Monday morning, May 30th - The Hisamitsu Estate
Ami leaned into Ryuuji when Yasuko started to tell Taiga about the events of the previous day. At first, she hadn't expected too much of a reaction from her short friend. From Ami's perspective, it wouldn't be strange for Taiga's personality if she just shrugged off the loss.
The bluenette knew that the Palm Top Tiger had changed since they first met… a little. But she was still convinced that there was something wrong with Taiga's personality… and there always had been. There has to be something wrong with anyone that would treat the person they liked as utter garbage. Or, as Taiga had put it on several occasions: dog, mutt, and mongrel. Frankly, dogs get better treatment than the way she bullied Ryuuji. She would have been arrested for animal cruelty if she had been caught mistreating an actual dog that way.
After completing an introductory Psychology class, she jokingly came up with a name for Taiga's mental state: Tsundere Unstable Response Diffenciency. Or 'TURD' for short. She used that moniker to describe anyone that reflexively treated the person they liked badly.
Of course, Ami hadn't been around when Taiga returned to the high school to find that Ryuuji was gone… and lost to her. At least, he was lost as anything more than a friend. She heard about it from Minori, but Ami hadn't seen Taiga's meltdown herself. She hadn't witnessed just how hard it hit the Palmtop Tiger when Minori revealed the story through all the pictures and magazine articles. And of course, Ami didn't see Taiga crumble in disbelief while watching the video of Ami and Ryuuji's very public marriage.
The one and only time Ami could recall the little shrimp showing any real panic was when Minori revealed the truth about what had happened during that ill-fated school trip. Her feelings had been exposed, her lies had been revealed, and in classic Taiga fashion… she ran away.
Also typical of the mini-tsundere, it hadn't been despair or grief for someone or something else that had moved her. The little narcissist had reacted because the truths behind her carefully constructed persona had been laid bare to her friends.
So Ami was understandably shocked when Taiga started to fall apart when while learning about what had happened to her horse. The pain in Taiga's unexpected reaction was shocking. Unprepared to see such suffering and unable to watch Taiga in such distress, Ami buried her face in Ryuuji's shoulder while the story played out.
"He's okay… isn't he?" Taiga pleaded desperately.
Ryuuji watched Taiga looking around for someone to smile at her and tell her that it was okay, but no-one replied. Most of the people in the room couldn't even meet her eyes. Ryuuji's hand cradled Ami's head and pulled her into his chest a little more. He could feel her sobbing as she clung to his shirt. He wanted to be strong and reply to Taiga, but he glanced away as well. Even if he had returned Taiga's glance, there was no way he would be able to give Taiga the message that she wanted to hear.
"Ya-chan? Please! Please tell me he'll be okay!" Taiga's panicking voice filled the room.
"I'm sorry, Taiga-chan. I'm so sorry." Yasuko wept.
"What… what happened? Tell me!" Taiga demanded.
"I'm sorry." Yasuko was crying too hard to continue.
"It started raining when we were riding." Minori picked up the story where she could. Her eyes were closed as she recalled the moments of that dreadful day. Her hands twisted in agony while she fought to get the words out, "We were in the loafing shed on the far side of the pasture when both the horses reacted to something and we rode out into the middle of the field. From there, we could see the landslide on the south side of the mountain."
"Landslide… I think I remember that." Taiga blinked at the fractals of memory that the story was reawakening.
"Right after that, we heard the bus horn and knew they were in trouble. You rode off to see what you could do while I called for help." Minori struggled to say more, but she couldn't bring out the words. But her courage to speak up had been enough to spur others into action.
"She called me." Ryuuji continued the story, "I relayed the message. Most of us got medical supplies and headed out to the cars. Haruta and The Major took off on horses since the landslide might have blocked off the road."
"It did… block the road." Taiga half whispered as those memories came back to her. She recalled riding Midnight Star as they carefully picked their way across the mound of earth, rocks, and fallen trees.
"Yeah, it was messed up pretty good. We caught up with Minori-chan and she showed us where you went." Haruta now told his part of the story. He desperately wanted to make the tale more interesting, but even he could tell that this wasn't the right time to let his imagination take over with creative embellishments. "It took us a while to get down the hill. That's when we heard you screamin. You were tellin the girls to stay in the bus."
"Stay in the bus?" several voices asked in confusion.
"The bus was precariously balanced at the time." The Major explained, "Even with all the girls in the front, it was dangerously close to flipping over. If even one or two people had jumped out of the door, the change in balance would have caused the bus to fall down the cliff with everyone else still inside."
"You were hanging onto the tire and it was pulling you up out of your saddle." Haruta told Taiga.
More memories came back to Taiga in flashes. She remembered riding over to the bus on Midnight Star and seeing it tilting back. Just as she grasped the bus tire, she could hear the door open and the girls clamoring to get out. She also remembered the arrival of The Major and Haruta. They had brought… "Rope! I remember you guys brought rope."
"That's right. We used the rope to tie the front of the bus to the saddles. Then we got the horses to pull the bus back down again." Haruta's voice became more sombre when he told the next part. "The girls were comin off the bus and everything woulda been fine if…"
"The cliff." Taiga remembered it then. "The cliff fell away and was taking the bus with it."
"Yeah. The front of the bus was goin way up in the air again. The driver jumped outa the door just in time." Haruta said.
"I… I don't remember anything after that." Taiga actually remembered running after Midnight Star, but the memory seemed to turn into one of those nightmares where she ran and ran, but couldn't catch up with the thing she was chasing.
"When the cliff collapsed, the bus was falling pretty fast." The Major took a deep breath before he continued, "Haruta had to move very quickly to pull the releases on the saddles. You were running after Midnight Star, but… he kicked you away."
"What?" Taiga sounded like she didn't believe it, but her hand crept over to hold her bandaged arm.
"I'm not one to credit horses with an abundance of intelligence. But…" The Major considered what he was about to say, "from where I stood, it looked like he knew. The whole cliff face was falling away and it was too dangerous. If he hadn't kicked you away at that moment, you might have gone down the mountainside with him, the bus, and a thousand tons of cliff-side."
BAKA! Baka baka baka! I could have made it. I could have saved him! He didn't have to die. Taiga's mind raged, but the only words that came out were, "Why? Why didn't he believe in me?"
"I don't know if he believed in you or not, but you can be damn sure that he loved you." The Major replied.
"Huh?" Taiga's rage was mixed with confusion.
"Taiga-chan, don't you see? He knew he wasn't gonna to make it. He was worried that you might throw your life away trying to save him. He knew you have lots of years left to live and he wants you to live them!" Haruta started to get that look like he was coming up with a new idea for a play… or a manga.
