From: schimmel@red.seas.upenn.edu (Scott Schimmel)

        Lemon Marmalade can be considered an alternate continuity to
"Orange Marmalade."  Nothing that happens in LM is in OM continuity.
On the other hand, OM continuity holds true for LM as well, unless
it's specifically contradicted.  The plot of LM will diverge quite
noticeably from OM after a point.

        Marmalade Boy was created by Yoshizumi Wataru.  Kimagure
Orange Road was created by Matsumoto Izumi.  Elements of both are used
without permission.  Orange Marmalade, a fusion based on both of these
series, was my (derivative) creation, and this fanfic is derived in
turn from that.  Confused yet? ^_^

        This is a lemon story.  If you are underage or likely to be
offended by descriptions of sexual activity, don't read it.

        Comments, criticism, and flames welcomed at
schimmel@seas.upenn.edu.  Orange Marmalade can be found at
http://www.seas.upenn.edu/~schimmel/writing/writing.html

                *       *       *       *       *

        Meiko smiled warmly, idly toying with the hairbrush in her
hands as she spoke.  "I told you.  I have to admit, I didn't think
he'd come to accept you quite so quickly..."  She laughed merrily and
continued, "But An will be glad.  She likes the idea of having another
sister."  Now, that was an understatement.  Meiko began to laugh again
as she remembered her sister's bubbly eagerness.

        Miki, though, wasn't laughing.  She dropped her gaze to the
floor, lightly biting her lip pensively before letting out a soft
sigh.  "The way he was acting today," she said quietly.  "It was...
nice."  She shifted uncomfortably on the bed.  "I think..."  She shook
her head, unable to continue.

        When the older girl had begun to speak, Meiko had stopped
laughing and turned to face Miki directly.  Her breath caught in her
throat, but she managed to gasp out, "Miki-san... you mean...?"

        The disbelief she heard in her own voice was confirmed by
Miki's eyes as the older girl looked up, meeting Meiko's gaze.  "I..."
Indecision was plain on Miki's face, but her voice hardened with
resolve as she continued her confession.  "I don't know if I feel like
a sister... Meiko."

                *       *       *       *       *

                Lemon Marmalade - episode one
                "Dangerous Relationships"
                (Corresponds to:
                Orange Marmalade 11: "Dangerous Summer")

^_-

        "You mean..."  Meiko trailed off into silence, biting her lip.
Finally, she asked, "Does he know yet?"

        "I don't think so," Miki answered, shaking her head.  "I
haven't told anyone yet."  How could she tell anyone else?  It was
hard enough to tell Meiko.

        The younger girl chuckled softly.  "I know you didn't tell An
or our parents.  There's no way they could keep quiet about something
like this."  Miki answered with a small, tight-lipped smile of her
own, but the worry quickly crept back into her expression.  Meiko's
mirth died.  "Why are you telling me?" she asked, in a voice not much
stronger than a whisper.

        In the same tone, Miki confessed, "I'm not sure.  You know,
after what happened today, I just felt... horny."

        Meiko blinked rapidly in utter disbelief.  "What?"

        Oops.  "Horribly... jealous," she said with a sheepish smile
that was only half-faked.  How embarrassing...  "That dress you're
wearing is very..."  Tight.  "Beautiful."

        Now it was Meiko's turn to be flustered.  "Oh, no, I really
don't..."  She paused, and her mouth twisted into a puzzled frown.
"Wait, what's that have to do with--"

        Miki laughed aloud.  It sounded forced to her; she could only
hope that Meiko would hear it differently.  "I guess I got side-
tracked," she said, before trying to start over.  "It's just that I
feel like An-chan and I are so... different."  She had hit her stride
again, and she looked straight into Meiko's eyes without
self-consciousness.  "I don't feel that way with you."

        Nodding slowly, the Matsuura girl hesitantly replied, "I think
I understand."

        "Yes."  Miki blinked, nonplussed, at Meiko's answer.  "Yes,
that's it."

