[FIC] Class Act (part 7)
Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2004 2:38 am
Sousuke survived his tumble. The terracotta bird house he landed on did not. Brushing himself off, he ran his foot against something small and moveable. It was a book. Removing the screw cap on the hilt of his knife, he slid out a small penlight. The book was a journal. Kyouko’s journal. How did it get out here? No matter, he would return it to her when he was able.
Walking around the darkened lawn of the Inn, Sousuke finally made his way back to the entranceway. A number of limousines had pulled up by the marble archway. As Sousuke walked by them, a hand grabbed his shoulder. Whirling, he broke free, ready to attack if necessary. He was accosted a tall gaunt man in a fancy green dinner jacket. He was surrounded by a wall of luggage. Two attractive women in sequined gown leaned on the man behind him. The man was enormous.
“You there, boy!” The man who had laid hands on Sousuke spoke with a high nasal voice. “We require your services. Be quick about it!” He clapped his hands together then turned away.
Sousuke shook his head and headed back towards the large brass doors leading into the lobby. The man must have mistaken him for someone else.
“Where are you going?” When Sousuke turned around, the tall man was shaking a fist in his direction. “Not another step, you hear me. You will take care of us right away!” The ‘us’ had grown. More beauties had left the limousines, accompanying a squat muscular man dressed in a intricately sewn leather vest and wearing an ornamental hat.
“My pardon, but you have made a mistake. I have other duties.” Sousuke noted that a third man of obvious note had walked up. He was lithe and nimble looking, dressed in a colorful set of robes, a large sash around his waist. A number of men in black suits were present as well. Bodyguards. Could they be any MORE obvious?
“No, YOU are the one who is mistaken. I do not care what other tasks you have been assigned. If you are too stupid to realize it on your own, I will lower myself this once to explain things to you. The men you see are champions, and they are not accustomed to being made to wait. You will begin carrying their luggage inside, NOW!”
Sousuke turned away again. He heard steps behind him. The annoying man grabbed his shirt and tried to pull him backward. “I am Sachiya Morishita, the famous international fight arranger. So that you know my full stature, I was Muay Thai champion of Japan before you were born.”
With an effortless move, Sousuke ducked down and caused the man to let go before he fell. “That is a commendable feat, but has no bearing on me.” He then pointed to a group of young men with carts who had arrived. There outfits were not all that different than the fresh clothes Sousuke had chosen to put on after playing cards. “They will assist you. I am simply…”
“Simple is obvious. Whether or not you realize it, you have lost your job. You can be sure of that! Now, it is a matter of whether or not you end up in an emergency clinic tonight.” He waved his hand. The bodyguards advanced and cut off Sousuke’s means of escape. “You stand deficient before three great men. Cengiz Yilmaz, Uzbekistani champion of Kurash, voted to have the best technique in the world. Abdulla Mahmud, reigning winner of the Kirpinar Wrestling Competition, is one of the best traditional Turkish oil wrestlers in the world. Taiho Kashiwado, famous Yokozuna, and winner of this year’s tournament at Nagoya, will NOT be kept waiting by the likes of you.”
“I am honored gentlemen.” Sousuke bowed to each notable. “But, since I do not work here, I shall be on my way.” Sousuke headed on his way again.
“I told you, losing your job does not absolve you of your responsibility.” Mr. Morishita snapped his fingers. The bodyguards started walking towards Sousuke, each now grasping a short stick.
“You have not tried to listen. These mens’ fates shall be in your hands,” Sousuke said with some heat. The alcohol had left him a bit irritable. The fact that strong men were willing to abuse the weak made him angry. “I shall help move your luggage, however.”
“Too late!” the fight promoter crowed, thinking that Sousuke had announced his willingness to bring the bags inside. He was mistaken.
Picking up one suitcase, Sousuke flung it hard through the air, hitting one of the guards and causing him to drop his stick and stumble backward. Grabbing hold of a smaller pair of bags, he swung them hard at the nearest opponent, striking one blocking arm solidly and connecting solidly on the man’s patella, fracturing the bone. Bringing the bags back around, he smashed both on opposite sides of the groaning man’s head, sending him down for the count.
“Imbeciles! Can’t you stop one young boy?”
“Professional pride stung, the other two men in black rushed Sousuke from different angles, one man going low with his stick and the other aiming high with the heel of his boot. The attacks were vicious, meant to do grievous harm, not simply subdue the opponent.
Turning, Sousuke took a painful but glancing blow to the upper thigh. With both hands, he caught the foot aimed at his temple and twisted. When the man landed awkwardly, Sousuke pulled the pin on a small concussion grenade and shoved it down his adversary’s coat, then pushed the man towards Mr. Morishita. The resultant explosion incapacitated the bodyguard and tore the promoter’s fancy jacket.
Noting the obvious escalation of the conflict, the remaining bodyguard pulled out a gun. Before he could bring the Daewoo DP-17 to bear, a combat knife seemingly materialized, sticking out of his gun hand. Screaming in pain, he blacked out after being hit with a nasty elbow to the head.
Sousuke took a mental note. He would need to bring Sgt. Major Mao a six-pack of beer by way of thanking her for her knife-fighting training.
“As I tried to inform you. I do NOT work here. I am a visitor!” Sousuke turned to face a livid Mr. Morishita.
“That does not matter NOW! Look at my clothing. This is your doing. I will get my satisfaction by breaking you myself.” The furious ex-champion did not seem concerned in the least for the fallen bodyguards.
Muay Thai, translated to mean Thai boxing, is an effective and devastating fighting style in the ring and on the street. Top fighters develop remarkable power and speed, able to strike with hand, foot, knee, and elbow. Once one of the toughest fighters in Japan, Sachiya Morishita remained a formidable opponent even at his age.
“I have learned to respect my elders,” Sousuke remarked, preparing himself to meet the attack of the older man. “But, only if they are worthy of respect. Perhaps you were an honorable warrior once, but now you are ronin, dishonorable.” With a smooth motion, he pulled a long metal wire out of a seam in his pants and rolled it up in his palm. His opponent, taking him lightly, had been playing to his crowd instead of keeping a close eye on him.
“My guests hold me in high esteem. What do the churlish words of a young mongrel mean to me?” The man charged. He was fast. A kick lashed out at Sousuke’s midsection. If it had landed, the fight would have been over. “You have some skill. You might make me work up a sweat. I do NOT like sweating.” An elbow swung with fearful speed.
The fight followed a simple pattern. The kick boxer lashed out, and Sousuke dodged. The younger man took some painful blows, but nothing serious. Rather than strike back, Sousuke was taking stock of his opponent’s movements and tendencies. He sacrificed himself by taking a stinging punch to the ear. Before the attacker realized what was happening, the young soldier wrapped his metal garrote around his neck.
“You fight for power, to humiliate your foe,” Sousuke spat at the man grasping at the constricting wire. “I fight to survive.” Turning to the remaining men who had accompanied Mr. Morishita, he said “If anyone wishes to aid him, it is permitted. I suggest you act swiftly.” With that, he headed up the steps towards the Inn after retrieving his knife and the diary he had placed in a convenient shrub. He paid no mind to the baggage attendants who ran to remove the garrote.
“You are not finished here, young man.” A deep voice said. Mr. Mahmud took a step forward and placed his hat on the nearest stack of luggage. “While I did not approve of Mr. Morishita’s actions, we are here as his guests, and are beholden to stand for him.” He began his Peshrev, the warm-up movements that resembled the attack of a bird of prey.
“I must second that statement, even though you did nothing to cause this trouble, and have avoided bringing shame upon yourself. I shall do my best not to injure you severely.” Mr. Yilmaz, adept at one of the oldest forms of martial arts---upright jacket wrestling---bowed towards Sousuke.
“If they walk this path, it would be a stain on my honor if I stood idly by. The fact that you are but a boy shall NOT stay my hand. You have savaged my host. You have caused me considerable delay. A prolonged stay in the hospital may teach you to give way to your betters.” Mr. Kashiwado began the Shiko, the stamping of his feet on the ground to build up strength.
A considerable crowd had gathered. Camera flashes were going off left and right. A number of people recognized the Yokizuna.
“I have nothing to gain from fighting any of you. I shall bid you goodnight.” Sousuke looked for an opening in the crowd. Finding none, he started to force his way betwixt and between the milling onlookers. A powerful arm wrapped around his neck and jerked him down the stairs. Gaining his feet once more, he found himself surrounded by the three champions.
“Now, as means of honorable contest, we will---” Mr. Mahmud was interrupted when a flash bang went off in his face. Oil wrestlers are a special breed, thought by some to represent the pinnacle of the wrestling world. That fact did the Turk little good when Sousuke gave him a brutal backhand chop to the cricoid cartilage. Any lower, and the blow would have fractured his airway and led to asphyxiation without proper medical attention. As it was, the man was effectively out of the fight.
Open to attack from the other side, Sousuke was dragged forward by his shirt and thrown over the roof of an idling limousine. Getting up from his injury-saving roll, he made his way into a darkened area of the yard, just off of the well-lit driveway. The crowd, anxious to see the conflict, was slowly pushing its way past the hotel liverymen.
“Very clever young man,” the Kurash master said approvingly. “It shall avail you none.” He and Sousuke traded blows and tosses, neither gaining the upper hand. Because he had walked through this area to reach the front of the Inn, Sousuke had an advantage.
Sousuke bull-rushed his opponent, wrapping both hands around his upper chest. His momentum allowed him to push the other man into a large koi pool. Picking up a wooden temple replica he had tripped over earlier, he broke it over the man’s head, dazing him.
