A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with the first chapter of another new story! Like the last one I finished, this one is a Persona story. In this case, it's an adaptation of the game Persona 4 Golden. Let me throw down a real quick summary for this story before we proceed.
Summary: What happens when, when he was younger, Ryotaro Dojima (Yu's uncle/Nanako's dad) has a one-off dalliance with a classmate as a result of a wild night playing the King's Game, which then eventually results in the woman involved having a child? How, if at all, will this unknown older half-brother of Nanako's change the plot of Persona 4 Golden, especially when he has the stigma of being related to a once-revered and honored, but now criminally infamous yakuza clan through his mother, who was banished from Inaba alongside her mother by her own father, who managed to personally drag the reputation of the Kusanagi clan (or the clan that Nanako's half-brother is related to via his mother) through the dirt? Read on to find out!
Pairings: Early one-sided YuxYukiko (on Yu's side), implied one-sided Yosuke/Rise (on Yosuke's side), eventual YuXRise (because apparently Yu/the player character is the most accepted pairing option for Rise, but also because I personally ship the two), YukikoxOC (because the OC's plot lends itself best to a pairing with Yukiko), NaotoXKanji (because they are easily one of the best pairings in all of Persona, and probably the single biggest OTP that I have in Persona), and a few others that I'm still undecided on for now and choose to wait until later to reveal if I do ultimately decide to opt for them.
Rating: M (both because it's a Persona story, and because Persona 4 Golden itself is an M-rated game, for obvious reasons that anyone who's played it at least once knows of. That, and because there's a good chance that there will be at least one or two lemons throughout the story, even if most of them don't come up for a while. Also, it's a Persona game, so it should go without saying there's also going to be at least SOME character deaths, so that's another reason for the M-rating on this story.)
That said, let me make something clear up front. Unlike most stories I've done in past, this story will have two different subplots going at once to start out, one focused on the canon plotline of Persona 4 Golden, and another sideplot involving the OC being added into the plot of Persona 4 Golden. However, at a later point in the story, the two plotlines will link up, namely once the OC that the sideplot is focused on joins the Investigation Team **SPOILER: There will be changes to the plotline of Persona 4 Golden in this adaptation to account for this OC's presence**, so they won't stay separate forever.
That having been said, let's hit up the disclaimer before I forget!
Disclaimer: I, sithlorde1988, do not own the Persona series in any way, shape, or form (excluding the OCs Gaignun, Hikari, Ryuroni, and any other OCs that appear in the story, all of which are made and thus owned by me unless otherwise noted), and the actual ownership credit belongs to Atlus and Sega, along with Koei Tecmo (at least insofar as the spinoffs go), so all credit to them!
And with that disclaimer done and dusted, on with the first chapter of Persona 4 Golden- The Golden Apostle!
PERSONA 4: THE GOLDEN APOSTLE
Prologue part 1: Tale of Two Clans
(A house in Inaba, on a sunny day in the year 1993, neutral POV)
As the sun shone down on a rural house in Inaba, nothing about the sky outside indicated that it was the residence of a rather informal family, some of whom were old-fashioned in how they do things. The head of this family currently sat in his study, planning his next big move. As he stared out his window, the head of the family crossed his arms, stroking his short beard/goatee, which was the same shade of copper brown as his hair, as he thought about his current course of action. As the sun shone on his black pinstriped business suit, the man's piercing grey eyes narrowed before he turned to the maid standing nearby and spoke up.
"You there! Tell my daughter I require her presence in my study before she leaves for school. Take care of this personally, Miku!" The head of the family snapped at the closest maid, a girl who looked to barely be old enough to be considered a high-school graduate. The maid warily nodded as she spoke up, knowing that this man wasn't one to cross if you were smart.
"Y-Yes, sir. I'll get on that right now, Master Ryuroni. Please excuse me." The now-named Miku said as she bowed and left the room, her dark pink hair trailing behind her as she left the room, leaving the now-named Ryuroni to smirk deviously to himself as he turned back to the window while he awaited his daughter's arrival...
(At around the same time, in a different part of the house)
At the same time that Miku was being ordered around by Ryuroni, another young woman was waking up for the day, stretching in a catlike manner as she went about getting dressed for the day. As she flipped her shoulder-length strawberry-blonde hair out of her face, allowing her icy blue eyes a clear line of view so she could see to get dressed and then pull her hair into a loose ponytail behind her, the girl, or Hikari Kusanagi III as her full name happened to be, started pondering her plans for the day.
As she did so, Hikari easily stepped out of her silky pink nightgown, tossing it onto the bed as she reached into a drawer to retrieve a matching black bra and panties set, with little red hearts on the bra and the ass of the panties, which she then pulled on to cover her impressively curved hips and thighs, along with her modestly developed mid-C cup breasts.
Afterwards, Hikari reached for a silver spaghetti-strap tank top, which she paired with knee-length dark grey sports shorts and thigh-high dark brown, almost black, pantyhose leggings which she pulled up over her thighs after briefly stepping out of her panties, sliding her panties back on afterwards, after which she pulled her shorts on, topping off her ensemble with black knee-length leather boots, grabbing a black leather jacket that she wore open to show off her tank top and emphasize her figure.
After she finished dressing, she grabbed a dark grey hair tie-off and pulled her shoulder-length hair into a loose ponytail that she threw over one shoulder. After topping the look off with some silver bangles and a stainless steel necklace, Hikari looked herself over in the nearby mirror before smiling and deciding that she looked rather pretty. At around that time, she heard a knock on her bedroom door and turned to face it as she spoke up.
"Yes? Who is it?" Hikari asked as she heard the reply from outside her door.
"It's Miku. Apologies for the early-morning intrusion, but your father requests your presence in his study before you head off to school for the day. He wouldn't say why, only that he wanted to see you." Miku said from outside the door. Hikari groaned, having a good idea of what her dad wanted, but got up to open the door and smile at the pink-haired maid, looking her in her equally pink eyes as she spoke up.
"Thank you for relaying that message, Miku. I appreciate the prompt and courteous service. I'll be sure to head over there before I head to school. I'm sorry you keep getting yelled at to be his messenger. That's not fair to you at all. At least you know, or if you don't, then I hope you know that the rest of the family appreciates your loyal service. So try to keep your chin up, yeah?" Hikari said encouragingly to Miku, who smiled and nodded as she spoke up.
