Truth or Dare (chapter 6) [FIC]

[dd]

The room was dead silent.

Everyone was staring at Sousuke. Things were really starting to get interesting.

“I think…”

Sousuke rubbed at his neck. He blinked rapidly, and his skin felt all prickly. This was worse than standing for review before one of the Mithril High Council members.

If he mentioned the name of a girl in that room, it would be scandalous. Should he mention the name of a girl who went to their school, but wasn’t at the party, that would be almost as good. If he failed to mention anyone they knew, it might prove interesting to see if any of the other girls acted disappointed.

Of course, if he mentioned a guy’s name, things would go crazy. No one thought that way about him. In fact, a number of the girls desperately hoped that wasn’t the case. While they might have detested him before, and had been annoyed by his earlier attempts to continue his Japanese History studies during the party, his innate goodness was having an effect. He was like a pearl in a bushel of oysters. Someone just had to shuck away a lot of naivety and clueless behavior, but there’d be something good left when she was done.

Thump bump…thump bump… thump bump…thump bump…

“The girl I would select…”

Sousuke’s heartbeat was loud in his ears. There was a number of reasons for that. First, the room was unbelievably quiet. Second, for some unknown reason, the question set him on the edge of panic. Third, there were dangers. He was at risk of touching his own feelings. That could easily be circumvented. He faced the possibility of insulting someone by naming her. He could live with that. But, there was another issue, and it had him feeling uncharacteristically concerned.

What if he upset someone by not naming her?

Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump…

Kaname felt dizzy again. Waiting for Sousuke’s answer had her sitting on pins and needles. It was like she was playing a game of emotional Russian Roulette. Did she want to find an empty chamber, or hear that loud bang? Fingernails digging into her palms, she told herself to get real. It didn’t matter. She hated the fact that most boys saw her as an idol. But, to be fair, she could see why they would think that way.

Even before she had been identified as one of the Whispered, she had too afraid to risk opening her heart up, especially after the time she had in Junior High. She put all of her effort into doing things or accomplishing things. Why? Because she would be too busy to worry about feeling things?

Thumpbump… thumpbump… thumpbump… thumpbumpthump bumpthumpbump…

“The one whose lips I would drink wine from…”

Sousuke looked over at the clock appropriated from the Chess Club. The hand on the timer was moving steadily along. He had to give an answer soon. One name kept coming up. That girl was often near him. That girl had been through trying times with him. That girl had shown him kindness where others had ignored him or treated him like a gun-toting leper.

But, did that make her the right answer? As often as she was kind, she was unyielding and standoffish. While she brought him lunch and helped him study, she also found myriad ways to punch, kick, and smack him with some degree of frequency. Could someone who left him feeling confused be the one?

There was more. In his life, there always seemed to be more. She was not merely his classmate. He was not a high school student, even though he took courses at Jindai High. He was Sgt. Sousuke Sagara, member of Mithril, assigned to the SRT, currently operating under cover. She was Kaname Chidori, one of the Whispered, target for organizations with unknown intentions.

“Thump thump thump skip thump thump thump slip thump thump thump skip thump thump…

“Do you want to try things out again?” Maya had to clear her throat to ask. “You know, like with the perfumes.“ The suspense was really getting to her. It was silly, since it was only Sousuke Sagara, class anomaly. Just the same, her pulse was racing. She didn’t want to be the answer. She just felt a burning need to hear the answer. She wasn’t alone in feeling that way.

Kaname suddenly felt the urge to run to the bathroom. She didn’t know if it was stress, a nervous reaction, or the fact that she had finished off more than her fair share of the punch once Sousuke had started getting on the one good nerve she had left. But, no matter what she might want to admit to herself, it would take a team of elephants to pull her away from this spectacle.

What would she feel if Sousuke mentioned her? What if he mentioned someone else? Would it really matter? Knowing that moron, he was probably calculating lip vectors, mouth volumes, or something else totally otaku. The answer didn’t mean anything either way, right?

“Negative,” Sousuke answered. “I would choose…” He looked around the room slowly. His eyes focused on Kaname. She would indeed be the easy answer. Part of him kept saying that it was merely due to familiarity. But, he was familiar with a lot of people. Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin. Kurz. Melissa. Cmdr. Mardukas. Captain Testarossa. The mechanics and ordinance crew aboard the TDD-1. The old woman he bought pork buns from at school.

He began to sweat even more. The image of Richard Mardukas puckering up threatened to carve at least ten years off of his life. Worse, thinking about Tessa had him feeling a lump in his throat. She was a kind person. She would be attractive, were she not his commanding officer. She smelled nice.

But, familiarity was not the only issue.

THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP…

Kaname began having flashback to moments in the past.

