Kaede pulled open the curtains in her room to let the sun in. 'It's a new morning, and a new year.' She then turned to the picture of her sister on her dresser. 'Neesan... today, I'm going to try something different. Wish me luck.'
After getting dressed, she left her room and checked the time. Kohran had planned a party in the dressing room that morning. She then noticed that Reni was passing her in the hallway. "Happy New Year, Reni!"
"Aa... to you too..." Reni stammered, lowering her head.
"What's the matter?" Kaede asked, but didn't get an answer. 'Hmm... Each of the girls has someplace to go on this vacation, but I wonder whom Reni will see at this time. She probably doesn't have anyone...'
Reni stared off into space, looking gloomy. "Jaa!" Kaede blurted out, "If you don't have any plans, why don't you hang out with me??"
Reni lifted her face, her eyes sparkling. "Arigatou!!"
While they continued on their way, Kaede covered her face and rebuked herself. 'Why did I do that...!? Today I was planning to do "that special duty"... Now, I cannot get out of this... Still I want Reni to have a nice New Years too...'
"Wah! Kako-eeee!!" cried a voice. Kaede went to peer into the business office. There was Kayama wearing a black tuxedo, handing out gifts to the Teigeki Musume. "Thank you so much and happy New Year~!" they all chimed.
"Maa, looks like I better deliver Shihainin's gift too," Kayama noted, holding up a bottle of sake, "Matta na!"
As he walked out the other entrance, Kaede quickly ran off to hide. She then looked back into the office to see the girls all lovey dovey. "Kyaaaaaaaaa!!! Kayama-san is sooooo cool!!"
"Back off! I called it first!" Yuri exclaimed, "I have dibs on asking Kayama-san out for dinner!"
"Iya yo!!" Tsubaki snapped, "Kayama-san and I have a special bond! We spent time together when I was working at the Hanayahiki! Of course he likes me best!"
"Both of you are wrong," Kasumi replied calmly, "Naturally, Kayama-san would go for a mature woman like me, not a bunch of babies like you two."
"NANI?!?!!?"
"Ano saa..." Kaede uttered, looking back and forth at the arguing girls. 'Honto ni, it's the same effect Oogami-san has on the other girls.' she thought as she walked down the hallway towards the dressing room, 'Does this mean that he's a player too...'
"YO!" Kayama startled her with a pat on the back. Kaede quickly turned around with wide-eyes, "Happy New Year, Kaede-san!"
"Happy New Year to you two... Kayama-kun..."
"I was wondering... do you have any time later today?"
"Aa..." Kaede stopped suddenly. 'Iyaa! I promised myself that I would take out Reni. What am I to do??!' Kayama looked patient, waiting for an answer. "Sumimasen, Kayama-kun... I might be a little busy today."
"Sou ka na... Sorry to bother you." he said with a smile, "I'll talk to you later then, Kaede-san."
Kaede's face fell as he walked away. 'I missed my chance...' But little did she know, three figures had been watching in the shadows. They then came out in a gust of pink smoke. "N-Nani?!"
"We are the butai of love and beauty - Baragumi desu yo~!!"
Kaede just covered her eyes. "Shimatta!! It's those weirdoes again!"
"We know of your feeling, Kaede-chan!" Kotone said, holding up a rose, "It's an incredible feeling of Love!
"Don't give up! Fight, Kaede-chan!" Yokohiko chimed, "We're rooting for you and Yuuichi-chan!"
Kikunojou blushed and stammered, "D-Do your best, Kaede-san!"
Kaede let out a long sigh. "Anta-tachi... you've got it all wrong. I'm not in love with Kayama-kun or anyone."
"The first sign of love is denial!" Kotone noted, leaning against her shoulder, "Chaaaaaaaa! Kaede-chan's blushing face is oh so kawaii!"
"Dame desu! My face is not blushing!!" Kaede cried and broke away from them. She quickly went into the dressing room before they could go after her. 'Those crazies... why do they always say annoying things...' she thought as she sat down at the table.
"Are?" Next to her, Sakura examined her carefully. "Kaede-san, what's the matter? Your face is all red."
"It is??" Kaede touched the warm cheeks, "I-It's nothing!"
Sakura just smiled and let it go. "By the way... Today, I'm leaving to go home to Sendai to visit my family." She flashed a look across the table to Oogami, but he wasn't paying attention. "Minna-san, what are you all going to do for New Years vacation?"
"Hanakoji-san has invited me to visit his home outside of Teito." Maria noted. She turned to Kanna who was at her elbow, munching on some snacks. "Kanna, if you're not busy, you're welcome to come with me."
"OK yo! Count me in!" Kanna replied. She then looked side to side. "Hmm?? Where is Sumire no yatsu??"
"Oh!" Oogami popped up between them. "Sumire-kun has been on the phone all morning, arguing with her grandfather... I'm not sure what it's about though."
"Ne Reni!" Iris said, turning to the quiet girl next to her, "Do you want to come with Iris and JeanPaul?? We're going on my big boat to meet my parents!"
Reni blushed and looked to the floor. "Iie... I couldn't."
"Eh? Why not?"
"Datte~!" Orihime patted the French girl on the shoulder and explained, "It's much too soon in the relationship for Reni to meet Iris' parents."
