Due to the large size of this interlude, it'll be divided into two parts.
And the second part isn't done yet. I still need to complete a scene for it,
then it goes out to the prereaders, so it will be a while. But this should
be large enough to enjoy, especially since the original plan was for the
chapters of this to be under 50k anyhow. I'll also mention the tone with
this one is different from the previous chapters. More in the forward.


The Things We Wish For...
Interlude 2


Any and all C+C is appreciated. You can contact me at
sommer@3rdm.net

All of my fics are stored at the following:

Larry F's new address at:
http://www.rakhal.com/florestica/d_b_sommer/index.html

Or R+C books at:
http://dbsommer.rcbooks.org

And also Angcobra is now storing all of my fics, at
http://dbsommer.web1000.com/dbsommer.html

Standard Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Ranma 1/2 characters. They
belong to Takahashi and whomever she sold the rights to.

Preface: What's happened before: Akane got her hands on a wish and used it
to wish her mother had never been in a car accident and was alive in the
present. Well, her mother wasn't in an accident, and is with them in the
present. There's only a slight complication; Kachiko had been in two
accidents, the first occurring when she was the ripe old age of seventeen.

Forward: You can blame Abenobashi Magical District fully for this dead
serious Interlude. For those that don't know AMD, it started out as a series
that parodied many different genres of anime and other styles of
storytelling (from mecha shows to noir to Bruce Lee chop-socky movies).
However, after five episodes of pure comedy, they suddenly dropped a dead
serious flashback episode with the sixth one. It explained much of what was
going on in the previous episodes, but the tone was as different as night is
to day. I also quickly came to the conclusion that such would be good here,
at this part of the 'Things.' So don't expect much in the way of humor in
this one...

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kachiko Tendou lay on her stomach, prostrated across her bed, as she pored
over a sprawl of textbooks in an effort to finish a couple of reports due in
school tomorrow. While everything else in the world might have changed,
homework remained the same. Boring, boring, and more boring. By now they
should have developed pills that could grant a person knowledge rather than
forcing them to go through the hassle of actually learning the material.
What good was the future if they didn't make useful things?

As Kachiko stared at the books, the text began to blur together, forming an
endless, monotonous chain of words. Inexorably, she felt her neurons begin
to shut down one by one. Just as her eyes started to roll into the back of
her head, there was a knock on the door. The noise made her head snap up,
and she welcomed the interruption. "Come in."

The door opened and Kasumi poked her head into the room. "Good news, Mother.
I have a gift for you." She waved a rectangular object, wrapped in shiny red
paper and tied with a huge green bow that had a peacock-like fan of loops on
top, in Kachiko's direction.

"No thanks," Kachiko said. The last excursion into the realm of cursed
magical objects was more than enough for her, and knowing this girl, she had
probably stumbled upon 'The Cuisinart From Hell' or some other demonic
household appliance. She swiveled her head away from Kasumi and back to the
open textbook that lay in front of her. The words seemed to blur the instant
Kachiko's eyes focused upon them, and her head lolled back and forth.

She fought off the effects and held out her hand. "Give me it!" Her voice
held a hint of panic. It no longer mattered if the present was magical.
Anything was acceptable, so long as it delivered her from the drowsiness
inducing objects in front of her.

Kasumi crossed the floor and sat down next to her mother, blissful smile in
place as she handed her the gift.

Kachiko could tell from the weight and feel it was a box of some kind. She
shook it once. "Clothing?" she asked.

"You've very good," Kasumi said.

"Ah, much better than crappy cooking or cleaning utensils. You're learning."
She affectionately patted Kasumi on the head. Then the wrapping was gone in
a flash and the box opened.

"Oooo!" Kachiko goggled at the dress. It was a small number, fire engine red
with spaghetti straps at the shoulders and a hemline that stopped before
reaching halfway down her thighs. Kachiko's top and shorts were quickly
discarded in favor of the new apparel.

Kachiko turned to the full length mirror and admired herself. "Fits great. I
like it."

Kasumi gave a small clap of her hands in approval. "Are you hungry?"

She rubbed her stomach. "I can use something to eat." And it would serve to
keep her away from the books.

Kasumi's delight doubled. "I have a dinner prepared. It's your favorite:
Steak Teriyaki."

Saliva nearly drooled from Kachiko's mouth in Pavlovian reflex. Obviously
Kasumi was trying to apologize for the broom incident. Kachiko Tendou was
more than woman enough to eat the apology. "An outstanding selection of
food. Lead on."

Kasumi did so. The pair went down the stairs far too slowly for Kachiko's
taste, with her appetite doubling as the smell of cooked steak filtered up
the stairway. Her stomach rumbled as her nose basked in the scent of the
rarely offered fare.

Kasumi led Kachiko to the kitchen. "And here we are," she said in open
satisfaction.

The room was cloaked in darkness, with only a pair of candles placed in the
middle of the kitchen table providing illumination. The only other person in
the room was Soun, who was already seated at the table. He was very formal
in appearance, dressed in a black suit and tie. His mustache was neatly
trimmed, and his long black hair was pulled behind his body in a stylish
ponytail. He unleashed a dazzling smile to Kachiko.

The boundless enthusiasm Kachiko had been displaying disappeared in an
instant. Her face scrunched up, as though she had discovered something
unpleasant stuck to the bottom of her shoe and was told she's be cleaning it
off barehanded. "Great, there goes my appetite." She turned to leave.

Kasumi placed a restraining hand on her shoulder. "But it's your favorite."

Kachiko waved her hand in the air. "The ambiance is killing the mood. Some
things are more disturbing than hunger pains. Creepy old guys checking you
out like you're going to be on the menu is one of them."

"But it's very romantic," Kasumi insisted.

"Only for those close to retirement," Kachiko snapped and exited the room,
heading for the front door rather than her room.

Kasumi and Soun heard the time-lost girl walk into the entryway. Rather than
exiting, they heard Kachiko's voice called out, "Hey, Ranma! I'm going to
grab something to eat. Want to come along? I'll pay for everything."

The clarion call of 'Free Food' was answered with the sound of hurried
footsteps starting from Ranma's bedroom and ending at the entryway in a
handful of seconds. "Why are you dressed up?"

