From: "DAVID A MILLER" KIMAGURE ORANGE ROAD: A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Altar An Original Story by DAVID A. MILLER Based on Characters and Situations Created by Izumi Matsumoto Author's Foreword I became acquainted with Kimagure Orange Road back in 1994, soon after I started to watch anime. A friend had loaned me the first OVA volume released by AnimEigo, starting me along the path to KOR fandom. I really enjoyed the romantic comedy mixed with elements of dramatic tension. However, after I viewed the Movie ("I Want to Return to That Day"), I was somewhat disappointed with the way it diverged from the funny situations presented in the OVA series. (I later learned that it was an attempt at serious drama). In 1994, I created a short story titled, "Another Return to That Day", in which Kyosuke and Madoka use his psychic powers to save Hikaru from dying from a psychosomatic disease after his breakup with her. Despite the seriousness of the plot, there were lighthearted moments and a recapitulation of past episodes. After immersing myself in the Shin-KOR universe (Novels by Izumi Matsumoto and Kenji Terada and the Shin-KOR Movie: "Summer's Beginning"), I created the following work, theorizing what events would take place leading up to Kyosuke and Madoka's wedding. I tried as hard as I could to maintain the humorous atmosphere of the original series, plus included some dramatic (and erotic) moments. Readers who are familiar with other animé series may be interested in cameo appearances by other characters. The incidents depicted in this work are not intended to displace the actual continuity of events to be determined by the creator of Kimagure Orange Road, but are instead, a prediction of what might happen in the lives of the protagonists. I am grateful to Matsumoto-sensei for creating these wonderful characters and hope that I have used them properly in my attempt to entertain all Orange Road fans around the world. All animé charas mentioned in this work are the property of their respective copyright holders. I acknowledge all copyrights held by others and state that this work was not created for monetary gain, nor was it intended to deprive the copyright holders of their rights under the law. Characters Kyosuke Kasuga Our hero, now aged 23. He is planning to marry his sweetheart. Madoka Ayukawa Our heroine, 23-24 years old. She has loved Kyosuke since her teens. Hikaru Hiyama Now 21 years old and wiser in the ways of the world. She lives and works in America and plans to make it her home. Yuusaku Hino Also 21, part-time cab driver and Kyosuke's friend. He has always loved Hikaru, even though he 'supported' her infatuation with Kyosuke. The Twins, Kurumi and Manami Kyosuke's younger sisters, now 21 years old. The Twits, Komatsu and Hatta Still perverted after all these years. Symbolic Conventions The following work was written in English with a smattering of Japanese words (In italics) to preserve the flavor of the characters' heritage. Certain phrases are intended to simulate "Respect Language". Much of the story is told from Kyosuke's point of view in the first person, however a ***** indicates a change away from Kyosuke's viewpoint. Other conventions include: ["Telepathic dialogue."] (Parenthetical or soft-voiced comments like the small print dialogue used in manga) "LOUD TALKING!!", "YELLS!!!!" and "REALLY HATEFUL SCREAMS!!!!" <"Dialogue within is spoken English, as if the characters are exercising their English-language skills."> {During the "Super Deformed" sequence; sets off descriptive narration.} Notes on Names The characters' names are presented in Given Name-Family Name order. Name suffixes such as "-san", etc. are usually appended after Given Names, otherwise, prefixes are used in the American fashion (e.g. Mrs. Ayukawa, Madoka's mother, as opposed to "Ayukawa-san", any member of the Ayukawa family if not specified in the text.). Terms of reference for parents and grandparents are as used in English, preserving the Japanese terms of reference for circumstances where there is not an English-language equivalent ("Onii-chan", "Dearest Elder Brother") or cases of fictive (socially polite) usage. As an example, whenever Madoka is addressed as "Onee-chan" (Dearest Elder Sister) by a younger person who is not a blood relative. Other terms of reference are defined in the Glossary. Prologue I stared at the emptiness of my former residence in the Green House Manshon. The walls were stripped bare and the floors had been cleared of furnishings. A lot of things had changed in my life, including the location of my home. It felt strange to see the void that my old apartment had turned into. But I wanted to take one last look around before surrendering my key. By the way, my name is Kyosuke Kasuga. I'm twenty-three, a Japanese male and a photographer by profession. Although I have not yet finished my university degree, I have already made my mark in the world in an unusual way. I took a break from my studies to do an assignment overseas, in the strife-torn republic of Bosnia. I was permitted by local officials to take news photographs of the fighting between the Bosnian Muslims and their Serb opponents. But I was caught in an artillery bombardment and lay injured for a whole day amidst the rubble of a smashed building. However, I managed to save most of the film I had exposed, containing evidence of numerous atrocities committed by the Serb militia attempting to "ethnically cleanse" the country of the Muslim population. For some reason, I got a hero's welcome when I came home. It's been about half a year now since my return to Japan. I think I'm finally over the trauma of my experiences overseas. At least, I hope so. This old set of rooms which had been my home for over seven years held a lot of memories for me. In this place, my friends would come visiting for one reason or another. Two friends from those days came especially to mind: Madoka Ayukawa and Hikaru Hiyama. Back when I first moved in here, I saw Madoka at the top of a long flight of steps set into the hill which led to my building. Her hat, broad-brimmed and made of red straw, had sailed off into the wind. I caught it and in doing so, met the girl who would eventually become the love of my life. Then at school, I collided with another girl, Hikaru-chan, whose cheerful, bubbly affection for me would turn my life into a romantic torture test. What made it even more difficult was that both Madoka and Hikaru-chan were best friends from childhood, as close as sisters. The three of us used to have lots of fun and at times, even shared dangers together. I wished our happy triangle could have lasted forever, but eventually, it all had to end. During the fateful summer when I was preparing for the university entrance exams, I kissed Hikaru-chan. In doing so, I hurt Madoka's feelings very badly. After that, I pledged my love to Madoka and had to end my relationship with Hikaru-chan. However, right after the final breakup, the girl became ill with pneumonia and nearly died. I had to have Madoka's help in saving her, so I had to reveal a secret to Madoka that I had kept from all of my friends. I am a Chou-Nou-Ryoku-Sha, a man in possession of supernatural powers. These ESPer abilities had caused me no small number of problems, but on quite a few occasions, enabled me to save both Madoka and Hikaru-chan from serious harm. Using my psychic skills, coupled with Madoka's loving friendship, we were able to keep Hikaru-chan from committing psychosomatic suicide. She recovered completely, then soon afterwards moved away with her parents to Hokkaido to finish high school, then left Japan to study dancing in America. Madoka and I are within a few months of graduating from college and plan to get married. In keeping with that promise, my father and I combined our resources and built a new house in a new development on the outskirts of Tokyo. I was able to sink a lot of cash into the project because I had reaped a great deal of money from the publication of the book I wrote describing my experiences in Bosnia, illustrated with photographs I had taken over there. Father also put in money to build in a separate darkroom and studio, creating a "home office" from which he could operate his growing chain of photo galleries. So it turned out to be mutually beneficial for the both of us. I now had a home for my bride and he had both a company headquarters and a place to which he could retire in his old age. "Hey Kyosuke!" I turned around. Madoka must have come after me, since I probably lost track of the time. "I was waiting for you outside, you know." "Sorry, I was lost in nostalgia. This place was the longest I'd ever lived in." "Yes, you told me about having to move all of the time, whenever your family's secrets were compromised." Madoka followed me into my old bedroom. This place here was also empty of furniture. Through the glass balcony doors, I could see the little wind chime that had been tied up outside on the door frame a long time ago. Out of consideration for the person who gave it to me, I put it up there and let it hang undisturbed through the years. However, I didn't want to take it with me. "You got that from Hikaru, didn't you?" Madoka asked gently, as if she was pulling at the scab of an old wound. She laid her hand on my shoulder. "Uh-huh. I didn't want it to follow us to our new life." "It's okay," she said. Madoka went out on the balcony and untied the wind chime. "What's past is past. It belongs to you, now." "I feel like I'm being pardoned..." "Please don't," she said, "One of the things I've had to come to terms with is that I encouraged her to be with you, to keep from admitting my own feelings..." She turned her face away from me. "I'd always been afraid that you would go away; everybody I've ever loved; my parents, my older sister, even Hikaru, they would all go away, leaving me alone..." She faced towards me again, a gentle smile on her lips. "But you came back, like you said you would. I've never forgotten that, as well as all the other things you've done for me..." She drew closer, then we kissed. Madoka sometimes accuses me of cheating when we kiss, of employing my powers to enhance the pleasure she felt. But this time, it was all HER!! It was passionate and enticing, yet warm and sweet. When we broke apart, she gasped, "That was unreal..." "Nope, it was real; that was you all right." "Eh-hum!" Somebody else was WATCHING US!! The apartment building manager stood with her arms crossed and a sour look on her face. "If you're finished steaming up the windows, Mr. Kasuga, I'll have your keys, please." I fished them out of my pockets and severed my ties to this old apartment. "Thank you, sir. There's another tenant coming up here shortly, so if you don't mind..." "I gotcha. Good bye, Mrs. Ichinose." "Good bye, Mr. Kasuga." The squat, dour old landlady glared at us out of the corners of her eyes while I guided Madoka over to the stairs and out of the building. "Before we leave," she said, "Let's settle the question once and for all." "What question's that?" "How many steps there are on that hill." "I must've told you a zillion times: there are one hundred!" "And I've told you a giga-zillion times: NINETY-NINE!!" We walked over to the hill, hand in hand, then climbed down the steps, counting each one until we reached the bottom. "See, I told you," Madoka crowed, "Ninety-nine!" "No way! We must have missed one!" "Okay, smart guy, let's go back up!" We retraced our steps in the other direction, counting as we went. When we got to ninety-nine, we were one step short of the topmost landing. "USOOOO!!" she moaned, "What kinda universe is this where you don't get the same number of steps going down as you do going up?" "The kind of universe that says, 'Let's settle it at 99.5'!" "I guess so," she quipped, "Or else I'll spend the rest of my life trying to figure it out." As it happens, I figured out one of the steps near the third landing gets miscounted on the descent every time. Do you think I might tell her it about it someday? NAAAH!! ***** After dropping Kyosuke off at his new home, Madoka started the lengthy drive back to her parents' house. She chuckled to herself about their escapade on the Hundred Steps, If he thinks he's keeping a secret about the crooked step near the third landing, he's sadly mistaken. Just then, the car radio began playing a song Madoka had written some time ago. It had reached into the top 10 popular singles in the country the previous weekend. She hummed the melody as she drove herself back home. Bath Time Frolics A couple of days later, on an early Saturday evening, I was luxuriating in the bath, inside of a tub fit for a shogun. After growing up in a succession of apartments, living with small, cramped tubs and after finally attaining a rather impressive height, I asked for and got the biggest bathtub I could buy for my new home, made of laminated fiberglass. I gladly chipped in the extra money it cost compared to a regular sized tub but at last, I could relax and soak to my heart's content. Even Kurumi and Manami said that the bigger tub was a wonderful feature of this new and improved bathroom. And after being denied the simple decency of keeping clean during my tour in Bosnia, to be able to immerse myself in this huge tub was almost like being in a paradise. ***** Kurumi was lounging in front of the television, watching a variety talent show when the front doorbell rang, diverting her attention from the program. She got up to answer it, slightly annoyed that someone would be calling at this hour. Once she opened the door: "Ara, Madoka-san!" "Good evening, Kurumi-chan. Is your brother home?" "Sure is. Ever since he got back from Europe, he never misses an opportunity to get in that giant bathtub!" Madoka stepped inside and removed her shoes in the genkan. " Anou, Kurumi-chan?" "Yes?" "Do you and Manami-chan have any plans for tonight?" "Nope, I was just watching TV and Manami-chan is reading manga in our room." "How would the two of you like to get lost for a few hours..." "Nice idea, but we're broke!" "Money is no longer an obstacle," Madoka fished out two Ľ10,000 bills from her purse. "I'll even let you two use my car." "Anou, Madoka-san?" "Yes?" Kurumi leaned in close and asked in a whisper, "Wouldn't a love hotel have been cheaper?" Madoka turned a brilliant scarlet, ''It's not what you think!" Kurumi smirked, "Hey, I don't need to read your mind to..." "Are you gonna get lost OR NOT!!" Kurumi shrugged her shoulders, accepted the money and car keys, then went to get her sister. "Kurumi-ttara..." Madoka sighed, thinking, I kinda appreciate what you go through with these sisters of yours, Kyosuke. ***** My guard was let completely down. I had surrendered every sense of alertness to the feel of the warm water on my skin. I was in heaven! Suddenly, a pair of hands covered my eyes! "Guess who-oooo!" "Only you-oooo!" "You cheated! You used your psychic powers!" Madoka wailed. "Aw c'mon, you're the only woman I know who'd walk in here on me!" She let go of my face and I turned around. "EEEH...!!" "You don't have to act so surprised, I only came in to wash your back!" "Stark naked...LIKE THAT??" Mind you, we've been making love since we were in our first year of college. I had touched, caressed, kissed and been with Madoka on many occasions since then, but always in the dark. But this was the first time I had seen her nude in the bright light of the bathroom! Her skin was flawless; a beautiful creamy ivory while her long, gorgeous hair was a deep, rich black. The shape of her figure; the classical hourglass of the Venus De Milo. And those fabulous breasts... "Why are you staring at me..." she asked, turning red in the face and self-consciously crossing her arms in front of herself. "You're so beautiful!" "But you must've seen me lots of times..." I shook my head. "Never like this, in the light I have now." "Well anyway," She assumed a brisk, business-like tone, "I came in to scrub your back." "Okay." I climbed out of the tub, then Madoka said, "Wait a sec," She left the bathroom and returned later with a rolled up closed-cell foam pad. She unrolled it on the tiled floor of the bathroom. "Please lie down on this." I did as she asked, face-down, since I was to have my back scrubbed. I heard her hands come briskly together as if she was preparing a lotion, then she started to perform Shiatsu massage on my back and shoulders, rubbing, kneading and pummeling the flesh with a surprising amount of strength and skill. "Ummm-feels great." "I'm glad my future husband likes it." Madoka kept up the massaging action, going all the way down my body, including the backs of my thighs and calves. Then she poured some more liquid over my back, "And now for something completely different..." She lay herself on top of me and began a slow, sensual motion, sliding her body over mine, back and forth, in a movement calculated to drive me into a sexual frenzy! Other guys have to go to "Soaplands" to be treated like this but I was getting it from the woman I loved! "How do you like my version of Awa Odori?" "Great...it is soooo great..." She wiggled her breasts against my shoulder blades. The feel of her skin on mine was FANTASTIC!! "But it's gettin' HARD down there and there's no place for it to go..." "No problem..." Madoka rolled off of me and over on her side. I sat upright on the mat, curious as to what she'd do next. She got behind me and pressed her breasts into my back. One hand slid onto my chest, teasing my nipples, the other hand manipulated my--well, you-know-what. Then she put her chin on my shoulder and began to nibble my earlobe! The combination of erotic sensations on four different pleasure points soon brought me to blessed release! "Did that feel good?" she asked. I nodded briskly. I could see in a nearby mirror that I was wearing a stupid grin! She laughed, "You know, sometimes you have the dumbest expression on your face when you cum!" "So let me return the favor." We changed places, her sitting in front with her back to me. I took a loofa sponge, set it up with liquid soap and began to scrub her back, being as attentive to her pleasure as she was to mine. "Ummm-you're good...very, very, gooood..." So I cheated a little; I used my ESPer powers to sense what movements created the most pleasurable sensations for her. Soon I dropped the sponge and applied my hands directly to Madoka's breasts, caressing and massaging them. "Ohhhh...you do that soooo goooood..." One of the classes I was glad to have taken in college was in Japanese poetry and literature. I began to recite part of the Love Sonnet of Princess Kasuga, as recorded in the Nihonshoki: "My beloved's arm was wound around me, And my arm too, was wound around my beloved." "Like a luxuriant vine," Madoka continued dreamily, "Arm embraced and twined with arm; As the armlet fits the elbow. In sweet slumber we lay...ah...aaah...I'm gonna need it very soon...!" I teleported a jar of warm honey into the bathroom. "Lie down on your mat, and I'll show you something interesting." "Face down or face up?" "Face up and close your eyes." Madoka did as asked, lying face up with her eyes closed. I took a bath basin, filled it from the tub and drained it slowly over her body, rinsing away the lather. Then I dribbled the honey all over her skin. "What's this? It doesn't feel like soap." I took a bit on my finger and placed it on her lips. "Honey?" "Yep. Three guesses what I'm gonna do, and the first two don't count." "I have a feeling I'm gonna like this..." she giggled. I began to lick and suck the honey off of Madoka's beautiful skin. Even without my powers, I could tell she was becoming highly aroused. I lingered for a long time over her breasts and nipples, feeling them harden in my mouth, then made my way down her ribcage, feeling her breath quicken and her muscles tighten and relax as the waves of pleasure built up in her body. "Oh Kyou-chan..." I heard her sigh, calling my name in it's most intimate form. She gripped my hands as I continued to kiss and lick up all the sweet fluid, then I wiggled my tongue in her cute navel until she screamed! "AAAAAAH...KYOU-CHAIN...QUIT TEASING ME!!" I reached her 'Gate of Heavenly Bliss', then stroked the center of her sexual universe with my lips and sucked lightly at her 'pearl'. Madoka began to raise her hips, pushing herself against my face until... "Ah...ah...AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" Madoka lay back on the mat, gasping for breath as if she had just run a hundred meter sprint. "Well, you look BEAUTIFUL when you cum." I told her. She shook her head sheepishly. "I was so loud; they'd have heard me if they'd stayed..." "Eh?" "Kurumi-chan and Manami-chan. I gave them 20-grand and my car keys and told them to go out and have some fun." Damn! For the pleasure of loving me in my own bathroom, she just spent twice the going rate of an overnight stay in a high grade love hotel! "Wouldn't a hotel room have been cheaper?" "And more rushed; in here, we can take our own sweet--heh, heh, heh--time." As soon as Madoka recovered, we showered off all lingering traces of soap and honey, then got into the bath. The insulated fiberglass bathtub kept the water temperature at a comfortable level. Lying at the opposite ends, we surrendered ourselves to the sensual gratification ofuro has provided our people for centuries. After a few moments, I had the feeling that I was being stared at. I opened my eyes; Madoka was gazing at me with that special expression of hers, admiration and longing. "What's the matter? Plankton sticking to me again?" "I've always liked to look at you; you're just so damn good-looking!" "I never could understand what's so attractive about me. When I think about us in the past, I wonder why you even bothered to put up with my indecisiveness and..." "Because you never lost sight of me as the woman you loved and wanted," she interrupted. "To everyone else, I was someone to be feared and avoided. Yeah, I was bad..." She sat up to state her case more emphatically. "But you never let that stop you. And for that, I forgave and forgot about a lot of things. The times you weren't clumsy, perverted or stupid, you were marvelous, thoughtful and brave..." She moved over to my end and sat next to me. The tub was large enough to hold us side by side. "But most important of all, I like to look at you because you're ALL MINE!!" Then she drew up close and kissed me. I never asked why ever again. ***** Kurumi and Manami were headed back to the house after spending an evening on the town, courtesy of Madoka. They were driving in the car that Madoka received from her parents as a high school graduation present. But at this particular moment, they were halted at an intersection. "I still don't know why you won't let me serve fugu at home." Kurumi whined from behind the wheel. "How about, because I like food that WON'T KILL ME!!" Manami wailed. "But Grandma taught me how to fillet it properly. Why can't you admit you don't trust me!" "Any time you wanna duke it out--ohmigosh, Kurumi, look at what's pulling up!" Kurumi checked the view to her right. A low-slung, sleek, red sports car drew up next to them at the stoplight: "A Ferrari?" Then she looked back at the driver: "SU-TE-KIII!!" The man was college-aged with fashionably long dark hair, keen brown eyes and a firm, handsome face. His expression spoke not of the arrogance often associated with the rich, but the quiet confidence of one used to earning his way in the world. "I'm gonna get his attention!" Kurumi put the shift lever in first gear, then held the accelerator down to facilitate a quick start. "Kurumi! What're you doing?" The light turned green. Kurumi slipped the clutch and floored the gas pedal. Using her telekinetic ability, she boosted the engine's power output and allowed the little car to reach over 100 kph inside the first 100 meters. "Madoka-san is not gonna like this..." Manami gritted her teeth and braced against the G-forces as the speedometer reached over 200 kph before Kurumi brought the car to a halt at another red light. "I'll bet that got his attention..." "ARE YOU CRAZY!!" "He's probably some rich kid whose father got him that car to impress girls. You know what they say about that: 'Big car, little dick'!" "I assure you ladies, it's not that little!" "EEEEEEH????" The Ferrari was right next to them and the driver had lowered his window to directly address the Twins. "Oh, you heard that..." Kurumi was red-faced. "No offense taken," he said, flashing a brilliant smile. "Is that a Mini ERA Turbo?" "Uh, I don't know, it belongs to my older brother's fiancée." "Well, let me make you ladies an interesting proposition. Let's race to the next light. If you beat me again, I'll treat both of you to the dinner of your choice. However, If I win, I will have the pleasure of dining with you alone, Miss..." "Kurumi Kasuga; this is my twin sister Manami." Manami waved nervously at the driver, then she grabbed her sister by the ear. "IS THIS WHAT YOU DO WHEN I'M NOT WATCHING; PICK UP GUYS????" "OWWW!! No, and besides, we're talking serious STEAK DINNER potential! How can we lose?" "Easy. The light's green, he's gone and WE'RE STILL HERE TALKING!!!!" Kurumi one again floored the little car's gas pedal and used her powers, but could not catch up to the Ferrari by the next intersection. She unfastened her seatbelt to get out of the car. "Kurumi, what'll I tell Onii-chan?" "That I'll be home later, okay?" Kurumi entered the Ferrari on the passenger side. "So what will be your preference this evening, Ms. Kasuga?" the driver asked. "Well, I could really go for a light salad..." "Okay." "...at an all-you-can-eat steak bar!" "Eh? Coming right up! By the way, the name's Mishima; my friends call me 'Ryuu'." "Pleased to meet'cha. Just 'Kurumi' 's okay." she told him, indicating that he could dispense with the honorific "-san". The two drove off, Kurumi anticipating her culinary prize and her escort wondering if he had bitten off more than he could chew. Manami got behind the wheel of the Austin Mini as the Ferrari took off. However, before she could leave, a Honda Mini Patrol car screamed up behind her with lights flashing and sirens blaring, then stopped in front of her. A police woman approached Manami on the driver's side. The officer's hair, dark brown and cut to a length just above her uniform coat collar, framed a cute-looking face that happened to be distorted by a fiercely angry expression. "Hey, just who do you think you are, Ms. 