"Of course, Miss Hikari. Thank you for your kind words. If you'll excuse me, I should keep going about my assigned tasks and get them done in a timely manner, preferably before Master Ryuroni decides to scold me again." Miku said, bowing as she left the room, leaving Hikari to chuckle as she fondly shook her head, both amused at how adorably docile and subservient Miku was, and slightly irritated at her father for how heavy-handed he could be with his dealings. Deciding to get the inevitable over with, Hikari walked across the house to the door of her father's study, knocking once as a firm, but businesslike voice answered.
"Yes? Who's there?" Ryuroni asked from inside the door as Hikari spoke up.
"It's Hikari. Apparently Miku told me you wanted to see me before I went to school?" Hikari asked her father, who spoke up in a more pleasant tone.
"Ah, good. You're here, Hikari. Come on in." Ryuroni said as Hikari nodded and entered the office, where she was asked to have a seat, which she did. Once seated, Ryuroni looked at his daughter while he had a seat in his chair, looking across the desk at Hikari while he spoke up.
"Good, you came. Sorry for bothering you so early, but I wanted to remind you that you have a very strict duty to keep yourself available for the young man I've pre-arranged for you to court and eventually wed, all for the good of the family name. After all, if we're to build a healthy amount of fear and respect behind the Kusanagi name, we need reliable allies to pull this off. And with your help and cooperation, we can get the backing and protection of the Kujikawa family, which would go a long way in allowing our family name to build something of a formidable social reputation. And that, my daughter, is where you come in.
Once you court and eventually wed the heir of the Kujikawa family, that will join our two families together in a very meaningful way. And from what I'm told, the Kujikawa heir is a very charming young man, so I think you two will get along well enough once you two can meet and get to know one another.
Unfortunately, to make this work, you're not going to be able to pursue dating outside of this arrangement. I'm sorry that this basically puts a slight restriction on your social life, but sometimes sacrifices must be made for the greater good of all. So do try and keep that in mind with everything you do and say, won't you?" Ryuroni said to his daughter, who sighed but nodded as she spoke up.
"Yes, Father. I don't see myself falling for anyone else anytime soon anyways, given I have few, if any, friends right now. So I don't think you have any reason to worry. So have no fear. I will do my part to live up to your expectations." Hikari said politely, bowing obediently to her father, who smiled as he spoke up.
"Good. Well said, my daughter. Now that we've established that, go on and get to school. I have things to do. I just wanted to remind you of what is expected of you." Ryuroni said in what Hikari knew to be a dismissive tone, prompting her to bow once more and speak up.
"Yes, Father. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way to school." Hikari said obediently, leaving the room. Once she was out of both eyesight and earshot of her dad, Hikari groaned at being once more reminded of the duties laid upon her shoulders, as if she wasn't acutely aware of them already. Grumbling under her breath about overbearing fathers, Hikari grabbed her bag and headed off to school, unaware that her life was about to take several unexpected turns...
(Later that afternoon, at the soccer field, with Hikari)
As Hikari worked hard at soccer practice, she winced as she felt her legs get knocked out from under her, making her yelp in surprise as she started to fall, only to blink in surprise as she felt a pair of arms catch her and lift her back onto her feet, making her turn to face the person who'd caught her, and blink in surprise at the fact that it was a young man of around her age, and an athletically built young man at that, who had short black hair, distinctive brown eyes, and a winsome smirk.
However, Hikari caught herself looking over the form-fitting grey muscle shirt that the young man had on with a pair of black workout shorts and a pair of black running shoes, before smiling gratefully at the young man who'd saved her. Hikari shyly looked into the boy's eyes and smiled as she spoke up.
"O-Oh. Thank you. I wasn't expecting to almost fall right then, truth be told." Hikari said to the boy, who chuckled and spoke up, clearly amused by Hikari's reaction, given the winsome grin on his face as he looked into Hikari's eyes while he spoke.
"Understandable. You wouldn't have fallen if not for that coward Morooka tripping you. I don't know what that guy's issue is with girls on the soccer team, but tripping people is not okay. Look, see? Even the coach agrees with me." The boy said, gesturing to where the soccer coach, an athletically built man with neck-length brown hair, frowned at the boy he was leading off by the arm, clearly lecturing him on proper etiquette and behavior around ladies. Hikari shyly nodded and spoke up.
"I-I see. Well, thank you for saving me, whoever you are. Sorry if that came off rude, but you've not introduced yourself yet. I can do the same once you do that." Hikari said as the boy smiled and nodded as he spoke up.
"Heh, good point. I can't keep being rude to you, now can I? My apologies. My name's Ryotaro Dojima." The now-named Ryotaro said, his face splitting into a smile that Hikari found herself hard-pressed to look away from with how roguishly handsome it was. Eventually, a red-faced Hikari found her voice and spoke up.
"Ah, so your name is Ryotaro Dojima, is it?. I see. Nice to meet you, Dojima-san. I am Hikari Kusanagi." Hikari said politely, bowing gratefully to an amused Ryotaro, who chuckled as he spoke up, his brown eyes sparkling with amusement as he spoke up.
"You don't need to bow to me, Kusanagi-san. I get that you're being polite, but I was just doing what I did because it was the right thing to do. I wasn't trying to make you feel indebted to me or anything like that. Also, I was raised to respect women, and what that coward did was pretty disrespectful to you. Luckily I caught you when I did, otherwise you'd have probably hit the ground face-first, and that would've been a shame, since it'd have marred up that pretty face of yours." Ryotaro said with a playful smile, making Hikari's cheeks pink a slight bit in embarrassment as she spoke up.
"W-What? You think I'm pretty? Are you just being nice, Dojima-san?" Hikari said, cutely tilting her head to the side in confusion, making Ryotaro smile as he spoke up.
"Not at all, Kusanagi-san. I just knew it was the right thing to do. Also, it gave me a good chance to speak to you. Truth be told, I've considered approaching you more than once prior to this, but being the foolish man I am at times, I kept stumbling over how to do it. But I knew I didn't want to do it in a way that might come off as creepy or weird, since you seem like a really nice girl, and one I wouldn't mind getting to know a bit more, if you're not opposed to it." Ryotaro said to Hikari, who smiled kindly at Ryotaro and nodded as she spoke up.
"I don't mind that at all, Dojima-san. You seem like a respectable guy, and a kind-hearted one as well, considering you went out of your way to save me from that fall. And thinking about it, you actually did me a rather big favor by doing so. And I say this with certainty because when taking into account the way I was falling, I wouldn't be surprised if my clothes wound up riding up from hitting the ground a bit. Good thing they make you wear shorts while playing soccer, since I shudder to think how much worse it could've been if I'd been wearing a skirt just then." Hikari said with a slight shudder as Ryotaro laughed and spoke up.
