I'm sick of waiting for fanfic.com to find my post (I posted it
when the list was down), so I'll repost it. Apologies if it
thus arrives twice.
Part II is coming.
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Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year: "No Grudges" Part 1
by Sean Gaffney
gaffney@iconn.net
**** **** ****
edited by James Bateman, Fred Herriot, Richard Lawson, and Sebastian
Weinberg
**** **** ****
A side story based on the fan fiction stories by Mike Smith and Fred
Herriot, in turn based on "Urusei Yatsura", created by Rumiko
Takahashi
**** **** ****
WRITER'S NOTES:
1) Notice how I did the formatting so it looks like a UY: TSY
story. Cool, huh?
2) The timeline for the story is as follows:
a. Scene One takes place three weeks after the events in the
first Urusei Yatsura movie, "Only You".
b. Most of the rest of the first half takes place in and around
the events depicted in the UY: TSY stories "Sakura's Class Reunion"
and "Tag Race Mark Three".
c. Most of the second half of the story takes place in and around
the events depicted in the UY: TSY story "Nagaiwakai's Lesson".
3) All characters mentioned herein are the creation of Rumiko
Takahashi, with the exception of Reigi Yumoa, Nagaiwakai Moroboshi,
Komeru Moroboshi, Kimaenowakai Hana, and the Sunin bodyguards,
all of whom were created by Fred Herriot.
4) Extra special thanks to Mike and Fred, for allowing me to
venture into their universe in order to expand upon one of the minor
romances depicted. Ryouko Mendou is my favorite Urusei Yatsura
character, and I enjoyed her appearances in TSY, but felt there was
much left out. This is my attempt to redress the balance.
5) By the way, I spell Ryouko with a U. Animeigo, as well as
Mike and Fred, spell it with a double o (Ryooko). Viz, when they get
around to Ryouko's episodes in the manga, will probably spell it with
one o (Ryoko). Whatever floats your boat.
6) For those unfamiliar with the Urusei Yatsura: The Senior Year
series...well, it's a long story. Suffice it to say, this is not your
father's Urusei Yatsura. There are many differences. My advice is to
go to http://www.csun.edu/~hbcsc093/uy, start with "Alternate
Lum-san," and work from there.
7) Three of these scenes utilize dialogue from the original
stories by Fred Herriot, because these scenes were necessary to the
plot of my story. The dialogue is Fred's; the thoughts, inner
monologue, reactions, etc. are mine.
**** **** ****
And so...ON WITH THE SHOW!!!!
**** **** ****
Reigi Yumoa sighed and straightened his tie as he looked upon
the Moroboshi's home for the first time in many years. Kinshou
Moroboshi had made it clear to him several years ago that he was no
longer welcome at their house. It upset him more than he thought.
He had fostered a good friendship with their son Ataru, and was
regretful that this should come to such a sudden end. What
bothered him more was that Ataru hadn't made more than a token
protest.
However, that was all in the past. Reigi was here now on
assignment from his guardian, Komeru, to attempt to convince Ataru to
leave Tomobiki. These arguments usually had little or no effect, as
the residents of the house just hung up when he tried to call.
But recently, quiet had descended over the district of
Tomobiki. Many of the town's louder residents were now in the
hospital, as a result of the attempt to force Ataru to marry Lum, the
Oni who had dominated his life for the past year. From what Reigi
could gather from reports, Ataru had almost been ready to go along
with the wedding, but had refused at the last minute and fled the
chapel. He had been promptly pursued by most of the wedding party,
intent on everything from grievous bodily harm to death by katana.
Luckily, Ataru's great-grandmother, the Lady Kimaenowakai Hana
had been informed of this, and a company of her Sunin sumo-ninja
bodyguards had stepped in. After crippling the entire wedding party,
they had declared that any engagement agreements between Ataru and Lum
were null and void, and had taken him back to Earth.
Thus, while everyone else was recovering in the hospital,
Ataru was living alone in relative peace for the first time since
the Oni had inserted herself into his life. Reigi, therefore, had
come to the house to attempt to talk Ataru into leaving Tomobiki and
returning to Rishiri-tou. It was hoped that, away from all outside
elements, Ataru would be more amenable to this.
