WHO: Kaname Chidori, Johnny Domino, Meiya's Maids, and Koji Kabuto.
WHAT: Kaname works at Barcode Cafe--which happens to be owned by Johnny Domino's family.
WHEN: May 30th, daytime.
MISSION: Earn some money.
WATCH OUT FOR: Potential Yakuza?

The Japanese branch of the Barcode Cafe was a long time coming. Johnny Domino's adoptive mother, forever the adventurous visionary, felt the time has come to expand her little family business and make it a faux-international affair. Johnny's piloting has earned the family a respectable sum of money, after all... and money exists so it could be spent in order to make even more money!

After considering various locations, Johnny's mother picked Japan as the place to open shop. When asked, she said: "It's so crazy, it might actually work."

Unfortunately, the transition to a foreign country on the other side of the globe was fraught with peril. For one thing, Johnny's mother didn't speak a word of Japanese. On top of that, the Japanese possess certain xenophobic qualities that made it hard to penetrate through the red tape and manage to get an approved business license from the government and ministry of commerce... and that's before we even get to the part of shopping for a space and rebuilding it into a cafe.

Holy crap, what a venture!

And then Richard Hawk took over the USA and Johnny's parents suffered a major blow. Bank accounts were frozen, bills went through the roof and an embargo was placed on their business. The family suffered a great financial loss, and opening the Japanese branch was put on hold until further notice.

BUT NOW THE TIME HAS COME! Johnny's mother, observing the financial loss was too great and that the Japanese branch was nearly ready, decided to go ahead and take one of the greatest risks in her life - she opened for business in Japan. Will this move help Domino's family get back on its feet, or will it herald their bankruptcy? Who can tell. At this moment, only one thing is certain: "Barru Kodo Cafe" is in need of employees. NOW HIRING!



And Kaname Chidori happened to be one of the first applicants.

It wasn't as though her family was short on money; her father worked as the Environmental Head Commissioner for the EFA and sent her money for standard expenditures every month. Kaname, however, did not want to be dependent on her father for everything, especially since the two shared a rather strained relationship.

With the money she brought in from a part-time job, she'd be able to buy /other/ things she wouldn't normally be able to afford... and maybe she could even go on that summer trip to Okinawa she had been thinking about.

"All right," Kaname says, pausing in front of a table, a platter balanced in one hand. "Two strawberry parfaits." One parfait was set down in front of one customer, the other was set in front of the other.

The two customers were not the standard fare at the Barcode Cafe, which had attracted a clientèle of junior and high school students as well as the usual lechs that patronized the restaurant more for the view than for the food. The two of them looked as though they might have been twenty--definitely older than high school delinquents Kaname usually saw. In fact, they probably better resembled chimpira, the yakuza foot soldiers who were more intimately involved with the more physical part of the business.

"Pretty cute uniform you've got there," one of them says, his voice slurred with the standard yakuza dialect.

Kaname visibly tenses, her lips sharpening into a straight line.

"Well, then, if there's nothing else--" she begins sharply, but she's cut off.

"How much do they pay a pretty girl like you to work here?" the other asks. "I'm sure that I can offer you a little more... and the work's not nearly as difficult."

The two of them chuckle raspily; her fists tighten into balls at her side, as she attempts to qualm her anger; her temper was tolerated at school, but she wasn't so sure it'd be tolerated /here/.


The first visit was nothing out of the ordinary. Just the usual random appearance in class, made to sit among the students and sort of stumble through every subject except English. To his credit, Johnny has managed to pick up a few key words and phrases in Japanese, among them Ichi, Ni, Tamago and ANTA BAKA! Yet he was far from an expert, often staring like a dumb mammal during lessons and wondering why life didn't come with subtitles.

Domino's second visit involved slaving under Kaname Chidori's watchful gaze while cramming useless high-school-level knowledge into his brain. It wasn't such a bad experience, all things considered. Kaname was... tolerable. In a violent and strong-headed manner. She also smelled of some nifty shampoo brand.

Unfortunately, things did not end there, and Domino was forced to return to Japan a week later in order to take... a math test. A stupid godawful math test that would account for 25% of the overall grade. BAH!

That was a few hours ago. Now, with the math test already behind him, Domino's grouchiness has subsided. Yet his business in Japan is far from over. Doing a super duper extra special favor for his mother, Johnny pays a visit to the Japanese Barcode Cafe. Stepping inside, the young man peers around. Hmmm, not bad, not bad. It's not like the one back home, but this one certainly has some charms of its own.

Eyes sweeping across the customers and the waitresses waitering, Johnny spots a familiar face. Now that there then, that there, there then that... isn't she Kaname? Curious, Domino creeps closer, catching more and more of the yakuza's words. It sounds a little something like, "Brrrrraaa, arrruuu arra barra roo grubbarrrrruh!"

God, why doesn't life come with subtitles? Still, Domino doesn't need to understand the rolling R dialect when he can observe body language. It would appear the customers are being jerks, and Kaname is about to harisen them to death. Perhaps Domino should intervene and save the customers from themselves?

Stepping up right next to Kaname all of a sudden, Johnny leans towards the yakuza and speaks loud and slow: "ENGLISH! DO - YOU - SPEAK IT?"



Thankfully, a few years of living in America during her childhood makes tutoring an English-speaking student like Johnny relatively easy. Aside from her understanding of some of Johnny's more difficult subjects and her own position as class rep, Kaname was also the student with the best comprehension of the English language.

