This Story No Title
A School Rumble Fanfic

Chapter 6:  Butterflies in Flight

By John Biles

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



	Harima nervously primped in the mirror, worrying 
about if he looked fine and desperately wishing he had 
something nicer to wear.  Unfortunately, throwing a suit 
jacket over his school uniform was basically the best he 
could do.  It would never do.  But what else could he do?

	Itoko startled him.  "So, which one?" she asked.

	"This is the only jacket I have," he said.

	"Which girl?"

	"This is my chance!  Finally, a night with Tenma!" he 
said triumphantly.

	"Are you sure?" she asked.

	He turned, blinking.  "About?"

	"I heard she’s going out with Karasuma tonight."

	He stared.  "No way.  She’d never try to two-time like 
that.  People only make dates with two people at once in 
cartoons," he said, though now his nerves were jangling.  
He could see Karasuma throwing Tenma over his shoulder 
and dragging her off to his evil monastery where he would 
do unspeakable things to her.  He shivered at the thought.

	"Well, I guess we’ll see.  So, all ready for the date?"

	He consulted the list which Eri had given him.  "I 
forgot the traditional sneezing powder!"

	"Let me see that," Itoko said.  She read it over, then 
smiling, said, "Let me get you some, cousin.  If you like, I 
can wire you and give you a live advice line."

	"No, these notes Eri-san gave me should be fine," 
Harima said.

	Itoko nodded.  "Good luck."

	She was able to avoid falling down laughing until he 
left, but it wasn’t easy.

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

	"Are you sure you want to date such a geeky boy?" 
Mikoto’s mother asked her.  She was a solid woman of 
middling height, strong from a life of hard work.  

	"It’s not a date," Mikoto said for roughly the billionth 
time.  "We’re just going to go have some fun and try to get 
his mind off Yakumo."

	"So that’s your rival?" Mikoto’s mother asked.

	"She is not my rival!" Mikoto protested.  "And she’s 
on a date with Harima tonight."

	"So, trying to steal him while she’s with her 
concubine," Mikoto’s mother asked.  

	"Harima is not a concubine!" Mikoto said, then 
wondered if she should start calling him Kenji, since the 
rest of her friends did.  Maybe Haruki would have some 
good advice, she thought.

	"Hmm, Harima, Haruki...perhaps a name fetish," Mrs. 
Suou said.

	Mikoto rolled her eyes and began pacing.  She was 
wearing a knee-length blue skirt and a white vest over a 
dark blue short-sleeved blouse.  She hoped it hit the right 
note of ‘casual’ and not ‘out to jump bodies’.  

	The doorbell rang and she ran to it.  

	"Run to your lover!" her mother called out.

	Mikoto wondered if her mother really thought this or 
was just being an ass as usual.  She answered the door and 
found Hanai dressed in a very nice light blue suit, and she 
suddenly felt under-dressed.  She fought the urge to go 
dress up more.  "You didn’t have to dress that fancy," she 
said.

	"Fancy?  This is just kind of casual dressy, right?"  He 
twirled in place.

	You always overdo things, she thought, then took his 
arm.  "You look fine, Haruki-kun," she said.  "Let’s go."

	They headed out into the night.

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

	Karen looked at herself in the mirror nervously.  "This 
is fine, right?" she asked, looking down at the pale green 
dress.  It seemed a little overly fancy to her, with the soft 
green gloves and the matching shoes, but her mother, on 
hearing of the date, had gone crazy to find her something 
nice and new to wear.

	"It’s fine," her mother said.  "He’s not a millionaire, 
right?"  Ichijou Meiko was only slightly taller than her 
daughter and as slightly built; indeed, you could have 
mistaken her for an older sister of her daughter.  For once, 
though, her daughter was more fancily dressed than her, as 
she wore just a sturdy navy blue suit-dress.  

	"I don’t think so, he’s American," Karen said.

	"I’m just glad to see you’ve moved on from thinking 
about that wretched Imadori boy.  His family isn’t worth 
much, you know," Ichijou Meiko said.  

	There was the roar of a motorcycle.  Meiko sighed.  
"Delinquents.  I thought we paid enough to keep such riff-
raff out of here."

	"I think that’s my date," Karen said hesitantly.

	Her mother froze in place and stayed there as Karen 
went downstairs.  She opened the door just in time for 
Harry to knock; he was wearing a nice suit shirt and nice 
pants with a biking jacket over it.  A red motorcycle tie 
hung around his neck.  "You look lovely," he said, taking 
her hand and kissing it.  She blushed.

	"I...thank you," she said, trying to pull herself 
together.  

	"You’ll need to ride side-saddle, but I know that with 
your strength, you shouldn’t have any trouble holding onto 
me," he said.  He was looking forward to it. 

	She said, hesitantly, "I will try to be gentle."

	"Don’t worry," he said.  "I’d like to see your true 
strength."

	She felt her heart beating a little faster, and she 
nodded, following him to his bike and clambering on.  He 
passed her a helmet, and she sat side-saddle behind him, 
arms around him, after putting it on.

	"Ready?" he asked.

	Her arms twitched; for a moment, her instincts started 
to kick in, and she almost tried to throw him.  He oofed as 
her grip tightened.  "I...I’m sorry!" she said.

	"I’m fine," he said, once he got his breath back.  

	"Let’s go," she said.

	A camera clicked from behind a bush as they pulled 
out.

**************
	
	Buddha studied the tactical map.  He spoke into his 
phone.  "Yoshidayama, are you SURE you can handle 
following him?"

	"None of the rest of us have access to anything that 
could.  This scooter can’t handle an all-out race," 
Yoshidayama said as he trailed after Harry.  "But it’ll do 
for just following someone on a date."

	"Alright, I’ll let Imadori know what we know, then."

	"Over and out."

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

	Lala paced around the apartment.  I am so doomed, 
she thought.  She stopped and checked herself in the mirror.  
If she was not the prettiest thing he had ever seen now, she 
couldn’t imagine what was.  Her own makeup talents were 
minimal, but Takaishi-san had worked with her for the last 
two hours to accentuate her talents.  

	"Don’t worry, deary, he’ll show," Takaishi-san said.  
"It’s only a little past seven, and I’m sure traffic is terrible."  
She was a little old woman; her best years were behind her, 
but she seemed to Lala to take a lot of pleasure in helping 
young people to enjoy their golden years.

	The doorbell rang at 7:09 PM.  Takaishi-san went to 
answer it, while Lala lurked just out of sight.  

	Imadori was there, wearing a white suit; she wondered 
if he had stolen it.  He had a bouquet of flowers and a 
single lone rose in one hand, a bottle of wine in the other.  
He immediately passed the bouquet to Takaishi-san and 
bowed to her.  "A gift for you, grandmother, in thanks for 
allowing me a night with your fair flower."

	He is like a burrito with too much guacamole, Lala 
thought.

	Takaishi-san blushed.  "Thank you, young man."  She 
popped the flowers into a conveniently empty vase which 
Lala didn’t remember seeing there this morning.  She 
looked at the single rose curiously.

	Imadori twirled it nimbly between his fingers, dodging 
the thorns.  "For the fair maiden.  I beg thee to summon 
her."

	"Such a formal young man," Takaishi-san said.  
"There are few of your quality, these days."

	"Alas my generation is but a shadow of yours, 
grandmother," Imadori said.  "You have passed through the 
vail of great suffering, and we are callow, born in a time of 
prosperity, knowing not pain."

	"Well said!" Takaishi-san said.

	I hate you, Lala thought.  I’d better come out before 
you try and seduce poor Takaishi-san any further.  She 
swept out in a long flamenco dress, a pale red in color, her 
hair done up into a bun in the back.  She was a little 
gratified to see him stare at her, losing his composure, 
before she remembered to be angry at him for staring at the 
breasts she was flaunting.  "Good day, Imadori-san," she 
said, all smiles.

	He bowed again.  "It is a pleasure to see you, Senorita 
Gonzales."  To her surprise, he pronounced her spanish title 
and name flawlessly.  Stepping up, he popped the rose into 
her hair.  "It pales before your beauty, but perhaps this poor 
gift may provide some tiny measure of grace."

	She stared at him, wondering when he had been 
replaced by something resembling a gentleman.  But what 
else could she do?  "You flatter me, Senior Imadori."  

	He offered her an arm, and she took it grimly.  
"Farewell, Takaishi-san," he said, waving to her.

	She waved back, smiling.  "Show her a good time!"

	"I will!"

	They ambled down the walkway with Takaishi-san 
waving at them out the door, then down the stairs.  Once 
they dropped out of her sight, Lala grabbed the bottle, 
pulled the cork with her teeth and took a swig, then bottled 
it again.  "I should have told you to bring two bottles."

	"Buddha has a fix on Harry and Karen’s location.  
Looks like they may be heading for California House," 
Imadori said crisply.  "It’s about a ten minute drive, 
normally, so Mom can probably get us there in five."

	"Mom?  Your mother is coming?" Lala asked in 
confusion.

	"She’s our wheels for the night.  Don’t worry, she’s a 
professional," Imadori said.

	"Professional?"

	"Professional race driver," Imadori said.  "Just 
remember to wear your seat belt."

	Lala decided to go ahead and have another swig.

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

	Harima felt a twinge of doubt.  Was hitting your date 
in the face with a pie really a good idea?  Eri had insisted 
this was crucial, but it seemed like to him that most girls 
wouldn’t like that.  But then, he’d never really watched 
romantic movies, and hadn’t there been some movie called 
‘American Pie’ or something?  Clearly a reference to this 
custom.

	Tenma answered the door.  "Yakumo!  Harima is 
here!"

	He prepared to hit her with the pie, when she said, 
"Oooh, how sweet of you to bring us a present!  But you’ll 
drop it if you hold it like that."  Tenma snatched the pie out 
of his hand.  

	This left him somewhat nonplussed; Eri hadn’t gone 
over this.  Perhaps it was a dating secret, only unlocked if 
you did the right thing.  Tenma was smiling so brightly, he 
MUST have done the right thing.

	"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

	"Yes.  Yakumo-chan helped get me dressed up in 
time."  Tenma was wearing a nice green and red dress; 
Harima found it to be very cute and modest.  

	Yakumo came out nervously, wearing a light yellow 
sundress and a matching hat and purse.  She smiled at 
Harima in a wobbly manner.  "You like nice, Harima-kun."

	Tenma looked at Harima, then gave him a thumbs-up.  
"It suits you perfectly," she said.  "You now have my 
permission to take Yakumo out."

	Harima said, "I..."  Wait, take Yakumo out?

	Tenma waved to someone behind him.  "Karasuma-
kun!  I’m coming!"  She darted past Harima, who turned to 
see Karasuma hovering just off the ground in a gyrocopter.  
Tenma jumped in and they now took to the air.

	Harima stared, mouth open, watching them vanish into 
the distance, feeling his plans suddenly fly far away.  
But...she...

	"Oh my," Yakumo said, holding a hand out hesitantly.  
"Are you ready to go?"

	Harima’s mind rationalized desperately.  She’s been 
kidnapped...no, she ran to him.  This is...a test!  She wants 
to see if I, a former delinquent, can have a civilized date, 
before she’s ready to go out with me.  That must be it, he 
thought.  So Yakumo is helping her out by being the test 
subject.  Such devotion in a sibling!

	He turned and smiled at Yakumo.  "I will do my best 
to show you a good time, so as to prove your sister’s trust 
in me is justified.  This will be the best date EVER!"  Until 
I date Tenma, anyway, he thought.

	She smiled a little more, and took his hand.  "Let’s 
go."

	They were already onto the highway before he 
realized he’d forgotten to put the itching powder in her 
helmet.  He’d never known women LIKED itching powder 
in their hair.  But now he’d botched it.  Well, I can do it 
later, right?  Sure.

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

	Nara was terrified, but he took a deep breath and 
knocked on the door of the apartment.  The door opened, 
and he found himself confronted by a mostly slender but 
well curved blonde with curly hair.  She loomed over him 
in a finely made silk and satin dress, aided by her high 
heels, which matched her dress.  She had a rose tucked into 
her curls just above her left ear, and she had a matching silk 
purse slung over one shoulder.  

	Nara’s eyes crossed.  "Is this the Takano home?" he 
asked.

	"Yes," the woman said with a sultry voice.

	He gulped.  "Are you Akira’s older sister?"

	She looked at him steadily, then said, "I am Akira, 
Nara-kun."

	He felt crucial brain centers melting down, his 
cognitive skills growing wings and flying away.  "WOW," 
he said.

	She blushed a little, pleased, then said, "Your aunt 
Megumi is a very thorough woman."

	Nara decided it best to not even try to explain Megumi 
right now.  He offered her an arm.  "My family got a little 
overenthusiastic."

	"Well, it can be nice to pretend to be someone else for 
a night," Akira said.  "Let’s go."

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

	"Ichijou-san, is that your classmate?" Harry asked 
Karen, pointing to the rearview mirror.

	She looked.  "Yes, I think Yoshidayama must be out 
for a night on the town."

	"He’s been following us the last five minutes.  Is he 
obsessed with you or something?" Harry asked.

	"He’s a little perverted, but I think..."  She couldn’t 
say it.

	"He’s afraid of strong women?" Harry asked.

	"I...well...maybe," Karen said.

	"His loss," Harry said, shaking his head.  "Is he likely 
to make a scene at the restaurant?"

	"Not really."

	"I’ll ignore him for now, then," Harry said, pulling 
into the parking lot, then hopping off and helping Karen 
down.  "We’ll..."

	A car blew past them, making Karen’s dress rustle and 
Harry’s sunglasses fly off.  He now took off his biker jacket 
and replaced it with a suit jacket from his trunk.  As he did 
this, Imadori and Lala came out of the vehicle.  Lala looked 
lightly green, contrasting her dress.  Karen stared at her, 
suddenly very aware of the lushness of Lala’s figure in 
comparison to her own.  The way she leaned on Imadori, as 
if she was going to fall down, made Karen feel very 
anxious.

	Harry froze, staring.  What the hell, he thought.  Is she 
that good an actor or is she really hitting on him?  

	They vanished into the restaurant, and Karen said, 
"I...maybe we should go somewhere else."

	"No," Harry said.  "No fear."  He strode forwards with 
Karen.  "Perhaps we should sit with them."

	Karen’s eyes widened.  "I...I don’t know."

	"Well, nearby," he said.  I should have thought to 
bring my own wine like they did.  This place is mostly 
good, but the alcohol isn’t so great.

	They now headed inside.

***********

	"Targets have entered the California Grill," 
Yoshidayama told Buddha.  "Launch Fuyuki."

	"He’s coming," Buddha said.  "Be ready to support."

	"Got it."  Yoshidayama went into a holding pattern, 
patrolling.

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

	"The food is REALLY good," Sagano said.

	"You just want to look at Asou," Yuuki said.

	Eri looked at the chinese restaurant.  "Seems fine to 
me."

	They went in and got a table.  Soft chinese music was 
playing; Sara turned out to be their waitress.  "Hi, hi!  Can I 
take your order?"

	Eri looked at her, then asked in English, "Is Yakumo 
coming here tonight?"

	"That’s up to Harima," Sara replied, then glanced at 
the others.  "Are you mad at her?"

	"Mad?  I am happy to see them having a nice night 
together.  HAPPY," Eri said, grinning ferally.

	Sara stepped back.

	Sagano looked at them curiously, then said, "I’ll have 
the roast duck."

	"I want a big plate of morning rolls and some beef 
fried rice, and the lemon chicken," Yuuki said.

	Switching back, Eri said, "Pork fried rice and 
barbeque ribs."

	Nervously, Sara went to place their order.

	"What was that about Yakumo?" Sagano asked.

	"Nothing," Eri said.  "I don’t want to discuss her."

	Yuuki stirred her tea aimlessly.  "I wish I had a date."

	"Well, with Yakumo dating Harima, this is your big 
chance," Sagano said to Yuuki.  "Hanai can’t stay 
delusional forever."

	"Never count on a man ceasing to be delusional," Eri 
said firmly.

	Yuuki sighed.  "I just don’t know how to get his 
attention."

	"I expect Mikoto will jump him now," Eri said 
grumpily.

	"You are just Little Miss Bitter tonight," Sagano said.  
"So which couple are you jealous of?"

	"All of them," Eri said, then put a hand over her 
mouth.

