Party at the Kitagawas
Another Friday begins at the Kitagawa Residence. But it's a rather interesting day for the family, as Haru and Yusuke are seen loading up their car with luggage. The couple are looking to get away for the weekend and leave their twin daughters, Mana and Mitsu, home alone for the next two days.
The daughters are seen with their backpacks as they're ready to head to another day of school at the University of Tokyo in Bunkyo City, the same school that most of their friends attend. The only exceptions being Minato Amamiya, who went to Nagoya University and was coincidentally coming home for the weekend to visit his family, and Kaito Watanabe and Kimiko Amamiya, both of whom are still in Shujin Academy.
Before Mana and Mitsu head off for school, however, they wish to see their parents off.
"Bye guys, have fun," Mana said.
"Yeah, we'll miss you two," Mitsu chimed in.
"We'll miss you too, girls," Haru said as she and Yusuke gave their daughters a hug and a kiss.
"The number for the hotel is on the counter, and you both have our cell phone numbers if an emergency comes up," Yusuke said as he started going over rules and giving his daughters the lay of the land, "We also stocked the food with easy to prepare foods, but we left some money for take out if you girls want to treat yourselves. It's okay to have a few friends over, just no parties. Make sure you lock the doors and windows before you go to bed and shut off any and all lights that aren't being used. And…"
"Dad, don't worry, we'll be fine," Mitsu said, "The house will be exactly how you left it. We promise."
"Alright, we're trusting you girls," Haru said as she gave her kids another hug, "Be safe, have a good day at school, and have a great weekend."
"We will," Mana and Mitsu both say as they watch their parents get into their car before backing out and taking off.
With nothing else left to do, the Kitagawa Twins head off for the University of Tokyo.
At the University of Tokyo, it's lunchtime. Mana and Mitsu are seen eating with the likes of Himari, Kas, Riku, Mai, and Nariko as they discuss their plans for the weekend.
"So Minato's coming to visit for the weekend?" Nariko asked.
"Yeah," Mana says, "He just wanted to drop by and see how we were all doing."
"Mana and I can't wait to see him again," Mitsu chimed in.
As they talked, Riku took a look around at the table to find that they're missing one person; Hotaru Yajima.
"Hey, Himari, where's Hotaru?" Riku asked.
"He's probably off editing his newest short film or something," Himari said in an almost glum manner.
"You don't sound too happy about that, Himari," Kas said, "Is everything going okay between you and Hotaru?"
"I'm not too sure," Himari said, "I mean, he's a great guy, but lately I feel like things in our relationship have started to slow down."
"What do you mean?" Mai asked.
"I just feel like our relationship has gotten, for lack of better words, predictable and boring," Himari explained, "Most of our conversations usually revolve around the same things. We go on dates to the same places. Do the same activities. And the worst part of it all is that Hotaru is okay with it. He seems perfectly fine going through the same boring routine. On top of that, whenever he and I get 'intimate' I'm usually the one who initiates it. Even when we took that love potion that one time, he only got into it when I made the first move. I get that he respects me as a woman, but I like to be dominated too sometimes!"
Himari shouted that last part, causing anyone near her table to turn their heads in her direction. They stare at the table for a few seconds before going about their business, allowing Himari and her friends to finish their conversation
"Have you tried talking with Hotaru about any of this?" Nariko asked.
"I want to, but I don't want to hurt his feelings or have him think that he's a bad boyfriend," Himari said.
"Himari, in life you're going to have to accept the fact that you're going to step on a few toes," Mai said, "Just let him down gently and I'm sure he'll understand."
"Or, if it's excitement you're looking for, you can invite him to the 'big event' this weekend," Mana said.
"What big event?" Mitsu asked
"Oh, just this thing that's going on at a classmate's house on the other side of town," Mana said, hoping her sister doesn't see through her lie.
Behind Mitsu's back, Mana has been inviting most of the university's student body, her friends included, as well as a few students from Shujin Academy, Kimiko and Kaito included, to her place for a party that she wishes to hold on Friday night; tonight. She has yet to tell Mitsu because Mana knows that, between the two of them, she's the responsible twin and will immediately blab to their parents about it. Mana already had a plan for getting her sister off of her back for the night, however, but that would have to wait until later when they got home.
"Alright," Mitsu said as she got up from her seat, "I have to use the bathroom. I'll be right back."
As Mitsu leaves, Mana and the rest of their friends begin to converse amongst themselves.
"What are we going to do about Mitsu," Kas asked, "You know she'd never let this party happen."
"Don't worry about her," Mana said, "I spent almost this entire week setting up this little scheme to make sure we stay off her radar. Let me take care of my sister, you all just make sure you show up to my place tonight at 6 P-M."
"Alright, we trust you, Mana," Mai said.
"Good," Mana smiled.
The rest of the school day went by and before Mana and Mitsu knew it they were back at home ready to have a relaxing evening…at least Mitsu thought it would be relaxing.
Mana is seen watching her sister as she rests upon the couch while reading a manga. She approaches her sister so she can talk to her.
"Excuse me, Mitsu, but do you have a minute?" Mana asked.
"Sure," Mitsu says, putting her manga down, "What's on your mind?"