She was sitting on a bench at a train station, laughing about a nut case who had just thrown himself off of a train, but seemed to clueless about how other people viewed him. She was standing close to someone, lost in his eyes, before his wounded comrade broke the spell. She was feeling very down, even though her friends were visiting her in the hospital, until someone walked in through the door. She was relieved to see that someone was alive, thinking that her rash actions might have gotten him killed. She was riding on the back of a bicycle, her hair floating on the breeze. She was floating down from a great height, thanks to a large balloon. Someone had been frightened, thinking she was covered with blood instead of paint. She was wearing her mother’s kimono, strolling by the lake.

In stark contrast, Sousuke began to feel as if he was trapped with no way to escape. He did not wish to probe his feelings any further. How would any good come out of that? It might be too late, just the same. His brief moment of soul searching may well act like a small bomb exploding at a dam facility. There may only be a small trickle of water rushing out now. What if the dam gave way?

In some ways, he was indeed cornered. Memories from his earlier days came rushing in. He was in a dark and garbage strewn alleyway in Kabul cornered by three fierce guard dogs. He was running through a ravine in the forbidding hills of Northern Afghanistan, a stub-winged Mi-24 Hind , the Shaitan-Arba, on his tail. In Lebanon, he was cut off from his group, barely able to keep one step ahead of a fiendishly talented sniper. In Cambodia, he was submerged in the murky water of a snake infested river, breathing through a reed, as insurgents beat at the long nearby weeds with their bayonet-tipped rifles. On the flight deck of Da Danaan, the sea water washing over the sides, he was caught in the embrace of Gauron’s A.S. as the self-destruct device counted down.

For a moment, he looked for the naked and spectral form of Kaname, hoping that it could offer him some way out of this situation, too. That was not exactly the ideal thought for that given instant.

His ears turned bright red. “The ideal choice for me would be…”

THUMP… THUMP THUMP… THUMP… THUMP THUMP THUMP… THUMP

Kaname opened her mouth to shout ‘Just get it over with, already!’ If this went on any longer, any number of girls might do the same.

“It’s…” Sousuke swallowed hard.

“Yes-s-s-s-s?” The girls all leaned forward.

“It’s best that…” Sousuke knew what he had to do.

“Yes-s-s-s-s?” The party-goers felt as if nothing existed in the world outside of that room.

“It is in my best interest to choose…”

“Yes-s-s-s-s?” That was Kaname. The other girls were too busy staring at Sousuke to realize that she was only one speaking that time.

“I believe that it is in my best interest to choose ‘Dare’.” Sousuke said.

Every girl fell over, down to the last one. It looked as if someone had been playing pick-up sticks with pajama-clad young women. This initial disappointment was so thick, that one couldn’t have sliced it with a monomolecular cutter or Anti-armor dagger. But, that only meant that they would need to get their satisfaction from the Dare.

“I see,” Maya said, from behind clenched teeth. “You chose ‘Dare’. Well. Why don’t we get down to business and decide just what that Dare is going to be.”

For a moment, Sousuke felt as if he was surrounded by a ring of gargoyles, or animated stone statues, with glowing embers for eyes. Even in the heat of battle, he had never felt his hairs stand on end like they were now.

Some of the suggestions were physically impossible. Others included hanging Sousuke off of the balcony; tying him up and making crawl home like an inchworm; and tattooing his entire body with lipstick and indelible ink. It was amazing how fast Sousuke had gone from ‘actually kinda cute’ and ‘he’s a nice guy after all’ to ‘boy is he gonna get it’ and ‘show no mercy’.

“Ahhhh-hhh-hh-h….” One girl snapped her fingers, an excited look on her face. “I’ve got it.” She chuckled evilly. “It’s perfect.”

“What is it?” Maya asked.

“Well, did any of you watch the television show about gambling?” The girl smiled when a couple of her classmates raised their hands. “Remember what they showed in one of the casinos, when they switched to the part about Las Vegas in America?”

“You don’t mean…” Another girl’s eyes went very wide. “You think we should get him to…” She looked over at Sousuke.

“You bet!” The one girl rubbed her hands together. “There’s no way to top this one.” She flounced her hair, knowing that her suggestion would earn her a lot of status points. Sure, ‘whatever happens in Truth or Dare stays in Truth or Dare’ was a good rule. But, it was impossible to enforce. “Chippendales.”

“Guk!” Kaname spat out some soda she had been drinking. It left a big wet spot on her pajama top, but she didn’t notice. She knew what the Chippendales were.

“What’s that?” Mizuki asked, wondering why Kaname had acted that way.

“Oh my…” Ren knew as well. She had gone to her cousin’s bachelorette party. There had been male dancers patterned after the originals in the United States.

“No way… that’s… it’s just too demeaning…” Kaname put her hands on her hips. “It’s mrphlbrglmrprph…” She struggled when a number of girls tried to put a stocking in her mouth again.

“Will you do it, Sousuke?” Maya asked. Obviously, she would allow that Dare. “Or will you submit to punishment.” She didn’t bother to explain to him just what the Chippendales were. She looked over at Kaname who was no doubt struggling to do just that.

