Chapter 14

Be Good to Yourself

It was only when Anri disrobed before her spa treatment that she fully realized what she had done and what had happened in the fight. Everything ached and throbbed, new bruises and scars were added to her historically impressive collection – most of which has faded and healed since she left the yakuza. She looked at herself in the mirror, remembering the toned, dangerous body she once had when she was truly a Dragon and compared it to the older, weaker, softer mother she now was.

Certainly she was still a cut above most others in terms of strength, and she had some untellable supernatural ability that enhanced it greatly, but as she removed the binds holding her developed bust in place to better fight with and revealed the fullness of her form, she was forced to accept the truth: she was older now, and she had gotten reckless, desperate during the fight and paid the price for it. A comparatively cheap price to permanent injury or death, but perhaps she was no longer the true fiery dragon she once was. At least her son was alright. That is what truly mattered.

"Kurusu-san," one of the girls attending the spa knocked on the changing room door. "Your room is ready when you are."

"Thanks, I'll be right out." She took up a towel and wrapped it around herself, or at least tried to. Even the light constriction of a soft bath towel only aggravated her soreness, which she became more acutely aware of once her chest was freed and the nerves were able to more passionately express their displeasure with her. She sighed and shook her head in defeat and left the changing room naked. She knew it was a private spa only worked by women, so it did not matter in the slightest, but she was not used to any signs of vulnerability with anyone other than Takuto, so she still felt a bit awkward being so exposed.

The young attendant outside the door bowed to her as she entered the quiet, candlelit massage room, relaxing incense burning on one of the tables. The girl looked at her developed, muscular body and obviously lost herself for a moment. Anri found this mildly annoying but also mildly flattering. She had a very blessed body and she knew it; it never hurt to be appreciated for the objectively truthful.

"Please lay down on your front, ma'am," she motioned to the massage bed. "Your masseuse will be in momentarily. Is there anything we can do to make you more comfortable?"

"No, this is all perfectly fine. Thank you." Anri never acted picky with anything, always content to let people do as they pleased and tried to help out where she could, or at least make the workload lighter by not asking for any kind of special treatment. Her father was the same way, always putting others' needs before his own even in the smallest situations. This won him many friends and kept most of them, and it paid off much the same for her.

The spa room was relaxingly dim, lit by candles placed strategically across the room. Soft, flowing tunes of traditional Japanese strings and woodwinds played in the background over the intercoms in the ceiling to add to the disarming ambiance. Were one to fully give themselves over to the fantasy, it would be quite like the romanticized accounts of traditional Japanese spas and onsens seen throughout history. Maybe this was one high in the mountains, in a remote yet idyllic village that acted as a hidden oasis for travelers lucky enough to stumble upon it? Or perhaps it was a high-class place of relaxation and pleasure in a bustling city's red-light district, the scandalous tales woven into every inch of the establishment adding a dangerous color to the atmosphere? Whatever it was, Anri felt her tired, tense muscles ache for relief as she slowly walked across the room to the massage bed.

She laid down on the bed, and her muscles finally, finally, began to relax. Anri found herself hardly able to wait for the deft hands of the masseuse to come and relieve her of what tension she could. And as if her very thoughts were heard, the door opened and she heard someone step inside.

"Good afternoon, Ma'am," a woman's gentle, youthful voice said. "My name is Mio, and I am honored to be your masseuse for the day." Mio bowed even though Anri was not looking at her; she rested her head on her hands looking to the other side of the room, eyes barely able to stay open.

"Honored?" Anri asked, chuckling. "Honey, I'm just a mom. Probably old enough to be your mom."

"We know about how you helped fight off the thugs and saved Kiyomi's bar, Kurusu-san," the young woman walked to stand beside the bed. "You're a hero, as well as your son. So truly, it is an honor to serve you."

Anri could not repress a smile, though whether it was out of awkwardness, the kindness of Mio, or the recognition of her actions, she could not quite say. "Well, no need to give me any special treatment. This wasn't even my idea."

