notes: "Itai" - sound of pain "Benitokage" - "red lizard", Sumire's role in the play of the same name.

sore ja, adios! This fanfiction is by JillM; Summer2002 https://www.angelfire.com/wa3/falling_sakurataisen

Sakura Taisen

* If We Didn't Meet *
Episode 2: "The other side of the mirror"

"OI!!" he yelled after the speeding pickpocket, "Come back here!!" He chased after her into an alley, thinking: 'Ginza sure has turned into a dangerous place over night!'

Finally, he caught up to her and tackled her down to the ground. "Kyaa! Itai ya!"

"Eh?! Ko...Kohran?!"

Her glasses slid down off her nose a little as she stared at him in surprise. "H-How did you...!?" But Kohran didn't finish her words. Instead, she pointed over his shoulder. "Over there!"

"Eh? Where?" he asked, looking.

She tossed a ball-shaped mechanism into his lap and scooted away just in time for it to blow up in his face. "Heh! Mata na!!" Kohran then took off running again.

Oogami just sat there in shock - and covered with soot. 'Kohran... why did she act as though she didn't know me? Why was she dressed in soiled street clothes? Is she in a play??' He saw that she had dropped his wallet and went to pick it up. "Ah?" There was nothing in it. 'Did she take it all? My identification, my money... Kohran... why?'

Sighing, Oogami dusted himself off and walked back to the main street. He turned towards the Teigeki again, wondering if he should try to go back. "Don't bother," said a voice. Oogami swiftly turned around to see an old man, "That place is a pit of broken dreams. Don't be swallowed up by it either."

"I don't understand..."

"You don't need to..."

Oogami didn't take that as a complete answer. "Tell me what happened to the Teigeki! I have a right to know!"

The old man sighed. "The place that once showed such great promise... The place built on dreams... It has turned into dark place. With the failure to protect Teito from enemies and the assassination of Commander Yoneda..."

"WHAT!? Yoneda... no, it can't be!"

"It happened more than a year ago..."

"But...!" Oogami grabbed him by the collar, "Are you senile, Jiji?! Yoneda can't be dead! He can't possibly...!!"

"It's the truth! Unhand me, you brute!" the old man gasped. Oogami quickly did so, because a police officer had arrived.

"S-Sorry... I didn't mean to cause trouble..." Oogami stammered, trying to avoid being brought somewhere, "I-I have to go...!"

"Hey! Come back here!" the cop yelled, going after him.

Oogami lost him in a crowd that suddenly appeared. He noticed they were surrounding a fancy-looking vehicle driving on the main street. "Who is that? A celebrity?"

"Where have you been?!" said a fan who was shoving him, "The person in that car is the most famous movie actress in all of Japan - Kanzaki Sumire-sama!"

"Eh? S-Sumire-kun...?!"

"Do you know her? If you do, could you introduce me??!" the fan cried, grabbing onto Oogami's arm, "Oh, but rumor has it that she's secretly engaged... It's no fair!"

"What?! What?!" Oogami was in a state of shock. 'When did all this happen?! Sumire-kun never said anything about becoming a movie star! Sure she did that one role as Benitokage, but how could she give up the stage?! And what's this about an engagement?!'

"Ne!" said the fan, "Are you listening??" He gasped and started pointing. "Look! Look! She's opening the window!!"

Oogami turned his head. He could see a glimpse of Sumire's face as the car passed him. She wasn't smiling and was dressed in rather plain clothing. 'Sumire-kun...' His face turned red as he thought about how he had seen her with Sakura on the stage. 'Uwah... those two... w-what was that all of about??'

Sumire had seen this look in his face and stuck her head out of the window. "Excuse me! Pervert! What are you thinking about??!"

"UWAAAH!!" Oogami waved his hands frantically, "Sumire-kun! I'm sorry!! I-I didn't mean it...!!"

The fan looked from him to her. "So you DO know her??!"

"Huh? Well, I...!" he stammered. Sumire grabbed Oogami and pulled him into the car, and shut the door before anyone could follow. "Ano! S-Sumire-kun...?!"

"Shhh..." she said, placing her fingertips to his lips, "Don't talk at all."

