[FIC] Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? (pt 11)
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 3:30 am
The doorbell rang.
“They’re here-e-e-ee-e-ee-e-ee-e….” Ayame’s shout woke Mr. Smith. Running, she trampled on her father’s foot and bumped Kaname into a laundry hamper.
The door flew open, banging against the nicely paneled wall and shaking a picture off square. Oichi stood there; but, she wasn’t shocked or discomforted. Ayame’s greetings were consistent.
“Oooo-iii-chi-i-ii-i-ii-i-ii-i-ii….” The youngest Chidori wrapped her arms around her father’s fiance and gave her a tight hug. “Kaname’s here….”
“So I’ve heard.” Oichi smiled at Ayame. The middle-aged woman looked extremely attractive in a nice upscale pants suit and tasteful jewelry.
“And you know what?” Ayame’s eyes were practically glowing.
“What?” Oichi had a good idea what had the young girl all wound up.
“Sousuke’s here!!!” Ayame turned to see her father go from a scowl to a thin smile under Oichi’s gaze. She did a credible stage whisper. “Daddy’s been a t-e-r-r-o-r….”
“Oh, he has, has he?” Oichi smiled at Shunya, one hand going up to smooth out her hair. “Well, you can tell me about that later.” She had dome a stage whisper too.
“Ayame… let the guests into the house… remember your manners….” Shunya looked like a fighter who had been pinned against the ropes for a brief moment, only to break free just before a flurry of punches. A single bead of sweat formed at one temple.
Oichi glided into the house, the picture of elegance and sophistication. She was followed by two young women, each of whom was equally well coiffed and dressed. They bowed when they stepped in front of Shunya.
“Shunya, I would like to introduce my nieces. Both are on break from college in Europe, and are looking to transfer to a school in the States. Kumi Takashi is my sister Yumi’s eldest.” Oichi nodded to a short but beautiful young woman in her late teens. “Izumi Konoe is my sister Manami’s youngest.” Oichi smiled at a slender and exquisite young woman in her early twenties.
Greetings and good wishes were spread amongst the gathering crowd. Kaname’s eye was on the look out for Sousuke. He had better make a good first impression on Oichi. He had better NOT make too much of an impression on her nieces.
Sousuke walked up to the foyer, still dressed in his apron. Seeing him, Ayame grabbed his hand and pulled him forward abruptly. He tripped over Shunya’s leg and fell forward. Reaching out, he caught himself.
Everything went dead quiet. Sousuke removed his hand from Kumi’s breast quicker than he would have if he had leaned on a hot griddle.
Kumi blushed, but met Sousuke’s gaze, accepting his silent apology.
Kaname growled, making Izumi smile. “Boyfriend?” she asked Kaname.
“Yes!” Kaname said, louder than she intended.
“No!” Shunya said automatically, drawing Oichi’s disapproving glance.
“Pity,” Kumi said, taking a good look at Sousuke. She sighed.
“Uh….” That, of course, was Sousuke.
Ayame smiled. Things couldn’t have worked better if she had planned that!
Oichi diffused things with the smooth skill of a trained diplomat. “I’ve heard so much about you, Sousuke.” Now that she and Shunya were affianced, she was privy to information about Sousuke and Mithril.
“Kaname is a lucky girl. Isn’t she, Shunya?” Oichi didn’t take her eyes off of Sousuke. She intended to take his measure.
“Well… he…………. yes…” Shunya gave in, but only because it was Oichi asking. Kaname brightened at her father’s brief acceptance. “For now.” He HAD to add that.
Oichi saw the near apoplectic look on Kaname’s face. She winked at her step-daughter-to-be.
“Shunya. You must have been working very hard to cook another remarkable meal. And, I’ve missed you. After the children settle in, we should go for a pleasant stroll around the block.” The words were pleasant, even mellifluous.
The girls all smiled. Shunya collapsed like an unfortunate souffle. “Yes, dear. I’ve missed you too.”
“How sweet.” Oichi kept from smiling. There was no sense in abusing her power. “Sousuke, I notice your apron. Did you help prepare the meal tonight?” Her grin helped put the young soldier at ease.
“Yes, mam. I have done what I can, mam.” Sousuke still felt somewhat exposed, like a downed pilot in a vast open plain, no ground cover in sight.
“Very good. So now you’re a gourmet cook, too. A young man of many talents.” Oichi’s smile could have lit up the entryway by itself. “And call me Oichi.”
Kaname beamed..
“He’s a soldier. With all sorts of guns and stuff. Maybe he’ll show you.” Ayame stepped over to stand next to Sousuke. “They’re in his bedroom!” She told that last to Kumi and Izumi.
Kumi and Izumi looked at each other and grinned.
“And, he’s mine!” Kaname bumped Ayame aside, grabbing hold of Sousuke’s arm.
Oichi’s eyes filled with knowing mirth.
Shunya grumbled. “So, are either of you two young ladies looking for a boyfriend?” He almost sounded hopeful.
Kaname stamped her foot.
“Shunya.” Oichi wrapped her hair around her finger.. “Do we have time for two times around the block?”
“Not if we don’t want things to get cold….” Kaname’s father tugged at his apron. The look he turned on Sousuke made the younger man tremble for a moment. He looked like a guilty schoolboy when Oichi noticed his nasty scowl.
“You might want to get rid of that apron,” Oichi said to Shunya. “There’s something I need to do for a moment, then we can go out on our stroll.”
Shunya sighed, then took of his apron. He handed it out for Sousuke to grab. His face said that he blamed the young soldier for his predicament.
Sousuke, feeling the heat, went to hide himself in the kitchen.
“Are you thirsty? The kitchen’s this way.” Ayame showed Kumi and Izumi through the house. “So’s Sousuke….”
Kaname was considering braticide. Yes, it was a new word. But, it fit.
Before heading to the kitchen, Kaname stepped back around a corner, after having seen Oichi draw Ayame aside for a quick word.
“So, it looks like you’re really excited to have some visitors again.” Oichi was well aware how lonely Ayame felt from time to time. She especially missed her big sister.
“Sure!”
“Has your father started letting you spend time with your friends at school and not just the children of the other diplomats?” Oichi knew that Shunya had always been worried about his daughters. Kaname’s revelations about being Whispered... taken with the fact that her family might be useful in some kind of hostage situation... had driven him to distraction.
“Well....”
“Not much, I guess.” Oichi caught the look of sadness in Ayame’s eyes, glad to see it give way to a look of determination.
“Every time I go to a friends house, he sends Mr. Smith along. That’s not a lot of fun!” Mr. Smith usually just sat in the car, but the fact that she had to have a glorified babysitter irked Ayame to no end.
“There’s not a lot of fun stuff we can do HERE... we don’t have video games, a stereo, a computer, a pool...ANYTHING!”
“And you father often works on the weekends, too.” Oichi herself didn’t have quite so tight a schedule. That would bode well for Ayame when they all moved to a new house together someday.
“Nobody else’s father does!”
“Your father has a very important job. But, things will change someday. Remember? We’ve talked about patience before.” Oichi had. She had also spoken with Shunya on the subject. He was a tough nut to crack, but there were signs he would eventually come around.
“Yes.......... I.......... know..........” Ayame was chomping at the bit. There was obviously some place she wanted to run to. Oichi couldn’t help but notice.
“Mmmm Hmmm. Patience. Let me guess what’s on your mind. Is it Kaname?” Oichi looked over to the corner Kaname was hiding behind.
Kaname flattened herself against the wall. How had Oichi known? How long could she eavesdrop before her father or someone else caught her too.
“Not really,” Ayame groused. Her eyes and posture told a different story.
“Ah. Big sister is not paying a lot of attention to little sister? Big sister brought someone else into the picture? Big sister is only here for a few days.” Oichi had no difficulty remembering what it was like being the youngest child for a while. She also had a chance to watch a younger sister grow up as well.
Ayame didn’t answer at first. But, just like in certain volcanoes, the pressure sometimes builds up too fast or for too long.
“She gets to do EVERYTHING! She gets to live in Tokyo. Nobody watches everything SHE does. It’s a big deal when SHE comes for a visit. We get company come over because of HER. It’s not fair. SHE even gets to have a boyyyyyyy frieeeeeend. Though probably not for long! Hmmmpppfff!!!” Ayame’s eyes flashed.
Kaname was taken aback. She had never given Ayame’s situation a lot of thought. Sometimes she envied her younger sister, getting a chance to live with family.... not being Whispered....having someone cook and clean and wash for her.
“I see. So, have you been a little trouble maker?” Oichi viewed that as a rhetorical question.
“Not really....”
“Ayamae?” Oichi’s eyebrows twitched. Her voice deepened ever so slightly.
“Maybe a little...”
“Hmmm.”
Ayame just stuck out her lower lip and scowled.
“You haven’t been doing anything to get Sousuke in trouble so he has to leave, I hope, That’s wouldn’t be fair, would it? You don’t hate him, do you?” Oichi had heard a lot about Sousuke from Kaname. She had gotten a different view from Shunya, talking to him on the phone. It seemed that the young man had a talent for polarizing people’s opinions.
The young girl looked torn. Oichi would bet anything that Ayame resented the attention that Sousuke got. She wondered if she might be spoiling for his attention, just the same.
“Sousuke’s cool. He’s fun to watch. I don’t HAVE to get him in trouble. He beat up Mr. Smith. Daddy made him go away, but he came back. Kaname just sat there waiting for him, not wanting to do anything else. Hmmppff. Mr. Smith took his gun and shot it in the house. Then a grenade. That was neat!” Ayame’s eyes lit up.
She obviously wanted to talk about Sousuke.
“Then, he tried to peek in on Kaname in the shower, but Daddy didn’t believe me!!!”
“Really?” Oichi saw the sly look in Ayame’s eyes. “That wasn’t due to a trick on your part, was it?”
“Daddy taped him in his room at night!” Ayame continued quickly, ignoring the question.
“Not because of anything you did, I suppose?” Oichi realized that Ayame was the small fish.
Shunya taped Sousuke in a room? That man needed a serious talking to. There was such a thing as being overprotective. They’d talked about that before.
Ayame shook her head, an innocent look on her face.
“You didn’t bring that photo album out again, did you?”
“And then, at breakfast, he wouldn’t help me OR Kaname. Someone threw a brick in the window. Sousuke shot them with rubber bullets. The car crashed. You should have SEEN the alley!!! There was water everywhere. And lots of Police. It was really REALLY great! I hope I get a boyfriend like that.”
The words just spilled out of Ayame.
Oichi smiled.
“But he got caught kissing Kaname!” The young girl frowned. “And, the two of them were alone when Daddy came and got me. Well Mr. Smith was here, but that doesn’t count. He wouldn’t tell me if he kissed her any more!”
“Mmm hmmm. Is that what he has to do? Tell y-o-u, Ayame?” Ochi grinned when she saw the expression on the girl’s face. “You didn’t by chance ask him your questions in front of your father, did you?”
The pressure had built up again. There was no holding it back. “He’s been in there with those two girls. I can’t miss that.” Ayame took off like a shot. That in itself was a rarity. She usually hovered around Oichi like a moon orbiting a planet.
Oichi smiled fondly. Poor Sousuke. He certainly had his hands full. If he survived it all, the young man would certainly win her admiration. “You’re not worried about my nieces being alone with Sousuke, are you Kaname?”
Kaname swallowed. She told herself that Sousuke cared about her and her alone. She could trust him.
She didn’t answer. She started running. She couldn’t trust those girls.
“Something smells really good,” Izumi said looking around the kitchen.
“Something looks pretty good,” Kumi said quietly to her cousin, not seeing Kaname walk in.
They both smiled at Sousuke, then jumped when Kaname came to a halt just behind them.
Sousuke looked at Kaname with a slight degree of trepidation., wondering just who she would take her obvious irritation out on. He hid the ladle from before under the sink. The answer was all too obvious.
“Sousuke, are you still living in Japan?” Kumi explained that she and her cousin had each left their homeland a number of years ago.
“Yes, he is!” Kaname answered for Sousuke. “We both go to the same high school. Together. With each other.”
“Unless Daddy makes her stay here in America….” Ayame spoke in an impish sing song voice. She ducked away from Kaname’s swat. “Never-r-r-r-r-r know-w-w-w-w-w….”
“How many girlfriends do you have?” Izumi saw Sousuke’s pistol on the countertop. She reached her hand out and gave it a spin.
Sousuke put his hand on Izumi’s, to stop her. She blushed.
“One! If he’s lucky!” Kaname put her hand on Sousuke’s and moved it away from Izumi’s.