"It was a gift. Do you like it?"

"Ah, well, that is...."

"You do like it!"

"I didn't say that!"

"Ranma, there are only two types of guys that would hesitate to answer that
question: those that don't like the dress and don't want to hurt a girl's
feelings, and those that like the dress and are afraid saying so is some
sort of commitment. You don't have the tact to be the former."

"I do too have tact. I got lots of tact. Just ask anyone."

Kachiko ignored the statement. "By unwittingly getting on my good side, I'll
let you choose where we eat."

Shifting the conversation away from Ranma's current level of tact and back
to food worked in making him drop the matter. "I'm in the mood for something
ethnic. There's this neat Indian place that just opened over in the shopping
district. I only had that style of food a couple of times traveling with
Pop, but I liked it. I'll lead the way."

There was the sound of the front door opening and closing, then silence.

Kasumi sighed in depression at another plan failing. She turned in apology
to her father. "I was so certain setting the mood like that would make
mother see you in a better light. I can't believe she's so blind. And she's
so stubborn. She refuses to see what's obvious to everyone else. You two are
meant to be together. Why, with the way she's behaving, it's almost enough
to make me believe she's not Mother at all."

Soun gave his eldest daughter a soft smile. "No, she's your mother, all
right. That she's so resistant to everyone's attempts proves it beyond any
doubt." There was a trace of sadness underlying the words.

"I don't remember her being that way at all," Kasumi insisted.

Soun pulled out a cigarette and lit up. "That's because she didn't behave
the same way around you girls that she did around others. She always acted
by a different standard for your sakes. She wanted to make sure you were
raised happily, and she was always careful around you, almost like you were
made of glass. She was afraid she'd earn your animosity the way her parents
earned hers, and it would have devastated her if your relationship with her
had turned out that way. So she was always extra patient and less...
caustic, around you."

"She was?" Kasumi asked.

Soun nodded in confirmation. "You three were her pride and joy, so much so I
think it surprised even her. There wasn't a thing in the world she wouldn't
have done for you. Though if you had told her that when we first met, I
think she'd have reacted much the same way as she does now. Well, perhaps
not as loudly, but the sentiment would be the same."

Soun's eyes took on a reflective cast as he took a long drag of his
cigarette. He rose from the table and headed toward the backyard.

"What about dinner, Father?" Kasumi asked.

"I'm no longer hungry either," he informed her.

"Is there anything else you need?"

"I think I'd like to be alone now."

"We'll have better luck getting you back together next time," Kasumi assured
him.

Soun didn't answer. Instead he went out onto the back porch, sliding the
door shut behind him. Alone with only his thoughts, he sat on the edge of
the porch, legs over the wooden edge so they rested on the ground. He
inhaled deeply, savoring the flavor of the tobacco, then exhaled upward.

He gazed at the stars through the smoky haze, muting the twinkling effect
they normally had. It was then something occurred to him. With his wife
returned, in a manner of speaking, Soun's thoughts had been in a similar
state. It was a haze in which he saw things in their general form, but lost
some of the details due to the murk. Talking with Kasumi about the way
Kachiko used to be had momentarily cut through that. So he stared upward at
the stars and reached back into the furthest recesses of his mind to a place
he rarely bothered recalling. It wasn't the best of times, but he forced
himself to remember...

xxxxxxxxxx

Soun finished buttoning up his school uniform, paying extra attention that
his collar was straight. He knew he was being overly self-conscious as he
observed his image in the mirror, making certain not a hair was out of
place, nor any unseemly pimples had appeared. Much to his relief, his face
remained unblemished. He was as neatly groomed as he could manage. Not that
he possessed features that would make any women that walked by peer closer
for a second look even at the best of times, but no one regarded him as ugly
or repulsive either. His looks were average, and he could easily blend into
any crowd. It was both to his advantage and a liability, depending on the
woman one was trying to catch. Sometimes standing out was good. Sometimes it
was bad. In any case, at least he would look neat. No woman would be
offended by good personal hygiene.

His friend, Saotome, probably would have laughed at Soun's sudden interest
in grooming. One thing Genma was not known for was keeping up appearances.
Soun had not been that way either, having only a casual interest in his
looks the way most youths his age did. But then things changed. It seemed
that in this senior year of his, everything in his life was changing.

Satisfied at his image, Soun turned away from the mirror. As he did so, his
hand knocked over a tube of lipstick from the collection of make-up,
perfumes, and assorted items women used to make themselves beautiful, that
decorated the dresser the mirror was attached to. Not that Minato needed any
of them, in Soun's opinion. He felt she used too much, but she insisted on
it, saying a body that had as much wear as hers needed something to mask its
mileage.

Such a harsh self-assessment was beyond Soun's understanding. She was
perfect to him. The one time he had stated such, and upon her realization he
was being sincere, Minato had all but attacked him on the spot, ripping off
his clothing and riding him like there was no tomorrow. It was one of their
wilder sessions, to be certain. Wilder and memorable.

Soun returned the lipstick to the top of the dresser, then shifted his gaze
to something infinitely more appealing than his own average features. Minato
lay on her side on the bed, staring at him as he dressed. She remained nude,
though her bluish comforter was placed purposely over her lower body, giving
a suggestive view of the voluptuous curves that lay underneath. Her upper
body was free from any concealment, and Soun did take a moment to bask in
the bountiful bosom he had snuggled against more times than could be easily
counted. It took a great deal of willpower to not walk over and join her in
bed once more, though this time with the purpose of merely lying against her
body and relishing in its warmth instead of engaging in more energetic play.

No, Soun resisted the urge his siren had unintentionally released upon him.
"I really do have to go."

"I'm not stopping you."

While Minato's mouth insisted one thing, one of her delicate hands did the
opposite, traveling up her navel to the lower portion of her bared breasts.
She might have been subconsciously scratching some faint itch, but the hand
seemed to beckon a return to the comfort of bed. Soun found himself forced
to shift in discomfort at his body's betrayal of the course his mind had
already decided.

Minato seemed to sense the reaction. She gave a deep, throaty laugh. "Ah,
Soun, you younger men are so single-minded. I think that's one of the things
I adore about you." She rolled playfully on her back, her posture no longer
as seductive as before and releasing the instinctive fixation Soun's eyes
had upon her.