"Nonsense," Mio replied confidently, reaching over to lather her hands in oil. "I will do anything I can to help you achieve physical and spiritual healing, and that's even before we escort you to the hot springs."

"Oh god," Anri chuckled again. "Rolling out the red carpet, aren't you ladies? Shouldn't you be getting ready for the festival like all the other kids?"

"We take pride in giving special clients a comprehensive and fulfilling experience, Kurusu-san. And besides, it's not every day we get to service a hero such as yourself. And there are plenty of other festival days this season, Ma'am. If I miss part of one for something so important, I don't mind at all," she said, lowering her voice to a softer tone yet losing none of her cheerfulness. "Now, please try to keep yourself relaxed. I'm going to start applying oil and it might be cold. If you feel any discomfort or want me to change anything about the treatment or the room, just speak up. We are at your service."

Anri almost felt like a queen in her court with how gleefully subservient her attendant seemed. "I trust whatever you do," she said. "I can take it."

"Well, don't be shy if you want to change anything." The cool oil dripped onto her skin, making her shiver with a slight release of tension. "This is a beautiful tattoo, by the way," Mio remarked. "Who's 'Uta'? That's the signature down here," she touched just above Anri's right hip. "I've never heard of that artist, and I have my fair share of ink."

"A past life, unfortunately," Anri replied flatly. "It's a long story."

"I understand. Nothing to worry about. Just try to relax now." Her massage started, the first professional one Anri had received in many years, and she let the gradual release of tension and pain in her muscles drown out her worries about the future and her son.

At least the girl was excellent with her hands, and the hot spring bath made her wonder why she did not do this more often.

…

Kasumi seemed anxious about something as the girls prepared for the festivities, eagerly choosing yukata that Yukiko was kind enough to loan them for the evening. Many traditional yet beautiful floral styles were brought to them by Yukiko and three of her coworkers, with Rise and Ann being particularly excited about the affair. They quickly disrobed and went about picking assortments that were in their sizes, and the rest of the girls followed suit, though Kasumi seemed more reserved than the others.

Finally settling on a pattern of lilac and violet colorings, she looked at herself in the mirror as she put her hair up with chopsticks; a playful yet refined addition to her ensemble. As the girls giggled and gossiped and teased each other about their selections, figures, and dates, both planned and potential, Kasumi barely registered their gleeful conversation, instead losing herself in her own reflection. She looked at her dress, her figure, her face, paying particular attention to her eyes, and remembered vividly the panic attack she endured in the shower shortly after arriving at the inn.

Those feelings of otherness, almost like an out of body experience, picked at the back of her mind incessantly, only able to be fully drowned out by persistent excitement and distraction. Now that she was able to stop and think, she felt the same uneasiness rising within her once again, and counted the minutes until her and her new friends would leave for the festival.

Kasumi jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, letting out a yelp as she turned on her heel to see a surprised Makoto. "Hey, hey," the older girl said, "you okay? You seemed kind of off in your own world for a second."

Kasumi's eyes widened with embarrassment, and her cheeks reddened in turn. She hated how strong her coloration changed when she blushed and could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as she came back to the real world. "Um, sorry! I was just lost in thought! Uh, does this yukata look nice on me?" she quickly asked with a painfully awkward smile as her cheeks burned brighter.

Makoto looked to her with growing concern. "You look lovely, but are you sure you're alright? Is there something you want to talk about?"

Kasumi sighed and looked away, trying to hide the terrible blush on her face. "I… don't know, honestly. I have a hard time putting it into words, or even knowing what I'm feeling about… something? I'm sorry, I can't really describe it."

"Are you sick? Did something happen in your personal life?"

"I'm not sick… I think. I just… I feel like I'm forgetting something almost. Like I have a gap in my memory somewhere, or something about me isn't right. I was hoping to ask Akira's mom about it, but I haven't gotten the chance. I got to talk to his dad though. He was nice about it, at least. He's a very kind counselor."

