Wednesday evening, March 23rd – 1Km over the Tokushima Awaodori Airport
Shinako had never liked flying. But for the moment, there was no other practical option. She had gotten her courage up by telling herself that it was only a short flight… but that had been over two hours ago. Almost an hour more than the flight was supposed to take. And now, she found herself clutching Noto's arm in growing panic as she heard the announcement over the intercom, that their flight would be in the holding pattern for another ten minutes.
Japan's vaunted transportation efficiency still wasn't doing so well after almost two weeks since the disaster. Then again, most of the trains in the northern part of Honshu were still not running. The Shinkansen tracks weren't affected by the tsunami, but the earthquake had damaged tracks, tunnels, and bridges. The repair crews had vowed to work around the clock to get it operational in time for Golden Week, and it looked like they might actually accomplish that goal. But many of the coastal routes that used conventional trains and trolleys, hadn't been as lucky. In fact, many of the coastal tracks, and some of the bridges, had been completely washed away. Those local routes would take years to repair… if they were repaired at all. The government and the rail operator wanted to rebuild the rails and the towns that had been destroyed – but there was another problem. Sixty kilometers of coastline between Iwaki and Soma were now in the evacuation zone for the troubled nuclear power plants, and there was no prediction when it would be safe to return their either to rebuild, or to live.
But, when one transportation option is lost, others will respond to the needs of moving passengers and shipping freight. Ferries, buses, and airplanes took up the challenge to get people where they needed to go. Since Japan was a country that made heavy use of it's rail, these alternate land, air, and sea options were facing quite a challenge. Despite having brought in additional vehicles and running more routes than ever before, they were running at full capacity every day. And, they would continue to do so… at least until trains started to run again.
To be fair, and give credit where it is due, these alternates had been able to safely ramp up their operations and accommodate the needs of the daily travelers in record time. Of course, many people would point out that such flexibility and resilience should be expected of a people whose homeland sits at the intersection of volcano, earthquake, tsunami, and typhoon.
Still, the announcement that the water in Tokyo was contaminated with radiation had put another layer of misfortune on the travelers in the effected areas. Since Noto and Shinako were not flying into the effected area, they had hoped that they wouldn't be subject to the ensuing chaos. But, that's not how air traffic works. When you deny all but emergency landings at two of the busiest airports in the nation, all of those inbound flights have to go somewhere. And the trickle effect means that even planes bound to an out-of-the-way place like Tokushima, will end up in a holding pattern while everything is worked out.
"What's wrong?" Noto asked in response to the death grip his cousin had on his arm.
"I'm tired of circling around up here… will we ever get back down?" Shinako tried to sound more angry and less frightened, but her trembling jaw wasn't helping her to project that image.
"Oh, one way or the other… we'll get back down." Noto said off-handedly as he looked at the mountains of Shikoku through the window.
"What do you mean?" Shinako was eager to know what this other way of getting back down to the ground might be.
"These planes don't carry an infinite amount of fuel, you know." Noto said with a chuckle. But he realized that his humor hadn't worked as he had intended when Shinako's grip on his arm tightened to the point that it threatened to shut off the flow of blood to his hand. Taking his attention away from the window, he pulled his panicking cousin into a side-hug and comforted her with an apology, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't realize how… frightened you were. But, please don't worry too much. I think this will be our last delay."
"Why is that?" Shinako asked hopefully.
"The other announcements have been for half hours. This one was only for ten minutes. I think it's because they finally have a slot for us in the landing pattern." Noto said encouragingly.
"Oh… that does sound good." Shinako breathed a little easier and finally relaxed her grip a little on the arm that she clung to.
Noto could feel his fingers tingle after Shinako relaxed her grip. Flexing his fist to get the blood flowing again, he decided to keep his other thoughts to himself. This kind of plane isn't fitted out for long endurance flights. We probably have a landing slot now because we are running low on fuel. The view out the window didn't just show him the mountain ranges that surrounded Tokushima to the north and south. He could see that there were several other planes in the sky that were circling like they were… also waiting their turn to land.
.
An hour later, they were finally off the plane and walking to the reception area to meet their family and friends. There was one stop they had to make first though. Shinako was pulling hard to make it through the doorway, but Noto stood resolute and would not enter. She looked back at him as if he were playing a cruel joke on her.
"Noto… why?" Shinako begged.
"You have to let go of me now." Noto explained.
"Do I?" she pleaded.
"We're off the plane now. You should be able to calm down and let go." he reasoned.
"But..." she started to object.
"Even if you are still scared, I just cannot go into the women's restroom with you." Noto said gently, "You need to let go."
"Ah." Shinako looked at the symbol for women that was emblazoned above the doorway she was trying to go through. The logic of what Noto was saying was finally penetrating the panic induced haze that was clouding her mind. "Of course… you're right."
Noto watched patiently as she slowly released his arm. He could see her shudder as she took a tentative step away.
"Promise you'll wait for me!" she pleaded before she moved too far away.
"I might be in the men's side, but I'll come right back here for you when I get out. Okay?" Noto promised.
A few minutes later, Shinako was standing over a sink in the women's rest room and looking at her drenched face in the mirror. She had splashed water on her face several times in an effort to calm down. What the hell is wrong with me? I'm acting like a frightened child. I am clinging to Noto like he is a father, or an uncle. He's a cousin… and a younger one at that! That is unacceptable Shinako! UNACCEPTABLE! I am the Hisamitsu family enforcer, the right arm of Obāsama, and the future aide of Noto-sama. I cannot be seen like this. No, I cannot BE like this! So why? Why am I… so… scared? She knew that she didn't like flying but she had flown many times nonetheless – and never had she experienced such a reaction of such deep, bone shaking fear. She quickly blotted her face and dried her hands while she took several deep breaths. When she was done, Shinako looked at her hands. They were still shaking, but not nearly as much. Squaring her shoulders as she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she prepared herself to walk back out into the public. I'll be okay if it's only this much. I mustn't keep everyone waiting.
When she emerged from the restroom, she found Noto waiting for her as promised. He held out a hand for her to take.
"I'm not afraid." anymore. Shinako said defiantly.
"Of course you're not. But the concourse is packed and I don't want to lose you in the crowds." Noto replied.
"Yes, Noto-sama. Thank you… for your consideration." Shinako said as she took the offered hand.
.
"There they are! Maya called out. She hadn't realized just how much she had been looking forward to seeing Noto again until she heard the thrill… and the volume of her own voice. Several people turned to see the exuberant girl with the orange-brown hair practically bouncing on her toes despite the blush of embarrassment on her face.
