[FIC] Endings and Beginnings (part 3)
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2005 4:46 pm
“Daddy, are you certain that a car was such a good idea?”
Kaname was dressed in casual clothes now, exhausted after the day’s events. She was feeling guilty, seeing that she had been given such an extravagant gift.
“What? Are you worried because of parking, or because gasoline cost so much in Japan?” Shunya put down his cup of coffee, and then walked over to a small desk. He removed a box from the top drawer. “You won’t need to drive it very far, at school. But, I’m certain it will come in handy.”
“No. I’m not thinking about those things. A car like that one must have been expensive. I just…” Kaname didn’t want to sound ungrateful. But, she didn’t want her father’s finances to suffer on her account. Especially since she had college tuition coming up, and would not be able to pay that herself by working during school.
“It’s alright, Kaname. My investments overseas have gone very well. My salary may not be high by American standards, but I have managed to save a fair bit. Besides, the car was not that expensive. Sure, there were smaller models to choose from, but the one I bought is a nice balance between safety, efficiency, and cost.”
“Thank you, Daddy.” Kaname gave her father another hug.
“I have something else for you here. I think this will mean more to you than the car.” He handed her the box.
“Wait a minute. You’ve given me so much already. I can’t…” Kaname opened the box. There was a beautiful necklace inside.
“It was your mother’s,” Shunya said. “I have been saving it for this very day. It used to be her favorite.” Her father looked over at a nearby table top. Kaname’s picture of her mother… his wife… sat there.
Kaname was too overcome with emotion to speak.
“I know you wish your mother could have shared this day with you. Maybe by your wearing that, she will.” Shunya grabbed a box of tissue and brought it to Kaname.
Kaname nodded her head.
“She would have enjoyed your speech. You did very well. They really applauded you when you were done.” Shunya retrieved his coffee cup and took a sip.
“It was kind of strange, Daddy. I was standing up there and looking at all the people, and I felt so far away from them. And when I looked back at my classmates….” Kaname nibbled on a strand of her hair.
“Stop that.” Shunya said. “I thought that we had broken you of that habit long ago.” He took another sip, and then put the cup down again, finished. “Is there something bothering you?”
“Yes. No. Oh, I don’t know.” Kaname chewed on her hair again, and then forced herself to stop. She always seemed to revert to one old habit or another when she was around Ayame and her father. “Most of the other students thought I was some kind of idol at first. But, I worked really hard, and I tried to do things that served the school…”
“Uh huh. And you made a lot of friends, right? Opinions change over time. All people need to see is the real you, Kaname. I’ve always tried to tell you that.” Shunya reached out and placed a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “You were always a loud child, but that only hid the doubts you had about yourself.”
“I know, Daddy. I did make a lot of friends. But then….” She stopped. How could she tell them that many of the other students had changed in the way that they behaved around her without telling him why? Nothing that he said could make her feel better, if he didn’t know what was bothering her in the first place. Part of her was shouting ‘Tell him!’ It was a perfect segue, a chance to let him know about her being Whispered. But, he was better off being ignorant, wasn’t he? Didn’t he already have enough reasons to worry about her and Ayame?
She had seen him look at her mother’s picture. He might not have the abandonment issues that she did, but the truth about her unwanted burden would strike a painful blow. There was a saying. ‘The truth shall set you free.’ Maybe that saying was true for other people. It didn’t seem all that emancipating right then. At the very least, whether he truly understand the danger or not, her father would insist that she go back to the States with him, if he learned that she was at risk.
“Did your success sour them towards you? Was that it?” Shunya had faced something of the sort in his own life, when his career at the U.N. was taking off. “Did you distance yourself from them, putting too much emphasis on you schoolwork?” He had done that himself.
“No…” Kaname trembled for a moment. How could she ever tell her father that she was one of the main reasons that Amalgam attacked Tokyo? “It wasn’t my success…” She walked over and stared out of the window, taking in the sight of the city at night. “I… I really don’t want to talk about it now. This is supposed to be a happy day. I should shower and get ready for dinner. You told me the restaurant is really nice.”
“It is,” Shunya said. Kitcho, located in Hotel Seiyo Ginza. One of Tokyo’s best restaurants, in one of Japan’s best hotels.”
“Isn’t that a bit much,” Kaname asked. She noticed Ayame walking into the room. “I mean, they probably don’t serve peanut butter and jelly in a fancy Japanese restaurant.” She nodded in her sister’s direction.
“Ha ha ha. So funny I forgot to laugh.” Ayame began tossing Kaname’s Bonta-Kun doll up in the air and catching it.
“Ayame will do just fine. She joins me at fancy restaurants in New York. They don’t serve PBJ there either.” Shunya’s grasp of English vernacular had Kaname grinning. “Luckily, they still carry bibs.”
Ayame throw the Bonta-Kun at her father, missing on purpose. He caught it, and then looked down at it. “You still have this old thing? I remember when you got it, one day at that amusement park you loved.” He smiled, reminiscing. “Do you ever go there?”
“Yes,” Kaname answered. She though back to the day that she had gone on a date with a boy she had known from Junior High. Bonta-kun had saved her from some Yakuza thugs. Watching the silly mascot run around the park after that, she had realized that it was Sousuke inside, looking after her. Kaname smiled, warmed by the memory.
She frowned after that, thinking back to the Bonta-Kun powered armor suit that the big idiot had constructed. That reminded her of Pony Man, and Kyouko’s ordeal. It also reminded her of Officer Wakana, not to mention the time that she and Ren were kidnapped by a rival Yakuza gang.
“Well, I guess it’s time that we all start getting ready.” Shunya headed off towards his room, with Ayame following soon thereafter.
“Fumo,” Kaname whispered under her breath.
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“Fourty one… fourty two… fourty three…“
Dressed in a black T-shirt and camouflage pants, Sousuke counted off as he performed chin-ups on the metal bar traversing his entry hall.
“Stop it, Sousuke. It makes me hurt just watching you.“ Kurz hooked one leg over the couch arm as he pushed furiously at the remote, surfing through channels in search of something to watch.
“Let him be, asshole.“ Melissa ground out her latest cigarette. “You could use some exercise yourself. That way you wouldn’t look like the ‘before’ guy in all those ‘before and after’ ads.
“Fifty… fifty one… fifty two…“
“Uh huh.” Kurz kept surfing. “If you didn’t smoke so damn much, maybe you wouldn’t look like all of those ‘before’ guys in the ‘before and after’ ads.”
“F-ck you!” Melissa picked up the ashtray, but didn’t throw it.
“The invitation still stands,” Kurz said, blowing Melissa a kiss. “Any place, any time. Semper fi, Babe.” He knew that any reference to the U.S. Marines would piss Mao off royally.
“Fifty eight… fifty nine… sixty…”
Melissa threw the ashtray. Kurz reacted quickly, throwing the remote. The plastic box broke when it deflected the oncoming glass projectile. “No sense challenging the best marksman in the Pacific Squadron,” Kurz said with a laugh.
