[FIC] Endings and Beginnings (part 11: finale)
Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2005 12:21 am
Kaname pushed down hard on her suitcase.
She had added her Bonta-Kun last of all, and now it was hard to get the dam case to zip up.
As she leaned with all her weight, she heard the phone ring. Could it be Sousuke? He hadn’t left any more messages after that last one. Not intending to lose another chance to tell him how she felt, she slid across the top of the bed and picked up her phone. Her father had picked up at the same time that she did. He didn’t seem to realize that she was on the line. Whenever he did, he would always say ‘Ka… naaa… meee…’
“Hello. Chidori residence.”
“Is this Mr. Shunya Chidori, father of Kaname Chidori?” The voice was male, probably mid thirties.
“Who is this, please?” Shunya was wary of speaking to anyone who did not identify themselves right away.
“Oh. Yes. Sorry. This is James Sherwood, I’m with the Cornell University Undergraduate Admissions Office. I also do work for the President of the University and the Board of Trustees. You have had the pleasure to meet with all of them, so I understand.”
“That…” Shunya coughed.
“This has nothing to do with that rather generous donation you made to the University.” The man’s voice had just a slight sly ring to it. “I am not calling about your gracious assistance in setting up a Model United Nations, although we all appreciate how you used your connections to make that a reality.”
“These things should not be…” Kaname’s father sounded agitated, if not somewhat concerned.
“You don’t have to worry Mr. Chidori. I can assure you that all parties have been extremely discrete. The reason that I am calling today… and I apologize if it’s late there… is to inform you that the Common Application submitted by your daughter has been processed, but a Cornell Supplement, which is required of all applicants, needs to be picked up immediately upon your daughter’s arrival in this country.”
“We will be certain to see to that promptly, Mr. Sherwood. There were some papers that I received that I thought were extraneous in my daughter’s case.” Shunya sounded more relaxed.
“Those may have been the Supplement, Sir. It consists of a Part 1 form, the Cornell Essays form, and the Cornell Essays form 2E for applicants planning to apply for financial aid. I can see where the confusion might have arisen. You obviously do not need to fill out 2E. But, we will need an essay on file as soon as possible.”
“It will be taken care of, Mr. Sherwood. I can assure you of that. I thank you for your call.”
When Kaname put the phone down, she noticed that her hands were trembling. Why would have father made a contribution to the college? What had he done to help the college set up the Model UN? Was there some reason why her father was hesitant to talk about such issues in the open? She had her suspicions. Maybe she was paranoid. It could be that Sousuke had rubbed off on her. If she was wrong, she could always apologize. But if she was right…
When she walked forcefully into the living room, she found her father straightening out the pillows on the couch. Suddenly, her bravado begin to fade, but she told herself that she had to do this.
“Kaname, is something wrong?” Shunya asked.
“Daddy, I need to know something. I heard what Mr. Sherwood said. Is there some kind of secret?” Kaname suddenly felt very scared. Part of her didn’t want any answer at all. If there was something going on and her father lied it would be bad. But, it would be terrible if he told the truth, too.
“Kaname Chidori, you were eavesdropping on my personal conversation?” Shunya stiffened, his eyes growing angry. But, there was also a look of unease in his eyes.
“Yes, Daddy. You didn’t answer my question. I think I have a right to know.” Kaname felt like running back to her room and crawling under her bed. It had been a while since her father had shouted angrily at her, but she wouldn’t be surprised if he did that now.
“You think…” Shunya clenched his fists. He took a deep breath and held it. He looked down at his feet. “There are certain matters that should be left to your elders, Kaname. I thought that I had taught you that before.”
“I know. But you were also the one who lectured me on the importance of honesty.” Kaname was certain that something wasn’t right. Her father could have very easily said ‘No’, and then gone on to chastise her. “I need to know the truth, Daddy.”
“I…” Shunya hung his head.
“What did you do, Daddy?” Kaname felt the tension thickening.
“You had earned the right to go to a good school, Kaname…” Shunya started.
“Tokyo University is a good school.” Kaname said, her heart in her throat. Her father had done something after all.
“Yes. I know. But, the family needed to be together. I had made allowances before, thinking that things would be best for you that way. But… I… “ Shunya put a hand to his head. “I regretted the decisions I made… especially since they were not based entirely on what was in your best interest, even if you ended up getting what you wanted….“
Kaname followed her father’s gaze he was looking at a picture of her mother.
“My job made heavy demands on me. Your mother was no longer around to take care of you and your sister. I was raised in a family where fathers had little to do with their children… but I had tried to be different, because of Shizu.“ Shunya walked over and picked up a picture of himself, his wife, and his two daughters. “It looked to be a daunting task…taking care of a demanding high school aged girl…”
Kaname said nothing. She had always wondered about her father’s decision to allow her to stay in Tokyo. Now it made more sense.
“It bothered me a great deal, once you were on your own here, and Ayame and I were living in America. But, I had given you my word. It ate at me more and more, but I could not bring myself to break that pledge.” Shunya looked at Kaname, hoping to see some sign of gratitude.
“I see. I’m glad you let me stay here, Daddy.” Kaname tapped one hand against her leg, wondering what her life would have been like had she stayed in the States.
“Yes,” Shunya said. “I regretted my prior decision. “For my sake, and for Ayame.” He held his hands out in front of him. “I was glad you found something here, however. I was proud that you had done so much on your own.”
Kaname didn’t say anything. Her father still hadn’t gotten to the heart of the matter. Shunya looked hesitant to go on. But, he knew that he owed Kaname an explanation. Whatever took place after that, he would have to face the best he could.
“I didn’t know about Sousuke when I convinced you to apply to Cornell. In a way. I’m glad I didn‘t. But, that is a moot point. Once I found out how much he meant to you, I was worried. Not just because of the risk that boy brings with him, but also because of what I had done.” Shunya looked Kaname in the face. “It was too late to turn back. You had already been granted the scholarship.”
“You bought my acceptance? With a donation, and by pulling some strings at work?” Kaname felt stunned at first. Everything seemed to come crashing down on her. All of the anguish she had felt was because of this? The pain that she had put Sousuke through was due to this?
“Yes.” Her father looked ashamed. “It seemed like an ideal solution.”
”For everybody but me!” Kaname felt her anger growing. She had been through enough. Her mother’s death. The troubles in Junior High. Finding out she was Whispered. Suffering through all of those kidnappings. Now she had to deal with this too?!
“I thought…” Shunya held his hands out again. “
No, Daddy. You didn’t!” Kaname came close to shouting. “How could you do this to me? How could you do something dishonest like this?”
“This would have made all of our lives better, Kaname. I’m certain of that!” Shunya was being honest. He still believed that.
“The only thing I’m certain of is you lied to me. You let me believe that the scholarship is real. You used it to make me keep my promise. You knew how much my choice would hurt me.” Kaname couldn’t believe that any of this was happening.
“Kaname…”
”I trusted you, Daddy. With all of the things that happened to me… with all of the secrets and tricks and terrorist plots… I needed someone to trust.” Kaname felt tears come to her eyes. “I thought it was you. But the person I should trust the most… I acted like I didn’t care when he told me he loved me.”
“Is this why you are acting like this? Sousuke?” Shunya’s countenance clouded over. “That boy has no place in any of this.”
“He does for me.” Kaname said. “He has given everything to keep me safe. You are a thief and a liar.”
“Kaname… I…”
“No. I’m sorry, Daddy. I shouldn’t say that. I love you but…” Kaname began crying. “I can’t stay here any more right now.”
Her ears ringing, Kaname ran to her room, brushing against the wall a number of times. Grabbing her largest suitcase and one additional smaller bag, she headed for the front door.
“Kaname… please wait… running away won’t make things better.” Shunya made no physical effort to obstruct his daughter.
“Things couldn’t get any worse,” Kaname said as she left.
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“Please.”
Kaname said a quick prayer before trying the lock. Sousuke had given her a spare key months ago. She hoped that he had not changed the lock since then.
After leaving her father’s apartment, she needed some place to stay, at least for a little while. Kyoko, Maya, and Ryo were possibilities, but she didn’t want to inconvenience any of their families. Her father might be able to find their numbers, and she wouldn’t ask them to lie for her.
Naturally, she had knocked on Sousuke’s door a number of times. She had rung the bell repeatedly, too. That was all out of courtesy. She doubted that Sousuke was in. She had checked with the desk manager downstairs. The bin marked ‘Sagara, Sousuke, 3E’ still held mail.
Would Sousuke mind if she stayed here for a while? It wasn’t as if she would touch anything, or make any sensitive calls on the equipment. He might be headed out for good soon, but there was no sense in blowing his cover.
But, what if someone came looking for Sousuke. His picture had appeared on the news. There had been a fair number of camera men at the graduation too, and someone might have made some kind of connection. His cover may have already been compromised.
“It doesn’t really matter, does it?”
Kaname didn’t like the sound of her own voice. She sounded too fatalistic. That might be good enough for other people, but not her. She was Kaname Chidori. But, what Kaname Chiodri was she now? The Kaname Chidori wanting to attend Tokyo University? The Kaname Chidori that would go to Cornell University? The Kaname Chidori that would do none of the above?
The key worked. There were no booby traps. No one jumped out and attacked her. She would count those as plusses for now. The biggest plus was the fact that the room’s furniture and all of Sousuke’s things were still there. There had been a real chance that Mithril contractors could have some in. The ‘cleaners’ would have made certain that there was no sign that a Mithril operative had lived there.
“Do you mind if I put my stuff over there, Sousuke?” Kaname spoke to the room in general, feeling somewhat dramatic at the moment. “What’s that? Oh, how daring! Of course I’ll share your bed with you.” Opening her suitcase, she threw the Bonta-Kun doll on Sousuke’s pillow. “No, I won’t respect you in the morning. How can I? I don’t respect you now!” She laughed. If Sousuke were watching her, he’d think that she was out of her mind.
She caught herself. This really wasn’t a great time for laughter. The whole scene with her father had been very ugly. She still felt sick to her stomach, learning that her father had been manipulating her. His heart may have been in the right place, but that didn’t excuse the things that he had done.
“I wonder how Ayame will take this?” That was the thing that mattered the most to her at the moment. Her father would be worrying about what he had done, what she felt about him, and where she had gone. Unless her father told Ayame everything, her sister would be left in the dark, knowing only that her big sister might not be going back to America with her. That would snuff out all of her dreams, devastating her.
The urge to return for Ayame’s sake had her feeling guilty. She couldn’t do that. Not even for her sister. At least, not until she thought things through. It would be too easy to run back, try and forgive her father, and go ahead with things as planned. She didn’t want to do that yet, if only for the principle of the matter.
“You probably hate me, don’t you Sousuke? I shouldn’t be too surprised, I guess. It would make everything just perfect.”
Kaname was hungry. Not feeling like another walk outside, she made her way into Sousuke’s kitchenette. “Do you mind?” She asked. Hearing no answer, she opened the refrigerator. She let the door swing closed, and took a step back. Tears came to her eyes.
Damn him! That big idiot should do a better job of cleaning out his refrigerator. He had left a wrapped portion of Trident in there, and it could very well be from the first day that he visited her at work. That had been the day they first kissed. Suddenly, her appetite was gone.
After that, Kaname busied herself putting her clothes away in any empty drawer she could find, almost feeling as if she would be sharing the apartment with Sousuke. When she was done, she took a long shower and put on her pajamas. Yawning more and more frequently, she wrote a letter to Sousuke. Some pages were close to being illegible, but she was too tired to rewrite them. The tear marks would show that big jerk how much she cared.
“Should we be doing this stuff at night? It feels cliché, and will look kind of suspicious.”
The voice in the hallway caught Kaname’s attention. She hoped the person speaking wasn’t headed for Sousuke’s apartment. It wasn’t burglars, was it? That was just paranoia, right?