'Racer-X'?" she demanded. "EEEEH?? But Officer..." The cop pulled out her citation book and began filling out a ticket. "Exceeding the posted limit, unlawful speed display, reckless endangerment..." Just then, a group of motorcyclists thundered by in the opposite direction. Each member of the pack flipped the bird or performed some other obscene gesture as they rode past, then turned the corner. "Why those...HEY, DIDJA SEE THAT, MIYUKI~??'' she shouted toward her partner. "I SURE DID!! LEAVE THE SMALL FRY AND LET'S GET THOSE GUYS, NATSUMI~!!" "Consider yourself warned!" The police woman sprinted back to her car and the Honda broke away from the curb with a surprising amount of power for such a tiny vehicle. Manami laughed out loud as she watched the Mini Patrol car tear around the corner after the biker gang. She had used her powers to create the illusion of a motorcycle tribe to divert the policewomen's attention away from her. Yelling & Screaming; One Size Fits All "TADAIMA!!" I heard Manami announce herself as she came in the front door. Madoka and I were eating a freshly delivered ultra-deluxe pizza (I'm fond of squid; she likes pepperoni, so it was half-and-half.) in the living room. Both of us were snugly wrapped in terry-cloth robes. Madoka's very casual appearance in the house didn't faze Manami one bit as she helped herself to a slice of pizza (From my side!). "Onii-chan," she said between bites, "Kurumi told me to tell you that she'll be home later on tonight." "Hey, she's a grown woman," I said nonchalantly, "She doesn't need my permission to stay out late." "So I guess you won't be upset to find out that she got into a strange man's Ferrari and went to dinner with him." "WHAAAAAAT??" Needless to say, I was livid! "I thought you said she didn't need your permission to stay out late." Madoka said to me. "That was before I found out SHE'S WITH A MAN!!" "Yeah, and I'm kinda jealous, too." Manami said wistfully. She took another slice of MY SQUID PIZZA!! "What do you mean?" "He said he wasn't little." "'Little'?" Madoka asked. "YAADAAA, Madoka-san'ttara! You know, the thing a guy talks about when he says 'it' isn't 'little'." Madoka blushed a bright red. GRRRRRRR!! Call me indecisive, call me immature; fact of the matter is, Kurumi has gone out on a date with some rich bastard who'll probably demand her feminine virtue as tribute! "Manami, did they say where they were headed?" "No, not to me, but he'd have taken me out too if we'd have beaten him...OOPS!!" "Beaten him at what, if I may ask?" Manami answered in a tiny voice, "Street racing." "EEEEH!! You used MY CAR, in a STREET RACE, WITH A FERRARI ????" Madoka shrieked. Boy, does she sound pissed! "But Kurumi was doing the driving!" Madoka turned to me, a look of bewilderment on her face. "Kyosuke, your sisters are totally NUTS!!" "We'd have won if she'd been paying attention..." "Excuse me again," Madoka interrupted, "How did you expect an Austin Mini to beat a Ferrari, IN A STREET RACE??" "Kurumi was using her power." "Oh." For some reason, that mollified her. "I think we've overlooked something here," I put in, "Kurumi is out with a guy who brags publicly about THE SIZE OF HIS 'THING'!!" "And you've overlooked something, Kyosuke," Madoka said with a slice of pepperoni pizza near her mouth, ''Kurumi-chan is old enough to make her own choices; besides, if that fellow goes too far, she'll just squash him like she did that other guy when she was a kid; remember, Komatsu's older brother?" I had completely forgotten! When she was 13, Kurumi was taken off the street by an unknown man who turned out to be my evil friend Seiji Komatsu's older brother. Manami and I were worried because she had exhausted all her powers that morning and might not have been able to protect herself. He took Kurumi out to a restaurant and allowed her to eat her fill, then tried to put the moves on her. But Kurumi's ESPer abilities were recharged during her feeding frenzy and she used her renewed powers to send him flying into the park reservoir. I tried putting my sister's excursion out of my mind, but... "Hey, that's from my half!" I had picked up a slice of pepperoni pizza and Madoka was defending it. "But Manami ate up my half..." "Gochisou-sama-- it was good, too!" Manami said, wiping her fingers on a paper napkin. CHIKUSHOU!! Out of an ultra-deluxe pie with sixteen slices, I only got to eat one piece! ***** Ryuu Mishima escorted Kurumi to her front door. Despite the young woman's most secret wishes, he behaved like a perfect gentleman. True to his word, he had taken Kurumi to an all-you-can-eat steak house in Shinjuku and watched with horrid fascination as she devoured seven 200 gram, charcoal grilled Kobe steaks in one sitting. Then they strolled along the boulevards in the famous night life district until it was time to take her home. "This was a wonderful evening, Ryuu," Kurumi told him, "Thank you for the dinner and the great time." "I should thank you, Kurumi," he replied, "It was fun being with you..." It would have been greater if you'd have taken me to a hotel, she thought, But you're not getting off easy, pal! She turned around, stretched up and gave Ryuu a deep, soulful kiss. When they broke it, Kurumi was thrilled beyond any other experience she had ever known before. "Kurumi," Ryuu started to say, "That was..." ''Ryuu," Kurumi said, "I want to see you again. To get to know you better and maybe even..." "Kurumi, are you sure? We've only just met!" "Ryuu, I've discovered a couple of great things about you. One, is that you're not some jerk who thinks he can get a girl to bed just because he's rich and the other is that...I'm falling in love with you!" Then Kurumi reached up and kissed him again. ***** The three of us waited in the living room for Kurumi to come home. Despite the fact that she was legally a grown woman, I was still worried about her coming home safe and intact. I'd always been the next in charge after Dad, and he did everything he could to enforce my authority in household matters. It might even be thought of as training for parenthood. "More coffee, Kyosuke?" I heard Madoka ask as she poured another cup. I nodded absentmindedly. "She'll be home soon." she said soothingly. I took up the cup and sipped gingerly from it; this was too good, not the coffee I made an hour ago. "Oh you noticed, it's Ethiopian Ygracheffe. Master sent me an assortment of some exotic beans a while back." It tasted very smooth and mellow; I didn't even bother to put in cream and sugar. Manami must have been keeping a better watch outside because she alerted me. "Onii-chan, I think Kurumi 's home." "When I get finished with her..." "Kyosuke, try to remember she's an adult now." I heard Madoka tell me as I got up and raced to the genkan. That didn't mean anything to me at that point. I was not happy with Kurumi for allowing herself to be picked up on the street and seduced or ravaged or violated or whatever else one can say to mean that she was OUT HAVING SEX!! I saw through the little glass panes in the door that she and THIS GUY WERE KISSING!! I opened the door and bellowed, "KURUMI~~!!!!" The girl turned around with a shocked expression on her face. But the guy looked too familiar: "MISHIMA, HOW DARE YOU~~!!!! THAT'S MY SISTER YOU'RE VIOLATING!!!!" "Oh be quiet, Onii-chan!" Kurumi snapped back, then used her power to shut the door in my face! I fell backwards and landed on my seat, just as Madoka and Manami joined me in the genkan. "Kinda serves you right for buttin' in!" Manami blurted. "I think it's kinda cute," Madoka added. The door opened from the outside and Kurumi brought the guy she was kissing inside the door as far as the flagstones of the entry hall. "Everyone, this is Ryuu Mishima. Ryuu-san, this is my older brother, Kyosuke-san..." "No need to introduce us, Kurumi," he said, "Kasuga and Madoka-san are classmates of mine." "EEEEH?? " Now Kurumi was startled. ''Classmates...you mean..." "Small world, isn't it? Kasuga, I never knew you had such fine-looking sisters" "Kisama~~," I barely restrained a snarl. "I didn't know you were an onna-tarashi, snatching young women off the street!" "For your information, I SNATCHED HIM!!!!" Kurumi screamed. "Look," Madoka interrupted, "Let's everybody calm down and have some tea or coffee or whatever, and discuss this like rational adults, okay?'' One of the wonderful things about Madoka is that despite any initial flare-ups she may have, in the end, she can be relied upon to think and behave calmly and rationally. I suppose that's what saved our relationship from crashing in the early days. Once inside, everybody drank coffee, ate some sembei and tried to get to know Kurumi's new "boyfriend". I already knew Mishima from sharing several classes with him in the humanities, but I didn't know he was a double major in engineering and philosophy. I thought that was a strange combination for a future "salaryman''. "I've got a position lined up in Mishima Heavy Industries after graduation." Mishima said. "Is it coincidental, being named 'Mishima' and working for Mishima?" I asked. "Nope, it's my family's company." "WOW!!" Kurumi exclaimed, "No wonder you're loaded!" "A salaryman's wife has a lonely life," Manami quipped. "When I join the company, the department I'll work in will be concerned with corporate ethics; why do you think I took on a philosophy major on top of all those courses in engineering?" "Because you're a glutton for punishment!" He'll have to be, to date with Kurumi! "Onii-chan, quit judging him!" Kurumi said sharply. She must be really attracted to this guy. I might even be wrong about him. And besides, I really haven't been watching my sisters grow up, so maybe, they're not as flaky as I once believed them to be. "Okay, then let's do this all over," I offered, willing to at least give the man a chance. "My name's Kyosuke Kasuga, I'm a student attending Waseda University majoring in fine arts and also, a working free-lance photojournalist." "All right, I'm Ryuutarou Mishima, also a student at Waseda, majoring in electronic engineering and philosophy." "And I'm Kurumi Kasuga," she chimed in, "I attend Koryo Gakuen University with my sister Manami." "So tell me, Mr. Mishima, how did you get interested in corporate ethics?" Madoka asked. "Well, in our line of work, my family's company develops a vast array of products and services, from family restaurants to advanced robotics and hi-tech weapons systems. My cousin Akiko runs the company very efficiently, but unfortunately not very ethically. Not too long ago, she was almost killed by her own orbiting laser-beam satellite..." WHAT THE...?? JUST WHAT THE HELL IS THIS GUY INVOLVED WITH?? "...so I figured out the best way to put a stop to all future weapons development was as the Ethics Counselor." "How fascinating," Kurumi said, gazing at this guy with goo-goo eyes. I thought it was the stupidest thing I'd ever heard, but then I fell in love with a girl who threw away her hat, hit me seven, eight, maybe even ten times and strung her along with another girl for three and a half years. Maybe I don't have the right to judge. "Ah, it's awful late," Ryuu-san said, getting up from the table, "I should bid all of you a good evening." "Let me walk you to the door," Kurumi offered and took him by the arm. Something inside of me still wanted to break that up! "Kyosuke, I'm proud of you," Madoka said to me, "You're learning to let go." I nodded, but I was still concerned. "Madoka-san," Kurumi got back from escorting Ryuu-san to the door, "Can I ask you something in private?" "Okay." Madoka went off to talk with my sister. She came back with a red face and a tiny smirk. "What was that all about?" I asked. "Women's business...UUUUWAAAA," She yawned and stretched her arms. "Let's go get some sleep." "Would you like to use the guest bedroom?" I wanted to give Madoka the option of being proper. "I think we're past that point; I don't think your sisters will care if we bundle up tonight." In the past, Kurumi and Manami made catching Madoka and me together in bed a kind of spectator sport. I shrugged my shoulders and climbed up the steps, Madoka following right behind. We were snuggled together under my down comforter on my king-sized mattress a few minutes later . "Madoka?" "Yes?" "What did Kurumi ask you about earlier? I'm still her older brother and I do have a responsibility to know." "Well, I won't fight with you over family matters," she said, "Kurumi asked me whether ribbed or knobby condoms..." "WHAAAAAAAT!!!!!" "Kyosuke, please, don't be mad..." I was beyond calming at that point! My little sister was making plans to get SCREWED!!!! I jumped out of bed and teleported into my sisters' room on the first floor. "KURUMI~!! HOW COULD YOU...oh shit...!" I caught them both in the act of getting ready for bed. Manami had already put her pajamas on, but Kurumi was topless, slipping into her night clothes and facing where I materialized in the room. What happened next could have passed for an earthquake in some parts of the country: "KYAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!! ONII-CHAN, GET OUTTA MY ROOM !!!!" A torrent of heavy college textbooks began to come straight at me. Milliseconds before impact, a large bed pillow covered my face before the first book struck me on top of my head. I teleported out of there in a hurry. Madoka was sitting up in my bed with the lights on, waiting for me. "I take back what I said earlier; that was very stupid of you!" she said abruptly, "If I had known that you would have reacted that way, I never would have told you anything!" "The idea of Kurumi giving herself to some guy she just met -- MAKES ME SICK!!!!'' ''Look, you're angry. Calm down, get some rest and maybe you can discuss it with her more rationally in the morning." "But..." "`BUT' NOTHING!! Do you want to lose your sister?" Madoka was right! Unfortunately, a loud thumping on the steps and the pounding on my bedroom door gave notice that the option of a calm discussion was no longer available. The door burst open to admit a very angry young woman whose ESPer powers were more than a match for my own! "Madoka-san," Kurumi said with a threatening growl, "Could you allow me to speak privately with Onii-chan?" "Only if you and I can talk afterwards." Madoka's voice matched Kurumi's rage with a cold, hostile tone. "Agreed." Madoka slipped out of bed, wrapped herself in a dressing gown and left the room. I was now alone. Very much alone. "First of all," Kurumi began, "I AM NOT YOUR GODDAMN PROPERTY!!! I WILL FUCK ANYONE I WANT, ANY TIME I WANT AND I DON'T NEED YOURS OR ANYONE ELSE'S GODDAMN PERMISSION TO DO SO!!!" If she could spit fire like Godzilla, I'd have been toasted! "Second," she continued, "If you ever, I mean EVER, burst into my bedroom like that again, I WILL HURT YOU!!!!" "Is that all--you have to say?" I said that as coldly as I could, but my lower lip trembled as I spoke and I felt like crying. "YES!!!!" Then she stormed out as rudely as she came in. I have seen her angry before, but I think I really deserved that one. She's over twenty years old; a fully-grown adult and entitled to make her own way in the world. I wanted to keep her from making a terrible mistake, but I may have just messed up again. DAMN!! ***** Kurumi slowly descended the stairs to the first floor. The satisfaction she thought she would have in telling off her older brother turned out to be very short-lived. Instead, she felt a crushing sadness in bawling out a man who helped raise her even as he struggled to grow up himself. By the time she reached the bottom step, Kurumi was in tears. "Kurumi-chan, what's wrong?" Madoka asked sympathetically. She guided the stricken young woman into the living room. "I've...I've never been so angry in my whole life..." Kurumi moaned, "I found this really wonderful guy, I bring him home and my brother embarrasses me in front of him, then he comes in on me; he's always been doing that, and then he tries to tell me what to do, how to live my life..." "He's trying to look out for you, Kurumi." Madoka said, "If he didn't, I'd be afraid for him, because he would abandon anybody; you, me, someday even our children, just because he'd be too scared about what we might say or do to him in return. Sometimes it takes real guts to say `no' to someone you love." "I suppose so..." Kurumi sniffed, then asked, "Madoka-san, what's it like to have sex?" "EEEEH?? What kinda question is that?" "I wanna know!! Do you think I don't know what goes on between you and Onii-chan? Like I'm some child who has to be kept in the dark?" "No, it's just that what your brother and I do is very personal between us. It's not something I can talk about just like a TV program." "But I know it's fun! I've seen you two afterwards; you're so close and loving and...I wanna know that feeling, too!" "Your brother and I had to travel a long and difficult road before we got to the point in our relationship where we were able to make love. I'm sure, deep down, he's afraid that if you give yourself to the first good-looking guy that comes along, you'll end up getting really hurt. And trust me, that's a pain that takes a long time to go away, if it ever does go away." "Don't I have a right to take that chance?" "Yes, but think of the suffering you'll cause yourself and your loved ones if it doesn't work out. Hmm...remember that girl who came to the tennis camp we all attended some years back? Her name was Kumiko Oda." "Yeah, I do." "She was a sickly kid who ran away from home and was a lot like you are now, very curious about sex. She met up with your brother and they took shelter together from that big rainstorm. While we were out looking for him, she had taken her clothes off and was trying to get Kyosuke to do it with her. He wouldn't because he knew that it would have been wrong. Without love, sex is an act just like taking a pee; the urge gets out of the way and you feel all empty inside. When I found Kyosuke in that shack, I wanted to dump him then and there! I thought he took that girl and used her, but then she explained that he WOULDN'T have sex with her. She said that she was going to have an operation and that she didn't think she'd make it. She didn't want to die without having experienced 'The Joy of Sex'. I think you know the rest." "Yes, during Obon, we all lit floating lanterns and prayed for Kumiko-chan's safe recovery." "Uh-huh. Meeting that girl taught me that sex is too important to spend on the first desire that comes along. I wasn't as sure of your brother back then as I am now, but believe me, when we make love, the operative word is LOVE!" "Hmm, I see..." "Go to your brother, Kurumi-chan. Apologize for the yelling and screaming and forgive him for what he tried to do. If he didn't care a lot for you, he wouldn't have done what he did. And if I know Kyosuke, he probably feels worse for having confronted you about the issue. A brother and sister shouldn't get into a fight over something like this." "You're right," Kurumi embraced Madoka; the hug drained all of the younger girl's anger and sadness away. "Thank you very much, Madoka-san." "It's okay, Kurumi-chan." Then Kurumi went purposefully back upstairs to Kyosuke's room. ***** I sat up in my bed in the darkened room, thinking about how I messed things up. I took a nearly perfect evening with Madoka and turned it into a disaster that blew the joy out of the whole occasion. I hope that Kurumi will forgive me someday... KNOCK-KNOCK!! "Onii-chan, can I come in?" That was Kurumi's voice! "Uh-huh." The girl came in the door and took a seat on the edge of my bed. I reached over and switched on the lamp. Kurumi appeared as if she had been crying; she turned to me with an repentant look on her face. "Onii-chan, I was very out of line earlier this evening. I want to apologize to you for what I said. I understand that you really do care about me and didn't want to see me get hurt. I humbly ask your forgiveness in having transgressed against you." I was very impressed! Madoka had asked to talk with her after she got through yelling at me, so this must be the result. However, I had to say something to her in return: "Kurumi, I must also apologize to you. I didn't want to see you get hurt, but I'm afraid my zeal overrode my common sense. I need to remember that you're a grown woman now and that I have to treat you like one. Therefore, I also ask your forgiveness." "Not 'humbly' ask my forgiveness?" Her wide-eyed expression showed just the slightest trace of annoyance. "Okay, I humbly and respectfully beg forgiveness, 'Onee-sama'." "Done deal!" Then she hugged me. I could feel a warmth flowing in her, as if a great weight had been lifted from her heart. "" she whispered, using up her meager knowledge of English. " Kurumi-chan." I don't call her "Kurumi-chan" very often. Maybe I ought to. Just as Kurumi was leaving, Madoka came in, took off her robe and slipped into bed next to me. "Okaeri." I greeted her. "Tadaima." she responded. "I guess you and Kurumi-chan patched things up?" "Yep. Thanks for what you said to her. It must have made quite an impression." "I thought so. By the way, I don't think she'll be selling herself cheaply to Ryuu Mishima." "Well, that IS good news. What did you talk to her about?" "Seduction techniques!" "EEEEEEEH!!" "Just kidding! You gotta learn not to overreact!" "Yeah, but half the fun wouldn't be here if I didn't. You ready to go to sleep?" I reached for the lamp. "Well, I..." Madoka moved over and started kissing my face quite passionately, then snaked her hand inside my pajama bottoms! "Hey, what is this...?" Like I really needed an explanation! "Kyou-chaaaan..." Madoka was talking sexy to me, "I want to show you how I play the shakuhachi..." The two of us didn't get much sleep the rest of that night! ***** Kurumi readied herself for bed with an entirely different attitude. "You 'bout ready to call it a night?" Manami asked sleepily from her bed. "Yeah." "You know, you can really hurt somebody when you throw books like that." "I know. I said I was sorry and Onii-chan apologized for busting in, too." "I'm happy for you. I found a present for you while we were out." "Eh? When?" "Quit asking questions and look under your pillow." Kurumi did as she had been told and discovered a weighty object with an ominous shape: "What the...a vi-vi-vibra..." "Shhhh! If you're gonna use it tonight, keep the noise down!" "Manami-chan, 'ecchi'!" "What's more 'ecchi', me giving it to you, or you using it?" "It's all 'ecchi'!" "Well, then, give it back! I still got the receipt." "Bu'n bu'n bu'n bu'n bu'n! Manami-chan, thanks a lot!" "Don't mention it." Kurumi couldn't believe getting such a weird gift from her sister. Manami wore a smug, satisfied grin in the dark; she had found it at a two-for-one sale! Which Way Do We Wed? It was in a place that was not my home, that I saw my grandparents and fiancée talking together. However, it didn't look like that they were having a friendly little chat. As I got closer, I could hear what they were saying. It sounded like an argument in progress. "Madoka-chan," Grandma pleaded, "Please think about what you are doing! All members of the Kasuga Clan must marry in our family shrine." "I will not!" Madoka responded coldly, "Either we marry our way or THERE WON'T BE ANY WEDDING!!" "Please," I begged, "Is there no way we can do this to everyone's satisfaction?" "For over two thousand years," Grandfather intoned, "Every Kasuga without fail, has taken their mate within the confines of the family shrine. To violate this is to disrupt the ancient legacy bequeathed to the Clan!" He recited, "As it was in the Beginning, as it is in the Present and as it shall be unto the End of all Time, it is the Sacred Duty of every Member of the Spring-Day Clan to Sanctify their Union in the Shrine where the Gods shall pass Judgment upon those who seek to Procreate!" "What are we going to do?" Madoka asked me. "Yes, Kyosuke," Grandfather added, "Which shall it be?" "Which shall it be?" My Grandfather's question began to echo: "WHICH SHALL IT BE??" "WHICH SHALL IT BE???" "WHICH SHALL IT BE????" "WHICH..." I awakened with a start in a cold sweat and my heart racing as if I was facing a major crisis! It was a yochimu, a dream of the future. While my sisters and I were powerful users of telekinesis and teleportation, only I had the ability to see the shape of things to come in my dreams. It was a talent I could have easily lived without. On many occasions, my dreams could be easily misinterpreted. There was even a time when I got it entirely wrong. When I was just getting to know Madoka, I dreamt that she would tell me that I was the lowest man on earth and that she no longer wanted to be with me. Then later that day, I heard her telling me that I was the best person she had ever met. I figured out afterwards that I was seeing the dream from the opposite pole; my head was oriented towards the foot of my bed! I checked myself just in case...I was properly aligned. I knew then that my dream could well become a fact! I heard a knock on my door, then Manami poked her head inside. "Onii-chan, breakfast is ready. Coming?" "Yeah, yeah," "Well, hurry up or it'll get cold." She pulled her head out and left. I went over to my sink to splash water on my face. I saw through the window that it was a gorgeous morning, complete with sunshine, cloudless skies and a few birds returning from the warmer latitudes. Spring was beginning to show itself here in Tokyo. I dried my face, dressed myself in pants and a casual shirt and went down to breakfast. I found the whole family was there: Dad, my sisters, even my cousins Akane and Kazuya had joined the table. Akane was 23, also in her last year in college. Kazuya was 13 and as expected, looked exactly like me at that age. He was soon to start Middle School. "Morning, Kyosuke!" Dad said from his place at the head of the table. I bowed my head in acknowledgment and took my place at the chair to his right. "You look down, Kyosuke," Akane asked. "Something bothering you, Kyosuke-niichan?" Kazuya put in. "Don't mind him," Kurumi said, "Some mornings, he acts crummy like this!" "Not now, Kurumi!" I grumbled back at her, "I had a bad dream, okay?!" "Is that all?" I heard her voice, but didn't know she was here. "Madoka?" ", '' she said from in the kitchen. She had borrowed Manami's apron and with her hair tied up and her back turned, she looked exact like my sister would at the stove. Then I noticed Manami was seated at the table next to Kurumi. Yep, I was definitely not myself. "Oh-oh, Kyosuke is really upset," Dad said, "Another yochimu?" "Probably," I answered, "My dream had something in it about a family shrine." "There is such a place, " Akane put in, ''It's among the most secret and most sacred of our family's ancient legacies." "If it's so secret, why do you know of it?" I asked. Madoka set a plate of fried eggs and a bowl of rice before me: "Thanks, Love." "Anything for my beloved Kyou-chan." she said, pouring me a cup of coffee that had a wonderful aroma. I took a sip: "This is very good!" "It's my own secret blend and I'm not telling!" "It's no secret, Madoka-oneechan," Kazuya said after sipping from his cup. "Two parts Colombian Supremo, one part Kenya AA and a tiny portion of Jamaican Blue Mountain!" "And since when did you become a coffee