Monday afternoon, April 4th – Hisamitsu Townhouse in Tokushima
The confrontation at the school was only the beginning of the fallout. Soon, there were questions about whether Ryuuji had the experience or the morals to manage the performers. As evidence of his unsuitability, it was pointed out that he had a grade schooler perform a song about illicit drug use while in Australia. It was suggested that his presence was corrupting the otherwise innocent young girls in the performance troupe. Even the press wasn't willing to make Aiko-chan and Suzume out to be miscreants, but those two were the only ones that were spared. It was assumed that Ami was complicit due to her marriage to Ryuuji, the evil manager. But there was no excuse for any of the other adults, they were obviously part of his schemes to use the talented young girls for their own petty gains.
And of course, those accusations included Kurosawa Hisako. All of the bad rumors about her, that her friends had thought were forgotten, came storming back. Reporters, pundits, supposed experts in the entertainment industry – all seemed to have an axe to grind for the unveiled villainess who was once again, revealing her true colors.
Two of the more virulent entertainment magazines were sitting to the side of the piles of textbooks and the laptop computer on the table in front of Hisako. Her face was on the cover of both of them, along with Ami and Ryuuji. Their glossy covers were ruffled and it was obvious that they had been read, but for now, they were serving to protect the table from a large cold bottle of green tea. Hisako may have looked through the magazines at some point, but her focus now was on one of the textbooks and the laptop computer in front of her.
"We're home!" three voices called out from the genkan. None of the voices sounded as excited as usual. Hisako could detect a bit of concern from the next room, even though they had been fairly quiet. The reasons for their quiet entry were currently snoozing in a nearby bedroom. The twins were only a little over four months old, so the adults had already learned the lesson of moving about stealthily, when they were asleep. Nanako gave her girlfriend a wink, but breezed through the room to check on the babies. She knew that Maya and Noto wanted to have an important chat with Hisako, without too many distractions.
"Hisako?" Noto called out softly, as he set his books down on the same table where the tall model was studying.
Maya said nothing but put her books down next to Noto's, before taking his arm. Never having developed the skill to mask her emotions, she looked as if she were about to burst into tears at any moment.
"Noto-sama?" Hisako replied as she looked up. She could feel the concern that the both of them had for her, but she reacted innocently – as if this were any ordinary conversation.
"Are… you okay?" Noto asked.
"Of course," Hisako looked a little confused and asked, "Why shouldn't I be?"
"I just…" Noto started but Maya couldn't contain herself any longer.
"The student center has TVs and stuff and they… the people on the TVs were saying a lot of mean things about you. Things that… I know they're not true!" Maya insisted.
Hisako looked back at Maya, then at the concerned look on Noto's face and smiled. "You're worried about me. You really don't need to, but it does make me feel good to know that."
"Hisako, this isn't a joke." Noto tried to get the black haired model to understand how serious this was. The things they were saying were the kinds of things that could give her a bad reputation for the rest of her career… possibly even her life. As a professional model, or as any kind of performer, she might never be able to recover from the malicious things that were being said about her.
"Noto-sama," Hisako said patiently as she laid her hand on the small stack of magazines off to the side, "I know what they are saying. But you must remember… it's not the first time this has happened to me."
"Then, you are worried about it?" Maya asked when she saw the magazines.
"Not for myself." Hisako told them, "I was just looking through the articles to make sure they hadn't stooped to attacking Suzume or Aiko-chan."
"But… you should be worried about yourself too!" Maya implored.
"I was worried this morning, but I got a call from Noto-sama's grandmother." Turning to Noto, Hisako said, "She is an amazing woman. She can see opportunities even in something as horrible as this. And… she let me know that there is a place for me here, no matter what might happen to my performing career or my public reputation."
"But…" Noto wanted her to get angry and fight against the injustice that was being done to her.
"Noto-sama, please believe in me for now." Hisako entreated. She wanted him to believe in her abilities, but she was also carefully studying his reaction.
"You…" Noto saw the look in Hisako's eyes and hesitated. She wore the look of someone who was seriously evaluating… something. But with the way she was looking at him, he had the feeling that it wasn't the smear campaign or her public image that she was thinking so seriously about. It's me! She is more interested in my reaction to her than anything else. But that isn't rational! I have to convince her! I have to… I have to… calm down. She is evaluating me. I need to think… She doesn't want to see me losing it, does she? No… She wants to know if I trust her? Of course! She even gave me a clue… Noto rethought his concerns and changed what he was planning to say, "It is true that you are the only one of us who has been through a scandal before. I can see that you've already thought seriously about this. So, tell me what you have concluded."
"If you wish, Noto-sama." Hisako's smile deepened a little to let him know that he had passed the test that had been laid out for him. She noticed that Maya looked stunned at her husband's change in attitude, but wasn't objecting… yet. "As I have said, I have been through this before. All of the media will be waiting for a response, but any response will be used against the accused… against me. If I vigorously deny the allegations, then I am a trickster, trying to lie my way out of being caught. If I cry emotionally in front of the cameras and reporters, then I am just trying to act my way out of trouble with a pity play. Anyone who stands with me is part of the conspiracy. Anyone who forgives me is admitting my guilt."
"Then, the only thing to do is to be silent?" Maya asked.
"No, that doesn't work either." Hisako explained, "If the accused says nothing, then the accusers will claim that the silence means that everything they said was true. In fact, many of them will be emboldened to go on and make more outrageous claims."
"Then… everything is a trap? There's nothing we can do?" Maya felt horrible that this was happening to her friends but knowing that she was powerless to do anything about it made her feel even worse.
"I'm afraid so." Hisako replied.
"More outrageous claims…" Noto mumbled thoughtfully. He noticed that Hisako didn't seem to be crushed by the futility of her situation. And that made him wonder why. Glancing up at Hisako, he voiced his suspicion, "You've already talked to Ami about this?"
"I have." Hisako replied and the corners of her lips turned up a little when she answered. Good boy. You're thinking it through. Your grandmother said you could figure this out without being told. Shinako and I agreed with her, but we didn't think you could do it this quickly. Damn, but it's fascinating to watch that brain of yours at work.
"You talked to Ryuuji too, didn't you?" Noto asked. When she nodded her head, he knew his intuition was probably right. Ordering the logical flow or his thoughts, like chess pieces moving in his mind, he raised an eyebrow as he asked, "You… the two of you came up with a plan, didn't you?"
