OOGAMI’S NARRATION:
It has been year, hasn’t it? To me, it seems like forever.
Ever since that day when I left Tokyo and came to Paris, not once had I thought about ‘home’. This was my home now. The new faces, the new koubu…all of it are familiar to me. I’ve been so occupied with work here; I hadn’t the time to reminisce about the past. Perhaps someday, I thought, I might even forget everything.
But seeing you again… time has moved backwards…and again, that feeling has returned…

* * *
Oogami blinked his eyes. He gone out on the balcony during his night watch and fallen asleep. Yawning, he glanced at his watch. “Oh, it’s really late. I should go back now.” he uttered and wandered back into his apartment. Walking in his room, he saw the door slightly open. He paused and peered inside.

“I’m sorry to bother this late at night… Hah? It’s morning?” Sakura was at his kinematron, which sat on the dresser. “Well, I hope I didn’t wake you. I really needed to talk to someone.”

Kouran was on the screen. She gave Sakura a curious look. “Everything all right in Pari ya? Hm???”

“O-Of course! I have everything in control!” she cried, all flustered, “It’s just… how are things back home?”

“Your first time out in the world and you’re already homesick? Honestly, you should relax more, Sakura-han.” Kouran said, wiping her glasses, “It was dead boring today. There was a run in with a demon, but we handled it jus fine. So, what’s going on over there?”

“Ano... it’s fine. Although the boat ride was exhausting, we were able to locate Sumire-san already.”

“So, mission accomplished? Yossha! Way to go, Sakura-han!”

“Well… no, not quite. You see, Sumire-san doesn’t want to come with us, and I’m not sure if I can convince her. Although it may not seem so, I’m responsible for her…for Iris too. If I can’t handle this then what good am I for the team.”

Kouran put down the invention she was working and gave her a look of concern. “Sakura-han, don’t think like that. I’m sure things will turn out okay. You’ll see.”

“Really? Do you think so?”

“Of course! Look, you made it there in one piece…that’s already a big step! I’m not at all worried that you will succeed!”

“Airgatou gozaimasu, Kouran…” Sakura replied timidly, “C-could you please not tell Maria or Yoneda-Shihainin about this?”

“It’ll be our little secret.” Kouran said with a wink, “Why don’t you get some rest? You look a bit tired.”

Sakura nodded and hung up. She turned to see Oogami standing in the doorway. “Oh! I’m s-sorry. I had to borrow your kinematron, but I’m finished now… Well, I’ll be out of your way now… e-excuse me…”

“Sakura-kun, wait.” he replied, “Couldn’t you stay for a longer time?”

“H-hah???”

“I mean, it’s been a year and all… I just want to talk to you.”

She rubbed her head. “Airisu is probably wondering where I am. I’m sorry, I’ve got to go.” she stammered, going for the door, “G-Good night!”

Oogami stood in this doorway with a faint smile. “Good night.”

* * *
Early the next morning, Airisu and Sakura arrived at the hotel Sumire was staying. “Waw! This place is really nice!” Sakura uttered as they entered the lobby.

Airisu noted, “It’s not as nice as Airisu no chateau in Champagne. Airisu-tachi should visit it sometime.”

“Well, for now, we’re going to just tour Paris today, then somehow convince Sumire to come back home with us.” Sakura replied, “Perhaps we can visit your home another time.”

Airisu smiled. “That would be wonderful!”

Sakura returned the smile. But as she looked over Airisu’s shoulder, she noticed someone sneaking around near a rack of luggage. “Isn’t that…?” she uttered, squinting her eyes, “OH! JANPARU-SAN!”

“Eeeh?” Jean-Paul turned to see her. “Oh, oh, hi Sakura!!”

“What are you doing here?” she asked as she and Airisu walked over.

He laughed nervously, “I… well… I work here…as a bellhop!” Airisu glared at him. He wasn’t wearing a uniform, but an ordinary suit that looked a bit tattered. Jean-Paul must have sensed her suspicious eyes, because he quickly changed the subject. “So, who’s your friend?”

“Iris Chateaubriand.” Airisu replied, “But you are not a bear.”

“Hm? Of course not. Um, so what brings you two ladies here? Are you staying at this hotel?”