connoisseur, Kazuya-kun?" she asked him. "It's the ABCB House Special. I can taste the robustness of the Supremo, augmented by the touch of Blue Mountain and mellowed by the Kenya AA." The runt was right. Those were the characteristics of a blend Master taught Madoka to make for the old coffee shop. "So, Akane," I asked her, "What is this 'secret and sacred place' of the Kasuga Clan?" "When I was 13, Grandpa took me to the family shrine in the valley of our ancestors. He told me that there was where our clan was formed and where all subsequent Kasugas are to be married, according to the rites of Shinto." "Yes, I remember now," Dad said, "That's where I married Mother." "Does everybody else know of this place BUT ME??" I groaned. "The reason why I was told is because I'm to be the miko." Akane said. "The miko?" Madoka asked. She had fixed herself a plate and seated herself at the table next to me. "But you're not there full-time, are you?" "No, but I'm supposed to help with the wedding service. I'll be doing yours too, Madoka-chan." "Oh, but I'm planning to have the ceremony in a church." Akane didn't react to Madoka's statement about her wedding plans. She tucked into her miso soup with an attitude that suggested that we might not have a choice in the matter. Maybe she knew something that I didn't. Oh brother, I can see where this is headed and what the argument will be about. "Kyosuke," Madoka asked, "That dream about the family shrine upset you. Why?" "I'd rather talk about it later, okay?" "Okay." The doorbell rang. Manami got up to answer it and we heard, "Grandpa, Grandma!" "Long time no see!" Grandfather said, striding into the big living/dining room. After everybody got into the round of hugs, Madoka offered my grandparents breakfast, which they politely declined: "Baa-san fed me good and solid earlier this morning. However, we brought you folks some things," A huge box floated into the room from the outer hallway and landed on the floor near the kitchen entrance. The flaps popped open and Grandmother's traditional gift of fresh vegetables and river trout taken from the stream that passes through their land flew out of the box and into the refrigerator. Madoka, despite her long association with me and my sisters, was astonished as the food was levitated into the kitchen thanks to the powers of my grandparents. "Why do you look so surprised, Madoka-chan?" Grandmother asked, "Surely you know all about us by now." "I've watched the 'power' in use a few times, but this was the most potent demonstration I've ever seen." "This is but merest capability we possess," Grandfather said, "Why we even have the power to alter the time-space continuum!" "Ojii-san," Grandmother interrupted, "Shouldn't we get to the point of our visit?" "You're right, Baa-san. There's one more thing that we brought with us," Grandfather waved his hand and caused another, smaller package to come out of the main carton. This box was an elaborate case, covered in white silk and wrapped with a tasseled cord. The cord untied itself to release the cover, then a bundle came out and, shedding it's protective tissues, unfolded to become a beautiful robe of white silk, woven with a pattern of cranes. The cloth seemed to shimmer with its own light. "A shiromuku? It...it's gorgeous..." Madoka stuttered from amazement, "I've never seen anything like it before." "It's part of the Kasuga hanayomeishou, the same one I wore to my own wedding ceremony," Grandmother explained, "Family legends say that this was made from part of the juu-ni-hitoé worn at the wedding of The Princess Kasuga over 1200 years ago." "There's something else inside the box." Grandfather said, then he used his powers to withdraw another object, wrapped in a white silk pouch fastened with a tasseled cord. "That's a kaiken," Madoka identified the implement, "A Knife of Remembrance." "You're a very bright young lady," Grandfather complimented, "Not very many young women are so knowledgeable about such things." Madoka removed the knife from its sheath and examined it. The blade gleamed with an unearthly light and as she learned the hard way, had a very keen edge. She licked her thumb to stop the bleeding. "It's the same one Princess Kasuga owned and it's been worn at the wedding ceremonies of all Kasuga women." "Incredible, it all looks brand new. It's a shame that I won't be able to use any of it." Oops, she said it. Grandfather showed just a trace of anger in his voice as he asked, "Why, Madoka-chan?" "Because Kyosuke and I are going to marry in a church ceremony." "Have you cleared this with Kyosuke?" Grandmother asked, seeing what must have been the surprised look on my face. "No, I had assumed that Kyosuke would have no objection, right?" Madoka looked to me to have the answer she wanted to hear. "So Kyosuke, what is your decision in this matter?" Grandfather asked me pointedly. "You are not only the man, but also a Kasuga and heir to the leadership of the Clan." "Grandpa," Kurumi interrupted, "Onii-chan can't even decide what pair of socks to put on! You can't rely on him to make any kind of decision like that!" AAAGH!!!! THAT WRETCHED SISTER OF MINE!!!! But her dumb utterance actually bought me more time; I asked, "Grandpa, just what is the family shrine?" "I never had the chance to tell you of this place, Kyosuke," Grandfather answered, "Because your father wished you and your sisters to grow up as normally as possible. I respected that wish, in memory of your father's great love for my daughter and his willingness to forgo his own name for the sake of the Kasuga Clan. But now that you are about to marry, it is your right to know something of your heritage." Good. A nice long story is just what I need: even more time in order to make my decision. "As it was recorded in the Kojiki," Grandfather began, "our land was formed by the Gods from the drops of ocean brine falling from the tip of the Jeweled Spear of Heaven..." "Grandpa," Kurumi, AGAIN!! "That has almost nothing to do with us." "Well, EXCUSE ME!! I'm getting to that part! Our ancestors built the family shrine on the spot where we believe we originated in this world. For over two thousand years," Grandpa intoned, "Every Kasuga without fail, has taken their mate within the confines of the shrine. To violate this is to disrupt the ancient legacy of our family!" He recited, "As it was in the Beginning, as it is in the Present and as it shall be unto the End of all Time, it is the Sacred Duty of every Member of the Spring-Day Clan to Sanctify their Union in the Shrine where the Gods shall pass Judgment upon those who seek to Procreate!" I had a feeling he was going to say that! But I had to ask my father... "Dad, is that true? Did you and Mom..." "Well, it isn't polite for a gentleman to 'kiss and tell', but yes." "Well, I'm not against the consummation part," Madoka said, "But I have an objection to getting married in a traditional wedding ceremony." "Why is that, Madoka-chan?" Grandmother asked sympathetically. She might be on Madoka's side. "It's the symbolism. The white kimono is a mark of death. Although I'm sure the cranes on the cloth represent good fortune, I would become symbolically dead to my parents when I leave my old family. I would wear a tsunokakushi, a headdress indicating that I would suppress my jealousy. Additionally, the bride wears a kaiken as a pledge of life or death as she assumes her responsibilities to her husband. Were her marriage to fail, she would have no choice but to use it to end her life." "But no one does that anymore!" Akane inserted. "Even so, I have also watched several other people marry in a church, including my own older sister. I am inspired by the wedding vows; by the fact that the bride and groom must pledge their love and fidelity; 'Until Death us do Part'. To me, that represents what Kyosuke and I feel for each other." "Takashi," Grandfather addressed my dad, "Did you not love my daughter?" "I did, Father. We loved each other and went through with the traditional ceremony in the shrine." "Madoka-chan," Grandmother added, "I too, loved my husband and underwent the traditional ceremony. Everything you've said is correct, but that still didn't mean that I loved my husband less, only that I respect the family traditions as much as my husband does. I was also born a Chou-Nou-Ryoku-Sha. There was no alternative." "So Kyosuke, which shall it be?" Grandfather asked again. I had decided what I must do. "Grandpa, Grandma, Madoka and I will marry in a church ceremony, as this is our wish. If it is all right with you, we can do your ceremony afterwards in the family shrine." There, I said it! I braced myself for the consequences to come. Madoka nodded her head in agreement, since she saw that traditions are important in my family. Grandfather stood up very quickly: "Takashi, please have a talk with your son! Baa-san!" Grandmother joined him by standing up and they teleported out of the living room! "I hope they didn't go out into the street like that..." Dad said worriedly. "Kyosuke, YOU WERE TERRIFIC!!" Madoka wrapped her arms around me and boldly kissed me on the mouth, right in front of everybody! "Why don't you show us how to make a baby; JEEZ!!" Kurumi groused. "Man, I'm learning somethin' already!" Kazuya put in. Madoka broke the kiss. "Why'd you tell him 'no'?" she asked, "Madoka, you've always told me how much you love a man who tries his best, even if he comes up short. When you told Grandpa how much you believed in a church ceremony, I knew that in order for you to be happy, that was how it must be. Preserving your happiness is my first duty to you." I watched as a smile broadened on Madoka's face, then she stepped back and bowed deeply. "I am very honored that you think of me in that way." "That took balls, Kyosuke," Akane congratulated me with a pat on the back, "Be sure to hang on to 'em, though, 'cause you'll need 'em when Grandpa gets back!" "Dad, weren't you supposed to say something to me?" "Er...how about, 'You were a good son and I'll miss you...' " "I don't think that's what Grandpa had in mind, Papa." Manami entered into the fray. Just then, Grandfather and Grandmother teleported back in. "Kyosuke, your grandmother is a very persuasive woman," Grandfather began, "So I've decided to let you off the hook. Go ahead and have your church wedding. However, don't look for Baa-san and me to attend!" "Honored Grandfather," Madoka asked, "Please reconsider. It will be a beautiful occasion." "Madoka-chan, don't worry, you will receive your wedding presents from myself and the other members of the Kasuga Clan. We are very dutiful about such matters. We might also choose to come to the reception. But my wife and I won't be in the church. Baa-san, let us go!" My grandparents left, taking the hanayomeishou with them. "Kyosuke," Madoka said sadly, "I feel like I've done them a terrible wrong." "Don't worry," I replied, "Grandfather is a bit stubborn, but he is also a good man. Whenever you and the others went to his house, I would ask him to refrain from using his powers to avoid revealing our family's secret. It would hurt his pride, but he did as I asked, so that I wouldn't have to leave you." "Well, when we do their ceremony in the family shrine, I will wear the hanayomeishou." "You don't have to give up your principles, sweetheart." "Oh, it's not a matter of principle. I didn't like the symbolism, but I also know that our love is something I trust enough to survive something like my 'death' as an Ayukawa and 'rebirth' as a Kasuga. Besides," she whispered in my ear, "I'm looking forward to our wedding night in a Shintô shrine. It ought to be kinky!" That evening, we sat up in my room watching TV. During a commercial break, Madoka asked me, "Why were you so upset this morning about that dream you said you had?'' I told her about my yochimu, how her conflict with my grandparents over the wedding ceremony devolved into my having to choose between my family and my fiancée. "I know it sounds funny, but I had a similar dream," she said. "I saw myself having to choose between a ceremony I wanted and one your grandparents picked out for me. I went and looked up all that stuff I quoted, about the symbolism of the white kimono, the tsunokakushi and the kaiken. I also saw myself getting involved in strange happenings and I became afraid..." "What did you see?" "I'm not certain; maybe they're just a figment of my own imagination. Anyway, let's put it out of our minds, we have a while yet to go..." She drew up closer to me as the program resumed. I put my arm around her and I could feel her emotions settling down. It could be that her possession of the Mahou-no-Tama, the magical stone that amplifies the inner good she has within her, is giving her a small measure of ESPer ability. Later, we learned that the Mahou-no-Tama reacts with Madoka's mind and body to share a small measure of my powers. Wearing the stone allows her to see the future through yochimu or perform mild telepathic communications with myself and other family members. With training and practice, Madoka might someday be able to use telekinesis, although she will not be able to perform at the same strength as a true Chou-Nou-Ryoku-Sha. Love Hangover On the morning after graduation, daylight forces its way through the window sheers into the dining room. I looked at Madoka across the table from me. Her hair is seriously mussed and her eyes were red, half-closed from fatigue and barely showing any signs of life. I see my own reflection in a glass pane of the china cabinet. I look much the same, too! My face feels sticky with gunk and my mouth tastes like stale saké with chunks of crud stuck in my teeth. We were still in our graduation outfits. I was wearing a suit and tie, while Madoka was dressed in a revival of an old costume from the turn of the century, a kimono worn with hakama, which allowed her to walk more freely than a kimono worn by itself normally allowed. After we received our diplomas, we attended one graduation party after another, eating very little and drinking a lot. I don't recall a lot of what went on or how we got home, why Madoka didn't go to her own house (Not that I didn't want her to stay over), or why both of us look like warmed-over zombies. As I become more aware of my surroundings, I realize my head hurts like crazy! "Goo' mornin' boyfriend; you're lookin' real bad!" Madoka mumbled, looking at me through her heavily lidded eyes. "Goo' mornin' yourself, lookin' all shitty!" Hopefully, neither one of us will hold this against the other. Madoka twisted her head to look in a mirror installed behind me. "You're right; I do look like shit! Heh-heh-heh..." She started to laugh slowly, then built up speed. I joined in until we were laughing as loudly as we could, despite the headaches, queasy stomachs and general yucky-ness of his 'n hers hangovers. "Jeez, quit it!" Kurumi stumbled into the dining room. "My head hurts...I gotta throw up...URRRRP!!" She ran for the toilet and just made it inside the door: "UWASHHHH...SPLAASSSHHH...!!'' Now Madoka and I lost it and howled! "Onii-chan, Madoka-san," Manami came in to the room. "You ought to be ashamed of yourselves, making Kurumi drink four whisky sours..." "Heck," Madoka began, "I only had FOUR myself and I'm used to...oh no..." She clamped a hand over her mouth, got up and ran for the w.c. just as Kurumi came out, looking relieved. "KOFF, KOFF, UWASHHHH...SPLASHHH!!" "You all right?" I asked "Yeah..." Her voice echoed from the w.c., "Now that I think more carefully about it, I might have drank SEVEN!!" "Alas, you poor thing...URRRRPP!!" My poor stomach protested keeping down any quantity of undigested alcohol, raw squid, vinegared rice and seaweed. I WAS ABOUT TO THROW UP!! I dashed for the john and made it just inside the door when, "URRRRRWAAAASH!!" Some of it splashed inside the bowl; the rest, well..."Somebody, please get me the mop and bucket!" "YAADAAAA, ONII-CHAN-TTARA!!!!" "Kampai!" Madoka and I clinked our glasses and downed healthy servings of Alka Seltzer, garnished with slices of lemon and decorated with bamboo parasols. We swallowed them in one gulp, then refilled the glasses with plain club soda. "I'm starting to feel a lot better." Madoka said, relaxing on the sofa. "Me too. I didn't think alcohol would've affected us like that." "I guess we had a little more than what we thought we did..." she smiled. "Onii-chan, Madoka-san," Manami interrupted our discussion, "There's a big truck in front of the house and one of the drivers says that there's a delivery for us." "Oh?" I PRACTICALLY FORGOT!! "Say, Madoka, can you come upstairs with me?" "Ugh, I don't feel like..." "It ain't for THAT, just come on!" "All right..." My fiancée reluctantly got up off of the couch and proceeded out of the living room. I whispered to Manami, "Sign the slip for me, please." and followed Madoka up the steps. "There's something coming in that you don't want me to see, eh?" she asked me as we entered my room. "What makes you say that?" "Woman's intuition." She flopped down on my mattress, "Let's neck." "Huh? I thought you didn't feel like..." "Boy, you've got a dirty mind! I didn't mean 'all the way', let's just neck!" That did manage to keep her from seeing her surprise while it was being brought in. And besides, we enjoyed it. Half an hour later, we were sipping chilled club sodas, our clothes in disarray and our senses slowly returning to normal (Necking with her is such sweet torture!). Madoka's top was unfastened to show off her filmy, lacy bra with wet marks where my mouth had been planted on her bosom. She sipped her drink through a straw with her eyes concentrating on the top of the can. I tipped my can into my mouth, stealing glances at her body while she sat across from me. "You don't have to be sneaky about it, my love," she said, "I'm all yours." She took a finger and deftly flicked open the front clasp, allowing her creamy breasts to spring free. I WANTED TO DIVE RIGHT IN BETWEEN THEM !!!! "Kyosuke!" I looked up from my soda can. MADOKA STILL HAD ON HER BRA!! "Somebody's knocking at the door!" she said. KNOCK-KNOCK!! She was right. My imagination runneth over! I closed the waistband on my slacks while Madoka fixed her top. "Come in!" "Onii-chan, Madoka-san," Manami said, pushing her head inside, "It's ready." "Coming." We went downstairs to see what had been delivered. Madoka turned the corner and gasped, "Ohhhhhh!" She gawked for a few moments at a brand new baby grand piano that I had ordered for the living room a few days before. I knew that at her parents' house, she had a regular piano for personal practice and a MIDI keyboard for composing as a songwriter. I thought that by getting a piano for her, I'd be supporting her ambition of becoming a famous musician, just like her mother and father. "I never thought...I'd have one...in your house..." she said, somewhat shakily with emotion. "It'll soon be your home, too. I thought it only fitting and proper to have a piano in here." She sat down at the keyboard and pecked at the keys, testing the notes. Then she began to play a melody I recognized as the one she wrote for me after I won the university photo contest, the one she premiered the night we made love our first time: "Kyosuke #1" "It sounds beautiful." I said. "Yes, it's in perfect tune." she replied, keeping up the performance. Kurumi and Manami came in the room, hearing the music coming out of the piano. "Wow!" Kurumi exclaimed, "Manami-chan said a piano was delivered, but this is fantastic!" "That's great, Madoka-san." Manami joined in, then all of us refrained from further talking until Madoka finished the piece. "May I?" Kurumi asked Madoka, who vacated the bench and allowed her to take over the instrument. Kurumi began to play. "That's Claude Debussy's 'Deux Arabesques #1'," Madoka said, admiring Kurumi's keyboard technique. "I had to quit taking lessons when I was ten..." Kurumi said from the keyboard. "Because you used your powers during a rehearsal for your recital!" Manami chided. "The teacher would've given me top billing!" "Come on, Kurumi!" I inserted, "Using your powers to impress others is cheating, pure and simple! That was also the fourth time we had to move!" "If you like," Madoka put in, " I'll give you lessons again, if you promise not to use your powers. Real music must come from the heart, okay?" "Okay, Madoka-san." Kurumi continued her impromptu recital with "Claire de Lune". "Although if you sound this good now," Madoka asked, "Why do think you need more lessons?" Kurumi lifted her hands from the keyboard; THE PIANO CONTINUED TO PLAY BY ITSELF!! "KURUMI, YOU'RE INCORRIGIBLE!!!!" I shouted. Everybody else just laughed. "What can you play without using your powers?" Madoka asked. Kurumi stopped the piano, then set her hands back on the keyboard. What came out sounded like "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star". "Keep that up," Madoka said, then got on the bench and went to work, adding harmonies until it became what I knew was called a variation on a theme. As Kurumi played the original melody, Madoka improvised around the original tune, turning a simple song into an intricate performance. When they finished, Manami and I applauded. "That was wonderful, Madoka-san!" Manami said, "I want to learn, too!" "No problem," Madoka replied, "I'll be happy to give lessons to both of you ." And so, Madoka endeared herself to Kurumi and Manami as their piano teacher. Even at this late stage, my sisters saw in her, the mother-figure they sorely missed throughout their lives and Madoka, having a strong maternal instinct, seemed happy to fill that role. Later that evening, I was relaxing in the living room. Madoka had gone home to her parents house for her family's celebration of her graduation. Manami was in the kitchen preparing dinner. Father was in the darkroom developing pictures taken at the commencement. Kurumi, on the other hand... "Onii-chan, how do I look?" I turned my head toward Kurumi and gasped! She had changed clothes and was wearing a very nice blue Chinese dress, one that she had acquired after starting college. She had also styled her hair and made up her face quite tastefully. "You look, well, different than your usual..." I don't know why I said it like that. "I bet you don't talk to Madoka-san like that when she gets all dressed up!" "Well, I'm not marrying YOU!!" "You look great, Kurumi." That was Father! He must've come up from the darkroom. "Are you going out somewhere?" "Uh-huh. Ryuu Mishima's coming to pick me up." "Ah, so that's why you're all dolled up!" I remarked. "You had your chance to say something nice, Onii-chan," Kurumi shot back, "now SHUT UP!!" DING-DONG!! The doorbell rang at that moment. Kurumi ran to get it. "Good evening, Kasuga family!" Ryuu Mishima came in, wearing what must have been an expensive designer suit. "You must've recovered nicely from last night," I responded. "Hah! Nothing some ginseng extract couldn't fix." "I'll have to try that next time." "Don't anyone wait up for me, okay!" Kurumi said from the genkan as she left the house. After that horrible argument we had, I swore to myself I wouldn't interfere again. Kurumi is also entitled to grow up. "Dinner's ready!" Manami called from the dining room as she set the table. My stomach had done a complete 180 from this morning and I was raring to eat! ***** The Mishima family celebration for Ryuu's graduation was held on the grounds of the family's spacious living compound. Many of the magnificent homes looked freshly restored and the landscaping appeared to be new plantings of sod and hedgerows. However, a few strange things were still noticeable in the park. "My cousin Akiko had a brief tussle with her ex-husband here last year." Ryuu said somewhat casually while driving them into the complex. "What'd they use, high explosives?" Kurumi indicated a crater that was marked for filling. "Well, yes, I believe they did." "I suppose if we have a fight," Kurumi joked, "I'll find a grenade under my pillow, eh?" "No, it'll probably be an attack helicopter or an anti-tank vehicle outside your house." "EEEEH??" "Just kidding!" "I'm not so sure of that..." "I promise you, Kurumi, there won't be any heavy weapons, okay?" "Okay. You did say that Akiko-san had an 'explosive' personality." He chuckled at the pun. Nothing more was said about arguments and fights as Ryuu escorted Kurumi to the celebration held in the banquet room of the main house, belonging to the founder of Mishima Heavy Industries. Ryuu introduced Kurumi to all of the family members and guests attending the party as his "girlfriend", something Kurumi didn't mind one bit. She shook hands with Akiko Mishima-Natsume, the company's president, finding her a calculating woman. She bowed respectfully to the company's founder, known to all in the room as "Grandfather Mishima", discovering a warm, insightful personality, mellowed by his advanced years. In addition to Ryuu, several other members of the large and powerful Mishima family had completed their university studies and were waiting to take their places in the family corporate hierarchy. The celebration included drinks, a buffet and live music. After about an hour, Kurumi found the event somewhat tiring and Ryuu offered to show her his bachelor pad on the estate. This was the moment she had been waiting for. She also knew that before she could make love to Ryuu, she must entrust him with the knowledge of her ESPer powers. "Wow, what a great apartment!" Kurumi exclaimed as she was led inside the main room. "It's quite modest, actually," Ryuu explained, "When I get married, I'll be assigned a new house on the compound, and as I move up in the corporate structure, the house will get bigger." "Well, this place is nothing to be embarrassed about." The main room was furnished with a kitchen area, a private bath and a spacious living area with a sofa and home theater system. "Hey? This stuff's even better than what my papa had put in just a few months ago." Kurumi gushed over the video gear. "Well, Mishima does produce top-notch video entertainment systems, plus we're at the forefront of High-Definition TV research in Japan...mmmmh...." Ryuu was suddenly confronted with a highly charged situation as Kurumi moved in close and planted a long, romantic kiss on his lips. He found himself reacting strongly and positively to Kurumi's advance, kissing her back with equal intensity. They stumbled over to the couch and collapsed upon it without breaking their concentration or their kiss. Kurumi lifted her chin, presenting her neck to be stimulated, feeling free from all inhibitions, yet Ryuu stopped and drew back, flushed red in his face as he struggled to recover his equilibrium. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Maybe we should slow down a bit, eh?" "Is it because..." She fished in her handbag and drew out a condom packet. "I came ready." "It's not that, Kurumi. I think we ought to wait a while before we cross that bridge." "Why, Ryuu? I LOVE YOU!!" Kurumi was nearing tears. "Kurumi, I love you, too. I care too much about you to take you in a fit of lust. When it's right, I'll be the happiest man on earth to accept all that you are offering me and return it to you in kind." Kurumi thought about what Ryuu just said. It sounded a lot like Madoka's advice to her a couple of months ago. "I guess you're right," she admitted, "I've been so busy trying to follow my brother's lead, I'd forgotten what a price he's had to pay." "Eh?" Kurumi told Ryuu about how she watched Kyosuke's involvement with two girls throughout high school and how he suffered from both his longing for Madoka and his inability to decide between her and her best friend, Hikaru Hiyama. "I see. Well, let me offer you the hospitality of my home, minus the sex, of course." "Thank you Ryuu, I accept your offer, minus the sex, of course." Ryuu gave Kurumi first use of his bath and provided her with a set of pajamas, sending her dress out to be cleaned and pressed for the morning. Then after he had gotten cleaned up and comfortable, the two spend the rest of the night on the sofa, watching satellite TV, eating potato chips and just enjoying each other's company. By dawn the next day, Kurumi discovered that she was just as satisfied and just as much in love with Ryuu as if she had given herself totally to him. "So, am I going to have to settle for nights with you only like this?" she asked him jokingly. "Uh-uh. But I want our first time together to be special, so that we'll always remember it fondly." "I can agree with that. By the way, what's for breakfast?" "Anything you want. Room service is part of the fringe benefits here." "Room service?" Kurumi was intrigued. "Yep. This is, after all, a bachelor's apartment building." "Well, in that case, I'll have..." A shocked Ryuu Mishima duly transmitted to the kitchen staff a huge breakfast order which constituted something from each of the five nutritional food groups plus the rest of the food chain put together! "Gochisou-sama deshita!" Kurumi thanked her host for the meal as she dabbed daintily at her lips with a napkin. Ryuu could only look at his dining table in bewilderment as a sizable quantity of food dishes lay empty. "That was really nice." "Where does it all go?" Ryuu wondered aloud, "A team of sumo wrestlers couldn't have eaten as much as you just did..." "I need you to listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you." Kurumi revealed her secret abilities as a member of the Kasuga clan; the fact that she was a Chou-Nou-Ryoku-Sha. "I hope that what I've said doesn't change your feelings for me." Ryuu shook his head. "No, Love. I'm very glad that you shared that with me...er, you don't always have to eat like that, do you?" "No, I'm still growing. My appetite will level off after I'm 23 or 24, my grandma told me..." "That's good." "Although," Kurumi continued, "I'm told when I'm pregnant, it'll get twice as big...RYUU!!" He had keeled over in a dead faint! ***** I was sitting at my computer in the study, composing captions for photographs to be assembled in a new art book Father and I were working on. Manami had gone on to class, beginning her fourth year in college. Kurumi had not come home last night. I tried as hard as I could to let things be. I kept telling myself, "She's a grown woman. She knows how to handle herself. She knows not to sell herself too cheaply..." BEEP-BEEP!! I heard a car's horn in the driveway. I looked out of the window. Kurumi was behind the wheel of a snazzy-looking red sports car. I WAS...well...VERY CONCERNED!!!! Maybe that damned Mishima bought my sister's virtue with a damn automobile! I teleported to the genkan and opened the front door, walked over to the car as Kurumi was getting out from behind the wheel. She was wearing the silk dress from last night. "Good morning, Onii-chan!" Kurumi said as she closed the car door, "Ryuu's company is letting me use this neat car..." "And how much did it cost?" I know what I told myself. I know she's all grown up, but... "Nothing happened, Onii-chan. I told him I loved him, he told me he loved me, but for your information, and because I know you're concerned about my wellbeing, I am telling you that we did not do anything. We sat on his sofa and watched TV all night, okay?" I felt RELIEVED!! "I gotta get changed for school; today's registration day. Don't worry about breakfast, I ate at Ryuu's place." (She probably ATE Ryuu's place!) Kurumi dashed inside and came out a few seconds later in a less elaborate outfit for school (Yes, she used the power!), jumped in the car and sped off. In a way, I was kind of proud of her. She learned just like I did that you don't always have to sleep with someone to show that you love him or her. After I went back inside, the phone rang. "Kasuga here." "Kasuga? Ryuu Mishima." "Yeah?" "Man, you won't believe me when I tell you..." "Kurumi was just here; she said you didn't 'do' her..." "That part's true. What I wanted to ask you is, ARE YOU PEOPLE FOR REAL?? I mean she eats like a monster, says that she can make things move with her mind, disappear and reappear in different places, change the flow of time..." "Ryuu-san, I think you need to meet the whole family to hash this out. If you're going to go out with my sister, you'd better know the truth." That evening, Ryuu Mishima listened with rapt attention as my sisters and I explained our origins and demonstrated our abilities as Chou-Nou-Ryoku-Sha. To his credit, Mishima didn't show any signs of revulsion or trepidation. I was immediately reminded of the story of how my old man faced down my grandfather in asking for my mother's hand. For that alone, Ryuu-san earned my respect. "I accept everything you've told me," Mishima finally said, "but that doesn't change how I feel for you, Kurumi. Whatever comes to pass, your secret is safe with me." Then he pulled a small box out of his pocket. "I picked this out this afternoon, I hope you'll accept it." He opened it to reveal... "A RING!!" Kurumi had the most surprised expression I'd ever seen on her face as she gazed at a diamond engagement ring. "Yes, Ryuu, I'll accept it, I'll marry you!" "Thank you, Kurumi, You've made me the happiest man alive." "Kurumi-chan!, I'm happy for you..." Manami embraced her sister, weeping tears of joy. I knew Madoka would want to be in on this. I grabbed the phone and dialed her house. "Ayukawa residence." Madoka was answering. "Madoka? Kyosuke here," "Yes, Kyosuke?" "Are you dressed?" "Why, is this an obscene phone call?" "No, but I'm teleporting now!" "EEEEH??" I hung up and two seconds later was standing behind Madoka, who must have just come out of the shower and was still wrapped in a towel. "KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!" I suddenly found myself flat on my face, my head throbbing from having hit the floor. Madoka stood over my prone body with the cold stare of the ruthless fighter she used to be. Then she realized it was me! "Ryuu Mishima just proposed to Kurumi!" I said hurriedly, "I thought you'd like to be part of the celebration!" "Oh Kyosuke, you scared me! Don't ever do that again, I could've hurt you!" "Ouch! I think you did, anyway!'' Madoka and I were driving back to my house after picking up a bottle of (Expensive!) champaign to help Kurumi celebrate her engagement. I was a bit worried at the speed at which it was happening, but then my parents fell in love at first sight, too. "I know you think it's all happening so fast," Madoka told me, "But I think Ryuu-san is sincere about Kurumi and she's lucky to have found someone serious about earning her respect and love this soon in her life." "Yeah, you might be right...say, how come you're all-knowing and wise in these matters, huh?" "Unlike you," she answered, "I, being the younger child in my family, was able to step back and watch. I didn't have to blaze a trail through life the way you must have had to. By the way, how's your head?" I showed her the pill bottle, "Nothing 5 or 6 Advils couldn't handle." However, by the time we got home, Manami told us that Ryuu-san and Kurumi had gone out to dinner. I teleported three champaign glasses from the cabinet, opened the wine and filled them. Offering a glass each to my sister and fiancée, I proposed a toast: "To the happiness of our sister and her future husband," "KAMPAI !!" Kurumi & Ryuu At an elegant restaurant in Roppongi, Ryuu and Kurumi had their own private celebration. Ryuu noticed that Kurumi had ordered and was eating a normal portion of food. He was quietly grateful, both because of the rather high-priced menu as well as the somewhat embarrassing quantities that he had seen Kurumi consume before. He mentioned this to her. "I had a good breakfast this morning." Kurumi reminded him. "Yeah, I saw." he chuckled. "Ryuu, how did you get so interested in Business Ethics? From what I've seen of the Mishima family, they're all into the arms business." "Exactly right, Love," he replied, "Back after the war, Grandfather started the company again producing goods needed to rebuild the country. As the Cold War intensified, our research included weapons production; we were instrumental in the creation of the JSDF, who promptly became our biggest customer. But I knew that nations could not subsist entirely on a diet of munitions. I saw that happening in America; when the Cold War ended, the nation almost went into an economic depression as a result of military cutbacks. When my department is activated, I'll be able to examine our operations from an ethics viewpoint: will what we're making have a positive impact on the overall society and the economy, or are we becoming overly enamored with the 'bottom line'." "That's great." "Kurumi, would you like to work for the company, in my department?" "Well, okay but...shouldn't I finish school first?" "Of course. But I mean, it'd be nice to have you as more than just a wife left alone at home while I put in countless hours at the office." "Eh, that's true. What could I do?" "You could be the fresh mind I need to bounce my ideas off of. I grew up a Mishima so I can't be completely impartial in some of my findings. With your help, I'd be able to see things from a perspective outside of the family." "Sounds really great. When do you want me to start?" "You were on the company's payroll as of 8:00 this morning." "EEEEH??" "In addition, you have unlimited use of one of the company cars, access to the company jets, plus our medical and dental health plan, stock options..." "Just a second," Kurumi was quite annoyed. "Did you do all this without my knowledge or permission?" "Well, I assumed..." "If this is what you call 'ethical', I don't think I need to be part of your company!" "Kurumi, please..." "Think a minute! How do you think it looks to the rest of the employees, picking up some strange, potentially unqualified young woman and giving her a cushy job with executive perks?" "Well, I suppose it would look kinda funny. But that's the perspective I need from you, Kurumi. In my family, it's normal for something like this to happen. That's how we recruited Kyuusaku Natsume..." "And lost him; I'll bet the man must have been a powerhouse of principles compared to you, Ryuu!" "Well, that's true. He objected to our development of artificially intellig ent androids for use as battlefield implements." "Ryuu," Kurumi calmed down. "I love you as a woman should love her man and I have no objection to working with you, but the decision to join your company should be mine." Kurumi paused. Being an ethical person is hard work... she thought, then continued, "I will work for you on condition that I apply normally, be interviewed normally and be approved by the company before starting work, okay?" Ryuu smiled. "You've passed." A strange female voice entered into the conversation. "I did what?" The couple were joined at the table by the President of Mishima Heavy Industries, Akiko Mishima-Natsume. "You were outstanding, Ms. Kasuga. You handled that very nicely." "I did?" Kurumi was confused. Ryuu explained, "As I said to you, I needed a fresh mind outside the family with which to test our findings. Your objection to being shanghaied into the company is proof that you are a good and honest person." "Very true." Akiko added, "I loved my husband very much; I still do. I regret the manner with which I forced him to do weapons research that practically drove him out of my life." A waitress appeared next to the table. "Can I take your order, Ojou-sama?" she asked Akiko. "Yes, Kyoko-san. Coffee will be fine. Please tell Arisa-san not to make it so strong this time." "Yes, ma'am." The waitress left to execute the order. "Your OL's are moonlighting here, too?" Ryuu asked his boss "Of course." Kurumi remembered seeing them waiting on guests at the party as well as serving her breakfast in Ryuu's place. "They're your 'office ladies'?" "Those two shot up my 'Akie's' restaurant in Sakae-cho against my expressed order; they'll be paying me back until the year 2016." "Didn't they also lose your space shuttle?" Ryuu asked. "I decided that since the spacecraft was destroyed while fighting my killer satellite, I'd just chalk it up to experience." Kurumi decided that any company that hired gun-toting office ladies and developed killer satellites DEFINITELY needed some sound ethical counseling. She elected to join the firm. "So Madame President?" Kurumi asked Akiko. "Yes, Ms. Kasuga?" "When do you want me to start?" "We can, with your permission of course, install a computer system at your home, allowing you to telecommute to the office. We can also enter you onto the company payroll properly as of that time. Is that acceptable?" "Excellent, ma'am." "No need to be so formal here, we're all family, right Ryuu-chan?" "Certainly, Akiko-sama." Kurumi picked up the hint right away. "Of course, Akiko-sama." "Omachidou-sama deshita." Kyoko brought the coffee. Akiko sipped carefully. "This is good," she said, "Tell Arisa-san this is just how I like it and that I'll knock an extra Ľ500 off of your total indebtedness, in addition to today's earnings." "Thank you ma'am." Kyoko returned to work. "Well, I'll leave you two to enjoy the evening. Thank you for joining us, Kurumi-san." "Thank you for the opportunity, Akiko-sama." Akiko left, taking her coffee with her. Ryuu and Kurumi were now alone at their table. "Is everything fine now, Kurumi?" "Wonderful, Ryuu. But you know what would really make me happy?" "What's that?" Kurumi leaned in close and whispered in his ear, "I want to go back to your place!" The couple returned to Ryuu's bachelor pad where a chilled bottle of champaign awaited them. Ryuu took off his jacket and flung it over a chair as he went over to the cooler and withdrew the wine. Kurumi sat demurely on the couch as Ryuu approached her bearing two glasses. She took one and waited for him to sit beside her. He came up behind her instead. "Would you like to bathe first, my love?" "Let's bathe together." Kurumi remembered how Madoka had "interrupted" Kyosuke's bath. "That's very inventive." "When a girl gets aroused, she can become VERY inventive!" "Uh-hmm." Ryuu raised his glass. "Well, here's to VERY INVENTIVE GIRLS!!" "KAMPAI~!!" They drained their glasses, then Ryuu went into the bathroom to fill the tub. Kurumi went into Ryuu's bedroom, took off her dress and underwear: "I'll have to start wearing something sexy," she thought. "Otherwise, he'll think that I'm not interesting." She found a terry-cloth robe and, wrapping herself in its fluffy warmth, crossed over to the bathroom. "Tub's ready, my love," Ryuu greeted her as she entered. Kurumi unabashedly opened her wrap and displayed herself to her lover-to-be. "Ohhhhh..." Ryuu's heart jumped as he took in the sight of Kurumi Kasuga's womanly figure in all its purity. From a perky, pretty face and a head of long, deep brown hair, Ryuu's eyes followed Kurumi's form to her narrow shoulders, pert breasts with light brown nipples, a taut stomach, slim waist and a wispy trace of brown hair in the region of her sex. "NO SHIT!! Live IS better than Memorex!" "Am I pleasing to you?" she asked coyly. "Beyond 'pleasing'; 'enticing', 'stimulating'--aw heck, you look BEAUTIFUL!!" "Did you miss making love to me the first night we spent together?" "Oh boy, hard question..." "I see you're not a man with a snap answer for everything." Kurumi sat down on a bath stool while Ryuu took a basin full of warm water and drained it over her body. "I wanted us to be good friends first," he said as he lathered Kurumi's back with a washcloth, "So I didn't want to just 'do' you; it wouldn't have been right. Then you trusted me with your special identity. Your whole family did. When I learned all about you, I realized then that I truly loved you. And on top of it all, you have a very strong character; you proved that in front of Akiko-sama. With the approval of both our families, our match is definitely made." "Uh-huh," Kurumi replied, "But you didn't answer my question: did you miss making love to me?" "Very much so; but it turned out to be for the best, didn't it?" Ryuu reached around and began soaping Kurumi's stomach. "I guess so; by the way, can you wash a little higher?" "Up here?" Ryuu moved the cloth around Kurumi's throat. "Lower." "Down here?" Ryuu was teasing her, soaping around her belly-button again. "A little higher; come on!" Now Ryuu was applying soap in her hair! "RYUU-ttara!!" He began to tickle Kurumi on her ribs until she giggled almost uncontrollably. "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha...is this your idea of FOREPLAY????" "Nope, but anticipation is half the fun." "Half the fun, huh?" "Uh-huh," "Well, let me give you the other half." "Okay." Ryuu and Kurumi changed places, with him sitting on the bath stool and Kurumi soaping down his body. Her 'half' of the fun turned out to be a bit more exploitative. "Hey," Ryuu called out, "What are you messing with down there?" "I thought you'd know what it is; you've had it since you were born!" "Hey, if you don't stop...oh...oh...oh...don't stop...!" "You were right, it really isn't little..." "Uh-uh-uh...told you so...uh-uh-uh..." Kurumi kept on toying with it: "I can feel it throbbing...are you gonna..." "AAAAAH!!" Ryuu collapsed against Kurumi, weakened from his climax. "Are you all right?" "That was well-done!" "Oh, so that's how it works." Then she kissed his cheek. The couple showered off and got into the tub to soak. It was smaller than the tub at the Kasuga house, so things were slightly cramped. "Hey," Kurumi bawled, "Watch where you're putting your foot!" "Well, where can I put it? This ain't a swimming pool!" "How 'bout here." Kurumi put Ryuu's foot between her legs, setting his big toe so that it touched her. Flushed with anticipation, she wriggled herself against the man's foot. "You ARE kinky, aren't you." he told her. "I was reading...ah-ah...something about...ah-ah...how geisha used to...ah-ah...in the ofuro..." Ryuu reached forward and took her nipples between his fingers, lightly squeezing them. "'Bout time...you took...the hint...ah-ahhh-AAAAAAH...AAAAAAHHHH!!!" "That must've felt good." Kurumi was panting, unable to speak. Then something smelly bubbled up from below... "Phew! What's that stink?" "You brought it up, it must've been you!" "Uh-uh, wasn't me!" Ryuu and Kurumi lay in each other's arms after their first lovemaking. "You were wonderful." she told him. "Really?" "Uh-huh, better than I expected." "And how would you know--you were a virgin." "Hey, even virgins have...expectations." "Expectations? I'll bet you used to 'buzz off'!" "So I did!" He kissed her, feeling her pulse quicken through her lips, then pulled her towards his chest. A stirring in his loins told him that his virile powers had not yet deserted him. "Kurumi-chan?" "Yes, my love?" "Would you like to have another go?" Kurumi kissed him as her response and added, "This time, I'll do everything to you, okay?" She rolled atop of Ryuu and began to nibble and lick her way down his body like he had done to her. The Best-Laid Plans... Madoka and I had picked a date for our wedding in July and were making plans to have our ceremony in a Christian church, just as she had told my grandparents. It was to be the same one that her older sister had married in a number of years before. I remembered that place; thinking that Madoka was about to be wed to an older man while we were still in middle school, I had pursued them to the church and chased them as far as the main door. I screamed her name over and over, hoping to interrupt the ceremony, only to discover that Madoka was standing in for her sister during the REHEARSALS!! I think it was then that she noticed that I really cared about her. "Madoka, what do you think of this" I showed her a picture of a man's wedding outfit; a formal black coat with gray, striped trousers, white shirt with a wing collar and an Ascot tie. "I don't know, it looks kinda old-fashioned. See this one I've picked out? The two kinda clash." The dress she showed me was a daring design which bared the shoulders and hardly covered the model's front. "Jeez, if you wear that, every man in the church will want you, even the padre!" "So, you prefer this one instead?" She showed me another gown, a Victorian-inspired style. "I'd look like I'm wearing a white shroud!" "Yeah, kinda does look like one." "Kyou-chan?" "Yes, my angel?" "I was thinking. Hikaru is still the closest friend I've ever had...I'd like her to attend. Would it hurt you to see her there?" A toughie! I clearly remember what happened when my 19-year-old soul assumed a corporeal form three years into the future and I ran into a more mature, more womanly Hikaru Hiyama. We had dinner and drinks, then I passed out drunk in her hotel room. When I got up the next morning, Hikaru-chan told me how I was calling out for "Ayukawa" part of the night. She also assured me that nothing happened between us. When Madoka (the older one, of course) saw me in there, she, well...she slapped me silly, but Hikaru-chan explained that we hadn't done anything. Then Madoka and Hikaru-chan embraced and years of anger, frustration and misunderstandings between the two women were erased by their powerful bond of friendship. Later on, at the hotel's pool, we were briefly reunited, the three of us, just like in our teenage years. But knowing that I really loved Madoka, I felt no tension between us at all. I knew Hikaru-chan still loved me, not as a potential sweetheart, but more like a close, personal friend. And she understood that my feelings for her were more like those toward a younger sister. Best of all, Madoka was able to renew her affection with her childhood friend. The Triangle Relationship, reborn that summer, but in a different sort of way, made each of us whole again. "Go ahead, honey," I told her, "It won't hurt me to see her again; besides, I'm sure she's found someone else to love by now." "Thank you, Kyou-chan. Having her there means a lot to me." Madoka wrapped her arms around me, as if to reassure herself that I was for real. She looked up at me with those gorgeous eyes of hers: "I know you've told me your true feelings, Kyosuke. That is what matters to me, most of all." "Can you forgive me for all the times I wasn't honest with you?" Madoka shook her head. "There's nothing to forgive. Four years ago, I saw you lying gravely injured in a hospital bed. Last year, I was terrified that you were missing and possibly dead. Both those times, I had faith that we would never be apart. That faith has never left me." "Thank you, Love." We sat and held each other, just like we did when we were younger. It felt good not to have to hide things from her. "I suppose you'll want to hear about all the weird things that went on around you, huh?" "Uh-uh." she replied, "Some things are best left behind in the past. All I want to know is that the Kyosuke Kasuga I love now is the same man I've always loved and will always love." Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash in the living room which stunned us momentarily. When my vision cleared, I saw a little boy lying on the floor in front of us. He wore an elementary schoolchild's uniform; a black collarless jacket over a white shirt and short pants, black socks and rubber-soled indoor shoes. In two startling seconds, I figured out IT WAS ME!! He got up gingerly off the floor. "Excuse me, Oji-chan, Oba-chan," he asked nervously but politely, "Where am I right now?" "Kyosuke," Madoka asked with a fearful tremor in her voice, "Where did this kid come from and WHY IS HE CALLING ME 'OBA-CHAN'????" "I...I...I'm s-sor-sorry....WAAAAAAA...!!" The poor kid began wailing at the top of his lungs. "Aw, come here," Madoka's mothering instincts took over as she picked up the little boy and cuddled him. "Aww...he's so cute! Now, now, don't cry. Onee-chan will give you some ice cream, okay?" "Sniff-sniff…uh-huh." Madoka took him into the kitchen and sat him at the breakfast bar which made up the outer divider between the cooking area and the dining room. She made him a good-sized dish of chocolate chip ice cream and then returned to the living room. "Is he, by any chance, related to you? There's a very strong resemblance." "He IS me!" Madoka's eyes narrowed a fraction. "Now THAT'S a good one." "Little boy," I called over to him, "What's your name?" "Kyosuke! Kyosuke Kasuga!" "USOOOOO!!" The look of shock on her face was priceless. I had an explanation. "When I was in the first grade, I fell down the steps while going outside for recess and 'time-slipped' out of my own continuity. I remember waking up in a strange house and the lady offered me a dish of chocolate chip ice cream. Then the man and I touched our hands together and I found myself back in school. Not long after that, we had to move again." "So history repeats itself, eh?" "Uh-huh" Little Kyosuke finished his ice cream and approached us shyly, then bowed to Madoka. "Thank you for the ice cream, Onee-chan." "You're very welcome, Kyou-chan." "Wow, you knew my secret name! Only my mommy used to call me 'Kyou-chan'!" "Well, that's because when you grow up, you'll get married and your wife'll call you that, too." "Gee, then I'll make sure the one I marry looks just like you, Onee-chan. You're pretty!" "Thank you, I'm very honored." "Well then," I said to him, "Time for you to go back." "WOW!!" he exclaimed, " You can do that, Onii-chan? You must be a cho...a chou..." He struggled with that difficult word. "Chou-Nou-Ryoku-Sha. I can send you back to from when and where you came." "You must be just like my Grandpa!" "That's because when you grow up, you'll be just like me." "Gee. And I'll marry a girl who looks just like Onee-chan, won't I?" "Yep. Are you ready?" "Yessir!" The kid closed his eyes and held out his right hand, palm out. I touched my own hand to his, then concentrated the energy in my body to send him back to his own time line. Little Kyosuke then vanished in a flash of light! "So," Madoka said to me when it was over, "It seems I had a little something to do with how you turned out." "Eh? How do you figure?" "Well, didn't you hear him? 