In the dressing room, the girls had gathered together to talk about Oogami. “Hohohoho, he won’t be able to resist me!” Sumire chimed, powdering her face. She paused to dab her mole a bit. “Heh, if he doesn’t, he must’ve lost his sight in Paris. After all, no sane person would miss off a chance with pretty me!”
Kanna shoved another rice ball into her mouth, “Aa, no sane person would go near you without garlic around their neck.”
”NANI?!?!”
”K-Kora! Calm down you guys!!” Kohran stammered, scratching her temple with a pencil, “I mean, ya can’t start up again just cuz Oogami-han’s back in town. Let’s all get along na??”
”Datte,” Orihime uttered, hands on her hips, “We all eavesdropped and heard that Chuui-san is in charge of the wedding planning and also picking the maid of honor. Demo, I’m sure Chuui-san will pick the right person.”
Airisu turned to her best friend. “Nee, let’s do our best, Reni-chan!”
Reni blushed. “Aa… boku… ganbaro…”
“What are you talking about??” Sumire said slyly, leaning in, “Of course now you’re rivals. After all, Chuui can only pick one of us. It’s a woman out for herself!”
”HAH??” Airisu gasped, then nodded, “Gomen, Reni-chan, but Airisu has got to do what Airisu must do… and that is make Oniichan choose Airisu!!”
Reni crossed her arms. “Yoshi, it’s a challenge then!”
With that all the girls bolted out the room, prepared to find Oogami first. Maria stood in the hallway, a bit shocked by the mad rush. In her arms was a box, covered with a lid. Smiling a bit, she moved into the dressing room and closed the door behind her.
* * *
“WAAAAAAAH!!!”
Oogami had been in the onsen when the scramble arrived. At once the girls started yelling his name and asking for attention. Not once did they consider his embarrassment that he wasn’t dressed.
“Eto… minna… could you all… come back another time?? I’m the middle of something… ore…ore wa…”
But his pleads were not heard. Kouran went as far as to try to pull him out of the bath. “Saa, Oogami-han, you must see the new inventions I have in my hangar!!”
”IIE!” Sumire snapped, grabbing onto his other arm, “He’s coming with me to the parlor for some tea! Nee, Chuui??”
”EH?!?” he gasped, trying to stay put in the water. “Ch-chotto! I’m not going anywhere!!”
Kanna shoved Sumire aside and took over her spot. “Cheh! Taichou and I are gonna have our annual sparrin’ match in the exercising room! Don’t get in our way!!”
As Sumire fought with Kanna to regain her territory, Airisu was yanking at Oogami’s hair, “ONIICHAN!! How can you let these other ladies go after you! You’re Airisu’s boyfriend!!!”
Reni was in the bath, right in front of Oogami, who immediately had a nosebleed. “Taichou, you’re going to pick me right??” she said, without any emotion. She then took out a bar of soap, “You better or this is going somewhere…”
“AAAAAAAAH!?!” Oogami screamed, “MINNA, ONEGAI!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!” Everyone did stop at his screaming, but then he noticed that something was off. The water was going down. “EH?! EH?! NAN DE?!”
Orihime was giggling by the piping. “Fufufu, if I give you a towel, you’ll pick me, nee, Chuui-san??” Oogami sweat beaded, heart going ‘dokidoki’.
* * *
Outside in the hall, Sakura was humming to herself, heading towards the bathroom, a robe in her arm. “Hmm hmmm hmm~!” Just then the door flew open and out came a gush of wind. “EH?! OOGAMI-SAN?!?”
He just kept running, a crowd of girls after him, not at all noticing the display in front of them. Sakura went frozen and fell over onto the floor.
* * *
Sitting in his room, Oogami dressed into his pajamas. ‘Shimatta, I didn’t think everyone would be THIS happy to see me… and after all that’s said and done, I’m just so tired…’
But before he could lie down and relax, he caught view of a head in his window and screamed like a girl. The grinning face on the other side of the glass, drummed a chord on the guitar, “Yo Oogami!” chimed Kayama, doing a flip into the room and making a perfect landing. “How’s it going??”
