[FIC] A Day In The Life Of.... (part 2)
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2004 2:21 pm
“Yes Shinji, many of Sun-tzu’s theories of war have been incorporated into military forces throughout the years. The United States Marine Corps is one notable example. While it may not be written about in your Arm Slave journals, many of the pearls of military wisdom hold true for A.S. encounters.” Sousuke was munching on protein bars. Shinji and a number of other boys had prompted him to speak more about Sun-tzu and his treatise on warfare. “It may be that Sun-tzu truly existed, and that much of the work was written by one man during that early feudal period. It is quite possible that there were more than one anonymous author involved, their names lost amongst the sands of time. Regardless, the results are nothing short of revelatory."
”Please, Sousuke. Tell us more. This is really great stuff.” Shinji looked as if he was ready to explode. His food was untouched, at least by him. The other boys were whittling his lunch down bit by bit.
“Yeh.” “C’mon.” “Don’t leave us hangin’, man!” The crowd was equally eager. “Shhhhhh. Not so loud guys. That table of concubines is giving us the Evil Eye.” Everyone laughed, sneaking glances at the girls’ table nearby.
“It is not a problem. I will speak loudly enough so that they may be enlightened as well. War was considered the greatest affair of state at the time. Conflict was thought to be unavoidable, inherent to the human condition. The highest realization of warfare was to attack the enemy’s plans; next to attack their alliances; next to attack their forces; and last to attack their fortifications. This is yet another one of the truths that can be carried over to the business world of today.” Sousuke paused, taking a moment to survey the room, finishing with his gaze on Kaname. She noticed his look and flashed him an obscene gesture. Have I done something today to anger her? “Victorious armies---or businesses---realize the conditions for victory first, then fight. Vanquished enemies fight first, then start looking for a way to attain victory.” It seems that I am often victorious in protecting her. But, I am vanquished in my efforts to make her feel safe. She always seems to be so unhappy when I am around. Perhaps it is merely her way of expressing her concerns about being Whispered.
The conversation continued, with Sousuke talking about various aspects of The Art Of War, and Shinji and the other boys looking for modern day parallels.
“Another concept was written about in many terms. Force of circumstances. Positional advantage. Tactical power. Latent energy. I should illustrate by means of analogy. A log or stone perched atop a hill may be temporarily stabilized, but it retains great potential energy. The larger the log, the greater that potential. A clever commander learns how to release that strategic power when he can best exploit advantages of terrain, numbers, firepower, morale, or superior provisions.”
Sousuke’s lesson was not lost on Kaname. It was not taken to heart by her either. She was growing more angry by the minute, listening to him speak about Sun-tzu. That name alone infuriated her. And that damn otaku was gaining more admiration for his stupid useless knowledge. Wasn’t it enough that he had gotten an A grade? Couldn’t he just be humble and enjoy the thrill of victory after his athletic coup? Did he have to continue to rub things in this way???
“Kaname, are you OK?” Kyouko sounded concerned. “Isn’t the food to your liking?” Kyouko and Ren had independently hit upon the same idea. They had been tired of studying and had spent the night cooking up everybody’s favorites. It would be a nice way to celebrate the end of midterms. Kyouko had also intended Kaname’s preferred dishes to serve as a reward for her renewed success in the athletic arena, but wisely kept her thoughts to herself.
“Ky?” She broke away from her musings about Sousuke and his obvious attempts to show her up. “Oh. I’m sorry. I was preoccupied. Mmmph mmmphfff mmmmmm. This is all DELICIOUS.” Kaname’s response made Kyouko’s face light up like a beautiful sunrise. Kaname would wolf down as much as she could, even though she really wasn’t hungry. She owed it to her friends. She needed to look as if she were enjoying the superior provisions, in order to keep up morale. Damn. Now he has ME thinking in stupid otaku terms.
“Kaname, slow down, give yourself a chance to come up for air. Besides, you know that stuff will go straight to your thighs!” Ren and the other girls laughed. They knew it was true after a fashion, but none of them could resist the delicious treats.
Sousuke had been discussing the concept of orthodox and unorthodox attacks. He had gone from their to warn his listeners to never rely upon the good will of others in battle, or to put too much faith in the occurrence of fortuitous circumstances. He had finished one train of though by saying “Know the enemy…and know yourself…and you will not be endangered.” As always, he still managed to keep one ear tuned to the conversation surrounding Kaname. Ren’s statement had triggered a memory. There was something he could do to protect Kaname’s reputation and chance at future happiness. He must act now, before the moment passed.
The girls all went dead quiet when Sousuke approached their table. Kaname’s face began to purple. Kyouko quickly reached for her camera. “Kaname, it is necessary that I warn you of a danger.” The girls now looked on eagerly. They knew all too well about Sousuke’s perceptions of ‘danger.’ Not wanting to appear too eager themselves, the other boys nonetheless stopped their conversation and listened. “I overheard a number of boys discussing you the other day. One said that you had a nice body, but that he would never want to date you because you were such an idol.” A muffled sound came from the boys’ table. Shinji had his hands over two boys’ mouths, trying to contain their chuckling. “Another boy said your body was ’OK,’ but he would never date you because your thighs were so 'chunky.' ” Ren began choking on something she swallowed. “So, if that food will go right to your thighs, I would be remiss in my duty if I did not recommend that you avoid such food. Here, I will gladly share this with you.” He held out a protein bar.
It was only a matter of timing. What would explode first, Kaname’s temper? The boys’ laughter? Or, the girls’ usual discussion of just how dumb boys are?
Kaname stood up and walked right up to Sousuke. “SOUSUKE…YOU…YOU…” She shocked everybody by putting the halisen down and taking a moment to smooth out her school uniform. She must really be exhausted. “Sousuke, let me take this opportunity to poke a hole in all that Sun-tzu nonsense you have been spouting. You know yourself. And you know the enemy. ME. And you are very much in danger.” Ever so slowly, she walked over to the table, picked up a tray of food in each hand, and walked back to Sousuke. She lifted the objects in question over Sousuke’s head, turned them over, and let them fall, covering him with food. She remembered her manners. “Thank you Ky. Thank you Ren. It’s all perfect.” Suddenly, she felt a whole lot better.
Sousuke, covered with a wide variety of foods, turned back to his table, seeing an opportunity to drive a point home. “You will notice, the suspended trays of food contained significant tactical power.”
“Ahhhhhh. BAKU OTAKU!!!” Kaname grabbed her halisen and went beserk. “Concubines! Meat lockers! Reputations! Bleach! Latent energy! Gym class! Groceries! A bolo! Danger! Snow balls! The Principal! Student athlete. Chunky thighs!” Each word saw the paper fan rock Sousuke’s head back on his neck. The onlookers fully expected his head to coming flying off of his body. They winced with the sound of each blow. On one wind-up, Kaname slipped on some spilled food. She grabbed for the table to keep from falling. She succeeded in getting a firm grip on the table cloth, pulling the remaining food on top of her as she went down hard.
Sousuke should have been quiet. Better yet, he should have shown off his athletic ability and run. Instead, he saw yet another opportunity for enlightenment. “You will notice the effect of terrain upon battle….” He pointed to the food-covered floor at Kaname’s feet. “Sun-tzu described nine terrains: dispersive terrain…light terrain…contentious terrain…traversable terrain…focal terrain…heavy terrain…entrapping terrain…encircled terrain…and fatal terrain. When feudal lords fought in their own territory, it was ‘dispersive’ terrain. When they entered someone else’s territory, but not deeply, it….”
“Let’s skip ahead to fatal terrain, Sousuke.” Kaname, dripping both food and venom, stood with the halisen ready.
*************************************************************
When it rains, it pours. Sousuke and his group of followers had left in a rush, the other boys intent on dragging their battered companion to safety. Kaname was the only one left covered with food when the Principal responded to word of a raucous squabble.
“It seems that you have failed to heed my words yet another time, Miss Chidori. Your star is falling at a most prodigious rate. I am at a total loss of what to do to correct your behavior. Perhaps if you were banned from competing at sports for half of a semester…” The man’s ruddy face was filled with contempt and disappointment.