"I'm glad to hear it. He seems to be a very nice man."

"He is, really. It's just had for me to know what to talk about when I don't even really know what it is I'm dealing with. I'm just trying to distract myself from whatever is happening right now."

Makoto placed her hand on her shoulder again, nodding in understanding with her, not unlike an older sister to her younger sister. Her first feeling of sisterly bonding since the accident. "You shouldn't put it off forever, Kasumi," she said slowly, "but you're allowed to enjoy these moments as well. You're allowed to come be with us in the moment, if that's what you want. If it will make you feel better."

Kasumi realized a tear had appeared in the corner of her eye and she wiped it away, still feeling embarrassed but somehow no more embarrassed than she had been previously. "I would like that," she admitted softly. "I don't want to ruin tonight for any of you, but I would love to come along if you'll have me."

"As if that is even a question," Makoto said matter-of-factly, a sense of regality tinting her voice like an heiress or queen telling her servant what is right, for she knows precisely what is right. But there was no animosity or condescension in her voice. Just complete sureness in what she said. "We will gladly have you, Kasumi. And just let me know if anything comes up or you need to talk. We're all here for you, and there's no shame in what you're feeling."

Kasumi could not keep her smile down as Makoto spoke so kindly to her. She wiped her eyes again saying, "Just stop making me cry, okay?" But instead of sobbing, she giggled in emotional relief.

"I'll do my best," said Makoto. "Now come on, let's help that little rascal Futaba get her makeup on. Seriously, you'd think she'd never seen foundation before."

"Guess we have our work cut out for us," Kasumi laughed again, gladly being ushered away by Makoto.

"But it will all be worth it for tonight," Makoto smiled to her. "I know it."

"You do?"

"If I did not, I wouldn't have said it."

…

Shortly thereafter, the town began to bustle with life as families prepared to make their way upriver near the pier where Akira and Ann had their date to partake in the festival. Many volunteers and official staff members had already arrived at the grounds further up the river and were busily putting up decorations and lights, assisting with last-minute setup for the stands representing many local shops. A palpable, positive energy fell over the town as the morning turned to afternoon, though amidst it was an air of both trepidation and desperation.

The sun started to lower into the late afternoon as Ryuji sat in a rocking chair on the inn's porch, indulging a cigarette and watching the steady stream of cars go by on the far side of the river. He tapped his foot in time with a song playing in his head and realized that for the first time in a long, long time, he was actually relaxed. Truly relaxed, not just sitting down to pass the time until his next assignment, collection, or more recently, daring mission to save the city. It was just himself, a cigarette, and a beautifully scenic view accompanied by the ambience of birds, frogs, and the distant rumbling of tires lazily riding along the road toward the night's festivities. Ryuji had become so relaxed that he even took notice of how people tended to drive slower around here, seemingly taking in the lovely scenery instead of speeding by to just get wherever they were going like in the city.

Akira came up behind him as he blew out a puff of smoke. "Nice place, isn't it?"

Ryuji nodded, holding the cigarette up by his face. "Damn straight," he nodded. "Ya know, I've never really been out to the country before this trip. Spent all my time in the city, only passing by places like this on the highway when I needed to travel between said cities. I never thought about what it would be like to actually sit down here."

"Just be careful, it'll spoil you," Akira took a seat next to him, rocking back and forth in the chair. "You might never want to go back after experiencing this."

Ryuji chuckled and shook his head. "Not quite, buddy. It's a nice diversion, but I need a bit more consistent excitement to stay sane. I think I'd go crazy if I stayed here forever."

"I understand that. It'll always be home to me though," Akira remarked wistfully, watching two fish jump out of the river near the opposite bank. "What about if Haru wanted to settle down somewhere like this?"

Ryuji laughed heartily, coughing up the smoke that he had been inhaling when Akira asked the question. Recovering, and spitting some phlegmy saliva out on to the grass, he replied, "I think it's a little early to be asking that question, man. We're not even dating."