"Nothing much," Mana answers, "But I just want to say that I bought your Christmas present early this year."
"Oh you have?" Mitsu said with intrigue.
"Mmm-hmm," Mana said, nodding her head, "And to make it fun, I made this whole thing a scavenger hunt. Over the course of the week, I placed your present in an undisclosed location, and left clues all over the city for you to find. These clues will help you find your present. So, do you want to play?"
"Oh, you know I'd never turn down a scavenger hunt," Mitsu said as she got up from the couch, "What's the first clue, Mana?"
"Alright," Mana says as she clears her throat, "The first clue is 'the watering hole where many paths converge'."
"That sounds like the Crossroads Bar where Uncle Ren worked once," Mitsu said.
"Very good," Mana said with a smile, "Now that you know where to go…happy trails!"
Mitsu didn't say another word. She just ran out of the house and straight to the Crossroads Bar to continue her scavenger hunt. With the house all to herself, Mana began to prepare the house for her big party.
In this montage, we first see Mana taking down all of her father's paintings that he had strewn about the house. She can't risk having them get damaged, that'd be a sure fire way for Yusuke to go nuclear.
Next, she's seen getting an assortment of snacks and beverages out from a secret snack stash she has in her closet. She puts them in bowls and places them on the dining room table, which has a festive tablecloth on it.
After that, Mana is seen looking through some music CDs to see what songs would be most appropriate for the party.
With the music taken care of, she brings her Funtendo Switch out from her room and hooks it up to the T.V in the living room.
The next step in making her preparations is searching for the key to the family liquor cabinet. Once she found it, Mana took out bottles of wine and champagne and placed it with the other snacks and beverages.
Finally, Mana goes upstairs to shower off and put on a black party dress and spray on some perfume and make-up. Not long after the floofy haired girl got all gussied up did the guests start arriving, with the likes of Minato, Kimiko, Kas, Himari, Hotaru, Riku, Mai, Nariko, and Kaito being among the first ones to join the party.
Meanwhile, Mitsu made it outside The Crossroads Bar. The blue haired girl was about to go inside when she was stopped by the bouncer. Lala Escargot hired the bouncer when she learned that some of her patrons were underaged.
"Stop right there, young lady," The bouncer said, "You gotta be 21 or older to enter this establishment. You don't look 21."
"Uh," Mitsu said as she tried to think of an excuse, "Actually, my dad's in there. He forgot his wallet at home and I have to go in there and give it to him."
"Oh, really?" The bouncer said, not buying the lie for a minute. The bouncer takes Mitsu inside the bar and he addresses the patrons inside, "Excuse me, are any of you associated with this young lady?"
All of the patrons deny ever knowing Mitsu, resulting in the bouncer taking the blue harried young woman back outside.
"Nice try, Bluey," The bouncer said as he pointed in another direction, "Try coming back in another three years."
In a huff, Mitsu leaves the area and tries to think of another plan.
"Great, what am I going to do now?" Mitsu asked herself.
It was at this moment when she saw a familiar face walking towards the bar. It was reporter, Ichiko Ohya.
"It's the lady who did that report on Hideyoshi's Smokehouse a few years ago," Mitsu thought to herself as she approached the reporter, "Excuse me, Ms. Ohya?"
Ohya turned her attention to the blue haired young woman and came up to her to see what she wants.
"It's always nice to meet a fan," Ohya said, "How can I help you?"
"You're heading into the bar, right?" Mitsu asked.
"It's my usual spot on Friday nights," Ohya said, "Why?"
"I'm on a scavenger hunt, see," Mitsu explained, "And my sister left a clue inside the bar, but they won't let me inside. You think you can get it for me? I'll make it worth your while."
Mitsu pulled out ¥7,600 and showed it to the reporter.
"Alright," Ohya said as she took the money from Mitsu, "I'll see what I can do. Wait here."
Ohya left Mitsu and went inside the Crossroads Bar. A few minutes later, the reporter returned with the clue in her hand, and she gave it to Mitsu.
"Awesome!" Mitsu cheered, "Where was it?"
"I founded it hidden behind one of the bottles Lala Escargot has behind the bar," Ohya explained, "What's it say?"
Mitsu unfolded the clue and read it aloud, 'A blue world where creatures swim freely'.
"Sounds like one of the aquariums here in Tokyo," Ohya said, "But which one?"
"Hang on there's more," Mitsu said as she continued reading, "Be on the lookout for little girls hitching rides on the backs of dolphins."
"What's that supposed to mean," Ohya asked.
"It's Shinagawa Aquarium," Mitsu said, "When my friend Himari was a little girl she had the 'bright idea' to sneak away from everyone to try and ride on the back of one of the dolphins. We never really let her live it down."
"Oof," Ohya went, "Well, now that you have your clue, I have my money, and you know where to go next, I guess my work here is done."
"Thanks again, Ms. Ohya," Mitsu said as she ran off for the Shinagawa Aquarium while Ohya went back inside the bar.
(BGM: Chandelier by Sia)
Meanwhile, at the Kitagawa Residence, the party was in full swing as Mana, her friends, and a whole load of other party goers were seen dancing to the music, eating some snacks, playing games, and of course, getting their drink on. We see just what Mana and her friends are up to when they have a little bit of alcohol in them.