“Keep talking, little man.” Melissa took out her knife and used it to open a can of beer. “You’ll need to fall asleep sooner or later. Maybe it’s time you get a military haircut.”
“Sis, you wouldn’t!” Kurz put his hand on his head. He swallowed hard when Melissa never answered.
“Sixty eight… sixty nine… seventy…”
The last number was followed by the sound of two feet hitting the ground. A sweaty Sousuke walked over to the phone station, removing the portable handset. After that, he headed for the bathroom. “I will be in the shower in case I am needed.”
“Huh?” Kurz sat up straight. “You don’t need a telephone to take a shower.” He chuckled. “Not going to call one of those ‘We got women’ lines and…”
“Weber!” Melissa tossed her empty beer can at Kurz. “You know that Sousuke isn’t into that kind of thing. Quit joking around. He probably just wants some privacy. Especially with you here.”
“Oh ho ho ho-o-o-o-o….” Kurz smiled and rubbed his hands together. “Now I get it. Gonna call Ka-na-may?”
“Sousuke walked into the bathroom without answering. The sound of the door lock could be heard across the room.
“Was it something I said,” Kurz asked.
“Shit!” Melissa said to herself.
Standing in the bathroom, the shower water running and steaming up the room, Sousuke dialed a telephone number, hesitating slightly before the last digit. The phone rang. After a number of rings, somebody picked up.
“Kaname?” Sousuke bit his tyongue. He should have letbthe person on the other end speak first.
“No, this is her father.” Shunya Kaname spoke.
“Uhhh…” Sousuke had considered this possibility. He needed to remain calm and follow through with his plan. “May I speak with Kaname, please?”
“I’m sorry, she’s in the shower at the moment. After she gets dressed, we’ll be heading out to dinner.” Shunya spoke with an even voice, wondering just who might be calling his daughter.
“Uhhh... okay... Ummm…” Sousuke swallowed hard. He hated sounding so weak and indecisive. There was no place for anything like that in battle. Well, this wasn’t exactly battle. Still…
“Is this the young man with the glasses, the Student Council President?“ Shunya asked.
“No.” Sousuke said. He clenched his fists. Why was he being so selfish with words.
“The young man who asked her to attend his graduation party?” Shunya frowned. Why didn’t the boy make his identity clear. Did he have something to hide?
“Uhhh…no… not really…“ Sousuke watched as the mirror quickly fogged up. “We met briefly at the ceremony. This is Sousuke Sagara.“
“Oh. The boy who thinks that Kaname is hot.” Shunya’s voice did not give the slightest hint of amusement.
“Uhhh… well… I was actually concerned that she had been adversely affected by the temperature… uhhh…” Sousuke felt like a complete idiot. There he was talking with Kaname’s father, and he must sound like the world’s greatest fool.
“Hmmm. I see…” Shunya sounded unconvinced.
“I apologize, Sir. I suppose I must be bad at this. What I wanted to do is... could I please…” Sousuke tensed up. To make matters worse, Kurz banged on the door and shouted ’Give Angel my love!’
“Do you wish for me to give my daughter your phone number?” Shunya showed a trace of amusement in his voice at that moment. For a second, he was not a father. He remembered what it had been like to be a teenage boy.
“Oh. Okay then. Yes. Sgt. Sousuke Sagara. 3232-4935. You can leave out the Sergeant part. She is already aware of that fact.” Sousuke flinched. He had to get a grip.
“Okay then... Sousuke Sagara… 3232-4935... Forget the Sergeant part. Is there anything more?”
“Uhhhh… 3232-4935... That is correct, Sir. I thank you.” Sousuke placed both hands on the bathroom sink stand. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“Okay, Mr. Sagara. I'll give here the message.” Shunya’s voice became more upbeat. “She's really an amazing girl, isn‘t she?”
“Sir?”
“She's really pretty great, isn't she?” Shunya’s voice practically dripped with pride. He was a father filled with pride, not an overly protective parent.
“She… uhhh… affirmative.” Sousuke was ready to kill Kurz. His friend was at the door crooning.
After Sousuke hung up, he wondered if Kaname would be happy to know he called, or ready to hoist him by his own pitard.
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Kaname set down the phone.
She seemed to be the only one busy. That did not sit well with her. Not one single bit.
True, she was working the morning shift, and most of the busy work came in the afternoon and evening shifts that she had begun working while still in school. Just the same, the people in the office could do something more useful than hang around the coffee pot, work on emptying the water cooler one glass at a time, or hold lengthy discussions on tea.
“I had to be all noble, didn’t I. Geeez. I just had to decide to earn some spending money for college.” Kaname frowned. That was only part of it. Her pride had gotten in the way again. “No, it’s Sousuke’s fault!” He was so convenient to blame that way.
The two of them had been discussing college. He wasn’t certain whether or not Mithril would let him attend. They hadn’t gotten word back to him in time for the normal process of applications, even though he had gone ahead and taken the tests.
‘They’ll probably give you a big allowance if they let you go, jerk!’ For some reason, that had bothered her.
‘Negative. It will not be necessary. I have substantial savings. After all, I do have a job that pays well.’ Sousuke had not been bragging. It had set her off just the same.
‘Oh. And I don’t? Is that what you are saying? Poor little Kaname Chidori, everything given to her by her Daddy?’ Naturally, before that little conversation had come to an end, she had sworn to get a part-time job.
A conversation with her father led to him pulling strings for her. She despised any hint of nepotism, but had not been consulted in his decision making. She received a phone call from the Tokyo branch of the United Nations Environment Program, International Environmental Technology Center, telling her what time she was expected at work.
“Oooooh, Daddy…” Kaname snapped one of her pencils in half, not realizing that she had done so at first. She loved her father dearly, and was glad for his dedication in taking care of her. But, she was an adult now. He had to leave some of the decisions to her.
She looked over at one of the colorful posters hung about the old building. One depicted the mission statement: To provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
Wow. She was such a visionary! Of course, her environmental prowesss consisted entirely of shitting at a desk, picking up a phone, and answering questions about the “One Planet Many People” Atlas set to be launched to mark World Environment Day.
“Mission statement.” She sighed. Not exactly the words she wanted to think about. Usually, ‘mission statement’ was something that Sousuke said before he left on one of his jaunts into some hot corner of the globe. Corner? On a globe? What idiot came up with that connection? She couldn’t blame her otaku for that one.
The phone on her desk rang. She glared at it. Somehow her phone knew that she was the only one at her desk working. Stupid phone. “Hello, United Nations Environment Program, Kaname Chidori speaking. How may I help you?”
After listening for a bit, Kaname picked up the standard printed card and began expostulating. “Yes, the Atlas truly is an amazing piece of work. It is also very timely. Dramatic and damaging environmental changes are sweeping planet Earth. These changes are brought into sharp focus by the new volume, which does a wonderful job of comparing and contrasting spectacular satellite images of the past few decades with contemporary ones, some of which have never been seen before.”
