H A R D |< O R PRELUDE Edition K i m a g u r e O r a n g e R o a d P r e m i e r F a n f i c t i o n by Robert Kwong ver 1.0 Completed November 14, 1997 Based on characters from the Kimagure Orange Road Series created by the venerable Matsumoto Izumi. As you can see, this is fanfiction harkening back to the old Kimagure Orange Road Series. In the Prelude edition, it outlines the events following the breakup of Hikaru and Kyousuke which sets the stage for Shin Kor and HARD Kor series. These stories were written in the attempt to clarify certain details assumed and to provide clues for future Hard Kor episodes. HardKor Web Site (With Disclaimer and back-stories: Book A and Book B chapters) http://www-ucsee.eecs.berkeley.edu/~rk/HardKor.html My SuperPage for the General Kimagure Orange Road enthusiast http://www-ucsee.eecs.berkeley.edu/~rk/Kor.html My contact email address for comments or further correspondence: rk@soda.berkeley.edu Feel free to email me your impressions and suggestions for the series. Beta readers always welcome. If you want new stories emailed to you, please e-mail me at the above address. Thanks for reading my stories and making it one the most popular KOR fanfic on the web! 23000 visitors can't be wrong! I am just grateful that I have an audience to write for. It just goes to show you how entensible and how endearing the story of KOR is and the lasting impact it has. I just hope that I managed to capture that special "essence" which pervades KOR as I narrate the turn of events in their lives. Hope you appreciate my efforts and happy reading! Robert Kwong Ark Productions -97- Legend: H=Hikaru Hiyama Y=Hino, Yuusaku <> Indicates characters thinking to themselves * Denotes action [] Denotes change of events or next scene Prelude - Chapter NiJuIchi (21) The Class Trip [Beginning of April] [In a dreamesque sequence] (Hikaru finds herself in a beautiful spring meadow. She sees three figures atop the low crest of a small hill.) "Mine! All mine!" H: That's me! When I was a little girl. "That's no fair Hikaru! Madoka-san. Make her give it back to me!" "No! I won't! Not in a million years!" "Let's go Yuu-kun." "Hey, where are you two going? Please don't leave me here all alone." "That's what you get for being so selfish." "But I didn't mean to. Please don't go!" "No. Only when you have learned your lesson." (the two run away with the little Hikaru chasing after them. The current Hikaru in dream-state chases them) (They come to a bridge with a slight fog. As the figures disappear, new figures reappear.) H: Where did they go? (In the middle of the bridge, she sees another 3 figures, this time her own height) "Sempai! Darling! Please don't leave me!" (she clings to his arm) H: That looks exactly like me! "I'm sorry Hikaru. But you still haven't learned your lesson yet. We have to leave you now." (He lets her go and leaves with Madoka) "Why? Why do you two betray me? I will never forgive you two! Never!" (She chases after them) H: Why am I here? What is the meaning of this? Why am I revisiting my past and my present? (As she crosses the bridge, she suddenly steps into a deep, dark chasm, falling, screaming, flailing her arms about.) (When she comes to, she finds herself in a strange, gothic room. Standing 4 meters away is a dark, spooky, hooded figure, its face shielded.) H: Aie! (lurches back away from the figure) Who are you? What am I doing here? What are you going to do with me? (The lonesome figure just points across the room) (There are two french mirrors there.) H: Those are just mirrors. What about them? (The figure ignores her questions and continually points at the mirrors) H: You want me to look into them. Is that it? (The figure nods ominously) In the mirror on the left, she sees a university building. She sees an much older version of herself walking to class, alone by herself, looking haggard and glum, holding a bunch of books. In the mirror on the right, she sees bright lights, skyscrapers, neon lights, and other foreign sights. She sees a more sultry version of herself walking arm and arm with a man we can see only from the back. H: I don't understand. What is the meaning? (The figure merely produces an hourglass and turns it on its side, letting the sands flow through) H: I'm so scared! (wraps her arms around herself) I feel so alone and trapped! Why isn't there someone here to help me? I wish Yuusaku was here to protect me from all this! (The figure perks up at the mention of the name and slowly starts to approach her) H: Oh no! Please! Get away from me! Don't! Argh.... (The figure raises its arms towards the hood and slowly starts to recede it away. Just about when we are about to see its eyes...) her (i.e. stay at Tokyo or go to