        A surprised half-laugh.  "Thank you, Miki-san, but--"

        Miki quickly interrupted.  "You really don't need to be so
formal."  She wanted to hear how the intimate form of address would
sound, in Meiko's soft, melodious voice...

        But the younger girl only nodded, smiling faintly.  "You don't
feel uncomfortable around An, at least.  Is it because you've known
Arimi-chan for so long?  Those two seem similar."

        "Arimi..."  Miki turned her head, closing her eyes.  "Yes,
An-chan is a little like Arimi, but..."

        The hairbrush Meiko had been holding clacked softly as she set
it aside, half-standing.  Her expression was hollow, filled with the
realization of what she had said.  "Oh, Arimi-chan is... I see..."

        Miki wanted to laugh, but she was afraid that she would start
to cry, instead.  "Meiko..."  No, you don't see, Meiko, it's not that
she's with Yuu... well, not only that.  "I don't know what I'm going
to do."  That was true enough, at least.  "Arimi is my friend; I
should help her, but... I'm not sure..."  Not sure I can.  Not sure I
want to?

        The bed sagged slightly as Meiko sat down next to her.  Miki's
eyes snapped open in surprise; Meiko's sympathetic expression was the
first thing that she saw.  The small, sad, not-quite-comprehending
smile; the eyes, shimmering with the barest hints of unshed tears; the
set of her head, cocked ever so slightly to one side as she reached
out to touch Miki's shoulder.

        The contact was made, and the gesture became an embrace as
Miki leaned into her arms, allowing the tension to leave her body.
She rested her head on Meiko's shoulder, trying to hold back the
tears she could feel welling up in her eyes.

        Meiko's arms tightened around her back, a silent gesture of
support.  Miki clutched desperately at Meiko, who merely continued her
warm, protective embrace.  Her face was expressionless; her eyes,
slightly glazed, as if lost in a daydream.  When she finally spoke,
her voice was as distant as her eyes.  "I suppose it's my turn to try
to help you... Miki."

        Still holding the younger girl, Miki smiled.  It sounded just
as she had imagined.

^_-

        Meiko sat holding the other girl for what seemed like hours,
feeling slightly awkward.  Was Miki crying?  She could barely conceive
of that; Miki had always seemed so strong.  Especially, Meiko thought,
compared to her herself.  She'd never thought that she would be the
one trying to comfort the older girl.

        With that thought in mind, she loosened her grasp a little.
Feeling Miki do the same, she slid backwards just a bit, intending to
ask her what was wrong, or how she could help, or to offer some
vague consolation.

        Whatever words she was going to say fled her mind as Miki's
lips pressed lightly against her own.

        As she realized this, she recoiled, leaning back on one arm
while interposing the other between herself and Miki, in a warding
gesture.  She had nearly reflexively thrown Miki across the room with
the Power, too; fortunately, she was able to stifle that impulse.
"M-Miki," she stammered.  "What...?  Are...?"

        She trailed off as Miki smiled sadly at her.  "You want an
explanation," she said quietly, "but it's not easy."  She looked down
at her hands, now folded in her lap, and asked, "Will you listen, if I
tell you?"

        Meiko slowly nodded.  Miki turned, pulling herself up onto her
knees, and facing her; she edged a little further back, and
immediately felt guilty at the hurt in Miki's expression.

        "All right, then," the older girl said in the same quiet,
vulnerable tone as before.  "Now, where should I start...?

        "First, it's not... I mean, I'm not what you think.  It's..."
She sighed.  "Let me try it this way.  I said before that An-chan and
I were too different for me to be entirely comfortable with her.
Maybe I should have said that we were too similar.  And you're right,
Arimi is the same, in many ways."

        "Similar?"  Meiko blinked.

        "Your sister and Arimi are both... well, tomboys.  Some would
even say... masculine."

        "That isn't--"

        "That is true."  Miki sighed.  "Not nice, but I doubt I'm the
first to say it.  Am I right?"  Meiko reluctantly nodded, and Miki
went on.  "The same things have been said about me.  And worse."  Miki
smiled as Meiko drew back even further.  "Does it surprise you that I
know that?  Or is it that it doesn't bother me?"  She chuckled, not
waiting for an answer.  "Most of the rumors about my 'past' aren't
true, Meiko, but a few of them are.  And it's no use hiding from the
truth."