There was no time to catch his breath. The Sumo was exceptionally quiet for a man his size. Sousuke was barely aware that the behemoth of a man was there before open-handed Harite to the side of his face sent him hard to the ground. There was no way he could pit his strength against this foe and walk away unbroken. The arrival of a number of loud motorcycles provided him with the cover he needed.
“Time to squash you, little bug!” Mr. Kashiwoda’s chuckled, sounding like the roughly idling motors. Soon enough, he had little to laugh about.
Taking his Glock out of the back of his pants, Sousuke sent a rubber bullet point blank into the Sumo’s groin. With one push of his hand, he sent the cross-eyed giant onto his back and walked back towards the light.
His steps became increasingly fast. The other boys had been left to their own devices for far too long. That was a risk he was unwilling to take. He had promised Miss Okibasu to keep trouble to a minimum.
************************************************************
When Sousuke walked back into the room, he found Shinji being carried around the room by a bunch of the larger and stronger boys. Coming down from the adrenalin rush caused by his recent skirmish, he was primed to rush to his friend’s defense if necessary. But, Shinji was smiling.
“Hey, Sagara! You’re no longer the King. Kazama is King!” Carrying a towel, the rugby player was naked, beginning to pull on a pair of swimming trunks.
“KAZAMA…KAZAMA…KAZAMA…KAZAMA…”
“Yeh Dude, you’re the ex-Leader. You kick ass big time, and you are balls-on with the chicks, but you never scored for the rest of us.” The captain of the swimming team was adjusting his Speedos.
Everywhere Sousuke looked, boys were in the state of getting undressed or grabbing towels out of a linen closet. Some were brushing there teeth or gargling with mouthwash. One boy even sprayed others with a bottle of cologne.
“KAZAMA…KAZAMA…KAZAMA…KAZAMA…”
“Man, get ready for the pool,” one boy said to Sousuke. “Shinji overheard some girls talking. They’re all sneaking down to the swimming facilities after hours.”
“It’s better than just that! They plan on keeping us out. Know why? Skinny dipping!!!” The speaker was so excited, he had put his shorts on backwards.
“Not to mention that Kazama has his camera, a zoom lens, and a case full of film. We’re still alive, but we’re all about to enter Heaven!” The boy was combing hair greased down with styling gel.
“ARE WE READY?”
”YES!!!”
“ARE WE MEN?”
”YES!!!”
“THEN LET’S GO….”
The boys stampeded out of the room and took off running through the hallway and down the stairs. Shinji ran back into the room, camera swinging from his neck and a cartridge belt holding film rolls circling his waist. “Hey Sousuke, aren’t you coming?”
Before Sousuke could answer, two boys grabbed Shinji by the arms and tugged him down the hall. The young Mithril operative would follow, if there was a high likelihood of trouble. But, what could go wrong with swimming?
One word had him puzzled. It might provide the key to knowing whether he should stay or go. Skinny dipping. What did that mean? There was no dictionary in the room, and no PC for access to the internet. This is a school trip. How does one find answers at school? He knew what to do.
He would ask Miss Okibasu.
************************************************************
No one would listen to Kaname. It did not matter that she was a class representative, and thus a de facto leader. Her past experiences held no weight. Her warnings fell on deaf ears.
The girls were all intent to sneak into the pool. Kaname wan’t worried about the swimming area being off limits after hours. There was no need for a lifeguard---the entire swimming team would be there. She wasn’t concerned about her classmates’ plans to go au natural. That might be fun, and she had packed her bikini in case there was a pool. She had a lot of options.
The problem was Sousuke. By his very nature, he was trouble waiting to happen. Was it possible that he might show up at the pool? Of course! With him, anything is possible.
Ren, Kyouko, Maya, and Ryo finally managed to talk some sense into her. This was a school trip, a time for spreading one’s wings and taking some chances. It was not a time for paranoia or hiding under the blankets. Besides, the boys were all carousing upstairs. They would never know that the girls had left their rooms.
“Look Kaname,” Maya said, showing her friend the messages from the complimentary fortune cookies that she, Ryo, and Ren had brought up from the lobby. “Here’s mine---” Bare Your Soul To Friends. “Here’s Ryo’s---” Wash Away Your Cares. “And here’s Ren’s---” Don’t Be Afraid To Take Risks.”
Kaname smiled. What was she worrying about? Even Sousuke couldn’t fight Good Fortune.
************************************************************
His mission was a success. Sousuke had found the answer he needed.
Miss Okibasu had been shocked at first, then disappointed. For some reason, his teacher thought he had come to her room with some kind of invitation. She asked if she could have a rain check. Her voice sparkled, full of life, when he went to her window…looked outside…and said the sky looked free of clouds.
Women are even more complicated than girls. He would have to remember to ask Kaname about rain checks.
No sooner had he made it back to his room, than the boys began straggling back in as well. Some looked angry. Some looked disappointed. Others looked determined.
“Hey, it’s not MY fault that we couldn’t get the door open.” Shinji plead his case to a number of disgruntled guys while walking through the door. “It’s not like I’m Sousuke. I don’t carry explosives everywhere I go!”
The boys in the room turned and looked at Sousuke. They smiled.
“Sagara. Le-e-e-a-a-ader. I hope you realize we were just joking before.” A member of the drama club came up and put an arm around Sousuke’s shoulder. “How could we EVER replace you as leader?”
“That’s right! Where else could we find someone so courageous and calm under fire…”
“SAGARA!”
“Where could we find anyone with more military knowledge…”
“SAGARA!”
“Where could we find someone with bigger balls…”
“SAGARA!”
“And where could we find someone else with explosives…”
“SAGARA…SAGARA…SAGARA…”
“I shall not lead you into the pool area.” Sousuke crossed his arms on his chest.
“SHIT!”
“But why? I can understand why you might be miffed. We’re dogs. We’re less than dogs. That is why we need a strong and wise master.” One of the rugby players bowed to Sousuke. Another saluted.
“If I am to be the leader, then I will issue this order. We will NOT invade the pool area. It has been occupied by another force. There is no need for a confrontation. Also, Miss Okibasu has placed her trust in me…”
“He’s probably just going to sneak in there by himself,” someone groused.
“Selfish dick!” “Bastard!” “Jerk!” “Yeh, sounds like a rugby player!” “Shut Up!!! “OUCH!!!”
“No.” Sousuke sounded very stern. “I have been given a responsibility. I feel obliged to lookout for everyone’s welfare.” His voice had all of the finality of a bank vault door being closed and locked.
“I agree with Sagara!” One boy winked behind Sousuke’s voice while making that proclamation. “They’re not just girls. They’re not simply naked bodies. They’re our classmates.” He ducked objects thrown by the boys too slow to catch on. “No more arguing or complaining. There is nothing more important than the protection of our fellow students.” He left to huddle with a number of other boys.
“We’re going out to get some more grub,” one guy mentioned from the doorway. “Anyone want to join me?” He and the boys from the huddle headed out. It wasn’t long after all but one of them made it back to the room that the phone rang. The boy who had agreed with Sousuke earlier picked up the receiver.
“No. This must be some kind of joke. That kind of thing only happens on TV. Ohmigod! We’ll lock our door immediately!” The boy looked truly shaken. His acting classes had paid off.
“What is it?” One of the other conspirators asked.
“That was security. There is a group of armed men hold up in the pool area. They’re looking to collect ransom money for their prisoners. The guards are on the way up to take up positions outside of our doors. We may be next!” The boy ran to lock the door. He tilted a chair up under the door knob, as he had seen done in movies.
“What kind of arms? How many men? Professionals or amateurs?” Sosuke’s face was very intense. Kaname is in danger. “Give me the phone. I must speak with the security forces.”
“It’s too late,” the actor said. “They’re gathering weapons, trying to reach the hotel manager and the police, and preparing to head over here. No one will be there to answer the phone.”
Sousuke walked over to a large locked trunk and extracted his weapons bag. “You will all stay here. Use the rope at the window to escape if someone tries to break into the room. I will do what I can.” He headed for the door.
“Wait! You can’t leave us here. They’re our classmates, too. I know I don’t want to stand by and let them get hurt. I could never forgive myself.” The instigator looked around the room. “Who’s with me?”
There was a tremendous onrush of voices. Seems that everyone wanted to volunteer.
“Your courage is commendable,” Sousuke said in response. “But, as non-combatants, you would only be in my way.”
“We’re going any way!” Another of the conspirators stood up and thumped his chest.
“Right! You can lead, follow, or get the Hell out of the way.” The boy gave his buddy a high five. Another boy removed the chair and ran out into the hall.
“HALT!!!” Sousuke’s voice froze everyone in their tracks. “If we must do this as a group, you will all do as I do. We will not take the obvious approach. There is another way. Follow me.” Grasping the rope in both hands, he slid off into the darkness.
Most of the boys followed suit. Some of the others decided it might be just as much fun to pay a visit to the girls’ rooms while the girls were away. The rope lead past their balcony. The balcony door was unlocked.
After being knocked off of the same balcony, Sousuke had found an unfinished area of the building that contained the duct work coming from the air handling system. As the pool was in the next building over, there was a good chance that its room would also be served by the same ventilation system.
“Listen up. There is no place for indecision or hesitation. Those of you with doubts, remain behind. The others will follow me, quietly.”
“Sousuke, where are we going?” Shinji sounded worried. He thought he knew what Sousuke intended. He also had a suspicion that the other boys were trying to pull a fast one. He wouldn’t give the plan away---after reading about so many adventures, Shinji wanted to have one of his own.