“Shhhh. Be quiet. Make certain that none of the neighbors are looking out when I open the door. There are some things we need to remove quickly, in case we are interrupted in our work.”
That voice was right outside the door. What should she do? Could she make a phone call in time? What about the communications console? Did Sousuke leave any weapons behind? Kaname ran to check.
“Yeh, yeh. I know. But who’s listening. I still think it’s stupid to do this at night. Anybody outside will know when we turn the room light on.”
Kaname quickly rummaged through the small closet where Sousuke kept his weapons. There were a number there, but some weren’t loaded, and she didn’t know where the safeties were on others. That moron! Why didn’t he prepare for a situation like this? OK. That clip fit the Glock. There’s hope now.
“The room light is already on! Cover me. Desk manager said that no one from the building had gone into his room since he left.”
Too busy banging things around in the closet, Kaname hadn’t heard that last part. Holding the pistol the way that Sousuke had taught her, she moved quickly to take up position just beyond one corner.
The door flew open. Someone reached inside and hit the wall switch. Things happened incredibly fast after that.
Kaname swore. There was still some light, coming in from the hall. Before she knew it, one man moved in fast, rolling across the floor.
“Gun!” The man shouted, calling out a warning to his partner. As he spoke, he brought his own weapon to bear on Kaname.
As the frightened girl tried to track the first man, the second intruder kicked the Glock out of her hand. He followed up with a leg sweep that brought her hard to the floor.
“Shit!” The man winced when Kaname punched him hard in the groin. “Stay still!” He put the cold muzzle of his pistol against her temple.
The first man closed the door and turned the light back on. “It’s a girl.”
“Ah Hell.” The second man said. “What’s a girl doing here?”
“Follow procedures,” the first man said. “There’s no telling who she is.” He pointed at the pistol Kaname had been carrying. “She may well be more than just a girl.”
“Oh really? How about asking?” Kaname knew that she shouldn’t be flippant, but she couldn’t help herself. It was a natural Sousuke-trained reaction. “What do you jerks think you are doing in Sousuke’s apartment?”
“We’ll be asking the questions, Miss. Sit down. On that chair.” The second man took a pair of handcuffs out of his coat pocket. “It would be a bad idea to scream.” He nodded to his partner, who was holding a taser.
“It’s not ‘Miss’. It’s Kaname Chidori.” She looked closer at the taser. “And you don’t even have that thing turned on. Moron.”
“Crap,” one of the men said, slapping his hand against his forehead. He clearly recognized the name.
“Kaname Chidori. Why does that name sound familiar?” The other man walked around the room, looking out through the window to make certain no one was making a move on the building. He switched his taser on to a medium setting.
“You idiot!” The first man put away his cuffs and lowered his gun. “I’m sorry, Miss Chidori. There was no reason to expect you would be here.” He looked over at his companion. “You did read up on Sgt. Sagara’s dosier, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t have time after the last task. We were only coming her to clean up.”
“I apologize. He’s a good man in a fight, and a dedicated soldier, but his mind sometimes lags behind.” The first man shook his head.
“I know the type!” Kaname huffed. “Maybe he’s related to Sousuke.” She looked down at her pajama top and blushed. She wasn’t dressed to entertain! “Why are you here? To take down Sousuke’s room?”
“We’ll let you get dressed first. I am Sgt. Major Tokei, by the way. My partner is Sgt. Mussida.” As the St. Major excused himself from the apartment, he explained who Kaname was. The words he used had a chilling effect. ‘The girl that Sagara was once assigned to protect’.
Once. Not any more. So many doors had closed in her life.
When the men returned, Kaname was dressed in jeans and a pull-over. As they worked, she told them about her recent problems, feeling a need to talk. Out of kindness, the two soldiers told her that they would leave her the bed and the key. Checking their records, they informed her that the lease had not been renewed, but wouldn’t run out for a couple of weeks yet.
“Thank you. I really appreciate you guys letting me stay here.” Kaname felt close to tears. She wasn’t sure why. The act of kindness had touched her more than it should.
“I do not understand. Shouldn’t I be the one to decide who uses my apartment?” It was Sousuke. “Why are you here?” That question was for Kaname. He knew why Tokei and Mussida were there.
“Sousuke! I didn’t think you were ever coming back. I’m so happy to see you!” Kaname jumped up, ready to run to him.
“What do you want, Kaname?” Sousuke’s voice sounded wary. He wasn’t certain exactly what he was feeling at the moment.
His reason for coming back to Tokyo had nothing to do with Kaname. He had an appointment to meet with people at the Komaba Campus who had been clandestinely contacted by Mithril representatives. He had given things a lot of thought. He wasn’t ready to leave Tokyo yet, even though there would be painful memories there for him. It was time to give himself options for his future.
Finished, the cleaning team left after exchanging a few words with Sousuke. After they were gone, Sousuke stood in the middle of the near bare room. Things looked nothing like they did when Cmdr. Mardukas had kept him busy all night preparing for Tessa’s visit. For some reason, that seemed like a life time ago. So many memories clamored for his attention.
Many of those memories centered on Kaname. He certainly hadn’t expected to see her here now. His heart was in the throat at the sight of her, but he didn’t want to set himself up for even more heartache. After she had refused to return his calls, he had decided that it was better for both of them if he never saw her again.
“I'm sorry,” Kaname said. She flinched. Maybe Sousuke had stated hating her after all.
“Why are you here?” Sousuke asked.
“My father bought my scholarship to Cornell, Sousuke. He kept things from me. I just couldn‘t deal with it. I left home. I needed a place to stay.“ Kaname’s eyes welled up with tears. She took a step towards Sousuke and stopped. “I need you.“
“You do?” Sousuke didn’t look convinced. He swallowed hard. He found himself desperately wanting to believe her.
“Everything else means nothing to me,” Kaname said, taking another step. “Nothing else means anything. Only you.” She fought back tears. “If I hurt you again, I'll die.
“Hurt me again?” Sousuke stiffened up. “There is no chance of that happening.” He didn’t mean to sound so cold and unfeeling. He couldn’t help himself. It was just one way to cope with his pain and fear. “Do not worry about it.”
“I love you,” Kaname said. It was the first time she had told him that. She hadn’t even said that after they had made love that night.
“What?” Sousuke looked vulnerable for a moment, and then stiffened up again.
“I love you. How many more times do I have to say it?” Kaname was on the verge of pleading.
Sousuke thought for a moment. He ran a hand through his hair, looking around the room. He shook his head when he saw the Bonta-kun doll. Something like that did not belong in a Specialist’s room. He looked over at Kaname. “One more time would be nice.”
“I love you. Please, I love you.” Kaname ran to Sousuke. She threw her arms around his neck, moving to kiss him. He pushed her away.
“I have one more question, Kaname. Do you just need someone, because of your sudden situation. Or, do you need me?“
“Sousuke… I…”
“You do not have to answer. Forget it. I do not care.” He kissed Kaname and pulled her into a strong embrace.
“I need you. Sousuke, I really do.”
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“Good morning, sleepy head.”
Kaname looked over at Sousuke. He was laying next to her in bed.
“Kaname. You are awake early. Is there something wrong?” Sousuke tensed up and looked around the room by habit.
“No, you big idiot. Something is right.” Kaname kissed Sousuke lightly on the forehead. “I really like what you’ve done to this place.”
“I’m glad. It is all that we have for now.” Sousuke looked around the room. All that was left was the bed, his weapons bag, and Kaname’s suitcases.
“It’s all that I have now.” Kaname said. “Well, I’ll let you keep that stupid bag for nostalgia’s sake, I guess.”
“Huh?” Sousuke was puzzled. Just what nonsense was Kaname speaking now.
“You are not allowed in the bed again, Sousuke. At least not for sleeping.” Kaname blushed. She sounded a lot more worldly than she felt. “I hardly got any sleep last night.”
“Uhhh… I apologize… was it bad?” Sousuke was pretty certain he knew what Kaname was talking about. He was a very light sleeper. After his childhood experiences, and his early life in the battlefield, he sometimes woke easily to the slightest noise. That had probably been exacerbated by the fact that Kaname was there. He was not used to sharing a bed with anyone.
“Yes. Very bad.” Kaname looked serious at that instant. She had been frightened out of her wits at some times, and jarred out of her sleep at others.
“I… I do not know… I’m not certain what can be done about it…” Sousuke looked concerned.
“I do.” Kaname smiled.
“Kaname?” Sousuke cocked his head. Why was Kaname smiling like that?
“You can do what you used to do, Sousuke.” She tossed her hair when he didn’t guess the correct answer. “You can sleep under the bed. Hmmmpppfff!”
“Ahhhh. Hmmm. Perhaps I will simply get rid of the bed. That way there will be plenty of space, and we will each of us be on equal footing.”
“You would make me sleep on the floor, Sousuke?” Kaname sat up, looking down at Sousuke. “You might want to take a few moments to think before you answer.”
“Uhhh…”
“I thought so,” Kaname said, nodding her head. “Wimp.” She smiled, leaned over, and gave Sousuke a kiss.
“If you say so, Kaname.” Sousuke scratched his head. “There may be hope, however. I have indeed slept in a bed with others. It…” He stopped. He would not go there. He may still be clueless, but not that clueless.
“Huh? Boot camp?” Kaname guessed.
“Negative. Not boot camp.” Sousuke began to sweat. He couldn’t control that. It might prove his undoing.
“On the submarine? I never got to see your cabin when I was onboard.”
“No. Not on Da Danaan.” Sousuke didn’t have any hope that Kaname would simply drop this line of questioning. She would consider finding out the answer a challenge of sorts. His days might be numbered.
“When, Sousuke?” Kaname raised one eyebrow. She frowned. Why was the big stupid head sweating like that.
“Uhhh…”
“WHEN.” Kaname said loudly.
“You should recall. You were here. Melissa was here as well. And…” Sousuke swallowed hard.
“Say it, Sousuke. Say her name.” Kaname’s smile was crooked.
“Tessa.”
“Why was that so hard?” Kaname grinned. It had been fun watching Sousuke get nervous. “Although, I have to wonder why you were so calm when she was in bed with you, and not when I was.”
“I do not know.” Sousuke had decided on his strategy. The best defense was a good offense. “But, if you like, tonight I will pretend you are Tessa.” That ought to do it.
“W-H-A-T???”
Kaname pinched Sousuke, hard. “You had better not even joke like that.” She held her fingernails up for Sousuke to see. “Do you hear me?”
“Affirmative.” Sousuke had to fight to keep from grinning. “There were other times I was at peace, however. When I was very young. I slept with the women who acted like surrogate mothers to me.”
“Oh. Really?” Kaname was about to say that was cute, until she remembered why Sousuke needed surrogate mothers. “If that will work, you can imagine that. OK?”
“Do you really want me too?” Sousuke stretched.
“I said it, didn’t I?” Kaname tossed her hair, hitting Sousuke in the face with it.
“Yes, but…”
“Not ‘buts’, mister. If you know what’s good for you, there will be no repeat of last night. The sleeping part. Do you understand?” Kaname shook her fist at Sousuke.
“I will do as you suggest.” Sousuke kept a straight face. His eyes gave him away.
“What’s so funny, Sousuke?” Kaname watched as he got out of bed and began walking towards the bathroom.
“When I ran away from the orphanage and became part of the Mujahaideen, I was made to sleep in the Woman’s tent.” Sousuke stopped, turned, and watched Kaname’s face.
“And…” Kaname knew there must be something more.
“The women who looked after me were camp followers.” Sousuke stretched again. “Prostitutes.”
“SOUSUKE!”
Kaname’s prowess as an athlete came to the fore. She was out of the bed before Sousuke knew it. But, his reactions were even quicker. He turned and rab for the bathroom.
“Come back here!” Kaname ran into him when he turned and stopped.
“Have you changed your mind, Kaname?” Sousuke tried to look clueless on purpose this time.