	"Okay, Queen Miss Bitter," Sagano said.  "It’s not 
worth living with regrets," she said to Eri.  "If you love 
someone, let them know, before you wallow in sorrow."

	Yuuki blushed.  "Oh my."

	Sagano looked around, saw nothing embarrassing.  
"What?"

	"Just a passing fancy...Hanai..."  She gulped.

	"Naked?" Eri asked, sipping her tea grumpily.

	"EEEEEEE," Yuuki said, pulling her own pigtails.

	"He is worth seeing mostly naked," Eri said.

	"You saw him mostly naked?" Yuuki asked in shock.

	Eri began thinking about Harima and cursed herself.  
"The beach."

	"Oh," Yuuki said.  "But swimming season is over."  
She sighed.

	"But the memories won’t leave us," Hanai said.

	Yuuki froze, turned to gray ash, and blew away in the 
wind.

	"Hi, Suou-san, Hanai-san!" Sagano said cheerfully.

	"Hi, guys," Mikoto said.

	The music switched from Chinese to soft, romantic 
music.  Eri frowned, and now Asou came up.  Sagano 
waved at him; he nodded and waved back.

	"Sara prepared a table for you two," Asou said.  
"Follow me."

	"She did?  How kind of her," Hanai said.  "To be 
expected of a..."

	Mikoto stomped on his foot.

	"Kindly nun..." Hanai blurted out.

	Yuuki frowned at Mikoto.

	Eri said, sipping her tea.  "Ask them to play your song, 
Miko-chan."

	"Let’s hope they don’t have a recording of my song," 
Hanai said.

	"I’m sure it sounds nice," Yuuki told him.

	"No, I played it," Hanai said.  

	"I only laughed a little," Mikoto said, smiling 
teasingly.

	"Anyway, you three have fun," Hanai said.  

	As they started to go, Eri tugged Hanai’s sleeve.  
"Hanai," she said, crooking a finger to come closer.

	He came closer.

	She said softly, "Mikoto lost the guy she had a crush 
on not so long ago.  She held a torch for him for a long 
time.  Show her a good time, or I’ll make you wish you’d 
NEVER been born.  You understand?"

	"You don’t have to tell me," he said softly.  "I would 
die before I would hurt her like that."

	Eri gulped.  "Do men always say such extravagant 
things about women?"

	"Women make us extravagant," Hanai said.  "Haven’t 
you noticed?"

	She glanced at Mikoto, and sighed.  "She’d rather die 
than see you die."

	"I know," he said, straightening up.  "See you all 
later."

	He ambled off.  

	He says it so casually, Eri thought.  Like it’s 
instinctive.  Does he mean it?  Or is he just full of shit?  
"Men are insane," she mumbled.

	"Sane men are boring," Sagano said.  "C’mon, don’t 
you want a guy with some fire to him?"

	"Hanai-san can be very bold and brave and fiery," 
Yuuki said a little dreamily.  "But he’s also sane and stable 
enough for a woman to marry."

	"Then tell him how you feel," Eri said.

	Yuuki squealed into her tea.  "I couldn’t do that."

	Eri sighed.  "You love anyone, Sagano?"

	"I had the hugest crush on a guy in the eighth grade," 
Sagano said.  "But right now, no, not really.  Some guys 
kinda interest me, but no one really grabs me."  She 
glanced over at Asou.  "He’s kinda hot, but I think he’s 
gay."

	"Really?" Yuuki said.

	"Well, he seems to enjoy being around Suga more 
than women, anyway."

	As they watched, Sara leaned around Asou’s shoulder, 
pointing to something on his menu pad and giggled.  He 
looked suddenly flustered.  

	"Really," Eri said.  "That looks remarkably to me like 
someone around his crush."

	"Holy shit, he’s dating an underclassman!" Sagano 
said.

	"Didn’t you see her yelling to him at the festival?" 
Yuuki said.  "I didn’t realize they were close enough to run 
a restaurant together, though."

	The doorbell rang softly, and now Harima and 
Yakumo entered, arm in arm.  Eri tensed up, her teeth 
grinding.

	Sagano said, "Man, dating underclassmen seems to be 
in this year."

	"It’s so romantic," Yuuki said a little dreamily.  
"Delinquent boy comes back to school for the woman he 
loves.  I wish I could inspire that kind of devotion."

	Harima leaned down to whisper to Yakumo, and she 
smiled a gentle smile and stepped a little closer to him.  
Eri’s chopsticks broke in her hands.

	"If you’re going to go crazy over every couple," 
Sagano began.

	"What exactly happened with you and Harima?  You 
two looked like lovers at the athletics’ festival," Yuuki said.

	  Eri felt like something was clutching at her heart.  
She swigged down her tea.  "More tea!" she yelled, banging 
her glass on the table.

	People stared, but she didn’t care.  Sara came running 
and refilled her glass.  

	Sagano gulped.  "So, what movie do we want to see?" 

	"How about the Three Starlights’ movie?" Yuuki 
asked.  "They’re pretty cool."

	"What, ‘Dude, Where’s Princess Fireball?’" Sagano 
asked.

	"I think someone could use a laugh," Yuuki said, 
looking over at Eri.

	"I am fine," Eri said, gulping her tea.  "I overflow with 
happiness."

	There was a huge farting noise, and everyone stared.

	Yakumo leaped up from her chair, brushing a plastic 
pillowy thing aside; Harima caught it and put it out of the 
way, looking confused.

	Eri smiled in a way suitable to chill ice.  "Very 
happy."

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

	Imadori sipped his wine, trying hard not to drink too 
much, though he wanted it.  Lala had already had a third of 
the bottle.  He prayed she was a habitual heavy drinker, or 
he was utterly screwed.  A glance at her red cheeks made 
him suspect she didn’t normally drink.

	He made light conversation with her as they waited for 
the food, while she mostly drank and stared off intently at 
Harry and Karen.  He suddenly wondered if she had a crush 
on Karen to go with the rivalry.  Or Harry.  Or both.

	His mind drifted off into a fantasy of Karen and Lala 
jumping on him at once, but he forced himself to stop.  
They would KILL him, deliberately or not.  Monster 
women.  Cute monster women.  

	Why am I doing this, he asked himself.  He had 
nothing in common with Karen, and she kind of scared 
him, compared to soft, cuddly Mikoto with her ample rack.  
Best of all worlds.  

	But something told him Harry was just using Ichijou, 
and to his surprise, it made him burn with anger down in 
his gut.  She was such a total innocent, and he couldn’t let 
anyone but him corrupt her.

	Not that he wanted to.

	Karen saw him and waved.  He smiled and waved 
back, then took one of Lala’s hands and began to praise her 
smooth skin and the pleasant dusky color of it.  "And of 
course, the strength of your grip cannot be denied.  For you 
are not a woman to let a man go."

	She stared at him suspiciously.  "No matter what you 
say, I won’t let you have father’s money."

	He wondered what she thought he was talking about.  
"Fair maiden, there is nothing on my mind but you."  He 
stared intently into her eyes, and she pulled back slightly, 
but fixed her gaze at his; it was less clear than usual.

	Swig.

	She grimaced, then forced herself into a smile. Her 
voice rose, "So you have no regrets in going out with me?"

	"Since Karen left me for someone else, what could I 
do?" Imadori told her.

	Karen’s table rattled loudly.  He didn’t dare to look 
over, but he heard Harry say, "Are you alright, Karen?"

	"Fine," Karen said.  "Thank you, Harry, you are a very 
good and kind date."  Her voice was mild as usual, yet 
somehow carried over all the noise.

	The food now arrived.  Imadori stared.  So much 
steak.  All in one place.  He glanced; Lala had a chicken 
and pasta dish; the food was definitely all his.  He said to 
Lala, "Would you like to bless the food?"

	"Bless us, oh lord, in these thy gifts, and please help 
us make Harry and Karen jealous so they break up, Amen," 
Lala said.  "Also, let me win my next match at Torio."

	"Everyone at Torio is all spindly.  They look like 
starvation victims," Imadori said.  "I’m sure you could take 
their whole team without needing kami-sama’s help."  It 
was the simple truth.

	She stared at him, then sipped the wine.  "That 
sounded like a compliment."

	"It is," he said.  "I’m sure you’ll kick ass."  While I 
will be FAR FAR AWAY, he thought.  

	She grinned, then glanced over at Karen and Harry’s 
table; they were having a quiet conversation.  She 
mumbled, "We need their attention."

	"Food first.  I will need strength.’

	"Gonna have a long wait for that," Lala mumbled.

	That was what he was afraid of.

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

	Hanai gestured at Asou, who came over.  "Is it just 
me," he said, "Or does it look like Sawachika is about to 
explode?"

	Mikoto frowned.  "She sure looks cranky.  I feel kind 
of bad for Sagano and Yuuki."

	Asou glanced over at her.  "Well, her emotions are her 
business.  If she’s bothering you, though..."

	"No, I just...I feel bad for her," Hanai said.

	"Well, that’s kind of you, but I can’t tell too much 
difference between this and her normal behavior," Asou 
said.  "If she causes you trouble, let me know and I’ll throw 
her out."

	"No, no, don’t throw her out," Mikoto said quickly.

	"Okay."  Asou ambled off.

	"Doesn’t care about his own classmates," Hanai 
grumbled.

	"Well, he and Suga seem to be pretty close," Mikoto 
said.  "You’re kind of unusual, trying to watch out for 
everyone, really, Haruki-kun."

	"Well, it’s part of being class president," he said.

	"Even if you weren’t, you’d care," Mikoto replied, 
picking at her food.  

	They noticed Sara whispering to Asou and pointing to 
the two of them.  He looked somewhat flustered and 
ambled out of sight.

	Hanai glanced over at Yakumo and Harima’s table; 
the candles had a strange blue flame, unlike the others in 
the restaurant.  Also, Harima seemed to be drawing on the 
tablecloth.  "What the hell is he doing?"

	Mikoto sighed.  Should have gone elsewhere once 
those two showed up.  "Ignore them.  It’s not your 
problem."

	"But..."

	"They’re fine," he said.

	"But the candles look like gas flames," Hanai said.  "Is 
that safe?"

	Mikoto paused, frowned, and waved Sara over.  Sara 
smiled. "Anything special I can get you?  We have some 
nice desserts."

	The music changed again, to one of Mikoto’s favorite 
albums, by the Three Exorcists.  ‘There’s a ghost in my 
bathroom’ was a true classic.  She blinked and smiled a 
little.  "Sure, I could go for a nice cake.  Haruki-kun?"

	"Hmm, why not.  Got any carrot cake?"

	Sara smiled more.  "Why yes, by chance, we have one 
of each fresh.  Hold on."  

	"Wait," Hanai said.  "Are those candles safe?"  He 
pointed.

	"They’re fine.  Just some special candles that Harima-
kun brought.  ‘Ghostlights’.  Makes everything look kind of 
haunted and scary," Sara said, then said, "Good way to get 
someone to cuddle up to you."  Then she remembered who 
she was talking to.

	Hanai began to rise.  "What a cheap..."

	Mikoto grabbed his wrist and pulled him down.  
"Forget them," she said a little sharply.  "Are we out to 
have fun together or not?"

	He looked embarrassed.  "Mikoto-chan, I..."

	"Don’t call me that if you’re going to go running off 
after other people," Mikoto said.

	He slumped into his chair.  Sara said, "Let me get you 
those desserts."

	"Quickly," Mikoto said.  We’ve got to get out of here.

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

	Harry watched Karen pack away food as if she was 
eating for four.  "Rough day?" he asked.

	"I have to keep my energy up," she said.  "I have a 
match tomorrow."

	Harry nodded.  "You do have a lot of energy.  So how 
long have you been doing wrestling?"

	"Father’s a professional wrestler," Karen said.  "And 
he trained me since I was little."

	No wonder she’s so good, Harry thought.  "Lala’s 
father was a pro wrestler too."

	Karen glanced over at her and Imadori’s table.  They 
seemed to be drinking wine and singing.  He never sang 
with me, she thought, and felt a surge of jealousy that 
scared her.  She’d accepted that Imadori liked Mikoto 
better than her, but now Lala too.

	It made her stomach feel sour, which she didn’t like at 
all.  But what could she do about it?

	"It’s a good thing they have a chaffeur," Harry said.  
"As they’ll be in no condition to drive, at the rate they’re 
drinking."  He sipped his own wine.  "But since we both act 
in a more civilized manner, we should be fine."

	"That’s true," she said.  "You are going to be driving."

	"I’m just going to have this one glass," he said, then 
smiled confidently.  "You’ll be safe."

	I hope Imadori will be, Karen thought.  If Lala gets 
mad, she might hurt him.  And you get mad easy when 
drunk.

	But what could she do?

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

	"Are you sure it’s okay?" Yakumo asked Harima as he 
carefully drew a picture of how he imagined the school for 
their manga on the tablecloth while waiting for his food.  

	"Don’t worry," he said.  "Eri told me all about how 
restaurants throw these things out at the end of the day 
anyway."

	Yakumo blinked.  They do?  They didn’t at her 
restaurant.  But maybe it was a chinese custom.  She got 
out a pencil.  "I’ll try doodling all the characters around it, 
then."

	Asou stared at them drawing on the table cloth.  What 
are these lunatics doing?  He started over, but Sara caught 
his hand.  

	"Let them be.  They like to draw," Sara said.

	"But it’s going to be hard washing the lead out!" Asou 
said.

	"Be nice," she said.

	"We aren’t being paid to be nice," Asou said.  "You 
think the boss will like that?"

	"The customer is always right," Sara said. 

	Asou grumbled.

	She put a hand on his arm.  "Please?  For me?"

	He flushed.  "Okay, okay."

	"And thank you for playing the music," she said.

	"I was sick of the old man’s music anyway," Asou 
said.  He glanced over at Hanai and Mikoto’s table.  "The 
maniac had better not start anything."

	"He’ll be good," Sara said.

	"I know you think you can dance people around," 
Asou said.  "Just be careful you don’t try to juggle too 
many plates at once."

	Sara nodded.  "I’m just sticking to the people who are 
here."

	"Good.  Go try and calm down Sawachika before her 
table catches fire, okay?"

	Sara headed over to Eri’s table, where everyone was 
now on dessert.  Eri really didn’t look all that angry; she 
looked happy in a doleful way.  "Anyone like some coffee 
or more tea?" she asked.

	"Give me sugar," Eri said.

	Yuuki looked over at Eri.  "Don’t give her more 
sugar."

	Sagano said, "Where’s your sense of adventure, 
Yuuki?"

	"I don’t have one," Yuuki replied.

	"SUGAR," Eri said.

	"I’ll get you some sugar cookies," Sara said 
frantically.

	"Yes.  You will," Eri said with an utterly calm voice.

	Sara ran.

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

	"Umm, Karasuma-kun," Tenma said, breaking her 
nervous silence.

	"Yes?"

	"We’re headed right for the Tokyo tower," she said.  "I 
don’t mean to nag, but..."

	"Yes, we are," he said.

	They got closer and closer, and she hugged herself 
nervously.  She wanted to bury her face in his chest, but she 
feared that would crash the gyrocopter.  Instead, she closed 
her eyes.

	Suddenly, she felt arms grab her.  Opening her eyes 
she saw Karasuma had tethered the gyrocopter to the 
Tower, and now was running lightly along the cable to one 
of the decks, carrying her.  She stared down at the city 
below, then buried her face in his chest.

	"Fear not," he said softly, then hopped onto the deck 
and set her down.  "Follow me," he said.

	She followed him following the scent of curry.

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

	Nara paused as he was opening the door of Maison de 
Figaro, which at least claimed to be an Italian restaurant, 
though it looked a little odd to him.  But Tenma had told 
him Akira liked Italian food.  However, there was now an 
odd wistful look on Akira’s face.  "Are you alright?" he 
asked.

	She turned her head and her curls bounced gently.  
"Nothing," she said.  "Just a memory."

	"Okay," he said nervously, heading inside with her.  
The maitre’d greeted them at the door and escorted them to 
a table.  For a moment, Nara thought he could see some 
sort of tattoo peeking out from under the man’s sleeve, but 
he dismissed the thought.  People who work a place like 
this don’t get tattoos.