Everyone in the room laughed, except Iris and Sakura. Sakura looked over to Oogami again, but he was too busy trying to get close to Maria. She then sighed and turned away.
After the party, Kaede had a brilliant idea. "Ne ne! Oogami-kun, kochi kochi!" she called, pulling him Oogami aside in the hallway, "I have a favor to ask you..."
"Aa! A favor!!" Oogami looked like he was in bliss. "Kaede-san, whatever it is you want! I'll do my best!"
Kaede narrowed her eyes. 'There he goes again.' Clearing her throat, she backed away to a safe distance. "Oogami-kun, I was wondering if you're busy today..."
"IYA! NOTHING AT ALL!!"
"Then, you wouldn't mind if you could take Reni out on her New Years vacation."
Oogami's face went blank. "Eh?"
"Yoshi! It's decided then!" Kaede said, patting him on the arm, "Oogami-kun, please get packed right away and tell Reni where you're going to take her. Domo arigatou~!"
"C-Chotto!!" Oogami cried after her, but she had sped out of there as fast as she could. "Hmmm... a vacation with Reni..." he uttered to himself as he went up to his room, "I suppose it would be all right. I wonder where she'd want to go..."
Once he entered his room the window flew open and in jumped Kayama. "HAPPY NEW YEAR OOGAMI!!"
"GWAAAAAAAH!!" Oogami fell over in fear, "Oi oi!! You freak!! Don't go scaring people like that! And why are you dressed in a tux for anyways??"
Kayama cheerfully fixed his red tie, "You see, I have an important dinner tonight with a very special lady."
"Oh??" Oogami lifted an eyebrow. "Better not be someone I know."
"Heki heki!" he replied, waving his hand, "You haven't met her yet. Another time I suppose."
"Maa, ii kedo. I've got to get ready for my trip with Reni. I'll chat with you later, Kayama."
"Later Oogami! Don't forget your kinematron!" Kayama said as he left through the door, "And don't forget to give Reni a good time!"
"Hai!" Oogami replied, finally cheering up, "I will with all my effort! Happy New Year, Kayama!"
Meanwhile, Sumire was still in the Shihainin's office, fuming on the phone. "Oi, no more phone calls!" Yoneda snapped, "Leave me alone with my sake!!"
The other girls arrived to drag Sumire away. "I'm not finished yet!!" she cried down the hallway.
"Hoooooh!" Kanna fell over laughing, "Looking forward to going home for New Years, Sumire no yatsu?? You sure get along! Aahahahah!!"
"KANNA-SAN!!" Sumire hissed, waving her fists at her, "Don't even consider it! I am not going to that place at all until that Jiji apologizes!"
"Sumire-san," Sakura stepped forward, looking hopeful, "Would you like to come with me to my house in Sendai?"
Sumire stared at her for a moment, then burst out laughing. "OH HO HO HO!!! With you?? To there?!?! OHOHOHOHOHO!!"
"Is... that a ... 'yes'...?"
Kohran popped up next to the laughing Sumire, her glasses sparkling. "Wouldn't it be good defiance to your family if you go elsewhere for the holidays??"
"Now that I think about it..." Sumire's eyes flashed with inspiration. "If I got with Sakura-san, then my family will feel guilty for making me spend a degraded New Years in the hicks. Ohohoho! It's perfect!!"
"Ehehe..." Sakura scratched her head a little, "Arigatou... I think..."
Maria stopped to look around. "Aa? Where did Orihime and Iris go??"
Those two had showed up at Oogami's room. "ONIICHAN/SHOUISAN!!" they yelled, each grabbing an arm and trying to tear him apart.
"UWAAAAH!!" he cried, "C-Chotto! I can't go with either of you!! You see, I'm going with Reni!"
They stopped the violence and stared at him. "HONTO??!"
"H-Hai..."
Orihime shrugged. "Maa, I guess it's all right. Mama and Papa will be upset though... I told them I'd bring a man with me."
Iris also shrugged. "For Reni, I will sacrifice Oniichan. Demo, Oniichan must first promise to love Iris for ever and ever."
Oogami went pale. "J-Jaa... I better go tell Reni first..." He then left for Reni's room. "Oh Reni~! Oogami kedo!"
"Taichou..." Reni uttered, sitting in her... er... box.
"Reni, how would you like it if you could come with me for New Years vacation. We'll go anywhere you want. What do you say??"
Reni stared at him, the gloominess going away. Her blue eyes went sparkly and there were happy chimes in the air. "Oh Taichou!!"
Orihime and Iris watched from the door. "It's no fair..."
And so, Reni gathered all the things in her box and packed, meeting Oogami in the lobby. But they weren't the only ones leaving. "Aa Oogami-san!" Sakura said, helping Sumire with her luggage, "What are you...?"
"Reni and I are going to the suburbs to celebrate New Years. They have great festivals."
"Sou desu ka..."
Sumire put on a pair of sunglasses. "I'm going with Sakura-san to Sendai, the place where we can watch the cows and the grass grow."
"Chigaimasu," Sakura replied as they got onto the streetcar, "At this time of the year, Sendai is already covered with snow."
"N-Nan desutte??! Snow??!"
"Waaaw!" Oogami chimed, "I love playing in the snow for a long time and building forts, and then going inside and getting warm and cozy under the futon."