“Yes!” Kaname put her hands on her hips. “I’m going back with my father and Ayame. I was better treated there, all things considered. Hmmmpppfff!”
“That may be a good idea,” Sousuke said. “I am being serious.”
Kaname shook her head, and then looked down at her feet.
“You have family, Kaname. They love you. That is an important thing.” Sousuke pushed some hair away from Kaname’s head. He lifted her chin up. “One should not wait to take care of injuries.”
“Sousuke…”
“In in the field, wounds are kept open and accessible, not covered over. That reduces the chance of gangrene.” Sousuke said. “But, should significant tissue death occur, the involved limb must be tended to immediately, so that the situation does not get worse. Hesitating to remove a toe may lead to the loss of a leg. Failure to remove the leg may lead to sepsis and death.”
“You use such colorful analogies, Sousuke.” Kaname quipped.
“The point I made is valid just the same.” Sousuke tried to look Kaname in the eyes. She wouldn’t meet his gaze.
“I don’t want to see my father, Sousuke.”
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Sousuke looked down the stairs at the car.
He sighed. Kaname was still seated behind the wheel, showing no intention of undoing her seatbelt. At least she hadn’t dropped him off and driven away. That was a start.
There was no sense in waiting. He wanted to speak to Shunya. Kaname might still follow her usual routine of saying one thing, and then doing the opposite thing at the last moment. Things might be different this time, however. She had been badly hurt.
A push of the doorbell set chimes ringing. After a few moments, the sound of footsteps could be heard. The door opened. “Sousuke!” Ayame looked as if she had been crying. “Kaname’s not here. We don’t know where she is.”
“It is OK. She is fine. Her car is parked below. If you like…” Sousuke stepped aside as Ayame rushed out the door and down the steps, headed for Kaname.
“Did I hear you correctly, young man. Did you say that Kaname is here?” Shunya stepped out of the door onto the small concrete porch.
“Yes, Sir. She won’t get out of the car. She drove me all the way here… she said that she should come too… but she won’t get out of the car. I thought it was important that she speak to you. But she may not wish to do so at this time.” Sousuke looked down at the red Toyota Mark X. Ayame had gotten into the passenger seat and was hugging Kaname.
“I… my daughter… we…” Shunya paused. He looked worn and tired, his eyes haunted. He was not going to go over the details of his falling out with Sousuke standing out on his porch. No doubt Kaname had already done so. “I should have guessed that she would run to you.” There was hint of disapproval in his voice.
“She did not.” Sousuke said. “She ran from you.” He was not usually one to use words as weapons, but he wanted to make that point clear. “It is not the first time that she has done so.” Sousuke referenced the time Kaname ran away from home, when she was seven years old. She had been registered as missing at Izumigawa Police Department, located the following day, and returned home.
“That is…” Shunya had been about to say that it was family business. But, he had to admit, the young mercenary had a point. Kaname had run away this time because of something that her father had done, not something that she had done herself.
“Kaname went to my apartment, not expecting me to be there, wondering if I would ever return to Tokyo. I had given her a spare key. She needed somewhere to stay, somewhere you wouldn’t find her.” Sousuke paused. He watched the play of emotions on Shunya’s face. It had to be hard for a father, hearing something like that.
“I see.” Shunya pushed his glasses up a bit, and then looked down at Kaname’s car. He had received a number of offers for the vehicle, but would not set it without his daughter’s say so. It was her car, titled in her name. “You came home and found her at your apartment.”
“That is correct. Actually, a team of agents sent in to clean out the apartment stumbled upon her. By coincidence, I arrived an hour or so after that.”
“Did she… did Kaname talk about her troubles?” Shunya squared his shoulders. That was the wrong way to put it. The onus rested on his shoulders. “Did she mention my actions? Has she made a decision on what she is going to do?” The answer to that last question was what he was after.
“Yes to the first, no to the second. I do not think she is in any condition to make decisions of that sort, at least not in a way that would serve her well.” Sousuke relaxed his stance some, as a strong breeze teased at his hair. “I would not be surprised if she decided to attend Tokyo University with me.”
“How’s that?” Before… you said…” Shunya suddenly looked perturbed. At dinner, Sousuke had told everyone that he had not applied to college, and was uncertain about his future. “Are you saying that you are going to apply, hoping to get in next year, as away to entice my daughter to stay in Tokyo?”
“Negative. Successful efforts on my behalf have led to my acceptance this year. That was the reason that I returned to Tokyo last night.” Sousuke did not take Shunya’s blunt accusation with any rancor. He had faced much worse from Cmdr. Mardukas, Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin, and Melissa. Such was the life of a soldier. “I had a meeting scheduled with University officials today, to work out the necessary details. I postponed that, in order to bring Kaname here.”
“I see. My apologies. I should thank you for that.” Shunya stood looking at Sousuke. He did not approve of Sousuke’s profession, and was frightened of his history of rash action and trouble. But, despite that, he found himself respecting the young man. “Does she know about your acceptance?”
“I have told her, Sir. She was not pleased at first.” He lowered his eyes and brushed some lint off of his sleeve.
“Oh?” Shunya raised an eyebrow. When Sousuke looked up, he froze. For a brief instant, the older man resembled Cmdr. Mardukas.
“She was quite indignant. I had received my entrance through unfair influence. She had earned her acceptance through diligence and hard work. That alone earned me some unpleasant moments.” Sousuke rubbed his head. There was a small swelling there. Kaname had been playing that time, but didn’t know her own strength. It had brought back memories. “Things got worse when she realized the similarity to your dealings with Cornell.”
“I see,” Shunya pushed his glasses even further up. There was obviously something on his mind. “So you have thought about your future. That’s commendable. Things often turn out for the better.” He looked down at the car again, hoping those words would hold true for their relationship. “Have you thought about whether or not your continued presence in Kaname’s life would be a good thing for her?”
“Sir?” Sousuke had given the subject some thought. But, there were various issues involved. He wasn’t certain where Shunya was headed.
“I’m not talking about the danger issue. You two seem to have an unfortunate ability to find trouble together.” Shunya’s posture told what he thought about that fact. “It may be that you are the best qualified to keep her safe… if there would ever be troubles again…?
Sousuke stood silently. He had thought about those very points before. He would rather be in danger with someone he loved, than be safe and alone. But, he couldn’t help but wonder if Kaname’s life might be simpler and better, were he not around.
“I have made phone calls. It is possible that the more active terrorist groups would be far more hesitant to act in North America than they would be in the eastern nations. Who can say for sure? It only takes one such act to ruin lives.” Shunya could still remember the day that the Twin Towers came down. It had shaken him in a way that was near indescribable. “Once we make the presumption that she will no longer be bothered by such things, what are we left with?”
“What…”
“Sousuke… you know… my daughter is a lot different than you.” Shunya didn’t want to be chauvinistic or demeaning, but there was a glaring truth he needed to speak about.
“That is true.” Sousuke was well aware of that fact. Sometimes he thought that Kaname would be better off with someone like Fuwa, the boy she went with to the amusement park. At other times, we wondered if their successful teamwork came from their being different, each of them with unique skills and insights.
“She has been very successful.” Shunya paused. “In constructive things.”
“I know.” Sousuke didn’t miss the not so subtle inference. His own success lay in destructive things.
“Kaname is also very talented.” Shunya straightened his shirt collar. He stood taller.
“I had opportunity to see that at school.” Sousuke thought back to reports that Kaname had given… events that she had arranged… crafts that she had worked on during Art Class. He remembered the early incident with the bust he had destroyed.
“Kaname has such a bright future ahead of her. If she needs anyone at all, she needs someone who can help her move forward, not someone who will hold her back.” Shunya spoke with a sudden passion. He really did love his daughter.
“I would do my best in that regard, Sir, should Kaname chose to be a part of my life.” Sousuke sounded less passionate, but his love for Kaname was not in doubt.
“Even if you were to leave your profession… an employment that has good chance of taking you away from your loved ones forever… you might not be a permanent part of her life.” Shunya set his jaw and spoke with a stern voice. “It gives me no pleasure to say this, but you may be nothing more than a distraction.”
“Sir… I…” That statement hit Sousuke square in the heart. It was a secret fear of his.
“That fact may not be a problem today. It may not be one tomorrow. But, can you promise her that it won’t be a problem later on, after she has already made important decisions because of you?” Shunya looked very intense.
“I cannot make such a promise,” Sousuke said. But instead of looking glum or hanging his head, he spoke with his own fervor. “Who can, Sir? She knows a great deal about me. I love her. Last night, she told me that she feels the same. Who can say what she might find with someone else?”
“I just worry that a life with you would leave her mired in mediocrity. It’s a fear that any father of a gifted girl might feel. I don’t mean that as an insult. I’m simply sharing my true feelings.” Shunya looked down at the car again. Kaname was still seated behind the wheel. “That isn’t easy for me…”
“I understand, Sir. If I may, there are some things I should say about your daughter.” Sousuke tried to find the right words. He had an important point to make and didn’t wain to bollix it up.
“Go ahead.” Shunya was truly interested. To be honest, he felt somewhat envious towards the young operative. Sousuke had gotten to know a lot about Kaname, while he himself had been living continents away, learning what he could through letters and phone calls.
“There is one thing you can be sure about Kaname Chidori. She will not settle for mediocrity.” Sousuke rubbed his head again. “I learned that the hard way, when she was tutoring me. I also saw proof in her actions at school. Any of her teachers of classmates could vouch for that fact.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Shunya said.
“There is something else. No one wishes to be put in life or death situations. Not everyone can function in such traumatic and swift-moving times. Kaname has proven to be more than resilient, Sir. She has a brave heart, a strong spirit, and a sharp mind.”
“You are saying?” Shunya knew that there was a point that the young agent wanted to make.
“I think she is qualified to make her own decisions, Sir. While she is not perfect, and makes her share of mistakes, I believe that she is capable of recognizing her errors.” Sousuke hoped that she wouldn’t see him as an error or mistake some day. “Despite all that she has been through, Kaname does not let bad decisions bring her down. She does not give up and act as if there is no way out.”
“I see.” Shunya wished that he could be certain of that. “If that is true, then she is a lot like me in that regards.” He looked somewhat pained for a moment, but retained his composure.
“Are you alright, Sir?” Sousuke had seen Shunya’s reaction. He could guess how he might feel.
“I don't deserve to lose my daughter over this. I don't deserve hearing this all through a go-between. But, I won’t go down there if she doesn’t want me to.” Shunya went on to speak in a more conversational tone, but the pain in his eyes remained. “I hid things from her. That was wrong. But, I thought I was doing what would be best for her.”
“She’s your daughter, Sir. But, she is no longer a child.” Sousuke sounded older than his years.
“I know.” Shunya’s voice was hushed. “She has grown up so much since she moved away from us.”
“I have a letter here, for you” Sousuke reached into his pocket and took out a folded envelope. “Kaname actually wrote two different letters.”
“Two?” Shunya reached out and took the envelope, smoothing out some wrinkles.
“Affirmative. There was one that said ‘You can't know the horrible disappointment I feel. I am so angry and so upset, that I could hate you‘.” Sousuke had suggested that Kaname take some time to think and write a second note. She had been reluctant, but threw herself into her writing once she started.
Shunya looked down at the envelope.
“The other letter said 'I still can't help loving you'. Perhaps she sent that version.” Sousuke frowned. “She wouldn’t tell me which one was in the enevelope.”
“I would hope….” Shunya stopped speaking. Sousuke turned to follow the other man’s gaze. Kaname had gotten out of the car and was heading up the stairs.
Wanting to give them their privacy, he headed down to where Ayame was standing. In passing, Kaname touched his hand, and then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He heard her first words.
“Hello, Daddy.”
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“Dinner will be ready in a bit.”