"I'll see you the day after tomorrow, same time," Soun promised. He went
through his pocket, removed his wallet, and placed a wad of bills on the
dresser.

Minato's eyes followed the course of his hand. An unreadable look crossed
her features.

Seeing the change, Soun asked, "Is that enough, or do you need more? I know
your time is valuable."

"Of course not. It's more than enough," she said just a touch too quickly.
She rolled further still, giving her back to him.

Soun was uncertain of what the gesture meant. Two months, seeing her almost
four days a week for hours at a time, and he still barely understood her.
This was the part he hated about relationships (even if this was the first
serious one he had ever been in). Why couldn't they be more like martial
arts? That was easy. You could read an opponent's body language and know
exactly what they were going to do. How unfortunate the same didn't apply
when it came to women. One never knew what went on in their minds from one
moment to the next. He doubted even they knew what they were thinking.
Minato seemed even more unreadable than most.

Since Minato was a woman who spoke her mind, her refusal to mention
something troubling her was for a good reason. He hoped it was anyway, and
let the matter rest.

Soun turned away, choosing to give his back to hers as he didn't trust
himself to look at her with what he was about to inquire. He knew he had no
right to ask the question, yet he had to do it all the same. "Are you going
to be working any more tonight?"

"No. I don't feel like it," she answered.

Soun's posture seemed to firm, as though a great weight had been removed
from his shoulders. He turned and could not help unleashing a wide grin,
showing his delight at the answer. "Wednesday, then. I'll be counting the
minutes."

"I will too."

Simple words. She rarely used more than was necessary. It made Soun feel at
ease. He wasn't the most dynamic of conversationalists, and usually had
problems maintaining one for any length of time. Save when it came to
Minato. Whether they spoke for hours about nothing of consequence, or were
silent, he was always comfortable in her presence. She was the only woman
who had made him feel that way.

Deciding it was an ideal opportunity to depart, Soun exited the small
apartment, closing the door behind him and headed to the stairs. He hoped
Minato remembered to lock up. The building wasn't located in the safest part
of town. While the area fell short of an actual slum, it still wasn't a
place people wanted to dwell in unless they had no other choice. Seediness
permeated the very air, but then much of the area near the Kabukicho
district was like that. He wished Minato would move somewhere safer and put
his mind at ease. Of course, she had lived on her own and taken care of
herself for years long before he came along, a fact she reminded him with a
touch of irritation whenever he became protective, but he couldn't help
himself. He wanted to know she was safe. It wasn't an unreasonable desire to
be free from worrying about the one you loved, was it?

Such thoughts so dominated Soun's mind that he jumped when a hand fell hard
on his shoulder. Reflexively he spun out from under the grasp and brought a
fist up to the face of the person who had violated his personal space so
abruptly. The fist never came close as it was blocked in a blindingly fluid
motion by the bearer of the hand.

"Hey, easy there, Arisugawa."

"Saotome." Soun breathed out a sigh of relief. Genma, his best friend in the
world, had been complaining lately about not having a chance to hang around
together and wanted to meet. Soun had told his friend to meet him in front
of Minato's place about now. He hoped Genma hadn't been forced to wait too
long. The 'rendezvous' between Soun and his lover had gone on longer than he
expected. Not that he would have hurried, even if he had paid closer
attention to the time. Genma might have been his best friend, but that was
all he was.

Genma relaxed. "What's got you so tense?"

"Just worried about Minato," Soun said, looking up at the window of her
apartment. He hoped to catch one last glimpse of her, but the shades were
drawn.

Genma rolled his eyes. It was becoming a frequent gesture around Soun. "You
really need to get a grip."

Soun glared at Genma suspiciously. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that you're taking her too seriously," Genma elaborated in as blunt a
fashion as humanly possible. "I mean, I'm sure she's great in the sack, she
must be since you visit her every day of the week."

"It's only four days a week," Soun defended. "And sometimes only three."

"You're only proving my point," Genma said. "She's a prostitute. Arisugawa,
old buddy. Remember, I'm the one that introduced you to her when I decided
to treat you and help you become a real man? Now I'm beginning to regret
that."

Soun felt his temper fraying. "What the hell are you talking about? How does
this involve you?"

"You're spending all your time and money on her," Genma accused in an
uncharacteristically hurt voice. "We never hang around together. We hardly
ever train. We never have fun. And when we do hang out, all you do is moon
over her. You're acting like she's your girlfriend or something. Since I'm
your friend, it's my duty to set you back on reality. She is not your
girlfriend. You pay her money to sleep with her."

"Her time is valuable," Soun said uneasily.

Genma shook his head. "All I'm saying is, she's just a hooker, and not
exactly a young one either. You're showing an unhealthy fascination with
her. You need to take a step back and look at the situation objectively and
realize you're obsessing about her. "

"And you didn't with Ritsuko?"

Genma reacted as though he had been punched. "That was a cheap shot."

"And so was that crack about Minato being 'just a hooker'," Soun snapped.

Just as it seemed tempers would reach a boil, Soun's shoulders slumped
slightly as the anger that had been building trickled out. He could never
stay angry with Genma for long. They were too close and been through too
much. "I'm sorry, Saotome. I know how much she meant to you. But you have to
understand, Minato means just as much to me. It's not about the sex.
Sometimes we don't even sleep together. It's more than that. We spend a lot
of time just talking. And when we're together, it's like there's nothing
that's off limits. We'll spend hours enjoying each other's company. I've
never felt so at ease with someone before. And she feels the same way. She's
smiling more and more often when we're together, and she's obviously sad
when I have to leave. She knows I don't care about what she does. I like her
for who she is."

"But you still pay her money?"

"Only when we have sex." It wasn't like she had an 'official' job, and she
had to eat.

Genma held up his hands in defeat. "Fine, be that way. I'm only trying to
give you some solid advice, and I'm the only one that's man enough to do it.
You've got your head in the clouds and don't have a grip on the situation.
As your friend, I have to warn you and try to keep things from getting
messy, like the Yukari matter. Remember? I warned you about that too, but
did you listen? No. And look at what happened."