"Eh, we'll see," Akira shrugged with a self-satisfied smile. "She seems to have taken a liking to you."

"Maybe she just likes my exciting personality. Something I bet she isn't used to."

"Maybe," Akira nodded. "All I'm saying is that if something happens tonight, or sometime, soon maybe consider taking a chance on it, if things feel right."

Ryuji took another puff of his cigarette with a nod, looking out over the riverbank. "Stranger things have happened," he muttered. "Even in just the last month or so. I mean," he smiled again, thoroughly amused at his own thoughts, "I'm friends with, and chatting with, an actual superhero, right? And we fought, what? A wizard back in Kamurocho?"

Akira's amused smile faded, and he looked into the distance for a moment before responding. "I think we did… or I did. I think."

"You think?"

"I remember fighting the masked guy, who was strong as hell, but something knocked me out… I think. I remember just, like, blinking and suddenly I was laying down on the rooftop and the guy was gone. It's like he did something to me to make me forget. Which, given what we saw that night, I can't really rule out anymore."

"I don't know if I like the fact that we can say these things now."

"Yeah, me neither," Akira said. He leaned forward in the chair and folded his hands. "Well, I'm not dead and I haven't had any mental breakdowns yet, at least anything out of the ordinary, so I hope whatever happened isn't affecting me. Though I do wish I knew what happened."

Ryuji replied, "Maybe we just got knock your head around a little to bring the memories back?"

"Not right now, but I'll keep that in mind." They both chuckled at that.

"Well, we can beat the memories out of you later," Ryuji said. "You should take your own advice about just enjoying the night and seeing what happens. Try not to think about it tonight."

"Not bad advice," Akira nodded with a smile. "I'm glad I thought of it."

"Eat shit."

"Fuck you." They both laughed heartily before going back into the hotel to check on Yusuke, who was being fitted for a yukata. Akira worried for the poor girl who may fall afoul of his friend's artistic perfectionism, perhaps giving him a robe and wrap that did not entirely match each other's colors. But then again, Yusuke did seem like a generally laid-back personality, so maybe he was being more gracious.

His thoughts were interrupted when he saw Yu exiting the inn's foyer quickly and heading outside. Through the window, he saw Dojima exiting his car with what looked like the top of Nanako's head, which was all he could see over the windowsill from his position.

"Copper's come by," Ryuji remarked tersely. "Wonder what he's up to?"

"Yeah, I wonder…" Akira realized that he had never gotten around to seeing Nanako since coming back. The girl was something like a niece to him, being the closest thing his best friend Yu had to a sister despite being cousins. Were Dojima here on police business, he was certain that Nanako would not have come along, so it had to be something else. With a wry smile, Akira mentally kicked himself for neglecting the young girl and went outside behind Yu.

As he exited the inn out to the parking lot, he started hearing Dojima and Yu's conversation, and immediately noted how exhausted Dojima looked and sounded.

"I had a feeling you'd be around here," Dojima said. "I was hoping you and your friends could—" Dojima caught sight of Akira as he approached, and the younger man stopped in his tracks on reflex. Never before had Akira felt fear toward the man, thinking of him almost as an uncle in his own right given that he had known him basically his entire life, but he knew that Dojima was likely now suspicious of him given what he had heard about Kamurocho.

Dojima raised an eyebrow toward him and was about to speak when Nanako's eyes lit up like stars at the sight of Akira, and his trepidation immediately melted away. "Akira!" she called out in her innocent, sweet, youthful voice and ran over to him with a radiant smile. Without thinking, he knelt down to accept her embrace as she tightly hugged him, giggling adorably in excitement and happiness. Then her giggling stopped. "Where were you!?" she yelled in his face.

"Uh—"

"You were just here and then you disappeared!" she shouted at him, her smile turning to an equally adorable pout. "Everyone was scared! Where did you go!?"

"I—"

"I was very angry with you!"

"Well—"

"Don't ever do that again!"