Personally, Reigi wasn't so sure. He had been keeping track
of Ataru for a while now, and was disturbed by what he saw. After the
disappearance of his sister, Ataru seemed to have undergone a
massive personality change. At times he was fairly normal, but at
other times he reverted, embarrassingly, to a perverted lech, intent
only on seducing as many women as possible. It was impossible to talk
to him when he was like that. Reigi just hoped that he had caught
Ataru at the right time.
Coming up to the house, he was about to ring the bell when the
door opened of its own accord. Ataru Moroboshi stepped out, then
paused in surprise. "Reigi? Is that you?"
Reigi was inwardly relieved. Ataru had his hair combed, and
lacked the vacant look that almost seemed to be ever-present on his
face. Perhaps he would have an easier time talking to Ataru than he
thought. Outwardly, he grinned broadly. "Hello, Ataru. It's been a
long time."
Ataru frowned. "Yeah, I'd almost forgotten." A shadow seemed
to pass over his face at that moment, but then it was gone. "So,
how've you been?"
Reigi smiled. "Tell you what. Why don't I take you out for
lunch, and we can talk about what each of us have been up to."
Ataru had never been one to refuse food, whether he was in his
lech mode or not. "You're on! Wanna go to the new beefbowl place?"
Reigi sighed. "I was thinking a little more upscale if you
don't mind."
Ataru shrugged. "OK. Food is food."
Well, at least step one is accomplished, Reigi thought. They
got into his car and drove into town.
* * *
"Huh? Go back to Rishiri-tou?"
Reigi nodded. "That's right, Ataru. After all, you were all
set to do it right before Lum came into your life. It needs to be
done."
Ataru frowned again at the mention of Lum. Reigi had been
growing increasingly concerned at Ataru's personality shifts. For a
while, he would seem to be completely normal. Then, usually when
Reigi mentioned Lum's name, his eyes would glaze for a moment, and he
would lose all track of the conversation. This had made for a long
lunch, as Reigi had to backtrack constantly.
Reigi decided to press his point. "Ataru, look at what your
life has become. Living with parents who haven't given you any love
in years, in a town that regards you as an embarrassment. In
Rishiri-tou, you could start over, rebuild your life to what it was
before Lum arrived."
Ataru looked up, and for the first time didn't lose himself.
He was perfectly serious as he said, "What about Lum? Would she be
able to come with me?"
Reigi was utterly stunned. He had thought that the
relationship between Ataru and Lum was completely one-sided, one Ataru
was trying desperately to release himself from. But now, apparently,
Ataru was saying that he wanted to remain with Lum. "You *want* Lum
to go with you? Ataru, are you insane? I thought you hated her!"
Ataru seemed to be having an inner war with himself. He
leaned over towards Reigi, dropping his voice. "No, that's not true.
All I want is for Lum to let me...let me live my own life. If I were
in Rishiri-tou, she'd have to change her ways, wouldn't she?"
Now it was Reigi's turn to pause. "I don't know, Ataru. Your
grandmother regards everything that's happened to you as Lum's fault.
I'm not sure she would allow Lum to come to Rishiri-tou."
"She might. If it were made clear that I would only come with
Lum. Do you think that she might be able to reconcile with Lum?"
Reigi frowned. "Well...there's no love lost between your
grandmother and Lum. But if you were able to curb Lum's
behavior...and if you were there...that's what your grandmother wants,
Ataru. She wants to see you at home again. If you came back...I
think she'd allow it."
Ataru smiled. "I think...if I talked with her, I might be
able to convince Lum to come with me. I don't know, though...I get
very tense when she's around."
Reigi smiled. "If you like, I could help with that. So,
Ataru, is it agreed? Will you come back?"
Just then, there came a cry from the street outside.
"DAAAR-LING!!!!"
The effect on Ataru was instantaneous. He locked up in fear,
and hid under the table. "Ah! Lum!"
Unfortunately, his crying out alerted the Oni to his presence.
She entered the restaurant, not even pausing to look at Reigi.
"Darling, what are you doing in here? Your parents have come back
from the hospital, and they sent me to look for you!"