'I'll marry a girl who looks just like Onee-chan!' he said." "So he did.'' Madoka had a dreamy look in her eyes. "Eighteen years ago, a beautiful, long-haired girl fed a lost and frightened little boy some ice cream and then he promised that someday he'd marry one who looked just like her." I could see where this was leading. She came over, draped her arms over my shoulders and pulled us close together. Then we kissed; one of those passionate, steamy kisses that readily contributes to world population growth. "Kyou-chan, I wanna..." I swept her up into my arms. "You don't have to ask me twice, Love." As I carried her up the steps to my room, she asked, "Are you always going to run into yourself in various stages of your life?" "I don't know; Grandpa once told me how he encountered himself over sixty times!" "That must get to be annoying, don't you think?" I opened my bedroom door. "'Bout time you got in here, Kyosuke!" "EEEEEEEH!!!!" Standing in front of us, dressed in a snow-suit and climbing gear, stirring a glass of whiskey poured over snow was a MUCH OLDER VERSION OF ME!!!! "I'd just gotten off of the peak of Tengu-san when I fell into this ravine and time-slipped into the past. I need to get home before my dinner gets cold or THE OLD BATTLE-AXE WILL HAVE MY HIDE!!" I tried to stifle a laugh: "How long you been married, Kyosuke-jiichan?" "Over forty-five years; some days it almost seems like fifty-five! Well, if you'll do the honors, I'll leave you two love-birds alone!" I promptly made him disappear. "So," I heard HER voice tinged with cold fury, "Forty-five years from now, you'll be calling me an OLD BATTLE-AXE??" OH SHIT!! "But Madoka..." "I'M OUTTA HERE!!" She turned on her heel and left. Here I am, Kyosuke Kasuga: undone by HIS OWN BIG MOUTH!! ***** In New York City, on the other side of the world, in an apartment she shared with two other women, Hikaru Hiyama collected the day's mail delivery. "Let's see...phone bill...Con Ed...yattaaa!" She found an airmail envelope addressed to her from Japan: "It's from Madoka-san!" "Anything in there for me?" a voice called from the kitchen. "No, Irene." "Rats!" "Whattabout for me?" sounded another voice, one with a Caribbean lilt. "Nothing but a couple of bills and a letter to me from my best friend!" "Naturally, nothin' good ever come on a Saturday!" "Says who! My best friend wrote to me all the way from Japan!" Hikaru threw herself onto the sofa in the living room, slid a fingertip under the gummed flap to open it and unfolded the mailer. "I'M INVITED TO HER WEDDING!!" "A weddin'? Now dat's some good news afta all!" The owner of the colorful accent was a statuesque Black woman; her skin the color of café-au-lait and her long shiny hair a deep ebony. She peered over Hikaru's shoulder at the letter. "I don' know how you people communicate with all them 'chicken scratches'!" "They're not 'chicken scratches', Leona, they're kanji; besides which, it ain't polite to read other people's mail!" "Canna call it readin' if you canna make out the words! Erin darlin'?" "I'm IRENE!! What'cha want, Leona?" "Gottany tea in the pot, have you?" "Gotta make some, okay?" "Aw c'mon girl, my head's hurtin'!" "Take a pill an' chill!" Hikaru muttered aloud, then went back to reading Madoka's letter: "Hikaru, O-genki? This is just a short note to tell you that Kyosuke and I are getting married this coming July. He's even gone to the trouble of having a new house built for us. I LOVE him so much! It would please me very much if you would come to the ceremony; I'll even advance the round-trip tickets if you need them. You're the best friend, save for my husband-to-be, the only real friend I've ever had. I've also been studying American-style wedding ceremonies. It seems that friends of the bride are called 'bride's maids' and friends of the groom are 'groomsmen'. I'd like you to be my 'Maid-of-Honor', the closest friend of the bride. Please come, my oldest and dearest friend. Madoka yori." She carefully folded the letter up after reading it. Externally, Hikaru was overjoyed that Madoka was getting married. Knowing that for much of Madoka's growing years, she was believed to be a delinquent with little or no potential for a good life, many other boys treated her poorly. Then after meeting Kyosuke-sempai, Madoka's whole life changed for the better. She cleaned up her act, got into college and became a noted songwriter. One question still nagged Hikaru at the back of her mind. Why was Kyosuke-sempai reported missing in war-ravaged Bosnia while at the same time, they were dining and drinking together at her hotel, then swimming in the hotel pool with Madoka-san? She remembered in the past how he seemed to be in two places almost at the same time, or that other mysterious occurrences would happen around him. Perhaps there might be an answer to these and other questions. When Hikaru returned to New York from Mexico, she answered an ad for roommates in the local newspaper. After getting kidnapped in Greenwich Village, she thought it wiser to move to a safer part of town. Leona Wilson, an airline Flight Attendant, sought another woman to share a three-bedroom apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Hikaru and another girl, Irene Berg each contributed part of the rent while Leona, earning more than both girls put together, made up the rest. All three women were able to live in some security and comfort as a result of this partnership. Irene, a part-time university student, worked in a Kosher Deli on Broadway while Hikaru got a job at Kinokuniya, the Japanese bookstore in mid-town Manhattan. Hikaru still attended dance classes and auditions and even had some brief roles as a performer in touring shows. She was still dedicated to practicing her art, determined to make it in the glamorous, yet capricious and cruel world of show business. "Leona," Hikaru asked her room-mate, "Do you think you can fix me up with a round trip to Tokyo sometime this July?" "Sure can, hon," Leona answered, "if you show me some o'dat writin' you people do. When I go to that country, I get so confused; one time I go inna men's res'room by mistake 'cause I don' know the signs." Hikaru grabbed a scrap of paper and carefully wrote out "Gentlemen" and "Ladies" in kanji. "Is this all you needed to know?" Leona stared at the symbols in front of her. "It's a wondah you people can read at'tall!" ***** Madoka and I managed to patch things back together ("Hey," she told me jokingly, "Forty-five years from now, I might be an 'old battle-axe'!"). We also settled on the designs for her wedding dress and my suit. She picked out a long white silk dress with a deep V-neck and short sleeves; the fabric of the bodice was generously decorated with beads while the skirt was puffed with layers of petticoats ("Very, very nice!" I told her). My choice of an outfit complimented hers; a man's formal suit of a short black tuxedo jacket worn with light gray trousers and shiny black shoes. A white vest, starched white shirt and a white bow tie finished the suit. I toyed briefly with the idea of wearing a top hat and cape, but Madoka shot that down instantly ("You'd look like an animé character!" she insisted). We also had wedding rehearsals where we would practice what we would say and do at the actual ceremony. The priest performing the rites would also be the same one who officiated at Madoka's older sister's wedding nearly eight years previously. He remembered Madoka from when she was 15 years old, pinned into her sister's wedding dress, standing in when the woman was unable to attend. He also remembered me from the time I interrupted one of the rehearsals, thinking that Madoka was really marrying an older man. Much of the first session consisted of learning who does what, when and so forth. Madoka's mother and father were unable to attend this rehearsal, so her older sister and brother-in-law stood in their place. Dressed in our regular street clothes, we practiced our vows, the presentation of rings and the final blessing before being dismissed. "Say," I said to Madoka after rehearsals, "You wanna go out to dinner? My dad's out on assignment, my sisters are still at school and I don't feel lik e cooking alone." "Hmm, sounds tempting," I could see something hatching in Madoka's brain; the eyes are truly a window to the soul. I mentally calculated how much I'd have to spend to include... "Onee-chan! Kyosuke's taking all of us out to dinner!" "All right! Honey, come on!" Hiromi-san called to her husband, "Now I don't have to cook!" "Excuse me," Now the priest came over, "I couldn't help but overhear..." Figures, since everyone was close to shouting! "...the cook in the rectory has the evening off to visit a sick relative..." Isn't that ALWAYS the case when somebody else wants to horn in on your dinner? "...wouldn't mind if I came along?" "Please join us, Reverend." I said, hopefully invitingly. Even with my partnership in Dad's chain of galleries, this evening was still going to cost a small fortune! A while later, we were at a table in a fashionable eatery being waited upon by a young girl with a strange-looking hairdo: two "dumplings" on her head which led into long pigtails like rabbit ears. After she had taken our orders, my cellular phone went off. I deftly removed from my jacket pocket my one concession to my publishing agent. "Excuse me," I turned away from my dinner guests and switched on the instrument. "KASUGA-SENSEI!!" My agent was screaming at the top of his lungs. "Calm down man and tell me what's going on?" "YOU'VE BEEN OFFERED 3.5 MILLION US DOLLARS FOR THE NORTH AMERICAN RIGHTS TO YOUR BOOK!!!!" "WHAAAAT!!!!!!" I may have sounded a bit surprised. Every pair of eyes in the restaurant focused on me. "What's the matter, Kyosuke?" Madoka asked me, placing her hand on my shoulder. "I'm at the 'Moonlight Destiny' Restaurant in Azabu Juu-ban." I whispered into the phone, "Get over here with the details, FAST!!" "Right away!" "What was all that about?" Madoka asked after I hung up. "I've been offered a tremendous amount of money for the rights to my book." "What 'tremendous' amount are they talking about?" "Three-point-five million US dollars!" "Impressive," Tohru-san, Madoka's brother-in-law, commented. "At the current rate of exchange," He whipped out a complicated-looking calculator and started crunching numbers. "It would amount to over Ľ410 million!" "Incredible!" Madoka appeared to be more surprised by the news than even I was. That was nearly three times what I earned for the domestic release. "If half of it were invested at an annual percentage rate of..." Tohru-san's fingers got busy on his financial calculator, "I could get you an annual yield of over Ľ8.5 million a year in interest income." The man's a professional banker, after all. "Why only half?" I asked him, out of curiosity. "With half of the quantity invested at a safe and stable rate of return, you could afford to put the other half in high-yield investments which carry a significantly higher risk.'' "I had to ask." Haven't even got a hen-house yet and already he's counting my chickens! "Now I don't feel so guilty making you buy us dinner!" Madoka said with a chuckle in her voice. "I'm happy for you," Hiromi-san said, "Considering how Madoka suffered during your trip overseas, this is like a godsend." "I'm inclined to agree." Tohru-san added, "I'm looking forward to doing additional business with you." Considering that he approved my home mortgage loan, who else would I do business with? Just as the waitress was bringing our orders, my agent brought me the agreement which would make me a fairly well-off young man. I read the documents carefully, then took out and affixed my legal seal to the papers. "The electronic deposit will be made by tomorrow afternoon, Sensei." "Thank you for your efforts; can you join us for dinner?" I supposed, the more, the merrier. "Thank you, Sensei, but I must get back to the office and fax these documents to America." "Can you return afterwards?" "Well, my wife'll have dinner waiting for me after work." "I understand. We'll make an engagement when it's more convenient for you." "Thanks again, Sensei." The man quickly left the restaurant, clutching those papers as if they were worth hundreds of millions. "It seems the Almighty has bestowed a special blessing upon you, Mr. Kasuga.'' said the priest. "If so, Reverend, it wasn't the money," I clasped Madoka's hand on the table. She smiled one of those unreserved smiles she uses to say that she loves me. "Ah, I see. 'Forego not a wise and good woman: for her grace is above gold'." he said back. "Is that a quote from your 'Good Book', Reverend?" Madoka asked. "Yes, from the Book of Sirach, chapter 7, verse 19." "Well said, Reverend, well said." The final bill came up to nearly Ľ60000, which I now paid unflinchingly. "Can we come here again?" Madoka asked me as we got in her car for the trip home. "Sure. I still owe my agent a dinner invitation. Why here?" She turned to me with a mischievous grin and a twinkle in her eyes. "I didn't order the lobster because I was trying to be considerate; next time, I ain't holding back!" That evening, after I got home, I told my father and sisters about the book deal in which I was to be paid over Ľ410 million for the North American translation rights. "That's fantastic, Onii-chan!" Kurumi sounded very pleased, even if her fiancee is worth many times more than I would be even after the deal came through. "I'm very happy for you too, Onii-chan." Manami added. I thought I could see a plot hatching in that mind of hers, but this one I put down to my own imagination. I didn't have to buy my family dinner tonight. The next morning was quite a shock! I came downstairs to see that both Manami and Father had put together a fabulous breakfast, apparently sparing no expense as lavishly prepared foods filled our table. Besides the usual miso soup, pickled vegetaables and rice, there was tamagoyaki and lots of different kinds of fish; filets of tai, maguro, unagi--all freshly caught and hideously expensive--they must've pulled out all the stops for this morning! "Good morning, Onii-chan!" Manami cheerily greeted me. "Yes, good morning, Kyosuke." Father graciously poured my morning cup of the day, a coffee which smelled so good it must have cost a fortune. I took a tentative sip and discovered a wonderful taste I had not had since my high school days, when I worked at ABCB! "WOW!! This must be..." "Pure Hawaiian Kona, one of the most expensive coffees around!" Father said proudly. "Wasn't this just a little bit extravagant?" Kurumi asked. She beat me to the question. "Papa decided to add another Ľ30000 to the household budget, so we thought we'd splurge a little." Manami answered. "It was just sitting in the bank, collecting interest like crazy, so I went ahead and gave Manami an increase to Ľ85000 a month. This is your house, too, Kyosuke. Feel free to add to it if you like." I took another swallow of the magnificent coffee. "Manami, I'll throw on another Ľ25000 if you can do me one favor." "What's that, Onii-chan?" "Make sure I get some cheap, generic coffee once in a while, to keep me humble, okay?" The girl looked stunned at first, then began to laugh, freely and unabashedly. "S-sure thing, Onii-chan...hahahahah...!!!" I felt kind of happy for her, hearing her laugh like that. She had been under a lot of pressure, being our homemaker ever since she was very young. "" Ah, Madoka's voice, speaking English; music to my ears. She must have let herself in. "" "Anata-ttara," She was addressing me in the style a wife uses with her husband. "Café, cara mia?" I poured her a cup of the fabulous Kona. "Si, si!" "Jeez, will you two cut that out!" Kurumi mumbled with a mouthful of food. She swallowed and added, "Bad enough you two yammer at each other in English, but now Spanish? Ever since you guys got back from Mexico..." "Ah, but Spanish is the language of passion!" I shot back. "'Hurl' is what I'm gonna do if the corny stuff doesn't..." "Gomen kudasai!" That was Ryuu's voice from the front door, asking to come inside. "In here, my beloved!" Boy, talk about "corny stuff"! Kurumi's voice took on a characteristic I'd never heard from her before, one of total sweetness that I thought my sister had developed a split personality! "Good morning, all." Ryuu announced as he came in the dining area. "I came with the installation team to set up your computer system, Kurumi." He kissed her on the forehead. "I'll show you where I need it, Ryuu." Kurumi excused herself from the table to take Ryuu to her room. Madoka and I looked at each other. "Were we ever like that?" she asked. "Maybe. It's been ages.'' Later that day, I got a call from my future brother-in-law confirming that an electronic deposit of Ľ390 million was made to my account (The withholding taxes ate my lunch!). My agent had done an admirable job coordinating the deal which allowed the publication of my book in North America. I also learned that the decision of the American president to send military forces to act as peace-keepers in Bosnia was partly influenced by the photographs I had taken and published. So I felt very satisfied. I hadn't just exploited the misery I had seen, but had been instrumental in creating a remedy for the terrible problems over there. In the weeks leading up to the wedding, Madoka and I attended more rehearsals, shopped for furniture (She INSISTED on paying for a blonde oak bedroom suite.) and made honeymoon reservations for what amounted to a 'Round-The-World' tour. I also took the plunge and bought a pair of his 'n hers SAAB Turbo convertibles (After my accident in 1991, I found out I was allergic to Volvos!). Although I told them I didn't need it, my ''evil friends'' from my high school days, Seiji Komatsu and Kazuya Hatta, along with Ryuu Mishima, threw me a bachelor party at a stripper club in Shinjuku. Madoka's checkered past meant that she was somewhat short of friends who could give her a bridal shower, so my sisters and my cousin Akane took her for a "Girl's Night Out". But as close as two days before the ceremony, Madoka still hadn't received word as to whether or not Hikaru Hiyama would be able to attend. Multiple Reunions Hikaru Hiyama stood on the sidewalk just outside the arrivals terminal at the New Tokyo International Airport. Unable to catch an earlier flight, she had to settle for an arrival less than two days before the wedding. Initially, she felt frustrated, but later thought it out as being for the best, so as to avoid the prolonged sense of longing she feared she would have for Kyosuke once she saw him again. It was late in the day once she got through baggage claims and customs so that the time was a little past sundown when she made it outside. Experience had taught her how to travel light; her luggage consisted of a garment bag and a small suitcase. Her clothes reflected an American-influenced fashion sense; a lightweight jacket worn over a colorful T-shirt, a pair of jeans and rubber-soled work boots. Although practical for traveling, it also made her an unattractive candidate for a cab ride. After being turned down by a number of drivers, Hikaru resorted to a desperate tactic: she threw her suitcase into the street, right in front of an oncoming taxi! The vehicle locked up its brakes as it screeched to a halt, almost striking the baggage. "WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU!!" the driver yelled at her, "YOU TRYIN' TO WRECK MY CAB??" "SHUT UP!!" Hikaru yelled back, "This was the only way I could get any of you to...YUUSAKU??" "HIKARU-CHAN??" He jumped out of his cab, then the two old friends embraced, forgetting that they were in the middle of the street, obstructing traffic. "It's been a long time, Hikaru-chan." "It has, Yuusaku." "It's been TOO LONG, folks!" A traffic control officer interrupted their reunion. Yuusaku Hino broke off his embrace and ran forward to snatch Hikaru's suitcase from under his front bumper. Hikaru flung her garment bag into the rear seat of Yuusaku's cab and installed herself in the front passenger's seat. He jumped in behind the wheel and they drove off. "What brings you back to Japan, Hikaru-chan?" "Madoka-san's getting married." "I know. Kyosuke-san asked me to be one of his groomsmen." "You call him 'Kyosuke-san' now? Since when have you been so friendly with Sempai?" "For a couple of years now. How come you still refer to him as 'sempai'?" "Because I can't call him 'Darling' anymore, you know that!" Yuusaku screwed his face up. "I always hated it when you called him 'Darling'." "I know, that's why I always made a special effort to call him 'Darling' in front of you." "If you don't mind, can we talk about something else?" "Okay." The two drove along the expressway in silence for a while. "So," Hikaru asked, "Are you driving this cab full-time?" "No, just part time. I've been going to school, studying PE" "PE, huh? Well, you've always been a muscle-head." "What about you, Hikaru-chan? Still dancing?" "Yep, and singing, too. My last part was the understudy to the lead in a touring production of 'Miss Saigon'. I even got to do a couple of performances." "Singing, eh? In English?" "'' she answered in her second language. He chuckled, "I have no idea what you just said!" "I said, 'Yes, I sing with enthusiastic spirit'." "So." Yuusaku's chest tightened a bit. "You didn't bring much luggage with you. Are you going back to America?" "Uh-huh. It's my home now. I've become a permanent resident; in a few more years, I'll be able to apply for citizenship." "Oh." His manner became serious. "You know, Hikaru-chan, I never stopped loving you." Yuusaku's words took Hikaru completely off guard. Sure, they were friends from childhood, but to Hikaru, Yuusaku Hino had always been just the kid next door. Still, she felt comfortable being next to him. And it was an awful long time since someone told her "I love you". "Please don't take this the wrong way, Yuusaku," she replied, "But I live in America now. There's nothing for me here." "Then I'll follow you!" he declared, "I love you, Hikaru-chan and I'll follow you off the face of the earth if I have to, to be with you!" Hikaru was now deeply moved. She now felt a longing for satisfaction and release, something she had not experienced in a good while. Just then, a brightly lit sign advertised the location of a love hotel at the next exit. "Yuusaku, do you have a couple of hours to spare?" "Uh-huh. What for?" "It's just that...I want to show you my appreciation for saying that you love me..." "EEEEEEEH??????" The cab began to swerve wildly on the road. Hikaru grabbed at the steering wheel and steadied the vehicle. "BAAKK'YAARÔ!!!! WATCH THE GODDAMN ROAD, WILL YA!!!!" "Sorry 'bout that, it's just that I've never..." "NEVER?? You mean you're a..." "Well, I was saving myself for you, Hikaru-chan." She giggled a bit. "Well, if you can get us to a hotel in one piece, I'll be happy to show you how it's done." It's getting late, Madoka thought to herself as she sat in her bedroom in her parent's house. I wonder why Hikaru never told me when she was coming? She stood up and walked around the room, noting carefully the contents, most of which she would leave behind when she married Kyosuke and took up residence in his house. On her old student desk, there was a row of carefully maintained notebooks dating all the way back to the seventh grade. On the side dresser, a set of framed photos were displayed, including one taken when she was fifteen, dragging Kyosuke by the arm near the beach where his father was shooting pictures of her and Hikaru in the water. Next to them stood a clay vase, hand-formed and glazed, decorated with her name in Roman characters, filled with knitting needles. She decided to take that jar with her, but to consign the pictures to an album; she no longer needed to long for him from afar. On a shelf over her make-up table, a group of dolls and stuffed toys sat, partially neglected, collecting dust. Madoka reached up and pulled down her favorite, a teddy bear she had received as a gift on her first birthday. Into his fuzzy ears, Madoka used to confide her innermost thoughts and feelings. "You were the first to know about my love for Kyosuke." she said to it. She knew it couldn't answer back, yet she felt that the old toy understood her as no other person ever did. Custom demanded that she leave all of these girlhood things behind, yet she decided that the bear must come along. After a thorough cleaning, it might make a terrific confidant to her own child one day. Her eyes drifted down toward the vanity mirror. On the white-painted wooden frame, a smudge of red color stubbornly remained as evidence of her own foolishness. After one of her father's rare concerts in Japan, she saw him in his dressing room, in close proximity to another woman. Believing that he was cheating on her mother, Madoka ran away from home, leaving behind a message in lipstick written hastily on the glass: Sayounara. O-sewa ni narimashita. She had gone straight to Kyosuke's apartment. In the end, it was Kyosuke who helped her to see the truth; her father was only helping the lady get a loose eyelash out of her eye. "Now I get to say those words for real," she thought out loud. Just then, she felt a wetness on her cheeks. "Since when have you been so melancholy, Madoka-san," she chided herself. She used her hand to wipe away the tears. "In another day, you'll be married to the best man any woman could ever ask for..." Madoka went downstairs to the living room just as the doorbell rang. Feeling both anticipation and anxiety, she opened the front door. "" Hikaru said in English, a wry grin complimenting narrowed eyes. Madoka was taken aback at first, then a huge smile evolved from the look of shock on her face. "HIKARU!!" "MADOKA!!" The two young women embraced and held each other. "I thought you weren't coming!" Madoka whispered. "You're still my best friend, aren't you?" "Uh-huh." Madoka squeezed Hikaru a little tighter. Yuusaku was bringing Hikaru's luggage from his cab when he spotted them hugging. He waited respectfully at a distance. Madoka opened her eyes. "Yuu-kun! Please come in, it's been so long since we've all been together like this!" "Sorry, Madoka-san. I need to get back to work. Gotta make up for the time I'll be spending at the wedding." Yuusaku set down the bags and turned to go. "HOLD IT, YUUSAKU!!" Hikaru shouted. She let go of Madoka and ran over to him. "You meant what you said to me before, didn't you?" "Every word of it!" Then they kissed, passionately. Hikaru broke off their kiss. "Yuusaku, can I see you again, after the wedding?" "Yes, sweetheart, I love you." Madoka was astonished. Hikaru and Yuusaku? she thought to herself, MASAKA!! Madoka