As Kaname spoke, she saw a bit of a commotion by the door. Someone important must have arrived. Probably some big U.N. official, gracing this office with his presence.
“The huge growth of greenhouses in southern Spain…the rapid rise of shrimp farming in Asia and Latin America… the emergence of a giant, shadow puppet-shaped peninsula at the mouth of the Yellow River… these are only a few of the curious and surprising changes seen from space.” She almost stopped speaking, when she wondered if that could be her father. He wouldn’t come and check up on her, would he? That would be so embarrassing!
“Such striking pictures sit beside the more conventional, but no less dramatic images of rain forest deforestation in Paraguay and Brazil… rapid oil and gas development in Wyoming, United States… forest fires across sub-Saharan Africa… and the retreat of glaciers and ice in polar and mountain areas.” Kaname rattled off the practiced words with feeling, despite the fact that she sometimes woke up at night after seeing them in her dreams. She’d rather sit and listen to Sousuke explain the operating system for Arbalest!
A familiar face peered around the corner of her cubicle area. Kaname closed her eyes. It was Ayame. That meant that her father was indeed there. What had she done to deserve this?
“Yes, Sir. This year, World Environment Day will be hosted by San Francisco, California with the global theme of Green Cities, Plan for the Planet! Indeed, you are correct. The atlas, produced in collaboration with organizations including the United States Geological Survey and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, highlights that very theme, showing the explosive growth and changes around some of the major cities of the world such as Beijing, Dhaka, Delhi and Santiago.”
Kaname looked for something on her desk that she could throw. Ayame was pointing on her and giggling. So what if her words sounded kind of ridiculous to lay people. This was her job, and Kaname Chidori always did her tasks to the utmost.
“The atlas also covers developed world cities including Las Vegas, the fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States, and Miami. Miami’s spread westwards may endanger Florida’s famous everglades and their important wildlife and water supplies.
Specially commissioned images of Bucharest, London, Nairobi and San Francisco supplement the One Planet Many People publication.” Kaname watched as the crowd parted and people magically ran off to get to work. Her father came to stand next to Ayame, a huge smile on his face.
That better not be a smile of amusement! Ooooh…
“Well Sir, Osaka is a wonderful city. Yes, it is far from any of the cities that I mentioned. Klaus Toepfer, UNEP’s Executive Director, said ’ People living in San Francisco or London may look at these images of deforestation or melting Arctic ice, and wonder what it has to do with them. That these changes are the result of other people’s lifestyles and consumption habits hundreds and thousands of kilometres away. But they would be wrong.’ If he were speaking to you himself, he would add Osaka to that list.” Kaname frowned. She pointed to a number of chairs, not knowing how long her current phone conversation might last. Some went fairly quickly. Others stretched on forever. The office edict was to speak until the caller was entirely satisfied.
Shunya shook his head. Ayame began laughing outright.
“As I am certain you can understand, cities pull in huge amounts of resources including water, food, timber, metals and people. They export large amounts of wastes including household and industrial wastes, wastewater and the gases linked with global warming. Thus their impacts stretch beyond their physical borders affecting countries, regions and the planet as a whole. added. So the battle for sustainable development, for delivering a more environmentally stable, just and healthier world, is going to be largely won and lost in our cities.” Eventually, she had hung up, just before she ran out of pre-printed material.
“Sorry to disturb you, Kaname. But, something very important came up.” Shunya looked around the office, finding the office manager. “Miss Kanabi says that you are doing a remarkable job here.”
“Ummm… yes….” Kaname watched Ayame closely. Why did her sister look so excited herself? What could have both of them acting this way?
“I’m glad to hear that. If you like, when you get to New York, I will see if I can find you a part-time job at the UNEP office. The Division of Policy Development and Law is there, and its role is to enhance the consideration of environmental policy within UN intergovernmental and inter-agency forums, and to serve as a source of information to Governments, the UN Secretariat, civil society and the media on UNEP's work.” He looked down at Ayame who was making a face. “What? I was sounding too formal again?”
Kaname swallowed hard. New York City? Why would she be in New York City. Oh no. He couldn’t mean…
Shunya turned back to Kaname, ready to drop his bombshell. “I received a telephone call earlier. I wanted to come here and give you the big news in person.”
“D-D-Daddy…” Kaname was certain of it now. There could only be one thing that her father was talking about. She should never had made the promise, thinking that the outcome was impossible. That was a lesson that Sousuke had tried to teach her any number of times in the past.
“Columbia University, pumpkin. One of the best colleges in the world, not just Japan. You’ve been awarded a special Fulbright Scholarship, a Full Grant. They usually do not give those to undergraduates. You should be proud.” Shunya pushed his glasses up his nose a bit, beaming.
“B-B-But…” Kaname wasn’t excited. She wasn’t even happy. She was numb.
“Columbia University hosts over seven thousand international students, interns, and scholars from more than one hundred and fifty countries, Kaname. Many of them are from Japan. Of those, almost half are women. That should make it easier for you to fit in, even though you’ve gone to school in America before.” Shunya watched his eldest daughter’s face. His brows furrowed. He had expected something like this.
“That’s not the important part. You’ll be able to live near us. Columbia University is in New York City!” Ayame could barely contain herself.
“I….” Kaname made no effort to pick up the ringing phone.
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“You snooze you lose, Sousuke old buddy!”
Kurz Weber elbowed his friend aside, running into the apartment’s only bathroom.
“No. That is not good. Do not go in there.” Sousuke said loudly, causing Melissa to look over from her lunch of Cigarettes and Beer.
“It’s mine. It’s mine. Hah hah, it’s all mine!” Kurz slammed the door shut.
“But, I have great need.” Sousuke grimaced. He should have gone to the bathroom earlier, instead of forcing himself to finish his push-ups.
“Do what Mao does. Ah-h-h-h….” A contented Kurz continued. “Go pee off the balcony!”
“Bastard!” In one smooth motion, Mao put down her beer can, swept her hand to her sheath, removed her combat knife and tossed it. The blade embedded itself in the bathroom door, all the way up to the hilt. “You will pay….”
“A Specialist has to be able to deal with these situations.” Sousuke stood at attention, squeezing his legs together.
“Shit! A soldier just has to make do. Use one of Kurz’ bottles over there. Preferably one that’s half full.” Melissa blew out a large cloud of smoke. “Or grab one of your emergency canteens.” There was a wicked look in her eyes.
“Uhhh… Lieutenant?” Sousuke looked perplexed.
“The second present that Kurz gave you. Remember our preparations for the Tokyo mission long ago?” Melissa tossed her lit cigarette butt over on Weber’s bunk.
“Preparations… I do not…” Sousuke looked deep in thought.
“You had two condoms. I was rather shocked to hear that you had used them in the past.” Melissa took a pull of beer. “You disappointed me, describing how you used then to carry water.”