With Kas, she's seen looking a bust of a lion sitting on a side table. She's staring the bust right in the eyes for what felt like an eternity. Eventually Kas let out a victorious laugh saying, 'You blinked!' before walking off to another part of the party.
With Nariko, she's getting another glass of champagne from the snack table when, of all people, Naomi Sugimura appears. Nariko turns to the bratty girl with a smile on her face and holds out her champagne glass.
"You want one?" Nariko asked in a friendly tone.
"Sure," Naomi said as she reached to grab the glass of bubbly, only for Nariko to pull it away from her and bark in her face like a dog, causing Naomi to pout.
As Nariko walks away, she sees Riku over by the stairs, looking to see if she wants to go upstairs with him to 'spend some time together'.
"Oh, giddyup," Nariko said to herself as she ran over to Riku and ran upstairs with him.
With Mai, she's dancing on top of one of the tables to the music.
"Beat up the beat!" Mai shouted, "Fist pumping like a champ!"
Anyone watching the geeky girl dancing on top of the table cheer and dance along with her.
"I believe in magic!" Mai shouted as she jumped onto the crowd and proceeded to go crowd surfing.
With Kimiko, she's in front of a crowd of party goers that are sitting on the couch. With some alcohol in her system, it triggers a part of her past that she did everything she could to bury deep within the recesses of her soul; her insult-comedian side.
"Hey, buddy," Kimiko said to one of the party goers, "The only way you're going to get laid tonight is if you crawl up a chicken's ass and wait!"
Most of the party goers on the couch laugh, but the one she told the joke to just glares at Kimiko before she moves onto the next one, who just so happens to be the jerk that punched Minato and made Riku punch Kaito, it's Kouga himself.
"Why if it isn't resident douchebag, Kouga," Kimiko said, "You know, your family tree must be a cactus. Because everyone on it, yourself included, is a prick!"
Everyone but Kouga laughs at that statement. It's at this point when Kaito sees Kimiko 'entertaining' the party guests, and he decides to hurry over there and put a stop to it before she goes too far with one of her jokes.
"Roses are red, violets are blue," Kimiko began telling another joke to a female guest, "God made me pretty, what happened to-"
"Yoo-hoo, Kimiko!" Kaito called over to his girlfriend.
"'Scuse me, my main squeeze wants to chat," Kimiko said as she went over to her boyfriend to see what he wanted, "Enjoy the party, boo?"
"I am," Kaito answered as he quickly came up with a way to get Kimiko away from the party goers, "I was just checking to see if you wanted to 'play' for a bit."
"Oh, I know what you want," Kimiko said as she kissed her boyfriend right on the lips, "Come on, let's go!"
Kimiko took Kaito by the hand and the two of them went upstairs. Not only did Kaito successfully get her away from the party guests for a while, but they were going to have some alone time to boot. Once the couple got upstairs, they opened the doors to one of the rooms…to find Nariko and Riku screwing in there.
"Gah! Kaito! Kimiko!" Nariko exclaimed as she covered herself up.
"Out, get out!" Riku shouted, "Get out now!"
"So sorry, sis!" Kaito said embarrassed as he took himself and Kimiko out of that room and they walked into the room across the hall.
Finally, we cut to Mana, Minato, Himari, and Hotaru, all four of whom were hanging out in the corner and chatting.
"Great party, babe," Minato said as he gave Mana a kiss on the cheek, "Say, where's Mitsu? I haven't seen her at all since we got here."
"Oh, she's around here somewhere I'm sure," Mana said, not wanting to tell her boyfriend what she did to her sister.
"Hey Mana, mind if I change song?" Hotaru asked.
"Sure, Hotaru," Mana said, "What did you want to listen to?"
"'Hey, You!' By Outcast" Himari muttered to herself.
"'Hey, You!' by Outcast" Hotaru answered Mana.
"'It's the ultimate party song'," Himari muttered, knowing that her boyfriend was going to say about it.
"It's the ultimate party song," Hotaru said.
"Okay, Hotaru," Mana said, "Why don't you go over to the stereo and put it on."
Hotaru left the group to change the song, leaving Mana, Minato, and Himari to talk amongst themselves.
"See what I mean, guys," Himari said, "Hotaru's just gotten predictable as the years went by. And it's extending to not just his relationship with me, but to his friendship with all of us."
"I will admit Hotaru has been kind of 'samey' lately," Minato said, "Dude shouldn't be afraid to break out of his comfort zone, you know."
"Familiarity does breed contempt," Mana chimed in before turning to Himari, "Why haven't you told him how you feel yet?"
"I'll do it tomorrow," Himari said, "Wouldn't want to bring down the vibe of this party. I'm going to go grab some more wine. Do you guys want anything?"
"We'll pass for now, thanks," Minato said as Mana nodded in agreement.
Himari went over to the snack table to grab some more beverages, leaving Minato and Mana alone.
"Hey look, some people stopped playing Marco Cart!" Mana said as she pointed at the vacant Funtendo Switch, "Want to go a few rounds?"
"You're on!" Minato said as he and Mana went over the Switch before anyone else had a chance to use it.
