[FIC] Endings and beginnings (part 6)
Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2005 1:17 am
“Hey, man! It’s a black key. Mitsubishi…”
Sousuke picked up his bag. He would look for the key in a moment. It was not going to be as simple as that.
“In a moment. First, you must demonstrate sobriety.” Sousuke had the boy walk a straight line… remember a string of numbers… and perform a number of movements testing cerebellar function. “Adequate. You must now run a mile. I will time you. The girl may wait here for you, unless she feels like running too”
“W-H-A-T?” The boy looked at Sousuke incredulously.
“I was joking,” Sousuke said.
“You?” The boy asked, doing a double-take. “You were joking?”
“Yes,” Sousuke said, reaching into the bag. He fished out a set of Mitsubishi keys.
“Well all right!” The guy slapped Sousuke on the back. “Later, guy!”
“I’ve been looking for you.” That was Takashi. He approached Maya, who was sitting with Ryo and Mizuki.
“Hi, Takashi. How are you.” Maya looked either drunk or very tired. If anything, Ryo looked even worse.
“I… I love you…”
“I love you too, girl.” Takashi claimed.
“Even after what you did…” Maya swallowed hard. “After all that, I…” She clenched her fists. She nodded when Mizuki and Ryo whispered something that Sousuke couldn’t hear.
“I want to get back together,” Takashi said. “Mitsune’s going to college. In Osaka. I’m going to be alone, but I'm going to break up with her before she leaves.” He made it sound like it was no big deal. The two hugged. Takashi ran his hands down along Maya’s back. “Have sex with me.”
“No,” Maya said, looking over at Sousuke. “Goodbye, Takashi.”
“But…” Takashi looked stunned.
“Good bye.” Maya looked away. Ryo and Mizuki both nodded and congratulated their friend.
“Hey, Sousuke.” Kaname walked up, a strange look on her face. “I’ve been looking for you.” She saw Maya and the others looking at her and felt a bit flustered. “You’re a hard guy to find, do you know that?”
“I apologize, Kaname. You…” Sousuke was interrupted.
“YO! Keeper of the keys! My best bud.” A boy walked up, another guy and two girls in tow. “Toyota. Keychain has a stuffed soccer ball on it.” After the boy passed Sousuke’s tests, he took his keys and left.
The next person in a growing crowd around Sousuke stepped up. “Sousuke, I wanted to say…” Kaname couldn’t get her word in.
“Alright, Sagara! It was a great party, wasn’t it?” A boy walked up with another boy. Both looked wobbly. “We could have used some explosions, though. We’re all going to miss that.”
”Damn straight,” the other boy said laughing, before tripping over his own feet.
“Acura keys. Painted in blue metal flake. Should be real easy to find, man.” The boy held his hand out, breaking into laughter when he saw his friend on the floor.
“There are tests,” Sousuke said.
“Yeh man. Sure. Good one. We all had enough tests at school.” He stumbled and fell, trying to get his friend back up.”
“Sorry. You will not get your keys. You are drunk.” Sousuke reached into the bag and handed a girl her keys. She had no trouble with his challenges.
“I’m not drunk,” the boy claimed. “I just had too much to drink!”
Sousuke wouldn’t give in. Not for that boy, or any of his other classmates who were not fit to drive safely. He even sent one teacher to a nearby coffee pot and couch. Irrationally, he had feared an insurrection, or a number of uncomfortable scenes. Instead, he was gratified to see that the party-goers generally respected him for his actions.
“You’re alright, Sagara.” One tipsy guy put his arm around Sousuke’s neck and gave him a fake kiss to the cheek. “Despite what Chidori says.”
“It’s true. You’re such a good person, Sousuke.” Maya walked over and stood next to Kaname, who was still trying to get a word in edgewise.
“You are holding up well, or so it seemed.” Sousuke said.
“Yes. And, remember, things can always get better.” Maya looked over at Kaname.
“What?” Kaname asked, sounding a bit snappish. Maya just grinned infuriatingly.
“You were saying?” Sousuke said to Kaname, handing out another set of keys.
“I wanted….” Kaname was cut off again.
“They’re right, dude!” Ono staggered up. “You are truly a great man!” he smiled, his eyes red. “Me, I’m just a good man.” He looked over at Kaname. “And Kaname…”
“Yes?” The tone of Kaname’s voice came close to sobering Ono up.
“Ummm… well… you’re not a man!” Ono said quickly, stumbling upon a safe answer.
Eventually, Sousuke ran out of keys. At that point, he handed the sack to Ono. “I hereby relinquish my duties as Sergeant at Arms and Keeper of the Keys.”
“Thanks, man.” Ono shook Sousuke’s hand. “And I meant what I said earlier. I’m sorry, you know?” He scratched his head. “I wish we all knew how good a guy you were, before we graduated.”
“Opportunities are lost,” Sousuke said. “It is an inevitable part of life.” He looked over at Kaname. Looking back at Ono he added “Things could have been a lot worse.”
When Ono went off to finish saying good bye to his guests, Kaname pulled Sousuke aside to talk with him. “Finally…” She said, tossing her hair.
“Ka-na-maaaay…” It was Kyouko. Maya, Mizuki, and Shinji were with her.
“Hey, Ky…” Kaname said.
“Kaname, Ryo is passed out on the couch. I don’t think she’ll be able to walk home with us.” Kyouko pointed. Sure enough, Ryo was sprawling on one of the extra couches brought into the lobby.
“I can drive her home now,” Kaname said, sounding resigned.
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“I gotta get home.”
Ryo’s voice came from the back seat of Kaname’s car.
“Gotta get home… gotta get home… gotta get home… gotta get home…” Ryo made her words into a little sing song.
“How you doing back there, Ryo?” Kaname asked.
“Where are we?” Ryo asked. “I really don’t know where I am.”
“You are in Kaname’s car,” Sousuke answered. “We are taking you home.”
“To whose house? Kaname’s?” Ryo tried to sit up.
“Sheeesh, girl. Why did you drink so much?” Kaname asked.
“It was a party. We graduated. Time to celebrate, right?” She paused. “Oh. Sousuke’s here too.”
“Affirmative,” Sousuke confirmed.
“Oh. I’m sorry. No I’m drunk.” Ryo managed to sit up, looking over at the back of Sousuke’s head. “But I’m sorry too.”
“It’s not a problem, Ryo. What are friends for?” Kaname replied amiably. “It gives me a another chance to drive around a bit.”
”I didn’t mean that, Kaname. I meant Sousuke. Did you two want to make out or something?”
The brakes slammed on. A horn sounded. Kaname almost ran through a red light. “NO! I mean, of course not!”
“Green light, Kaname” Sousuke observed.
“I know that, Sousuke!” She stepped down on the accelerator.
“He’s giving you the green light, Kaname.” Ryo chuckled. “Sousuke, isn’t that the girl’s job?”
“Uhhh…”
“I really think it is,” Ryo said, falling back against the rear seat.
“WE WEREN”T GOING TO MAKE OUT OR ANYTHING!”
Kaname’s shout had Ryo putting her fingers in her ears. “He did have those condoms, you know.” The drunken girl laughed. “Sousuke Sagara with condoms. That’s kind of funny, isn’t it?”
“A friend was annoying me, trying to force me to carry them. It was simpler just to agree.” Sousuke was trying to explain things to Ryo and Kaname at the same time, but for different reasons.
“Well, he’s probably right you know. If you and Kaname are going to do it, it would be stupid if you didn’t have condoms.” Ryo nodded her head, pleased with her sage advice.
“WE…… AREN’T…… DOING…… THAT…”
This time, Kaname almost ran into the back of a truck stopped in front of an all-night store.
“That’s what most people thought at the party,” Ryo said. “Especially after the way you were talking about him.” She rubbed at her temples, realizing that her head was throbbing. “He must have them for someone else.”
“Look out!” Sousuke shouted. A woman was crossing the street with her dog. He reached his leg over and stomped on the brake.
“I… sorry… thank you, Sousuke…” Kaname sounded upset. She drove much more carefully after that.
“I was telling the truth about Kurz,” Sousuke said.
“Is that who the condoms were for? Sousuke is doing it with someone named Kurz?” Ryo moaned, suddenly feeling somewhat queasy. “He really was jealous over Tsubaki Issei?”
“NO!” Both Sousuke and Kaname answered, just as she pulled the care over to the curb in front of Ryo’s home.