	Akira followed Nara in, feeling very strange.  She felt 
a little lost in her own body, in her own life, like she’d 
wandered into someone else’s story.  She did her best to 
smile and make him feel comfortable, though smiling 
broadly didn’t come easily to her.  But after he’d gone to so 
much expense for just a practice date...She owed him value 
for money.

	To her surprise, the corner booth they were seated at 
also had an expensive chess set.  Each piece was hand-
carved to represent someone from Italian history, she 
guessed.  She didn’t know enough of it to understand who 
‘Victor Emmanuel’ was, though she did at least recognize 
the black queen—Lucrezia Borgia.  The board was set up 
and ready to go.

	"Do you like chess?" Nara asked nervously.  "I used to 
be in the chess club, until high school."

	"I do indeed," she said, taking two pieces and 
shuffling them behind her back.  "Pick a hand."

	He picked her left hand; the hand sinister held, 
nevertheless, the white king.  "White for you, black for 
me," she said.  "Why did you quit?"

	"I switched schools, and I wanted more time for 
studying," he said.  And for chasing girls.  Even though I’m 
not any good at it.  He sighed a little, then opened by 
advancing his queen’s knight’s pawn one square.

	She cocked an eyebrow and advanced her queen’s 
pawn two squares.  "I’ve never been in a chess club, but 
father likes to play."

	"Juri-san taught me some as well," Nara said, now 
advancing his queen’s bishop into the space behind the 
pawn.

	The waiter now approached.  "Would you like to order 
some drinks?"  He spread out the menu.

	"Do you prefer white or red wine?" Nara asked Akira.

	"A bottle of burgundy," Akira said.

	The waiter nodded and went to get them one.

	Akira advanced her king’s pawn one square to support 
her queen’s pawn.  She tried to decide whether to play to 
win or whether to play to lose.  It would probably build his 
confidence if she lost, but she hated to lose deliberately.  

	Nara now advanced his other knight’s pawn.  He 
seemed rather less tentative than he generally was in most 
things he did.  In fact, to her eyes, he seemed almost 
confident.

	I’ll play to win, Akira decided, advancing her king’s 
knight forward two and right one to support her advanced 
queen’s pawn.  

	Nara flicked out his king’s bishop, moving it 
diagonally one space to rest behind the king’s knight’s 
pawn.  

	The waiter returned with glasses and the bottle, 
opening it for them and pouring two glasses.  Nara swirled 
his around the glass, sniffing it.  He wasn’t sure why you 
would do this, but he’d seen his father do it for Juri-san, 
once.

	Akira sniffed it herself.  "Good bouquet," she 
pronounced and took a sip.  

	The waiter nodded.  "Would you like to order?"

	"I’ll have the chicken and linguini in red sauce," Nara 
said.

	Akira studied the menu.  "I’ll have the mannicotti, I 
think, with shrimp."

	"Very good, ma’am," the waiter said.  He looked over 
at the chessboard, nodded, and headed off to place their 
order.

	Akira now deployed her queen’s bishop’s pawn 
forward one to help cover her queen’s pawn.  Nara 
responded by advancing his queen’s knight forward two 
and right one to threaten Akira’s queen’s pawn further.  

	She didn’t think he would try to take it, since either his 
bishop or knight would then fall to one of her pawns, and 
another pawn would kill any would be avengers.  She 
quietly moved another pawn, hoping for a game that would 
be hard enough to be challenging and not hard enough that 
they couldn’t finish it.  

	A violinist now deployed near them and began to play 
and she smiled.  She’d heard this piece a lot in Italy during 
her summer vacation; it always relaxed her.  She decided to 
stop being jumpy and just to enjoy her night out.  Nara 
deserved that for all his effort.

	"Having fun?" Nara asked as he contemplated his next 
move.

	"Yes," she said smiling.  Perhaps this would be good 
after all.

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

	Harry was surprised when Fuyuki walked up to his 
table.  "Hello?"

	"Hello, Fuyuki-kun," Karen said, putting down her 
fork.

	"Oh, fancy meeting you here," Fuyuki said.  "But a 
stroke of luck, since I have Harry’s pictures ready."

	Harry blinked.  "What?"

	Karen looked at the packet curiously.

	"You know, the ones of you and Lala," Fuyuki said.  
"I must confess, I didn’t even realize some of these poses 
were possible, but..."

	Karen’s eyes widened.

	Harry frowned.  "What are you talking about?"

	Fuyuki put the packet down.  "No need to be coy.  I’m 
sure Karen doesn’t mind.  I mean, everyone knows, really.  
You can pay me later."  He turned and started to walk off.

	Harry had the feeling someone was pulling some sort 
of scam.  Was this some way of Imadori striking at him?  
Probably faked pictures of him and Lala having sex or 
something.  Easy enough for an expert to fake.  

	Karen was looking unhappy.  Harry glanced over to 
Imadori and Lala’s table.  They were now eating cake and 
singing a song in spanish.  BADLY.  

	Harry carefully scribbled ‘Naked Nurse pictures’ on 
the paper wrapping in English, then he called the waiter.  
"These were delivered to me by mistake," he told the 
waiter.  "Can you pass them over to him?"  He pointed to 
Imadori. 

	"Of course," he said.

	"We may need to be ready to take cover," Harry said.

	Hesitantly, Karen said, "You didn’t even look at 
them."

	"Lala and I have not been posing for pictures," he told 
her.  "I think Fuyuki is jealous he doesn’t have a date 
tonight and is playing pranks."

	"Oh," she said.  She sounded relieved.

	Harry watched the waiter come over and give the 
pictures to Imadori, who fumbled them, spilling them all 
onto the floor.  When he tried to pick them up, he tumbled 
out of his chair, headfirst.  Lala began to laugh uproarously.  
"Do it again!" she said.

	Score one for me, Harry thought.  

	"Oh dear, I hope he’s okay," Karen said, fretting.

	Or not, he thought.  Well, the night is still young.

*********** 
	
	Mikoto thanked all the gods and spirits they’d gotten 
out without incident.  She steered Hanai off down the street 
to the movie theatre, where they now got in line for the 
movie. 

	He glanced over.  "Isn’t that Tennouji from 2-D?" 
Hanai asked, pointing to the big bald man, who was leaning 
on a lamp pole, watching the lines.

	"Maybe he has a date," Mikoto suggested.

	Hanai sighed.  "Even a big lug like him is lucky in 
love tonight."

	Mikoto elbowed him.  "Don’t be maudlin.  There’s a 
lot of guys I could be with tonight instead of you."

	Laughing a little, Hanai said, "Thank you.  That makes 
me feel better."

	"Good," she said.  "So we’re doing Kung Fu Hustle?"

	"Amen," he said.  "I’m looking forward to it."

	"Suou-san!" a man’s voice came from the next line 
over.

	It was her old tutor.  She froze up.  "I...hi!"

	His girlfriend was with him, an arm around his.  She 
took Hanai’s arm instinctively.  

	"Katawa-san," Hanai said.  "It’s good to see you 
again."

	"Hanai-san!  You still practicing hard?"

	"I always do," Hanai replied, smiling.  "College 
suiting you?"

	"Very well," he said.  "You making sure she keeps her 
grades up?"

	"Of course," Hanai said.  

	"Oh, Miki," Katawa Masahiro said to his girlfriend.  
"This is Haruki Hanai, whose father runs the dojo I went to 
in high school.  And you’ve met Suou-san."
	
	She smiled at both of them.  "Yes, I remember Suou-
san.  She didn’t mention she had a boyfriend, though!"

	"I always thought you two would make a good 
couple," Masahiro said.  "They’re childhood friends, Miki."  

	Miki smiled.  "How romantic.  Please tell me you two 
are going to a real date movie?  Not this martial arts flick 
Masahiro insists on seeing?"

	Mikoto froze, unable to speak at all.  She tried to will 
herself to put up a front like the last time, but the 
misunderstandings were too much.

	"For martial artists like us, Kung Fu Hustle IS a date 
movie," Hanai said smoothly.  "Though probably we won’t 
see anything as good as what Miko-chan can do."

	Mikoto started.  "You’re not bad yourself, Haruki-
kun."

	"Well, since we’re going to see that too, would you 
like to sit with us?" Masahiro asked.

	"Sure," Hanai said.

	Noooooooo, Mikoto thought, but did her best to smile.  
"It’ll be good, seeing you again," she said.

	"Yeah," he said.  "I miss you and all the old gang 
sometimes."

	It made her feel better and worse at the same time.  At 
least he thinks of me, she thought.  But she didn’t need to 
be ripping this wound open again.

	No avoiding it now.

***********

	"Fuyuki, report," Buddha intoned.

	"I made the drop, but it looks like he lateralled to 
Imadori and now Imadori and Lala are so drunk that they’re 
starting to make paper airplanes out of the photos."

	Buddha rubbed his forehead.  "Yoshidayama, can you 
hear me?"

	"Still circling.  Need me to do something?" 
Yoshidayama asked.

	"I have a feeling the restaurant will empty soon.  Be 
ready to follow them."

	"Yessir."

	Buddha rubbed his forehead.  At least things couldn’t 
get much worse.

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

	Keiichi looked up from the shortwave radio.  "Scouts 
say he left the restaurant without her.  And he’s with some 
other woman.  Must have had a spat."

	"Excellent," Taro said, steepling his hands.

	"You still don’t look like Gendo no matter how many 
times you do that," Keiichi said.

	"Shut up.  Signal the troops.  It’s time to seize our 
bait," Taro said.  

	Vengeance would be sweet.  He began to laugh.

	Until Keiichi made him stop, since it kept drowning 
out his attempts to contact everyone, anyway.

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

 	Tenma hammered the gopher as hard as she could.  It 
squealed and fell down through the hole.  She rampaged, 
bopping ground-vermin as quickly as she could.  Glancing 
over, she saw Karasuma moving more methodically, taking 
out his moles with precision strikes.

	Then he looked over at her with his usual blank 
expression, staring into her eyes.  She froze, hammer in 
hand, and gazed into the brown depths.  Then his mouth 
quirked in something resembling a smile, and she smiled 
back broadly.  

	She glanced off to the kitchen.  "How many do we 
have to take out for a free meal?" she asked.

	"We have to beat the high score," he said, returning to 
mole-whacking.

	"HUNGRY!" she shouted and began flailing about 
with wild abandon.  Moles and gophers and groundhogs 
squealed electronically, falling before her like wheat to a 
thresher.

	Finally, she stood panting over the machine, as it 
pinged loudly.  "Did we win?" she asked.

	"Victory," he said, patting her shoulder.

	She purred like a cat.  "Then let’s EAT!"

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

	Harima looked dubiously at the marquee.  Was Nature 
Trail to Hell really a suitable date movie for Yakumo?  
Sure, she and Tenma both liked nature, but he had the 
vague idea that women liked movies with love and kissing 
and talking about feelings, not the severing of heads and 
cub scouts on fire.  But maybe he was wrong.  He’d never 
really understood women, and Eri had no reason to lie to 
him.

	"What’s wrong?" Yakumo asked.  She could tell he 
was worried, but she couldn’t get a flicker of his thoughts.

	He looked at her, and for a moment, she could read his 
concern.  Then he said, "Well, I was thinking Nature Trail 
to Hell."

	"I like nature," Yakumo said.  "Sounds fine to me."

	Wow, everything Eri told me has gone well, Harima 
thought.  I’m gonna owe her big after this.

	"Let’s get tickets and go in, then."

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

	Harry tried to signal a waiter as the photo-planes 
began to descend on his table.  Karen batted them aside 
idly, but one of them flipped onto her cake.  You could 
clearly see two people tangled in a complicated position 
that Harry thought looked kind of painful, unless the 
woman was really ridiculously limber.  If you looked 
carefully, you could see the woman had a photoshopped 
Lala head, since the rest of her skin tone didn’t quite match 
her head.  The ‘Harry’ was a better job, he thought.  

	He glanced at Karen.  "These are..."

	Karen’s pupils were gone, her eyes one big mass of 
green, and her hands were moving for the edge of the table.  

	At least my cycle isn’t too likely to get damaged, he 
thought, diving as Karen started to lift the table.

	He did the only thing he could think of which might 
possibly snap her out of it; he dove at her, going for a 
tackle.  She let go of the table, rolled, and flung him across 
the restaurant, into a wall.

	"Harry!"  Karen had suddenly snapped back to herself.  
"I’m so sorry!  I just..."

	Did it on instinct, he thought.  "I’m fine," he said, 
peeling himself off the wall.

	Lala began to laugh and laugh and laugh, pointing at 
him.  Imadori said, "Do it again!"

	A swarm of waiters boiled out of the kitchen.

	Harry darted over and took Karen by the arm, 
throwing money on the table.  "We’re going to be late for 
the movie if we don’t hurry."

	"I’m sorry, I’m sorry!" she said as he hustled her out 
of the door.

	"I AM NOT BEING DISRUPTIVE!" Lala shouted 
behind them.  

	"You’re good," Harry said.  "I wasn’t really hurt."  
Much.  "You could make it up to me with a kiss if you’re 
really bothered, though."

	Her eyes widened and she turned red.  "I’ve never 
kissed a boy," she mumbled.

	"Well, I’ve never been kissed by someone as lovely as 
you, so we’re even," he said.  

	They reached his bike to the sound of violence and 
waiters crashing into tables.

	She stared at the ground.  "You flatter me."

	"Well, mount up," he said, lifting her onto the bike, 
lingering face to face with her.  "You can make it up to me 
later."

	She looked at the restaurant.  "Do you think they’ll be 
okay?"

	"Do you really think anyone there but us has any 
chance of hurting Lala?"

	"I...no," she said.  "But Imadori..."

	"Is Lala’s date," Harry said.  Karen jumped slightly at 
that.  "She’ll protect him."

	He mounted up, as Karen mumbled, "Will she?"

***********

	"That’s enough sugar," Sagano said as Eri tried to 
cram another cookie into her mouth.

	"I can still feel something beyond bliss," Eri said 
desperately.  

	"We can stop for hot chocolate after the movie.  We’ll 
miss it if we don’t go now," Yuuki said.

	Eri sighed.  "Sorry, everyone.  You’re right.  Let’s go 
before I spoil your night."

	"We all have bad nights," Sagano said.  "I’m just kind 
of flattered Ms. Popular wants to spend some time with us."

	"You guys pick the movie," Eri said.  "I’ll do my best 
to stop being so pushy, okay?"

	"Okay," Yuuki said as they headed out into the street.  
"How about...Nature Trail to Hell?"

	"No horror movies," Sagano said.

	"Awww," Yuuki said.

	"How about you?" Sagano asked Eri.

	"You pick," she insisted.

	"Yuuki?"

	"If I can’t see Nature Trail to Hell, I don’t care," 
Yuuki said.

	"Well, umm...hmm.  Kung Fu Hustle is out...House of 
the Flying Dingos..."

	"That’s for kids," Eri said.  "We’re not eight."

	"Hero Sandwich..."

	"FULL," Eri said, vibrating gently.

	"Five Radiant Flowers?" Yuuki suggested.

	"Perfect," Sagano said, then frowned.  Some guys 
seemed to be following them.  She whispered, "Someone’s 
trailing us."

	"Don’t worry," Eri said.  "I, the Prince, will protect 
you."  She grabbed a handy stick and moved to stand 
between Sagano and Yuuki and the approaching guys.

	Yuuki now saw more guys come out of an alley ahead 
of them.  She got her cellphone out, and began punching a 
number.

	Sagano looked around; men were converging from all 
over.  She felt her nerves jangle.  "Maybe we’d better run."

	Eri brandished the stick like a foil.  "I’m in a SHITTY 
mood," she said.  "And the first one of you people who 
comes within ten feet, I’m gonna poke you in the eye."

	This didn’t stop them.  This was way larger than the 
gang she and Harima had encountered.  Deep down, she 
was getting very nervous.  Softly, Eri said, "One of you, 
call..."  She clenched.  Harima could beat these people, but 
she couldn’t stand to call him, begging for help.  Not when 
he was out on a date with Yakumo.  

	"I’m calling Hanai," Yuuki said, letting it ring.

	Silently, the tide of men swelled, creeping ever closer.  
The stores here had closed for the night, and there was no 
way out.  But one.

	Eri grabbed one of Yuuki’s shoulders.  "Sagano, toss 
her."