(End BGM)
Meanwhile, at the Sumigawa Aquarium, Mitsu managed to sneak inside the aquarium by crawling through the air vents. It was after hours so the only ones present were herself and the hordes of aquatic animals present. There are security cameras watching Mitsu as she runs through the aquarium, but fortunately for her the guard in charge of watching the surveillance footage was sound asleep.
Mitsu first checked the dolphin habitat, but didn't see anything resembling a clue. She then tried looking through the 'Touch Tanks', but couldn't find anything there either. She snuck into the gift shop and looked through each shelf for the clue, but once again, she came up short. Her search eventually led her to the Elephant Seal enclosure. From the moment she hopped into the enclosure, she came face-to-face with the leader of the pod, and he was glaring at her, ready to pounce.
"Whoa there, big guy, before you come at me with all piss and vinegar, there's something very important I have to tell you," Mitsu said as the elephant seal glared at her. Then, in a hushed whisper, Mitsu says, "I'm fresh out of fish."
With that, the elephant seal charges, causing Mitsu to hop out of the enclosure before she could get mauled.
Mitsu searched the rest of the aquarium for the clue, but couldn't find it. The only place left for her to look was the Humboldt Penguin enclosure. Sure enough, when Mitsu passed by there, she found two penguins rolling a ball of paper back and forth to each other with their beaks.
"That has to be the clue!" Mitsu exclaimed as she jumped into the enclosure and ran over to the two penguins, catching the paper ball and taking it with her out of the enclosure.
Before she could leave, however, she noticed that the two penguins started to act depressed. Mitsu did take away their 'toy' after all. Feeling bad, she reaches into a nearby garbage bin and pulls out a candy wrapper. She balls up the wrapper and gives it to the penguins, cheering them up as they went back to playing their game.
Satisfied, Mitsu opened the clue up and read it, 'A steamy place to be with your lover…or others'.
At that moment, Mitsu knew that the clue was alluding to the steam rooms where she, Mana, and Minato, along with their friends, took part in their own little 'lovefest'. Still making sure to avoid detection, Mitsu left the Sumigawa Aquarium and made a beeline for the steam rooms.
(BGM: My Prerogative by Bobby Brown)
Back at the party, Mana and Minato, having finished their little video game competition, are seen conversing with Kas and Mai, the latter two being a little tipsy as they talk about LGBTQ representation in fiction.
"I love you babe, but there are just too many shows and movies that have a token LGBTQ character," Mai said, "The film industry, hell the whole world even, has become heterophobic. They think that if they don't have a single queer character in them, then the wrath of God will come and smite them."
"I get what you're saying, Mai," Kas said, "But I like to think that we're advancing as a society by having queer characters in more shows and movies. Just think, this time about 20-50 years ago, not many pieces of fiction would dare having a gay character in them. We've come so far as a species in that regard.
Kas and Mai looked over at Mana and Minato, with Kas asking, "What do you guys think?"
Not wanting to stir the pot further, Minato and Mana looked at each other, then back at the lesbian couple and said, 'No comment' in unison.
Suddenly, Kaito and Kimiko come back from upstairs to see them. Kimiko seems much more sober now, but both she and Kaito seem a bit flush.
"Where have you two been?" Minato asked.
"Kaito was just trying to 'sober me up', if you know what I'm getting at," Kimiko said.
"I think I get the picture," Minato shuddered.
Himari, meanwhile, rejoined her friends…and she was absolutely shitfaced.
"Woo-hoo!" Himari cheered and slurred, "Aw man, this…this is the best party ever! I never want this night to end!"
"Uh, is Himari feeling alright?" Kaito asked.
"I think she had a little too much to drink," Mai said.
"Wha-What are we talking about?" Himari slurred, "We havin' a pow-wow? What's the scoop? You guys want to wrestle?"
"Wrestle?" Mana asked.
"Yeah, come on hostess, let's boogie!" Himari said as she put Mana in a headlock, causing Minato to get involved by pushing her away from his girlfriend.
"Himari, you need to calm down," Minato said sternly, "You're drunk!"
"Oh! Oh, hey there handsome!" Himari said as she started eyeing Minato up and down, "What do you say you and I go somewhere and we, *hic*get to knowing each other a little better."
"Himari, it's me, Minato, your friend" Minato said, "You're not well. You need to lay down, or go outside and get some fresh air, and sober up."
"I'm sober enough for everyone in this party, baby boy!" Himari slurred as she tried to kiss Minato.
"Geez, Himari, calm down!" Mana exclaimed.
"Yeah, Himari, Mana is right here!" Minato said, "You know, Mana, one of my girlfriends?"
"Ah, let her look," Himari said, her drunkenness making her blissfully unaware about what she was about to do.
As that was going on, Hotaru was walking through the party carrying a plate of snacks that he was hoping to share with Himari. It was at this point when he saw Himari all over an uncomfortable Minato like a rash.
"What the heck is she doing?" Hotaru asked, confused, slowly becoming heartbroken.
"Himari, you need to stop," Minato said.
"No, you need to stop and kiss me, you stud!" Himari said as she planted a big kiss on Minato's lips, shocking him, his friends, and most importantly, Hotaru.