Ryo staggered to the door, declining Sousuke’s offer of assiatance.
“Have a good sleep.” Kaname watched as her friend managed to walk to her door. The lights inside the house came on.
“Good bye,” Sousuke said.
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“I apologize.”
Sousuke and Kaname sat in her car, about a block from the apartment she shared with her father and Ayame.
“What for, Sousuke? I was the one who behaved wrong. You’re always apologizing when it’s my fault.” Kaname cracked open one of the windows. Things were beginning to fog up.
“That is true. Ms. Kagurazaka told me that you need to begin taking responsibility for your actions.” Sousuke should have been quiet. He had a lot to learn.
“Oh she did, did she?” Kaname’s temper raised its ugly head again. “The two of you were talking about me behind my back?”
“Uhhh… negative… not really.” Sousuke said. “Why are you getting angry at me, if things are your fault?”
“It’s not my fault that the two of you were talking about me and my responsibility!” Kaname set her jaw.
Sousuke sat quietly for a moment. He thought that he understood what was going on. “It is not my fault that you are leaving Tokyo, Kaname.”
“Huh? What does that have to do with anything, you big stupid head?” Kaname laced her fingers together. She knew that Sousuke was right.
“Our teacher was not the only person who spoke about you tonight. Some were unhappy with the way that you treated me. A number had observations that explained your behavior in school.” Sousuke paused, waiting to see how Kaname might respond. She sat quietly, by a strong effort of will. Light filled the passenger compartment, as a large road crew vehicle passed by, rumbling on its way to who knows where.
“What did they talk about, Sousuke?” Kaname’s voice was very quiet.
“Pride. Fear. Disappointment. Sadness.” Sousuke looked over at Kaname. “Caring.”
“Oh.” Kaname used her sleeve to wipe moisture off of her window.
“Will you be in trouble when you get home, Kaname? Should I accompany you inside, to vouch for things that your father will want to hear?” Sousuke yawned. He couldn’t help himself. The sun was coming up and he hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before.
“I don’t know,” Kaname admitted. “But it’s OK if I am. I didn’t really behave my best, did I?” She sighed. “I guess he needs to learn all of my bad parts too, huh?”
“Kaname, you do not have any…” Sousuke started to protest.
“Yes I do, you big kind-hearted idiot.” Kaname smiled. “That was a wonderful thing you did with Maya tonight, by the way. I never would have expected that. I guess I can’t even see what’s under my nose, huh?” Kaname wiped away tears. Those words suddenly sounded so final to her.
“Your mouth?” Sousuke asked, feeling uncomfortable with Kaname’s sadness. He had difficult enough dealing with his own pain.
“Moron.” Kaname managed a smile. “But, it’s true. And it’s true about my father. Daddy…” Kaname sighed. “He’s so happy that I’m going back to America with him. He’s worked so hard for us. All he has is Ayame.”
Sousuke knew that Kaname’s mother had died a number of years earlier. That had been common knowledge at the school, and was on her Mithril dosier. But, Kaname had never gone into much detail with anyone before, not the school counselors, and not with any of her friends. Sitting there in the car, she shared her memories with him.
“You are fortunate to have family, Kaname. You are very lucky, having solid memories of them. Sousuke said that, after telling Kaname details about his past that she hadn’t known.
“Yes, I love them very much.” Kaname looked at Sousuke. Part of her wanted to go even further. There was someone else that she loved. But, for whatever reason, she couldn’t bring herself to tell Sousuke that. “Oh… hey… your yearbook.”
”Kaname?” Sousuke looked down at his book.
“What did everyone write to Sousuke Sagara?” Kaname picked up her book.
“I will see.” Sousuke opened the book. “’Do not worry about how Chidori treats you. She is a loser’. It would not be smart to agree with that. ‘Kaname is wrong about you. What does she know? Everything is her fault’. That one is not entirely true. ‘Kaname Chidori is…’”
“Give me that, Sousuke!” Kaname grabbed Sousuke’s book. “Big liar!” She began leafing through the pages. “OK. Let me see. ‘Glad we got to see what you’re really like’. Written by an idiot. ‘Wish I could have known you more’. Written by a moron, obviuously. ‘If Kaname dumps you, my number is…’ Sousuke!”
“Uhhh…”
“Why did you let a girl kiss your book? With lipstick on!” Kaname shook the book at him.
“What was she supposed to kiss, Kaname?” Sousuke kept a straight face.
“SOUSUKE SAGARA!”
Kaname smiled. It was wonderful seeing Sousuke joke like that. For a moment, her emotions surged. She was tempted to lean over and kiss him.
“Should I have Mithril run a background check based on that phone number?” Sousuke ran a hand through his hair. “It might not be prudent to call it otherwise.”
“A lot of things aren’t prudent, Sousuke.” Kaname said. “A certain sergeant would be very wise to keep that in mind. Hmmmpppfff!”
After reading more of Sousuuke’s messages out loud, Kaname had Sousuke read some of hers. All in all, everyone had been kind or complimentary. “I was afraid that I didn’t fit in any more,” she said when he was finished.
“Kaname?” Sousuke knew what she meant. But, it was obviously doing her good to talk.
“They all treated me great, Sousuke.” Kaname had tears in her eyes again. “I’m really glad I came tonight.” She sighed. “I wish I could have been a better date.”
“Yes. Me too.” Sousuke nodded.
“’You too’ what?” Kaname narrowed her eyes. “You wish you had been a better date. Or you wish I had been a better date?”
“Affirmative.” Sousuke gave no further clarification.
“Sousuke!” Kaname reached over to hug him. Once again, she came very close to kissing him. She felt his muscles tighten when her hand lay on his arm. She would have given anything to know what he was thinking. “What are you, ummm…” Her throat tightened up. A question came to mind. She had always been worried about how much time she had left. There was a flipside to that.
“Kaname?”
“What are you going to be doing this summer? Now that school is over, and…” Kaname found herself gripping her book tightly. Would it be better for her to spend as much time with Sousuke as possible, or to hope that he had to return to Da Danaan as soon as possible. For a moment, she froze. She pictured Tessa waiting for him when he returned.
“I have a new mission,” Sousuke said.
“Oh…” Kaname felt her heart sink.
“Yes. I think I would like to be a great date this summer.” Sousuke surprised himself, saying that.
“I’m serious, Sousuke.” Kaname bit at her hair.
“So am I, Kaname. I want to see you as much as I can before you leave.”
“But, it’s only ten more weeks. Maybe that’s not fair to you….” Kaname stopped. “Take responsibility, huh? It might be harder for me if we…” She felt her throat tighten again.
“I understand,” Sousuke said. “But, I do not wish to worry about the future. I think that I would like to make the most of the ten weeks as I can. I will deal with the future after that.” Sousuke was a veteran of that kind of thinking. He never knew when his death might come. He opened his yearbook. “I have this telephone number…”
“Jerk!” Kaname sat snuggled up against him until she looked at her watch. It was much later than she thought. D’oh! She didn’t need a watch to tell her that. The sun was coming up. She started the car up again. She couldn’t avoid the inevitable.
Sooner or later, she had to go home.
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“Morning, Daddy.”
Kaname yawned. She had just gotten up and was still in her pajamas. That was unusual. Her mouth was dry, and she found herself needing to drink a glass of juice or something.
“For a little while longer,” Shunya said. “I made breakfast. I’m afraid it’s cold now.” He looked over at the clock. It was close to noon. “It’s a good thing that you’re not working today.”
“Yes.” Kaname was awake enough now to start feeling Guilty. Guilty and scared. “About last night… I…” She reached for a slice of apple.
“Well, as you might have noticed, your sister isn’t here.” Shunya said, in a conversational tone. But, his point was clear enough. He wanted time alone with Kaname. “Your uncle and his family came by. She’ll be spending the day with them.”
“Oh….” Kaname stopped in mid chew, her cheek puffed out with fruit. After chewing and swallowing, she said “Good.”
“I have English tea on. So, while you’re getting your wits about you, we can talk at the table as you eat.” Shunya picked up a dish of rice and a bowl of miso soup, intent on re-warming them. “Later, I will take you out to lunch if you like, or we can visit the park you liked when you were a child. It is a good place to go for a walk.”
“OK.” Kaname began reaching for a bowl of Udon noodles, but stopped. She really wasn’t all that hungry yet.