Ataru bolted upright. Reigi was astounded. You wouldn't even
have known it was the same person. "You're one to talk! I was having
a wonderful time by myself until you showed up!"
Lum crackled dangerously. "And just what were you doing while
I was in the hospital, Darling?"
The danger of being hit by Lum's lightning removed any trace
of the former Ataru from him. "And what business is it of yours what
I was doing?!"
"We're married, Darling! A wife has the right to know what
her husband is up to!"
Ataru backed slowly out of the door of the restaurant, giving
one final comeback. "We are *not* **MARRIED!!!!**"
Lum began the windup that indicated a lightning blast was
forthcoming. "Darling...NO...*BAKA!!!!*"
Reigi tried to leap in. "Ataru, wait...!"
But it was all for naught, as Ataru had turned and fled almost
as soon as Lum had started to flare. Almost as quickly, she chased
after him, firing lightning bolts and calling his name.
No, calling her darling's name, Reigi corrected himself. That
was the difference between the two personalities that were there.
One, the real one, was Ataru himself. The other one was Lum's
Darling, who thought of nothing but immediate pleasure and pain, and
certainly nothing of his future.
Reigi slumped onto the table, his head in his hands. The
entire afternoon had been a failure. Damn her! He had been so close
to getting Ataru to agree, and then with one stroke Lum had ruined
everything.
He got up and began the long walk back to his car. One thing
was certain. If Ataru Moroboshi ever managed to escape from the hell
that his life in Tomobiki had become, and return to Rishiri-tou, there
would be no place for Lum. Reigi would see to that. He had some
things to tell to Ataru's grandmother...
* * *
Two years later...
Reigi Yumoa, chief of operations for Toranoseishin Finances,
sighed and put down his reports as another explosion rocked Tomobiki
High School. There had been an increase in the violent incidents
there recently, making it difficult to concentrate. Not only because
of the noise level, but because Reigi's thoughts kept drifting to
Ataru. He had been so busy lately with the company that he had not
the time to make another attempt to remove Ataru from Tomobiki.
Komeru and Nagaiwakai had been nagging him about that lately.
They did not really realize how difficult it was to keep the company
running on a day-to-day basis. After all, they had their own
assistants for that. But Reigi preferred a hands-on approach, which
meant staying up late often to make sure that everything was done
properly. It did not help that he was Caucasian in appearance, which
bothered many of the older businessmen. Also, he was constantly
trying to prove that, despite being only twenty-one years old, he was
fully capable of running a major finance firm.
As a result, Reigi had spent many nights in his office,
grabbing sleep only when necessary. It had almost become a second
home to him; his apartment was rather empty and functional. He kept
most of his keepsakes in the office.
The noise from Tomobiki High seemed to have ceased for the
time being, so Reigi got back to work, occasionally letting his
thoughts drift toward ways of extracting Ataru from Tomobiki.
There was a knock on the door. Reigi was not surprised. He
had left instructions not to be disturbed, but his assistants usually
regarded that as a suggestion, not a rule. "Come in," he sighed.
It was only Reigi's strict discipline that kept him from
falling over as Ataru Moroboshi entered the room. For a moment, Reigi
found himself wondering if this was a trick. Ataru had a light in his
eyes that had not been there in years. Furthermore, Reigi had not
heard any screams coming from his office, meaning that there had been
no attempt of molestation on the way in. Joy filled Reigi as he
realized that Ataru had finally done it; he had found the courage to
escape from the evil that hounded his life in Tomobiki!
A small grin played across Ataru's face as he noticed Reigi's
stunned expression. "You busy?"
Reigi bounded across the room, reaching out to grab Ataru's
hand. "Ataru!!" Overcome by emotion, Reigi grabbed him in a bear
hug. "You old snake!" As he released him, Reigi looked deep into
Ataru's eyes, wanting to make sure that Ataru was here, and not Lum's
'Darling'. "So, you finally decided to get away from those twits and
come back to your real home, huh?!"
Laughing, Ataru sat down. Reigi noticed that he seemed to be
carrying a *qu'f-piaqu'r*, a Yehisrite particle photon musket. "Well,
it's only a visit," Ataru said. "You know how stifling it could be
when you're with Komeru-oji-chan for any length of time."
