In the business office, Sumire went up to the Teigeki Sannin Musume and did her business. She gave Tsubaki a pile of bromides to drool over and Yuri some shocking scandal. "H-Honto da yo??!" Yuri cried.
A very pale Kaede and Tsubomi popped up in the background while Tsubaki preoccupied herself with the saucy bromides, "Kyaa! KA-KOII~!"
The trio ignored her and surrounded Sumire for more confirmation. "Masaka!!! Sa-Sakura-san wa...??!"
"Sou desu wa!!" Sumire replied, fanning herself as she sat up on the counter, "Sakura-san was with him ALL NIGHT... doing who knows what! And she told me that they're going to secretly elope as soon as the play is over, so that she wouldn't be disowned from her family! With the baby coming and all..."
"B-Baby?!!" Tsubomi cried, clinging onto Kaede, "S-Sakura-san is p-pregnant??!"
Sumire nodded, leaning closer. "Demo, you mustn't say a word or Yoneda-shinainin will turn her out of doors! OHOHOHOHO~! What a terrible situation for Sakura-san, but it's only typical that a country girl like her wouldn't know how to handle herself in the big city~!"
Kaede crossed her arms, glaring at the laughing girl. "Sumire-kun, I don't believe a single word you've just said. I suggest you stop spreading such scandal before you get yourself in trouble."
Sumire whispered over her fan. "(Datte, I have to deliver something juicy, otherwise these people won't get back to work.)"
They both turned towards the dazed Yuri, who was too happy to move after hearing such great scandal. "Sugoi... Scandal..."
Sumire let out a sigh. "Mattaku, I suppose I might've overdone it. Maa~, there's one more person left..."
She walked up to Kasumi and held out the bouquet. Kasumi blinked and stared at the roses for a moment. "Bara...? Watashi ni?"
"E~eh. Please read the card, Kasumi-san."
Kasumi took out the card and read the contents. Slowly, she blushed and slightly smiled as she closed her eyes and sniffed the fragrance of the red roses in her arms. "Kotone-san..."
"Chotto matte," Kaede said, moving between them, "If Kotone-san really wanted your forgiveness, he would have come in person. A REAL gentleman would do that."
"Sou desu ne..." Kasumi uttered, putting aside the bouquet, "I will stay right here until my Kotone-san comes for me."
Sumire shot a scary look to the smug Kaede. "(What are you doing? You trying to sabotage me?!)" Kaede just smiled and turned away, whistling innocently. Putting aside her fuming emotions, Sumire went for a backup plan. "A~ra, Kasumi-san - if Kotone-san comes here to see you, then will you go back to work??"
"I-I suppose..."
"Yoshi!" Sumire then rushed out of the office. But her face looked rather reluctant. 'Mou! I have to deal with those people!!'
"Ano," Tsubomi turned to Kaede for help. "W-What are we going to do with Yuri-san??" Yuri was still on a high from hearing the best uwasa she had heard in a loooooong time.
Kaede shrugged. "Onto other matters, Tsubomi-kun!” she said, slyly plucking the head off one of the roses, “We must find Oogami-kun right away. I have a VERY special assignment for him."
"H-Hai!" Tsubomi stammered, feeling nervous about the mischief in Kaede's face. 'Kya! Everyone is acting so scary these days!'
* * * * * * *
Meanwhile, Kanna had left assisting the mad crowd outside to meet up with Maria in the basement. "Dakara!" Maria gasped, holding up the scoreboard, "It moved again!! Now Kouran is at the top!!"
"GAAAAAAH?!?" Kanna exclaimed, clutching her head, "HOW?!"
"I DON'T KNOW!!"
The two grabbed onto each other, trying calm down. Finally they were resolved to seek help from a place they dared not go under normal circumstances. Going to the storage room, they gazed upon the chained and locked iron doors.
"Yoshi, here goes..." Kanna uttered, sweat running down her face. She and Maria started to open the locks and unravel the chains, which someone had made a great effort to keep this door sealed off. Finally there was nothing left, but a giant wood beam across the middle. Kanna lifted it with one hand and threw aside as Maria went to turn the knob.
"Konichiwa~!" sang a very happy voice. They saw Kotone walk up to them as they stumbled through the red curtain and into an office with a rose motif. "Welcome to the secret headquarters of the butai of love and beauty - the subarashii Baragumi~!"