Kaname was working in the kitchen at her apartment. It was a very nice kitchen, in a better than average apartment. The rent was more than her father had wanted to pay, so she needed to work part-time to help pay for things. She didn’t mind. There was no way that she wanted to live in the Tokyo University dorms.
“That is good. I am hungry. Your cooking makes it much easier to study well.”
Sousuke sat in the firmest chair in the living room area. Some habits never change. He would not use the large overstuffed chair, as he sank to far back into it. That made it difficult to draw his pistol quickly or make it to his feet with adequate balance.
“Thank you, Sousuke. Did I tell you that I love you today?” Kaname’s voice was accompanied by a loud chopping noise.
“No, you did not.” Sousuke shook his head. He knew exactly what Kaname would say next.
“Ah well.” There was the sound of something being thrown on a hot pan. Sizzling followed.
Sousuke smiled. They had almost finished the first part of the academic year. College life had been good so far, with no serious events aside from the usual Kaname-Sousuke mishaps. He thought back to the time following graduation and was glad that things had worked out between Kaname and her father.
“What would you like to drink Sousuke?” Kaname spoke as she worked on a number of different dishes in rapid succession. She cooked for Sousuke almost every night.
“Water.” Sousuke answered.
“OK. Tea.” Kaname started singing quietly as she continued cooking.
Sousuke shrugged. He wasn’t unhappy. He would actually prefer tea. But, if he had said ‘tea’, Kaname would have said something else.
“I am glad that the first break is coming up. We could both use a vacation.”
“I could use a vacation, Sousuke. You could use the time studying.” Kaname began whistling a happy tune.
“It was very generous of your father to send us that gift. I am especially gratified to see that he included me.” Sousuke ignored Kaname’s last comment. While she might be doing better than he was, he had surprised her and his comrades at Mithril with his exam results. “It will be nice to visit the Dogo Onsen. It is one of Japan's oldest hot spring resorts, and it is said that Prince Shotoku enjoyed the area's hot spring waters about 1500 years ago.”
“Good for him. We’re not going.” Kaname busied herself setting the table. It was one of the rules. Sousuke would not eat protein bars, MREs, or buttered rolls in her presence. He would also eat at a nicely set table like a civilized person.
“The main attraction is the Dogo Onsen Honkan, a Meiji Period wooden public bathhouse, dating from 1894. Besides bathing, the elegant complex offers tea, Japanese sweets, and private rooms for relaxation after the bath. The brochure is very thorough. The setting looks much nice than the hot springs we visited with Kurz, Melissa, Tessa, and our friends.” Sousuke watched as Kaname busied herself polishing the dinnerware.
“I’m glad that you’re practicing your reading. But, we’re still not going.” Kaname muttered under her breath, looking at one of the glasses. She would have to switch to a different dish-washing liquid.
“Dogo Hot Spring is the oldest hot spring in Japan, mentioned even in the oldest book ‘Nihon Shoki.’ The top of the main building is decorated with the legendary white heron and a large drum is beat at 6: 30 every morning announces the opening of the bath. These things lend an exotic atmosphere to the historic hot spring.” Sousuke reminded himself to ask Mithril personnel to perform a security sweep of the Honkan if possible.
“Have a nice time, Sousuke. Send me a post card.” Kaname began making the tea. “But, if you leave me here by myself, don’t bother coming back. We… are… not… going…”
“Ahhhh. There are certainly interesting attractions to see in Matsuyama. The castle… Matsuyamajo… is considered one of the most beautiful of Japan's few remaining original castles. Situated on a steep but flat topped hill, the castle is one of only three Japanese castles with multiple wings.” Sousuke put that on his mental list of ‘must sees’. “Matsuyamajo was constructed from 1602 to 1628. In 1635 the castle was assigned to a branch of the Matsudaira family… relatives of the Tokugawa… and remained in their hands until the end of the feudal era. The current three-storied castle tower was constructed in 1820 after the original five storied one was destroyed by lightening.”
“Fascinating. It would be easier to read about it in a book. Hmmmpppfff!” Kaname decided to fix Sousuke a glass of ice water. It’s what he asked for. And she knew that he probably wanted tea.
“Hmmmm. There is something you would like. There is a park in front and back of the palace. The 'Citrus Fruit and Flower Garden' is located in the front palace site, while the 'Ryusuien Garden' is at the back palace site. The garden copies the palace floor plan, using trees, flowers, gravels and rocks. The 'Rinsentei Garden' in the eastern area features 'Wabi' and 'Sabi' with ponds and waterfalls against a back of rock. A remarkable Ohido remains unchanged from its original state.”
“There are gardens in Tokyo, Sousuke.” Kaname began bringing the food out to the table.
“Oh. Here is something for your recent sweet tooth. Tart, the notable sweet of Matsuyama, has a very unique flavor and delicacy, different from other Western-style confections. The cake from Holland was brought back to Matsuyama, where it was changed into a unique flavored confection. The sweet bean paste flavored with Shikoku cropped citron is rolled in castella. It has become a very refined cake with the cut roll with bean filling forming the Japanese kana character ’no’.” Sousuke’s stomach rumbled.
“I have to watch my figure, stupid head. If you keep annoying me, that’s all you’ll be able to do.” Kaname made it a point to walk on one particular side of the table. It would give Sousuke a good view of her backside.
“Uhhh…” Sousuke froze. That was a serious threat. He tried not to watch Kaname again, but failed. “A Specialist is trained to deal with whatever hardships might arise.” He smiled when he saw Kaname clench her fist. She hated his ‘Specialist’ spiels. “It was also considerate for your father to provide us with the railway tickets.”
“Time to eat!” Kaname banged a knife against a ceramic dish. “We are not going that far on a train.”
“It is a long trip, but it would be worth it. It would also provide us with additional opportunities. We will travel south, missing Sendai. But, we could visit Maya and Tohoku University on another occasion. As it is, we could stop in Nagoya to see Ryo; take time to see Kyouko in Kyoto; and makes plans to meet Shinji in Osaka.” Sousuke had found himself missing his high school friends. He had been making new friends, but so far it hadn’t been the same. “Upon reaching Okayama, we can cross the Seto Inland Sea via the Seto-Ohashi Bridge. The express trains between Okayama and Matsuyama make the trip in two and one half hours.”
“Sousuke, we are not… I repeat not… going on that trip!” Kaname sat down at the table.
“Why not?” Sousuke sat down too after pushing Kaname’s chair in for her. “I thought that you no longer resented your father for his actions.”
“Don’t be any more of an idiot than you have too, Sousuke. I love my father. Sheeesh!” Kaname spoke freely, with no change in her face. She had gotten over the events of the past and always tried to look ahead.
Sousuke let things rest for a while. He and Kaname talked about a number of different things while they ate. When it was time to clear the table, he lent a hand.
“So, what would make you skip the opportunity to visit friends and spend time at a nice resort? If my memory serves me well, I remember you saying that you wanted to do just those things.”
“Sousuke. We are not going. I am not riding on a train.” Kaname closed her eyes and mumbled a curse. She shouldn’t have said that last part.
“Huh? What is the problem with trains? The safety of the Japanese railways is not an issue. You ride the city trains often enough.” Sousuke was perplexed.
“Sousuke…” Kaname tapped he butt of her knife against the table.
“I am quite puzzled by this. Perhaps…”
“SOUSUKE!” Kaname slammed her hand down. “Listen to me. No. Trains.”
After that, Sousuke let the matter drop. Later in the evening, when Kaname was in the shower, he found the small book that she kept her personal phone numbers in. He called Shunya, curious about Kaname’s reaction.
“There’s a story behind that. I thought that she would have been over things long ago.” Shunya chuckled. “It was a while ago. Back when she went with her mother and I on a long trip across Japan. It was her first trip on a train.
“She was afraid of trains?” Sousuke asked.
“Yes. She had become convinced that trains moved to fast to stay on the tracks. There had been some footage of a train wreck spread across the papers and television. Somehow, she became convinced that she would be involved in a crash.”
“But, that was as a child. She uses the city trains frequently, without showing the slightest problem.” Sousuke heard Shunya tell Ayame to put the other handset down.
“She probably still has some kind of mental association. It was a rather traumatic time for her. She had this mental checklist. She was certain that a train couldn’t crash, if there were babies aboard. There were. But, when they all started crying in succession, she was convinced that they knew something she didn’t.”
“What happened?” Sousuke sensed a story in the making.
“Well, when we were halfway between Tokyo and our destination, the babies started crying. They were all inconsolable. It was too much for Kaname.” Shunya sighed. “She started screaming. Not just any scream, mind you. It sounded like someone was strangling her. I have never in my life heard a scream like that.”
“I see.” Sousuke said.
“It didn’t happen once. It happened every time even one baby cried after that original episode. It got so bad, that the railroad marshals had us get off the train… wait for the next train to pass through the given station… and then sit in the last car, where there were no other passengers.” Shunya paused. “They asked us to never take her on a train again.”
“You promised? I can’t see her feeling that she need continue such an obligation.” Sousuke scratched his head. He heard the sound of the shower door close. He didn’t have a lot of time.
“That’s something you will need to ask Kaname. There is more to the story. There was somebody on the original train who worked for a recording studio. Months later, we received a telephone call from the man, who told us that he was putting together a special effects record. He wanted to know if he could use the recording he had made on the train. He doubted that it could be duplicated by Kaname in the studio, and thought it was perfect for his needs.”
“You gave them permission?” Sousuke aksed.
“Yes. They used the scream in numerous applications, including a number of television commercials. While my daughter may have forgiven me over the incident with Cornell University, she has never gotten over my decision to let the man use her scream.”
When Kaname came out from the shower dressed in her pajamas, she found Sousuke busy with his homework. Pulling up a chair next to him, she started working on her own assignments. Just as she began yawning, ready to call it quits for the night, Sousuke spoke up in a nonchalant tone of voice.
“So, why are you worried about traveling by train?”
“Ooooooooooh. OK. This is the last I’m going to say on the subject. We went on a plane. What happened? We were kidnapped. We went on a cruise ship. What happened?”
“Kidnapped,” Sousuke answered.
“So, it only stands to reason, if we go on a train, we’ll get kidnapped. That’s it. End of story. I’m going to bed. You can join me, or go back to your apartment and read about trains.” Kaname got up from the table.
“I see. A bit superstitious I suppose, but understandable.” Sousuke tried not to smile. “Would you be less concerned if I could promise you there would be no babies on the train?”
“What?” Kaname hadn’t made the connection yet.
“If it matters, I would also make certain that no one records your screams.” Sousuke closed his book and shuffled his papers together.
“What!” Kaname had no doubt what Sousuke must be referring to.
“That way, you won’t end up on any more commercials.” Sousuke smiled.
“W-H-A-T?!”
Kaname shook her fist at Sousuke. “Did you call my father? He told you that story? Ahhhh. I’ll kill him.”
Sousuke took something out of his pocket. It was a small recording device he used in class whenever a professor was speaking too quickly for him to take notes. He held it up and pushed a button.
“W-H-A-T?!”
It was a recording of Kaname’s shout.
“That’s it! Out. Get out of my apartment!” Kaname walked over and opened the door for the young soldier. “It may be a while before I want to see you again.”
Sousuke gathered up his things, saluted, and then walked out into the hallway.
“Sousuke! Just where do you think you’re going?” Kaname stood with her hands on her hips.
“What? You said…”
“I said ‘It may be a while before I want to see you again.’ The key word was ‘may’.” Kaname pulled Sousuke into the room and gave him a long kiss. “Big idiot.”
“So, no train trip?” Sousuke asked when she grabbed his hand and started pulling him after her.
“Don’t be stupid, Sousuke. Of course we’re going. It was a gift from my father. It would be rude to refuse.”
Sousuke just sighed. Before he could say anything, Kaname almost jerked his arm out of the socket.
“Come on!”
