[FIC] Endings and Beginnings (part 5)
Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2005 4:45 am
“Keys.”
Sousuke sat with Kaname and a group of students in the lobby. Everyone was swapping tame stories about the time they shared together. Some were talking excitedly about the next big step, while others were musing idly about the future.
“Huh? Whazzat?”
It sounded like the guy and his buddies had already been drinking.
“I shall repeat. Hand over your car keys. I have been assigned the task of keeping keys.” Sousuke spoke pleasantly.
“What?” One guy looked like he woke up and found a horse’s head in his bed. “That’sh bogush.”
“Yeh. This isn’t school any more, Sagara.” Another boy looked belligerent. His face was red and his eyes looked funny. “This is about partying, not some stupid horseshit rules.” He carried a boombox on one shoulder. It was playing loud enough to hear over the crowd noise.
“Who is this jerk?” One of the other guys asked. He was not from Jindai High school. Sousuke knew that, as he had kept up to date with student photos for every class present at the school while he and Kaname were there.
“It appears that we have a very unfortunate situation.” Sousuke flexed the fingers on both hands. “Anyone driving a motor vehicle must leave their keys with me if they wish to join the festivities. No exceptions.” He watched the boy’s faces. They were not going to follow that rule.
“Ooooooh. I see. It’s and unfortunate situation. Oh my.” One guy with a crew cut hooked his hand inside the top of his jeans, snickering.
“Also, the party was limited to Jindai students and school staff. Exceptions might be made for family members.” Sousuke did not want to have to resort to violence. He found himself caring what his friends thought of him. He did not want one of their last memories of him to be some kind of altercation.
“Shit. We’re all twins!” One boy quipped.
“Come on. Why are we standing here listening to this clown.” Another boy tried to push Sousuke out of his way. Before he knew it, he was on his back, a foot on his neck.
“I was not done speaking,” Sousuke said. Putting just enough wait on his foot to immobilized the boy. “Excuse me. At the table. You will all serve as witnesses.” He addressed his words to his fellow students, meeting Kaname’s eyes in the process. He let the boy up.
If the confrontation had happened at the beginning of his stay in Tokyo, Kaname would have been all over him like white on rice, sending him tumbling with a swing of her halisen or the toss of a base from the ball field. Now, she simply sat calmly, trusting Sousuke with his duties. Nevertheless, one of her hands gripped the table firmly. It was still Sousuke after all, and trust only went so far.
“You will all note that these boys have arrived at the party inebriated. It is important to remember their faces and name if you know them. For purposes of liability, they did not become intoxicated at this party.” Sousuke was satisfied when his fellow graduates nodded their heads. “Jindai students who give me their keys may stay. All others will leave.”
“Who says? You and what army?” One burly boy didn’t realize the accuracy of his question.
“I think we better go,” one of the Jindai students in the unruly group said. He knew better than to mess with Sousuke.
“Yesh. I guessh we don’t have a choicesh.” He stared at Sousuke. “F-cking asshhole.” While he spoke, a song came on the boom box, which was tuned to a channel playing American Rock classics. As fate would have it, the song was Alice Cooper’s ‘School’s Out.’ The had the boy sneering. “He alwaysh blowsh up everything. He ruinsh our plansh tonight. And we have to lishen to him. It’sh jush wrong.”
“We don’t have to listen to nobody,” the most muscular of the bunch claimed. “I mean, there’s eight of us and one of him. What are you guys, a bunch of fags?” He looked at Sousuke and shook his head.
“Is there a problem, Sousuke?” Ono walked over, having been told that some kind of ruckus was shaping up.
“Hey man, why is Sagara pulling this shit?” One of the boys asked Ono. “Did you put him up to it? I don’t even know why you invited that bastard. I remember what you said the day when he came clean. You put him in his place, dude.”
“Most of them appear drunk. None will hand over their keys, if they indeed have any. Many are acting in belligerent fashion.” Sousuke reported briskly. A number of the party-goers spoke up to confirm his claims.
“Sousuke is doing as I asked.” Ono said, still wobbly. He put on hand on Sousuke’s shoulder to steady himself. “Those are the rules of the party. While I agree with them, I did not make them. They come from the owners of this building, and the tenants who let this party take place.”
The situation eventually cooled down. The boys left, kicking over a table and a trash can on their way out. Sousuke took out his cell phone, dialed a number, and spoke succinctly.
“You didn’t call the police, did you?” Ono looked a bit worried.
“Negative. I cannot leave my post here. However, those boys will be observed. I do not wish them causing mischief outside the premises.” Sousuke closed the phone and placed it back in his jacket.
“Did you ask some friends to the party, Sousuke?” Kaname walked up, accompanied by Kyouko. “Isn’t that against the rules?” She smiled. “Is it ‘K’ and ‘M’?”
Sousuke nodded. “They insisted on coming. No doubt they would rather be inside, just as we are. But, they will make certain that nothing untoward takes place.” By the look on Sousuke’s face, Kaname could tell that he wasn’t talking about troublesome teenagers.
“Do you think…” Kyouko looked worried. She had good reason, having been sensitized after her prior ordeals.
“We are no in any possible danger are we? I thought that the terrorists were…” Ono suddenly looked concerned. He had never really considered that angle. It would have been difficult for him as a friend of tehm both, but he could have kept Sousuke and Kaname off of the guest list. He could still ask them to leave now.
“If you wish us to leave, we will do so.” Sousuke correctly interpreted Ono’s response. He turned to Kyouko. “I would also leave if my being here caused you too much discomfort.”
“You better not be speaking for me, mister!” Kaname said. Her usual need satisfied, she spoke seriously to her two friends. “If my being here…”
“It’s OK, Kaname.” Kyouko shook her head.
“There is low likelihood of danger,” Sousuke said. “I always like to be on the safe side.”
“He always likes to be on the ‘paranoid, anything could be a danger, when it’s obviously OK’ side.” Kaname groused. But she smiled. “He is getting better, though.” She took a step closer to Sousuke. “He had better be getting better…”
“That’s right,” Shinji said walking up. “He could have taken those jerks down, but didn’t.” Shinji actually sounded disappointed. “But, what would you have done if they wanted to cause major trouble?” He still idolized Sousuke, and sometimes found himself living vicariously through his friend.
“Sousuke would have done what any other student would have done,” Kaname said, speaking for Sousuke. She smiled, seeing him close his mouth without saying anything.
“I cannot speak for her,” Sousuke said. “But she seems quite willing to speak for me.” Sousuke should have kept his mouth shut.
“Yeh. Women. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.” Ono stumbled and landed against Kyouko. She didn’t seem to mind.
“So, is she right?” Shinji asked. “Wouldn’t you have bluffed them with your gun?” He looked over at Kaname. “I doubt that any other student here is carrying weapons.”
“I would not have bluffed,” Sousuke said. “It is unwise to prompt an escalation that one is unable to match… unless there is no alternative whatsoever.” He noticed that the group of people listening in on the conversation was steadily growing.
“So, you wouldn’t have shot them?” Shinji sounded too much like a fan boy for Sousuke’s and Kaname’s liking.
“Of course not,” Kaname said, making it sound like Shinji was an idiot. “He only brought along blanks. That’s bad enough as it is.” She scrutinized Sousuke’s face. “Right, Sousuke?”
Sousuke did not answer. He tried to keep his facial features from changing. Taking out the PP2000, he ejected the clip and handed it to Shinji. His friend looked like he had been handed a gold bar or a top shelf girlie magazine.
“Cool. These are blanks alright.” He too paid close attention to Sousuke’s face, unwilling to believe that the young soldier hadn’t brought something more substantial. “And you didn’t bring anything else.”
“I only brought one clip of blanks,” Sousuke answered. He could say that much without lying. That wasn’t the point. He would have been better off if he had lied.
“What other clips did you bring, Sousuke.” Kaname stepped closer to him. “Do I need to pat you down?” Her Kaname-sense told her that Sousuke was hiding something.
“Only if you want to, Kaname. I give you my solemn oath that I will not inform your father.” Sousuke put one hand in his pocket. It was a clever answer. While it would have backfired had she followed through, he correctly judged that she would not do so in front of everybody. He also knew that the metal detector she had once bought would not fit inside her purse.
“I’m not about to do something like that,” Kaname said. “Big idiot!”
Sousuke relaxed ever so slightly.
“I’m not going to do it, Sousuke. But, my father won’t care if someone else does. Don’t you think it might be fun if everyone got involved?” Kaname smiled sweetly.
“PILE ON!”
Someone called out from the back of the crowd. Before the people at the periphery of the room knew what had happened, Sousuke was brought to the ground by the shear weight of the people rushing towards him. Unwilling to hurt his friends and fellow graduates, he was effectively immobilized.