        "You're a... a...  I mean, I thought you and Yuu-oniichan,
er..."  She flushed bright pink with embarrassment.  How had she
gotten herself into this situation...?

        Miki giggled.  "I'm not a lesbian, Meiko, and I do think your
brother is... attractive.  I like... well, feminine... people, you
see."

        "And you think oniichan is?"  Despite her shock, she was
intrigued by the observation, and afraid her voice betrayed that
interest.

        "In a lot of ways."  She leaned forward.  "Look at his face
some time, the cheekbones, the set of his eyes, the curve of his
mouth.  Look at the way he moves.  Listen to the tone of his voice
when he's relaxed, and notice how and when he speaks.  You'll see what
I mean."

        "I don't know..."  But, she realized, Miki did have a point.
At least, she couldn't refute it out of hand.  That made her extremely
nervous, for some reason.

        "I wonder what he'd be like if he'd been born a woman.  He's
so beautiful now..."  She smiled slowly and leaned in close to Meiko,
on her hands and knees, to murmur, "Nearly as beautiful as you."

        "M-Miki!"  Meiko tried to edge further back, in order to keep
the distance.  She found that wasn't the best idea, as she ended up
almost flat on her back, with Miki's arms to either side of her.

        Miki's smile seemed vaguely predatory, to Meiko, as she
continued to lean closer to the younger girl.  In a throaty whisper,
she continued to speak.  "So beautiful, Meiko.  The first time I saw
you, I was speechless.  All I could think about was how stunning you
were.  Until you ran away..."

        As she spoke, Miki continued to bring herself closer; Meiko
now -was- flat on her back, and unable to retreat any further.  Miki's
eyes entranced her; she felt lost in their shimmering, mysterious
brown depths.  She was unable to tear her gaze away.  There was sorrow
in those eyes, and the compassion she had seen before, at the
park... but there was something else, too, something that made her
shiver.

        Slowly, Miki leaned forward.  Her hair, Meiko noticed, had a
faint floral scent; it was soft and smooth as satin against her cheek.
Miki whispered into her ear, "And I thought about how nice it would
be, if you and I could be... friends."

        With one fingertip, Miki traced a path along the curve of
Meiko's jaw to her chin.  She shivered again at the sensation,
screwing her eyes tightly shut.  With a throaty chuckle, Miki tilted
Meiko's head back slightly to give her a second feathery kiss.  Miki's
free hand slipped from her chin to caress the back of her neck.
Meiko's lips parted in response, before she snapped her eyes open at
the realization.

        Miki broke the kiss but remained close enough to Meiko that
her gleaming tresses brushed against the younger girl's cheeks.  Their
eyes were locked; Miki's, passionate and questioning; Meiko's,
uncertain.  The twin stared up at Miki with a pole-axed expression.
Her breath was ragged as she tried to formulate a protest.
"Mi... ki..."

        "Shh."  She gently traced a finger over Meiko's lips to
accentuate, while continuing to massage the back of Meiko's neck with
her other hand.  "You liked that, didn't you?"  Getting no response,
she pressed on.  "Do you want me to continue?"

        "I... Miki, I ca-- I... ohh."  She moaned, arching her neck.

        "That's what I thought."  Miki grinned playfully.  "All right,
then.  If you ask me to, I'll stop.  But only then."

        Miki kissed her again, deeply this time.  An electric tingle
rushed along her spine, and she found herself responding, almost
unconsciously, to the kiss.  As the contact continued, Miki's fingers
nimbly worked at unfastening Meiko's dress.  One hand traced slowly
from her neck to the small of her back as the dress came loose.
"That's right," Miki whispered to her, kneeling back to peel the
garment away.  "Just relax..."  The red one-piece slid to the floor,
soon to be joined by the bra she'd been wearing.