"Don't worry. I wouldn't have let those creeps see anything. That's something only you should be able to see, and maybe whatever guy or girl you eventually deign to start a relationship with, though that's entirely your choice on if you choose to think of such things or not." Ryotaro said kindly to Hikari, who sighed sadly and spoke up after forcing herself to chuckle weakly at Ryotaro's remark about it being her choice.
"If only it was strictly my choice. But alas, some of my life has already been pre-planned for me, I'm afraid. But I'll be honest with you, Dojima-san. I wouldn't mind being your friend at all. Maybe after we get to know each other for a while, we can see where else it goes, if anywhere." Hikari said with a cutesy smile, prompting Ryotaro to nod and also smile before he spoke up.
"That's fair, Kusanagi-san. I'm glad we can be friends, at least." Ryotaro said, extending out a hand to Hikari, which she shyly accepted and shook, her cheeks flushing slightly at the idea that she was holding a guy's hand like that. As Hikari and Ryotaro got to know one another a bit, another female, this one with shoulder-length black hair, hazel eyes, and a slender but petite build walked over and spoke up.
"Well, well. Looks like Kusanagi-san is making friends finally. Or are you two just friends?" The female said, giving Hikari a coy smirk as she winked slyly, making Hikari turn to face the female in shock as she huffed and spoke up, her cheeks pink with embarrassment as she spoke.
"Kimiko! Don't tease me like that. Dojima-san and I are just friends, that's all. I don't care if you are my best friend, you don't get to tease me like that. Besides, you know as well as I do that I don't have the luxury of making my own love life." Hikari said bluntly to the black-haired female, now identified as Kimiko, who frowned and spoke up in a sympathetic tone.
"Ah, I see. Your dad's trying to exert his influence on you again, eh Hikari? You know you don't have to listen to everything he says, right? Sure, when he's trying to protect you, that's one thing. But trying to dictate what you can and can't do in your life? That's a bit far. But I suppose it's not hurting anything for you to make friends with Dojima-san here.
After all, he's one of the most honorable, respectful guys in the whole of Yasogami University. And it's not a secret that quite a few of the girls around here are trying to land him for themselves. Too bad for them, he's not looking, right Dojima-san?" Kimiko said, giving Ryotaro a coy wink as he spoke up with a nod.
"Fair point, Amagi-san. Besides, most of those girls only want to date me for superficial reasons anyways." Ryotaro said as Kimiko spoke up with a nod.
"True enough. Though can you blame them? What girl doesn't like a man in uniform, Dojima-san?" Kimiko said teasingly as Hikari flushed and spoke up in a flustered-sounding voice that had Ryotaro chuckling at how cute it sounded.
"Maybe the girls who prefer to judge someone on their merits as a person, rather than their last name or other superficial qualities of that sort?" Hikari said, before realizing who she'd said that in front of and going pink once more as Ryotaro smirked and spoke up.
"Heh, I knew you weren't like the other girls, Kusanagi-san. And I like that about you. We can ignore the fact that your best friend is the heiress presumptive to the Amagi Inn, since that's just a minor detail as far as I'm concerned." Ryotaro said as Hikari shyly smiled while she nodded her agreement with Ryotaro's words. Before anything else could be said, two more guys walked over, one with short spiked black hair, and the other with short, cropped brown hair, both with similar icy grey eyes. Ryotaro saw the new arrivals and spoke up.
"Ah, if it isn't Tatsumi-san and Satonaka-san. What brings you two over here?" Ryotaro asked the now named Tatsumi and Satonaka, the latter of which spoke up.
"Very funny, Dojima-san. The guys from the soccer team said they were getting ready to head over to a nearby place one of them knows for a party, and asked us to ask you if you wanted to come along. If they want to join us, you can invite your lady friends along, too. They're both cute enough for it, at any rate." Satonaka said as Tatsumi laughed and spoke up.
"C'mon, man! That's messed up. Yes, these girls are cute, but that shouldn't be the only thing that dictates if they can hang with us or not. It should also be both the fact they want to hang with us, and because they're chill and fun to be around." Tatsumi said as both Kimiko and Hikari giggled at the sly, if a bit awkward, attempt at smoothness from Tatsumi, prompting Ryotaro to laugh and speak up.
"That's their call to make, Tatsumi-san. You are correct in saying that. But since you two buffoons won't introduce yourselves to the ladies, I'll do it for you. Hikari and Kimiko, meet Yamato Tatsumi and Koushiro Satonaka. Yamato and Koushiro, meet Hikari Kusanagi and Kimiko Amagi." Ryotaro said as the now properly-named Yamato and Koushiro gasped at the names uttered by Ryotaro, the latter speaking up with wide eyes.
"No way. You're friends with the heiress of the Amagi Inn and the presumed heiress of the infamous Kusanagi clan!? Talk about a high-tier friend list, am I right?" Koushiro said jokingly as Yamato spoke up with a huff.
"Dude! Don't insult those ladies like that, Koushiro! Besides, I get the sense that Kusanagi-san is a bit uncomfortable with talking about her family lineage, so we should really respect her wishes and not speak of it." Yamato said, getting a grateful smile from Hikari as she spoke up.
"Thank you, Tatsumi-san. But it's not that I'm uncomfortable with my heritage, so much as embarrassed to be related to who I am. I mean, if even half the stories about what some of my father and grandfather both did in the past are true, I really can't blame people for not having a good opinion of anyone with the family name Kusanagi.
I just hope that I can somewhat cleanse some of the tarnish and staining that has been placed upon the honor of the Kusanagi family name. That is, assuming my father doesn't just end up staining it further than his father stained it before him. But I can't really say more than that on that subject, I'm afraid. However, if Kimiko's okay with it, I think we could be persuaded, provided Dojima-san is also up for it, to join you guys for your little party." Hikari said with a coy smile, making Yamato smirk as he spoke up.
"Oh, yeah? I wouldn't have pegged you for being a party girl, Kusanagi-san. But the fact that you are just makes you more of a badass than I thought you were. And that's a good thing." Yamato said as Ryotaro spoke up.
"Y'know what? Screw it. I'm in. Let's go have ourselves some fun at a party. After all, they say you only live once, right? So let's live it up right!" Ryotaro said as both Hikari and Kimiko cheered, the latter speaking up.
"Woo-hoo! Party time! Let's go out there and be wild and crazy! And with any luck, maybe Hikari here might find herself something special while she's at it!" Kimiko said coyly, smirking at the pretty shade of pink Hikari's face had gone at her friend's coy remark before she spoke up.