“The punishment will be something that involves Kaname,” one girl said, guessing that would help sway him.

“And it will be more than just kissing,” another girl said, operating on the same wavelength.

“That is unacceptable,” Sousuke said. “I will not allow anything to be done to Kaname when she has not earned any punishment herself.” He paused. “I will accept the Dare.” Just how bad could it be? If the Chippendales were some kind of terrorist group, he could refuse both Dare and punishment without any loss of honor.

“Do you promise,” Ryo asked, figuring that this ought to be interesting, even though she had no idea what the other girls were talking about.

“Affirmative. On my honor.” He held up his hand and took out his combat knife. “I will swear a blood oath, if necessary.”

“YOU IDIOT!”

Kaname had finally broken free. The other girls all had bruised shins. “Why didn’t you ask them what they had in mind, first. Sousuke, you should know better than that. You’re an op-…” She closed her mouth before saying ‘operative’.

“I understand, Kaname.” Sousuke ran a hand through his hair. “But, it wouldn’t matter what the Dare was. Your honor comes first.” That statement had a number of girls going goo goo eyed. Kaname brought her hand to her mouth and blushed. “I will need someone to explain my mission to me.”

“It’s an all woman show,” one girl said.

“With men dancers,” another added.

“But they don’t just dance…” A third girl worked her hair around her finger.

“Clarify,” Sousuke said. His serious voice and look had a number of girls giggling. “What are the duties and obligations of the dancer? You still have not provided sufficient mission parameters.”

“You can’t really ask him to do this,” Kaname said. If Sousuke could stand up for her honor, she could do no less for him. It wasn’t just a matter of friendship. She wasn’t about to let that big idiot one-up her. “You’re taking advantage of him.”

“He accepted, Kaname.” Maya waved the halisen. “And it’s all in fun.”

“The Chippendales are like the ultimate girls night out for women of all ages,” the one girl explained. “They start off in all sorts of outfits, usually including skintight leather pants, white cuffs, collar, and bow tie at some point.” She smiled an evil smile. “No matter how they start, they end up in next to nothing.”

“Like a G-string,” one girl called out.

“G-string?” Sousuke looked puzzled. “This has something to do with musical instruments?”

“We will need music,” one girl piped up. “Dance music would be great. Let’s go see what Kaname has in her collection.”

“Negative,” one girl said, aping Sousuke. “Think ‘thong’.”

“Uhhh…” Sousuke knew what that word meant. “But I…” He went totally rigid. “I have no such clothing…” Such things were definitely not military issue, not even for Melissa Mao.

“We’ll make do,” one of the party-goers said. “You’re pretty flexible I bet. Good stamina, too.”

“I bet he’s lean and hard, too.” One girl chuckled. “Though I doubt he ripped or chiseled.” She straightened her lapels. “Can’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”

“But you can look everywhere else.” That girl’s comment had Kyouko dropping her drink.

Kaname was busy debating whether she should stay out in the main room, or head back into her room. No. there really wasn’t any choice. She needed to keep an eye on the others, to make certain things didn’t go too far. Thinking of something, she actually smiled. Sousuke could have blackmailed her with knowledge of her Chicken routine, had he been apt to do that kind of thing. Now they would each have their own embarrassing moment. No. This would put her one up. She had almost forgotten about the ballet routine.

“I don’t know if this is fair,” Ren offered. “I mean, what if Sousuke told one of us that we had to do a dance like the women in the strip clubs.” As innocent as Ren seemed, she knew all about such places, since her father’s Yakusa group ran a number of them, and collected protection money from others. “I can guess how you would all react.”

All of the girls went silent for a minute. It looked like Ren’s words had hit the mark.

“It’s OK,” one girl said. “We’re girls. He’s a guy. We can apologize to him afterwards.”

“He owes me,” one girl said. “He owes all of use. How many of our lockers has he blown up?” That was followed by a ground-swell of complaints and claims.

“I must dance in explicit clothing?” Sousuke was sweating heavily. “That is the requirement for this Dare?”

“Not just dance,” Maya said. “You have to gyrate.”

“You’ll have to do the bump and grind,” another girl said. “Not to mention flirt… and take your clothes off one piece at a time.”

“And sit in any girl’s lap who wants you to.” That girl began coughing. “Not that anyone would want that…”

“Bump and grind?” Sousuke frowned. That sounded like some kind of torture routine. That would be unfair, since they denied him the ability to use interrogation techniques earlier. Take his clothes off? Lap? “Uhhh…”

Laughing, a number of girls stood up to show Sousuke what the ‘bump and grind’ entailed.

“Uhhh…” Sousuke felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of cold water on him, just as they used to do at the crack of dawn at boot camp. “Uhhh…”

The girls were ruthless. Sousuke’s request to be released from his promise were met with folded arms and shaking heads. There was no way that they were going to let this golden opportunity slip away. The folded arms were followed by the folding of money. The shaking heads were followed by shaking hips, as some of the girls got up to dance.