"O... Oogami-san..." Sakura lowered her blushing face, "Atashi... I never..."
"Built any forts??"
"I-Iie... atashi..."
Sumire narrowed her eyes. "Sakura-san! I hope you lose that silly face before we arrive at the snow fort. Otherwise, I will pretend not to know you!"
"H-Hai!" Sakura cried, sitting up. She then smiled warmly at Sumire. "Because we're going to have lots of fun, ne Sumire-san?"
"Ha... Hai..."
Meanwhile, Kanna and Maria were preparing to go as well. "Ehehe, I bet Sumire will be complaining the whole time. Aitsu... she really is a pain in the neck." Kanna noted, "Nothing like a vacation from her."
"Let's just hope she doesn't give Sakura a hard time." Maria said. They then stopped to see Kaede pacing in the hallway. "Aa! Kaede-san!"
"Oh anta-tachi..." Kaede smiled towards them, "Ready to go for your vacation??"
"Hai. We'll tell Hanakoji that you're doing well." Kanna noted, "What are you going to do, Kaede-san??"
"Oh, someone has to run the place while all of you are gone."
"Work, huh?" Maria said, "Spend time for yourself too, Kaede-san."
"Don't worry about me. Have a safe trip!" Kaede then watched as they went out the door. Sighing, she turned for the stairs, but overheard something.
"Gomen na. I have plans already tonight..."
Kaede peered over into the lobby. "Nani??!" Yuri and Tsubaki were heartbroken as they stared on at Kayama's smiling face. "MOU!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!" They then stormed off in a huff.
"Maa maa..." Kayama uttered, "Aa! Kaede-san!"
"Kayama-kun, what was that all about??" she asked, walking over to him.
"Oh, those two were trying to ask me out tonight, but I've already got a dinner reservation tonight with a very special lady."
Kaede blinked. "Honto da yo??"
"She is my Darling! I can't wait for you to meet her!"
Kaede turned into stone. 'Na... NANIIII!?!?!??!' The stone statue then fell over.
"Kaede-san...?" Kayama leaned over her, looking worried. "Daijoubu??" She slowly recovered and got up, still with that dying look on her face. "Jaa... I was wondering if you had some time today... before I have to go meet my Darling that is."
She nodded and he happily led her upstairs to the parlor where tea was waiting. But it seemed they were followed. The Sannin Musume was nosy as ever and hot on their trail. "How dare he turn me down!!" Tsubaki fumed.
"Shhhh!" Kasumi scolded her, as they crowded together in the hallway, pressing their ears on the door, "I can't hear anything with you here."
"Sou ne!" Yuri chimed, "I want to find out who Kayama-san's 'darling' is! Ehihi, then I'll tell everyone!"
"Shhhhh!"
Meanwhile on the train bound for Sendai, Sakura poured the tea carefully. "Here you go, Sumire-san... Eh? Sumire-san...?" She realized that Sumire was asleep. "A-Ano..." She just sat there, holding the teacup as Sumire snoozed away.
Time passed. 'Dame desu... The tea has gotten cold. What a waste... Demo, Sumire-san will get angry if I threw away some of her special tea... I have no choice!' Sakura then gulped down the cold tea, making a face because it didn't taste very good.
"AAAAA??!?!" Sumire had woke up and was pointing at her. The sudden movement had surprised Sakura and made her spray out the tea. "How dare you, Sakura-san!! That's my tea you're guzzling down! That type of tea is not for unrefined hicks like you!"
"D-Demo...!" They stopped to realize that everyone in the train car were looking at them. "Maybe we're a little loud..."
Meanwhile, Oogami and Reni had arrived at a town in the outskirts of Tokyo, wearing kimono. "Hmm... according to this map," Oogami noted, "There's an inn in the area that isn't expensive. I think we can stay the whole day. Demo..."
He looked over to Reni, who seemed to be going off into space. 'Can I really create a whole day of fun and entertaining Reni. I have to try!' Looking at the map, he tried to decide where to go first. 'Hmm...'
"Oi, Reni! How about we visit the temple...!" Oogami blinked to see that she suddenly had disappeared. "EEH?!? RENI!??!"
But somewhere else, Kohran was riding her bike down a deserted road. It suddenly exploded. "Iyaa!!" she cried, landing on the ground, covered in black soot, "My beloved steam bike!!"
She looked at the unfamiliar surroundings and compared it to her map. 'Hmm... I'm stranded here... but I'm not far from that place... Sou ya!!'
She then took out her kinematron. "Mushi mushi??" Maria said, answering, "Aa, Kohran! What's happened??"
Kanna squished herself onto the screen. "Looks like you blew up again. What's going on, Kohran??"
"I've had a bit of an accident. You two are at Hanakoji-han's home, right?? Could I come there?"
"Of course, we'll come and get you." Maria said, "You're on the main road right? We'll be there soon." She then signed off.
"Yapa!" Kanna chimed, "More people are coming! What fun!"
"Aa... sou da na..." Maria uttered, frowning a little. 'Jitsu wa... I wanted to take this opportunity to tell Kanna about my new years resolution...'
After they got Kohran with them, they brought her into the estate. "Hanakoji just stepped out, but he'll be back soon." Kanna explained, "Where were you headed anyways??"