"K-Kimiko! Don't tease me like that! Besides, do you know how much trouble I could end up in if I went out and got too wild and crazy? You know full freakin' well that my father expects me to hold up a certain image for the sake of the family's honor, or whatever other rhetoric he often repeats for me. If not for the fact that I'm trying to be a good daughter for him, I'd have gotten annoyed with it by now, truth be told." Hikari said, making Ryotaro smirk as he spoke up.
"Ah, having issues with unfair expectations too, Kusanagi-san?" Ryotaro asked as Hikari flushed in embarrassment before speaking up.
"M-Maybe a little, but I don't know that you'd be able to relate to that, Dojima-san?" Hikari asked uncertainly as Ryotaro laughed and spoke up amicably.
"You'd be surprised then. I might be the son of a high-ranking detective, but that doesn't mean I want to follow in my dad's footsteps. At the same time, I haven't said I don't want to do that, either. So I'm just trying to keep my options open for now if I can." Ryotaro said as Hikari smiled prettily and spoke up.
"Good point, Dojima-san. I can relate to that. Just because I'm the only daughter of the head of the Kusanagi family doesn't mean I have any interest in being privy to my father's dealings. Yet I don't get much of a choice in the matter." Hikari said as Ryotaro smiled and spoke up.
"Is that so? You might need this worse than I thought then, Kusanagi-san." Ryotaro said teasingly as he smiled at Hikari, who flushed and spoke up.
"If you say so, Dojima-san." Hikari said as Ryotaro, Hikari, Kimiko, Koushiro, and Yamato headed off to meet up at the place with the rest of the soccer team...
(A short time later, at a rather seedy pub on the outskirts of Inaba, with Ryotaro, Hikari, Kimiko, Yamato, Koushiro, and the soccer team)
"Yo, I see you two got Dojima-san to show up, and even dragged some girls along for the ride. Good stuff, Tatsumi and Satonaka!" The captain of the soccer team, a eager-faced young man with a lean yet powerful build, short brown hair, and striking hazel eyes, said to Koushiro and Yamato, the latter of which smirked and spoke up.
"Naturally. It was just happenstance that the girls happened to be hanging with Dojima-san, though. So most of the credit is his to take on that one." Yamato said as Ryotaro spoke up with a smirk.
"You say that like we forced them to come. They agreed to come. After all, the last time I checked, we make it a point to respect women in this friend group! Besides, I feel like out of all the women we could disrespect, Kusanagi-san would be the one that we'd be most idiotic to disrespect, if only because of who her dad is! But enough about that! Did we come here to talk about semantics, or did we come here to party!?" Ryotaro said eagerly as the soccer team cheered as most of them started chanting 'KING'S GAME! KING'S GAME!' over and over, making the captain smirk as he spoke up.
"King's Game, eh? I suppose that's an option, provided Kujikawa-san here actually remembered to do his job?" The captain of the soccer team said, clapping his second in command, a sandy-haired young man with a pleasant smile and distinctive hazel eyes, on the shoulder, making Hikari blink as she recognized the last name of the family her dad was trying to forge an alliance with through using her as an offering of sorts. On hearing the soft gasp of surprise Hikari involuntarily gave off on hearing his name, the now-named Kujikawa turned to look at Hikari and smiled at her while he spoke up.
"Oh, are you new? I don't remember seeing you around much? My apologies for being rude. I'm Takeru Kujikawa." The now properly-named Takeru said to Hikari, who smiled and spoke up.
"Ah, I see. Nice to meet you, Kujikawa-san. I'm Hikari Kusanagi. We don't interact much since I'm a lower-ranking member, but I'm on the soccer team with you, Kujikawa-san." Hikari said as Takeru blinked and spoke up.
"Wow, what are the odds? My parents told me I was eventually going to be introduced to the daughter of the Kusanagi clan, but I never thought I'd meet her myself. That said, nice to properly meet you, Kusanagi-san. For what it's worth? I don't expect you to live up to that agreement our parents made. I might think you're pretty, but I'd never force a lady into anything. I was raised better than that." Takeru said to Hikari, who smiled prettily at Takeru as she spoke up.
"Really!? Wow, you seem like a nice guy, Kujikawa-kun. Thank you." Hikari said as Takeru nodded and spoke up.
"No problem, Kusanagi-san. I don't agree with that deal our fathers cut to try and forge an alliance between our families. There are surely easier ways to do that. Also, to answer what you asked before, Nagase-san? I did speak to some people here, and they said they'd hook us up with what we need for a great party." Takeru said to the now-named Nagase, who smirked and spoke up.
"Excellent, Kujikawa. I knew you'd get it done. as surely as my name is Akira Nagase." The now properly-named Akira said. Ryotaro huffed and spoke up.
"What would you do if he'd been denied, Nagase-san? After all, we got lucky he got that far in getting us hooked up." Ryotaro pointed out wisely as Akira shrugged and spoke up.
"I dunno. Probably figure it out myself?" Akira said uncertainly as a waiter came out and set out enough cups for everyone gathered, which came out to 9 people in total: Ryotaro, Hikari, Kimiko, Akira, Takeru, Yamato, Koushiro, and two other girls in the forms of Rika Ebihara and Chisato Matsunaga, one of whom was a soft-spoken, petite blonde, and the other being a very eye-catching brunette with an hourglass figure and long slender legs, both having similar eye colors in that one had emerald green eyes while the other had jade green eyes. After introductions were made all around, a smirking Yamato walked back into the room, carrying a cup filled with chopsticks, grinning as he spoke up.
"Who remembers the rules of the King's Game?" Yamato asked the others. Virtually everyone else, with the notable exception of Hikari, who'd not had a chance to partake of parties in general, and thus was able to say she'd never played the King's Game before as a result, raised their hands at once. Ryotaro noticed Hikari's hand didn't go up and smiled at her as he spoke up.
"Never played the King's Game before, Kusanagi-san?" Ryotaro asked Hikari, who flushed in embarrassment as she spoke up.
"Nope, never. Then again, I've never really been invited to parties before either, so this is just a day of firsts for me all around, I'm afraid." Hikari said shyly as Rika giggled and spoke up.
"Oh, really? Maybe you'll get your first lay during this party as well, to really make it a day of firsts?" Rika said with a sly smirk, making Hikari flush at this before Takeru cut in and spoke up.
"Right, and I suppose next you're gonna say that Dojima-san's gonna make a woman out of her? Why don't you suggest that Matsunaga-san is hot for Dojima-san while you're at it, Ebihara-san?" Takeru said, not seeing or ignoring the trio of flushed faces his comment drew from Ryotaro, Hikari, and Chisato. Akira chuckled and spoke up.