	Sagano nodded and helped Eri throw Yuuki up onto 
the roof.  "Run," Eri said to Yuuki.  "Call Hanai, he’ll know 
what to do."  Mikoto is with him, she thought.  They both 
fight well.

	One of the guys strolled towards Eri.  "Very clever," 
he began.  Then he got a stick in the eye and stumbled 
back.  

	"More than you," Eri said.  

	Sagano got into a fighting stance.  "You know these 
punks?" she asked.

	"Not most of them," she said.  "Just this cowardly 
bastard named Taro and his ugly friends.  Now, you run 
too."  She grabbed Sagano and hefted her, throwing her up 
onto the roof.

	Sagano landed on her stomach.  "Eri, we can’t leave 
you behind."

	"Run!  Before they find a way up," Eri said, then 
turned to face the group.  "Who wants to be next to lose an 
eye?"

	"GET HER!" Taro shouted from the rear of the mob.  
"IF YOU CALL THE POLICE, SHE WILL DIE!" he 
shouted at the retreating students.  "TELL HARIMA WE 
HAVE HIS WOMAN."

	Yuuki and Sagano ran.  Unfortunately, Hanai wasn’t 
answering his phone.

	"What do we do?" Yuuki said.  "We can’t just leave 
her there to fight all of them."

	"I’ll call Harima, you call...Akira.  We keep calling 
people until SOMEONE picks up."

	Yuuki nodded, fingers flying.  Sagano prayed that not 
everyone had a date tonight.

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

	Akira frowned as she lost her knight.  Her food was 
half-forgotten as the chess game consumed her attention.  Is 
my dye job making me stupider, she wondered.  

	Nara was eating as he moved his bishop; she 
countered by threatening it with her queen, only to have 
him slide a rook the length of the board.  "Check," he said, 
sipping his burgundy.

	She looked up at him; he was smiling quite 
confidently at her; it was quite unusual of him.  She would 
have to withdraw the queen to save her king, and even then 
he would likely trade it to kill her queen.  Things were not 
going well.  "You play well," she said a little grudgingly.

	"You too," he said, not hesitating before he spoke for 
once.

	A pity he can’t be more like this more often, Akira 
thought.  He’s good company like this.  She smiled a little, 
then studied the board.

	Her phone rang and she answered it.  "Hello?" she 
asked.

	"Takano-san!  There’s this huge mob of guys after 
Sawachika-san!  She sent us to safety, but she couldn’t get 
away and I don’t know what to do!" Yuuki said frantically.  
"They said not to call the police!"

	"As in violently after?" Akira asked, frowning.

	"YES."

	Akira sighed.  So much for the big date.  "Any idea 
why they took her?"

	"They said they had Harima’s girlfriend too," Yuuki 
said.  "But I thought she was with Harima, so why would 
we have to tell him?"

	"Call Mai and Hanai.  Assemble the class," Akira said.  
"We have trouble."

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

	"Harima’s not answering his phone," Sagano said.  "I 
guess..."

	"Takano says to call Hanai and Mai and rally the 
class."  Yuuki sighed.  "I’ll call Hanai."

	Sagano clenched her fists.  Hold on, Sawachika-san.  
We’re coming.

*************
	
	"Go!  DESTROY THE INTRUDERS!" Harima 
shouted as people threw popcorn at him.  "Destroy those 
who trample on the sanctity of nature!"

	Yakumo sat next to Harima, staring fixedly at the 
screen in shock, vibrating gently and squeezing his hand 
with as much force as she could muster.  

	He blinked at the squeezing, then looked over at her.  
He hadn’t even noticed her taking his hand at first, but 
now, he could see she looked more rigid than usual, her 
eyes wide and she kept making little mumbling noises that 
sounded distressed.  Normally, he couldn’t read her at all, 
but he had a feeling that if she was as expressive as her 
sister, she’d be howling in terror and burying her face in his 
chest.  

He leaned over and whispered, "It’s only a movie.  
And they’re just getting what they deserve for messing with 
the animals, Yakumo-san."

	"It’s scary," she said, shivering.  "All those peaceful 
animals gone crazy."

	"The most peaceful animal will turn vicious if you 
hurt it or its friends," Harima said.  "Don’t be scared.  It’s 
only a movie."  He searched for something more 
comforting to say; she clearly needed it, but he wasn’t so 
good at that.  

	"WILL YOU PEOPLE SHUT UP?" someone 
bellowed.  "We’re trying to watch this!"

	"I feel safer with you here," she said softly, looking up 
at him.  She could almost see his thoughts.  So close, but 
she didn’t know how to reach closer.

	"You are always safe with me, Yakumo-san," Harima 
said softly.  "I will always protect you."

	His thoughts suddenly flared to life around his head.  
‘I will always protect you,’ he was thinking.

	She felt her heart catch for a moment, and then she felt 
very good.  "Thank you," she said softly.

	He casually fended off a soda someone threw at her.  
"But I’m thinking maybe we should find a movie where 
everyone is LESS RUDE."

	She nodded.  They rose and headed out to the lobby.

	Yakumo got out her phone.  "Better check your 
messages, Kenji-kun."

	  "Eh, right," he said, and checked his messages.  Most 
of them, strangely, were people he didn’t know calling up 
and laughing at him.  After a few of these, however, he 
finally came to one with no laughter.

	In the message, Sagano said, "Harima-san.  This huge 
mob of guys kidnapped Sawachika-san and said they took 
your girlfriend too.  Who I thought you were on a date 
with, but...I don’t know. And they said not to call the 
police.  And one of them is named Taro. Just...call me, 
okay?"

	Harima listened, eyes widening, then played it again, 
then hastily dialed a number.

	Tenma answered.  "Kenji, hi!  Is something wrong?"

	He let out a great sigh of relief, and then it suddenly 
sank in.  They must think they have Yakumo, he thought.  
They must think she’s my girlfriend.  But how could they 
think that if she’s here with me?

	He looked over at Yakumo, just to make sure she 
wasn’t about to rip a mask off.  Instead, she just had her 
phone to her ear.

	"Tenma-san.  Did Sagano call you?" he asked 
urgently.

	"Umm, no," she said. 

	"She said that someone has kidnapped Eri-san.  And 
they think they have my girlfriend."

	"But Yakumo’s with you, isn’t she?" Tenma asked.

	Harima winced.  He wanted Tenma to be his woman, 
but even she assumed Yakumo was his girlfriend.  She was 
a friend girl, but not a girlfriend.  "She’s safe with me," he 
said.  "I won’t let her get hurt."

	"Poor Eri-chan," Tenma said.  "Has someone called 
the police?"

	"They said they’ll kill her if someone calls the police 
and..."  

	Suddenly, it all clicked into place in his mind.  They 
think Eri is my girlfriend.  They took her to strike at me 
because they are a bunch of cowards.  They took Eri.

	He knew what guys like that would do to a woman.

	Yakumo looked up from her phone and saw Harima 
glowing red.  Even his sunglasses had turned bright red.  
His hands were clenched into fists.  "Kenji-kun?" she asked 
softly.

	"Tenma," Harima said firmly, his voice trembling with 
rage.  "If I never see you again, I..."  He paused, then said, 
"I am glad to have known you."

	"Kenji-kun, what are you talking about?" Tenma 
asked, worriedly.

	"What’s going on?" Yakumo asked, her voice rising a 
little.  She couldn’t read Kenji at all, but she didn’t need 
mind powers to tell how angry he was.  

	"I am going to kill them all and dance on the ashes if it 
kills me," Harima said.  "I’ll take Yakumo to Tae-sensei’s 
house.  She can call you and give you directions to pick 
Yakumo up once it’s safe.  They may be watching your 
house or mine.  Find Suou.  She and Hanai can protect 
you."

	"Kenji-kun, don’t rush off on your own," Tenma said.  
"If we all get together..."

	"They did this to hurt me," he said.  "Eri-san is already 
suffering in MY place.  These are my enemies.  I’ll settle 
this or die trying."  His voice was hot with anger.  

	"Kenji-kun," Tenma said frantically.

	"Goodbye," he said.  "If all goes well, I’ll see you 
later.  Remember what I told you."  He hung up, then 
turned to Yakumo.  His voice was shaking.  "I’m sorry, but 
our date is over.  Eri has been kidnapped and I have to go 
kill everyone who took her.  So I’m going to take you to 
where you’ll be safe.  They’ll never think to look for you 
there."

	Her eyes widened.  "They took Eri-san?  Shouldn’t we 
get more help.  Two of us is..."

	"I’m taking you to safety and going alone," Harima 
said.  "Tenma would never forgive me if I let you get hurt."  
He swallowed.  "And I would never forgive myself."  His 
thoughts suddenly blazed for her, a tangled mess of images 
of her and Tenma and Eri and Mikoto and Hanai.  
Karasuma was in there, though he was hard to see, and she 
herself was floating in the foreground, holding a pencil and 
wearing the beret she’d worn when she’d cosplayed during 
the cultural festival.  

	"Kenji-kun, I couldn’t...I can fight if I have to," 
Yakumo said.  "I can’t let you go alone."

	"It’s my destiny," he said sadly.  "I tried to leave it 
behind me, but I can’t escape it.  Live by the sword and die 
by it."  My precious school days, he thought.  I never 
thought it would end like this.  "I can’t risk you getting 
hurt."

	She stared at the thoughts around him.  "Wouldn’t it 
be easier with more people?  Then you wouldn’t have to...I 
mean..."

	"I expect most of my class will be glad to see me go," 
he said, starting out of the lobby towards his motorcycle 
with Yakumo following him.  There was a gloom upon him 
that Yakumo hadn’t seen before.  "If I do not return, you 
will have to carry on our manga.  Don’t let it be forgotten."

	"But they expect...you..." she said softly.

	"A penname can pass from one person to another 
without much fuss.  And you are worthy," he said.  "You 
understood what I was trying to say."  He turned to her and 
took her hands.  "I am grateful," he said to her.  "No one 
ever cared what I thought, before you."

	She could feel her heart pounding.  The icy hand of 
doom was clutching at her, at them, and she didn’t know 
how to evade it.  "Surely...they won’t really kill you, would 
they?"

	"I don’t know if it would be safe for me to ever come 
back," he said.  "If they’re going to attack those around me 
and not just me."  His voice was somber.  

	They reached his cycle and got on and rode out into 
the night.

*********

	Hanai was enjoying the film tremendously, even 
though Mikoto was beginning to slowly crush his arm.  
Glancing over, he saw that Miki kept panicking and hiding 
her face in Masahiro’s chest every time something really 
exciting started.  She wouldn’t have lasted long in our dojo, 
he thought.  But I guess that’s the kind of woman he likes, 
Hanai thought.

	Then again, Yakumo would probably do the same 
thing with me, he thought, then tried to stomp on the 
thought.  He had to stay focused, or he’d embarrass Mikoto 
by ranting about Yakumo when he was posing as Mikoto’s 
boyfriend.

	Which he knew, deep down, would inevitably lead to 
trouble, but he’d happily do it for her sake.

	He started, when he noticed Mikoto hiding her face in 
his chest as another fight began.  She didn’t feel scared to 
his touch; there was tension in her muscles, but not that 
kind.  It worried him a little, and then he realized she was 
trying to act girlish.

	It kind of bothered him.  You shouldn’t have to try to 
be someone else for the person you loved.  He’d never been 
anything but utterly honest and himself with Yakumo.  
Right?  

	While he brooded, he folded an arm down around 
Mikoto.  He had to admit, it felt really nice to have a date at 
the movies, even if just a friend date.  We should get a 
photosticker or something to remember this by, he thought.  
Girls liked to celebrate all sorts of anniversaries.  

	He suddenly wondered what day exactly they had met.  
She probably knew.  His mother pulled out all sorts of 
things on his father that Hanai couldn’t imagine how 
anyone remembered it.  Like the first time they ate carp 
together, or when she bought him a sweater.  

	Hanai wasn’t even sure if his socks were actually his 
or his father’s; they got mixed together a lot if his dad had 
to do the laundry.

	Mikoto sat back up, and he ended up with an arm 
around her shoulders; she rested her head on his shoulder as 
she watched the movie.  That felt comfortable too, to him.  
They’d taken naps like that, sometimes, as little kids.  

	Though he hoped she stayed awake now, as she 
sometimes snored.

	He felt his cellphone vibrate.  He let the answering 
service get it, then checked the message; he’d get up and go 
to the lobby and call back if he had to.  

	The message made his jaw drop.  "Mikoto," he said 
softly.  "We have to go."

	"What?" she said in confusion.

	Takawa looked over at them curiously.

	"A gang’s taken Sawachika, and they need us," Hanai 
said.  

	Mikoto’s eyes widened.  "A gang?"

	Takawa winced.  "That’s awful."

	"Poor girl," Miki said.  "So you two are just going to 
kick the gang’s ass like that?"

	On the screen above them, the Axe Gang was busy 
having its ass kicked.

	"Yes," Hanai said.  "If we can’t use our skills to 
protect our friends, then they’re no use at all."

	"Do you want my help?" Takawa asked softly.  "I’ve 
kept in practice; I knew Suou-san would be disappointed 
with me if I didn’t."

	Hanai looked at Mikoto.

	Mikoto looked back at him, pained, then said, making 
herself smile, "Finish your date.  This is 2-C business."

	"Good luck."

	"Thank you," Mikoto said.  "Take good care of 
sempai, Miki-san."

	"I will."

	They headed out.

*****************
	
	Harry was racing down the street trying to lose 
Imadori’s mother, when Karen’s phone rang.  She took the 
call, eyes widening, then said, "Harry-san, you need to take 
me to school."

	"To school?  What?" he asked in confusion.

	"Sawachika-san’s been kidnapped and we’re 
assembling to rescue her," Karen said.  "I have to help."

	"Kidnapped?  Right.  I’ll help," he said.  That should 
make a good impression, he thought.

	"It’s not your problem," Karen said.

	"I’d be glad to help," Harry said.  "I wouldn’t be a 
very good date if I abandoned you to go into danger."  He 
patted his hog.  "Also, I have a bike.  Might be useful."

	"Thank you," she said, tightening her hold on him 
slightly.  "It’s kind of you."

	Time to score me some points, he thought.  I should 
get a kiss out of this.

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

	Imadori’s phone rang.  He answered it, while Lala 
sang loudly in the background.  "Yo," he said.

	"We have a problem," Buddha said.

	"Unh?" he asked, trying to not giggle.

	"Sawachika has been kidnapped.  I’m closing down 
this operation and offering my resources to the class 
president to help in the rescue.  You can join us or else 
you’re on your own," Buddha said.  

	"Doesn’t she have like family ninjas and stuff?" 
Imadori asked.

	"Just a butler, I think," Buddha said.  "You should 
come help."

	"Hey, Lala," Imadori said to Lala.  "You wanna come 
kick the shit out of a bunch of guys who kidnapped 
Sawachika?"

	Lala said, "Is Karen going?"

	"Yes," Imadori said.  He knew she would.

	"I will come," Lala said, pounding her chest.  "And 
show who is the better woman!"

	Imadori’s mother frowned.  "She seems kind of drunk, 
son."

	"You want to say no to a drunken female wrestler, 
Mom?" Imadori asked.

	"Good point.  Let’s go, then."

***************
	
	Tenma vibrated as she rode in the gyrocopter with 
Karasuma.  "This is awful.  Poor Eri-chan.  She’s going to 
be okay, isn’t she?"

	"Yes," Karasuma said.

	Tenma was about to hug him, but held back to avoid a 
crash.  "I just...I’m scared," she said softly.

	He reached over and squeezed her hand.  "Fear not," 
he said.

	That helped a little.  "At least Yakumo’s okay.  She is 
okay, right?"

	"Yes," he said.  He sounded so confident to her.  She 
wished she could sound that confident.

	"Hey, that’s my house," she said.  "Aren’t we going to 
the school?"

	"Getting your bow," he said.  

	"Kenji-kun said not to go by my house, they might be 
watching."

	"For a gyrocopter?" he asked.

	She fretted.  "Do you think..."

	"I remember how well you shoot."  He smiled.  "That 
was a fun challenge."

	Her eyes widened.  "You noticed?"

	"If I hadn’t, you’d have hit me," he said.

	"But you never read the notes."

	"Notes?" he asked.

	"On the arrows!"

	"Those were notes?"