"Very good, Noto-sama." his cousin, Shinako said as she emerged from the kitchen, "As always, your abilities at observation and deduction are impressive."
"Another test." Noto sighed.
"Huh? What's going on?" Maya looked around the room but it seemed that everyone else was having a conversation that she was only hearing half of. Nothing made any sense to her so far, and it was very frustrating.
"Maya-chan," Shinako smiled at the bewildered wife, "You are confused because this has been a test designed for Noto, so I will explain…"
"Test!" Maya interrupted angrily. With tears of frustration falling from her eyes, she hissed, "I know all about you and your grandmother giving Noto these little tests to see if he is ready to take over the family business. But DAMMIT! Did you have to do it now? I'm really worried about my friends!"
The emotional outburst and unexpected reproof hit Shinako and Hisako like a hammer blow. They had gone from feeling proud of themselves for arranging such a subtle test, to awkwardness and shame for the pain they had unintentionally caused Maya. They could both see that the tears in her eyes were real and now they weren't due to anything the press had said. As awful as they both felt for the stress they had unwittingly put on Maya, Noto wouldn't let them apologize just yet. He had something to say first.
"Maya." Noto turned and pulled his wife into a comforting hug. He knew he'd startled her from the way she jolted, but her arms soon wrapped around him and she buried her face into his shoulder while she sobbed. "I know you are a very caring person, and you are worried about all of your friends. I am too, and… believe it or not, so are Shinako and Hisako. They didn't intend to make you feel bad, you know. But testing me is part of their job for the family. It keeps me on my toes and it lets Obāsama know something about my development. Because of that, I feel responsible and would like to be the one to apologize for any discomfort my family life has caused you. It is because of me that they have to do these things at all. Nevertheless… Shinako and Hisako are going to apologize to you in a moment and I hope, for my sake, that you will forgive them."
"Huh?" Maya looked up from the comfort of Noto's shoulder and saw that her two friends were already bowing low to show their sincerity and regret. "No no no, please don't do that…"
Noto watched his embarrassed wife making up with two of her closest companions and wondered how the rest of their friends were doing. After all, the others were in Tokyo, where the intense media scrutiny was the worst. Despite that, he had a lot of confidence in Ryuuji and Ami. They are strong together. As long as they have each other, they could probably weather anything. At least… that's what I want to believe. But sensei… His thoughts went out to the caring teacher and he worried about her getting caught up in such hurtful lies and accusations.
It hadn't been so long ago that he could forget about collapsing onto her lap and weeping like a child. His mind wandered back to those emotionally devastating moments when Nanako was at death's door and Maya was losing her mind in pain and grief. Noto was physically exhausted and holding up through sheer force of will… until help arrived. After they were rescued, and there were others to take the burden of responsibility from him, his strength gave out and it was his sensei that caught him. Unexpectedly, Koigakubo Yuri sensei had been on the airplane that had swooped down out of the sky to save them from venom and madness.
Falling at her feet, his head dropped to her lap and he cried. Tears washed out the grief and fear that he had been holding back for so long, leaving only exhaustion behind. An angel of solace, she simply held him, patted his head, and let him cry all of the pain out. Certainly, it had been no manly display, but there had been no reproof from his sensei. There was no criticism or disappointment either. Indeed, she had been proud of what he had been able to do. Many times, he had wondered what might have happened to him if she had not been there to heal his spirit. She had been there to help him when he needed it most.
And now, the thought of that gentle soul being lambasted by the press, condemned by her coworkers, and nearly dismissed by her employer… it made his blood boil. It was hard to look at news programs or magazines without hearing something about the uncaring and disgraceful acts of the aristocratic entertainer and her elitist friends. Or, so the reporters and pundits would have everyone believe. Those same reporters who had been begging for any little sound-bite, picture, or interview not too long ago.
Considering the madness that was enveloping Tokyo, Noto had made the offer for his former sensei to come out to Tokushima for a while. She could relax at his grandmother's estate and wait for the rest of Japan to calm down from the false accusations and blame frenzy. Yuri-sensei had thanked him for the offer, but she had declined in the end. She told him that her husband and Ryuuji were figuring out what to do, and she would put her trust in them. Noto hoped that her confidence was well placed, but there were lingering doubts. The Major was certainly impressive, but the last time Ryuuji had experienced such a huge setback, he… hadn't handled it all that well.
"Tell me… about the plan. If you don't mind." Noto asked, after everyone had moved into the living room and got comfortable.
"First, I should tell you what we suspect." Hisako began.
.
Monday afternoon, April 4th – Kawashima House in Tokyo
The old house phone was ringing as Ryuuji and Ami came through the door.
"Seriously? Who calls us on that old thing?" Ami scoffed.
"Only one person that I know of." Ryuuji said as he walked over to the old style telephone on the little table in the hallway. Picking it up, he said simply, "Hello?"
"Good! You've learned not to identify yourself when you answer the phone." the voice of Ami's uncle said smugly… also not bothering to identify himself.
"Ojisan, I still don't see why that is so important. I doubt anyone in this century even thinks about searching for this kind of phone number." Ryuuji laughed.
"Aieeee, I love it when you call me ojisan!" the old uncle squeale'd, but then chided his nephew-in-law, "Listen, you must never underestimate what reporters can uncover. Or… private detectives for that matter."
"So, you still think this is a smear campaign?" Ryuuji asked.
"I'm sure of it… more than ever. I believe we'll be hearing from someone soon. Probably in the next two to four days… would be my guess." the older man said thoughtfully.
"Someone?" Ryuuji prodded.
"The more I look at how they have gone about this, and who they chose to target… I'm betting it's another talent agency that wants to get their hooks in you." the uncle said.
"Not me." Ryuuji said wistfully.
"What?" Ojisan asked.
"They are going pretty light on Ami. They're not touching Suzume or Aiko-chan at all. But Hisako, and everyone in Ami's entourage is getting hammered with bad press. They just want Ami and the girls. They don't want me or any of the others tagging along." Ryuuji aired his suspicions.
"It could be that they just don't want a bad rap for going after children." Ojisan countered.