“Aha! What have we here?” One girl pulled out a pen that Sousuke had for yearbook signing. “Is it just a pen, or some kind of weapon.” Taken apart, the pen proved to be nothing more than it looked.
“What’s this?” One guy handed a second clip to Shinji.
“It looks like rubber bullets,” Shinji answered. He quickly handed them to Kaname when she held out her hand.
“I’ve got something!” A girl pulled out a wad of paper that had gone through the wash cycle. “Never mind.” She sounded crestfallen.
“Wait. Almost got it. Shit. It’s just breath spray.” A boy frowned when he tossed the small canister to a friend.
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s knockout gas or something.” He sprayed it on one of his buddies.
“Hey, asshole!” He sniffed. “Yeh, just breath spray. Minty fresh.”
“Sousuke… is this another clip in your pocket, or are you happy to see me?” One of the girls who had dropped keys down her shirt looked over at Kaname as she removed the next item from Sousuke’s pants. Ono took the clip from the girl and tossed it to Shinji.
“Whoa! These have a hardened steel penetrator core enclosed in a bimetallic jacket. It must be armor-piercing ammunition.”
“Alright. Everybody up. I’ve seen all that I need to see.” Kaname looked as if she had bitten down on something exceedingly sour. Her frown deepened when she noticed that a number of girls were still frisking Sousuke, who tried valiantly to get to his feet. “Enough already. Show some dignity. Hmmmpppfff!”
“Oooo-o-o-o-oh. My my my-y-y-y…” One girl held something high above her head. “I found the good stuff!”
“What? Give it here.” A taller girl grabbed it away. “Condoms.”
“Let me see.” Another girl swiped the box. “Ribbed.”
“For her pleasure,” a fourth girl added, looking over the other girl’s shoulder and reading a blurb on the box.
“For whose pleasure?” The girls all asked. Slowly, as if synchronized, they turned to look at Kaname. At first, Kaname felt as if she were shrinking. Before she knew it, she would be paramecium-sized, gone from view. But, her anger grew and soon eclipsed any and all feelings of shock and embarrassment. She felt as if she were expanding, soon to be far too large to fit in the building.
“SOUSUKE!”
Kaname’s shout carried every question imaginable. When had he gotten those? Where had he gotten those? Why had he gotten those? Her shout also said that she didn’t want to hear anything that Sousuke had to say. If he had gotten them for her, he was far from presumptuous. If he had gotten them for anyone else, she never wanted to see him again.
“Uhhh…” Sousuke froze.
“Of course. What else would you say? You complete and total jerk!” With that, Kaname turned and stomped off. The crowd parted quickly, letting her through.
“But… they were a gift from Kurz… he made them promise to carry them in my jacket pocket… I didn’t expect to…” Sousuke’s voice ran down. Kaname was clearly not listening. Fact was, she wasn’t even in the same room any more.
“Well, Sousuke. I don’t care what those drunken morons said.” Ono patted Sousuke on the back. “I’m glad I invited you.” He chuckled. “You’re the life of the party, guy!”
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“I almost wish that you didn’t show restraint.”
Sousuke stopped in front of one of the large food-covered tables in the lobby. Tsubaki Issei was standing there with a number of his Karate Club friends.
“Why is that?” Sousuke asked his one-time adversary.
“I saw the whole thing. So did they.” He motioned to his companions. “It would have been nice to teach them better manners.” He scowled. “I hate guys like that.”
“Yes. They are selfish and arrogant. Their courage comes from drink, or from being in a group.” Sousuke picked up a well-shaped and flaky Taiyaki. “Some day, they may gain their come uppence.” He broke apart the waffle-like pastry and looked inside. The carp-shaped cake was filled with chocolate and custard, not sweet azuki bean paste.
“I hope so,” Tsubaki said, sighing. “I know that I shouldn’t feel such anger… just as I shouldn’t have rushed to fight with you so often.”
“One who truly understands karate is not easily drawn into a fight,” Sousuke said. “An drill instructor of mine once told me that.” The man had not been training Sousuke in karate. But, the lesson held true for a number of martial arts.
“Yes. My head knows that, but…” Tsubaki accepted a drink that one of his trainees had brought him. “I train in karate because it requires discipline and perseverance… teaches me about my limitations… and helps me to achieve unity of body and spirit.”
“Forging the body also helps forge the mind,” Sousuke said, taking a tentative bite of Taiyaki. “There is no sense in conditioning the body, if one does not condition the mind.” That was a truth that Sousuke had learned many times over, through his own experiences, or by watching fellow soldiers and combatants.
“Exactly,” Tsubaki said, surprised to find someone outside of his club who understood that. “But, the reason I enjoy training others, is so they can knock around guys like those.” He eyed the Taiyaki. “The two goals are at odds. The words I teach are not always the ones I follow.”
The other Karate Club members stood listening. They admired Tsubaki to the point of adoration. Each of them was hanging on his every word.
“Realizing that truth is important, I believe.” Sousuke said. “I have heard a saying from a different soldier I served with in the past. ‘It takes a lifetime to learn karate‘. That may be true about many things.” Sousuke ran a hand through his hair. He didn’t have a lifetime to learn many of the things he needed to know. He had ten weeks at the most.
“I guess that’s true.” Tsubaki nodded. “Maybe you’re smarter than you look.” He smiled. “Is that any good?” He pointed to the Taiyaki,
“Yes. It is very flavorful.” Sousuke went to take another bite, but frowned when half of the fish-shaped cake fell off. “It would not hold up under adverse conditions, however.”
“So, do you think of everything in military terms?” Tsubaki asked after hearing Sousuke’s qualification of the Taiyaki. “Like, ‘would the Taikuki make a good weapon’? Or, ‘would it make good provisions if you were trapped in a jungle somewhere’?”
“If you found a strange Taiyuki in your locker, would you blow it up?” One of the Karate trainees spoke up, following his sempai’s lead.
Another one bit the tale off of a pastry fish, tossed the body, and hit the ground, as if he had thrown a live grenade. His fellow trainees followed suit.
“They’re a work in progress,” Tsubaki said with an exasperated sigh. He took a bite off of his cake and made a contented noise. “Seriously, will you return to being a full time warrior, now that you have finished high school and…?” He sounded wistful. The reason for that was two fold. First, Kaname happened to pass by at that instant. She smiled at him, making it a point to ignore Sousuke. Second, as a younger boy, he had imagined himself as a warrior, but one far less modern than the ones that fought with cruise missiles and walking tanks.
“Kaname will be overseas.” Sousuke completed the other boy‘s though, his eyes Kaname. “I am not certain what I will do. I have walked away before. But, the closest friends I have remain on the team. Even more important, I am the only one who can pilot the most crucial Arm Slave in the free world. More and more, I find myself wishing that were not the case.”
“Oh.” Tsubaki looked uncomfortable. “Sometimes I get so angry, I feel like I want to hurt someone. That concerns me, because my training makes it simple to injure someone severely.” He cursed when a large blob of custard splattered on his dress shoes. “In your job, the idea is to kill people.” The unspoken questions were clear enough: ’Do you enjoy that‘? ‘Wouldn’t you want to get away from that’?
Affirmative.” Sousuke accepted another Taiyaki that one of the karate trainees handed him. He usually did not eat that much sweet food in the course of a year. But, it would be impolite to just place it back. “It is unavoidable. There is a saying. ‘The fastest draw is when the sword never leaves the scabbard. The strongest way to block, is never to provoke a blow. And the cleanest cut is the one withheld.’ There is great wisdom in that. The tenet holds true in the military, especially in situations between nations.” he broke apart the pastry. That one held some kind of sweet cheese. “With terrorists, the concept is useless and misguided.”
“When I was wanting to kick those drunken jerks around, I tried to justify things by saying they were bad guys, and they deserved it.” Tsubaki flexed the fingers on one hand, and then on the other. “Is that something you do? Does it make it easier to kill someone?” It was strange. He found himself wondering what made Sousuke tick. Months ago, he would have wished that the young soldier would vanish from the face of the earth.
“Many soldiers say things like that. I did so myself, once. However, my thinking is much simpler now. It is a matter of comparison.” Sousuke ran one finger over the ersatz scales of the cake. “I ask myself, ‘who would I rather have live, myself, or my enemy.’ Or, ‘what would be worse, to kill three men, or to stand by and permit the death of thousands.’ I do not know if that makes things right. Whether or not it does, I take no pleasure in killing, or in causing destruction.”
“Tell that to the Principal!” One guy said, overhearing the conversation. As part of the Student Council, he used to help file papers after school. On a number of occasions, the Principal had complained about repair costs.
“No, tell it to the janitor.” A girl pointed.