Soun stared embarrassingly at the ground. "That was two years ago. I fully
admit to being young and foolish back then. Besides, some good came of it.
It was a learning experience on what not to do with a woman. I'd recognize
it if it was happening again. This is different from that situation in every
way."

"If you say so," Genma said without even pretending it was more than lip
service. "So, now that we finally have a chance to hang out together, what
do you want to do?"

Soun laughed embarrassingly. "I'm afraid I don't have time to do anything.
There's a family meeting with my parents tonight. They want to talk to me
about something 'important'," he emphasized the last word as though the
meaning behind it was the opposite of the definition.

Genma grimaced. "Okay. That I can accept as a reason for why you don't have
the time to hang out. Any idea what horrors they're planning to unleash upon
you this time?"

Soun found himself irritated at Genma's attitude. Not that he was wrong
about the fate Soun's parents undoubtedly had planned for him, just that his
friend would blurt it out. "No, but I heard my brother's name mentioned a
few times last night." The name of Ryuunsuke never slipped past his parents'
lips unless it was about something serious. And 'serious' usually meant
'terrible' for Soun on a personal level.

"Ooo, that is bad," Genma agreed. "I'll steer clear for the next couple of
days. No point in adding fuel to the fire."

Soun was relieved. His parents didn't approve of Genma, claiming he was a
bad influence and too low born to be seen with-- as though the Arisugawa
bloodline had any great lineage itself. They might have been at one time,
but Soun's maternal grandfather had gambled and drank away the family
fortune. Since then, Kentaro and Michiru Arisugawa held a very unhealthy
preoccupation with increasing their family's prominence, which is what made
Ryuunsuke's actions so unacceptable. Sometime Soun envied his older brother.
Shamed or not, at least he had made it out of that damned household and away
from his parents' suffocating control.

Noting Soun's onset of depression, Genma took on a more jovial attitude in
an attempt to cheer his friend. "I have some news which might brighten your
day."

"Oh?"

"You know that mysterious master that everyone talks about? The one I've
been trying to find? I uncovered some more information about him."

"Are you talking about the one that always seems to be in trouble with the
law?" Soun asked with a decided lack of enthusiasm.

"Bah, it's all rumor and innuendo," Genma scoffed. "I'll bet he hasn't done
half the things he's been accused of. I mean really, a serial panty thief?
It's preposterous."

"True." Soun admitted. There was no way someone reputed to be as powerful
and knowledgeable of the martial arts as this mysterious figure could
possibly be so perverted.

Genma continued. "Anyhow, I was hanging around this bar, listening to people
talk, and I heard his name mentioned. I asked this guy that dropped the name
about it, and after pumping a few drinks into him, he confessed that he had
heard a couple of fellows claiming to have been this master's students.
Apparently they had just escaped from him, and were getting drunk in
celebration. The guy I was talking to managed to share a few drinks with
them."

"Escaped?"

"A fancy way of saying they ran out on him, probably because his techniques
are so powerful they couldn't endure the training required to learn them,"
Genma stated contemptuously.

Soun shook his head worriedly. "I don't know, Saotome. The more I hear about
this master, the more I don't like about it. Maybe we should just forget
about seeking him out and asking him to teach us."

Now it was Genma's turn to look askance at his comrade. "I'm going to
pretend I didn't hear that. You know you've been just as frustrated as me.
We've hit the wall. Sensei Tanaka said he taught us all he could, and he
doesn't know anyone around here that's a better teacher than him. We have to
improve in the art. It's the path a true martial artist must take!"

"That is true," Soun admitted. Genma had a point. Sensei Tanaka had said
that he and Genma were prodigies and had learned everything the old man had
to teach in record time. Without someone to press them, neither he nor
Saotome was getting any better. The only way to improve was to find a better
teacher than the one they had, which had led to Saotome's quest for this
mysterious figure who was said to be one of the most powerful martial
artists in Japan.

There was a time when improving in martial arts was all Soun had wanted. It
was the only truly bright point in his dismal life, besides his friendship
with Saotome. But now there were other considerations. Something that made
the martial arts seem like a black hole next to the nova-like glow it
possessed. Something that made the art seem almost silly by comparison.

Genma had an uncharacteristically determined look on his features. "You're
still in this with me, right, Arisugawa? You still want to hook up with this
guy and have us taken on as his disciples?"

"Of course," Soun said, mostly to placate his friend rather than out of any
burning desire of commitment. Besides, Soun doubted this 'Happosai'
character really existed, or if he did, that he as good as the rumors
claimed. Even if he was, there was no guarantee he was looking for students.
No, the odds of this dream of Genma's panning out were like most of the
other plans the man had: a hundred to one at best.

Missing the undertones of Soun's lip service, Genma slapped his friend on
the back. "All right. I'll keep searching for this guy. You have good luck
with those folks of yours. Maybe they're going to get off your back and let
you live a little for a change."

Soun accepted his friend's well wishes. It was more likely he would end up
becoming a 'serial panty thief' than his parents allowing him to live his
life in peace.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Soun traveled up the stairs to his family's modest apartment. It was the
third move down in their standard of living. The small reserve of cash his
mother had inherited had dwindled down to nothing, and they had to live
solely on the income the pair generated.

It was not always that way. In the beginning, the Arisugawas had lived
relatively well. Soun vaguely remembered the house they had owned when he
was a youth. Last year he was in a nostalgic mood and had hunted it down,
only to discover it was nowhere near as large as it appeared in his
memories. Still, to a child of five, the structure had seemed enormous. And
it had a yard. That he had remembered in excruciating detail. He and his
brother had played in it for hours at a time, and only reluctantly conceded
to coming indoors when it was time for meals. No weather was too adverse for
playing outside. That was probably the thing he missed the most; having a
yard. When he made it big as a teacher with a dojo of his own, he'd buy a
house with a yard. Even if he was too old to frolic in it as he had in his
youth, he'd still sit out in the back and gaze outside, enjoying the open
area and greenery while his children had a chance to enjoy their childhood
with some space they could call their own.

The people that had suffered the most under the Arisugawa family's loss of
status were Soun's parents. Neither of them had jobs that paid very well,
and neither was talented enough to ever rise through the ranks of their
respective businesses. In many ways they were the opposite of Soun and his
martial arts. He had gone as far as others could teach him; his parents had
learned as much as they could, despite there being more to be taught.