"Oh, Kobe ya!" Kohran replied, "There's a real hot guy waiting for me!"
"Eeeh???" Maria and Kanna were shocked.
"Hmm... Orihime-han and Iris-chan both went to visit their parents. I wonder what they're doing now..."
Maria could picture Orihime with Mama and Papa, making embarrassing gestures. Kanna could picture Iris surrounded by her lovey dovey parents, who look like Teddy Bears. Both Kanna and Maria sighed. 'Those two always do weird stuff...'
"But what is Reni doing?" Kohran asked. Both Kanna and Maria didn't know.
Back at the festival, Oogami was looking everywhere for Reni. 'Shimatta... this is the first time my date has ran away from me. Am I losing my touch?!'
After being distracted by some kids who were asking for their ball that rolled over to his foot, he saw Reni by the riverside. "Oi! Reni!! Where have you been??"
"Here... just thinking..." she replied as he went over to sit by her, "About this year... and the things I want to do better."
"Hmm, I'd want to be better with people. The more understanding I have, the better person I'll become."
"Sou da ne... Demo... Boku wa..."
Oogami tilted his head to the side. "Reni, what do you want to do?"
"I don't know, Taichou. For some reason, I wished I were somewhere else."
"Eh?? Oh, I get it..." he replied, "You wish you were with the person you liked. Am I right??" Reni stared at him, then slowly nodded. Oogami then smiled. "I wish the same too."
"Then why are we here, Taichou??"
"Oh, I don't know... But it's not that I don't want to be here. Reni is a good person and I like Reni as well..." he started to say. Reni gave him a deadly look. "Iyaa! I didn't mean it in that way... I meant... You're a good friend and good company, that's all...!"
"Taichou needs to work a bit more on expressing himself this year, otherwise people will misunderstand." Reni noted, crossing her arms.
"Sou da ne..." Oogami said with a smile. He then tripped and fell into the river. "Uwaaaaah!! Shimatta! I'm all soaked!" he sighed.
Reni looked down at him and slightly smiled. "I'm having fun."
Just then, Sumire and Sakura arrived in Sendai. Immediately off the train, fans of the Teigeki surrounded them. "Sakura-san~! Autograph please!"
"H-Hai..." Sakura bashfully started to sign the boards and shake hands.
Sumire took off her sunglasses and looked around. "Ara... How come they're only recognizing Sakura-san?? I'm the real star! These hick people have no eyes."
"Sumimasen, Sumire-san," Sakura replied, when they finally got away from the crowds. "It seems I'm only well known in my hometown."
While they were walking through the snow-covered forest, Sakura suddenly went off the main path. "Where are you going?? I thought we were going to your house where it's warm." Sumire asked following the girl.
"I want to show you something," Sakura replied. They stopped in front of an old tree that had a scar on it. "This is where my friend Takeshi-kun got struck by lightning."
"Sou desu wa... That's why you're afraid of thunder." Sumire noted. She turned to look her in the face. "Should you really be telling me this personal thing?"
"Un... it's all right... Datte..." Sakura smiled at her. "Sumire-san is close me to so I wanted to share something."
"Eh??" Sumire blinked in surprise. But before she could reply, she heard someone approach from behind. "Ara?! Who is it??"
"Happy New Year, Sakura!" said a tall guy with messy hair, "Welcome back to Sendai."
"Aa! Takeshi-kun!"
"Nani???" Sumire narrowed her eyes and ran up to the fellow, "You're supposed to be dead! It makes the story more dramatic!"
Takeshi stared at her, very confused. "Er... gomen...?" Sakura just started laughing.
Back at the Teigeki, Kaede and Kayama were cleaning the storage room. "You didn't have to help me." Kaede noted, "I could've done it myself."
"Iya! I can't allow a lady to do such a chore on her own! Besides! Today is a holiday, you should be celebrating the New Year, not working!"
"Demo," Kaede smiled down at him, "You ought to be careful or you'll mess up your tux."
"You be careful, Kaede-san. I wouldn't want you to fall off that ladder," Kayama replied, looking up at her. She was putting things away on the top shelf. But the moment he mentioned it, Kaede lost her balance and she fell. "Kaede-san!!"
"Ah??" Kaede opened her eyes. Kayama had caught her and was holding her in his arms. "AAA??!" Her face turned as red as her shirt.
"Daijoubu?? Maa maa, didn't I tell you?" he said, putting her down, "It's like the ancients say: Don't tread in dangerous waters if you can't swim."
"Ano... is there really a saying like that?"
"Sou yo! In the Kayama Yuuichi book of Wisdom!"
"Haha..." Kaede smugly grinned at him, "There's no such book!" But in her head, she was thinking, 'I need more excuses to keep him from going on his date! Maybe if I got him to talk more about his book...'
"Looks like we're finished here," Kayama noted, looking around the place, "Good work, Kaede-san. Well, I ought to be..."
"Chotto!!" She suddenly snagged him by the arm. "Ne... Kayama-kun... jitsu wa... Watashi... s-suki..."
"Hm?? Suki... What do you like?"
"Y-You--Your great stories!"
"OH!!" Kayama's face lit up. "I'll tell you one right now!!"
"A nice long one???"
"Of course! Have I told you the one about how Oogami and I were stranded on an island for one whole week!! You see the military academy dropped us off as a test to see if we had the survival skills, but... bla bla bla bla..."