	She tugged her hair tendrils.  Men are so crazy, she 
thought.

***************
	
	"You can’t go alone," Tae-sensei told Harima.

	"I have to," he said.  "It’s my duty. It’s very kind of 
Yakumo to want to go with me, but this is my fault, and I 
have to deal with it.  And if she gets hurt, Tenma will kill 
me if I am not already dead."

	"Won’t your classmates help?" Tae asked.

	"Most of them don’t like me," Harima said.  "And I 
don’t want my few friends to get hurt in my fight."

	"I don’t think most of them dislike you," Yakumo 
said.  "Didn’t you see them cheering you at the race?"

	"It seems to me like you have lots of friends there 
now," Tae-sensei said.  "You don’t have to live like you’re 
alone any more."

	"I can’t," he said, his fists clenching and unclenching.  
"They’re out to get me.  If they get me, they’ll leave you all 
alone.  And if I get them, no one else will have to get hurt."

	"Don’t go anywhere," Tae-sensei said, vanishing 
deeper into her apartment.

	Yakumo put a hand on his shoulders.  "This is not 
your fault."

	"It is my fault," he said.  "I spent my life making them 
hate me, and now they’re out to hurt everyone I care 
about," he said fiercely.  "I brought this on Eri, on 
everyone.  And I have to stop it."

	"Big sister would never forgive me if I let one of her 
friends go off to die alone," Yakumo said softly.

	He froze, pinned on conflicting imperatives.

	Then Tae-sensei emerged from the depths of the 
apartment, pushing a large chest.  She opened it, and 
removed six long red coats; three of them she threw onto 
the nearby table; she handed one each to Harima and 
Yakumo.  

	He studied the coat as Yakumo confusedly put hers on 
and Tae-Sensei donned one.  It was a scarlet red coat with a 
long golden butterfly on the back.  His jaw dropped.  "This 
is a Golden Butterfly coat!" he said.

	"Yes," Tae-Sensei said softly.  She now extracted 
three lengths of metal, screwing them together and 
inserting bolts, passing the staff to Yakumo.  

	"The Golden Butterflies ruled Koukiaru–koukou with 
an iron fist for three years," he said in awe.  "They even 
defeated the truant officers, so no student would be forced 
to attend."

	"Yes, they did," Tae-Sensei said.  She extracted a pair 
of cheerleader batons, twirling one in each hand, then 
inserted them into loops on either side of her coat.

	"But where did you get these?" he asked urgently.  
"They all just vanished one day, but if people dressed up 
like them..."

	"They ended up covered in honey and made to run 
naked," Tae-sensei said, sighing.  "Youth can make you 
crazy."  She extracted three face masks and threw one each 
to Harima and Yakumo.

	"They would have...how did you..." Harima said.  "Or 
did they..."

	Tae-sensei asked, "Do you prefer knives or brass 
knuckles?"

	"Brass knuckles," he said.

	She tossed him a pair and stuffed a dozen knives into 
her coat pockets.

	"The staff is enough for me," Yakumo said, donning 
her mask.

	Tae-Sensei pulled out headscarves for everyone.  

	"Where did you get all these weapons?" Harima 
asked, as it sank in as to how many she had in the chest.

	"These are keepsakes; I sold most of them to buy 
furniture," she said softly.  "Hario-kun, you are so 
innocent."

	His brain clicked, "You were one of..."  He couldn’t 
believe it.  They were stone cold thugs, brutal to their 
enemies, from the stories Haruka had told him.  

	"I was the new moon," she said, binding her black 
scarf in place.

	Yakumo put her scarf on; it was mostly black, but 
with a bright crescent moon on it.

	He looked at his own, black, but with a full moon on 
it.  "But the new moon..."

	"Was the leader," she said.  "That’s why I had all the 
weapons."  

	"But you...you...you’re kind and gentle.  You’re a 
nurse.  You help people.  You couldn’t be one of the 
Golden Butterflies," he said, almost hysterically.  "You 
picked me up when I was all alone and helped me."

	"People change," she said.  "I met someone, who 
turned my world around, gave me feelings I thought I could 
never have.  Someone I loved."

	His jaw dropped.

	Yakumo reached over and took Harima’s hand 
tentatively, squeezing it.  "You changed too," she said 
softly.  "You are kind and gentle and clever, and the 
animals love you.  Because they know your heart."  Her 
voice shook.  "I want...I envy them."

	He looked at Tae-sensei.  "But you lost him," he said 
softly.  "The one you loved, didn’t love you in the end."

	"No, he didn’t," she said softly.  "He went away in the 
end.  But I didn’t have to go back to the way I was.  The 
road only leads forwards, Hario.  You can never go back 
again."

	"Then why do you want us to wear these?" he asked 
softly.

	"Because they don’t know that," she said, extracting a 
whip and cracking it against her leg.  "I did all those 
horrible things.  I want to make up for it, at least a little.  
Let the golden butterfly take wing for justice, for once."

	He took the mask and donned it, then pulled on the 
coat and began to root through the box.  "It’s going to be 
cramped on my cycle."

	"I can ride in your lap," she said, hugging him from 
behind.  "Okay, Hario?"

	"Yakumo, are you sure?" he asked Yakumo.  

	She twirled her staff.  "I’m sure," she said.  "You don’t 
have to be alone, Kenji-kun."

	Being alone would have been easier.  He wouldn’t 
have to be afraid for them.  But now he would.  And yet, it 
did feel a little lighter.  "I’m just used to being alone."

	"Well, get un-used," Tae-sensei said.  "Ready, Kenji-
kun?"

	He finished arming and stowing his new weapons.  
"Let’s go kick some ass."

****************
	
	Hanai stood with Mai on the platform, looking down 
at everyone.  "Hmm, mostly here or on the way.  But where 
is Harima?" Mai said.  "He’d better come, this is his fault."

	Then the gyrocopter landed, sending everyone 
scattering, and Tenma hopped out with Karasuma.  She was 
wearing a hakama and had her bow.  She looked around 
and ran to Mikoto.  "We’ve got trouble," she said.  

	"Trouble?" Mikoto asked.  "Do you know where 
Harima is?  No one has seen him since he and Yakumo ate 
dinner."

	"Yakumo is at Tae-sensei’s house," Tenma said.  "And 
Kenji..."  She gulped.  "He’s gone to rescue Eri by 
himself."

	"Alone?" Mai said.  "That idiot!  There’s dozens of 
them!  How’s he going to fight an army alone?"

	"I tried to tell him not to go, but he told me to get to 
safety and that it was his fight and he had to do it and..."  
Tenma felt herself starting to hyper-ventilate.

	Karasuma put a hand on her shoulder.  "Calm," he said 
softly.

	"He’s going to be okay, isn’t he?" Tenma asked 
Mikoto pleadingly.  "Tell me he’s going to be okay."

	A limo pulled into the school yard, followed by a 
truck.  Itoko was driving the truck.  Nara stepped out of the 
limo with a blonde woman who no one recognized.  "Is that 
Nara’s mother?" Tenma asked.

	"I thought..." Mikoto began.

	Most of the class jumped when Akira’s voice came 
crisply out of the blonde woman’s mouth.  "I’m taking 
command of this operation.  Two of my club members are 
in danger."

	"You?  What qualifies you to take command?" Mai 
demanded.

	"Takano-san," Hanai began.  "Suou and I..." 

	"Two?" Tenma asked.  "Are Yakumo and Sara in 
danger too?"  She shivered.

	"Am I correct in presuming that Harima has gone off 
to make a solo run against the gang?" Akira asked.

	"We think so," Hanai said.  "But..."

	The truck backed up and the back opened, revealing 
an armory.  

	"Think you’re going to beat them all with your fists?" 
Akira demanded.  "Follow my lead, and we’ll make them 
wish they had never been born."

	"I have a bow," Tenma mumbled.

	"This is..." Mai began.

	Hanai looked at her, then bowed.  "I yield command to 
you for this mission, Takano-san.  What do we need to do?"

	She smiled.  "Nara-kun, round up our intelligence 
squad.  You’re in charge.  Hanai-san, select our best hand-
to-hand fighters.  You’re in charge of them.  Tenma-chan"

	Tenma jumped half out of her flesh.  "Yes, boss?"

	Akira smiled a little.  "You thought to bring your own 
weapon.  Wise.  You’re going to be in charge of our ranged 
squadron.  Karasuma, you’re going to be our DJ."

	"DJ?" he asked.

	"Can’t be a hero without your theme music," Akira 
said.  "Everyone grab weapons and arm up.  Squad leaders, 
come with me.  This is what we have to do..."

**************
	
	"You will all regret this," Eri said.  "ALL of you."  
She glared defiantly down at them as she hung by chains 
from the roof of the huge warehouse they had converted 
into their headquarters.  

	At least they left me dressed, she thought.  She could 
be glad for that.

	"Oh, I don’t think so," Taro said.  "I think what is 
going to happen is that we’re going to thrash Harima to 
little bits, and then it will be your turn."

	"You do realize my father is very wealthy and capable 
of having you hunted to the ends of the Earth?" Eri asked.

	No, he hadn’t thought about that at all.  "We can deal 
with him," Taro said confidently.  "Your family doesn’t 
even have its own ninja clan."

	The ninjas had abandoned them when her mother’s 
family had started marrying Europeans.  Bastards, Eri 
thought.  "We don’t NEED ninjas.  If I wasn’t chained up 
here, I’d still be kicking your ass."

	Taro laughed at that.  "Whatever.  Anyway, once 
Harima gets here..."

	"He is taking his own sweet time," Keiichi said.

	Goro, a huge mountain of a man from Yokohama, 
said, "Wait, did anyone actually tell him where to find us?"

	"..."

	Deadly silence settled on the room.

	Eri began to laugh.  "WHAT A BUNCH OF IDIOTS."

	"Wasn’t Tennouji supposed to tell him?"  Goro asked.

	"Where is Tennouji, anyway?" Keiichi asked.	

	"Watching the movie theatre we thought Harima 
would go to.  Shit.  Gonna have to call him, I guess," Taro 
said.

	I don’t know whether to laugh at these fools, Eri 
thought.  Or cry that I got captured by them.

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

	Akira frowned.  "So we don’t actually know WHERE 
they took her."

	Sagano laughed nervously.  "No."

	"Well, we’ll have to try and track them from where 
they attacked you.  That many people should leave some 
traces," Akira said.

	"Umm..." Sagano began.

	"Don’t ask," Akira said.

	"Okay," Sagano said weakly.  "I just..."

	"Do.  Not.  Ask," Akira replied.

	"Right."

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

	Eri hung out.

	As she hung, she felt her chains rustle gently.  
Looking up, she saw two women in red coats in the rafters; 
you couldn’t see much of their faces, between dark head 
scarves and surgical masks.  They had taken hold of her 
chains and looked about ready to reel her up.

	One of them gave her a thumbs’ up sign.  

	She guessed one of them must be Mikoto, but who 
was the other?  Karen, maybe?  

	Then she saw the other one nervously twirling a staff.  
Yakumo, she thought.  Being rescued by Yakumo almost 
wasn’t worth being rescued.

	Almost.

	Could the other one be Harima?  But she wasn’t tall 
enough and seemed womanly.

	Then there was the revving of an engine and a 
shattering of glass, and someone in a long red coat crashed 
through one of the windows on a motorcycle.  On Harima’s 
cycle, though whoever it was, they were dressed like the 
women.

	The mob turned and stared nervously at the figure; too 
many of them had heard of the Golden Butterflies to want 
to risk one’s wrath.

	Finally, however, Taro stepped up, saying, "This is 
none of your business.  Why are you here?"

	 "WHO WANTS TO DIE FIRST?" Harima shouted to 
the world, then revved the engine and headed for Taro.

	Eri felt her heart jump, and a sense of triumph hit her, 
followed by trepidation.  Even with Yakumo and...Mikoto?  
Karen?  Not Tenma, hopefully...Akira?  Could four of them 
take all these people?  Probably not.

	Slowly, Eri rose up towards the rafters, even as the 
mob rushed Harima, who began roaring about, trying to use 
his cycle to stay too mobile for them to pull him down.  She 
could see him being battered, but he seemed impervious to 
it all, or perhaps the coat just made the bruises impossible 
to see, and the mask and the scarf hid his face.  

	She was most of the way up when things went wrong.  
He made a sharp turn too sharply and his cycle fell over; he 
managed to jump clear, but now the mob closed in.

	Faster, dammit, she thought.  I can’t just watch this.

	But she watched.  The first punk went down, and the 
second, and the third.  He danced through four more, before 
six tried to grab him at once.  An uppercut decked one of 
those, and a back kick took out another, but there were 
more, yet more, rushing in.

	They grabbed one of his arms, and he couldn’t get 
loose, not with all the others attacking him.  And then they 
closed in over him like a tide.

	Eri was breathing hard; she wanted to make them all 
pay, but all she could do was dangle.  FASTER, DAMMIT.

	They dragged him over to Taro.  "Well, that was 
easier than I expected," he said to Harima.

	"Yeah, well, when you have a hundred against one, it 
kinda goes badly for the one," Harima said.  "So, you ready 
for me to kick your fucking ass?"

	Taro laughed.  "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die."

	Harima blinked.  "My name isn’t Bond."

	Taro groaned.  "Barbarians."

	"Where?" Harima asked, looking around in confusion.

	"First, your girlfriend is going to watch you die, and 
then we’re going to make sure she never tells anyone what 
happened," Taro said.  "I’d do it the other way, but it’ll take 
a while to get her down, and I’m impatient."

	"I will DIE before I let you hurt her!" Harima shouted.  

	Eri felt her head swirling again.  He had...did he...  She 
couldn’t focus, couldn’t think, even as the two women 
pulled her up and unchained her.  One of the women passed 
her a sword.  It felt good in her hands.  

	"Yes, you will die, and then we will hurt her," Taro 
said.  "We can kill her first if you really want to watch, 
though."

	Harima strained unsuccessfully against those holding 
him, glowing with anger.  "If you even TOUCH her, I will 
rip you apart."

	"A little late for that," Taro said.  "She is pretty soft to 
the touch, though.  Not that you’ll ever feel it again."  

	Idiot, Eri thought.  Never stop to gloat.  If you’re 
going to kill someone, just do it, don’t provoke them into 
breaking loose and kicking your ass.

	Eri heard the voice of Tae-sensei in her ear now.  "We 
just need to get Hario out of here."

	"Didn’t you have a plan for that?" Eri asked.  "Before 
he came in by himself to fight a hundred people???"

	"He insisted on being the diversion so we could save 
you," Yakumo said softly.

	Eri shivered.  Does he feel he has to die because I got 
in this trouble?  Is this his way of atoning?  Of course it is.  
That’s how Kenji thinks.  "We can’t take this many 
people," she said.  

	"I know," Tae-sensei said.  "Or I’d dive in."

	Yakumo nodded, staring down.

	Harima was grimly silent, so Taro tried again.  "I 
guess you already know how much she squeals when 
you..."  He was bluffing, but she looked a squealer to him.

	"You didn’t," Harima said, almost pleading.

	Eri felt her stomach churn.  I can’t just sit here, she 
thought.  I just...I...If only Mikoto was here.  If...

	"Yakumo," she whispered.  "Please tell me you have 
your cellphone."

	"Yes," Yakumo said.  "But Kenji thought..."

	"Kenji’s not good at thinking.  That’s my job," Eri 
said.  "Give me the phone.  I’m not letting him die for me."  
She looked at the coats.  "Is this some cultural thing I’m not 
getting?"

	"Long story," Tae-sensei said.

	Yakumo passed Eri the phone.

	"It wasn’t JUST me," Taro said.  "But not everyone 
either.  A woman has limits, after all."

	Harima closed his eyes.  "You are more horrible than I 
had ever imagined," he said softly.  "Even I had my limits."

	"Limits are made to be broken," Taro said.  He 
wouldn’t do something like that, really, but making Harima 
think that to make him despair more...that he would do.  
"Especially since it really doesn’t matter what you do to 
some stupid gaijin whore anyway."

	Eri ground her teeth as she waited for the phone to 
pick up.

	"Hello, Eri?" Mikoto asked frantically.

	"I’m in the rafters of warehouse 23 near Gouzou-
douri," Eri said.  "See if Akira or Buddha can home in on 
my cellphone signal or something."