"What are you, a child?" Taiga chided. Some of the reason for her snappy comment came from the fact that she couldn't see anyone arriving. At her diminutive height, she couldn't see more than the backs of other people's heads and shoulders.
"I for one, hope that she can maintain that childlike excitement and innocence for a long, long time. It pains me to think that one day this family may change her into something jaded and bitter." Obāsama said quietly to Taiga.
"Yeah." Taiga thought about her own recent experience on Midnight Star and how it had taken her back to the happier times of her own childhood, and let her forget the disappointments of her later years… for a while. "You're right. I'd trade jaded and cynical for happy and childlike any day."
"Hmmm." Obāsama gave Taiga an appraising look. "Your parents are still alive, are they?"
"Yeah, why?" Taiga choked at the strange question.
"I was just thinking that, with Noto married to Maya, I don't have any young men in the family that are worthy of marrying you. But, if I adopted you…" Obāsama tapped her chin and had a thoughtful look as if she were seriously considering it.
"Hah! If you adopted me, I would be Noto's aunt. I think that would be too weird for everyone." Taiga laughed.
"Then I'll have Noto and Maya adopt you." Obāsama suggested with a twisted smile.
"Gak!" Taiga choked at the even stranger idea, "Then I would be the daughter of my high school classmate!"
"I was only joking about that one." Obāsama reassured Taiga after having her fun.
Just ahead of Taiga and Obāsama, Minori and Maya were waving frantically for Noto to see them. It didn't seem that either of them had heard the strange conversation. And Taiga was thankful for that.
.
Wednesday evening, March 23rd – Brisbane, Australia
Deena and Yuri had waited until the last possible moment to tell the rest of the group about the bad news. The WIGs had landed back at their port in Brisbane, so Ami and her entourage were all back in their hotel rooms and had enjoyed a refreshing shower. And now, they were all gathered together in the lobby that connected all their rooms.
Ryuuji could see the baleful looks that haunted Deena and Yuri. And, to some extent, his mother. He checked his phone for messages but another bulletin caught his eye first. He had just about finished reading it when he heard Yuri call out to everyone.
"If I could have your attention for a few minutes. There is something important." Yuri waited until everyone had looked up. Having just refreshed themselves, Yuri found herself looking at their generally happy and curious faces and decided that… she just couldn't do it. "Yes… I need your attention because there is something important that… Deena needs to tell you."
"WHAT!" Deena had prepared herself to support Yuri when she made this announcement but…
"Gomen'nasai!" Yuri bowed and put her hands together to entreat the big Aussie to save her from this.
"You little bludger!" Deena snorted but she could see just how difficult this was for Yuri. She was about to bail out the teacher and tell everyone for her when Ryuuji spoke up.
"Is this about the radiation in the water in Tokyo?" he asked. His question had the desired effect. Everyone in the room turned to Ryuuji now. And, he could tell from the surprised look on Deena's face that he had nailed it.
"Ryuuji, what are you talking about?" Hisako demanded. The tone in her voice suggested that this had better not be some kind of sick joke.
"I saw it here." Ryuuji raised his smartphone and showed the news page of one of the services that sent popups to his phone. "They have discovered unsafe levels of radiation in the water supply in Tokyo and some of the areas that surround the city.
"Are they evacuating everyone?" Nanako asked.
"No, but they aren't letting any flights come into the city at the moment. So, that will change our plans about going home for a while."
"Onee-chan…" the youngest member of their party buried her face in Yasuko's chest and cried. Through her quiet sobs, everyone in the room could hear her plaintive plea, "I just want to go home."
"It will be okay." Yasuko said as she stood up and pulled Aiko-chan along with her, "Why don't we go back into our room and you can call your parents… see how they're doing and just talk to them for a bit. Does that sound good?"
"Yes!" Aiko-chan wiped her tears as she left the room with her caring Onee-chan.
"Great… now what am I going to do?" Nanako said after the two were gone.
"What do you mean?" Ryuuji asked.
"Well, Onee-chan is gone and I need someone to carry me back to my room and make me feel better." Nanako pouted with a twinkle in her purple eyes.
"Ah!" Hisako jolted from her upset stance as if she had touched a bare electrical wire. Immediately, she swept Nanako up into a princess carry and headed back toward their room.
"Wait a minute! What about the change in plans that this means for us?" Yuri called out to the departing duo.
"You and Ryuuji can deal with it. I have something more important to take care of." Hisako called back without breaking her stride.
"And then there were six." Deena said as she shook her head.
"Four." Suzume said as she stood and pulled Umeki up with her. "We're going to call our parents too."
"That's probably best." Yuri agreed.
Ami could see that both Yuri and Deena were very concerned about all of this, but Ryuuji was looking at his phone again.
"Do you two need to check on anyone?" Deena asked Ryuuji and Ami.
"No." Ryuuji put his phone down and told them, "Ami's mother, my grandparents, and our son are all in Tokushima. There is no danger there."
"They're still in Tokushima?" Ami asked. She hadn't been in contact with her mother in several days, but she thought she was supposed to head out to Kyoto or Kyushu for some filming. That would still be safe though. Neither of those locations were close to Tokyo, and both of them were even farther away from Fukushima or any of the flood devastated areas.
"Yes." Ryuuji informed answered his wife, then turned to Yuri to assure her about her son, "Ryan is also still at the Hisamitsu estate."
"Thank you, Ryuuji." Yuri sighed and said, "I feel so guilty about leaving him there for them to take care of for so long. I'm going to owe them so much."
"Heh," Ryuuji chuckled when he remembered what Noto had told him during the call.
"What?" Yuri wondered how taking advantage of her friends as she had, could be construed into something humorous.
"Noto's grandmother – and all the other women there, have already decided on the price you will be paying." Ryuuji prompted.
"Eh?" Yuri wondered about these other women. There would be Noto's grandmother, Ryuuji's grandmother, Ami's mother, and… a few of my former students. She swallowed hard when she realized that one of them was Aisaka Taiga. What kind of payment would such a group have agreed on.
"It seems that little Ryan is now destined to become Noto and Maya's son-in-law when he is old enough." Ryuuji told the worried teacher.
"What?" Yuri stammered, "You're joking of course. Nobody does arranged marriages any more."
"The elite and the nobility still do." Deena pointed out. She wasn't really sure of that, but it was portrayed in a lot of manga and anime.