They sat down on crates as Kayama went on and on. Kaede listened happily, enjoying each minute. 'I don't want it to end... Our time together...' Outside in the hallway, the eavesdropping Sannin Musume got bored and fell asleep.
Back in Sendai, Sumire sat in the bath, while Sakura was outside heating the water. "Is it hot enough, Sumire-san??"
"Eh~!" Sumire replied over the wall. She paused to adjust the towel in her hair and examine the steam filled bathhouse. 'This is so primitive, but it was nice of Sakura to heat up the water herself. It must be cold outside... I wonder...'
'I wonder...' Sakura thought, kneeling outside in the snow and watching the fire burn in front of her. She paused to warm her hands and sigh.
'Is she having a good time?'
Suddenly a spider lowered down from the ceiling, right in front of Sumire. "K-KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!"
"Sumire-san?!" Sakura gasped, hearing the scream and splashing inside the bathhouse, "What's going on?!?"
"I HATE THIS PLACE!!!"
In the Tokyo Harbor, the giant yacht put on its lights, the name Iris on the side. "Mmm... Iris is getting sleepy... after eating all that cake..." murmured the French preteen as she slouched in her chair with her favorite bear companion.
"Oh! Looks like it's time for a nap! Mama will take a nap too!" chimed to the blond sexy lady who was her mom. "Papa, want to join us??"
"Actually, I'm going to check in with the captain. See you later, Mama." replied her father, who liked to dress in colonial clothes.
Mama leaned her head against Iris' head and snagged Jean Paul. "It's good to see you again, Iris... I missed you so much. How I wished we could bring you home with us... But you're place is here isn't it?"
In Iris's dream, she was a grownup walking through France. 'Wai wai! Iris is such a woman!!' she happily thought, twirling her umbrella. She then saw a person on the other side of the bridge waiting for her. 'Are? Who's that??'
The person took her hand and they walked together down the street. It was so sunny that she can't see the person's face.
'Iris' true love? It's a different feeling than Oniichan. Who is it?' Suddenly they went into the shade and she saw the face. 'Aa!!'
"I will always stay by Iris." said the person.
"SHIMATTA!!" Back in the Teigeki, Kayama suddenly stopped from his story and looked at his watch, getting up frantically. "THE TIME!!"
"Oh!!" Kaede got up as well and trying to block off the exit. "Is it that late already? Demo, couldn't you at least finish the story??"
"Gomen, Kaede-san... I really should get going. Another time ne?" he said, picking up his jacket and going for the door. "It won't open... the knob won't turn. It's jammed!"
"Eh?" Kaede went up to the door and tried it herself. 'How did this happen? It was working fine before. And we didn't go near the door... Unless...'
"Kaede-san!" he called from behind, "Please move aside!" She did as told and Kayama charged at the door. He ran into it three times before falling onto the floor in pain. "It's no good... Something is also putting weight on the door from the outside so I can't knock down."
"Daijoubu, Kayama-kun? Are you hurt??"
"My shoulder is a little bruised. It'll be ok if it was massaged a little bit."
"M-Massage??" Kaede went red. She could picture her sister coming to haunt her. 'Kaede-san, go for it!!' Kaede covered her face and moved away. "IYA!! NEESAN, DEKINAI!! I can't massage people's bodies or put anything in my mouth!!"
"EH??!" Kayama was totally confused, but then he saw something. "Aa! An ax!! How about using this???"
"Mou, that's only a prop." Kaede replied. She then bowed her head. "Gomen, Kayama-kun. You should be on your way by now... It's my fault."
"Chigau," he said with a smile, patting her on the shoulder, "It'll be okay. My darling will forgive me. And it's not your fault. Hopefully someone will come and get us soon."
But that was unlikely because Yoneda was passed out drunk in his office. The Sannin Musume had left the Teigeki a long time ago to go dancing. And the Baragumi were busy moving furniture in front of the storage room doors.
"Eheheh! Ganbaro yo, Kaede-chan!" chuckled the sly Kotone as he led his soldiers of love on with the battle.
Somewhere else in Tokyo, Orihime and her parents were at an elegant party in the capitol art gallery. Happily watching the grownups, Orihime noticed something very startling. 'When is the wedding?? Mama and Papa are finally back together... it should be soon!'
So, she lifted up her glass and tapped her spoon on it. "Attention, Minna-san! I've decided to take matters in my own hands by making the wedding of my parents next week!"
"EEEH??!" Seiya and Carin exclaimed.
"Therefore you're all invited to the wedding and to the engagement party too! Ahahahaha!!"
"ORIHIME!!!"
Meanwhile, Oogami and Reni waited in the lobby of the inn for a room. Finally they were escorted upstairs to a two-bedroom suite. "Sumimasen, Reni..." Oogami noted, as he wrestled to take his shoes off, "I didn't know it would take this long."
"I didn't mind, Taichou. It seemed the festival was very popular."
"And I'm sorry I couldn't get us separate rooms. Not only it was too busy, but the staff must have mistaken you for a boy."
"Ii yo, Taichou. I don't mind at all." Reni said again.
Oogami finally turned around to give the girl a smile, when he realized that she wasn't wearing anything. "EEEEEEH?!?!!?!!!" He quickly hid under the blanket. "R-R-R-RENI?!?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING??!!"