“Konichiwa~! Konichiwa~!” sang Kikunojou and Yokohiko prancing over to the bewildered girls and brushing themselves against them, “Konichiwa~!”
“W-What the heck are you doing??!” Kanna cried, red-faced as she held up her fists and Maria took out her guns, “G-Get the hell off!!”
Kotone clapped his hands and summoned his dancing pixies back. “Kiku-chan, Yoko-chan – what did I tell you?? Please control yourselves! Remember, Kaede-chan locked us in here because you were rubbing against her too!”
”Datte! Atashi wa…!” Yoko cried, clutching his blushing face, “I wanted some of that lovely femininity to rub off me!” He shyly turned to Kiku. “Aa, do I look prettier??”
”H-Hai… I think so…” Kikunojou uttered, “W-Watashi mo?”
”Hai~!”
Kanna leaned over to Maria, her hand over her mouth. “(No one wonder Kaede-san locked them up – they’re crazy! Let’s get out of here!)”
“(Iya. We have to figure out this strange magical board. No doubt the Baragumi knows about its origins, being a strange phenomenon themselves.)” Maria then held out the board to Kotone. “Could you tell us about this?”
”Aa~!! This just happens to be a special invention created by the Yumegumi, back in the early days of the Teikoku Kagekidan.” Kotone gasped, examining the board, “It keeps track of Oogami-taichou’s current love intests.”
”KYAAA!!” Yoko shrieked as he saw the board, “Atashi is not on it!!! Oh, I am heartbroken! Ichirou-chan, you are so cruel!!” He then tearfully held onto Kiku for comfort.
Pale-faced, Maria tapped her chin and dared to ask, “D-Doushite??”
”Battle strategy yo!” Kotone replied, waving the score-board, “By keeping tracking of Oogami-taichou’s current ‘ichi-ban’ girl, we are a step ahead of the enemy who might try to use her to get to the kagekidan!”
”Soeba,” Kanna uttered, scratching her head, “That has happened a couple of times in battle… the enemy can really take advantage of the situation is they knew the Taichou’s ichi-ban girl.”
”Demo,” Kotone continued, “The board changes so drastically that even observers on our side can’t determine who the girl is sometimes! There was a long period of time when it had stabilized with one girl, but most of the time it seems to fluctuate.”
”Taichou has problems with deciding on one girl…” Maria sighed. She then blinked and pointed at the end of the list, “Jaa… why is Kaede-san on here?? Isn’t she married??”
“This board includes all possible love interests for Oogami-taichou.”
”Then where is Sakura? Isn’t she usually up there in the top five??”
”It seems Sakura-chan has fallen out of the count.” Kotone noted, a little surprised himself, “Oogami-taichou must’ve have done something horrible.”
”That’s what you think!” Sumire appeared in the doorway, laughing and fanning herself, “OHOHOHOHOHO~!”
“Omai ga…!” Kanna snarled, walloping her with the fan, “URESAI!!”
”Nan desutte?!?” Sumire snapped, getting a bit ruffled. She instead took out her compact and fixed herself up. “I’ve got no time to deal with barbarians. I must take care of some business… Ara?” She stopped and stared at the scored-board. “N-NANI!? Why am I number two??!”
* * * * * * * * * *
”Ano…” Sakura walked onto the stage and saw that no one was there. “Where is everyone? We’ve got to practice for the play, which opens in two days.” Sighing, she took out her script and sat down at the edge of the stage, “Hmm… I wonder what’s going on.”
“SAKURA-HAAAAN!!”
”K-KYAAA!?” In her surprise, Sakura fell over into the orchestra pit. Dizzily looking up, she saw several Kouran’s spinning around. “N-Nan desu ka…??”
”Sakura-han,” Kouran said, helping her friend up, “Hayaku ya! I need your help with something in the central garden!!”
The moment Kouran left with Sakura, Oogami happened to enter the theater by the aisle entrance. “Maa maa, I wonder where Kaede-san is. Perhaps she can give me an assignment to make my manly gauge go up, or possibly take back that freeloader in my room. Demo, Kaede-san really hates me right now. Aaan, I could sure use a couple words of encouragement from my sweet Sakura-kun…”
”DAME DA!!” snapped a voice. Oogami looked up into the balcony. “Oogami-san, did we not agree that you would leave my mistress’ granddaughter alone??!” a very enraged Gontaru hissed.