Akira held his hands up in surrender, yet was unable to repress his amused smile at her outburst. "Okay, I'm sorry," he said. "It won't happen again."

"Promise!" she insisted.

Akira nodded. "I promise," he said softly.

Nanako seemed satisfied by his promise, her adorable smile returning quickly. "Okay!" she beamed. "Now you're allowed to take me to the festival."

"Huh?"

Dojima looked between the three of them. "I was just explaining to Yu," he began, "that I want you guys to take Nanako out tonight. I have a few more things to get done at the station, but I don't want her to miss out on any of the festival. If it's alright, I want her to stick with you guys until I can swing by and get her."

Akira rose to his feet, seeming scrupulous toward Dojima. "Everything alright?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Dojima seemed weakened by the mere question itself. "Everything is okay," he forced a smile, obviously trying not to put any more stress on his daughter. "I've just got some more boring paperwork to do, and Nanako doesn't need to be cooped up in the house anymore." He turned to Yu. "Think you can look after her?"

"Of course," Yu nodded. "Catch up with us whenever, and I can bring her home if needed."

"I really hope it won't be," Dojima sighed. He steeled himself and looked back to Nanako. "Stay out of trouble, okay, sweetheart? They're going to take good care of you."

Nanako looked openly apprehensive, her shoulders drooping and her lips pursing. But she perked up again after a moment, and Akira could not tell if it was genuine or not. "We'll have lots of fun!" she exclaimed. "I'll be okay!" She ran back to hug her father who embraced her tightly for a long moment. "Big bro and Akira will take care of me," she muttered into Dojima's shoulder. "Just try to finish your work quick, okay?"

"I'll do everything I can," he said in a near whisper and released her. "Now, go have fun, all of you," he looked between them, even to Akira. "And just… keep her safe, alright?" he looked to Akira and Yu.

"Count on it," Akira said resolutely.

"She'll have a great night," Yu said, smiling. "See you later, Uncle."

"Yeah, you too." He waved to Nanako one last time and went back to his car and drove off.

"Dad is worried about something," Nanako said plainly. "I hope he really can come see us later."

"He will," Yu reassured her. "Nothing is gonna stop him from getting to the festival.

Nanako did not seem to believe him and changed the subject quickly. "You brought a lot of friends, right, Akira?"

"A surprising amount, yeah."

"Will I get to meet them? I liked Futaba a lot when I met her earlier."

"You certainly will," he nodded, smiling. "I'm sure they're going to love you, kid."

She smiled again, not as excitedly but still genuine, which was enough for both young men.

"The girls are getting fitted for yukata right now. They'll be down soon," said Yu.

"Aw, I wanted to wear yukata! I outgrew the one I had from last year and Dad wasn't able to get me a new one yet."

Yu nodded understandingly. "We'll have to fix that then."

"How?"

"Come on, we'll get Yukiko to come get you and she'll see if she has anything in your size."

"Yay!" Nanako bounced up and down twice with glee. "I want to look pretty like the big girls!"

Akira smiled to her. "You'll have no trouble with that, I'm sure. Now hurry up. We'll be leaving soon."

"Yes, yes, yes!" she bounced up and down again as Yu led her inside. He asked one of the female employees if she could fetch Yukiko to get Nanako, and she quickly went up the stairs to find her.

Akira had almost forgotten what normalcy felt like. These sweet, small moments felt so deeply, almost spiritually, refreshing after his long journey. Yukiko quickly came downstairs and happily usured Nanako to the upper floor, seeming almost as excited about getting the younger girl dressed up as Nanako was. Yu stood beside him and nodded proudly to himself.

"This should be good for her," said Yu. "She's been under a lot of stress lately."

"I can imagine. She's kept at least most of her energy though."

"You should have seen her earlier today when we told her you were back. She nearly had a fit," Yu chuckled. "I think just seeing you was enough to make her day."