Sakura said, “No, but a friend of ours is. We’re just waiting for her so we could go sight-seeing.”

Jean-Paul’s gray eyes’ lit up. “Sight-seeing? Hey, want me to give you a tour?”

“Oh…well…aren’t you working right now?”

He rubbed his head. “Oh yeah! T-that’s right! Hahahaha!”

Iris eyed him over again. ‘This guy is suspicious. Sakura-oneechan is pretty naive, so Airisu better look out for the both of us.’ she thought. Her investigation was halted by the arrival of Sumire, who made her way down the grand staircase. “Great! Sumire! Let’s go!”

Jean-Paul uttered, “Huh? Kanzaki Sumire, that famous Japanese actress.”

“Wow, I didn’t know Sumire-san had fans all the way in Paris!” Sakura gasped.

Sumire shrugged. “Well, it comes with stardom. You’ll learn about it someday, Sakura-san.” she noted, turning to Jean-Paul, “I’m sorry, but I don’t give out autographs.”

“It’s all right.” he replied, “Just meeting you is enough. Well, I better get back to work.” He then walked off to the other side of the lobby.

“Okay, so where are we going?” Sumire asked, taking out her sunglasses as they walked out of the hotel, “I really don’t want to waste any of my time.”

“After breakfast, I thought we could go visit the top ten sites of Paris!” Sakura said enthusiastically, “Then maybe afterwards we can all go home!”

“Go home? Out of the question.” she replied.

“But Sumire-san…!”

Airisu walked in between them. “Let Airisu try.” she said, “Ne, Sumire, Airisu knows you came all this way to see Onii-chan, but Onii-chan has an important duty to do. And so do you! You mustn’t forget that you are Hanagumi, just like Airisu and Sakura-oneechan!”

Sumire stopped walking and frowned. Airisu’s words were getting through to her. Sakura nodded. “Airisu is right! Everyone back home wants you to return! We can’t be a team without you!”

“I suppose you’re right.” Sumire sighed, “Besides, what would become of the productions if the star is missing, right? I guess I’ll follow you two around all day, then go home.”

“That’s the spirit!” Sakura chimed, “Come on! I’ve got to take lots of pictures for Kouran.”

Airisu added, “And Airisu promised Reni to buy her a hat!”

Sumire smiled. “Fine, let’s go. Shopping’s not a bad idea.”

Little did they know that they were being watched from the alley. “Avec ces deux filles… c’est l’actrice?” one voice said. The other person nodded silently nodded. “Hahahaha!!”

***
“Wow! Eiffel tower is wonderful!” Sakura sighed as they looked out from the observatory deck.

“Not really.” Sumire uttered, “But it is a nice view. I think afterwards, we should shop some more.”

“Again?” Airisu asked, “But Airisu already got Reni a hat! Well, Airisu is a bit hungry. Could we also get some crepes?”

“Wait, one more picture.” Sakura said, using Kouran’s camera, “There! Okay, let’s get going.”

They went towards the elevator; Sumire walking on ahead. “Crepes sound pretty good. Does anyone know any good shops…?” At that moment someone in the elevator grabbed her and held a gun to her head. “Aaaaaa!”

“SUMIRE!” Airisu exclaimed, as the man pulled the gate closed and sent the elevator back down, “What do we do?”

Sakura said, “We have to go after them, but the other way is the stairs.”

“Nope! Airisu has a better way!” Airisu said, grabbing onto Sakura’s arm, “Hold on!”

The two started glowing. “W-whaaat’s going on?????” Sakura cried.

The two were teleported to the bottom of the Tower. Sakura was stilling screaming and clinging onto Airisu. “Geez, Sakura-oneechan, get a grip.”

At that moment, the elevator door opened. “Eeeh?” the man cried, seeing the two girls. He then pointed the gun at them. “Move out of the way!”

“Airisu don’t think so! Let Sumire go now!” Airisu yelled. She started her powers, but the man shot close to her feet, scaring her. “Kyaaaaa!” Sakura rushed to cover her as the man prepare to shoot again.

“Stop!” Sumire said, “I’ll go with you, just don’t hurt them!”

