Monday morning, August 1st – Canberra, Australia
The DFAT headquarters building in Australia's capitol city wasn't a grand affair by world standards. However, it did convey the professionalism and prestige of one of the most driven government agencies in the nation. And yet, it wasn't a cold impersonal place either. Especially not in the morning when many of the corridors were filled with the warm and beckoning aroma of fresh pastries and good coffee.
Quickly walking past the cafe that was the source of those delicious pleasantries, Faye Stapleton regretted that there was not more time to stop at the cafe for a bit. But there was no putting off this meeting. This focus of this gathering would involve a schedule that she had no power to alter.
"Good morning, and thank you for coming." Faye smiled as she entered the room where her guests had been gathered. It was a small but pleasant room with a view of the forested parkland on the other side of State Circle Drive. The room was made more cozy with a table set up to offer a variety of juices, quiches, and muffins from Cafe Brindabella. And of course, coffee. A morning meeting at the DFAT home office would be unconscionable without coffee. Faye smiled at the delicious offering and swore to properly reward the capable assistant who had thought to arrange this.
"Faye! I couldn't help but notice that everyone here is a designer of maternity wear. What's going on? Surely at your age, you're not…"
"That will be enough of that." Faye smirked, but it was in good humor. She was quite familiar with most of the people in the room and certainly with the woman who had just roasted her age. Selecting a quiche and a coffee, she took a seat and smiled while following up on her reply, "But regarding maternity wear, you do have the right of it."
"Oh?"
"I'm sure you've heard of my little program to leverage Australian textile products in Japan?"
"Who hasn't?" someone chuckled.
"I've heard you've dragged our country into some kind of internal public relations squabble over there."
"I heard you even stole some military property for your little project?"
"The military property is a person, and I didn't steal her. She is an agent for DFAT for the time being, and she is doing a splendid job. And regarding the public relations squabble, it has resolved itself very nicely, and in our favor." Faye addressed the foolish accusation and looked around the room to see if anyone had another opinion about either the use of the RAAF officer or of the value of her little project.
There were a few looks of confusion from people who hadn't been keeping up with any of this, but there were no challenges to what Faye had said.
"Well Faye, so… what are you going to surprise us with today? Some new project?"
"No. Not a new project, but there is something new in the existing project. Something that all of you might want to consider."
"This does sound interesting." one of the designers took a seat and sipped her coffee in anticipation.
"Some of you may know that Japan is in the middle of a decreasing population crisis. Their government is stepping up efforts to stimulate a more family-centric view in the general populace. I don't pretend to know how successful that effort will be, but there is the possibility that they may have a baby boom in the near future. Indeed, the principal figure that my agent is working with – is now pregnant."
Faye's assistants started handing out dossiers to the group. The cover of the folder featured a picture of the models, the manager, and several support people.
"The blue haired girl in the front is Ami Takasu, still operating under the professional name of Ami Kawashima. She is the daughter of the Japanese actress Anna Kawashima. Currently she is a model and a performer in a music group. She has not yet followed her mother into acting, but that may happen when she finishes with college. She will be twenty weeks pregnant while she is at the San Francisco Fashion Show that starts on August 8th, and she will be twenty-two weeks pregnant during the Brisbane show. From what I've been told, she hasn't started showing until very recently, but we all know how rapidly that can change. In any event, I would like to get an indication from the people in this room, if anyone is interested in having their label on display at the San Francisco show and, should she accept our invitation, a week later at the Brisbane show."
"Brisbane?"
"I heard they were quite popular at the Melbourne show, so they are coming back?"
"That is… still being arranged." Faye replied.
"Still in college…" one of the designers mumbled while flipping through the provided dossier, "She's embracing motherhood rather young, isn't she?"
"This will actually be her second child. And yes, her age is below the national average for either Japan or Australia, but not terribly so. And don't think that she is being reckless. Indeed, this seems to be part of a family agreement with her husband, her family, and his family." Faye didn't see how this little foray into Ami's private life could be helpful in designing maternity-wear, but sometimes these artistic types could get an inspiration from the oddest things.
"August 8th … that's not a lot of time." another designer commented.
"I'm not asking for all new products. In fact, I will be leaving the decisions completely up to your teams to decide what would be most suited for Ami, for the Japanese market, and for the American market."
"The American market?" two of the designers asked at the same time. Others looked up from their dossiers as well.
"Did I not mention that the August 8th engagement is in San Francisco?" Faye reminded her small audience before taking another sip of her coffee. She watched the lure play out on the expressions of the attendees. Sure, the American market was huge and they weren't experiencing a population decline… but because of that, there were already plenty of players in that sandbox. At most, they could hope to get some name recognition that might generate some interest.
Japan on the other hand…
. . .
"How many do you think will bite?" the assistant asked while they walked through the building.
"Two… maybe three." Faye gave her honest opinion.
"That seems low."
"Well, they were right. There isn't a lot of time. The bigger conglomerates won't be able to move swiftly enough to take advantage of this."
"Will three be enough?"
"Just one will be enough, if it is the right one." Faye said hopefully.
"What do we do next?"
"I want you to send the dossiers for Yuri Koigakubo and Maya Hisamitsu, to all the designers who express an interest in working with Ami."
"Miss Koigakubo is part of the performance entourage but why Miss Hisamitsu?" the attendant wasn't challenging this decision, but this was a chance to learn the thought process from one of DFAT's greats.
"She is a good friend of our performers and she is also the wife of the next leader of Hisamitsu Industries. I'm betting that any of the designers who can pick up this challenge, will understand the importance of building that relationship too." Faye replied as she walked out of the building's vestibule and into the chilly winter air. The successful meeting and her assistant's brilliant curiosity gave her a warm feeling of accomplishment, but that comfortable feeling would soon be dashed by someone substantially less brilliant.
"Faye Stapleton." a well dressed man called out as Faye was leaving the Casey building. His voice dripped of boredom and his expression gave him the impression that he was looking at something a stray dog had left on the sidewalk.
"Alfred Wilson." Faye responded in an even tone. She knew the man but he wasn't a friend, nor even an acquaintance. It wasn't that he was a horrible person really, just that his personality was kind of…
"It's Admiral Wilson." the man proudly corrected her.