"Well, since Kusanagi-san's never played before, let me go over the rules real fast. We all draw chopsticks, most of them numbered. But there's one chopstick that's painted red at the end with a crown on the side that makes whoever pulls it King, or Queen if it's a girl, and then the King/Queen gets to pick a number or even 2 and give a command to whoever has those numbers.
Typically, it starts off rather tame, but can get progressively more and more naughty as the game goes on. Of course, King's Game is usually best played drunk, so let's set the mood with some shots. Who's down?" Akira said smoothly as everyone reached for a shotglass and consumed the contents in one gulp.
Afterwards, the group pulled chopsticks to determine who the first King and/or Queen of the game would be. When all the chopsticks were pulled, it was a grinning Koushiro who held up the King's chopstick. After a brief pause to look the group over, Koushiro spoke up.
"Ah, I know a good starting command. I command number 5 to sit in number 2's lap." Koushiro said, laughing a bit when Kimiko held up the number 5 chopstick while an amused Chisato held up the number 2 chopstick. Chisato smiled slyly at Kimiko and spoke up.
"Guess you gotta come have a seat, Amagi-san. Don't worry, I don't bite." Chisato said kindly as Kimiko sat in Chisato's lap, looking at her and smiling.
"I'm not worried. Besides, we all know I'm not the one you wanted sitting here, and you know it, Matsunaga-san." Kimiko said coyly, making Chisato blush shyly as she huffed and let Kimiko sit in her lap for a bit before she went back to her seat, giggling at how red Chisato's face was afterwards. Once the chopsticks were re-drawn, a smirking Rika held up the King's chopstick, making her the next Queen. Rika looked the group over before she spoke up.
"Since the last king had someone sit in someone's lap, I'll step that up a notch. I command number 3 to give number 7 a lapdance." Rika said smugly, giggling when a stunned Hikari held up the number 7 chopstick and spoke up.
"Who got the number 3 chopstick, exactly? Or do I not get to know who I get a lapdance from ahead of time?" Hikari asked shyly as everyone laughed at the innocently phrased question before a smiling Ryotaro revealed he'd drawn the number 3 chopstick, making Hikari blush prettily as she realized she was getting a lapdance from the guy who'd saved her earlier that day. Hikari smiled shyly and spoke up.
"Well, come on over and give it to me, Dojima-san." Hikari said boldly, if a bit shyly, making the others laugh as Ryotaro walked over, sat in Hikari's lap, looked into her eyes and spoke up.
"If you're sure, Kusanagi-san. I'll try to make sure you enjoy this." Ryotaro said smugly as he gave a blushing Hikari a lapdance, ignoring the catcalls from the others as he focused on the task given to him. By the time he was done, Hikari's blush was clear down her neck, but she shyly spoke up.
"Th-Thank you, Dojima-san. That was wonderful. The fact that it was a hot guy that gave me that lapdance is just a bonus." Hikari said, before feeling her face blush bright red as she registered what she'd just said, prompting her to reach for her glass to take another shot, thus not seeing the fact that her compliment of Ryotaro had had the result of making the others all murmur among themselves about Hikari calling Ryotaro hot. After a grinning Ryotaro returned to his seat, the chopsticks were re-drawn. This time, it was a smirking Ryotaro who got the King's chopstick. Ryotaro smirked and spoke up.
"Hmm. Ah, I've got it. I command number 1 to kiss number 4." Ryotaro said as everyone waited to see who had the indicated chopsticks. At first, Takeru smirked as he held up the number 1 chopstick, only for his smirk to turn to a horrified expression as an equally horrified Yamato held up the number 4 chopstick. Yamato groaned as he spoke up.
"Dammit. Well, I guess rules are rules." Yamato said as he bravely walked over and briefly pecked Takeru on the lips before quickly returning to his seats amidst approving catcalls from the girls, excluding Rika and Kimiko, who were both red-faced after seeing the two guys kiss. Afterwards, the chopsticks were re-drawn, and a surprised but pleased Kimiko held up the King's chopstick, making her the next queen. Kimiko then giggled as she saw the number on both Ryotaro and Hikari's chopsticks and spoke up.
"Let's make this next command interesting. I command number 2 to take their shirt off and give number 8 a shoulder rub." Kimiko said, giggling at the now red-faced Hikari, who was flushing profusely as she held up the number 2 chopstick. Perhaps surprisingly, fate seemed to intervene on Hikari's behalf as a smirking Ryotaro held up the number 8 chopstick. Hikari saw this and blushed prettily before speaking up.
"W-Well, I guess it's time to return the favor for your lapdance, Dojima-san." Hikari said, blushing profusely as she pulled her shirt over her head and set it on her chair, walking over and sitting in Ryotaro's lap, straddling his waist suggestively while giving him a shoulder rub, making sure to enjoy every second of it, especially after Ryotaro smirked and pulled his shirt off to give Hikari better access, making her entire face plus her neck go bright red at the view she was given.
Eventually, Hikari finished her assigned task, struggling to look Ryotaro in the face because of how much she was blushing. Eventually, Hikari got to her seat and pulled her shirt back on, trying to get her blush under control as she did so. After she sat down, Rika leaned in and spoke up in a stage whisper.
"Wow, Kusanagi-san. Who knew you were so sexy under that shirt? Hopefully Dojima-san enjoyed the view." Rika said teasingly, making Hikari flush even more as she cutely pouted and crossed her arms over her chest while speaking up.
"Don't tease me like that, Ebihara-san. Between you and Amagi-san, I'm not sure who I'm more annoyed at right now." Hikari said as Chisato giggled and spoke up.
"Aww, what's the matter? Not happy that you got to run your hands all over Dojima-san's hot, sexy chest?" Chisato said slyly as Hikari just pouted. After a bit, the chopsticks were re-drawn, and this time, it would be a smiling Takeru who had the King's chopstick. Takeru then smiled as he spoke up.
"I command number 4 to give number 6 a lapdance while making out with them." Takeru said, smirking as he saw Kimiko hold up the number 4 chopstick and speak up.
"All right, who has the number 6 chopstick?" Kimiko asked, her eyes widening considerably as a slightly mortified but giggling Chisato held up the number 6 chopstick.
"That would be me, Amagi-san. Luckily for you, I don't mind getting kisses and lapdances from girls." Chisato said coyly as Kimiko just huffed and walked over, straddled Chisato, and gave her a lapdance while kissing her on the lips reluctantly, before blinking as she felt Chisato shyly return the kiss a bit, making her yelp a bit into the kiss. At that point, all the guys started cat-calling appreciatively, while Hikari giggled at the sight of her best friend kissing a girl. After a bit, the lapdance finished, and a mortified Kimiko went back to her seat after thanking Chisato for being such a good sport about the command, getting a coy smile back in response.