After dropping the plateful of food in shock, Hotaru shouts, 'WHAT?!'
(Record scratch as BGM ends)
Hearing that outburst made everyone stop partying to take a look at the scene unfolding before them. Furthermore, hearing Hotaru shout seemed to have sobered Himari up a bit as she stopped kissing Minato, looking at his shocked expression before turning to Hotaru's. Immediately, she put two-and-two together and realized what she had done. Being drunk combined with her uninteresting lovelife with her boyfriend led Himari to her greatest failure; cheating on Hotaru! Regret began coursing through Himari's veins as she walked over to him to try and explain herself.
"Hotaru, wait, it's not what it seems I swear," Himari pleaded.
"Whatever you've got to say to me, Himari, you can save it," Hotaru said bitterly as he took the promise ring off of his finger and tossed it aside before making his way to the front door.
"Babe, wait!" Himari begged, "Just let me explain!"
"Save it!" Hotaru shouted as he left the party, leaving a guilty Himari in his wake.
"Aw man, this isn't good," Kimiko said as she picked up Hotaru's promise ring, "Let me go talk with him. Minato and Kaito, you two get this party going again. Kas, Mana, and Mai, you girls get Himari alone somewhere and talk with her. I feel like she needs a friend now more than ever."
"Got it, babe!" Kaito said as he and Minato did their best to liven the party up while Mana, Mai, Kas, and Himari went upstairs in one of the rooms to talk, leaving Kimiko to run after Hotaru.
Thankfully, Kimiko didn't have to go far as she found Hotaru sitting on the front steps of the Kitagawa Residence, quietly sobbing to himself.
"Hotaru?" Kimiko asked.
"What do you want, Kimiko," Hotaru sobbed.
"I just wanted to come and see how you were doing," Kimiko said.
"How do you think I'm doing?" Hotaru snapped, "My girlfriend, the person who I thought loved me as much as I loved her, just cheated on me! How do you think I'm doing?!"
"Point taken," Kimiko said as she sat on the steps next to Hotaru.
"I don't get it, Kimiko," Hotaru lamented, "I've been nothing but nice to Himari since we first met. I've given her unconditional love. I listen to her whenever she has problems. I give her space when she needs it. I support her love of tennis by coming to her matches and practices. Am I perfect? No, no one is! But I try to be! I just don't get why Himari would do this after everything we've been through. Helping her in making a political ad for her campaign as student council president. Setting up that Tin Can Challenge. Pranking Uncle Ryuji with that zombie apocalypse schtick. We even lost our virginities together at the Tanaka's New Year's Eve Party. At that moment, I thought we'd be together forever and never do each other wrong. What happened?"
Kimiko let Hotaru's words sink in before she decided to speak.
"I think I might be able to answer that," Kimiko said as Hotaru turned in Kimiko's direction, "I was chatting with Himari the other day, and she voiced her concern about the status of your relationship."
"What do you mean?" Hotaru asked, "I thought things were going great."
"She thinks your relationship has gotten predictable," Kimiko said, "She told me how you guys do the same activities together, go on dates to the same locations, and talk about the same things. My parents always told me and Minato that being too predictable is not good in a relationship. She also told me how she wants you to be more aggressive in the relationship."
"Huh," Hotaru went, understanding Himari's motives for kissing Minato, "So I guess it's mostly my fault that this is happening right now."
"Not entirely," Kimiko said, "Himari shouldn't have kissed my brother. But if you love Himari, Hotaru, and I mean really love her, then you shouldn't be afraid to break out of your comfort zone for her every now and again."
"The problem is I don't know what to do to be more 'spontaneous' in a relationship," Hotaru said, "Himari is my first girlfriend…ever. What do you think I should do?"
"Sojiro should still be at Cafe Leblanc around this hour cleaning up the place," Kimiko said, "Maybe you can go ask him for some advice. I know he helped my dad out with romantic advice many times in the past."
"Alright, I'll do that," Hotaru said as he stood up, "Thanks Kim."
"What are friends for?" Kimiko said as she gave Hotaru a thumbs up. With that, Hotaru took off for Cafe Leblanc.
As that was going on, Mitsu was at the spa where the steam rooms were located. Much like when she broke into the Sumigawa Aquarium, Mitsu broke into the establishment by crawling through the air vents.
She crawled through the vents until she was right above the steam room that she and the rest of their friends used for their little 'tryst'. She'd remember that sweet lavender scent anywhere.
"This is it," Mitsu said as she opened up the vent and dropped down into the steam room below…only for her to realize that she dropped in on Sae Niijima and Ryuta Watanabe screwing each other missionary style. Seeing this horrifying and embarrassing sight made Mitsu cover her eyes and shriek, catching the couple's attention.
"Ah!" Ryuta gasped with surprise.
"Mitsu, what are you doing here?!" Sae asked as she covered herself up.
"Does everyone just use these steam rooms for sex or what?!" Mitsu asked out loud.
"What do you mean by that?" Ryuta asked.
"Don't worry about it," Mitsu said, still covering her eyes, "Is there a clue in here?"
"What are you talking about?" Sae asked, "What clue?"