helped Hikaru bring her bags inside the house. Hikaru paid her respects to Madoka's parents, then the two young women moved to the guest room. "I'm sure you'll want to rest after your long flight." "Yeah, I could use some. Tomorrow morning, can we talk? There's something I need to say to you." "Uh-hmm--sure." "Okay, then, good night, Madoka-san." "Good night, Hikaru." The next morning, Madoka and Hikaru met at the breakfast table in the kitchen. "Cream and sugar in your coffee, Hikaru?" "No thank you, I've learned to drink it black." "Doesn't that taste kinda bitter?" "I've learned to deal with it." Hikaru sipped from the mug. "Oooh, but this is too good! You must drink this all the time." "Pure Hawaiian Kona. Kyosuke gave me some to have from time to time." "I remember Master used to blend some of it in to cut the harshness of the cheaper beans he'd use in his shop...does he still run ABCB?" "He sold it to open a Jazz club a couple of years ago. The new place has the same name. His wife finally left him, you know." "No, I didn't..." Hikaru took another sip from the mug. "I know you want me to be your Maid-of-Honor...I don't know if I can do it." Madoka drew her breath sharply. This was the answer she feared most. "Why?" "It's not that I don't care about you and him...I really do...that's why I came, but..." "It's okay, Hikaru," Madoka told her, as gently as possible. "I can't forget him...I don't understand why I can't forget about him. I know Sempai belongs to you, but I can't forget about how much I used to love him. I even had Yuusaku make love to me before I got here..." "EEEH?? You and Yuu-kun..." "YES!! You know, that little bast--no, that wonderful man knows that I still feel love for Sempai and yet, even he understands." Madoka nodded gravely. Hikaru's eyes watered. "Everybody...understands...but me." She began to cry in earnest. Madoka got up and cradled her friend's head against her bosom. She wanted to be this comforting years ago, when Hikaru had confronted her about Kyosuke, but did not get the chance. "If you marry him, I'll lose him for good!" "No, you won't, Hikaru...I won't let that happen! I know you still love him. If you didn't, you wouldn't be here." "Eh?" "If all you ever thought about was how he broke your heart, you wouldn't have come here." "So why do I still have these feelings for him, Madoka-san?" "Because you're his friend." Hikaru pulled her face away from Madoka and looked up. "His...friend?" "Uh-huh. You know, there isn't much difference between the love of friendship and romantic love. And if you truly love him, you'll understand and accept that his marrying me will never change the feelings of friendship he'll always have for you...and I swear I won't try to take that away from him ever again." ''Uh-hmm. Madoka-san?" "Yes?" "You're not confused about Kasuga-sempai being with me when he was supposed to be missing...I mean, being with us when the news services were saying that he was stuck somewhere in Bosnia..." "Uh-uh. That's something I really don't know how to explain. Maybe Kyosuke can tell you himself, if you really want to know." Hikaru thought about it a while, then said, ''Maybe, for the sake of friendship, I ought not to ask. A lot of weird things used to happen around him, remember?" "I know." Internally, Madoka breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, about being my Maid-of-Honor. Can you do it?" "I don't know..." "Hikaru, you're my friend, too. I'd really love it if you were part of the ceremony." "Okay then, Madoka-san. I haven't got a proper dress, though." "We'll go get one for you this morning! I'm sure I can grease the skids enough to make it happen." "Really?" "Of course. I'll take you to my dressmaker; I'm sure she can have you ready in a couple of hours!" ***** "It's a perfect fit, sir.'' the tailor said as he settled the coat over my shoulders. I was having a last fitting of my wedding outfit. My formal coat was a modernized tuxedo jacket with peaked lapels faced in black satin, worn with a white pique vest, starched white shirt and a white bow tie. My trousers were dove gray with cuffed bottoms and my shoes were patent leather oxfords. "Hey, how do I look?" The voice asking that question belonged to Yuusaku Hino, formerly my ''rival" for Hikaru-chan's affections, now one of my closest friends. His outfit for the wedding was a black tuxedo jacket with black trousers with a white shirt, black cummerbund and black tie. "It looks great, man, sharp!" "Well, yours is pretty sharp, too." "Both of you gentlemen are exceedingly well-suited to these forms of dress." added the tailor. Of course he'd say that, he wants my money! Except for myself and the Best Man, Ryuu Mishima, the groomsmen would be wearing all-black suits. I offered to take care of all of the expenses, but Komatsu and Hatta, the other two guys I asked to be groomsmen, said that they already owned black tuxedos and that they would wear those instead. I' m still having misgivings about those two. We completed our fitting session, had the clothes packed, then went out into the street. We had taken my car, so I was doing the driving and was pulling away from the curb when we almost collided with another SAAB convertible! "KON'YAROU!!!!" I heard directed at me, "" That last part was in English; I think the speaker was questioning my ability to drive! The other car sped past, but I saw the license number on the rear end: "Madoka?" "Kyosuke-san," Yuusaku said to me, "That voice that just yelled at us; it was HIKARU-CHAN!!" "Madoka was driving! Let's follow them!" ***** "Uh-oh, I think I pissed them off!" Hikaru said worriedly. "Whatever you said, it didn't sound friendly,'' Madoka replied. Then she noticed in her rearview mirror, the number plate on the front end. "It's Kyosuke!" "EEEEEH??" ***** "I'm really, really, REALLY sorry, Sempai..." Hikaru-chan was apologizing so profusely, it was almost embarrassing. "Please, Hikaru-chan, I'm not upset with you." "But Sempai, I was so out of line!" We had all gotten together at a small, outdoor café with an interesting view of the pedestrian mall. Hundreds of people thronged in the area as the four of us ordered a light lunch. Madoka admitted to being distracted while driving, causing the near collision. I figured it was another case of happenstance meeting chance on the road to Serendipity. It felt strange to see Hikaru Hiyama again. The last time I saw her, we had just fought a battle against a madwoman, determined to kill her because of show-business rivalry. This time, I was in the company of my bride-to-be and a friend who spent most of his life trying to get Hikaru-chan to love him. Some of her features stayed the same; the lively eyes, perky nose, a cute little mouth filled with bright, even teeth. Other parts of her changed dramatically since I saw her as a young girl still in middle school. Her hair, which she used to keep short, had grown until hit reached just past her shoulders, though it was the same red-brown color. The constant exercise brought on by dancing had helped make her taller and sleeker. Her hands, bare of jewelry save for a wristwatch, were long and fine, not at all like the chubby little hands which used to feed me at lunch time in school. And, she had developed a rather voluptuous... "I'm watching you, Kyosuke!" Madoka warned me, "Those eyes of yours are showing off your perverted thoughts!" "YAADAA, YAADAA, YAADAA, SEMPAI-TTARA!!" Hikaru-chan twittered loudly, just like when she was a teenager. "Hikaru-chan, we're no longer students. You needn't call me 'sempai' anymore." "As you wish, Sempai-no, Kyosuke-san. If it pleases you, you may call me just 'Hikaru'." "Thank you..." I looked carefully at Madoka, just to make sure. She smiled back as if to say 'it's all right'. "...Hikaru." There, we're all adults, now. "Hello, is everything all right here?" The café's owner came to check up on us. The woman, wearing a stylish two-piece dress, looked vaguely familiar to me, but Madoka's eyes widened instantly as she recognized... "ORYU!!" ''MADOKA!! They embraced like long lost friends. Come to think of it, they were long lost friends! "It's been how long?" Madoka asked. ''Eight or nine years, at least!" It seems that Oryu, who used to be one of the toughest sukeban ever to put on a sailor dress, got out of the gangster business as soon as she left the hospital after Madoka had rescued her from the Red Wolf gang. She changed schools, finished her education, then went to work in this very café until the owner retired, leaving her to run the store in his place. When he died, he left it to her in his will. "No kidding! You're getting married?" Oryu asked. "Yes, tomorrow afternoon!" Madoka answered, "Can you come?" "Sure! I'm real happy you did something good with your life, rather than get involved with the gangs." "Well, I'm happy that you finally took your own advice! You must do a thriving business." "Sure do. I'm also a volunteer at a youth counseling center, plus a lot of my staff are reformed delinquents. With me, they get another chance." After lunch (Oryu insisted on making the meal complimentary), we went back to Madoka's house. Hikaru and Yuusaku modeled their wedding outfits, but Madoka kept her dress under wraps ("It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her dress before the wedding." she said). Somebody dug out a photo album and all of us sat around reminiscing about the old days. "Remember the time we all went to that haunted beach?" Hikaru asked. "Yeah, I sure do," Madoka answered, "I had the scare of my life..." "Was it when you saw 'Koto's ghost'," I interrupted, "Or when you surfed 'Big Monday' and almost drowned?" "No, you creep," she retorted good-naturedly, "It was when you were carting me around like a sack of potatoes!" Hikaru and Yuusaku laughed. "Yeah, right! After you fainted from the sight of Koto-san sitting on the sand in the dark!" "Hey, you never told us that part!" Yuusaku put in. "Well, let me tell you..." I related the story of how Madoka went out on the beach, searching for a lost T-shirt when she found the injured lady we later knew as Koto-san, then dropped to the ground in a dead faint. "Oh, then you hadn't heard," Hikaru spoke up, "We crossed paths earlier in the women's bath, Koto-san and the two of us..." "Yeah, and she fit the description of the ghost, too, with that scar on her arm." Madoka added. "You know, not long afterwards, she found a new man and got married. I sent her an invitation to our wedding; I hope she can come." "Uh-hmm." Madoka had tried to surf the giant wave known as "Big Monday" in place of Koto-san, a young woman whose boyfriend was killed during an earlier challenge. Madoka would have drowned too, were it not for my use of the "power" to save her from the swollen seas. Madoka used to attribute it to "divine intervention" (Who knows, maybe my being there was "divine") and I couldn't tell her then it was my doing. Later, after she found out about my powers, she curled up with me and said, "Thank God I met you." "Hey," Hikaru found pictures of the four of us in tennis outfits. "Remember the 'Kissing Tennis Tournament'?" "Ha, who can forget!" Yuusaku spoke up, "Kyosuke-san's perverted nature blossomed forth like weeds after a rainstorm!" "Uh-huh! His hand was down my shirt." Hikaru didn't forget that part! "And he tried to kiss Madoka-san!" Yuusaku was on a roll! "And he followed me into the women's locker room!" Madoka joined in the prosecution. I was definitely not in my best form that day! "But he scared the living crap out of me," Hikaru suddenly became serious. "Yeah, he went into a coma," Yuusaku recalled, "No pulse, no respiration; then he suddenly woke up!" NO!! I wasn't going to tell them about the magic watch that stops the passage of time for ordinary people! I had it wound up the wrong way and it caused me to freeze in place for 60 seconds. "Did you ever find out how you got sick like that, Kyosuke-san?" Hikaru asked. "No; the doctor said he couldn't find out how I got that way, nor have I ever been that way since then." I never used that magic watch again; I returned it to Grandfather. I think he's saving it for the day when he can give it to Kazuya, so that the boy can learn its object lesson about tampering with fate. We talked about the old days like that for hours, looking at pictures and chatting about past events that we shared. The tea and coffee we started with soon changed to liquor. Funny thing about alcohol, it liberates the mind and loosens the tongue. "Sa-ay Madoka-san," Hikaru said, sounding a bit tipsy, "R'member? Back when I was real sick, I had this dream..." She's talking about her psychosomatic near-death experience! "You an' Kyosuke-san were like, talkin' me out of dyin', y'know, and y'all said that if I ever found a new guy, you'd help me cel'brate..." She never forgot Madoka's promise, even if she thought of it as happening in a dream. "Madoka-san, Kyosuke-san, please help me cel'brate my love for the guy who endured my youthful stupidity and yet, loves me anyway: YUUSAKU HINO!!" EEEEEEEEHH!! HIKARU AND YUUSAKU?? "Boy, have you got a stupid look on your face," Madoka told me pointedly, "But I can't blame you; I was just as surprised when she told me about it too." I lost count how many times Hikaru acted towards Yuusaku as if she wasn't interested in him. She focused on me like a predator after its prey while Yuusaku blamed me for the fact that Hikaru was stuck on me like crazy glue. "I'm real happy for you two," I raised my glass. "Here's to a long-delayed love..." Everybody looked at me funny. I must have said something wrong. "He's right," Madoka mumbled with her eyes downcast, "I kept Kyosuke at arms length and used Hikaru as a diversion, to keep from admitting my own feelings for him. I made this triangle last far longer than it should have." "No,no, Madoka-san," Hikaru said, "I saw that he was in love with you and tried to make him love me instead. I wouldn't give him up until he had to hurt me." "Please, Hikaru, Madoka," I had to set things right. "It was all my fault. I should have been more clear with my feelings." Hell, Kazuya was telling me that back when he was but five! "Please, all of you," Yuusaku interrupted, "We were all just kids then. All that we are now, we became because of events like what took place in the past. We can't alter what has happened, and anyway, I, for one, wouldn't change a minute of it. It made my longing for Hikaru-chan into the love I have for her now." DAMN!! The guy's right! None of us thought of the love triangle as a part of growing up, only as a regrettable memory. There were lots of times I engaged in useless bouts of self-recrimination, thinking that my life would have been perfect had I declared my love for Madoka right away. But now that Yuusaku brought out what should have been obvious, the old relationship we had took on another significance. We could see it now becoming part of the process of maturation, like teething pains or falling down after taking one's first steps... "'The pain that I have suffered, has taught me how to love...'" Madoka whispered, just loud enough for me to hear. "What was that?" I asked her. "An old song we used to sing together, Hikaru and I," she answered, "It was called 'Dance in the Memories." "Yeah, I remember," Hikaru said wistfully, "You still have the disc, right, Madoka-san?" "Sure do." Madoka got to her feet, ambled over to her parent's stereo system (Darn thing has so many high-end American components, I think it cost as much as my car!), dug out the laserdisc and installed the mikes for the karaoke player. A few minutes later, as stoned as we were, we were singing the sweet melodies of our youth. "" Madoka and Hikaru were lead vocals. "" Yuusaku and I were backup. "" "" I thought we were sounding pretty good (But what I know about music couldn't fill in the white margins of a 500 yen note!). We kept on singing; old songs, new songs; without noticing the passage of time. I think that's when all of my old concerns disappeared. I had been afraid that seeing Hikaru again would rekindle her feelings for me. But she was now blissfully attracted to Yuusaku and regarded me just as an old friend. I looked over at the two of them; Hikaru had fallen asleep next to Yuusaku with her head in his lap. Madoka was still singing a slow piece when I lost consciousness after finishing my fifth brandy. ***** Madoka's parents came home after the concert to find their daughter passed out on the sofa with her husband-to-be and her closest friends Hikaru and Yuusaku asleep on the love seat. "Can you remember what you were doing the night before our wedding?" the Maestro asked his wife. "I was up all night, drinking with my girlfriends." she answered. "I was working all night, trying to get money to repay the Yakuza loan shark I borrowed from to buy your wedding ring!" "Do you think they'll be all right tomorrow? They must've gotten pretty smashed." "Sure. Young people today have a lot more stamina then we did at their age." The older couple climbed the stairs to go to bed. ***** I felt a painful pressure on my chest which forced me awake. Madoka had fallen asleep with her head on my chest and one of her earrings was pushing right on my breastbone. I shook her into alertness. "Uuwaaa...good morning...OHMIGOSH!!" She looked at her watch. "It's past 10 o'clock!" "And on your wedding day, too!" I knew that voice! "KURUMI!!" "Keep it down, Onii-chan. This isn't our house." She handed me a cup of warm tea with a strange aroma. One sip confirmed my suspicions; this was Grandma's hangover brew. Calling it 'Hair of the Dog' wouldn't do it justice. The gunk tasted more like 'Hair of the Wolf'! But its effectiveness was legendary. "How'd you know we'd need this stuff?" "Woman's intuition." Kurumi smiled one of those 'I-just-saved-your-ass-again' smiles. "Gad, this tastes like shit!" Madoka grumbled as she drank from her teacup. "Jeez though, my headache's going away. Where was this when we needed it months ago?" "Manami-chan found it; it was part of the stuff Grandma and Grandpa brought when they visited the house not long ago." "Boy, are you people always this loud in the morning?" "Gee whiz, no kiddin'! My head hurts!" Hikaru and Yuusaku were also waking up. "Here, drink this." Kurumi handed each of them a cup of the hangover brew. "EEEEE-YUUUUU!!" "AAAAACK!!" "Honestly, I expected more responsibility from my elders, Onii-chan," Manami chided me, "Getting blasted the night before your own wedding." "Little sister," I told her, "You'll never know of the weight that was lifted from my shoulders last night." "Oh yes I do, Onii-chan," Manami had an understanding expression on her face. "The hell you've been putting yourself through is finally over." She was right. Double Wedding The Seventh of July: Tanabata. The weather for our wedding was bright and clear. My father had taken great pains to photograph the ceremony; assistants were stationed outside and inside various parts of the church, using still cameras, camcorders, even a 35mm movie camera. The church was being filled mainly with distant relatives and business associates. I saw aunts, uncles and cousins I hadn't met in many years, plus gallery employees, suppliers, fellow artists and photographers, my book agent and a few of my old teachers, including Matsuoka-sensei. "Hey Baby, you wanna go out later? I know where there's a great hotel..." "YAADAAAA!!" SMACK!! "HENTAI!!" "Hey Gorgeous, lemme get your phone number, address, measurements..." "SUKEBE!! Get away from me!" SMACK!! "OWW!!" That sounded like Komatsu and Hatta getting their due for unwanted sexual advances on some unsuspecting women. The Twits approached me as I stood near the front of the nave. Dressed as they were in tuxedo suits at least twenty years out of fashion, they looked like a couple of freaks from an old movie. I regretted not making them get more appropriate clothes. "Kasuga, why'd you invite all these cold-hearted women?" Komatsu moaned at me. "Didn't you know any friendly ones?" Hatta added emphatically. "I'll bet you two would've made great vice cops." I told them. "Why's that?" "You guys could shut down an illegal 'soap palace' just by showing up under cover!'' "Man, that's cold of you, Kasuga!'' Komatsu said grudgingly. Hatta only laughed; he knew it as the truth. "How do you even know those guys?" Ryuu asked after the Twits ambled off in search of the elusive willing female. "It's a long story, man." I looked over at the front pew on the groom's side. My aunt and uncle were sitting up front with their son Kazuya, a bane on my existence since his early childhood. He swiveled his head around with a bored expression on his face. I suppose I couldn't blame him. Weddings weren't my strong suit either as a kid. I on the other hand, was starting to get the shakes. I had rehearsed everything along with Madoka, even practiced my vows with my sisters ("Sorry," Kurumi told me, "You don't get to kiss this bride!"), so I didn't understand why I was experiencing this agitated state! I LOVE this woman I'm about to marry! Best of all, SHE LOVES ME!! So why am I feeling so tense at this moment? ***** In a small chamber near the entrance where the bride's procession staged before walking up the aisle, Madoka dressed in her wedding gown, bowed deeply and gracefully to her parents. "Papa, Mama, for all that you have done for me, I will forever be in your debt. I thank you very, very much." Her father, on the other hand, had a novel reply. "Arise, Daughter. The honor you have given us, of watching you grow up, has paid your debt in full." "Oh Papa..." Madoka's eyes filled with tears at her father's words and she rushed to embrace him, pushing her face into his satin lapel. "Are we gonna have to redo her make-up?" Kurumi groused "Shhhhh!" Manami silenced her. ***** The organ began to play a hymn, then the bridesmaids and groomsmen proceeded up the aisle, led by Hikaru, Madoka's Maid-of-Honor, and Ryuu-san, the Best Man. The women looked lovely, all dressed in long, cream-colored gowns and bearing small bouquets of white carnations. The Best Man wore an outfit identical to mine; a black jacket and gray trousers, while the groomsmen wore all-black tuxedos. I saw Mrs. Ayukawa come up one of the side aisles and quickly take her place in the front pew on the bride's side, flashing me a quick smile to let me know everything was all right. As the bridesmaids approached, I took one last look at Hikaru. She had fixed her hair into a French braid and made up her face so that she looked even more mature and attractive than I had ever seen her before. She must have felt me looking at her, for she gave me the tiniest of smiles as she went by. I almost felt heartsick as I thought about what I must have missed in not seeing her grow up to become a beautiful woman. Then the moment I had waited for finally arrived. Madoka, escorted by her father Seiji Ayukawa, made her way up the aisle to the strains of Wagner's Wedding March. She was GORGEOUS!! Her veil was held in place by a valuable-looking tiara, probably borrowed from her mother. She wore around her neck, the gold chain and pendant I gave her as a Christmas gift; the Mahou-no-Tama. Her wedding dress was exactly as she had shown me in the catalogue. The scoop-necked bodice was heavily decorated with sequins and beads and finished with puffed short sleeves. Her skirt, filled out with layers of petticoats, was made of white silk and formed a long train behind her, as if she was royalty. It kind of fit the image, because the Maestro, a world-famous musician and conductor, had put on all of the awards given to him by many different countries around the world. I could recognize the Order of the British Empire he was presented three years ago in London, our own Order of Culture, the Order of Arts and Letters from France, plus a medal bar on his left lapel weighty with many other decorations. He looked like a king giving his daughter away at her wedding. Without my even feeling it, tears began to stream out of my eyes. I was so damn overjoyed, I was CRYING at my own happiness. I fumbled unobtrusively for a hankie, but I didn't have one. Then I felt something in my hand; a facial tissue had been teleported into my pocket. I looked over to Kazuya. ["Hang in there, Nii-chan."] he said to me telepathically, giving me a wink. I thanked him with a nod of my head and mopped at my eyes. Madoka and her father arrived at the altar, then he retreated to his pew. "What's wrong, Kyosuke?" she asked surreptitiously. "Nothing. Just had a loose eyelash, is all." "Uh-huh. I know the feeling." She smiled, showing me her own Kleenex, wrapped around the stems of the bouquet. The priest began to read the wedding service, "Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today..." It was a good thing we had plenty of rehearsals, because I was so nervous, I nearly screwed up everything! "Kyosuke, your vows!" Madoka prompted me. "Umm...I, Kyosuke, take thee, Ayukawa..." OOPS!! Things DID NOT get better from that point, "...to be my awful, eh, uh, lawful wedded wife..." I was getting tongue-tied! Then there was the part where we exchanged rings. "Er, Kyosuke," she whispered, "That's YOUR ring you're putting on my hand." I had picked up the wrong one! It seemed that I hadn't changed very much at all, growing up from a clumsy boy into a clumsy man. Amazingly, despite all of my goof-ups, Madoka maintained an even-tempered composure that was both patient and forgiving. That really helped me a lot. "By the power vested in me, I now declare that you are Husband and Wife!" The look on the reverend's face was one of obvious relief. Madoka and I turned away from the altar to start our walk toward the exit. But something else seemed to go wrong. The recessional hymn wasn't playing. "Where's the music?" Madoka wondered softly. I shook my head. "This one isn't my fault." Then it finally started up; Felix Mendelsson's Wedding March from "A Midsummer Night's Dream". But this was different version, at least when compared to the one we heard at rehearsal. It was loaded with extra flourishes, as if it was being played as a duet. It sounded like something Madoka would have done. "That's beautiful." I told her, "Did you write that?" "Uh-uh, but it sounds wonderful. Can you see who's playing?" I sneaked a peek up at the organ loft: THERE WAS NOBODY UP THERE!! I had an idea who might be doing it then. I looked at the bridesmaids and saw Manami and Kurumi, their eyes closed in concentration as they stood waiting to march. I knew then that it was their doing! Those brainless bimbos hadn't figured out that if someone bothered to look up at the organ loft and saw no one sitting at the keyboard, that questions would be asked and that OUR FAMILY SECRET WOULD BECOME PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE!! Then I looked up again and this time, I saw a pair of heads and shoulders with their backs turned to the