"Those are some pretty complex thoughts for a horse. It's more likely that he saw danger and just wanted to push you away from it." The Major responded to Haruta's flighty imagination. After a moment of thought he amended his comment, "But, who knows… he was an exceptional horse."
"An exceptional horse." one after another, everyone in the room repeated the phrase as they thought about the choice and the sacrifice Midnight Star had made for his person.
No-one thought of Midnight Star's fatal decision more than Taiga. Unable to contain her grief, she rolled over and pressed her face into Yasuko's Yukata and sobbed.
The others quietly left the room while Yasuko comforted the distraught girl as best she could.
Maya thought about Taiga's grief and how she had dealt with her own depression… here… in the same place where she had struggled so bitterly with a different kind of emotional trauma. Seeing all the concern and everyone's willingness to do something… anything that might help, made her feel guilty. During her own depression, Maya hadn't thought about how many people were worried about her and how much it pained them to see her hurting.
What was something that helped me? Maya struggled to remember a time that she would rather forget. But if those torturous memories could somehow help Taiga now… Tea! Yes, I remember Noto made some tea that helped me to sleep peacefully at night. I'll ask Noto to make some of his calming tea for Taiga. I'm sure that will help.
It was a good idea, but not one that would help Taiga… at least not for a while. Generally, the mountain estate was well provisioned, but that specialty tea was something that would need to be restocked. And unfortunately, the landslide had destroyed the main road to the estate.
There was a back road that could be used, but it wasn't paved and wouldn't be declared safe for several days. It would be even longer before the main road would be passable again. In those days of waiting, Taiga mostly stayed in her room. She didn't object when Yasuko decided to move in and share the room with her.
They took their meals together in the room. Most of the day, Taiga would just sit and look at the well manicured garden. Yasuko would sit nearby and watch Taiga while she dealt with her own sorrow… and guilt.
Yasuko was worried that a curse she had made, might have come true. In the gloomy months of her son's dark depression, and after she had given up on hoping that Taiga would return, she had angrily wished that Taiga could feel the kind of pain her son was going through. It had seemed like justice to ask for something like that at the time. But now… to see the curse play itself out… it was just too horrible.
.
Friday afternoon, June 3rd - Hisamitsu Estate
Taiga picked at her lunch but still didn't feel hungry. Yasuko had finished her lunch and was busying herself with brushing Taiga's long hair. Taiga had always considered it a boring chore, but Yasuko seemed happy to do it.
A little too happy.
Taiga's hair was getting brushed six times a day and that was only because Taiga had begged her not to do it more! Add to that, Yasuko's insistence that she could shampoo it, as well as put it up in a braid every night… Taiga was starting to worry if Yasuko might have a serious case of hair envy. But that's impossible! Her golden hair is way prettier than mine.
"Ya-chan, I think I want to go visit his stall." Taiga said softly. The brushing stopped and she heard the sound of something clattering to the floor.
"Are you sure? I mean… if it's something you really want to do, I can go with you." Yasuko offered as she stooped to pick up the hairbrush.
"Ya-chan…" I think I can manage going out to the stables by myself. ...is what she wanted to say, but she couldn't deny the pleading look on Yasuko's ever-youthful face. Instead, she made a half smile and replied, "... sure, why not."
Still in her pajamas, Taiga opened the closet and reflexively reached for the riding clothes. It had become a habit to reach for the colorful riding outfit whenever she headed for the stalls. Her hand pulled back as the dark thoughts began to rise. It doesn't matter anymore anyway. I could go out there in whatever I'm wearing. I won't be riding… I won't be riding...
"I'm ready!" Yasuko said cheerfully, but realized she had made a mistake and added, "Oh! I... uh... still need to do my hair."
Taiga's lips pursed and her eyebrows twitched when she looked at Yasuko. The energetic blond was dressed in her own riding outfit. It looked really good on her too. The trousers were bright yellow with a charcoal grey seat and inner thighs. The burgundy riding jacket was worn over a black turtle. The colors looked great with Yasuko's hair and also seemed to match the grey horse she usually rode. But most impressive was what the form fitted trousers and tailored jacket did to her perfect feminine body… or rather, with her body. As if to take another swing at Taiga's ego, Yasuko grasped her sizable breasts with her hands and jostled them into place inside the snug riding jacket. With her envy approaching toxic levels, Taiga gazed at the incredibly sexy figure and asked, "Bon kyu bon much, Ya-chan?"
"Huh?" Yasuko looked up at Taiga and noticed that she hadn't started getting dressed yet, "What's wrong Taiga-chan? Do you need help getting dressed?"
I'M NOT A CHILD… even if I look like one. Taiga almost yelled. Instead, she took a breath and calmly asked, "I'll be fine. Could you… go by the kitchen and get us some snacks. I might want to watch the horses run for a while."
"Sure Taiga-chan. I'll see you out at the stables." Yasuko really wanted to stay with Taiga. She could tell that the little girl was struggling with her real emotions, but she didn't feel like it would be right to challenge her on it. As she walked out of their room she called back, "I'll be waiting for you."
"I'll be right there." Taiga promised. Oh damn. This is harder than I thought. But I will. I will go… and I will say goodbye. And… I will be strong. Taiga's hand had been hovering at the edge of the closet and she pushed herself to reach for the clothes once again. When her hand was in front of her face, she could see that it was wet. Why? Her other hand went up to her face when she realized why her hand was wet. The tears were running down both cheeks and she hadn't even realized it.
"I will be strong!" Taiga growled through her tears and pulled out the riding outfit. Since Yasuko was gone, she didn't bother to wipe her tears and concentrated on donning her riding clothes. Her vision was blurry from the tears, but she could put on this outfit with her eyes closed.
Like Yasuko's outfit, hers was equally colorful. Dark red trousers with a bright red jacket and a white shirt. It didn't bring out her femininity as much as Yasuko's, but the red colors looked real good when she rode a black horse like Midnight Star. Closing the closet door, she saw herself in the full length mirror. Dressed in the familiar red outfit she felt the tears welling up again when she remembered all the times she rode her beloved equine friend in that outfit.
"Athletes retire the uniforms of the truly great performers, you know." Nanako said from the doorway where she had been watching.
"What?" Taiga was startled, but she could tell that the plum haired girl wasn't being mean.
"I'm ready to make you a new outfit, whenever you want." Nanako offered.
"You just want to make another costume for a runt sized person." Taiga provoked.
"I can't deny that I want to make another costume for you." Nanako replied with her enigmatic smile. Other than saying that much, she made no comment on the runt barb.