“But Kaname, the gun.” Sousuke didn’t want anyone touching his weapons. Especially after Shunya’s earlier pronouncement.
“Yes, Sousuke. The gun. I… may… need… that… later….” In a quieter voice, Kaname added “If I can’t find that ladle.
Sousuke pointed under the sink.
A flash went off. Ayame obviously had her camera again. She pointed in animated fashion, then started waving her arms like the men who guide jetliners along the runway. Kumi and Izumi moved close to Sousuke to pose for a shot. Izumi put her hand on his shoulder. Kumi put her hand around his waist. The flash went off again.
“That will be nice for our holiday calendar,” Ayame said, sticking her tongue out at Kaname. “Want a copy, Sis?” She took another few shots of Sousuke. “Those are for me.”
Kaname stepped forward. Her sister ran to hide behind Sousuke.
“Ayame said you’re a soldier.” Kumi walked over and lifted the top off of one of the pots. “But, you’re so young. Just about my age.” She closed her eyes and inhaled.
“Yes, I….” Sousuke was saved the trouble of finding a way to diffuse the questioning.
“I’m sorry, but we don’t talk about that here. My father does not approve.” Kaname spoke up quickly.
First mission accomplished. Now for the second.
She pointed out the window. “Look, there’s Oichi.” It was a lie.
When Ayame stepped out from behind Sousuke to look, Kaname swiped the camera… jumped up… and left it on top of a tall set of cabinets. She stuck out her tongue at her sister for good measure.
“It doesn’t seem as if he approves of Sousuke, either” Izumi practically purred. “I can’t see why. How many handsome young men are good with guns… kitchen utensils… and who knows what else….” She smiled, seeing Sousuke check the shine on his shoes.
“There only has to be one!” Kaname was growing tired of the game. She knew she was taking things way too seriously. Most days, she would laugh and join right in, embarrassing Sousuke. But, not tonight. Not after…. “One is all I need.”
“Let’s ask Daddy WHICH one….” Ayame climbed up on the cabinets like a marmoset or capuchin monkey. The camera was soon in her hand. She slipped, plummeting towards the cook top. Fires were on and pots were boiling.
Apron fluttering about him like a backwards cape, Sousuke leaped over the cooking island, grabbing Ayame in his arms. He landed somewhat awkwardly, falling on his rump. Ayame was safe, but shaken.
“You should find safer places to cause trouble,” Sousuke said, bringing himself to one knee and patting her head. “I would not wish to see you harmed.”
Ayame sat quietly, then wrapped her arms around Sousuke. When she let go, she smiled and looked at Kaname. “I got to hug Sousuke.”
Kaname scowled, then smiled. She had gotten to do a lot more. “That’s OK. I’m pretty certain he’s had all of his shots. He‘ll be OK….”
Kumi laughed. She looked up on top of the cabinets. “I wonder if I could climb that high.” She blushed when Sousuke looked at her. Izumi laughed. Kumi smiled.
This time, Kaname joined in on the laughter. Only Sosusuke was left looking uncomfortable. That made the girls laugh even more.
“Leave Sousuke alone!” Ayame glowered at the other girls.
That only made things worse.
“He’s a hero.” Ayame stood up on a chair, gave Sousuke a quick peck on the cheek, then ran off. She made certain to kick Kaname on the way past.
Kaname got something to drink for Kumi, Izumi, and herself. She asked the two girls if they would join her in the parlor until Oichi and her father returned. Izumi had some questions for Sousuke, first.
“It doesn’t embarrass you to cook?” She thought that the young soldier actually looked dashing in his apron. “Most boys would think it’s something girlish.” He certainly didn’t look girlish.
“No. I am not concerned. It does not change who I am.” Sousuke’s confidence made everyone smile, each for their own reason.
“You’re a bit young to be a gourmet, aren’t?” Kumi watched as Sousuke turned off the cook top and stirred a number of different dishes as he had been instructed. “But you must be pretty good if Shunya lets you help him….”
“He’s not a---” Kaname was cut off.
“Can you share any secrets with us?” Izumi was not about to be left out. She and Kumi competed about everything.
“He doesn’t have---” Kaname was cut off again.
“It is not a problem,” Sousuke answered.
He was wrong.
Kaname’s face said otherwise.
“Let me see….” He thought back to the countless things he had heard throughout the day. “To learn how long to cook fish, measure at the thickest point, then allow ten minutes per inch.”
“Ten minutes per inch? I like the sound of that!” Izumi’s sly aside had Kumi blushing and Kaname fuming. It went over Sousuke’s head.
“That applies to all manners of cooking,” Sousuke added.
“Mmmm Hmmm.” Izumi was having fun. It didn’t matter whose expense it was at. She chuckled at the look on her cousin’s face.
“Somebody’s fish is cooked….” Kaname groused.
“Many recipes suggest cooking fish until it flakes… it should ALMOST flake… if it actually flakes, it’s overdone.”
‘Big idiot! He makes it sound like he knows what he’s talking about. The nerve of him showing off in front of girls. Especially after today!’ Kaname began keeping score. ‘He’ll pay. Oh yes, he’ll pay.’
“Also, you may wish to use a spatula or other flat utensil to turn the fish. Tongs may cause it to fall apart. Of course, for other meats, tongs are preferred, as a fork or sharp implement will release the meat’s juice and leave it dry.” Sousuke was on a roll. He was glad that he had a chance to pass along what he had learned. There was a better chance he would remember it that way.
“ ‘Of course’ ….” Kaname mumbled under her breath.
“That’s great. Thank you.” Kumi smiled. She moved a bit closer to Sousuke. He moved a bit further away.
“I hope I can remember that.” Izumi grinned. She moved to cut off Sousuke’s angle of escape.
Both girls sighed.
“Anything else?” Kumi looked hopeful. She found that she liked listening to Sousuke talk. He was a bit stiff, but that just made him unique. Unique was interesting. Interesting was good.
“Kaname?” To his credit, Sousuke pickled up that something was bothering her.
“Go ahead, Sousuke. Don’t let ME stop you….” Kaname just turned and looked over her shoulder.
Sousuke took that statement at face value.
He still had a lot to learn.
“Thank you. Let me see. What might be useful information? Affirmative. Biscuits. Do not over handle dough intended for biscuits or cobbler topping. You will make it too tough….” He began stirring one of the side dishes, trying to run down a mental check list of the things Shunya gave him to do.
“Tough’s OK….” Izumi said to Kumi. She looked at Sousuke’s arms as he stirred.
“Once the dough is mixed, transfer it to a flour board or a floured sheet of wax paper. Lightly flour the top of the dough… fold the wax paper over it… and gently press it to an even thickness of about three-quarters of an inch. Cut as desired.”
“Gentle pressing sounds good,” Kumi said back to her cousin. She couldn’t help but biting her lip Izumi was still much more experienced than she was.
Kaname heard and blushed up a storm. She was glad Ayame wasn’t there to see her.
The camera flash went off again.
Kaname’s first instinct was to run Ayame down…hog tie her… then toss the runt into her room. But, she was not about to leave Sousuke alone with those two piranhas. It wasn’t because she was jealous or anything. He was busy. He had a job to do. He didn’t need any distractions.
“Well, Sousuke. You need to finish up here, and I’m certain that Kumi and Izumi might like to relax a moment.” Kaname was proud of herself. Her voice didn’t crack.
Sousuke wasn’t finished yet. “I should add before they go, that when you are making biscuits or pastry, to test whether you’ve cut the butter into the flour completely, just shake the bowl. If overly large clumps form…larger than peas… continue to cut a little longer.”
“Remember that, Kumi. Size IS important.” Izumi then followed a steaming Kaname out into the living room area. It was a mistake. Mr. Smith now had someone new to tell his stories to.
Kumi stayed behind. “Is there anything I could do to help?”
“Certainly. That is most kind of you. The pots without tops all need to be strained. The contents can go in the smaller dishes on the counter.” Sousuke was glad for the help. He did not know what might happen if he wasn’t finished by the time Shunya returned. He had been given a mission. He would not fail.
While she worked, Kumi asked if Sousuke had anything else to share. She hoped so. Maybe she could get him to gossip some, too.
Sousuke began rattling off errata.
“When transferring chopped, diced, or sliced foods from a cutting board to a bowl or a pan, use the dull side, NOT the sharp side. The same thing goes for pushing tranquilizer darts into carrying bins, or scraping lead shot into empty rounds.”
“OK.…” Kumi nodded her head.
“To clean copper pots, sprinkle them well with lemon juice, then with salt, and rub with one half of a cut lemon. I would not, however, recommend salt for copper shell casings, in case it cuts the powder mixture.”
“Ohhh….” Kumi cooed.
“To prepare chicken duck, turkey, or goose for cooking… clean the bird thoroughly inside and out… dry well… and rub liberally with distilled white vinegar. That is an old Chinese practice that helps eliminate bacteria.”
“Amazing….” Kumii’s eyes grew large.
“Vinegar has long been known as a good disinfectant, capable of killing 99 percent of bacteria… 82 percent of mold… and 80 percent of viruses. Hippocrates knew of its effectiveness. It was used by the ancient Egyptians, and by Julius Caesar’s army. Samurai warriors used to drink Apple Cider Vinegar for strength and power. Civil War soldiers in this country used it to prevent scurvy, as did Christopher Columbus. In Paris, during the Middle Ages, it was sold in barrels as healing tonic and deodorant. In Biblical times---”
“Kumi, you’re wanted in the parlor. Your cousin needs rescuing.” Kaname came in during the dissertation on vinegar. She watched as Kumi walked away.
“Someone else does, too!” Kaname said, looking at Sousuke after Kumi left.
“Kaname?” Sousuke sounded a touch worried. His face went tender, a look that still looked out of place on him.
“Yes?” Kaname couldn’t stay angry at him. He was probably going to ask for a kiss, or say that he loved her. She smiled.
“Would you like to hear why Apple Cider Vinegar is considered one of Mother Nature’s perfect foods?”
“I love you too Sous---” It took a moment before Sousuke’s words sank in. Kaname shook ever so slightly. “BAKA!!!” She turned and followed Kumi.
“She must already know the answer…” Sousuke said to himself as he removed a hot basting pan from the oven. He finally felt relaxed. A Specialist needs space to work, sometimes.
Eventually, Shunya made it back and supervised the remainder of the preparation and allocation work. The guests were all seated, and dinner began. The food was all delicious, and the complements were quick in coming. Sousuke felt satisfied, almost as much as he normally did after a successful raid or interdiction action.
Oichi asked Sousuke a couple of questions, trying to draw him out. She quickly ended Kaname’s tendency to answer for him. Some of his answers made her laugh out loud, while others had her shaking her head in disbelief. She smiled at Kaname, letting the young woman know that she had done well.
Ayame kept leaning up against Sousuke on occasion, much to the amusement of Oichi. Kaname was not so pleased. Shunya cut at his food fiercely, unhappy to see yet another daughter fawn on the young man. He kept catching himself, looking over at Oichi to see if she was keeping an eye on him.
Kumi and Izumi were witty conversationalists, and much of the subsequent conversation dealt with their lives at school overseas.
“So, what are your plans for the future?” Shunya asked Izumi. “Work? Raise a family? Both?”
“I’m still not sure, Uncle Shunya.” She and Kumi had already taken to calling Shunya ‘Uncle,’ much to Kaname’s annoyance and Ayame’s amusement.
“I guess it would depend upon what kind of special man I might meet some day.” To tease Kaname, she smiled over at Sousuke.
Kaname glared at Sousuke.
Sousuke’s biscuit crumbled. He hadn’t realized that he had been holding it to roughly.
“I take it that your parents would like you to marry a professional… someone with a future… a steady man… one who come home every night.” Shunya tried to sound nonchalant.
Oichi tapped her knife ever so lightly against her water glass. Shunya blinked.
“Maybe,” Izumi laughed. “But I don’t relish marrying a profession instead of a man. I’d rather find someone to love… somebody who makes me feel alive… a man who’s not afraid of challenges.”
Kaname looked over at Sousuke, not bothering to disguise her glance.
Kumi sighed.
The young soldier looked like a deer in the glare of oncoming headlights.
“Sousuke’s a professional!” Ayame said. She handed Sousuke a fresh biscuit.
“But at least you won’t do something to spite your parents,” Shunya said with confidence.
“Oichi says that you are a very level-headed girl. Too many young people these days rush into things without thinking, regretting it later. They think they have all of the answers in the world. Their parents’ experience means nothing to them.” Shunya quoted Shakespeare, “How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child.” He laughed, showing he wasn’t intending that for anyone in particular.