"That wouldn't explain why they are going light on Ami." Ryuuji sighed at the inference, then said, "They've already decided who they want and who they don't want. They can see a profit in Ami, Suzume, and Aiko-chan… especially if they get to run them the way they want to. That's why they don't want me."
"Explain." the old man requested.
"If they were pulled out of school, they could perform as idols, singers, actors… An agency could run them hard until their popularity declined and make a lot of money in the short term. But, as you know, I won't let that happen."
"You won't let them make a lot of money?" the uncle asked.
"I won't let them throw away their futures for a brief moment in the spotlight." Ryuuji refuted, "And I never said they would be the ones getting the money. I'm pretty sure the contracts they would be encouraged to sign would make that pretty difficult."
"You think so too?" the uncle's question sounded more like an affirmation.
"Yeah." Ryuuji had taken it personally when he realized that the conspirators didn't want him. But the humiliation didn't last long. Ami helped Ryuuji to realize that, without him in the way, the new management could make the girls do worse things than quit school and run them into the ground with insane performance schedules. Sooner or later, they would be asked to start doing work that they might not be all that comfortable with. The beginnings of depression turned into anger, but even that emotion was warped into cold rage when he saw how they were also targeting Nanako, Hisako, Yuri-sensei, and even his mother. None of the adults that the girls trusted would be there to protect them at this rate.
"You're still okay with the plan?" the uncle asked.
"Yeah. If this is what the world of professional entertainment is like, it can all burn down. There's no way I want to raise our children in that kind of environment." Ryuuji said bitterly.
"It's not always like this… but I won't argue with you." the uncle sighed, "I still think it's a loss for the arts, but if that's what my darling niece and nephew-in-law want… so be it."
"Thank you, Ojisan. I have to go now." Ryuuji sighed as well, "I need to let Aiko-chan's parents know."
"Of course. Give my best to Ami." the uncle said before he hung up.
"He's not fighting this as much as I thought he would." Ami observed from behind Ryuuji.
"Oh hey!" Ryuuji turned around in surprise, "I thought you had gone to look in on the baby."
"He's out with your mother right now." Ami put her hands under her substantial breasts, hefted them and said, "I hope she gets back soon. These things are getting heavy!"
"You could use the pump to express…" Ryuuji started to suggest the little plastic suction device that was in their room.
"Ugh, I hate that thing. It doesn't feel good on my… chest," Ami blushed while she scoffed, "and it cramps up my hand after a while."
"Oh?" Ryuuji smiled when he spotted the package leaning against the wall next to the telephone table. Picking it up, he handed it to her and said, "this may help a bit."
"What's this?" Ami perked up when she saw the package. Even though she was in the middle of a pout, she couldn't help being delighted. The little girl part of her always liked getting presents.
"Just a little something I thought you might need." Ryuuji enjoyed her excitement but was concentrating on finding the phone number for Aiko-chan's parents on his phone. "Why don't you go give it a try while I…"
"Okay!" Ami gave Ryuuji a quick kiss on his cheek and ran off to their bedroom to open the box up. It didn't feel too heavy, but there was sure to be something interesting inside.
.
A half an hour later, Ami had figured it all out. There was a lot more in the shipping box than she had imagined. The cardboard brown box had been host to several brightly printed product boxes that Ryuuji had ordered for her. Two identical battery powered devices were designed to sit inside a bra and would quietly function as a breast pump. To accommodate the additional volume of the pump devices, the shipping box had also included an adjustable bra that was a few sizes larger than what she needed. At first, Ami worried that the bigger bra and the little machines that went inside them would be a pain on her neck and back, but the devices were very light and it really wasn't so bad.
The thing that had upset her, at least at first, was the third device she had found in the box. The same company that made the ingenious wearable breast pumps also made a kegel trainer that wirelessly connected to her cell phone. Miffed that Ryuuji thought she needed kegel exercises in the first place, she was tempted to throw it back in the box. But the booklet that came with it explained that the device would provide a number of health benefits… and she was curious about what the application on her phone would tell her.
In front of the full length mirror, she studied how the larger bra looked on her, but her real focus was to see which muscles might be flexing when she struggled with the kegel device. She tried doing the suggested exercises while standing straight, with her legs parted a bit, and even standing on one leg and holding the other up to her chest. She tried bending to the sides, a low bow to the front, and even squatting. All the while, keeping her eye on her form and on her phone. So, she was understandably distracted with trying to work her muscles in just the right way, while watching her phone display the success of her efforts… or rather, the lack of success. In fact, she was way too distracted to have noticed someone quietly coming into her room.
"Seriously, don't you think those udders of yours are big enough?" Taiga's sarcastic voice hailed from the doorway of the bedroom.
Ami froze. Her face went red with embarrassment. Wondering how long Taiga had been there, she thought about all of the crazy poses she might have been seen in. Tensing up, and yet almost dropping her cell phone, she didn't notice the readout trying to tell her that she was crushing the kegel training device with dangerous levels of force. She turned slowly while her brain battled between wanting to scream at Taiga, or wanting to hide in the closet forever.
"Oh," Taiga said while looking at the empty box she had just picked up, "a breast pump that you wear, huh? I guess that makes sense. My mom always hated hers."
"Y… your mom?" Ami turned away now, not wanting Taiga to see the Kegel device's brightly colored plastic tail running up along her mons.
"Yeah. She had one of those electric breast pumps. It was supposed to be hospital grade, but she said it was extremely unpleasant." Taiga replied while she spotted the matching box that the other unit had come from. But then, she noticed that there was a third box that seemed to be shaped a little differently.
"Ah, you probably came to do your babysitting thing, right?" Ami said hurriedly while quickly ushering her short friend back toward the bedroom door. She had seen Taiga's attention on the box that the kegel trainer had come out of, and tried to distract Taiga from looking any further.
"Sure, but Ya-chan isn't back yet. So…" Taiga knew she was being rushed out of the room and wondered what had been in the third box that could be so embarrassing to Ami. She had seen the brightly colored box clearly, but wasn't familiar with the word on the label.
"Are… are you sure? You should check again, and… and say hi to Ryuuji too." Ami stuttered while trying to cover herself and hurry Taiga away at the same time.