"Not when you are out of uniform, Alfred. And if we are going to resort to proper prefixes, it is Doctor Stapleton." Faye explained while she wondered why she had to lecture someone his age.
"I wasn't aware you were in the medical professions?" the admiral scoffed.
"It is an academic title." Faye explained.
"Ah well, I suppose that is something." the admiral said dismissively.
"It is certainly more impressive than an admiral without a single ship to command." Faye smiled at the mottled look the man's face had become. She could almost see the blood vessels bulging in rage at the stab she had just landed.
"I… I have important liaison work here in the capitol!" the out-of-uniform admiral insisted.
"Ah well, I suppose that is something." Faye repeated his dismissive comment back to him.
"I've heard that you've got your hooks in one of our people." the furious man tried to change the topic of conversation to one where he was more certain of having the high ground.
"No. None that I am aware of." Faye replied innocently.
"What of this Sergeant Walker then?" he demanded.
"Oh Alfie, I see that your information is as outdated as it is imprecise." Faye laughed, "The young lady in question is no longer a sergeant. And, as far as I know, sergeant is not a Navy rank."
"What does that have to do with…" the admiral tried to interrupt but Faye wasn't having it.
"She's in the Air Force, so she's not one of your people. And before you start getting any weird ideas, she has done quite impressively both in her Air Force job, and in her work for DFAT. She isn't aware of it, but she has the support of a lot of people in this town."
"…" the admiral didn't say anything but his expression said that he was considering his options.
"Important people, Alfie. Don't be a drongo." Faye warned. She could see him grinding his teeth in frustration and chose that moment to break off. "I see my ride is here. Good bye, Alfie."
The admiral's fist clenched while he watched her walk away, but there was not much he could do or say. He had expended all of his political capital to get the promotion to Admiral and had nothing left for power plays or revenge.
. . .
The limousine door closed and Faye appreciated the addition of steel and glass to the distance away from that annoying man. "Heaven help us if that fool ever gets elected to something important."
"Mum?" the driver queried.
"Nothing. I've just had my fill of dealing with a Navy idiot." Faye took a breath to calm down.
"If I may, mum… please don't think of him as a representative of the Navy."
"That's right Charles… you were in the Navy, weren't you?"
"Yes, mum."
"Don't worry. I'm well aware that Alfie was promoted to the level of his incompetence. I think it's brilliant that the Navy has put him here in a liaison role – far from people or ships that he could… affect." Faye wanted a change of mood and needed to get back to the business of the day. "What's next on the agenda, Charles?"
"You have a meeting at the Ben Chifley Building, then lunch with the Japanese ambassador."
"That sounds nice. I wonder if he will be bringing his charming granddaughter."
"Wouldn't the young miss be in school now?" the chauffeur asked as he pulled the car into traffic. It was winter in the Southern Hemisphere and school children would be in the middle of their third term.
"You're right of course." Faye replied wistfully. She wasn't generally fond of children, but she had a warm spot for little Kamiko-chan. She was pleasantly remembering the child falling asleep in her lap while they watched one of the recent Aiko-chan videos when Charles cut in with wintry cold reality.
"I don't suppose the admiral was asking about Miss Deena?"
"He was." Faye replied irritably.
"He won't be the last, mum. There will soon be questions about her. Allegations of favoritism and misuse of the public funds. They will be coming to you for answers."
"Let them come." Faye patted the leather satchel next to her, and smiled broadly, "Oh yes… let them come."
Tuesday morning, August 2nd – The Hisamitsu Estate
An unpaved and rarely used one-lane road wound through the hills behind the Hisamitsu estate. It got a little better as it descended the mountain toward the fertile valley and town far below. But to pass the Hisamitsu estate and continue to climb the mountain on that road was… not recommended. At least, it would be a bad idea in a vehicle.
It was a good place for a walk though. The sky was clear of clouds and there was a pleasant breeze. The green tree covered mountains on the other side of the valley made a stark contrast against the cobalt blue sky. Even the temperature wasn't too hot for an August day. It was still warm enough to make the more distant parts of the road appear fuzzy from the heat waves, but far milder than what the coastal cities were going through.
Haruta and Muyuki walked along the winding road together. As they walked along, they were close enough that they could have been under a shared umbrella – if it had been raining. Though not holding hands, they certainly looked like a couple. Haruta was looking around at the vivid scenery while Muyuki mostly kept her eyes down on the road a few steps ahead of her feet. Neither had said a word since they left the gate at the edge of the Hisamitsu driveway.
For Muyuki, the silence was terribly awkward. There were many things she wanted to say and many things she wanted to hear from the husband she almost lost. She would need courage to break the silence, but courage was not so easy to find despite desperately wishing for it.
For Haruta's part, he didn't notice the silence at all. To him, this was an wonderful walk on an old road with lots of character. The trees on either side of the road were green and making soft whistling sounds when the wind blew through the upper branches. Birds chirped and insects made their sonorous buzzing noises all around them. He was happy that Muyuki was there with him to experience all these common wonders.
Muyuki glanced over at him to see if he might start a conversation, but that wasn't to be. He's smiling like he's at a festival! What the hell is there around here that is worth smiling about Haruta?
Just then, Haruta spied something strange ahead. On the side of the road was a solid concrete slab that looked to be very thick. It could have easily supported a house or a small building. It may have, sometime in the distant past. It looked weathered and old, but still very solid. As they drew close, Haruta decided to have a closer look.
Muyuki noticed him moving away from her and glanced up to see what had snagged his attention. She looked hard at where he was heading but could only see an old concrete slab. Maybe he saw something on the other side of the slab?
"Hup!" Haruta made a small jump with an assist from his arms pushing against the solid mass, and he was up on the slab.
"What are you doing?" Muyuki wondered.
"Having a look around." Haruta didn't see anything that gave a clue to whatever this thing used to be. There were no pipes or wires to suggest that there had ever been any electricity or plumbing. His gaze left the featureless surface and he paused, "Whoa!"
"What?" Muyuki saw that he was now looking past her. She was about to turn around to see what he could be looking at.
"Give me your hand. Come up here with me. You've got to see this!" Haruta exclaimed excitedly while he held his hand out to her.