“B-B-But….” Kaname was flabbergasted. Busted. Again! Just what had she done that angered the Fates this much. It wasn’t the correct tact at that moment, but her thirst for justice overwhelmed her common sense. “Sir. I apologize. But, it was that maniac Sousuke who’s responsible for all this. I was just caught in the middle, and have been trying to clean things up while he runs away from his responsibility.” The other girls all nodded their heads and added words of support, but their actions were to no avail.
“I see. Mr. Sagara is at fault. A very convenient story, given his past indiscretions. I had thought better of you, Miss Chidori.” He looked at Kaname’s friends, his eyes glowering. They were now marked by the same brush. “I’ll tell you what I REALLY see. I see last year’s student athlete dethroned. I see her trying to smear the name of the young man who has taken her crown. To try and drag such a credit to this school down into the muck with you is despicable.” He turned and walked away. He stopped, shrugged his shoulders, and let out a long sigh.
“I should step in and put an end to the opportunity, but I would be exceeding my authority. The Vice Principal is showing the Superintendent of the Kadena High School around our facilities, sitting in with him during some classes. It was by God’s grace alone that he did not sit in on any of your classes today. He had come here looking to set up an exchange program, a way of sharing ideas and improving the educational resources of both of our schools. We will be sending one of our students to Okinawa for a month. The teachers had selected your name…last week. He’s expecting to meet with you in fifteen minutes.” The Principal actually started laughing, though tears rolled down from his eyes. He put his hand to his forehead. “I suggest you get yourself cleaned up as best you can.” He left the room muttering to himself.
Kaname and the other girls made a dash for the girls’ locker room. While Kaname took a shower, the others did their very best to clean up her uniform as best they could. He clothes still looked as if they were used to wipe out the inside of a garbage can, but it was a marked improvement nevertheless. “Thanks guys!” She checked her watch. Almost time. “Gotta run!”
The meeting went very well. The Vice Principal asked Kaname to escort the esteemed visitor back to his office when they were finished. After that, the Superintendent started off by saying how much admiration he had for Kaname, after watching her gutsy performance in the gymnasium. “I understand that you were injured prior to that contest, Miss Chidori. Still, you gave it your all. That’s exactly the type of spirit I would like to see our students adopt.” Kaname blushed, basking in the praise.
They discussed the idea of the exchange program, touching on Kaname’s ideas and suggestions. “It would be a dream come true, Sir. It would be a terrific opportunity to participate in such a fine endeavor.” Yes, and there would be absolutely NO way for Sousuke to explain his being in Okinawa. She’d be free.
The Superintendent was a rogue at heart. He saw a wonderful chance to tease Kaname, knowing she already had her hopes set on the student exchange. “But, the more I learn about you, Miss Chidori, the more I wonder if I would be doing Jindai High a disservice, taking away such a fine example for the other young men and women.” He managed to keep a smile off of his face. “I do not know if I should choose you for this honor. Should I let you go?”
Kaname was so anxious, she actually raised her voice in return. “Let Me go. Oh, Let me go. PLEASE, LET ME GO!!! Oooooh”
At his distance, Sousuke could not tell that Kaname was smiling and laughing. He had no idea who the man was and had not caught any of the converstaion. All he heard was "LET ME GO. Oooooh." From that angle, the man was partially blocking his view of Kaname. His reflexes kicked in, propelling his body into action. He flew down the hallway like a bolt fired out of a crossbow. He leaped, targeting the back of the assailant.
Sousuke and the Superintendent hit the ground, hard. The young Mithril sergeant reacted quickly, not wanting to cause a scene out in the open. Pulling one of the man’s arms behind his back, his other hand grasping the scruff of his opponent’s neck, Sousuke bull-rushed the startled school official into the confines of the Boys’ rest room.
“Wh-h-h…” was all that the Superintendent had time to say before his words morphed into “grggle grggle grggle grrrrrrrr." Sousuke was stuffing the suspected evil-doer’s head into the nearest toilet.
NO. I can’t believe this. NO. Why me. Why Kaname was stunned, but only for a moment. There might still be a chance. She could save the Superintendent. She could rescue her golden opportunity. She would make Sousuke PAY!!! Kaname took a step into the Boy’s room. It made her skin creep. Her feet felt as if they were glued to the ground. The sight of Sousuke trying to flush the other man’s head broke the spell. She charged, only to see the unexpected happen.
The Superintendent had done something with his arm and something with his foot that had been too fast to follow. His hair shedding torrents of water, he whirled and threw Sousuke hard against a rest room stall. Kaname felt like cheering.
Sousuke had been caught off guard. Moron. You know you should treat every opponent as if he may be your equal, possibly even your superior. There was no telling wha the man’s intentions had been, or what he might do next. Let’s get the upper hand. Sousuke’s pistol rapidly appeared in his hand. He held it on the other man. What is Miss Chidori doing in HERE? Was she worried about him? Had she come to help?
Screaming like a banshee, Kaname ran and tackled Sousuke. Yelling out every English curse word she had heard earlier that morning, she banged the startled young man’s head against a urinal. “Sousuke, you MORON!!!”
“Leave the girl alone.” The words shocked Sousuke. The man he thought was attacking Kaname was standing up for her now? And, how could he overlook the fact that he was being brutalized by her. When Sousuke stood up, he kept his pistol by his side. The other man, water pooling at his feet, held a gun pointed at his head. He must proceed with caution.
Sousuke, by reflex, chose the only words that might keep the confrontation from escalating further. “Glock 21. .45 caliber. Safe action system. Right octagonal rifling. 10 or 13 round capacity. Three safeties. 2.5kg trigger pull. Not the first choice of civilians with a .45 fetish---that would be the Glock 30 or new ‘slim-line’ Glock 36. You must have some military or law enforcement experience.” He paused, looking the other man directly in the eyes. “I take it you are not intent on harming Miss Chidori, as I mistakenly surmised?”
The Superintendent lowered his gun ever so slightly, a way of lessening the tension. “Yes, on all counts. I see you are equally well armed. Glock 17. 9 x 19mm. 280g with fully loaded magazine. 10, 17, or 19 round capacity. Not something I would expect to see carried by a high school student. Either you are a dangerous dreamer with harmful delusions, or you are a trained bodyguard. Your actions do not suggest the former.”
Kaname stood stunned. What IS this? An otaku love fest?
“You are quite correct, sir. Again, my apologies. I am indeed Miss Chidori’s protector, but can give no further detail than that. I must say that I am ashamed, not giving you the full respect I should have. It never pays to let one’s guard down, even to the slightest degree.” Kaname gasped. Sousuke actually bowed, like something out of an old black and white samurai flick.
“Think nothing of it. I too responded in less than optimal fashion.” He laughed, squeezing the water out of his hair. “Oh, a bit off topic, but as the young ladies protector, you probably should remove these comments off of the wall.” He waved his arm, pointing at a number of areas. “That picture cannot be anatomically correct, and I hope there is no basis for truth in any of these slurs.”
“I will do as you suggest, sir. I cannot speak to the validity of the claims. Miss Chidori remains a mystery to me. Her actions are often inscrutable.” Sousuke was not looking at Kaname. He could not see the warning sign. The halisen was whipping back and forth like the tale of an adder about to strike.
“Yes, I can see why.” The Superintendent tried not to laugh but failed. “Walking into the Boys’ rest room facility. Tackling a fellow student. Damaging school equipment. And that language, the last time I heard anything like that was when I was in the military or working security duty down at the wharf.” He shook his head. “I must say that this unfortunate incident has a silver lining. It saved me from making a TERRIBLE mistake. Miss Chidori is obviously not the type of student we want at our high school. How about you, young man? What’s your name? Would you like to enlist in the exchange program?”
“I am Sousuke Sagara. I thank you for your kind offer. I must stand up for Miss Chidori. She is not usually quite this bad, although she has her moments. I cannot leave her side here. She is in need of my protection.”
Not QUITE this bad? I have my MOMENTS? Not going to leave my side? It was more than Kaname could take. "SOUSUKE, YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT!!!” She swung her halisen with tremendous force, throwing Sousuke into a urinal, which promptly broke free from the wall. The cracked pipe spurted a great fountain of water onto the floor.
The Superintendent offered Sousuke a hand up. “I see. It is your task to protect her. There is one thing I do not understand, however.”
“Sir?”
“Just who is going to protect YOU???
************************************************************
It felt great to be outside again, to be leaving that school after such an unbelievable series of events. They were all getting out early, thanks to the overworked heating system. It had broken down on its own, without any help whatsoever from a certain sergeant.