'Eh??' Oogami thought as Sumire moved in very close. 'W-What's going on??!'

"Hmmm," Sumire looked like she finished whatever she was doing and scooted away, "Where did you get those ridiculous clothes?"

"What! These are the Teigeki ticket-clipping uniform!"

"I can see that... but did you happen to go into that dreadful place and steal them??"

"EH?!" Oogami blinked his eyes. "W-Why would I...?! Sumire-kun, you're acting so strange!"

"You're the one who is strange - calling me 'Sumire-kun'!!" she snapped, "But what vexes me is that you were able to go into that place and come out alive. Surely, Maria-san..."

He cut in, "What is with Maria? Is she all right? She tried to shoot me!"

"That's because..." Sumire looked at him closely again. "Ara, who is doing the questioning?? You seem like you haven't a clue what is going on here."

"I don't! Sumire-kun, you have to tell me...!" he pleaded, taking hold of her hands.

"Oh ho ho ho ho." she said slyly, reaching her arm around him. "No, I don't." She then opened the door and pushed him out. Oogami landed into the street, being swallowed up by screaming fans as the car drove on by. "Ohohohoho!"

"Sumire-kun..." Oogami uttered, standing as the crowd left him behind to chase the car. "What is going on...?" He noticed someone familiar crossing the street. "Ah!! Isn't that...!? T-Tsubaki-chan!!"

"Eh?" Tsubaki heard her name and turned around. Seeing him wave his hands, she quickly started to run.

"Tsubaki-chan??" Oogami chased her, hoping to get some answers. 'Surely Tsubaki-chan will tell me! I mean, why is Kohran on the streets, Sumire-kun a movie start, Maria a little psycho... And Yoneda-shihainin...' He caught up to her and fastened his hand onto her wrist. "Tsubaki-chan!!"

"KYAAAAAAA!!" she screamed, "Stalker! Stalker!!"

"Waaaah! N-No, I'm not...!" he gasped as people stared at them, "T-Tsubaki-chan! It's me!!"

"DAME DESU! You're one of those sick guys who follow cute waitresses around between work hours!!"

"W-Waitress?? What happened to your job at the gift shop?? The Kazegumi?!"

Tsubaki stared at him. "How did you...?" She broke away from him and sped into the building before him.

"Tsubaki-chan...!" Oogami looked at the building; it was a restaurant. "Are? This wasn't here before... Hmm, I wonder..." He stopped at the door. "Ah?! K-Kanna!"

"Yo, Niichan!" she said with a cheery smile, "Do I know you from somewhere??"

"Kanna! I'm me, Oogami!!"

Another guy who was there playfully elbowed her. "Hey Kirishima, who's this guy? Your boyfriend??"

"Cheh, beats me. Maybe he's just trying to get inside by being all slick." Kanna noted. She turned back to Oogami. "Sorry, sorry - there isn't an Oogami on the reservation list. You cannot come in."

"B-But...!" Oogami stammered, while thinking: 'When did Kanna become a bouncer to this place...?!?'

"That uniform looks kind of familiar though..." Kanna said, "You didn't happen to loot the old theater, did you??"

"What!!" Oogami gasped, "What are you talking about, Kanna?! It's me!! You remember - your Taicho, Oogami Ichirou!"

Kanna waved her hands. "Hold on there! We don't let drunken people in to get even drunker. I think you need to sober up - or do you prefer I pound a couple of lullabies to put you to sleep??"

Oogami went pale as a fist came directly at his face. It stopped suddenly and he heard another familiar voice. "Knock it off, Kanna-chan... He's with me."

"K-Kayama?!??!" Oogami gasped, seeing that his best friend had saved him. 'Demo... he looks different...' Kayama wore a long black coat and hadn't shaved very well. He also looked very gloomy, unlike his usual happy-go-lucky self. "Oi, you all right?"

"Just come with me." Kayama mumbled as he pulled Oogami inside.

"Enjoy your time!" Kanna yelled after them, while cracking her knuckles, "I'll wait for you outside, Niichan!"

"Don't mind her. She enjoys beating up people for no apparent reason. It's her job anyway." Kayama said, still pulling Oogami through the smoke-filled room. "I'm Kayama, by the way."