Oichi tapped her knife against the glass, a little louder this time. She enjoyed quoting literature herself. “One of the most obvious facts about grownups to a child is that they have forgotten what it is like to be a child.” She followed it up with another. “We inevitably doom our children to failure and frustration when we try to set their goals for them.”
Shunya busied himself with his brisquet.
“My parents love me, Uncle Shunya. And I love them. They won’t try to force anything on me, and I won’t do anything to hurt them. It’s part of being a family, I guess. I’m blessed that way.” She looked over at Kumi, who nodded her head. They both came from similar families.
“Kids don’t need a friend. They usually have plenty of them, and they don’t usually choose them all that well.” Mr. Smith was finally able to tear himself away from his meal. “Kids need a parent. Someone to show them what right and wrong are. My girls never listened to me. Look who they ended up with.”
“You were saying, Izumi?” Oiche eased around the rotund bodyguard’s exposition.
“I don’t want to know everything, Uncle Shunya. It’s more fun to learn it. Sometimes I make mistakes. Other times I do pretty well. They help me work through my problems and are happy for my successes. I think I’m as proud of them as they are of me.”
Kaname looked over at her father, trying to meet his gaze.
Oichi smiled at her niece. “You’re becoming more of a lady every day. But, I’m glad to see you keep that spirit, Izumi. The wildest colts make the best horses. Nieces, too.”
Shunya looked up. He thought a moment. “Just remember one thing, though. The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for.” He looked at Kaname out of the corner of his eye.
“You tell’em, Mr. C.!” Mr. Smith reached over and speared two chicken breasts with his knife.
Oichi wiped her mouth primly on her napkin. ‘Relationships of all kinds are like sand held in your hand. Held loosely, with an open hand, the sand remains where it is. The minute you close your hand and squeeze tightly to hold on, the sand trickles through your fingers. You may hold onto some of it, but most will be spilled. A relationship is like that. Held loosely, with respect and freedom for the other person, it is likely to remain intact. But hold too tightly, too possessively, and the relationship slips away and is lost.”
Shunya smiled. He enjoyed a challenge. “The father who does not teach his child her duties is equally guilty as the child who neglects them.” He broke open a fresh bun. He closed his eyes partly, breathing in the steam that puffed out.
Oichi checked her nails. “Children begin by loving their parents. After a time they judge them. Rarely, if ever, do they forgive them.”
Izumi looked embarrassed, caught in the middle of the word game. Like everyone else, she knew who the comments were intended for.
Kaname looked at Oichi, willing her onward.
Ayame looked annoyed. This kind of stuff was NOT fun. “Can we ask Sousuke some more questions now?” She handed Sousuke another biscuit, in case he broke the second one too. “How about---”
“Shhhhhhh!” Kaname did not want her sister in charge of asking questions. She wanted to see what else Oichi might come up with. She looked over at her father, wondering if he was done yet.
“Kites rise highest against the wind -- not with it.” Shunya plopped a bit of mint jelly on his plate.
“The art of living lies less in eliminating our troubles than in growing with them.” Oichi trimmed some fat off of her meat, daintily placing it on the side of her plate.
“True gold does not fear the test of the fire.” Sousuke had been compelled to quote a traditional Chinese proverb. He followed that up with a Russian one. “The hammer shatters glass but forges steel.”
Shunya stared. Those had been two of his favorite sayings as a young professional.
Ayame changed her mind. Quotations WERE cool.
Oichi smiled. “Sousuke.” It was time to move things along further.
“Yes?” Sousuke wondered for a moment if he had interrupted some kind of traditional game between Shunya and Oichi.
“It seems to me that you’ve been very quiet through much of dinner. We certainly shouldn’t neglect you, should we?” Shunya’s fiance reached down for her purse, sitting under her chair. She took out a small piece of paper.
“It is not a problem, Miss Oichi.” No. being the center of the conversation was the problem. He thought he had already had his turn.
“You needn’t be either shy or modest. It seems to me, you have many things to be very proud of, even though we cannot speak of them in tonight’s company.” Oichi smiled. “Right, Kaname?” Oichi began deftly creasing and folding the paper.
“There is only one other person in my life that I have ever felt this proud of.” Kaname looked at her father.
“I simply do what needs to be done, Miss Oichi.” Sousuke realized that Oichi must be cognizant of his military activities. “I am merely adept at following orders.”
“Not everybody does the first, Sousuke. And of those who do, not all do it for the right reason, or with such starling results.”
“Startling is a good word.” Shunya piped up. “Startling… dramatic… memorable… costly.” The look on his daughter’s face didn’t stop him. “I’m not certain the officials at Jindai High…or the students’ parents… enjoy being startled repeatedly.
“Let’s say admirable, then. It’s always best to act in an admirable fashion, I think.” Oichi smiled sweetly at Shunya. He ought to get that message easily enough. “It was very admirable for Sousuke to spend so much time in the kitchen helping to make dinner. No doubt he would have preferred spending time with Kaname. Not every young man would make such an effort to fit in.”
“It was the right thing to do, Miss Oichi. I merely wished to forge a common bond. I had also hoped to make Kaname happy.” Sousuke looked at the growing pile of biscuits where a small plate was once visible.
“Admirable AND special. Not too many young men out there like that, I would think. Right girls?” Oichi glanced over at her nieces before folding the paper in a few more places.
“I certainly haven’t met any.” Izumi looked over at Sousuke, longer than Kaname would like. “I’ve been out with more than I can count.” Her look clearly said that she wouldn’t mind increasing the number by one.
Kumi sighed. She blushed when she realized what she had done. Those reactions were answer enough.
Kaname looked affectionately at Sousuke, knowing he did not like to be the center of attention. But, ‘that which doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.’
“Please!” Mr. Smith was chuckling. “What kind of boy wants to hang out in a kitchen, wearing an apron???” Reaching for a dish of horseradish, the one time police officer heard Shunya grunt. “I don’t mean you, Mr. C. You’re a man. You’ve proven that already.”
“So Kaname, it seems that you are a very fortunate young lady. Was it love at first sight?” Oichi already knew the answer to that question.
Shunya scowled, looking away quickly when Oichi glanced in his direction. She smiled, and dipped her napkin in her water glass, using it to moisten the paper she was working with.
“NO!” The answer exploded out of Kaname before she knew it. “No. When I first saw Sousuke, he was being stopped by our teacher for having a gun it his school bag. Everyone believed it was just a toy. I thought Sousuke was a freak.”
“First impressions are very important,” Shunya put in, a little too forcefully. He broke the cork out of a bottle of Merlot he was opening. He stared at it, as if the cork had cracked on purpose.
Everybody stopped and stared at him. The silence stretched on for an uncomfortable period of time.
“Should we talk about my first impression of you, dear?” Oichi asked suavely, trying not to laugh at the subsequent expression on her fiance’s face.
“No. That was different.” Shunya hoped things wouldn’t go any further.
“It certainly was. Yes, indeed.” Oichi shook her head, negating the pleas from Kaname, Ayame, Kumi, and Izumi. “But, I was rewarded quite well for my patience, wasn’t I?”
“Yes.” Shunya sat taller.
“It looks like Kaname was, too.” Oichi finished the origami figure she had been working on.
Shunya slumped just a little.
“Not at first! Hmmmpppfff!“ Kaname looked over at Sousuke. He put an innocent look on. Big idiot!
“He followed me everywhere, like some kind of pervert or something. He always misinterpreted things. Trouble followed him around like a long lost twin. No one else could possibly be so clueless about the simplest things. He was so helpless.” Kaname laughed, remembering a choice scene at school.
“Then why did you ever end up caring for him?” Oichi knew the answer to that, too. “I mean, if all he did was get in trouble, why did you even give him a second glance?”
“Because he always did his best for me…. even when I hurt him… or rejected him… or laughed at him. He didn’t always get things right… but he kept trying until he found some way to make me happy.” Kaname saw Kumi and Izumi look at each other and smile. They understood.
Ayame gave Sousuke a scone.
Shunya opened his mouth. He was about to add ‘Or until he blew something up!’ He shut his mouth.
“Chicks like guys with guns!” Mr. Smith swallowed, then continued. “Trust me, I know….”
Ayame giggled.
Kaname refrained from saying the first thing that came to her mind.
“The moody military maniac even followed me around in secret once, wanting to make certain I was OK. He protected me, even though I was on a date with someone else. He didn’t think I’d know he was there, but I did.” Kaname didn’t go into details. Who would believe Bonta-Kun? “I think he kind of liked me, even then. He just didn‘t know it yet.”
Sousuke nodded. Kaname was right..
“He probably just wanted to score some sympathy points. Guys do that sometimes. It’s a good way to get in a babe‘s pants, right Mr. C.?” Mr. Smith dumped the remaining scallops onto his plate and the nearby table.
Nobody said anything.
There was the sound of a clip being put into a pistol under the table.
Mr. Smith heard that and suddenly lost interest in the conversation.
“He gave me jewelry once, made to keep me safe. I was angry, because he said it was practical. He later tried to tell me about his duty and obligation, but all I did was say that I could hate him for that. Of course, not long after that, I needed his help. Know what? He was there, despite all that. When I need him, he is always there.” There were tears in Kaname’s eyes. She didn’t want to imagine a time when Sousuke wasn’t there.
“I’m there, too” Ayame said, a somewhat plaintive sound to her voice.
“Yes you are, Sis.” Kaname smiled and wiped away a tear.
“And when he needed you…were you there for him?” Oichi asked.
“Not like he was.” Kaname sounded a little down on herself.
“That is incorrect.” Sousuke spoke up, no longer sounding shy or tentative. He would defend Kaname’s honor against anyone, even Kaname herself.
“Kaname has done more for me than anyone else has. Even though I annoyed and disappointed her, she was kind enough to help me with my schoolwork. No one else did. When we were in grave peril, she kept her head and showed me the way to save us both. She wouldn’t let me just throw my life away.” The gratitude and admiration Sousuke felt was emblazoned on his face and gave added vibrancy to his voice.
He looked over at Kaname again. “She saw more in me than I did myself.”
“You know what she was looking at, don’t you? I’ll tell you later, when the ladies are gone.” The erstwhile chaperon made a last second effort to be discrete.
There was the sound of a gun hitting the floor.
Shunya just closed his eyes.
Oichi coughed into her napkin.
“Kaname has also saved me from my own cluelessness,” Sousuke continued, kicking the gun over to where he could reach down and pick it up. “When the school held a contest for one of the last club rooms available, the Sociology group set up the parameters. Each competing club was to see how many women its members could pick up.”
Kumi and Izumi looked on with interest. That story sounded interesting.
“You let him, Kaname?” Ayame smiled. “You didn’t have that leash on him yet?”
Everybody ignored Ayame’s gibe. That didn’t sit too well with her. She looked up at Sousuke. He wasn’t paying her any attention. She took away the scone.
“I did not understood the rules. I did not know what flirting meant. I….” Sousuke ran down. What had he chosen this story? It would make him sound like a complete fool.
“Ended up luring prostitutes into an alley way, then capturing them in cages!” Shunya looked at Oichi, daring her to find something admirable about THAT.
“I had not been able to pick up a single girl. I would have been faced with defaulting on a very embarrassing bet.” Sousuke pushed the food around on his plate for a moment.
“What was the bet?” Kumi asked.
“Uh…I…” Sousuke stopped, looking over at Oichi. He blushed.
“It must have been a really bad one!” Izumi had to know. “Come on, you can tell us.”
“Well… I hadn’t thought… but…”
Kaname hid a smile. Sousuke was incredibly cute when he was flustered.
“Come on, Sousuke. Tell use. Pleeeaaassse-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e….” Ayame was pulling at his shirt sleeve.
Sousuke looked down at Ayame. “The loser of the bet had to swim in the nearby lake naked.”
“Bad boy!” Ayame put the scone back again, along with a croissant and two apple fritters.
“Not exactly a clever move, making a bet like that.” Shunya shook his head, watching closely as he ground black pepper out of a pepper mill.
“But, boy’s will be boys, right?” Oichi winked at Sousuke.
“I remember a story someone told me once, from when he was a boy. Seems this young man…destined for bigger things when he grew up… made a bet that he could swim across the entire length of a neighborhood lake. He hadn’t been thinking. It was winter time, and the lake was frozen solid. A good lesson about drinking excessive sake.”
Shunya’s face went blank. Not paying attention, he put the mill back down in the Egg & Ginger rice.
Kaname and Ayame stared at him intently. They loved hearing stories from their father’s youth. They had no doubt who Oichi was talking about.
“What was the punishment, Auntie?” Izumi asked.