Kaname looked up into the sky and smiled. Large flakes continued to fall. The weather gave her the opportunity to go grocery shopping with her friends. Her baldfaced lie and Sousuke’s gullable nature would allow them a pleasant time together without an unwanted military chaperon. All they needed to do was flag down a taxi, get in, and head on their way. There was no way they would be trailed then.
Success. Ren managed to catch the eye of a taxi driver. The cab’s blinker soon went on and it slowed, the driver waiting for a chance to cross the snow-covered street and come back in their direction. Bye bye, Sgt. Stupid. Bet you’re going to be real frantic real soon. I just wish I could see your face.
“Uh Oh. Kaname.” Kyouko pointed towards the school entrance. It was Sousuke. How? Kaname wanted to kick herself. What was the saying? Be careful what you wish for…. She had told him that the visiting Superintendent wanted to see him in the Principal’s office. There was no way he could have gotten there and back again in time to see them getting into a taxi.
“Looks like he’s got your book bag, Kaname.” Ren had discovered the answer.
“Damn. I was so excited, I forgot all about it.” Damn that Sousuke! Why did he have to be so damn considerate? Kaname blinked hard. How many times had she complained that boys were so inconsiderate? “Kyouko, Ren, get in quick!” The cab had stopped at the curb, sending a small swell of slush and water spreading across the cleared sidewalk. The three girls got into the vehicle faster than should have been possible.
“You can relax now, Kaname.” Kyouko was leaning out of the cab window, snapping pictures of a running Sousuke. “Uh oh. Maybe not.”
Sousuke had not stopped at the street, defeated. He went from a determined jog to a desperate sprint. Remarkably, he hurdled two benches and a startled man with a snow shovel. He darted out into traffic, dodging cars with blaring horns and sliding across the hood of delivery van. Sending up large splashes of water, he ran down the street after the taxi, Kaname’s book bag trailing obediently behind him.
“Only Sousuke,” Ren said smiling. “And, as the student athlete of the year, he probably has remarkable endurance. Think we should get out and push?” Her joke did not sit well with her blue-haired friend. The taxi was moving ahead slowly, the traffic slowed by the fruits of the snow storm and the large number of vehicles entering the road from the school parking lots.
“YES!!! That’s a good one.” Kyouko put her camera down, wiping slush off of her face. There were definitely perils attached to keeping that window down. “Sousuke just ran through a huge sheet of water kicked up by a bus. Just like a tidal wave. Oh boy. He’s not slowing down.” Kaname was tempted to throw Kyouko’s camera out the car window.
Finally, there was a pick up in speed. They were going to make it. Looking out the back window, Kaname cursed. Sousuke was hanging onto the side of a glassier’s vehicle, keeping pace with their taxi. Damn you Sousuke. What planet are you from?! It was time to take matters into her own hands. The light ahead was beginning to change. If they could make it past this crossing, Sousuke’s ride would be left trapped at the light.
“Driver. If you can get us through this light, there will be something extra in it for you.” It was a mistake. The intersection was much wider than Kaname had first judged it to be. The taxi driver didn’t care. There was money in it for him. It was worth the risk. He misjudged the road condition and the timing. The cab shot forward recklessly, dodging between crossing pedestrians, The car began to slide on the slick road, but the wildly spinning tires kept them moving forward.
The light had gone red. They were just entering the intersection. Two motorcyclists headed straight into their path, unaware of the impending danger. A horn blew. A brake pedal was stomped on. The car slid violently to one side, fishtailing. A large truck slid, brakes locked. It caught the taxi in the side and pushed the car up against a street lamp, bending the ornate work of metal down to the ground.
“Is everybody OK?” Ren asked, concerned. She was fortunate that the damage was minor. She was on the side of the impact. Her door wouldn’t open, pinned against the grill of the truck. Kyouko’s door wouldn’t open, blocked by the mangled lamp post.
“I’m a little shaken up, but otherwise alright” Kyouko said in a shaky voice. Still, her flash kept going off. It wasn’t too often something like this happened.
“Kaname?” Ren asked, getting no answer from her friend.
“I’m NOT the least bit OK.” She wasn’t injured. She was just counting the seconds. Sousuke would be there any moment now. Hopefully he wouldn’t physically chastise the driver.
All three girls jumped when a loud noise sounded right behind them. A crack appeared in the foggy rear window. Then, another loud noise and more cracks. Soon, the window was breaking inward, the safety glass keeping the startled girls from being covered with deadly shards. “Don’t worry Kaname. I will have you out in no time.” Of course. It was Sousuke.
When they were all standing on the sidewalk, the blue and red of flashing police car lights painting their clothing with bizarre shapes, Sousuke admonished Kaname. “Miss Chidori, what were you thinking. Taxi drivers are notorious. To risk your life in a cab on a snowy day was much too reckless.” As if vaulting things, running into traffic, and riding on the side of a truck was not, Kaname thought angrily. “And, you left your book bag back at school.” He handed her the bag. A large amount of water poured out of it, running down her stockings.
Ren politely covered her mouth with her hand. Kyouko did her thing.
“SOUSUKE!!!”
Pushed backward with all of Kaname’s strength, the young sergeant fell back into the street and slid halfway down a busy storm drain.
************************************************************
Kaname had an exceedingly bitter taste in her mouth. Her hopes had gone down like a submarine with screen doors. Both Ren and Kyouko were tshaken from the accident, and did not want to go shopping. They had each headed home when they received medical clearence.
It would have been bad enough going shopping alone, frozen to the bone by the swirling ice-laden wind. He soggy book bag didn’t dampen here spirits as much as the person doggedly following on her heels. Sousuke. Well, if things went the way they had once before, she could at least convince him to carry her grocery bags home for her. I should get SOMETHING out of all this! She was feeling overly pessimistic, though. Just WHAT was going to happen next?
“Chin up, Kaname. You’re bigger than all this. Some day you’ll look back on it and laugh.” She had spoken out loud, but the words had no power over her. Looking back over her day, she had to fight the urge to cry.
“Kaname, are you feeling alright? Are you talking to yourself? Did you hit your head during that accident?” Sousuke had quickened his pace and now walked side by side with her. “If you give me your grocery list, I will do your shopping for you, and you can visit the Emergency Room for a thorough examination.”
The offer was certainly tempting. Her shopping would be done for her. And, she would go home and take a nice warm bubble bath instead of actually seeking medical attention. What am I thinking? What about the LAST time?
She had once given Sousuke a small shopping list and a large denomination of paper money, asking him to return the change. He had handed her ten sacks of materials and two small coins. Yes, he had faithfully collected every item on the list. But, he had then went on to improvise. Her cupboards were still crammed full of household items that could be used to manufacture explosives, napalm, anesthetic gas, a blowgun and darts, powder for picking up fingerprints, smoke bombs, dog repellant, and homemade caltrops. He had bought ten different brands of hair colors, three shades apiece, in case she felt a need to disguise herself. He had bought the store’s entire supply of designer MREs, expensive novelties for the impressionable shopper---they would actually prove useful, he claimed, if she had to survive a siege in her apartment room, or if they had to make an escape deep into the forest. She had almost gagged when tasting one.
No. She would do her own shopping. Most definitely.
“Miss Chidori, are we going in?” Sousuke had been standing out in the cold for ten minutes with Kaname. She had to force herself to go inside. It was the same store she and Sousuke had spent the night in. “Are you suffereing from neurological symptoms?” He shined a bright penlight into her eyes, watching for her pupillary response.
“Get that damn thing out of my face, Sousuke.” She grabbed for the light, which Sousuke held high over his head. Jumping for it, she knocked Sousuke down, sprawling on top of him in a very suggestive position. At that moment, Miss Akiyama walked out of the store, spying the two youths struggling to get up.
“Oh my! Out here in the street, in front of a crowded store? What is the world coming to?” The elderly woman was about to leave when Kaname looked to see who had spoken. The voice had been very familiar. “Miss Chidori?” The woman put her hand to her mouth, shocked. “I didn’t want to believe Mr. Nokibasu! Oh my my my my my….” She walked off shaking her head, scandalized.
“No, wait, let me explain.” It was too late, Miss Akiyama had disappeared into the crowd. “SOUSUKE!!!” Grabbing the young Mithril agent by the head, she flung him into the store with all her strength.