Once it became obvious the couple would never manage to live in the
affluence they had been raised in, they shifted their attention to preparing
for a comfortable retirement. The only way they would accomplish that goal
was to see to it their children gained that money somehow, and then
naturally take care of their parents once they became older. Oh, they
contended what they were really doing was looking out for their offspring's
welfare, but Soun and his brother had learned the truth of the matter long
ago. It was so low. If Soun ever had children, he would never try to leach
off them that way. He would truly look out for their well being and try to
set them up solely for their own good, rather than his. Of course, he needed
to settle down before he could have children. And to do that, he would need
a good woman whom he loved, and who loved him in return.

Such thoughts, as well as the reluctance to return home, made Soun take
twice as long to traverse the stairs to the fourth floor and his apartment.
Seeing he had arrived, he took a deep breath and turned the handle. The door
opened. That meant his parents were home, and the fantasy he had for missing
the meeting died a painful death.

"I'm home!" Soun announced.

"Come here, Son," his father's voice boomed.

Soun removed his shoes and headed to the living room/kitchen. Cozy was one
way to describe the apartment. Cramped was another, more accurate one. The
place was so small, and packed tight with so many objects, that it looked
more like a flea market run amuck than a place where people could live. At
least Soun had a room to himself thanks to his brother's departure.

Entering the living room, Soun felt his guts twist in a knot at the pleasant
smiles his parents wore. When they smiled like that, with their toothy,
feline grins, it usually meant there was some scheme they had in store for
him.

"Sit." His mother indicated across the table from where she sat next to her
husband.

As Soun obeyed, he noticed a manila folder placed midway between his
parents. The edge of a large photograph poked out from the corner. The knot
in his stomach tightened. "What is it you wanted to discuss?" he said as
formally as he could manage, his eyes not quite able to leave the folder.

"We have good news, Son," his mother answered.

That was an ominous sign. Usually his father spoke first. When his mother
did, it meant she had been the primary force behind whatever plan they had
cooked up. Her schemes tended to be the worse of the pair's.

"Yes?" Soun got out.

Michiru opened the folder and pulled out the picture, sliding it across the
table and turning it so it was pointed correctly in Soun's direction. The
photo was a close up of the face of a teenager, probably around Soun's age,
with curly brown hair. She was pretty, rather than beautiful, even with the
dour expression she wore. Easy on the eyes, but not the sort that if he had
walked past her, he would have taken a second glance. The photograph ended
right above the chest area, and he could tell she wore a formal, if somewhat
sedate, kimono. Besides that, there was nothing notable about the girl, nor
did he recognize her.

It was obviously a formal photograph, one that had clearly been taken by a
professional, and was intended to show off to others, rather than one that
had been shot on the spur of the moment. Presumably it was meant to show a
happy person, but Soun could tell the girl was dour, and that this wan smile
was the best she could manage when the photo had been taken. He suspected
that had a photographer suddenly appeared in the room and plopped down in
front of him to take such a snapshot, he would have an identical expression.

Still mystified at the purpose behind showing him the photograph, Soun
looked at his mother curiously, waiting for an explanation.

"So, what do you think of her?"

This was bad. When his mother played the question game instead of explaining
things, it was always very, very bad. "She seems nice." That was neutral
enough. Obviously his mother was happy with the girl for some reason, and
stating something negative would have been an unwise choice. But Soun wasn't
foolish enough to say anything extravagant that could be used against him
later.

His mother gave a small clap of her hands, and his father nodded
approvingly.

Michiru said, "Excellent. I'm so pleased she meets with your approval. We'll
have a formal meeting the day after tomorrow and finalize the arrangement
between the two of you."

The fear in his stomach relocated to his voice. "What? What arrangement is
this?"

"Your betrothal arrangement, of course," Michiru answered delightedly.

"What?!" Soun cried out. This time his parents had ambushed him but good. He
had never seen a marriage plan in the works. They had always been pushy in
the past, but never to this degree.

His father's pleased face suddenly became merciless stone. Kentaro was a
wide, tall man with a booming voice. Even when seated, he could be an
imposing figure. "Your mother and I have been busy planning for your future,
since you seem reluctant to do it. We have found a suitable woman for you to
marry. You'll be out of high school in a couple of months. It'll be time to
get on with your life by settling down and starting a family."

His mother interjected herself, cutting off Soun's attempt at a reply. She
held up the photo and some papers. "Kachiko comes from a very well bred
family and has an impeccable background. She'd make a wonderful wife and
mother to your children."

Kentaro nodded. "We checked her out thoroughly. Like us, her parents are
looking out for their child's welfare. They were trying to find a
prospective husband, and they chose you. That means they already find you
acceptable. We were really quite fortunate they came to us, rather than the
other way around. All you have to do is not screw up, and your future will
be assured."

Soun wanted to ask how this mysterious family had found his name to choose
from, but then realized his parents had been responsible. Most likely they
had placed his name with every matchmaker in Tokyo in the hopes of bartering
him off to someone with some money.

Michiru filled the pause in the conversation with more facts. "Her father is
a martial arts teacher. He's getting on in years, and Kachiko is his only
child. He wants someone to carry on his family's art. Since you've indicated
you want to become a teacher yourself, it's a perfect match. He even has a
dojo."

Kentaro said, "Since they are quite prominent, she's his only offspring, and
it is his family's art, you'll have to take on their name. But that's a
small price to pay for this sort of deal."

"We're all so very fortunate," Michiru agreed.

That was all Soun can take. This went far beyond anything they had
previously attempted. They weren't merely trying to influence his life, like
when they tried to persuade him to become a doctor, they were dictating it.
Worse, it wasn't ending with a mere career; they were planning out the
course his entire existence would take.

In times past Soun would have caved in and grimly accepted their judgment,
bawling about it over drinks with Genma afterwards. He was willing to admit
he didn't have much of a spine. But that was before there was something
important in his life. No, something more important than his life.

Minato.

Drawing on the memory of her and everything they had experienced, he found
the courage to stand up to his parents for the first time in his life.