"A slip of paper," Mitsu answered, "Do you see anything like that around here?"
Ryuta and Sae looked around the steam room until they found something taped underneath one of the benches.
"Here's something," Ryuta said as he took the slip of paper off from the bench and handed it to Mitsu, who turned away from Ryuta and Sae to read the next clue.
Mitsu reads, 'Your present lies beneath the sands of our favorite summer hangout spot.'
"Miura Beach," Mitsu asked herself.
"Sounds like it?" Ryuta said, "What are you even doing anyway?"
"Scavenger hunt, again, don't worry about it," Mitsu said, "This is between me and Mana. Well, I'm gonna head out. You two go back to…doing…whatever sussy thing you were doing before I dropped in here…Later!"
Mitsu left through the door, leaving a befuddled Sae and Ryuta behind her.
"What the hell was that about?" Sae asked.
"Teens are crazy," Ryuta said, "Now, where were we?"
Ryuta and Sae laid back down against the bench to resume their love making, Ryuta kissing his lover's neck all the while.
As Mitsu headed off for Miura Beach, Hotaru finally made it to Cafe Leblanc. The young scarlet haired man looked through the window to find Sojiro cleaning dishes while listening to a relaxing melody on his radio. The young scarlet haired man then walks inside, the door opening catching Sojiro's attention.
"Oh, Hotaru," Sojiro said, sounding surprised, "What are you doing here?"
"I kind of need a little help right now," Hotaru said as he took his seat at the bar.
"Would you like me to make you some coffee?" Sojiro asked.
"Sure, thanks," Hotaru said as Sojiro went to work making his young friend a cup of his special coffee. A few minutes later, the elderly man handed Hotaru his mug of the warm beverage.
"Now, what seems to be troubling you," Sojiro asked.
"Himari and I have kind of hit a rough patch in the relationship," Hotaru began, "Kimiko told me that you could give me some advice since you helped out Uncle Ren and his love life."
"I'm very flattered that you came to me," Sojiro said, "So, what's going on between you and Himari."
"Well, we were at this party, and Himari got a little drunk," Hotaru explained, "She ended up kissing another guy while under the influence."
"Oh," Sojiro winced.
"Yeah, pretty bad," Hotaru said as he took a sip from his coffee, "Anyway, Kimko told me that Himari only did what she did because she felt that our relationship had gotten predictable and that she wants me to be more assertive romantically."
"I see," Sojiro said.
"Mulling things over a bit on the way over here, I guess there are some aspects about our relationship that have become rather monotonous," Hotaru said, "We got to the same places for our dates, talk about the same things in regards to my love of filmmaking and her passion for tennis and whatnot."
"It is easy to fall into a routine, son," Sojiro said, "But spontaneity is key to any romantic relationship. You should always look for new ways to surprise your lover."
"How can I be more spontaneous, Sojiro," Hotaru asked, "I love Himari, and I'll do anything for her."
"Well, you could start with little, obvious things like picking out different places to go on your dates," Sojiro suggested, "But beyond that I'd also say try and take an interest in her interests."
"I already attend her tennis matches," Hotaru said, "What else can I do beyond playing with her for practice?"
"What else does Himari like?" Sojiro asked
"She's really into that band 'The Raspberries' (The Cranberries)," Hotaru answered, "I've listened to a few of their songs, they're not half bad."
"Well there you go," Sojiro said, "A good way of being spontaneous is to surprise her with tickets to one of their shows."
"You think buying gifts will help?" Hotaru asked.
"When you're in a relationship, Hotaru, there's no such thing as a 'right time' to buy gifts," Sojiro said, "You give gifts and surprise your lover with them for the sake of love, not because its a certain day like Christmas or a birthday."
"Alright, I think I get it," Hotaru said, feeling as though he's learning something, "What else should I do to be spontaneous?"
"This next suggestion you might want to wait on since it involves shelling out a lot of money, but a good way to be spontaneous is to take a romantic getaway," Sojiro said, "Take Himari on a weekend trip somewhere, just the two of you. Take in the sights together, and spend some much needed alone time to remind yourselves why you two love each other in the first place."
"I have always had these dreams of taking Himari to a nice ski lodge one cold winter's day," Hotaru said, "I guess I can start saving for that now."
"Sounds good," Sojiro said, "Now about you being more romantically assertive?"
"Yeah, I'm not sure what to do in regards to that," Hotaru said, "I've always been told to treat women like they were these fine glass birds or something. So I pretty much let Himari call the shots if she wanted to make out…among other things."
"Sometimes a woman likes when her man acts like a man and becomes dominant in the bedroom," Sojiro said.
"Well how can I do that without feeling like a bad man?" Hotaru asked.
"Going back to spontaneity one last time," Sojiro continued, "Sometimes women like unplanned make out or love making sessions. I take it that most of these trysts happen when she's at your house or you're at her house?"
"Pretty much, yeah," Hotaru admitted, "The only other times I could think of being romantic in a place that wasn't our homes was the Tanaka Family Lake House during that New Year's Party all those years ago, and the steam rooms about a year ago."