“UWAAAH!!?” Oogami yelped as Gontaru leapt down and landed on his back. “G-Get the hell off me!!!” Oogami tried to shake him off, but it wasn’t any use. The little man was pretty strong and started grabbing onto Oogami’s darling spikes, “GAAAAAAAH!!! LET GO!!!”
“Not until you promise you stay away from Sakura-ojousama!!”
”I will not do such a thing!! WAAAAAAAAH!!!”
Meanwhile, Tsubomi and Kaede had come in from the stage and were watching the fight that started to come up the aisle. Kaede started waving her fists and cheering, “Oh! Go, go, go!! Yes, yes!!”
“Ka … Kaede… san…” Tsubomi stammered, tugging at her sleeve, “I think that old guy is trying to kill Oogami-san…”
”YATTA!!!”
Oogami was turning blue because Gontaru had wrapped his legs around his neck. “D-Dame…!!” Oogami gasped, falling to his knees, “Dame da!!” He then fell forward onto his face, “Uuuuggg…”
”Is he dead?!” Kaede cried, running down the aisle with Tsubomi trailing. She stopped and watched him roll over gagging. “Dammit!!”
“Kaede-san,” Tsubomi noted, “Didn’t you say there was a special assignment that you had for Oogami-san??”
“Sou da yo!!” Kaede uttered, remembering, “He needs to put up all these posters in Boss Dandy-san’s territory-- I-I mean, in the neighborhood.”
Gontaru crossed his arms and glared at the girls. “Are you the hussies this womanizing pervert has been going to so late at night??” The two just blinked and stared at him. “I saw him with two women last night… and guy! I am very disgusted with him and cannot allow him near my mistress’ granddaughter ever again!! Oogami-san, you must be banished from her sight FOREVER!!”
”Hah…?” Oogami dizzily uttered, still trying to regain consciousness.
“Dewa,” Gontaru said, turning and walking away, “I will take my leave for now.”
“What a scary little person…” Tsubomi uttered.
Kaede leaned over to Oogami. “You’ve got to get up. There are some assignments I have for you. Ne, Oogami-kun!”
“Hah…?” Oogami looked up and saw her face. Suddenly ‘Yoru no Samba’ started playing in the theater and Oogami’s eyes became hearts. (‘Bya, byaa~!’) Intoxicated, Oogami lunged up at Kaede. “A-YA-ME-SAAAAN~!
Kaede stuck out her hand and caught his face, slamming him back onto the floor. “NANI O SURU?!?”
Tsubomi was busy looking around. “W-Where did that music come from??!”
“Forget about it,” Kaede said, dragging Oogami along by the necktie, “We’ve got work to do…”
* * * * * * * * * *
Back in the basement, Kotone had gone into a long speech about how he and Kasumi just wouldn’t work when Sumire had suggested he go and beg for a second chance. “She’s spring – I’m fall… We’re astronomically incompatible… bla bla bla…”
The three girls sat on the couch, falling asleep from being so bored. Kanna sat in the middle with Maria and Sumire on her either side, their heads slowly leaning onto her shoulders.
“And she said she’d want to marry a financial stable and handsome man – Well, I can’t help her there. I might be financial stable, but I am NOT a handsome man. I am, how do you say, a very pretty man! Bla bla bla!”
“Aa, Taichou!!” Kikunojou walked over to him, wearing a short pink dress, “I’m off to the barber’s for my hair appointment. How do I look??”
Kotone put aside his drink and eyed over the blushing Kiku. “Hmmm… there seems to be a little problem,” he uttered, going to him. “Your breasts are bit lopsided… hmmm, there you go!”
Kanna, Maria, and Sumire were now all wide-awake after watching Kotone re-arrange Kiku’s breasts. “Arigatou gozaimasu, Taichou!” Kiku happily cried as he got his purse and started for the door, “Ittekimasu~!”
Maria wearily turned to Kanna. “That’s why Kasumi-san is going to be miserable for the rest of her life??”
“Saa… What do we do now??” The two of them then turned to Sumire for any suggestion.
Yokohiko suddenly appeared next to Sumire, giving her a little rub. “KIIIIIIIIIII!!! G-Get away from me NOW!!!”
* * * * * * * * * *
Kikunojou happily skipped down the front steps of the Gekijou. He stopped to see the long lines of people along the street waiting to buy tickets. Across the way, he saw Oogami bumbling down the sidewalk with a stack of posters.
“O-Oogami-san~!” Kiku called out, waving his hands. Oogami took one look at him and then ran off. “Oh…” she sighed, feeling a little heartache. She then noticed Kaede and Tsubomi following him at a close distance with binoculars. “Hah?”