	"Where’s Harima?"

	Eri shuddered.  "He’s about to get his ass kicked, and 
the three of us aren’t enough to save him and I don’t know 
what the...what to do."

	"We’re coming!  We’re already headed that way," 
Mikoto said.  "Give us ten minutes."

	"I don’t know if we have ten minutes," Eri said tightly.

	"Well, it’s all I can offer you," Mikoto said.  "But the 
whole class is coming, and a few people from 2-D."

	Harima finally spoke, his voice very tight.  "She is not 
a WHORE.  And a filthy delinquent like you has no right to 
talk about purity."  She could see his head shaking; the rest 
of his body couldn’t move.

	He was looking up at her, just barely, she realized, 
nodding his head towards the exit, trying to get her to go.  
Even with all this, he was more worried about her safety 
than his.

	She clutched the phone so hard, she feared it would 
break.  "There’s like a hundred...maybe more...everyone 
Harima used to beat up in the old days..." Eri could feel her 
voice trembling.  How could Tae-sensei and Yakumo be so 
calm?  Yakumo’s face was a mask of serenity.  Tae-sensei 
was utterly still and silent, only a few wisps of hair 
escaping her scarf and slowly blowing about.  

	I hate you so much, she thought, looking at Yakumo.  
Don’t you care at all?  

	"Just...dammit, there’s a traffic jam!" Mikoto said.

	Eri was in pain as her muscles clutched up.  No, not 
now, she thought.  Dammit, I have to do something, but 
what?
	
	"I’m a filthy delinquent?" Taro shouted.  "Which one 
of us beat up every person here for no reason but because 
you could!  You didn’t respect anyone’s turf, wouldn’t join 
anyone’s gang!  You did whatever you wanted and we were 
too cowed to stop you!  But now the shoe’s on the other 
hand, you BASTARD!" Taro screamed at Harima.  "And 
you have sex with a foreigner.  And from what we’ve 
heard, you are running around with several women at once!  
Who’s the filthy delinquent?  Are you passing ANYTHING 
at all?  You just go to school to be with your harem!"

	Harima seemed to wilt before that onslaught.  "But I 
never forced myself on a woman," he said, sounding almost 
desperate.  "Kill me if that’s what makes you happy, but let 
her go.  Don’t do any more horrible things to her.  If you 
hate me, hate ME, don’t hurt everyone around me to get at 
me."

	Eri’s head spun.  She could remember him naked, 
grabbing her...but it had all been a misunderstanding.  
Another sign of what a complete idiot Kenji was.  She was 
almost surprised he hadn’t somehow ended up half-naked 
in the athletic contests.  

	"Sensei, do something," she said pleadingly.

	"He’s going to make them focus his attention on him 
so long as you’re here," Tae-sensei said softly.  "He’ll keep 
trying to provoke them into focusing on hurting him so they 
won’t realize you escaped until you’re free."

	"I’m not worth it," she said.  "Why is he doing this for 
me?  After all the...the trouble I’ve caused him?"  What 
does he really think about me, she wondered.  Does he love 
me?  Does he even understand how he feels?

	"It’ll hurt you more if they suffer," Taro said to 
Harima.

	"So you’re too much of a coward to even strike me 
yourself," Harima said.  "You’d rather attack people who 
can’t fight back and get an army to fight me for you."

	Taro punched him in the face.  "How’s that?"

	"Not what I’d call a fair fight, but perfect for a 
snivelling coward like you," Harima said.

	"We’re not stupid enough to be taunted into letting 
you loose," Taro said.  "But I think you need a lesson in 
how helpless you are here."  He and three others began 
pummeling Harima as six others held him, ripping off his 
glasses, scarf, and mask.  She could see him bend over as 
the blows took effect, groaning.

	"I HATE TRAFFIC!" Mikoto yelled over the 
cellphone.

	Eri almost fell off the rafter, she was so tense and 
shaking at the same time.  "SENSEI," she hissed.

	"I’ll go," Tae-sensei said softly.  "You two stay here 
where it’s safe.  I’m the teacher.  It’s my duty."

	Yakumo said, "I’ll go.  I can’t stand here and 
watch...watch this."  Her voice trembled, and her mouth 
twisted.  She leaned on her staff.  

	She is feeling, Eri realized.  She just hides it well.  "He 
came here for me.  Well, I’m coming for him now.  
Protect..."

	"We all go," Tae-Sensei said.  "If they’re coming, then 
we have a chance."

	Eri nodded.  

	Taro was kicking Harima in the face, when they heard 
a voice, a woman’s voice, full of rage, echo from the 
rafters.  "For those who would dare to touch a Golden 
Butterfly, there can be only one punishment.  DEATH!"

	One of them hurled knives as they came, while the 
other two just swung down grimly, then all three converged 
on Harima, trying to grab him and pull him up and away.  
Unfortunately, they lost the tug of war, but the resulting 
collision sent everyone tumbling.

	Harima chose this moment to bust free of his 
attackers, battered and bruised, bleeding from his lip, but 
unbowed by his pains for now.  "SHOULD HAVE HELD 
ON TIGHTER!  BECAUSE NOW YOU ALL DIE!"

	He shoved his palm into Taro’s face, knocking him to 
the ground, even as Yakumo and Eri pulled their weapons, 
moving to flank him, while Tae-sensei whipped her batons 
into her hands and began to twirl them, covering his back.

	"Fuck," Taro said as Harima stomped on his stomach, 
then paused to back-kick two charging punks.  
"TENNOUJI!"

	Tennouji began to charge through the chaotic mass 
towards Harima.

	But not fast enough, as Harima now stomped on 
Taro’s groin.  "You’ll never use THIS again," he said.

	Taro screamed in pain.

	Eri winced, then said, "Harima, he never touched me.  
He lied."

	Harima paused.  "When did you get here?  You were 
supposed to get to safety!"

	"I came back to rescue you!" she shouted.

	"That’s my job!" Harima said.  "Yakumo?" He now 
noticed her.  "Aaaaaahhh!  Tenma’s going to kill me!"

	Yakumo drove her staff into a man’s gut and knocked 
him into another, then spun her staff around to rap one of 
Tae’s foes in the side of the head, causing him to stagger so 
that Tae could catch him with her batons and fling him into 
the air.  "I would rather die than abandon you," Yakumo 
said softly.

	"You’re not alone," Tae-sensei said softly as she 
parried a knife with one baton and shoved the other into a 
tall thug’s adam’s apple, sending him staggering back for 
breath.

	Taro now scrambled to safety, even as Tennouji 
charged in and slugged Harima in the gut.  Harima 
responded by kicking him in the knee.  Soon, they were 
going at it full force.  But Harima couldn’t focus.  Not with 
three people to protect, as he saw it, and he was already 
hurt.

	Eri drove her foes back with lightning strokes; none of 
them were willing to get too close to her sword, and she 
smiled ferally.  She was in the mood to draw some blood.  

	But the attacks were coming harder, more people 
closing in, and it was getting harder and harder to keep 
them all back.  They would get tired eventually, and then 
they would fall.

	Or possibly Harima would fall first.  She knew he 
could do better than this against Tennouji.  But he was 
spending half his time picking off attacks that came 
towards her or Yakumo, and Tennouji was whaling on him.

	Then Tennouji brought both his fists up at once and 
clipped Harima under the chin, knocking him down, even 
as Harima deflected a staff thrust at Eri.  "Now, I’m going 
to finish this!" Tennouji shouted.

	Eri couldn’t turn, unless she wanted knives in the 
back, but what else could she do?  She turned and drove at 
him, forcing him back, only to get struck in the back with a 
staff and end up sprawling on top of Harima.

	"Run," he mumbled.  "Can’t let you die here."

	"Don’t be a fool," she said as she tried to get up.  

	Tennouji kicked her in the face, knocking her down 
again.  Yakumo and Tae were too hard pressed to help.  
This was the end.

	They were all going to...

	And then a voice echoed across the warehouse.  
"ONEE-CHAN POWA!!!!!!"  There was the sound of 
frenzied twangs, and suddenly flares began going off just 
above the crowd, temporarily blinding most of them.

	Rescued by Tenma, Eri thought.  Nothing could 
possibly be more humiliating.  But she was glad anyway.

	And then four figures descended through the smoke.  
Sagano grabbed Eri.  Itoko picked up Harima.  Sasakura-
sensei siezed Tae-sensei.  And Sara snagged Yakumo.  

	"Now we’re even," Sagano said to Eri.

	"Thank you," Eri mumbled.

	"I thought you burned those," Sasakura-sensei said as 
they rose back up towards the rafters on wires.

	"I probably should have," Tae-sensei said.  "But I’m 
glad I didn’t tonight."

	"You could have called me, you know," Itoko said to 
Harima.

	"Wasn’t your fight," he mumbled.

	Sara just held Yakumo tightly as they rose, while 
Yakumo looked over at Harima.  

	The voice of Akira now boomed across the 
warehouse.  "You have this chance to surrender," she said, 
sitting on the railing of the upper story walkway, her legs 
dangling over the edge, still clad in a fancy dress, but with 
a megaphone in one hand and a pistol in the other.  "If you 
resist, Class 2-C will destroy you.  We will not tolerate 
ANY of you interfering with anyone from our school 
EVER again."  

	Tenma stood next to her, clad in hakama, a bow in her 
hand, an arrow nocked.

	Taro looked up.  "You and what army?  All I see are 
some chicks on wires and a flat-chested kid with a bow.  
BY THE WAY, I CAN SEE UP YOUR SKIRT!"
	
	"Blind him," Akira commanded.

	Tenma fired; the arrow hit Taro in the forehead, and a 
bulb burst, splattering his face with ink, blinding him.  

	"Music!" Akira commanded.

	Flight of the Valkyries erupted through the warehouse, 
and now the doors were kicked in Harry drove his 
motorcycle through the doors with Karen standing behind 
him, her hands on his shoulders.  Hanai and Mikoto 
charged in behind him, leading a mob of students with stun 
batons and swords.  Lala followed them in; she needed no 
weapon.

	"RISE!" Tenma shouted, and more students rose up on 
the walkway, levelling guns down at the mob below.  

	"Live feed is active," Nara reported; Buddha’s crew 
now had the entire space under surveillance and was 
recording everything, along with a live webcast broadcast.  
He put a hand on Akira’s shoulder tentatively.  "The whole 
world is going to see them getting what they deserve."

	Her lips quirked.  "And you all got us the warehouse 
plans," she said.  "Which was a lot of help in formulating 
the plan.  Good job."  She patted his hand and didn’t 
remove it.

	 Harima looked down at all this.  "Is our class really 
this big?"

	"Some of us brought friends,"  Sagano said, nodding 
over at Sara.  

	Fuyuki and Yoshidayama now took two huge plastic 
bags and hurled them down at the mob; pictures rained 
down out of them as they fell.  Some of the punks picked 
up the pictures, stared, then began grabbing more.  Good 
porn doesn’t come cheap, you know.

	Unfortunately, this meant many of them were busy 
bending over and grabbing pictures even as Hanai and 
Mikoto led a wedge of 2-C and allies into the middle of 
them.  Hanai began sweeping people off their feet, enabling 
Mikoto to punt them deeper into the mob, throwing it into 
more chaos.  

	Punks scattered out of the way as a drunken, angry 
Lala plowed into the middle of them.  "FILTHY 
PORNOGRAPHERS MUST DIE!" she shouted.

	"But..." one punk protested, dodging under her fists, 
"You guys threw this to us!"

	"LIES!" she shouted.  "YOU WISH TO MAKE 
INVINCIBLE BABIES!  BUT I WON’T ALLOW IT!"  
She jacknifed her foot into his left knee, then grabbed him 
and slammed him over her head into another unfortunate 
punk.

	Harry laughed as he rode his cycle into the mob, 
sending them running in terror.  As they rode by people, 
Karen carefully lifted them and hurled them into the 
various crates which filled one end of the warehouse. 
"Sorry!  Coming through!  My apologies!"

	Airgun pellets and paintgun bombs rained down upon 
the mob, stirring it up further; at the fringes, some began to 
flee.  Others staggered around, blinded, until pummeled 
unconscious, while some continued the quest for porn. 

	Taro could see his army beginning to disintegrate.  
Only a big win could save them. "Tennouji, Goro, Keiichi, 
Dragons, follow me!"

	He took them up the rear staircase to charge at the 
ranged weapons brigade, while the rest of the mob milled 
about getting its ass kicked below.  Akira spun, charging to 
intercept, as the ranged crew turned and opened fire on 
Taro’s charging mob.  Unfortunately, their weaponry was 
painful, but not deadly, and Taro’s crew continued to 
approach.  

	Akira began firing with precision, nailing several of 
the Dragons dead-on in the forehead and causing them to 
pass out or fall down.  Tenma reached into her quiver and 
extracted an elaborate arrow and fired.  Keiichi and several 
other dragons found themselves entangled in a net.  
Unfortunately, two more arrows got deflected by charging 
folk.

	Harima looked down and tried to force himself up.  
"We have to do something!"

	Itoko used her headset.  "Buddha, wire us over to 
them!"

	"Sorry, but we didn’t exactly have time to try and 
string wires across this whole place.  My apologies, 
sensei," Buddha said, sighing.

	Yakumo looked at the drop from the rafters to the 
walkways and tried to judge if she could handle it.

	Sara shouted down to the ranged weapons squad, 
"Asou!  Get Tenma-chan to safety!"

	Asou tried to hustle Tenma back as the wedge 
approached, but she stood her ground and kept firing.  
"THE OLD GUARD DIES, BUT DOES NOT 
SURRENDER!" she shouted, now nailing a Dragon in the 
face with a boxing glove arrow.

	"TENMA-SAAAAAAANNNN!!!!!" Harima shouted, 
staggering to his feet.  He was terrified for her and proud at 
the same time.  

	Take out the leader, and the followers will crumble, 
Taro thought, continuing to head right for Tenma, despite 
heavy fire from Akira.  He still had Tennouji and most of 
his Dragons.  

	Eri grabbed Harima’s arm.  "Don’t be crazy!  You’re 
too hurt to make that jump."  

	"Have to do it..." he mumbled.  "Can’t let them have 
her."

	"You can’t save everyone personally!" Eri told him.  
"You’re in no condition to fight!"

	"You can’t tell me what to do!"  He jumped.

	Unfortunately, Eri was right.  

	Fortunately, Itoko launched herself as quickly as he 
leaped.  She grabbed hold of him, and when he fell short, 
they swung out over the mob, with her holding him by his 
feet.  "Reel us up!  Quick!"

	Akira holstered her gun and shook a fighting chain out 
of her sleeve.  It flicked out, snagging Goro by the feet.  He 
toppled, knocking down two of his friends, and she dragged 
him in close.  "Asou!  GET HER OUT OF HERE!"  

	The rest of the ranged squad was conducting a fighting 
retreat, falling back to fire periodic volleys, but Tenma kept 
shooting, picking off some of her foes, missing others, as 
Tennouji, Taro, and his last followers closed in on her.  

	Harima was slowly winched up, now level with this.  
"Run, Tenma-san, RUN!!!!!" he shouted.  

	"Run, sister, run!" Yakumo shouted from her perch.  

	Eri judged the distance, took a deep breath, and 
leaped.

	"Not you too!" Harima shouted.

	Eri came just short, and ended up clinging from the 
edge of the walkway by her fingertips, landing behind 
Taro’s force.  One of them turned back to come stomp on 
her fingers, advancing slowly and grinning.

	"Eri!" Tenma shouted and shot the man in the back of 
the head with a glass bulbed arrow.  It broke, choking him 
with knockout gas.

	Meanwhile, however, Asou moved to try to protect 
Tenma from the horde, only to get punched in the face by 
Tennouji.  He slid along the walkway on his back as Sara 
screamed.

	Just as Taro was about to punch Tenma in the face, 
even as she levelled another glass-bulbed arrow at him, 
Tennouji suddenly shouted, "Tenma-chan, it’s you!" then 
suddenly threw her over one shoudler and ran off with her; 
her shot went wild, falling down off the railing to land on 
the unfortunate Mai, far below, who got a faceful of gas 
and fell over.

	Taro paused in mid-punch.  "THE HELL ARE YOU 
DOING?"

	"HEY!" Harima shouted at Tennouji.  "You can’t have 
her!"

