Sakura taisen (c) red co, sega, overworks 1996, 1998, 2001, 2002

If we didn't meet

Final Episode: "Duet"

"Except that conversation you had with him the day he disappeared." noted Kayama. He had been reading over Kaede's shoulder as she wrote this in one of her many notebooks. Surprised by his sudden presence, she hit him with her book. "Oi! N-Nandai yo?!" he gasped, dodging another attack.

"Y-You're not supposed to read someone's diary!"

"Heh? Really? You're not writing a book or something?? I guess I shouldn't have read volumes 1 and 2 then..."

"B-Baka!" Kaede exclaimed, hitting him again.

'It's Opening night. We found Oogami-kun just last night, after a four-day search. He was unconscious in the basement of the stage. No one is sure how he ended up there. One suggestion is that he fell through one of the many trap doors. Right now he is recovering in the infirmary...'

"Soshite!" she said, moving to face the sore Kayama, "What do you think you were doing, eavesdropping on Oogami-kun and my personal conversations??"

"Maa maa maa, I was only concerned!"

Kaede blinked. "Concerned about me?"

"Wrong! I was concerned about Oogami! To be together in a woman's room so late at night is so dangerous...!"

"Why you...!!!"

'Oh yes, since Oogami-kun is injured, someone had to take over his position as ticket-clipping multi-purpose stagehand. I hadn't the time to hire anyone, and this guy was so eager...'

"What are you doing? That isn't part of the mogiri-uniform." Kaede said, pulling him over by the arm and lifting up his black and white checkered tie. "Well??"

"Sorry, Kaede-san. It's just the uniform was so boring." he replied, as she went into her drawer and took out a green tie. "Aaah?? Dame da! Y-Yamero!!"

"Shush." she grumbled as she pulled off his tie and replaced it with the green one, tying it herself. "Stay still now..."

Kayama smiled. "Being this close to Kaede-san, I'm happy... HONTO NI! SHIAWASE DA NA~!" He stopped talking, as he could not breath for a moment. "Gah!! Too tight!!"

"GOMEN NE!" she replied, turning away and going for the door. "Shall we go check on the patient downstairs?"

"Aa! Sounds like a good idea - I'm not doing anything right now!"

"Chotto matte... Aren't you supposed to be practicing with the Baragumi 'Konoyo wa Tanoshi' for the intermission performance?"

"A-Aa... But, I don't want to sing with the Baragumi! They're always trying to touch me... I want to sing with Kaede-san--!" He ran into Kaede who stopped in the hallway. "Hm? What is it?" he asked, looking over her shoulder.

"EEEEEHHH??" Iris cried, pointing at them, "Why did Kayama-niichan come out together with Kaede-neechan?! Iris-tachi were here the whole time and never saw Kayama-niichan enter the room!!"

Reni noted, "Maybe he's been there since yesterday..."

"Are? Really??" Iris asked, "Doing what?"

"C-Chigau wa yo!" Kaede exclaimed, "That guy wasn't in my room since yesterday!! He climbed in through the window this morning to peek at my diary!"

"You keep a diary?" Reni asked.

"Iris does too!!!" Iris chimed happily, "Want to read it??"

Kaede sighed. "Mou, you're not supposed to let anyone read it." She then saw the girls heading down the hall towards the salon. "Ah! What are you doing now?"

Iris smiled. "We're going to tell everyone that you had Kayama-niichan in your room since yesterday!"

"Reading your diary." Reni noted.

"A-Ah! C-Chotto!" Kaede cried after them, but Kayama was pulling her by the hand to the stairs. "Waaaaait!"

"Let's go see Oogami~!" Kayama happily chimed.

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

In the infirmary, Maria sat at Oogami's bedside, reading her script book. She was playing a prince... again. She paused from looking over her lines to his sleeping face for a moment and sighed. "Taicho, you really scared us all... Please wake up soon."

Oogami had bandages on his head and elbows. It was a mystery how he survived, not only was it a very big drop from the first floor, he didn't have anything to break his fall. There was something else bothering Maria as well.