There was a loud crashing sound. Soon thereafter, a message came out over the intercom system: “CLEAN-UP IN AISLE EIGHT.”
Sousuke lay buried underneath a six foot pile of laundry detergent boxes, many of which had burst open at the seams, coating him with fragrant white granules. Kaname stopped momentarily to look down at him, hands on his hips. “HMMPPFF!!! I just can’t take you anywhere, can I?” She smiled.
Having escaped the boxes and brushed off the detergent, Sousuke made an attempt to catch up with Kaname. Seeing him coming, she had taken off at a run, pushing her shopping cart in front of her. She saw the CAUTION: Wet Floor sign too late. Her feet went out from under her. Her cart rolled on its own, going on to bump into an old man, knocking him into the lobster pool. Kicking his feet frantically, a large crustacean painfully attached to his nose, he knocked over a large stand of seafood spices and cocktail sauce.
Kaname’s momentum carried her into a store representative handing out small skewers of spiced chicken. Stumbling, the man stuck a skewer into the ample buttock of a rather large woman, causing her to holler like a stricken cow and jump in the air. When she landed, she collapsed a series of large wooden shelves, sending rows of glass soda bottle tumbling like dominoes. The resultant sound was remarkable.
Another message came over the intercom: “CLEAN-UP IN AISLES TWO, THREE, FOUR, SIX, AND SEVEN.
Sousuke reached down his hand to help pick Kaname off the ground. “Are you alright, Kaname? It’s a good thing that you were not involved in that tragedy over there.” He pointed to where three store employees and the store manager were helping the rotund woman back on her feet. “They would probably ask you to leave the store if you did something like that.”
Kaname pressed her hand firmly over Sousuke’s mouth. “I’m in a hurry, Sousuke. Get my cart for me.” She sped around a corner, heading up an intact aisle. She chuckled wickedly. Her cart was no doubt associated with the one accident by now. If Sousuke retrieved it, perhaps he’d be thrown out into the street. There would be a pleasant symmetry to that.
Sousuke took the time to help the man out of the lobster pen. Deftly and painlessly, he removed the determined crustacean. The man was very thankful, and happily gave his rescuer a sizeable tip for his services. The assistant store manager was also very thankful, commenting on how rare it was to see someone actually trying to make a positive difference in the world. He gave Sousuke a large book of double coupons, usually reserved for people belonging to an exclusive store membership program. “I certainly wish we had more people like you coming into our store.” Sousuke felt a warm glow of satisfaction.
It figures. Only Sousuke could luck out like that. Kaname fought to keep from exploding when Sousuke caught up with her and described his good fortune. Fighting to find something sarcastic to say, she heard an ominous sound. It was a gunshot. A man’s voice called out, loud. Turning, she saw four masked men at the checkout counter, each holding a sack. One man had a cudgel. Two had knives. The fourth held a pistol to a cashier’s head.
“Listen up shoppers. We have a special on Aisle Three.” He snapped his fingers, sending his cohorts towards that very Aisle. “The three fine men you see, members of a charitable organization, will be accepting your generous offerings. Please place your purses, wallets, watches, jewelry, and any other valuables into the bags they are carrying.” He fired his silenced pistol again, stopping the frightened babbling of the crowd. “Accidents will happen if anyone trries to escape, make a call on a cell phone, or resist the friendly collections agents. The young lady up here will also regrettable miss the remainder of her life.”
Before she knew what was happening, Kaname found herself knocked to the ground by Sousuke, who then rolled her under a large rickety wooden salad bar. “Stay hidden, Miss Chidori. No one saw what I did. You should be safe down there.”
Kaname thought about yelling out, telling Sousuke to refrain from doing any crazy otaku stunts. It would only give away her position. She knew that her companion would do what he was going to do with or without any words from her. Ring a bell in front of Pavolv’s dog, and the damn pooch drools all over the carpet. Fire off a gun in front of Sousuke, and all Hell breaks loose. She sighed, resigned to her fate. Something sitting in one of the small beams of light coming through the cracks in the stand caught her attention. She picked it up. A lottery ticket.
She couldn’t bother thinking about her discovery now. This was serious. Sousuke was no doubt going to place himself in serious jeopardy. She bit her fingernails. Sousuke! Be careful.
Sousuke had slid on the ground, gaining access to an area inside one large shelfing unit, separating Aisle Three from Aisle Four. He found a broken broom handle. He took out his knife, stuck it into the wood, and split the handle in two lengthwise. Good. Now it will fit through the slots. Feeling the building rush of adrenalin, he walked to the end of the shelves, peering out at the criminals. One man had his neck close to one of the unused shelving slots. With a fierce thrust, Souske rammed the wooden shaft hard against the back of the unsuspecting man’s neck at the base of his skull, his action unseen. The man came crashing to the ground, his vertebrae fractured and his spinal cord contused.
Patiently, Sousuke waited for his next opportunity. It was not long in coming. One of the remaining two thugs bent over to examine his fallen comrade, wondering if he had fainted. He took a sharp end of the stick deep into his eye, causing him to fall back with a scream of pain. He was effectively out of action. The remaining hulk, hired for his strength and intimidating size, did not know what to do. He kept knocking boxes and bottle off of the shelves, yelling “Gremlins!” Putting the stick down quietly, Sousuke rolled back out into the light, intent on his next target.
The intercom came to life again: CLEAN-UP ON AISLE THREE.
“What the hell is going on over there? Kappei……….Shuichi……….Hideyuki……….ANSWER ME!” The ringleader was obviously very frustrated and extremely worried. Things would get worse for him soon enough.
Sousuke walked very slowly towards the man, one of the bills he had received as a tip held out in his hand. “Excuse me sir, can you make change of this. I really need change for the soda machine.”
“What? WHAT?! Are you some kind of moron?” Underneath the salad bar, Kaname muttered “Yes.” Sousuke kept walking, and the man rammed the gun inro the cashier’s mouth. “Do I look like a cashier, boy? I sure as shit don’t need a gun to count out money. One more step, and I blow her head off. Then I shoot you.” The man was sweating. Things were spiraling way out of control.
“Oh, I see. If you take the gun out of her mouth, maybe she can make change for me.” Sousuke continued his slow advance. “You can watch, to make sure she doesn’t cheat me.”
“STOP! Don’t come any closer. I am not kidding, you imbecile.” The man now had his pistol aimed at Sousuke’s head. Overly anxious, he thought of another solution, a way to remove the unwanted irritant. “Here. To shut you up, I’ll give you plenty of change.” He bent over, to grab a handful of coins out of the cash register. Distracted, he did not see the blur of the bolo.
The toss was on target. The pistol bounced across the floor, disappearing under one of the other counters. Shocked, the man saw Sousuke move to cut off his escape route. Knowing about the back door, he jumped from counter to counter, rushing off into the store. Sousuke was soon in hot pursuit.
Cans of crab meat did not come with a warning that read WARNING: exceedingly harmful if used as a projectile. Perhaps they should. Sousuke grabbed a handful of cans, noting briefly that the prices were very good. He’d have to tell Melissa about this store. With admirable accuracy, he bounced one can hard off the back of the head of the fleeing robber. The man stumbled, crashing with his full weight atop the salad bar, collapsing the structure, raining assorted puddings, fruits, syrupy juice, and condiments down on a startled Kaname.
CLEAN-UP ON AISLE FOUR.
Before helping Kaname out from under her ruined hiding place, Sousuke gave the slowly rising man a flying elbow to the head, putting him down for the count.
“Well, Kaname. At least you can finish your shopping now and head home.”
After that, Sousuke tracked down and made short work of the remaining thug.
ATTENTION CUSTOMERS. DUE TO THE UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE STORE WILL NOW CLOSE. WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR CARTS AND BASKETS WHERE THEY ARE. STORE PERSONNEL WILL RETURN ITEMS TO THE SHELVES AFTER THE POLICE ARRIVE AND REMOVE THE CRIMINALS. PLEASE EXIT THE STORE IN ORDERLY FASHION
Kaname did not say a word. Sousuke thought that she must be furious, or terribly frustrated. She wasn’t. Walking over to the store lottery desk, she looked for this weeks winning number. 4 6 11 23 32 36. She then breathlessly checked her ticket. 4 6 11 23 32 36. She hurried out of the store, a firm grip on her wonderful prize. There was no longer a need to worry about groceries. When she cashed in that ticket, she could buy the store. Her heart beating ever so fast, she was oblivious to Sousuke as he tailed her home.