"Well, maybe next time you see her around the halls of your college, you two can sneak away and have a make out session," Sojiro said, "Or if you're feeling frisky there's always the backseat of your car. The whole world can be your bedroom is what I'm trying to say. Just make sure there's not that many people around."
"Alright," Hotaru said, "Now what about me being more 'sexually dominant'?"
"First off, I wouldn't recommend sticking with one position when you guys 'go at it'," Sojiro said, "Try different positions when you and Himari get together so you can get a gauge on what she likes and doesn't like."
"Okay," Hotaru responded.
"Also, never be afraid to take the lead," Sojiro said, "Gently take her by the hand and guide her to where you two will be getting intimate. Or, if you're looking to kick things off right, plant a big kiss on her lips out of nowhere and see where things go from there. And above all, don't be afraid to try new things in the bedroom. Just make sure you pay attention to her body language so you know if she's enjoying her treatment or not."
"Wow, Sojiro, I'm learning a lot from you," Hotaru said as he finished his coffee.
"I've been around the block a few times, Hotaru," Sojiro said, "I'm just glad you came to me for this kind of stuff. It's been a while since I tutored someone on the subject of love."
"Now all I need to do is figure out how I'm going to win Himari back," Hotaru said.
"I hear that grand gestures go a long way in a relationship," Sojiro said.
"Grand gestures, huh?" Hotaru asked himself, before remembering the story his father told him about how he won his mother's heart, "I think I know what I have to do."
Before Hotaru made his leave, he took out his wallet and prepared to pay Sojiro for the cup of coffee.
"Don't worry about paying me anything, Hotaru," Sojiro said as he took the empty coffee cup off the counter and to the sink for washing, "It's on me."
"Hey, thanks," Hotaru said as he put his wallet away.
Hotaru left Cafe Leblanc and made his way back to the Kitagawa Residence so he could make a grand gesture to win back Himari.
Meanwhile, on the Tokyo Streets, we see Haru and Yusuke's car. Yusuke is seen at the wheel while a pale-faced Haru is seen holding her stomach in pain.
"How are you holding up, darling?" Yusuke asked.
"So nauseous," Haru moaned.
"We'll be home soon, Haru, don't you worry," Yusuke said.
"I'm sorry I ruined our romantic weekend, babe," Haru said with a guilty expression.
"It's not your fault, Haru," Yusuke said, "You're not feeling well, and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you're well again. We'll go on our weekend getaway some other time."
As the couple continued driving, they saw Mitsu walking down the street carrying a shovel and a metal detector.
"What the- Mitsu?" Haru asked.
Yusuke drives over to their daughter and he honks the car horn at her, catching her attention and stopping her in her tracks. Mitsu looks over at the car that parked up next to her and watches as the window rolls down, revealing her parents.
"Mom? Dad?" Mitsu asked, "What are you two doing here?"
"Your mom started feeling a little under the weather so we're heading back home," Yusuke explained, "But what about you? What are you doing out here? Where's Mana?"
"She's at home," Mitsu answered.
"Where are you going with a shovel and a metal detector?" Haru asked.
"Oh, Mana sent me out on a scavenger hunt to find the Christmas present she bought me," Mitsu answered.
"That's odd," Yusuke said, "Mana isn't one to set up complex tasks like this. I hate to be the one to say this, Mitsu, but I think Mana wanted you out of the house for some reason."
"What reason would Mitsu possibly have for wanting to get me out of the-" Mitsu stopped talking when she remembered that earlier in the day Mana mentioned something about 'a big event'.
"Wait a minute," Mitsu said, "There was talk about some kind of big event earlier today. You don't think Mana is throwing a party with you guys gone, do you?"
"Oh, she'd better not be," Haru said, temporarily getting over her illness and taking a small axe from the glove compartment, "Because if she is she'll have to answer for her actions. And God…may not be so…merciful!"
Yusuke and Mitsu are taken aback by Haru's sudden bloodlust. They decide to ignore it for now as Yusuke clears his throat.
"Just get in the car, Mitsu," Yusuke said.
"Yup," Mitsu says as she hops into the backseat and the three of them hurry off for home.
Back at the Kitagawa Residence, Mana is seen in her room with Kas, Mai, and Himari as they try to help her calm down after Hotaru stormed out of the party.
"Oh God, what have I done?!" Himari asked herself, "How am I ever going to face Hotaru after this? How am I going to face Uncle Hayato or Auntie Hifumi? What will my parents think when they hear about what I've done?"
"Himari, you need to relax," Mai said.
"Relax?!" Himari exclaimed, "You're not the one who just cheated on your boyfriend in front of our whole peer group!"
"You were drunk," Mana said, "You weren't thinking clearly. It happens to the best of us."
"That's just a lame excuse," Himari said, "I don't think there's a word in the dictionary to describe how sorry I feel. And I can only imagine how heartbroken Hotaru must feel. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if he never wanted to see me again. And I wouldn't blame him."
Suddenly, the four girls hear a voice downstairs saying, "May I have everyone's attention please?"
"What was that?" Kas asked.
"It sounded like Hotaru?" Mana said.
"Let's go see," Mai said as she led her friends out of Mana's room and back to the party area.