"No reaction huh?" Taiga gruffed when she failed at getting the desired response out of her old classmate. "You used to get so emotional. It's like you're not even alive inside anymore."
"On the contrary Taiga-chan," Nanako's smile stayed the same but her eyes looked like they could see an enchanted realm not visible to mortal men, "I am more alive than I have ever been."
"What happened to you?" Taiga was a little creeped out from the strange ethereal aura that Nanako possessed… or maybe it was that the ethereal aura possessed Nanako?
"Let's see. I almost died… twice. I lost the person I was crushing on. I fell in love with the person who loves me back. And, most importantly, I had some really tasty pudding at lunch." Nanako smiled warmly.
"Pudding huh?" Taiga had already heard the story of Nanako's near death experiences and she knew about the relationship with Hisako. Although she didn't know who the lost crush was, it didn't seem that Nanako was still lingering on it. So that left… "It must have been some really good pudding."
"I saved you one." Nanako's smile became a bit sly as she pulled a pudding cup out of her jacket pocket and handed it over.
"Oh? Thanks." Taiga was surprised to see the sealed pudding cup. She was sure that Minorin must have made a bucket-o-pudding again. Taking the pudding cup, she opened it and tried a taste as the two of them walked toward the front of the house. "Wow… it is really good. Is there any more?"
"You want another one?" Nanako was a little surprised since she hadn't pegged Taiga as the type to binge on desserts.
"Ya-chan is waiting for me in the stables. I want to get her one." Taiga replied.
"Very nice. There might be one more in the kitchen." Nanako's smile broadened. Her smile changed to a giggle and she stopped Taiga at the entrance to the kitchen where she told her, "I need to get Hisako ready, so… I'll leave you to it."
Taiga started to wonder about Nanako's indecipherable behavior, but gave up when she realized that she had never been able to figure the girl out. Even back when they were in High School together, Nanako and her friend Maya had been Ami's devoted fangirls. Opening the door to the refrigerator, she thought to herself, I definitely never understood that!
Celery.
Taiga's eyes had immediately found the lone pudding cup on the shelf. There was a spoon laying across the top as if it had been arranged for Taiga's convenience. And sitting next to the pudding and the spoon were three stalks of celery bound up in vermillion red string. Taiga's hand tightened into a fist as she fought the urge to break down into bawling sobs.
She took several deep breaths before she could reach out and take the items that had been prepared for her. Someone had arranged that celery, knowing exactly what it meant to Taiga. If it hadn't been for the red string… she would have suspected this was some kind of cruelty aimed at her. Nanako… fine. I don't believe in superstitions but I'll take it.
After loading the presents into her jacket pockets, she got her boots on and headed out to the stables to find Yasuko. It didn't work out that way though. She ran into the worried blond as soon as she stepped out of the house.
"Taiga! Are you okay?"
"Yeah… what are you doing out here?" Taiga looked at her askance.
"You were taking a while, so…" Yasuko bit her lip after her voice trailed off.
"Stop worrying about me so much. I just went by the kitchen to get you a pudding." Taiga fussed as she pulled the pudding and the spoon out.
"Pudding!" Yasuko's mood changed instantly to delight.
Taiga shook her head at the childlike glee as she handed over the dessert. Ya-chan, you're very sweet. But sometimes I really wonder how you could be a parent… or an adult.
Yasuko was in her happy place while they walked down the covered path and entered the stables. Inside the warm building, several men were working to prepare four horses for a ride, but that wasn't why Taiga and Yasuko were there. Walking past the saddled horses, the two women walked down the aisle to the stall that had belonged to Midnight Star. It was empty now, and cleaner than they had ever seen it.
"Wow! It's spotless." Yasuko was surprised.
"Heh… it looks like Ryuuji's been here." Taiga joked about Ryuuji's 'clean freak' nature.
"Yeah, I guess it does. But why…" Yasuko started to ask.
"It's called a deep cleaning. They'll give every stall a deep cleaning periodically, or when one becomes… vacant." Taiga tried to answer the question quickly before the meaning of the answer beat her down, but it was too late.
He's gone.
"Ya-chan…" the tears started to fall as Taiga turned to her friend.
Yasuko said nothing, but nothing needed to be said for now. She pulled Taiga's small body into a hug and wrapped the girl's head and shoulders in her arms. Trying to hold back her own tears, she looked at the cold vacant stall and remembered seeing that black and white faced monster of a horse for the first time. Whether it was his actual size or his presence, it had seemed to Yasuko that the big animal had filled the space of the stall that now seemed huge in its emptiness. There was no longer any sign that the majestic beast had ever been here, except for… "The sign?"
"Huh?" Taiga raised her teary eyes when she heard Yasuko's curious comment.
"There is a sign above the stall that has his name. Midnight Star." Yasuko pointed to the carved wooden signage above the stall entry.
"Hisamitsu-sama had that made when she seen how much you liked that old horse." a stablehand offered the explanation. "It's been up there a while. I guess ya jus dint see it. Hisamitsu-sama says you can have the sign ifn ya want it. But if ya don mind, we'd like to leave it over this stall outta respect."
"Respect?" Taiga asked while she wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Yessm. Few people get to be heroes, and even fewer horses. Ya know?"
"Yeah… I like that. Leave it up there." Taiga looked up at the sign and reached into her pocket for the offering of celery, but an ethereal voice stopped her.
"Taiga-chan, this isn't the right place for that." Nanako and Hisako approached in their riding gear. The stablehands and the four prepared horses followed close behind.
"Come on. It's time to ride out to the places where Midnight Star liked to go with you." Hisako said with a compassionate smile.
"Out… to the pastures?" Taiga felt like she was caught in a pop quiz on a subject that she should know, but was floundering to find the answer to the first question.
"More than the pastures, didn't he like to take the trails with you?" Nanako asked.
"She's got the right of it, miss." the stablehand added, "He wuzn't never barn sour when you wuz around, and he'd perk right up when we'd prep him for one of yer trail rides. Specially when ya went up to the cabin."
"Yeah," Taiga smiled wanly as she remembered how eagerly he took to the mountain trails, "I guess those were some of his favorite places after all."
"Yer all set for an overnight at the cabin, Aisaka-san." the stablehand said as he laid his hand on the prepared saddlebags that one of the horses was fitted with.
Part of Taiga wanted to reject all of this. She hadn't asked for any of it and it did irk her a bit that they had made all these plans behind her back. Unfortunately, this kind of thinking was her default reaction, and one that she struggled to get under control. After a deep breath, she realized something. They are doing all of this for me. I have to accept people being nice to me. "Yeah, let's do this."