Akira smiled at his kind words, but his positivity quickly waned when he thought of everything he had done in his absence. Kamoshida whispered in his ear again, causing him to wince at the sudden pinprick of pain in his head. "Let's just try to keep the conversations light tonight," he said, acting like nothing had just happened. "Don't need to stress her anymore than she already is."

"You're referring to the gangs or the serial killer?"

"No," Akira muttered coldly.

"Ah," Yu nodded knowingly. "I understand. I'll try to keep her distracted from asking about what you were up to, but I can't promise anything. You already know she's sharp as a tack."

"That's what worries me." Akira tried to dash the thoughts, both of the past and the present, from his mind. "Forget about it for now. Let's just focus on having fun tonight, yeah? This is our night," he said proudly as if reassuring himself more than Yu. "A night for all of us."

"Here's to that," Yu grinned and put a hand on Akira's shoulder, surprising him. He sensed the apprehension and negativity falling over his friend and felt he had to do something about it. "It's good to have you back, buddy," Yu said, looking him in the eyes.

Akira seemed confused at first but his eyes softened after a moment, a small grin finding its way to his face as he put his own hand on Yu's shoulder. "Good to be back," Akira nodded. "I missed you guys."

"God, Rise was hysterical when you disappeared," Yu chortled as he released Akira's shoulder. "I could hardly get her to calm down for two days, not that any of us were doing much better. Chie had a panic attack at first, I'm pretty sure. And Kanji was about ready to tear down the whole countryside to find you."

"Sounds like them," Akira sighed, feeling some of the emotional tension within him releasing. "Heh, you should have seen the look on Yosuke's face when he saw me when I got back. It was like he'd seen a ghost."

"We didn't exactly rule out the possibility that you might have… you know."

"Died?"

"Yup."

Akira breathed deeply, many memories flowing into his mind at once. "There were some close calls there, I'll admit. I didn't even really give you guys all the details."

"You can some other time if you want, or don't," Yu shrugged. "No one is going to be offended if you want to just leave it behind."

Akira nodded. "And I really appreciate that. I appreciate all of you."

"Tell it to them under the fireworks," Yu bumped him on the shoulder. "Now, let's wait for the ladies to get ready. Should be a hell of a sight."

"It'll be difficult to wait," Akira said, walking back out onto the porch with Yu, joining Ryuji in the rocking chairs. Despite them hardly knowing each other, Ryuji seemed entirely fine sitting down with Yu and having a chat while he finished off one last cigarette. They talked briefly about the town, some history Yu shared with Akira and how their friend group formed in high school. Akira was content to simply watch them fraternize as he basked in the beauty of nature around him.

The patio door opened behind them, grabbing their attention. Yukiko stood in the doorway, smiling brightly with ample excitement over something. "The girls are ready!" she exclaimed. "Come on in! We're about ready to leave and the other boys should be here any moment."

Akira, Ryuji, and Yu all quickly got up from their seats, feeling as excited as schoolboys to see the procession of beautiful women that was apparently about to descend the staircase. They stepped back into the foyer and heard shuffling from the top of the stairs, stifled giggles and conversation, and the distinct clacking sound of geta, the wooden sandals that accompany yukata. The entrance to the inn opened behind them, and Yosuke and Kanji entered as well.

Nearly bouncing up and down with excitement, Yosuke asked, "Did we miss them!? Don't tell me we did!"

"I think they're about to come down now," Yu replied. "Does anyone have a camera?"

Kanji sighed frustratedly. "Can't believe we forgot one! Dammit, we really fumbled the bag on this."

Akira said, "I'm sure we'll have opportunities to get our pictures taken tonight. You guys know how many photo booths they set up at the festival."

"I sure hope that's the case," Ryuji muttered.

Yukiko appeared again at the top of the stairs, barely able to hold back her open-mouth grin, she was so excited. She bowed to the boys deeply, her traditional attire truly giving the air of an Edo Period serving girl announcing the arrival of court officials. "Sirs," she declared, "it is my honor to introduce to you the most beautiful and elegant procession of eligible young ladies in all the land!"