“Into the vents. They will serve as tunnels. In Afghanistan, the freedom fighters used natural water carved tunnels, crevices, and caves to move unseen amongst the occupying Russian troops. Before them, tunnels had great tactical value in many battles across the world and throughout history.” That said, Sousuke crawled into the nearest exposed duct.
Shinji, camera flash charged, was the second one in. One by one, the other boys followed. Like a string of ants, they followed one another through the darkness.
Stopping at each vent plate, Sousuke took note of their location. Fortunately, most of the rooms they passed by were part of the lounge. The noise in those rooms covered over any sounds they might make themselves.
Just like the lead dogs in a sled race, it’s better to be up front. Boys will be boys. A number of the adventurers thought it would be funny to pass gas as they crawled along on their hand and knees. The boys behind them were not apt to appreciate the joke. Neither were the barflies nearest to the vents. A lot of appetizers and entrees were sent back to the kitchen.
“Shinji, I smell chlorine. Tell the boy behind you to move especially quietly, and to pass the message to the boy behind him. We are nearing our destination. What happens next will mean the difference between life and death!”
The duct work over the pool was naked, hanging by long thin metal bolts attacked to the ceiling. The materials were from the earliest days of the newer buildings, and were put in under less stringent codes. A large concentration of grills lined the final stretch of duct. The structure ended over the deep end of the swimming facilities.
Vent by vent, Sousuke looked for the captors. He saw none. Why were the girls laughing, splashing, and dunking one another? That is not the usual behavior of prisoners.
Then, his eyes stopped looking at the big picture. He focused his sight on the details. Miss Okibasu’s definition was correct. Most of the girls were entirely naked.
************************************************************
With the exception of a few closet nudists, the girls were all a little nervous taking off their swim suits. One by one, the tops came off, as the braver girls tried to convince the shrinking violets to join them in their bold emancipation.
“Come on. They’re no boys here. Enforced modesty is society’s way of making us objects of sexual interest and desire. We don’t have to worry about that here.” One girl did a naked pirouette, filled with a sense of freedom.
“Sure. Right. Like Sousuke even knows what sexual desire and interest are. Big idiot.” He had a chance to do something or say something when she hugged him. Of course, being a military machine above and below the waist, he did nothing.
“Kaname?” Kyouko already felt naked, even though her suit was still on. They had all forced her to leave her camera back in the room. ‘It’s not like anyone can get in there, Ky’ they had said.
“Nothing, Ky.”
“Stop thinking like they think, girls. You’re more than just breasts and thighs. Once you start worrying about how various parts of your body enhance your appearance, those parts belong to the viewers not to you.” Another of the born naturalists was trying to sway her more modest comrades.
“Damn that Sousuke! Saying I wasn’t fully naked. Like it wasn’t good enough. Jerk!” Kaname angrily slapped her hand against the water.
“Is Kaname OK?” Maya asked Kyouko.
“I think she’s fantasizing about Sousuke. I bet she brblbrblbrblbbbbbbb” Kyouko had her hed pushed under water by Kaname.
“This is our chance to show the world that we don‘t care about their rules and hypocrisy. There are places where a woman can be fined or arrested for breast-feeding her baby, but pornographic magazines are on sale all over the place.” Some of the girls might have been going a bit overboard with their sales pitches.
“It‘s not as if it really matters,” Kaname said to herself. “I handed Sousuke a girlie magazine as a joke once, just to see him get embarrassed. He asked why I handed him a publication about the homeless. It saddened him to see that there were women who could not afford clothing. Moron!”
Having just swam over, Ryo had to duck under water so that Kaname wouldn’t hear her laugh.
Ren joined them too. She was already naked.
“Ren?” Kaname was shocked. She figured that Ren would have been one of the last.
“I’ve got nothing to be ashamed of. It’s nice just to relax, without worrying so much about rules or expectations.” She left to swim a lap.
“Time to strike a blow against Top Free Inequality. Boys and Men get to swim topless, why shouldn’t we? Take advantage of the opportunity while you can.” The spiel had gotten annoying. A large number of girls threw their tops at the carefree girl.
“Stupid Sousuke! He got to run around half-naked without a care in the world. I had to feel embarrassed out on that balcony. Loser!” Kaname, her thoughts and feelings ping-ponging again, looked over and dared Kyouko to contradict her.
“You know Kaname, there is a way to get over your embarrassment,” Maya said.
“How?” Kaname asked.
“You can let Sousuke see you naked more often. Then it won’t seem like such a big deal!” Ryo took off swimming the moment she finished speaking. Kaname, churning up a furious froth, followed close behind.
“She definitely does not care about Sousuke,” Kyouko said.
“Only a fool would think otherwise,” Maya replied, breaking out into giggling.
“Yes.” Kyouko joined her.
At one point, the boys made a play to get into the room. But, the chains and door locks did their job splendidly. Instead of making the girls too anxious or paranoid to consider Skinny Dipping, it had the opposite effect. If no one could get in, what was there to worry about?
"We're safe. That's great!" The majority of girls cheered.
“I don’t know. Maybe we could use some excitement on this trip.” Kaname looked over at the girl who had spoken. Did she come out on the same bus? “Things are boring enough back at school. I mean, there’s a Yokozuna staying here now, I heard. Stuck in our rooms, we never get to see anyone like that.”
“There’s a wrestling champion here, too. And a famous martial artist,” a girl standing next to Maya said with a longing sigh. “At least that’s what the woman in the gift shop said. She saw them walk in.”
“They probably wouldn’t even take notice of high school students. They’re great men. We should just be thankful to stay in the same place they stay.” The girl across from Ryo looked dreamy-eyed.
“I don’t know. I think that’s all just hype. I hear that the whole bunch of them were causing a fuss out front, and were beat up by one guy. A young man. He chopped the wrestler to the neck…threw the martial artist in a koi pool…and shot the Sumo in his privates. The baggage handlers were talking about it out by the ice machine.” That girl did not seem overly impressed by celebrities. Treading water near Kyouko, she wondered what the guy who won looked like.
Kaname sank under the water, blowing her air out through her mouth. She had a horrible suspicion that she knew just what the guy looked like. Young. Dark hair. X-shaped scar on his cheek. Invisible tattoo that read ‘I will do anything and everything to make Kaname Chidori’s life a living nightmare.’ Sousuke. It just wasn’t safe to take him ANYWHERE!!! Just how many people in the world could possibly end up shooting a Yokozuna in the family jewels?
A number of arms grabbed hold of Kaname and pulled her frantically to the surface. “What were you doing down there, Kaname?” Kyouko asked. “You were down too long,” Maya asserted. “You could have drowned!” Ryo exclaimed.
“I was just thinking….”
“Sousuke!” All three girls spoke at once, than began to laugh.
Kaname didn’t answer. Even safely hidden away in a swimming pool, it felt as if Sousuke had followed her. Swimming alone to the side of the pool, she caught the tail end of a conversation.
“Yes, the ancient Greek women often bathed naked in lakes or streams, but in the myths that often brought them trouble.” The girl put her hand up over her chest chastely.
“How? Wrinkly skin? Bitten on the bum by a big fish or snapping turtle?” The other girl stretched out on her towel, enjoying the feel of air against her wet body.
“No. If a passing god took a fancy, he’d likely come down from the sky and ravish her…whether or not she were a virgin.”
“Well, I don’t think we have anything to worry about. I would hardly call any of the boys in our class gods. And when’s the last time you ever saw a man fall down from the sky?” Her laughter was interrupted by a series of popping noises.
Looking up, Kaname saw the large duct traversing the ceiling begin to sag. As more bolts and screws tore free of their anchor points, the structure fell downward sharply, suspended perilously above the pool. The end cap broke free and swung wildly by one last fastener. Something large fell out and plummeted into the water.
No. Not ‘some thing.’ Someone!
Up above, a boy protruded from the duct, his legs held by the person behind him. A camera flash went off…repeatedly…frequently. As the duct jiggled, threatening to pull loose some more, the boy retreated like a ground hog in its hole. Kaname recognized that boy. It was Shinji. She was afraid to look out in the pool.
“SAGARA!!!” Hearing that shout, Kaname closed her eyes. She was right. Who else could it be?
Girls screamed as they ran to grab their swimsuits or the nearest towels. Those who were already dressed jumped into the pool, intent on distracting their uninvited guest.
Sousuke had been afloat in shark-infested water before. Watching the splashes and large ripples headed in his direction, he felt a sense of trepidation he had not felt then.
************************************************************
Sousuke stood in Miss Okibasu’s room with his head bowed. He had broken her trust and felt ashamed. That fact that he had been tricked didn’t matter. A leader cannot afford to make mistakes.
“Mr. Sagara, I had hoped that I could rely on you and your standing with the other boys. You were supposed to put and end to trouble, not rush in leading the way.” Miss Okibasu was the only one in the room at that moment. Kaname, as class representative, would be joining them in a short while.
“Yes. I understand. I have failed you.” His tone was so downhearted, his teacher couldn’t help but feel sympathetic. “You know Sousuke, if all you wanted was to see a naked woman, that could have been arranged in a much simpler and quieter fashion.” She blushed after blurting that out. “Ooops. Forget I ever said that. For now. Why, Sousuke?”
“When they told me their initial plans, I stopped them. I told them I was responsible for looking out for everyone’s welfare. But, then I fell for their deception. That is inexcusable. I was led to believe that the girls were in danger. Accordingly, I decided to rescue them. The others refused to remain behind.” Sousuke was disgusted with himself. If he was this careless in a mission for Mithril, there might have been serious consequences. Why was he so much more reckless when Kaname was in peril?
“I see. A rescue. Another rescue. Are you aware of the saying 'fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me'? You’re willingness to come to the aid of your friends is a very attractive quality. It pains me to say that your gullibility is not.”