"And the Hisamitsu family is about as close to royalty as you are likely to get in Japan… without visiting the Imperial palace." Ami added.
"But!" Yuri was too frazzled to tell if they were serious or just picking on her.
"He's not alone though." Ryuuji turned to Ami and told her, "They've made the same plans for Tatsuya."
"I knew my mother was up to something." Ami grouched. She didn't hate the idea of her son marrying a Hisamitsu girl on some far-off day, but the idea that her mother was making these arrangements without telling her…
"I guess that's where you should try to go then." Deena suggested.
"Huh?" Ryuuji didn't see how their discussion of marrying off their kids fit with Deena's comment.
"All your friends and relatives are in Tokushima now, right? So, you could fly into Osaka and get to Tokushima without having to deal with any of the restrictions around Tokyo." Deena explained.
"That's… not a bad idea." Ryuuji agreed as he considered it. "They probably can't deal with nine more guests at the Hisamitsu Estate, but I'm sure we can find a hotel around there somewhere."
"Nine?" Deena asked.
"Um… yes. Unless you're planning on coming back with us." Ryuuji quipped.
"Well… I had been thinking about taking some leave… and… you know." the tall blond woman pouted while she twitched her shoulders and twiddled her fingers. A look that would have been unbelievably cute on someone younger and shorter like Aiko-chan, but just wrong on the big military woman. She gazed up at their blank stares and realized that she was the only one in the room that understood anime references.
.
Wednesday late evening, March 23rd – Hisamitsu Estate
Noto finished his phone call and went back into the room full of adults and infants. His wife was breastfeeding one of their twins while Shinako was feeding the other one from a bottle. Minori was taking care of Yuri's son while Taiga was feeding Ryuuji and Ami's son. Noto was glad that Taiga held no animosity for the child of the rival that had captured the heart of the man that she had loved. In fact, she had the maternal appearance of contentment, happiness, and amazement as she watched the child's cherubic face. Obāsama, Ryuuji's grandparents, and Ami's mother were seated around the table and having some tea.
"Was that Ryuuji?" Takasu Ojiisan asked.
"Yes. It sounds like they are all getting a case of homesickness and want to go back to Tokyo." Noto chuckled as he looked up from his phone.
"They heard the news, didn't they?" Takasu Obāsan asked.
"Yeah. They didn't like it but they all realize that they can't go home just yet. At least, not to Tokyo." Noto told them.
"Did you tell them that they could come here?" Obāsama asked her grandson with a guarded expression.
"I told them I would talk to you about it." Noto replied, "There will be ten of them coming back."
"Ten?" Kawashima Anna asked.
"Deena-chan would like to come back with them." Noto said.
"Deena-chan… the Australian military woman that was involved with rescuing Nanako-chan from Izu?" Obāsama asked.
"She rescued me too." Maya spoke up, "I know I was losing it when I saw Nanako lying on that table. If they hadn't come when they did..."
"It's safe to say, they rescued all three of us." Noto admitted.
"Of course she is welcome to come here. With the group we already have here, ten more might make this old place a little cramped, but we can make it work.
"I… I suppose we could go home." Takasu Ojiisan offered reluctantly. He would like to have seen his grandson before he left. But… I suppose there will be other occasions to see Ryuuji and his family.
"And we could take Nanako and Hisako with us back to the apartment near the college." Maya offered… even though she had wanted to see Ami again.
Taiga could see the sadness creeping into Obāsama's face at loosing her grandchildren, great grandchildren, and friends that she had made. She also knew when people were offering to do things that they really didn't want to. But another idea came to her. One that she was sure would make everyone happier. And one that would give Obāsama a chance to see her old home truly bursting with life again.
"Baka, no-one needs to go home!" Taiga announced, "Minori and I could take a couple of them up to the cabin. Then there will be plenty of room here and we can have one more horseback ride up the mountain before we all have to go back to school."
"That sounds like a wonderful idea!" Obāsama clapped her hands. Her guarded expression gone in a flash, lest someone think that it would be too much of a strain and insist on leaving.
"Who would you like to take up there?" Noto asked while his mind did the math on the available rooms at the estate.
"I dunno. I heard that most of them went on a trail-ride when they went to Hawaii, but a trail-ride and going up a mountain are a little different. I guess whoever feels up to it can go." Taiga replied.
"You should ask Ami to go." Minori said quietly to her friend.
"I don't think so." Taiga dismissed the suggestion quietly as she looked back at the child now sleeping in her arms.
"Why not?" Minori asked in a tone that sounded like she was running out of patience.
"Get real Minorin," Taiga laughed it off, "I don't know when the last time she saw her mother was, but she hasn't seen her son in over three weeks, right? Do you really think she'll want to head out on a trail-ride as soon as she gets here?"
"Oh… yeah." Minori was shocked. Taiga's reply was actually thoughtful and logical. Using the same logic, Minori now realized that neither Ryuuji nor Yuri-sensei would be joining them either. Minori didn't know whether to be happy that Taiga was actually trying to help out, or upset because another opportunity for her to talk things out with Ami would be lost… again. Oh Taiga, you can't run from her forever.
.
Thursday afternoon, March 24th – Brisbane Airport
The hotel's passenger bus pulled up to the airport. Only something that large could have taken all of them, and their luggage. All but Ryuuji were dressed in more of the fashion outfits that were reminiscent of their walk at the opening ceremony for the Melbourne Fashion show. Though nothing like the avant-garde outfit he had worn on the red carpet, Ryuuji was wearing a fashion design. It was by the same designer that had made the outrageous industrial Gothic outfit he had worn before, but today's garment was more in the fashion of a business suit. Although… with it's sharp angular design and severe cut, it still had the distinctive look of a Hellivin. He would rather have worn something more comfortable, like pajamas, for the nine hour flight to Osaka – but there was a reason for all this fancy dress. There would be one last photo shoot of the models and their entourage at the Brisbane airport before their all-night flight back to Japan.
A production coordinator had arrived at the hotel to give them all some brief training and tell them what to expect when they got to the airport. They had all been carefully instructed in what to do and, despite Yuri-sensei's overruled objection, they would all be participating.
First, porters would come onto the bus and remove all the luggage. Then Deena would get off the bus and help Aiko-chan down the short steps to the curb. The two of them would walk together between the two rows of photographers. Some people might have thought that the big Aussie was there to provide assurance to the little girl, but it was quite the other way around. As an idol and the lead singer of a popular band, Aiko-chan was comfortable being in front of crowds and photographers. She would be helping her taller friend to walk at the right pace and giving her the courage to face the numerous cameras.