“I have more natto, if you would like some of that.” Shunya busied himself at the stove. Even after years in America, he wasn’t a big fan of microwaves. “I seem to have lost my taste for it. Oddly enough, Ayame loves it.” Most children raised in the States might be less than enthusiastic about fermented soybeans.
“No thank you, Daddy.” Kaname felt a need to speak, but didn’t know where to start. There were so many things on her mind. There were so many things that her father might want to ask. There were so many things that he needed to know.
“So, how was Sousuke?” Shunya sounded nonchalant. Kaname knew better. She was his eldest daughter, and had never been involved with boys around him. “You know, there was a lot I would have liked to ask him, before your rather abrupt departure.”
“Sousuke was a gentleman, Daddy.” Kaname took a sip of juice. “He was funny at times, nervous at others. He was very responsible, given the job of Key Keeper. He was also very kind.” She gave a brief recounting of Sousuke’s talk with Maya. “But I kind of blew it. I got angry at him for something that was my fault. It was really stupid.”
Shunya didn’t push for details. He sat and listened attentively, content to have Kaname say whatever came to mind.
“So, I really didn’t spend as much time with him as I wanted. But, I am so glad that he convinced me to go to the party. I had been so worried. Everyone was so nice, even people I never really got to know very well.” Kaname looked over at the rice. She was a little hungrier now, but not hungry enough.
“I’m glad things went smoothly. It’s also good to see that you enjoyed talking with people you didn’t know very well.” Shunya’s inference there was easy enough for Kaname to catch, even though her head still felt as if it were stuffed with wool. She would have a grand opportunity to meet new people at Cornell. “I’m even happier to here that you had no trouble with Sousuke.”
“I didn’t say ‘no trouble’, Daddy. It was just less trouble than we… usually…… have…” Kaname stopped reaching for the rice. Oooops. No, maybe not ‘Oooops’. The topic would come up anyway.
Shunya pushed his glasses up his nose further. He tapped his fingers on the table top. “I think that we should talk about that now.” His voice was as smooth as silk, but his eyes gave him away. He was a man who hated the unknown and the uncertain. “What is your history with the young man?”
“Yes, Daddy. There is something I have dreaded telling you.” Kaname lowered her fork. She used it to push rice around on her plate.
“You’re not pregnant, are you?” Shunya closed his eyes after saying that. It had just come out. His lack of control was inexcusable.
“DADDY!” Kaname dropped her fork. “What do you think about me? I have never….” Kaname forced herself to slow down. “No Daddy. I’m not pregnant.”
“Sorry. I guess that must be every father’s fear.” Shunya stood up and went to get the tea. “This is Taylors of Harrogate. I hope you like it. It’s a favorite of mine.”
Kaname grinned, even though she felt very nervous. Her father and his English tea! The handle of the cup had to point to the right. The teaspoon had to be tucked under the handle. Cold cups had to be warmed before using. Only freshly drawn water was sufficient, since pre-boiled water gives a lifeless cup of tea.
“I’m sorry if this will upset you, Daddy.” Kaname said, somehow feeling guilty about things that were beyond her control. That had her smirking. She worried about things that weren’t her fault, but blamed Sousuke for things that were her fault. That’s OK. He’s tough. He can take it.
“I’ll be fine, Kaname.” Shunya warmed his teapot with a splash of hot water.
“Daddy.” Kaname shook her head. “You didn’t put the milk jug out. There is no bowl of sugar cubes. I don’t see any lemon slices. That’s not like you.”
“That’s why you got into Cornell,” Shunya said. “Really. I’ll be fine. Not knowing the truth won’t make it go away. Go ahead with what you were about to say.”
“OK. I guess I should start at the beginning.” Kaname yawned. “Things were fine at school. I was doing well in sports and academics, and took on responsibilities for my class. I was making friends, and didn’t have the trouble I had in Junior High. One day, while I was outside talking with my friend, a new boy was stopped by the teacher….” Kaname went on to describe her first impression of Sousuke, saying that as far as he was concerned, he was some kind of otaku nut with a military fetish. She described any number of situations he caused, and how he had followed her around against her will.
“Panties?” Shunya aksed, his voice flat.
“He wasn’t the thief, Daddy. He was there to stop the thief.” She sighed. “Of course, seeing him there, I clobbered him with my softball bat.”
“Yours is an interesting relationship, I see.” Shunya made a steeple with his fingers. “I’m surprised you didn’t throw a ball or base at him too.”
“That was later, Daddy.” Kaname blushed. She didn’t want to sound like a raving maniac or something.
“Oh?”
“Well. I didn’t know about his secret. I made a lot of food for dinner, since we were studying together. But, he missed the session, and didn’t even call.” Her hand flexed. “I had no idea that he was away on a mission.” She swallowed hard. “That was just before my second kidnapping.”
“You were abducted more than once?” Shunya’s face went blank. It seemed that there was a great deal that he hadn’t heard about.
“Yes, well…” Kaname chewed on her hair, but stopped. “That time I was kidnapped by the terrorist group A21, because I kind of got myself involved in the situation. The first time had been by a maniac working for some group I never learned about. The third time, aboard a cruise ship, was because of Amalgam. The last time… the one that… ummm… was related to the fighting in Tokyo…” Kaname gripped the edge of the table. “That was Amalgam too.” Shunya sat unspeaking. It looked as if he couldn’t immediately take in everything he was hearing.
“Kaname, I have to ask you something. You are not taking drugs, are you?” Shunya was very serious. “At the party last night….”
”DADDY! I am not pregnant, and I do not take drugs.” Kaname’s eyes flashed.
“But… what you just said… it sounds.” Shunya straightened his shoulders, took a deep breath, and allowed his racing thoughts to cross the finish line. “It sounds like science fiction. Bad science fiction.”
“It gets worse in a way, Daddy.” Kaname knew that be hard to believe. “I should get back to my story. The most important part is coming up.” Kaname felt surprising relaxed. Now that she had got the ball rolling, she felt excited. She could finally share this with her father.
“It can get worse?” Shunya stared down at his tea. “You were on the cruise ship that was shown on the news in America. You were somehow involved with that huge red machine that moved through the city. And the recent devastation….” He looked at his daughter. “That first kidnapping. The one on the trip to Okinawa. It was every father’s nightmare. No one should live through that more than once.”
“It wasn’t easy for me either, Daddy.” Kaname said, tossing her hair. “Any way. Back to the panties.” She turned her nose up. “I was really upset with Sousuke after that. I had finally started feeling at ease around him, and then that. I was glad that I had already assigned him garbage detail on the class trip.”
“I see,” Shunya could only imagine the relationship dynamics. He wasn’t certain whether he should have sympathy for his daughter, or for Sousuke.
“Somebody needed to do it, Daddy!” Kaname’s guilt made a brief appearance. “Sheeesh. Can I get on with my story?”
“Please.”
“I made it a point to ignore him best I could at the airport. In flight, things began to get strange. We noticed that we were flying over a lot of land, when there should have been ocean. When we landed, the terrorists told us they had taken over the plane.” Kaname looked down at her plate. “They said they needed someone to take off the plane. They chose me. But it wasn’t because I was photogenic or something.”
”Why then?”
“They brought me to a portable laboratory. I was hooked up to some kind of equipment. They would have given me drugs and experimented on me if Sousuke hadn’t shown up.” She managed a smile. “I still though he was an otaku idiot, when he started shooting the guards. I even yelled at him to stop playing around when he climbed up on an Arm Slave.”
Shunya sat quietly. He thought that the story would make a good book or movie. Possibly anime. But, he had a hard time believing that such a thing had actually happened to his daughter. It was denial, not disbelief. He had no doubt that Kaname was telling the truth.
“If the bad guys had kept me, I never would have been seen again.” Kaname looked her father in the eyes. “I have something that people want, Daddy. I’m Whispered.”
“Whispered?”
“Yes. When Sousuke needed to know how to work the Lambda Driver… a special device that few people in the world can make work well… I helped him.” Kaname took a sip of tea. “I had knowledge about the Lambda Driver in my head. I kind of went into a trance and got him through things. But, I didn’t remember doing it when I was done.”
“How could you know something like that?” Shunya looked apprehensive. “Did somebody do something while you were living alone? Maybe I never should have…”
“It’s something I was born with, Daddy. No body knows for sure how it happens. But, the Whispered contain secrets about Black Technology. That’s how things like the Arm Slaves and other special machines are built. The Black Technology is far beyond normal science.”