This had been such a WONDERFUL day.
************************************************************
End of part 2.
”Please, Sousuke. Tell us more. This is really great stuff.” Shinji looked as if he was ready to explode. His food was untouched, at least by him. The other boys were whittling his lunch down bit by bit.
“Yeh.” “C’mon.” “Don’t leave us hangin’, man!” The crowd was equally eager. “Shhhhhh. Not so loud guys. That table of concubines is giving us the Evil Eye.” Everyone laughed, sneaking glances at the girls’ table nearby.
“It is not a problem. I will speak loudly enough so that they may be enlightened as well. War was considered the greatest affair of state at the time. Conflict was thought to be unavoidable, inherent to the human condition. The highest realization of warfare was to attack the enemy’s plans; next to attack their alliances; next to attack their forces; and last to attack their fortifications. This is yet another one of the truths that can be carried over to the business world of today.” Sousuke paused, taking a moment to survey the room, finishing with his gaze on Kaname. She noticed his look and flashed him an obscene gesture. Have I done something today to anger her? “Victorious armies---or businesses---realize the conditions for victory first, then fight. Vanquished enemies fight first, then start looking for a way to attain victory.” It seems that I am often victorious in protecting her. But, I am vanquished in my efforts to make her feel safe. She always seems to be so unhappy when I am around. Perhaps it is merely her way of expressing her concerns about being Whispered.
The conversation continued, with Sousuke talking about various aspects of The Art Of War, and Shinji and the other boys looking for modern day parallels.
“Another concept was written about in many terms. Force of circumstances. Positional advantage. Tactical power. Latent energy. I should illustrate by means of analogy. A log or stone perched atop a hill may be temporarily stabilized, but it retains great potential energy. The larger the log, the greater that potential. A clever commander learns how to release that strategic power when he can best exploit advantages of terrain, numbers, firepower, morale, or superior provisions.”
Sousuke’s lesson was not lost on Kaname. It was not taken to heart by her either. She was growing more angry by the minute, listening to him speak about Sun-tzu. That name alone infuriated her. And that damn otaku was gaining more admiration for his stupid useless knowledge. Wasn’t it enough that he had gotten an A grade? Couldn’t he just be humble and enjoy the thrill of victory after his athletic coup? Did he have to continue to rub things in this way???
“Kaname, are you OK?” Kyouko sounded concerned. “Isn’t the food to your liking?” Kyouko and Ren had independently hit upon the same idea. They had been tired of studying and had spent the night cooking up everybody’s favorites. It would be a nice way to celebrate the end of midterms. Kyouko had also intended Kaname’s preferred dishes to serve as a reward for her renewed success in the athletic arena, but wisely kept her thoughts to herself.
“Ky?” She broke away from her musings about Sousuke and his obvious attempts to show her up. “Oh. I’m sorry. I was preoccupied. Mmmph mmmphfff mmmmmm. This is all DELICIOUS.” Kaname’s response made Kyouko’s face light up like a beautiful sunrise. Kaname would wolf down as much as she could, even though she really wasn’t hungry. She owed it to her friends. She needed to look as if she were enjoying the superior provisions, in order to keep up morale. Damn. Now he has ME thinking in stupid otaku terms.
“Kaname, slow down, give yourself a chance to come up for air. Besides, you know that stuff will go straight to your thighs!” Ren and the other girls laughed. They knew it was true after a fashion, but none of them could resist the delicious treats.
Sousuke had been discussing the concept of orthodox and unorthodox attacks. He had gone from their to warn his listeners to never rely upon the good will of others in battle, or to put too much faith in the occurrence of fortuitous circumstances. He had finished one train of though by saying “Know the enemy…and know yourself…and you will not be endangered.” As always, he still managed to keep one ear tuned to the conversation surrounding Kaname. Ren’s statement had triggered a memory. There was something he could do to protect Kaname’s reputation and chance at future happiness. He must act now, before the moment passed.
The girls all went dead quiet when Sousuke approached their table. Kaname’s face began to purple. Kyouko quickly reached for her camera. “Kaname, it is necessary that I warn you of a danger.” The girls now looked on eagerly. They knew all too well about Sousuke’s perceptions of ‘danger.’ Not wanting to appear too eager themselves, the other boys nonetheless stopped their conversation and listened. “I overheard a number of boys discussing you the other day. One said that you had a nice body, but that he would never want to date you because you were such an idol.” A muffled sound came from the boys’ table. Shinji had his hands over two boys’ mouths, trying to contain their chuckling. “Another boy said your body was ’OK,’ but he would never date you because your thighs were so 'chunky.' ” Ren began choking on something she swallowed. “So, if that food will go right to your thighs, I would be remiss in my duty if I did not recommend that you avoid such food. Here, I will gladly share this with you.” He held out a protein bar.
It was only a matter of timing. What would explode first, Kaname’s temper? The boys’ laughter? Or, the girls’ usual discussion of just how dumb boys are?
Kaname stood up and walked right up to Sousuke. “SOUSUKE…YOU…YOU…” She shocked everybody by putting the halisen down and taking a moment to smooth out her school uniform. She must really be exhausted. “Sousuke, let me take this opportunity to poke a hole in all that Sun-tzu nonsense you have been spouting. You know yourself. And you know the enemy. ME. And you are very much in danger.” Ever so slowly, she walked over to the table, picked up a tray of food in each hand, and walked back to Sousuke. She lifted the objects in question over Sousuke’s head, turned them over, and let them fall, covering him with food. She remembered her manners. “Thank you Ky. Thank you Ren. It’s all perfect.” Suddenly, she felt a whole lot better.
Sousuke, covered with a wide variety of foods, turned back to his table, seeing an opportunity to drive a point home. “You will notice, the suspended trays of food contained significant tactical power.”
“Ahhhhhh. BAKU OTAKU!!!” Kaname grabbed her halisen and went beserk. “Concubines! Meat lockers! Reputations! Bleach! Latent energy! Gym class! Groceries! A bolo! Danger! Snow balls! The Principal! Student athlete. Chunky thighs!” Each word saw the paper fan rock Sousuke’s head back on his neck. The onlookers fully expected his head to coming flying off of his body. They winced with the sound of each blow. On one wind-up, Kaname slipped on some spilled food. She grabbed for the table to keep from falling. She succeeded in getting a firm grip on the table cloth, pulling the remaining food on top of her as she went down hard.
Sousuke should have been quiet. Better yet, he should have shown off his athletic ability and run. Instead, he saw yet another opportunity for enlightenment. “You will notice the effect of terrain upon battle….” He pointed to the food-covered floor at Kaname’s feet. “Sun-tzu described nine terrains: dispersive terrain…light terrain…contentious terrain…traversable terrain…focal terrain…heavy terrain…entrapping terrain…encircled terrain…and fatal terrain. When feudal lords fought in their own territory, it was ‘dispersive’ terrain. When they entered someone else’s territory, but not deeply, it….”
“Let’s skip ahead to fatal terrain, Sousuke.” Kaname, dripping both food and venom, stood with the halisen ready.
*************************************************************
When it rains, it pours. Sousuke and his group of followers had left in a rush, the other boys intent on dragging their battered companion to safety. Kaname was the only one left covered with food when the Principal responded to word of a raucous squabble.
“It seems that you have failed to heed my words yet another time, Miss Chidori. Your star is falling at a most prodigious rate. I am at a total loss of what to do to correct your behavior. Perhaps if you were banned from competing at sports for half of a semester…” The man’s ruddy face was filled with contempt and disappointment.
“B-B-But….” Kaname was flabbergasted. Busted. Again! Just what had she done that angered the Fates this much. It wasn’t the correct tact at that moment, but her thirst for justice overwhelmed her common sense. “Sir. I apologize. But, it was that maniac Sousuke who’s responsible for all this. I was just caught in the middle, and have been trying to clean things up while he runs away from his responsibility.” The other girls all nodded their heads and added words of support, but their actions were to no avail.