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THE END
That's it folks. It had as much of 'Say Anything' that I could put into it. Hope it was fun to read for those that saw the movie.
She had added her Bonta-Kun last of all, and now it was hard to get the dam case to zip up.
As she leaned with all her weight, she heard the phone ring. Could it be Sousuke? He hadn’t left any more messages after that last one. Not intending to lose another chance to tell him how she felt, she slid across the top of the bed and picked up her phone. Her father had picked up at the same time that she did. He didn’t seem to realize that she was on the line. Whenever he did, he would always say ‘Ka… naaa… meee…’
“Hello. Chidori residence.”
“Is this Mr. Shunya Chidori, father of Kaname Chidori?” The voice was male, probably mid thirties.
“Who is this, please?” Shunya was wary of speaking to anyone who did not identify themselves right away.
“Oh. Yes. Sorry. This is James Sherwood, I’m with the Cornell University Undergraduate Admissions Office. I also do work for the President of the University and the Board of Trustees. You have had the pleasure to meet with all of them, so I understand.”
“That…” Shunya coughed.
“This has nothing to do with that rather generous donation you made to the University.” The man’s voice had just a slight sly ring to it. “I am not calling about your gracious assistance in setting up a Model United Nations, although we all appreciate how you used your connections to make that a reality.”
“These things should not be…” Kaname’s father sounded agitated, if not somewhat concerned.
“You don’t have to worry Mr. Chidori. I can assure you that all parties have been extremely discrete. The reason that I am calling today… and I apologize if it’s late there… is to inform you that the Common Application submitted by your daughter has been processed, but a Cornell Supplement, which is required of all applicants, needs to be picked up immediately upon your daughter’s arrival in this country.”
“We will be certain to see to that promptly, Mr. Sherwood. There were some papers that I received that I thought were extraneous in my daughter’s case.” Shunya sounded more relaxed.
“Those may have been the Supplement, Sir. It consists of a Part 1 form, the Cornell Essays form, and the Cornell Essays form 2E for applicants planning to apply for financial aid. I can see where the confusion might have arisen. You obviously do not need to fill out 2E. But, we will need an essay on file as soon as possible.”
“It will be taken care of, Mr. Sherwood. I can assure you of that. I thank you for your call.”
When Kaname put the phone down, she noticed that her hands were trembling. Why would have father made a contribution to the college? What had he done to help the college set up the Model UN? Was there some reason why her father was hesitant to talk about such issues in the open? She had her suspicions. Maybe she was paranoid. It could be that Sousuke had rubbed off on her. If she was wrong, she could always apologize. But if she was right…
When she walked forcefully into the living room, she found her father straightening out the pillows on the couch. Suddenly, her bravado begin to fade, but she told herself that she had to do this.
“Kaname, is something wrong?” Shunya asked.
“Daddy, I need to know something. I heard what Mr. Sherwood said. Is there some kind of secret?” Kaname suddenly felt very scared. Part of her didn’t want any answer at all. If there was something going on and her father lied it would be bad. But, it would be terrible if he told the truth, too.
“Kaname Chidori, you were eavesdropping on my personal conversation?” Shunya stiffened, his eyes growing angry. But, there was also a look of unease in his eyes.
“Yes, Daddy. You didn’t answer my question. I think I have a right to know.” Kaname felt like running back to her room and crawling under her bed. It had been a while since her father had shouted angrily at her, but she wouldn’t be surprised if he did that now.
“You think…” Shunya clenched his fists. He took a deep breath and held it. He looked down at his feet. “There are certain matters that should be left to your elders, Kaname. I thought that I had taught you that before.”
“I know. But you were also the one who lectured me on the importance of honesty.” Kaname was certain that something wasn’t right. Her father could have very easily said ‘No’, and then gone on to chastise her. “I need to know the truth, Daddy.”
“I…” Shunya hung his head.
“What did you do, Daddy?” Kaname felt the tension thickening.
“You had earned the right to go to a good school, Kaname…” Shunya started.
“Tokyo University is a good school.” Kaname said, her heart in her throat. Her father had done something after all.
“Yes. I know. But, the family needed to be together. I had made allowances before, thinking that things would be best for you that way. But… I… “ Shunya put a hand to his head. “I regretted the decisions I made… especially since they were not based entirely on what was in your best interest, even if you ended up getting what you wanted….“
Kaname followed her father’s gaze he was looking at a picture of her mother.
“My job made heavy demands on me. Your mother was no longer around to take care of you and your sister. I was raised in a family where fathers had little to do with their children… but I had tried to be different, because of Shizu.“ Shunya walked over and picked up a picture of himself, his wife, and his two daughters. “It looked to be a daunting task…taking care of a demanding high school aged girl…”
Kaname said nothing. She had always wondered about her father’s decision to allow her to stay in Tokyo. Now it made more sense.
“It bothered me a great deal, once you were on your own here, and Ayame and I were living in America. But, I had given you my word. It ate at me more and more, but I could not bring myself to break that pledge.” Shunya looked at Kaname, hoping to see some sign of gratitude.
“I see. I’m glad you let me stay here, Daddy.” Kaname tapped one hand against her leg, wondering what her life would have been like had she stayed in the States.
“Yes,” Shunya said. “I regretted my prior decision. “For my sake, and for Ayame.” He held his hands out in front of him. “I was glad you found something here, however. I was proud that you had done so much on your own.”
Kaname didn’t say anything. Her father still hadn’t gotten to the heart of the matter. Shunya looked hesitant to go on. But, he knew that he owed Kaname an explanation. Whatever took place after that, he would have to face the best he could.
“I didn’t know about Sousuke when I convinced you to apply to Cornell. In a way. I’m glad I didn‘t. But, that is a moot point. Once I found out how much he meant to you, I was worried. Not just because of the risk that boy brings with him, but also because of what I had done.” Shunya looked Kaname in the face. “It was too late to turn back. You had already been granted the scholarship.”
“You bought my acceptance? With a donation, and by pulling some strings at work?” Kaname felt stunned at first. Everything seemed to come crashing down on her. All of the anguish she had felt was because of this? The pain that she had put Sousuke through was due to this?
“Yes.” Her father looked ashamed. “It seemed like an ideal solution.”
”For everybody but me!” Kaname felt her anger growing. She had been through enough. Her mother’s death. The troubles in Junior High. Finding out she was Whispered. Suffering through all of those kidnappings. Now she had to deal with this too?!
“I thought…” Shunya held his hands out again. “
No, Daddy. You didn’t!” Kaname came close to shouting. “How could you do this to me? How could you do something dishonest like this?”
“This would have made all of our lives better, Kaname. I’m certain of that!” Shunya was being honest. He still believed that.
“The only thing I’m certain of is you lied to me. You let me believe that the scholarship is real. You used it to make me keep my promise. You knew how much my choice would hurt me.” Kaname couldn’t believe that any of this was happening.
“Kaname…”
”I trusted you, Daddy. With all of the things that happened to me… with all of the secrets and tricks and terrorist plots… I needed someone to trust.” Kaname felt tears come to her eyes. “I thought it was you. But the person I should trust the most… I acted like I didn’t care when he told me he loved me.”
“Is this why you are acting like this? Sousuke?” Shunya’s countenance clouded over. “That boy has no place in any of this.”
“He does for me.” Kaname said. “He has given everything to keep me safe. You are a thief and a liar.”
“Kaname… I…”
“No. I’m sorry, Daddy. I shouldn’t say that. I love you but…” Kaname began crying. “I can’t stay here any more right now.”
Her ears ringing, Kaname ran to her room, brushing against the wall a number of times. Grabbing her largest suitcase and one additional smaller bag, she headed for the front door.
“Kaname… please wait… running away won’t make things better.” Shunya made no physical effort to obstruct his daughter.
“Things couldn’t get any worse,” Kaname said as she left.
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“Please.”
Kaname said a quick prayer before trying the lock. Sousuke had given her a spare key months ago. She hoped that he had not changed the lock since then.
After leaving her father’s apartment, she needed some place to stay, at least for a little while. Kyoko, Maya, and Ryo were possibilities, but she didn’t want to inconvenience any of their families. Her father might be able to find their numbers, and she wouldn’t ask them to lie for her.
Naturally, she had knocked on Sousuke’s door a number of times. She had rung the bell repeatedly, too. That was all out of courtesy. She doubted that Sousuke was in. She had checked with the desk manager downstairs. The bin marked ‘Sagara, Sousuke, 3E’ still held mail.
Would Sousuke mind if she stayed here for a while? It wasn’t as if she would touch anything, or make any sensitive calls on the equipment. He might be headed out for good soon, but there was no sense in blowing his cover.
But, what if someone came looking for Sousuke. His picture had appeared on the news. There had been a fair number of camera men at the graduation too, and someone might have made some kind of connection. His cover may have already been compromised.
“It doesn’t really matter, does it?”
Kaname didn’t like the sound of her own voice. She sounded too fatalistic. That might be good enough for other people, but not her. She was Kaname Chidori. But, what Kaname Chiodri was she now? The Kaname Chidori wanting to attend Tokyo University? The Kaname Chidori that would go to Cornell University? The Kaname Chidori that would do none of the above?
The key worked. There were no booby traps. No one jumped out and attacked her. She would count those as plusses for now. The biggest plus was the fact that the room’s furniture and all of Sousuke’s things were still there. There had been a real chance that Mithril contractors could have some in. The ‘cleaners’ would have made certain that there was no sign that a Mithril operative had lived there.
“Do you mind if I put my stuff over there, Sousuke?” Kaname spoke to the room in general, feeling somewhat dramatic at the moment. “What’s that? Oh, how daring! Of course I’ll share your bed with you.” Opening her suitcase, she threw the Bonta-Kun doll on Sousuke’s pillow. “No, I won’t respect you in the morning. How can I? I don’t respect you now!” She laughed. If Sousuke were watching her, he’d think that she was out of her mind.
She caught herself. This really wasn’t a great time for laughter. The whole scene with her father had been very ugly. She still felt sick to her stomach, learning that her father had been manipulating her. His heart may have been in the right place, but that didn’t excuse the things that he had done.
“I wonder how Ayame will take this?” That was the thing that mattered the most to her at the moment. Her father would be worrying about what he had done, what she felt about him, and where she had gone. Unless her father told Ayame everything, her sister would be left in the dark, knowing only that her big sister might not be going back to America with her. That would snuff out all of her dreams, devastating her.
The urge to return for Ayame’s sake had her feeling guilty. She couldn’t do that. Not even for her sister. At least, not until she thought things through. It would be too easy to run back, try and forgive her father, and go ahead with things as planned. She didn’t want to do that yet, if only for the principle of the matter.
“You probably hate me, don’t you Sousuke? I shouldn’t be too surprised, I guess. It would make everything just perfect.”
Kaname was hungry. Not feeling like another walk outside, she made her way into Sousuke’s kitchenette. “Do you mind?” She asked. Hearing no answer, she opened the refrigerator. She let the door swing closed, and took a step back. Tears came to her eyes.
Damn him! That big idiot should do a better job of cleaning out his refrigerator. He had left a wrapped portion of Trident in there, and it could very well be from the first day that he visited her at work. That had been the day they first kissed. Suddenly, her appetite was gone.
After that, Kaname busied herself putting her clothes away in any empty drawer she could find, almost feeling as if she would be sharing the apartment with Sousuke. When she was done, she took a long shower and put on her pajamas. Yawning more and more frequently, she wrote a letter to Sousuke. Some pages were close to being illegible, but she was too tired to rewrite them. The tear marks would show that big jerk how much she cared.
“Should we be doing this stuff at night? It feels cliché, and will look kind of suspicious.”
The voice in the hallway caught Kaname’s attention. She hoped the person speaking wasn’t headed for Sousuke’s apartment. It wasn’t burglars, was it? That was just paranoia, right?