"Uh… okay." Muyuki struggled even with his help. She had always been the pretty and studious type, so climbing up old concrete embankments wasn't something she was familiar with. As soon as she was up, Haruta held onto her and turned her so that she was looking out across the valley with him.
"Awesome, right?" Haruta smiled while he held onto her.
"Yeah." Muyuki was amazed. She had been looking down too long and hadn't realized how far they had gone up the mountain. Now she was standing on this concrete platform. True, it wasn't any kind of tower or wall, but just that meter of lift made a huge difference. There were stubby trees on the other side of the road. Their trunks were set in the ground on the down-slope from where the road was, so their tops blocked a full view of the valley from the street level, but from here… "Yes Haruta, it is awesome."
"I think I can feel the breeze more up here too." Haruta was about to step away and see if the breeze was stronger at the edge of the platform.
"Don't!" Muyuki grabbed his wrists as they were pulling away. "Don't let go of me up here."
Oh come on! It's only a meter. Maybe not even that much! ...he was about to say, but there was something about the desperate way she was holding onto his arms. He remembered something The Major had said about relationships. If a girl ever tells you not to let go of her, you'd better hold on with both arms. Unless you can't stand her… then let go, walk away, and never look back. He had thought the advice was silly at the time, but now…
"Ah!" Muyuki gasped when she felt Haruta's strong arms holding her tight. He had held her before but never so firmly. The strength in his arms gave her a comfort that dispelled the senseless fear. The strength in his arms? "When… when did you get so strong?"
"I ended up doing a lot of construction stuff with The Major, so…" Haruta had been thinking about this for a while and decided to bring it up now. "So uh… I think I could do construction jobs. I mean… I could make some money at it. So, if you want to go back to school and finish…"
"Shh!" Muyuki shushed her husband and turned around to face him while still in his arms, "What are you saying now? We agreed that I would run the family ceramic business, remember?"
"Yeah… but I know you had a dream." Haruta still felt guilty that he couldn't step up to do what was needed to salvage his family's business. The guilt was heavier since Muyuki said she would forget her dreams to manage the business in his place.
"It was just a silly dream and I am an adult who has to deal with reality of now, so…"
"It was your dream!" Haruta shook her when he said that. "How… how do you think this is going to make me feel? If I know that you gave up your dream because I wasn't good enough… how can I live like that?"
"Haruta?" Muyuki put her head against his shoulder and held onto him. She hadn't realized that this had been troubling him so much and was pleasantly surprised. After all the trouble that I've put you through, "To think that you've been this worried for me?"
"Yeah, I guess I'm pretty bummed out about the whole thing." Haruta admitted.
"Okay then, how does this sound," Muyuki looked up into his eyes, "I won't give up on my dream. I'll just put it on hold for a while."
"On hold?"
"Yep. I'll run the company while you go to school and get a degree in business management. Then you can take over and I'll go back to college and continue my dream."
Back to school? Me? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Haruta wanted to run from such a dreadful future, but Muyuki was looking into his eyes now and propping up his resolve. Still, he grumbled, "Not more school."
"I don't get that. You used to love school." Muyuki cocked her head and recalled his academic life as she remembered it, "You did great in grade school and your studies were pretty good in middle school too. And… well… you were able to graduate High School."
"Ungh." Haruta groaned. This conversation reminded him of the lame lectures that he got from his parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents…
"Hey it's me," Muyuki lifted up his chin and looked into his eyes, "what happened to you?"
"I...wa..un." Haruta mumbled.
"Eh?"
"I just wanted to have some fun, okay?" Haruta looked up at the sky but there was no sign from the gods to tell him what he should say. He had just got Muyuki back so he didn't want to screw up and freak her out by saying the wrong thing. On the other hand, it didn't feel right to keep his real feelings from her either.
"Haruta…" Muyuki looked like she was trying to find the right thing to say too. From the look on her face, it seemed like he might be in for a scolding.
"It's like this – all while I was growing up, they were always telling me to try hard and be the best because some day I would be taking Uncle's position. I would be in charge of the big important family business and everyone would rely on me. At first it was pretty cool. Then it was a grind. I watched my uncle and noticed that he worked all day… every day! And that was the awesome future that I was working so hard for? That's when I realized that I was going to go through life… without ever having any fun!"
"Haruta…" this time Muyuki was softer. She had never suspected that he had been this troubled before. His head dropped and, as his gaze fell from the sky to the ground, Muyuki thought he looked utterly defeated.
"I just… I just wanted to have some fun. I wanted to laugh and play with other kids. I wanted to do crazy things at school festivals. I wanted to listen to music with friends. I wanted to do... stuff like that."
"I… I never knew any of this." Muyuki made a short laugh and told Haruta how different her childhood was, and yet not really better either, "My parents never really expected much from me. I was a girl from a good family, so I would marry a boy from a good family and I would give them grandchildren. When I tried to make good grades, they told me I didn't have to try so hard. When I told them that I wanted to go to college, they told me that I didn't even need to go to high school."
"No way!" Haruta thought for a moment how clutch that would be, but… High School had been a lot of fun. He was glad that he had the chance to go after all.
"I'm serious." Muyuki took a deep breath before confessing hidden feelings of her own, "I was… very angry with them… my parents. I even hated them… for thinking of me as nothing more than a pawn. Their dreams for me were to be a simple wife and mother. But I had dreams. I wanted to be more."
"I want you to be more too." Haruta offered his support. As soon as the words left his mouth he felt like an idiot though. Aw dude, I sound so cringe!
"Thank you Haruta." Muyuki hugged him warmly. But she had to tint the affectionate embrace with a little reality, "But for me to do that, you're going to need to go to school."
"Yeah. It's a bummer, but I'll do it… for you." Haruta promised.
"Of course this means you will have to grow up." Muyuki continued, "You'll have to stop acting childishly. You will have to take on responsibilities and become a reliable person."
"Aw duuuuuude." Haruta groaned.
"Haruta!"
"What?"
"You'll have to stop saying 'dude' all the time." Muyuki lectured.
"Hey! Responsible businessmen say 'dude'!"
"Name one." Muyuki challenged him.
Realizing he couldn't think of anyone to prove his point, he accepted his defeat and groaned, "Duuuuude."