“I understand. I apologize. I do not know what I can do to correct my deficiencies.” Sousuke sounded as if he were destined for a court martial.
“You seem to be a veritable lightning rod for trouble. I have an idea that might work for the rest of this trick. I’ll wait until Miss Chidori gets here and describe it to you both.”
“By your command!” Sousuke stood at attention. Seeing that, his teacher couldn’t help but shake her head and smile.
There was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Miss Okibasu said.
“I came as you requested, Teacher.” Kaname spared Sousuke a rather sour look. “I apologize for the delay. There were more…problems…to deal with.”
“Problems, Miss Chidori?” Miss Okibasu sighed. Didn’t she have enough to deal with already?
“Yes. Not all of the boys went to peep at the pool.” Kaname made it a point not to mention what the girls were doing that prompted such an expedition. “Some snuck into one of the girls’ rooms.” Kaname growled and kicked Sousuke hard in the shin. “They used a rope a certain military maniac left hanging down by our balcony.”
“Miss Chidori, there will be none of that, no matter what happened. Please compose yourself and tell me the pertinent details.” The teacher fought the urge to smile. Sousuke certainly can get under peoples’ skins.
“Every single piece of underwear is missing from our room. A camera was stolen. Our snacks are missing. And someone left the toilet seat up!” Kaname was livid.
“Have the boys given everything back?” Miss Okibasu didn’t feel like having to get up and deal with that kind of nonsense.
“No. The camera is the most important thing. There were some…personal…pictures in it. I’d ask Major Calamity there to help, but I doubt he could handle anything like that without bringing down half of the building.” Kaname turned up her nose with a rather loud Hmmmpppfff.
Miss Okibasu promised to help the girls resolve their difficulties. First, she asked Kaname what she felt about her plan for Sousuke. Kaname was ecstatic. Sousuke was a great deal less than pleased.
“It’s set, then. Until the moment we step back down on Tokyo soil, Mr. Sagara will refrain from the use of any weapon. Unable to discern a true rescue from false, he will leave all such matters in the hands of the proper authorities. Ostracized or not as a result, he shall not aid the others boys in any venture against the girls. Is this understood?” Miss Okibasu felt like a tyrant, but she knew here actions were appropriate and long overdue.
“Affirmative! Teacher, may I ask for a single concession?”
“What’s that, Mr. Sagara?”
“I shall follow those orders to the letter, unless my teacher or my class representative gives me a new command to the contrary!”
“Miss Chiodri, are you OK with that?” Miss Okibasu sounded as if she had no qualms with that exception.
“Yes, Teacher. The last thing I would do is to send the One Man Destruction Army into action. Some of us may want to return to this city someday!”
“Well them, I expect you to remain true to your honor, Mr. Sagara.” Miss Okibasu was certain that the notion of personal honor was very important to her student.
“Mam, yes mam!” Sousuke saluted. Miss Okibasu sighed.
“Teacher, may I make a suggestion before we leave?” Kaname’s eyes sparkled devilishly.
“Miss Chidori?”
“To help him get things out of his system, could we order Sousuke to retrieve the camera and under things?”
Miss Okibasu thought for a moment. “That’s an excellent idea. Mr. Sagara, I command you to gather up the missing items.”
There was no reply. The door was open. Sousuke was up and gone. Flipping its way through the air, Kyouko’s diary landed at Kaname’s feet.
“He doesn’t waste any time.” Miss Okibasu said, amused. “It might be best if you kept an eye on him, don‘t you think?”
Before her teacher knew it, Kaname had vanished as well.
************************************************************
If Sousuke was not going to be allowed to fight any more, he at least made good use of the time he still had remaining. The Tazmanian Devil from Loony Tunes would have thrown in the towel, a piker, if he saw the young Sergeant in action that night.
With Kaname in tow, he had returned to the boys’ room. The first mistake was made when a group of boys told him he shouldn’t bring his big-breasted blue-haired bimbo back to the room, unless there was enough for everyone to share. Wrong joke. Wrong person. Wrong time. Those boys spent the rest of the night sleeping in the top of the tall tree outside of the balcony.
“You should not speak so crudely about Miss Chidori,” he had said, before dishing out a lesson in manners.
“Urrrrkkkkhhh, arrrghhhhhhhh, and no no noooooooo” were some of their pithy but heartfelt responses.
“Thank you, Sousuke” Kaname said quietly.
The second mistake was made when another group of boys gave Sousuke the finger. He had politely but sternly admonished them and asked them to return Kyouko’s camera. They were too jacked up over the pictures of Kyouko’s risqué Dare routine.
One boy ignored Sousuke, picked up the telephone, and called an all-night copying facility to see if they could make duplicates of the photo disc. Another boy laughed and said if they found a computer, the revealing shots could be on-line before they knew it. The straw that broke the camel’s back---and three boys’ noses---was the third boy asking Kaname if she’d do a pose or two to add to the expose. He was rather descriptive in his request. Instead of apologizing, he made an obscene gesture.
The on-call plumber couldn’t get the one boy’s head out of the toilet---he had to break the bowel with a sledgehammer. An assistant mason as well, he had an easier time setting the bricks loosened by the impact of another boy’s head. The third boy thought he had gotten off lightly, delivered to the girls’ room he had pilfered previously, hands tied. He was not of the same opinion when morning rolled around.
“I do not think Miss Tokiwa would wish to be exploited in such a fashion. I would not like to see Miss Chidori abused in any way.” Sousuke had been rather forceful in his explanations.
To Kaname, for a moment, Sousuke seemed surrounded by an aura of shining light.
The other culprits were quick learners. They handed Sousuke a gym bag stuffed to the brim with the girls’ undergarments. “That’s most of them,” one boy had said. “That’s not good enough,” Sousuke had replied. A number of bras and panties had been run up the flag poles in front of the Inn. They were stuck. The rope still moved, but the undergarments did not. The solution was simple, and memorable. The rope was hooked through the back of the boys’ BVDs, and each was hoisted up like a flag, enduring the Mother Of All Wedgies as they retrieved the spoils of their earlier raid.
Kaname knew Kyouko would be mortified by the fact that a number of boys had been slavering over her sexy photos. But, no doubt her friend would find some comfort in the pictures that Kaname took of the boys swinging in the breeze, mouths grimacing in excruciating pain.
After all of the pilfered items were recovered, Sousuke had reason to sweat. Kaname ordered him to accompany her personally to the girls’ room. “Boys stole that stuff, Sousuke. A boy should return it.”
If Sousuke was confused by women before that delivery, he was even more befuddled afterwards. Following the incident at the pool, he was clearly Public Enemy # 1. When he handed over the panties and camera, and Kaname described his words and deeds in glowing Technicolor, he became instead The Sexiest Boy Alive. He had to run the guantlet to make his escape. Before he was able to reach the door, he had been kissed, groped, and pinched innumerable times by the swarming mass of giggling girls.
Kaname didn’t mind one bit. She had always envied Sousuke his calmness under fire. Gangsters could be shooting…insane policemen could be chasing…bombs could be blowing up…and Sousuke would look like he was reading the Sunday paper. In contrast, she was sure that she had lost years off of her life. Watching Sousuke fight for every step, and seeing the look on his face when the girls were draped all over him, filled her with a deep and soothing sense of satisfaction.
When Sousuke was free to go, the cattiest of the girls all whistled and yelled, asking Kaname if she was going to give their hero a kiss goodnight. “Of course NOT!” she had insisted. But, part of her wished she had.
Having survived that, Sousuke was ready for anything. He wasn’t concerned, even though there was a good chance that the collective group of boys’ would view him as a traitor and treat him accordingly. Not able to retaliate, by means of his pledge, he would be like a lamb before the slaughter. But, he had survived much worse in the mountain camps of Jalalabad and Khost.
There was little reason to be concerned. While some boys may have resented him, a vast majority still viewed Sousuke as the Top Dog. His reputation was not harmed by the ten different colors of lipstick dotting his face, neck, and shirt. A few stray areas of color on his thigh and groin areas led too some vivid speculations. Likewise, he could do no wrong that night after one boy asked an obvious question.
“Sousuke, why do you still have girls’ underwear in your pockets and stuffed down your shirt? I thought the whole idea was to return the stuff.”
“There were just too many hands. I kept trying to give it all back, but some insisted that I keep theirs. It was all I could do to escape as it was.” Sousuke did a quick check to make certain all of his own clothing still remained.
Somewhat timidly, Shinji approached Sousuke, camera in hand. “I suppose you’re going to want to expose or confiscate my film?” The sound of his voice made it clear that he thought it was a foregone conclusion.
“No,” Sousuke said, soon to be surrounded by a bunch of guys slapping him on the back. “I was not issued such orders. I have no authority whatsoever to remove your property from your possession.”
“Thank you, Sousuke” Shinji said with a big smile. “Would you like a copy of the special calendar I’m going to put together for the holidays?” The bespectacled young man had his turn at hand pumping and back slacking. It seemed that a picture was worth more than a thousands words.
“Yes, that would be nice!” Sousuke responded eagerly. He did not grasp the innuendos involved. Instead, he thought to stash the offered item away in his closet. No doubt he would be expected to present Kaname with a gift this winter. She had a calendar in her kitchen, and no doubt would need one for the coming new year.
It was early in the morning. No one had any illusions about getting much sleep. Eschewing rest altogether, a large group of boys decided to experience another time-honored ritual of male bonding, bringing Sousuke and Shinji along with them. Despite being underage, all of them were able to bluff, coerce, or sneak their way into the late night movie theatre. Sitting near the front row, Sousuke found numerous inaccuracies in the plot and action sequences for Battlefield Babes and Hot Teenage Ninja Girls In Trouble.