Soun slammed his hand down on the table, nearly splitting it in two with the
force behind the blow. "Stop behaving as though I'm not here! I am not
marrying some girl I've never even met!"

"That's what the meeting the day after tomorrow is for, Son," Michiru
explained, a hint of iron already in her voice. Obviously resistance had
been anticipated and prepared for.

"I don't give a damn! I refuse to partake of this absurdity!"

Kentaro straightened up as he leaned forward. In a firm unyielding voice, he
said, "Listen to me, Son. I will make myself clear to you. This is a once in
a lifetime opportunity for you. You don't even have to do anything. Oh,
you'll have to teach martial arts, which is what you want to do anyway, so
this is all you could possibly want in life. Everything is being handed to
you. All you have to do is accept it."

"And marry some girl I don't even know!" Soun bellowed.

"She's a good girl. Your mother and I looked into that, since it did seem
that things were too good to be true. But it's not. Obviously this is a move
on the Tendous' part to secure their future. They're both over sixty now,
and want to ensure their family honor is taken care of before they pass on."

"And it's a house you can move into once they're dead," Soun said acidly.

Michiru's eyes bulged in disbelief, while Kentaro's reaction was to slam his
own fist down on the table, making it jump as high as Soun had. "Listen to
me, boy. Your brother has already failed this family. Your mother and I will
not allow you to disgrace it as well."

Soun looked upon his father in contempt. "Oh yes, how disgraceful that he
should marry a poor woman. That he loved her had nothing to do with it."

"Her grandfather was Korean!" Michiru spat.

"If she had money, you would have been more than happy to hug her to your
bosom," Soun retorted. "You're transparent. You're not worried about
lineage; you're worried about who will take care of you after you retire.
Ryuunsuke sure as hell can't afford it, so you're going to make sure I can.
But I am not your puppet. I will not marry this girl!"

Kentaro drew himself up to his full height, towering over the still seated
Soun. "You will marry this girl or else you will never darken this doorway
again! Do you hear me?! I'll remove your name from the family register
myself!"

Soun shot to his feet, meeting his father's burning glare. "I would consider
it a blessing if you did so."

Soun turned away then, not trusting his ability to quell the urge to pummel
his father into unconsciousness. As large as Kentaro was, he had no fighting
skills whatsoever. He was all bark and no bite. Soun had taken down men even
larger in the course of his life, and could easily have dispatched his
father if he so chose. But under these circumstances, that would not change
his father's mind. Stubbornness to the point of stupidity was a trait that
ran through both parents, and Soun only hoped it had somehow bypassed him.
He rose to his feet and walked away, not even bothering to head toward his
room. Instead he went directly toward the front door and walked out of the
apartment and into the world beyond.

For the first time in his life, Soun felt free.

Xxxxxxxx

"Wow, I'm impressed, Arisugawa. I didn't think you had it in you." Genma
whistled appreciatively.

"I couldn't allow it, Saotome. Not this time," Soun said, reconfirming his
belief that he had made the right choice. Now that he had a chance to cool
down, he took a moment to consider what he had done. He hadn't been the only
one firm in his beliefs. Both of his parents had a look in their eyes that
suggested they were deadly serious this time, and there would be no
relenting. Casting him out of the family had been no idle threat; it was an
admission of their desperation.

As much as Soun hated them and their manipulations, he still loved his
parents deeply. There were happier times, earlier in their lives. His
parents hadn't always been so eager to exploit their children. It was only
as their money dwindled that they became increasingly frantic for some way
out that the desperation seeped in. In their own perverse way, his parents
did care about him, and Soun had no doubt they really were considering his
own well-being in their plans as well. He knew they still missed Ryuunsuke,
and cared about him. But that damned stubborn streak would never allow him
back in their lives unless he abandoned his wife, and Soun knew his brother
would sooner die than ever consider that. His parents knew that too, which
was why the stalemate would probably continue until one side was dead. That
stubbornness also meant they would do exactly what they threatened if Soun
didn't cave into their demands.

And once Soun cooled off, he realized that under different circumstances, he
would have done just that. Being all alone on his own would have been too
much for him to bear. His brother would be willing to take him in, but
Ryuunsuke had no money, and Soun swore he would never be a burden to a man
who had sacrificed so much for his ideals. There was no way out there.

Only one thing gave Soun the courage to go on, the nerve to risk everything
to stand on his own. Alone, he would be unable to do it, but with her at his
side, he became a man greater than he could ever have on his own.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Arisugawa?"

Soun sighed. His friend was not being entirely supportive (not counting the
fact he was letting Soun stay with him until the matter was resolved). It
wasn't out of any lack of friendship --he had no doubt Genma would risk his
life for his friend's welfare, if he was ever pressed about it and had no
other recourse-- rather it was Genma couldn't quite seem to grasp the
concept of WHY Soun was doing it.

"I am certain," Soun assured him.

"But it does sound like a cushy deal," Genma reminded him. "I mean, your own
dojo. And you said she was sort of cute. You'd be set for life. I know I'd
take them up on it."

"What if you had a choice between her and Ritsuko?"

That made Genma reconsider, which alone was a testament to his feelings for
the girl from his past. "No, but I'd have seriously considered it. I
probably would have dumped any other girl I dated for the opportunity."

"Well, at least you're honest with yourself," Soun said. Genma Saotome was
many things. Having a high level of integrity might not have been one of
them, but admitting to the ease that he could be tempted by material things,
he could manage.

"But it's not exactly like that with you," Genma pointed out. "It's not as
if there's someone you're involved with."

Soun scowled at him.

The light came on in Genma's head. "Oh come on. You can't be serious. She's
a prostitute."

"I don't care what she did, Saotome. And don't make it sound so dirty. It's
not like you haven't slept with a few. Doesn't that make you just as bad?"

"Sleeping with a hooker is one thing; bringing them home to show off to
mother is another."

"I love her," Soun reaffirmed.

"You're going to have to mooch off her. You have no money. You've been
spending it all on her, which means she has it. Actually that might be
something in your favor, now that I think about it. You'll be getting it
back, in a roundabout way," Genma admitted.

Soun looked conspiratorially around Genma's bedroom. Ascertaining no one
else was present, he leaned in close and whispered in his friend's ear.
"Actually, I have some money saved up."