“He had to shave off every single hair on his body. Outside. In the porch light of the bar. With everybody watching. I think a sanitized version of a photograph made it into the school yearbook.” Oichi accepted a cup of teas that Kumi passed her.
Shunya sighed. Oichi kept coming up with good points. He was more than her equal in the political arena. Outside of work, however, he didn’t stand a chance. She was quite a woman. He had long since learned to trust her judgment, even when it seemed at odds with his own.
Most of the time.
“We should all apologize to Sousuke for the interruption. Would you please continue?” Oichi took a sip of tea. It was very good.
“I would have honored the bet. I had given my word. The entire class was there, as were the young ladies that had been picked up. If I myself had picked up a single girl, I would have won the bet.” Sousuke looked over at Kaname. She mouthed ‘I love you,’ not even bothering to see if anyone was watching her.
“Kaname saved me.”
“How?” Kumi asked.
“She had gone home and dressed up in her mother’s kimono. She did her hair and make-up differently, fooling everybody. Claiming she had needed time to sneak away from her husband, she convinced everybody that I had flirted successfully. I couldn’t remember doing so, but walked away with her just the same. She thought it was quite humorous when I could not identify her.”
“And I only asked for one thing in return.” Kaname smiled, remembering the moment.
“Now we’re talking!” Mr. Smith put down his fork and rubbed his hands together.
“Ahem!” Shunya’s face clouded over.
“A kiss?” Ayame.
“No, shrimp. He told me that I was beautiful. It was the first time… in the sunset… by a fountain in the lake.” Kaname had a dreamy look on her face, able to picture the moment.
Oichi passed the origami figure she had made over to Kaname. It was for her, a delicate paper crane. It could be interpreted as representing hope, good luck, and happiness.
Both Kumi and Izumi had huge grins. They loved romantic endings.
“Sounds like that worked out well for the both of you. Is that what attracts you to Kaname? Her beauty?” Oichi silently bet it wasn’t. At least not entirely.
“I... no....” Sousuke felt very uncomfortable talking about his feelings in front of others, especially Shunya. But, Oichi had the ability to pull it out of him.
“No?” Kaname gave Sousuke a ‘you BETTER think I’m attractive’ look.
“She... I find her looks very... effective.” Sousuke looked over at Kaname, blinked a number of times, then stumbled onward. “More effective than anyone else....”
Kaname tossed her hair. That was much better. She still had to teach him to you better words than ‘effective.’ That sounded more appropriate for a laxative or anti-personnel mine.
“But, when piloting---“ Sousuke caught himself in time. “When one has an important thing to do, the most attractive tool is often not the best one. It is important to have one that is dependable... compatible to the task... strong enough to stand up to the requirements... there when you need it....” Sousuke blushed when he realized that all of the women were staring at him.
Shunya had a sour but contemplative look on his face.
“When you find one that is right, you may suspect that you have done so. But, it often takes a while to get a feel for the tool.” That choice of words had Kaname choking on the water she had just swallowed. First effective…now a tool….
“You may even get hurt if you do not show the tool the proper respect. But, if it becomes indispensable, the task would be unpleasant… if not impossible… without that tool.”
Oichi nodded.
Kaname may not have cared for his verbiage, but she had gotten Sousuke’s message loud and clear. She hoped her father had, as well. He looked somewhat lost in thought.
Kumi sighed again. Izumi rubbed her shoulder.
“I think you got things backwards, boy.” Mr. Smith had an empty wine bottle in front of him. “There is only one tool that is good for ev-er-eee job. No what I mean???? And, when something’s beautiful, work on it while you can. It won’t stay that way forever.”
“Not… every… job… lasts… forever….” Shunya said, looking pointedly at the large ex-cop. Mr. Smith just shrugged, and reached for a jar of exotic mustard. There were always other jobs.
There was a moment of charged silence.
“Do you think that I am beautiful too, Sousuke?” Ayame filled the void, looking shy and a bit anxious, not rambunctious or mischievous.
Sousuke was caught off guard. He was wise enough to realize that the question might be innocent and harmless to almost everyone, but that the answer might be very important to one person. It was not something to brush off lightly. In the past, his response would have been cold and mechanical.
“I think that you will be very effective when you are older,” Sousuke said in a kind manner.
Ayame smiled.
Kaname and Oichi looked at Sousuke with great warmth and pride.
Shunya’s look was unreadable.
“More beautiful than Kaname?” Ayame’s eyes were shining.
Kaname shook her head ‘no.’ Kumi and Izumi nodded their heads ‘yes.’ Oichi looked at Sousuke with a grin on her face. Shunya was curious how the young man would get himself out of this predicament.
“I cannot say,” Sousuke said. “You still have time to grow and bloom like the flowers I saw on my walk. But, Kaname is also beautiful because of what she is on the inside. You have to decide what kind of person you want to be.”
Oichi didn’t say a word. She simple reached over an squeezed Sousuke’s hand. Shunya hadn’t suspected that Sousuke could have such a compassionate character.
“And there’s a lot of important growing a girl has to do,” Mr. Smith put in. “Look at Miss Kumi and Miss Izumi.” He did just that. Kumi and Izumi looked at each other and shivered.
Ayame ignored the bodyguard. She looked up at Sousuke in coquettish fashion. “I’m only a few years younger than my sister.”
Kaname knocked over her water glass. Shunya’s fork missed his plate.
“Uh...” Sousuke was at a loss for words.
“Whoa! Better keep an eye on that one, Mr. C.” Mr. Smith slapped his hand against the table. The top fell off of a bowl of sugar. “You may want to chain that boy up at night, too.”
Shunya’s look said that he might just consider doing that. He had other fish to fry first, however. “Mr. Smith, I think it would be a good time to patrol the neighborhood again.”
“But...” Only then did the consequences of his overactive mouth dawn on the bodyguard. If the coffee was being passed around, that must mean it was time for….
“Mr. Smith could take one of the pies with him, couldn’t he dear?” Oichi was the epitome of smooth. “That kind of important job probably works up an appetite.”
“Yes... we have cherry, peach, and apple... take whichever you like.” Shunya nodded his head towards Oichi. She was a remarkable woman indeed.
“You want to come with me?” Mr. Smith looked at Sousuke. “We can bring two pies that way, and I can teach you some things you need to know about women.”
“NO!”
Sousuke never had a chance to answer. Kaname had shouted the loudest, followed by Ayame. Even Shunya had joined in.
“We might even find something to shoot....” Mr. Smith smiled, continuing on unimpeded.
“Don’t..... you..... even..... think..... about..... it.....” The look that Kaname gave Sousuke, along with her tone of voice, had Kumi and Izumi in stitches.
The halisen appeared. It had been under the table.
Ayame clapped her hands. She may have a growing crush on Sousuke, but some things were just too much fun to resist.
Sousuke kept a straight face. He pushed his chair away from the table. “May I choose the weapon? I have a machine pistol I have been eager to try out.”
Shunya looked as if he couldn’t tell if Sousuke were joking or not.
“Sousuke....” Kaname grasped the halisen tightly.
Ayame giggled.
“Sure,” Mr. Smith said, nodding his head.
Sousuke stood up. He stretched slowly, then moved his head in a circular motion, loosening up his neck. “I could use some target practice. My skills are growing rusty. Might we find some cats?”
Shunya started choking. Oichi’s laughter was beautiful and bell-like.
“Sooo-uuuusssss-kaaay....” Kaname rested the halisen on one shoulder, like a soldier at parade.
Ayame smiled. “Can I go too?” She figured that Sousuke was joking. But just in case he wasn’t....
“There ought to be plenty down by the dump.” Mr. Smith grinned. “How about you, Mr. C.? Boy’s night out! The ladies can clean up the table.” He obviously thought that Sousuke was being serious.
Shunya’s eyes bulged. Oichi tried unsuccessfully to smother her giggles. They hardly sounded sophisticated.
“It should prove a worthy challenge. A cat sees about 6 times better than a human at night, and needs one sixth the amount of light that a human does---it has a layer of extra reflecting cells which absorb light. A cat's field of vision is about 185 degrees. A cat’s hearing is much more sensitive than that of humans and dogs. A domestic cat can sprint at about 31 miles per hour.” Sousuke didn’t look at Kaname. He had to keep up the act. A smile would ruin everything.
Mr. Smith headed into the kitchen area.
“S-O-U-S-U-K-E-!--!---!” Kaname brought the halisen down on the table, causing all of the water and wine glasses to teeter to and fro.
“You would prefer a different kind of animal???” Sousuke’s face was perfect. It couldn’t help but remind Kaname of the old days.
Oichi put her hand over her mouth, her eyes alive with laughter. Kumi and Izumi smiled. Even Shunya looked amused.
Ayame sighed. There was no doubt. Sousuke Sagara was her hero. He was better at teasing Kaname than she was.
“Let’s go....” Mr. Smith walked back into the room, holding two pies in double-decker fashion. “We can stop for some White Castle burgers if these don’t hold us.”
Sousuke stood up and followed, smiling. Kaname couldn’t see the smile.
“Oooooo….” Kaname stood up, walked over to Sousuke, and grabbed him by the ear.
“I’m afraid Sousuke won’t be going anywhere….” Kaname looked over at Mr. Smith. She started dragging Sousuke back to the table.
She spoke very quietly to him. “And don’t think that you fooled me a for a minute, Mister! It WAS fun, though.”
“Maybe tomorrow night, then. Bye!” Mr. Smith and the pies left.
“Now you see what I’ve had to put up with!” Kaname almost sounded like a long-suffering housewife. But, her face was aglow and her eyes sparkled. Her father looked at her face, filled with mixed emotions.
“It is not a problem,” Sousuke said, rubbing at his ear.
The mood seemed perceptively lighter. Oichi was able to coax Sousuke into sharing some of the pleasant memories of his past. Everyone else followed, including Shunya.
Kaname pushed away a piece of peach pie. She was stuffed. Everything had been so good. Maybe she could turn Sousuke into her cooking slave. It would give him so many new places to hide weapons. Bake a pistol inside a cobbler? Why not! Stuff a turkey with C4? Sure! Don’t mind the pins sticking out of the muffins!
Smiling, she remembered a nursery rhyme she had heard in this country, back when she was reading to small children as pat of a school outreach program. She modified it appropriately.
‘Little Jack Horner Sat in a corner eating a Christmas Pie… He put in his thumb And pulled out a Desert Eagle And made the terrorists all good boys.’
Christmas Pie?
Of course not. How could she have gotten THAT wrong.
Christmas Cake.
Naturally, her mind wouldn’t stop there. It just HAD to remember the last time she had actually mentioned a nursery rhyme to Sousuke. She had smacked him with the paper fan, sending him falling over a decorative wall at the park.
‘Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall… Humpty Dumpty had a great fall… All the king's horses and all the king's men… Couldn't put Humpty together again!’ She had been very pleased, thinking it a clever comparison. She remembered the main character being a giant egg or something.
Then, that otaku jerk had to go all military and ruin things. He was certain he knew the reference. Humpty Dumpty was a powerful cannon during the English Civil War in the 1600s. It was mounted on top of the St. Mary's at the Wall Church in Colchester defending the city against siege.
He had gotten an extra kick for getting too detailed. Who could possibly care that although Colchester was a Parliamentarian stronghold, it was captured by the Royalists who held it for 11 weeks? It was bad enough that he had to go on telling her that the church tower was hit by the enemy and the top of the tower was blown off, sending "Humpty" tumbling to the ground. Naturally the King's men tried to mend the cannon, but in vain.
She looked to see what everyone else was doing and who spoke with whom.
Ayame was busy putting treats on Sousuke’s plate. The moment he ate one, or snuck one back, she’d grab two more.
Oichi and Shunya both watched her, amused at her antics.
Sousuke was feeling somewhat better. It was only a dinner, and he had learned that some people act nicer when they are at a social events; but, things were definitely looking up.
He hadn’t been paying attention to Kumi’s and Izumi’s hushed conversation about kissing boys. But, someone else had.
“Do you know,” Ayame said to Oichi. “I kissed Sousuke today!”
“I see,” Oichi said, acting suitably impressed. A piece of pie crust fell out of Shunya’s mouth.
“He probably didn’t even notice, squirt!” Kaname knew she had nothing to worry about. But, she couldn’t resist teasing her sister.
Ayame scowled. Kaname had made a big mistake. “What was Mr. Smith doing today when YOU and Sousuke were kissing?” The question was asked very quickly and conversationally.
“Sleeping….” Kaname realized too late she had been had.
Ayame smiled triumphantly.
Sousuke closed his eyes.