Once again, Reigi found himself mystified by Ataru's
ambivalence toward his uncle. In Reigi's opinion, the amount of good
deeds and public service Komeru performed more than made up for any
lack of emotion...not to mention that his adoption of Reigi and the
other wards belied the belief that he did not care. Ataru, however,
had always valued a loving family above everything else, thus found
his uncle's distance just as annoying as his parents' abuse. They had
argued about this a number of times, and Reigi did not feel like
bringing it up again. "True, I suppose."
He decided to take the initiative, and see if Ataru was really
all right. If anything would tell him that, this would. "So, what
does bring you here after about two years? Finally getting tired of
Lum?"
Reigi knew that it was potentially dangerous mentioning Lum in
Ataru's presence; it could mean a relapse. Ataru seemed to realize
what Reigi was doing, and had to keep himself from laughing. "Not
Lum, but those who like to hang onto her like a school of remora."
Reigi remained outwardly happy, but frowned a little inside.
Even after all of the shit he had been through, Ataru still seemed to
care for Lum? Why? What in God's name did he see in her? Oh well,
as long as he was no longer freaking out at the mention of her name,
that was fine. The mention of the other people of Tomobiki reminds
Reigi of the chaos that had disturbed him earlier. "Ah, we heard the
blasts all the way over here. We knew that eventually, sooner or
later, that idiot Mendou was going to step over the line."
Ataru smiled. "He did, but thanks to Grandma, I pushed him
back."
Reigi noticed Ataru pointing to the *qu'f-piaqu'r*. So, it
was Nagaiwakai who got him the firearm. Well, so much the better.
After taking abuse from the likes of Mendou and Ran, it was about time
he had a way to defend himself.
He looked out the window, noticing the damage done to Tomobiki
High School. It would probably total in the millions. The Mendou
Clan might be giving them a call soon. "And how. Well, it doesn't
matter. Great thing, being the only finance company which caters to
people like the Mendous and the Mizunokoji. We get filthy rich on
their petty little feuds!"
Ataru's eyes glinted again. "I bet. Actually, it's because
of that little connection that I came to see you today, Reigi. How'd
you like to do me a favour?"
Reigi had an idea what Ataru was about to ask, but went along
with it. "What sort of favour?"
Ataru grinned. "If I remember the terms of the contract
between Toranoseishin and the Mendous, you can launch a
Conglomerate-wide inspection of all their operations, including all
the extra stuff Mendou has at his beck and call."
It was Reigi's turn to grin. Mendou had abused the family
resources for years in his attempts to bring Ataru to heel, using
lethal force at times. *He's lucky Ataru's got ninja reflexes,* Reigi
thought, *...or Mendou'd be serving time right now, if not in an early
grave thanks to Nagaiwakai-sama.* "We can. After all, we loan the
money for them to operate such forces, thus until they pay us back, we
have a right to see how they're using it. It affects things like
credit ratings and all that. I do confess they are pretty punctual
with their payments." *Though,* he added silently, *...the way Mendou
uses the Kuromegane, they're already in hock through to the
millennium!*
"So how'd you like to do an administrative inspection?"
"When?"
"Like right now?"
Reigi's eyebrows went up; apparently Ataru was very serious in
getting Mendou off his back. After so many years of Ataru blithely
ignoring the world, this took some getting used to. "Ouch! Just as
things are heating up between you and the school." He smiled; this
might prove to be entertaining. Even if Ataru had not asked him
personally, Reigi would have wanted to do it himself, merely to see
the look on Mendou's face. "My pleasure."
Ataru smiled. "Thank you so kindly." From anyone else, the
phrase might seem sarcastic, but Reigi knew enough about Ataru to know
that he meant it. Ataru got up and moved towards the telephone.
"Mind if I use that? I'd like to call Grandma."
"Go ahead." Reigi got up himself. "I better call the Mendou
mansion and give them the bad news." He left for the main office.