	Eri struggled to try to climb up, and was starting to 
make it when Taro stalked back to her.  Nearby, Akira was 
busy with Goro, nimbly dodging his attacks and trying to 
lure him into the middle of the class’ missile fire.

	Taro stomped over angrily to Eri as she started to pull 
herself up.  "This is all your fault!" he said, pointing at her.  
"If you hadn’t corrupted him, none of this would have been 
necessary!"

	"What kind of GARBAGE IS THAT?" Eri shouted at 
him.

	"Get away from her!" Harima shouted; he’d been 
hauled most of the way up to the rafters by now.  "Or you’ll 
regret it!"

	As Tennouji made his run, having apparently decided 
that taking Tenma for himself was about as good an ending 
as he might hope for from this, he found himself confronted 
by Nara, who did his desperate best to pose as if he had any 
idea what he was doing.  "Put Tsukamoto-san down!" he 
said, trying hard to not cry.  He knew exactly how hard 
Tennouji could hit from personal experience.

	"Hey, I remember you from the Athletic Festival," 
Tennouji said.  

	Nara tried to figure out if that was good or bad.

	"I bet you still suck," he said, and swung his hand at 
Nara, who tried to dodge.

	No luck.  Nara took the blow full force and went 
flying off the railing.

	As this happened, Taro went to stomp Eri’s fingers.  

	Harima screamed, "NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"

	Akira dove, letting Goro stomp on her, extending her 
fighting chain to snag Nara, leaving him dangling by a 
chain around his leg as Goro tried to crush her.  This did, at 
least, keep her anchored.  She also shot Taro in the butt, 
throwing him off balance

	Taro regained his footing as Nara dangled and Akira 
groaned.

	Yakumo tried to muster the courage to try and make 
the jump.  

	Tenma beat futilely on Tennouji’s back as he carried 
her off.  "Bully!  Thug!  Thief!" she shouted.

	Taro stomped on Eri’s left hand and she lost her grip, 
clinging by the right hand only.  "One more to go!"

	"Harima!" Tae-sensei said.  "None of us has the leg 
strength to jump that far, but if you throw one of the lighter 
ones of us, we might be able to make it and stop him!  
You’re the strongest person up here."

	Harima could see Tenma being carried off, Eri about 
to have her hand stomped on.  He couldn’t save both of 
them.  He couldn’t personally even save one of them.  Both 
required quick action, before it was too late.

	For a moment that seemed like eternity, he hung on 
the knife of indecision.  And then he made up his mind.

	Eri needed him more than Tenma did.

	So he had to leave Tenma in danger, though it ground 
him to the quick.

	He seized Tae-sensei and hurled her down.  "TAKE 
THIS, TARO!"

	Taro looked up and got a faceful of batons, driving 
him back along the walkway, facing a fire from the rear 
from the ranged squad.  As he retreated, Eri pulled herself 
up.  "Thanks, sensei."

	"Thank Hario," she said.

	"Who the hell are you?" Taro demanded as she drove 
him back, blocking his blows with one baton and striking 
his legs and arms with the other.

	"I am the Moon that is Not," she said.  "Leader of the 
Golden Butterflies.  And you," she said, smacking a 
kneecap and making him stumble, "are going to pay for 
messing with my Hario."

	"YOUR Hario?" Eri demanded as she got to her feet 
and attacked Goro from behind, driving him off Akira, who 
now managed to reel up Nara.

	Eri now charged at Taro.  "I’ll take care of this punk, 
Sensei."

	"Heeeeeeelp!" Tenma shouted as she got carried off 
down a side staircase.

	"Tenma!" Mikoto shouted and began trying to make 
her way there through the chaos.

	A man charged up the stairs, his face blank, but his 
body moving rapidly and gracefully.  It was Karasuma.  
"Drop her," he said.

	"She’s mine," Tennouji said.

	Karasuma leaped into the air and spun, his feet kicking 
across Tennouji’s face three times before he settled to the 
ground.  

	Tennouji grunted.  "My turn."  He thrust out his fist 
and Karasuma slid under it like a limbo dancer, then kicked 
him in the gut.  Karasuma now glided around Tennouji like 
a fly attacking a bull.  The bull couldn’t hit the fly and the 
fly couldn’t hurt the bull.

	High above, Tae-sensei stepped aside and let Eri 
charge, driving Taro back with her sword.  "I’ll get you for 
this some day," he hissed at her.

	"No, I don’t think you will," Eri said.  "Because I’m 
going to insure you can’t move, ever again."  She slashed 
out with her sword, and he only barely avoided the blow.  
However, she was slowly herding him towards the 
Karasuma-Tennouji confrontation.

	Goro found himself double-teamed by Akira and Tae-
sensei, and began to be quickly beaten down.

	Yakumo watched all this with Sara in frustration while 
Itoko communicated with Buddha by headset, gathering 
information.  "I wish I could do something."

	Harima lay on the rafter.  "Throw me at Tennouji."

	Mikoto now reached Tennouji.  "Drop her," she 
demanded.

	"MAKE ME!" Tennouji shouted.  

	Mikoto aimed a kick at his head, even as Karasuma 
swept his feet.  Tennouji toppled, dropping Tenma; 
Karasuma leaped off the stairs, catching her as she bean to 
fall, and landing lightly on the ground.

	Eri now drove Taro to the top of the stairs, then kicked 
him down them, to land at Mikoto’s feet.  She put a foot on 
his throat.  "Give it up to 2-C," Mikoto demanded.

	"I hate my fucking life," Taro moaned.

	What was left of his mob now broke up, fleeing or 
surrendering.  All that was left was the clean-up.

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

	Itoko and Yakumo gently lowered Harima onto the 
stretcher in the back of the Tea Club truck, while Eri 
carefully wheeled his motorcycle up into the back.  Harima 
laid on his back, staring up at the ceiling.  

	"Kenji-kun, are you okay?" Yakumo asked softly.

	"Is Tenma-san okay?" Harima asked.

	"Yes," Eri said.  "She’s fine."

	He looked over at Eri and Yakumo squinting.  "Are 
you both okay?" he asked.

	Tae-sensei now clambered up into the back as well.

	"I’m fine," Eri said.

	"No problems here," Yakumo replied.  

	"Then I’m fine," Harima said.

	Tae-sensei came over to Harima and began taking off 
his shirt.

	He didn’t resist. Yakumo’s eyes widened, while Eri 
watched with something that might have been appreciation.

	"Not worried about me?" Itoko asked with something 
resembling amusement.

	"You make trouble, you don’t get in trouble," Harima 
mumbled.  He looked at Tae-sensei.  "My heart belongs to 
someone else."

	"I know, Hario," she said.  "But I can’t treat your 
wounds through your clothing."

	"Let me help," Eri and Yakumo said in unison, then 
stared at each other.

	Tae-Sensei smiled gently at that.  "Itoko-san, can you 
help collect more of the injured?  I’m going to have lots of 
people to help, so I can’t linger here."

	Itoko nodded and left.

	"Alright.  Yakumo-san, take his pants off.  Eri-san, I 
need you to help him hold him still, in case he thrashes."

	"His...his pants off?" Yakumo looked utterly calm, but 
was also strangely still.

	"My pants?  MY PANTS?" Harima said.  "Sensei, 
you’re very pretty, but I can’t...."

	"I can hardly treat your legs if your pants are in the 
way."

	"Pants?" Eri asked, full-blown naked flashback in 
progress.

	"Now, now, most young girls would jump at the 
chance to get a handsome boy’s pants off.  Won’t one of 
you help me?" Tae-sensei said.  "Or would you rather I 
took your pants off, Hario?"

	Harima was horrified by the fantasy which ensued:  an 
image of Tae-sensei taking his pants off, while Yakumo 
and Eri held his arms and...

	Yakumo’s eyes crossed and her mouth dropped open.

	Eri said, "I’ll take his pants off.  It’s nothing I haven’t 
seen before."  She strode over, realized what she’d said, 
and tried to decide if suicide was a good option.

	"I’m jealous," Tae-sensei said lightly.  "This will be 
my first time.  Hario-kun was always so modest with me."

	"I can take my own pants off," Harima mumbled, 
fumbling at his belt.

	"I...you...before?" Yakumo asked weakly.  To her 
relief, the image had vanished from his mind, leaving her 
feeling strange.  

	"So jealous," Tae-sensei said softly, though her voice 
was light.

	Eri pulled Harima’s belt off, pulled his pants down 
without thinking about what she was doing.  He wore black 
bikini briefs.  

	Yakumo could feel her brain melting.

	Tenma’s going to walk in, Harima suddenly realized.  
And I will surely die.  I promised her I wouldn’t be a 
monkey and now three women are stripping me naked!  

	There really was only one choice.

	Harima lept to his feet and ran.

	"Come back here!" Eri shouted and ran after him.

	"Kenji-kun!" Yakumo shouted and ran after him.

	"Hario-kun, you need to rest and let me treat your 
wounds!" Tae-sensei shouted, running after him.

	Soon, everyone was staring at them as they sprinted 
across the parking lot and into the warehouse.

	"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO YAKUMO???" 
Hanai shouted and began to run after them.

	"Hanai, come back here!" Mikoto shouted.  "Stop 
being a fool!"

	"Kenji-kun, what are you doing running around 
mostly naked in front of all these women?  YOU 
MONKEY!" Tenma shouted, running after him.

	Sagano laughed and ran after the mob.  "Take it off!  
TAKE IT ALL OFF!"  Several other women in the group 
began to chant this, while the rest stared at them in shock.

	Imadori saw this, and several of the guys joined him in 
chanting, "LADIES, TAKE IT ALL OFF TOO!"

	"You are even worse than Imadori who at least stayed 
clothed the whole time on our date!" Lala shouted and 
began chasing Harima.

	"Lala!" Karen shouted, running after her.

	Karasuma went over to his DJ equipment and started 
up "The Streak."

	Itoko looked over at Buddha.  "Is this all still being 
broadcast?"

	"And recorded," he said.  "Posterity must know."

	"Good man," Itoko said.  "Make sure I get a copy."

	"Of course, sensei."

	Akira looked at the whole mess, then said to Itoko, 
"Well, over all, better than I expected."

	"A good run should work out the kinks in his 
muscles," Itoko said.

	"I’ll be ready to deflate it once they all finish winding 
down," Akira said.

	"You look nice in that dress," Itoko said.  "And with 
the hair."

	Akira blushed slightly and looked at the ground.  "You 
think?"

	Nara came up to her.  "You look beautiful," he said 
softly.  "Thank you for saving me."

	"You tried to fight Tennouji to help Tenma, even 
though you had to know you couldn’t win," Akira said, 
smiling at him a little.  She patted her curls.  "Come here."

	He came over to her.

	She leaned down slightly and kissed his cheek.  
"Come to Tea Club Monday after school.  I have to finish 
beating you at chess."

	He put a hand to his cheek and smiled broadly.  
"Thanks!"

	"And we’ll have to have another date later," Akira 
said.  "Maybe next Friday, since this one got wrecked."

	"That would be great," he said. 
	
	"Alright.  Now to break up the riot," Akira said.  "A 
woman’s work is never done."

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

	Harima put his clothing on and stumbled out of the 
truck so others could be treated.  Hanai was there with 
Mikoto, helping to lift people in.  Harima said to Hanai, 
"Why’d you come?"

	"What?" Hanai asked.

	"We’ve beat the crap out of each other dozens of 
times," Harima said.  "I can’t even remember why, half the 
time.  But you came."

	"You’re my classmate," Hanai said.  "If we don’t stick 
by each other, who will?"

	"You’re my friend, Harima-kun," Mikoto said.  "And 
very dear to my dear friend Tenma.  I didn’t tell you to 
come back to school that time because I didn’t like you, 
Harima."

	"2-C stands up for each other.  You may slap your 
younger brother around, but if any outsider tried to hurt 
him, you’d beat them down, wouldn’t you, Harima-san?" 
Hanai asked.

	"Damn straight," Harima said.

	"We’re one big insane dysfunctional family of 
maniacs," Hanai said.  "And you’re part of it.  You’re one 
of us."

	Harima felt strange; he couldn’t understand what he 
was feeling, or why he suddenly wanted to cry.  "One 
of...us?" he said softly.

	Mikoto clapped a hand on his shoulder.  "One of us.  
You’re with friends, Harima."

	He felt like something had been ripped away from 
him, like a scab being peeled off, leaving red and tender 
skin, but no longer a wound, behind.  "Friends," he said 
softly.  "I couldn’t...I couldn’t...I couldn’t have done this 
alone.  Without everyone."

	"That’s what we’re here for," Hanai said.  "Now, come 
on, help us finish moving the wounded."

	He nodded and went to help out.

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

	Mai came up to Akira, who was lounging against the 
Tea Club truck, listening to Karasuma’s musical selections 
as everyone bustled to clean up and go.  Nara was leaning 
on the truck as well, next to her.  "What are we going to do 
with all these prisoners?" she asked.

	"Write ‘Owned by 2-C’ on their foreheads in indelible 
marker and let them go.  I don’t think they’ll mess with us 
again.  And our dungeon isn’t big enough for this many," 
Akira said.

	"Dungeon?" Mai asked.

	"Tea Club," Akira said.

	"You have a DUNGEON?" Mai asked.  "You’re 
pulling my leg."

	Akira just smiled.  

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

	"Well, if we hurry, there’s still time to catch a late 
movie," Harry said to Karen.

	"I..."  She looked around, trying to see what Imadori 
was doing.  He and Lala were sprawled down on the 
ground, passing a bottle of wine back and forth between 
them.

	Imadori’s mother shook her head, came over, took 
each of them by the collar and dragged them towards her 
car.

	"Sure," Karen said, a little sadly.

	"Don’t worry, I’m sure his mother will take good care 
of them."

	"I hope so," Karen said softly.  

	"Hmm, definitely one of my better dates so far," Harry 
said as they roared out of the parking lot.

	"Really?"

	"Any date you can walk away from is a good one," 
Harry said, grinning.

	Karen didn’t know what to make of that.

************
 
	"You two okay?" Eri asked Yuuki and Sagano.

	"We could ask you that," Sagano said.  "We’re fine, 
thanks to you."  She paused.  "Did they..."

	"I just got roughed up a little, that’s all," Eri said.  
"Well, tonight kinda went bad.  You guys want to come 
back to my place and watch some movies or something? Or 
we could go and try and find a...why are you guys staring at 
me?"

	"Hi, Harima-san," Yuuki said.

	Eri froze up, panicking.  She didn’t know what to say, 
what to feel, what to do.  Did he...should she...

	"Eri-san," Harima said softly.

	She couldn’t face him.  She wanted, desperately, to 
see his face, but she couldn’t bear to tell what was on it.  
"Aren’t...aren’t you on a date?" she asked softly.

	"The date went VERY well, thanks to your help," 
Harima said enthusiastically.  "Even though...oh man, I 
NEVER USED THE POWDER."  He slapped his face.

	Eri suddenly felt very guilty.  "I...Kenji-kun..."

	"Powder?" Sagano asked curiously.

	"Never been on a date?" Harima asked Sagano.

	Sagano shrank down to the size of a leaf and blew 
away in the wind.

	"Ice burn," Yuuki said, and decided not to ask.

	"Kenji-kun, I..." Eri began again.

	Now he put his hands on her shoulders.  She tried to 
freeze more, but there was no more immobility to be 
grasped.  Instead, she just kind of sank in on herself.  

	"Eri-san, we’re all going to Tenma-san’s to watch 
some movies and eat too much.  You want to come with 
us?" Harima asked.

	"Everyone has a date but me," Eri mumbled.  "I’d just 
get in the way."

	"Do you really think Tenma-san or Suou-san or 
Takano-san would ever think you were in the way?" 
Harima asked softly.  

	She could feel the world collapsing in on her.  She 
couldn’t say what was really in her mind.  But she wanted 
desperately to go with them, to be with her friends.  But 
she’d have to face him, and she couldn’t run and she 
couldn’t face him either.

	"I...is..." Yuuki began.

	And then she felt a pressure of air, and there were 
arms around her, Akira to the left and Mikoto to the right, 
and Tenma hugging her and pressing her face into Eri’s 
chest.  Harima’s hands rested firmly on her shoulders, and 
now she began to cry, sobbing into Tenma’s hair.