Sure enough, the Jindai Janitor, Mr.Zenji, had been invited to the celebration. He was cradling a Taiyaki, murmuring while he stroked it with his hand. Looking over at the two boys who had done him wrong, he smiled a frightful smile. He trembled as Tsubaki bit the head off of another cake.
“I don’t see any power tools Just the same, it might be wise to walk elsewhere.” Tsubaki had vivid memories of Sousuke, the janitor, a pet carp, and a chainsaw.
“I agree,” Sousuke said.
The two continued their conversation over by a rented bar set-up. Tsubaki and Sousuke found that they had a number of beliefs and attitudes in common. The karate boy envied Sousuke for his decisiveness. The young soldier envied Tsubaki for his past.
There was no way for Sousuke to erase the things that he had done, just as their was no way to take away the things that had been done to him. It was possible, however, to keep from adding more marks against his conscience. He could leave the mercenary service. But, he did so, would he be a fish out of water?
In school, he been away from a military environment, but he had remained a soldier. It had been hard, adjusting to civilian life. It had been Kaname that helped him adjust. It had been his feelings for her that helped him grow. What would happen when she was gone?
As Tsubaki spoke with his friends, Sousuke thought back to his time in Hong Kong, when he had met up with a quadriplegic Gauron.
‘Look at you. You used to be cool. Now that you adapted to civilian life, you became loser like the rest of them. Guess what? I'll help you return to your kick ass state, Kashim. You know that girl that you have your heart set on? Well, she's dead! Ha ha ha. I ordered her death! Now throw your anger! Lash out at the world! Put a bullet into my head! Become who you truly are, a ruthless killer!’
He had shot Gauron, barely escaping a death trap that the crazed man had set. In his heart, he knew that his old enemy had been telling the truth. What he didn’t know, was that the assassin working for Gauron had been killed by Leonard’s Astarol robots while he attempted to kill Kaname.
During Amalgam’s attempts to instigate a civil war between the North and South provinces of mainland China, the assassin’s brother had ironically stolen one of Amalgam’s Venom Arm Slaves, in tent on causing unauthorized damage to spite his superiors in Amalgam. While the destruction raged, Sousuke just stood staring at the world, acting as if he didn’t have anything left living for. He even declined to enter battle when Clouzot, Melissa, Kurz, and other Mithril pilots in M9s had been faced by the five Venoms that had killed the rogue pilot as they watched.
It had been Kaname that snapped him out of that. She had showed up in Hong Kong, black mailing Wraith into finding him.
In less than three months, Kaname would be starting a life that he might be excluded from. How would he deal with her loss this time?
“Hey! There’s the happy couple!”
Sousuke snapped out of his daydreaming. He turned to see who had spoken. It was the boy who had told the story about Tsubaki’s insomnia and Kaname’s misconceptions. He was obviously joking.
“Uhhh…” Sousuke said. “It might be wise not to stand so close together.”
“Huh?” Tsubaki asked. “What?”
Sousuke explained things to Tsubaki. He saw the other boy’s eyes go wide. Tsubaki took a few steps way. “Damn. I don’t know what’s worse. Someone thinking that about me, or Mizuki getting her crush on me.”
The larger karate club members all looked at one another. They answered at the same time: “Mizuki!”
“What? Did someone call me? Oh! My darling Tsubaki!” The shout had drawn Mizuki’s attention. Unbeknownst to either her or the boy she dreamed of, she had been standing only a few yards away.
As Sousuke watched, Tsubaki headed into the heart of the teeming crowd. After loading their arms full of pastries, the trainees followed. Bringing up the rear was Mizuki.
“Sousuke. Mr. Sagara.”
Sousuke had been distracted, watching the comic procession. . When he turned, he was surprised to see who had spoken. It was his homeroom teacher, Eri Kagurazaka.
“Sousuke. You missed every one of your career counseling sessions. I know I may be a bit obsessive, and very compulsive, but let’s do that now.” The teacher looked very serious.
“Uhhh… teacher?” Sousuke was taken aback. Not simply by her words, but by the fact that she would have anything to do with him after he was no longer her responsibility. “I would have thought that…”
”My job would have ended once they graduated you?” She raised one eyebrow. “Or, I wouldn’t want anything to do with you after the numerous nervous breakdowns you caused?” Part of her wanted to shout out ‘Yea, he’s finally gone!” But, she had come to realize that he was a well-meaning person with rather unique ways of showing it.
“Break downs? I do not recall you’re being hospitalized.” Sousuke tried to remember how many times the class had needed a substitute, and how long any replacement teacher lasted. “You did show proclivity for agitation and excited behavior, however.”
“I was being facetious, Sousuke.” Ms. Kagurazaka sounded a touch cross at hearing Sousuke’s observation. Especially since he was the reason that she was often agitated or excited. “A boy showed up to school. There was a toy gun in his bag… or so I thought. I was knocked down the stairs by the same boy. Reports came in of girl’s locker rooms being intruded upon, and of boys having their heads stuffed into toilets. It was just the beginning.”
“Yes… I apologize… I did not fit in too well…” Sousuke found himself feeling nostalgic. That shocked him. He was usually not one for that kind of thinking.
“That’s an understatement!” The teacher shuddered. “It wasn‘t all your fault, however.”
Sousuke nodded his head. He remembered what Lt. Clouzot had said aboard the TDD-1. Sousuke had caused a lot of petty destruction and emotional stress; but, the most serious problems facing the Jindai High School students had come about because of Kaname. She had also been his partner in many tamer incidents, even though she routinely claimed to be the victim, while branding him the sole troublemaker.
“I remember….” The teacher’s tea cup shook until she steadied her hand. “I remember being on an airliner. I was going to be shot. Kaname Chidori was taken from the plane.” Sousuke nodded. “I thought…” Ms. Kagurazaka’s eyes widened. Blinking rapidly, she looked Sousuke full in the face. “I just remembered something. It never meant anything before. Or, this might be the first time I realized it.”
”Mam?” Sousuke stepped aside when a girl wanted to reach a tray of finger food.
“He didn’t shoot me. He was distracted. A boy dropped his tray. It was you.” The teacher stared at Sousuke. “You did it on purpose. It saved my life.”
“Affirmative.” Sousuke thought back to that moment. He had been very fortunate. Gauron had almost recognized him. If he had, things would have ended much differently. There might not be a graduating class this year.
“Thank you.” Ms. Kagurazaka said. “The reason you weren’t on the plane… you were off saving Kaname... weren‘t you?” She put her cup down. “Those men who rescued the rest of the students. Mr. Kazama didn’t think they were from the U.N. Was it the group you work for?”
“Yes. You are correct. The enemy had not counted on a mercenary being in the class.”
“Nobody was expecting a mercenary in the class!” Ms. Kagurazaka said. “The things you put me though! You and Miss Chidori! What a pair…”
Sousuke’s face fell in a rather noticeable manner. He looked over in Kaname’s direction again. The teacher followed his gaze.
“She’s very good at being angry, isn’t she?” Ms. Kagurazaka said. “That was one of the things that I counseled her about.”
Sousuke didn’t answer.
“You really care a great deal about her, don’t you? She wasn’t simply someone you were assigned to watch over. When you told the class who you really were, you promised to rescue her again.” The teacher licked her lips. They felt very dry.
“I…” Sousuke nodded his head. There was no sense in denying the truth.
“And she cares deeply about you too, doesn‘t she?”
“That is open to conjecture.” Sousuke ran his fingers over his scalp.
“Ahhh. Do you say that because she’s leaving the country?” Ms. Kagurazaka tapped her finger nails against one cheek.
“No. She made a promise. It is important to keep one’s word.” Sousuke meant that, but the words somehow sounded hollow to him.
“Hmmm. Does it have something to do with the way she acted towards you once you brought her back?”
“I… yes…” Sousuke frowned. “However, she seemed more like her old self tonight. At least at first.”
“I see. She’s upset at you because of the… ummm… the items that those girls found on you.”
Sousuke began to sweat. “You witnessed that…”
“Affirmative,” Ms. Kagurazaka said with a grin. The word actually had a nice ring to it.
“Get away from me!” A girl walked between the two of them, putting her hands over her ears.
“What did I do?” A guy asked, following.
“Don't even follow me. Leave me alone!” The girl began walking faster.
“It’s tough being a teenager,” Ms. Kagurazaka said, watching the boy plead with the angry girl. “It amazes me how so many adults forget that.” She looked at Sousuke. Things must be particularly tough for him. He never really had a childhood. And, just when he had begun to adapt to a life with his peers, his fellow teenagers would be scattered hither and yon. “Anyway, I can understand why Miss Chidori may be upset with you.”
“But… I… the items were not meant for…” Sousuke began.
Ms. Kagurazaka put her hand up. “That‘s none of my business.” She looked over at Kaname. “watching your little squabble, I noticed that one thing held true to form.”