Ohhh… uhhh…” Sousuke swallowed hard. The thought of condoms still had him feeling very nervous. “Are you suggesting that…”
“I was only joking, Sousuke. Piss in whatever you like, if you can’t hold it. If you give it to me when you’re done, I’ll pay you for it.” Melissa narrowed her eyes. She had told Kurz that he would pay.
Sousuke stood like a deer in the headlights. He could imagine only too well what his fellow SRT member might have in mind for his waste fluids. Before he could answer, a telephone rang. It was the conventional phone.
Melissa got up, reached over, and held the handset to her ear. “Hello? Oh. Just a second.” She grinned. “It’s Kaname.”
“Hey! Wait for me!” The sound of a flushing toilet could be heard. Kurz came rushing out of the rest room.
“Let’s give them some privacy,” Melissa said. “You can join me out on… the balcony…”
As Kurz pleaded to remain uninjured, Sousuke took up the phone. “Hello? Kaname?”
“Hi, Sousuke.” Kaname’s voice sounded drawn out, listless. “You called? I didn’t check the messages that my father took down until now.”
“Yes, I called before. Are you alright, Kaname. You do not sound well. Has something happened?” Sousuke watched as Melissa dangled Kurz over the balcony. The last time she had done that, one of the apartment tenants had called the police.
“What did you call for, Sousuke?” Kaname ignored his questions. “Was it about graduation day, and what you never had a chance to ask me?” She found herself feeling a little less numb. Her heart rate began rising.
“Affirmative… uhhh…” He swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and then let it out. “I wanted to know if you want to go to Oonuki’s party tonight.”
“I’m not sure any more,” Kaname said. “I’m not feeling so well. And….” She paused, gripping the phone tightly. “The more I think about it… the less I think I want to go…”
“Kaname?” Sousuke shook his head. The sound of sirens was drawing nearer. “Truly. Did something happen? What’s wrong?”
“It’s just…” Kaname wasn’t ready to talk about her big news yet. Especially not with Sousuke. “You know how some of the students have acted towards me after… after the fighting…” Her voice caught in her throat. “I’m afraid… you know… at the party…”
“I see. You are concerned how they might treat you. It might ruin the festive occasion for you.” Sousuke thought a moment. He might be clueless in many ways, but he had a good rudimentary understanding of Kaname. “Running from danger. I can understand that. Perhaps not in you, but…”
“What?” Kaname’s voice suddenly had more life in it. “Sousuke, what did you just say?”
“It is not a problem. I did not just call to see if you were going to the party.” He felt his hand tremble ever so slightly. That was not acceptable, not in Arbalest’s pilot! “I wanted to know… my intention was to find out….” Why was this so difficult? The two of them had realized that they had feelings for one another. That should have been the hard part, right?
“Sousuke?”
“I… Kaname, I wanted to…”
“SOUSUKE!” Kaname’s voice snapped. As Sousuke listened, she spoke to some one off of the phone. “No, Daddy. I’m OK. I’m on the phone.” There was a pause. “It’s none of your business, Ayame!”
“I was calling to see if you wanted to go with me.” Sousuke let out his breath.
“Huh? Why is that such a big deal? Because of the way I have been acting lately? I’m been under a lot of stress the past few weeks.” Kaname almost sounded annoyed. “I can walk to the party with you.”
“Uhhh… that is not what I meant, Kaname.” Sousuke said. “When I wanted to know if you would go with me, I meant…” He closed his eyes. “I meant as my date.” There. He had done it. The word was out there, sitting like unexploded ordinance.
“What? What did you just say, Sousuke?” Kaname almost dropped the phone.
“I asked if you would be my date, Kaname. I had thought about asking you to a movie… but… uhhh… but since we would both be going to the party… I thought….” Sousuke began to sweat. It didn’t help that Kurz and Melissa had put aside their feud and were watching through the glass doors leading out to the balcony.
“You thought it might be easier?” Kaname’s voice rose an octave. She had been wrestling with the idea of dates for a long time.
First, when Sousuke had come back from Hong Kong, she had begun hoping that he would think of her as a girl, not just someone he knew, or someone he was sworn to protect. Then, after the Pacific Christmas incident, when he had given her the Lapis lazuli that he had carried since his time in Afghanistan, the two of them had seemed so much closer. More than anything, she had wanted to begin dating. But, Leonard had showed up out of the blue, and shortly thereafter Amalgam had struck.
Now, her feelings were terrible twisted. Her mind and heart were both tied up in too many knots to unravel. Today’s proclamation from her father had come close to pushing her over the edge. As it stood, while part of her was about to swoon, the other part wanted nothing to do with dates. Rather, it was important to do the usual. She would make certain that Sousuke didn’t take her for granted.
“Uhhh… no… well, yes… in a way… you see…” Sousuke suddenly felt as if he was backed into a rock outcropping, a flight of attack helicopters circling overhead. What was Kaname upset about?
“You thought it might be less expensive? So you could save more of the vast savings you earned doing your job?” Kaname’s voice went up another octave.
“That was not my concern. You know that I am not good at this. I thought….” Sousuke turned away from the glass door. Kurz was laying on his back, hands over his mouth.
“Of course I know that! Who at the school doesn’t know that? I sat so long waiting for you to ask me out on a date. But you do this? Sheesh!” Kaname spoke off of the phone again, assuring her family that nothing was wrong.
“I… well… I wanted to… I thought that the important thing would be that I asked you out on a date. The others thought….” Ooops. Some things didn’t change. Once again, he had said too much. At least now he realized that fact.
“You thought? It looks like this is a day for firsts, doesn’t it! Hmmmpppfff!” Kaname was at full bore now. It was actually a cathartic experience, one she never realized that she needed. “And you decided to discuss this with the guys, did you? I can imagine some of the things that they must have said. I should have known you couldn’t just do this on your own.”
Sousuke was quiet for a while. The look on his face had Kurz and Melissa cease their antics. The two of them looked on, somewhat concerned. “I apologize. I had thought this would be a good thing. I had made the mistake of believing it was something you would want. I did not wish to bother you during such stressful times.”
Kaname was not knew to the concept of ‘changing heart’. Someone would be heard pressed to find someone who was better able to flip-flop like her, especially with giving any warning that she was about to do so. Her usual issues pushed out of the way, she was able to access her true feelings for a moment.
“Of course it’s a good thing, you big stupid head! Didn’t I tell you that I had been waiting for this for a long time? Geez, pay attention, alright?” Her voice was playful. She sounded like the old Kaname, from before the fighting. “I wouldn’t have been waiting for it if I didn’t want it, you big idiot!”
“Uhhh… I see…” Sousuke looked over at Melissa. She was tapping on her watch. What? Oh. “What time, Kaname? Seven o’clock?”
“No, moron. Eight o’clock.” Kaname sounded happy. Of course, if Sousuke had said eight o’clock, she would have made it seven thirty.
“Eight o’clock,” Sousuke said, just as the police began banging on the door.