Wednesday afternoon, August 3rd– Recording Studio
"Ugh! I can't believe that kid still has so much energy!" Taiga complained as she sank into one of the break area's bean-bag chairs. It was a larger one and swallowed up all but her feet and the top of her head… or rather, a sprout of her orange hair. It wasn't just a childish rant though. She was understandably exhausted.
The girls had been practicing every day since the Kendo event. To a seasoned performer, four days of practice might not seem like much, but it could feel like a boot camp to the uninitiated.
"Stand here to start. Move like this on this beat. Move like that on that beat. Softer here, louder there! Tempo! Pitch! Arrrrrrrrrrgh!" Taiga's arms and legs flailed against the impact absorbing softness of the bean-bag chair. To anyone else in the room she would look like a comic version of someone trying not to drown in plush furniture.
"Yep, you've got it rough. Cuz right now, she's even more energetic than usual." the big Aussie's irritated voice replied from where she lay sprawled out on the long couch against the wall.
"Eh?" Taiga's head popped up from the depths of the enveloping chair. First she was stunned to hear someone else's voice. She hadn't noticed anyone when she rushed out of the studio and crashed into the stuffed chair. More importantly though, she wanted to know… "Why is she more energetic than usual?"
"Hah," Deena sighed, "I wish I could say it's because of the excitement of flying, or going to California, or singing at another concert… but it's not that. It's… not any of that."
"Then…" Taiga pulled herself up against the pillowy side of the chair and watched Deena languidly raise up on one arm.
"You're it." Deena leveled a finger at Taiga's head as she delivered her verdict.
"Huh?"
"She idolizes you, you know?"
"Me?" Taiga was stunned.
"Don't act like you didn't notice." Deena snapped.
"Hey, I knew she liked me, but idolizing me? No way." Taiga couldn't believe it.
"She is young and impressionable, and she's only seen your good parts."
"My good parts?" Taiga couldn't tell if the big Aussie was being honest or sarcastic.
"She saw that video of you and Ami from the High School Christmas party…"
"Tch!" Taiga still felt a stab of embarrassment and anger whenever that video came up.
"She saw your kendo competition and your equestrian skills when you rode…" Deena didn't finish that sentence since the wounds were still pretty fresh for Taiga. "You look like her. You've accomplished so much. It's obvious why she calls you 'nee-chan' isn't it?"
Taiga noticed the Aussie's pain when she said that last sentence, and it suddenly dawned on her, "You're jealous… of me?"
"Of course I'm jealous! Why can't I be her big sister, huh?" Deena was on her feet now and towering over Taiga, who was still swallowed-up in the big bean-bag chair.
Baka! ...was what Taiga was about to say, but she reconsidered. This was a matter of the heart, and she had decided to take those things more seriously. And yet, the irony was laughable. "You… you're jealous of me, and I'm jealous of her."
"Why are you jealous of Aiko-chan?" Deena's ire was instantly lost in confusion at Taiga's strange remark.
"Are you kidding?" Taiga spluttered while she struggled out of the bean-bag chair. Climbing onto a table so that she could see eye-to-eye with the Aussie amazon, she ranted, "Sure she kinda looks like me but she's got boobs. And she's taller than me. And she's got this super nice personality that everyone likes. And she's got lots of friends. And she's super talented. And she's got boobs!" Taiga ended her rant with her hands in front of her chest where her own boobs would be… if she had any.
"You mentioned boobs twice." Deena said flatly.
"Damn straight I did!" Taiga responded defiantly.
Deena thought about telling Taiga that Aiko-chan wished she had a less mature looking body, but decided against it. Instead, she summed up Taiga's real issues, "So you don't like being a legal-loli-tsundere?"
"What!" Taiga shrieked.
"Sorry, but that's what your complaints boil down to." Deena replied calmly. She didn't back down, even though she had started the sentence with 'sorry.'
Taiga wanted to deny Deena's simple verdict, but she wasn't wrong. Instead she tried to find fault with the summary. "You forgot about the friends and the talent part."
"No I didn't." Deena smirked and walked back to her couch.
"There's nothing about being a legal-loli-tsundere that has to do with friends or talent." Taiga taunted.
"That's not entirely correct." Deena replied through the minor distraction of her phone softly buzzing in her pocket.
"What do you mean?"
"You should think on that. When you figure it out, you'll understand something about yourself." Deena said as she lay back down on the couch and pulled out her phone.
"Ugh, you sound just like her." Taiga said with disgust.
"Who?" Deena glanced back at Taiga.
"Dumch… I mean, Ami!" Taiga spat.
"Thank you." Deena smiled as she turned her attention to her emails. She made it clear with her actions that she considered Taiga's insult to be quite the compliment.
"Raaaagh!" Taiga cried out at the unfairness in the world. Why do some people have to say cryptic things? Why can't they just say what they mean? And why… would someone want to be like dumbchi?
"Taiga." Ryuuji's voice interrupted the awkward silence and both of the girls in the room jolted. They hadn't heard him come in and wondered how much of their conversation he had heard.
"Yes?" Taiga answered testily.
"I appreciate you doing this for Aiko-chan, but if it is uncomfortable for you…"
"No! Wait! Just wait a minute, okay?" Taiga held up her hand to call for a moment of silence while she took a deep breath and calmed herself. After some controlled breathing, she sounded composed again as she told him, "I'm okay. I just needed to get rid of a little stress."
Ryuuji said nothing and watched Taiga walk past him and go back into the studio area. Glancing over at the couch, he could see Deena covering her face with her hand as if she had a headache… or was she crying? "Are you okay?"
The incoming email had been from DFAT, and she dreaded those. Invariably, they would be of one or two types of messages. One was orders to push some work onto her friends, and the other would be the inevitable order to come home. She hadn't read the message yet, but either way – it would be something she wouldn't like. Deena let out a sigh, then complained in her native English, [I'm bloody rooted.]
"Eh?" Ryuuji's English skills were pretty good, but the words that she put together didn't make sense to him.
"Nothing. I'll be okay." Deena said wearily.
"Just so you know… Ami and I were the ones who told Aiko-chan not to use any formal honorifics with you."
"What?" Deena sat up suddenly and looked across at Ryuuji.