************************************************************
End of part 7
Walking around the darkened lawn of the Inn, Sousuke finally made his way back to the entranceway. A number of limousines had pulled up by the marble archway. As Sousuke walked by them, a hand grabbed his shoulder. Whirling, he broke free, ready to attack if necessary. He was accosted a tall gaunt man in a fancy green dinner jacket. He was surrounded by a wall of luggage. Two attractive women in sequined gown leaned on the man behind him. The man was enormous.
“You there, boy!” The man who had laid hands on Sousuke spoke with a high nasal voice. “We require your services. Be quick about it!” He clapped his hands together then turned away.
Sousuke shook his head and headed back towards the large brass doors leading into the lobby. The man must have mistaken him for someone else.
“Where are you going?” When Sousuke turned around, the tall man was shaking a fist in his direction. “Not another step, you hear me. You will take care of us right away!” The ‘us’ had grown. More beauties had left the limousines, accompanying a squat muscular man dressed in a intricately sewn leather vest and wearing an ornamental hat.
“My pardon, but you have made a mistake. I have other duties.” Sousuke noted that a third man of obvious note had walked up. He was lithe and nimble looking, dressed in a colorful set of robes, a large sash around his waist. A number of men in black suits were present as well. Bodyguards. Could they be any MORE obvious?
“No, YOU are the one who is mistaken. I do not care what other tasks you have been assigned. If you are too stupid to realize it on your own, I will lower myself this once to explain things to you. The men you see are champions, and they are not accustomed to being made to wait. You will begin carrying their luggage inside, NOW!”
Sousuke turned away again. He heard steps behind him. The annoying man grabbed his shirt and tried to pull him backward. “I am Sachiya Morishita, the famous international fight arranger. So that you know my full stature, I was Muay Thai champion of Japan before you were born.”
With an effortless move, Sousuke ducked down and caused the man to let go before he fell. “That is a commendable feat, but has no bearing on me.” He then pointed to a group of young men with carts who had arrived. There outfits were not all that different than the fresh clothes Sousuke had chosen to put on after playing cards. “They will assist you. I am simply…”
“Simple is obvious. Whether or not you realize it, you have lost your job. You can be sure of that! Now, it is a matter of whether or not you end up in an emergency clinic tonight.” He waved his hand. The bodyguards advanced and cut off Sousuke’s means of escape. “You stand deficient before three great men. Cengiz Yilmaz, Uzbekistani champion of Kurash, voted to have the best technique in the world. Abdulla Mahmud, reigning winner of the Kirpinar Wrestling Competition, is one of the best traditional Turkish oil wrestlers in the world. Taiho Kashiwado, famous Yokozuna, and winner of this year’s tournament at Nagoya, will NOT be kept waiting by the likes of you.”
“I am honored gentlemen.” Sousuke bowed to each notable. “But, since I do not work here, I shall be on my way.” Sousuke headed on his way again.
“I told you, losing your job does not absolve you of your responsibility.” Mr. Morishita snapped his fingers. The bodyguards started walking towards Sousuke, each now grasping a short stick.
“You have not tried to listen. These mens’ fates shall be in your hands,” Sousuke said with some heat. The alcohol had left him a bit irritable. The fact that strong men were willing to abuse the weak made him angry. “I shall help move your luggage, however.”
“Too late!” the fight promoter crowed, thinking that Sousuke had announced his willingness to bring the bags inside. He was mistaken.
Picking up one suitcase, Sousuke flung it hard through the air, hitting one of the guards and causing him to drop his stick and stumble backward. Grabbing hold of a smaller pair of bags, he swung them hard at the nearest opponent, striking one blocking arm solidly and connecting solidly on the man’s patella, fracturing the bone. Bringing the bags back around, he smashed both on opposite sides of the groaning man’s head, sending him down for the count.
“Imbeciles! Can’t you stop one young boy?”
“Professional pride stung, the other two men in black rushed Sousuke from different angles, one man going low with his stick and the other aiming high with the heel of his boot. The attacks were vicious, meant to do grievous harm, not simply subdue the opponent.
Turning, Sousuke took a painful but glancing blow to the upper thigh. With both hands, he caught the foot aimed at his temple and twisted. When the man landed awkwardly, Sousuke pulled the pin on a small concussion grenade and shoved it down his adversary’s coat, then pushed the man towards Mr. Morishita. The resultant explosion incapacitated the bodyguard and tore the promoter’s fancy jacket.
Noting the obvious escalation of the conflict, the remaining bodyguard pulled out a gun. Before he could bring the Daewoo DP-17 to bear, a combat knife seemingly materialized, sticking out of his gun hand. Screaming in pain, he blacked out after being hit with a nasty elbow to the head.
Sousuke took a mental note. He would need to bring Sgt. Major Mao a six-pack of beer by way of thanking her for her knife-fighting training.
“As I tried to inform you. I do NOT work here. I am a visitor!” Sousuke turned to face a livid Mr. Morishita.
“That does not matter NOW! Look at my clothing. This is your doing. I will get my satisfaction by breaking you myself.” The furious ex-champion did not seem concerned in the least for the fallen bodyguards.
Muay Thai, translated to mean Thai boxing, is an effective and devastating fighting style in the ring and on the street. Top fighters develop remarkable power and speed, able to strike with hand, foot, knee, and elbow. Once one of the toughest fighters in Japan, Sachiya Morishita remained a formidable opponent even at his age.
“I have learned to respect my elders,” Sousuke remarked, preparing himself to meet the attack of the older man. “But, only if they are worthy of respect. Perhaps you were an honorable warrior once, but now you are ronin, dishonorable.” With a smooth motion, he pulled a long metal wire out of a seam in his pants and rolled it up in his palm. His opponent, taking him lightly, had been playing to his crowd instead of keeping a close eye on him.
“My guests hold me in high esteem. What do the churlish words of a young mongrel mean to me?” The man charged. He was fast. A kick lashed out at Sousuke’s midsection. If it had landed, the fight would have been over. “You have some skill. You might make me work up a sweat. I do NOT like sweating.” An elbow swung with fearful speed.
The fight followed a simple pattern. The kick boxer lashed out, and Sousuke dodged. The younger man took some painful blows, but nothing serious. Rather than strike back, Sousuke was taking stock of his opponent’s movements and tendencies. He sacrificed himself by taking a stinging punch to the ear. Before the attacker realized what was happening, the young soldier wrapped his metal garrote around his neck.
“You fight for power, to humiliate your foe,” Sousuke spat at the man grasping at the constricting wire. “I fight to survive.” Turning to the remaining men who had accompanied Mr. Morishita, he said “If anyone wishes to aid him, it is permitted. I suggest you act swiftly.” With that, he headed up the steps towards the Inn after retrieving his knife and the diary he had placed in a convenient shrub. He paid no mind to the baggage attendants who ran to remove the garrote.
“You are not finished here, young man.” A deep voice said. Mr. Mahmud took a step forward and placed his hat on the nearest stack of luggage. “While I did not approve of Mr. Morishita’s actions, we are here as his guests, and are beholden to stand for him.” He began his Peshrev, the warm-up movements that resembled the attack of a bird of prey.
“I must second that statement, even though you did nothing to cause this trouble, and have avoided bringing shame upon yourself. I shall do my best not to injure you severely.” Mr. Yilmaz, adept at one of the oldest forms of martial arts---upright jacket wrestling---bowed towards Sousuke.
“If they walk this path, it would be a stain on my honor if I stood idly by. The fact that you are but a boy shall NOT stay my hand. You have savaged my host. You have caused me considerable delay. A prolonged stay in the hospital may teach you to give way to your betters.” Mr. Kashiwado began the Shiko, the stamping of his feet on the ground to build up strength.
A considerable crowd had gathered. Camera flashes were going off left and right. A number of people recognized the Yokizuna.
“I have nothing to gain from fighting any of you. I shall bid you goodnight.” Sousuke looked for an opening in the crowd. Finding none, he started to force his way betwixt and between the milling onlookers. A powerful arm wrapped around his neck and jerked him down the stairs. Gaining his feet once more, he found himself surrounded by the three champions.
“Now, as means of honorable contest, we will---” Mr. Mahmud was interrupted when a flash bang went off in his face. Oil wrestlers are a special breed, thought by some to represent the pinnacle of the wrestling world. That fact did the Turk little good when Sousuke gave him a brutal backhand chop to the cricoid cartilage. Any lower, and the blow would have fractured his airway and led to asphyxiation without proper medical attention. As it was, the man was effectively out of the fight.
Open to attack from the other side, Sousuke was dragged forward by his shirt and thrown over the roof of an idling limousine. Getting up from his injury-saving roll, he made his way into a darkened area of the yard, just off of the well-lit driveway. The crowd, anxious to see the conflict, was slowly pushing its way past the hotel liverymen.
“Very clever young man,” the Kurash master said approvingly. “It shall avail you none.” He and Sousuke traded blows and tosses, neither gaining the upper hand. Because he had walked through this area to reach the front of the Inn, Sousuke had an advantage.
Sousuke bull-rushed his opponent, wrapping both hands around his upper chest. His momentum allowed him to push the other man into a large koi pool. Picking up a wooden temple replica he had tripped over earlier, he broke it over the man’s head, dazing him.
There was no time to catch his breath. The Sumo was exceptionally quiet for a man his size. Sousuke was barely aware that the behemoth of a man was there before open-handed Harite to the side of his face sent him hard to the ground. There was no way he could pit his strength against this foe and walk away unbroken. The arrival of a number of loud motorcycles provided him with the cover he needed.