"She's really getting into character, huh?" Ryuji whispered to Akira.

"Shush."

"Sorry."

"Please graciously welcome," Yukiko continued, "the River Lillies!

"The what?" Yosuke asked.

One by one, the girls emerged from behind the wall at the top of the staircase, each adorned in beautiful yukata, the ensemble magnifying each one's beauty to a truly magnanimous degree. The boys eyes widened greatly, their voices leaving them immediately upon viewing each girl, and the girls in question were eating up the attention, of course. Third out, to Akira's particular interest, was Ann, sporting a flowing yukata of rich, vibrant red with a white obi wrapped around her middle, depictions of flowing flowers dancing in the wind traveling up and down the dress. Each girl held a fan, all of many eye-catching designs, in front of their faces, giving themselves an air of mysterious beauty, yet the slight squint of their eyes from their hidden smiles was plain as day even from a distance.

Ann immediately caught Akira's gaze, and he seemed entirely hypnotized by her. She batted her eyelashes at him from behind her fan, enticing his gaze further. And she thought he looked stunned when she showed up for their first date in that blue sundress. This was as if he were gazing on some classical painting in motion, his attention entirely fixated on her even when she was surrounded by the other stunning young women, and that made her feel very proud.

Haru was shortly behind her, having found a royal yet subdued violet yukata that complimented her face and figure exquisitely. She and Ryuji's eyes met for a moment before she bashfully hid once again behind her fan, feeling somewhat embarrassed at how this strong, gruff yakuza racer seemed… arrested by her visage. But curiosity got the better of her and she peeked out from behind the fan again, looking back at him to see if he was still so enraptured by her. She saw him smiling softly, giving her a slow nod of approval and her eyes quickly lit up over the fan as she giggled.

To everyone's surprise, it was both Yusuke and Futaba that were last out once the procession had ended, all the girls taking up positions on the stairs, one on each side of each step as if positioned for a photo shoot. Yusuke wore a very traditional male yukata of bluish-gray while Futaba, who seemed quite nervous about the whole ordeal, wore one of green like vibrant spring leaves. She hid herself almost completely behind her fan while Yusuke gently ushered her forward. Makoto came up to stand at their sides and whispered some encouragement into the younger girl's ear, and whatever it was must have worked, since she showed her entire face slowly from behind the fan.

She smiled, though it seemed difficult and anxious for her to do so, and everyone applauded her bravery and beauty joyously. Her smile grew brighter, and Akira could almost see the glinting of relieved tears in her eyes behind her glasses. Their eyes met, and he gave her a supportive thumbs up while everyone continued to clap. Her smile grew to its brightest at that, prolonged when Nanako, dressed in her own appropriately sized yukata, held her hand and led her down the steps to stand at her side, garnering even more applause.

Verily, no man or woman present had ever seen something so beautiful in all their lives.

"Well?" Rise asked, keeping her eyes narrowed seductively from behind her fan. "What do you boys think?"

No one had the words to speak for a moment. "You're all amazing," Yu finally said.

"Gorgeous!" Yosuke exclaimed. "You're all fantastic!"

Kanji said, smiling, "Yukiko, you really outdid yourself this time. You found just the right patterns and colors for everyone."

Yukiko giggled proudly. "I do my best," she replied.

Ryuji said, "If we're starting off tonight this great, I don't know how we'll even be able to top it."

"Don't count anything out yet," said Akira. "You never know what might happen." He looked over all the girls, but his eyes fell on his girlfriend, of course. "You all look radiant," he said softly.

The girls all giggled from behind their fans at the compliments, many of them saying slightly embarrassed but genuine thanks.

"Radiant doesn't even come close," an older woman's voice said from their side. Anri came out from the adjacent hallway, now wearing clean clothing and seeming far more relaxed than when she arrived. Akira felt his heart flutter with relief seeing his mother in such better shape. She smiled to all of them as if she were the approving mother of the entire group. "You're all absolutely beautiful."