"Yo Maria-san!" Kayama said, he and Kaede entering, "How's he doing??"

"Taicho is still sleeping." Maria replied, "I think the medicine that Kohran is helping his wounds though. Although, I have no idea what she gave him..."

"Saa..." they all uttered, thinking about Kohran with a crazy mad-scientist look on her face as another explosion went off.

Kaede broke up the eerie moment. "Now if only he could wake up so we could ask him what happened."

"About that," Maria said, turning to her, "Before you came back, Kaede-san, I checked that exact area with Kanna. We didn't see him at all."

"Are you saying that he wasn't there before? How strange... Maybe he was conscious and only collapsed in that area before we found him."

Kayama replied, "By the appearance of his wounds, he definitely fell from somewhere."

Kaede stared down at Oogami. He looked so peaceful, unlike when she saw him before she left town. 'Something about our conversation... Oogami-kun... what could have happened to you?'

She saw him starting to stir. "Ah! He's waking up!" Oogami's eyes slowly opened. He saw Kayama and Maria on either side and in the middle was a familiar face. "Daijoubu na no? Oogami-kun??"

"Ayame-san...??"

Kaede dropped her head and sighed, "Chigau..."

"*Buuu*! Wrong, Oogamii!" Kayama said, moving into center view, "This is Kaede-san. KA-E-DE-SA-N! Have you suffered some memory loss?"

"Iya." he replied, trying to sit up, "Sorry, Kaede-san. I was just thinking about...!" He fell back in pain. "ITEH!"

"Taicho!" Maria cried, putting her hands on his shoulder, "Don't move around. You still need to recover. You did fall from a great height and your wounds weren't taken care of until now."

"Maria..." he uttered, reaching up and touching her cheek, "Is it... really you?" His hands cupped her face and he gazed into her green eyes for a moment.

"EH? TAICHO??" Maria quickly moved away, blushing. "What are you saying? Of course it's me."

Oogami laughed a little. "Gomen, Maria... I just felt really happy to see you again."

"Taicho... I-I'm happy too... that you're all right now... We were all so worried."

"Mou daijoubu," he replied with a smile, "I'm back..."

* * * * * * * * * *

Afterwards, Maria went to the dressing room, where the other girls were. Sakura came to her, extreme worry in her face. "How is Oogami-san? I heard from Yuri-san that he woke up!"

"Don't worry about it, Sakura. Try concentrating on the play tonight."

"H-Hai, demo...!"

"Mattaku!" Sumire said, walking over and pulling Sakura back to the table where she was helping with her makeup, "If you keep going off like that, we'll never be ready in time!"

"Sou sou ya!" Kohran said, as she came out of the changing curtain dressed as a peasant. "Sakura-han has been fretting about Oogami-han since we found him! Maybe you want to hand your role over to Kikunojou so you could stay in the infirmary and watch over Oogami-han??"

Sakura went red. "N-No! I don't want to do that!!"

Everyone else agreed. "Please don't do that!!"

"Doushite??" Kikunojou asked, already wearing Sakura's maid's outfit. "I look good in the part, ehehehe!" They all just stared in shock. "What?" he asked, twirling around, "Ne, Kotone-san agrees with me!"

"Sou desu yo!" Kotone said, as Yokihiko fanned him. "We're actors in this play too... I mean, 'actresses'... heheheh!"

"....................."

"Kotone-san," Yoki uttered, "The Hanagumi don't seem too pleased to see us."

"Heh? Really?"

Within seconds the three MEN were violently ousted out of the dressing room. They landed right in front of Kaede who was passing in the hall. "We can explain," they uttered as she stood over them, looking scary. "KOWAII!!!"

"I have a job perfect for you three." Kaede said, dragging them away.

"EVIL!" the sore-eyed Baragumi tearfully sighed, cleaning the public bathroom with toothbrushes, "EVIL WOMAN!"

"Yoshi! Looks like preparations are almost finished!" Kaede said as she met with the girls backstage. "The Sannin Musume and Kayama-kun are almost finished seating everyone."