“I see. Mr. Sagara is at fault. A very convenient story, given his past indiscretions. I had thought better of you, Miss Chidori.” He looked at Kaname’s friends, his eyes glowering. They were now marked by the same brush. “I’ll tell you what I REALLY see. I see last year’s student athlete dethroned. I see her trying to smear the name of the young man who has taken her crown. To try and drag such a credit to this school down into the muck with you is despicable.” He turned and walked away. He stopped, shrugged his shoulders, and let out a long sigh.
“I should step in and put an end to the opportunity, but I would be exceeding my authority. The Vice Principal is showing the Superintendent of the Kadena High School around our facilities, sitting in with him during some classes. It was by God’s grace alone that he did not sit in on any of your classes today. He had come here looking to set up an exchange program, a way of sharing ideas and improving the educational resources of both of our schools. We will be sending one of our students to Okinawa for a month. The teachers had selected your name…last week. He’s expecting to meet with you in fifteen minutes.” The Principal actually started laughing, though tears rolled down from his eyes. He put his hand to his forehead. “I suggest you get yourself cleaned up as best you can.” He left the room muttering to himself.
Kaname and the other girls made a dash for the girls’ locker room. While Kaname took a shower, the others did their very best to clean up her uniform as best they could. He clothes still looked as if they were used to wipe out the inside of a garbage can, but it was a marked improvement nevertheless. “Thanks guys!” She checked her watch. Almost time. “Gotta run!”
The meeting went very well. The Vice Principal asked Kaname to escort the esteemed visitor back to his office when they were finished. After that, the Superintendent started off by saying how much admiration he had for Kaname, after watching her gutsy performance in the gymnasium. “I understand that you were injured prior to that contest, Miss Chidori. Still, you gave it your all. That’s exactly the type of spirit I would like to see our students adopt.” Kaname blushed, basking in the praise.
They discussed the idea of the exchange program, touching on Kaname’s ideas and suggestions. “It would be a dream come true, Sir. It would be a terrific opportunity to participate in such a fine endeavor.” Yes, and there would be absolutely NO way for Sousuke to explain his being in Okinawa. She’d be free.
The Superintendent was a rogue at heart. He saw a wonderful chance to tease Kaname, knowing she already had her hopes set on the student exchange. “But, the more I learn about you, Miss Chidori, the more I wonder if I would be doing Jindai High a disservice, taking away such a fine example for the other young men and women.” He managed to keep a smile off of his face. “I do not know if I should choose you for this honor. Should I let you go?”
Kaname was so anxious, she actually raised her voice in return. “Let Me go. Oh, Let me go. PLEASE, LET ME GO!!! Oooooh”
At his distance, Sousuke could not tell that Kaname was smiling and laughing. He had no idea who the man was and had not caught any of the converstaion. All he heard was "LET ME GO. Oooooh." From that angle, the man was partially blocking his view of Kaname. His reflexes kicked in, propelling his body into action. He flew down the hallway like a bolt fired out of a crossbow. He leaped, targeting the back of the assailant.
Sousuke and the Superintendent hit the ground, hard. The young Mithril sergeant reacted quickly, not wanting to cause a scene out in the open. Pulling one of the man’s arms behind his back, his other hand grasping the scruff of his opponent’s neck, Sousuke bull-rushed the startled school official into the confines of the Boys’ rest room.
“Wh-h-h…” was all that the Superintendent had time to say before his words morphed into “grggle grggle grggle grrrrrrrr." Sousuke was stuffing the suspected evil-doer’s head into the nearest toilet.
NO. I can’t believe this. NO. Why me. Why Kaname was stunned, but only for a moment. There might still be a chance. She could save the Superintendent. She could rescue her golden opportunity. She would make Sousuke PAY!!! Kaname took a step into the Boy’s room. It made her skin creep. Her feet felt as if they were glued to the ground. The sight of Sousuke trying to flush the other man’s head broke the spell. She charged, only to see the unexpected happen.
The Superintendent had done something with his arm and something with his foot that had been too fast to follow. His hair shedding torrents of water, he whirled and threw Sousuke hard against a rest room stall. Kaname felt like cheering.
Sousuke had been caught off guard. Moron. You know you should treat every opponent as if he may be your equal, possibly even your superior. There was no telling wha the man’s intentions had been, or what he might do next. Let’s get the upper hand. Sousuke’s pistol rapidly appeared in his hand. He held it on the other man. What is Miss Chidori doing in HERE? Was she worried about him? Had she come to help?
Screaming like a banshee, Kaname ran and tackled Sousuke. Yelling out every English curse word she had heard earlier that morning, she banged the startled young man’s head against a urinal. “Sousuke, you MORON!!!”
“Leave the girl alone.” The words shocked Sousuke. The man he thought was attacking Kaname was standing up for her now? And, how could he overlook the fact that he was being brutalized by her. When Sousuke stood up, he kept his pistol by his side. The other man, water pooling at his feet, held a gun pointed at his head. He must proceed with caution.
Sousuke, by reflex, chose the only words that might keep the confrontation from escalating further. “Glock 21. .45 caliber. Safe action system. Right octagonal rifling. 10 or 13 round capacity. Three safeties. 2.5kg trigger pull. Not the first choice of civilians with a .45 fetish---that would be the Glock 30 or new ‘slim-line’ Glock 36. You must have some military or law enforcement experience.” He paused, looking the other man directly in the eyes. “I take it you are not intent on harming Miss Chidori, as I mistakenly surmised?”
The Superintendent lowered his gun ever so slightly, a way of lessening the tension. “Yes, on all counts. I see you are equally well armed. Glock 17. 9 x 19mm. 280g with fully loaded magazine. 10, 17, or 19 round capacity. Not something I would expect to see carried by a high school student. Either you are a dangerous dreamer with harmful delusions, or you are a trained bodyguard. Your actions do not suggest the former.”
Kaname stood stunned. What IS this? An otaku love fest?
“You are quite correct, sir. Again, my apologies. I am indeed Miss Chidori’s protector, but can give no further detail than that. I must say that I am ashamed, not giving you the full respect I should have. It never pays to let one’s guard down, even to the slightest degree.” Kaname gasped. Sousuke actually bowed, like something out of an old black and white samurai flick.
“Think nothing of it. I too responded in less than optimal fashion.” He laughed, squeezing the water out of his hair. “Oh, a bit off topic, but as the young ladies protector, you probably should remove these comments off of the wall.” He waved his arm, pointing at a number of areas. “That picture cannot be anatomically correct, and I hope there is no basis for truth in any of these slurs.”
“I will do as you suggest, sir. I cannot speak to the validity of the claims. Miss Chidori remains a mystery to me. Her actions are often inscrutable.” Sousuke was not looking at Kaname. He could not see the warning sign. The halisen was whipping back and forth like the tale of an adder about to strike.
“Yes, I can see why.” The Superintendent tried not to laugh but failed. “Walking into the Boys’ rest room facility. Tackling a fellow student. Damaging school equipment. And that language, the last time I heard anything like that was when I was in the military or working security duty down at the wharf.” He shook his head. “I must say that this unfortunate incident has a silver lining. It saved me from making a TERRIBLE mistake. Miss Chidori is obviously not the type of student we want at our high school. How about you, young man? What’s your name? Would you like to enlist in the exchange program?”
“I am Sousuke Sagara. I thank you for your kind offer. I must stand up for Miss Chidori. She is not usually quite this bad, although she has her moments. I cannot leave her side here. She is in need of my protection.”
Not QUITE this bad? I have my MOMENTS? Not going to leave my side? It was more than Kaname could take. "SOUSUKE, YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT!!!” She swung her halisen with tremendous force, throwing Sousuke into a urinal, which promptly broke free from the wall. The cracked pipe spurted a great fountain of water onto the floor.
The Superintendent offered Sousuke a hand up. “I see. It is your task to protect her. There is one thing I do not understand, however.”
“Sir?”
“Just who is going to protect YOU???
************************************************************
It felt great to be outside again, to be leaving that school after such an unbelievable series of events. They were all getting out early, thanks to the overworked heating system. It had broken down on its own, without any help whatsoever from a certain sergeant.
Kaname looked up into the sky and smiled. Large flakes continued to fall. The weather gave her the opportunity to go grocery shopping with her friends. Her baldfaced lie and Sousuke’s gullable nature would allow them a pleasant time together without an unwanted military chaperon. All they needed to do was flag down a taxi, get in, and head on their way. There was no way they would be trailed then.