”Not good. Leave me alone.” he sighed, covering his eyes with his arm, “I mean it, Kayama, because of you and your wedding, I’m stuck in hell…”
”Hm?? Are these the yearnings of an eager man??” Kayama sighed, “Could it be?? You learn from example na?? Ohh, the ocean is tooo beautiful to look at alone~!”
Oogami sat up and glared at him. “Just what are you getting at?!”
Kayama tapped him on the forehead. “You’ve decided on one woman, am I right? And because of my courageous act of asking Kaede to join together with me in unity, you want to do the same. After all, we ocean men cannot spend the rest of our lives just fighting evil!”
”Ocean men??” Oogami uttered, sweatbeads rolling down his head as he was confused further.
“Aa! We’re ‘Ocean men’ because we relate to the calm waves – the salty air, the soaring seagulls… from which the high blue sky and hot sun shown above, we bring peace through our sweet song of crashing against the shore… soaking in the happiness that is living!”
”HEH?” Oogami was dumbstruck, ‘What’s he going on about now??’ He quickly released himself and got up on his feet, shaking his finger in front of his face. “Kayama, could ya just go? It’s late and I wanna get some rest. I’ll talk with you tomorrow, okay??”
”Wakkata. I will tell you more about the ocean.” Kayama said cheerfully, going to climb out the window, “Until then, Oogami~! Adios!” Without he leapt out and disappeared.
‘Weirdo…’ Oogami sighed.
* * *
It was like in the middle of the night when Oogami heard knocking on his door. ‘Hah? Who could that be at this hour?? Eto… could it be… Sakura-kun?? Could she have come to take back all those words she said? Or is it Sumire-kun, coming to try to seduce you?! Waah, I better not get it… but what if it really is Sakura-kun? What should I do?!??!’
“Taichou,” said the soft voice on the other side, “Could I come in? It’s me.”
”M-Maria??” Oogami gasped, sitting up, “Aa… Hai… douzo…” He wasn’t sure if this was a good idea. It seemed all the girls were after him, and it was really late. What was he thinking?! He shrugged, ‘At least I know Maria is a bit more calmer and sensible than the others… I hope.’
Maria walked in just as he was turning on a lamp. He then got up and walked around to meet her, “Taichou, could you come with me for a moment?”
”N-Nan de??” he gasped, fears filling his mind, “At this hour??”
”It’s a surprise.” she said, with a smile.
* * *
He almost forgot how the Teigeki looked at night, the moonlight seeping into the place through the windows – the dim hallways and the calming silence. Putting his hands into his pockets, he trailed behind Maria, reminiscing. ‘The first night I spent here, Sakura-kun and I did the night-watch together… even then I felt it…’
“Taichou,” Maria said, opening the doors to the terrace, “Shall we go out here for the fresh air?” He nodded glumly, as this was another memorial place. Following after her, he saw that there were some chairs and a table with sake. Smiling, Maria offered him a chair, “Taichou, here you go.”
”Eto, Maria, what’s going on?” he stammered taking a seat, “I mean, you’re not like the others, trying to get me to choose you as the maid of honor, are you?”
”Iie,” she replied, placing the box onto the table, “I just wanted to reminisce with you.”
”Eh?”
”That time you led us as the Teikoku Kagekidan Taichou, it was truly a special time. All of us, we won’t ever forget it. However, when you left, it was like something had been broken away from us… and I wasn’t able to fill that emptiness so successfully.”
He shook his head frantically, “Iya! Maria, from what I heard, you did a wonderful job as the new Taichou – even leading them against a whole battle without me… all of you were great. You didn’t need me at all.”
Maria smiled sadly. “You’re wrong. Everyone suffered so without you, Taichou. That battle, we almost lost it… we had barely made it with our lives. That wouldn’t have happened if you were here supporting us, Taichou.”
”Maria, I’m not your Taichou anymore.” Oogami replied, “You don’t have to call me that.”