Suzume would follow with Umeki. The two friends would walk hand in hand while smiling and waving at the photographers and any onlookers that might be there. Umeki wasn't as camera shy as Deena or Yuri, but she was glad that her model friend was there to hold her hand as they took their turn walking through the aisle of photographers.
Then it would be the comedic duo of Yasuko and Yuri. Since their very first appearance where Yasuko dragged the petrified teacher out of the limousine and teased her as they went down the red carpet – not to mention all the times the feisty blond chased down her friend with the threat of tickling her in front of a live audience, the two had been quite a hit to the Australians. And this last time was to be no different. Despite Yuri's desire to walk down the aisle as quickly as possible and get this over with, Yasuko took every opportunity to stop and pose for the photographers – always pulling Yuri into the shot and holding onto her in affectionate looking hugs. Each time they stopped, poor Yuri's blush got worse until she was shockingly red faced and somewhat dizzy by the time they got to the end of the carpet.
Next, Hisako and Nanako would be making the walk. But Hisako had a surprise in store for everyone. She was inspired when she saw the elegant business suit she would be wearing, and the flowing gauzy dress that Nanako had on. Nanako's dress was a pearl white with purple trim and highlights that matched her hair and eyes. But to Hisako, it reminded her of a western style wedding dress.
Nanako watched her tall girlfriend step out of the bus and turn to offer her hand, just as they had planned. She stepped out onto the curb just as she was supposed to, but was astonished to feel herself suddenly hefted into the air. She knew the feeling instantly and looked up to see Hisako's hopeful expression. She knew she could easily have teased her girlfriend in a situation like this… but not in front of the cameras. Instead, she let Hisako know her approval by wrapping her arms around the tall girl's neck and holding on as she was princess carried past all the photographers. She would be surprised later by the photographs that showed just how happy she looked as she was carried down the aisle by Hisako.
"If you try anything like that, I'll bite your ear off." Ami warned Ryuuji.
"I wouldn't dare." Ryuuji replied with both of his hands raised in a defensive gesture.
"All right then. Smiles on… and no funny business." Ami forgot who she was talking to for a moment until she looked at Ryuuji trying to smile. She could imagine the photographers dropping their cameras and running away in panic. "Never mind about the smile… but no funny business."
"Okay." Ryuuji said as he swung himself out the exit and turned to offer his hand to his wife. She took his hand and emerged in a black evening dress that beautifully displayed her lovely curves and complemented her blue hair. They walked hand-in-hand until they were halfway down the aisle, when Ryuuji pulled her in close and kissed her. She was stunned that he would do something so brazen… but this wasn't Japan and his kiss… She found herself lost in his kiss – the sound of cameras and the flashes fading from her hearing and sight. But, he broke off the kiss before she was completely lost, and guided her the rest of the way up the aisle. When they got to the end of the photo-shoot run, she turned to her husband to confront him about disobeying the 'no funny business' rule.
"Did I do it right?" Ryuuji asked Ami while he put his mirror-shades back on.
"Huh? Did you do what right?" Ami asked.
"The production coordinator lady said I should kiss you, half way up the aisle." Ryuuji said.
"Oh…" Ami felt glad that he hadn't ignored her now, but also a little disappointed that the kiss hadn't been his idea after all.
"I think it was only supposed to be a peck on the cheek." Yasuko laughed, "Not a tongue wrestling, passion flashing orgasma-kiss!"
"It… it wasn't that bad." Ryuuji blushed.
It wasn't bad at all. Ami thought with a quirky smile on her lips that belied her amusement at Ryuuji's embarrassment.
"Deena-chan put her hands over my eyes so I couldn't see it." Aiko-chan pouted.
"I'm sorry, Aiko-chan." Ryuuji said repentantly.
"It's okay." Aiko said, still in her pouty voice, "I'm not as young as I used to be. I wish I could have seen it."
"Not yet you don't!" Deena said authoritatively.
"Then when?" Aiko-chan asked petulantly with her little hands balled into fists.
"Not until you're in middle school… at least!" Deena huffed.
"What? That isn't fair! Why? Why do I have to wait so long just to see someone kissing?" Aiko-chan asked stubbornly.
"Because!" Deena replied just as stubbornly, but their was wetness starting to leak out around her eyes.
"Because why?" Aiko-chan demanded. But she almost gasped and her hands relaxed when she saw the tears starting to roll down her big friend's cheeks.
"Because… I want you to be a little girl for a while longer. I don't want you to grow up without me there to see it. I want… I want you to be my little sister forever." Deena had tried to be strong, but she knew this moment would have come when it was time… time for them to part. If only things had worked out.
Aiko-chan was crying too. It had been a great plan. Deena-chan would come back to Japan with them and play for a little while longer… But the problem with taking leave when you are in the military is that the leave can be… denied. Deena had been devastated when she found out that she already had some orders waiting for her as soon as her loan to DFAT was completed. Aside from that, her unit wasn't allowing any more personnel to take leave for at least three months.
Ryuuji had tried to point out that three months would be over before the reunion he was planning to host. Trying to put a positive spin on it, he told Deena and Aiko-chan that they would have more freedom to have fun, since Aiko-chan would be on summer break in August.
It's not that his arguments had fallen on deaf ears. But little Aiko-chan was still quite young. August seemed like it was a very long time away. And in the moment of now, the little girl was losing her Deena again. At her age, thinking about the future or the past was hard. Those were the things of whimsy and dreams. What caused hurt or joy, what felt good or bad – those were the things that were happening now. And, for the moment, Aiko-chan didn't like now very much at all.
"Promise you won't forget me!" Aiko-chan demanded.
"Hey, I didn't forget you last time did I?" Deena pouted back at the little girl she held in her arms. "But you better not forget me either."
"How could I ever forget Deena-chaaaaan?" the little girl sobbed as she clung to the neck of the tall blond Aussie.
"Now announcing the boarding call for passengers traveling to Osaka Japan. Please come to your departure gate. Now announcing…" the pleasant voice echoed the message throughout the cavernous terminal in both English and Japanese. The voice was pleasant, and yet it was the last thing some of the people there wanted to hear.
"No! I don't want you to go!" Aiko-chan wailed.
"I'm not the one going this time. But, I know how you feel." Deena cried as she handed the distraught girl over to Ryuuji. "Bye bye, my sweet little Aiko-chan."