NY) But who was that man she was with... "Hikaru! Wake up!" H: (mumbling) Please! Don't come any nearer. "Hikaru dear! What silly talk are you saying now?" H: (opens her eyes) What? Mama? "No play joke on me young lady! Get up or you be late for school." H: Joke? What are you talking about? "Silly girl. No April fool joke on me. Now wash up." H: [At the gym] "Hino-kun! What is wrong with you? Form all wrong! (Yuusaku gabs a hold of his trembling right hand to keep it from shaking) "Less than month before tournament. You lose honor and face if you move without flow. Must give good effort, good fight." Y: I'm trying the best I can! "What is wrong with hand? Why is it trembling so much?" Y: Little accident 2 weeks back. I thought it would go away, but now I can't stop it from shaking. "You can't? Matte. Hold out hand." Y: Why? What are you going to do? "Examine vital signs. Now put hand out." (Yuusaku does as he is told. The sensei delicately positions his fingertips on certain pressure points around his right wrist.) "Be still!" Y: I'm trying. (Clamps onto his forearm) (Sensei closes his eyes, as if listening for something) "Not good. Very bad." Y: What? What is it? "I think you forget about tournament now." Y: (disbelief) Forget about it? "H-a-i. Your energy pathways severe inbalance. Much blockage. No condition to finish out Kyushin Ryu training. " Y: What? But why? I don't understand. "Your body and mind...both now not in harmony. Until both healed, cannot train. " Y: (shakes head) This can't be happening to me... I can't believe it. I've gone though so much already. Please tell me this is a joke. PLEASE! "Master no joke. Life is cruel. Better now you learn than later. Go now. No use to practice." (As Yuusaku departs for the lockerroom dejected and depressed.) What a baka person I am! Why did I have to always have to resort to force to resolve anything? Why? Why did I lose my head going after Ryoga's gang. A fool, a big fool I was. And now look at me. (gazes at his betraying hand) Little did I know I would be caught in between gang warfare between rival high schools. While I was unleashing my rage at Ryoga's gang, Toro's boys showed up. They thought I was with Ryoga and went after me. I was face to face with their leader Toro one on one. He brandished a crowbar against me. Someone threw me a pipe and I tried to fend off his attacks, but I wasn't proficient with a hand weapon. I soon had my blunt instrument knocked out of my hands. It was in the alleyway in the back of the bar. I was being backed into a corner, certain to face my doom. My heart was beating faster and faster as I lunged out of the way of several swings. Finally, I was trapped. He smiled wickedly as his raised weapon that gleamed in the sunlight. What happened after that I wasn't quite sure. Muroke told me later after I woke up from my unconsciousness to tell me that it was simply amazing. Right when Toro was about to strike me down, halfway into his swing, I struck back with my right hand into the center of the instrument. There was a great impact, the flash of metal and light. When everyone had recovered their senses from witnessing that amazing sight, they saw the crowbar splintered into 2 pieces. . I didn't know how it happened. Muroke explained to me that it could be the adrenaline factor that enabled me to perform that super-human feat. He said he saw it on some sort of documentary. As for my hand, there was only a slight bruise, no cut and blood. It was as if I cleaved the crowbar like it was a block of wood. And then that's when it happened. I felt a strange tingling sensation in my right arm and suddenly my hand involuntarily twitched. It was just a little vibration, a side effect of my amazing feat, so I didn't worry about it. I thought it was just a temporary thing, but I got worried when it was still trembling after a week. I was able to hide it for a while, but it grew worse and worse. And now, it's gotten to a point where I couldn't hide it from Sensei Matsumoto. An that was when he gave me his deadly diagnosis. [Near the end of art class] "Hiyama-san. I'm impressed with the detail of your painting today." H: Arrigatou, Izumi-sensei. "Hiyama-san what do you call your latest creation?" H: What is it to me? I interpret it as a rural, woodland scene. (A charcoal blackened sky hovering over an equally blackened woodland hills, with a scraggyly, spiny ash tree hovering in front. We can barely see two small white birds flying, camaflouged by the clouds.) "Yes, it's so insightful,...so dark...and enigmatic. I think you are finally understanding the abstract aspect of art. I wonder if anything has happened to trigger this burst of inspiration?" H: I've been feeling kind of moody and