Once Kimiko was back in her seat, the chopsticks were re-drawn. And much to her surprise, Hikari found herself holding the King's chopstick, making her the next Queen. After a bit, Hikari shyly spoke up.
"Well, at this point, I think I'm the only girl not to get mixed up in some form of kissing-based activity, so let's fix that now. I command number 2 to come over and sit in my lap while they kiss me, with both of our shirts off." Hikari said, blushing slightly at the command she'd just given, but sticking to it as she surprised everyone by taking off her shirt. After only a short time, Hikari was surprised when for the third time, Ryotaro held up the indicated chopstick, in this case the number 2 chopstick. Ryotaro smirked and spoke up.
"Wow, is that three times now we've been paired up for commands, and this one by your own actions? Kinda interesting, if you ask me. But oh well, the Queen's word is law." Ryotaro said as he once again removed his shirt and walked over to straddle a prettily blushing Hikari before leaning in to lay an eager kiss on her lips, making her give off a rather adorable, yet rather shy-sounding, squeak of surprise before returning the kiss, surprising everyone present with how eagerly she returned it.
After the two locked lips for some time, they eventually broke apart as Ryotaro put his shirt on and went back to his seat while a red-faced Hikari just reached for her glass to take another shot to try and drown her embarrassment with a blush. Once Ryotaro was back in his seat, the chopsticks were re-drawn, and this time it was an amused Koushiro who held the King's chopstick. Koushiro then spoke up.
"Let's see how well this works. My command is that number 5 has to take number 1 into the nearby side room and give them a full-body massage." Koushiro said as surprisingly enough, Ryotaro held up the number 5 chopstick and spoke up.
"Okay, so who's getting a massage from me?" Ryotaro asked as at first no one spoke up while they checked their chopsticks. After a few long moments of awkward silence, a red-faced Hikari shyly held up the number 1 chopstick, making both Rika and Kimiko fall backwards off their seats while giggling at the adorably bashful look on Hikari's face, while Chisato looked torn between amusement at Hikari getting so many commands, and jealousy that she was the one getting the massage from Ryotaro, who Chisato may or may not have a slight crush on. Speaking of whom, Hikari then spoke up after finding her voice.
"Is it me, or do you and I get given a lot of these commands, Dojima-san? Not that I mind, I just find it intriguing, that's all." Hikari said as Ryotaro smirked and spoke up.
"No clue, Kusanagi-san. But what say we stop questioning it and get in that side room so I can give you a nice relaxing massage? I can't help but notice that the command didn't specify if it had to be with clothes on or not." Ryotaro said slyly as Koushiro smirked and spoke up.
"Good point, Dojima-san. Since it's you two, I'll let you two decide if you want it to be with or without clothes that the massage is done." Koushiro said with a smirk, making Ryotaro nod as Hikari's blush intensified even further, if that were possible. Hikari then shyly spoke up.
"W-What? I mean, I guess I don't mind if Dojima-san wants me to take it all off for this massage, but if someone sees this and we both get in trouble, I blame Satonaka-kun for giving the command. Now let's go, Dojima-san." Hikari said, walking forward towards Ryotaro, before cutely squeaking in surprise as Ryotaro nodded and scooped her up bridal-style before carrying her into the side-room, where the only thing heard at first was the clicking of the door as it closed. After that, Yamato spoke up.
"Well, those two are gonna be gone for a while. So what say we keep going without them?" Yamato asked as the others nodded. When the chopsticks were re-drawn, a surprised Chisato had the King's chopstick, making her the new Queen.
"Oh, I see. Well, my command is thus. I command number 3 to give number 4 a striptease." Chisato said with a coy giggle, which intensified more as first Kimiko held up the number 3 chopstick, and a pleased Koushiro held up the number 4 chopstick.
"Cool, I get a striptease from Amagi-san. Lucky me." Koushiro said in a pleased tone as Kimiko walked over and spoke up.
"Shut up, Satonaka-san. You're lucky you're so hot." Kimiko said in a whiny tone before walking over and doing as she was told, letting herself get into it as she gave Koushiro the requested striptease, blushing slightly as she did so. After a few minutes, a blushing Kimiko finished the command, quickly gathering her discarded clothes and hurrying back to her seat to get dressed, ignoring the impressed wolf-whistles of the guys as she did so.
As for the guys that were wolf-whistling, all of them were impressed with the figure that was revealed when the red-faced Kimiko hurried back to her seat in just a bra and panties, wasting little time in getting dressed. Around that point, the group's eyes widened at the distinctive sound of audible moans coming from the side room, before Akira turned to face Koushiro in horror as he spoke up.
"Um, you DID say give a massage, right? I don't recall your command involving intimacy at all, Satonaka-kun." Akira asked Koushiro, who smirked smugly and spoke up.
"You're correct, Nagase-kun. I did say give a massage. However, I'm sure we've all seen at least one movie where said massages often turn into happy endings. Odds are pretty good that something along those lines is probably what happened with those two. Besides, I think we all felt the tension between them, so the way I look at it, I gave them an outlet for that tension with my command.
And even if they did decide to take it upon themselves to go from a full-body massage to making love, it was worth it just to see Matsunaga-san's mortified face as she watched her crush lead a blushing Kusanagi-san out of the room. Worst case, this will give her the metaphoric boot to the ass she needs to finally tell him how she feels about him, assuming he didn't just hook up with Kusanagi-san instead." Koushiro said as both Akira and Chisato exchanged horrified looks at this, the latter pouting as she spoke up.
"I hate you right now, Satonaka-san. You probably just pushed Dojima-san right into Kusanagi-san's arms. She might deny it, but I know she likes Dojima-san. Oh well, if nothing else, I suppose there's always Plan B, eh Amagi-san?" Chisato said playfully, making Kimiko pout as she spoke up.
"Do I look like I'm into girls to you, Matsunaga-san!? Yes, that kiss was nice, but I like guys, dammit! Besides, with Kusanagi-san out of the room, there are only 3 girls left in the room. So I don't think it'd be fair to the guys if we paired up with one another." Kimiko pointed out as the guys nodded approvingly. After a bit, Akira spoke up.
"Well, I think at this point, we could probably all agree to call it good on the King's Game. Why don't we just pair up and fool around?" Akira said as the girls blinked at this, before all three blushed prettily at Akira's suggestion. After a bit, Kimiko huffed and spoke up.