"Whatever, jeez!" Taiga said to the door that had just closed behind her. I didn't think I made fun of her that bad. She didn't have to get in such a snit just because I saw her in her underwear. Hell, that swimsuit she wore back in high school showed more skin than that big bra. Why did she have to be so… Waitaminit… what if it wasn't about the underwear? Taiga fished her phone out of her pocket and flicked to the search screen. Tapping the voice key she asked, "What is a kegel trainer?"
"AAAAAAAAAH!" Ami screamed from the other side of the bedroom door.
Taiga took a step back just as the door flew open to reveal a red faced Ami holding a bathrobe tightly close around her.
"You don't need to ask that question!" Amy yelled, but it was too late.
Taiga was stunned. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open as she read the description and saw the pictures on her phone's display.
.
Takasu Yasuko, the mother of Ryuuji and the honorary onee-chan of most of her son's friends, was still the image of energy and youth. Aside from her prodigious chest, she barely looked old enough to be someone's mother, let alone the grandmother of the eight month old infant in the jogging stroller she was pushing. A few people even assumed that Yasuko and the baby was a high school girl and her infant brother. When people made that mistake, Yasuko was in no rush to correct them.
That youthful appearance didn't come without a price though. She always made sure to get enough sleep and eat right, but it was her insane exercise routine that was mostly responsible for keeping up her body's young, healthy, and sensual looks. Sometimes young men would try and keep up with her. Occasionally, one of the healthier salary-men would make the attempt. All of them hoped to keep up with her pace and distance to impress her at the end of the run. Unfortunately, very few of them ever made it to the end of one of her runs.
On this cool spring day, she decided to cut her run short after the eleventh circuit across the park, through the gardens, around the lake, and past the temple. An older priest waved to her as she turned the bright blue baby buggy toward home.
"Finishing early today, onee-chan?" the priest called out.
"Yeah, Tatsuya is making hungry sounds. So, I guess that's it for today." Yasuko sighed. If it had been a little earlier, she might have considered coming back later and doing a few dozen more circuits of her favorite run.
"If you have a minute, would you like to try our new Omikuji machine?" the priest asked pleasantly.
"I…" Yasuko was about to decline, but she saw the gaudy looking contraption that seemed terribly out of place in a Shinto shrine. With all the chrome and blinking lights, it would have been more at home in an arcade or a bar. "Machine? Are you getting rid of the can with the sticks?"
"Not at all. Well, you see… a young man made this for us. I'm sure he thought it was a splendid gift, but to me... " the old priest's voice trailed off since he didn't want to say anything critical about someone's gift.
"I understand." Yasuko said sympathetically. She decided to humor the priest and try her luck with the silly machine. Normally, one would shake a canister full of sticks, then tilt the can over and pull out a single stick. That stick would have a few characters to indicate one of many small drawers. A paper fortune would be waiting in that drawer for the lucky, or unlucky parishioner. But this contraption was no canister and she didn't see any sticks. "What do I do?"
"It is very simple to operate. You put a hundred yen coin in here," he indicated a coin slot then pointed to a big red button, "when you are ready, you push this button."
"Oh, I see." Yakuso opened the small pouch on the jogging stroller and pulled out a hundred yen coin and placed it in the slot. As soon as she did, the silly thing started ringing bells and making loud whistle sounds in addition to dozens of flashing lights. Not expecting such a raucous reaction, she took a brief step back but also swatted the big red button in hopes that it would shut the machine up.
The fortune-telling machine's noise-makers settled down and a strip of paper was printed from the side of the machine. The priest waited for the printing to stop and ripped it off the machine like a receipt.
Blinking, Yasuko looked at the freshly printed fortune. 'Small Blessing - a lost person waiting thing for found you.' "This… doesn't make sense." Yasuko showed the priest what had been printed.
"No… it looks like it jumbled the small blessing you were supposed to receive. Would you like to try again?" the priest asked.
"No, but thank you for the offer." Yasuko worried that she might make offense by telling the old priest what she thought of the machine but he seemed to be looking forward to the feedback, so she told him, "This thing is a little flashy… for a shrine. At least I think so. I guess, I would just rather shake the silver can and pull the stick out."
"It's fine." the priest smiled. Then conspiratorially, he whispered to her, "I like the old ways too."
Yasuko smiled back and started to head for home. She still had the strange fortune in her hand and thought briefly about tying it to one of the trees to dispel the fortune.
Small Blessing - a lost person waiting thing for found you.
She read it again and looked down at little Tatsuya who was fidgeting in his stroller. Putting the fortune in her pocket, she told the infant, "I think I'll keep it after all. Maybe this is about you, huh? You're small and you're a blessing, right!"
With that, Yasuko and the fast moving baby buggy were on their way home.
.
About ten minutes later, Yasuko walked into the house with little Tatsuya in her arms and came face to face with Taiga. The initial shock of suddenly seeing Taiga faded quickly when she remembered that the small girl was supposed to do some babysitting this evening.
"Thank you, Yasuko-san." Taiga said softly as she took the baby from his grandmother. Taiga was on her best behavior in an effort to mend the relationship she used to have with Ryuuji's mother.
Yasuko nodded and turned away to go get cleaned up, but she stopped when her hand came out of her pocket with a crumpled piece of paper. She read the mixed-up fortune paper once more and had a strange thought. Taiga is small too… Yasuko sighed heavily while a worry seemed to shrug off of her shoulders. Still looking at the strip of paper in her hand, she called out, "Taiga… you used to call me Ya-chan."
"Um… yes." Taiga replied hesitantly since she couldn't tell what kind of mood Yasuko was in from her voice. She didn't sound angry, but she didn't sound happy either. Moreover, she just sounded tired.
"You should start calling me Ya-chan again. I… I would like that." Yasuko said.
"Yes! Yes, Ya-chan! Thank you, Ya-chan!" Taiga would have done a fist pump and a little victory dance if she hadn't had little Tatsuya in her arms. Instead, she watched Yasuko walk off to her room then turned to the infant and cooed to him as she trotted off to the nursery, "Did you hear that? I can call her Ya-chan again! So you better get used to calling me obasan… no, I don't like that. Auntie Taiga will do. Yes, you should call me Auntie Taiga. And, no fair dropping the Auntie part when you get bigger than me either. You hear me?"
Taiga felt the presence of someone watching her as she walked down the hall. Just as she went through the door, she chirped, "If you grow up to be a good boy, some day Auntie Taiga will tell you a funny story about mama and her kegel trainer."