"I know... Hey, you can stop playing this joke on me." Oogami said, breaking free from the hold, "I've had enough!"

"Oh have you?" Kayama asked. He paused to look over his shoulder. "Tsubaki-chan, is this the guy you said was stalking you??"

"H-Hai!!" Tsubaki cried, clutching a tray, "W-Why did you bring him here, Kayama-san??"

Kayama shrugged. "I needed a drinking partner. And I want to hear some interesting stories... especially from a 'stalker' type."

"But I'm not a stalker..." Oogami replied. He looked over to Tsubaki. "I'm really sorry, Tsubaki-chan. I didn't mean to startle you. Its just things are turning out to be so strange. I mean, some old guy told me that Yoneda-shihainin was dead."

Tsubaki's face saddened. "Sou desu... It happened over a year ago... How cruel... for you to bring up such a horrible thing..."

"A-Ano!!" Oogami stammered, watching the girl wipe her eyes. 'Tsubaki-chan isn't her cheerful self either! And now I've made her cry! This can't be good! But... it's true then... Yoneda is dead?!'

"Heh, where have you been?" Kayama sighed as he sat down lit a cigarette. "You want one?"

"No, I do not!" Oogami exclaimed, "And when did you start smoking! Didn't we swear to each other that we would never pick up such a nasty habit!" Kayama just laughed at him and puffed away. Oogami dropped his shoulders, frowning. 'This isn't the Kayama I know...'

"Kayama-kun!" said a voice that caught everyone's attention.

Oogami turned to see Kaede walk through a path in the crowded room, looking just as he had saw her last - in her green military uniform. 'Thank goodness... At least Kaede-san is the same. Surely she will tell me what's going on.'

But she went right passed him, as though she didn't even see him. She stopped at thee table, removing off both of her gloves and taking the cigarette from Kayama mouth. "What are you doing here?!" she said, as she put it out in the ash tray.

Kayama smiled slightly. "Your sister asked me here."

Oogami lifted an eyebrow. 'Sister?!'

"If that's the case, then..." Kaede replied, "You're going to help me after all?"

"Maa maa maa..." Kayama held up his glass, "I already told you my answer: no-I-am-not-going-to-help-you-ever-have-a-nice-day."

"D-Demo...!!" she cried, turning heads in their direction. Kaede controlled her voice, but her face showed dejection. "So, I can't count on you."

"No, you can't. You should know that already, Kaede-san."

Kaede turned towards Tsubaki, who bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Kaede-san. But I... I just can't... I'm really sorry!" Tsubaki quickly rushed off to take some orders, before Kaede could respond.

Kaede let out a sigh and turned to leave. Oogami looked to Kayama who lit up again. "Ano... Kaede-san is..." But no one seemed to care. Oogami got up to go after her, but all of the lights shut off. "Eh?" There was a spotlight on the stage, and a woman...

"Good evening, everyone! Are you enjoying your dinner?"

Oogami's mouth dropped open. "Whaaat?!"

The woman wore a stunning white gown, her brown hair up with flowers tied in it. She made eye contact with him and smiled. "Oogami-kun..."

"A-Ayame-san..."

Without another word, Ayame struck up the band and started singing "Yoru no Samba". Everyone in the room seemed very into it, leaving their tables to flock at the stage - just to get a closer glimpse at the beautiful singer or even touch the hem of her dress as she passed in front of them.

'But how can this be...?' Oogami thought as he watched her dance on stage, 'Ayame-san died, didn't she?' He rolled up his sleeve and pinched himself in the arm. 'No, I'm not dreaming...'

A soft hand appeared on his cheek. Oogami lifted his face to see that the spotlight had moved on him, and in front of him was the lovely Ayame. "Ano..."

"Oogami-kun, can I see you afterwards?"

"H-Hai, Ayame-san!" he stammered, blushing.

"See you then," she said, turning and walking back to the stage. "Pya-pya~!"

Kayama and Tsubaki waved their hands in his face. "Oi! Are you going to drink that??" / "Excuse me!! Since you are a fan of Ayame-san, would you be interested in a limited edition bromide??"

"Eeeh?!" Oogami snapped out of his trance. "N-No thanks, you two."