Success. Ren managed to catch the eye of a taxi driver. The cab’s blinker soon went on and it slowed, the driver waiting for a chance to cross the snow-covered street and come back in their direction. Bye bye, Sgt. Stupid. Bet you’re going to be real frantic real soon. I just wish I could see your face.
“Uh Oh. Kaname.” Kyouko pointed towards the school entrance. It was Sousuke. How? Kaname wanted to kick herself. What was the saying? Be careful what you wish for…. She had told him that the visiting Superintendent wanted to see him in the Principal’s office. There was no way he could have gotten there and back again in time to see them getting into a taxi.
“Looks like he’s got your book bag, Kaname.” Ren had discovered the answer.
“Damn. I was so excited, I forgot all about it.” Damn that Sousuke! Why did he have to be so damn considerate? Kaname blinked hard. How many times had she complained that boys were so inconsiderate? “Kyouko, Ren, get in quick!” The cab had stopped at the curb, sending a small swell of slush and water spreading across the cleared sidewalk. The three girls got into the vehicle faster than should have been possible.
“You can relax now, Kaname.” Kyouko was leaning out of the cab window, snapping pictures of a running Sousuke. “Uh oh. Maybe not.”
Sousuke had not stopped at the street, defeated. He went from a determined jog to a desperate sprint. Remarkably, he hurdled two benches and a startled man with a snow shovel. He darted out into traffic, dodging cars with blaring horns and sliding across the hood of delivery van. Sending up large splashes of water, he ran down the street after the taxi, Kaname’s book bag trailing obediently behind him.
“Only Sousuke,” Ren said smiling. “And, as the student athlete of the year, he probably has remarkable endurance. Think we should get out and push?” Her joke did not sit well with her blue-haired friend. The taxi was moving ahead slowly, the traffic slowed by the fruits of the snow storm and the large number of vehicles entering the road from the school parking lots.
“YES!!! That’s a good one.” Kyouko put her camera down, wiping slush off of her face. There were definitely perils attached to keeping that window down. “Sousuke just ran through a huge sheet of water kicked up by a bus. Just like a tidal wave. Oh boy. He’s not slowing down.” Kaname was tempted to throw Kyouko’s camera out the car window.
Finally, there was a pick up in speed. They were going to make it. Looking out the back window, Kaname cursed. Sousuke was hanging onto the side of a glassier’s vehicle, keeping pace with their taxi. Damn you Sousuke. What planet are you from?! It was time to take matters into her own hands. The light ahead was beginning to change. If they could make it past this crossing, Sousuke’s ride would be left trapped at the light.
“Driver. If you can get us through this light, there will be something extra in it for you.” It was a mistake. The intersection was much wider than Kaname had first judged it to be. The taxi driver didn’t care. There was money in it for him. It was worth the risk. He misjudged the road condition and the timing. The cab shot forward recklessly, dodging between crossing pedestrians, The car began to slide on the slick road, but the wildly spinning tires kept them moving forward.
The light had gone red. They were just entering the intersection. Two motorcyclists headed straight into their path, unaware of the impending danger. A horn blew. A brake pedal was stomped on. The car slid violently to one side, fishtailing. A large truck slid, brakes locked. It caught the taxi in the side and pushed the car up against a street lamp, bending the ornate work of metal down to the ground.
“Is everybody OK?” Ren asked, concerned. She was fortunate that the damage was minor. She was on the side of the impact. Her door wouldn’t open, pinned against the grill of the truck. Kyouko’s door wouldn’t open, blocked by the mangled lamp post.
“I’m a little shaken up, but otherwise alright” Kyouko said in a shaky voice. Still, her flash kept going off. It wasn’t too often something like this happened.
“Kaname?” Ren asked, getting no answer from her friend.
“I’m NOT the least bit OK.” She wasn’t injured. She was just counting the seconds. Sousuke would be there any moment now. Hopefully he wouldn’t physically chastise the driver.
All three girls jumped when a loud noise sounded right behind them. A crack appeared in the foggy rear window. Then, another loud noise and more cracks. Soon, the window was breaking inward, the safety glass keeping the startled girls from being covered with deadly shards. “Don’t worry Kaname. I will have you out in no time.” Of course. It was Sousuke.
When they were all standing on the sidewalk, the blue and red of flashing police car lights painting their clothing with bizarre shapes, Sousuke admonished Kaname. “Miss Chidori, what were you thinking. Taxi drivers are notorious. To risk your life in a cab on a snowy day was much too reckless.” As if vaulting things, running into traffic, and riding on the side of a truck was not, Kaname thought angrily. “And, you left your book bag back at school.” He handed her the bag. A large amount of water poured out of it, running down her stockings.
Ren politely covered her mouth with her hand. Kyouko did her thing.
“SOUSUKE!!!”
Pushed backward with all of Kaname’s strength, the young sergeant fell back into the street and slid halfway down a busy storm drain.
************************************************************
Kaname had an exceedingly bitter taste in her mouth. Her hopes had gone down like a submarine with screen doors. Both Ren and Kyouko were tshaken from the accident, and did not want to go shopping. They had each headed home when they received medical clearence.
It would have been bad enough going shopping alone, frozen to the bone by the swirling ice-laden wind. He soggy book bag didn’t dampen here spirits as much as the person doggedly following on her heels. Sousuke. Well, if things went the way they had once before, she could at least convince him to carry her grocery bags home for her. I should get SOMETHING out of all this! She was feeling overly pessimistic, though. Just WHAT was going to happen next?
“Chin up, Kaname. You’re bigger than all this. Some day you’ll look back on it and laugh.” She had spoken out loud, but the words had no power over her. Looking back over her day, she had to fight the urge to cry.
“Kaname, are you feeling alright? Are you talking to yourself? Did you hit your head during that accident?” Sousuke had quickened his pace and now walked side by side with her. “If you give me your grocery list, I will do your shopping for you, and you can visit the Emergency Room for a thorough examination.”
The offer was certainly tempting. Her shopping would be done for her. And, she would go home and take a nice warm bubble bath instead of actually seeking medical attention. What am I thinking? What about the LAST time?
She had once given Sousuke a small shopping list and a large denomination of paper money, asking him to return the change. He had handed her ten sacks of materials and two small coins. Yes, he had faithfully collected every item on the list. But, he had then went on to improvise. Her cupboards were still crammed full of household items that could be used to manufacture explosives, napalm, anesthetic gas, a blowgun and darts, powder for picking up fingerprints, smoke bombs, dog repellant, and homemade caltrops. He had bought ten different brands of hair colors, three shades apiece, in case she felt a need to disguise herself. He had bought the store’s entire supply of designer MREs, expensive novelties for the impressionable shopper---they would actually prove useful, he claimed, if she had to survive a siege in her apartment room, or if they had to make an escape deep into the forest. She had almost gagged when tasting one.
No. She would do her own shopping. Most definitely.
“Miss Chidori, are we going in?” Sousuke had been standing out in the cold for ten minutes with Kaname. She had to force herself to go inside. It was the same store she and Sousuke had spent the night in. “Are you suffereing from neurological symptoms?” He shined a bright penlight into her eyes, watching for her pupillary response.
“Get that damn thing out of my face, Sousuke.” She grabbed for the light, which Sousuke held high over his head. Jumping for it, she knocked Sousuke down, sprawling on top of him in a very suggestive position. At that moment, Miss Akiyama walked out of the store, spying the two youths struggling to get up.
“Oh my! Out here in the street, in front of a crowded store? What is the world coming to?” The elderly woman was about to leave when Kaname looked to see who had spoken. The voice had been very familiar. “Miss Chidori?” The woman put her hand to her mouth, shocked. “I didn’t want to believe Mr. Nokibasu! Oh my my my my my….” She walked off shaking her head, scandalized.
“No, wait, let me explain.” It was too late, Miss Akiyama had disappeared into the crowd. “SOUSUKE!!!” Grabbing the young Mithril agent by the head, she flung him into the store with all her strength.
There was a loud crashing sound. Soon thereafter, a message came out over the intercom system: “CLEAN-UP IN AISLE EIGHT.”