“Mam?”
“Kaname had a hand in causing her own trouble, right?” The teacher brushed off some crumbs that she noticed on her blouse.
“How… “
“She never likes to lose, right? So, when you made it impossible for her to run through your pockets in front of your classmates, she got them to do it for her. After that, she no doubt blamed you for everything.” Ms. Kagurazaka’s analysis was right on target. “She’s a remarkable young woman. But, she needs to start taking more responsibility for her own actions.”
“She is getting better…” Sousuke sounded like he was trying to convince himself.
“Really?” The teacher smiled. “Well, if she is, then she isn’t the only one.”
“Teacher?” Sousuke wondered if she was talking about him.
“When those boys showed up drunk and defiant, I was worried.” Ms. Kagurazaka said. “But, no one was shot. Nothing blew up. We did not need the fire department or paramedics.”
“There is still time for that,” Sousuke said, uncomfortable with the subtle praise.
“What?” The teacher flinched. “Oh. You were joking. That’s a change too, isn’t it?” She changed gears abruptly, returning to her original subject. “So, have you thought about a career? College? A trade?”
“I have a number of options. However…” Sousuke sighed. He was glad that people were taking an interest in him. Some of their advice might even prove useful later. But, it was difficult talking about things he was still unclear about. Was he the only one in that situation? Or, were other graduates confused and uncertain too?
“Sousuke, everyone in the class wrote something down but you. They may not know what the really want to do, but they put down possibilities.” Ms. Kagurazaka set her watch more comfortably on her wrist. “Are you going to return to what you were doing before? Is that what you plan on doing for the rest of your life?”
“I am not certain what I want,“ Sousuke admitted. “The only thing that I know… is that I do not know.”
“Well, hang in their, Mr. Sagara. You‘re a survivor. I‘m certain that you‘ll find what you want, if you take the time to think things through.” There was a look of sympathy in Ms. Kagurazaka‘s eyes. “Oh. I almost forgot. The Principal gave me this. She thought you might like to see it.“ She rummaged inside her purse and took out a folded piece of paper. She handed it to Sousuke.
“This is?” He opened the paper. There was a number written there. A very large number.
“Principal Tsuboi went to the trouble of adding up the some total of damages you caused to the school.” The teacher knew that she would never earn that much money at her salary. It was a staggering thought. “It doesn’t include the cost of a new school. We can’t blame you for that.”
“I…” Sousuke realized that there really wasn’t anything he could say to that. “I’m sorry.”
“What’s done is done. I know one thing for sure. I won’t forget you and Miss Chidori.” Ms. Kagurazaka actually gave Sousuke a hug. “Good Luck…”
The conversation at an end, Ms. Kagurazaka went over to join the art instructor, Mr. Mizuhoshi, Watching them, Sousuke thought about the time that he and Kaname had helped the two teachers realize their feelings for each other.
“I will do my best,” Sousuke promised his teacher.
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“Hey! Kaname! Wait up….”
Looking somewhat breathless, Aki Sakuraba ran up. She was holding her yearbook.
“Aki?” Kaname asked. The girl had not been a close friend, but was another one of Jindai High shool’s top students.
“Would you sign my book?” Aki opened her purse, looking for a pen.
“Here. I have one. You can do my book, too.” Kaname and Aki exchanged books.
“Sure.”
The small dark-hired girl was much more animated than she had ever been in class. She acted as if a tremendous burden had been lifted off of her shoulders. Kaname felt envious. For so many students, driven by their parents or own pride to make it into one of the top schools… or any school, for that matter… this was a time of relief and exultation. In contrast, each passing day seemed to weigh heavier and heavier on her.
“I just want to say that if it hadn't been for Kaname Chidori, I probably wouldn't have gotten Tokyo University.” Aki looked up and grinned, before turning her attention back to what she was writing.
“Huh?” Kaname said. “It was the competition. You made me study twice as hard. So thanks.” Aki handed the pen over to Kaname.
“Oh. Sure. Well, to be truthful, I guess that you did the same for me.” Kaname began writing her note in Aki’s book. She grimaced, making an errant pen mark, when she heard the girl’s next words.
“Did you really come here with Sousuke Sagara? I would have thought that you had gotten your fill of him. At school… and during all that….” Aki’s voice ran down when she realized what she was saying. She realized that certain subjects must be uncomfortable for Kaname.
“He’s the last person I want to think about right now,” Kaname said, her face clouding over. “The jerk.”
“Oh. I heard about… well, you know…” Aki rubbed her fingers together. She was a rather shy girl, but one who would have been happy to have had the attention that Kaname did. “I guess boys really do have only one thing on their mind…”
”What minds?” Kaname groused. “They forgot to issue Sousuke one when he lined up for his guns and uniform.” Her emotions surged. She was very upset with a certain clueless sergeant. It might well have been another innocent Sousuke mistake. But, that by itself was bad enough. When was he going to stop having innocent Sousuke mistakes?
“I kind of got the impression that you two were really close. Well, maybe not that close… I mean…” She bit her lip. “I guess it’s really none of my business.”
“That’s right!” Kaname said, with more heat than necessary. Nothing was Aki’s fault. She knew just who to blame. Her frustration surged when she thought about her attempts to get Sousuke to notice her the way that normal guys notice girls. It had been like flirting with a stump. So, of course, he skips over all that and brings a box of condoms on their first date. The inconsiderate idiot! How could he have let so many people see him with it? “I’m sorry. It’s just that he makes me so mad. He is such a loser…”
“I think you’re wrong.” Maya walked up.
“What?” Kaname frowned, watching Maya hand her yearbook to Aki.
“Is that really how you feel about Sousuke?” Maya looked Kaname in the eyes. “Tonight he…” Maya stopped.
Kaname turned to see what her friend had been looking at. It was Takashi. Mitsune was with him. When the girl went over to chat with a group of his friends, Takashi began walking in Maya’s direction.
“Hey, Maya!” Takashi shouted. He smiled, thinking about cozying up to Maya while Mitsune was busy. His smile vanished when a hand gripped his shoulder.
“You have caused her enough pain,” Sousuke said.
“Huh? What are you talking about?” Takashi moved Sousuke’s hand off of him.
“You have taken advantage of her. You deceived her, making her think that you cared about her.” Sousuke looked over at Maya. She looked upset, but managed to meet his gaze.
“So? Who hasn’t done that?” Takashi shrugged. “What business is it of yours?” He laughed. “You’re the last one to talk about tricking people.”
“I had good reasons,” Sousuke answered, defensively.
“So did I.” Takashi laughed. “What guy doesn’t?” He looked over at Maya, as if he expected her to come running to him. “Are you interested in her? Is that it? Rumor was that you and Kaname Chidori were an item.”
“I…” Sousuke felt off balance.
Takashi looked over at Kaname. “She dump you?”
“That…” Sousuke didn’t have an answer.
“Well, if she has, you should consider yourself lucky.” Takashi waved his hand like he was some kind of prince, and then strode off, heading for the bar.
Sousuke stood watching Kaname for a moment, and then walked away. The look that Maya gave Kaname spoke volumes.
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“Yes… I’m sorry, Daddy….”
Kaname held one hand over her ear, trying t hear what her father was saying on the phone.
“No… it’s nothing that he has done…” Kaname swallowed hard. “He’s behaved very well… I’m calling because I…” She bowed her head. “I just… I thought it was right to call you, letting you know how I was…” Kaname had to speak louder to be heard. “You don’t have to be grateful that I called, Daddy… I acted irresponsibly…OK, I will… I’ll be home before dawn…”
After hanging up the phone, Kaname walked over to two girls who had been watching her. “Would you guys sign my yearbook?”
“Sure,” one of the girls answered. “Would you sign mine?”
“Alright.” As she wrote, Kaname realized that her wrist ached from all of the writing she had done that evening.
“Did you really call your dad?” The second girl asked.
“Yes,” Kaname said.
“Wow! What a nightmare,” the first girl said, dotting the final ’i’ in her name.
“It wasn’t bad…” Kaname replied. “It just felt like something I had to do.”
“Is he going to wait up?” The one girl said, handing back the yearbook.
“Tell him nothing!” The other girl said.
“I make sure I enter the house crying,” a different girl said, walking up. “He leaves me alone when I do that.
“I loved your speech,” a boy said, joining the growing group. Kaname was happy to see the topic change.
“I really liked the part where you said you were scared….” One of the girls said.
”Thanks.” Kaname found it hard to listen attentively after that. She was scared. Scared of what her father might think of her. Scared about telling him she was Whispered. Scared about the danger that she brought to people around her. The party had been a buffer to all that. But, she felt partied-out.
Kaname excused herself after her yearbook had made the rounds.