"AAAAAAAAAAH!"
Taiga restrained her laughter as the door to the nursery closed on the strangled scream from the hallway.
.
Friday afternoon, April 8th – Tokyo University Student Center
Ami and Ryuuji sat alone at a table under the opaque skylights in the impressive Hongo cafeteria. The food was good there, even though Ami actually preferred Ryuuji's cooking. The prices were reasonable, although they could have saved money by bringing their lunch or eating at home. But for other reasons, it was where they had both been having their lunch since the beginning of the semester. Or, more specifically, since Ryuuji had figured out that the attack on them was no accident.
Neither Ryuuji nor Ami were creatures of routine. If they had their way, they would have been having lunch at different places as often as possible. Since it was spring, many of those lunches would likely have been little picnics at the nearby Ueno Onshi Park or the Koishikawa Botanical Gardens. But their college friends had convinced them that this was the best course… for now.
The college had become a kind of bastion against the cruelty of the ongoing media drubbing. It wasn't that there were no televisions at the college. In fact, they were all over the place. But college students pride themselves on trying to think things through, and not getting caught up in zealous condemnations. Sure, there were some students that were disgusted that they were attending the same school as the people that the media spent its time villainizing. But, there were just as many students that wanted to discover the truth on their own. And, once they heard Ryuuji and Ami's story, they were incensed. The journalism students felt the worst. They felt that their chosen profession was being sullied by the ongoing campaign and demanded that they be allowed to do something about it. One of them had even come up with a plan. It was a plan that required a steady routine that neither Ryuuji or Ami particularly enjoyed. But both of them had to admit that it was a pretty good plan.
And today, the plan and their routine seemed to have finally paid off. A man that seemed a little out of place amongst youthfully dressed students, got up from his table in the corner and approached them. Ami didn't act like she noticed, but under the table she gave Ryuuji's leg a squeeze.
"Hello Kawashima-san, my name is Watanabe. I represent the Kuroi Kaisha Talent Agency. May I have a moment of your time?" the man said to Ami as he held out a card.
Ryuuji reached out to take the card but the man snatched it away and said curtly, "I'm sorry, but this conversation is only for Kawashima-san."
"Then you have no-one to talk to." Ami said without looking up at the man, "I am married now. My name is Takasu Ami. The man you just offended is my husband."
"That is regrettable, but my agency firmly believes that it is your husband that has destroyed your career." the suited man sneered.
"Ryuuji!" Ami softly punched Ryuuji in the arm as she asked, "Did you destroy my career?"
"Not that I'm aware of. He must be misinformed." Ryuuji replied in a calming tone.
"Surely you have heard of all the reprehensible things he has done. Not only to you, but to that poor innocent little girl!" the man hissed.
"Which one?" Ami asked indulgently.
"I speak of Aiko-chan. The way he had her perform a song about addictive drug use was…" the man stammered in apparent rage, but Ami cut him off.
"...a mistake. Even our Australian guide said she was unaware of its origins." Ami refuted.
"Even so, the trail of mismanagement of such amazing talent is… inexcusable." the man fumed. He met Ryuuji's stare with a cold glare of his own as he spat, "He is the reason for the terrible reputation that you have now!"
"Oh?" Ami almost replied with Taiga-like anger, but she held her emotions in check for a little longer. Still, she wasn't able to hide it completely.
"I'm sure it is not all his fault." the man allowed, "The agency you work for is small and ineffective. Even if your manager was a complete fool, they should have done something by now. And yet, here you are… still with the same manager, and still being scorned by the entertainment world."
"But the press is the press. They will say what they want to say - regardless of whether it is true or not. What can be done about it?" Ryuuji said while shrugging his shoulders.
"You see! This is why this man is a failure. He can do nothing about it because he is a disaster as a manager." the man took a breath and said more calmly, "A real manager from a real agency could make all of this go away."
"And… you are that man?" Ami actually seemed interested. Her face appeared to light up even as Ryuuji seemed to shrink away.
"I am." Watanabe said proudly, "If you were to work with me and my agency, together we can wipe this unpleasantness away in no time at all!"
"Surely, that would take years." Ami asked, "With all the things they are saying about Hisako…"
"I'm sorry, but Kurosawa isn't part of the deal." Watanabe said quickly, "Your… management has allowed too much damage to your little group. I'm afraid that all we can do is save you, Minami-san, and Aiko-chan."
"But Hisako is part of the harmony for Aiko-chan." Ami said worriedly.
"Don't be concerned about her. She's just damaged goods. We have already arranged a replacement for her." Watanabe said in a way that was meant to assure the young starlet.
Ryuuji could feel Ami's fingernails digging into his thigh and he knew that his wife had reached her limit. Coming out of his background mode, he sat up straight and looked into the man's eyes when he asked, "Doesn't it take a while to find a replacement? How can Ami trust someone who finds a replacement in only a week?"
"Baka! We've been searching for a replacement for nearly a month." Watanabe said contemptuously.
"A month?" Ryuuj's face shifted to a feral smile. It was difficult to keep his voice and emotions in check after the man had just admitted to everything, but he did his best while he asked, "A month ago, we were doing our red carpet walk at the Melbourne Fashion Festival. The earthquake hadn't even happened yet. I'm guessing… right after the earthquake? That was when you came up with this plan, and started your search?"
"Hmmph." Watanabe grunted. This was unexpected, but not worrisome. "So, you're smarter than you look. Figured it all out have you? Well, so what?"
Ami was glaring at the man in the suit, but he was glaring back. The fact that he had been found out didn't seem to bother him at all.
"I hold all the cards and you know it. If you ever want to perform again, you are going to have to deal with me. Those little girl's want to perform so badly, don't they. But they'll never see another stage unless they come to me." the man sneered.
"That's pretty careless, telling us your sick little plan." Ami said with disgust.
"I have nothing to worry about. With a single call, I could destroy you completely, so you'd better change that attitude of yours - and I mean now!" Pulling out a cell phone, he held it in his hands as if he was about to make a call.
"We could go to the police… or take our story to the media!" Ami said desperately.
"Don't make me laugh. Your reputation is already shit. It would just be your word against mine in a court." the man laughed evilly, then he gave them a knowing sneer while he told them, "And don't bother trying to sell your pathetic little sob story. Even if you try to tell the media, they won't listen to you."