After giving the news to the Mendous, mollifying them somewhat
by saying that he would tell Shutaro himself, Reigi returned to the
office to find Ataru still on the phone with Nagaiwakai. Reigi could
hear the love in his voice. Nagaiwakai was the only relative that
Ataru really loved, and she returned his love fully. Reigi also
noticed that Ataru avoided mentioning Lum in the conversation, merely
referring to Tomobiki in the broad sense. Well, if he still wants Lum
in his life, staying silent about her when talking to his grandmother
was probably a smart idea. Reigi did not think Nagaiwakai would ever
forgive the Oni for the Second Tag Race.
As he went to the helicopter pad to head for Tomobiki High,
Reigi frowned. Despite the joy he was feeling, there was still doubt
in Reigi's mind about what he saw today. He considered himself a good
judge of human nature, and knew that changes like Ataru's did not
happen overnight. There was something wild about Ataru now, a
dangerous glint in the eye, suggesting that, even though the lecherous
lout may be gone, Ataru Moroboshi had still not exorcised all of his
personal demons.
* * *
Ryouko Mendou was bored.
This in itself was not a rare thing. Boredom drove Ryouko
most of the time, and most of her schemes were attempts to stave this
off. They only proved to be temporary respites, though. And lately,
they had not been enough. In addition to boredom, she was starting to
feel depressed as she went over the past two years of her life.
Despite the fun she had, she really had not accomplished much, besides
annoying her brother. That used to be enough, but now she wanted more
out of life. She wondered if this meant she was growing up. She was
almost seventeen years old now, and beginning to feel every bit of it.
She had considered going out to tease Shutaro again, maybe by
flirting with Ataru Moroboshi. That always worked. However, she had
been informed by her Kuroko of Ataru's recent personality changes.
Ryouko might be spoiled, but she was no fool, immediately coming to
the conclusion that this would *not* be a good time to bother Ataru.
Then there was Tobimaro. He was like her brother in so many
ways, which, of course, was the main reason she teased him.
Pretending she was in love with him drove him up the wall. However,
his hatred of women disgusted her, especially since he was
hypocritical enough to live with those gorgeous bodyguards of his.
No, even Tobimaro was starting to bore her. Besides, he was off on
another one of his adventures in the wild, and would not be back for a
while.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a whisper next to her left
ear. One of the Kuroko. "Mistress, I have distressing news. Your
father's finance company has called an inventory of all Mendou clan
operations, and has placed a hold on their usage until it is complete.
We...we will not be able to serve you, Young Mistress."
Ryouko could hear the pain in his voice. Unlike Shutaro's
Kuromegane, who only protected him because they were paid, Ryouko had
developed a nice relationship with her Kuroko. In fact, it was
through them that she began to develop her love of the theatre. It
must have been hard on them to hear this. "Don't worry. I will take
care of my own needs until the inspection is complete. Why not take
the time to relax, do some of the things you haven't had time to do."
It was not much, but it was the best she could come up with.
The Kuroko enjoyed serving her, as they were able to use their love of
the theatre. Also, they were her friends. But there was not a lot
she could do about it. "I'm sorry."
"Do not worry, Mistress. It is we who should apologize. Are
you sure...?"
"I'll be fine. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of
myself."
Ryouko spoke much too roughly, then winced as she felt the
Kuroko draw back. "I apologize again. I have been feeling out of
sorts lately, and do not mean to take it out on you. But don't worry,
I shall be perfectly all right."
"Very well, Mistress. We hope to see you again as soon as
possible."
Ryouko smiled. "As do I."
She heard a slight flutter, and the next minute they were
gone.
She sighed, feeling very alone. She suddenly realized that
she did not want someone to tease, or torture, but to talk to as an
equal. Someone whom she could begin to show her real self to, instead
of the spoiled princess she pretended to be. With a start, she
realized that she was lonely.
Ryouko slowly got up and prepared for bed, hoping that maybe
the next day would bring something better...
* * *
Reigi sighed, thinking for about the fourth time that day that
personally supervising the inventory of the Mendou Clan's resources
might have been a bad idea. He had been to the mansion before, but
had not realized until now how *big* it truly was. Growing up with
Komeru and Nagaiwakai meant that he was no stranger to wealth, but
Rishiri-tou was understated, as Nagaiwakai did not need to demonstate
to the world how rich she was.