“Time to squash you, little bug!” Mr. Kashiwoda’s chuckled, sounding like the roughly idling motors. Soon enough, he had little to laugh about.
Taking his Glock out of the back of his pants, Sousuke sent a rubber bullet point blank into the Sumo’s groin. With one push of his hand, he sent the cross-eyed giant onto his back and walked back towards the light.
His steps became increasingly fast. The other boys had been left to their own devices for far too long. That was a risk he was unwilling to take. He had promised Miss Okibasu to keep trouble to a minimum.
************************************************************
When Sousuke walked back into the room, he found Shinji being carried around the room by a bunch of the larger and stronger boys. Coming down from the adrenalin rush caused by his recent skirmish, he was primed to rush to his friend’s defense if necessary. But, Shinji was smiling.
“Hey, Sagara! You’re no longer the King. Kazama is King!” Carrying a towel, the rugby player was naked, beginning to pull on a pair of swimming trunks.
“KAZAMA…KAZAMA…KAZAMA…KAZAMA…”
“Yeh Dude, you’re the ex-Leader. You kick ass big time, and you are balls-on with the chicks, but you never scored for the rest of us.” The captain of the swimming team was adjusting his Speedos.
Everywhere Sousuke looked, boys were in the state of getting undressed or grabbing towels out of a linen closet. Some were brushing there teeth or gargling with mouthwash. One boy even sprayed others with a bottle of cologne.
“KAZAMA…KAZAMA…KAZAMA…KAZAMA…”
“Man, get ready for the pool,” one boy said to Sousuke. “Shinji overheard some girls talking. They’re all sneaking down to the swimming facilities after hours.”
“It’s better than just that! They plan on keeping us out. Know why? Skinny dipping!!!” The speaker was so excited, he had put his shorts on backwards.
“Not to mention that Kazama has his camera, a zoom lens, and a case full of film. We’re still alive, but we’re all about to enter Heaven!” The boy was combing hair greased down with styling gel.
“ARE WE READY?”
”YES!!!”
“ARE WE MEN?”
”YES!!!”
“THEN LET’S GO….”
The boys stampeded out of the room and took off running through the hallway and down the stairs. Shinji ran back into the room, camera swinging from his neck and a cartridge belt holding film rolls circling his waist. “Hey Sousuke, aren’t you coming?”
Before Sousuke could answer, two boys grabbed Shinji by the arms and tugged him down the hall. The young Mithril operative would follow, if there was a high likelihood of trouble. But, what could go wrong with swimming?
One word had him puzzled. It might provide the key to knowing whether he should stay or go. Skinny dipping. What did that mean? There was no dictionary in the room, and no PC for access to the internet. This is a school trip. How does one find answers at school? He knew what to do.
He would ask Miss Okibasu.
************************************************************
No one would listen to Kaname. It did not matter that she was a class representative, and thus a de facto leader. Her past experiences held no weight. Her warnings fell on deaf ears.
The girls were all intent to sneak into the pool. Kaname wan’t worried about the swimming area being off limits after hours. There was no need for a lifeguard---the entire swimming team would be there. She wasn’t concerned about her classmates’ plans to go au natural. That might be fun, and she had packed her bikini in case there was a pool. She had a lot of options.
The problem was Sousuke. By his very nature, he was trouble waiting to happen. Was it possible that he might show up at the pool? Of course! With him, anything is possible.
Ren, Kyouko, Maya, and Ryo finally managed to talk some sense into her. This was a school trip, a time for spreading one’s wings and taking some chances. It was not a time for paranoia or hiding under the blankets. Besides, the boys were all carousing upstairs. They would never know that the girls had left their rooms.
“Look Kaname,” Maya said, showing her friend the messages from the complimentary fortune cookies that she, Ryo, and Ren had brought up from the lobby. “Here’s mine---” Bare Your Soul To Friends. “Here’s Ryo’s---” Wash Away Your Cares. “And here’s Ren’s---” Don’t Be Afraid To Take Risks.”
Kaname smiled. What was she worrying about? Even Sousuke couldn’t fight Good Fortune.
************************************************************
His mission was a success. Sousuke had found the answer he needed.
Miss Okibasu had been shocked at first, then disappointed. For some reason, his teacher thought he had come to her room with some kind of invitation. She asked if she could have a rain check. Her voice sparkled, full of life, when he went to her window…looked outside…and said the sky looked free of clouds.
Women are even more complicated than girls. He would have to remember to ask Kaname about rain checks.
No sooner had he made it back to his room, than the boys began straggling back in as well. Some looked angry. Some looked disappointed. Others looked determined.
“Hey, it’s not MY fault that we couldn’t get the door open.” Shinji plead his case to a number of disgruntled guys while walking through the door. “It’s not like I’m Sousuke. I don’t carry explosives everywhere I go!”
The boys in the room turned and looked at Sousuke. They smiled.
“Sagara. Le-e-e-a-a-ader. I hope you realize we were just joking before.” A member of the drama club came up and put an arm around Sousuke’s shoulder. “How could we EVER replace you as leader?”
“That’s right! Where else could we find someone so courageous and calm under fire…”
“SAGARA!”
“Where could we find anyone with more military knowledge…”
“SAGARA!”
“Where could we find someone with bigger balls…”
“SAGARA!”
“And where could we find someone else with explosives…”
“SAGARA…SAGARA…SAGARA…”
“I shall not lead you into the pool area.” Sousuke crossed his arms on his chest.
“SHIT!”
“But why? I can understand why you might be miffed. We’re dogs. We’re less than dogs. That is why we need a strong and wise master.” One of the rugby players bowed to Sousuke. Another saluted.
“If I am to be the leader, then I will issue this order. We will NOT invade the pool area. It has been occupied by another force. There is no need for a confrontation. Also, Miss Okibasu has placed her trust in me…”
“He’s probably just going to sneak in there by himself,” someone groused.
“Selfish dick!” “Bastard!” “Jerk!” “Yeh, sounds like a rugby player!” “Shut Up!!! “OUCH!!!”
“No.” Sousuke sounded very stern. “I have been given a responsibility. I feel obliged to lookout for everyone’s welfare.” His voice had all of the finality of a bank vault door being closed and locked.
“I agree with Sagara!” One boy winked behind Sousuke’s voice while making that proclamation. “They’re not just girls. They’re not simply naked bodies. They’re our classmates.” He ducked objects thrown by the boys too slow to catch on. “No more arguing or complaining. There is nothing more important than the protection of our fellow students.” He left to huddle with a number of other boys.
“We’re going out to get some more grub,” one guy mentioned from the doorway. “Anyone want to join me?” He and the boys from the huddle headed out. It wasn’t long after all but one of them made it back to the room that the phone rang. The boy who had agreed with Sousuke earlier picked up the receiver.
“No. This must be some kind of joke. That kind of thing only happens on TV. Ohmigod! We’ll lock our door immediately!” The boy looked truly shaken. His acting classes had paid off.
“What is it?” One of the other conspirators asked.
“That was security. There is a group of armed men hold up in the pool area. They’re looking to collect ransom money for their prisoners. The guards are on the way up to take up positions outside of our doors. We may be next!” The boy ran to lock the door. He tilted a chair up under the door knob, as he had seen done in movies.
“What kind of arms? How many men? Professionals or amateurs?” Sosuke’s face was very intense. Kaname is in danger. “Give me the phone. I must speak with the security forces.”
“It’s too late,” the actor said. “They’re gathering weapons, trying to reach the hotel manager and the police, and preparing to head over here. No one will be there to answer the phone.”
Sousuke walked over to a large locked trunk and extracted his weapons bag. “You will all stay here. Use the rope at the window to escape if someone tries to break into the room. I will do what I can.” He headed for the door.
“Wait! You can’t leave us here. They’re our classmates, too. I know I don’t want to stand by and let them get hurt. I could never forgive myself.” The instigator looked around the room. “Who’s with me?”
There was a tremendous onrush of voices. Seems that everyone wanted to volunteer.
“Your courage is commendable,” Sousuke said in response. “But, as non-combatants, you would only be in my way.”
“We’re going any way!” Another of the conspirators stood up and thumped his chest.
“Right! You can lead, follow, or get the Hell out of the way.” The boy gave his buddy a high five. Another boy removed the chair and ran out into the hall.
“HALT!!!” Sousuke’s voice froze everyone in their tracks. “If we must do this as a group, you will all do as I do. We will not take the obvious approach. There is another way. Follow me.” Grasping the rope in both hands, he slid off into the darkness.
Most of the boys followed suit. Some of the others decided it might be just as much fun to pay a visit to the girls’ rooms while the girls were away. The rope lead past their balcony. The balcony door was unlocked.
After being knocked off of the same balcony, Sousuke had found an unfinished area of the building that contained the duct work coming from the air handling system. As the pool was in the next building over, there was a good chance that its room would also be served by the same ventilation system.
“Listen up. There is no place for indecision or hesitation. Those of you with doubts, remain behind. The others will follow me, quietly.”
“Sousuke, where are we going?” Shinji sounded worried. He thought he knew what Sousuke intended. He also had a suspicion that the other boys were trying to pull a fast one. He wouldn’t give the plan away---after reading about so many adventures, Shinji wanted to have one of his own.
“Into the vents. They will serve as tunnels. In Afghanistan, the freedom fighters used natural water carved tunnels, crevices, and caves to move unseen amongst the occupying Russian troops. Before them, tunnels had great tactical value in many battles across the world and throughout history.” That said, Sousuke crawled into the nearest exposed duct.