“Sousuke…” Kaname didn’t know what to feel. Part of her was sad, seeing Sousuke trapped this way. Despite his profession, he was still an innocent in many ways. Another part of her was unforgiving, feeling that the scruffy moron deserved something like this, after all of the headaches and heartaches he left in his otaku wake. She didn’t want to admit it to herself, but she was getting caught up in the spirit of the game, just as the other girls were. Wouldn’t it be fun to see a guy do this, as part of a Dare? Wouldn’t it be a memory that would last forever, one way or another?

Still, it was Sousuke. That had her tugging at her hair. He would put his unique stamp on things, one way or another. She was sure of it.

“Alright, let’s select the song!” Maya clapped her hands, getting everyone’s attention. The suggestions came swiftly, as the girls looked through a stack of CDs.

“Kiki Vee, ‘Shame on you’…” Ryo’s suggestion had everyone grinning.

“Asteroid, ‘Breaking the rules’…” That girl’s choice fit the mood, too.

“Misa, ‘Banzai’…” Mizuki blushed, after blurting that out.

“Bianca, ‘Crush’…” Kyouko played with one of her pigtails.

“Ky…” Kaname’s mouth fell open. She stared at her friend in disbelief. Eyes narrowed, she put her hands on her hips. Flustered, Kyouko claimed that she only liked the song.

“Mad-man, ‘Don’t go home’…” Another girl’s suggestion had her friends whistling and calling out raucous suggestions.

“We should ask Sousuke,” Ren said kindly. “After all, he is the one who’s going to dance…”

“Or something,” Kaname said, scowling. Those girls were showing way too much enthusiasm. No. She wasn’t jealous in any way. It was her civic pride speaking up. She didn’t want to wake the neighbors again. That was her story and she was sticking to it.

“Let me see,” Sousuke said. The girls had dragged him into Kaname’s room, tossed all manner of clothing out of her closet, and gone to work. He had an oversized sweatshirt over his own clothes, and on top of that he wore a fuzzy bathrobe with a long sash. The girls had placed a pair of old slip-over boots on his feet, more for the sake of his routine than for any kind of fashion statement. “Yes. That title will suffice. ‘Ambush’.”

The girls accepted that choice. But, they insisted that they hear the other songs as well. As Umpire, Maya magnanimously revoked the time limit for the special occasion. Sousuke’s protests were drowned out by a room full of sleep-deprived and determined girls.

“OK, let’s get this thing started,” Maya said. She waved the halisen, getting a number of girls to start pointing flashlights at Sousuke as impromptu spotlights. The partygoers all began clapping their hands. Kaname hid her face in her hands, but peeked out from between her fingers.

When Sousuke finally began moving, he was at a loss. What should he do? Kurz Weber and other members of the TDD-1s crew had shanghaied him in the past, kidnapping him and taking him to strip joints. But, he had been too discombobulated at the sights he saw to remember anything from those days. Wait! If he had to move, why not use movements that he was familiar with.

“I am new at this,” Sousuke said. “You will need to direct me.” His initial actions looked more like calisthenics than anything else. There was a reason for that. He was warming up. There was no reason to suffer any kind of injury. That would be embarrassing. “I am at your command.” That was not the wisest statement.

The girls called out suggestions. That had Sousuke kicking off his boots. One knocked over Kaname’s favorite lamp. The other landed in the fish tank, next to Kyouko’s camera. After that, he began spinning the sash. His honor dictated that he do this, so he complied. But, as calm as he looked, deep inside him, he was storing up a hurt load of anger and resentment. The next enemy he faced on the battlefield would have a very bad day. In fact, any enemy in the future might be in for the fight of his or her life, if the young soldier brought up these memories.

“In feudal times in Japan, there were various military arts and exercises which the samurai classes were trained and fitted for their special form of warfare,” Sousuke said, beginning to go through some rudimentary movements. “Amongst these was the art of jujutsu, from which the present judo has sprung up.” The fluidity of his routine had a number of girls just staring, the money falling from their fingers. “Some of the principles will help me now. Not to resist, but to gain victory by pliancy. Keeping the mind composed and calm. Not to be disturbed by things. Remaining tranquil. Following the rules for respiration.”

“He’s talking too much again,” one girl groused.

“Who cares!”Another girl had her hands clasped to her chest.

“Geeez…” Kaname just shook her head.

“The most important principle of throwing was to disturb the center of gravity of the opponent, and then pull or push in a way that the opponent cannot stand, exerting skill rather than strength, so that he might lose his equilibrium and fall heavily to the ground.” Sousuke moved swiftly, took hold of one standing girl, and demonstrated one of the moves. “A series of rules was taught respecting the different motions of feet, legs, arms, hands, the thigh and back, in order to accomplish this object. Choking up the throat was done by the hands, forearms, or by twisting the collar of the opponent's coat round the throat.” Another young woman found herself part of the show. After that, most of the girls backed away, not wanting to be next. A few fought for space near the makeshift dance floor. “For holding down and pushing, any part of the body was used. For twisting and bending, the parts employed were generally the arms, hands and fingers, and sometimes the legs.”