"Good." Obāsama wore a satisfied smile while she watched the four horses and their riders pass through the gate at the far end of the lower pasture.
"Do you really think this will help?" The Major asked the elder matriarch.
"Don't your people have an idiom about getting back on the horse?" the old woman replied with a question.
"That's not really... " The Major was going to reply that this wasn't the right use of that particular idiom, but after thinking about it, "Nevermind. I think you're right after all."
"You wish you were riding up there too, don't you?" Yuri pouted.
"I do, but only if you were with me." The Major pulled his pouting wife in for a hug.
"I'm sorry, I just…"
"Hey, it's okay. Maybe you'll feel up to it the next time Obāsama invites us out here." The Major tried to comfort his wife.
"That is not how you should look at it." Obāsama's voice sounded like an Empress making an edict, "You have served the Hisamitsu family interests well, both in the aid you gave my grandson in Sendai, and in fulfilling my request to work with young Haruta-kun. Your wife has been instrumental in my grandson's development into an outstanding young man. Therefore, there will always be a room for you at the Hisamitsu estate."
The Major was stunned. He could only look at Obāsama with mouth agape.
"Thank you very much, Obāsama." Yuri was able to say while she closed her husband's mouth and gave a grateful bow.
"It is the least I could do. You have done much for our family." Obāsama replied.
"And yet… I will ask for more." Noto said while trying to hide a smirk.
"Oh?" The Major turned to the young man.
Obāsama's eyebrow went up as she waited to hear what her grandson would ask.
"I like the idea of all of our children growing up and going to school together. Your son, Ami and Ryuuuji's son, and our daughters are all the same age to go to school together." Noto reminded them.
"Yes?" The Major and Yuri both asked.
"I would like for us to do this again. Perhaps, in two or three years?" Noto said as if he was scheduling a reunion.
"Noto!" Yuri gasped as her face turned a shocking red.
"I'm already pregnant." Ami reminded them.
"Me too." Maya added.
There was an 'oh yeah, I forgot' moment when Ami reminded them of her pregnancy, but Maya's casual announcement even took Noto by surprise.
"WHAT?" everyone in the room gaped at Maya's surprise reveal.
"Eep!" Maya hadn't expected such a shocked reaction.
"How? No, nevermind how. When? How far along are you?" Noto asked.
"Um… less than a week. It hasn't been confirmed by a doctor, but the home tests… are all positive." Maya replied through a building blush.
Obāsama did some quick calculation and figured out that it must have happened within days of the decision to hire some of the Okayama girls as nurse-maids and servants. Quietly turning to Shinako, she whispered, "Remind me to give you a raise."
"I see. And, Ami-chan, you are what… two months along now?" The Major asked while in deep contemplation.
"A little more than that, yes." Ami answered.
"In that case, I suppose we shouldn't waste any time." The Major said as his fist hit the palm of his hand.
"For what?" Yuri looked at her husband in confusion.
"Don't you see? Given where they are in their pregnancies, our friends will be having their children in December and early March. If we don't hurry, our child will be a year behind the others." The Major explained.
"But…" Yuri started to protest but her comments were cut short when her husband swept her off her feet into a princess carry. "Hey!"
"No time like the present!" The Major told the others, then turned and headed back toward the wing where their bedroom was.
"Wait! I never said I agreed to this!" Yuri wailed.
"Now now, I remember how pleased you were when we picked up that young man from the Izu islands. You're not the type to let him down when he's made such a reasonable request are you?" The Major countered as he strode out of the room and down the hallway.
The rest of the room was stunned. Their eyes were still turned to the hallway where the two lovebirds had left them only moments before.
"The Major. He's…"
"... very determined."
"... surprisingly passionate."
"... a caveman."
Turning back to face each other, they all had the strange sensation that they didn't know who had made which observation.
"Well, um… I was just joking about all of us having kids at the same time again." Noto said hesitantly.
"Don't tell The Major that." Ami cautioned.
"Definitely don't tell Yuri-sensei that." Maya warned.
"Shinako-chan," Obāsama decided, "go find the young lady that wants to become a servant of the house. Let her know… no, let all of those girls know that we will be hiring many nursemaids. Also, I don't want to wait for the next school year. I want them now, so they can begin their training. They need to be ready to perform their duties by March."
"Yes, Obāsama." Shinako's allegiance had shifted to Noto, but she immediately obeyed this order because she knew who it would benefit.
"Obāsama, I appreciate the offer but I don't need…" Maya started to protest the very gracious offer.
"Do not think that I am being too kind hearted," Obāsama warned, "there are certain expectations attached to this. You and Noto will continue to do your best in your college classes. There will be no excuses for falling grades."
"Y… yes, Obāsama." Maya realized that she would need the help after all.
"How about you?" Obāsama asked Ami.
"My mother has already hired someone to help out. She said she would be hiring another when she heard about the new pregnancy." Ami replied.
"I wonder if Yuri-sensei has anyone to help out?" Noto thought aloud.
"She doesn't... not long term anyway. She and The Major take turns caring for their child. Sometimes Suzume or Taiga will babysit." Ryuuji replied. He didn't mention the recent arrangement with Hisako since that was short term and wouldn't help anyway - whenever both Yuri-sensei and Hisako would need to be away for a performance.
"We occasionally watch little Ryan when they go out on a date night." Ami added.
Obāsama was about to command her grandson when he called out to her first.
"Obāsama, I would like to create a retainer agreement with The Major." Noto said.
"What do you have in mind?" the old woman liked the direction he was going but wanted to see how he would spin this.
"His use as an interpreter is already verified and he has already demonstrated his leadership potential with Hisamitsu Heavy Industries. I believe it would be in the family's best interests to acquire such talent." Noto said.
"You want him to take over Hisamitsu Heavy?" Obāsama asked. Traditionally, that business was run by someone in the family, but The Major was a remarkable man and she would be willing to entertain the idea.
"No… not yet anyway." Noto considered the options, "I would suggest employing him in the role you previously used Shinako-chan."
"The troubleshooter?" Obāsama considered. It was a reviled position and another one that was usually filled by a relative close to the head of the family.
While this conversation was going on between the Hisamitsus, Ami was wondering something. As soon as there was a break in the conversation she asked, "You said you wanted our kids to go to school together and that seems to be working out so far. But… how many children do you plan on having?"
"Three." Maya replied.
"Four." Noto replied.
"Eleven." Obāsama replied.
All the replies were at the same time.
"ELEVEN!" Noto, Ryuuji, and Ami all cried out. Maya fainted and was luckily caught by Noto before she hit the floor.
