting a lot more pieces of the Hisamitsu businesses into play for Noto's first exercise, but she had reviewed the agreement he had made with Yamada Yukiko and agreed that it was a worthy venture.
.
'
Glossary
Dressage – a highly skilled form of horseback riding, aka: English style.
Imouto – little sister
Kohai – junior (as Senpai is senior)
Nee-san – older sister
Obāsama - "grandmother" said very respectfully