"Back then… she was worried about the right way to address you, because you are a foreigner. She is very young, so we thought that anything more than 'Deena-chan' would have been too complex for her. It might have gotten in the way of her being able to express her feelings. And she does have strong feelings for you."
"Really?" Deena blinked while her emotions tried to reset around what this revelation meant.
"She knows how much you like Japanese pop-culture and… how much you like her music." Ryuuji let that sink in for a moment before he asked with a knowing grin, "Do you know what her first question was, when we proposed these duets in the new songs?"
"W...what?"
"Do you think Deena will like it?"
"Baka." Deena turned her face toward the windows and didn't wipe the tears from her eyes until she heard Ryuuji leave the room.
Friday morning, August 5th– Tokyo
"So you're heading for America tomorrow?" the doctor asked while the nurse checked Ami's blood pressure.
"Yes." Ami sighed. She was more nervous than usual, during this check-up. She didn't think there was any problem with the pregnancy, but she was worried that the doctor might suggest some… travel restrictions. Ami was conflicted because she had similar concerns. She really wanted to do this show, but the long flight to California...
"You don't sound particularly excited about it." the doctor commented as she approached with the stethoscope.
Ami winced when she felt the cold metal disk on her back. She focused on breathing deeply until the doctor finished. "I'm looking forward to the show but the flight…"
"It is a rather long flight." the doctor agreed. While the nurse reclined Ami so that she could conduct the ultrasound, the doctor told her, "Normally I would offer to prescribe you a sedative to help you sleep through the flight, but…"
"...the pregnancy." Ami completed the doctor's comment without complaint.
"Right. You are in your nineteenth week now. You've been through this before, so you probably know what I am going to ask you… and tell you."
"Yes," Ami answered while she watched the nurse squirt the gel all over her gently swollen belly, "I've felt fluttering so far, but not kicks like I remember with the first pregnancy. I haven't been wanting more food, but I have had some… specific cravings."
"Like what?"
"Strawberries, rice… more rice than usual, and broccoli." Ami counted off.
"Hmm… have you been taking your prenatal vitamins?" the doctor asked while she checked something on her tablet.
"Yes."
"Let's add a B Complex and a C vitamin to your supplement routine. Are you taking the prenatal supplement in the morning?"
"Yes."
"Then take the additional vitamins in the afternoon or early evening."
"I'm ready doctor." the nurse announced as she moved the ultrasound probe into place.
"Just a moment." the doctor waived off the nurse and asked Ami, "At nineteen weeks, we will know the gender of the baby. Do you want to know… or do you want it to be a surprise?"
"I do want to know but… I want to find out with Ryuuji."
"I could put the results in an envelope and you could open it with him?" the doctor suggested.
"Yes… yes, that would work." Ami was a little disappointed that the doctor had readily come up with a solution. She was ready to accept defeat and hear the news, if the doctor told her that it would be too difficult. In truth, she was very excited to know what was going to be in that envelope.
"Doctor." the nurse pointed at something on the screen that Ami couldn't see.
"Ah yes, the picture of health. Choose your best shot and print it for me, would you?" the doctor ordered, then turned to the cabinet and rummaged through a drawer for a few moments before turning back to Ami.
"So… the baby is healthy?" Ami asked for confirmation of what she had gathered from their conversation.
"Very much so. And… I think this will help you with sleeping on the flight." the doctor replied and handed over two sealed packets.
Ami blinked at the packets and asked, "Is this some special kind of sleep aid that won't hurt the baby?"
"No. They are antihistamines, but they generally cause drowsiness and they have been shown to be safe for pregnancies."
"Oh." Ami read the long Latin looking name on the packet but didn't recognize it.
"Don't overdo it. Take one of these for the flight over and one for the flight back. Everything should be fine."
"I have these for you." the nurse appeared with a portfolio envelope and a small wrapped present.
"Hmm?" the doctor knew what was in the sealed envelope but wondered about the present.
"My uh… little sister is a big fan of Aiko-chan and… um… she wanted her to have this." The nurse looked embarrassed and hopeful as she held the prettily wrapped box at arm's length towards Ami.
"Er… if it's all right with you, doctor?" Ami wasn't sure of the protocol and referred to the senior person in the room.
"Well now, I suppose we can't start the weekend by disappointing a precious little sister, can we? It's okay with me as long as it is okay with the patient."
"I'm okay with this." Ami said as she took the package from the ecstatic nurse. They had, after all, developed a personal rapport after the last few years of office visits.
"In the future though, let's wait until after the office visit is over before doing anything like this. We do need to maintain a certain amount of decorum after all." the doctor gently admonished her employee.
As Ami was leaving the medical office, she passed the nurses station and noticed a poster of Aiko-chan that was displayed on the side of one of the cabinets. For your little sister, huh?
Saturday evening, August 6th– Narita Airport, Tokyo
The view from the big terminal windows was impressive. The distant sunset was still some time off. In fact, the plane would leave before the sun would set in Tokyo. But the cloudless blue sky still gave a great backdrop to all the blue tailed airplanes lined up outside the lobby windows. The plane that they would be boarding soon was right outside the windows that Aiko-chan was leaning against.
"It's so big!" Aiko-chan watched in awe while the loading gantries connected to the plane at the front, the back, and both sides. She had seen planes before. The one to Australia had been big as well, but she hadn't seen it from this view.
"It's kind of amazing that something that big can fly, isn't it?" Deena asked the excited little girl.
"Yes! Deena-chan, is this the biggest airplane you've ever been on?" Aiko-chan looked up at her friend with energetic curiosity.
"No silly," Deena lightly plinked the little girl on her forehead, "it's not even the biggest plane you've ever been on. The one that took you to Australia and back was bigger than this."
"It was?" Aiko-chan's eyes opened wide in surprise.
"Yes!"
"Do you think I'll ever fly on one of those planes again?" Aiko-chan asked in wonder.
"Yep!" Deena's face suddenly looked a little guilty and she lowered her voice a little, "I mean… probably you will."
A short distance away, the rest of the group was sitting and watching the two girls at the window, or chatting with each other. Nanako and Hisako decided to make a quick trip over to the Duty Free shop to see if there was anything that got their attention. Suzume was talking to someone on her cell phone. Yasuko and Yuri-sensei were fussing over a map of San Francisco. Taiga had gone to the bathroom.