After she regained consciousness, Noto would explain to his terrified wife that traditional Japanese families were historically quite large, but that his grandmother was kidding... probably.
The horse that the stablehands had picked out for Taiga was okay. The bay was obedient and had an easygoing nature, but there was nothing special about him. There was no spark or connection like the one that Taiga had with Midnight Star. That being said, there was certainly nothing wrong with the horse.
Taiga stopped trying to think about how this horse didn't feel like her beloved Midnight Star. Instead, she concentrated on the scenery. There were more leaves on the trees that lined the mountain path, but she could still pick out the places where she and Midnight Star used to particularly enjoy. A bit of a straight stretch where the old horse could work up a short gallop. A switchback that gave Taiga a spectacular view from atop the tall horse. A place where they would stop for water or a snack…
"Hey Taiga We should stop here for a bit, shouldn't we?" Yasuko called out from behind.
"Huh? Oh, yeah." Taiga realized that she had been daydreaming and had almost passed up a perfect spot for everyone to take a break. There was a familiarity about the place and she was sure they had stopped there once before too.
"Everyone should drink some water." Hisako called out as she dismounted and moved to help Nanako.
"And I brought some snacks!" Yasuko added in her cheery voice. She sat down on a fallen log and noticed that Taiga was walking away with all four of the horses. Not worried but confused, she called out, "Taiga-chan… where are you going?"
"The horses need a drink too." Taiga replied.
"Then I can…" Yasuko started to get up but Nanako put her hand on the blond's arm and shook her head.
"She'll be alright, onee-chan." Nanako said quietly.
"Eh?" Yasuko didn't understand and wondered if this was something that had been planned without her. Turning to the tall model behind Nanako she asked, "Hisako-chan?"
"Nanako's being spooky again. But… it's best to do what she says. She's very intuitive." Hisako said as she took a seat next to Yasuko and reached for one of the snack bags.
Yasuko didn't want to leave Taiga alone, but Hisako was right about Nanako's instincts when it came to reading the room… and all the people in the room.
Taiga heard none of their conversation. They hadn't been whispering but her mind was awhirl with thoughts and memories. Not even consciously aware of where she was leading the horses, she was jarred out of her waking daydream when she heard the sound of a babbling brook just a little ways ahead of her.
The forest had become dense and the little sunlight that made it through the thick green canopy seemed like columns of light making splashes of sparkling light where they struck the forest floor. The four horses seemed to perk up a bit as they drew closer to the stream.
Spying a flat rock near the stream, she decided that would be a good place to fill her canteen while the horses got their drink. It was just the right size for her to lay on the stone and reach down into the cold mountain water. Of course, the cool stone surface would suck the heat out of her body if she stayed there for long, but it would feel good after riding for a while in the pre-summer heat. Indeed, it would feel much more comfortable than it did the last time.
The last time? When was I ever here before? Taiga wondered about her confusing thoughts as she lowered the canteen into the calm water. The canteen splashed a little as she pushed it beneath the calm surface. Water rippled away from her fingers in ever expanding circles that replaced the mirror-like surface of reflected tree branches and light with indistinct shimmers. The ripples kept up as the air burbled out of the canteen neck until it had completely filled.
Taiga could hear the whispering of the leaves and branches as the wind picked up a little. She caught the green scent of the forest's life while the ripples on the water slowly faded away until the mirror surface was once again restored. Her hands were starting to ache from the cold of the water, but she felt an overwhelming urge to not disturb the water.
Not yet.
In the water's reflective surface, she could see herself… or at least her head and arms peering out from where she lay across the rock. Around her she could see other reflections looking down into the water too. The brown horse and the grey horse were on her left. The white speckled horse and the bay horse were on her right. And across from her were the reflections of a black horse and the emerald green eyes of a red fox.
She wanted to jump up. She wanted to scream. But she was frozen in place on the flat rock and could only look down at the impossible reflection. She remembered that red fox from the last time she had been here with… "Midnight Star?"
The black horse with the white star on its face was looking back at her through the reflection. It was impossible for him to be here. It was equally impossible for the fox to be here, but there they were. Of course… this has to be some kind of visual delusion. Maybe… I went to sleep on the rock?
"Huurruuff." Midnight Star snuffled as he shook his head. His kind old eyes were exactly as she remembered them, and they were looking back at her through the still water's surface.
"I… I miss you!" Taiga was able to break herself out of her petrified state enough to call out to her dear friend. The tears came again, but this time she didn't try to stop them at all, "I miss you so much."
"I miss you so much." Taiga repeated as teardrops fell from her face to disturb the surface of the water once again. The reflections wavered as the circular ripples spread across the water once again. The faces distorted and became indistinct as ripples overlapped each other and brought back the indistinct shimmers of light. Having lost the reflection, she jumped up from her perch on the rock and cried out, "No! Don't go, please don't go!"
Taiga gasped. She had expected to discover that it had all been a dream. Just a reflection in the water. That's how these kinds of things work… isn't it? But… impossibly…
There he was. On the other side of the small stream, Midnight Star stood proudly. His lustrous black coat was clean and sleek under the dappled light of the cool forest. His body was unbroken and clean as if he were in the most perfect health of his life. And yet, as majestic as his appearance was, his eyes conveyed the love that he felt for his person as he gazed across the stream at Taiga.
The red fox seemed tiny next to the big black stallion, but not in the least bit intimidated by either the horse or the human. It crouched for a moment, then made an impossible leap onto Midnight Star's back. As if it was a perfectly natural place for a fox to perch, it took a seat and tilted it's head as it gazed down at the small human.
Taiga was still on the flat rock on her side of the river, along with the four horses she had brought with her. Stunned with the vision of her beloved equine friend, she took a step toward the stream but was stopped before she could put her foot into the water. Turning around, she saw the bay had its teeth on the back of her coat. It wasn't acting shy or pushy, but it wasn't letting go either.
"You…" Taiga was furious at first, all she wanted to do was run over to Midnight Star and throw her arms around his big neck. He would snuffle her hair and she would give him the treat that he always loved. But the bay was stubborn… or insistent. Taiga stopped struggling and asked, "You don't want me going over there do you?"
The bay let go of her coat and nuzzled Taiga's pocket. It was the pocket that held the celery Taiga had been saving for an offering.
"You want this?" Taiga asked as she pulled out the string bound celery stalks.
"Phuff." the bay looked away, apparently not interested in that kind of treat.
Taiga turned back to the stream and noticed that both the horse and the fox were no longer as distinct as they had been. Some of the brighter parts of the forest could be seen through their bodies.