“And very few people have access to it? Others know about it and want to acquire it?” The full impact was beginning to settle on Shunya.
Kaname nodded. She looked over at her father. For a moment, she felt like a little kid again, wishing he could make things all better.
“Sousuke’s people knew about it. That’s why they sent him to your school. To keep others from taking you away.” Shunya looked down at his tea. He couldn’t blame it for the bad taste in his mouth.
“Yes.” Kaname looked on the verge of tears. Everything she had gone through was coming back to her now. How could she feel better one moment, and then worse the next? “I used to get so angry at Sousuke. I actually got pretty violent with him because he was so bad at fitting in. Guns in school. Grenades in the class. Thinking that everything could be a bomb or enemy trick. It was driving me crazy!” She almost mentioned Tessa and the towel. The beach and bikini too.
“But he’s the one who’s kept you alive.” Shunya clasped his hands together. “Is he the one that keeps bringing you back?”
“Yes. Or as he would say, affirmative.” Kaname felt the tears run down her face. They were for Sousuke, and the fact that he might be taken from her life. “He rescued me in Khanka. He and Arbalest… the Arm Slave I helped him with… they fought against Behemoth… that giant red machine… after he and his teammate Kurz freed me from captivity. Sousuke, Kurz, their other teammate Melissa, and a number of other soldiers rescued me aboard the Pacific Christmas, where they pretended to be terrorists. When Sousuke fought the battle in Tokyo and lost… he was the one in the white Arm Slave… I let myself be taken away, so he would be spared. He came and brought me back again.”
Shunya didn’t know what to say.
“I was the one who tracked the big jerk down in Hong Kong, though. He thought I was dead, so he just stood around doing nothing until I beat… until I talked sense in him. And, I brought him back to the school.” Kaname looked out of the window. She hadn’t heard from Wraith after her identity had been revealed. Was someone else taking the Intelligence operative’s place? Would their be an equivalent shadow in New York City?
“You went to Hong Kong?” Shunya raised an eyebrow.
“Ummm… yes… well you see… if Sousuke didn’t get back in time for his test… he would have failed.” Kaname felt like a babbling idiot. She knew that her father would see through to the truth.
“Was this during the civil uprising that took place? The one in which China was on the verge of becoming North and South states?” Shunya’s voice climbed. It was one thing if his daughter was a victim. It was another thing entirely if she was putting herself in dangerous situations.
“Yes… that’s why Mithril was over there… so…” Kaname knew she had been busted. Sousuke wasn’t the only one who should write things down before he spoke. Shunya turned his tea spoon over in his hand, again and again.
“You really care a lot about Sousuke, don’t you?” His eyes looked worried. “We’ve been through a lot together… and I spent so much time trying to help him with school… and we’ve saved each other’s lives…” It all came out in a rush, as if Kaname was in a hurry to justify her relationship with Sousuke. It was time to simply tell the truth. “Yes, Daddy. I care very much about him.”
”Are you in love with him?” Shunya looked over at a picture of Kaname’s mother. He wished that she was there to help him with all this.
“I’ve never said anything like that to him…” Again, the hurried speech. “Yes, Daddy. I am.”
“I see.” He coughed. “And him?”
“He’s never put things into words, Daddy. But I think he cares a lot too.”
“But you’re not sure….” Shunya took of his glasses and cleaned them with a small cloth he kept in his pocket.
“I… well…” Kaname clenched her fists. “He doesn’t behave like normal boys. If I judged him that way, I might say ‘no’. But, if I look how he’s changed, and at the way he treats me…”
“I understand. You’ve been through a lot, and he’s been there by your side.” Shunya put his glasses back on.
“He has.”
“It seems that we have a lot to talk about.” Shunya felt deceptively calm.
“Yes, Daddy.”
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“You’re doomed, man.”
Kurz’ voice came through the console loud and clear. He and Melissa had returned to Da Danaan.
“I do not see why it is a problem. Kaname assures me that it will not be an interrogation. There will be guests other than myself.” Sousuke was breaking down and reassembling the PP2000, familiarizing himself with the weapon’s idiosyncrasies.
“Your second date has been made into a family audition, whatever someone might say. You’re doomed. Big time.” Kurz sounded amused.
“I still do not see the reason for such an assessment. If Kaname were concerned, she would let me know.” Sousuke began to feel edgy. He scowled. Putting things back together, he left out one piece. That hadn’t happened before.
“Move out of the way.” That was Melissa’s voice. “I hate to agree with Weber. But a family dinner… as a second date… it’s the kiss of death.”
“Why?” Sousuke spoke in a demanding tone. He thought that his friends might be joking. But, if there was something he truly needed to be cognizant of, it was best to be prepared. “I already know Kaname. It is not as if this is the second time that I am meeting someone.”
“That might be true,” Melissa said. “But, you aren’t like everyone else. Either is Kaname. If you screw up dinner somehow…”
“WHAM!” Kurz shouted. “Shit! That hurt, Sis.”
“Then don’t yell in my f-cking ear, asshole.” Melissa groused. “Sousuke, you aren’t good in social situations. You might feel like you are under a lot of pressure. Who knows what you might say or do?”
“I’ll be careful…” Sousuke said.
“You’ll be dead!” Kurz quipped, knowing that Sousuke was a Star Wars fan. He couldn’t help but catch a reference to the famous Cantina scene.
“Though, if something tragic does happen…” Melissa said laughing. “It could be in Kaname’s best interest in the long run.”
“What?” Sousuke couldn’t keep up with the mental gymnastics. “How would tragedy be good?”
“You’ve got less than ten weeks together, the two of you. You want to savor every moment you can...” Kurz spoke in a melodious voice, as if he was doing a television commercial. All that was needed was violins. “But, in the end, the pain of separation will be much greater that way.”
“Yeh. If you f-ck things up royally, and she never wants to see you again, you’d be doing Kaname a favor.” Melissa said. The telltale sound of an opening beer can could be heard.
“If you want the same results, but want to have fun instead, I’ll take you out to get a hooker. The flight will be worth it. Sydney has some of the world’s best prostitutes. There are twenty-four pages advertising brothels and escort agencies in the Yellow Pages there and… Owwwww. Damn it...” Kurz yelped.
“Shut up, idiot!” Melissa said. “Seriously, Sousuke. You don’t want to make a bad impression at dinner. Kaname may know you, but her father doesn’t. If he tells Kaname to stop spending time with you, she would probably listen.”
“That possibility has been considered. I was not planning on doing anything that should raise concern.” Sousuke felt himself tense up. He had simply called to ask what a suitable dinner gift should be. Now, he was beginning to sweat some.
“Sousuke, when have you ever planned to cause trouble?” Kurz chuckled. “Were all those screw ups at school by choice?”
“Uhhh…” Sousuke swallowed hard. “But, in school, I needed to be on alert. There was no way to be certain what might occur. It was safest to behave as if there could be terrorists around every corner.“ Why did it sound so ridiculous when he said it that way? “I will not be worried about terrorists at dinner.”
“Why not?” Kurz asked. “Did Angel give you the name of the dinner guests, so that we could run a background check? For all you know, any one of them could be on Amalgam’s payroll and…Ouch! Damn it Babe, if you do that again….”
“Don’t listen to that dumb ass, Sousuke. I think its obvious that you don’t have to worry if Shunya Kaname’s old friends are terrorists.” Melissa said.
“I saw no reason to…” Sousuke said.
“But, if the food is catered, you should make an attempt to eat a little something off of everyone‘s plate. Especially Kaname‘s. The same goes for the wine and booze. Open each bottle, and take a drink.” Melissa sounded serious.
“Shit! Now who’s messing with his head?” Kurz griped.
“It does not matter. I am not going to behavior in a paranoid fashion. My intention is to go as a guest, not as a soldier.” Sousuke sounded confident again. “But, I will go with the same spirit I have going into combat. I will not be certain if something unexpected might happen, or whether I might live or die, but I will respond accordingly.”
“Sniff. Sniff. Our boy is all grown up,” Kurz said.
“Yeh. Right. I bet you two cases of beer that he brings up that ‘I came to dinner like it was combat’ thing while they eat.” Melissa spoke with a deadpan delivery.
“No bet!” Kurz answered.
“Thanks.” Sousuke said. “I truly appreciate your assistance.”
“Hey, glad we could help!” Melissa said.
“What are friends for?” Kurz asked, before ending transmission.