After walking a few blocks, he finally came to the shop were he usually had his hair done. While sitting in the chair, he noticed some new customers next to him. Trying to not be rude, he did all he could to restrain himself from listening in on the conversation, without success.
“How much longer do I have to suck up to this girl and her family??” snarled the testy young man, “She’s plain as hell! I can’t stand it any longer!!”
“Kazu, you’ve got to stick out!” scolded his friend, “Your father worked very hard for this match and the last thing he needs is for you to botch it up! You’re just lucky these people have never heard of you before!”
”Of course they haven’t! They’re from Sendai – where ever the hell that is!” scoffed the man, as the barber took off his apron, “I don’t care if she’s a popular actress, if I have to listen to her go off about her ex-boyfriend one more time – I swear, I’ll ring her little neck!”
”A-Ano,” Kiku had to interrupt just now because the man was making some violent gestures. “If you don’t mind me asking… you don’t happen to be talking about the Teito actress, Shinguji Sakura-san, are you??” The man and his friend stared at him. “Dakara Sakura-san is one of my many rivals and although we are pining for the same man, we do have a friendly relationship and I would hate to see any harm to come to her.”
The man didn’t say a word and just got up, his friend following him. They paid the bill and left the shop. Kiku watched in surprise. “Oh my…”
”Finished!” said the barber as he took off the apron, “Those were some nasty fellows. I hope you stay away from that kind, Nee-chan.”
”H-Hai, arigatou gozaimasu.” Kiku said, paying his bill. He then bowed his head and left. But when he stepped outside, he heard something behind him. A hand grabbed him into the ally. “KYAAAAAA!!” Kiku cried, recognizing the two nasty fellows, “LET ME GO!!!”
”We can’t let this broad snitch on us!” said the friend, “Kazu, we’ve got to do something about her!!”
”I got an idea!” Kazu said, “Follow me!”
Kikunojou’s screams faded down the alley. “IYAAA!! DAME!! I’M NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL!! OOGAMI-SAN, SAVE ME!!!!”
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Special alert -> another clip from “Ai no Asagao”
The curtain opens. Everyone cheers as Sakura comes out with a rack on her back, Sumire riding in it. “A-Ano, Miyuki-san… how much farther must we go? This journey has been very difficult…” Sakura seems to trip on something and starts to trip across the stage, “Aya, aya, aya…!”
Sumire reaches back and wallops her in the head with a fan, making her fall forward onto her face. “Asaka-san! We must keep going! No matter how far it is – we must keep searching for my beloved Komagawa-sama! Just to see him again, I am willing to go that far!”
“Easy for you to say…” Sakura mumbles, her face still on the floor, “You don’t have to carry a heavy load…”
”NAN DESETTE?!”
“Aa, I mean…!” Sakura lifts her head and tries to get up, “Miyuki-san, you forget – you cried so much that your salty tears have made you blind. How could you ever see Komagawa-sama again?”
”Sou desu wa…” Sumire sighed, sadly gazing into space, “Demo, I cannot give up. All I want is to find my love and be with him always.”
”Miyuki-san…” Sakura starts to say. But then, she hears some rustling in the nearby bushes. “AH!” she cries, jolting up. Sumire painfully falls off the rack and lands on the stage with a thud. “Miyuki-san! Someone is coming! Please hide! I will do all I can to protect you!”
Sumire fumbles around and walks off to the end of the stage, ducking behind a prop tree. Some extras come out dressed as bandits and stage a fight scene. Sakura manages to chase them off, but is greatly wounded.
“Is it safe to come out yet, Asaka-san?” Sumire asked, rising and fumbling back over to her, “What has happened? I hear that you are suffering.”
”Aa… they got me…” Sakura gasps, struggling onto her feet and trying to walk over to Sumire. She just falls over into her arms. “Miyuki-san… please continue to search for your beloved…”
”Demo! I can I do this without you?!” Sumire cries, holding onto her, “My dear friend, Asaka-san…”
”Don’t worry about me… I have already found my love…” Sakura weakly smiles and lifts her hand to Sumire’s cheek, “Mi… yu… ki… san… I… can’t seem to… see you anymore… the darkness…”
Her eyes close and the hand falls limp. Dramatic music bursts from the orchestra and Sumire lets out a cry, “ASAKA-SAAAAN!!!”