The Mendou mansion, though, delighted in its ostentation,
featuring many tacky Japanese heirlooms, that would have been called
ugly if they had not also been so old...and odd. In addition, the
number of trapdoors, secret passages, and hidden weapons caches meant
that, in effect, the mansion was twice the size it looked.
As he made a note of a third set of poison dart throwers in
the wall, Reigi privately observed that this was going to take a lot
longer than he had thought. Oh, well, at least Ataru would not have
to worry about Mendou for a while.
There was a rustle behind him, and a quiet voice exclaimed,
"Oh! Pardon me, I had no idea anyone was here."
Reigi turned around...and found himself looking into the eyes
of a goddess. The most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his entire
life was standing only a few feet from him. He nearly passed out, and
had to remind himself to breathe. She was dressed in a lovely silk
kimono, with a complex pattern of dragons interwoven into it. Her
hair flowed around her like a cloud. Was it red? No, more of an
dusky ruby, complimenting the blue of her eyes. She was the most
heavenly creature he had ever seen, she was perfect...
*She's Ryouko Mendou,* the logical part of his mind supplied.
*She's Shutaro's sister, and in all probability, as deranged as he
is.*
He shied away from that thought, angry with himself for
thinking such things. How could this woman ever be anything like that
boor Mendou? It just was not possible. Nevertheless, knowing that
she was Shutaro's sister had the effect of throwing cold water on his
libido, and he finally came back to himself, realizing that he had
been staring at her for over a minute without saying anything. A
flush came to his cheeks. "I'm...um...I'm sorry, Mendou-san. I had
chosen to inventory here becasue I thought these areas were deserted.
Please forgive me; it is I who intruded."
To his surprise, she jumped when he spoke, as if shocked.
What had she been thinking about? She spoke to him again, in low alto
tones that had a taste of nectar in them. "The rest of the family
does not venture here very much, but I often use the passageways.
They are an easy way to avoid my family when I want to."
He could see her flush as she realized what she was saying.
The red in her cheeks made her even more beautiful, if that was even
possible. She then turned, as if to leave. "I don't want to keep you
from your work, so...I suppose I should leave."
He once again found himself needing to say something...and
presently was at a loss for words. He slapped himself mentally. "No!
No! It's a pleasure to meet you, Ryouko-sam...Ryouko-*san*." *Oh,
nice save!* he chastised himself. *Now she'll think you're an idiot.*
She smiled at him again, and he felt as if he would melt right
there on the spot. "It was lovely to meet you too...?"
He could hear the unspoken question at the end of her
sentence. "Yumoa. Yumoa Reigi," he managed to stutter out.
"It was lovely to meet you, Yumoa-sam...Yumoa-*san*." She
blushed again, and quickly began to walk away. He kept his eyes on
her for as long as possible, but in no time at all, she was around the
corner and out of sight.
Did he hear her correctly? Was she making fun of him, or was
it an honest slip, as his had been? He was not sure. He tried not to
think of the implications as he reluctantly turned back to the
inventory. Did she have any feelings for him? There were several
clues from her behaviour, and yet...a woman such as herself could not
possibly find anything in him. Could she?
As he replayed the conversation over and over in his head,
Reigi struggled to keep his mind on work...
* * *
Ryouko walked quickly back to her room, desperately trying to
get her mind back together. What had *happened* to her back there?
She prided herself on her poise and dignity, and yet in front of this
man, she was blushing like a lovesick schoolgirl. Admittedly, she had
been surprised on seeing him in the corridor. Although she knew there
would be auditors inspecting, she did not expect them to be so
thorough as to investigate the back passages and corridors of the
Mendou mansion. That would explain her surprise at seeing him, but
not her other behaviour.
He was quite handsome. His appearance suggested a gaijin, but
there had been something in the eyes which belied those claims. He
had very handsome eyes, which gave the impression that he was looking
directly at your soul. His hair had been slightly unkempt, as if he
combed it very neatly but it fought back over the course of the day.
Ryouko's gaze had drifted back to the eyes again; she could feel
herself getting lost in them...
Then with a start she had realized that he was speaking. He
was apologizing for being in the passageways. For some reason, Ryouko
had felt a need to give an explanation to him. She had blurted out
that she often used the corridors to avoid her family. Her brain
reeled. *Did I really admit that to him?* She had felt a flush
spread across her face as she realised the impropriety of her words.