“Shit,” Sousuke said under his breath.
Sousuke picked up his bag. He would look for the key in a moment. It was not going to be as simple as that.
“In a moment. First, you must demonstrate sobriety.” Sousuke had the boy walk a straight line… remember a string of numbers… and perform a number of movements testing cerebellar function. “Adequate. You must now run a mile. I will time you. The girl may wait here for you, unless she feels like running too”
“W-H-A-T?” The boy looked at Sousuke incredulously.
“I was joking,” Sousuke said.
“You?” The boy asked, doing a double-take. “You were joking?”
“Yes,” Sousuke said, reaching into the bag. He fished out a set of Mitsubishi keys.
“Well all right!” The guy slapped Sousuke on the back. “Later, guy!”
“I’ve been looking for you.” That was Takashi. He approached Maya, who was sitting with Ryo and Mizuki.
“Hi, Takashi. How are you.” Maya looked either drunk or very tired. If anything, Ryo looked even worse.
“I… I love you…”
“I love you too, girl.” Takashi claimed.
“Even after what you did…” Maya swallowed hard. “After all that, I…” She clenched her fists. She nodded when Mizuki and Ryo whispered something that Sousuke couldn’t hear.
“I want to get back together,” Takashi said. “Mitsune’s going to college. In Osaka. I’m going to be alone, but I'm going to break up with her before she leaves.” He made it sound like it was no big deal. The two hugged. Takashi ran his hands down along Maya’s back. “Have sex with me.”
“No,” Maya said, looking over at Sousuke. “Goodbye, Takashi.”
“But…” Takashi looked stunned.
“Good bye.” Maya looked away. Ryo and Mizuki both nodded and congratulated their friend.
“Hey, Sousuke.” Kaname walked up, a strange look on her face. “I’ve been looking for you.” She saw Maya and the others looking at her and felt a bit flustered. “You’re a hard guy to find, do you know that?”
“I apologize, Kaname. You…” Sousuke was interrupted.
“YO! Keeper of the keys! My best bud.” A boy walked up, another guy and two girls in tow. “Toyota. Keychain has a stuffed soccer ball on it.” After the boy passed Sousuke’s tests, he took his keys and left.
The next person in a growing crowd around Sousuke stepped up. “Sousuke, I wanted to say…” Kaname couldn’t get her word in.
“Alright, Sagara! It was a great party, wasn’t it?” A boy walked up with another boy. Both looked wobbly. “We could have used some explosions, though. We’re all going to miss that.”
”Damn straight,” the other boy said laughing, before tripping over his own feet.
“Acura keys. Painted in blue metal flake. Should be real easy to find, man.” The boy held his hand out, breaking into laughter when he saw his friend on the floor.
“There are tests,” Sousuke said.
“Yeh man. Sure. Good one. We all had enough tests at school.” He stumbled and fell, trying to get his friend back up.”
“Sorry. You will not get your keys. You are drunk.” Sousuke reached into the bag and handed a girl her keys. She had no trouble with his challenges.
“I’m not drunk,” the boy claimed. “I just had too much to drink!”
Sousuke wouldn’t give in. Not for that boy, or any of his other classmates who were not fit to drive safely. He even sent one teacher to a nearby coffee pot and couch. Irrationally, he had feared an insurrection, or a number of uncomfortable scenes. Instead, he was gratified to see that the party-goers generally respected him for his actions.
“You’re alright, Sagara.” One tipsy guy put his arm around Sousuke’s neck and gave him a fake kiss to the cheek. “Despite what Chidori says.”
“It’s true. You’re such a good person, Sousuke.” Maya walked over and stood next to Kaname, who was still trying to get a word in edgewise.
“You are holding up well, or so it seemed.” Sousuke said.
“Yes. And, remember, things can always get better.” Maya looked over at Kaname.
“What?” Kaname asked, sounding a bit snappish. Maya just grinned infuriatingly.
“You were saying?” Sousuke said to Kaname, handing out another set of keys.
“I wanted….” Kaname was cut off again.
“They’re right, dude!” Ono staggered up. “You are truly a great man!” he smiled, his eyes red. “Me, I’m just a good man.” He looked over at Kaname. “And Kaname…”
“Yes?” The tone of Kaname’s voice came close to sobering Ono up.
“Ummm… well… you’re not a man!” Ono said quickly, stumbling upon a safe answer.
Eventually, Sousuke ran out of keys. At that point, he handed the sack to Ono. “I hereby relinquish my duties as Sergeant at Arms and Keeper of the Keys.”
“Thanks, man.” Ono shook Sousuke’s hand. “And I meant what I said earlier. I’m sorry, you know?” He scratched his head. “I wish we all knew how good a guy you were, before we graduated.”
“Opportunities are lost,” Sousuke said. “It is an inevitable part of life.” He looked over at Kaname. Looking back at Ono he added “Things could have been a lot worse.”
When Ono went off to finish saying good bye to his guests, Kaname pulled Sousuke aside to talk with him. “Finally…” She said, tossing her hair.
“Ka-na-maaaay…” It was Kyouko. Maya, Mizuki, and Shinji were with her.
“Hey, Ky…” Kaname said.
“Kaname, Ryo is passed out on the couch. I don’t think she’ll be able to walk home with us.” Kyouko pointed. Sure enough, Ryo was sprawling on one of the extra couches brought into the lobby.
“I can drive her home now,” Kaname said, sounding resigned.
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“I gotta get home.”
Ryo’s voice came from the back seat of Kaname’s car.
“Gotta get home… gotta get home… gotta get home… gotta get home…” Ryo made her words into a little sing song.
“How you doing back there, Ryo?” Kaname asked.
“Where are we?” Ryo asked. “I really don’t know where I am.”
“You are in Kaname’s car,” Sousuke answered. “We are taking you home.”
“To whose house? Kaname’s?” Ryo tried to sit up.
“Sheeesh, girl. Why did you drink so much?” Kaname asked.
“It was a party. We graduated. Time to celebrate, right?” She paused. “Oh. Sousuke’s here too.”
“Affirmative,” Sousuke confirmed.
“Oh. I’m sorry. No I’m drunk.” Ryo managed to sit up, looking over at the back of Sousuke’s head. “But I’m sorry too.”
“It’s not a problem, Ryo. What are friends for?” Kaname replied amiably. “It gives me a another chance to drive around a bit.”
”I didn’t mean that, Kaname. I meant Sousuke. Did you two want to make out or something?”
The brakes slammed on. A horn sounded. Kaname almost ran through a red light. “NO! I mean, of course not!”
“Green light, Kaname” Sousuke observed.
“I know that, Sousuke!” She stepped down on the accelerator.
“He’s giving you the green light, Kaname.” Ryo chuckled. “Sousuke, isn’t that the girl’s job?”
“Uhhh…”
“I really think it is,” Ryo said, falling back against the rear seat.
“WE WEREN”T GOING TO MAKE OUT OR ANYTHING!”
Kaname’s shout had Ryo putting her fingers in her ears. “He did have those condoms, you know.” The drunken girl laughed. “Sousuke Sagara with condoms. That’s kind of funny, isn’t it?”
“A friend was annoying me, trying to force me to carry them. It was simpler just to agree.” Sousuke was trying to explain things to Ryo and Kaname at the same time, but for different reasons.
“Well, he’s probably right you know. If you and Kaname are going to do it, it would be stupid if you didn’t have condoms.” Ryo nodded her head, pleased with her sage advice.
“WE…… AREN’T…… DOING…… THAT…”
This time, Kaname almost ran into the back of a truck stopped in front of an all-night store.
“That’s what most people thought at the party,” Ryo said. “Especially after the way you were talking about him.” She rubbed at her temples, realizing that her head was throbbing. “He must have them for someone else.”
“Look out!” Sousuke shouted. A woman was crossing the street with her dog. He reached his leg over and stomped on the brake.
“I… sorry… thank you, Sousuke…” Kaname sounded upset. She drove much more carefully after that.
“I was telling the truth about Kurz,” Sousuke said.
“Is that who the condoms were for? Sousuke is doing it with someone named Kurz?” Ryo moaned, suddenly feeling somewhat queasy. “He really was jealous over Tsubaki Issei?”
“NO!” Both Sousuke and Kaname answered, just as she pulled the care over to the curb in front of Ryo’s home.
Ryo staggered to the door, declining Sousuke’s offer of assiatance.