“They’re here-e-e-ee-e-ee-e-ee-e….” Ayame’s shout woke Mr. Smith. Running, she trampled on her father’s foot and bumped Kaname into a laundry hamper.
The door flew open, banging against the nicely paneled wall and shaking a picture off square. Oichi stood there; but, she wasn’t shocked or discomforted. Ayame’s greetings were consistent.
“Oooo-iii-chi-i-ii-i-ii-i-ii-i-ii….” The youngest Chidori wrapped her arms around her father’s fiance and gave her a tight hug. “Kaname’s here….”
“So I’ve heard.” Oichi smiled at Ayame. The middle-aged woman looked extremely attractive in a nice upscale pants suit and tasteful jewelry.
“And you know what?” Ayame’s eyes were practically glowing.
“What?” Oichi had a good idea what had the young girl all wound up.
“Sousuke’s here!!!” Ayame turned to see her father go from a scowl to a thin smile under Oichi’s gaze. She did a credible stage whisper. “Daddy’s been a t-e-r-r-o-r….”
“Oh, he has, has he?” Oichi smiled at Shunya, one hand going up to smooth out her hair. “Well, you can tell me about that later.” She had dome a stage whisper too.
“Ayame… let the guests into the house… remember your manners….” Shunya looked like a fighter who had been pinned against the ropes for a brief moment, only to break free just before a flurry of punches. A single bead of sweat formed at one temple.
Oichi glided into the house, the picture of elegance and sophistication. She was followed by two young women, each of whom was equally well coiffed and dressed. They bowed when they stepped in front of Shunya.
“Shunya, I would like to introduce my nieces. Both are on break from college in Europe, and are looking to transfer to a school in the States. Kumi Takashi is my sister Yumi’s eldest.” Oichi nodded to a short but beautiful young woman in her late teens. “Izumi Konoe is my sister Manami’s youngest.” Oichi smiled at a slender and exquisite young woman in her early twenties.
Greetings and good wishes were spread amongst the gathering crowd. Kaname’s eye was on the look out for Sousuke. He had better make a good first impression on Oichi. He had better NOT make too much of an impression on her nieces.
Sousuke walked up to the foyer, still dressed in his apron. Seeing him, Ayame grabbed his hand and pulled him forward abruptly. He tripped over Shunya’s leg and fell forward. Reaching out, he caught himself.
Everything went dead quiet. Sousuke removed his hand from Kumi’s breast quicker than he would have if he had leaned on a hot griddle.
Kumi blushed, but met Sousuke’s gaze, accepting his silent apology.
Kaname growled, making Izumi smile. “Boyfriend?” she asked Kaname.
“Yes!” Kaname said, louder than she intended.
“No!” Shunya said automatically, drawing Oichi’s disapproving glance.
“Pity,” Kumi said, taking a good look at Sousuke. She sighed.
“Uh….” That, of course, was Sousuke.
Ayame smiled. Things couldn’t have worked better if she had planned that!
Oichi diffused things with the smooth skill of a trained diplomat. “I’ve heard so much about you, Sousuke.” Now that she and Shunya were affianced, she was privy to information about Sousuke and Mithril.
“Kaname is a lucky girl. Isn’t she, Shunya?” Oichi didn’t take her eyes off of Sousuke. She intended to take his measure.
“Well… he…………. yes…” Shunya gave in, but only because it was Oichi asking. Kaname brightened at her father’s brief acceptance. “For now.” He HAD to add that.
Oichi saw the near apoplectic look on Kaname’s face. She winked at her step-daughter-to-be.
“Shunya. You must have been working very hard to cook another remarkable meal. And, I’ve missed you. After the children settle in, we should go for a pleasant stroll around the block.” The words were pleasant, even mellifluous.
The girls all smiled. Shunya collapsed like an unfortunate souffle. “Yes, dear. I’ve missed you too.”
“How sweet.” Oichi kept from smiling. There was no sense in abusing her power. “Sousuke, I notice your apron. Did you help prepare the meal tonight?” Her grin helped put the young soldier at ease.
“Yes, mam. I have done what I can, mam.” Sousuke still felt somewhat exposed, like a downed pilot in a vast open plain, no ground cover in sight.
“Very good. So now you’re a gourmet cook, too. A young man of many talents.” Oichi’s smile could have lit up the entryway by itself. “And call me Oichi.”
Kaname beamed..
“He’s a soldier. With all sorts of guns and stuff. Maybe he’ll show you.” Ayame stepped over to stand next to Sousuke. “They’re in his bedroom!” She told that last to Kumi and Izumi.
Kumi and Izumi looked at each other and grinned.
“And, he’s mine!” Kaname bumped Ayame aside, grabbing hold of Sousuke’s arm.
Oichi’s eyes filled with knowing mirth.
Shunya grumbled. “So, are either of you two young ladies looking for a boyfriend?” He almost sounded hopeful.
Kaname stamped her foot.
“Shunya.” Oichi wrapped her hair around her finger.. “Do we have time for two times around the block?”
“Not if we don’t want things to get cold….” Kaname’s father tugged at his apron. The look he turned on Sousuke made the younger man tremble for a moment. He looked like a guilty schoolboy when Oichi noticed his nasty scowl.
“You might want to get rid of that apron,” Oichi said to Shunya. “There’s something I need to do for a moment, then we can go out on our stroll.”
Shunya sighed, then took of his apron. He handed it out for Sousuke to grab. His face said that he blamed the young soldier for his predicament.
Sousuke, feeling the heat, went to hide himself in the kitchen.
“Are you thirsty? The kitchen’s this way.” Ayame showed Kumi and Izumi through the house. “So’s Sousuke….”
Kaname was considering braticide. Yes, it was a new word. But, it fit.
Before heading to the kitchen, Kaname stepped back around a corner, after having seen Oichi draw Ayame aside for a quick word.
“So, it looks like you’re really excited to have some visitors again.” Oichi was well aware how lonely Ayame felt from time to time. She especially missed her big sister.
“Sure!”
“Has your father started letting you spend time with your friends at school and not just the children of the other diplomats?” Oichi knew that Shunya had always been worried about his daughters. Kaname’s revelations about being Whispered... taken with the fact that her family might be useful in some kind of hostage situation... had driven him to distraction.
“Well....”
“Not much, I guess.” Oichi caught the look of sadness in Ayame’s eyes, glad to see it give way to a look of determination.
“Every time I go to a friends house, he sends Mr. Smith along. That’s not a lot of fun!” Mr. Smith usually just sat in the car, but the fact that she had to have a glorified babysitter irked Ayame to no end.
“There’s not a lot of fun stuff we can do HERE... we don’t have video games, a stereo, a computer, a pool...ANYTHING!”
“And you father often works on the weekends, too.” Oichi herself didn’t have quite so tight a schedule. That would bode well for Ayame when they all moved to a new house together someday.
“Nobody else’s father does!”
“Your father has a very important job. But, things will change someday. Remember? We’ve talked about patience before.” Oichi had. She had also spoken with Shunya on the subject. He was a tough nut to crack, but there were signs he would eventually come around.
“Yes.......... I.......... know..........” Ayame was chomping at the bit. There was obviously some place she wanted to run to. Oichi couldn’t help but notice.
“Mmmm Hmmm. Patience. Let me guess what’s on your mind. Is it Kaname?” Oichi looked over to the corner Kaname was hiding behind.
Kaname flattened herself against the wall. How had Oichi known? How long could she eavesdrop before her father or someone else caught her too.
“Not really,” Ayame groused. Her eyes and posture told a different story.
“Ah. Big sister is not paying a lot of attention to little sister? Big sister brought someone else into the picture? Big sister is only here for a few days.” Oichi had no difficulty remembering what it was like being the youngest child for a while. She also had a chance to watch a younger sister grow up as well.
Ayame didn’t answer at first. But, just like in certain volcanoes, the pressure sometimes builds up too fast or for too long.
“She gets to do EVERYTHING! She gets to live in Tokyo. Nobody watches everything SHE does. It’s a big deal when SHE comes for a visit. We get company come over because of HER. It’s not fair. SHE even gets to have a boyyyyyyy frieeeeeend. Though probably not for long! Hmmmpppfff!!!” Ayame’s eyes flashed.
Kaname was taken aback. She had never given Ayame’s situation a lot of thought. Sometimes she envied her younger sister, getting a chance to live with family.... not being Whispered....having someone cook and clean and wash for her.
“I see. So, have you been a little trouble maker?” Oichi viewed that as a rhetorical question.
“Not really....”
“Ayamae?” Oichi’s eyebrows twitched. Her voice deepened ever so slightly.
“Maybe a little...”
“Hmmm.”
Ayame just stuck out her lower lip and scowled.
“You haven’t been doing anything to get Sousuke in trouble so he has to leave, I hope, That’s wouldn’t be fair, would it? You don’t hate him, do you?” Oichi had heard a lot about Sousuke from Kaname. She had gotten a different view from Shunya, talking to him on the phone. It seemed that the young man had a talent for polarizing people’s opinions.
The young girl looked torn. Oichi would bet anything that Ayame resented the attention that Sousuke got. She wondered if she might be spoiling for his attention, just the same.
“Sousuke’s cool. He’s fun to watch. I don’t HAVE to get him in trouble. He beat up Mr. Smith. Daddy made him go away, but he came back. Kaname just sat there waiting for him, not wanting to do anything else. Hmmppff. Mr. Smith took his gun and shot it in the house. Then a grenade. That was neat!” Ayame’s eyes lit up.
She obviously wanted to talk about Sousuke.
“Then, he tried to peek in on Kaname in the shower, but Daddy didn’t believe me!!!”
“Really?” Oichi saw the sly look in Ayame’s eyes. “That wasn’t due to a trick on your part, was it?”
“Daddy taped him in his room at night!” Ayame continued quickly, ignoring the question.
“Not because of anything you did, I suppose?” Oichi realized that Ayame was the small fish.
Shunya taped Sousuke in a room? That man needed a serious talking to. There was such a thing as being overprotective. They’d talked about that before.
Ayame shook her head, an innocent look on her face.
“You didn’t bring that photo album out again, did you?”
“And then, at breakfast, he wouldn’t help me OR Kaname. Someone threw a brick in the window. Sousuke shot them with rubber bullets. The car crashed. You should have SEEN the alley!!! There was water everywhere. And lots of Police. It was really REALLY great! I hope I get a boyfriend like that.”
The words just spilled out of Ayame.
Oichi smiled.
“But he got caught kissing Kaname!” The young girl frowned. “And, the two of them were alone when Daddy came and got me. Well Mr. Smith was here, but that doesn’t count. He wouldn’t tell me if he kissed her any more!”
“Mmm hmmm. Is that what he has to do? Tell y-o-u, Ayame?” Ochi grinned when she saw the expression on the girl’s face. “You didn’t by chance ask him your questions in front of your father, did you?”
The pressure had built up again. There was no holding it back. “He’s been in there with those two girls. I can’t miss that.” Ayame took off like a shot. That in itself was a rarity. She usually hovered around Oichi like a moon orbiting a planet.
Oichi smiled fondly. Poor Sousuke. He certainly had his hands full. If he survived it all, the young man would certainly win her admiration. “You’re not worried about my nieces being alone with Sousuke, are you Kaname?”
Kaname swallowed. She told herself that Sousuke cared about her and her alone. She could trust him.
She didn’t answer. She started running. She couldn’t trust those girls.
“Something smells really good,” Izumi said looking around the kitchen.
“Something looks pretty good,” Kumi said quietly to her cousin, not seeing Kaname walk in.
They both smiled at Sousuke, then jumped when Kaname came to a halt just behind them.
Sousuke looked at Kaname with a slight degree of trepidation., wondering just who she would take her obvious irritation out on. He hid the ladle from before under the sink. The answer was all too obvious.
“Sousuke, are you still living in Japan?” Kumi explained that she and her cousin had each left their homeland a number of years ago.
“Yes, he is!” Kaname answered for Sousuke. “We both go to the same high school. Together. With each other.”
“Unless Daddy makes her stay here in America….” Ayame spoke in an impish sing song voice. She ducked away from Kaname’s swat. “Never-r-r-r-r-r know-w-w-w-w-w….”
“How many girlfriends do you have?” Izumi saw Sousuke’s pistol on the countertop. She reached her hand out and gave it a spin.
Sousuke put his hand on Izumi’s, to stop her. She blushed.
“One! If he’s lucky!” Kaname put her hand on Sousuke’s and moved it away from Izumi’s.
“But Kaname, the gun.” Sousuke didn’t want anyone touching his weapons. Especially after Shunya’s earlier pronouncement.