Kaname was dressed in casual clothes now, exhausted after the day’s events. She was feeling guilty, seeing that she had been given such an extravagant gift.
“What? Are you worried because of parking, or because gasoline cost so much in Japan?” Shunya put down his cup of coffee, and then walked over to a small desk. He removed a box from the top drawer. “You won’t need to drive it very far, at school. But, I’m certain it will come in handy.”
“No. I’m not thinking about those things. A car like that one must have been expensive. I just…” Kaname didn’t want to sound ungrateful. But, she didn’t want her father’s finances to suffer on her account. Especially since she had college tuition coming up, and would not be able to pay that herself by working during school.
“It’s alright, Kaname. My investments overseas have gone very well. My salary may not be high by American standards, but I have managed to save a fair bit. Besides, the car was not that expensive. Sure, there were smaller models to choose from, but the one I bought is a nice balance between safety, efficiency, and cost.”
“Thank you, Daddy.” Kaname gave her father another hug.
“I have something else for you here. I think this will mean more to you than the car.” He handed her the box.
“Wait a minute. You’ve given me so much already. I can’t…” Kaname opened the box. There was a beautiful necklace inside.
“It was your mother’s,” Shunya said. “I have been saving it for this very day. It used to be her favorite.” Her father looked over at a nearby table top. Kaname’s picture of her mother… his wife… sat there.
Kaname was too overcome with emotion to speak.
“I know you wish your mother could have shared this day with you. Maybe by your wearing that, she will.” Shunya grabbed a box of tissue and brought it to Kaname.
Kaname nodded her head.
“She would have enjoyed your speech. You did very well. They really applauded you when you were done.” Shunya retrieved his coffee cup and took a sip.
“It was kind of strange, Daddy. I was standing up there and looking at all the people, and I felt so far away from them. And when I looked back at my classmates….” Kaname nibbled on a strand of her hair.
“Stop that.” Shunya said. “I thought that we had broken you of that habit long ago.” He took another sip, and then put the cup down again, finished. “Is there something bothering you?”
“Yes. No. Oh, I don’t know.” Kaname chewed on her hair again, and then forced herself to stop. She always seemed to revert to one old habit or another when she was around Ayame and her father. “Most of the other students thought I was some kind of idol at first. But, I worked really hard, and I tried to do things that served the school…”
“Uh huh. And you made a lot of friends, right? Opinions change over time. All people need to see is the real you, Kaname. I’ve always tried to tell you that.” Shunya reached out and placed a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “You were always a loud child, but that only hid the doubts you had about yourself.”
“I know, Daddy. I did make a lot of friends. But then….” She stopped. How could she tell them that many of the other students had changed in the way that they behaved around her without telling him why? Nothing that he said could make her feel better, if he didn’t know what was bothering her in the first place. Part of her was shouting ‘Tell him!’ It was a perfect segue, a chance to let him know about her being Whispered. But, he was better off being ignorant, wasn’t he? Didn’t he already have enough reasons to worry about her and Ayame?
She had seen him look at her mother’s picture. He might not have the abandonment issues that she did, but the truth about her unwanted burden would strike a painful blow. There was a saying. ‘The truth shall set you free.’ Maybe that saying was true for other people. It didn’t seem all that emancipating right then. At the very least, whether he truly understand the danger or not, her father would insist that she go back to the States with him, if he learned that she was at risk.
“Did your success sour them towards you? Was that it?” Shunya had faced something of the sort in his own life, when his career at the U.N. was taking off. “Did you distance yourself from them, putting too much emphasis on you schoolwork?” He had done that himself.
“No…” Kaname trembled for a moment. How could she ever tell her father that she was one of the main reasons that Amalgam attacked Tokyo? “It wasn’t my success…” She walked over and stared out of the window, taking in the sight of the city at night. “I… I really don’t want to talk about it now. This is supposed to be a happy day. I should shower and get ready for dinner. You told me the restaurant is really nice.”
“It is,” Shunya said. Kitcho, located in Hotel Seiyo Ginza. One of Tokyo’s best restaurants, in one of Japan’s best hotels.”
“Isn’t that a bit much,” Kaname asked. She noticed Ayame walking into the room. “I mean, they probably don’t serve peanut butter and jelly in a fancy Japanese restaurant.” She nodded in her sister’s direction.
“Ha ha ha. So funny I forgot to laugh.” Ayame began tossing Kaname’s Bonta-Kun doll up in the air and catching it.
“Ayame will do just fine. She joins me at fancy restaurants in New York. They don’t serve PBJ there either.” Shunya’s grasp of English vernacular had Kaname grinning. “Luckily, they still carry bibs.”
Ayame throw the Bonta-Kun at her father, missing on purpose. He caught it, and then looked down at it. “You still have this old thing? I remember when you got it, one day at that amusement park you loved.” He smiled, reminiscing. “Do you ever go there?”
“Yes,” Kaname answered. She though back to the day that she had gone on a date with a boy she had known from Junior High. Bonta-kun had saved her from some Yakuza thugs. Watching the silly mascot run around the park after that, she had realized that it was Sousuke inside, looking after her. Kaname smiled, warmed by the memory.
She frowned after that, thinking back to the Bonta-Kun powered armor suit that the big idiot had constructed. That reminded her of Pony Man, and Kyouko’s ordeal. It also reminded her of Officer Wakana, not to mention the time that she and Ren were kidnapped by a rival Yakuza gang.
“Well, I guess it’s time that we all start getting ready.” Shunya headed off towards his room, with Ayame following soon thereafter.
“Fumo,” Kaname whispered under her breath.
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“Fourty one… fourty two… fourty three…“
Dressed in a black T-shirt and camouflage pants, Sousuke counted off as he performed chin-ups on the metal bar traversing his entry hall.
“Stop it, Sousuke. It makes me hurt just watching you.“ Kurz hooked one leg over the couch arm as he pushed furiously at the remote, surfing through channels in search of something to watch.
“Let him be, asshole.“ Melissa ground out her latest cigarette. “You could use some exercise yourself. That way you wouldn’t look like the ‘before’ guy in all those ‘before and after’ ads.
“Fifty… fifty one… fifty two…“
“Uh huh.” Kurz kept surfing. “If you didn’t smoke so damn much, maybe you wouldn’t look like all of those ‘before’ guys in the ‘before and after’ ads.”
“F-ck you!” Melissa picked up the ashtray, but didn’t throw it.
“The invitation still stands,” Kurz said, blowing Melissa a kiss. “Any place, any time. Semper fi, Babe.” He knew that any reference to the U.S. Marines would piss Mao off royally.
“Fifty eight… fifty nine… sixty…”
Melissa threw the ashtray. Kurz reacted quickly, throwing the remote. The plastic box broke when it deflected the oncoming glass projectile. “No sense challenging the best marksman in the Pacific Squadron,” Kurz said with a laugh.