"Didn't you know, Taichou?" Reni replied, not at all embarrassed, "I sleep in the nude."
"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!"
"But it shouldn't be any concern to you. Oyasumi, Taichou." Reni said, going into bed and turning off her lamp.
"O-Oyasumi... Reni..." Oogami replied, tearfully hiding in the blanket. 'Why do these things always happen to me...??!!?'
The night went on. At Hanakoji's mansion, Maria walked down the hallway in her robe. She peered into the room Kanna was staying in. The girl was dreaming she was fighting with someone, her right fist going out in the air.
"TAKE THAT! Mmm..."
'Kanna-tada...' Maria went to fix the blanket. She then looked out the window and saw Kohran working on her steam bike. 'At this hour...?'
"DORYAA!" The blanket fell again as Kanna went into another rampage. Maria smiled and fixed the blanket again.
Elsewhere, everyone in the Sendai house had already gone to sleep. But sometime after eleven, Sakura heard a noise. "Sakura... san..." Her eyes flickered open and the blurry image focused. Sumire was sitting over her. "Sakura-san..."
"Sumire-san?" she asked, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "Doushitan desu ka?"
"Sore wa..." Sumire looked away, a bit of shame in her face. "I cannot sleep... It seems I left my favorite pillow back in Teito..."
"Eh?" Sakura looked confused, but tried to understand. "Favorite pillow ka?"
Sumire blushed uncontrollably. "I've used it whenever I'm away from home... whenever I use a room that is strange to me... When I don't have it, there's no way I could sleep at all."
Sakura stared at her for a moment, and then nodded her head. "Yoshi! I've decided!" She climbed out of her futon and patted Sumire on the shoulder, "Go on ahead! It's very warm!"
"Eh? What are you doing??"
"I've used the same room and futon since I was little. Surely it'll be better than staying in that room which hasn't been used in a long time. Besides, even I get the creeps staying in that room, so it's not a big deal."
"H-Hai..." Sumire said, climbing in the warm futon. "It's a bit better... Arigatou, Sakura-san..."
Sakura knelt down, her hands on her lap. "My pleasure! I'm just glad that Sumire-san has come with me... It really meant a lot."
"Eh? Really?"
"Of course! Year in and year out, everyone has been wonderful to me. But it's Sumire-san who actually challenges me to be better... I have you to thank for that."
"Better?? Oh, you mean 'rivalry'?"
"Hai... But I don't want to be better than Sumire-san, or like Sumire-san. You encourage me to give as much effort as I can, but in my own way. I started to feel confident when I met you. It's not like... like... ano..."
"Shouisan?"
Sakura lowered her head. "Hai, s-sou desu. When I'm around Oogami-san, I want to everything change. It's like nothing is good enough for him."
"Shouisan is a fool. To me, you're fine the way you are. Otherwise, I wouldn't be interested in this rivalry. There's no reason for you to change anything, Sakura-san."
"Oh Sumire-san..."
"It's nothing. Ariga..." Sumire started to say. Her eyes flickered. "Aa, I'm feeling sleepy suddenly. Let me rest my eyes for a moment, then we can... talk... some... mo..."
Sakura looked down at the sleeping face. "Arigatou gozaimasu," she whispered, "Let's be rivals for a long time... soshite, friends... ne Sumire-san?"
Back in the Teigeki, Kayama and Kaede were still trapped. "Any minute now..." Kayama noted, strumming his guitar, "We'll be rescued soon! Don't give up hope!"
"Kayama-kun..." Kaede sighed, leaning her chin onto her knees, "It's been four hours and it's already past midnight... I don't think anyone's coming."
Kayama frowned for a second. "Maa na, it can't be helped. We might be stuck in here until morning. Only we both didn't have dinner yet and it's a bit chilly in here. I'll survive, but..."
He turned over to her. "Iie! Daijoubu da yo!" she replied, "You forget I went through the same vigorous training as you! Not to mention I'm even a higher rank. Don't underestimate women!"
"H-Hai... of course... But I can't help but feel concern about you, Kaede-san."
Her face went red and she lowered her fists. "Eh? Really?"
He took off his coat and rested on her like a blanket. "I know chivalry is a bit outdated, but helping ladies is very important to me. Even if you say you can handle it, I will do all I can to make this time as comfortable for you as possible!"
"EH?!!" Kaede cautiously scooted away from him. In her head, Ayame was singing 'Yoru no Samba' with male dancers all around. "DAME DESU, NEESAN!!!" she cried, closing her eyes and covering her ears.
Kayama loosened his tie and smiled over at her. "How is it? Do you need more warmth??" She frantically shook her head. "Then do you need a place to lie down? I can clear off that table over there to use as a bed..."
"IYA!!" Kaede gasped, leaping up and running across the room. Kayama picked up the fallen coat and went after her. She then felt him standing behind her. "I-I'm fine."
"Chigau," Kayama said, firmly turning her around and feeling her forehead. "You're burning up! Do you have a fever?!" He was so close that Kaede went dizzy and collapsed into his arm. "Kaede-san! Kaede-san!"
Some time later, Kaede woke up leaning on against the wall with the jacket over her. She looked over to where Kayama was sleeping, hugging his guitar and looking ever so cute. Kaede walked over and settled down next to him, looking down at his hand.