Okay, so it was really just Ami and Ryuuji who were watching the two girls at the window.
"They're so cute together." Ryuuji said with a nostalgic sigh.
"What's with that nostalgic sigh? Aren't you too young to be making noises like that?" Ami chided while she poked him in the ribs.
"Hey! Well it's just," Ryuuji paused and thought about it before telling her, "I've been thinking that Deena-chan will have to return to Australia sooner or later and…"
"Aiko-chan is going to miss her again." Ami suggested.
"She might miss her the most, but I think we all will." Ryuuji explained his thoughts.
"Yeah, you're right about that. She has become a good friend." Ami's expression wrinkled and she had to ask about something that was bothering her, "Speaking of Deena-chan, um… have you noticed something odd about her? Recently, I mean." Ami asked with concern.
"You mean the way she has been skittish, mopey, and guilty looking?" Ryuuji replied just as quietly.
"Yeah, that!" Ami felt like her suspicions were validated.
"Nope, I didn't notice a thing. Ouch!" Ryuuji exaggerated the recoil from Ami's arm punch.
"Baka! Tell me what's going on." Ami hissed.
"Me tell you? Aren't you the one that usually knows what's going on but won't tell anyone?" Ryuuji teased.
"I've been… preoccupied lately." Ami's thoughts went immediately to the portfolio envelope stored in the big pocket of her carry-on bag.
"Preoccupied huh? That's one way to put it."
"Huh?"
"Never mind about that. Regarding Deena, I don't know for sure but, I'm guessing it has something to do with her going back… home."
"Oh." Ami realized then why Ryuuji had been acting nostalgic. What's wrong with me? I usually notice these things. I can usually figure people out before anyone else. Am I… am I losing my mind?If Ryuuji notices, what will he think of me?
"Are you alright?" Ryuuji could tell something was off.
"No. I'm… uh… just worried about the long flight." Ami stammered.
"Don't worry, you'll sleep through the whole thing as soon as you take the pill the doctor gave you."
"The pill!" Ami suddenly realized that she forgot to put the little packets in her carry-on bag. "Ryuuji, I…"
"...left it on the counter in the bathroom." Ryuuji patted his bag, "You've been a little forgetful lately."
"So… you've noticed." Ami sounded crushed.
"Don't worry," Ryuuji took her hand and reassured her, "I asked the doctor about it and it's not unusual during pregnancy. They say it's the hormones or something."
"Ryuuji…" Ami held onto his sleeve and confessed her fear, "I thought… I thought you would be disappointed with me."
"Nope. The way I see it, you and sensei are the only ones working hard all day and all night right now."
"What?" Ami was starting to wonder if Ryuuji was intentionally saying cryptic things or if her constant confusion was because of the hormone induced dumb streak.
"Ami… you're not preoccupied, you are occupied." Ryuuji patted her tummy for emphasis, "You're building a small human and that can have interesting effects on the mother."
"I don't remember being like this in the first pregnancy." Ami pouted.
"Every pregnancy is different. If this one makes you a little forgetful, then it's up to the rest of us to help out. And we will." Ryuuji put his hand on the back of her head and pulled her into his chest when he saw her starting to tear up.
He's talking about my hormones going crazy, but why did he mention sensei? Oh yeah, she is pregnant too. Ami giggled from the release of worry and stress. All of Ryuuji's cryptic comments made sense now. Sensei was pregnant too, so she wasn't alone, and Ryuuji wasn't upset with her in the least. I shouldn't have worried myself over something like that. After all, Ryuuji is Ryuuji.
. . .
Taiga came back from the bathrooms, but she had stopped at one of the small shops to grab something to drink. Half way back, she realized that the plum flavored soy milk might make her look a little childish. For a moment, she thought about tossing it before anyone from her group saw her drinking it and annoyed her with cutesy comments. Then she remembered Yasuko's comment about the Iso-Boing-Boings. Annoyed with herself for being vulnerable to this kind of weakness, she turned around and went back to the shop.
This is why she arrived back at her seat with a large Duty Free shop bag full of soy drink boxes, and a sour expression.
Nobody better make fun of me, dammit! She wanted to shout, but no-one was looking at her. Everyone was paired up. They were looking out the windows, talking over a brochure, or snuggling… Taiga's state of general annoyance went up a notch when she saw Ami and Ryuuji snuggling like they were the only people in the airport. But her turmoil tumbled when she glanced over at Suzume – the only other person who wasn't paired up with someone. What's bugging her?
Suzume had just hung up the phone and looked as if she was about to cry. She was still clutching her phone and looking at the picture of her friend, Umeki.
Being often mistaken as a child, Taiga didn't forget that Suzume was much younger than she looked. She thought about telling Yasuko or Ryuuji that something was bothering the girl, but an inner voice challenged her. Hey, I'm an adult too, I can handle this!
Suzume was trying to find the tissues in her purse when, through her tear blurred vision, she suddenly noticed Aiko-chan standing right in front of her. Her emotions swept her away and she pulled Aiko-chan into a big hug as she sobbed, "Aiko-ch...chan!"
Taiga went stiff as the taller grill grabbed her and called her by the other girl's name.
"Aiko-chan?" Suzume pulled back from the hug and put her hand on Aiko-chan's flat chest. She had thought something was off and now she was sure of it, "Wha… what happened to your boobs?"
Taiga was desperately trying to maintain her calm as an adult should, but she was getting angrier by the second. Grabbed, fondled, then slammed for her flat chest… this was just too much.
Suzume wiped the tears out of her eyes with her hand and saw the mistake she had just made. "SENPAI? Ohmygosh senpai! I'm so sorry! I… I…"
Senpai!
She called me senpai! Taiga's fury was washed away with a rose colored wave of happiness and a bit of pride. "Say that again… please." Taiga asked.
"Um… I'm so sorry?" Suzume was confused at the college girl's strange behavior. She hadn't thought that Taiga-senpai was the kind of person to demand a hundred apologies for a single forgiveness.
"No, not that part. The thing you said before that." Taiga corrected.
"Senpai?" Suzume queried more than answered but she suspected, by Taiga's euphoric expression, that the simple honorific was what the college girl wanted to hear. Testing that assumption, she said it again, "Senpai."