The girls giggled again, but some even bowed to her respectfully. Receiving such compliments from a woman like Anri felt different from compliments provided by young men their age. There was a different, almost greater, more spiritual aspect to her approval.

"You boys are going to take care of them, right?" she addressed the young men sternly.

"Y-yes, Ma'am!" Yosuke quickly said. The other boys nodded.

"Good. And I better not hear about any mischief from any of you that would disgrace these young women's beauty, understand?" They all nodded again. Anri's stern gaze softened and she chuckled to herself. "Then get the hell out of here, all of you," she waved them away. "You guys deserve a night off. Get to the cars, kids!"

"Oh yes!" Chie exclaimed, pumping her fist in the air. "Yosuke, help me into the van! I don't wanna tear my dress."

Naoto spoke more quietly, "Please help me as well, Kanji. This dress is a little…" she pulled at the top of her dress between her neck and her bust, "tight."

Kanji gulped. "Uh, of course, honey." They all began to file out into the parking lot, but Akira stayed behind for a moment and approached his mother.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

Anri nodded. "Much better now. Still a little sore, but I'll be fine by tomorrow night. Don't worry about me," she muttered, smiling to her son. "Go enjoy your night. You'll probably see me and your dad at some point, but really, don't worry about it all. Just go see what the night has in store for you."

They both smiled to each other and then embraced. Ann was watching from afar and put her hand over her heart at the tender display. "I love you, Mom," he whispered.

"I love you too, honey." Out of the thousands of times she had said that since he was born, that might have been one of the best. Words not just of affirmation, but of healing as well, and she felt as if all her lingering pain was healed by the time he finished saying those four words. They separated their embrace and she smiled brightly to him. "Now get out of here, kid. Be good to yourself tonight."

Akira smiled in a way almost childish, giving Anri a beautiful image of his younger, less jaded and hurt, more pure self she was overjoyed to see still existed in him after everything that had happened. He looked over his shoulder and saw Ann waiting for him at the door. "I'll be home later," he said through his widening grin.

"I know you will," Anri whispered, now nearly crying as her emotions washed over her. How unsightly, uncharacteristic of a Dragon to do so, but in that moment, she could not give less of a damn. "See you, honey."

She watched him rush over to Ann, the young woman's smile brightening like the sun itself as her boyfriend – god, she actually was his girlfriend now – joined her at her side, and they went out to the cars, packing in tightly as everyone excitedly anticipated what promised to be a perfect night. They took two vans, both blasting energetic rock music on the radio, of course as the first colorful streaks of sunset appeared on the horizon. When they got to the forest trail leading up the river toward the festival grounds, Akira cracked open the sunroof and stood up to poke his torso out, feeling the rushing wind on his face, the wind of home, his wind, while everyone cheered and sang and talked as if both friend groups had known each other their whole lives.

He waved to the other van behind them, which Ryuji was driving, then looked out over the river. This was his river. This was his wind. This was his home. But this night, it would belong to all of them.

Runnin' out of self-control

Gettin' close to an overload

Up against a no-win situation

Shoulder to shoulder, push and shove

I'm hangin' up my boxin' gloves

I'm ready for a long vacation

Yeah

Be good to yourself when

Nobody else will

Wo-oh, be good to yourself

You're walkin' a high wire

Caught in a crossfire

Wo-oh, be good to yourself

When you can't give no more

They want it all, but you gotta say no

I'm turnin' off the noise that makes me crazy

Lookin' back with no regrets

To forgive is to forget

I want a little piece of mind to turn to

Be good to yourself when

Nobody else will

Wo-oh, be good to yourself

Yeah, yeah

You're walkin' a high wire

Caught in a crossfire

Wo-oh, be good to yourself

Be good

Good to yourself when, nobody else will

Be Good to Yourself – Journey

[Thank you for your reviews. Special thanks to my beta and editor, KweenPotato.]