edgy and some of it might have rubbed off in this picture. I've also been drawing from my dreams as of late. "Yes,...dreams. That is the best place to start for an artist. Dreams often tell a lot about the makeup of a person. Well I just wanted to encourage you to continue what you're doing. You have great promise as an artist." H; Thank you sensei. I appreciate the kind words. I really have to be going to my dance practice. Bye bye! [Inside the lockeroom] Eto: Hey man! How are you doing? Y: (looks up to see Ryoga's gang surrounding him) Just get of my face! I have no time to mess with you punks! Daisuke: Temper, temper. But we're not here to fight you. Y: (grows) Then why the hell are you here? Aki: You saved us out of a tough jam a couple of weeks back and we just wanted to say thanks. Y: Save your breath. I didn't intend to help you guys at all. It just happen that way. Chiko: Still the same, we want to because you saved our ass. Daisuke: Yeah. We're sorry we gave you such a hard time when you were public enemy #1 when Kinsu-san was around, but he was the boss and we had to follow what he said. Y: Too late for that now. The damage is already done. (raises his right arm) Bento: Listen buddy. We need to ask you somethin'. Now this is hard for me to say so I just spill it out. It's clear that none of us is fit to lead. You manage to beat us single-handedly all of us combined. That takes some doing. I am not fit to lead. So that's why we're askin' you to be our new leader. Please! (bows head) Y: Me? You're talking about me? You've gotta be kidding. You're trying to fool me on April Fools? Aki: No man. He's telling the truth. You're the only one who can lead us at this time. Y: Well forget it! I'm not interested and I'm useless now because of this bum right arm. There's nothing that can help it. So give me a break and just leave me alone, ok? I suffered enough trouble with this crummy high school. See ya! (leaves lockeroom and slams door) Eto: What are we going to do now? Bento: Ah, who needs him anyway? Plus from the looks of things, his fighting days are over. Aki: No. Even if he can't fight anymore, he's still the key for us to hold our turf. As long as Ishizaki and his goons believe he's our leader, he won't mess with us, ...at least not until the tournament. Daisuke: Ah, there's no convincing him! He hates our guts and I hate his! i can't believe we let him beat us all up! Chiko: There might be another way. But it would have to be through a third party. Bento: Third party? Like how? (secret huddle) [At Hikaru's house] H: I'm home! Mother: About time. Come and help me in the kitchen. H: In a minute mama. (puts down shoes and schoolbag) Mother: So how was practice? H: Exhausting as usual. Mother: You didn't forget to turn in the deposit, did you? H: No mama, I didn't. Mother: Good girl. Cannot forget about things like that. How about your schoolwork. Everything ok? H: Yes mama. I'm doing ok. Mother: English still giving you trouble? H: A little bit. I'm spending extra hours in the language lab. Mother: Stlll no big deal. English not that useful of skill anyway. Cram school will help you in the areas that are really important. H: We're not going to talk about that again, are we? Mother: Why not? Need to go to good college. And we make sure by you going to cram school. H: But I'm already very busy as it is now. Mother: No arguments! Only reason we let you go on class trip. After that, all work for you the whole summer. Extrance exams very difficult and only well-prepared will do well. Don't you want to go to good college? H: (sighs) Yes,...I guess so. [At Toro Ishizaki's secret hideout] Hunada: Hey boss, there you are! Why are you out there leadin' us? Toro: Damn my new foe! (slams fist into table) Hunada: You're talking 'bout that transfer kid, aren't you? Toro: Yes dope, I am! Hunada: Sorry. Did't mean to upset you. Toro: Then don't ask stupid questions to waste my time. Understand? Hunada: But me and the boys think you're acting too slowly. You're not sulking are you? Toro: You are just a big, strong dummy. Don't you forget it. I do the thinking around here for all of the gang. If I want to hear what you say, then I ask you. You get it? Hunda: Yeah boss. Sorry to think. Toro: Good. Just do as you're told. And hell I'm not letting that guy off the hook so easily. But business comes first. If I strike now into their territory, I'll waste too much time. And time is big money when we're peddling the stuff. Don't worry; I'll infect his area soon enough. (2 weeks later) [Yuusaku riding his motorcycle to school] Y: (*Sputter, sputter, pop, pop BOOM!