And with that, Ryuuji – carrying Aiko-chan, turned and sped away into the International Terminal and off to their departure gate along with Ami and Yasuko. That part had been prearranged with Deena. Everyone knew just how much Aiko-chan hated goodbyes and this would be another goodbye with her cherished Deena. All the adults had said their farewells to their Australian friend when Aiko-chan was distracted, so that they could make a clean break as soon as Deena handed her over. It was the best plan for dealing with the little girl, but that left Deena-chan all alone as she watched her friends leaving her behind.
"Hey." a voice called out from beside Deena.
"Oh, hey." Deena was startled and a little perturbed to see the immaculately groomed, but evil little woman from DFAT now standing to her right.
"They really are good friends of yours, aren't they?" the woman asked.
"Yeah." Deena replied stiffly.
"I just want you to know that I thought it was quite rude to ask someone to do this to their friends. I said as much to my superiors. But, I have to say – you've handled this admirably." the woman said.
Deena blinked when she realized that the woman that had been hounding her since this whole thing had begun, had just said something nice. She was trying to decide whether to thank this woman for the opportunity to be with her friends again, or complain that all of DFAT's meddling had kept her really stressed out the entire time. Asking her to act as a liaison was one thing, but looking the part… Deena didn't think that she would ever feel comfortable with such pretty clothes, makeup, and certainly not high heels.
"I think you were brilliant… even if, you forgot to introduce me to your friends." another voice spoke up from Deena's left.
"Thank you sir! Sorry sir!" Deena didn't have to turn to see who it was. She knew his voice all to well. Still wearing the civilian clothes from the photo-shoot, she tried to stand at attention in the presence of the Air Commodore. "I thought we would have a little more time. Time for me to show them around Brisbane, and take them to the air base. But..."
"They wanted to go home after seeing the news about the tragedies that were happening in Japan." the Air Commodore finished Deena's thoughts. "I suppose I can understand that. Bit of a shame though."
"Why is that, General?" the DFAT woman asked. Her ignorance of the man's proper military rank made Deena wince, but the Air Commodore gave no reaction.
"Well, what with one of my own involved in all this, I read up a bit on these Japanese celebrities." the Air Commodore raised a magazine that he had been carrying and looked at a particular picture fondly. Wistfully, he said, "I would like to have met this… Onee-chan."
Deena turned and gawked at the senior officer… until she realized that she was staring at him. Then she snapped back to attention with her eyes riveted forward as she wondered if she could be court-marshaled for turning her superior officer into an otaku.
.
Ryuuji was stunned when he got onto the plane and the flight attendants ushered him to the First Class section toward the front of the cabin. He thought it was a mistake and was about to challenge the steward that was guiding him, when he saw that everyone in his party was also being ushered forward with him.
"What's going on?" Ami asked as she looked around at the semi-private compartments that were completely unlike the rows of seats that they had been allotted in for the flight from Tokyo to Melbourne.
"I don't know. Maybe there was some kind of mistake." Ryuuji started to dig out the stub of his ticket to see if there was any explanation there.
"There is no mistake." an Asian woman dressed in the livery of the Australian airline told them. Then she asked, "You must be Ryuuji-sama and Ami-sama? Your passage upgrades are complements of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade." she said with a smile as she handed Ryuuji an envelope with an official seal. "The five seats against the windows on the left side are yours, as well as the four seats in the middle that open to the left aisle. Other first class passengers will be in the five window seats along the right side, but privacy curtains will come down after we get to cruising altitude and your group should have a little privacy then."
"Th...thank you." Ryuuji started to bow, but the attendant stopped him.
"I am but the messenger. Your gratitude should be to the nice people that arranged this for you. However…" the stewardess winked, "it looks to me like this was their way of giving their thanks to you."
"Ryuuji still wanted to thank her, but he was interrupted by the tug of his sleeve and looked down to see an upset little girl.
"Do I have to sit by myself?" Aiko-chan had barely gotten over having to say goodbye to her Deena and now she was looking at a semi-private nook that seemed to be made for only one person. "Please… can't I sit with Onee-chan?"
"You're Aiko-chan, aren't you?" the stewardess said as she knelt down to the same level as the young girl.
"Yes." Aiko-chan said bravely. She didn't have to summon her courage to speak to a stranger, she was quite used to that. But she was trying her best not to break into tears again.
"My daughter is a huge fan or yours. When I tell her that I got to see you on this flight, she is going to be so jealous." the stewardess said cheerfully.
"Really?" Aiko-chan's surprise helped to pull her a little bit farther away from her tearful mood.
"That's right. And since she is such a big fan, I'll have to do my best for you on this flight, okay?" the stewardess said.
"Okay." Aiko-chan responded automatically the way a child does when someone says they will do their best.
"So, if it will make you feel better, you only have to sit by yourself during take-off and landing. As soon as the plane is safely in the air, I will come back to you and take you to your Onee-chan. Would you like that?"
"Yes!" Aiko-chan cheered.
"I guess we should get seated then." Ryuuji wanted to hurry up and get this flight started before Aiko-chan remembered that she was leaving her Deena behind and start crying again. But such things were not within his control.
"Not just yet. This is a very large plane and it will be a while before the rest of the passengers are boarded and we are ready to pull away from the gate." the stewardess could see the disappointment in Ryuuji's face, but she wasn't finished, "So, while you are waiting, I have some cute pajamas for you to change into, and some hangers for your nice clothes."
Before anyone could decline, she unfolded a small size set of the pajamas for everyone to see the very comfortable looking fabric that they were made of, and the big stylized animal logo on the back and front.
"That's a kangaroo!" Aiko-chan yelped, "I want to wear the kangaroo pajamas!"
The stewardess smiled at her success of turning the 'moody girl' into the 'excited girl', as Ami leaned over to whisper to her husband.
"She's amazing." Ami said with genuine appreciation of the attendant's child handling skills.
"Yeah." Ryuuji was still too stunned to give more than a monosyllable reply.
"If anything ever happens to your mother and she can't come on one of these trips, we need to hire her." Ami whispered.
"I was just thinking the same thing." Ryuuji said as he accepted the package that contained his personal set of pajamas and slippers.
.
Thursday noon, March 24th – Twelve and a half kilometers over the Pacific Ocean
As soon as the plane finished climbing to its cruising altitude, there was a welcome distraction for Aiko-chan as well as the others in their party. Instead of immediately taking Aiko-chan from her window seat where she was watching the tops of clouds making long shadows from the setting sun, the stewardess brought Yasuko to the little girl. Aiko-chan eagerly let Yasuko slide into the large seat underneath her.