“Have a good sleep.” Kaname watched as her friend managed to walk to her door. The lights inside the house came on.
“Good bye,” Sousuke said.
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“I apologize.”
Sousuke and Kaname sat in her car, about a block from the apartment she shared with her father and Ayame.
“What for, Sousuke? I was the one who behaved wrong. You’re always apologizing when it’s my fault.” Kaname cracked open one of the windows. Things were beginning to fog up.
“That is true. Ms. Kagurazaka told me that you need to begin taking responsibility for your actions.” Sousuke should have been quiet. He had a lot to learn.
“Oh she did, did she?” Kaname’s temper raised its ugly head again. “The two of you were talking about me behind my back?”
“Uhhh… negative… not really.” Sousuke said. “Why are you getting angry at me, if things are your fault?”
“It’s not my fault that the two of you were talking about me and my responsibility!” Kaname set her jaw.
Sousuke sat quietly for a moment. He thought that he understood what was going on. “It is not my fault that you are leaving Tokyo, Kaname.”
“Huh? What does that have to do with anything, you big stupid head?” Kaname laced her fingers together. She knew that Sousuke was right.
“Our teacher was not the only person who spoke about you tonight. Some were unhappy with the way that you treated me. A number had observations that explained your behavior in school.” Sousuke paused, waiting to see how Kaname might respond. She sat quietly, by a strong effort of will. Light filled the passenger compartment, as a large road crew vehicle passed by, rumbling on its way to who knows where.
“What did they talk about, Sousuke?” Kaname’s voice was very quiet.
“Pride. Fear. Disappointment. Sadness.” Sousuke looked over at Kaname. “Caring.”
“Oh.” Kaname used her sleeve to wipe moisture off of her window.
“Will you be in trouble when you get home, Kaname? Should I accompany you inside, to vouch for things that your father will want to hear?” Sousuke yawned. He couldn’t help himself. The sun was coming up and he hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before.
“I don’t know,” Kaname admitted. “But it’s OK if I am. I didn’t really behave my best, did I?” She sighed. “I guess he needs to learn all of my bad parts too, huh?”
“Kaname, you do not have any…” Sousuke started to protest.
“Yes I do, you big kind-hearted idiot.” Kaname smiled. “That was a wonderful thing you did with Maya tonight, by the way. I never would have expected that. I guess I can’t even see what’s under my nose, huh?” Kaname wiped away tears. Those words suddenly sounded so final to her.
“Your mouth?” Sousuke asked, feeling uncomfortable with Kaname’s sadness. He had difficult enough dealing with his own pain.
“Moron.” Kaname managed a smile. “But, it’s true. And it’s true about my father. Daddy…” Kaname sighed. “He’s so happy that I’m going back to America with him. He’s worked so hard for us. All he has is Ayame.”
Sousuke knew that Kaname’s mother had died a number of years earlier. That had been common knowledge at the school, and was on her Mithril dosier. But, Kaname had never gone into much detail with anyone before, not the school counselors, and not with any of her friends. Sitting there in the car, she shared her memories with him.
“You are fortunate to have family, Kaname. You are very lucky, having solid memories of them. Sousuke said that, after telling Kaname details about his past that she hadn’t known.
“Yes, I love them very much.” Kaname looked at Sousuke. Part of her wanted to go even further. There was someone else that she loved. But, for whatever reason, she couldn’t bring herself to tell Sousuke that. “Oh… hey… your yearbook.”
”Kaname?” Sousuke looked down at his book.
“What did everyone write to Sousuke Sagara?” Kaname picked up her book.
“I will see.” Sousuke opened the book. “’Do not worry about how Chidori treats you. She is a loser’. It would not be smart to agree with that. ‘Kaname is wrong about you. What does she know? Everything is her fault’. That one is not entirely true. ‘Kaname Chidori is…’”
“Give me that, Sousuke!” Kaname grabbed Sousuke’s book. “Big liar!” She began leafing through the pages. “OK. Let me see. ‘Glad we got to see what you’re really like’. Written by an idiot. ‘Wish I could have known you more’. Written by a moron, obviuously. ‘If Kaname dumps you, my number is…’ Sousuke!”
“Uhhh…”
“Why did you let a girl kiss your book? With lipstick on!” Kaname shook the book at him.
“What was she supposed to kiss, Kaname?” Sousuke kept a straight face.
“SOUSUKE SAGARA!”
Kaname smiled. It was wonderful seeing Sousuke joke like that. For a moment, her emotions surged. She was tempted to lean over and kiss him.
“Should I have Mithril run a background check based on that phone number?” Sousuke ran a hand through his hair. “It might not be prudent to call it otherwise.”
“A lot of things aren’t prudent, Sousuke.” Kaname said. “A certain sergeant would be very wise to keep that in mind. Hmmmpppfff!”
After reading more of Sousuuke’s messages out loud, Kaname had Sousuke read some of hers. All in all, everyone had been kind or complimentary. “I was afraid that I didn’t fit in any more,” she said when he was finished.
“Kaname?” Sousuke knew what she meant. But, it was obviously doing her good to talk.
“They all treated me great, Sousuke.” Kaname had tears in her eyes again. “I’m really glad I came tonight.” She sighed. “I wish I could have been a better date.”
“Yes. Me too.” Sousuke nodded.
“’You too’ what?” Kaname narrowed her eyes. “You wish you had been a better date. Or you wish I had been a better date?”
“Affirmative.” Sousuke gave no further clarification.
“Sousuke!” Kaname reached over to hug him. Once again, she came very close to kissing him. She felt his muscles tighten when her hand lay on his arm. She would have given anything to know what he was thinking. “What are you, ummm…” Her throat tightened up. A question came to mind. She had always been worried about how much time she had left. There was a flipside to that.
“Kaname?”
“What are you going to be doing this summer? Now that school is over, and…” Kaname found herself gripping her book tightly. Would it be better for her to spend as much time with Sousuke as possible, or to hope that he had to return to Da Danaan as soon as possible. For a moment, she froze. She pictured Tessa waiting for him when he returned.
“I have a new mission,” Sousuke said.
“Oh…” Kaname felt her heart sink.
“Yes. I think I would like to be a great date this summer.” Sousuke surprised himself, saying that.
“I’m serious, Sousuke.” Kaname bit at her hair.
“So am I, Kaname. I want to see you as much as I can before you leave.”
“But, it’s only ten more weeks. Maybe that’s not fair to you….” Kaname stopped. “Take responsibility, huh? It might be harder for me if we…” She felt her throat tighten again.
“I understand,” Sousuke said. “But, I do not wish to worry about the future. I think that I would like to make the most of the ten weeks as I can. I will deal with the future after that.” Sousuke was a veteran of that kind of thinking. He never knew when his death might come. He opened his yearbook. “I have this telephone number…”
“Jerk!” Kaname sat snuggled up against him until she looked at her watch. It was much later than she thought. D’oh! She didn’t need a watch to tell her that. The sun was coming up. She started the car up again. She couldn’t avoid the inevitable.
Sooner or later, she had to go home.
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“Morning, Daddy.”
Kaname yawned. She had just gotten up and was still in her pajamas. That was unusual. Her mouth was dry, and she found herself needing to drink a glass of juice or something.
“For a little while longer,” Shunya said. “I made breakfast. I’m afraid it’s cold now.” He looked over at the clock. It was close to noon. “It’s a good thing that you’re not working today.”
“Yes.” Kaname was awake enough now to start feeling Guilty. Guilty and scared. “About last night… I…” She reached for a slice of apple.
“Well, as you might have noticed, your sister isn’t here.” Shunya said, in a conversational tone. But, his point was clear enough. He wanted time alone with Kaname. “Your uncle and his family came by. She’ll be spending the day with them.”
“Oh….” Kaname stopped in mid chew, her cheek puffed out with fruit. After chewing and swallowing, she said “Good.”
“I have English tea on. So, while you’re getting your wits about you, we can talk at the table as you eat.” Shunya picked up a dish of rice and a bowl of miso soup, intent on re-warming them. “Later, I will take you out to lunch if you like, or we can visit the park you liked when you were a child. It is a good place to go for a walk.”
“OK.” Kaname began reaching for a bowl of Udon noodles, but stopped. She really wasn’t all that hungry yet.
“I have more natto, if you would like some of that.” Shunya busied himself at the stove. Even after years in America, he wasn’t a big fan of microwaves. “I seem to have lost my taste for it. Oddly enough, Ayame loves it.” Most children raised in the States might be less than enthusiastic about fermented soybeans.