She wanted to find Sousuke.
Sousuke sat with Kaname and a group of students in the lobby. Everyone was swapping tame stories about the time they shared together. Some were talking excitedly about the next big step, while others were musing idly about the future.
“Huh? Whazzat?”
It sounded like the guy and his buddies had already been drinking.
“I shall repeat. Hand over your car keys. I have been assigned the task of keeping keys.” Sousuke spoke pleasantly.
“What?” One guy looked like he woke up and found a horse’s head in his bed. “That’sh bogush.”
“Yeh. This isn’t school any more, Sagara.” Another boy looked belligerent. His face was red and his eyes looked funny. “This is about partying, not some stupid horseshit rules.” He carried a boombox on one shoulder. It was playing loud enough to hear over the crowd noise.
“Who is this jerk?” One of the other guys asked. He was not from Jindai High school. Sousuke knew that, as he had kept up to date with student photos for every class present at the school while he and Kaname were there.
“It appears that we have a very unfortunate situation.” Sousuke flexed the fingers on both hands. “Anyone driving a motor vehicle must leave their keys with me if they wish to join the festivities. No exceptions.” He watched the boy’s faces. They were not going to follow that rule.
“Ooooooh. I see. It’s and unfortunate situation. Oh my.” One guy with a crew cut hooked his hand inside the top of his jeans, snickering.
“Also, the party was limited to Jindai students and school staff. Exceptions might be made for family members.” Sousuke did not want to have to resort to violence. He found himself caring what his friends thought of him. He did not want one of their last memories of him to be some kind of altercation.
“Shit. We’re all twins!” One boy quipped.
“Come on. Why are we standing here listening to this clown.” Another boy tried to push Sousuke out of his way. Before he knew it, he was on his back, a foot on his neck.
“I was not done speaking,” Sousuke said. Putting just enough wait on his foot to immobilized the boy. “Excuse me. At the table. You will all serve as witnesses.” He addressed his words to his fellow students, meeting Kaname’s eyes in the process. He let the boy up.
If the confrontation had happened at the beginning of his stay in Tokyo, Kaname would have been all over him like white on rice, sending him tumbling with a swing of her halisen or the toss of a base from the ball field. Now, she simply sat calmly, trusting Sousuke with his duties. Nevertheless, one of her hands gripped the table firmly. It was still Sousuke after all, and trust only went so far.
“You will all note that these boys have arrived at the party inebriated. It is important to remember their faces and name if you know them. For purposes of liability, they did not become intoxicated at this party.” Sousuke was satisfied when his fellow graduates nodded their heads. “Jindai students who give me their keys may stay. All others will leave.”
“Who says? You and what army?” One burly boy didn’t realize the accuracy of his question.
“I think we better go,” one of the Jindai students in the unruly group said. He knew better than to mess with Sousuke.
“Yesh. I guessh we don’t have a choicesh.” He stared at Sousuke. “F-cking asshhole.” While he spoke, a song came on the boom box, which was tuned to a channel playing American Rock classics. As fate would have it, the song was Alice Cooper’s ‘School’s Out.’ The had the boy sneering. “He alwaysh blowsh up everything. He ruinsh our plansh tonight. And we have to lishen to him. It’sh jush wrong.”
“We don’t have to listen to nobody,” the most muscular of the bunch claimed. “I mean, there’s eight of us and one of him. What are you guys, a bunch of fags?” He looked at Sousuke and shook his head.
“Is there a problem, Sousuke?” Ono walked over, having been told that some kind of ruckus was shaping up.
“Hey man, why is Sagara pulling this shit?” One of the boys asked Ono. “Did you put him up to it? I don’t even know why you invited that bastard. I remember what you said the day when he came clean. You put him in his place, dude.”
“Most of them appear drunk. None will hand over their keys, if they indeed have any. Many are acting in belligerent fashion.” Sousuke reported briskly. A number of the party-goers spoke up to confirm his claims.
“Sousuke is doing as I asked.” Ono said, still wobbly. He put on hand on Sousuke’s shoulder to steady himself. “Those are the rules of the party. While I agree with them, I did not make them. They come from the owners of this building, and the tenants who let this party take place.”
The situation eventually cooled down. The boys left, kicking over a table and a trash can on their way out. Sousuke took out his cell phone, dialed a number, and spoke succinctly.
“You didn’t call the police, did you?” Ono looked a bit worried.
“Negative. I cannot leave my post here. However, those boys will be observed. I do not wish them causing mischief outside the premises.” Sousuke closed the phone and placed it back in his jacket.
“Did you ask some friends to the party, Sousuke?” Kaname walked up, accompanied by Kyouko. “Isn’t that against the rules?” She smiled. “Is it ‘K’ and ‘M’?”
Sousuke nodded. “They insisted on coming. No doubt they would rather be inside, just as we are. But, they will make certain that nothing untoward takes place.” By the look on Sousuke’s face, Kaname could tell that he wasn’t talking about troublesome teenagers.
“Do you think…” Kyouko looked worried. She had good reason, having been sensitized after her prior ordeals.
“We are no in any possible danger are we? I thought that the terrorists were…” Ono suddenly looked concerned. He had never really considered that angle. It would have been difficult for him as a friend of tehm both, but he could have kept Sousuke and Kaname off of the guest list. He could still ask them to leave now.
“If you wish us to leave, we will do so.” Sousuke correctly interpreted Ono’s response. He turned to Kyouko. “I would also leave if my being here caused you too much discomfort.”
“You better not be speaking for me, mister!” Kaname said. Her usual need satisfied, she spoke seriously to her two friends. “If my being here…”
“It’s OK, Kaname.” Kyouko shook her head.
“There is low likelihood of danger,” Sousuke said. “I always like to be on the safe side.”
“He always likes to be on the ‘paranoid, anything could be a danger, when it’s obviously OK’ side.” Kaname groused. But she smiled. “He is getting better, though.” She took a step closer to Sousuke. “He had better be getting better…”
“That’s right,” Shinji said walking up. “He could have taken those jerks down, but didn’t.” Shinji actually sounded disappointed. “But, what would you have done if they wanted to cause major trouble?” He still idolized Sousuke, and sometimes found himself living vicariously through his friend.
“Sousuke would have done what any other student would have done,” Kaname said, speaking for Sousuke. She smiled, seeing him close his mouth without saying anything.
“I cannot speak for her,” Sousuke said. “But she seems quite willing to speak for me.” Sousuke should have kept his mouth shut.
“Yeh. Women. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.” Ono stumbled and landed against Kyouko. She didn’t seem to mind.
“So, is she right?” Shinji asked. “Wouldn’t you have bluffed them with your gun?” He looked over at Kaname. “I doubt that any other student here is carrying weapons.”
“I would not have bluffed,” Sousuke said. “It is unwise to prompt an escalation that one is unable to match… unless there is no alternative whatsoever.” He noticed that the group of people listening in on the conversation was steadily growing.
“So, you wouldn’t have shot them?” Shinji sounded too much like a fan boy for Sousuke’s and Kaname’s liking.
“Of course not,” Kaname said, making it sound like Shinji was an idiot. “He only brought along blanks. That’s bad enough as it is.” She scrutinized Sousuke’s face. “Right, Sousuke?”
Sousuke did not answer. He tried to keep his facial features from changing. Taking out the PP2000, he ejected the clip and handed it to Shinji. His friend looked like he had been handed a gold bar or a top shelf girlie magazine.
“Cool. These are blanks alright.” He too paid close attention to Sousuke’s face, unwilling to believe that the young soldier hadn’t brought something more substantial. “And you didn’t bring anything else.”
“I only brought one clip of blanks,” Sousuke answered. He could say that much without lying. That wasn’t the point. He would have been better off if he had lied.
“What other clips did you bring, Sousuke.” Kaname stepped closer to him. “Do I need to pat you down?” Her Kaname-sense told her that Sousuke was hiding something.
“Only if you want to, Kaname. I give you my solemn oath that I will not inform your father.” Sousuke put one hand in his pocket. It was a clever answer. While it would have backfired had she followed through, he correctly judged that she would not do so in front of everybody. He also knew that the metal detector she had once bought would not fit inside her purse.
“I’m not about to do something like that,” Kaname said. “Big idiot!”
Sousuke relaxed ever so slightly.
“I’m not going to do it, Sousuke. But, my father won’t care if someone else does. Don’t you think it might be fun if everyone got involved?” Kaname smiled sweetly.
“PILE ON!”
Someone called out from the back of the crowd. Before the people at the periphery of the room knew what had happened, Sousuke was brought to the ground by the shear weight of the people rushing towards him. Unwilling to hurt his friends and fellow graduates, he was effectively immobilized.