“Keep talking, little man.” Melissa took out her knife and used it to open a can of beer. “You’ll need to fall asleep sooner or later. Maybe it’s time you get a military haircut.”
“Sis, you wouldn’t!” Kurz put his hand on his head. He swallowed hard when Melissa never answered.
“Sixty eight… sixty nine… seventy…”
The last number was followed by the sound of two feet hitting the ground. A sweaty Sousuke walked over to the phone station, removing the portable handset. After that, he headed for the bathroom. “I will be in the shower in case I am needed.”
“Huh?” Kurz sat up straight. “You don’t need a telephone to take a shower.” He chuckled. “Not going to call one of those ‘We got women’ lines and…”
“Weber!” Melissa tossed her empty beer can at Kurz. “You know that Sousuke isn’t into that kind of thing. Quit joking around. He probably just wants some privacy. Especially with you here.”
“Oh ho ho ho-o-o-o-o….” Kurz smiled and rubbed his hands together. “Now I get it. Gonna call Ka-na-may?”
“Sousuke walked into the bathroom without answering. The sound of the door lock could be heard across the room.
“Was it something I said,” Kurz asked.
“Shit!” Melissa said to herself.
Standing in the bathroom, the shower water running and steaming up the room, Sousuke dialed a telephone number, hesitating slightly before the last digit. The phone rang. After a number of rings, somebody picked up.
“Kaname?” Sousuke bit his tyongue. He should have letbthe person on the other end speak first.
“No, this is her father.” Shunya Kaname spoke.
“Uhhh…” Sousuke had considered this possibility. He needed to remain calm and follow through with his plan. “May I speak with Kaname, please?”
“I’m sorry, she’s in the shower at the moment. After she gets dressed, we’ll be heading out to dinner.” Shunya spoke with an even voice, wondering just who might be calling his daughter.
“Uhhh... okay... Ummm…” Sousuke swallowed hard. He hated sounding so weak and indecisive. There was no place for anything like that in battle. Well, this wasn’t exactly battle. Still…
“Is this the young man with the glasses, the Student Council President?“ Shunya asked.
“No.” Sousuke said. He clenched his fists. Why was he being so selfish with words.
“The young man who asked her to attend his graduation party?” Shunya frowned. Why didn’t the boy make his identity clear. Did he have something to hide?
“Uhhh…no… not really…“ Sousuke watched as the mirror quickly fogged up. “We met briefly at the ceremony. This is Sousuke Sagara.“
“Oh. The boy who thinks that Kaname is hot.” Shunya’s voice did not give the slightest hint of amusement.
“Uhhh… well… I was actually concerned that she had been adversely affected by the temperature… uhhh…” Sousuke felt like a complete idiot. There he was talking with Kaname’s father, and he must sound like the world’s greatest fool.
“Hmmm. I see…” Shunya sounded unconvinced.
“I apologize, Sir. I suppose I must be bad at this. What I wanted to do is... could I please…” Sousuke tensed up. To make matters worse, Kurz banged on the door and shouted ’Give Angel my love!’
“Do you wish for me to give my daughter your phone number?” Shunya showed a trace of amusement in his voice at that moment. For a second, he was not a father. He remembered what it had been like to be a teenage boy.
“Oh. Okay then. Yes. Sgt. Sousuke Sagara. 3232-4935. You can leave out the Sergeant part. She is already aware of that fact.” Sousuke flinched. He had to get a grip.
“Okay then... Sousuke Sagara… 3232-4935... Forget the Sergeant part. Is there anything more?”
“Uhhhh… 3232-4935... That is correct, Sir. I thank you.” Sousuke placed both hands on the bathroom sink stand. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“Okay, Mr. Sagara. I'll give here the message.” Shunya’s voice became more upbeat. “She's really an amazing girl, isn‘t she?”
“Sir?”
“She's really pretty great, isn't she?” Shunya’s voice practically dripped with pride. He was a father filled with pride, not an overly protective parent.
“She… uhhh… affirmative.” Sousuke was ready to kill Kurz. His friend was at the door crooning.
After Sousuke hung up, he wondered if Kaname would be happy to know he called, or ready to hoist him by his own pitard.
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Kaname set down the phone.
She seemed to be the only one busy. That did not sit well with her. Not one single bit.
True, she was working the morning shift, and most of the busy work came in the afternoon and evening shifts that she had begun working while still in school. Just the same, the people in the office could do something more useful than hang around the coffee pot, work on emptying the water cooler one glass at a time, or hold lengthy discussions on tea.
“I had to be all noble, didn’t I. Geeez. I just had to decide to earn some spending money for college.” Kaname frowned. That was only part of it. Her pride had gotten in the way again. “No, it’s Sousuke’s fault!” He was so convenient to blame that way.
The two of them had been discussing college. He wasn’t certain whether or not Mithril would let him attend. They hadn’t gotten word back to him in time for the normal process of applications, even though he had gone ahead and taken the tests.
‘They’ll probably give you a big allowance if they let you go, jerk!’ For some reason, that had bothered her.
‘Negative. It will not be necessary. I have substantial savings. After all, I do have a job that pays well.’ Sousuke had not been bragging. It had set her off just the same.
‘Oh. And I don’t? Is that what you are saying? Poor little Kaname Chidori, everything given to her by her Daddy?’ Naturally, before that little conversation had come to an end, she had sworn to get a part-time job.
A conversation with her father led to him pulling strings for her. She despised any hint of nepotism, but had not been consulted in his decision making. She received a phone call from the Tokyo branch of the United Nations Environment Program, International Environmental Technology Center, telling her what time she was expected at work.
“Oooooh, Daddy…” Kaname snapped one of her pencils in half, not realizing that she had done so at first. She loved her father dearly, and was glad for his dedication in taking care of her. But, she was an adult now. He had to leave some of the decisions to her.
She looked over at one of the colorful posters hung about the old building. One depicted the mission statement: To provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
Wow. She was such a visionary! Of course, her environmental prowesss consisted entirely of shitting at a desk, picking up a phone, and answering questions about the “One Planet Many People” Atlas set to be launched to mark World Environment Day.
“Mission statement.” She sighed. Not exactly the words she wanted to think about. Usually, ‘mission statement’ was something that Sousuke said before he left on one of his jaunts into some hot corner of the globe. Corner? On a globe? What idiot came up with that connection? She couldn’t blame her otaku for that one.
The phone on her desk rang. She glared at it. Somehow her phone knew that she was the only one at her desk working. Stupid phone. “Hello, United Nations Environment Program, Kaname Chidori speaking. How may I help you?”
After listening for a bit, Kaname picked up the standard printed card and began expostulating. “Yes, the Atlas truly is an amazing piece of work. It is also very timely. Dramatic and damaging environmental changes are sweeping planet Earth. These changes are brought into sharp focus by the new volume, which does a wonderful job of comparing and contrasting spectacular satellite images of the past few decades with contemporary ones, some of which have never been seen before.”