Shinji, camera flash charged, was the second one in. One by one, the other boys followed. Like a string of ants, they followed one another through the darkness.
Stopping at each vent plate, Sousuke took note of their location. Fortunately, most of the rooms they passed by were part of the lounge. The noise in those rooms covered over any sounds they might make themselves.
Just like the lead dogs in a sled race, it’s better to be up front. Boys will be boys. A number of the adventurers thought it would be funny to pass gas as they crawled along on their hand and knees. The boys behind them were not apt to appreciate the joke. Neither were the barflies nearest to the vents. A lot of appetizers and entrees were sent back to the kitchen.
“Shinji, I smell chlorine. Tell the boy behind you to move especially quietly, and to pass the message to the boy behind him. We are nearing our destination. What happens next will mean the difference between life and death!”
The duct work over the pool was naked, hanging by long thin metal bolts attacked to the ceiling. The materials were from the earliest days of the newer buildings, and were put in under less stringent codes. A large concentration of grills lined the final stretch of duct. The structure ended over the deep end of the swimming facilities.
Vent by vent, Sousuke looked for the captors. He saw none. Why were the girls laughing, splashing, and dunking one another? That is not the usual behavior of prisoners.
Then, his eyes stopped looking at the big picture. He focused his sight on the details. Miss Okibasu’s definition was correct. Most of the girls were entirely naked.
************************************************************
With the exception of a few closet nudists, the girls were all a little nervous taking off their swim suits. One by one, the tops came off, as the braver girls tried to convince the shrinking violets to join them in their bold emancipation.
“Come on. They’re no boys here. Enforced modesty is society’s way of making us objects of sexual interest and desire. We don’t have to worry about that here.” One girl did a naked pirouette, filled with a sense of freedom.
“Sure. Right. Like Sousuke even knows what sexual desire and interest are. Big idiot.” He had a chance to do something or say something when she hugged him. Of course, being a military machine above and below the waist, he did nothing.
“Kaname?” Kyouko already felt naked, even though her suit was still on. They had all forced her to leave her camera back in the room. ‘It’s not like anyone can get in there, Ky’ they had said.
“Nothing, Ky.”
“Stop thinking like they think, girls. You’re more than just breasts and thighs. Once you start worrying about how various parts of your body enhance your appearance, those parts belong to the viewers not to you.” Another of the born naturalists was trying to sway her more modest comrades.
“Damn that Sousuke! Saying I wasn’t fully naked. Like it wasn’t good enough. Jerk!” Kaname angrily slapped her hand against the water.
“Is Kaname OK?” Maya asked Kyouko.
“I think she’s fantasizing about Sousuke. I bet she brblbrblbrblbbbbbbb” Kyouko had her hed pushed under water by Kaname.
“This is our chance to show the world that we don‘t care about their rules and hypocrisy. There are places where a woman can be fined or arrested for breast-feeding her baby, but pornographic magazines are on sale all over the place.” Some of the girls might have been going a bit overboard with their sales pitches.
“It‘s not as if it really matters,” Kaname said to herself. “I handed Sousuke a girlie magazine as a joke once, just to see him get embarrassed. He asked why I handed him a publication about the homeless. It saddened him to see that there were women who could not afford clothing. Moron!”
Having just swam over, Ryo had to duck under water so that Kaname wouldn’t hear her laugh.
Ren joined them too. She was already naked.
“Ren?” Kaname was shocked. She figured that Ren would have been one of the last.
“I’ve got nothing to be ashamed of. It’s nice just to relax, without worrying so much about rules or expectations.” She left to swim a lap.
“Time to strike a blow against Top Free Inequality. Boys and Men get to swim topless, why shouldn’t we? Take advantage of the opportunity while you can.” The spiel had gotten annoying. A large number of girls threw their tops at the carefree girl.
“Stupid Sousuke! He got to run around half-naked without a care in the world. I had to feel embarrassed out on that balcony. Loser!” Kaname, her thoughts and feelings ping-ponging again, looked over and dared Kyouko to contradict her.
“You know Kaname, there is a way to get over your embarrassment,” Maya said.
“How?” Kaname asked.
“You can let Sousuke see you naked more often. Then it won’t seem like such a big deal!” Ryo took off swimming the moment she finished speaking. Kaname, churning up a furious froth, followed close behind.
“She definitely does not care about Sousuke,” Kyouko said.
“Only a fool would think otherwise,” Maya replied, breaking out into giggling.
“Yes.” Kyouko joined her.
At one point, the boys made a play to get into the room. But, the chains and door locks did their job splendidly. Instead of making the girls too anxious or paranoid to consider Skinny Dipping, it had the opposite effect. If no one could get in, what was there to worry about?
"We're safe. That's great!" The majority of girls cheered.
“I don’t know. Maybe we could use some excitement on this trip.” Kaname looked over at the girl who had spoken. Did she come out on the same bus? “Things are boring enough back at school. I mean, there’s a Yokozuna staying here now, I heard. Stuck in our rooms, we never get to see anyone like that.”
“There’s a wrestling champion here, too. And a famous martial artist,” a girl standing next to Maya said with a longing sigh. “At least that’s what the woman in the gift shop said. She saw them walk in.”
“They probably wouldn’t even take notice of high school students. They’re great men. We should just be thankful to stay in the same place they stay.” The girl across from Ryo looked dreamy-eyed.
“I don’t know. I think that’s all just hype. I hear that the whole bunch of them were causing a fuss out front, and were beat up by one guy. A young man. He chopped the wrestler to the neck…threw the martial artist in a koi pool…and shot the Sumo in his privates. The baggage handlers were talking about it out by the ice machine.” That girl did not seem overly impressed by celebrities. Treading water near Kyouko, she wondered what the guy who won looked like.
Kaname sank under the water, blowing her air out through her mouth. She had a horrible suspicion that she knew just what the guy looked like. Young. Dark hair. X-shaped scar on his cheek. Invisible tattoo that read ‘I will do anything and everything to make Kaname Chidori’s life a living nightmare.’ Sousuke. It just wasn’t safe to take him ANYWHERE!!! Just how many people in the world could possibly end up shooting a Yokozuna in the family jewels?
A number of arms grabbed hold of Kaname and pulled her frantically to the surface. “What were you doing down there, Kaname?” Kyouko asked. “You were down too long,” Maya asserted. “You could have drowned!” Ryo exclaimed.
“I was just thinking….”
“Sousuke!” All three girls spoke at once, than began to laugh.
Kaname didn’t answer. Even safely hidden away in a swimming pool, it felt as if Sousuke had followed her. Swimming alone to the side of the pool, she caught the tail end of a conversation.
“Yes, the ancient Greek women often bathed naked in lakes or streams, but in the myths that often brought them trouble.” The girl put her hand up over her chest chastely.
“How? Wrinkly skin? Bitten on the bum by a big fish or snapping turtle?” The other girl stretched out on her towel, enjoying the feel of air against her wet body.
“No. If a passing god took a fancy, he’d likely come down from the sky and ravish her…whether or not she were a virgin.”
“Well, I don’t think we have anything to worry about. I would hardly call any of the boys in our class gods. And when’s the last time you ever saw a man fall down from the sky?” Her laughter was interrupted by a series of popping noises.
Looking up, Kaname saw the large duct traversing the ceiling begin to sag. As more bolts and screws tore free of their anchor points, the structure fell downward sharply, suspended perilously above the pool. The end cap broke free and swung wildly by one last fastener. Something large fell out and plummeted into the water.
No. Not ‘some thing.’ Someone!
Up above, a boy protruded from the duct, his legs held by the person behind him. A camera flash went off…repeatedly…frequently. As the duct jiggled, threatening to pull loose some more, the boy retreated like a ground hog in its hole. Kaname recognized that boy. It was Shinji. She was afraid to look out in the pool.
“SAGARA!!!” Hearing that shout, Kaname closed her eyes. She was right. Who else could it be?
Girls screamed as they ran to grab their swimsuits or the nearest towels. Those who were already dressed jumped into the pool, intent on distracting their uninvited guest.
Sousuke had been afloat in shark-infested water before. Watching the splashes and large ripples headed in his direction, he felt a sense of trepidation he had not felt then.
************************************************************
Sousuke stood in Miss Okibasu’s room with his head bowed. He had broken her trust and felt ashamed. That fact that he had been tricked didn’t matter. A leader cannot afford to make mistakes.
“Mr. Sagara, I had hoped that I could rely on you and your standing with the other boys. You were supposed to put and end to trouble, not rush in leading the way.” Miss Okibasu was the only one in the room at that moment. Kaname, as class representative, would be joining them in a short while.
“Yes. I understand. I have failed you.” His tone was so downhearted, his teacher couldn’t help but feel sympathetic. “You know Sousuke, if all you wanted was to see a naked woman, that could have been arranged in a much simpler and quieter fashion.” She blushed after blurting that out. “Ooops. Forget I ever said that. For now. Why, Sousuke?”
“When they told me their initial plans, I stopped them. I told them I was responsible for looking out for everyone’s welfare. But, then I fell for their deception. That is inexcusable. I was led to believe that the girls were in danger. Accordingly, I decided to rescue them. The others refused to remain behind.” Sousuke was disgusted with himself. If he was this careless in a mission for Mithril, there might have been serious consequences. Why was he so much more reckless when Kaname was in peril?
“I see. A rescue. Another rescue. Are you aware of the saying 'fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me'? You’re willingness to come to the aid of your friends is a very attractive quality. It pains me to say that your gullibility is not.”
“I understand. I apologize. I do not know what I can do to correct my deficiencies.” Sousuke sounded as if he were destined for a court martial.