“He’s surprisingly enthusiastic,” Ren remarked.

“Yes,” Ryo said, coughing. She ducked when the bathrobe came flying in her direction.

“Only because he’s going otaku,” Kaname said, frowning.

“I wonder if he’d jump out of a cake at my birthday,” one girl mused.

“With the rise of the warrior class in the late twelfth century, the bushi or samurai trained in such disciplines as knouts, sword art…iaijutsu, sword-drawing art…kyujutsu, Japanese archery…sojutsu, spear art… bajutsu, horsemanship… suijutsu, swimming… and this, jujutsu, unarmed combat.“ Gasping, Sousuke had to pry one half-drunken girl off of him. “These gradually became standardized into styles or schools, which continued even after the country's feudal domains were pacified during the Edo period.”

“NO MORE EDO!”

“I apologize,” Sousuke said, thinking that he would have been better off if he stayed at his books, instead of making that fateful trip to his apartment building roof. “I will seek my inspiration elsewhere.” At one girl’s direction, he peeled off the sweat shirt and tossed it to her. Thinking what to do next, his inspiration came from an unexpected source: Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin.

“Do the bump and grind!”One girl shouted, flushed with excitement. Come morning, she would deny having shown even a modicum of interest.

The flashlights were being moved around the room in trance-inducing patterns. One of the other girls was using something in front of one of the remaining lamps, causing a strobe-like effect. Sousuke’s shadow seemed to have a life of its own. A few girls got up to dance again, but were shouted down by the others.

“Work for it, honey!”Another girl held up her hand. She spread paper money out like a fan.

Kaname slapped herself in the forehead. This was unbelievable. Her apartment had turned into a dance club. Sousuke Sagara, poster boy for naivety, was the dancer. Frowning, she looked down. She was tapping her foot.

“The Russian style of martial art dates back to the tenth century,” Sousuke said, performing a few simple moves. “Throughout history, the country had to repel invaders from the north, south, east, and west. All attackers brought their distinct styles of combat and weaponry. The battles took place on different terrain, during freezing winters and sweltering summer heat alike, with the Russians often greatly outnumbered by the enemy forces.” A handful of coins came his way. He left the girls speechless, catching each one of them before they hit the ground. “ As a result of these factors, the Russian warriors acquired a style that combined strong spirit with extremely innovative and versatile tactics that were at the same time practical, deadly, and effective against any type of enemy under any circumstances.” He swallowed hard when a number of girls ran up and stuffed money down his shirt.

“He’ll be able to buy fresh rolls all week,” Maya remarked.

“All month,” Ryo said, looking down at the money she had in hand. She couldn’t bring herself to join in.

“Here Kyouko,” Mizuki said. She handed her purse to her friend, smiling when her glasses fogged up.

“The style was natural and free, having no strict rules, rigid structure or limitations. All tactics were based on instinctive reactions, individual strengths, and characteristics, specifically designed for fast learning.” Sousuke imitated the hip movements that one girl showed him. A number of young ladies keeled over. For that fleeting instant, it was as if Elvis had been reborn. “When the Communists came to power, they suppressed all national traditions. Those practicing the centuries-old style of martial art were severely punished. However, the authorities quickly realized the viability and potency of the Russian martial art and thus reserved it for the elite units of Spetsnaz.” A few pumping motions left one girl speaking gibberish.

“I think he found his career,” one girl said.

“Oh yeh,” her friend added.

Sousuke stopped. “Really?” He looked puzzled. This was the furthest thing from what he would want to do for a living. But, insight came in different shapes, sizes, and colors. One never knew where or when a significant truth might be learned.

“No, you imbecile!” Kaname flinched after shouting. “Do you want to do this at the next birthday celebration for Dana?” She could mention that name without giving anything away. That left her pierced by her own dart. She couldn’t help but picture a half-naked Sousuke dancing in front of Tessa.

“Uhhh…” Sousuke stepped wrong, bending his ankle. He fell, catching himself on Kaname. “Thank you, Kaname. You broke my fall.” He didn’t realize that his hand was on her buttock. She did, as did everyone else.

“P-P-PERVERT!”

A number of girls started tossing things at Sousuke’s feet, seeing if they could get him to trip again. He was far too agile. Once again, his martial arts based routines began whipping some of the girls into a frenzy. One girl looked on somewhat sadly, however. That was Kyouko. What she wouldn’t give to have her camera at that moment. But, sometimes wishes come true. One of the other girls handed her a disposable camera, telling her too leave the flash off.

“Take the shirt off!”That was Maya. She immediately opened the halisen and hid her face. What had gotten into her?