"What are you looking at?" Yasuko asked as she held the little girl in her lap.
"All the long shadows." Aiko-chan said softly, "They're pretty, but… they seem kinda sad."
"Sunset." Yasuko smiled and rocked the little girl in her arms, "There was a song I used to sing to Ryuuji about sunset."
"A song?" Aiko-chan asked with interest. She was always interested in songs.
"Sunset is the end of the long day. The end of work, the end of play, lots of things end at sunset. But it's not all sad." Yasuko said with a smile.
"It's not?" Aiko-chan was relieved to hear that it wasn't all sad. The idea of so many things ending, didn't sound like a happy thing to her.
"Sunset is the gateway into night. And night is the time to rest and dream of wonderful things!" Yasuko told her.
"Yeah." Aiko-chan thought about what her Onee-chan said while she looked out the window at the puffy white clouds far below. "I wonder if I'll dream of walking on poofy clouds tonight?"
.
Ryuuji was awed and watched with fascination as the seats of each of these first class pods, folded down flat for sleeping. But the stewardesses weren't done yet. A comfortable pillow-top mattress pad was placed over the seat and made up with sheets and pillows. Checking the others, Ami was the only one that didn't seem amazed at all of this. He guessed that, when she was younger, she must have traveled in this kind of first class with her mother. Suzume had an interesting expression too. Her expression concealed laughter and her mouth made a smirk as she watched the opulent accommodation being prepared.
Suzume had heard her sister bragging about how wonderful the Super-Green… Deluxe… Elite… or whatever the new car her older sister got to command was called. It was always Shinkansen this or Shinkansen that with her. Now, Suzume couldn't wait for her sister to start crowing about her vaunted Shinkansen again. She was pretty sure the bullet train had nothing like this, even on its Ultra-Super-Hyper-Green car!
.
Later that night, two of the stewardesses were making their rounds to insure the comfort of their charges and noted that all of the first class passengers were fast asleep, which was normal. Their airline was known to have the most comfortable first class bed in the sky, after all. But there was something unusual in one of the beds. It was an endearing 'something' that the two stewardesses hadn't seen before. And, although it was technically against the rules, they didn't have the heart to disturb or interfere with it. Little Aiko-chan had crawled into Yasuko's bed and the two of them were cuddled up together. Their matching pajamas blended into the color of the sheets so that it wasn't easy to tell how they were entwined. But their faces, partially illuminated under the dim cabin light, reminded the hostesses of sleeping angels. Taking in the blissful sight for a few minutes, the two women eventually walked back to the crew area where it was safe to whisper.
#Are they sisters?#
#What makes you think that?#
#Well, I thought they were mother and daughter, but the little one calls the other one 'Onee-chan' right? Doesn't that mean 'big sister' in Japanese?#
#It does, but it can also be used for someone that acts like a big sister.#
#I don't know about you, but my big sister was a terror.#
#Onee-chan would be for the person who embodies the ideal big sister. The one you wish you had… rather than the terror you got stuck with.#
#Anything unusual?# the senior attendant asked as she arrived from the small kitchen area.
#Nope. Everything is fine. They're all asleep.#
#All right, you two go get some rest. I'll keep watch for a while.# the senior attendant ordered.
#Uh… okay.# the shorter attendant wanted to confess that there was one empty bed and one with two people in it… and she wanted to plea for the senior attendant to make an exception to the rules for the two sleeping angels. But the taller attendant pulled her back toward the shadows at the entrance to the small crew rest area.
Together they hid around the corner and watched as the First Class cabin leader walked out onto the floor to do her own check. She noticed the empty berth first, but that wasn't too unusual in the middle of the night. She guessed the little girl needed a potty break. Then she got to Yasuko's berth and paused just as her juniors had. Such beautiful angels. Even their sleeping faces convey serenity and… love. There were rules and regulations… and then there was the perfect beauty attainable only by gods and angels, that no mere mortal should disturb.
The two attendants in the shadows looked on, in quiet awe as their senior stood there in the darkness and watched over the two sleeping angels.
.
Friday morning, March 25th – Kansai International Airport, Osaka
The Hisamitsu estate didn't have a bus, but they did have several passenger vans that could bring home all the intrepid travelers. One of them had to have the seats installed back into it since the staff had been using it to run errands and fetch supplies for the estate, but that didn't take long. The seats were designed to be easily removed and installed. Even with all the seats installed, the vans were only designed to carry six people including the driver, so only the estate's most skilled drivers would be making the trip to Osaka. However, when it was learned that Deena would not be coming after all, there would be one open seat. Immediately, there was a flurry of interest to go along to pick up their friends.
Although it was initially appealing, the elder group decided to let one of the younger ones take the long trek. It would be much more pleasant to stay in the comfort of the Hisamitsu estate, with Obāsama and all of the grandchildren.
Maya decided to stay for similar reasons. Despite the two locations being geographically close, there were no direct routes from where they were in Tokushima to their destination in Osaka. Tokushima and Osaka were on different islands and the drive would either take them over the bridges of Awaji island and around the circumference of Osaka Bay, or across the Tokushima Wakayama ferry. The route across the island and around the bay would take almost three hours with the ferry route generally an hour and a half longer. They had all learned from their previous trip that going to Osaka and back was an all day affair. Maya knew that, without the children along, she would have to take several breaks throughout the day to express the milk from her breasts. So, she too decided to stay and wait for her friends to come to her.
Noto wanted to go too, but he had finally made it home himself and wasn't eager to run off without his wife so soon after finally seeing her again. So that left Minori and Taiga.
"Rock paper scissors, Minorin?" Taiga pulled up her sleeve and already had her fist ready to go. She was full of eagerness, but Minori just put her hand over Taiga's fist.
"You go. But promise me that you'll ride in the same car with Ami. Promise me that you'll have a proper talk with her." Minori said seriously.
"I don't…" Taiga was ready to say something flippant both to lighten the mood and to get out of promising something that she didn't think was all that big of a deal. But she had seen that serious look on Minori's face before. It didn't happen often, but when it did… it was something that mattered a lot to her pink haired friend. "Of course I'll be riding with Ami! She'll be with Ryuuji and other than Nanako, I don't really know any of the others that well."