“Yes, Sousuke. The gun. I… may… need… that… later….” In a quieter voice, Kaname added “If I can’t find that ladle.
Sousuke pointed under the sink.
A flash went off. Ayame obviously had her camera again. She pointed in animated fashion, then started waving her arms like the men who guide jetliners along the runway. Kumi and Izumi moved close to Sousuke to pose for a shot. Izumi put her hand on his shoulder. Kumi put her hand around his waist. The flash went off again.
“That will be nice for our holiday calendar,” Ayame said, sticking her tongue out at Kaname. “Want a copy, Sis?” She took another few shots of Sousuke. “Those are for me.”
Kaname stepped forward. Her sister ran to hide behind Sousuke.
“Ayame said you’re a soldier.” Kumi walked over and lifted the top off of one of the pots. “But, you’re so young. Just about my age.” She closed her eyes and inhaled.
“Yes, I….” Sousuke was saved the trouble of finding a way to diffuse the questioning.
“I’m sorry, but we don’t talk about that here. My father does not approve.” Kaname spoke up quickly.
First mission accomplished. Now for the second.
She pointed out the window. “Look, there’s Oichi.” It was a lie.
When Ayame stepped out from behind Sousuke to look, Kaname swiped the camera… jumped up… and left it on top of a tall set of cabinets. She stuck out her tongue at her sister for good measure.
“It doesn’t seem as if he approves of Sousuke, either” Izumi practically purred. “I can’t see why. How many handsome young men are good with guns… kitchen utensils… and who knows what else….” She smiled, seeing Sousuke check the shine on his shoes.
“There only has to be one!” Kaname was growing tired of the game. She knew she was taking things way too seriously. Most days, she would laugh and join right in, embarrassing Sousuke. But, not tonight. Not after…. “One is all I need.”
“Let’s ask Daddy WHICH one….” Ayame climbed up on the cabinets like a marmoset or capuchin monkey. The camera was soon in her hand. She slipped, plummeting towards the cook top. Fires were on and pots were boiling.
Apron fluttering about him like a backwards cape, Sousuke leaped over the cooking island, grabbing Ayame in his arms. He landed somewhat awkwardly, falling on his rump. Ayame was safe, but shaken.
“You should find safer places to cause trouble,” Sousuke said, bringing himself to one knee and patting her head. “I would not wish to see you harmed.”
Ayame sat quietly, then wrapped her arms around Sousuke. When she let go, she smiled and looked at Kaname. “I got to hug Sousuke.”
Kaname scowled, then smiled. She had gotten to do a lot more. “That’s OK. I’m pretty certain he’s had all of his shots. He‘ll be OK….”
Kumi laughed. She looked up on top of the cabinets. “I wonder if I could climb that high.” She blushed when Sousuke looked at her. Izumi laughed. Kumi smiled.
This time, Kaname joined in on the laughter. Only Sosusuke was left looking uncomfortable. That made the girls laugh even more.
“Leave Sousuke alone!” Ayame glowered at the other girls.
That only made things worse.
“He’s a hero.” Ayame stood up on a chair, gave Sousuke a quick peck on the cheek, then ran off. She made certain to kick Kaname on the way past.
Kaname got something to drink for Kumi, Izumi, and herself. She asked the two girls if they would join her in the parlor until Oichi and her father returned. Izumi had some questions for Sousuke, first.
“It doesn’t embarrass you to cook?” She thought that the young soldier actually looked dashing in his apron. “Most boys would think it’s something girlish.” He certainly didn’t look girlish.
“No. I am not concerned. It does not change who I am.” Sousuke’s confidence made everyone smile, each for their own reason.
“You’re a bit young to be a gourmet, aren’t?” Kumi watched as Sousuke turned off the cook top and stirred a number of different dishes as he had been instructed. “But you must be pretty good if Shunya lets you help him….”
“He’s not a---” Kaname was cut off.
“Can you share any secrets with us?” Izumi was not about to be left out. She and Kumi competed about everything.
“He doesn’t have---” Kaname was cut off again.
“It is not a problem,” Sousuke answered.
He was wrong.
Kaname’s face said otherwise.
“Let me see….” He thought back to the countless things he had heard throughout the day. “To learn how long to cook fish, measure at the thickest point, then allow ten minutes per inch.”
“Ten minutes per inch? I like the sound of that!” Izumi’s sly aside had Kumi blushing and Kaname fuming. It went over Sousuke’s head.
“That applies to all manners of cooking,” Sousuke added.
“Mmmm Hmmm.” Izumi was having fun. It didn’t matter whose expense it was at. She chuckled at the look on her cousin’s face.
“Somebody’s fish is cooked….” Kaname groused.
“Many recipes suggest cooking fish until it flakes… it should ALMOST flake… if it actually flakes, it’s overdone.”
‘Big idiot! He makes it sound like he knows what he’s talking about. The nerve of him showing off in front of girls. Especially after today!’ Kaname began keeping score. ‘He’ll pay. Oh yes, he’ll pay.’
“Also, you may wish to use a spatula or other flat utensil to turn the fish. Tongs may cause it to fall apart. Of course, for other meats, tongs are preferred, as a fork or sharp implement will release the meat’s juice and leave it dry.” Sousuke was on a roll. He was glad that he had a chance to pass along what he had learned. There was a better chance he would remember it that way.
“ ‘Of course’ ….” Kaname mumbled under her breath.
“That’s great. Thank you.” Kumi smiled. She moved a bit closer to Sousuke. He moved a bit further away.
“I hope I can remember that.” Izumi grinned. She moved to cut off Sousuke’s angle of escape.
Both girls sighed.
“Anything else?” Kumi looked hopeful. She found that she liked listening to Sousuke talk. He was a bit stiff, but that just made him unique. Unique was interesting. Interesting was good.
“Kaname?” To his credit, Sousuke pickled up that something was bothering her.
“Go ahead, Sousuke. Don’t let ME stop you….” Kaname just turned and looked over her shoulder.
Sousuke took that statement at face value.
He still had a lot to learn.
“Thank you. Let me see. What might be useful information? Affirmative. Biscuits. Do not over handle dough intended for biscuits or cobbler topping. You will make it too tough….” He began stirring one of the side dishes, trying to run down a mental check list of the things Shunya gave him to do.
“Tough’s OK….” Izumi said to Kumi. She looked at Sousuke’s arms as he stirred.
“Once the dough is mixed, transfer it to a flour board or a floured sheet of wax paper. Lightly flour the top of the dough… fold the wax paper over it… and gently press it to an even thickness of about three-quarters of an inch. Cut as desired.”
“Gentle pressing sounds good,” Kumi said back to her cousin. She couldn’t help but biting her lip Izumi was still much more experienced than she was.
Kaname heard and blushed up a storm. She was glad Ayame wasn’t there to see her.
The camera flash went off again.
Kaname’s first instinct was to run Ayame down…hog tie her… then toss the runt into her room. But, she was not about to leave Sousuke alone with those two piranhas. It wasn’t because she was jealous or anything. He was busy. He had a job to do. He didn’t need any distractions.
“Well, Sousuke. You need to finish up here, and I’m certain that Kumi and Izumi might like to relax a moment.” Kaname was proud of herself. Her voice didn’t crack.
Sousuke wasn’t finished yet. “I should add before they go, that when you are making biscuits or pastry, to test whether you’ve cut the butter into the flour completely, just shake the bowl. If overly large clumps form…larger than peas… continue to cut a little longer.”
“Remember that, Kumi. Size IS important.” Izumi then followed a steaming Kaname out into the living room area. It was a mistake. Mr. Smith now had someone new to tell his stories to.
Kumi stayed behind. “Is there anything I could do to help?”
“Certainly. That is most kind of you. The pots without tops all need to be strained. The contents can go in the smaller dishes on the counter.” Sousuke was glad for the help. He did not know what might happen if he wasn’t finished by the time Shunya returned. He had been given a mission. He would not fail.
While she worked, Kumi asked if Sousuke had anything else to share. She hoped so. Maybe she could get him to gossip some, too.
Sousuke began rattling off errata.
“When transferring chopped, diced, or sliced foods from a cutting board to a bowl or a pan, use the dull side, NOT the sharp side. The same thing goes for pushing tranquilizer darts into carrying bins, or scraping lead shot into empty rounds.”
“OK.…” Kumi nodded her head.
“To clean copper pots, sprinkle them well with lemon juice, then with salt, and rub with one half of a cut lemon. I would not, however, recommend salt for copper shell casings, in case it cuts the powder mixture.”
“Ohhh….” Kumi cooed.
“To prepare chicken duck, turkey, or goose for cooking… clean the bird thoroughly inside and out… dry well… and rub liberally with distilled white vinegar. That is an old Chinese practice that helps eliminate bacteria.”
“Amazing….” Kumii’s eyes grew large.
“Vinegar has long been known as a good disinfectant, capable of killing 99 percent of bacteria… 82 percent of mold… and 80 percent of viruses. Hippocrates knew of its effectiveness. It was used by the ancient Egyptians, and by Julius Caesar’s army. Samurai warriors used to drink Apple Cider Vinegar for strength and power. Civil War soldiers in this country used it to prevent scurvy, as did Christopher Columbus. In Paris, during the Middle Ages, it was sold in barrels as healing tonic and deodorant. In Biblical times---”
“Kumi, you’re wanted in the parlor. Your cousin needs rescuing.” Kaname came in during the dissertation on vinegar. She watched as Kumi walked away.
“Someone else does, too!” Kaname said, looking at Sousuke after Kumi left.
“Kaname?” Sousuke sounded a touch worried. His face went tender, a look that still looked out of place on him.
“Yes?” Kaname couldn’t stay angry at him. He was probably going to ask for a kiss, or say that he loved her. She smiled.
“Would you like to hear why Apple Cider Vinegar is considered one of Mother Nature’s perfect foods?”
“I love you too Sous---” It took a moment before Sousuke’s words sank in. Kaname shook ever so slightly. “BAKA!!!” She turned and followed Kumi.
“She must already know the answer…” Sousuke said to himself as he removed a hot basting pan from the oven. He finally felt relaxed. A Specialist needs space to work, sometimes.
Eventually, Shunya made it back and supervised the remainder of the preparation and allocation work. The guests were all seated, and dinner began. The food was all delicious, and the complements were quick in coming. Sousuke felt satisfied, almost as much as he normally did after a successful raid or interdiction action.
Oichi asked Sousuke a couple of questions, trying to draw him out. She quickly ended Kaname’s tendency to answer for him. Some of his answers made her laugh out loud, while others had her shaking her head in disbelief. She smiled at Kaname, letting the young woman know that she had done well.
Ayame kept leaning up against Sousuke on occasion, much to the amusement of Oichi. Kaname was not so pleased. Shunya cut at his food fiercely, unhappy to see yet another daughter fawn on the young man. He kept catching himself, looking over at Oichi to see if she was keeping an eye on him.
Kumi and Izumi were witty conversationalists, and much of the subsequent conversation dealt with their lives at school overseas.
“So, what are your plans for the future?” Shunya asked Izumi. “Work? Raise a family? Both?”
“I’m still not sure, Uncle Shunya.” She and Kumi had already taken to calling Shunya ‘Uncle,’ much to Kaname’s annoyance and Ayame’s amusement.
“I guess it would depend upon what kind of special man I might meet some day.” To tease Kaname, she smiled over at Sousuke.
Kaname glared at Sousuke.
Sousuke’s biscuit crumbled. He hadn’t realized that he had been holding it to roughly.
“I take it that your parents would like you to marry a professional… someone with a future… a steady man… one who come home every night.” Shunya tried to sound nonchalant.
Oichi tapped her knife ever so lightly against her water glass. Shunya blinked.
“Maybe,” Izumi laughed. “But I don’t relish marrying a profession instead of a man. I’d rather find someone to love… somebody who makes me feel alive… a man who’s not afraid of challenges.”
Kaname looked over at Sousuke, not bothering to disguise her glance.
Kumi sighed.
The young soldier looked like a deer in the glare of oncoming headlights.
“Sousuke’s a professional!” Ayame said. She handed Sousuke a fresh biscuit.
“But at least you won’t do something to spite your parents,” Shunya said with confidence.
“Oichi says that you are a very level-headed girl. Too many young people these days rush into things without thinking, regretting it later. They think they have all of the answers in the world. Their parents’ experience means nothing to them.” Shunya quoted Shakespeare, “How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child.” He laughed, showing he wasn’t intending that for anyone in particular.