"Yes!" Taiga basked in the glow of this tall attractive model's recognition of her senior status.
"Taiga-senpai, was there something that you needed from me?" Suzume wanted to laugh at how easy it was to push Taiga's happy button, but that could wait. She had guessed that Taiga had come to her for a reason.
"Need from you?" Taiga was still a bit dazed but quickly remembered why she had approached the younger girl, "I came over to see if I could help. You looked sad."
"Ah well, you see… my friend Umeki-chan is sick. She can't come along this time. So I'm uh…"
Taiga suspected that the girl was feeling lonely and was a little surprised at this. She thought that Ami's group of friends were one big happy family – so to speak. But looking around, she also saw how people had paired off. She had no experience with this since she usually only had one or two good friends at any one time. So people can feel lonely even when they are surrounded by a group of their friends. At least… that's what it looks like to me. "You're lonely?"
"Yes." Suzume looked down at the floor in embarrassment.
Taiga had always been someone who could go solo into any environment. She didn't require the crutches of friendship to take on the challenges of life. But she did understand those who did. Not all of her college life revolved around Kendo, after all. And she was, despite appearances, a diligent student. Reaching into the knowledge she had acquired in her humanities classes, she asked the younger girl, "Why are you looking at the floor? There is no shame in being lonely."
"What?" Suzume's head snapped up and her eyes were riveted on Taiga. A chill had run through her body when she heard those simple words, but it was not a feeling of fear so much as exhilaration. Her expression changed from one of surprise to inspiration in a matter of seconds. Leaping to her feet, she took Taiga by the hand and excitedly said, "Senpai, come with me!"
"Hold on. Hey!" Taiga found herself being dragged along behind the enthusiastic teen until she was standing in front of Ami and Ryuuji. They looked as confused as she felt though.
"Why are they holding hands?" Ami whispered.
"I don't know." Ryuuji replied. He was about to ask what was going on, but Suzume spoke first.
"Taiga-senpai, say it again! That thing that you just said to me. Say it again, please." Suzume begged Taiga.
Taiga also noticed that the taller girl was still holding onto her hand. Normally, she would've been annoyed by that, but the energetic teen had called her senpai again, so… Taiga took a second to recall the last thing she said to the younger girl and then repeated it, "Why are you looking at the floor? There is no shame in being lonely."
I'm not lonely. I'm not looking at the floor either. What is she talking about? Ami was about to say, but she was distracted by Ryuuji diving into his carry-on bag and fishing out his notebook and a pencil.
"That's brilliant!" Ryuuji was quickly jotting Taiga's words in his notebook when the boarding announcement interrupted them.
"We'll pick this up after the seat belt sign goes off." Ryuuji said while he rushed to get his carry-on bag all packed up again.
"Oh… will all of us be sitting next to each other?" Taiga asked. She recalled the trip to Hawaii that she had taken with her mother and her new step-father. The plane had been packed pretty tight. It hadn't been so bad for her because she was small, but her taller step-father had a hard time getting his legs into a comfortable position in the cramped seats. She wondered how Ryuuji and these tall models would fare on a flight that took even longer. Part of her wanted to snicker at this rare justice for short people.
. . .
Nearly a half an hour later, after navigating the gantry and being directed by the friendly stewardesses, Taiga stood blinking at the seat that she was assigned. More than a seat, it was a low walled little room with a little table, its own TV, and a seat that could recline all the way flat – and become a bed!? This is nothing like the seat on the flight to Hawaii!
"Do you need me to explain anything about your seat?" one of the stewardesses asked.
"Oh! Ah… no. This will be fine!" Flustered, Taiga quickly moved into her seat… room… thing. She wasn't sure what to call it, but whatever it was – it was a lot nicer than the last time she flew anywhere.
Taiga stayed in her daze through taxi, takeoff and climb. She was suddenly jolted back to reality when one of the stewardesses suddenly appeared next to her, "Would you care for a complementary Champagne?"
"Yes… thank you." Taiga held the tulip glass in her hands and looked at the little bubbles working their way up through the pale golden liquid. She was still looking at it when someone else showed up next to her.
"What's that?" Suzume asked, clearly questioning the drink in Taiga's hand.
"It's champagne." Taiga replied, still not believing it.
"How did you get that? Did you steal it?" Suzume sounded amazed, and a bit worried.
"No, I didn't steal it!" Taiga hissed.
"What's going on?" Ryuuji asked when he showed up with his notebook in hand.
"The stewardess accidentally gave Taiga-senpai some Champagne." Suzume said in a whisper.
"It wasn't an accident. Taiga is twenty years old now." Turning to Taiga, Ryuuji asked, "Your birthday was last month, wasn't it?"
"Um… yeah." Taiga was surprised that he remembered, "I celebrated with my mom. We went out to eat and I had my first legal drink then… but it wasn't champagne."
"Oh… so Aisaka-san is really an adult now." Suzume sounded more disappointed than surprised to learn this.
Aisaka-san?
"Wait a minute!" Taiga had just heard something that she couldn't let stand, "Why did you just call me Aisaka-san instead of Taiga-senpai?"
"Well… you're an adult now. I thought of you as a senior student before, but… well… wouldn't it be inappropriate to…"
"Taiga-senpai is fine!" Taiga insisted.
"But I don't want to disrespect…"
"Taiga-SENPAI is fine!" Taiga insisted a bit more forcefully.
Ryuuji knew that this was not an insurmountable impasse, but it was one that would take a little prodding for the diligent teen to understand. Tagging into the conversation, he asked Suzume, "Did you like to call her Taiga-senpai?"
"Um… yes." Suzume admitted.
"Then I think you should call her Taiga-senpai, or just senpai. That is what Taiga is trying to tell you." Ryuuji advised.
"Yes!" turning to Taiga the tall teen beamed, "Thank you senpai!"
SENPAI! She's calling me senpai again! Taiga's ire dissipated into nothingness. She felt like she was floating in a bubbly golden place not unlike her glass of champagne.
"All right, let's talk about this song." Ryuuji tried to corral the girls' attention back on the topic they had gathered for, "Suzume-chan, I want you to tell me everything that you were thinking and feeling when Taiga said that line. And Taiga… Taiga, are you with me?"