“No thank you, Daddy.” Kaname felt a need to speak, but didn’t know where to start. There were so many things on her mind. There were so many things that her father might want to ask. There were so many things that he needed to know.
“So, how was Sousuke?” Shunya sounded nonchalant. Kaname knew better. She was his eldest daughter, and had never been involved with boys around him. “You know, there was a lot I would have liked to ask him, before your rather abrupt departure.”
“Sousuke was a gentleman, Daddy.” Kaname took a sip of juice. “He was funny at times, nervous at others. He was very responsible, given the job of Key Keeper. He was also very kind.” She gave a brief recounting of Sousuke’s talk with Maya. “But I kind of blew it. I got angry at him for something that was my fault. It was really stupid.”
Shunya didn’t push for details. He sat and listened attentively, content to have Kaname say whatever came to mind.
“So, I really didn’t spend as much time with him as I wanted. But, I am so glad that he convinced me to go to the party. I had been so worried. Everyone was so nice, even people I never really got to know very well.” Kaname looked over at the rice. She was a little hungrier now, but not hungry enough.
“I’m glad things went smoothly. It’s also good to see that you enjoyed talking with people you didn’t know very well.” Shunya’s inference there was easy enough for Kaname to catch, even though her head still felt as if it were stuffed with wool. She would have a grand opportunity to meet new people at Cornell. “I’m even happier to here that you had no trouble with Sousuke.”
“I didn’t say ‘no trouble’, Daddy. It was just less trouble than we… usually…… have…” Kaname stopped reaching for the rice. Oooops. No, maybe not ‘Oooops’. The topic would come up anyway.
Shunya pushed his glasses up his nose further. He tapped his fingers on the table top. “I think that we should talk about that now.” His voice was as smooth as silk, but his eyes gave him away. He was a man who hated the unknown and the uncertain. “What is your history with the young man?”
“Yes, Daddy. There is something I have dreaded telling you.” Kaname lowered her fork. She used it to push rice around on her plate.
“You’re not pregnant, are you?” Shunya closed his eyes after saying that. It had just come out. His lack of control was inexcusable.
“DADDY!” Kaname dropped her fork. “What do you think about me? I have never….” Kaname forced herself to slow down. “No Daddy. I’m not pregnant.”
“Sorry. I guess that must be every father’s fear.” Shunya stood up and went to get the tea. “This is Taylors of Harrogate. I hope you like it. It’s a favorite of mine.”
Kaname grinned, even though she felt very nervous. Her father and his English tea! The handle of the cup had to point to the right. The teaspoon had to be tucked under the handle. Cold cups had to be warmed before using. Only freshly drawn water was sufficient, since pre-boiled water gives a lifeless cup of tea.
“I’m sorry if this will upset you, Daddy.” Kaname said, somehow feeling guilty about things that were beyond her control. That had her smirking. She worried about things that weren’t her fault, but blamed Sousuke for things that were her fault. That’s OK. He’s tough. He can take it.
“I’ll be fine, Kaname.” Shunya warmed his teapot with a splash of hot water.
“Daddy.” Kaname shook her head. “You didn’t put the milk jug out. There is no bowl of sugar cubes. I don’t see any lemon slices. That’s not like you.”
“That’s why you got into Cornell,” Shunya said. “Really. I’ll be fine. Not knowing the truth won’t make it go away. Go ahead with what you were about to say.”
“OK. I guess I should start at the beginning.” Kaname yawned. “Things were fine at school. I was doing well in sports and academics, and took on responsibilities for my class. I was making friends, and didn’t have the trouble I had in Junior High. One day, while I was outside talking with my friend, a new boy was stopped by the teacher….” Kaname went on to describe her first impression of Sousuke, saying that as far as he was concerned, he was some kind of otaku nut with a military fetish. She described any number of situations he caused, and how he had followed her around against her will.
“Panties?” Shunya aksed, his voice flat.
“He wasn’t the thief, Daddy. He was there to stop the thief.” She sighed. “Of course, seeing him there, I clobbered him with my softball bat.”
“Yours is an interesting relationship, I see.” Shunya made a steeple with his fingers. “I’m surprised you didn’t throw a ball or base at him too.”
“That was later, Daddy.” Kaname blushed. She didn’t want to sound like a raving maniac or something.
“Oh?”
“Well. I didn’t know about his secret. I made a lot of food for dinner, since we were studying together. But, he missed the session, and didn’t even call.” Her hand flexed. “I had no idea that he was away on a mission.” She swallowed hard. “That was just before my second kidnapping.”
“You were abducted more than once?” Shunya’s face went blank. It seemed that there was a great deal that he hadn’t heard about.
“Yes, well…” Kaname chewed on her hair, but stopped. “That time I was kidnapped by the terrorist group A21, because I kind of got myself involved in the situation. The first time had been by a maniac working for some group I never learned about. The third time, aboard a cruise ship, was because of Amalgam. The last time… the one that… ummm… was related to the fighting in Tokyo…” Kaname gripped the edge of the table. “That was Amalgam too.” Shunya sat unspeaking. It looked as if he couldn’t immediately take in everything he was hearing.
“Kaname, I have to ask you something. You are not taking drugs, are you?” Shunya was very serious. “At the party last night….”
”DADDY! I am not pregnant, and I do not take drugs.” Kaname’s eyes flashed.
“But… what you just said… it sounds.” Shunya straightened his shoulders, took a deep breath, and allowed his racing thoughts to cross the finish line. “It sounds like science fiction. Bad science fiction.”
“It gets worse in a way, Daddy.” Kaname knew that be hard to believe. “I should get back to my story. The most important part is coming up.” Kaname felt surprising relaxed. Now that she had got the ball rolling, she felt excited. She could finally share this with her father.
“It can get worse?” Shunya stared down at his tea. “You were on the cruise ship that was shown on the news in America. You were somehow involved with that huge red machine that moved through the city. And the recent devastation….” He looked at his daughter. “That first kidnapping. The one on the trip to Okinawa. It was every father’s nightmare. No one should live through that more than once.”
“It wasn’t easy for me either, Daddy.” Kaname said, tossing her hair. “Any way. Back to the panties.” She turned her nose up. “I was really upset with Sousuke after that. I had finally started feeling at ease around him, and then that. I was glad that I had already assigned him garbage detail on the class trip.”
“I see,” Shunya could only imagine the relationship dynamics. He wasn’t certain whether he should have sympathy for his daughter, or for Sousuke.
“Somebody needed to do it, Daddy!” Kaname’s guilt made a brief appearance. “Sheeesh. Can I get on with my story?”
“Please.”
“I made it a point to ignore him best I could at the airport. In flight, things began to get strange. We noticed that we were flying over a lot of land, when there should have been ocean. When we landed, the terrorists told us they had taken over the plane.” Kaname looked down at her plate. “They said they needed someone to take off the plane. They chose me. But it wasn’t because I was photogenic or something.”
”Why then?”
“They brought me to a portable laboratory. I was hooked up to some kind of equipment. They would have given me drugs and experimented on me if Sousuke hadn’t shown up.” She managed a smile. “I still though he was an otaku idiot, when he started shooting the guards. I even yelled at him to stop playing around when he climbed up on an Arm Slave.”
Shunya sat quietly. He thought that the story would make a good book or movie. Possibly anime. But, he had a hard time believing that such a thing had actually happened to his daughter. It was denial, not disbelief. He had no doubt that Kaname was telling the truth.
“If the bad guys had kept me, I never would have been seen again.” Kaname looked her father in the eyes. “I have something that people want, Daddy. I’m Whispered.”
“Whispered?”
“Yes. When Sousuke needed to know how to work the Lambda Driver… a special device that few people in the world can make work well… I helped him.” Kaname took a sip of tea. “I had knowledge about the Lambda Driver in my head. I kind of went into a trance and got him through things. But, I didn’t remember doing it when I was done.”
“How could you know something like that?” Shunya looked apprehensive. “Did somebody do something while you were living alone? Maybe I never should have…”
“It’s something I was born with, Daddy. No body knows for sure how it happens. But, the Whispered contain secrets about Black Technology. That’s how things like the Arm Slaves and other special machines are built. The Black Technology is far beyond normal science.”
“And very few people have access to it? Others know about it and want to acquire it?” The full impact was beginning to settle on Shunya.