Again, there was a sense that nothing could be kept from him, that he
knew her every secret. She had wanted to get out of here, before she
embarrassed herself further.
She had given her apologies and started to leave, but he had
stopped her, insisting that it was no trouble at all. How sweet of
him to make her feel at ease. And he knew her name, too. She had
started again as she realized she had no idea who this handsome man
was. She had attempted a smile, which felt forced to her lips, and
subtly asked for his name.
Reigi Yumoa. A beautiful name, she loved the way it rolled
off his tongue. He had a wonderful way of speaking, very polite and
formal. She had started to thank him again, and then realized that
she had almost called him Yumoa-sama. *Too formal, too formal,* she
had thought, correcting herself. She had been sure that she was
bright red by then, and quickly beat a hasty retreat.
What was the matter with her? In all her relationships with
men, she had been the one in control. She had to stay cool, to
analyse their every move so she could use it against them. Yet with
him, it was as if she was a blushing schoolgirl. She felt a need to
impress him somehow; to show him the real Ryouko, not the one everyone
else saw. How did he have this power over her? She needed to know
more about him. She started to summon her Kuroko for a spying
mission, and then realized that they had been put on hold with the
rest of the Mendou resources. She would have to wait.
Resigning herself, she lay down on the bed, and unconsciously
began to replay the conversation over and over in her mind...
* * *
Reigi stood outside Ataru's apartment, ringing the bell so
that he could tell him that the inspection was finished. He was not
really paying much attention, just letting his thoughts drift. And,
inevitably, he found himself thinking of Ryouko again. Over the past
week, he had seen her almost every day, walking along the corridors.
It could not just be accidental, she had to be looking for him. Did
she like him? Was it possible that she loved him as he loved her?
He had tried denying it for a few days, but it was impossible:
he was truly, madly, deeply in love with Ryouko Mendou. (Hmm...sounds
like a film - S.G.) Everything about her was grace and beauty;
moreover, from the few words they had exchanged, she was intelligent,
in a practical way as well as academic. He wondered how she had been
schooled. Maybe he would ask her next time he saw her.
A sudden depression washed over him as he remembered. He was
finished with the inventory, and would not be back at the Mendou
mansion. How could he possibly go on without seeing his Ryouko-sama?
He lived to hear the words come from her lips, breathed in the gaze
from her eyes. Without her, he was not sure of anything. Activities
and responsibilites that had once been child's play now required an
intense amount of effort, because he was not able to await a visit
from Ryouko-sama.
These recursive thoughts were interrupted by the door opening.
Ataru stood there, looking lightly puzzled. "What's up?" he said.
"You don't look so good."
Reigi came into the apartment, yawning. He was incredibly
tired lately, both because he had been running the inventory all day
and because his nights were filled with thoughts of Ryouko. "No, not
really," he admitted. Ataru was the sort of person who did not
believe in pleasantries that masked true feelings, so Reigi simply
admitted his fatigue. "We finished inspecting the Conglomerate's
books yesterday, so you'd better watch it. Observers have already
seen the Kuromegane out in full force trying to keep track of you."
Ataru sneered, letting his contempt show. "That's no
problem," he said. "When I move north to Oshika, I'll just get a few
court injunctions slapped on the jerks living here. Not even all of
Mendou's money can buy off every judge in Miyagi."
Reigi responded almost automatically, "Yeah, considering that
we helped them get nominated to their posts." His mind was not really
following Ataru's jibes, though. He had heard that Ryouko was very
much a patron of the theatre. Perhaps if he attended a few shows. He
usually did not have the time to go out in the evenings, but if it was
to see Ryouko-sama...
Reigi felt a sigh escape his lips. He could see Ataru looking
at him strangely, but it was as if he was twelve miles away. Reigi
let himself drift into another fantasy, where he and Ryouko were doing
nothing more than looking deeply into one another's eyes. Ataru
interfered with this vision, though. "What is it?" he queried.
Reigi wanted to get rid of Ataru so that he could go back to
staring at Ryouko. "Oh, it's nothing."
Reigi could see Ataru was not buying his explanation.