"But, you'll talk to her… earnestly, I mean." Minori insisted, "This is important, Taiga. So, promise me you'll talk to her… properly."
"Yeah… I'll do that. I promise." Taiga agreed, but she wanted to get away from the heavy mood that Minori had created. Fortunately, she had help with that.
"Well then…" Kawashima Anna said as she approached the two girls. With her head cocked and a twinkle in her smile, she told the them, "As long as you are going to be talking to my daughter anyway… I have a special request for you."
.
At least, that was what Ami's mother had said the night before the plane was to arrive. Now, Taiga found herself standing at the greeting lobby with a sign that had been made up by Minori, Maya, and even Ami's mother. So that it wouldn't attract gawkers, it didn't say anything about 'Aiko-chan and RBB' - but it did welcome home the Takasu and Hisamitsu parties. Taiga had watched them making the sign and hadn't said anything when they adorned it with colorful drawings of flowers and lots of glitter. She said nothing about how ridiculous the sign was, or how it would make her look like a grade schooler. It infuriated her that they thought they could get away with making her take a sign like that, but she said nothing… she had a backup plan.
So now, thanks to the marker she had secreted in her pocket, all of the fancy drawings and glitter were on the back side of the sign and there was only one thing on the front. In the biggest and boldest letters. The sign proudly called for… DUMB-CHI!
Taiga was wearing a bright and fashionable spring themed dress. It seemed light and delicate, yet still provided a bit of warmth. The temperature wasn't so chilly here, but the airport was on a small island in the Osaka Bay and the humidity from the coastal waters meant that the cool temperature cut right through light clothes. It would also be cooler when they got back to the higher elevations in Tokushima where the Hisamitsu estate was. So Taiga had come prepared.
What she hadn't prepared for, and no-one back at the estate had realized, was that she wouldn't be the only person there waiting for arrivals. And, as short as she was, no-one could see her… or her sign. In frustration, Taiga tried holding the sign up over her head… but that got her some embarrassing comments from the people behind her that saw the glittery message that the others had created.
"Oh, little girl! I think you have your cute little sign turned around the wrong way."
"Isn't she precious!"
"Where are her parents? They shouldn't have left her alone like that."
Taiga pulled the sign back down quickly and tried to keep herself from blowing up at all the well-intentioned but insulting comments. Her hands became fists from the frustration and she crumpled the sides of the sign. The poster-board popped from the stresses she was putting on it and a spray of glitter showered from the pretty side.
"Arrrgh!" Taiga quickly ripped the sign to shreds as she stomped over to the nearest trash can and got rid of the accursed thing.
"Passengers from Brisbane Australia will be arriving now at the North Arrival Gate. Passengers…" the announcement overhead repeated the message that Taiga had been waiting to hear. But now she had no sign to wave at them. She thought about screaming Ryuuji's name as loud as she could when she heard a commotion behind her.
Fortunately, this was an airport and not a mall, or Ami and her group would have been overrun as soon as they were recognized. Ryuuji hadn't thought to have them all in some kind of disguise – or even a change of ordinary clothes. Instead, they were all emerging from the arrival gate in the latest fashions from the Australian designers. And those light and colorful designs were nothing, if not attention getting – which was especially true in an airport full of people that were mostly still wearing drab winter fashions.
"Dammit Dumb-chi!" Taiga hissed and started pushing her way through the crowd to catch them. Since these were people that just wanted to see what was going on, and not some of the more die-hard fans, Taiga was making good headway through the crowd… until she ran into some very tall legs.
"Huh?" the giantess looked down at her and suddenly smiled as she cried out, "Ryuuji-sama! I found the Palm Top Tiger!"
"Hey, wait a minute!" Taiga started to object when Suzume reached down and picked her up. Suzume did a move that she must have practiced before, and before Taiga knew it, she was riding high in the air on Suzume's shoulders. Instead of seeing only people's bellies and backs, Taiga could see over all their heads… all the way to the exit doors. It reminded Taiga of being on Midnight Star and she asked the red haired model, "Jeez girl! Just how tall are you anyway?"
"A hundred and eighty-one centimeters!" Suzume said proudly, then she asked, "Which way should we go, Taiga-san?"
"Oh yeah..." Taiga took a moment to look around and get her bearings. She quickly spotted the doors that they needed to take and pointed as if she were a scout on her trusty steed. "That way."
.
Once they had arrived at the vans, Suzume set Taiga down and they all had a chance to greet her while the porters helped the drivers load the luggage onto the vehicle's roof-top carriers.
"Wow," Taiga exclaimed as she looked around at the the rest of them, "you're all so… tanned."
"Oh yeah, we just spent a couple of days on an island in the South Pacific." Ryuuji said as he seemed to notice it for the first time.
"An island in the South Pacific… isn't that Australia?" Taiga quipped.
"Australia is called the island continent, but the place we were, was much more remote than that. We were the only people on the island." Yuri corrected Taiga's comment and added a little explanation.
"Uh… right." Taiga had forgotten that they had a teacher with them.
"Are you the only one that came out?" Hisako asked. She and Nanako had been living with Noto and Maya while they attended the university in Tokushima, and had become fairly close. Expecting to see them, Hisako was a bit dejected that they hadn't come to greet Nanako and her.
"Yeah," Taiga explained in her own sarcastic way, "There was only one spare seat and I guess I drew the short straw."
"Well, if there was a short straw, it should certainly be yours." Ami said with a cheerful smile.
"Hey!" Taiga railed against the short joke. She was doubly upset with it since she realized she had set herself up for the slam.
"What are our riding arrangements?" Yuri asked. She was still tired and wanted to find her seat and collapse into it.
"I vote the glitter covered shrimp rides in the luggage rack." Hisako suggested. She was still upset that Taiga had made light of her question… and her feelings.
"Hey!" Taiga felt like she was under attack from the very people she had come here to welcome home. Then, it occurred to her that this could be her own fault. The 'dumb-chi' stuff. The sarcasm and the attitude. I'm sliding back into my old ways. No! I don't want to do that. After taking a calming breath, she summoned the determination she needed and asked her friends, "Um guys… can we start over?"
"Start over?" Hisako asked with a raised eyebrow. She didn't know Taiga well enough to decide whether this might be a feint for another sarcastic attack, or if the diminutive girl was serious.
"Yeah… I don't want to be like I used to be. You… you know what I mean." Taiga said with an embarrassed pout and looked away from all the eyes that were on her. It was because she was looking away that she didn't see the squishy soft attack until it was too late.