Orihime stood next to her, dressed up as a pirate in black. "Yokkata de~su! I thought for sure opening night would be ruined if we didn't find Chuuisan in time. It's too bad he wouldn't be watching the play with us."

"Sou yo!" Kanna replied, "I'm playing the giant and he practiced the rock throwing scene with me, so I wanted him to see how I improved!"

"MOU! I HATE the rock-throwing scene!" Orihime cried, waving her prop sword at the giant, "You almost killed me during dress rehearsals! I want a stunt double!"

Kaede tapped her chin. "Maybe Kayama-kun could..."

"Oneechan!" Iris ran up to Kaede, dressed up as the medicine-maker's wife. Jeanpaul was in baby clothes and a diaper. "Ne ne! The Baragumi are not coming!"

"Didn't I tell them to clean all the bathrooms and report to me?"

"Yeah," Reni the medicine-maker replied, "But then they got sick and fainted."

"Shoganai ne," Kaede sighed, "Looks like I have no choice but sing during the intermission with the ticket-boy..."

"That would be me! Ore!" Kayama chimed, appearing behind her and happily wrapping his arms around her waist. "SHIAWASE DA NA~!"

"Ara, Kaede-san!" Sumire said, fluttering her fluffy purple fan and looking devilish (although she was supposed to be an innocent countryside girl), "You and Kayama-san look very cozy together. Be careful, someone might start a scandal about it... OH HO HO HO HO!"

"S-Scandal wa dame yo!!"

"Subarashii scandal~!"

"DAME YO!!!!" Kaede then sent Kayama flying across the backstage area. "Hmp! Next time I'll have you clean the bathrooms!"

Maria looked at her watch. "Ah, it's time. The orchestra is tuning up too. Let's get into our places."

"Ryokai!" the Hanagumi chimed, starting to go on stage.

Sakura trailed behind everyone, letting out a sigh. 'If only Oogami-san...' She stopped as she felt something in the air. Turning around, she saw Oogami standing by the door. "Ah...!"

"Tadaima Sakura-kun." he said. Since Kayama had his ticket uniform, he wore a normal shirt and pants. He gave her a smile and watched as she ran up to him and threw her arms around him.

"Oogami-san! Yokkata! You're all right!! I'm so glad!!" In the next instant she pulled away, blushing really hard. "S-Sumimasen...!" Her eyes went really big as he returned the hug. "Oogami-san??!"

"Yokkata," he sighed into her hair, "I'm so glad that you're all right. If something were to happen to you, I don't know what I'd do..." Then, without warning he leaned over and gave her a little kiss.

"Ah?! Oogami-san!!" Sakura cried, quickly pulling away. She also turned to see that everyone had returned back stage. "M-Minna!!"

"Wai wai! Oniichan is back!!!" Iris exclaimed, "Kiss Iris too! Kiss Iris!"

Reni pointed at herself. "Boku mo."

"What are you saying?! Chuuisan can't do that!" Orihime exclaimed, running up to them, "Only if he kisses me first!!"

Soon all the girls were fighting amongst themselves. Oogami chuckled to himself. "Shoganai na..."

So Oogami went down the line, giving each Hanagumi a 'good luck' kiss. But he stopped at Sumire. "I don't need luck! I am Teito's TOP STAR! Why should I need any luck at all??"

"Then I'll have Sumire-han's!" Kohran chimed. She grabbed Oogami over by the tie and dipped him, giving him a big smooch. "Yaa, Oogami-han is really good at this..."

"Mou, you have two, Kohran!" Iris argued, "Not fair, not fair! Iris wants another one!" Soon the other girls were yelling the same thing.

While Oogami recovered from Kohran's attack, Sumire leaned over to him. "Actually I want mine later... Meet me here tonight, Chuui."

"You can't do that, Sumire!! EVIL EVIL!" the other girls argued.

Before the fight could ensue, Kayama caught everyone's attention. "MATTE YO! I WANT TO KISS TOO!!"