	"Let it all out," Tenma said softly.  

	Hanai seemed to almost fade in out of the shadows.  
"Do you two want to come?" he asked Sagano and Yuuki 
softly.  "Nothing romantic, we’re all just going to hang out 
and watch some of Akira’s ninja movies."

	"YES," Yuuki said urgently.

	Sagano glanced over at Eri, then drifted next to Hanai 
and leaned up to whisper in his ear, "Are you sure it’s 
okay?  Sawachika doesn’t normally hang out with us.  It 
seems kind of like..."  She fumbled at the words.  
"Normally, I don’t mind being a little rude, but after all 
she’s been through..."

	Hanai turned and smiled at Sagano, making Yuuki feel 
just a touch jealous.  "I think with more people, she’ll feel 
more comfortable, and less like a third wheel," he said very 
softly.

	Sagano held her fist up.  "Then we’re in!"

	"If we invite Fuyuki and Ichijou, we could play for 
her," Yuuki said.  "That might make her feel better."

	"Ichijou left with Harry," Sagano said.  "They’re 
probably all excited from fighting, going to go make out."

	Yuuki blushed.  "You think?"

	"And Imadori and Lala went off together," Sagano 
said.

	Hanai stared.  "Really?"

	"I know, it’s like we’re on another planet suddenly," 
Sagano said.  She looked over at Eri, who had finished 
crying and was just clutching her friends tightly.  "Well, I 
can gossip on the road.  We should get moving before the 
police finally notice all this."

	"True," Hanai said.  "Let’s go."

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

	"You leave me no choice...but to revolutionize your 
SPLEEN!" a ninja shouted as he dropped down from the 
ceiling at the Daimyo.

	Daimyo Yamakama, a huge hulking brute of a man, 
uppercut the ninja, knocking him into the wall, then 
advanced on him menacingly with a sword.

	"Sweep his legs!" Harima shouted at the screen.  He 
had his back to the living room wall, legs sprawled out as 
he sat.  

	Hanai said, "The guy’s going use a slash from above; 
he should dodge left, then give him a kidney punch while 
he's open."  He and Mikoto sat together, off to the right side 
of the low table, which was now covered with snacks.  He 
and Mikoto tended to jostle a fair amount, if either of them 
moved.

	"Use your NINJA MAGIC!" Sagano shouted.  She 
and Yuuki were just off to Hanai’s left.

	To their left was Tenma, kneeling behind Eri and 
embracing her around the neck, with Karasuma to her left.  
Eri leaned back against her and seemed to be half-asleep.  
Off to the left of Karasuma, around the left end of the table, 
were Akira and Nara, who sat close together, but not 
touching.  
	
	Yakumo came in and handed everyone tea, bringing 
Harima the last glass, in a brown mug with white sheep 
frolicking on it.  She then sat down next to him with her 
own glass.  She glanced over at him, then sat back against 
the wall to watch the movie.

	He sipped his tea.  "Hmm, this is new."

	"It’s one of the special blends that I...that I brought on 
the date, just in case," Akira said.  

	"Oooh, this is the stuff Megumi makes," Nara said, 
sipping his slowly.

	"Megumi?" Tenma asked.

	"She’s sort of...a relative.  Sort of," Nara said.  "Long 
story."

	On the screen, the ninja failed to take any advice and 
was cut down by the Daimyo.  But with his dying words, he 
said, "You cannot stop...the revolution..."

	"We’ll see about that," the daimyo said.  "Soon, I will 
be Shogun!  And then Japan will be MINE!"  He paused.  
"Also, I am possessed by evil."

	"I WAS RIGHT!" Harima said.  "Stupid history 
teacher."

	"Is this historical?" Yakumo asked quizzically.

	"If by history, you mean ‘lies’, then yes," Akira said.

	The doorbell rang.  Yakumo rose.  "I’ll get it."

	She headed out to the door and answered it; Sara and 
Asou were there.  "We settled things at work," Sara said.  
"Mind if Asou comes in?"

	"That’s fine," Yakumo said.  "Everyone has their date  
here."

	Asou’s eyes widened.  "We’re just friends."

	"Everyone has their just friends here," Yakumo said in 
the same tone of voice.  

	Sara giggled.  "Yakumo-chan, you’re always so 
funny."  ‘Yakumo-chan, I like you very much’ floated 
around her head.  Yakumo smiled at that.

	Asou cocked his head.  Yakumo looked at him 
quizzically.  She couldn’t read him at all.  It suddenly hit 
her that she hadn’t seen Nara or Hanai or...any of the guys’ 
thoughts, since they got here.  Asou said, "Well, maybe..."

	"Come on," Sara said, dragging him by the arm.  "You 
need more fun.  It’s good for you."

	"You make it sound like vitamins," Asou grumbled as 
Sara dragged him along.  

	Yakumo asked, "Tea for both of you?"

	"Yes, please, lots of sugar and lemon," Asou said.  

	Sara sniffed the air.  "Oooh, berries, yes."

	Yakumo went and got them some tea, and came back; 
the two of them had plunked down near Harima by the 
back wall.  She served them, then sat down by him; she 
couldn’t read his mind, but she suspected it was full of 
movie; he and Hanai were enthusiastically telling all the 
ninjas what to do.

	She glanced around the room.  Everyone seemed 
paired off, almost touching, but not quite, though Tenma 
held Eri as if she’d been born on Eri’s back, and Karasuma 
lounged casually near the two of them, watching in silence.  
Even Sagano and Yuuki seemed close to each other to her 
sight.  

	She could see her sister’s mind; it was full of love and 
concern for Eri, almost blinding to look at.  Sara’s mind 
flitted about; she seemed to be sizing everyone up like 
Yakumo was.  Harima’s mind was closed to her, which was 
a little disappointing.  She wanted to get closer to him.  
Shouldn’t being battle-companions have made them closer?  

	Was he thinking about Tae-sensei?  She was tall and 
pretty, with the really long hair and the nice figure.  And 
she seemed to really care for him.  She was so free with 
everything she said, and everyone seemed to love her.

	Yakumo felt like she was shrinking as she thought 
about Tae-sensei.  So tall and pretty and kind.  Such an 
utterly gentle woman.  Perfect for a nurse.  For a...for 
someone’s girlfriend.  So bold and unafraid of anything.

	Yakumo knew too much about fear.  

	She rustled uncomfortably as the evil Daimyo led his 
armies across Japan in a quick scene involving crayon lines 
on maps.  Everyone seemed rapt in the movie; she’d 
imagined more conversation, but besides people yelling 
advice to the screen, it was oddly silent; everyone seemed 
spent.

	Glancing down, she saw Harima’s hand near her own, 
and she thought about taking it.  Tenma was holding Eri’s 
hands.  But no one else was.  Part of her wanted to try 
taking Harima’s anyway, but she couldn’t muster the 
courage to do it.

	Then she saw Mikoto yawn, which caused Yakumo to 
yawn.  As if by magic, she suddenly felt all her exertions 
hit her, and she slumped over, landing on Harima’s lap, 
asleep.

	Sara looked over at her and smiled gently, and Harima 
looked down in surprise, then smiled a small smile at her as 
well, throwing his jacket over her as she snoozed.

	"Just like a cat," Sara whispered to Asou.

	"Don’t get any crazy ideas," he whispered back.

	She smiled cutely, filling him with true fear.

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

	Of all the movies she might have picked, Harry hadn’t 
really expected Karen would pick a giant robot movie.  
Especially not one where all of them were angels.  Maybe.  
Actually, it was exceedingly hard to follow the weird 
symbolism, and at the end, they all turned into bicycles and 
were ridden off into the sunset to the tune of ‘Fat Bottom 
Girls’.  

	He emerged, feeling tired and a little confused.  
Glancing over at Karen, he saw her glancing at him.  She 
blushed and turned away.

	Best not to push things too hard, he thought, but there 
was some definite potential.  He reached out to take her 
hand...

	And she instinctively flipped him over her head.  She 
realized in time and caught him, then said, "Sorry!  Sorry!"

	He laughed.  "No harm done."

	She carefully set him down.  "I’m really sorry."

	"You ready to go home?" he asked.  

	"Yes," she said, then quickly said, "I’m not unhappy 
with you or anything, just..."

	"Tired, yeah, me too," he said, smiling at her.

	This time, she smiled back.

	They drove quietly through the night, until he got her 
home, walking her to the door.  He tried to decide whether 
to go for a kiss, given she might instinctively throw him.  
Instead, he just took her hand, raised it to his lips and 
kissed it.  If she wanted more, she’d give signs.  If not, he’d 
be ready for the throw at least.

	Her eyes widened, and she blushed.  "I thought that 
was a french custom."

	"I could show you a real french-kiss if you want," he 
said.  "But that’s just gentlemanly."

	She nodded.  "You’ve been a gentleman," she said 
softly.  "Thank you."

	He stepped in a little closer, still holding her hand.  
"And you have been a fine lady to spend a night with."

	She trembled slightly, then said, "I hope Imadori-san 
is okay."

	"He’s got his mother with him.  How could he not be 
okay?"

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

	Imadori’s mother put her pedal to the floor.  She 
couldn’t let the cops stop her with two drunken teenagers in 
the backseat, one of them a foreigner.  That just wouldn’t 
do.

	There was no choice, really.  She just hoped she didn’t 
run out of gas.

***********	

	"That’s true," Karen said.  "Well, goodnight, Harry."

	She squeezed his hand, then turned and went inside, 
even as he leaned forward hopefully.  She paused at the 
door.  "See you on Monday!"  And then the door closed.

	He shook his head.  "I can’t tell quite how well that 
did go," he mumbled to himself.  "But a good start, I think."

	He hopped on the cycle.  I wonder if Lala’s killed 
Imadori yet.  Probably not with her bad luck, though.

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

	By the time the second movie was finished, the room 
was strewn with sleeping people.  Hanai and Mikoto were 
asleep, with Mikoto slumped over half on top of him, head 
on his stomach.  Sagano was sprawled out on the floor, and 
kept smacking Karasuma in the leg every so often as her 
limbs moved in her sleep.  Yuuki was curled up next to 
Hanai.  Nara laid prostrate in front of the TV, having 
finally collapsed on his way there to adjust the volume so 
as to not disturb the sleeping people.  Akira lay on her side, 
half folded around one end of the table as if to protect it.

	Eri was groggy, but not quite asleep.  Tenma 
continued to kneel behind her, tired, but not able to fall 
asleep in her position.  Karasuma sat next to both of them, 
looking relaxed.

Sara had fallen asleep and now leaned on Asou, who 
sat, paralyzed, as if he’d been shot by jungle pygmies with 
a dart.  Yakumo continued to snooze on Harima’s lap, but 
he was awake; he felt kind of wired, partly from drinking 
too much tea.

	Tenma grabbed the remote control and clicked the TV 
off, then whispered to Eri, "Want to sleep with me 
tonight?"

	Eri nodded dumbly.  

	Tenma tried to help her up, but it didn’t work; she 
ended up sprawled with Eri across her.  Karasuma gently 
took them both by the shoulder and helped them up.

	Harima looked at them and felt a twinge of pain in his 
heart, then sighed, and gently lifted Yakumo, who 
mumbled "Onee-chan," in her sleep.  He had to laugh at 
that, while Tenma stared over at her, then laughed.  

	Harima started to carry her to her bedroom, then 
paused by Asou.  "You alive?"

	Asou looked at him, then nodded.

	"Bring her with me," Harima said softly.  "She can 
sleep in Yakumo’s room."

	Asou finally started to move, lifting Sara gently and 
carrying her, even as Karasuma helped Tenma haul Eri 
down the hallway.  They quickly reached Yakumo’s room, 
and Harima carefully laid Yakumo down on her bed; Asou 
tucked Sara in next to her.

	They then slipped out into the hallway.  Harima said 
softly, "So what is up with you two?"

	Asou stared at the floor.  "We’re just friends."

	"Take it from me, if you have trouble expressing your 
feelings, other people may start trying to express them for 
you," Harima said.  "You gonna crash here?"

	Yakumo now rolled over and embraced Sara in her 
sleep.  "Onee-chan," she mumbled.  Sara curled around her, 
mumbling "Sempai..."

	Asou stared.  Harima smiled just a little.  

	Asou said, "I should go home, but the trains aren’t 
running this late."

	"C’mon, there’s a guest room," Harima said.  

	Asou followed him out, as Sara mumbled, "Sempai..." 
again.

	They were busy setting up futons when Tenma came 
in.  "You two going to sleep here?"

	Harima said, "I’m too tired to drive, too far to walk."

	Asou nodded.  "Trains aren’t running."

	Tenma helped them set up, then set up a third futon.

	"You going to sleep in here?" Asou asked in 
confusion.

	"Karasuma-kun needs to sleep too," Tenma said.  "He 
wanted to walk home, but I told him it was too late, so he’s 
calling his parents."

	"Dammit, I need to call mine," Asou said.  "They 
probably think I missed my exit or something.  I’ll be 
back."  He ambled out.

	Tenma looked over at Harima, who entertained a brief 
fantasy in which she stayed with him in the room.  She was 
smiling at him, the sort of smile he had desperately wished 
for so long to see her smile at him.  Right now, he was too 
emotionally blown to do much more than smile vaguely 
back.

	She came over to him, and to his surprise, hugged him 
tightly, her face buried in his torso, her hair antennae 
wiggling gently.  "Tenma-san," he said weakly.

	"I’m so glad you’re safe," she said softly.  "You scared 
me half to death when you ran off without us to save Eri-
chan."  

	He shook gently at that.  She cared for him.  Even if 
she...even if...  Maybe he still had a chance.  For 
something.  Maybe love, maybe...  It had to mean 
something, right?

	"I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt," he said softly.  
"But I couldn’t even keep your sister safe, like I promised 
you.  I’m sorry."

	"I’m proud of her for being willing to help you," 
Tenma said, still hugging him tightly (for Tenma-level 
strength), and resting her head on his chest.  "You showed 
what a true friend you are to us.  Even though you and Eri 
fight sometimes, you put your life on the line for her, and 
I’m grateful.  She’s dear to me and so are you."

	He could feel his heart pounding faster.  So close.  So 
close to what he’d wanted.  He was in her heart, if not the 
way he’d wanted.  But it was a start, right?  This was his 
chance, to at least say some of what he wanted to say to 
her, he could at least reciprocate on what she said, tell her 
she was dear to him too.  Instead, what came out was, "If 
anyone tried to do that to you, I would kill them all."

	"I wish I could be as brave as you," she said softly.  
"Or Eri-chan."  She sighed.  "But I’m still not strong 
enough even to make my love confession."

	"You did a pretty good job of being me making the 
confession," he said.  "Maybe it would help if you 
pretended to be someone else, when you try to do it."  For a 
moment, he hoped, maybe, just maybe, he’d won her heart 
with his brave deed.

	Her antennae wiggled.  "You’re always so helpful," 
she said, then gave him a final squeeze.  "Yakumo loves 
you very much; she just isn’t good at showing it.  I have to 
envy you and her.  You two have gotten..."  She sighed.  
"You could...with her...if you want to.  I won’t say 
anything.  No one here would.  Not after tonight."

	"Sara’s sleeping with her," he said softly, guessing she 
was telling him no one would mind if he slept in Yakumo’s 
room.  Which really, would probably be better than 
sleeping with KARASUMA of all people. 

	"You’re so sweet," Tenma said, then let go of him.  
"Just be gentle with her.  When you do."

	Karasuma now entered.  "Where am I?" he asked.

	Tenma pointed to one of the futons.

	"Thank you," he said, and went over, lying down on 
his side and seeming to fall asleep immediately.

	Harima watched Tenma turn and smile at the back of 
Karasuma’s head.  It felt like having a dagger driven into 
the back of his own head.  

	"Goodnight, Karasuma-kun," Tenma said.

	There was no reply.

	Rude little bastard, Harima thought.  What does she 
see in you?

	Tenma came over and carefully tucked the sheets 
around him, then returned to Harima.  "Do you need to call 
your cousin?" she asked softly.

	"No, she’s expecting me to crash here," Harima said 
softly.

	"See you in the morning, then," she said, and departed.

	He sighed and laid down to sleep, then started to 
wonder what was taking Asou so long.

	He ambled out to search for him; he wasn’t in the 
living room.  Finally, he found Asou on the porch, look