"No." Taiga implored. She knew they were going and didn't want to part yet. But she knew that there was nothing she could do to keep them there. The fox was as enigmatic as Nanako and the only thing that would keep Midnight Star around was… Taiga quickly held out the bundle of celery and pleaded, "At least… don't go until I give you this."
The fox seemed surprised when Midnight Star took a step toward the stream. But only a single step to get right up to the water's edge. It seemed that he wouldn't step into that stream either. Not even for celery.
The moment of victory that Taiga felt was short lived. Even though her old friend had taken a step toward her, he continued to fade. She looked to the fox and strangely felt gentle compassion from the emerald green eyes. Taiga realized that she was wasting the opportunity she had wanted so much.
The chance to properly say goodbye to her dear friend.
"I'm sorry!" Taiga stepped to the edge of the rock and reached out over the water with the cluster of celery, "Here. Take it! It's been in my pocket for a while so it might smell funny, but… I hope you like it."
The fading horse craned his neck across the stream and took the gift with his teeth. As always, he seemed happy with his favorite treat given him by his favorite person.
"I hope… I hope they have celery where you're going." Taiga's legs gave out and she knelt down on the hard rock. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket. Through her sobs, she cried out, "I hope it's a place where you can run as fast as you want, and jump as high as you can. Please let it be a wonderful place."
Her eyes were closed and she imagined him running fast and free over a vast prairie under a clear blue sky. His dark coat shimmered under the sunlight and his mane and tail streamed out behind him as he sliced through the air. "That's it! Run as fast as the wind, you dumb horse!"
Hisako and Nanako were relaxing together and Yasuko was putting away the snacks when Taiga returned with the horses. Yasuko saw her first and gave the little girl a critical visual inspection. Taiga still looked like she was daydreaming. Her eyes were puffy like she had been crying. But something was different. Yasuko could tell there was a difference but couldn't tell what it was for a few minutes. Realization brought wonder and her eyes opened wide when she finally saw it.
Taiga was smiling. It wasn't a big smile, but it was more than Yasuko had seen since the accident.
"You found some water for the horses?" Hisako asked when she noticed Taiga and the horses drawing near.
"Yup." Taiga answered simply. She still wasn't sure if what she experienced had been real or if it was another strange dream.
"Ready to ride again?" Yasuko asked carefully. Whatever had made Taiga smile, she didn't want to ruin it.
"Sure, let's go." Taiga actually smiled a bit more then. She swung herself up onto the bay and adjusted the straps while the others put things back in the saddlebags and mounted their horses. From this point they could ride two abreast for a while before the trail would narrow and become steeper. Nanako moved up to ride next to Taiga. Side by side, they rode quietly at first. There was the sound of the clopping of hooves, birds, wind through the branches, and the conversation of the two that were following them. Taiga was enjoying the peacefulness but she wasn't disappointed when Nanako decided to talk.
"The place where you watered the horses… it was a place you've been with Midnight Star?" Nanako asked.
"Yeah. How did you know?" Taiga started to suspect that the spooky purple haired girl could talk to spirits, or had telepathy, or… something.
"You looked like you had been crying when you got back." Nanako replied.
"I did? Oh yeah, I guess I did." Taiga hadn't thought anyone would have noticed that.
"So… I guess you don't have the celery any more?" Nanako raised an eyebrow as she asked.
"The celery…" Taiga patted the jacket pocket to check. She remembered giving the bundle to Midnight Star at the stream, but she still wasn't sure if all of that had been real, of just a dream. And yet, the pocket was indeed empty. A bit surprised she replied, "No, I gave… I mean, I left it for Midnight Star."
"Wonderful!" Nanako beamed.
"Huh?" Taiga was unprepared for the unusually jovial reaction.
"It's just good to see you smiling again." Nanako winked as she brought her horse to a stop and waved at Taiga to go ahead. They were at the narrower and steeper part and Taiga would take the lead again. She had to concentrate on the path and their balance for a few minutes before they came to another easy stretch where Taiga could return to her thoughts.
"That girl," Taiga was focused on something other than her loss for once, "I don't dislike her but she really is spooky."
.
Tuesday afternoon, June 7th - Tokaido Shinkansen
It had been several days since the four girls made their ride up the mountain and it was the day after the roads were finally open again. Most of the guests would be late getting back to their schools and jobs, but they weren't the only ones coping with disasters… natural and otherwise.
Noto, Maya, Shinako, and Nanako departed the estate for their townhouse near the university in Tokushima. As well as the babies, they would also be bringing along the young girl who had desired the maid position. Shinako would be taking care of the girl's enrollment into a local school and one of the main estate's nursemaids would be there to give the new girl the proper training.
The Tokushima group would all be home and relaxing before their Tokyo bound friends even got to the Shinkansen station to depart. All of Ryuuji's group were exhausted by the time they got to their seats for the longest, but fastest part of the journey home.
In a set of seats facing each other, Ami had the window seat next to Ryuuji with Yasuko and Taiga sitting across from them. Originally, they had planned to chat and share some of the snacks that the Hisamitsu estate staff sent with them. However, everyone was too drained for any of that.
Ami was barely awake as she watched the scenery racing by out the window. Across from her, Yasuko was already asleep in her seat. Taiga was checking emails on her phone and Ryuuji had been quiet for a while.
Taiga glanced up to see if he had gone to sleep too, but he was staring at her. Uncomfortable with the absent stare, she waved her hand in front of her face to bring back him back from wherever his mind had wandered off to. After a minute of this, he finally blinked twice and seemed to come out of his trance. To Taiga's chagrin, it seemed that he still hadn't noticed her though. She watched him reach into his pack and pull out an old notebook.
"Hey… isn't that one of the Minori notebooks?" Taiga asked when she saw the thing in his hands.
"Huh?" Ryuuji flipped the notebook over in confusion. It took him a moment to remember that long ago night when Taiga broke into his little home and tried to kill him because of an empty envelope. After he calmed her down, he showed her his box of shame.
Filled with poetry, music, and date plans for the day he would work up the courage to talk to Minori, the box had since become the treasure trove of source material for Aiko-chan's music. And, now that he looked at it, this notebook did look a lot like the ones that had been in that box.
"This is a different one." Ryuuji replied.
"So, you're going to do some classwork on the train?" Taiga asked. She wasn't criticizing, but there wasn't a lot of room for spreading out books and stuff.
"No, I make him use nicer notebooks for his classes. This is one of his inspiration notebooks." Ami replied as she leaned closer. Then she looked up at Ryuuji and asked, "Did you get an idea for a new song?"
"Um… maybe." Ryuuji seemed more worried than thoughtful though.