"Thanks for coming to pick us up, Taiga! And you even dressed up too! With that glitter on your dress, you look like a little fairy princess!" Nanako gave her old friend a firm hug.
"Yeah…" Taiga could feel their bodies pressed together from the contact of the embrace. And that meant that she could feel Nanako's firm but soft breasts pressing against her chest.
...her flat chest.
...her very flat chest.
Taiga sighed at this total defeat but was able to reply to Nanako's warm, but emotionally painful greeting, "Really… thanks sooooo much."
.
From the airport, their route would take them through the southern part of Osaka, across the forested hills and down into Wakayama – to it's sea port. After an hour of driving that route, the two vans were pulling onto the ferry that was about to depart from Wakayama to Tokushima. This route normally took longer than going back the way the vans had come. But it was later in the day now and traffic through Osaka back to Awaji Island would be insane. It might not take any more time than the ferry route, but everyone's nerves would be quite frazzled by the time they got to their destination. This way, there would be a couple of hours for them to wander about the large ferry and relax while they made their way across the fifty-five kilometers of sea that separated the two ports.
However, before they arrived at the seaport, Ryuuji insisted that they stop at a place to pick up some appropriate clothing. Even if they had pulled the suitcases down from the roofs of the vans, all the clothes they had with them was for an Australian summer, and certainly not warm enough for an early Japanese spring. Besides, after the attention they attracted at the airport, none of them had the energy for a repeat of that on the ferry… or anywhere else they might want to stop.
Taiga watched with amusement as her friends and acquaintances went into a generic department store wearing the absolute newest fashions from some of Australia's most recognized designers. They shocked the sales staff as they found generic clothing and bagged up their finery, leaving the store looking… ordinary. Well, as ordinary as a bunch of well tanned people would look at the beginning of spring in Japan.
Thanks to the freedom that the generic clothes gave them, everyone was able to leave their vehicles and walk around the ferry. There were some vending machines for food and drink in the main deck, but Ryuuji warned them that they would be going to a restaurant as soon as they made it to Tokushima.
Taiga found Ami on the outside of the ship. She was leaning against a rail with a drink in her hand and letting the cold wind blow through her long blue hair.
"Haven't you had enough of that from staying on your South Pacific island?" Taiga prodded.
"It was the end of summer down there. I kinda missed the brisk feeling of cold air." Ami answered without looking at Taiga, "After so many days of tropical island breezes that caress you, and are at just the right temperature that you don't even need to wear clothes… it got boring."
"Liar." Taiga said as she leaned against the rail and tried to suppress her jealousy.
"You're right. That was totally a lie. I would like to stay in a place like that for the rest of my life." Ami sighed.
"Australia?" Taiga asked.
"No… well, Australia was nice, but I was talking about the little island where we stayed for a few days." Ami told her.
There was a long silence then, while they both looked out at the horizon where the blue sky met the bluer ocean. It wasn't an awkward silence though. It was almost restful. But, Ami knew that there was something that was driving Taiga to seek her out.
"Something on your mind?" Ami asked.
"I promised Minorin that I would talk things out with you." Taiga replied.
"That muscle-head still worries about you, huh?" Ami laughed.
"Hey… if I'm going to stop calling you Dumb-chi, you should stop calling her a muscle-head." Taiga said.
"Yeah, I guess you're right about that. We're all growing up, aren't we?" Ami said wistfully. She sighed and asked, "So, what do we need to talk out?"
"Ryuuji, I guess." Taiga replied.
"We're married. We have a son. He loves me and I love him. And… I'm not giving him back." Ami said with finality, but without emotion. Then she asked, "What else is there to discuss?"
The words stung, but it wasn't anything new. Nothing that Ami had said was anything that Taiga hadn't already figured out – and come to grips with. It wasn't something she wanted to accept, but it was something she needed to… if she wanted to move forward. "No… I guess that pretty-much says it all. But, is it okay with you if Ryuuji and I are still friends?"
"Friends?" Ami laughed, "I think you might be a little past that already."
"Huh?" Taiga looked at Ami now and wondered what she was thinking.
"I've heard stories about how well you took care of our little Tatsuya. I can already see him growing up calling you Obasan Taiga. The poor little guy is going to be so confused on the day when we have to explain that you're not really a blood relative."
"Hah, oh yeah… that." Taiga wondered who it was that had told Ami how she had been fawning over the little boy. Then she realized that something Ami had just said really had stung. It had hurt worse than the earlier comments by far. "Do you have to tell him?"
"What?" Ami looked at her short friend and saw a pleading look that was rare for Taiga.
"Do you have to tell him that I'm not really his obasan?" Taiga appealed, "I wouldn't mind being Tatsuya's obasan."
"I guess I don't mind that." Ami shifted her gaze back out to the horizon, "Neither Ryuuji nor I have any siblings, so it's okay with me if you want to be his honorary obasan."
Honorary Obasan. I like that title. So, that makes me Ryuuji's… sister? Taiga was staring out at the horizon again as she tried to internalize how her new position worked with this arrangement.
"Is that it?" Ami worried that this had all been too easy. There had been a few weird dreams and sleepless nights because of Taiga, and to have it all wrapped up so easily was a little worrisome.
"Oh yeah," Taiga remembered the thing Kawashima Anna wanted her to bring up with Ami, "you need to join the Tea Ceremony club at your school. Maya and I are going to be competing with you."
"Yeah… I think I'm going to have to pass on that." Ami knew where this idea had come from and the corner of her mouth twisted in a smile as she thought of her retort to the next thing Taiga would say.
"Your mom's not going to be happy. She was really looking forward to this." Taiga warned, "You better come up with a good reason for turning this down."
"I have a feeling she'll be able to forgive me." Ami chuckled, "She'll have a hard time refusing my reason."
"Oh?" Taiga looked at her confident friend and wondered if she knew just how much her mother was invested in this Tea Ceremony plan, "What is it?"
"I'm going to give her another grandchild. I'm pregnant again." Ami smiled as she let the words sink in.
Taiga's response was so loud that other people on the outside of the boat could clearly hear her screech, "You're WHAT?"
.
.
Glossary
Gomen'nasai: "I'm sorry"
Little Bludger: Aussie speak for a person who avoids responsibility, getting other people to do their work.
Obasan: Aunt or middle aged woman. In this case, it means Aunt – Aunt Taiga.
Otaku: Similar to the western use of the word 'nerd' but usually focused on those who have an obsessive interest in anime or manga.