audience. I was puzzling over how I could explain this until Madoka prompted me to start moving. We walked down the aisle to the applause of the wedding guests. ["Kyosuke-niichan, the organist suddenly took ill. Manami-oneechan and Kurumi-oneechan are doing it by 'remote control'. Don't worry, we'll take care of it from here."] ["Way to go, Kazuya!"] I guess some things can't be helped. Once we got to the door, members of the media clustered around, trying to photograph us. Some of the other wedding guests, mostly the single women, gathered at the front of the church steps. "Kyosuke, wave for the cameras." Madoka said to me and I complied, somewhat mechanically. Then she gave me a perfunctory kiss on the cheek. Just behind the press photographers and news-people, a young couple stopped to watch. The guy was a short Japanese with an unruly mop of dark hair and a Nekomi Technical College T-shirt while his girlfriend was a tall, lithe European beauty whose blue eyes shined with an otherworldly radiance. "Throw the bouquet!" someone shouted. Madoka cocked back her arm and let it fly. The flowers sailed over the heads of the wedding guests and press, to be caught by the foreign-looking girl. "Congratulations!" she shouted to us. "Thank you!" Madoka said back. A limousine pulled up in front of the church and the crowd parted to make a path to the car. The driver got out and opened the passenger door as Madoka and I approached the vehicle. As we got closer, I thought that the driver was a rather effeminate-looking fellow until I seated my wife (Yes, I can call her that, now!) inside and followed her in. Once he got behind the wheel and turned to face us... "EEEH!! AKANE??" "Hey Kyosuke, you look surprised!" Jeez, she can be such a smart-aleck! "Well, why shouldn't I be? You're doing part-time work?" "Uh-huh. But this ride's costing ME money, though it's for the good of the family." "And what do you mean by THAT?!" "Sit back and relax, you'll see." After that, she drove off. I did as she said. At least, the ordeal was over. ***** After the first limousine pulled away, a second limo stopped at the curb. The driver came out and opened the passenger door and stood waiting for someone to get in. Just then, Madoka's parents came out of the church and stood next to the Twins. "Why is that car still here?" the Maestro wondered aloud. "Because they're not in there." his wife answered. "Excuse me, Oji-san," Kurumi spoke up, "Onii-chan and Madoka-san got in a different car." "EEEH?" "It's true, sir," Manami added, "A Mercedes Benz limousine." "But I ordered a Lincoln Town Car..." "Anata," Mrs. Ayukawa said, "Let's not waste the driver's time. Kurumi-chan, Manami-chan, let's all go to the reception in this car." "All right!" chorused the Twins. "Shouganai!" The Maestro shrugged his shoulders in resignation and followed the women into the empty Lincoln. ***** "What happened to you back there, Kyosuke?" Madoka asked. "Nerves, I guess. I was scared that something would go wrong and when something did, I guess that compounded my errors." "Well, don't worry about 'em; you said 'I do' when you were supposed to. Omedetou gozaimasu, Anata!" "Doumo, Oku-san." She giggled at the unfamiliar form of address. "Been called a lot of things in my life, but not Oku-san." "You'd like to be called something else, then?'' I grew up without a mother's guidance, so how is a man supposed to address his wife? "Kimi or Omae is not a problem," She looked at me with a pleading expression on her face, "But please don't forget my name. I've waited so long for you to use it that I sincerely hope 'Madoka' will come to mean as much to you as 'Kyou-chan' does to me." "It already does." I kissed her. Neither of us felt the car make a stop. The door to the passenger compartment suddenly opened to let in... "Grandpa and Grandma?" The old couple, dressed in traditional formal clothing, scrambled into the limousine's passenger compartment to sit in the small jumpseats. "Why are you here?" I asked. "Kyosuke, you should already know the answer to that." Grandpa answered with a snap. "Akane, are you ready?" "Ready, Grandpa!" The car moved off, then eased through a nearby barrier onto a blocked-off section of a freeway under construction. "What's happening?" Madoka asked. "You believe that know all about us," Grandpa said, "But now you are about to see something really amazing." "Hang on, folks!" Akane shouted as she gunned the limo's engine and accelerated along the deserted highway. I saw us coming to a dead end where an unfinished overpass led into a sheer drop-off. "Kyosuke, Grandpa, tell me, WHAT'S GOING ON??" Madoka was getting scared. "Be patient, Madoka-chan," Grandma said reassuringly. Madoka gripped my hand apprehensively as the car passed through the barrier, then sailed into the air! I closed my eyes, anticipating either a sudden crunch of metal or the jolt to my body just before I died. When neither happened, I opened my eyes. "EEEEEEH????" Instead of the urban landscape of Tokyo, we were out in the COUNTRYSIDE!! The limousine drove along a narrow lane lined with majestic cypress trees. WE MUST HAVE BEEN TELEPORTED!! "Where are we?" Madoka asked, a tremor of fear in her voice. "You've been brought 450 kilometers and twenty-four hours back in time." Grandpa answered. "TWENTY-FOUR HOURS??" I was shocked. "Check your digital watch, Kyosuke if you need proof." I did as Grandpa said; my date function showed the number for the day prior to my wedding! "I'm not going to say this is crazy, but why have we been brought out here?" Madoka stopped being scared, but now she was starting to get annoyed. An angry Madoka can be very dangerous! "When last we spoke, Kyosuke, you said that you would be willing to marry properly in the family shrine, after your church wedding." "I admit I did say that." "Well, in accordance with that, we have brought you to the shrine to fulfill that promise." "And yanked us back to yesterday to satisfy your own priorities." "In time, Kyosuke, you'll come to see the wisdom of my actions." "Grandfather, that was COMPLETELY..." "It's okay, Kyosuke." Madoka touched my arm to get me to calm down. "I also made the same promise; to do everything I needed to do as a member of the Kasuga Clan." "But Love, is this truly what you want?" The look in her eyes told me that she was willing and determined to go through with the ceremony. "Yes, my husband." She nodded and smiled to assure me the decision was her own. We looked out of the windows at the scenery, viewing what we thought was unparalleled beauty. Although the road was well-paved, the rest of the forest appeared tranquil and undisturbed. "In ages past, this area was once the exclusive preserve of the Kasuga Clan." Grandpa said proudly. "Wow!" Madoka sounded impressed. ''Does this mean you were a daimyou family?" "No, Madoka-chan, though you're not far off. We were once hereditary councilors to the Imperial Court, until eclipsed by the cutthroat Fujiwaras. After that, our influence declined drastically." "Hmm, so nowadays, the Kasugas are like regular citizens?" "Yes. We became instead, gentlemen farmers and land holders. You've been to my home; the land there has been in our family for many generations. Kyosuke will inherit it when I am gone." The car halted at a small gap in the woods. I could see the lake and the two islands that mark the place where my ancestors once dwelled. "Welcome Kyosuke, Madoka-chan, to our clan's most secret and most holy ground, the shrine dedicated to the Kasuga Clan." Madoka and I stepped out of the car and looked around, but couldn't see a thing. "Grandpa, where is this place?" I asked. "Can't see it for the trees? I suppose that why the family shrine is so secret." Grandpa brought his hands together as if he was praying, then a mysterious, unearthly glow came out from between two large trees. The trees moved aside to reveal a passage into a clearing. And in the clearing stood the ancient shrine of the Kasuga Clan! "This is really fantastic, Grandpa!" Yes, even I was amazed. "Marvelous!" Madoka gushed openly. I didn't think I had ever seen her so astonished or excited about anything else like this before. "Take a look here." Grandpa indicated the trees which parted to reveal the shrine. Madoka and I examined them to discover that the topmost branches had grown together and intertwined, forming the appearance of a shrine gate! "It took many of our ancestors over two hundred years to create this living torii." Grandpa boasted. "I see you still haven't lost the tendency to play tour guide, Ken-chan." The strange voice belonged to an old man, dressed as a Shinto priest. Anybody who could address my grandfather in such an intimate fashion must somehow be related to us. "I'm sorry, Great-Uncle, it's just that I get such a rush when ever I bring someone up here who has never seen the place before." EEEEEEEHH???? GREAT-UNCLE???? "You shouldn't scream like that, Kyosuke," the old man said to me aloud, "You could hurt yourself." "Funny, I didn't hear anything," Madoka said. "You remember, Kazuya's a telepath?" "Uh-huh," "Great-Uncle here is to Kazuya what a nuclear power plant is to a AA battery." "An accurate if not a flattering analogy," the old man said, "A better one would have been 'Like a dragon is to a butterfly'." "Please forgive me, Great-Uncle," I apologized, "And allow me to introduce..." "Madoka, of the honorable House of Ayukawa." Great-Uncle announced. "I am very honored to meet you, sir," she replied, bowing deeply. "She is well-mannered," Great-Uncle said admiringly, "And quite a looker, too. Hadn't seen anybody like her before in a hundred years." EEEEEEEHH???? A HUNDRED YEARS???? ["You're screaming again, Kyosuke."] ["Sorry, sir."] "Well, everyone," Akane said, having changed into the outfit of a miko, "Shall we get dressed? Kyosuke, your clothing's in there," She indicated a small building to the left of the gate, "Madoka-chan, I'll help you get ready over here." Akane led Madoka into another building in the shrine complex to get dressed in the traditional bridal costume. In my changing room, I found a bridegroom's outfit laid out for me. I stripped out of my wedding suit, then struggled into the unfamiliar garments (Somebody thoughtfully left a diagram on how to put this stuff on!). After tying the last knot, I checked myself in the mirror. Damn, did I look good or what! The kimono was black, worn with light gray striped hakama and white tabi. The montsuki was also black and bore upon it in five places, the mon of the Kasuga Clan; a radiant sun over a cluster of trees, embroidered in white. In the genkan, I pushed my feet into a pair of straw zôri, then stepped outside into the sunshine. The day was still warm and humid; I was getting hot in the dark-colored clothes. "Oh Kyosuke, you look so handsome," Grandma said as she came out of the main hall of the shrine. Grandpa followed her outside. "I wonder what's taking Madoka-chan so long..." Grandpa looked at his pocket watch. "The day isn't getting any younger!" "Sorry to keep you waiting." I heard her say, then turned to where she stood. She looked FABULOUS!! I know Madoka objected to the symbolism of the hanayomeishou, but dressed as she was, as a traditional bride, she looked like a vision of Japanese beauty. The uchikake, the over-robe covering the kimono, was of white silk, elaborately embroidered with lucky cranes done in gold, silver and colored threads. The uchikake was worn open to show the white kimono, the symbol of the bride's passing out of her father's family; tucked into the pure white obi was the silk-covered kaiken, the bridal dagger which in ancient times, was used by a failed wife to end her life by slashing her throat. Madoka's hair had been done up the traditional style with combs, hairpins and other ornaments holding it in place. Some of it was covered up by the tsunokakushi, the headpiece which hid the bride's 'horns of jealousy'. "How do I look?" Madoka asked. She hid her face coyly behind her open fan. "Like I've died and gone to heaven." I just have to have a snappy answer for everything. "Funny, I'm the one who's supposed to be 'dead'." "Excuse me, folks," Great-Uncle stood at the entrance to the main hall, "Can we get on with it? I'm not getting any younger, you know!." Under the direction of my cousin and my great-great-uncle, Madoka and I went before the altar and sipped from special cups, the consecrated saké which had been put aside for this occasion ("This saké had been aging since the day you were born, Kyosuke." Grandfather told me afterwards). Once we had completed the ritual of san-san-kudo... "Omedetou, Kyosuke, Madoka-chan!" Grandma and Grandpa congratulated us on our wedding. "Yes, congratulations," Great-Uncle added, "We must now seek the guidance of the gods." The two old men began to utter a strange chant, in words I could not understand. Madoka slipped her hand over mine and held it. "Kyosuke, what's happening right now, it's just like I saw it in my dream." "Your dream?" "Yes, I didn't pay much attention at first, but now...I'm scared..." She gripped my hand even tighter. The chanting increased in volume until it was loudly filling the shrine. I looked around and saw Grandma and Akane calmly watching the men. Whatever it was, it wasn't supposed to be harmful. Then a pinpoint of light appeared in front of the altar. It grew in size until it manifested into a human shape that flooded the building with an overpowering light. "Behold, O Noble and August One, the young couple we have brought before Thee." Great-Uncle intoned ceremoniously, "We ask Thy Blessings and favours be upon them." "I know well, these two," said the spirit, "For their path was much unlike any other's." "How dost Thou knowest this couple, O Great and Holy One?" Grandfather asked. Apparently, he was well practiced in talking to the gods! "They have given their lives to each other many times before this day; the strength of their devotion freed a tortured soul from damnation. Although he was clumsy and at times, held two in his heart, his affection for her was enough to protect her from all manner of harm. Her love for him is pure and rich in its power, for because of it, she now walks the path which leads to Enlightenment. She will bear strong and healthy children, despite the smoking habit." Then the spirit being faded out of sight. "Did you see that, Madoka? Madoka??" She leaned against me in a dead faint. "What happened?" Akane asked. "Madoka has this thing about ghosts." It took us a bit to bring Madoka back to her senses. The sacred saké, having been used to consecrate my wedding would normally be consumed at a reception. Instead, we used it to help revive Madoka. Akane poured a cup of it into Madoka's mouth. "KOFF-KOFF...what happened?" she sputtered. "You fainted after you saw one of the guardian spirits of the Kasugas." "That was..." "I'm not sure myself," Great Uncle said, "I've never seen the same god twice at these ceremonies. When you have your children, you'll have to bring them back here for Shichi-Go-San..." "Isn't it kind of early for that?" I asked, "There's still the wedding reception..." "That's happening tomorrow, after your church wedding." Grandpa stated. "But everybody else in normal time is waiting for us!" ''Kyosuke, when we return you to the normal time stream, you will be on time for your reception." "Don' sweadit, Kyou-shan," Uh-oh! I turned around. Madoka must have had more of the consecrated saké. A lot more! ''Akane-shan shaid she'd only hav' ta shrow it away...hic...an' it tashted sho good, I hadda hav' sum'more...hic..." "You okay, sweetheart?" I just had to ask. "Feelin' no pain... hic!" she an-slurred, "Let's hurry up an' get to it!" We left the main hall and walked back to one of the buildings near the entrance, where Madoka had changed into the hanayomeishou. "Everything's been prepared for you." Akane said as she brought us into the room where Madoka and I were to--well, you know... "WAAAA!!" Madoka wandered over to the pictures decorating the walls. "Those are original shunga prints from about two hundred years ago." Akane said. "Sugee jan!! Every one of 'em's got a guy with a BIG DICK!!" Madoka's still smashed. What she didn't appear to notice is that each woman had a big enough--well, you-know-what... "She sounds kinda ready," Akane looked red in the face. "You guys wanna take a bath? I've already filled the tub and heated it up." "That sounds great, Akane. Thank you for all you have done." I told her. "Yeah, thanksh, Akane-shan!" My cousin left us alone. Madoka dropped down to the tatami, still dressed in the voluminous bridal costume. "GAWD!! I'm sho hot in thish fuckin' outfit!" "Let me help you get comfortable," I said, moving toward her. I remember once helping my sisters get into their kimonos for special occasions when they were very little, but I never tried to undress anyone out of one, especially a drunk woman. "I'm sho shorry, Kyou-shan," she tried to say as she struggled to sit up in the heavy silken robes. "I mus' be a real mess..." "I guess you should have been warned; that saké had been aging for 24 years, ever since I was born. That stuff was probably more like shouchuu..." "Naw, it was as shmoove as tap water, with jusht a leetle bite..." "Tell you the truth, I was so excited about marrying you all over again, I didn't even notice the flavor." "Ya know sumthin, me too. I didn't taste a thing until afterwards, when I wanted to have another sip, then it grew into a swallow, then a cupful..." "Hush, sweetheart, let me get you out of these hot things." I used my powers to untie the elaborate sashes fastening the hanayomeishou, finally getting Madoka out of her bridal outfit. "Thank you, honorable husband," Madoka wriggled out from under the pile of loosened clothing, clad only in her foundation garments. "You go on ahead and take your bath now; I'll join you later, okay?" "Okay." Madoka wobbled out of the room, heading ( I hoped) for the bathroom. I used my powers to fold up and put to one side Madoka's wedding costume. I took off my own clothes, stacking them next to hers, then followed after Madoka to the bathroom. I found her, wetting herself down with an oak bath basin. Apparently, this ofuro was of the old-fashioned type whereby the water had to be drawn from outside to fill the bath, then heated with a slow-burning charcoal fire from below. The walls of the tub were made of cedar. "How're you feeling?" I asked her. "A lot better, thanks. I'm awful sorry..." "Hey, there's nothing to be upset about. You just fainted, then you felt you had to compensate..." "By getting schnockered in front of your grandparents! They must think that I'm some kinda..." "Incredibly beautiful, smart, loving, caring, wonderful person!" I countered. "You think so?" "I know so! Now let's put all that behind us and let me scrub your back." I took up a loofa and some soap, then like many baths before, lathered and massaged Madoka's back to help her relax. I could feel much tension and nervousness drain away as I moved my hands over her skin and kneaded the muscles of her body. After I rinsed her off, she did the same service for me, then we entered the bath together. The ofuro was the same size as the one at my home, so we had plenty of room to relax. "Are you looking forward to later?" she asked me. "Uh-huh. I wonder what everyone else is doing?" Madoka placed herself next to me in the huge tub. "If I know Papa, he's pacing back and forth like a caged lion while Shuu-chan is keeping everyone entertained with the band. Don't worry, my husband. I'm sure things are taking care of themselves." Immaculate (?) Reception "Damn! They sure are late!" Maestro Seiji Ayukawa muttered to himself as he paced the lobby of the hotel where the reception for the newlyweds was taking place. His wife Midori came out after him. "Honey, I wish you'd stop worrying about Madoka and Kyosuke-san. I had heard that his grandparents were unable to attend the wedding ceremony and that they had probably gone to find them to bring them to the reception." "Yeah, but everyone is waiting on them! Besides, this is costing us a fortune..." "Look, Shuu-chan is the Master of Ceremonies. He knows how to keep a party going. Everybody is so busy having a good time that they haven't really noticed that the bride and groom aren't here yet. By the way," Her tone turned mocking, "You look like some kind of doofus with all your medals on! You made that poor boy feel very self-conscious, considering he had more guts that you ever did!" "EEEEEH??" "He risked his life quite a few times saving our daughter, not to mention going into that terrible country to report on the horrid goings-on. You're friends with a cabinet minister or two. Why haven't you gotten him a decoration?" "The foreign minister himself is going to present the Imperial Medal of Honor for Cultural Merit." "Eh? It should have been for heroism. Anyway, go back in the room. They'll get here when they get here." "But Midori-san..." "Anata, I mean it! Otherwise, there'll be no 'clam dip', tonight!" "No 'clam dip'?" "None, nada, nein, nyet, not a lick!" A crestfallen Maestro Ayukawa followed his wife back into the reception hall. ***** After we had finished our bath, we reentered our nuptial chamber to find it had been prepared for our return. A tray bearing a small tea service and a selection of my grandmother's hand-made sushi sat next to a large futon spread out on the tatami. "That was very thoughtful of her." Madoka said coherently. The alcohol must have completely worn off. "Tea, my love?" I asked her. She nodded 'yes'. The service included a pair of decorated cups called meotojawan. I poured her the first serving into the smaller of the pair, then she returned the gesture, filling my cup. We sipped our teas together, discovering that it had a naturally sweet flavor. "This is fantastic! What kind of tea is this?" she asked. "I don't know; I've never had it before, either." "Okawari!" "Hai!" I refilled her cup. In fact, she drank three cups of the wonderful-tasting tea. We were hand-feeding sushi to each other, getting more and more inclined to--well, you know... "Kyou-chaaaan..." Madoka was in the mood, all right. "I...I'm so hot..." she slid next to me and began to rub herself against my body. "I want you, Kyou-chaaaan...I want you now!" "What the...mmmmmph!" She pressed her lips against mine in an aggressive kiss! I found myself rising to meet the occasion, then slid my hands under her yukata. "Oh, that feels soooo gooood..." Her nipples were stiff as pencil erasers and from what I could feel from touching her, her sexual energies were elevated way beyond anything I had ever sensed before. Could that tea have been an aphrodisiac? Such things were not unheard-of in my family. I reached further down to her... "Oh yessss...again, Kyou-chan, do me again!" Madoka shuddered with delight as I fingered her 'pearl'. She fastened her lips more strongly on mine; the direct contact created an unbelievable passion in my loins! "UHWAAAA!!" Now I twitched from incredible pleasure as she grasped hold of my 'Jade Stalk'. Then, she flipped me on my back! Madoka impaled herself on my--well, you-know-what and took control of our love-making. The sensations I felt were indescribably intense! Her eyes were wide open as she moved herself on top of me, as if focusing on something behind us. I turned my head to see what she was staring at; one of the old shunga prints on the wall was showing exactly the position we were using now! "Madoka, change!" "EEH!!" I managed to get ourselves flipped onto our sides, then continued to stroke into her, feeling her quake in ecstasy as she came several times in quick succession. "Oh Kyou-chan, again, again, againnn!" Damn, why is this woman so freakin' horny! AAAH!! SHE DRANK THREE CUPS OF THAT DAMN TEA!! "More, more, MORE!!" Her yukata gapped open as we coupled, showing off her fabulous breasts. I ducked my head to suck one of her nipples... "AAAAAHHH!!!!" She came again! "I feel so good..." I couldn't hold it in any longer! "I'm gonna...UGHHHHHHHHHHH..." I was suddenly bathed in an immense light... It turned out to be a warmer than normal day in early spring and my new home was located near the top of these steps set into the side of the steep hill. I was counting as I climbed: "Eighty-eight, eighty-nine, ninety..." I paused to savor a cooling breeze which blew over my sweaty face. That's when I saw it; an unidentified flying object which resolved into a wide-brimmed red straw hat. As it sailed toward me, I jumped up and caught it, then secured it to my own head. "" That sounded like a girl's voice! I turned around to see who it was that was talking to me; that's when I saw her for the first time: DO-KIINNN!!!! OH MAN, SHE WAS GORGEOUS!!!! "It blew off of my head and would have sailed down the hill if you hadn't caught it." she said. "Yeah, this is some hill." "Uh-huh, it's got ninety-nine steps." "So?" I resumed my count: "ninety-one, ninety-two..." When I reached the top landing, I announced, "One hundred!" "USOOOO!! Every time I've counted them, there were ninety-nine!" "Well, I'm sure I counted them properly, there are a hundred." "Are you certain you didn't make a mistake?" "I counted them directly from the very bottom." "Well, there are still only ninety-nine!" "One hundred!" "NINETY-NINE!" This argument wasn't getting us anywhere. I proposed a compromise, "How about we settle it at ninety-nine-point-five?" "Eh? Why Kyosuke, that's the first math problem I can ever remember you solving without my help!" "WHAT!! You didn't say that the first time we met!" "That's because I'm trying to wake you up, my husband!" "EEEEEEH?? WE'RE MARRIED??" "We sure are, Anata!" I opened my eyes to see the same gorgeous girl I met in my dream, more womanly and more lovely over the passing of time. Her long, lustrous, deep black hair, the smooth, flawless cheeks, sparkling, sexy eyes, the cute, perky nose and soft, pink lips, all together made up a helluva beautiful woman. "If you're through being knocked for a loop, Dear," Madoka said smiling, "There's still our wedding reception we have to attend." "That's right." I answered, then a mischievous streak took hold. "Madoka-san, wherefore art thou, Madoka-san?" She instantly took the hint: "And to thee, wherefore art thou, Kyosuke-san?" We laughed like a couple of kids telling naughty stories to each other. A knock on the shoji preceded its sliding open to admit Akane's head. "Excuse me, but will you be ready soon to go to the reception? I think we're gonna be missed if we don't get back." "Okay, but I think we gotta clean up a bit..." "No kidding," She pinched her nostrils shut, "It smells like you've been having sex in here!" "YAADAAAA!! Akane-chan'ttara!!" Madoka screamed, instantly flushing bright red. How embarrassing! By the time Madoka, my grandparents and I got to the reception, we were over three hours late! But then, our showing up in traditional Japanese wedding outfits, plus having my grandparents enter with us served as a plausible excuse for our tardiness. Madoka's cousin Shuuichi and his wife Yukari (Those two are still stormy, but wouldn't miss each other for the world!) had kept the party going with live music from the Swing Top Band and numerous spoken tributes to the happy couple (In absentia). Our arrival signaled the official start of festivities. Toasts, more speeches and presentation of gifts became the rule of the day. Then came the strangest performance of the reception, from those "evil friends" of mine: Komatsu and Hatta. Their entertainment "empire" included an animation studio, in which they produced a super-deformed parody of my life story! I knew those guys were a little sick in the head, BUT THIS?? "Kimagure Orange Chibi-Road" Presented by Komatta Productions Note: Any similarity to persons living or dead is DELIBERATE AND INTENTIONAL!! (Heh, Komatsu + Hatta = TROUBLE!! Good name for their company!) Scene 1 {CB-Kyosuke is climbing the Hundred Steps.