"Who was your inspiration this time?" Ami preened a bit as she asked. Unfortunately, Ryuuji didn't see her preening and his answer was disappointing for her.
"Taiga." he responded automatically and it was clear that his mind was completely wrapped up in whatever he was imagining.
"Ehhhh." Ami groaned.
"Phhht!" Taiga did her best not to laugh at Ami's gaff.
"Is Aiko-chan awake?" Ryuuji asked no-one in particular.
"Justasec." Ami got onto her knees in her seat and leaned over the back to talk to the group that was seated behind her. In moments, Hisako and Deena were towering over Ami and Ryuuji and Aiko-chan was standing next to her manager.
"Aiko-chan I am thinking of a new song, but I need to ask you something first." Ryuuji said gently.
"Yes, Ryuuji-sama?" Aiko-chan was excited when she heard that Ryuuji was thinking of a new song, but the way he looked now… it worried her.
"Some of my stuff was turned into happy songs and funny songs. A few were tender and even sad… but not too sad. Would you agree?" Ryuuji asked.
"Yeah. I used to like the funny songs the best, but I think I like the tender songs more now." Aiko-chan answered honestly.
"What if… what if I wrote a song that was very sad. Could you sing it?" Ryuuji asked her.
"How sad? What is it about? It isn't scary is it?" Aiko-chan didn't like scary things.
"It's about," Ryuuji paused. He thought of trying to lessen the blow by saying it was a story about a girl who loses her pet, or a girl and her horse. But that wouldn't be fair to Aiko-chan and it also wouldn't be fair to… "Taiga and Midnight Star."
There was a collective gasp from everyone except the sleeping Yasuko, but none were more surprised than Taiga.
"I don't want to sing a song that sad." Aiko-chan replied even as she felt her eyes watering up, "But I will… if Midnight Star is a hero, and… and Taiga-senpai says it's okay. Then… then I'll sing it. Even if it makes me cry, I'll sing it."
"You bastard." Taiga wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "If you do it… it better not be any halfhearted crap. If it's even slightly lame… I'll kick your ass."
"I'll help you." Hisako added.
Everyone looked at Hisako in surprise. She sang her part well but she had never contributed much to the song development before.
"I meant I would help Taiga kick his ass." Hisako clarified.
.
Saturday morning, July 2nd - Kawashima Residence in Tokyo
It had been a little over three weeks since Ryuuji and his family had returned to their house in Tokyo. The tap water still wasn't safe to drink for infants or pregnant women, but the supply issues with bottled water had been solved.
At the moment, Ami's principal concern wasn't about Taiga or her entertainment career, or school. She was standing outside the nursery where the new nurse-maid was being instructed on the particulars of taking care of little Tatsuya.
"There you are." Ryuuji called out when he found his wife peering through the crack in the door at what was going on in the nursery.
"Shhhh!" Ami motioned for him to be quiet but come closer.
"Is there a problem?" Ryuuji whispered once he got into position to see into the room at whatever Ami was looking at. All he could see was the two maids discussing something about the crib arrangement.
"This new maid… is terribly young." Ami worried.
"How young? We're not violating any labor laws are we?" Ryuuji now looked at the new maid a little closer.
"Nothing like that! But… she's barely out of high school." Ami fretted.
"We are barely out of high school." Ryuuji reminded his overprotective wife.
"But…" Ami realized that was not a particularly good reason, but she still felt anxious about this new maid.
"If you don't think someone young can take care of a child, need I remind you how old my mother was when she had me?" Ryuuji's eyebrow arched.
"So… just because my mother said she can do it, you are willing to let her take a chance… on our child?" Ami challenged.
"Not exactly. I'm just willing to see if she can pass the tribunal." Ryuuji said just as they heard the doorbell ring.
"Tribunal?" Ami asked as Ryuuji turned to answer the door.
"That should be them now." Ryuuji waved for Ami to follow him.
"Who?" Ami hissed.
"My mother, Taiga, and Hisako." Ryuuji said as he opened the door to find exactly those three people.
Ami stared at the three together. Each of them had a vastly different personality type, but all of them were protective of Tatsuya. More importantly, each of them had a different way of determining the character of a person. If a candidate had anything to hide, these three would find it faster than any detective agency.
"Any objections?" Ryuuji asked his wife when he saw her surprise.
"Oh… no!" Ami stood aside to let the three into the house so they could get about their task, "Let the inquisition begin."
"Ami-chan," Yasuko gave her daughter-in-law a little head shake and corrected her, "this is an interview, not an interrogation."
"Riiiight." Ami replied, but she had the feeling that the interviewee was going to feel like this was an interrogation.
"I really hope she passes the test." Ryuuji told Ami after the three interrogators… er, interviewers left the room.
"Why? Do you like that girl?" Ami asked suspiciously.
"What? Didn't your Uncle tell you about the invitation for the show in August?" Ryuuji deflected the silly question.
"You mean the fashion show in Brisbane? I already knew about that. I'm looking forward to basking in the Australian sun again!" Ami giggled.
"You forgot that August is a winter month in Australia, didn't you?" Ryuuji winced.
"Ah! How cold does it get there?" Ami's bright attitude shattered.
"Not too cold, but it doesn't get very warm either. While we're there, it should only get up to around twenty-two." (Centigrade, 72F)
"Nooooo." Ami whimpered.
"But that's not the invitation I was talking about. Hasn't your Uncle talked to you about the other invitation?"
"What other invitation?" Ami blinked.
.
Monday evening, July 4th - Vernal Heights Park
California, United States
Sumire Kano and Yusaku Kitamura carefully stepped through mobs of picnickers on the hillside as they looked for their friends. Despite there not being a festival nearby, it seemed that quite a lot of people had come out for the fireworks show.
"I can't believe you found a shabu-shabu restaurant in America." Sumire said as she tried to avoid stepping on a child that suddenly ran in front of her.
"In English!" Yusaku reminded his fiance.
"Unh! Can't I even speak Japanese in Japantown?" Sumire complained… in English.
"We're not in Japantown any more. Don't you remember passing through the mission district on the way here?" Yusaku asked.
"...yes." Sumire grumpily admitted. Then she spun on him and angrily insisted, "I didn't forget! I just enjoyed being in Japantown so much that… that… that's it."
"Of course. I'm glad you enjoyed that little surprise." Yusaku gave her his best disarming smile.
"All right then… as long as you understand." As was usually the case, Sumire felt immediate regret after lashing out at her boyfriend. Trying to change the subject, she asked Yusaku, "How are we ever going to find our friends in this crowd?"
"Yusaku, Sumire! Over here!" someone called to them as if they had heard her question.