"Money? Where did you get it?"

"From that job I had as a towel boy at the 'Blue Oyster Bathhouse' last
year."

"The gay bathhouse?!"

Soun made a hushing motion with his hand. His employment there was not
something that was common knowledge, nor did he want it to be.

"You were just a towel boy there, weren't you?" Genma asked, suddenly uneasy
around his friend.

"Of course!" Soun snapped. "It's just a lot of the gentleman there were very
good tippers."

Genma pinched Soun's cheek. "And no doubt they showered you with money
because you're so adorable."

Soun swatted the hand away. "I had that deposited in my own private account.
There's a tidy sum of money there. Enough to help two people get by until
they get on their feet. All I have to do is withdraw it tomorrow, then ask
Minato to come with me. Between the two of us, I'm sure we'll have enough to
start a new life together."

Genma shook his head pitifully. "It sounds to me like you have your head in
the clouds, but what the heck. It's obvious you want this, and if it's what
will make you happy, you have my full support." He slapped Soun
affectionately on the back.

"Thanks," Soun said sincerely. At least someone was backing him. Even if it
was only for moral support, it was a big help. It would help bolster Soun's
courage to face a very uncertain future. It was great to have a friend like
Genma.

"Hey, Arisugawa?"

"What?"

"Do you think this Tendou girl is still available?"

Soun rolled his eyes. At least he could count on one thing: Saotome would
never change.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Soun took a deep intake of breath as he paused in front of the door to
Minato's apartment. This was the moment of truth. It had taken the better
part of the day to do all the smaller steps necessary to prepare the way for
what he was about to propose to her. Most of them probably could have been
skipped over, but he had used them as a delaying tactic. Soun was genuinely
frightened. After today, everything changed. He would no longer be the man
he was before stepping foot in his parents' apartment for what had been the
last time. Nor could he ever go back to the somewhat carefree youth of
yesterday. Now he took on the responsibilities of a man, and everything it
entailed. It was a sobering thought, and more than a little terrifying. It
had taken all day to firm his resolve to travel to Minato's building and
force his feet to carry him up the flight of steps and to her door.

There were no more excuses now. No more delays. Such would be cowardice in
the face of the one person to whom he would never appear cowardly. He
brought his hand up to the door and knocked. "Minato, it's me."

There was no response. That was unusual. Minato always stayed in on
Tuesdays. It was her night off. In all her years, she had never forced
herself to work that day. He supposed she could have gone out to a
restaurant, but usually she ate in. It was always possible a friend had
dropped by and invited her somewhere, but in the  past she admitted to him
that she had few of those. Acquaintances, perhaps, but not true friends,
like Soun was. And even then he made it a point to never bother her on
Tuesday's, leaving her to her own devices and giving her some space rather
than smothering her in his attention. Besides, if he kept their contact to
the days she usually worked, he wouldn't have to worry about her being with
other men.

He rapped on the door a second time, more forcefully than before. Again
there was no response.

Soun placed his hand next to the door. Underneath the sealed wood, he swore
he could somehow feel her presence in the room. It wasn't a martial arts
technique; it was from the link that was formed between two people who
shared everything together.

"Minato, please open the door," Soun all but pleaded.

For a moment, all was silent. Then a voice called out, "Come in. It's
unlocked"

Soun breathed a sigh of relief and opened the door. He would reproach her
later about leaving it unlocked. But that was unimportant, at least for now.

His eyes fell on her as he entered the room. She was sitting in a chair next
to a desk that was set against the far wall, her back to him. An empty
bottle of sake was lying on its side, and a glass that contained a tiny
trace of the clear fluid along its bottom sat next to her hand.

As Soun watched her sit motionlessly, he breathed a sigh of relief. Every
nagging doubt, wondering if this was the best thing for both of them, was
laid to rest. He was taking the right course of action. They were meant to
be together for the rest of their lives.

It was time to use speech he had spent hours mentally preparing. "Sorry to
trouble you on your day off, but something important has come up. I had been
considering this for some time, but only recently found the resolve to do
it, even if I knew it was the right thing to do." He was starting to babble.
He hadn't meant to do that. It made him sound childish and stupid.

Minato remained quiet. Soun felt that was for the best. He could finish his
speech uninterrupted.

"In the short time we've known each other, you've come to mean to me more
than any person I have ever met. I'm not talking about the sex, which is
great, mind you, it's the talks we have, sharing our dreams and thoughts
with one another. It's the quiet moments, where we simply enjoy the presence
of one another and a sort of peace settles over us. It's when we eat, or
when we laugh, or when we lay together after having made love. It's
everything. You make me see the world like it's a new, wonderful place I
never noticed before. When I'm not with you, everything feels dark, and
pointless, like there's a light missing from my life. The emotions I have
when we're together, it's like nothing I've ever felt before, and I can't
help but think you feel the same way I do.

"We belong together. I want to take you away from all of this. I want to
take care of you for the rest of our lives. Let's do it. Let's leave this
place and go where no one knows us. We'll start a new  life together, just
you and I."

Minato didn't move through the entire conversation. She remained seated
where she was, back to Soun, not a whisper passing from her lips.

Soun glanced at her worriedly. He was certain she would have accepted his
proposition by now. She had to understand how he felt. She had every other
time they had talked, and never before had he bared his heart and soul so
openly. Not to anyone in his eighteen years of life. It was only the
feelings she evoked that gave him the ability to speak the words.

Still she remained unmoving. Silent.

"Say something," Soun begged.

There was no reaction, as though she had not heard the words. Then she
shifted slightly, her body tensing. Her arm came up across her face, then
settled back down to her side. Finally, she turned to look at the man who
had opened his heart to her.

Soun was taken aback by the look of amusement on her features. She wore a
smile that was closer to a sneer with the way her lip curled. And in her
eyes, an emotion he had never seen before, at least from her. It took him a
moment to recognize it as contempt.

Minato laughed. Laughed at him. "Oh lord, I should have seen this one
coming."

"What do you mean?" Soun was barely able to ask.

"You." Minato indicated with rude, waving gesture. "I should have known this
was happening. I've never had it happen to me before, but some of the other
girls warned me about guys like you. I guess I shouldn't be surprised at
missing it. None of my regulars have ever been as young as you, so I didn't
recognize the signs."