*) Y: Ah crap! Not you too. Don't tell me you're letting me down. (smoke everywhere) Y: That's just great! My poor bike! (*cough, cough*) What a stink! Now I'm going to miss school! What else can go wrong? (sees a station up ahead) Y: Well, I guess it's not all bad. I can drag you up there and see what they can do. Don't worry motor bikie; I won't let you go out like this. (At the station) Y: Hey mr! Anyone here? I need some help with my motorcycle here! (A person in grey overalls and wearing a cap comes out) "Yeah? What can I do for ya?" Y: I was just riding out here and my bike broke down. Is there any way you can help? "Sure. I'll take a lookie for you." (After 10 minutes) Y: So what did you find? "Engine totally shot. No go for you." Y: Can you fix it? "Nope." Y: W-h-a-t-t-t!? "I can't, but that person over there can." (sees someone working under a car) (Guy whistles over) (We see a person wearing a grey jumpsuit, with black grease stains all over their hands and a smoky, black complexion, wearing a cap and sporting sunglasses.) (wiping hands on dirty rag) "Yeah, what is it boss?" "Another junker to bring back from the dead." Y: Hey! You can say that about my motorcycle! "Hey buddy! We haven't even gotten to the cost yet!" Y: Well how much is it going to cost anyway? (scribbles a figure on a piece of paper and passes it to him) Y: (smacks his forehead) My god! That much!? "Yep. And that's cause I feel sorry for ya. This hunk of junk needs a complete engine overhaul." "Listen boss. Why don't you give this guy a break?" "Already am. So what will it be? Do I fix her or junk her?" Y: I don't know now. I'm too confused right now. Can I just leave it here? "You look like an honest enough fellow. Ok. Three days. Let me know or move it. If not, I'm scrapping it for parts." Y: Deal. But problem now is how am I go around now... "Hey boss. Let me take him to school." "You sure?" "I'll work the afternoon to cover." "Then you can go." "Thanks boss!" Y: Y: Thanks buddy for helping me out. "No sweat. Hop on." Y: Wow! That baby's a real hummer! "Thanks! Built it from the ground up myself. Let's go." (on the road again with Yuusaku sitting in the back of the motorcycle) Y: Say, don't I know you from somewhere? "Me? Why do you suppose?" Y: I can almost sense that I know you somehow. And how do you know I was going to school anyway? "By your uniform of course. Anybody could tell." (A gust of wind blows) Y: Woah! Your cap! (makes a grab and neatly stabs it) "Good catch!" Y: Lucky grab. Hey...your hair...why you're....you're... you're a GIRL! "Ooops. I guess my secret's out." Y: Why you're... "Don't say it!" Y: Then tell me why are you dressed up like that? "Long story. I'll tell you on the way." PART B: [Class Trip: Day 3] Sario: Hikaru! Isn't this so exciting? There is so many sights around here. I'm not sure I bought enough film with me." H: (listless) Yes. Sario: Are you alright? You don't seem to be having fun so far. H: I'm ok. Sario: (mockingly) Gee, you sound like the party animal. Maybe you're get more excited over the historical details. This tourist guide tells us we will be passing into Noto Peninsula along our journey. Noto is reknowned for its high winds and rough seas. They say the peninsula is shaped as a dragon's head. Cool, isn't it? H: (nods) Sario: You're not listening to a word I'm saying, are you? H: (nods) Sario: We won't be at this checkpoint too long. I'm going to see how the others are doing. Don't forget; we're meeting up outside Kasuga shrine. Kasuga shrine. How ironic Kyousuke that you should figure so prominently in my problems. Before you dumped me, I had everything all planned out for both of us. I would attend Waseda with you. We would wait till both of us graduate before getting married. Afterwards, we will have three kids and live happily ever after. But you had to leave me. I guess I could never fully get over the resentment no matter how hard I tried. And now here, you're a constant reminder of that. I got in a big fight with mama just before the trip. I wasn't so sure if I wanted to attend college at all. Nothing in my studies really interested me. Except for art and dance. But mama keeps telling me that a good Japanese girl doesn't enter such liberal fields. That I should study to be a teacher. To get into the best colleges for my preparation, I had to attend the hardest, grueling cram school around. That it was for my own good. I told her that I wanted to decide for myself what I wanted to do. That was when she went crazy and said I was a disobedient girl who didn't follow the traditional ways. We argued for a bit before I just lock myself in my room. I was so confused myself what my future would be and she had to muddle it further. Another thing was that I didn't really have anyone to confide in to talk about the pressures. Sure, there was