        Miki's hands grasped Meiko's shoulders and gently pressed her
down, until she was lying flush against the mattress.  The turned-down
sheets felt remarkably cold beneath her shoulder blades -- a contrast
that stood out even more as she blushed underneath Miki's gaze.  The
older girl only continued to smile at her, stroking her bare arms from
shoulder to wrist.  Miki's touch was like fire on her skin.

        Miki released her tentative grasp and began to remove her own
clothes, giving Meiko time to voice one more concern.  "Miki,
we... what if someone... -sees-...?"

        "Don't worry about that."  Unbuttoning her blouse, she slipped
it off over her head.  "Our parents have gone out.  I checked."

        "But An..."

        "Will stare at the sea for hours, you said."  Miki wriggled
out of her skirt, then reached back to remove her bra.

        "Yuu..."

        Shedding the last of her clothing, Miki leaned down to whisper
in Meiko's ear.  "Don't worry," she repeated.  Taking Meiko's earlobe
between her lips, she softly, playfully nibbled at it.

        Meiko gasped, a sound that slurred into a quiet moan as Miki
relinquished the earlobe to kiss the side of her neck.  Miki's lips
traced a path of fire toward her throat.  She squirmed at the ticklish
sensation as the older girl's fingers trailed over her stomach,
brushing slowly upwards to gently cup her right breast.  She gave
another tiny cry at the sudden thrill of pleasure Miki's touch
elicited.

        And... somehing more.  Miki's embrace felt warm,
comforting... safe.  For the first time since her parents' divorce,
perhaps.  Miki had patiently listened to her, that night and several
others; had tried to help her.  Miki had been a true friend to her.
And... and...?

        The last remnants of Meiko's reesistance disintegrated, and
she gave herself over to her lover.

        Miki spread her fingers over Meiko's breast, carefully
avoiding, for now, the erect nipples.  Her other hand mirrored the
motion, slipping from the small of Meiko's back to the other mound of
flesh.

        Meiko continued to moan softly.  Miki's weight pressed against
her; her body tingled at every point of contact.  Her entire body was
aflame from Miki's ministrations, and she felt she would scream aloud
at the sensation, if only she could catch her breath.

        Soft lips pressed against the hollow of Meiko's throat; no
sooner had she registered the sensation than Miki's hands moved.  The
webs of flesh between their fingers brushed against her hardened
nipples, and her soft moan became a strangled gasp as twin shocks of
pleasure shot through her body, eclipsing what had come before.  Her
back arched, and she found herself tightly embracing Miki, holding the
older girl as close to her as she could.

        Miki chuckled quietly and continued to toy with Meiko's
breasts, rhythmically fondling the sensitive skin.  Each time her
fingers touched the nipples, the younger girl cried out in pleasure
and momentarily tightened her embrace.

        Miki slowly began to slide along Meiko's body.  She planted a
line of kisses from Meiko's throat to the valley between her breasts.
Miki's hands stroked along Meiko's sides, coming to rest on the
waistband of the panties the younger girl still wore.

        Through half-lidded eyes, Meiko saw Miki tilt her head back in
a sultry smile.  Then it lowered again, and her tongue darted out to
lick the bottom curve of Meiko's breast.  The girl writhed in erotic
ecstacy as Miki's tongue traced random patterns over her skin and
flicked over her sensitive nipples.

        Without warning, Miki's mouth engulfed Meiko's nipple, while
her fingers began to caress Meiko's inner thighs with feather-light
touches.  Meiko's hands clutched at Miki's dark, silken hair, and she
gasped the older girl's name, pleading.

        "Soon, Meiko," Miki promised.  She switched her attention to
Meiko's other breast, her tongue swirling around the nipple.  Her
caresses of Meiko's thighs became more insistent as she continued her
teasing, repeatedly stroking from near Meiko's knees almost to her
groin, but never quite reaching.

        Gently freeing her hair from Meiko's weak grasp, Miki kissed
the younger girl's nipple once more.  She continued the line of kisses
where she had left off, working her way slowly down Meiko's body, over
her stomach, past her navel.  Reaching the waistband of Meiko's
panties, Miki stopped and glanced upward at Meiko's face.