“Shhhh. Be quiet. Make certain that none of the neighbors are looking out when I open the door. There are some things we need to remove quickly, in case we are interrupted in our work.”
That voice was right outside the door. What should she do? Could she make a phone call in time? What about the communications console? Did Sousuke leave any weapons behind? Kaname ran to check.
“Yeh, yeh. I know. But who’s listening. I still think it’s stupid to do this at night. Anybody outside will know when we turn the room light on.”
Kaname quickly rummaged through the small closet where Sousuke kept his weapons. There were a number there, but some weren’t loaded, and she didn’t know where the safeties were on others. That moron! Why didn’t he prepare for a situation like this? OK. That clip fit the Glock. There’s hope now.
“The room light is already on! Cover me. Desk manager said that no one from the building had gone into his room since he left.”
Too busy banging things around in the closet, Kaname hadn’t heard that last part. Holding the pistol the way that Sousuke had taught her, she moved quickly to take up position just beyond one corner.
The door flew open. Someone reached inside and hit the wall switch. Things happened incredibly fast after that.
Kaname swore. There was still some light, coming in from the hall. Before she knew it, one man moved in fast, rolling across the floor.
“Gun!” The man shouted, calling out a warning to his partner. As he spoke, he brought his own weapon to bear on Kaname.
As the frightened girl tried to track the first man, the second intruder kicked the Glock out of her hand. He followed up with a leg sweep that brought her hard to the floor.
“Shit!” The man winced when Kaname punched him hard in the groin. “Stay still!” He put the cold muzzle of his pistol against her temple.
The first man closed the door and turned the light back on. “It’s a girl.”
“Ah Hell.” The second man said. “What’s a girl doing here?”
“Follow procedures,” the first man said. “There’s no telling who she is.” He pointed at the pistol Kaname had been carrying. “She may well be more than just a girl.”
“Oh really? How about asking?” Kaname knew that she shouldn’t be flippant, but she couldn’t help herself. It was a natural Sousuke-trained reaction. “What do you jerks think you are doing in Sousuke’s apartment?”
“We’ll be asking the questions, Miss. Sit down. On that chair.” The second man took a pair of handcuffs out of his coat pocket. “It would be a bad idea to scream.” He nodded to his partner, who was holding a taser.
“It’s not ‘Miss’. It’s Kaname Chidori.” She looked closer at the taser. “And you don’t even have that thing turned on. Moron.”
“Crap,” one of the men said, slapping his hand against his forehead. He clearly recognized the name.
“Kaname Chidori. Why does that name sound familiar?” The other man walked around the room, looking out through the window to make certain no one was making a move on the building. He switched his taser on to a medium setting.
“You idiot!” The first man put away his cuffs and lowered his gun. “I’m sorry, Miss Chidori. There was no reason to expect you would be here.” He looked over at his companion. “You did read up on Sgt. Sagara’s dosier, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t have time after the last task. We were only coming her to clean up.”
“I apologize. He’s a good man in a fight, and a dedicated soldier, but his mind sometimes lags behind.” The first man shook his head.
“I know the type!” Kaname huffed. “Maybe he’s related to Sousuke.” She looked down at her pajama top and blushed. She wasn’t dressed to entertain! “Why are you here? To take down Sousuke’s room?”
“We’ll let you get dressed first. I am Sgt. Major Tokei, by the way. My partner is Sgt. Mussida.” As the St. Major excused himself from the apartment, he explained who Kaname was. The words he used had a chilling effect. ‘The girl that Sagara was once assigned to protect’.
Once. Not any more. So many doors had closed in her life.
When the men returned, Kaname was dressed in jeans and a pull-over. As they worked, she told them about her recent problems, feeling a need to talk. Out of kindness, the two soldiers told her that they would leave her the bed and the key. Checking their records, they informed her that the lease had not been renewed, but wouldn’t run out for a couple of weeks yet.
“Thank you. I really appreciate you guys letting me stay here.” Kaname felt close to tears. She wasn’t sure why. The act of kindness had touched her more than it should.
“I do not understand. Shouldn’t I be the one to decide who uses my apartment?” It was Sousuke. “Why are you here?” That question was for Kaname. He knew why Tokei and Mussida were there.
“Sousuke! I didn’t think you were ever coming back. I’m so happy to see you!” Kaname jumped up, ready to run to him.
“What do you want, Kaname?” Sousuke’s voice sounded wary. He wasn’t certain exactly what he was feeling at the moment.
His reason for coming back to Tokyo had nothing to do with Kaname. He had an appointment to meet with people at the Komaba Campus who had been clandestinely contacted by Mithril representatives. He had given things a lot of thought. He wasn’t ready to leave Tokyo yet, even though there would be painful memories there for him. It was time to give himself options for his future.
Finished, the cleaning team left after exchanging a few words with Sousuke. After they were gone, Sousuke stood in the middle of the near bare room. Things looked nothing like they did when Cmdr. Mardukas had kept him busy all night preparing for Tessa’s visit. For some reason, that seemed like a life time ago. So many memories clamored for his attention.
Many of those memories centered on Kaname. He certainly hadn’t expected to see her here now. His heart was in the throat at the sight of her, but he didn’t want to set himself up for even more heartache. After she had refused to return his calls, he had decided that it was better for both of them if he never saw her again.
“I'm sorry,” Kaname said. She flinched. Maybe Sousuke had stated hating her after all.
“Why are you here?” Sousuke asked.
“My father bought my scholarship to Cornell, Sousuke. He kept things from me. I just couldn‘t deal with it. I left home. I needed a place to stay.“ Kaname’s eyes welled up with tears. She took a step towards Sousuke and stopped. “I need you.“
“You do?” Sousuke didn’t look convinced. He swallowed hard. He found himself desperately wanting to believe her.
“Everything else means nothing to me,” Kaname said, taking another step. “Nothing else means anything. Only you.” She fought back tears. “If I hurt you again, I'll die.
“Hurt me again?” Sousuke stiffened up. “There is no chance of that happening.” He didn’t mean to sound so cold and unfeeling. He couldn’t help himself. It was just one way to cope with his pain and fear. “Do not worry about it.”
“I love you,” Kaname said. It was the first time she had told him that. She hadn’t even said that after they had made love that night.
“What?” Sousuke looked vulnerable for a moment, and then stiffened up again.
“I love you. How many more times do I have to say it?” Kaname was on the verge of pleading.
Sousuke thought for a moment. He ran a hand through his hair, looking around the room. He shook his head when he saw the Bonta-kun doll. Something like that did not belong in a Specialist’s room. He looked over at Kaname. “One more time would be nice.”
“I love you. Please, I love you.” Kaname ran to Sousuke. She threw her arms around his neck, moving to kiss him. He pushed her away.
“I have one more question, Kaname. Do you just need someone, because of your sudden situation. Or, do you need me?“
“Sousuke… I…”
“You do not have to answer. Forget it. I do not care.” He kissed Kaname and pulled her into a strong embrace.
“I need you. Sousuke, I really do.”
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“Good morning, sleepy head.”
Kaname looked over at Sousuke. He was laying next to her in bed.
“Kaname. You are awake early. Is there something wrong?” Sousuke tensed up and looked around the room by habit.
“No, you big idiot. Something is right.” Kaname kissed Sousuke lightly on the forehead. “I really like what you’ve done to this place.”
“I’m glad. It is all that we have for now.” Sousuke looked around the room. All that was left was the bed, his weapons bag, and Kaname’s suitcases.
“It’s all that I have now.” Kaname said. “Well, I’ll let you keep that stupid bag for nostalgia’s sake, I guess.”
“Huh?” Sousuke was puzzled. Just what nonsense was Kaname speaking now.
“You are not allowed in the bed again, Sousuke. At least not for sleeping.” Kaname blushed. She sounded a lot more worldly than she felt. “I hardly got any sleep last night.”
“Uhhh… I apologize… was it bad?” Sousuke was pretty certain he knew what Kaname was talking about. He was a very light sleeper. After his childhood experiences, and his early life in the battlefield, he sometimes woke easily to the slightest noise. That had probably been exacerbated by the fact that Kaname was there. He was not used to sharing a bed with anyone.
“Yes. Very bad.” Kaname looked serious at that instant. She had been frightened out of her wits at some times, and jarred out of her sleep at others.
“I… I do not know… I’m not certain what can be done about it…” Sousuke looked concerned.
“I do.” Kaname smiled.
“Kaname?” Sousuke cocked his head. Why was Kaname smiling like that?
“You can do what you used to do, Sousuke.” She tossed her hair when he didn’t guess the correct answer. “You can sleep under the bed. Hmmmpppfff!”
“Ahhhh. Hmmm. Perhaps I will simply get rid of the bed. That way there will be plenty of space, and we will each of us be on equal footing.”
“You would make me sleep on the floor, Sousuke?” Kaname sat up, looking down at Sousuke. “You might want to take a few moments to think before you answer.”
“Uhhh…”
“I thought so,” Kaname said, nodding her head. “Wimp.” She smiled, leaned over, and gave Sousuke a kiss.
“If you say so, Kaname.” Sousuke scratched his head. “There may be hope, however. I have indeed slept in a bed with others. It…” He stopped. He would not go there. He may still be clueless, but not that clueless.
“Huh? Boot camp?” Kaname guessed.
“Negative. Not boot camp.” Sousuke began to sweat. He couldn’t control that. It might prove his undoing.
“On the submarine? I never got to see your cabin when I was onboard.”
“No. Not on Da Danaan.” Sousuke didn’t have any hope that Kaname would simply drop this line of questioning. She would consider finding out the answer a challenge of sorts. His days might be numbered.
“When, Sousuke?” Kaname raised one eyebrow. She frowned. Why was the big stupid head sweating like that.
“Uhhh…”
“WHEN.” Kaname said loudly.
“You should recall. You were here. Melissa was here as well. And…” Sousuke swallowed hard.
“Say it, Sousuke. Say her name.” Kaname’s smile was crooked.
“Tessa.”
“Why was that so hard?” Kaname grinned. It had been fun watching Sousuke get nervous. “Although, I have to wonder why you were so calm when she was in bed with you, and not when I was.”
“I do not know.” Sousuke had decided on his strategy. The best defense was a good offense. “But, if you like, tonight I will pretend you are Tessa.” That ought to do it.
“W-H-A-T???”
Kaname pinched Sousuke, hard. “You had better not even joke like that.” She held her fingernails up for Sousuke to see. “Do you hear me?”
“Affirmative.” Sousuke had to fight to keep from grinning. “There were other times I was at peace, however. When I was very young. I slept with the women who acted like surrogate mothers to me.”
“Oh. Really?” Kaname was about to say that was cute, until she remembered why Sousuke needed surrogate mothers. “If that will work, you can imagine that. OK?”
“Do you really want me too?” Sousuke stretched.
“I said it, didn’t I?” Kaname tossed her hair, hitting Sousuke in the face with it.
“Yes, but…”
“Not ‘buts’, mister. If you know what’s good for you, there will be no repeat of last night. The sleeping part. Do you understand?” Kaname shook her fist at Sousuke.
“I will do as you suggest.” Sousuke kept a straight face. His eyes gave him away.
“What’s so funny, Sousuke?” Kaname watched as he got out of bed and began walking towards the bathroom.
“When I ran away from the orphanage and became part of the Mujahaideen, I was made to sleep in the Woman’s tent.” Sousuke stopped, turned, and watched Kaname’s face.
“And…” Kaname knew there must be something more.
“The women who looked after me were camp followers.” Sousuke stretched again. “Prostitutes.”
“SOUSUKE!”
Kaname’s prowess as an athlete came to the fore. She was out of the bed before Sousuke knew it. But, his reactions were even quicker. He turned and rab for the bathroom.
“Come back here!” Kaname ran into him when he turned and stopped.
“Have you changed your mind, Kaname?” Sousuke tried to look clueless on purpose this time.