Kaname nodded. She looked over at her father. For a moment, she felt like a little kid again, wishing he could make things all better.
“Sousuke’s people knew about it. That’s why they sent him to your school. To keep others from taking you away.” Shunya looked down at his tea. He couldn’t blame it for the bad taste in his mouth.
“Yes.” Kaname looked on the verge of tears. Everything she had gone through was coming back to her now. How could she feel better one moment, and then worse the next? “I used to get so angry at Sousuke. I actually got pretty violent with him because he was so bad at fitting in. Guns in school. Grenades in the class. Thinking that everything could be a bomb or enemy trick. It was driving me crazy!” She almost mentioned Tessa and the towel. The beach and bikini too.
“But he’s the one who’s kept you alive.” Shunya clasped his hands together. “Is he the one that keeps bringing you back?”
“Yes. Or as he would say, affirmative.” Kaname felt the tears run down her face. They were for Sousuke, and the fact that he might be taken from her life. “He rescued me in Khanka. He and Arbalest… the Arm Slave I helped him with… they fought against Behemoth… that giant red machine… after he and his teammate Kurz freed me from captivity. Sousuke, Kurz, their other teammate Melissa, and a number of other soldiers rescued me aboard the Pacific Christmas, where they pretended to be terrorists. When Sousuke fought the battle in Tokyo and lost… he was the one in the white Arm Slave… I let myself be taken away, so he would be spared. He came and brought me back again.”
Shunya didn’t know what to say.
“I was the one who tracked the big jerk down in Hong Kong, though. He thought I was dead, so he just stood around doing nothing until I beat… until I talked sense in him. And, I brought him back to the school.” Kaname looked out of the window. She hadn’t heard from Wraith after her identity had been revealed. Was someone else taking the Intelligence operative’s place? Would their be an equivalent shadow in New York City?
“You went to Hong Kong?” Shunya raised an eyebrow.
“Ummm… yes… well you see… if Sousuke didn’t get back in time for his test… he would have failed.” Kaname felt like a babbling idiot. She knew that her father would see through to the truth.
“Was this during the civil uprising that took place? The one in which China was on the verge of becoming North and South states?” Shunya’s voice climbed. It was one thing if his daughter was a victim. It was another thing entirely if she was putting herself in dangerous situations.
“Yes… that’s why Mithril was over there… so…” Kaname knew she had been busted. Sousuke wasn’t the only one who should write things down before he spoke. Shunya turned his tea spoon over in his hand, again and again.
“You really care a lot about Sousuke, don’t you?” His eyes looked worried. “We’ve been through a lot together… and I spent so much time trying to help him with school… and we’ve saved each other’s lives…” It all came out in a rush, as if Kaname was in a hurry to justify her relationship with Sousuke. It was time to simply tell the truth. “Yes, Daddy. I care very much about him.”
”Are you in love with him?” Shunya looked over at a picture of Kaname’s mother. He wished that she was there to help him with all this.
“I’ve never said anything like that to him…” Again, the hurried speech. “Yes, Daddy. I am.”
“I see.” He coughed. “And him?”
“He’s never put things into words, Daddy. But I think he cares a lot too.”
“But you’re not sure….” Shunya took of his glasses and cleaned them with a small cloth he kept in his pocket.
“I… well…” Kaname clenched her fists. “He doesn’t behave like normal boys. If I judged him that way, I might say ‘no’. But, if I look how he’s changed, and at the way he treats me…”
“I understand. You’ve been through a lot, and he’s been there by your side.” Shunya put his glasses back on.
“He has.”
“It seems that we have a lot to talk about.” Shunya felt deceptively calm.
“Yes, Daddy.”
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“You’re doomed, man.”
Kurz’ voice came through the console loud and clear. He and Melissa had returned to Da Danaan.
“I do not see why it is a problem. Kaname assures me that it will not be an interrogation. There will be guests other than myself.” Sousuke was breaking down and reassembling the PP2000, familiarizing himself with the weapon’s idiosyncrasies.
“Your second date has been made into a family audition, whatever someone might say. You’re doomed. Big time.” Kurz sounded amused.
“I still do not see the reason for such an assessment. If Kaname were concerned, she would let me know.” Sousuke began to feel edgy. He scowled. Putting things back together, he left out one piece. That hadn’t happened before.
“Move out of the way.” That was Melissa’s voice. “I hate to agree with Weber. But a family dinner… as a second date… it’s the kiss of death.”
“Why?” Sousuke spoke in a demanding tone. He thought that his friends might be joking. But, if there was something he truly needed to be cognizant of, it was best to be prepared. “I already know Kaname. It is not as if this is the second time that I am meeting someone.”
“That might be true,” Melissa said. “But, you aren’t like everyone else. Either is Kaname. If you screw up dinner somehow…”
“WHAM!” Kurz shouted. “Shit! That hurt, Sis.”
“Then don’t yell in my f-cking ear, asshole.” Melissa groused. “Sousuke, you aren’t good in social situations. You might feel like you are under a lot of pressure. Who knows what you might say or do?”
“I’ll be careful…” Sousuke said.
“You’ll be dead!” Kurz quipped, knowing that Sousuke was a Star Wars fan. He couldn’t help but catch a reference to the famous Cantina scene.
“Though, if something tragic does happen…” Melissa said laughing. “It could be in Kaname’s best interest in the long run.”
“What?” Sousuke couldn’t keep up with the mental gymnastics. “How would tragedy be good?”
“You’ve got less than ten weeks together, the two of you. You want to savor every moment you can...” Kurz spoke in a melodious voice, as if he was doing a television commercial. All that was needed was violins. “But, in the end, the pain of separation will be much greater that way.”
“Yeh. If you f-ck things up royally, and she never wants to see you again, you’d be doing Kaname a favor.” Melissa said. The telltale sound of an opening beer can could be heard.
“If you want the same results, but want to have fun instead, I’ll take you out to get a hooker. The flight will be worth it. Sydney has some of the world’s best prostitutes. There are twenty-four pages advertising brothels and escort agencies in the Yellow Pages there and… Owwwww. Damn it...” Kurz yelped.
“Shut up, idiot!” Melissa said. “Seriously, Sousuke. You don’t want to make a bad impression at dinner. Kaname may know you, but her father doesn’t. If he tells Kaname to stop spending time with you, she would probably listen.”
“That possibility has been considered. I was not planning on doing anything that should raise concern.” Sousuke felt himself tense up. He had simply called to ask what a suitable dinner gift should be. Now, he was beginning to sweat some.
“Sousuke, when have you ever planned to cause trouble?” Kurz chuckled. “Were all those screw ups at school by choice?”
“Uhhh…” Sousuke swallowed hard. “But, in school, I needed to be on alert. There was no way to be certain what might occur. It was safest to behave as if there could be terrorists around every corner.“ Why did it sound so ridiculous when he said it that way? “I will not be worried about terrorists at dinner.”
“Why not?” Kurz asked. “Did Angel give you the name of the dinner guests, so that we could run a background check? For all you know, any one of them could be on Amalgam’s payroll and…Ouch! Damn it Babe, if you do that again….”
“Don’t listen to that dumb ass, Sousuke. I think its obvious that you don’t have to worry if Shunya Kaname’s old friends are terrorists.” Melissa said.
“I saw no reason to…” Sousuke said.
“But, if the food is catered, you should make an attempt to eat a little something off of everyone‘s plate. Especially Kaname‘s. The same goes for the wine and booze. Open each bottle, and take a drink.” Melissa sounded serious.
“Shit! Now who’s messing with his head?” Kurz griped.
“It does not matter. I am not going to behavior in a paranoid fashion. My intention is to go as a guest, not as a soldier.” Sousuke sounded confident again. “But, I will go with the same spirit I have going into combat. I will not be certain if something unexpected might happen, or whether I might live or die, but I will respond accordingly.”
“Sniff. Sniff. Our boy is all grown up,” Kurz said.
“Yeh. Right. I bet you two cases of beer that he brings up that ‘I came to dinner like it was combat’ thing while they eat.” Melissa spoke with a deadpan delivery.
“No bet!” Kurz answered.
“Thanks.” Sousuke said. “I truly appreciate your assistance.”
“Hey, glad we could help!” Melissa said.
“What are friends for?” Kurz asked, before ending transmission.
“Shit,” Sousuke said under his breath.
ahh, the tangled web dd weaves for SxK.... so what does Shunya have