        The twin moaned quietly, and eyes that had been tightly closed
opened to slits.  "Miki... please..." she gasped.

        Miki smiled, leaving off her teasing to hook her thumbs
beneath the waistband of Meiko's fluid-soaked panties.  Slowly, she
leaned back, drawing them along Meiko's legs.  She allowed her
fingertips to brush smoothly along Meiko's skin as she stripped the
younger girl.  Then, just as slowly, she leaned forward again to
playfully lick Meiko's thighs.  She alternated from one side to the
other, marginally closer each time.  Meiko lay sprawled beneath her,
trembling as the sexual pleasure continued to mount with each touch,
whimpering as she felt Miki's hot breath on her intimate region.

        Waves of pleasure crashed over Meiko's body as Miki's tongue
touched her.  Every cell of her body was submerged in erotic bliss as
Miki's tongue traced her nether lips and swirled over the button of
her clit.  The orgasm was blindingly intense, and it seemed to go on
for hours; and all the while, she was crying out incoherently, or
repeating Miki's name like a mantra.

        When she finally came back to herself, Meiko was lying limp on
the bed.  Miki's arms were around her in that gentle, comforting
embrace, and she smiled appreciatively.  "Miki," she whispered fondly.

        Miki gave her an impish grin.  "You didn't stop me."

        "No..."  Meiko blushed.  "You know, that... I never--"

        Miki smiled gently at her.  "I thought so.  Sleep, then."

        In reply, Meiko smiled mischievously, and winked.  "Soon
enough."

        "What do you--?"

        "Your turn."  Meiko tilted her head to kiss Miki, and no more
was said.

^_-

        Meiko slowly opened her eyes and blinked at the proximity of
Miki's face.  Memories of the night before came rushing back to her,
and she blushed.  And smiled.

        And then frowned.  She gently twisted herself free of Miki's
embrace, not wanting to wake her lover, and double-checked... yes.
An's bed was empty; it hadn't been slept in.

        "Good morning," Miki murmured.  It seemed Meiko hadn't managed
to avoid waking her, after all.

        "Good morning.  Sorry."

        Yawning, Miki waved off the apology.  "Don't worry.  I'm used
to getting up early, anyway."  She blinked, registering Meiko's
expression.  "Is something wrong?"

        Meiko nodded.  "An isn't here.  It looks like she wasn't here
all night."

        Miki rolled over, lifting herself to one elbow, and glanced
at the bed.  "You're right."  She frowned, then quickly chuckled.
"Maybe she found someplace... better... to stay?"  Meiko blushed
again, and Miki giggled.  "You're so cute when you're embarrassed."

        "Mikiiiii..."

        The older girl laughed.  "All right; but let's not start
worrying until we find out whether she missed breakfast.  In the
meantime... why don't we take a bath?"

        "Together?"

        Miki grinned.

        "...All right."

^_-

        The beach was like something out of a fairy tale:  sparkling
blue water, nearly cloudless blue sky, golden sand absolutely radiant
in the sun.  It was, of course, crowded, and the blankets and
unbrellas that were thoroughly dispersed over the sand gave it the
appearance of a giant patchwork quilt.

        Meiko floated placidly on her back in the ocean.  Her eyes
were closed; her hair spread out around her head on the water like a
halo.  Appropriate, thought Miki, who was treading water nearby.  She
looked like an angel.

        "This feels so good," Meiko murmured.  "It seems like such a
long time since we came to the ocean..."

        Miki chuckled to herself.  "It sounds like this is just what
you needed."  She paused as two figures nearby caught her eye, and
grinned mischievously.  "In fact," she added, "it looks like An-chan
and Yuu are enjoying it, too."

        "Oh...?" asked Meiko, in the tone of one who was not really
listening.

        A moment later, her brother and sister raced by, splashing her
as they passed.  Meiko spluttered and straightened in the water,
opening her eyes to glare balefully at the receding figures of her
siblings.  "Hey, watch it!"