Oogami waved his arms. "NO WAY!! There's no way I'm going to...!" But Kayama wasn't even looking at him. 'Oi, not again...' Oogami thought as Kayama took Kaede into his arms.

"TEME!!!" A fist sent Kayama flying again. An angry Yoneda rolled up his sleeves and stood over the ticket boy. "Hands off my precious daughter!!" He then turned to Oogami. "Welcome back! Wahahahaha!"

Oogami laughed to himself as Yoneda pulled him into a big hug. 'Ha ha... I forgot this old guy was still alive...'

Kaede blinked, snapping out of a dokidoki trance. "A-Ara, Shihainin, what are you doing here backstage...?"

After expressing his relief that Oogami was okay, Yoneda pointed at the girls. "What's the delay about? The crowd is getting restless out there! Go out now!"

"Minna, do your best!" Oogami called. He happily watched the girls go out and begin the opening act. He noticed that Kaede was standing next to him, giving him an impatient look. "Nani?"

"I-It's nothing!" she gasped, her face still blushing, "Tonikaku, you should be resting, Oogami-kun. You're still recovering..."

"Daijoubu desu." he replied, "I want help out as much as I can. It's a busy night for the Teigeki after all."

"If that's the case, then I suppose I cannot stop you. Why don't you change your clothes and give Kayama-kun a hand. I, too, have to change. Since the Baragumi isn't here, someone has to sing during the intermission."

The two of them walked up the stairs to their rooms. Oogami wondered why it became quiet all of a sudden. Staring at Kaede's side profile, he saw that she was still blushing. 'W-Why...?'

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

In his room, Oogami searched her closet. 'I know I had another tie somewhere around here...' He stopped and looked to the window. Outside, the sun was near setting. He opened the window and let the cool breeze come in. 'Teito really looks beautiful. This Teito, not that Teito I left behind... Is it really all right? I can't help but feel...'

"Yo." Kayama swung down from above, his face inches away from Oogami's. "What's with the sad look, Oogami? Everyone is happy that you're back!" he chimed, while he hung upside down.

"That's true, but there's something still bothering me... And what the heck are you doing out there again??"

"I was on my way to report to Kaede-san that I have finished my duties!"

"Can't you use the door like everyone else??"

"Maa maa, it's more fun this way! Besides! The view is fantastic! Come out here, Oogami!" Kayama said, as he flipped onto the ledge. "TOH!"

Oogami climbed out on the ledge with his friend, the two of them watching the sun set. "It really is beautiful... Teito..."

"Aa, it's been a pleasure protecting it." Kayama replied, leaning against the brick wall, "I don't know what I would be doing now if I wasn't. Either way I look at it, the reason we've gotten this far is because you were here..."

"Iya... sonna..."

"Don't be so modest, Oogami! You're the heart of the Teikoku Kagekidan! No one can do what you've done to the team! Teito wouldn't be such a beautiful place if you weren't here. If we all didn't meet Oogami, we'd all be so lost..."

"Kayama... honto ni arigatou."

"Speaking of which, I need to report!" Kayama chimed, going towards Kaede's window. But, Oogami stopped him with a hand on his wrist. "Hmm?"

"Kayama, I was wondering if you would mind if I were to ask Kaede-san out sometime... Like for a 'date'..."

Kayama suddenly lost his footing and almost fell, if Oogami didn't grabbed him by the vest. "W-W-What for??" Kayama stammered, sweat covering his face.

"I've been thinking about something. Up until now, I have always looked at Kaede-san as a remembrance of her sister. I've never looked at her as a love-interest."

"W-Why are you asking me?? Kaede-san and I have nothing! You should ask her!" Kayama frantically pulled Oogami over to the window. "She's right there...!"

The two of them stopped, watching Kaede in the middle of changing. "Hyaaan..." they uttered, blushing.

"N-NANI??!" Kaede caught view of them in her mirror. She quickly threw open the windows, the two guys falling. Luckily they caught the ledge and hung there, but Kaede closed her window and curtain, not bothering to help them.