“Since the collapse of the Soviet system, many other Russian fighting styles have re-emerged through training, competition, and media publicity. Among others, the styles include Sambo, Slaviano-Goretskaya Borba, the military style of Kadochnikov, plus a variety of folk styles such as Busa, Skobar, Forest Warrior, Kozachiy Sploch, and Gruntovsky fist fighting.” Sousuke made a number of punches, snapping his fists out to within inches of one girl’s nose. She didn’t duck, stumble back, or make any kind of exclamation. Instead, she reached out, pulled at the rim of Sousuke’s trousers, and put in some money.

Kaname began sputtering, clenching her fists. She turned bright read when a number of her friends walked up and handed her a few fistfuls of paper currency.

“It’s our treat,” Ryo said.

“You deserve it,” Mizuki said. “This is a great party.”

“Go for it,” Maya said. “You want to, right?”

Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump…

“What?” Kaname felt her heart beginning to race again. That was ridiculous. Why was she reacting like that? “That’s… it’s… why…”

“Systema is a complete set of concepts and training components that enhance one’s life. In this case, acquiring the martial art skill is a way to improve the function of all one’s physiological systems of the body.” Sousuke caught a bra, wondering where that had come from. “As my com-… as a friend once told me, training in Russian Martial Art is a good way to see the full extent of our limitations, and to find out just how proud and weak we really are.” Because he was speaking about something he had been taught, and was moving in ways that were familiar, Sousuke was not nearly as nervous as he otherwise would be. The suggestions the girls called out were challenges, things he tried to fit within the framework of techniques he was comfortable with. This would serve as a good physical workout session.

Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump…

Kaname swallowed hard. Her friends were crowding her, pushing her forward, laughing and teasing her. When she saw the bra flying through the air, she stumbled. Things were getting a little out of hand. She was learning things about her friends that she never knew before. Watching Sousuke’s graceful and potentially dangerous movements, she bit her lips. The buzzed feeling she felt was not from the punch. She might very well learn things about herself, too.

The other girls clustered together and pointed at Kaname. They began whispering, trying to be heard above the music. Was she going to do it? Would she do what the wilder and less inhibited girls had done?

“Come on Kaname!”One girl called out.

“No stopping now, girl.” Another girl said. “You’re the Class Rep. You have to show us how it’s done.”

“Here,” a different girl said, handing a folded wad of money to Kaname. “When you stick it in, see if you can make change for me.”

Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump…

The room seemed to contract. The moving lights had Kaname feeling dizzy. She was acutely aware of the seat on her palms, wiping her hands on her pajama pants. The girls lining the room all looked like phantoms, only partially registering on her senses. Sousuke filled her view, like something out of an exotic dream. He was moving in ways she had never seen before, the moisture making his body look like it had been oiled. She closed her eyes. It was only Sousuke. It was just some otaku jerk who got conned into putting on a burlesque show by some drunken girls.

“Spetsnaz… or Voiska Spetsialnogo Naznachenia… refers to the Russian Special Forces. Within this highly acclaimed military organization, there are a few Special Operations Units that are used in the highest risk missions.” Sousuke said. “The soldiers that made up these units went through extremely intense training in all three levels of human capacities: the physical, the psychological, and the psychic. They became true masters of the traditional style of fighting, using during covert military operations and body-guarding of top government and military personnel.” His next instinctive move would have done a professional dancer proud.

“Spank me!”One girl cried out. She threw her money up in the air. Another girl fought to hold her back.

Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump…

Kaname shook her head. She moved Maya’s and Ryo’s hands off of her. There was no way that she could go through with this. Not only was it demeaning to Sousuke, it wasn’t who she really was, right? How could she look at Sousuke’s face in school, knowing that she took part in something like this? It was wrong, wasn’t it? She twitched, imaging him standing before Cmdr. Mardukas, explaining everything that he had done.

The image of the stone-faced naval officer had vanished. It was followed by images of Kurz Weber and Melissa Mao holding up ‘V’ signs. That didn’t catch her off guard. It was the image of Sousuke reporting to a certain platinum-haired girl that distracted her. ‘Captain, my torpedo was functioning properly’. “Ohhh…” She tripped an fell over one prone girl. “Owww… sorry….”

“Kaname, are you alright?” Sousuke made a number of movements in her direction as he danced. He wondered why her face turned red like that. No doubt it was the alcohol she had consumed. “As I was saying, there are numerous possible punches, kicks, chokes and holds, wrestling moves, and grappling techniques.“ He demonstrated by grabbing one girl from behind, almost slipping when she collapsed back against him. “They are all useful in ground work, street fighting, and defense against multiple opponents, especially in situations that place emphasis on continuous attack, economy of motion, and unpredictable moves.” After a flourish of bumps and grinds, he gently tossed a number of girls on top of their sleeping bags.

“I think I’ve gone blind…” One girl came close to swooning.

“Come on, Chidori!” One of the girls pointed at Sousuke. “This is your party. You’re the one who always takes the lead. You’re not afraid, are you?”

“Hmmmm-mmm-mm-m…” All of the other girls looked at Kaname.