} CB-Kyosuke: "Eighty-seven, eighty-eight...gee, what's that? A red straw hat sailing in the breeze. I'll get it!" {Naturally, he missed. It flies past, out of his reach, to land down hill.} Madoka's voice, off screen: "HEY YOU LITTLE BASTARD!! PICK UP THAT HAT AND DO IT AGAIN!! AND THIS TIME, GET IT RIGHT!!" {The audience laughs. Kyosuke is embarrassed, but Madoka laughs heartily.} (Yeah, yuk it up, why don' cha!) Scene 2 {CB-Kyosuke and CB-Madoka meet at the top landing} CB-Kyosuke: "But I counted properly; there are one hundred steps!" CB-Madoka: "USOOOO!! I've only counted ninety-nine!" CB-Kyosuke: "One hundred!" CB-Madoka: "NINETY-NINE!!" CB-Kyosuke: "How come there are only ninety-nine when you count them?" CB-Madoka: " 'Cause I can't count to a hundred yet!" {More audience laughter. Kyosuke laughs along...} (Now THAT'S FUNNY!!) {Madoka gives him a dirty look.} (D'-oh!) Scene 3 {CB-Kyosuke is introduced to his ninth grade class at Koryo Gakuen} CB-Sensei: "This is Kyosuke Kasuga, who will be studying with you until he has to leave all of a sudden for unknown and mysterious reasons." CB-Kyosuke: "Pleased to meet'cha! Can I use that desk over there by the window?" CB-Sensei: "No, that's for the class punk; you'll have to sit over there, between the class perverts!" CB-Komatsu: "I'm Komatsu; a suave, debonair and sophisticated ladies' man! You like these, right?" {He holds up his thumb.} CB-Kyosuke: "Actually, I stopped sucking my thumb years ago!" CB-Komatsu: "Aw, too bad!" {He puts thumb in his mouth.} CB-Hatta: "I'm Hatta; all-round good sport, plus I like girls, all kinds of girls!" {Holds up a picture of Grandma Cologne from "Ranma 1/2", then bleeds heavily from his nostrils. Audience laughs heartily.} (Gotta admit, that's Hatta all right!) CB-Komatsu: "Kasuga, look at these pictures; ain't these some killer babes?" CB-Kyosuke: "Ché! All these girls are flat-chested!" CB-Hatta: "Yeah, the only girl in our class with big tits is..." {CB-Madoka forcefully slides open the classroom door.} Komatsu & Hatta: "...AYUKAWA~~!!" {CB-Madoka forces her way over to the three boys and begins thrashing them. The audience laughs heartily again. Madoka laughs along. Kyosuke chuckles with restraint.} (Those two...shitheads, the both of 'em...) Scene 4 {CB-Kyosuke and the CB-Twits are at the counter of the notorious Burger Joint.} CB-Server {sing-song}: "Hel-lo, I'm here to serve you; what can I get for you?" CB-Komatsu: "Wait'll you get a load of the servers here!" CB-Kyosuke: "EEEEEH!!" {He draws back in surprise} CB-Hatta: "All the women are topless!" {The screen is now filled with bare-breasted CB-serving girls. Audience groans in disgust. Scene shifts to the infamous dining room. The aerobics club next door is full of CB-girls doing exercises.} CB-Kyosuke: "You brought me here just because the dining room overlooks a women's aerobics studio?" CB-Komatsu: "Great view, ain't it?" CB-Kyosuke: "What's so great about it; they're all flat-chested CB-girls!" CB-Komatsu: "But this is Japan, the land where through high technology, anything is possible!" {He takes out a remote control unit and presses a button.} "TA-DAAA!! Digital Picture-Enhancing Window!" {The window view is now filled with nubile, voluptuous adult-bodied dancing girls. Think "Mai Shiranui" and you get the picture. The audience laughs, but the real Kyosuke is getting annoyed.} (Those guys are driving me crazy with these cheap, adolescent sex jokes!) ["Chill out, Nii-chan!"] ["Kazuya?"] ["If I wasn't there as technical advisor, those two would have put on something much worse!"] ["How could it have been worse?"] ["I've seen the storyboards. Believe me, you DON'T want to know!"] (The kid may be right. Ignorance, in this case, is bliss.) Scene 5 {Action takes place in a military command center of the JSDF. Several officers in combat uniforms are standing around a map table as a General issues orders. However, the General is CB-KOMATSU!!} CB-Komatsu: "Colonel Kasuga, your brigade will attack along Route Orange to seize Objective Bread!" CB-Kyosuke: "Yessir!" CB-Komatsu: "Colonel Hatta, your brigade will attack along Route Red and seize Objective Pork!" CB-Hatta: "Yessir!" CB-Komatsu: "Colonel Hino, yours is the most difficult and dangerous mission! Your command must conduct a feint to divert the enemy from discovering the true intent of our operation. You will be attacking against overwhelming force; the odds of your survival are a million-to-one at best!" CB-Hino: "Sir, why have I been sent on this...SUICIDE MISSION??" CB-Madoka: "Yuu-kun, you really must be stupid not to have figured it out...SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO SHARE ANYTHING WITH YOU!!" CB-Komatsu: "Gentlemen, our destiny awaits! To the victors belong the spoils! MABOROSHII NO KATSU-SAND, CHARGE!!!!" {The meeting breaks up as officers dash out on their missions.} (Owari) {Audience laughs and applauds.} ***** After that, the party swung into high gear. The Swing Top band performed a medley of all of Madoka's songs, including her first hit, "Like a Flower of Salvia". Shuu-san even had Madoka come on stage and perform live, something she hadn't done since the abortive "Talent Scout Caravan Show" nearly seven years ago. Madoka sang their "prizewinning" song, "Gaze of the Wind", then followed it up by letting my sisters sing a lively duet, "Tender Jealousy" (Obviously, they had this all planned well in advance). It was beginning to look like the whole reception was turning into a musical showcase. I'm not overly unfamiliar with music, having once been the drummer for the short-lived "Pikkari" band. But now, I was beginning to feel a bit left out. "Ladies and gentlemen," Shuu-san announced after the last set, "Tonight, a special guest has arrived, our Minister of Cultural Affairs, who has come to make a special presentation." Now that was a surprise; the Maestro probably had something to do with it. "Fellow citizens, this is indeed an auspicious moment." he began, "Our society once again sees the formation of it's most valuable social asset, a new family." (So tell us something we don't already know, windbag!) "I congratulate the newlyweds on the start of their grand adventure and wish for them every possible success. But I am here to sing the praises of one particular member of that new family, that of the young man who distinguished himself through his courage and fortitude in awakening the nation, and the world, to the events of tragic magnitude occurring in the former Yugoslavia." (WHAT!! THIS IS ALL ABOUT ME!!) "Just over a year ago, Kyosuke Kasuga went into the area of the Balkans called Bosnia, free-lancing as a photographer in search of newsworthy pictures. He ventured deep into places other journalists and cameramen considered too dangerous for themselves... (Damned foolish, now that I think about it.) "Young Kasuga defied the well-intentioned advice of other reporters and could always be found in the thickest part of the action, a sterling example to the world of the courage and fortitude to be found among our young people. (Sterling example of utter stupidity!) "He evaded hostile forces, covering their activities with an unblinking eye... (Some of those images will haunt me the rest of my life!) "...until halted by a calamitous artillery barrage. (Calamitous? Try having a 120mm howitzer shell almost land on your head, and I'll show you CALAMITOUS!!) "Now he is back, among family and friends, enjoying the rewards of which he so richly deserves..." (The 'reward' of listening this long speech just might be debatable.) "...married to a young woman from a distinguished background..." (The less of her background he knows about, the better!) "...and about to embark on an adventure which may have as many dangers ahead as what he has already conquered." (Got to give his speech writer credit for that line.) "Now it is my pleasure to present, as a token of the esteem in which our nation holds him, the Imperial Medal of Honor to Kyosuke Kasuga!" The reception hall erupted in applause as I was ushered forward by my own father and my new father-in-law up to the podium where the Cultural Affairs Minister handed me the cased medal. I bowed to the minister, then to my audience. I wanted to refuse the award. I didn't feel that I deserved it for doing something so foolish as to go alone and unprotected into a war zone. But out of consideration for everyone's feelings, I decided to just accept things as they were perceived. Then another person stepped up to the podium, a representative of the American ambassador to Japan. He sounded well-schooled in our language. "Ladies and gentlemen, I also bring greetings to Mr. Kyosuke Kasuga from the United States of America. His discovery of the atrocities in Bosnia was instrumental in the decision taken by the President to set the United States on the course which led to the hosting of the Dayton Peace Conference and the eventual participation of American Forces in peacekeeping operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Therefore I present to Mr. Kasuga a letter from the President, conveying his gratitude in publishing and presenting to the world, evidence of the tragedy in Bosnia." Once again, to thunderous applause, I was presented with a mounted and framed document, written in English and signed by the "Leader of the Free World". A translation of the text accompanied the letter. I bowed to the American representative upon receiving the gift. Only then was I allowed to return to my seat. Madoka was all smiles when I sat down next to her. "I'm so proud of you," she said, "You've finally gotten all of the recognition you deserve." Under the tabletop, out of sight of the wedding guests, Madoka took my hand, then winked. Her Mahou-no-Tama pendant gave her some telepathic power; we could communicate as long as we touched hands. ["I'm so glad I married you, Madoka, my love.] I opened. [I could just kiss you!"] ["Is that all? Gee, I was hoping we could..."] ["Huh? Didn't you get enough back at the shrine?"] ["Anata, it's like potato chips; you can't be satisfied with just one"] This woman will be the death of me, yet! But after being awake for what must have been at least 18 hours elapsed time, not to mention the incredible love-making we did at the family shrine, fatigue defeated our desire to repeat our performance. By the time the reception ended, we flopped into bed, the only thoughts on our mind being sleep. ***** "Do you hear anything?" Hatta asked his partner. Komatsu, his ear pressed tightly against the door to the bridal suite, replied, "No, not a damn thing!" Epilogue I awakened in a nice, warm bed. However, she was still asleep, turned on her side, an arm draped comfortably over my body. I smiled to myself; waking up with Madoka Ayukawa in the same bed doesn't scare me like it used to. My past experiences like this were slightly tinged with guilt, as if I had defiled the body of an angel. But as we gained experience, as our lovemaking became less awkward and more pleasurable, the nervousness faded away, replaced by a sense of satisfaction and well-being. As I opened my eyes and turned my head toward the one I love most in the world, sometimes I cannot believe my good fortune. Of course, if she saw me staring at her, she'd protest about her appearance: no make up, hair uncombed, maybe a bit sweaty after our exertions...she'd have a shopping list of reasons why I shouldn't even be looking at her, much less finding her attractive without extensive preparations. I slid stealthily out from under her arm, rolled out of the bed, pulled on my shorts and padded over to where an automatic coffee maker already produced a steaming pot of gourmet blend. I selected her favorite mug, a souvenir of our trip to America. The side of it is decorated with a silhouette of the city's skyline and near the bottom, the words say "I (heart-shape) NEW YORK". I filled the mug with hot coffee and carried it over to her side of the bed, setting it on her night stand. The aroma soon has the desired effect: Madoka opened her eyes. "Uuuwaa...g'mornin', Kyou-chan," she said, half-yawning. "Good morning, Love...ummm," I take a sip of coffee from my own personal mug, made of white stoneware on which I had sketched a likeness of both Madoka's and my own face. I had it glazed and fired to preserve the ink. "Ummm, good," she complimented as she swallowed a bit of coffee. "Just what I needed." "There's nothing quite like ABCB's House Special." She nodded, then took another sip. "Say, what do you want to do today?" "I've got some unfinished business at the Green House Apartments. I still haven't turned in my keys." "Okay, then. It's been a while since we've been back in the old neighborhood. Besides," She swiveled on me with those terribly sexy eyes, "I want to make sure once and for all, how many steps are there on that hill" "Oh, you mean the 'Hundred Steps'?" "Yeah, the 'Ninety-Nine Steps!" "One hundred!" "NINETY-NINE...!!" Madoka stated with conviction. "...And-a-half!" I insert. She giggled and we laughed together, savoring the humor. Of course I know that in the universe I inhabit, things could have easily gone in an entirely different direction. Somewhere out there, perhaps even in a parallel world (Ask me sometime about that one!), Kyosuke Kasuga, Madoka Ayukawa and Hikaru Hiyama may not even meet. Or even if they did, things may not turn out as they have here. Nevertheless, it is a risk one has to accept, even a member of the Kasuga Clan of superhuman ESPers. And if in other times and in other dimensions, things aren't the way they have been depicted here, it's because of the myriad possibilities which confront Kyosuke Kasuga and those he meets along the way. Glossary In order to maintain as much of the flavor of the original series as possible, I have used many Japanese words for which there are no direct English equivalents. Each appears in context so that if the meaning is unclear at first, it flows as part of the sentence without disturbing its rhythm. Some of them have already been defined in the text, but are also included here for uniformity. (O) before certain words makes them "Honorable". As a guide to pronunciation, use the following: Vowels; a as in father, i as in fee, u as in rule, e as in bet and o as in bowl. Certain vowels are 'long' when shown as double letters or like this: ou = long 'o'. Consonants are similar to English, except for the r sound, which has a slight roll, and g, which is hard, as in get. Anata The dictionary definition is "You", but it is also the term of endearment a wife uses with her husband. When written in kanji, it literally means "Precious One". Anou The sound of hesitation or a pause of uncertainty before asking a question. Ara Interjection of mild surprise, used mainly by women. Awa Odori The "Bubble Dance". In Soaplands, a combination bath house and center for prostitution, the Awa Odori is the soapgirl's principal erotic technique. Bakk'yarou A corruption of Baka-Yarou, a harsh invective meaning "Stupid Jerk". A variant also used was Kon'yarou: "You Jerk". (O) Bon The annual Japanese festival for the dearly departed, usually in late summer. Bu'n A nonsense syllable often used in young girls' speech to indicate a negative reply. Chikushou "Beast" A vulgar expletive, sometimes translated as "Damn!" or "Shit!" Chou-Nou-Ryoku-Sha The combination of four Kanji which means "Super-Powered Person". Daimyou "Great Name" A feudal overlord of the period in Japanese history before the Meiji Restoration. Do-kin Sound effect expressing shock or surprise. Doumo "Indeed" An all-purpose word which can stand for a lot of things, but in this usage, stood for "Doumo-arigatou": "Thank you very much". Ecchi Pronunciation of the letter "H" for Hentai. Fugu The meat of the extremely poisonous pufferfish, served as sashimi (thinly-sliced raw fish). When prepared properly, the dish is relatively harmless. (O) Furo The hot bath, not just for keeping clean, but also a means of relaxation. Futon A traditional Japanese bed, best employed on a floor covered with tatami. Geisha Practitioners of traditional musical arts and entertainment, mostly women who have trained for many years. Although they are not considered prostitutes, they have a reputation for eroticism. Genkan The foyer in Japanese architecture where street shoes are removed before proceeding indoors. (O) Genki (desu ka) The salutation of a Japanese letter: "How are you?". Gochisou-sama (deshita) "A marvelous feast, it was." The thanks said at the end of a meal. If said after a meal of fugu, it is more like a prayer of thanksgiving! Gomen kudasai "Excuse me, is anyone home?" Ritual phrase used when asking to enter a Japanese home. Hai (Don't tell me YOU DON'T KNOW!!) "Yes" Hanayomeishou A Japanese bridal costume. It has already been described in the text. Hentai "Weirdo/Pervert!". A similar cry is Sukebe: "Lecher!" Jű-ni-hitoé "Twelve unlined robes". The ancient Japanese court costume for women, nowadays just five layers thick, worn only by the Empress, Imperial Princesses and reenactors for cultural festivals. Kampai "Bottoms Up!" The salute in a toast. Kanji The Chinese writing symbols adopted by the Japanese, each of which can have several pronunciations and even meanings in context. One needs to know nearly 2000 to be basically literate. Kimi Another term of reference which translates as "you", but may be used by a husband to his wife, like "honey" or "sweetheart". The kanji means "Lord/Lady". (It can also be pronounced 'kun' as in 'Kasuga-kun'.) Kimono Traditional Japanese clothing, worn by both sexes. Madoka's graduation outfit was a woman's kimono worn with hakama, put on over the legs like trousers. For his wedding costume, Kyosuke wore in addition to the kimono and the hakama, the montsuki, a type of haori (jacket) bearing the mon (Family heraldic device). Kisama A term of reference for "you" which has come to have a derogatory meaning, even if the kanji can be read "Noble and Revered One". Kojiki The oldest written history of the founding of Japan, including THEIR story of creation. Komatta Didn't you get it the first time? KOMAtsu plus HaTTA equals KOMATTA ("Trouble")! Maboroshii no Katsu-sand "Elusive Cutlet Sandwich" Many episodes of the KOR television series featured the cafeteria wars which raged as students vied to buy the Katsu-sand, a fried pork cutlet served on a hoagie roll. Maguro Tuna Mahou-no-Tama "Magical Gemstone" One of my earliest attempts at fan-fic writing was a Christmas story: the gift from Kyosuke to Madoka of a magic stone pendant which amplified her inner virtues. It now bestows upon her a limited amount of ESPer ability (Shareware Powers?) Manga "Irresponsible Pictures" The Japanese term for comics. Manshon "Mansion" The spelling is a romanization of the Japanese pronunciation. The term refers to a condominium or building with large, multi-room apartments. Masaka Expression which can mean "No way!" or "Can't be!" Meotojawan A set of his 'n hers teacups. 'His' is slightly larger. Miko A Shinto priestess in a shrine. Her costume consists of a white kimono, an over-robe called a chihaya and the hibakama (red hakama). In the Shinto wedding ceremony, she pours the saké into the cups for San-san-kudo. Miso Soup made from fermented soybean paste and bonito (dried fish), often eaten with rice at breakfast. Muko-yoshi A son-in-law adopted by the bride's father, who then takes the name of his new family. Kyosuke's father was adopted, which is why he is a Kasuga who is a normal human. Nihonshoki "Chronicles of Ancient Japan" Also called Nihongi, the other great work of Japanese history, a record of ancient times from the time of Kojiki to the beginning of the Nara era (circa 700 AD). O.L. "Office Ladies" Female workers in Japanese business who are NOT on an executive track; the "pink-collar" staff. Oba/Oji-chan Term of reference for Aunt/Uncle. Young people use it in a fictive sense to address older adults. Some kids get in a jam when "Oba-chan" prefers to be called "Onee-chan". Obaa/Ojii-chan Term of reference for Grandmother/Grandfather. The old folks also tend to use it to address each other, rather than call each other by their names. Obi The broad sash which fastens the kimono. Ojou-sama "Madam" Respectful term of address for a high-ranking lady. Okaeri (nasai) The ritual response to "Tadaima": "Welcome back." Okawari A request for a refill of a beverage or a second portion of food. Oku-san "Madam" Respectful term of address to a housewife. Kyosuke used it once to address Madoka as his wife (Certain dialects allow this), but it is normally used to address other housewives. Omachidou-sama deshita "Thank you for waiting." Phrase used by waitresses to customers when serving their meals. Omae Term of reference meaning "you", but less polite than Anata or Kimi. Literally, it means "In front of me." Omedetou gozaimasu "Congratulations" The formal version. Onee/Onii-chan Term of reference for older sister/brother. Kids use it to address older kids and young women/men. Onna-tarashi "Playboy" or "womanizer". Owari "Th-th-th-that's all, f-f-folks!" Salaryman Japanese male office worker/white-collar employee. The female equivalent is "Career Woman". San-san-kudo In a Shinto wedding ceremony, the vows are not spoken aloud. Instead, the couple is bonded by sharing cups of consecrated saké (rice wine). There are three wine cups (sakazuki) from which the bride and groom each take three sips. Sayounara. O-sewa ni narimashita The bride's ritual farewell to her parents just before her wedding ceremony. In the KOR video, "Message in Rouge", Madoka wrote this on her vanity mirror in lipstick before she ran away from home. Sembei Rice crackers garnished with norimaki (roasted seaweed). Routinely served with tea. Sempai Term of address to a senior grade student or mentor. Until he lifted it, Kyosuke was routinely addressed by Hikaru as "Sempai". Sensei Term of address to doctors, teachers and artistic professionals. Shakuhachi "Bamboo Flute" Euphemism for a certain sexual technique. Shiatsu Japanese therapeutic massage. Shichi-go-san "Seven-five-three" Three-year-old children, five-year-old boys and seven-year-old girls are presented at Shintô shrines on November 15 for special blessings. Shinto "Way of the Gods" Religious traditions indigenous to Japan. Shiromuku "Immaculate" The white kimono worn by a bride, as well as a corpse. Shouchuu Strong liquor made from rice, like brandy. Shouganai A contraction of the phrase "Shigata ga nai": "It can't be helped." Shogun Military rulers of Japan, ostensibly appointed by the Emperor, from 1185 to 1868. In the last years of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the shogun lived decadently, thus it's use here as an allegory. Shoji Sliding screen room divider made of wood covered with translucent paper Shunga "Spring Picture" Sexually-explicit artwork from the Edo period, renowned for its exaggerated genitalia. Sugee jan Slangy variant of "sugoi"; "Wow!" Expression of amazement or admiration. Sukeban "Girl gangster". Sumo Traditional Japanese wrestling, performed by men with tremendous bodies and large appetites. Sushi Often thought of as raw fish, it is actually vinegared rice, once used to preserve the fish, now eaten with it. Suteki Adjective meaning "handsome", but often used as an interjection, like "What a hunk!". Tadaima "Just now" Greeting given by a person returning home. The complete phrase is "Tadaima kaerimashita": "Just now, have returned ". Tai Sea Breem, a tasty species of fish Tamagoyaki Japanese egg omelet Tanabata The Star Festival on July 7th, the holiday honoring the legendary love of the Weaver and the Cowherd. It holds special significance in the KOR universe, thus it is an appropriate wedding date. Tatami Floor mats made of reeds and rice straw. Springy and useful for sleeping with futons. Torii "Bird's perch" The portal to the grounds of a Shinto shrine complex. (name)-Ttara A contraction of "to ittara" or "if you say". A name uttered with the suffix "ttara" usually expresses mild annoyance with someone. Unagi Eel. It is in short supply and very expensive, thus it is a delicacy. Uso A lie. When dragged out, it can mean "You're kidding!" Yadaa Informal version of "Iya desu": "That's awful/disgusting!" Sometimes used in the sense of: "Aw, come on!" Yatta Exclamation of joy. Yakuza Organized criminal element in Japan Yochimu "Premonition dream" (name)-Yori "From (name)" The closing of a Japanese letter where the writer identifies himself/herself. Yukata Lightweight cotton robes used for sleeping or loungewear. Zôri The traditional Japanese sandals worn with the Kimono. In formal clothing, they are worn with white tabi, the socks which allows the thong to pass between the big and second toes. Endnotes. This story follows the continuity of KOR television and OVA series, the Movie "Ano Hi ni Kaeritai" (plus my modified version with Hikaru's illness.) and the New Kimagure Orange Road Movie "Soshite, Ano Natsu no Hajimari" and both Shin-KOR novels by Izumi Matsumoto and Kenji Terada (translated by Peter Payne). I also added various guest characters (Mrs. Ichinose from "Maison Ikkoku", The Tokyo Policewomen Duo from "You're Under Arrest", Keiichi and Belldandy from "Oh My Goddess", even Usagi/Serena from "Sailor Moon") and bits taken from "All Purpose Cultural Cat-girl" (Akiko & Kyoko, plus ''Mishima Heavy Industries''). Some KOR characters never had personal names, so I named Madoka's father Seiji (After orchestra conductor Seiji Ozawa), her mother Midori (After the famous violinist of the same name.), her sister Hiromi (After Hiromi Tsuru, Madoka's character voice) and her brother-in-law Tohru (After Tohru Furuya, Kyosuke's character voice). Ken-chan, Grandfather's pet name, is derived from his voice actor, Ken'ichi Ogata. All in the name of fun. The Love Song of Princess Kasuga was quoted from the Nihonshoki, translated by W.G. Aston, 1897.