”Iie, you’ll always be ‘Taichou’ to me, and to the other girls. Oogami-Taichou, you are an important part to the team. You’re the heart that makes us function, us live.”
He frowned, realizing his absence had a bigger impact than he knew. He had gone for his own ambitions, they even supported him, but in the end, he had let them all down. ‘Now I understand why they were all happy to see me, however…’
He reached over to the box and opened the box. “Huh?” He saw piles of photographs. His face lit up as he saw scenes from three years ago. “Where did these come from?”
”Ayame took most of the early ones. The latter were taken by Kohran and Kaede.” Maria explained, “You still look the same, Taichou.”
”You do, too, Maria!” he laughed, showing her one, “Although in this one, your hair seems to be a bit shorter. Everyone still looks quite similar. Very little has changed, has it?” He stopped at a photograph of Sakura, his face becoming a bit melancholy.
Maria caught that look and put her hand on his shoulder, “Did you speak with her after all?”
”Yes… but is it true? Does she have a lover now?”
”I’m not too sure about that.” she replied, “But since last winter, she has been acting strange. You see, we all went home for New Years, and when we returned, she was a bit depressed about something. She didn’t talk about it, but her emotional state showed in practice.”
”Sakura-kun…? What could have happened?” Oogami uttered, “And why has she turned her feelings against me?”
Maria crossed her arms. “I don’t know. But maybe it is as it is; maybe she has fallen in love with someone else. If that is the case, nothing can be done, ne?” she said, “Unless, you are going to pursue her?”
He stared down at the bright streetlamps. “How can I? It’s hopeless. I should forget about her and move on. After all, this is what I deserve for leaving her and everyone for my own gains.”
”That’s not true!” she exclaimed, “We all wanted you to go! It’s not your fault we weren’t strong enough to go on without!”
“No! It’s my fault! I’m to blame!!”
”No, you’re not!!”
Unable to come up with an agreement, they both calmed down and drank some sake, going to look at the photos again. “Heh, remember when Yoneda was chasing Kasumi-san at the Christmas party, that was hilarious!”
”I liked it better when you and Kanna got stuck under the mistletoe, heheheh!”
Maria glared at him, “WHY?!”
Oogami cheerfully held up a photo, ”Because the scene was captured! You two are about to smooch!”
”G-Give me that!!” she cried, reaching for it, but he playfully moved it away. She quickly took out her gun, “HAND IT OVER!!”
Sweating, Oogami nodded and handed it over, “Some things never change after all…”
* * *
Meanwhile, the other girls, minus Sakura, were spying from the doors, wearing their sleepware. “Heh, Maria’s pretty clever to negotiate with Taichou at such a late hour…” Kanna chuckled, “I thought for sure the Snake woman would use such tactic.”
Sumire, baggy eyed, stifled a yawn. “…Heh? What you say…? People shouldn’t be up at this hour… fuaaaa!”
Kouran put down her telescope and pointed at her, “Why don’t you just go to bed, if you’re so tired, Sumire-han?”
”Datte… I don’t want you sneaky ones to get Chuui… I, Kanzaki Sumire, am prepare to…f...i…gh…t…” She suddenly dozed off and fell over onto the snoozing Aisuru. In her slumber, she snatched away Jean-Paul.
Orihime rolled her eyes. “I’m going to bed. This is ridiculous; spying on a Japanese man – how lowly! I’ll see you all in the morning.”
Reni put down her binoculars, “Maybe it is late. But how will we get rid of these sleeping ones.”
Kouran suggested a wheel barrel. Kanna wanted to carry them. In the end, they dragged them back to their beds. All of them now, devising plans to use in the morning to catch Oogami.
* * *
Preview!
Orihime: So begins this ridiculous fight over a Japanese man. I don’t mind, but who is that handsome guy with Sakura-san… and why does he keep looking at me?
“A Waltz for Two” next time on Sakura Taisen, A storm of Romance in Taishou Sakura!
Even in Japan, the rules have not changed. All is fair in love and war…