“Of course not!” Kaname put her hands on her hips and tossed her hair. Once again, her pride took over without her permission. “Why would I be afraid. It’s no big deal!”

“Kaname… Kaname…Kaname… Kaname…Kaname… Kaname…Kaname… Kaname…”

The chanting grew louder and louder as more girls joined in. Soon, they were all clapping their hands or stomping their feet. The flashlights were turned on her.

“The most dangerous scenario that one might face is a confrontation with multiple attackers. There are times when you can't escape and have to fight for your life and for those you love!” Sousuke merely repeated the same words he had once been told. But, the mention of fighting for love had some of the girls squealing. They wondered how they had once thought Sousuke to be nothing but a weird, paranoid, violence prone loser. “This topic, seldom covered by trainers in other martial arts, teaches one the psychological control and physical preparation for escaping from multiple holds, strikes, and kicks, coming from up to six attackers at the same time!” He literally swept a half dozen girls off of their feet. They didn‘t seem to mind. “It utilizes every part of the body to protect, distract, and counterbalance, while the fighter can use his opponents against one another and hit multiple targets with one strike.”

“Kaname… Kaname…Kaname… Kaname…Kaname… Kaname…Kaname… Kaname…”

The other girls stepped back away from Sousuke’ leaving only him and Kaname standing in the middle of the floor.

THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP…

Kaname took a tentative step forward, cursing her timidity. All she had to do was march up, put some money down that martial moron’s pants, and run to the bathroom to wash her hand. What was so difficult about that? If she just blanked her mind, much the way she did as a child when forced to eat disgusting food, she could get through it. It was a task, nothing more. It was all about saving face.

“Take off the pants!”One girl shouted. She had helped select things for Sousuke to put on. She had suggested that he put the leotard on again, underneath his trousers. The other girls thought that Sousuke was still naked underneath.

“I will do what I must, to safeguard my honor.” Sousuke began working at his fly. One girl had to be giving the Heimlich maneuver after swallowing an ice cube.

“Sousuke… what are you doing… stop…” Kaname froze. That big idiot wasn’t going to dance in the nude, was he? They hadn’t ring some of her clothing to make a thong, had they? She couldn’t get any more words out. A feeling of relief rushed through her, just as a sense of disappointment wracked some of the other girls. When the pants were peeled off, there was a leotard. She didn’t know whether to burn the thing or frame it when Sousuke was finished.

“Kaname… Kaname…Kaname… Kaname…Kaname… Kaname…Kaname… Kaname…”

THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP…

Kaname thought that her heart was going to jump out of her chest. That’s it! Enough! She survived Junior High. She was Class Representative and Student Vice President. She was captain of the softball team. She helped Sousuke and Kurz escape from certain death. She, Tessa, and Dane helped Sousuke save that submarine.

This… was… no… big… deal…

Closer and closer. Nearer and Nearer. Fighting the urge to whistle like nothing was going on, Kaname stretched out her free hand towards Sousuke’s dancing form, clutching the money in her other sweaty hand. Just a few more inches.

Sousuke began to speak, intending the question for Kaname alone. Unfortunately, the last song programmed into the CD player ended as he began. “Kaname, you are not intending to grope me again, are you?”

Those words, relatively quiet as they were, froze in the air. For everyone standing there, it seemed as if they could reach out and touch anyone of them, if they so chose. All except the word ‘grope’, which they imagined to be pulsating and red hot.

The money fell from Kaname’s limp hand. She couldn’t hear her heartbeat anymore. For all she knew, her heart may have stopped beating.

“Oooooo-ooooo-oooo-ooo-oo-o…”

“Kaname…Kaname… Kaname… Kaname… Kaname… Kaname… Kaname…”

“But…” Kaname shook her head. “It’s not…” She turned a pleading look on each of her friends. “I never meant…” Raising her voice she said “It was just an accident!”

“Sure,” Maya said. “We all know that. What could happen with you two?” She winked at Ryo in exaggerated fashion.

“That’s right,” Ryo said. “We’re just joshing with you.” She made an ‘OK’ sign to Mizuki.

“Uh huh,” Mizuke said. “Pretty girl. Handsome guy. A little alcohol. Even less clothes. A secluded balcony.” She tried to look angelic. “Nothing ever happened like that.”

“I… it… that’s… but…” Kaname began getting angry again. “Sousuke!”

“Yes, Kaname?” Sousuke asked, realizing just what his words had sounded like.

“Telllll themmmm…” Kaname didn’t want a single girl to walk away thinking the wrong thing.

“Uhhh… if you insist, Kaname.” Sousuke made a face, and changed his stance. He reached in and moved his hands around a bit, causing some girls to blush or look away. Finding the money that was rubbing him the wrong way, he removed it. “You shouted ‘Baka’ and pushed me, causing me to stumble backward, trip, and fall between two girls. My hands contacted areas on the female body that are best left untouched without permission, causing you to shout even louder and say you hated me...”