“Aha! What have we here?” One girl pulled out a pen that Sousuke had for yearbook signing. “Is it just a pen, or some kind of weapon.” Taken apart, the pen proved to be nothing more than it looked.
“What’s this?” One guy handed a second clip to Shinji.
“It looks like rubber bullets,” Shinji answered. He quickly handed them to Kaname when she held out her hand.
“I’ve got something!” A girl pulled out a wad of paper that had gone through the wash cycle. “Never mind.” She sounded crestfallen.
“Wait. Almost got it. Shit. It’s just breath spray.” A boy frowned when he tossed the small canister to a friend.
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s knockout gas or something.” He sprayed it on one of his buddies.
“Hey, asshole!” He sniffed. “Yeh, just breath spray. Minty fresh.”
“Sousuke… is this another clip in your pocket, or are you happy to see me?” One of the girls who had dropped keys down her shirt looked over at Kaname as she removed the next item from Sousuke’s pants. Ono took the clip from the girl and tossed it to Shinji.
“Whoa! These have a hardened steel penetrator core enclosed in a bimetallic jacket. It must be armor-piercing ammunition.”
“Alright. Everybody up. I’ve seen all that I need to see.” Kaname looked as if she had bitten down on something exceedingly sour. Her frown deepened when she noticed that a number of girls were still frisking Sousuke, who tried valiantly to get to his feet. “Enough already. Show some dignity. Hmmmpppfff!”
“Oooo-o-o-o-oh. My my my-y-y-y…” One girl held something high above her head. “I found the good stuff!”
“What? Give it here.” A taller girl grabbed it away. “Condoms.”
“Let me see.” Another girl swiped the box. “Ribbed.”
“For her pleasure,” a fourth girl added, looking over the other girl’s shoulder and reading a blurb on the box.
“For whose pleasure?” The girls all asked. Slowly, as if synchronized, they turned to look at Kaname. At first, Kaname felt as if she were shrinking. Before she knew it, she would be paramecium-sized, gone from view. But, her anger grew and soon eclipsed any and all feelings of shock and embarrassment. She felt as if she were expanding, soon to be far too large to fit in the building.
“SOUSUKE!”
Kaname’s shout carried every question imaginable. When had he gotten those? Where had he gotten those? Why had he gotten those? Her shout also said that she didn’t want to hear anything that Sousuke had to say. If he had gotten them for her, he was far from presumptuous. If he had gotten them for anyone else, she never wanted to see him again.
“Uhhh…” Sousuke froze.
“Of course. What else would you say? You complete and total jerk!” With that, Kaname turned and stomped off. The crowd parted quickly, letting her through.
“But… they were a gift from Kurz… he made them promise to carry them in my jacket pocket… I didn’t expect to…” Sousuke’s voice ran down. Kaname was clearly not listening. Fact was, she wasn’t even in the same room any more.
“Well, Sousuke. I don’t care what those drunken morons said.” Ono patted Sousuke on the back. “I’m glad I invited you.” He chuckled. “You’re the life of the party, guy!”
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“I almost wish that you didn’t show restraint.”
Sousuke stopped in front of one of the large food-covered tables in the lobby. Tsubaki Issei was standing there with a number of his Karate Club friends.
“Why is that?” Sousuke asked his one-time adversary.
“I saw the whole thing. So did they.” He motioned to his companions. “It would have been nice to teach them better manners.” He scowled. “I hate guys like that.”
“Yes. They are selfish and arrogant. Their courage comes from drink, or from being in a group.” Sousuke picked up a well-shaped and flaky Taiyaki. “Some day, they may gain their come uppence.” He broke apart the waffle-like pastry and looked inside. The carp-shaped cake was filled with chocolate and custard, not sweet azuki bean paste.
“I hope so,” Tsubaki said, sighing. “I know that I shouldn’t feel such anger… just as I shouldn’t have rushed to fight with you so often.”
“One who truly understands karate is not easily drawn into a fight,” Sousuke said. “An drill instructor of mine once told me that.” The man had not been training Sousuke in karate. But, the lesson held true for a number of martial arts.
“Yes. My head knows that, but…” Tsubaki accepted a drink that one of his trainees had brought him. “I train in karate because it requires discipline and perseverance… teaches me about my limitations… and helps me to achieve unity of body and spirit.”
“Forging the body also helps forge the mind,” Sousuke said, taking a tentative bite of Taiyaki. “There is no sense in conditioning the body, if one does not condition the mind.” That was a truth that Sousuke had learned many times over, through his own experiences, or by watching fellow soldiers and combatants.
“Exactly,” Tsubaki said, surprised to find someone outside of his club who understood that. “But, the reason I enjoy training others, is so they can knock around guys like those.” He eyed the Taiyaki. “The two goals are at odds. The words I teach are not always the ones I follow.”
The other Karate Club members stood listening. They admired Tsubaki to the point of adoration. Each of them was hanging on his every word.
“Realizing that truth is important, I believe.” Sousuke said. “I have heard a saying from a different soldier I served with in the past. ‘It takes a lifetime to learn karate‘. That may be true about many things.” Sousuke ran a hand through his hair. He didn’t have a lifetime to learn many of the things he needed to know. He had ten weeks at the most.
“I guess that’s true.” Tsubaki nodded. “Maybe you’re smarter than you look.” He smiled. “Is that any good?” He pointed to the Taiyaki,
“Yes. It is very flavorful.” Sousuke went to take another bite, but frowned when half of the fish-shaped cake fell off. “It would not hold up under adverse conditions, however.”
“So, do you think of everything in military terms?” Tsubaki asked after hearing Sousuke’s qualification of the Taiyaki. “Like, ‘would the Taikuki make a good weapon’? Or, ‘would it make good provisions if you were trapped in a jungle somewhere’?”
“If you found a strange Taiyuki in your locker, would you blow it up?” One of the Karate trainees spoke up, following his sempai’s lead.
Another one bit the tale off of a pastry fish, tossed the body, and hit the ground, as if he had thrown a live grenade. His fellow trainees followed suit.
“They’re a work in progress,” Tsubaki said with an exasperated sigh. He took a bite off of his cake and made a contented noise. “Seriously, will you return to being a full time warrior, now that you have finished high school and…?” He sounded wistful. The reason for that was two fold. First, Kaname happened to pass by at that instant. She smiled at him, making it a point to ignore Sousuke. Second, as a younger boy, he had imagined himself as a warrior, but one far less modern than the ones that fought with cruise missiles and walking tanks.
“Kaname will be overseas.” Sousuke completed the other boy‘s though, his eyes Kaname. “I am not certain what I will do. I have walked away before. But, the closest friends I have remain on the team. Even more important, I am the only one who can pilot the most crucial Arm Slave in the free world. More and more, I find myself wishing that were not the case.”
“Oh.” Tsubaki looked uncomfortable. “Sometimes I get so angry, I feel like I want to hurt someone. That concerns me, because my training makes it simple to injure someone severely.” He cursed when a large blob of custard splattered on his dress shoes. “In your job, the idea is to kill people.” The unspoken questions were clear enough: ’Do you enjoy that‘? ‘Wouldn’t you want to get away from that’?
Affirmative.” Sousuke accepted another Taiyaki that one of the karate trainees handed him. He usually did not eat that much sweet food in the course of a year. But, it would be impolite to just place it back. “It is unavoidable. There is a saying. ‘The fastest draw is when the sword never leaves the scabbard. The strongest way to block, is never to provoke a blow. And the cleanest cut is the one withheld.’ There is great wisdom in that. The tenet holds true in the military, especially in situations between nations.” he broke apart the pastry. That one held some kind of sweet cheese. “With terrorists, the concept is useless and misguided.”
“When I was wanting to kick those drunken jerks around, I tried to justify things by saying they were bad guys, and they deserved it.” Tsubaki flexed the fingers on one hand, and then on the other. “Is that something you do? Does it make it easier to kill someone?” It was strange. He found himself wondering what made Sousuke tick. Months ago, he would have wished that the young soldier would vanish from the face of the earth.
“Many soldiers say things like that. I did so myself, once. However, my thinking is much simpler now. It is a matter of comparison.” Sousuke ran one finger over the ersatz scales of the cake. “I ask myself, ‘who would I rather have live, myself, or my enemy.’ Or, ‘what would be worse, to kill three men, or to stand by and permit the death of thousands.’ I do not know if that makes things right. Whether or not it does, I take no pleasure in killing, or in causing destruction.”
“Tell that to the Principal!” One guy said, overhearing the conversation. As part of the Student Council, he used to help file papers after school. On a number of occasions, the Principal had complained about repair costs.
“No, tell it to the janitor.” A girl pointed.