Unbeknownst to her, Kayama's eyes flicked open slightly. He watched as Kaede slowly moved to touch his hand, but back away at the last second. Finally, she brought out the rest of her courage and covered his hand with hers "It's warm..." she uttered, concentrating down at the hands.
Kayama smiled and went back to sleep. 'It'll be a long time until morning...'
When morning did come, Kanna was up right at the break of dawn for her exercises. While she was training in the garden, Maria came out to her. "Ohayou, Kanna..."
"Yo Maria! How did you sleep?"
"Pretty good... However, I've looked all over the mansion, but I can't find Kohran anywhere. Have you seen her?"
"Iya... I haven't. I guess she went after that mystery guy after all. Ehehe!"
"What a surprise... I wonder what kind of person it is that Kohran fell for," Maria noted, "And to go to such great lengths to see him."
"Tabun," said a voice. The girls turned to see Hanakoji. "Perhaps you two ladies should go out and look for your special someones."
"H-Hanakoji-san..." Maria stammered, very surprised by his suggestion.
Kanna just laughed and pointed at herself. "Atai... I don't have to go looking anywhere. I already have someone special. Right??" She smiled over at Maria and made her blush.
"Aren't you lucky," Hanakoji noted, "Well, breakfast is not yet ready. Why don't you two take a walk."
"Arigatou, Hanakoji-san." Maria said as Kanna pulled her along down the road. "It is a nice garden... I'm glad we were able to come here."
"Sou... Aren't you going to tell me?? Your new year resolution!" Kanna said, folding her arms behind her head, "Mine is to eat more than 20 servings at least once a week."
"Mine is nothing like that," Maria said, "It's to be more open with my feelings."
"Heeeh???" Kanna turned to face her and lifted Maria's chin. "Whenever you feel ready, you can tell me anything. Got that?"
Maria slowly smiled. "I will."
In Sendai, Sumire suddenly woke up. She noticed that Sakura had spent the night sitting up without any blanket. Before she could do anything about it, she heard someone walking towards the room and knock on the door. "Sakura-san~!"
Sakura immediately woke up. "H-Hai!" She scrambled over to the door and opened it. "Ohayou gozaimasu, Okaasama... What is it you need?"
"Oh, Sakura-san... I have to quickly run this to town before the post office ships off their morning load. Would you mind making breakfast this morning?"
"Not at all! Leave it to me!"
When Okaasama had left, Sakura turned to see that Sumire was awake. "Could I help out?"
"Of course!"
The two girls got changed into kimono and went into the kitchen. Sakura was in charge of chopping and preparing the ingredients, while Sumire was in charge of heating and mixing. Since Sumire didn't know what she was doing, she had to take instruction from Sakura.
"Then add the seasonings."
"H-Hai..." Sumire carefully poured in the spices Sakura had set out for her. "I had never known how difficult it is to remember the recipes... Cooking is so tedious... How you do it, Sakura-san, I have no idea."
"I've been cooking for many years, that's why." Sakura replied, "It takes time and practice."
"Sou desu wa... Demo you have to admit this apron is fashionable on me. Ohohoho!" Sumire's laughter was cut short when Sakura piled more ingredients in front of her. "W-What do I do with this now??"
"I'll be there in a minute. Hold on please."
Sumire smiled warmly towards her. "Honto ni... I really envy you..."
Sakura lifted her head in surprise. "Sumire-san..." The girl didn't say anything else, but concentrate on stirring. 'Honto ni... I will do my best always... thanks to those who are encouraging me...' She then saw Sumire mixing too much miso in the wrong pot. "C-CHOTTO!!!"
"Aa! Tadaima~!" Oogami called out. He and Reni just arrived at the Teigeki. "Eh? Seems like no one is here..."
"Taichou, I feel there's someone this way." Reni said, dragging him down the hallway. They stop by Yoneda's office, where he was still sleeping. "Hmm, more down this way..."
"W-W-What happened here??!" Oogami gasped, gaping at the piles of furniture piled up on the doors to the storage room. The doors were also bolted down with boards. "Someone might be trapped in there!"
Putting their effort together, they clear the area and open the doors. "EH?!" They both saw Kayama and Kaede huddled close together, still asleep. Kaede was first to wake up. She could blurrily see a stunned Oogami and unemotional Reni staring from the doorway.
"Ano... Okaeri nasai..."
"MASAKA! THIS SCANDAL!!" Oogami exclaimed, his hands in his hair, "Kaede-san, don't tell me this was all a ploy for you and Kayama to... GAAAH!! I CAN'T EVEN SAY ABOUT IT!!"
"No one wants to hear you say it." Reni replied.
Kaede waved her hands. "C-Chigau yo!! Kayama-kun and I got trapped in here by accident. Nothing of the scandalous sort happened and there's nothing going on between us!"
Oogami clutched his chest and let out a sigh of relief. "Yokkata... I knew Kaede-san was more levelheaded than the average woman... I'm so glad..."
"And I'm so glad to see you, Oogami!!" Kayama chimed, wide-awake as he grabbed the guy and gave him a biiiiiiig hug, "So how was your trip???"
"Eeerrrrggg... can't... breathe... Get off me, you... you...uuugggg...!!!"