Sario, Ako, Saeko, and the rest of our dancing troupe, but they were just casual friends; not the ones you confide in. Madoka and I were still not on speaking terms but we communicating through parcel. You know about Kyousuke. That left Yuusaku, but he was going through a strange faze himself. And I remembered our little pact we made to distance ourselves. Still, of the three, I was most open with him. When I suspected Madoka and Kyosuke, I confided in Yuu-kun. Too bad he was such a bumbling clutz. Still, I felt bad that he couldn't make the class trip. I knew about he and his family's financial troubles and understood. Still, I was wondering why I was thinking of him. Then I remembered. Today was April 24, Yuusaku's birthday. Then I heard the sound of drums. Loud, pounding drums. It was coming from within the shrine. I didn't know why, but I was drawn to the sound. Who could be making such a racket in the afternoon? Kasuga shrine as Sario called it. Bitter memories of Kyosuke it brought up. Why do the ghosts of my past come back to haunt me with its harsh sounds? I decided to locate the source of the disturbance. So with a deep breath, I stepped inside and followed the pounding drum sound to its source. Imagine my shock when I saw it was... H: YUU-KUN! What are you doing here? Y: Oh, there you are. I was looking all over for you. H: What are you doing here? Y: Same reason you're here. Relax and fun on the senior clsas trip. H: But how? Y: Too complicated. Explain later. But first, I'm glad I to see you. H: Same here. But why the hell were you pounding these drums? Y: These aren't ordinary drums; They're Gojanjo Drums. H: Go what? Y: Gojanjo Drums. Bet you didn't know that! H: Bet you didn't know you are in Kasuga shrine! Y: No. I know I am. Funny. To be within the confines of my enemy's namesake. H: Yes. Very eerie. Y: This is a historical site. I hear there's a lot of ghosts and spirits within these walls. H: (shakiness in voice) Ghosts? Spirits? You must be kidding? Y: Naw. I'm not. You're not scared, are you? H: No, of course not. Still, the thought of Kasuga's former ancestors spirits around here gives me the creeps. Y: Yeah, me too! That's why I was beating the drums. The sound of the drums acts to keep the spirits in their place. H: That doesn't make any sense. Pounding these drums will only wake them. Besides, you're not suppose to touch that stuff! It's sacred, ancient stuff. You might have been caught. C'mon. Let go before we get caught. (grabs his hand) Y: Hey! That hurts! H: What's wrong with your hand? How come it's shaking? Y: A little accident I was in. No big deal. H: No big deal? You feel like a buzzer! Y: No I don't! Well maybe a little. H: You must have gotten in trouble, didn't you? Probably got into a fight. Y: But why should you care anymore what I do? Remember our pact? H: Yeah, but that doesn't mean we can't be concern for each other right? Y: Sure. I guess. You know what? H: What? Y: This remind me of the temples we explored back in Tokyo. H: But those weren't as nice as this one. With the fine red lacquer finish and architecture. (moves her hands over some of the walls) Y: (laughs) H: What's so funny? Y: Why I remembered that you were too scared to go into those temples because of the ghosts. Only when Madoka dared you did you go. H: Ha! You thought that was funny? I made you go first! Y: Yeah, but I wasn't scared. You held my hand the whole time. You were the one shaking then. Yes that I memory I remember fondly... H: Well, don't remember it too well! Enough reminicing about old times. We got to go back and join the group. Y: Oh yeah, that's right. (As both go outside, they see the last of the buses drive off) H: WAIT! WAIT! YOU FORGOT US! Y: They're not going to hear you. H: It's all your fault! Y: Stop acting like a brat. You're a senior now. Act your age. H: You never talked to me that way before. Y: Because we were kids back then. We were suppose to act this way. But now is different. In our final year with us going our separate ways. H: (starts to giggle) Y: Now what's so funny? H: Our behaviors. I never felt so free-spirited during these last few months. I guess this place look so familiar and nostalgic that triggered this giddy feeling. Y: Yah. Teasing each other like old times. But what are we going to do now? H: Let's go back inside and find someone to help us out! Y: Sounds like an idea to me. (as they enter the shrine, the door closes behind them and everything becomes dark) Y: What's going on? (shutters begin to shake) (*Oooooohhhhhhhhh Boooooooooo Zoooooooooooooo*) H: Spirits! I'm so scared...(jumps into arms of Yuusaku!) Y: (*FEEL FEEL*) Oh no, what's that! (A dark hooded figure approaches them!) [End of Chapter 21]