"Your loss." they replied at the same time. Kayama drank the glass down while Tsubaki rushed off to the next table.

Oogami looked back towards the stage. 'I've got to figure out what's going on here...'

* * * * * * * * *

"This way, please." Ayame said, leading him up a flight of stairs in the back of the restaurant, "I hope I didn't take you away from your friends."

"N-No, actually they don't seem to remember me. Only you, Ayame-san..." Oogami replied as she opened a door and turned on a light, "Umm, could you tell me..."

"I will. Please have a seat, Oogami-kun."

Oogami found himself settling into a cushioned chair with a doll in it. He moved the doll to his lap and watched as Ayame closed the door behind her. She then took the clips out of her hair and it down. "Ano... Ayame-san..." he uttered nervously as she came to knelt at his side, staring up at him with eager brown eyes.

"Oogami-kun, it's been a while."

"I-It has... Um, but... didn't you... I mean..." Oogami didn't know how to say it, but somehow he knew she understood him. "Ayame-san..."

"Oogami-kun, I'm happy to see you again too!" she replied with a smile, "It was difficult battle back then and ... Well, it doesn't matter now. It's all different now."

"Yes it is! Ayame-san, what exactly is going on?!"

"Look at it this way... If you became were the Taicho of the Hanagumi, this would be how it is. You're pretty lucky to see this side... Some people would go through their lives wondering, but you get a vision of it firsthand."

"I still don't entirely understand." he sighed, "So it's as though I never met any of you... But then..."

They paused to hear the door open. "Neesan!" Kaede stepped inside, slipping off her shoes. "Oh? You're having a meeting... Sorry to barge in..." She then recognized Oogami from downstairs. "Eh?? This guy is a stalker of Tsubaki-kun's..."

"NO I AM NOT!" Oogami cried, "I'M INNOCENT!!"

"Ara ara," Ayame giggled, "I'm sure it was the other way around. Oogami-kun is usually the one being the target of affection. Isn't that right, Oogami-kun??"

"E-to..."

Kaede sighed. "Still! What did we talk about you bringing men over?? I live here too, remember!"

"You can bring some men too. Kaede-san is also an adult..."

"That's not the point!"

"Ano!!" Oogami got up and moved between the sisters. "Please don't argue. I-I can leave, y'know! I didn't mean to cause trouble, so please...!" Sweat lined his face as he looked back and forth. 'Uwah, two Fujieda in the same room - this must be a dream! Somehow I don't want to wake up... But still...'

"I was just telling Oogami-kun about what is going on in Ginza lately." Ayame said, "I thought that maybe he could help you."

"Him??" Kaede replied, "What connections does he have with the military or the Kanzaki Zaibatsu?? Tell me how is he going to help me get the Teikoku Kagekidan back! Why should I put my faith in another man who is just going to...!!"

Kaede's voice trailed off. She slowly turned away, her hands fisted at her side. 'Kaede-san...' Oogami looked at her solemnly, wanting to somehow comfort her. 'Even with the sister she talked about with so much love... just now, she looks so lonely...'

"Kaede-san!" Ayame said, moving to face her younger sister, "You need not worry. This time, I am also going to help you as well. But I need you to trust Oogami-kun. He is going to be a great ally to us."

"He is...?" Kaede uttered, looking over at him.

Oogami straightened up and saluted her. "Hai!"

Kaede slowly smiled. "I'll try it. But if he does turn out to be a stalker like everyone downstairs says, I'm going to have Kanna beat him up..."

"I'M NOT!!!"

Calming down, Oogami saw that Kaede was joking. He looked on at the two Fujieda sisters, uncertain if he was lucky or not being in this situation. 'So this is a different perceptive... Of what could have been...'

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Episode 3 Preview

Sakura: I'm Shinguji Sakura! Nice to meet you!

Oogami: Sakura-kun!! I'm me, Oogami!!

Sakura: ...A-Ah! There's my husband! Run!!

Oogami: Husband??! You're married??!?!

Sakura: Next time on Sakura Taisen: "A stroll through Asakusa" Taisho Sakura ni Rouman Arashi! Ne, Oogami-san, come with me for a little bit.

Oogami: W-Waait...!