Not a cloud in the blue of Paris, couples walked up and down the streets, hand in hand. Sumire watched them from her table at an outdoor café. Shifting her feet away from her many shopping bags, she took a look at the man sitting opposite her, who looked rather troubled. Smiling, she held the menu up to his face. "What are you going to order, Chuui?”

Oogami just sighed, “Sumire-kun…”

“Hai?”

“You have to go back! You've got to!” he blurted out.

She simply ignored him and signaled the waitor to come and pointed out what she wanted. "Get him the same thing... he needs something in his system so he'll stop being so cranky."

Oogami rubbed his head as she went to fix his tie. “Sumire-kun, we went shopping like you asked. We even went to the Eiffel Tower. You said if we did those things, you’d…!”

“I know what I said, but I don’t feel like going back yet.” she replied, staring into her glass.

“Demo, the Hanagumi in Tokyo keep calling. They’ve even sent someone.”

“So what?” she replied, sipping her water, "I don't care about that."

“Sumire-kun, why are you being so stubborn? Did something happen back home? Did you get in an argument with the other girls or something?”

She tearfully gripped at the table cloth. “Do you really think I came all that way because of that? That really hurts me, Chuui.”

Oogami gasped, “That’s not what I meant! Sumire-kun, I’m really…” Just then a beeping noise went off and he took out his kinematron. “Waah, they’re calling me back. It seems that there’s an attack.”

He stopped to look at Sumire, who was still frowning at the center piece. “If you have to go, then go. I won’t stop you.” she muttered.

He nodded slightly. “We’ll talk some more later. Excuse me.” he said, and rushed down the street.

Sumire just sat there for a moment, thinking out loud. “This isn’t what I had in mind. I guess I won’t find my answer just yet.” The waitor arrived with her order. She nodded a ‘thank you’ then sipped her water contently. “Till then, I’ll just enjoy myself.”

* * *
Sakura stopped at a street corner, looking from side to side. Dropping her head, she sighed, “I thought I saw Sumire-san… but then I must’ve lost her. Oh well. Might as well head back.”

However, when she returned to the spot she had left Airisu, but she and all the luggage was gone. Sakura exploded with panic.

”NOOOOO!!” she exclaimed, “AIRISU!!!”

She then fell to her knees, in total shock. ‘What am I going to do? I’m in a foreign country, where I don’t know the language, don’t know where anything is, and now I’ve lost Airisu. At this rate, I’ll never find Sumire-san and everyone back home is going to kill me…!’

Sakura pulled at the two loose strands of hair hanging at her ears. “SHIMATTA!!”

She paused to notice the crowds of people staring at her. She squinted her eyes and assured herself, ‘Doesn’t matter. Scream all you like. They don’t understand you.’

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGG!!!!”

* * *
Oogami and the Paris Hanagumi arrived at the Chattes Noires from their latest mission. “Good work everyone!” Oogami said.

”Good work, Taichou!” Lobelia called back, "Get some rest, all right??"

"Hai, hai!" he said, letting out a yawn. He decided to go lie down somewhere and take a nap, rather than go home. Entering the spare room, he became rather surprised. “NANI?!” he exclaimed.

The room was stacked full of stuffed animals and in the middle of the room was Airisi. “Onii-chan!”

“AIRISU!!” Oogami cried, running over to her. She leapt up into his arms and the two hugged for a bit. “What are you doing here? Did Yoneda send you…?”

”Yaa! Oh…” Airisu just remembered something. “Airisu kinda lost Sakura.”

”EH!? What do you mean LOST?!”

The girl pouted, “Airisu was busy and couldn’t keep an eye on Sakura at the same time. Maybe if Airisu tied a string…”

”Demo, Paris is really a big city!” Oogami exclaimed, “How in the world is Sakura-kun supposed to find her way here?!”

”That’s why Airisu came. Airisu can’t look for Sakura by herself. By the way, where’s Sumire? Maybe she’d want to help Airisu-tachi.”

”Actually, Sumire-kun isn’t staying at the theater. She’s at a hotel." he replied, "Demo, I can go get her…”

Oogami was cut off by commotion in the lobby. He and Airisu exclaimed looks then decided to check it out. All the Hanagumi members had crowded around. Airisu pushed her way through to the front.

”SAKURA?!”

”Airisu!” Sakura gasped, “Yokatta! I made it at last!” With that, she collapsed on the floor.

* * *
Blinking her eyes, Sakura woke up surrounded by stuffed animals. Sitting up in the bed, she looked around. “Hah? Where am I??”

Airisu replied, “Onii-chan's apartment. You fainted for some reason, and we had a doctor look at you. Demo there wasn't any room at that weird place over there, so I teleported you here...” She then eyed her over. ”Nee, what happened to you anyway?”