"Unh." Sumire groaned.
"What? Do you not want to be here?" Yusaku asked patiently.
"No, it's just… how easily these people use our given names with such familiarity. No honorifics at all. And they don't blush even a little when they do it!" Sumire ranted.
"I never realized you were so traditional." Yusaku commented as he guided her toward their waiting friends.
"I'm not!" Sumire said emphatically, but her tone softened when she realized that she sounded exactly like a traditional Japanese person complaining about 'foreign' things. "I guess I might be… but not much. I didn't use to be. I might be a little… homesick."
"What was that?" Yusaku prodded. It wasn't often that Sumire admitted to a weakness and he wasn't going to let this pass. She was just being too cute to ignore it.
"Homesick! I said I'm homesick. Are you satisfied?" Sumire pouted.
"It's okay to be homesick. It's a very human reaction." Yusaku assured her.
"It's a weakness, and I despise weaknesses. I guess… that's why I'm a little intolerant of all these foreign things." Sumire admitted.
"It's okay to show me your weakness, you know. But intolerance is not a good thing." Yusaku put his hands on Sumire's shoulders and looked into her dark blue eyes.
Sumire looked away from her boyfriend's stare and mumbled, "I… don't like being lectured by you."
"I try not to whenever possible, but this is important." Yusaku put his finger on her chin and turned her face back to look at him.
"Why?" Sumire pouted.
"Because we aren't at home now. We're in America. All of the things that you are complaining about aren't foreign things here." pausing for a moment to make sure she was really listening to him, he finished with, "We are the foreign things here."
"That just makes me feel more homesick, you know." Sumire grumbled.
"Good." Yusaku smiled.
"Good?" Sumire was about to get mad again, and they had just made it to the picnic blanket where their friends were waiting for them.
"Yes, because it should now make you happy that we'll be going back to Japan earlier than expected." Yusaku smiled.
"What? Why?" Sumire wasn't challenging it, but she was curious.
Their friends were curious as well.
"Two reasons." Yusaku held up a finger and told her, "due to the ongoing radiation issues from the crippled power plant, the schools in Tokyo are going to let the students start their summer vacation on Sea Day."
"It's still that bad?" their friends asked with concern. After all, they knew that California possessed a few nuclear reactors too.
"It isn't likely to get better for a while." Kitamura told them.
"What is Sea Day?" their friends asked.
"It is a holiday in Japan that celebrates the sea. This year it's on the eighteenth of July." Kitamura explained.
"You have a holiday for the sea?" one of the friends sounded skeptical.
"When your whole nation is a chain of islands, the sea is pretty important." Kitamura shrugged.
"Fair enough." the friend accepted that explanation.
"You said there were two reasons. What is the other reason?" Sumire demanded.
"Ah yes, it looks like Ryuuji's girls will be performing quite a bit in August. They have shows between the seventh and the fifteenth, and again between the nineteenth and the twenty-seventh. So, the best time for them to see everyone will be earlier in the month." Kitamura explained.
"Whoa, they sure got busy all of the sudden." Sumire was shocked that more than half of their vacation month would be eaten up with work.
"It can't be helped. All of them are students, so they have to do as much as they can during their academic breaks." Kitamura relayed the reasoning that he had heard from Ryuuji.
There were several comments about the fast life of the Japanese idol amongst the friends gathered around the picnic blanket, but Sumire's attention was on Yusaku. He looked apprehensive, even… on edge. And that was a bit out of character for him.
"What's eating you?" Sumire called him out. She could see him feint in an attempt to hide something, but he faltered under the pressure of her glare.
"It's hard to hide anything from you." Yusaku laughed at himself then asked the group, "So… no-one has any plans to be out of town between the eighth and the fourteenth, I hope?"
"I don't think so."
"Not particularly."
"Why, what's going on?"
"I… promised I wouldn't say anything but… please try to keep those dates open?" Yusaku appealed to his friends.
Sumire pulled out her smart phone along with several of the others. They were all searching for events on those dates. Since it was summertime in California, there were quite a few. But there was only one that spanned all of those dates.
"The San Francisco Fashion Week! Does that mean they are coming here?" one of the friends gasped.
"Are you kidding me?" another started looking up the announcements for the show.
"I… promised I wouldn't say anything about it." Yusaku tried not to say anything more, but he knew the cat was out of the bag.
Sumire wore a victorious smile for a minute or two. Having seen through Kitamura and uncovered his secrets gave her a warm feeling of superiority. But there was a backlash as well. He wasn't a rival, he was her partner and she had exposed him and made him come very close to breaking his promise with a close friend. And for what? In the end, what good did it serve? Why? Why do I have to be so competitive about everything?
"Does that mean you guys won't be going to Japan then? I mean… if your friends are coming here anyway, then what's the point?" a friend asked.
"That's true…" Sumire could appreciate the efficiency of that argument but she really wanted to go home. However, she did not want her friends to know about her homesickness.
"Not all of our friends are coming." Yusaku explained, "The one that Sumire is practicing to take on in a Kendo match, for example."
"Taiga." Sumire's countenance suddenly became a little ferocious.
"Ooooh, scary!" one of the group commented on Sumire's scowl.
"He must be a monster to get you to react like that." another laughed.
"She is a midget… but I won't deny that she is a monster." Sumire snickered. She looked forward to devastating the little shrimp that had humiliated her in her last year of high school. She looked to Kitamura for a grin of support, but saw instead a sad and troubled expression.
Yusaku shook his head when she started to ask.
Still feeling the regret of forcing him to divulge a sworn secret in front of all their friends, Sumire chose not to pursue this now.
Later, after the fireworks were over and they were alone in their room, Kitamura told his fiancee the story that Ryuuji had told him.
The Saga of Midnight Star.
It wasn't a secret. But it was far too sombre a story for the festive park where they were earlier. The place where Sumire had been excited about destroying Taiga.
Sumire felt Yusaku hold her while she wept. Why? Why do I have to be so damn competitive? And why does it have to hurt like this?
.
Glossary
Bay: In horse terminology it refers to a horse with a red-brown color on the main body with a darker color on the legs, ears, mane and tail.
Bon Kyu Bon: Big Small Big, and used to reference the ideal female form. Big chest, Small waist, Big butt (and I cannot lie).
Loafing Shed: A small building with a roof, a back, and two sides. Open on one side, it is a place for horses to get out of the weather.
Shabu-Shabu: A boiled meat and vegetable dish similar to sukiyaki.
Vermilion Red: The color of the torii gates that indicate the boundary between the mundane world of man and the spiritual realm of the supernatural.