"Bullshit!! You saw something...or someone, less I miss my guess."
Reigi puzzled over that; was he that easy to read? He did not
think his lovestruck condition was *that* obvious. Ataru went on.
"Ah-hah!!! I know what's with you!! You met Ryouko-chan, right?!!"
At the mention of her name, Reigi saw the world go pink. He
felt his knees get weak, and it was all he could do to remain
standing. He almost choked on the influx of hormones that flew
through his body when Ataru called her name. "Ryouko-sama," he
purred. He would been embarrassed at calling her that at first, but
it seemed so right, so perfect for her. He did not want to sully her
name by using anything less.
Ataru merely stood there, grinning at Reigi's performance.
"Uh-huh!" He then seemed to think of something. "Um, you better know
that I think the Mendous might want to marry Ryouko off to Tobimaro
Mizunokoji."
It was as if Reigi had been shot through the heart. Images of
Ryouko looking into his eyes vanished, to be replaced with an image of
Tobimaro impaled on his own baseball bat. *My God, does she love
him? What if I've been fooling myself all this time?* he mentally
exclaims, then considers the matter. *Or is she being forced to marry
him by her family? Those jackals! How could they force Ryouko-sama
to marry against her will?* All of this slipped through his mind in
a matter of minutes. Aloud, he said, "What?!! MY poor, sweet,
defenseless Ryouko-sama marrying THAT uncouth, filthy bastard?!! Not
in a bloody million years!!!"
Reigi would rescue her from that fate, he knew. He would
protect her from anyone who tried to do her harm. Let them try to
marry her against her will...if it was against her will. A pained
look then flashed across Reigi's eyes as he realized that she might
love another.
Ataru seemed to sense Reigi's agony. "I don't think you've
got much in the way of worries when it comes to Ryouko-chan," Ataru
said reassuringly. "Personally, I don't think Ryouko-chan would want
to be anywhere close to Tobimaro given the way he hates women in
general...though how he could hate women when he's surrounded with
those gorgeous dolls in his Kurotenshi, I'll never understand."
Reigi sagged with relief. She did not care for Tobimaro...so
there was still a possibility that she loved Reigi. Nevertheless, he
began to feel worse as he realized the magnitude of what he was going
up against. He was able to control the Mendous and Mizunokoji when it
came to financial matters, but there was no way he could influence
then in a matter of family politics. Arranged marriages were a long
tradition in families like the Mendous, and he knew that with the way
Mendou felt about Asuka, a marriage between Tobimaro and Ryouko would
be financially sound, as well.
He began to despair again, as he looked bleakly up at Ataru.
"What should I do?" he moaned.
Ataru seemed lost in thought for a bit, and considered his
words carefully as he answered. "We'll have to go at this very
slowly. We can't do too much too fast or else Mendou'll get wind of
it. I can only guess what his reaction'll be."
Reigi jerked; he had forgotten about Shutaro. He would
certainly be against any alliance of his sister with a Moroboshi, ward
or no. "True," Reigi murmured. He was going about this the wrong
way, he realized. There was still much he did not know abut Ryouko.
He had an information organization second to none, why not put it to
good use? He would bide his time, gathering information that would
help his cause. Then, when he was prepared, he would win her heart.
Suddenly he remembered the other reason he had come to see
Ataru. "Oh, by the way. Kinshou's here and she's asking for you.
She's upstairs in the cafeteria."
Ataru groaned as if he was sick. Perhaps he was. Certainly
legally divorcing himself from his parents had ben one of the smartest
things he had ever done. "Must I?" he groaned.
"Sorry." Reigi sympathized with Ataru, but if he did not set
Kinshou straight now, over time, she would just get worse. He smiled
sympathetically as the latter left the apartment.
He hurried back to work with a new vigour. In addition to his
regular duties, he now had a task that burned like fire in his mind:
win Ryouko. He decided to get a little background information on her,
to see if there was anything else he could do. *Ryouko-sama*, he
thought, *...it seems as if we must be apart for now. But I will find
a way to bring us together! I'll stake my life on it!!*
People on the streets were staring at him, but Reigi did not
care.
He had a purpose...
* * *
To be continued...