Kayama dropped the dying Oogami onto the floor. "Maa maa! It's morning already! I better go call my darling and apologize!"
As he left, Kaede couldn't help but feel terrible. 'After all that happened... that's the first thing for him to think of...' She then felt a pat on her shoulder. "Reni?"
"Arigatou, Kaede-san. I had a good time with Taichou. Thanks for setting it up."
"Your welcome." she replied, cheering up. "Minna! Let's have some breakfast before we clean up this mess."
As they walked over to the cafeteria, they saw that Iris and Orihime had arrived. "Ne ne! Minna!! Wait until you hear about Iris' dream!"
"Not again," Orihime sighed, as Iris went on to tell the details, "How many times do I have to hear this??"
"What do you think??" Iris asked the group, "Could the person possibly be Oniichan??"
Oogami went red. "C-Chotto matte!!"
"Demo ne... Iris remembers that this person had a voice like someone else - a soft, gentle voice. Hmmm..." While she was thinking, Reni came over to her. "Hai??"
"This is for you. I got it at the temple." Reni explained, giving her a luck charm.
"A-Arigatou... Reni..." Iris stammered, blushing bright red. Reni started to blush as well.
Orihime then popped up between them. "Hon-to desu! You two should get engaged!"
"EEEEH?!?!"
Kayama then stopped by. "I have to go meet my darling now for breakfast. See you all later!"
"Bye Kayama!!" Oogami replied, waving his hand, "Have a nice time!!"
Everyone else turned to Kaede, who looking a bit disoriented. "Chotto!" she gasped, running after him. She finally caught up to him in the street. "Wait a minute, Kayama-kun!"
"Hm?? What is it, Kaede-san?"
"Watashi wa..." She pulled him over and gave him a soft kiss. Both of them were surprised. "S-Sumimasen... this is totally not like me... but I remember you saying that you wanted to, so I..."
Kayama had his usual smile on. "I only wanted to in order to express my graciousness for all the encouragement Kaede-san has given me for the past year."
"EH?"
"Kaede-san, we're even now, so don't worry about it anymore. Matta na." He then turned and started to walk away.
"WAIT A MINUTE!!" Kaede yelled after him. He looked at her, still smiling. "We're not even; you still owe me a kiss! I won't let you leave here until you follow orders!"
The two of them faced each other, looking intense, when suddenly...
"YUUICHI-CHAN~!"
"Aa! Darling~!!!"
Broken hearted Kaede wanted to sink into the ground. 'This is his Darling...??' she sighed, staring at the attractive woman. She decided to leave without them noticing.
"Where were you last night??? I waited and waited for you to show! Karaoke Happy Hour ended hours ago!!" scolded the woman. She then stopped and looked over at the departing Kaede. "Ara?? Who is that?"
"Oh..." Kayama bashfully rubbed his head. "That's Kaede-san... a co-worker of mine..."
"Masaka, Yuuichi-chan... this is the same Kaede-san you talk about 24-7?? I want to meet her!! HORA! COME BACK!!!"
Kaede went pale and turned around. "A-Ano... you mean me??"
"Sou sou sou!!" she cried, waving her hand over, "Come over here! I'm Yuuichi-chan's older sister, Kayama Yurika!"
"Oneesan???"
"Un! I'm a year older than him... Isn't he soooo cute??" Yurika asked, glomping on the blushing Kayama.
"A year older... then you're the same age as me." Kaede replied, "I'm Fujieda Kaede. Nice to meet you."
"Oh!! He's told me so much about you. He talks on and on about Kaede-san this and that, almost as much about some fellow named Oogami."
Kaede then turned to the very embarrassed Kayama. "Jaa... I call my oneesan 'Darling' because she used to make me call her it when we were little. I guess it kind of stuck..."
"Eheheh!" Yurika just gave him a tight squeeze. "He's so sweet! Always following orders from women! It's too bad he's so shy around girls with feelings... It's no wonder he's still single!"
"Ya-Yamero, Darli-- er, Oneesan!!"
Kaede smiled over at them, somewhat relieved by this news. 'Then I have a chance...?' She looked into Kayama's eyes and saw the warmth in them directed towards her. 'Maybe I have more than a chance... Let's see where we'll go with it.'
"Ne! Kaede-san! Would you like to come with us for breakfast??"
"I'd love to!"
Meanwhile, in Kobe...
"Yoosssshaaaaaa!! Dekitaaaaa!!"
Kohran got off her smoking bike and started to walk down the street. Just as she got a couple steps away, the bike overheated and blew up. Shrugging, she continued on her way.
"Where is he...? AH!!" She stopped to stare in awe at a giant buffed man robot shoveling snow out of the road. Happy at her find, she leapt at it and gave it a huge hug. "At last I've found you!! We are together once again!" It suddenly circuited and blew up, leaving her in a black dust cloud.
In the garden, Maria and Kanna both stopped and looked up at the blue sky, somehow sensing the events that had just occurred. Sighing, they shook their head.
'Kohran no yatsu... She's always doing weird things too.'
Somewhere, someplace - Ayame's ghost sat watching over her loved ones of the Teikoku Kagekidan. 'Hopefully this year... things will be better for the Hanagumi...' She smiled a little mischievously, before vanished in a swirl of feathers.
'Hopefully...'
FIN