        "They can't hear you, Meiko."  It was all Miki could do to
keep from laughing.

        "I think they did that on purpose."

        "Would Yuu-kun do something like that on purpose?" she asked,
half-teasing.

        "Yes," Meiko said flatly, either missing or overlooking Miki's
tone of voice.  "When he and An are together without teasing or
arguing with each other..."  Miki laughed, prompting Meiko to look
quizzically at her.

        "Sorry.  It's just... they team up on you, do they?"  Her tone
conveyed deep amusement.

        With a long-suffering sigh, Meiko nodded.  "Mostly me, yes.
I'm surprised they haven't tried to do anything to you, yet."  She
frowned to herself at the thought.  "They haven't, have they?"

        Miki smiled uneasily and answered, "I guess I've been lucky,
then."  She wasn't sure herself whether she meant that or the
opposite.  Wouldn't she be better off if Yuu had tried something,
anything?  "Here they come again," she noted idly.  Meiko turned, as
Miki waved to the siblings.  "So, who won?" she called.

        Anju grinned proudly.  "I did."

        Yuu winked, explaining, "I was going easy on her."

        "Liar!  I won fair and square..."

        A bored half-shrug was Yuu's only response.  Meiko giggled at
her siblings' antics for a moment before remembering to pretend to be
angry.  "Anyway," she said reproachfully, "you two should watch where
you're going.  I nearly drowned, you know."

        All three girls giggled at that.  Yuu's response, on the other
hand, was somber.  "I'm sorry, I didn't see you.  Are you all right?"

        "Eh?"  In her surprise, Meiko stopped laughing.  "I'm fine.
It was just a joke..."

        "Oh, good."  He smiled at Miki and changed the topic.  "Having
fun?"

        "Me?"  She blinked.  "Sure... I was going to take a walk
around the town, but it's a nice day for swimming."

        He nodded.  "Maybe after Rumi-san's shoot tomorrow," he
suggested.

        "It'll probably be pretty late by then.  The next day,
though..."

        Anju interruted, asking, "Too late?  How long does it take?"

        "Until sunset, usually."  Miki chuckled at the look on Anju's
face.

        "Wow... I had no idea..."

        "What do they do that takes so long?" Yuu wondered.

        "If it's going to take too much time, you don't have to do it,
Yuu.  Mama will understand."  Probably, Miki added silently.  But what
would it be like, to work with you...?

        Much to her relief, he shook his head.  "It's okay.  I was
just wondering what was involved."

        Relieved, she nodded.  "Well... I think we're just taking a
few preliminary shots, so everyone can see what the models would look
like in the actual commercial," she explained.  "If any of them turn
out really well, they might be used in a print ad, but that's unusual.
There'll be at least two dozen pictures... close ups, profiles, at a
distance, different poses and expressions."  She paused briefly before
continuing, apologetically, "Some of them might take a long time to
set up.  Mama's kind of a perfectionist about this."

        "Hmm.  Sounds like we'll be busy, all right."  Yuu didn't
sound like he minded, though.

        "There's more to it than I thought," Meiko contributed.

        Simultaneously, the younger twin asked, "How long does the
real commercial take?"

        Miki smiled at Anju.  "It depends.  A couple of days isn't too
unusual, even if you don't count all the editing."

        The younger girl's eyes bugged out in disbelief.  "Whoa... it
takes that long for a 30-second commercial?"

        "They take a little longer to shoot," Miki noted with a wry
smile.  "The actors need to get ready, there're makeup and
costumes... and it almost always takes more than one 'take' before
it's ready."

        "Take?"

        "If an actor makes a mistake, or the director just doesn't
like the way it turned out, they do it again.  That's called another
'take.'"

        Anju nodded to herself as she digested this new information.
Yuu asked a question, filling the resulting silence.  "Rumi-san said
tomorrow would be a big job.  How is it different than usual?"

        Miki shrugged.  "I don't know."  With a teasing smile, she
added, "Maybe she was just saying it to get you to agree to help."