“Yes!” Kaname put her hands on her hips. “I’m going back with my father and Ayame. I was better treated there, all things considered. Hmmmpppfff!”
“That may be a good idea,” Sousuke said. “I am being serious.”
Kaname shook her head, and then looked down at her feet.
“You have family, Kaname. They love you. That is an important thing.” Sousuke pushed some hair away from Kaname’s head. He lifted her chin up. “One should not wait to take care of injuries.”
“Sousuke…”
“In in the field, wounds are kept open and accessible, not covered over. That reduces the chance of gangrene.” Sousuke said. “But, should significant tissue death occur, the involved limb must be tended to immediately, so that the situation does not get worse. Hesitating to remove a toe may lead to the loss of a leg. Failure to remove the leg may lead to sepsis and death.”
“You use such colorful analogies, Sousuke.” Kaname quipped.
“The point I made is valid just the same.” Sousuke tried to look Kaname in the eyes. She wouldn’t meet his gaze.
“I don’t want to see my father, Sousuke.”
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Sousuke looked down the stairs at the car.
He sighed. Kaname was still seated behind the wheel, showing no intention of undoing her seatbelt. At least she hadn’t dropped him off and driven away. That was a start.
There was no sense in waiting. He wanted to speak to Shunya. Kaname might still follow her usual routine of saying one thing, and then doing the opposite thing at the last moment. Things might be different this time, however. She had been badly hurt.
A push of the doorbell set chimes ringing. After a few moments, the sound of footsteps could be heard. The door opened. “Sousuke!” Ayame looked as if she had been crying. “Kaname’s not here. We don’t know where she is.”
“It is OK. She is fine. Her car is parked below. If you like…” Sousuke stepped aside as Ayame rushed out the door and down the steps, headed for Kaname.
“Did I hear you correctly, young man. Did you say that Kaname is here?” Shunya stepped out of the door onto the small concrete porch.
“Yes, Sir. She won’t get out of the car. She drove me all the way here… she said that she should come too… but she won’t get out of the car. I thought it was important that she speak to you. But she may not wish to do so at this time.” Sousuke looked down at the red Toyota Mark X. Ayame had gotten into the passenger seat and was hugging Kaname.
“I… my daughter… we…” Shunya paused. He looked worn and tired, his eyes haunted. He was not going to go over the details of his falling out with Sousuke standing out on his porch. No doubt Kaname had already done so. “I should have guessed that she would run to you.” There was hint of disapproval in his voice.
“She did not.” Sousuke said. “She ran from you.” He was not usually one to use words as weapons, but he wanted to make that point clear. “It is not the first time that she has done so.” Sousuke referenced the time Kaname ran away from home, when she was seven years old. She had been registered as missing at Izumigawa Police Department, located the following day, and returned home.
“That is…” Shunya had been about to say that it was family business. But, he had to admit, the young mercenary had a point. Kaname had run away this time because of something that her father had done, not something that she had done herself.
“Kaname went to my apartment, not expecting me to be there, wondering if I would ever return to Tokyo. I had given her a spare key. She needed somewhere to stay, somewhere you wouldn’t find her.” Sousuke paused. He watched the play of emotions on Shunya’s face. It had to be hard for a father, hearing something like that.
“I see.” Shunya pushed his glasses up a bit, and then looked down at Kaname’s car. He had received a number of offers for the vehicle, but would not set it without his daughter’s say so. It was her car, titled in her name. “You came home and found her at your apartment.”
“That is correct. Actually, a team of agents sent in to clean out the apartment stumbled upon her. By coincidence, I arrived an hour or so after that.”
“Did she… did Kaname talk about her troubles?” Shunya squared his shoulders. That was the wrong way to put it. The onus rested on his shoulders. “Did she mention my actions? Has she made a decision on what she is going to do?” The answer to that last question was what he was after.
“Yes to the first, no to the second. I do not think she is in any condition to make decisions of that sort, at least not in a way that would serve her well.” Sousuke relaxed his stance some, as a strong breeze teased at his hair. “I would not be surprised if she decided to attend Tokyo University with me.”
“How’s that?” Before… you said…” Shunya suddenly looked perturbed. At dinner, Sousuke had told everyone that he had not applied to college, and was uncertain about his future. “Are you saying that you are going to apply, hoping to get in next year, as away to entice my daughter to stay in Tokyo?”
“Negative. Successful efforts on my behalf have led to my acceptance this year. That was the reason that I returned to Tokyo last night.” Sousuke did not take Shunya’s blunt accusation with any rancor. He had faced much worse from Cmdr. Mardukas, Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin, and Melissa. Such was the life of a soldier. “I had a meeting scheduled with University officials today, to work out the necessary details. I postponed that, in order to bring Kaname here.”
“I see. My apologies. I should thank you for that.” Shunya stood looking at Sousuke. He did not approve of Sousuke’s profession, and was frightened of his history of rash action and trouble. But, despite that, he found himself respecting the young man. “Does she know about your acceptance?”
“I have told her, Sir. She was not pleased at first.” He lowered his eyes and brushed some lint off of his sleeve.
“Oh?” Shunya raised an eyebrow. When Sousuke looked up, he froze. For a brief instant, the older man resembled Cmdr. Mardukas.
“She was quite indignant. I had received my entrance through unfair influence. She had earned her acceptance through diligence and hard work. That alone earned me some unpleasant moments.” Sousuke rubbed his head. There was a small swelling there. Kaname had been playing that time, but didn’t know her own strength. It had brought back memories. “Things got worse when she realized the similarity to your dealings with Cornell.”
“I see,” Shunya pushed his glasses even further up. There was obviously something on his mind. “So you have thought about your future. That’s commendable. Things often turn out for the better.” He looked down at the car again, hoping those words would hold true for their relationship. “Have you thought about whether or not your continued presence in Kaname’s life would be a good thing for her?”
“Sir?” Sousuke had given the subject some thought. But, there were various issues involved. He wasn’t certain where Shunya was headed.
“I’m not talking about the danger issue. You two seem to have an unfortunate ability to find trouble together.” Shunya’s posture told what he thought about that fact. “It may be that you are the best qualified to keep her safe… if there would ever be troubles again…?
Sousuke stood silently. He had thought about those very points before. He would rather be in danger with someone he loved, than be safe and alone. But, he couldn’t help but wonder if Kaname’s life might be simpler and better, were he not around.
“I have made phone calls. It is possible that the more active terrorist groups would be far more hesitant to act in North America than they would be in the eastern nations. Who can say for sure? It only takes one such act to ruin lives.” Shunya could still remember the day that the Twin Towers came down. It had shaken him in a way that was near indescribable. “Once we make the presumption that she will no longer be bothered by such things, what are we left with?”
“What…”
“Sousuke… you know… my daughter is a lot different than you.” Shunya didn’t want to be chauvinistic or demeaning, but there was a glaring truth he needed to speak about.
“That is true.” Sousuke was well aware of that fact. Sometimes he thought that Kaname would be better off with someone like Fuwa, the boy she went with to the amusement park. At other times, we wondered if their successful teamwork came from their being different, each of them with unique skills and insights.
“She has been very successful.” Shunya paused. “In constructive things.”
“I know.” Sousuke didn’t miss the not so subtle inference. His own success lay in destructive things.
“Kaname is also very talented.” Shunya straightened his shirt collar. He stood taller.
“I had opportunity to see that at school.” Sousuke thought back to reports that Kaname had given… events that she had arranged… crafts that she had worked on during Art Class. He remembered the early incident with the bust he had destroyed.
“Kaname has such a bright future ahead of her. If she needs anyone at all, she needs someone who can help her move forward, not someone who will hold her back.” Shunya spoke with a sudden passion. He really did love his daughter.
“I would do my best in that regard, Sir, should Kaname chose to be a part of my life.” Sousuke sounded less passionate, but his love for Kaname was not in doubt.
“Even if you were to leave your profession… an employment that has good chance of taking you away from your loved ones forever… you might not be a permanent part of her life.” Shunya set his jaw and spoke with a stern voice. “It gives me no pleasure to say this, but you may be nothing more than a distraction.”
“Sir… I…” That statement hit Sousuke square in the heart. It was a secret fear of his.
“That fact may not be a problem today. It may not be one tomorrow. But, can you promise her that it won’t be a problem later on, after she has already made important decisions because of you?” Shunya looked very intense.
“I cannot make such a promise,” Sousuke said. But instead of looking glum or hanging his head, he spoke with his own fervor. “Who can, Sir? She knows a great deal about me. I love her. Last night, she told me that she feels the same. Who can say what she might find with someone else?”
“I just worry that a life with you would leave her mired in mediocrity. It’s a fear that any father of a gifted girl might feel. I don’t mean that as an insult. I’m simply sharing my true feelings.” Shunya looked down at the car again. Kaname was still seated behind the wheel. “That isn’t easy for me…”
“I understand, Sir. If I may, there are some things I should say about your daughter.” Sousuke tried to find the right words. He had an important point to make and didn’t wain to bollix it up.
“Go ahead.” Shunya was truly interested. To be honest, he felt somewhat envious towards the young operative. Sousuke had gotten to know a lot about Kaname, while he himself had been living continents away, learning what he could through letters and phone calls.
“There is one thing you can be sure about Kaname Chidori. She will not settle for mediocrity.” Sousuke rubbed his head again. “I learned that the hard way, when she was tutoring me. I also saw proof in her actions at school. Any of her teachers of classmates could vouch for that fact.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Shunya said.
“There is something else. No one wishes to be put in life or death situations. Not everyone can function in such traumatic and swift-moving times. Kaname has proven to be more than resilient, Sir. She has a brave heart, a strong spirit, and a sharp mind.”
“You are saying?” Shunya knew that there was a point that the young agent wanted to make.
“I think she is qualified to make her own decisions, Sir. While she is not perfect, and makes her share of mistakes, I believe that she is capable of recognizing her errors.” Sousuke hoped that she wouldn’t see him as an error or mistake some day. “Despite all that she has been through, Kaname does not let bad decisions bring her down. She does not give up and act as if there is no way out.”
“I see.” Shunya wished that he could be certain of that. “If that is true, then she is a lot like me in that regards.” He looked somewhat pained for a moment, but retained his composure.
“Are you alright, Sir?” Sousuke had seen Shunya’s reaction. He could guess how he might feel.
“I don't deserve to lose my daughter over this. I don't deserve hearing this all through a go-between. But, I won’t go down there if she doesn’t want me to.” Shunya went on to speak in a more conversational tone, but the pain in his eyes remained. “I hid things from her. That was wrong. But, I thought I was doing what would be best for her.”
“She’s your daughter, Sir. But, she is no longer a child.” Sousuke sounded older than his years.
“I know.” Shunya’s voice was hushed. “She has grown up so much since she moved away from us.”
“I have a letter here, for you” Sousuke reached into his pocket and took out a folded envelope. “Kaname actually wrote two different letters.”
“Two?” Shunya reached out and took the envelope, smoothing out some wrinkles.
“Affirmative. There was one that said ‘You can't know the horrible disappointment I feel. I am so angry and so upset, that I could hate you‘.” Sousuke had suggested that Kaname take some time to think and write a second note. She had been reluctant, but threw herself into her writing once she started.
Shunya looked down at the envelope.
“The other letter said 'I still can't help loving you'. Perhaps she sent that version.” Sousuke frowned. “She wouldn’t tell me which one was in the enevelope.”
“I would hope….” Shunya stopped speaking. Sousuke turned to follow the other man’s gaze. Kaname had gotten out of the car and was heading up the stairs.
Wanting to give them their privacy, he headed down to where Ayame was standing. In passing, Kaname touched his hand, and then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He heard her first words.
“Hello, Daddy.”
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“Dinner will be ready in a bit.”
Kaname was working in the kitchen at her apartment. It was a very nice kitchen, in a better than average apartment. The rent was more than her father had wanted to pay, so she needed to work part-time to help pay for things. She didn’t mind. There was no way that she wanted to live in the Tokyo University dorms.