Oichi tapped her knife against the glass, a little louder this time. She enjoyed quoting literature herself. “One of the most obvious facts about grownups to a child is that they have forgotten what it is like to be a child.” She followed it up with another. “We inevitably doom our children to failure and frustration when we try to set their goals for them.”
Shunya busied himself with his brisquet.
“My parents love me, Uncle Shunya. And I love them. They won’t try to force anything on me, and I won’t do anything to hurt them. It’s part of being a family, I guess. I’m blessed that way.” She looked over at Kumi, who nodded her head. They both came from similar families.
“Kids don’t need a friend. They usually have plenty of them, and they don’t usually choose them all that well.” Mr. Smith was finally able to tear himself away from his meal. “Kids need a parent. Someone to show them what right and wrong are. My girls never listened to me. Look who they ended up with.”
“You were saying, Izumi?” Oiche eased around the rotund bodyguard’s exposition.
“I don’t want to know everything, Uncle Shunya. It’s more fun to learn it. Sometimes I make mistakes. Other times I do pretty well. They help me work through my problems and are happy for my successes. I think I’m as proud of them as they are of me.”
Kaname looked over at her father, trying to meet his gaze.
Oichi smiled at her niece. “You’re becoming more of a lady every day. But, I’m glad to see you keep that spirit, Izumi. The wildest colts make the best horses. Nieces, too.”
Shunya looked up. He thought a moment. “Just remember one thing, though. The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for.” He looked at Kaname out of the corner of his eye.
“You tell’em, Mr. C.!” Mr. Smith reached over and speared two chicken breasts with his knife.
Oichi wiped her mouth primly on her napkin. ‘Relationships of all kinds are like sand held in your hand. Held loosely, with an open hand, the sand remains where it is. The minute you close your hand and squeeze tightly to hold on, the sand trickles through your fingers. You may hold onto some of it, but most will be spilled. A relationship is like that. Held loosely, with respect and freedom for the other person, it is likely to remain intact. But hold too tightly, too possessively, and the relationship slips away and is lost.”
Shunya smiled. He enjoyed a challenge. “The father who does not teach his child her duties is equally guilty as the child who neglects them.” He broke open a fresh bun. He closed his eyes partly, breathing in the steam that puffed out.
Oichi checked her nails. “Children begin by loving their parents. After a time they judge them. Rarely, if ever, do they forgive them.”
Izumi looked embarrassed, caught in the middle of the word game. Like everyone else, she knew who the comments were intended for.
Kaname looked at Oichi, willing her onward.
Ayame looked annoyed. This kind of stuff was NOT fun. “Can we ask Sousuke some more questions now?” She handed Sousuke another biscuit, in case he broke the second one too. “How about---”
“Shhhhhhh!” Kaname did not want her sister in charge of asking questions. She wanted to see what else Oichi might come up with. She looked over at her father, wondering if he was done yet.
“Kites rise highest against the wind -- not with it.” Shunya plopped a bit of mint jelly on his plate.
“The art of living lies less in eliminating our troubles than in growing with them.” Oichi trimmed some fat off of her meat, daintily placing it on the side of her plate.
“True gold does not fear the test of the fire.” Sousuke had been compelled to quote a traditional Chinese proverb. He followed that up with a Russian one. “The hammer shatters glass but forges steel.”
Shunya stared. Those had been two of his favorite sayings as a young professional.
Ayame changed her mind. Quotations WERE cool.
Oichi smiled. “Sousuke.” It was time to move things along further.
“Yes?” Sousuke wondered for a moment if he had interrupted some kind of traditional game between Shunya and Oichi.
“It seems to me that you’ve been very quiet through much of dinner. We certainly shouldn’t neglect you, should we?” Shunya’s fiance reached down for her purse, sitting under her chair. She took out a small piece of paper.
“It is not a problem, Miss Oichi.” No. being the center of the conversation was the problem. He thought he had already had his turn.
“You needn’t be either shy or modest. It seems to me, you have many things to be very proud of, even though we cannot speak of them in tonight’s company.” Oichi smiled. “Right, Kaname?” Oichi began deftly creasing and folding the paper.
“There is only one other person in my life that I have ever felt this proud of.” Kaname looked at her father.
“I simply do what needs to be done, Miss Oichi.” Sousuke realized that Oichi must be cognizant of his military activities. “I am merely adept at following orders.”
“Not everybody does the first, Sousuke. And of those who do, not all do it for the right reason, or with such starling results.”
“Startling is a good word.” Shunya piped up. “Startling… dramatic… memorable… costly.” The look on his daughter’s face didn’t stop him. “I’m not certain the officials at Jindai High…or the students’ parents… enjoy being startled repeatedly.
“Let’s say admirable, then. It’s always best to act in an admirable fashion, I think.” Oichi smiled sweetly at Shunya. He ought to get that message easily enough. “It was very admirable for Sousuke to spend so much time in the kitchen helping to make dinner. No doubt he would have preferred spending time with Kaname. Not every young man would make such an effort to fit in.”
“It was the right thing to do, Miss Oichi. I merely wished to forge a common bond. I had also hoped to make Kaname happy.” Sousuke looked at the growing pile of biscuits where a small plate was once visible.
“Admirable AND special. Not too many young men out there like that, I would think. Right girls?” Oichi glanced over at her nieces before folding the paper in a few more places.
“I certainly haven’t met any.” Izumi looked over at Sousuke, longer than Kaname would like. “I’ve been out with more than I can count.” Her look clearly said that she wouldn’t mind increasing the number by one.
Kumi sighed. She blushed when she realized what she had done. Those reactions were answer enough.
Kaname looked affectionately at Sousuke, knowing he did not like to be the center of attention. But, ‘that which doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.’
“Please!” Mr. Smith was chuckling. “What kind of boy wants to hang out in a kitchen, wearing an apron???” Reaching for a dish of horseradish, the one time police officer heard Shunya grunt. “I don’t mean you, Mr. C. You’re a man. You’ve proven that already.”
“So Kaname, it seems that you are a very fortunate young lady. Was it love at first sight?” Oichi already knew the answer to that question.
Shunya scowled, looking away quickly when Oichi glanced in his direction. She smiled, and dipped her napkin in her water glass, using it to moisten the paper she was working with.
“NO!” The answer exploded out of Kaname before she knew it. “No. When I first saw Sousuke, he was being stopped by our teacher for having a gun it his school bag. Everyone believed it was just a toy. I thought Sousuke was a freak.”
“First impressions are very important,” Shunya put in, a little too forcefully. He broke the cork out of a bottle of Merlot he was opening. He stared at it, as if the cork had cracked on purpose.
Everybody stopped and stared at him. The silence stretched on for an uncomfortable period of time.
“Should we talk about my first impression of you, dear?” Oichi asked suavely, trying not to laugh at the subsequent expression on her fiance’s face.
“No. That was different.” Shunya hoped things wouldn’t go any further.
“It certainly was. Yes, indeed.” Oichi shook her head, negating the pleas from Kaname, Ayame, Kumi, and Izumi. “But, I was rewarded quite well for my patience, wasn’t I?”
“Yes.” Shunya sat taller.
“It looks like Kaname was, too.” Oichi finished the origami figure she had been working on.
Shunya slumped just a little.
“Not at first! Hmmmpppfff!“ Kaname looked over at Sousuke. He put an innocent look on. Big idiot!
“He followed me everywhere, like some kind of pervert or something. He always misinterpreted things. Trouble followed him around like a long lost twin. No one else could possibly be so clueless about the simplest things. He was so helpless.” Kaname laughed, remembering a choice scene at school.
“Then why did you ever end up caring for him?” Oichi knew the answer to that, too. “I mean, if all he did was get in trouble, why did you even give him a second glance?”
“Because he always did his best for me…. even when I hurt him… or rejected him… or laughed at him. He didn’t always get things right… but he kept trying until he found some way to make me happy.” Kaname saw Kumi and Izumi look at each other and smile. They understood.
Ayame gave Sousuke a scone.
Shunya opened his mouth. He was about to add ‘Or until he blew something up!’ He shut his mouth.
“Chicks like guys with guns!” Mr. Smith swallowed, then continued. “Trust me, I know….”
Ayame giggled.
Kaname refrained from saying the first thing that came to her mind.
“The moody military maniac even followed me around in secret once, wanting to make certain I was OK. He protected me, even though I was on a date with someone else. He didn’t think I’d know he was there, but I did.” Kaname didn’t go into details. Who would believe Bonta-Kun? “I think he kind of liked me, even then. He just didn‘t know it yet.”
Sousuke nodded. Kaname was right..
“He probably just wanted to score some sympathy points. Guys do that sometimes. It’s a good way to get in a babe‘s pants, right Mr. C.?” Mr. Smith dumped the remaining scallops onto his plate and the nearby table.
Nobody said anything.
There was the sound of a clip being put into a pistol under the table.
Mr. Smith heard that and suddenly lost interest in the conversation.
“He gave me jewelry once, made to keep me safe. I was angry, because he said it was practical. He later tried to tell me about his duty and obligation, but all I did was say that I could hate him for that. Of course, not long after that, I needed his help. Know what? He was there, despite all that. When I need him, he is always there.” There were tears in Kaname’s eyes. She didn’t want to imagine a time when Sousuke wasn’t there.
“I’m there, too” Ayame said, a somewhat plaintive sound to her voice.
“Yes you are, Sis.” Kaname smiled and wiped away a tear.
“And when he needed you…were you there for him?” Oichi asked.
“Not like he was.” Kaname sounded a little down on herself.
“That is incorrect.” Sousuke spoke up, no longer sounding shy or tentative. He would defend Kaname’s honor against anyone, even Kaname herself.
“Kaname has done more for me than anyone else has. Even though I annoyed and disappointed her, she was kind enough to help me with my schoolwork. No one else did. When we were in grave peril, she kept her head and showed me the way to save us both. She wouldn’t let me just throw my life away.” The gratitude and admiration Sousuke felt was emblazoned on his face and gave added vibrancy to his voice.
He looked over at Kaname again. “She saw more in me than I did myself.”
“You know what she was looking at, don’t you? I’ll tell you later, when the ladies are gone.” The erstwhile chaperon made a last second effort to be discrete.
There was the sound of a gun hitting the floor.
Shunya just closed his eyes.
Oichi coughed into her napkin.
“Kaname has also saved me from my own cluelessness,” Sousuke continued, kicking the gun over to where he could reach down and pick it up. “When the school held a contest for one of the last club rooms available, the Sociology group set up the parameters. Each competing club was to see how many women its members could pick up.”
Kumi and Izumi looked on with interest. That story sounded interesting.
“You let him, Kaname?” Ayame smiled. “You didn’t have that leash on him yet?”
Everybody ignored Ayame’s gibe. That didn’t sit too well with her. She looked up at Sousuke. He wasn’t paying her any attention. She took away the scone.
“I did not understood the rules. I did not know what flirting meant. I….” Sousuke ran down. What had he chosen this story? It would make him sound like a complete fool.
“Ended up luring prostitutes into an alley way, then capturing them in cages!” Shunya looked at Oichi, daring her to find something admirable about THAT.
“I had not been able to pick up a single girl. I would have been faced with defaulting on a very embarrassing bet.” Sousuke pushed the food around on his plate for a moment.
“What was the bet?” Kumi asked.
“Uh…I…” Sousuke stopped, looking over at Oichi. He blushed.
“It must have been a really bad one!” Izumi had to know. “Come on, you can tell us.”
“Well… I hadn’t thought… but…”
Kaname hid a smile. Sousuke was incredibly cute when he was flustered.
“Come on, Sousuke. Tell use. Pleeeaaassse-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e….” Ayame was pulling at his shirt sleeve.
Sousuke looked down at Ayame. “The loser of the bet had to swim in the nearby lake naked.”
“Bad boy!” Ayame put the scone back again, along with a croissant and two apple fritters.
“Not exactly a clever move, making a bet like that.” Shunya shook his head, watching closely as he ground black pepper out of a pepper mill.
“But, boy’s will be boys, right?” Oichi winked at Sousuke.
“I remember a story someone told me once, from when he was a boy. Seems this young man…destined for bigger things when he grew up… made a bet that he could swim across the entire length of a neighborhood lake. He hadn’t been thinking. It was winter time, and the lake was frozen solid. A good lesson about drinking excessive sake.”
Shunya’s face went blank. Not paying attention, he put the mill back down in the Egg & Ginger rice.
Kaname and Ayame stared at him intently. They loved hearing stories from their father’s youth. They had no doubt who Oichi was talking about.
“What was the punishment, Auntie?” Izumi asked.