As Kaname spoke, she saw a bit of a commotion by the door. Someone important must have arrived. Probably some big U.N. official, gracing this office with his presence.
“The huge growth of greenhouses in southern Spain…the rapid rise of shrimp farming in Asia and Latin America… the emergence of a giant, shadow puppet-shaped peninsula at the mouth of the Yellow River… these are only a few of the curious and surprising changes seen from space.” She almost stopped speaking, when she wondered if that could be her father. He wouldn’t come and check up on her, would he? That would be so embarrassing!
“Such striking pictures sit beside the more conventional, but no less dramatic images of rain forest deforestation in Paraguay and Brazil… rapid oil and gas development in Wyoming, United States… forest fires across sub-Saharan Africa… and the retreat of glaciers and ice in polar and mountain areas.” Kaname rattled off the practiced words with feeling, despite the fact that she sometimes woke up at night after seeing them in her dreams. She’d rather sit and listen to Sousuke explain the operating system for Arbalest!
A familiar face peered around the corner of her cubicle area. Kaname closed her eyes. It was Ayame. That meant that her father was indeed there. What had she done to deserve this?
“Yes, Sir. This year, World Environment Day will be hosted by San Francisco, California with the global theme of Green Cities, Plan for the Planet! Indeed, you are correct. The atlas, produced in collaboration with organizations including the United States Geological Survey and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, highlights that very theme, showing the explosive growth and changes around some of the major cities of the world such as Beijing, Dhaka, Delhi and Santiago.”
Kaname looked for something on her desk that she could throw. Ayame was pointing on her and giggling. So what if her words sounded kind of ridiculous to lay people. This was her job, and Kaname Chidori always did her tasks to the utmost.
“The atlas also covers developed world cities including Las Vegas, the fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States, and Miami. Miami’s spread westwards may endanger Florida’s famous everglades and their important wildlife and water supplies.
Specially commissioned images of Bucharest, London, Nairobi and San Francisco supplement the One Planet Many People publication.” Kaname watched as the crowd parted and people magically ran off to get to work. Her father came to stand next to Ayame, a huge smile on his face.
That better not be a smile of amusement! Ooooh…
“Well Sir, Osaka is a wonderful city. Yes, it is far from any of the cities that I mentioned. Klaus Toepfer, UNEP’s Executive Director, said ’ People living in San Francisco or London may look at these images of deforestation or melting Arctic ice, and wonder what it has to do with them. That these changes are the result of other people’s lifestyles and consumption habits hundreds and thousands of kilometres away. But they would be wrong.’ If he were speaking to you himself, he would add Osaka to that list.” Kaname frowned. She pointed to a number of chairs, not knowing how long her current phone conversation might last. Some went fairly quickly. Others stretched on forever. The office edict was to speak until the caller was entirely satisfied.
Shunya shook his head. Ayame began laughing outright.
“As I am certain you can understand, cities pull in huge amounts of resources including water, food, timber, metals and people. They export large amounts of wastes including household and industrial wastes, wastewater and the gases linked with global warming. Thus their impacts stretch beyond their physical borders affecting countries, regions and the planet as a whole. added. So the battle for sustainable development, for delivering a more environmentally stable, just and healthier world, is going to be largely won and lost in our cities.” Eventually, she had hung up, just before she ran out of pre-printed material.
“Sorry to disturb you, Kaname. But, something very important came up.” Shunya looked around the office, finding the office manager. “Miss Kanabi says that you are doing a remarkable job here.”
“Ummm… yes….” Kaname watched Ayame closely. Why did her sister look so excited herself? What could have both of them acting this way?
“I’m glad to hear that. If you like, when you get to New York, I will see if I can find you a part-time job at the UNEP office. The Division of Policy Development and Law is there, and its role is to enhance the consideration of environmental policy within UN intergovernmental and inter-agency forums, and to serve as a source of information to Governments, the UN Secretariat, civil society and the media on UNEP's work.” He looked down at Ayame who was making a face. “What? I was sounding too formal again?”
Kaname swallowed hard. New York City? Why would she be in New York City. Oh no. He couldn’t mean…
Shunya turned back to Kaname, ready to drop his bombshell. “I received a telephone call earlier. I wanted to come here and give you the big news in person.”
“D-D-Daddy…” Kaname was certain of it now. There could only be one thing that her father was talking about. She should never had made the promise, thinking that the outcome was impossible. That was a lesson that Sousuke had tried to teach her any number of times in the past.
“Columbia University, pumpkin. One of the best colleges in the world, not just Japan. You’ve been awarded a special Fulbright Scholarship, a Full Grant. They usually do not give those to undergraduates. You should be proud.” Shunya pushed his glasses up his nose a bit, beaming.
“B-B-But…” Kaname wasn’t excited. She wasn’t even happy. She was numb.
“Columbia University hosts over seven thousand international students, interns, and scholars from more than one hundred and fifty countries, Kaname. Many of them are from Japan. Of those, almost half are women. That should make it easier for you to fit in, even though you’ve gone to school in America before.” Shunya watched his eldest daughter’s face. His brows furrowed. He had expected something like this.
“That’s not the important part. You’ll be able to live near us. Columbia University is in New York City!” Ayame could barely contain herself.
“I….” Kaname made no effort to pick up the ringing phone.
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“You snooze you lose, Sousuke old buddy!”
Kurz Weber elbowed his friend aside, running into the apartment’s only bathroom.
“No. That is not good. Do not go in there.” Sousuke said loudly, causing Melissa to look over from her lunch of Cigarettes and Beer.
“It’s mine. It’s mine. Hah hah, it’s all mine!” Kurz slammed the door shut.
“But, I have great need.” Sousuke grimaced. He should have gone to the bathroom earlier, instead of forcing himself to finish his push-ups.
“Do what Mao does. Ah-h-h-h….” A contented Kurz continued. “Go pee off the balcony!”
“Bastard!” In one smooth motion, Mao put down her beer can, swept her hand to her sheath, removed her combat knife and tossed it. The blade embedded itself in the bathroom door, all the way up to the hilt. “You will pay….”
“A Specialist has to be able to deal with these situations.” Sousuke stood at attention, squeezing his legs together.
“Shit! A soldier just has to make do. Use one of Kurz’ bottles over there. Preferably one that’s half full.” Melissa blew out a large cloud of smoke. “Or grab one of your emergency canteens.” There was a wicked look in her eyes.
“Uhhh… Lieutenant?” Sousuke looked perplexed.
“The second present that Kurz gave you. Remember our preparations for the Tokyo mission long ago?” Melissa tossed her lit cigarette butt over on Weber’s bunk.
“Preparations… I do not…” Sousuke looked deep in thought.
“You had two condoms. I was rather shocked to hear that you had used them in the past.” Melissa took a pull of beer. “You disappointed me, describing how you used then to carry water.”