"Because… how? Even media groups that are competitors are all singing your tune. I am honestly impressed that you could do something on that scale." Ryuuji's admiration and questions died then as he challenged, "Frankly, I don't think you can."
"What!" Watanabe demanded.
"I know who you are and… you just aren't that talented, either as a manager or as a schemer. Unless someone at your agency is pulling the strings, there's no way a B-ranked manager like you can pull something like this off." Ryuuji let his face show a little confidence as he went on the offensive.
"Boy, I'll make you eat those words! You're nothing but an upstart amateur that got lucky! I destroy kids like you every day of the week. It'll take you a hundred years to get to my level." Watanabe fumed.
"Oh really?" Ryuuji sounded distinctly unimpressed while pulling out his smartphone and opening up the browser, "Let's just have a look at the last interviewer's write-up of your… talents. If I remember correctly, it had phrases like 'washed up' and dead-end' in it."
"Enough!" Watanabe yelled loud enough that many people in the cafeteria turned to see what the commotion was about.
One of the campus police officers noticed the disturbance and started to move toward the table, but another student stopped him to ask a question.
"I don't give a damn what you find on your phone." Watanabe stammered in rage. He had never imagined that the punk husband had read that article. "The point is that I am a big shot manager and I work for a big shot agency. We do what we want and if some little shit is in our way, we have the power and the funds to destroy them."
"I really don't want to work for you… ever." Ami said through clenched teeth.
"Tough shit, sweetie." Watanabe spat. He knew he was in the power position and that was where he loved to be. He cracked the whip and all the little people did whatever he wanted… or they starved. Sure, his company had spent their reserve capital and gone into debt to make this score. But once he had those three girls in his hands, he knew just how to wring profits from them until they were completely used up. He had personally promised the board of directors that the return on investment would be better than tenfold for this little operation. The money grubbing bastards couldn't wait to give him the money he asked for after that. With glee in his eyes he smirked, "The only way you will ever work again, is if you work for me. I've seen to it that you can't even book a sidewalk to perform on unless you sign with my company. It's just a matter of time before you come to me on your knees to save you and your precious friends."
"So, that's how it is?" Ryuuji asked plainly.
"That's how it is." Watanabe replied with disdain even if it did bother him that neither of the two seemed to be showing him the humility and deference that his threats and demands usually produced by now.
"All right then." Ryuuji said as he got up and helped Ami up from the table.
Watanabe thought for a moment that they would finally bow and beg his forgiveness, and started to relish this moment like he always did. The moment when he broke the will of the precious little darling and they realized that they had utterly lost. However, the awaited bow didn't come, and he was shocked to see that they were standing across from him but facing a number of students that had suddenly got up from their tables and were aiming cameras and cell phones at the three of them.
"As you have just heard, I can't work in the industry anymore unless I work for the company that has attacked me and my friends." Ami said in a loud clear voice as she faced the cameras.
"What… what's going on here?" Watanabe demanded.
"Since Kuroi Kaisha Talent Agency was the one responsible for terrible things that have been said about our friends, there is no way that we could stoop to such an arrangement." Ami continued.
"Stop! You can't… you can't do this!" the suited man sputtered but none of the students were listening to him.
"At this time, I would like to announce the retirement of the performance group known as Red Black, and Blue. I have already spoken with the members of the group and they have all decided that, rather than work for Kuroi Kaisha Talent Agency, or… this person, they will all retire individually as well." Ryuuji said his prepared statement and tried desperately not to flub his lines.
"Even Aiko-chan?" one of the female students asked.
"What will they do?" another student asked.
"Aiko-chan's parents weren't fond of her being in this business in the first place, and this experience has greatly soured their perception of the entertainment industry." Ami answered for her husband. She knew how difficult it was for Ryuuji when there was so much attention on him.
"All of the former members of Red Black and Blue, are already involved in work that will benefit their futures. Like us, Suzume-chan and Aiko-chan are diligent students and doing well in their studies." Ryuuji told the assembled students.
"What about Hisako-san? She isn't a student, is she?" one of the male students asked.
"Thank you for asking about my dear friend," Ami answered brightly, "Hisako is studying very hard to return to school as well.
"I… I demand that this recording be destroyed!" Watanabe screamed in rage. He was used to holding all the cards, but something like this could still be dealt with, "I didn't give my permission to be recorded and that makes this recording an illegal act!"
"Old man!" one of the students with a camera yelled back, "You really are a has-been wash-up. This isn't a recording. This is a live stream. Although, it might be recorded by a million different servers somewhere on the internet, no-one in this room is recording anything at all."
"What?" Watanabe gaped at the student and all the little electronic devices aimed at him. Ami and Ryuuji had been sitting under the skylights where the lighting was perfect. Their location also meant that they were surrounded on all sides by other tables… and other students. There was nowhere he could turn that he wouldn't be caught by someone's camera. Turning to Ryuuji in rage, he demanded, "You… you planned this?"
"I knew this would happen sooner or later. But, I can't really take credit for this plan." Ryuuji admitted.
"I swear to all the gods in Japan that the degree you get here will be worthless! You will never work in the entertainment industry again. I'll see to it personally!" Watanabe fumed.
"What a moron!" a taller girl with glasses said while the rest of the students laughed at the man's outrage.
"Excuse me?" Watanabe turned his glare on the girl, demanding an explanation.
"Ryuuji-kun is a science major. He isn't studying for the world of entertainment." the girl explained while the laughter increased at the shocked look on the big-shot talent manager.
"You… you sonofabitch!" Watanabe shouted and hit Ryuuji in the stomach.
Ryuuji collapsed to his knees from the blow. For a moment he fought to get back up and defend himself, but the suited man fled after the cowardly attack. Or, he tried to flee. It seemed that a number of students were intent on tripping him and holding him down until the campus police showed up.
"Are you okay?" Ami said in a whisper while the attention was on the suited man struggling against the handcuffs that had been slapped onto his wrists.
"Yeah," Ryuuji half smiled while trying to catch his breath, "I didn't think he would do that. I guess he really is a sorry manager."
"No… he's about average in the industry." Ami looked into Ryuuji's eyes and gave him an impish smile as she told him, "That's why we'll do just about anything to keep the good ones… even marry them."