“He had to shave off every single hair on his body. Outside. In the porch light of the bar. With everybody watching. I think a sanitized version of a photograph made it into the school yearbook.” Oichi accepted a cup of teas that Kumi passed her.
Shunya sighed. Oichi kept coming up with good points. He was more than her equal in the political arena. Outside of work, however, he didn’t stand a chance. She was quite a woman. He had long since learned to trust her judgment, even when it seemed at odds with his own.
Most of the time.
“We should all apologize to Sousuke for the interruption. Would you please continue?” Oichi took a sip of tea. It was very good.
“I would have honored the bet. I had given my word. The entire class was there, as were the young ladies that had been picked up. If I myself had picked up a single girl, I would have won the bet.” Sousuke looked over at Kaname. She mouthed ‘I love you,’ not even bothering to see if anyone was watching her.
“Kaname saved me.”
“How?” Kumi asked.
“She had gone home and dressed up in her mother’s kimono. She did her hair and make-up differently, fooling everybody. Claiming she had needed time to sneak away from her husband, she convinced everybody that I had flirted successfully. I couldn’t remember doing so, but walked away with her just the same. She thought it was quite humorous when I could not identify her.”
“And I only asked for one thing in return.” Kaname smiled, remembering the moment.
“Now we’re talking!” Mr. Smith put down his fork and rubbed his hands together.
“Ahem!” Shunya’s face clouded over.
“A kiss?” Ayame.
“No, shrimp. He told me that I was beautiful. It was the first time… in the sunset… by a fountain in the lake.” Kaname had a dreamy look on her face, able to picture the moment.
Oichi passed the origami figure she had made over to Kaname. It was for her, a delicate paper crane. It could be interpreted as representing hope, good luck, and happiness.
Both Kumi and Izumi had huge grins. They loved romantic endings.
“Sounds like that worked out well for the both of you. Is that what attracts you to Kaname? Her beauty?” Oichi silently bet it wasn’t. At least not entirely.
“I... no....” Sousuke felt very uncomfortable talking about his feelings in front of others, especially Shunya. But, Oichi had the ability to pull it out of him.
“No?” Kaname gave Sousuke a ‘you BETTER think I’m attractive’ look.
“She... I find her looks very... effective.” Sousuke looked over at Kaname, blinked a number of times, then stumbled onward. “More effective than anyone else....”
Kaname tossed her hair. That was much better. She still had to teach him to you better words than ‘effective.’ That sounded more appropriate for a laxative or anti-personnel mine.
“But, when piloting---“ Sousuke caught himself in time. “When one has an important thing to do, the most attractive tool is often not the best one. It is important to have one that is dependable... compatible to the task... strong enough to stand up to the requirements... there when you need it....” Sousuke blushed when he realized that all of the women were staring at him.
Shunya had a sour but contemplative look on his face.
“When you find one that is right, you may suspect that you have done so. But, it often takes a while to get a feel for the tool.” That choice of words had Kaname choking on the water she had just swallowed. First effective…now a tool….
“You may even get hurt if you do not show the tool the proper respect. But, if it becomes indispensable, the task would be unpleasant… if not impossible… without that tool.”
Oichi nodded.
Kaname may not have cared for his verbiage, but she had gotten Sousuke’s message loud and clear. She hoped her father had, as well. He looked somewhat lost in thought.
Kumi sighed again. Izumi rubbed her shoulder.
“I think you got things backwards, boy.” Mr. Smith had an empty wine bottle in front of him. “There is only one tool that is good for ev-er-eee job. No what I mean???? And, when something’s beautiful, work on it while you can. It won’t stay that way forever.”
“Not… every… job… lasts… forever….” Shunya said, looking pointedly at the large ex-cop. Mr. Smith just shrugged, and reached for a jar of exotic mustard. There were always other jobs.
There was a moment of charged silence.
“Do you think that I am beautiful too, Sousuke?” Ayame filled the void, looking shy and a bit anxious, not rambunctious or mischievous.
Sousuke was caught off guard. He was wise enough to realize that the question might be innocent and harmless to almost everyone, but that the answer might be very important to one person. It was not something to brush off lightly. In the past, his response would have been cold and mechanical.
“I think that you will be very effective when you are older,” Sousuke said in a kind manner.
Ayame smiled.
Kaname and Oichi looked at Sousuke with great warmth and pride.
Shunya’s look was unreadable.
“More beautiful than Kaname?” Ayame’s eyes were shining.
Kaname shook her head ‘no.’ Kumi and Izumi nodded their heads ‘yes.’ Oichi looked at Sousuke with a grin on her face. Shunya was curious how the young man would get himself out of this predicament.
“I cannot say,” Sousuke said. “You still have time to grow and bloom like the flowers I saw on my walk. But, Kaname is also beautiful because of what she is on the inside. You have to decide what kind of person you want to be.”
Oichi didn’t say a word. She simple reached over an squeezed Sousuke’s hand. Shunya hadn’t suspected that Sousuke could have such a compassionate character.
“And there’s a lot of important growing a girl has to do,” Mr. Smith put in. “Look at Miss Kumi and Miss Izumi.” He did just that. Kumi and Izumi looked at each other and shivered.
Ayame ignored the bodyguard. She looked up at Sousuke in coquettish fashion. “I’m only a few years younger than my sister.”
Kaname knocked over her water glass. Shunya’s fork missed his plate.
“Uh...” Sousuke was at a loss for words.
“Whoa! Better keep an eye on that one, Mr. C.” Mr. Smith slapped his hand against the table. The top fell off of a bowl of sugar. “You may want to chain that boy up at night, too.”
Shunya’s look said that he might just consider doing that. He had other fish to fry first, however. “Mr. Smith, I think it would be a good time to patrol the neighborhood again.”
“But...” Only then did the consequences of his overactive mouth dawn on the bodyguard. If the coffee was being passed around, that must mean it was time for….
“Mr. Smith could take one of the pies with him, couldn’t he dear?” Oichi was the epitome of smooth. “That kind of important job probably works up an appetite.”
“Yes... we have cherry, peach, and apple... take whichever you like.” Shunya nodded his head towards Oichi. She was a remarkable woman indeed.
“You want to come with me?” Mr. Smith looked at Sousuke. “We can bring two pies that way, and I can teach you some things you need to know about women.”
“NO!”
Sousuke never had a chance to answer. Kaname had shouted the loudest, followed by Ayame. Even Shunya had joined in.
“We might even find something to shoot....” Mr. Smith smiled, continuing on unimpeded.
“Don’t..... you..... even..... think..... about..... it.....” The look that Kaname gave Sousuke, along with her tone of voice, had Kumi and Izumi in stitches.
The halisen appeared. It had been under the table.
Ayame clapped her hands. She may have a growing crush on Sousuke, but some things were just too much fun to resist.
Sousuke kept a straight face. He pushed his chair away from the table. “May I choose the weapon? I have a machine pistol I have been eager to try out.”
Shunya looked as if he couldn’t tell if Sousuke were joking or not.
“Sousuke....” Kaname grasped the halisen tightly.
Ayame giggled.
“Sure,” Mr. Smith said, nodding his head.
Sousuke stood up. He stretched slowly, then moved his head in a circular motion, loosening up his neck. “I could use some target practice. My skills are growing rusty. Might we find some cats?”
Shunya started choking. Oichi’s laughter was beautiful and bell-like.
“Sooo-uuuusssss-kaaay....” Kaname rested the halisen on one shoulder, like a soldier at parade.
Ayame smiled. “Can I go too?” She figured that Sousuke was joking. But just in case he wasn’t....
“There ought to be plenty down by the dump.” Mr. Smith grinned. “How about you, Mr. C.? Boy’s night out! The ladies can clean up the table.” He obviously thought that Sousuke was being serious.
Shunya’s eyes bulged. Oichi tried unsuccessfully to smother her giggles. They hardly sounded sophisticated.
“It should prove a worthy challenge. A cat sees about 6 times better than a human at night, and needs one sixth the amount of light that a human does---it has a layer of extra reflecting cells which absorb light. A cat's field of vision is about 185 degrees. A cat’s hearing is much more sensitive than that of humans and dogs. A domestic cat can sprint at about 31 miles per hour.” Sousuke didn’t look at Kaname. He had to keep up the act. A smile would ruin everything.
Mr. Smith headed into the kitchen area.
“S-O-U-S-U-K-E-!--!---!” Kaname brought the halisen down on the table, causing all of the water and wine glasses to teeter to and fro.
“You would prefer a different kind of animal???” Sousuke’s face was perfect. It couldn’t help but remind Kaname of the old days.
Oichi put her hand over her mouth, her eyes alive with laughter. Kumi and Izumi smiled. Even Shunya looked amused.
Ayame sighed. There was no doubt. Sousuke Sagara was her hero. He was better at teasing Kaname than she was.
“Let’s go....” Mr. Smith walked back into the room, holding two pies in double-decker fashion. “We can stop for some White Castle burgers if these don’t hold us.”
Sousuke stood up and followed, smiling. Kaname couldn’t see the smile.
“Oooooo….” Kaname stood up, walked over to Sousuke, and grabbed him by the ear.
“I’m afraid Sousuke won’t be going anywhere….” Kaname looked over at Mr. Smith. She started dragging Sousuke back to the table.
She spoke very quietly to him. “And don’t think that you fooled me a for a minute, Mister! It WAS fun, though.”
“Maybe tomorrow night, then. Bye!” Mr. Smith and the pies left.
“Now you see what I’ve had to put up with!” Kaname almost sounded like a long-suffering housewife. But, her face was aglow and her eyes sparkled. Her father looked at her face, filled with mixed emotions.
“It is not a problem,” Sousuke said, rubbing at his ear.
The mood seemed perceptively lighter. Oichi was able to coax Sousuke into sharing some of the pleasant memories of his past. Everyone else followed, including Shunya.
Kaname pushed away a piece of peach pie. She was stuffed. Everything had been so good. Maybe she could turn Sousuke into her cooking slave. It would give him so many new places to hide weapons. Bake a pistol inside a cobbler? Why not! Stuff a turkey with C4? Sure! Don’t mind the pins sticking out of the muffins!
Smiling, she remembered a nursery rhyme she had heard in this country, back when she was reading to small children as pat of a school outreach program. She modified it appropriately.
‘Little Jack Horner Sat in a corner eating a Christmas Pie… He put in his thumb And pulled out a Desert Eagle And made the terrorists all good boys.’
Christmas Pie?
Of course not. How could she have gotten THAT wrong.
Christmas Cake.
Naturally, her mind wouldn’t stop there. It just HAD to remember the last time she had actually mentioned a nursery rhyme to Sousuke. She had smacked him with the paper fan, sending him falling over a decorative wall at the park.
‘Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall… Humpty Dumpty had a great fall… All the king's horses and all the king's men… Couldn't put Humpty together again!’ She had been very pleased, thinking it a clever comparison. She remembered the main character being a giant egg or something.
Then, that otaku jerk had to go all military and ruin things. He was certain he knew the reference. Humpty Dumpty was a powerful cannon during the English Civil War in the 1600s. It was mounted on top of the St. Mary's at the Wall Church in Colchester defending the city against siege.
He had gotten an extra kick for getting too detailed. Who could possibly care that although Colchester was a Parliamentarian stronghold, it was captured by the Royalists who held it for 11 weeks? It was bad enough that he had to go on telling her that the church tower was hit by the enemy and the top of the tower was blown off, sending "Humpty" tumbling to the ground. Naturally the King's men tried to mend the cannon, but in vain.
She looked to see what everyone else was doing and who spoke with whom.
Ayame was busy putting treats on Sousuke’s plate. The moment he ate one, or snuck one back, she’d grab two more.
Oichi and Shunya both watched her, amused at her antics.
Sousuke was feeling somewhat better. It was only a dinner, and he had learned that some people act nicer when they are at a social events; but, things were definitely looking up.
He hadn’t been paying attention to Kumi’s and Izumi’s hushed conversation about kissing boys. But, someone else had.
“Do you know,” Ayame said to Oichi. “I kissed Sousuke today!”
“I see,” Oichi said, acting suitably impressed. A piece of pie crust fell out of Shunya’s mouth.
“He probably didn’t even notice, squirt!” Kaname knew she had nothing to worry about. But, she couldn’t resist teasing her sister.
Ayame scowled. Kaname had made a big mistake. “What was Mr. Smith doing today when YOU and Sousuke were kissing?” The question was asked very quickly and conversationally.
“Sleeping….” Kaname realized too late she had been had.
Ayame smiled triumphantly.
Sousuke closed his eyes.
Sousuke, you babe magnet you!! As if Ayame wasn't enough