“You seem to be a veritable lightning rod for trouble. I have an idea that might work for the rest of this trick. I’ll wait until Miss Chidori gets here and describe it to you both.”
“By your command!” Sousuke stood at attention. Seeing that, his teacher couldn’t help but shake her head and smile.
There was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Miss Okibasu said.
“I came as you requested, Teacher.” Kaname spared Sousuke a rather sour look. “I apologize for the delay. There were more…problems…to deal with.”
“Problems, Miss Chidori?” Miss Okibasu sighed. Didn’t she have enough to deal with already?
“Yes. Not all of the boys went to peep at the pool.” Kaname made it a point not to mention what the girls were doing that prompted such an expedition. “Some snuck into one of the girls’ rooms.” Kaname growled and kicked Sousuke hard in the shin. “They used a rope a certain military maniac left hanging down by our balcony.”
“Miss Chidori, there will be none of that, no matter what happened. Please compose yourself and tell me the pertinent details.” The teacher fought the urge to smile. Sousuke certainly can get under peoples’ skins.
“Every single piece of underwear is missing from our room. A camera was stolen. Our snacks are missing. And someone left the toilet seat up!” Kaname was livid.
“Have the boys given everything back?” Miss Okibasu didn’t feel like having to get up and deal with that kind of nonsense.
“No. The camera is the most important thing. There were some…personal…pictures in it. I’d ask Major Calamity there to help, but I doubt he could handle anything like that without bringing down half of the building.” Kaname turned up her nose with a rather loud Hmmmpppfff.
Miss Okibasu promised to help the girls resolve their difficulties. First, she asked Kaname what she felt about her plan for Sousuke. Kaname was ecstatic. Sousuke was a great deal less than pleased.
“It’s set, then. Until the moment we step back down on Tokyo soil, Mr. Sagara will refrain from the use of any weapon. Unable to discern a true rescue from false, he will leave all such matters in the hands of the proper authorities. Ostracized or not as a result, he shall not aid the others boys in any venture against the girls. Is this understood?” Miss Okibasu felt like a tyrant, but she knew here actions were appropriate and long overdue.
“Affirmative! Teacher, may I ask for a single concession?”
“What’s that, Mr. Sagara?”
“I shall follow those orders to the letter, unless my teacher or my class representative gives me a new command to the contrary!”
“Miss Chiodri, are you OK with that?” Miss Okibasu sounded as if she had no qualms with that exception.
“Yes, Teacher. The last thing I would do is to send the One Man Destruction Army into action. Some of us may want to return to this city someday!”
“Well them, I expect you to remain true to your honor, Mr. Sagara.” Miss Okibasu was certain that the notion of personal honor was very important to her student.
“Mam, yes mam!” Sousuke saluted. Miss Okibasu sighed.
“Teacher, may I make a suggestion before we leave?” Kaname’s eyes sparkled devilishly.
“Miss Chidori?”
“To help him get things out of his system, could we order Sousuke to retrieve the camera and under things?”
Miss Okibasu thought for a moment. “That’s an excellent idea. Mr. Sagara, I command you to gather up the missing items.”
There was no reply. The door was open. Sousuke was up and gone. Flipping its way through the air, Kyouko’s diary landed at Kaname’s feet.
“He doesn’t waste any time.” Miss Okibasu said, amused. “It might be best if you kept an eye on him, don‘t you think?”
Before her teacher knew it, Kaname had vanished as well.
************************************************************
If Sousuke was not going to be allowed to fight any more, he at least made good use of the time he still had remaining. The Tazmanian Devil from Loony Tunes would have thrown in the towel, a piker, if he saw the young Sergeant in action that night.
With Kaname in tow, he had returned to the boys’ room. The first mistake was made when a group of boys told him he shouldn’t bring his big-breasted blue-haired bimbo back to the room, unless there was enough for everyone to share. Wrong joke. Wrong person. Wrong time. Those boys spent the rest of the night sleeping in the top of the tall tree outside of the balcony.
“You should not speak so crudely about Miss Chidori,” he had said, before dishing out a lesson in manners.
“Urrrrkkkkhhh, arrrghhhhhhhh, and no no noooooooo” were some of their pithy but heartfelt responses.
“Thank you, Sousuke” Kaname said quietly.
The second mistake was made when another group of boys gave Sousuke the finger. He had politely but sternly admonished them and asked them to return Kyouko’s camera. They were too jacked up over the pictures of Kyouko’s risqué Dare routine.
One boy ignored Sousuke, picked up the telephone, and called an all-night copying facility to see if they could make duplicates of the photo disc. Another boy laughed and said if they found a computer, the revealing shots could be on-line before they knew it. The straw that broke the camel’s back---and three boys’ noses---was the third boy asking Kaname if she’d do a pose or two to add to the expose. He was rather descriptive in his request. Instead of apologizing, he made an obscene gesture.
The on-call plumber couldn’t get the one boy’s head out of the toilet---he had to break the bowel with a sledgehammer. An assistant mason as well, he had an easier time setting the bricks loosened by the impact of another boy’s head. The third boy thought he had gotten off lightly, delivered to the girls’ room he had pilfered previously, hands tied. He was not of the same opinion when morning rolled around.
“I do not think Miss Tokiwa would wish to be exploited in such a fashion. I would not like to see Miss Chidori abused in any way.” Sousuke had been rather forceful in his explanations.
To Kaname, for a moment, Sousuke seemed surrounded by an aura of shining light.
The other culprits were quick learners. They handed Sousuke a gym bag stuffed to the brim with the girls’ undergarments. “That’s most of them,” one boy had said. “That’s not good enough,” Sousuke had replied. A number of bras and panties had been run up the flag poles in front of the Inn. They were stuck. The rope still moved, but the undergarments did not. The solution was simple, and memorable. The rope was hooked through the back of the boys’ BVDs, and each was hoisted up like a flag, enduring the Mother Of All Wedgies as they retrieved the spoils of their earlier raid.
Kaname knew Kyouko would be mortified by the fact that a number of boys had been slavering over her sexy photos. But, no doubt her friend would find some comfort in the pictures that Kaname took of the boys swinging in the breeze, mouths grimacing in excruciating pain.
After all of the pilfered items were recovered, Sousuke had reason to sweat. Kaname ordered him to accompany her personally to the girls’ room. “Boys stole that stuff, Sousuke. A boy should return it.”
If Sousuke was confused by women before that delivery, he was even more befuddled afterwards. Following the incident at the pool, he was clearly Public Enemy # 1. When he handed over the panties and camera, and Kaname described his words and deeds in glowing Technicolor, he became instead The Sexiest Boy Alive. He had to run the guantlet to make his escape. Before he was able to reach the door, he had been kissed, groped, and pinched innumerable times by the swarming mass of giggling girls.
Kaname didn’t mind one bit. She had always envied Sousuke his calmness under fire. Gangsters could be shooting…insane policemen could be chasing…bombs could be blowing up…and Sousuke would look like he was reading the Sunday paper. In contrast, she was sure that she had lost years off of her life. Watching Sousuke fight for every step, and seeing the look on his face when the girls were draped all over him, filled her with a deep and soothing sense of satisfaction.
When Sousuke was free to go, the cattiest of the girls all whistled and yelled, asking Kaname if she was going to give their hero a kiss goodnight. “Of course NOT!” she had insisted. But, part of her wished she had.
Having survived that, Sousuke was ready for anything. He wasn’t concerned, even though there was a good chance that the collective group of boys’ would view him as a traitor and treat him accordingly. Not able to retaliate, by means of his pledge, he would be like a lamb before the slaughter. But, he had survived much worse in the mountain camps of Jalalabad and Khost.
There was little reason to be concerned. While some boys may have resented him, a vast majority still viewed Sousuke as the Top Dog. His reputation was not harmed by the ten different colors of lipstick dotting his face, neck, and shirt. A few stray areas of color on his thigh and groin areas led too some vivid speculations. Likewise, he could do no wrong that night after one boy asked an obvious question.
“Sousuke, why do you still have girls’ underwear in your pockets and stuffed down your shirt? I thought the whole idea was to return the stuff.”
“There were just too many hands. I kept trying to give it all back, but some insisted that I keep theirs. It was all I could do to escape as it was.” Sousuke did a quick check to make certain all of his own clothing still remained.
Somewhat timidly, Shinji approached Sousuke, camera in hand. “I suppose you’re going to want to expose or confiscate my film?” The sound of his voice made it clear that he thought it was a foregone conclusion.
“No,” Sousuke said, soon to be surrounded by a bunch of guys slapping him on the back. “I was not issued such orders. I have no authority whatsoever to remove your property from your possession.”
“Thank you, Sousuke” Shinji said with a big smile. “Would you like a copy of the special calendar I’m going to put together for the holidays?” The bespectacled young man had his turn at hand pumping and back slacking. It seemed that a picture was worth more than a thousands words.
“Yes, that would be nice!” Sousuke responded eagerly. He did not grasp the innuendos involved. Instead, he thought to stash the offered item away in his closet. No doubt he would be expected to present Kaname with a gift this winter. She had a calendar in her kitchen, and no doubt would need one for the coming new year.
It was early in the morning. No one had any illusions about getting much sleep. Eschewing rest altogether, a large group of boys decided to experience another time-honored ritual of male bonding, bringing Sousuke and Shinji along with them. Despite being underage, all of them were able to bluff, coerce, or sneak their way into the late night movie theatre. Sitting near the front row, Sousuke found numerous inaccuracies in the plot and action sequences for Battlefield Babes and Hot Teenage Ninja Girls In Trouble.
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End of part 7