“I just want you to…“ Kaname couldn’t get her words in. She just wanted him to tell the others that everything had been unintentional.

“…I gathered up my belongs, went outside, disrobed, and threw the pajamas into the apartment…” Sousuke was so used to the situation now, that he no longer felt mortified standing in the middle of a room of girls wearing nothing but a leotard.

“That’s more than they need to hear you big stupid head. I only need you to…” Kaname was unsuccessful again. If she shouted to loudly, or physically tried to stop him, the girls would assume she was trying to cover something up.

“…Just as I started to get dressed in my own apparel, Kaname bumped into me, accidentally placing her hand on…” Sousuke cringed when Kaname shouted directly into his ear.

“S-O-U-S-U-K-E-!”

Kaname’s shout had everyone staring at her. She looked over at Sousuke, a mask of resignation on her face. Suddenly, she didn’t care that a fair number of her friends were there, watching them. She took a few steps, sighed, and placed her head against the wall. “The only thing you needed to say was ‘it was an accident’. I don’t know why I always get my hopes up, thinking you can somehow make things better, when you usually make things worse.” She couldn’t help herself. She was on the verge of tears. “I keep expecting that you’ll learn from your mistakes. Anyone else would. But not you. I can’t take this. My life is hard enough as it is.” Trying to maintain some shred of dignity, she walked off into her room. This was not over-reacting. It was the sum of many prior events.

Things were quiet for a moment. Then, everyone started talking. Maya looked over at Sousuke. “You should go apologize to her.”

“But, I did nothing wrong.” Sousuke claimed. “She asked me to explain things. As none of you were there, I wished to provide sufficient background. Nothing I said was meant to harm her.”

“You need to say you’re sorry, Sousuke.” Ryo looked very serious, the frivolity and fun forgotten for a moment. “Not just for upsetting her a number of times tonight, but also for all those things you do in school. They’re really hard on her.”

“But I always do my best to… it’s never my intention to cause…” Sousuke swallowed hard as the girls all began closing in on him. “I’m just not used to…”

“I understand,” Ren said, placing her hand on Sousuke’s arm. “I think Kaname does, too. That’s not enough, however.” The other girls all nodded. “It’s not about thinking things through, or being strong enough to put up with things. School’s hard enough in this country, with all of the expectations everyone has. There’s not one of us here tonight who needs things to be any more difficult…”

“I see.” Sousuke lowered his eyes. In his language, they were telling him that he was only partially successful in his mission. It was like securing the objective, but losing all his squad mates. King Pyrrhus of Epirus defeated the Romans at Heraclea and Asculum in 279 BC, but suffered severe and irreplaceable casualties in the process, going on to eventually lose the Pyrrhic War. Hence, the term ‘Pyrrhic victory’ refers to a victory which is won at too great a cost for the victor.

Military history was filled with examples of similar events. That did not make Sousuke feel any better at that moment, since he knew that those who did not learn from history were doomed to repeat it.

“Just go over to her door and tell her you’re sorry, Sousuke.” Kyouko took Sousuke’s hand and pulled him in that direction. “Don’t promise anything you can’t do.”

Sousuke went over to knock on Kaname’s door, which was only half open. The room itself was completely dark.

“Kaname…” Sousuke listened. There was no noise. “Kaname…” He listened again, but heard no answer or any sign of movement. “Kaname… I’m sorry…” He placed his head up against the door, causing it to move inward. It stopped.

Kaname had gotten up from her bead and walked over to the door. Her forehead was resting on the side opposite from Sousuke’s. He could make out her breathing. But, she still didn’t answer.

“The others said that I should apologize.” Sousuke clenched his teeth. That time he was well aware of his own verbal butchery. “I am truly sorry for causing you to be unhappy, even if I am too stupid to realize when I am doing it.” He didn’t pay any attention to the partygoers clustered all around him. “I will be leaving now… for as long as necessary…”

“You’re not stupid, Sousuke.” Kaname’s voice was very quiet. “No, you are stupid. But, so am I…” The door stayed as it was, caught between the two of them. “You make mistakes you shouldn’t, and I get more upset than I should. We’ve both had it hard in the past, Sousuke. And we each face a lot of hard things now. Just keep doing your best.”

The girls were herded back to where they had been by Ren. Sousuke followed when Kaname didn’t say anything else.

“Sousuke,” Kaname said. “Who would you have named, if you answered the question about the wine?” She felt very tense, wondering what made her ask that right then. “I’ll keep it secret…” More than anything, she hoped that he would not mention any other girl’s name.

The door swung closed when she put more of her weight on it. Sousuke had already left.

[Taurec]

hehehe, wished I never saw that certain Sousuke picture ... gah .. tainted...
Execelent work dd....

[Oscuro]

What an awsome story... Are you cooking up a number 7? I dont want it to end that way!! I feel like I need to know what happened the next day... Well I guess its a good ending but not good for me