Sure enough, the Jindai Janitor, Mr.Zenji, had been invited to the celebration. He was cradling a Taiyaki, murmuring while he stroked it with his hand. Looking over at the two boys who had done him wrong, he smiled a frightful smile. He trembled as Tsubaki bit the head off of another cake.
“I don’t see any power tools Just the same, it might be wise to walk elsewhere.” Tsubaki had vivid memories of Sousuke, the janitor, a pet carp, and a chainsaw.
“I agree,” Sousuke said.
The two continued their conversation over by a rented bar set-up. Tsubaki and Sousuke found that they had a number of beliefs and attitudes in common. The karate boy envied Sousuke for his decisiveness. The young soldier envied Tsubaki for his past.
There was no way for Sousuke to erase the things that he had done, just as their was no way to take away the things that had been done to him. It was possible, however, to keep from adding more marks against his conscience. He could leave the mercenary service. But, he did so, would he be a fish out of water?
In school, he been away from a military environment, but he had remained a soldier. It had been hard, adjusting to civilian life. It had been Kaname that helped him adjust. It had been his feelings for her that helped him grow. What would happen when she was gone?
As Tsubaki spoke with his friends, Sousuke thought back to his time in Hong Kong, when he had met up with a quadriplegic Gauron.
‘Look at you. You used to be cool. Now that you adapted to civilian life, you became loser like the rest of them. Guess what? I'll help you return to your kick ass state, Kashim. You know that girl that you have your heart set on? Well, she's dead! Ha ha ha. I ordered her death! Now throw your anger! Lash out at the world! Put a bullet into my head! Become who you truly are, a ruthless killer!’
He had shot Gauron, barely escaping a death trap that the crazed man had set. In his heart, he knew that his old enemy had been telling the truth. What he didn’t know, was that the assassin working for Gauron had been killed by Leonard’s Astarol robots while he attempted to kill Kaname.
During Amalgam’s attempts to instigate a civil war between the North and South provinces of mainland China, the assassin’s brother had ironically stolen one of Amalgam’s Venom Arm Slaves, in tent on causing unauthorized damage to spite his superiors in Amalgam. While the destruction raged, Sousuke just stood staring at the world, acting as if he didn’t have anything left living for. He even declined to enter battle when Clouzot, Melissa, Kurz, and other Mithril pilots in M9s had been faced by the five Venoms that had killed the rogue pilot as they watched.
It had been Kaname that snapped him out of that. She had showed up in Hong Kong, black mailing Wraith into finding him.
In less than three months, Kaname would be starting a life that he might be excluded from. How would he deal with her loss this time?
“Hey! There’s the happy couple!”
Sousuke snapped out of his daydreaming. He turned to see who had spoken. It was the boy who had told the story about Tsubaki’s insomnia and Kaname’s misconceptions. He was obviously joking.
“Uhhh…” Sousuke said. “It might be wise not to stand so close together.”
“Huh?” Tsubaki asked. “What?”
Sousuke explained things to Tsubaki. He saw the other boy’s eyes go wide. Tsubaki took a few steps way. “Damn. I don’t know what’s worse. Someone thinking that about me, or Mizuki getting her crush on me.”
The larger karate club members all looked at one another. They answered at the same time: “Mizuki!”
“What? Did someone call me? Oh! My darling Tsubaki!” The shout had drawn Mizuki’s attention. Unbeknownst to either her or the boy she dreamed of, she had been standing only a few yards away.
As Sousuke watched, Tsubaki headed into the heart of the teeming crowd. After loading their arms full of pastries, the trainees followed. Bringing up the rear was Mizuki.
“Sousuke. Mr. Sagara.”
Sousuke had been distracted, watching the comic procession. . When he turned, he was surprised to see who had spoken. It was his homeroom teacher, Eri Kagurazaka.
“Sousuke. You missed every one of your career counseling sessions. I know I may be a bit obsessive, and very compulsive, but let’s do that now.” The teacher looked very serious.
“Uhhh… teacher?” Sousuke was taken aback. Not simply by her words, but by the fact that she would have anything to do with him after he was no longer her responsibility. “I would have thought that…”
”My job would have ended once they graduated you?” She raised one eyebrow. “Or, I wouldn’t want anything to do with you after the numerous nervous breakdowns you caused?” Part of her wanted to shout out ‘Yea, he’s finally gone!” But, she had come to realize that he was a well-meaning person with rather unique ways of showing it.
“Break downs? I do not recall you’re being hospitalized.” Sousuke tried to remember how many times the class had needed a substitute, and how long any replacement teacher lasted. “You did show proclivity for agitation and excited behavior, however.”
“I was being facetious, Sousuke.” Ms. Kagurazaka sounded a touch cross at hearing Sousuke’s observation. Especially since he was the reason that she was often agitated or excited. “A boy showed up to school. There was a toy gun in his bag… or so I thought. I was knocked down the stairs by the same boy. Reports came in of girl’s locker rooms being intruded upon, and of boys having their heads stuffed into toilets. It was just the beginning.”
“Yes… I apologize… I did not fit in too well…” Sousuke found himself feeling nostalgic. That shocked him. He was usually not one for that kind of thinking.
“That’s an understatement!” The teacher shuddered. “It wasn‘t all your fault, however.”
Sousuke nodded his head. He remembered what Lt. Clouzot had said aboard the TDD-1. Sousuke had caused a lot of petty destruction and emotional stress; but, the most serious problems facing the Jindai High School students had come about because of Kaname. She had also been his partner in many tamer incidents, even though she routinely claimed to be the victim, while branding him the sole troublemaker.
“I remember….” The teacher’s tea cup shook until she steadied her hand. “I remember being on an airliner. I was going to be shot. Kaname Chidori was taken from the plane.” Sousuke nodded. “I thought…” Ms. Kagurazaka’s eyes widened. Blinking rapidly, she looked Sousuke full in the face. “I just remembered something. It never meant anything before. Or, this might be the first time I realized it.”
”Mam?” Sousuke stepped aside when a girl wanted to reach a tray of finger food.
“He didn’t shoot me. He was distracted. A boy dropped his tray. It was you.” The teacher stared at Sousuke. “You did it on purpose. It saved my life.”
“Affirmative.” Sousuke thought back to that moment. He had been very fortunate. Gauron had almost recognized him. If he had, things would have ended much differently. There might not be a graduating class this year.
“Thank you.” Ms. Kagurazaka said. “The reason you weren’t on the plane… you were off saving Kaname... weren‘t you?” She put her cup down. “Those men who rescued the rest of the students. Mr. Kazama didn’t think they were from the U.N. Was it the group you work for?”
“Yes. You are correct. The enemy had not counted on a mercenary being in the class.”
“Nobody was expecting a mercenary in the class!” Ms. Kagurazaka said. “The things you put me though! You and Miss Chidori! What a pair…”
Sousuke’s face fell in a rather noticeable manner. He looked over in Kaname’s direction again. The teacher followed his gaze.
“She’s very good at being angry, isn’t she?” Ms. Kagurazaka said. “That was one of the things that I counseled her about.”
Sousuke didn’t answer.
“You really care a great deal about her, don’t you? She wasn’t simply someone you were assigned to watch over. When you told the class who you really were, you promised to rescue her again.” The teacher licked her lips. They felt very dry.
“I…” Sousuke nodded his head. There was no sense in denying the truth.
“And she cares deeply about you too, doesn‘t she?”
“That is open to conjecture.” Sousuke ran his fingers over his scalp.
“Ahhh. Do you say that because she’s leaving the country?” Ms. Kagurazaka tapped her finger nails against one cheek.
“No. She made a promise. It is important to keep one’s word.” Sousuke meant that, but the words somehow sounded hollow to him.
“Hmmm. Does it have something to do with the way she acted towards you once you brought her back?”
“I… yes…” Sousuke frowned. “However, she seemed more like her old self tonight. At least at first.”
“I see. She’s upset at you because of the… ummm… the items that those girls found on you.”
Sousuke began to sweat. “You witnessed that…”
“Affirmative,” Ms. Kagurazaka said with a grin. The word actually had a nice ring to it.
“Get away from me!” A girl walked between the two of them, putting her hands over her ears.
“What did I do?” A guy asked, following.
“Don't even follow me. Leave me alone!” The girl began walking faster.
“It’s tough being a teenager,” Ms. Kagurazaka said, watching the boy plead with the angry girl. “It amazes me how so many adults forget that.” She looked at Sousuke. Things must be particularly tough for him. He never really had a childhood. And, just when he had begun to adapt to a life with his peers, his fellow teenagers would be scattered hither and yon. “Anyway, I can understand why Miss Chidori may be upset with you.”
“But… I… the items were not meant for…” Sousuke began.
Ms. Kagurazaka put her hand up. “That‘s none of my business.” She looked over at Kaname. “watching your little squabble, I noticed that one thing held true to form.”