"You're lucky you're hot, Nagase-san." Kimiko said as she walked over and pulled Akira into a kiss, making him blink but smirk as he returned the kiss. At the same time, Takeru made his way over to a surprised Chisato and smiled at her before kissing her as he spoke up.
"This doesn't have to mean anything if you don't want it to, Matsunaga-san. I just didn't want you to feel left out, that's all. Plus, you're rather pretty, so I felt like you were a fine choice to pair up with. But if you'd rather not, you can say so and I'll respect your wishes." Takeru said as Chisato smiled and spoke up.
"I don't mind pairing off with you, Kujikawa-san. So shut it and kiss me." Chisato said as she leaned up to kiss Takeru, who blushed but returned the kiss. After looking her options over carefully, Rika shocked Yamato by pulling him into a kiss, leaving a disappointed Koushiro as the odd one out. From there, the rest of the night passed by in a whirl of passions, hormones, and wild intimacy...
(The next morning, in the side room, with Hikari and Ryotaro)
As she groggily woke up, Hikari looked around, not recognizing the room she was in. After groaning at the ache in her head, Hikari looked around, gasping as she felt the arm wrapped around her waist, making her look over before going bright red in shock and embarrassment as she recognized Ryotaro Dojima as the guy laying with her.
After lifting up the blanket to check a suspicion of hers, Hikari quietly gasped as she confirmed that she and Ryotaro were both naked. After quickly replacing the blanket, Hikari then idly wondered how far she and Ryotaro had gone the night before. After sitting up on her own for a bit, a groan next to her drew Hikari's attention as Ryotaro sat up and saw Hikari, smiling at her as he spoke up.
"Hey there, beautiful. Why the long face?" Ryotaro asked as Hikari spoke up.
"Be honest with me, Ryo. Did we go all the way last night?" Hikari asked as Ryotaro tried to recall and spoke up.
"I'm not sure, to be honest. Maybe? I know I remember us making out rather intensely after that massage I was commanded to give you got rather intense after you started peeling off your clothes and pushing me onto the bed as we made out before you started divesting me of my clothes. I think you got really into it if I had to guess? Why do you ask, Kari? Having regrets?" Ryotaro asked as Hikari frowned and spoke up.
"No, not at all. You're amazing, Ryo. It's just, I have an arranged fiancee already, and I'm supposed to be saving myself for him. So if my dad ever found out what we did, he'd probably be very angry at me. You see, he takes his job as the head of the Kusanagi family very seriously, so he'd likely see what we did last night as a legitimate betrayal of the Kusanagi family code.
But I almost don't think I can bring myself to care about what he thinks. You're so sexy, Ryo. I honestly kind of wish it was you and not Kujikawa-san that I was promised to. Because, from what I can recall, you were so kind, gentle, and caring with me while giving me that massage, and when we presumably took it to the bed, I recall that you even took it at my pace and respected my wishes. You have no idea how much I love that in a man." Hikari said honestly as Ryotaro smiled, gently pulling Hikari close to him to look into her eyes as he spoke up.
"I'm glad. I was hoping to make your first intimate experience, assuming those other girls weren't teasing you about it being your first time, both as special and as enjoyable as I can, Kari." Ryotaro said honestly as Hikari blushed prettily and spoke up.
"Thank you, Ryo. That's so kind of you. We should probably get dressed and get going before my dad sends out a search party. After all, he's probably livid that I never went home last night." Hikari said as Ryotaro nodded and spoke up.
"Fair enough. Odds are pretty good that the others all probably took off by now, anyways. So we'll probably have to find our own way home, Kari. Luckily, I drove here, so I can give you a ride home if you want to get changed and hopefully sneak back in to get some rest before your father realizes you didn't come home." Ryotaro said as Hikari nodded and spoke up.
"Yes, that would probably be best. Thank you for being so understanding, Ryo. I don't know how I managed to make such an understanding friend, and I suppose lover, like you. But I'm grateful for it, just the same." Hikari said while giving Ryotaro a closed-eye smile, getting him to laugh as he spoke up.
"It was nothing, Kari. I was raised to respect a lady's wishes, that's all. Also the fact that the lady in this case is a sexy one like you is just icing on the metaphoric cake." Ryotaro said as Hikari blushed prettily and spoke up.
"Stop complimenting me like that, Ryo. You're making it difficult for me to not want to say screw it and ask you out." Hikari said honestly as Ryotaro chuckled and spoke up.
"My bad. Well, let's get going, yeah?" Ryotaro said as Hikari nodded, the two getting dressed swiftly as Ryotaro slipped Hikari out of the hotel and past the gaggle of cops in the lobby, quickly hustling her into his car and driving her home. Once they were near her yard, Ryotaro dropped her off and spoke up.
"Here we are. Hurry up and get inside so I can get out of here before your dad notices me." Ryotaro said as Hikari nodded, giving Ryotaro a quick peck on the cheek in gratitude before rushing into her house as Ryotaro pulled away. However, things would not go so smoothly for Hikari from there. Once she got inside, she found her father waiting in the living room, arms crossed with a disapproving look on his face as he spoke up.
"There you are, young lady! Where have you been this whole time!? You were supposed to be home last night, not trying to sneak back in early this morning. You're lucky there's no school today, so you didn't miss school. That said, why did I see you getting out of some random car I don't recognize? And why does your clothes and appearance look dis-sheveled? Were you out at a party or something?" Ryuroni asked his daughter, a very stern gaze of disapproval on his face. Hikari spoke up.
"No, Father. I was hanging out with some friends and lost track of time after we got immersed in playing a bunch of games. By the time I saw the time, it was super late, so I just stayed the night with one of them and got a ride home this morning rather than coming home super late. Or would you have preferred I show up super late at night instead of early in the morning?" Hikari asked as Ryuroni huffed and spoke up.
"No, you were wise to come home early in the morning. Even so, you never got permission for such a thing. I thought you knew better than to do things without asking first. Also, now that I look closer, I see that you're walking rather tenderly. Don't tell me. Did you lose your innocence last night, Hikari!?" Ryuroni asked his daughter, who spoke up shyly.
"I honestly can't recall. All I remember is I woke up this morning with a slight headache and a hot guy in my bed laying next to me with his arm around my waist. Therefore, if I had to guess, I'd say that I probably did lose my virginity last night. Though what little I can remember of it was very consensual and beautiful." Hikari said, gasping at the furious look on her father's face while he spoke up.