        "It worked," Meiko put in.  This time, Yuu joined in the
laughter.

        "It does sound like her, though," he commented.  "Ready for a
rematch, An?"

        The youngest Matsuura grinned confidently.  "Any time!  You're
so slow I could beat you in my sleep, 'niichan."

        Yuu raised an eyebrow.  "Care to make a bet on that?"

        "'Niichan!"

        He grinned.  "I guess I'll just have to try for real this
time.  How far do you want to go?"

        Miki frowned thoughfully and made a note to herself.

        "How about from here out to that point just past where the
beach house is?  You know, between the house and that island?" asked
Anju.

        "Okay, then.  Would one of you mind starting us?" Yuu asked
Meiko and Miki.

        Miki smiled, dismissing the thought.  "Sure."

        "Have fun, you two," Meiko added.  "Don't exhaust yourself
-too- much this early, An."

        "Don't worry, this will be easy," the younger sister assured
her twin.

        "You can say that again," Yuu commented dryly.

        "'Niichan!"

        Miki had never before seen anyone flush that bright a red.
Perhaps that thought shouldn't be dismissed, after all.  She shook her
head.  "Ready?"

        The two instantly stopped their bickering and prepared to
race.  Meiko giggled incongruously.

        "3, 2, 1, go!" cried Miki.

        They were off like a shot, each smoothly cutting through the
water.  Yuu had quickly managed to pull ahead and was maintaining a
slight lead.

        "You see what I mean about those two?" Meiko asked,
interrupting Miki's train of thought.

        She nodded.  "But it must be fun," she thought aloud.  "I
don't think I've ever seen Yuu so relaxed."

        "You think so too?"  Meiko sounded surprised by that, and Miki
turned away from watching Yuu swim.  Meiko was frowning slightly in
concern.  "The way he's acting is a little unusual for him.  He hasn't
been like this since he was young."

        "Oh, well; it's a good change, anyway."  Miki smiled.  A very
good change, potentially.

^_-

        Rumi leaned against the balcony rail, gazing outward over the
golden-white strand of beach at the sparkling blue sea.  Far in the
distance, against the horizon, she almost thought she could make out
the white sail of a large ship -- but that was probably just her
imagination.  She couldn't have asked for a better day to take her
photographs, at any rate; even the scattered clouds of the day before
had vanished.  The day was as close to perfect as she might have asked.

        She glanced at the deck near her feet, where a mirror, a
camera tripod, a large metal case, and various other, not yet packed,
pieces of photography equipment sat, and sighed.  Where were Miki and
Yuu?

        Even as she thought that, she heard the sound of their voices,
approaching from within the beach house.  She looked back out over the
sea, even as she heard the door open behind her.

        "--Slept this long, though," Miki was saying.  "It's unusual.
Hi, Mama."

        Rumi turned around, giving the two children a small smile.
"Ah, there you are..."

        "Sorry we're late," Yuu said, before answering Miki.  "I was
tired.  An's gotten a lot better."

        Miki laughed.  "You should have just let it go."

        Yuu blinked, uncomprehending, for a moment, then chuckled.
"Oh, you meant the racing.  Of course.  But I won the next two, didn't
I?"  Before Miki could formulate a response, he asked Rumi, "The
models aren't here yet, Rumi-san?"

        Miki's mother shook her head.  "But it won't be long."  She
waved one arm at the pile of equipment.  "Can you two take this down
to the beach for me?  I'll meet you there."

        "Sure."  Yuu knelt, carefully picking up the camera and tripod
setup, while Miki shrugged.  "Should we make two trips, Rumi-san?"

        "Thanks, but I think I can manage the rest, if Miki takes the
mirror.  Be careful with that camera, Yuu-kun."

        Yuu nodded.  Miki picked up the large mirror, and silently
followed him down the stairs.

^_-


Scott Schimmel                http://www.seas.upenn.edu/~schimmel/
Ex ignorantia ad sapientium;  "You really aren't normal, are you?"
ex luce ad tenebras.              -- Miki Koishikawa