“Mam?”
“Kaname had a hand in causing her own trouble, right?” The teacher brushed off some crumbs that she noticed on her blouse.
“How… “
“She never likes to lose, right? So, when you made it impossible for her to run through your pockets in front of your classmates, she got them to do it for her. After that, she no doubt blamed you for everything.” Ms. Kagurazaka’s analysis was right on target. “She’s a remarkable young woman. But, she needs to start taking more responsibility for her own actions.”
“She is getting better…” Sousuke sounded like he was trying to convince himself.
“Really?” The teacher smiled. “Well, if she is, then she isn’t the only one.”
“Teacher?” Sousuke wondered if she was talking about him.
“When those boys showed up drunk and defiant, I was worried.” Ms. Kagurazaka said. “But, no one was shot. Nothing blew up. We did not need the fire department or paramedics.”
“There is still time for that,” Sousuke said, uncomfortable with the subtle praise.
“What?” The teacher flinched. “Oh. You were joking. That’s a change too, isn’t it?” She changed gears abruptly, returning to her original subject. “So, have you thought about a career? College? A trade?”
“I have a number of options. However…” Sousuke sighed. He was glad that people were taking an interest in him. Some of their advice might even prove useful later. But, it was difficult talking about things he was still unclear about. Was he the only one in that situation? Or, were other graduates confused and uncertain too?
“Sousuke, everyone in the class wrote something down but you. They may not know what the really want to do, but they put down possibilities.” Ms. Kagurazaka set her watch more comfortably on her wrist. “Are you going to return to what you were doing before? Is that what you plan on doing for the rest of your life?”
“I am not certain what I want,“ Sousuke admitted. “The only thing that I know… is that I do not know.”
“Well, hang in their, Mr. Sagara. You‘re a survivor. I‘m certain that you‘ll find what you want, if you take the time to think things through.” There was a look of sympathy in Ms. Kagurazaka‘s eyes. “Oh. I almost forgot. The Principal gave me this. She thought you might like to see it.“ She rummaged inside her purse and took out a folded piece of paper. She handed it to Sousuke.
“This is?” He opened the paper. There was a number written there. A very large number.
“Principal Tsuboi went to the trouble of adding up the some total of damages you caused to the school.” The teacher knew that she would never earn that much money at her salary. It was a staggering thought. “It doesn’t include the cost of a new school. We can’t blame you for that.”
“I…” Sousuke realized that there really wasn’t anything he could say to that. “I’m sorry.”
“What’s done is done. I know one thing for sure. I won’t forget you and Miss Chidori.” Ms. Kagurazaka actually gave Sousuke a hug. “Good Luck…”
The conversation at an end, Ms. Kagurazaka went over to join the art instructor, Mr. Mizuhoshi, Watching them, Sousuke thought about the time that he and Kaname had helped the two teachers realize their feelings for each other.
“I will do my best,” Sousuke promised his teacher.
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“Hey! Kaname! Wait up….”
Looking somewhat breathless, Aki Sakuraba ran up. She was holding her yearbook.
“Aki?” Kaname asked. The girl had not been a close friend, but was another one of Jindai High shool’s top students.
“Would you sign my book?” Aki opened her purse, looking for a pen.
“Here. I have one. You can do my book, too.” Kaname and Aki exchanged books.
“Sure.”
The small dark-hired girl was much more animated than she had ever been in class. She acted as if a tremendous burden had been lifted off of her shoulders. Kaname felt envious. For so many students, driven by their parents or own pride to make it into one of the top schools… or any school, for that matter… this was a time of relief and exultation. In contrast, each passing day seemed to weigh heavier and heavier on her.
“I just want to say that if it hadn't been for Kaname Chidori, I probably wouldn't have gotten Tokyo University.” Aki looked up and grinned, before turning her attention back to what she was writing.
“Huh?” Kaname said. “It was the competition. You made me study twice as hard. So thanks.” Aki handed the pen over to Kaname.
“Oh. Sure. Well, to be truthful, I guess that you did the same for me.” Kaname began writing her note in Aki’s book. She grimaced, making an errant pen mark, when she heard the girl’s next words.
“Did you really come here with Sousuke Sagara? I would have thought that you had gotten your fill of him. At school… and during all that….” Aki’s voice ran down when she realized what she was saying. She realized that certain subjects must be uncomfortable for Kaname.
“He’s the last person I want to think about right now,” Kaname said, her face clouding over. “The jerk.”
“Oh. I heard about… well, you know…” Aki rubbed her fingers together. She was a rather shy girl, but one who would have been happy to have had the attention that Kaname did. “I guess boys really do have only one thing on their mind…”
”What minds?” Kaname groused. “They forgot to issue Sousuke one when he lined up for his guns and uniform.” Her emotions surged. She was very upset with a certain clueless sergeant. It might well have been another innocent Sousuke mistake. But, that by itself was bad enough. When was he going to stop having innocent Sousuke mistakes?
“I kind of got the impression that you two were really close. Well, maybe not that close… I mean…” She bit her lip. “I guess it’s really none of my business.”
“That’s right!” Kaname said, with more heat than necessary. Nothing was Aki’s fault. She knew just who to blame. Her frustration surged when she thought about her attempts to get Sousuke to notice her the way that normal guys notice girls. It had been like flirting with a stump. So, of course, he skips over all that and brings a box of condoms on their first date. The inconsiderate idiot! How could he have let so many people see him with it? “I’m sorry. It’s just that he makes me so mad. He is such a loser…”
“I think you’re wrong.” Maya walked up.
“What?” Kaname frowned, watching Maya hand her yearbook to Aki.
“Is that really how you feel about Sousuke?” Maya looked Kaname in the eyes. “Tonight he…” Maya stopped.
Kaname turned to see what her friend had been looking at. It was Takashi. Mitsune was with him. When the girl went over to chat with a group of his friends, Takashi began walking in Maya’s direction.
“Hey, Maya!” Takashi shouted. He smiled, thinking about cozying up to Maya while Mitsune was busy. His smile vanished when a hand gripped his shoulder.
“You have caused her enough pain,” Sousuke said.
“Huh? What are you talking about?” Takashi moved Sousuke’s hand off of him.
“You have taken advantage of her. You deceived her, making her think that you cared about her.” Sousuke looked over at Maya. She looked upset, but managed to meet his gaze.
“So? Who hasn’t done that?” Takashi shrugged. “What business is it of yours?” He laughed. “You’re the last one to talk about tricking people.”
“I had good reasons,” Sousuke answered, defensively.
“So did I.” Takashi laughed. “What guy doesn’t?” He looked over at Maya, as if he expected her to come running to him. “Are you interested in her? Is that it? Rumor was that you and Kaname Chidori were an item.”
“I…” Sousuke felt off balance.
Takashi looked over at Kaname. “She dump you?”
“That…” Sousuke didn’t have an answer.
“Well, if she has, you should consider yourself lucky.” Takashi waved his hand like he was some kind of prince, and then strode off, heading for the bar.
Sousuke stood watching Kaname for a moment, and then walked away. The look that Maya gave Kaname spoke volumes.
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“Yes… I’m sorry, Daddy….”
Kaname held one hand over her ear, trying t hear what her father was saying on the phone.
“No… it’s nothing that he has done…” Kaname swallowed hard. “He’s behaved very well… I’m calling because I…” She bowed her head. “I just… I thought it was right to call you, letting you know how I was…” Kaname had to speak louder to be heard. “You don’t have to be grateful that I called, Daddy… I acted irresponsibly…OK, I will… I’ll be home before dawn…”
After hanging up the phone, Kaname walked over to two girls who had been watching her. “Would you guys sign my yearbook?”
“Sure,” one of the girls answered. “Would you sign mine?”
“Alright.” As she wrote, Kaname realized that her wrist ached from all of the writing she had done that evening.
“Did you really call your dad?” The second girl asked.
“Yes,” Kaname said.
“Wow! What a nightmare,” the first girl said, dotting the final ’i’ in her name.
“It wasn’t bad…” Kaname replied. “It just felt like something I had to do.”
“Is he going to wait up?” The one girl said, handing back the yearbook.
“Tell him nothing!” The other girl said.
“I make sure I enter the house crying,” a different girl said, walking up. “He leaves me alone when I do that.
“I loved your speech,” a boy said, joining the growing group. Kaname was happy to see the topic change.
“I really liked the part where you said you were scared….” One of the girls said.
”Thanks.” Kaname found it hard to listen attentively after that. She was scared. Scared of what her father might think of her. Scared about telling him she was Whispered. Scared about the danger that she brought to people around her. The party had been a buffer to all that. But, she felt partied-out.
Kaname excused herself after her yearbook had made the rounds.
She wanted to find Sousuke.