Ohhh… uhhh…” Sousuke swallowed hard. The thought of condoms still had him feeling very nervous. “Are you suggesting that…”
“I was only joking, Sousuke. Piss in whatever you like, if you can’t hold it. If you give it to me when you’re done, I’ll pay you for it.” Melissa narrowed her eyes. She had told Kurz that he would pay.
Sousuke stood like a deer in the headlights. He could imagine only too well what his fellow SRT member might have in mind for his waste fluids. Before he could answer, a telephone rang. It was the conventional phone.
Melissa got up, reached over, and held the handset to her ear. “Hello? Oh. Just a second.” She grinned. “It’s Kaname.”
“Hey! Wait for me!” The sound of a flushing toilet could be heard. Kurz came rushing out of the rest room.
“Let’s give them some privacy,” Melissa said. “You can join me out on… the balcony…”
As Kurz pleaded to remain uninjured, Sousuke took up the phone. “Hello? Kaname?”
“Hi, Sousuke.” Kaname’s voice sounded drawn out, listless. “You called? I didn’t check the messages that my father took down until now.”
“Yes, I called before. Are you alright, Kaname. You do not sound well. Has something happened?” Sousuke watched as Melissa dangled Kurz over the balcony. The last time she had done that, one of the apartment tenants had called the police.
“What did you call for, Sousuke?” Kaname ignored his questions. “Was it about graduation day, and what you never had a chance to ask me?” She found herself feeling a little less numb. Her heart rate began rising.
“Affirmative… uhhh…” He swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and then let it out. “I wanted to know if you want to go to Oonuki’s party tonight.”
“I’m not sure any more,” Kaname said. “I’m not feeling so well. And….” She paused, gripping the phone tightly. “The more I think about it… the less I think I want to go…”
“Kaname?” Sousuke shook his head. The sound of sirens was drawing nearer. “Truly. Did something happen? What’s wrong?”
“It’s just…” Kaname wasn’t ready to talk about her big news yet. Especially not with Sousuke. “You know how some of the students have acted towards me after… after the fighting…” Her voice caught in her throat. “I’m afraid… you know… at the party…”
“I see. You are concerned how they might treat you. It might ruin the festive occasion for you.” Sousuke thought a moment. He might be clueless in many ways, but he had a good rudimentary understanding of Kaname. “Running from danger. I can understand that. Perhaps not in you, but…”
“What?” Kaname’s voice suddenly had more life in it. “Sousuke, what did you just say?”
“It is not a problem. I did not just call to see if you were going to the party.” He felt his hand tremble ever so slightly. That was not acceptable, not in Arbalest’s pilot! “I wanted to know… my intention was to find out….” Why was this so difficult? The two of them had realized that they had feelings for one another. That should have been the hard part, right?
“Sousuke?”
“I… Kaname, I wanted to…”
“SOUSUKE!” Kaname’s voice snapped. As Sousuke listened, she spoke to some one off of the phone. “No, Daddy. I’m OK. I’m on the phone.” There was a pause. “It’s none of your business, Ayame!”
“I was calling to see if you wanted to go with me.” Sousuke let out his breath.
“Huh? Why is that such a big deal? Because of the way I have been acting lately? I’m been under a lot of stress the past few weeks.” Kaname almost sounded annoyed. “I can walk to the party with you.”
“Uhhh… that is not what I meant, Kaname.” Sousuke said. “When I wanted to know if you would go with me, I meant…” He closed his eyes. “I meant as my date.” There. He had done it. The word was out there, sitting like unexploded ordinance.
“What? What did you just say, Sousuke?” Kaname almost dropped the phone.
“I asked if you would be my date, Kaname. I had thought about asking you to a movie… but… uhhh… but since we would both be going to the party… I thought….” Sousuke began to sweat. It didn’t help that Kurz and Melissa had put aside their feud and were watching through the glass doors leading out to the balcony.
“You thought it might be easier?” Kaname’s voice rose an octave. She had been wrestling with the idea of dates for a long time.
First, when Sousuke had come back from Hong Kong, she had begun hoping that he would think of her as a girl, not just someone he knew, or someone he was sworn to protect. Then, after the Pacific Christmas incident, when he had given her the Lapis lazuli that he had carried since his time in Afghanistan, the two of them had seemed so much closer. More than anything, she had wanted to begin dating. But, Leonard had showed up out of the blue, and shortly thereafter Amalgam had struck.
Now, her feelings were terrible twisted. Her mind and heart were both tied up in too many knots to unravel. Today’s proclamation from her father had come close to pushing her over the edge. As it stood, while part of her was about to swoon, the other part wanted nothing to do with dates. Rather, it was important to do the usual. She would make certain that Sousuke didn’t take her for granted.
“Uhhh… no… well, yes… in a way… you see…” Sousuke suddenly felt as if he was backed into a rock outcropping, a flight of attack helicopters circling overhead. What was Kaname upset about?
“You thought it might be less expensive? So you could save more of the vast savings you earned doing your job?” Kaname’s voice went up another octave.
“That was not my concern. You know that I am not good at this. I thought….” Sousuke turned away from the glass door. Kurz was laying on his back, hands over his mouth.
“Of course I know that! Who at the school doesn’t know that? I sat so long waiting for you to ask me out on a date. But you do this? Sheesh!” Kaname spoke off of the phone again, assuring her family that nothing was wrong.
“I… well… I wanted to… I thought that the important thing would be that I asked you out on a date. The others thought….” Ooops. Some things didn’t change. Once again, he had said too much. At least now he realized that fact.
“You thought? It looks like this is a day for firsts, doesn’t it! Hmmmpppfff!” Kaname was at full bore now. It was actually a cathartic experience, one she never realized that she needed. “And you decided to discuss this with the guys, did you? I can imagine some of the things that they must have said. I should have known you couldn’t just do this on your own.”
Sousuke was quiet for a while. The look on his face had Kurz and Melissa cease their antics. The two of them looked on, somewhat concerned. “I apologize. I had thought this would be a good thing. I had made the mistake of believing it was something you would want. I did not wish to bother you during such stressful times.”
Kaname was not knew to the concept of ‘changing heart’. Someone would be heard pressed to find someone who was better able to flip-flop like her, especially with giving any warning that she was about to do so. Her usual issues pushed out of the way, she was able to access her true feelings for a moment.
“Of course it’s a good thing, you big stupid head! Didn’t I tell you that I had been waiting for this for a long time? Geez, pay attention, alright?” Her voice was playful. She sounded like the old Kaname, from before the fighting. “I wouldn’t have been waiting for it if I didn’t want it, you big idiot!”
“Uhhh… I see…” Sousuke looked over at Melissa. She was tapping on her watch. What? Oh. “What time, Kaname? Seven o’clock?”
“No, moron. Eight o’clock.” Kaname sounded happy. Of course, if Sousuke had said eight o’clock, she would have made it seven thirty.
“Eight o’clock,” Sousuke said, just as the police began banging on the door.
three chapters and Sousuke hasn't blown up anything, threatened
It'll be... interesting