"Ha -ouch!" Ryuuji winced at the pain in his gut where he had been hit, "Don't make me laugh right now."
.
Monday morning, April 11th – East Sale RAAF Base
Victoria, Australia
Deena was in shock. This wasn't new though. She had been in shock fairly constantly over the last two weeks. Aside from watching the horrors of what was happening to her friends back in Japan play out, her personal life was on its own out-of-control roller coaster.
The sergeant that had predicted that she was on the short list for officer training, had been spot on… except for the location. Instead of the Military Academy in Canberra, she had been sent to the Officer Training School near the township of Sale. More important to her was that it was closer to Melbourne, where she had been with her friends for a while. But they were gone now, and her life was refusing to go back to normal.
With the unexpected promotion, Deena was pulled away from her job, given her relocation orders, packed up and moved into temporary quarters - all before she had her mind wrapped around what this all meant.
The previous day, when she should have been reading up on what she should expect over her first week at the Officer Training School, all she could do was stare out the window and wonder how all this could have happened. The book that she should have been reading was in her hands, but she never made it past the third page. It still seemed too unreal to her.
"Why me?" was a litany she had asked a hundred times. Anyone else would have been thrilled at the sudden promotion. But those people would have been the sort that would have wanted it too. But Deena wasn't that kind of person. Her life had been at a comfortable place. She liked the role her job had her in. She enjoyed training her peers. She was even getting along well with her commanders. No-one complained about her hobby… interests in Japanese culture and pop personalities. And now this.
"Why me?"
She had considered turning down the offer, but it hadn't come across as an offer at all. They were orders. No options, no arguments, no way out. Well… there was one way out. Deena had the option of resigning from the Air Force, but that just might put her in a deeper state of emotional turmoil.
"Walker, Deena." She told the man with the clipboard, like the previous cadets in front of her had.
"That line over there." he indicated a line where other women were getting their cadet uniforms that they would be using during their training.
"Yes sir." she replied in automatic military form and stepped over into the line. Standing in line. Well, at least this feels somewhat normal. Deena took a step forward as the line moved up. Three girls at the front were getting serviced. The one nearest her was getting measured. The next one was receiving her uniform items, and the last one was signing for what she had been given. A moment after the last woman left the tables and headed off for the next in-processing station, the line moved up and Deena took another step forward. Deena remembered something very similar to this when she was a raw recruit going through her basic training. She had been in shock then too - but that was from transitioning to a regimented military life from her carefree civilian life. This time, the shock came from the drastic changes to the nice, orderly military life that she had become accustomed to.
"I just don't think I can take any more surprises." Deena whispered at the back of the girl's head that was in front of her. Or rather, at the top of the girl's head. Her height meant that she could see over most of the girl's in line in front of her and see the process before she got up to the tables. It also meant that she could see three people walking very quickly toward the uniform distribution tables. One of the three was on the short side and was having to jog to keep up with the angry strides of the man in front. And he was angry. Even from this distance, Deena could see his face twisted and mottled in seething anger.
As he got closer, she could see that he was a Squadron Leader and was being flanked by two sergeants. Neither of the sergeants looked happy, but the officer… Oh no. He looks super pissed-off. I'm glad I didn't have anything to do with… whatever it was that got him this mad. Maybe he's going to talk to the people giving out the uniforms? I wonder if they are taking too long? Unfortunately, it appeared that the angry man and the two sergeants didn't stop at the tables. They ended up next to the line that Deena was standing in.
"Atten-shun!" one of the sergeants shouted at the line. It was a redundant order since they were already standing at attention. But it did make them aware that they were the ones being addressed. The short sergeant followed the first command up with, "Left face!"
The line of women pivoted to the left and found themselves now facing the angry trio.
"Which one of you is Walker?" the Squadron Leader shouted. He made no effort at hiding the rage in his voice.
Deena and two others stepped forward, but the girl to Deena's left then collapsed on the floor. Whether she had passed out from fear or had been standing with her knees locked, was anyone's guess. The Squadron Leader glared at the unconscious girl. The fact that she passed out like that seemed to make him even angrier. Grabbing the clipboard from one of the sergeants, his eyes scanned for a second before he looked up and shouted at them again.
"Deena Walker!"
The girl to Deena's right stepped back into line while a couple of the other's stepped out of formation to assist the girl on the floor.
"Yes sir!" Deena replied with her own shout. She had no idea why this angry man was looking for her and wondered if it might be some kind of hazing prank. But those thoughts fluttered away when the enraged man slammed the clipboard back into the sergeant's hands and stepped up in front of her. He was so close that their noses almost touched.
"I have a professional and orderly program here! This program works like a well oiled machine, and machines work best when all the parts do their job. You get me, Walker?" the man yelled into Deena's face.
"Yes sir!" Deena happened to agree with that sentiment. That was exactly the kind of message she was giving her peers when she had been training them.
"It all goes to hell when someone decides they're too good to do their part. Too pretty? Too smart!? Too special?" the man practically spat out the words, "Which is it Walker? What is your unique quality that gives you the right to screw with my well oiled machine?"
"Sir?" Deena had no idea what this man was talking about but she could see that her response only made him angrier… if that was possible. Thinking back to her time as a recruit in basic training, she quickly changed her answer, "Sir, this rec… cadet doesn't know what you are referring to. This cadet agrees with the Squadron Leader's assessment. This cadet wants only to do her part."
For a full minute, the officer only glared at her. He watched her face for any sign of deception while Deena tried her best to stay perfectly at 'attention'. Finally, he huffed and said only, "Come with me."
His stride was even faster than before. Deena guessed that it was his way of intimidating people, but her height meant that she had a naturally long gait. The only one that suffered from the officer's harassing tactic was the poor sergeant who was now running to keep up with them.
Fortunately, the fast paced walk wasn't very long. They were soon in an office where a few other people were waiting.
"Any problems?" a Group Captain asked the Squadron Leader when they arrived. A woman in civilian clothes sat in one of the room's few chairs.
"No sir." the Squadron Leader replied. He, the sergeants, and Deena were all standing at attention in front of the senior officer.
"Stand at ease, please." the older officer said as he turned to face Deena.
Deena would like to have been able to relax since this man didn't seem angry, but she always had problems with higher ranking officers and this man was almost a general officer.
"You don't know why you're here, do you Cadet Walker?" the Group Captain asked.