. . .
While Ryuuji was discussing the lyrics of a new song with Suzume and Taiga, Deena left Aiko-chan with Yasuko and Yuri-sensei so she could have a quick chat with Ami. She pulled a couple of plastic wrapped packages out of her carry-on bag first and gave a resigned sigh before she carried them over to her friend. When she arrived at Ami's seat, she noticed that Ryuuji was gone. Glancing around, she saw him over at another seat with Suzume.
"They went to talk about a new song." Ami said while she struggled with opening a small foil packet.
"Ah, that makes sense."
"Did you need to talk to Ryuuji?"
"No. I came over to… to give something to you." Deena presented what appeared to be some plastic wrapped garments.
"As you can see, I'm having trouble with opening things right now." Ami grumbled.
"Wanna trade?" Deena suggested.
Ami immediately handed over the foil packet and took the easier looking garment package. "What is this?"
"They are…" Deena dropped her head and changed from the answer she was about to give – to an apology, "I'm sorry Ami-chan! As part of my duties from DFAT, I have to…"
"Enough!" Ami rose up out of her seat, reached up to Deena's head, and plinked her forehead. She was well aware of Deena's guilt about using their friendship this way, but Both Ami and Ryuuji had told her several times that they understood and accepted it. "It's not like you're asking me to spy on my country and sell out our national secrets. Jeez, you're just asking us to model clothes. I'm a model Deena, it's what I do."
"Yes." Deena rubbed the spot on her forehead and smiled, "Thank you Ami-chan."
"So… what are these?" Ami held one garment in each hand. Both of them felt like they were made of very comfortable fabric. One of them seemed light and festive while the other was a more minimalist design and made with a heavier fabric.
"This one is a midi dress. It's from the designer's upcoming summer collection, so it's made of lightweight fabric." Deena indicated the garment with the flower patterned design. Then she turned her attention to the other one and told Ami, "This one is called… maternity sleepwear."
Ami looked at Deena. There was something about the way Deena said it. As if she were forcing herself to get the words out. "Deena-chan, what's wrong?"
"It doesn't feel right. I mean… they know you're pregnant. They know what your measurements are. They send these clothes out for you to wear. You didn't ask them to. It all feels so… manipulative. And… I hate it. I hate being part of it."
"Deena-chan," Ami pulled the taller girl into a hug and told her, "hey now, you're overthinking this. I signed an agreement… we all did. I am a professional model and I will wear what the designer requires. But if it makes you feel any better, those obligations are not for every waking moment of my life. They apply to when I am performing in my role as a professional model."
"But…" Deena was going to point out that this flight wasn't a payed gig. She felt like this was an intrusion on their personal lives, and she didn't like being a part of it.
"Deena," Ami put a finger on the tall Aussie's lips and continued, "what this means is that I am under no obligation to wear this if I don't want to. Think of them as teasers to pique my interest. If I like them, I may end up accepting a representation or modeling contract with the label. As it happens, this one feels very nice."
Deena involuntarily reached out to feel the fabric's weight and softness of the garment that Ami was considering. She had to admit that it did feel like it would be a very comfortable garment.
"I think I'll change into it before I take my pill and go to sleep. And this one," Ami displayed the more colorful midi dress, "looks breezy and light – I might wear that one when I leave the plane. But these are my choices. Do you understand?"
"Yeah." Deena felt stupid for letting these thoughts blow up in her own mind, "I guess… I'm just being silly."
"It's not silly at all. You feel this way because you are a good person and you don't like the idea of manipulating the people you cherish, right?"
"Yes." Deena was glad that Ami understood her, but embarrassed that she had been so easily read.
. . .
By the time Ami got back to her seat from putting on the Maternity sleepwear, the songwriting session was over and everyone was back in their seats. Additionally, the cabin lights had been turned down and most people were asleep or soon would be.
Her seat was next to Ryuuji's and with the privacy partition between their two seats down, they could see each other when they were sitting up. Ryuuji was still sitting and going over the ideas in his notebook while transcribing them into his laptop. Ami's seat had already been put down into bed mode and was made up with pillow and blankets.
"That looks comfortable." Ryuuji commented after looking up from his work.
"It is. Deena brought this for me." Ami swished to the left and right so Ryuuji could see the garment on her body from different angles.
Ryuuji did think the sleepwear looked comfortable but he was more fascinated with the way her long blue hair swished around her face, and the way her breasts… Ahem! "Another present from Down Under?"
"Yep," she gestured at the notebook, "how is the song coming along?"
"Pretty good. I'm putting the lyrics together. When it's done, I'll send it to your uncle to see if the studio can put it to a good tune."
"Aiko-chan didn't want to do the tune?" Ami was surprised.
"She had some ideas for certain parts. I put those notes in the doc as well."
"Are you going to sleep soon?" Ami asked after she glanced over at the big envelope she had left on her small table.
"It won't be long. I just want to finish this up." Ryuuji replied while his fingers flew over the keyboard.
"I've already taken the pill, so I won't be awake much longer." Ami said as she sat down on her mattress and leaned across the low wall that separated them.
"You go on to sleep," Ryuuji gave her a kiss on her forehead and stroked her hair, "You should get as much rest as you can."
"I plan to." Ami replied but made no move to lie down just yet. "But… there is one little thing I wanted to look at with you… before I go to sleep."
"Oh?" Ryuuji looked up from the laptop again to see his wife holding up a portfolio envelope. "What's that?"
"I don't know yet. Why don't we find out together." the question was stated as a suggestion as she passed the envelope over the low wall.
"Okay…" Ryuuji took the envelope and opened it. He noticed that it was the kind that could be secured with a wrap of red thread but it had also been sealed with tape – and that made him curious.
"Pull it out so I can see it at the same time as you." Ami said quietly.
"Um… okay." Ryuuji realized what all the fuss was about when the printout was only partially out and visible. He had seen a sonogram before. While he pulled it all the way out, a small card fell out with it. He picked it up off the seat and showed it to Ami.
The card had both 'male' and 'female' written next to each other, but only one of them was circled.
Glossary
Bloody Rooted: [Aussie-speak] Bloody = very, Rooted = tired or broken.
Drongo: [Aussie-speak] similar to baka or idiot.