Sousuke lay buried underneath a six foot pile of laundry detergent boxes, many of which had burst open at the seams, coating him with fragrant white granules. Kaname stopped momentarily to look down at him, hands on his hips. “HMMPPFF!!! I just can’t take you anywhere, can I?” She smiled.
Having escaped the boxes and brushed off the detergent, Sousuke made an attempt to catch up with Kaname. Seeing him coming, she had taken off at a run, pushing her shopping cart in front of her. She saw the CAUTION: Wet Floor sign too late. Her feet went out from under her. Her cart rolled on its own, going on to bump into an old man, knocking him into the lobster pool. Kicking his feet frantically, a large crustacean painfully attached to his nose, he knocked over a large stand of seafood spices and cocktail sauce.
Kaname’s momentum carried her into a store representative handing out small skewers of spiced chicken. Stumbling, the man stuck a skewer into the ample buttock of a rather large woman, causing her to holler like a stricken cow and jump in the air. When she landed, she collapsed a series of large wooden shelves, sending rows of glass soda bottle tumbling like dominoes. The resultant sound was remarkable.
Another message came over the intercom: “CLEAN-UP IN AISLES TWO, THREE, FOUR, SIX, AND SEVEN.
Sousuke reached down his hand to help pick Kaname off the ground. “Are you alright, Kaname? It’s a good thing that you were not involved in that tragedy over there.” He pointed to where three store employees and the store manager were helping the rotund woman back on her feet. “They would probably ask you to leave the store if you did something like that.”
Kaname pressed her hand firmly over Sousuke’s mouth. “I’m in a hurry, Sousuke. Get my cart for me.” She sped around a corner, heading up an intact aisle. She chuckled wickedly. Her cart was no doubt associated with the one accident by now. If Sousuke retrieved it, perhaps he’d be thrown out into the street. There would be a pleasant symmetry to that.
Sousuke took the time to help the man out of the lobster pen. Deftly and painlessly, he removed the determined crustacean. The man was very thankful, and happily gave his rescuer a sizeable tip for his services. The assistant store manager was also very thankful, commenting on how rare it was to see someone actually trying to make a positive difference in the world. He gave Sousuke a large book of double coupons, usually reserved for people belonging to an exclusive store membership program. “I certainly wish we had more people like you coming into our store.” Sousuke felt a warm glow of satisfaction.
It figures. Only Sousuke could luck out like that. Kaname fought to keep from exploding when Sousuke caught up with her and described his good fortune. Fighting to find something sarcastic to say, she heard an ominous sound. It was a gunshot. A man’s voice called out, loud. Turning, she saw four masked men at the checkout counter, each holding a sack. One man had a cudgel. Two had knives. The fourth held a pistol to a cashier’s head.
“Listen up shoppers. We have a special on Aisle Three.” He snapped his fingers, sending his cohorts towards that very Aisle. “The three fine men you see, members of a charitable organization, will be accepting your generous offerings. Please place your purses, wallets, watches, jewelry, and any other valuables into the bags they are carrying.” He fired his silenced pistol again, stopping the frightened babbling of the crowd. “Accidents will happen if anyone trries to escape, make a call on a cell phone, or resist the friendly collections agents. The young lady up here will also regrettable miss the remainder of her life.”
Before she knew what was happening, Kaname found herself knocked to the ground by Sousuke, who then rolled her under a large rickety wooden salad bar. “Stay hidden, Miss Chidori. No one saw what I did. You should be safe down there.”
Kaname thought about yelling out, telling Sousuke to refrain from doing any crazy otaku stunts. It would only give away her position. She knew that her companion would do what he was going to do with or without any words from her. Ring a bell in front of Pavolv’s dog, and the damn pooch drools all over the carpet. Fire off a gun in front of Sousuke, and all Hell breaks loose. She sighed, resigned to her fate. Something sitting in one of the small beams of light coming through the cracks in the stand caught her attention. She picked it up. A lottery ticket.
She couldn’t bother thinking about her discovery now. This was serious. Sousuke was no doubt going to place himself in serious jeopardy. She bit her fingernails. Sousuke! Be careful.
Sousuke had slid on the ground, gaining access to an area inside one large shelfing unit, separating Aisle Three from Aisle Four. He found a broken broom handle. He took out his knife, stuck it into the wood, and split the handle in two lengthwise. Good. Now it will fit through the slots. Feeling the building rush of adrenalin, he walked to the end of the shelves, peering out at the criminals. One man had his neck close to one of the unused shelving slots. With a fierce thrust, Souske rammed the wooden shaft hard against the back of the unsuspecting man’s neck at the base of his skull, his action unseen. The man came crashing to the ground, his vertebrae fractured and his spinal cord contused.
Patiently, Sousuke waited for his next opportunity. It was not long in coming. One of the remaining two thugs bent over to examine his fallen comrade, wondering if he had fainted. He took a sharp end of the stick deep into his eye, causing him to fall back with a scream of pain. He was effectively out of action. The remaining hulk, hired for his strength and intimidating size, did not know what to do. He kept knocking boxes and bottle off of the shelves, yelling “Gremlins!” Putting the stick down quietly, Sousuke rolled back out into the light, intent on his next target.
The intercom came to life again: CLEAN-UP ON AISLE THREE.
“What the hell is going on over there? Kappei……….Shuichi……….Hideyuki……….ANSWER ME!” The ringleader was obviously very frustrated and extremely worried. Things would get worse for him soon enough.
Sousuke walked very slowly towards the man, one of the bills he had received as a tip held out in his hand. “Excuse me sir, can you make change of this. I really need change for the soda machine.”
“What? WHAT?! Are you some kind of moron?” Underneath the salad bar, Kaname muttered “Yes.” Sousuke kept walking, and the man rammed the gun inro the cashier’s mouth. “Do I look like a cashier, boy? I sure as shit don’t need a gun to count out money. One more step, and I blow her head off. Then I shoot you.” The man was sweating. Things were spiraling way out of control.
“Oh, I see. If you take the gun out of her mouth, maybe she can make change for me.” Sousuke continued his slow advance. “You can watch, to make sure she doesn’t cheat me.”
“STOP! Don’t come any closer. I am not kidding, you imbecile.” The man now had his pistol aimed at Sousuke’s head. Overly anxious, he thought of another solution, a way to remove the unwanted irritant. “Here. To shut you up, I’ll give you plenty of change.” He bent over, to grab a handful of coins out of the cash register. Distracted, he did not see the blur of the bolo.
The toss was on target. The pistol bounced across the floor, disappearing under one of the other counters. Shocked, the man saw Sousuke move to cut off his escape route. Knowing about the back door, he jumped from counter to counter, rushing off into the store. Sousuke was soon in hot pursuit.
Cans of crab meat did not come with a warning that read WARNING: exceedingly harmful if used as a projectile. Perhaps they should. Sousuke grabbed a handful of cans, noting briefly that the prices were very good. He’d have to tell Melissa about this store. With admirable accuracy, he bounced one can hard off the back of the head of the fleeing robber. The man stumbled, crashing with his full weight atop the salad bar, collapsing the structure, raining assorted puddings, fruits, syrupy juice, and condiments down on a startled Kaname.
CLEAN-UP ON AISLE FOUR.
Before helping Kaname out from under her ruined hiding place, Sousuke gave the slowly rising man a flying elbow to the head, putting him down for the count.
“Well, Kaname. At least you can finish your shopping now and head home.”
After that, Sousuke tracked down and made short work of the remaining thug.
ATTENTION CUSTOMERS. DUE TO THE UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE STORE WILL NOW CLOSE. WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR CARTS AND BASKETS WHERE THEY ARE. STORE PERSONNEL WILL RETURN ITEMS TO THE SHELVES AFTER THE POLICE ARRIVE AND REMOVE THE CRIMINALS. PLEASE EXIT THE STORE IN ORDERLY FASHION
Kaname did not say a word. Sousuke thought that she must be furious, or terribly frustrated. She wasn’t. Walking over to the store lottery desk, she looked for this weeks winning number. 4 6 11 23 32 36. She then breathlessly checked her ticket. 4 6 11 23 32 36. She hurried out of the store, a firm grip on her wonderful prize. There was no longer a need to worry about groceries. When she cashed in that ticket, she could buy the store. Her heart beating ever so fast, she was oblivious to Sousuke as he tailed her home.
This had been such a WONDERFUL day.
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End of part 2.