When the girls made it back to the party area, they joined the likes of Minato, Kimiko, Kaito, Nariko, and Riku as they, along with everyone else at the party, stared up at Hotaru, who was standing up on a table with a microphone in hand.
"What's he doing?" Himari asked herself.
"By now I'm sure you're all aware of the drama that went down earlier between me and Himari," Hotaru said, "Well, after I left the party, I did some thinking and I've come to realize that I'm partially to blame for the current status of our relationship."
He then looked into the crowd until he found Himari standing there, looking at him.
"Himari Sakamoto," Hotaru said, "Our relationship has become rather uninteresting and stagnant as of late. Starting tonight, I'm looking to fix all of that, because from this moment forward I vow to become spontaneous, and keep you guessing as to where our relationship is going to go next."
"Hotaru…" Himari said to herself, deeply touched by Hotaru's words.
"For my first act of spontaneity, I have a little song that I want to sing to you that tells you how much you mean to me," Hotaru said, "And it's the very same song that my father used to woo my mother long ago. HIT IT!"
One of the party goers present turns the music on.
(BGM: 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell)
And with that, Hotaru starts to sing.
"Listen baby! Ain't no mountain high, ain't no valley low, ain't no river wide enough, baby! If you need me, call me! No matter where you are! No matter how far, don't worry, baby! Just call my name! I'll be there in a hurry! You don't have to worry! 'Cause baby there ain't no mountain high enough! Ain't no valley low enough! Ain't no river wide enough, to keep me from getting to you, babe!"
As everyone danced to the beat of the music and Hotaru's singing, Himari was taken aback by her boyfriend's grand gesture and is slowly but surely falling in love with him again.
"Hotaru," Himari said to herself, "You're doing all of this…just for me?!"
"He really loves you, you know," Kimiko said as Himari turned to face her youngest friend. Kimiko took Hotaru's promise ring out from her pocket and hands it to Himari, "If you love him, why don't you join him up there and give this back to him while you're at it."
Kimiko hands Himari Hotaru's promise ring, and the young brunette woman turns her attention back to Hotaru. With a smile, she runs up on the tabletop with him as they both close out the song together.
"Ain't no mountain high enough! Ain't no valley low enough! Ain't no river wide enough! To keep me from getting to you, babe!"
(End BGM)
When the song concluded, everyone cheered for the couple as they looked each other in the eyes.
"How's that for spontaneous?" Hotaru asked.
"Hotaru, that was awesome!" Himari said as she took his promise ring and put it back on his finger, "I believe this belongs to you."
"And I believe this belongs to you," Hotaru said before planting a big, wet, long kiss right on Himari's lips, who started kissing him back with just as much intensity.
The whole party cheers at the display of affection, happy in knowing that this evening will have a happy ending.
"Oh, I just love happy endings," Nariko said to herself.
"I'm glad those two worked things out in the end," Minato said.
"Where the hell is Mitsu?" Kimiko asked as she looked around for the other Kitagawa twin, "She's missing out on everything."
"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!" Came the angry voices of Haru, Yusuke, and Mitsu.
Hearing the trio yell made Hotaru and Himari stop kissing as they, along with the rest of the party, looked at the front door to find Haru, Yusuke, and Mitsu standing there, looking very displeased to see the party being thrown in their absence.
"We are so dead," Kas said under her breath.
With the axe from earlier in hand, Haru steps forward to 'lay down the law'.
"Here's what's going to happen now," Haru said, "You all have about 30 seconds to get out of this house, or I'm going to have to introduce you all to my little friend here!"
Haru holds up the axe as a wicked grin comes to her face, causing everyone to shake and sweat nervously.
"So I think we all understand each other now," Haru said, "Right?!"
The whole party nods nervously in response.
"Good," Haru smiles sweetly before, "Now…GET OUT!"
Hearing Haru's outburst made everyone panic and run out of the Kitagawa Residence until the only ones present were Haru, Yusuke, Mana and Mitsu. Once everyone is gone, Haru quickly goes back to being sick and runs to the bathroom to throw up.
"Is mom going to be okay?" Mana asked.
"Yeah," Yusuke said, "She's just feeling a little under the weather. Which is why we had to cut our weekend trip short."
"Well, dad I guess you'd better go take care of her," Mana said as she tried to get out of the situation she found herself in, "Me, I'm going to get hit the hay. Have a good-"
"Not so fast!" Yusuke scolded, stopping Mana right in her tracks, "You're in a lot of trouble, Mana! Throwing a party while we were out! Making your sister go on a scavenger hunt to get her out of the house! You're lucky nothing terrible happened to her while she was out, and even more lucky that this place isn't totally trashed! You are going to help your sister and I clean up this mess, and after that you're grounded for a week! Understand?!"
"Yes sir," Mana said with a frown of defeat, "Sorry I made you go on that scavenger hunt, Mitsu."
"Eh, I didn't hate it for the most part," Mitsu said, "And I gotta give you credit where credit is due, you put a lot of thought and work into it."
"Thanks," Mana said with a smile.
"Alright girls, enough chatting," Yusuke said, "Let's get your mother to bed, and then we're going to clean this house up from top to bottom."
"Yes, sir," Mana and Mitsu said as they immediately got to work on straightening up the house.
THE END