The man nodded, then a carriage pulled by. The man started to pull Sumire towards it. “Move out of the way!” he yelled and throwing them a note, “Big ransom!”

“Sumire-san!” Sakura cried, as Airisu caught the note.

“It’s all right.” Sumire said with a wink, “I’ll be fine. Just come back for me later, okay?”

“SUMIRE!” Airisu yelled, as the carriage pulled away. “Sakura, what do we do?” Sakura looked deep in thought. “Sakura!”

“Sumire-san…to save us she…”

“Sakura!!!!!” Airisu finally got her attention, “We have to do something! According this note, they demand 60,000 francs and two shares of the Kanzaki Industry stocks! And if we call the police, they’ll take her out of the country.”

She blinked her eyes for a moment, taking in all that information, then she jumped up and exclaimed, “You’re right, Airisu. We’ve got to act now!”

* * *
The carriage stopped at an abandoned building on the outskirts of Paris. The men dragged Sumire inside, up to the fourth floor. “What is this? You expect me to stay in a dump like this? I am a leading actress!” Sumire snapped, looking around the torn down room.

“Excusons-nous!” the group of riffraff cried and she walloped them with a pole, “Mademoiselle!!!”

“Gawd, if you’re going to hold me hostage, at least do it correctly. You with the mustache, find some clean sheets and cushion; ‘Baldy’, get rid of all this dust; and you with the beret, go make some tea, and I mean GOOD tea!”

“Yes ma’am!” they chimed and hurried off to do what they were told.

Sumire sat down contently with a sly smile. “Now, all I have to do is wait to be rescued.” They all stared at her, then starting laughing. Some fell on the floor, rolling and bawling. Sumire yelled at them, “Heeeey! What’s so funny? My friends ARE going to rescue me!”

“Sure, Mademoiselle! Ahahahahaha!”

“Why you ruffians!!!” she yelled, proceeding to beat the crap out of them, “If you don’t start shaping up, I’ll go find myself some real professional kidnappers, you hear me?”

“Y-yes, ma’am!” they cried obediently.

Sumire sat down by the window, without changing expression. Although, inside she was frighten, there was no way she was going to show it. ‘Please hurry…’ she thought.

* * *
“I see. So this is what happened.” Oogami said, after hearing the story. Airisu had gone straight to the Teigeki. The other Hanagumi members gathered around as he looked over the note. “This paper they used looks like it was a scrap from the abandoned paper mill on the edge of town.”

Hanabi asked, “Then, we should head there, Oogami-san?”

He nodded, “We have no time to lose. Make the preparations…”

“Huh? Where’s Sakura?” Airisu uttered, looking back and forth. They spotted her already at the bottom of the stairs, heading for the doors. “W-waaaait!!!”

Oogami rushed down the stairs. “What do you think you’re doing, Sakura-kun? You just can’t rush out on your own!”

“This doesn’t involve you, so please stay out of this!”

“Why are you being like this? After not seeing each other for so long…” he argued.

“Please don’t misunderstand…the only reason I came here was to take care of Sumire-san and Airisu and make sure they came home safely!” she argued back.

“What good is that if you yourself aren’t safe? Who’s going to take care of you?” he yelled.

She yelled back, “I can take care of myself!” She grabbed her sword and started towards the door again. Oogami was going to go after her, but Iris intervened from the stairs.

“Onii-chan is right. You can’t go at this alone, Sakura-oneechan. Let us help!” she said. The rest of the girls had gathered behind her. “Don’t forget, we are all Hanagumi too!”

Grand Mere walked over. “This way, we can make certain that everyone comes home safely. Nobody has to risk his or her life alone if we’re all together.”

Sakura gripped her sword and lowered her head. “Everyone…” she uttered, looking embarrassed, “I wanted to do everything myself...I’m sorry for being so selfish…”

“Selfish? No way! You just really care about people!” Erica replied, putting her hands on her shoulders, “The Lord definitely gave you a good heart.”

She cheered up a bit and smiled. “Thank you so much.”

Airisu said, “Ne, we should get going! Sumire needs us!”

Oogami said, “Yeah! Teikoku Kagekidan… SANJOU!”