"I think now isn't the best time to ask..." Oogami sighed, he and Kayama hanging onto dear life.

* * * * * * * * * *

The next stop was the dressing room. "Maybe I left one of my ties here." Oogami sighed, looking around with Kayama.

"What are you looking for??" Sakura asked, walking up to them. She had finished her small role in the play and was organizing the gifts with Orihime. "Maybe we can help you look for it."

"Easy for you to say..." Orihime muttered, holding an ice pack to her head. "Damn rock-throwing scene..."

Kayama suddenly grabbed Oogami over by the shoulders. "Oi, are you sure?? Are you sure you want to ask Kaede-san out on a date???"

"N-Nan desutte?!?!?" Sakura exclaimed.

Oogami dropped his head and sighed. "Kayama, weren't we going to keep this a secret?" He turned to the teary-eyed Sakura. "Eto... s-sore wa..."

Just then, Kaede walked in the room. "I'm ready~!" She did a little twirl in her white dress she bought in Ginza. "Well? How do I look?"

"Beautiful." Oogami and Kayama uttered at the same time.

Sakura fell over. "Sonna...!"

"Ara, Sakura... what's wrong?" Kaede asked, wondering why the girl had collapsed all of a sudden, "There's no thunder..."

Orihime waved her hands. "Sakura-san wa heki heki de~su! Why don't you put on some makeup before you go on stage? The act is about to end."

"Sou ne!" Kaede said, going to the mirror. Powdering her nose, she looked over her shoulder at the boys for a moment. "I'll forget about what you were doing outside my window for the time being, but next time there will be some sort of punishment..."

"H-Hai, Kaede-san!"

She then smiled. "Now that's settled... Oogami-kun - you come sing with me during the intermission."

"EH?!" Kayama exclaimed, "Why him! What about me! It's supposed to me! Ore! The ticket boy!!!" Kaede just reached over and took off his tie, giving it to Oogami. "Sonna...!"

"Datte, I'm not in the mood to sing 'Konoyo wa Tanoshi'. I feel like singing 'Yukai na Yoru' and you don't know the lyrics to that one, Kayama-kun. Oogami-kun does."

Oogami put on the tie and looked to teary-faced Kayama, then to Kaede. "Hai! Let's go!" He and Kaede proceeded out the door, towards the stage. "Actually, Kaede-san, there's something I need to discuss with you first. It's about... Ayame-san..."

Kaede lowered her eyes for a moment. "Of course it's about Neesan. I know... She's a lot better than me. A lot of people like her... I'm just her stand-in."

"Sonna!" Oogami replied, taking her hands, "I used to think like that, but not anymore. Kaede-san, you're a separate person from Ayame-san! You're someone I want to know better..."

"Eh? What about Ayame-neesan?"

"Ayame-san said she's always with me - watching over the Hanagumi on the stage and the battlefield... That she's happy to have met us all, but somehow it's better this way."

Kaede wasn't sure why she believed that Oogami had a conversation with her sister who had been dead for the last 4 years, but somehow in the way he was saying it, she did. "Jaa... what else did Neesan say?"

"Ayame-san said... She's sorry, for all the pain she has ever caused you. Right now, she feels so proud of you. She really wants you to be happy, Kaede-san."

Kaede lowered her eyes, looking nostalgic. "Neesan..." Her eyes moved to his hands that were still holding hers. "Oogami-kun..."

"T-That's why... I wanted to ask if sometime I could go out... not with Ayame-san's sister, but... together with Kaede-san!"

"Like in a date??" she asked. Oogami nodded, blushing really hard. Kaede tilted her head to the side. "Hmm, 'a date together with Oogami-kun'... Is that okay with you?"

"Eh?" Oogami uttered, as three people fell out of their hiding place. "Kayama? Sakura-kun? S-Soshite... Reni??!"

Kayama rushed over and grabbed Oogami's hands away from Kaede. "Kaede-san and I have nothing - we're just playing around! Ore bezuni!!"

"A-Atashi mo bezuni!!" Sakura cried, "Who you see is none of my business, Oogami-san! I don't care about it!"