"No sir." Deena replied as if she was still at attention. She knew he had given the order to stand at ease, but for her - it was easier to rely on her military bearing to get her through this… whatever this was.
"This is Faye Stapleton. She is from DFAT." the officer said as he introduced the civilian.
"Yes… sir." Nooooo, not DFAT again! I really can't deal with those people. Maybe if I explain it to the Group Captain, he'll let me go back to my in-processing…
"She asked for you personally. And it appears that you have the endorsement of several… rather senior officers. So, I trust you won't disappoint me?" the Group Captain said with raised eyebrow.
Deena's heart sank. She knew that the officer's question was anything but a request. Nor was it a challenge. It was an order, through and through. Still, she replied in the same neutral military tone, "Yes sir."
"Miss… Cadet Walker," the civilian approached with an open laptop. On the screen were Ryuuji and Ami, surrounded by a large number of young adults and one older man that looked both angry and confused. As she keyed the laptop to play the video, she asked, "I assume that you've seen this?"
"Yes ma'am." Deena watched the familiar video. She remembered when she first saw it, only a few days ago. She cheered when she realized Ryuuji had outed the bastard that had been trying to ruin their lives. She was shocked when she heard them announce that they were all giving up their performance careers. And she felt the blow to her own stomach when the coward sucker-punched him before trying to run away.
"You know what they're saying, don't you?" the DFAT woman asked.
"Yes ma'am." Deena replied but her attention was on the screen. Her eyes misted a little when Ryuuji and Ami announced their retirement from the profession that she knew they had enjoyed so much.
"How good is your Japanese?" the Group Captain asked.
"It is… serviceable, sir." Deena gave a humble answer.
"Baka!" the DFAT woman exclaimed, "That is the word, isn't it. It is the word you use when someone says or does something stupid?"
"Yes ma'am." Deena was a bit surprised that this woman would know that, and more surprised that she would say it in front of a senior officer. Then again, she is a civilian…
"Devin, she not only knows Japanese at a conversational level, she is fluent enough to understand idioms and cultural references." the woman told the older officer.
"I see. So that's why you wanted her?" the officer asked.
"That is part of it. But, more importantly, she is close friends with the people in this video." Faye Stapleton said as she turned to address Deena rather sternly, "The people in this video are important to DFAT. We counted on Deena Walker to use her connections with them to accomplish a bit of national marketing. We gambled heavily on their popularity helping us to pave the way for Australian businesses to get a foothold in Japan. That popularity is key for us to realize plans that will benefit hundreds of Australian businesses and therefore, Australia as a whole."
"I see." the elder officer said casually. He understood that DFAT existed to further the business interests of his country, but not why their plan was so important that Deena's training should be impacted or that his taxing schedule should be interrupted.
"Tell them, Miss Walker…" the woman said as she slid the video back to where Ryuuji and Ami were making their announcement, "Tell them what they are saying here!"
Deena put out her hand and stopped the woman from playing the disturbing video again. She turned to the Group Captain and said, "Sir, I can translate what they are saying for you, word for word. However, with your permission, I would like to put it in context and summarize it for you."
"Please do." the older officer said with some surprise. Up until now, his impression of young Deena Walker was that of a scared mouse surrounded by hungry hawks.
"When they returned to Japan, the media crucified them for leaving the country to have fun, when the people back home were suffering from the traumatic effects of the earthquake and tsunami. In this video, they reveal the person who was behind the misleading accusations and announce their retirement from the entertainment industry." Deena told him the details as succinctly as she could.
"Did they?" the younger officer asked.
"Sir?" Deena queried.
"Did they vacation here during the crisis?" the Squadron Leader asked.
"No sir. They arrived several days before the earthquake and performed in many relief-aid concerts while they were here." Deena replied.
"Then why…" the DFAT woman started to ask. She didn't realize just how emotional these events had been for Deena and was surprised when she was suddenly interrupted by the young woman that had shown such a steady bearing until now.
"It was a smear campaign. His agency knew what they were doing. They didn't care who they hurt as long as they got their hands on the prize. It was all about money to them. They hurt my friends because of their stupid greed. They hurt them so bad that they gave up on the thing that brought them such happiness." Deena raised her hand to wipe away the wetness around her eyes, then went back to 'attention' as she ended her passionate statement, "It's just not fair… sir."
"No, it's not fair." the DFAT woman said as she closed her laptop. "I know you'd like to do something about it, but you are in the Australian military and they are Japanese citizens… so other than your friendship, it has nothing to do with you."
"No ma'am." Deena's face flushed with anger at the insinuation she thought the DFAT woman was making, but she soon found out that she was completely mistaken.
"However, as I said, those were the people we had chosen to represent our nation, our products, and our pride - to the rest of Japan. So, you might say, when they smeared your friends, they messed with Australia." the DFAT woman's voice was starting to sound as angry as the Squad Leader had been.
"They are our representatives. We need them to reclaim their presence on the Japanese stage. Their retirement is not acceptable. Not acceptable at all! Do you understand me, Cadet Walker?" the civilian woman was starting to sound even more like a drill sergeant and Deena reflexively stiffened her posture.
"Yes ma'am!" Deena replied.
"Tell her… what she is about to go through." the senior officer said to his junior.
"Walker, I am about to put you through hell." the Squadron Leader said sternly, although his voice seemed to have lost most of the anger from their initial meeting. "You are going to finish six weeks of officer training in six days. That's all the time you have before DFAT sends you to Japan to protect our national interests."
"And Walker?" the Squadron Leader hissed, " If you succeed in both of these tasks, I might give you a medal. But if you fail either of us, it's a shovel I'll be giving you."
"Yes sir!" Deena swallowed in fright. She understood the shovel reference. She would need it to dig her own grave if she failed.
.
.
Glossary
Canberra: located in the south-east of the country, it is the capital city of Australia, and the home of the Royal Military College. However, it is not the home of the Royal Australian Air Force's Officer Training School.
DFAT: Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Genkan: The entry area in a Japanese house where shoes are removed before entering.
Obāsama: a more respectful version of Obāsan. Both of them mean 'grandmother'
Omikuji: The fortune telling papers that are usually found at Japanese shrines. The positive fortunes are kept and the negative fortunes, or curses, are tied to tree branches or wire fences to dispel them.