Soun shifted uncomfortably at the casual mention of the other men she slept
with. It was a topic she had never broached with him, and he had no desire
to learn about. "What do you mean?"

Minato waved her glass in his direction. "Some young kid starts getting a
regular piece of ass for the first time in his life and right away mistakes
it for that 'true love' crap. I mean, you were still coughing up the cash
without trying to get discounts or something, so I figured you were okay
with it. I had no idea you had it this bad."

Soun couldn't believe his ears. How could she be so casual about all they
had shared, like it meant nothing? "It is love. I've had crushes before,
girls I thought I was in love with. But not like this. It was never like
this. You've shown me what it means to truly care about someone."

Minato rolled her eyes. "And you've shown me the inside of your wallet, and
I was happy to take what was there. That is what we were doing, you know? It
was a business transaction, Soun. That's all it ever was. I mean sure, I
laid on the charm, and listened to your rambling and stuff. I like going
that extra distance for the customer so he really enjoys things. It also
keeps them coming back, let me tell you, and a regular that doesn't stiff
you is always a guy to be treasured."

"Y... You can't mean, you c... can't think of me like..." His throat
constricted, choking him up and leaving him unable to finish the sentence.

Minato did it for him. "See you as just another customer? I'm afraid so. A
nice guy, one of the nicest ones I met. Real sweet, in an innocent teenager
sort of way. But if you're looking for some sort of deep emotional
attachment, sorry. That ain't the way I play the game."

"But everything we talked about. You told me so much about yourself."

"I made it up," she snapped, though more at the dresser than at Soun, as her
head shifted slightly. It took several seconds for her former, casual (if
somewhat contemptuous) demeanor to return. "Look, you were running off at
the mouth. I told you what you wanted to hear."

"But-"

"Save it," she snapped again. "I'm telling it like it is. You don't want to
believe it, that's your fault, not mine.

"You mean-"

"It was all an act. You just bought into it more than you were supposed to.
If I had realized it, I would have gone easier on you," Minato interrupted
before he could continue. As she looked at him, her countenance softened,
becoming one of compassion. "Look, I'm going to do you a favor. You're a
sweet guy, and really deserve something nice to come along. I'm not going to
string you along like a lot of other girls would do in my position. I'm
cutting you off. No more sex. No more contact. We'll put this behind us as
serious miscommunication and leave it at that. Trust me, it's for the best."

"A... miscommunication," Soun repeated, still not quite believing his ears.

"Yeah, that's for the best," she repeated.. "Look, I'm sorry to cut things
short, but you got to get out of here."

Still in shock, Soun stared at her mutely.

"I got to work."

"It's Tuesday," he said, his voice as emotionless as though he was reading
lines from a script.

She hesitated a moment before explaining, "I'm making an exception today for
an out-of-towner that's come by for a couple of days. I'm going to take
Friday off instead. Now you go on, get out of here," she insisted as she
grabbed him by the hand and tugged him toward the door.

Soun could have resisted, could have stayed and forced her to explain
herself  further, but he had no energy left. The emotional turmoil he had
been in the throes of since yesterday, the lack of any sleep, the fear of
the unknown future, had eaten away at him until Minato's confession devoured
everything. He barely had enough energy to allow himself to be led out the
door. Once out in the hall, Minato slammed the door shut behind him. He
heard the tumbler of the lock click into place. Somewhere in a distant
corner of his mind, he noted that now he didn't have to remind her to lock
her door as he had originally planned.

It was over. Just like that. All of his hopes, his dreams of a lifetime of
happiness were washed away in a span of less than five minutes. How could he
have been so wrong? How could he have misread the signs so badly? He was so
certain they had shared something special, something that only came along
once in a lifetime, if that. But instead it was all a lie. A fantasy. Minato
was correct. He was a gullible, lovestruck teenager who had wanted to
believe in something greater than himself so badly that he had gouged his
own eyes out to blind himself from the reality.

Despite that knowledge, even when he went over everything in his mind, Soun
couldn't point to a single moment where he should have seen through Minato's
deception. How could she have woven a tapestry of illusion so flawlessly
that even in hindsight he couldn't see past it? Was he as stubborn as his
parents, refusing to accept an obvious truth?

And even if all she had said was true, he couldn't understand her callous
disregard for his feelings. Even if they weren't reciprocated, why had she
been so casual in all but destroying him? She was a caring woman, somewhat
cynical, but he had seen her go out of her way to be kind to others, even
total strangers. She could have let him down more gently. Certainly, it
would have taken longer to convince him he was wrong, and perhaps he would
have had an opportunity to make her see things his way, but no. It was
almost as though she had always planned to crush his heart savagely, and was
merely waiting for the right opportunity. It contradicted everything he knew
about her.

Soun couldn't understand the why of things, and had no strength left to
ponder the matter. He was tired. Tired beyond anything he had ever
experienced before in his life. All the martial arts training in the world
combined could not drain him so completely. He was so exhausted, he feared
he would never feel alive again. He wanted to go to sleep and never wake up.
He couldn't think. He couldn't even summon enough emotion to have more
recriminations. She was correct. He needed to leave. Maybe he'd go home. Or
maybe he'd step in front of a bus. Nothing mattered anymore. Not really.

As Soun started down the stairs, there was a loud noise behind him,
originating from Minato's apartment. It sounded like glass breaking as it
was hurled against something hard. For a moment, Soun instinctively turned
to investigate, but then he stopped. Minato had made her feelings clear. She
felt nothing for him, and wanted him out of her life. And he lacked the
heart to see her again. It would break him as surely as falling off Mount
Fuji would. He just knew it.

And so he left the building, leaving the first true love of his life behind
forever.

Xxxxxx

It was a defeated shell of a man, once known as Soun Arisugawa, that
returned to his apartment around two in the morning. As he entered the
living room, he saw his parents were still up, obviously waiting for him. He
wasn't surprised. Surprise required emotion, and he had none left.

"I'll meet the girl tomorrow."

And he went to bed, collapsing exhausted into a dreamless limbo.

xxxxxxxxxxx

[End Part A]




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