“That is good. I am hungry. Your cooking makes it much easier to study well.”
Sousuke sat in the firmest chair in the living room area. Some habits never change. He would not use the large overstuffed chair, as he sank to far back into it. That made it difficult to draw his pistol quickly or make it to his feet with adequate balance.
“Thank you, Sousuke. Did I tell you that I love you today?” Kaname’s voice was accompanied by a loud chopping noise.
“No, you did not.” Sousuke shook his head. He knew exactly what Kaname would say next.
“Ah well.” There was the sound of something being thrown on a hot pan. Sizzling followed.
Sousuke smiled. They had almost finished the first part of the academic year. College life had been good so far, with no serious events aside from the usual Kaname-Sousuke mishaps. He thought back to the time following graduation and was glad that things had worked out between Kaname and her father.
“What would you like to drink Sousuke?” Kaname spoke as she worked on a number of different dishes in rapid succession. She cooked for Sousuke almost every night.
“Water.” Sousuke answered.
“OK. Tea.” Kaname started singing quietly as she continued cooking.
Sousuke shrugged. He wasn’t unhappy. He would actually prefer tea. But, if he had said ‘tea’, Kaname would have said something else.
“I am glad that the first break is coming up. We could both use a vacation.”
“I could use a vacation, Sousuke. You could use the time studying.” Kaname began whistling a happy tune.
“It was very generous of your father to send us that gift. I am especially gratified to see that he included me.” Sousuke ignored Kaname’s last comment. While she might be doing better than he was, he had surprised her and his comrades at Mithril with his exam results. “It will be nice to visit the Dogo Onsen. It is one of Japan's oldest hot spring resorts, and it is said that Prince Shotoku enjoyed the area's hot spring waters about 1500 years ago.”
“Good for him. We’re not going.” Kaname busied herself setting the table. It was one of the rules. Sousuke would not eat protein bars, MREs, or buttered rolls in her presence. He would also eat at a nicely set table like a civilized person.
“The main attraction is the Dogo Onsen Honkan, a Meiji Period wooden public bathhouse, dating from 1894. Besides bathing, the elegant complex offers tea, Japanese sweets, and private rooms for relaxation after the bath. The brochure is very thorough. The setting looks much nice than the hot springs we visited with Kurz, Melissa, Tessa, and our friends.” Sousuke watched as Kaname busied herself polishing the dinnerware.
“I’m glad that you’re practicing your reading. But, we’re still not going.” Kaname muttered under her breath, looking at one of the glasses. She would have to switch to a different dish-washing liquid.
“Dogo Hot Spring is the oldest hot spring in Japan, mentioned even in the oldest book ‘Nihon Shoki.’ The top of the main building is decorated with the legendary white heron and a large drum is beat at 6: 30 every morning announces the opening of the bath. These things lend an exotic atmosphere to the historic hot spring.” Sousuke reminded himself to ask Mithril personnel to perform a security sweep of the Honkan if possible.
“Have a nice time, Sousuke. Send me a post card.” Kaname began making the tea. “But, if you leave me here by myself, don’t bother coming back. We… are… not… going…”
“Ahhhh. There are certainly interesting attractions to see in Matsuyama. The castle… Matsuyamajo… is considered one of the most beautiful of Japan's few remaining original castles. Situated on a steep but flat topped hill, the castle is one of only three Japanese castles with multiple wings.” Sousuke put that on his mental list of ‘must sees’. “Matsuyamajo was constructed from 1602 to 1628. In 1635 the castle was assigned to a branch of the Matsudaira family… relatives of the Tokugawa… and remained in their hands until the end of the feudal era. The current three-storied castle tower was constructed in 1820 after the original five storied one was destroyed by lightening.”
“Fascinating. It would be easier to read about it in a book. Hmmmpppfff!” Kaname decided to fix Sousuke a glass of ice water. It’s what he asked for. And she knew that he probably wanted tea.
“Hmmmm. There is something you would like. There is a park in front and back of the palace. The 'Citrus Fruit and Flower Garden' is located in the front palace site, while the 'Ryusuien Garden' is at the back palace site. The garden copies the palace floor plan, using trees, flowers, gravels and rocks. The 'Rinsentei Garden' in the eastern area features 'Wabi' and 'Sabi' with ponds and waterfalls against a back of rock. A remarkable Ohido remains unchanged from its original state.”
“There are gardens in Tokyo, Sousuke.” Kaname began bringing the food out to the table.
“Oh. Here is something for your recent sweet tooth. Tart, the notable sweet of Matsuyama, has a very unique flavor and delicacy, different from other Western-style confections. The cake from Holland was brought back to Matsuyama, where it was changed into a unique flavored confection. The sweet bean paste flavored with Shikoku cropped citron is rolled in castella. It has become a very refined cake with the cut roll with bean filling forming the Japanese kana character ’no’.” Sousuke’s stomach rumbled.
“I have to watch my figure, stupid head. If you keep annoying me, that’s all you’ll be able to do.” Kaname made it a point to walk on one particular side of the table. It would give Sousuke a good view of her backside.
“Uhhh…” Sousuke froze. That was a serious threat. He tried not to watch Kaname again, but failed. “A Specialist is trained to deal with whatever hardships might arise.” He smiled when he saw Kaname clench her fist. She hated his ‘Specialist’ spiels. “It was also considerate for your father to provide us with the railway tickets.”
“Time to eat!” Kaname banged a knife against a ceramic dish. “We are not going that far on a train.”
“It is a long trip, but it would be worth it. It would also provide us with additional opportunities. We will travel south, missing Sendai. But, we could visit Maya and Tohoku University on another occasion. As it is, we could stop in Nagoya to see Ryo; take time to see Kyouko in Kyoto; and makes plans to meet Shinji in Osaka.” Sousuke had found himself missing his high school friends. He had been making new friends, but so far it hadn’t been the same. “Upon reaching Okayama, we can cross the Seto Inland Sea via the Seto-Ohashi Bridge. The express trains between Okayama and Matsuyama make the trip in two and one half hours.”
“Sousuke, we are not… I repeat not… going on that trip!” Kaname sat down at the table.
“Why not?” Sousuke sat down too after pushing Kaname’s chair in for her. “I thought that you no longer resented your father for his actions.”
“Don’t be any more of an idiot than you have too, Sousuke. I love my father. Sheeesh!” Kaname spoke freely, with no change in her face. She had gotten over the events of the past and always tried to look ahead.
Sousuke let things rest for a while. He and Kaname talked about a number of different things while they ate. When it was time to clear the table, he lent a hand.
“So, what would make you skip the opportunity to visit friends and spend time at a nice resort? If my memory serves me well, I remember you saying that you wanted to do just those things.”
“Sousuke. We are not going. I am not riding on a train.” Kaname closed her eyes and mumbled a curse. She shouldn’t have said that last part.
“Huh? What is the problem with trains? The safety of the Japanese railways is not an issue. You ride the city trains often enough.” Sousuke was perplexed.
“Sousuke…” Kaname tapped he butt of her knife against the table.
“I am quite puzzled by this. Perhaps…”
“SOUSUKE!” Kaname slammed her hand down. “Listen to me. No. Trains.”
After that, Sousuke let the matter drop. Later in the evening, when Kaname was in the shower, he found the small book that she kept her personal phone numbers in. He called Shunya, curious about Kaname’s reaction.
“There’s a story behind that. I thought that she would have been over things long ago.” Shunya chuckled. “It was a while ago. Back when she went with her mother and I on a long trip across Japan. It was her first trip on a train.
“She was afraid of trains?” Sousuke asked.
“Yes. She had become convinced that trains moved to fast to stay on the tracks. There had been some footage of a train wreck spread across the papers and television. Somehow, she became convinced that she would be involved in a crash.”
“But, that was as a child. She uses the city trains frequently, without showing the slightest problem.” Sousuke heard Shunya tell Ayame to put the other handset down.
“She probably still has some kind of mental association. It was a rather traumatic time for her. She had this mental checklist. She was certain that a train couldn’t crash, if there were babies aboard. There were. But, when they all started crying in succession, she was convinced that they knew something she didn’t.”
“What happened?” Sousuke sensed a story in the making.
“Well, when we were halfway between Tokyo and our destination, the babies started crying. They were all inconsolable. It was too much for Kaname.” Shunya sighed. “She started screaming. Not just any scream, mind you. It sounded like someone was strangling her. I have never in my life heard a scream like that.”
“I see.” Sousuke said.
“It didn’t happen once. It happened every time even one baby cried after that original episode. It got so bad, that the railroad marshals had us get off the train… wait for the next train to pass through the given station… and then sit in the last car, where there were no other passengers.” Shunya paused. “They asked us to never take her on a train again.”
“You promised? I can’t see her feeling that she need continue such an obligation.” Sousuke scratched his head. He heard the sound of the shower door close. He didn’t have a lot of time.
“That’s something you will need to ask Kaname. There is more to the story. There was somebody on the original train who worked for a recording studio. Months later, we received a telephone call from the man, who told us that he was putting together a special effects record. He wanted to know if he could use the recording he had made on the train. He doubted that it could be duplicated by Kaname in the studio, and thought it was perfect for his needs.”
“You gave them permission?” Sousuke aksed.
“Yes. They used the scream in numerous applications, including a number of television commercials. While my daughter may have forgiven me over the incident with Cornell University, she has never gotten over my decision to let the man use her scream.”
When Kaname came out from the shower dressed in her pajamas, she found Sousuke busy with his homework. Pulling up a chair next to him, she started working on her own assignments. Just as she began yawning, ready to call it quits for the night, Sousuke spoke up in a nonchalant tone of voice.
“So, why are you worried about traveling by train?”
“Ooooooooooh. OK. This is the last I’m going to say on the subject. We went on a plane. What happened? We were kidnapped. We went on a cruise ship. What happened?”
“Kidnapped,” Sousuke answered.
“So, it only stands to reason, if we go on a train, we’ll get kidnapped. That’s it. End of story. I’m going to bed. You can join me, or go back to your apartment and read about trains.” Kaname got up from the table.
“I see. A bit superstitious I suppose, but understandable.” Sousuke tried not to smile. “Would you be less concerned if I could promise you there would be no babies on the train?”
“What?” Kaname hadn’t made the connection yet.
“If it matters, I would also make certain that no one records your screams.” Sousuke closed his book and shuffled his papers together.
“What!” Kaname had no doubt what Sousuke must be referring to.
“That way, you won’t end up on any more commercials.” Sousuke smiled.
“W-H-A-T?!”
Kaname shook her fist at Sousuke. “Did you call my father? He told you that story? Ahhhh. I’ll kill him.”
Sousuke took something out of his pocket. It was a small recording device he used in class whenever a professor was speaking too quickly for him to take notes. He held it up and pushed a button.
“W-H-A-T?!”
It was a recording of Kaname’s shout.
“That’s it! Out. Get out of my apartment!” Kaname walked over and opened the door for the young soldier. “It may be a while before I want to see you again.”
Sousuke gathered up his things, saluted, and then walked out into the hallway.
“Sousuke! Just where do you think you’re going?” Kaname stood with her hands on her hips.
“What? You said…”
“I said ‘It may be a while before I want to see you again.’ The key word was ‘may’.” Kaname pulled Sousuke into the room and gave him a long kiss. “Big idiot.”
“So, no train trip?” Sousuke asked when she grabbed his hand and started pulling him after her.
“Don’t be stupid, Sousuke. Of course we’re going. It was a gift from my father. It would be rude to refuse.”
Sousuke just sighed. Before he could say anything, Kaname almost jerked his arm out of the socket.
“Come on!”
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THE END
That's it folks. It had as much of 'Say Anything' that I could put into it. Hope it was fun to read for those that saw the movie.
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