"Liars." Reni uttered.

"Aa, I see..." Oogami said, "But, Reni, what are you doing here??"

"Orihime said she's too sore to move and she wanted me to report what we eavesdropped. She will be pleased it was something scandalous as a 'date'."

"S-Scandal wa dame yo!" Kaede exclaimed, "Besides, I didn't give an answer yet!"

"Why not?" Reni asked, flipping through her diary, "It seems your last date was May 13th 1921."

"Eeeeeh??!" everyone said, looking at the blushing Kaede. "Honto desu ka??!"

"Reni, don't read my diary!" Kaede again exclaimed, "Besides! This wouldn't be the case if a 'certain someone' had the guts to ask me!!"

All eyes turned to Kayama, who shrugged. "Well, if Yoneda doesn't want to ask you out, you can't force him..."

"N-Nan desutte! Why Yoneda-shihainin??!"

"Oi!" Kanna said, coming to meet them, "The act just ended. Kohran is chatting with the crowd, but you better go out there and sing something soon, before they become hostile."

Oogami and Kaede headed to the stage, but Kayama moved in the their way and gave them a sincere smile. "Good luck you two. I wish both a lot of happiness."

"EEEH??!"

"Please invite to the wedding." he sniffed, "I will always treasure our time together... I'm so glad to have met you both!"

Kaede ran up to him, blushing. "W-What are you talking about?! Oogami-kun and I have nothing...!!"

Oogami chuckled as those two went back and forth - their conversation not going anywhere. Sakura slowly scooted next to him, watching him watch them. "Ano... about Kaede-san..."

"I don't know yet. I think I have to find out..."

"S-Sou desu ka..." Sakura uttered. She leaned over and pressed a kiss on his cheek. "Give it your best, Oogami-san!"

"Aa... arigatou, Sakura-kun." he replied, feeling the wet spot left on his skin. He then reached in his pocket and took out a red ribbon. He held it next to her ribbon - but this one smelled of blood.

"Sore wa...!" The two of them watched as the ribbon disintegrated into dust. "Oogami-san, what was that?"

"I finally get it. It wasn't real, that life... So I don't have to worry about it. But everything here in this life is real, because this is where I belong." He turned towards Kaede. "Shall we get going??"

"Hai!" she said, trying to walk away, but Kayama caught her by the shoulder. "Hai??"

"Kaede-san... ore...!"

"Na-ni?"

He leaned in closer, to whisper softly in her ear. "Next time for sure, I'll sing together with Kaede-san..."

Kaede sweetly replied, "We'll see." She then went to meet Oogami at the curtain. Already the crowd was exhausted with Kohran's jokes that didn't make much sense. She turned to Oogami and giggled. "Are you serious about this 'dating thing'? I saw you with Sakura..."

"Ore? Sonna! Sakura-kun and I have nothing...!"

"Hihihi... Is that so? What about the other girls? Mou, Oogami-kun is such a player - what am I to do?" she sighed. Looking up at the spotlight, she smiled. "Iie... I won't lose. Not to anyone... Not even Neesan."

Oogami blinked in surprise. "Kaede-san..."

Kaede moved closer - her forehead touching his. "Oogami-kun, what would you do if I won?"

"Ore..." he stammered, blushing and thinking: 'Yapari! They are the same after all!!!'

Kaede giggled again and stepped back. "Your face looks so fearful, I guess you don't want me to win."

"C-Chigau!!" he gasped, "I-I was just nervous by your sudden sexy voice!"

"Mou, I can have a sexy voice too." She added thoughtfully, "But there is no way for us to know until it happens. Right, Oogami-kun?"

"H-Hai!"

"Yoshi!" she said, taking his hand, "Let's go, Oogami-kun! Everyone is waiting for us!"

"Hai!" he said as she pulled him onto the stage, the two of them entering the spotlight.

'Until it happens...'

(Roll credits as Oogami and Kaede sing "Yukai na Yoru"...)

Aah~! Shiawase~!

FIN