"WHAT!? You mean to tell me you were out late having dalliances with some guy you don't recall the name of? Have you no shame or decency? I thought I raised you to be a lady, not some brazen fucking whore!" Ryuroni lectured Hikari, who huffed as she spoke up.
"Don't call me a whore, Father! Also, it might interest you to know that the guy who you arranged for me to court and eventually wed was at that party as well. And from what I understand, he slept with some other girl as well, from what I was told of last night. So I don't think I'm the only one who went against our agreement last night." Hikari said with an amused smirk, making an incensed Ryuroni speak up in an enraged tone.
"Are you serious!? Go to your room, Hikari! If what you say is true, then our agreement with the Kujikawa family could be in jeopardy! For your sake, you'd best hope that I can salvage it! Consider yourself grounded for now. Now go to your room and stay there!" Ryuroni said rebukingly to Hikari who just nodded and retreated to her room, where she looked at herself in the mirror, smiling at her reflection as she laid back on her bed and stared at the ceiling.
Almost involuntarily, Hikari found herself dozing off for a nap. After what seemed like hours, but in actuality was only about 2 hours, Hikari was awakened by an insistent pounding on her door, making her groan as she sat up and spoke up.
"Who's that? I was napping." Hikari said as she sat up, blinking as she heard her dad's voice speak up on the other end.
"Apologies for waking you, but this is important. I need you to meet me and your mother in the living room immediately." Ryuroni said to Hikari, who groaned but nodded her assent as she made sure she was decent before changing and meeting her parents in the living room. Once there, she noticed the almost defeated look in her mother's eyes and frowned as she spoke up.
"Why does Mother look so sad? What's going on, Father?" Hikari asked her father, who frowned at her and spoke up, not seeing Hikari have to stifle a gasp at what he said next as he spoke.
"I don't know, Hikari. Why don't you tell me!? Maybe you'd like to tell us about your ill-advised tryst with the Dojima boy? Honestly, Hikari! Out of all the guys for you to choose for your violation of our agreement with the Kujikawa family, why did you choose the son of one of our rival clans!? Talk about your brazen and blatant disregard for the Kusanagi clan. And since your mother can't seem to get you under control, I have no choice but to do so myself.
Unfortunately, this also leaves me with little alternative than to take extreme measures. Since you seem so insistent on defying the ways of our clan, I'm forced to have both you AND your mother banished from Japan as a whole. So you have the rest of today and tomorrow to pack your things.
Come the day after tomorrow, I want the two of you on the first train out of Inaba. And once you're gone, you're not allowed to return here, ever again! If you want to betray the clan so badly, then have fun in exile!" Ryuroni said irately to a shocked Hikari, who spoke up in disbelief.
"Wh-What!? You're banishing me and Mother? I can see banishing me, since what I did was very foolish and unacceptable, but why banish Mother as well? She did nothing wrong! This seems patently unfair to her!" Hikari said in protest as Ryuroni huffed and spoke up.
"Be that as it may, I am the head of this family, so my word is law! Now remove your disgraceful self from my sight and get to packing!" Ryuroni said angrily as Hikari could only gasp and turn on her heel and flee to her room, not wanting to let her father see the tears that his decree had brought to her eyes. As she packed, Hikari regretfully sent a text message to her friends, or the group she'd hung out with recently, telling all of them that she was moving away. Not surprisingly, her entire friend group was stunned. Hikari spent the next couple of days packing her things for her impending move from Japan.
Two days later, Hikari and her mother, who was also named Hikari, due to a superstition in her mother's family requiring that each daughter born of the family be named Hikari, thus technically making her Hikari Kusanagi the third, since this tradition of Hikaris started with her great-grandmother, were in the back of a limo provided by Ryuroni and on their way to the train station. Once there, Hikari was surprised to hear her name being called, smiling as she saw Kimiko and Ryotaro walking over to greet her. Hikari spoke up in surprise.
"Ryo? Kimiko? How are you two here?" Hikari asked as Kimiko spoke up.
"Your mother let us know where you'd be heading off from. Apparently she thought you deserved to get a proper send-off from your friends." Kimiko said before leaning in to whisper in Hikari's ear.
"Not to mention we all agree you should have the chance to give Dojima-san a proper goodbye, given how close you two seem to be." Kimiko said as Hikari blushed in embarrassment and spoke up.
"Kimiko! Shush! Not in front of my mom! Also, we don't know that there's not any goons of my father's monitoring this gathering. He's already incensed enough that I ended up hooking up with Ryo as it is." Hikari said as Ryotaro walked over and spoke up.
"I'm sorry to hear you have to move, Kari. But I'm glad we got to know each other for the short time that we did. And for what it's worth? I wouldn't trade away one second of our time together for anything. Now make sure you have fun wherever you go. And know that no matter where you go, I'll always care about and be there for you, Kari." Ryotaro said sincerely to Hikari, who smiled and spoke up.
"Thank you, Ryo. That means a lot to me. But we're already in enough trouble as it is. I'd rather not have my father send his goons after you. Besides, I doubt your folks would let you follow me all the way to America just to be with me. So unfortunately, as much as I wish it were otherwise, you and I will have to settle for being good friends. But I love that you're willing to try and make it work between us, Ryo. Never doubt that I will always love you for that." Hikari said before leaning in and giving Ryotaro one last passionate kiss by way of farewell, eventually pulling away as her tears fell while she spoke up.
"Hopefully you'll always remember me by that last kiss, Ryo. And if fate has it in store, maybe one day my children might return here to see the town that their mother grew up in. Assuming, of course, I have any children. But I'll have to see what happens first." Hikari said honestly to Ryotaro, who nodded, gently drying Hikari's tears as he spoke up.
"I understand, Kari. I wish you the best of luck in whatever the future holds for you." Ryotaro said as he gave Hikari one last hug before stepping back next to Kimiko as the two waved farewell as the Kusanagi women boarded a train, leaving Inaba far behind. Unbeknownst to them, or to Ryotaro and/or Kimiko, Hikari's statement about her children returning to Inaba would end up coming to pass in the most unlikely way possible...
END OF CHAPTER
A/N: I know, I know. It's rather short by my standards. But to be fair, these first couple of chapters are just prologue chapters, which will serve to set the stage for some of the story as it happens later on. Note that the next chapter will have a time-skip in it of a sizable variety, where we meet the main OC of the story. So look forward to that!
As always, thanks to all who support my stories, whether that be through following and/or favoriting them, following/favoriting me as an author, or even just leaving a review (or PMing me if you don't want to leave a review) with your thoughts/opinions/feedback/constructive criticism/input on the story thus far. I enjoy hearing from my readers either way. And until next chapter, sithlorde1988 out!