Sakura rubbed the back of her head and smiled bashfully. “Oh gomen nasai... you see, it’s a long story…”

Airisu leaned. “We’ve got a long time before Onii-chan comes back.” Sakura finally gave in and began her story on how she ended up at the Chattes Noires:

After mistaking a passerby for Sumire-san, Sakura found herself alone on the curb which she left Iris. “What am I going to do now?” she sighed. She had two main options: 1)you stay where you are, 2)panic.

Of course, Sakura started to panic. Her cries accumulated a crowd, who could not understand a word she was saying. When she saw that yelling wasn’t going to help her, Sakura decided to move on. Wandering down the street, she wasn’t sure where she was going. Before she knew it, there seemed to be some group following her. She stopped and approached them.

”Ano, Ano! Sumimasen! Nihongo ga wakarimasu ka?? Daitekoku Kagekidan, doko desu ka???”

Of course no one could or were friendly enough to bother to try. Soon they started circling her like vultures. Sakura, oblivious to what was going on, continued to push her luck.

”If it won’t be any trouble, I’ll like to find it before it gets dark. You see I’m meeting some people, and…”

Someone had reached over and snatched the ribbon out of her hair. He then held it over her head. The group started laughing. Sakura finally caught on.

”Jotto! That’s my favorite ribbon! Saa, you’re in for it…!” she muttered, reaching for her sword, that was handing around her shoulder by a string.

But then, someone came between her and the bully. He said something to the group, who dropped the ribbon and took off running. He then reached down and picked up the red ribbon, handing it back to a surprised Sakura.

”Daijoubu da yo?” he asked.

”Anata wa… you speak Japanese?”

”And English, German, Latin, Spanish, and Chinese.”

”Sugoi desu ne!”

”I’m a student.” he explained, “You seem to be a bit lost. Can I help you?” Sakura happily nodded. And from that moment, Jean-Paul was Sakura’s guide on finding her way towards the Chattes Noires…

”WAIT A MINUTE!” Airisu interrupted the story, “What do you mean ‘Jean-Paul’? Jean-Paul is a bear. How could he possibly help Sakura-oneechan!?!”

Sakura scratched her head. “Chigaimasu, Janparu-san is the kind French man who helped me get here safely. He even treated me dinner. What a nice guy.”

”(Sakura-oneechan is losing her mind…)” Airisu whispered to Jean-Paul. “Nee Sakura, Onii-chan went to bring Sumire over here.”

”Yokkata desu ne! Now we could go home right away as planned!” she replied, but it seemed Airisu wasn’t too happy about, “Aa... ano, what’s the matter?”

”Airisu don’t wanna go yet. Airisu still wants to spend time with Onii-chan…”

”Airisu…” Sakura uttered. She then had a good idea. “One more day, ne?”

”ONE DAY!?" Airisu exclaimed tearfully, "That’s not enough, Sakura! Airisu-tachi came all this way, and it's been such long time... Don't you miss Onii-chan too?! Don't you want to spend time with Onii-chan too?!”

”Atashi... It doesn't matter what I want, I promised Shihainin!” she cried. Airisu just ran out of the room. “Aaan, what am I going to do now?” she said, getting out of the bed, "Airisu, matte! Oh..." She paused to fix the sheets, her face all red, 'Kore wa... Oogami-san's bed..."

"Sakura!! Come quick!!" Airisu said, from the other room. Sakura nodded, holding a finger up to her nose to stop the bleeding. "Look!!" Airisu said, pointing out the open window. A couple were arguing in the streetlight.

“Nan desu no!? You tricked me, Chuui! I thought we were coming to your apartment for a romantic evening... but those people are here already?”

”H-hai, they’re waiting to take you back, so…”

“THERE’S NO WAY I’M GOING BACK!” Sumire yelled.

Everyone turned in their direction as Oogami tried to calm her down. “Datte, Sumire-kun, you have to! You can't stay here! Please, for me!”

”HMP!” Sumire just turned and proceeded to walk away, "I won't do as you ask - even if you got on your knees and begged me! You're a waste of my time, Chuui!"

He stopped momentarily to cover his eyes with his hand. “Oh, this is bad. What are we going to do?” He then raced after Sumire down the street. “Matte, Sumire-kun!” he called as she got a taxi and escaped.

Watching Oogami from the window, Sakura thought, ‘This is a bad situation. What are you going to do, Sakura? This is your one chance to do something right...’

She then looked over at the other girl, who seemed deep in thought. "If Airisu don’t go back, Onii-chan would be upset like with he was with Sumire right now.” she said, “One more day.”

Sakura nodded. “Hai!” She then added to herself, 'And we’ll have to convince Sumire-san somehow too.' Her gaze softened as she pulled the curtain close. 'Demo, one more day...'