Aside from Sousuke, anyway--but there was no way Ms. Kagurazaka was going to subject him to Sousuke's strange personality -or- his less-than-stellar class average.

Kaname spins around at the sound of a familiar, but forceful voice; Kaname turns around, only to find herself facing no one other than--

"J-Johnny?"

"Who do you think that you're talking to, /foreigner/?" One of the chimpira stands up and moves towards the boy forcefully, his body language menacing. The other stands behind him, smashing his fist into an open palm.

With one almost robotic jerk of the head, he turns to face Kaname. "Who's this?" he asks, jerking a thumb at the young pilot.

Normally, Kaname would have handled the situation herself, but given her current situation, it's highly unlikely that she could address it in typical Kaname fashion and still be employed the next day.

"This guy just /happens/ to be my boyfriend," she says in Japanese as she gestures at Johnny. "So if you don't want a world of trouble, I suggest you finish your parfaits, pay your tab, and /leave/."


"Baccarrrrra rrruh oshorrrrriin!!"

The yakuza punk speaks in tongues, as far as Domino is concerned. Honestly, Johnny would probably be a lot more riled up had he possessed the ability to comprehend the hired muscle's words. As it is, he's surprisingly calm!

Or... as calm as one can be when a shockingly /tall/ Japanese man proceeds to stand up and advance menacingly. "Oh geez," Johnny mumbles. The last Barcode Cafe brawl he was in happened over two years ago, and he made a solemn vow to his mother afterwards to never again mess up her beloved business. Maybe he should make a strategic retreat at this point and leave Kaname to her fate.

But then it seems Kaname has an idea of her own: she says Johnny is her boyfriend. Honestly, Johnny would probably be a lot more riled up had he possessed the ability to comprehend the hired waitress's words. As it is, he's surprisingly calm!

Or... as calm as one can be when there's an overbearing yakuza at spitting distance. The yakuza in question looks surprised for a moment, then bursts into laughter: "Hahahahaha! You expect me to fall for that? That's the oldest trick in the book!" Uh-oh, looks like this particular yakuza is a seasoned waitress-harasser.

One of his goons tugs on his jacket: "Uh, but what if he's really her botfriend?"

The top yakuza knuckles his goon on the head. "SHUT UP! I ain't believing it 'till I'm seeing it!"

Johnny, for his part, remains completely oblivious.


A blush quickly draws itself across Kaname Chidori's face.

Despite her popularity at Jindai High School, Kaname has been dubbed by her classmates "the girl that everyone likes, but no one wants to date"--likely due to her mean aggressive streak. Aside from a few terrible dates set up by her good friend Kyouko, Kaname's never really gone out with /anybody/, let alone experienced her first kiss.

And there's no way she's going to give it up right now, for this!

"I don't know what sort of girl you think I am, but I'm a totally pure-hearted high school girl!"

Kaname hastily grabs Johnny's hand, forcefully pressing her own against his. "The two of us just started holding hands this week!" She lifts his hand with hers as if to demonstrate the purity of their love to the most impure of hearts.


There's a pregnant pause, followed by a pregnant silence. The yakuza goons stare with mouths open, one of them actually /blushing/. The top yakuza's smug expression is wiped off, one of his eyes developing a twitch at this display of... affection.

And meanwhile JOHNNY - has no freakin' clue what's going on. Pulled into Kaname's grasp (well, part of him, anyway), Domino can't help but feel oddly uncomfortable. This has gone from a covert inspection of his mom's new cafe into something a little too touchy-feely for Johnny's liking.

AND PEOPLE THOUGHT KANAME WAS THE PRUDISH ONE.

"uuuh," Johnny utters in a low voice, throwing Kaname a sidelong glance. He's about to ask Kaname just what the hell she thinks she's doing with his hand, but then one of the yakuza goons stands up. It's the blushing one!

He's a short, portly man with a very out-of-place mohawk and an even more out-of-place pair of shades. He steps up to Domino and Kaname, clasps his hands to his chest, his shades hiding misty eyes. And the he says in the most painful broken Engrish ever: "I want to happy your mood!! It's very wonderful. Seeing you to the public is light-hearted. I want you to have love by all means without fear!!"

Well, crap. Apparently one of the yakuza really DID speak English. And at this point Johnny's brain is utterly broken, both from the atrocious english and the apparent concept the goon was trying to convey.


Without warning, the door is kicked open by four teenagers dressed in black school uniforms. Their leader looks around with cold eyes, chewing on a piece of grass. He straightens his sideburns as he moves toward the head counter, looking around. "Yeah...We got business here." Their leader, Koji Kabuto, renowed gang leader of Atami High School is looking particularly fierce today. "We need...You guys to stamp this card so we can get this 'Moe-chan' statue for my friend here. You see it's kinda special edition and you guys fit the context clues they have for the scavenger hunt...Lots of Yakuza out front, the catchy address you can sing." What kind of scavenger hunt involves yakuza?!

One of the Yakuza looks angrily at Koji, storming over to him. "EH?! YOU GUYS HERE FOR THAT BULLSHIT?!" He draws his gun and puts it in Koji's face.

Koji looks at him. "Yeah."

"Oh. You should've said something then." The trigger is pulled, producing a foam stamp from the barrel. He stamps Koji's card, leaving a smiling loli as the marker that Koji completed the requirement. The yakuza gets a look from the others. "WHAT?! I gotta have a day job! My little girl is going to college next year. Promotions like these pay the bills!"

"Hey, It's Kaname and ...some guy! Must be her boyfriend! GOOD JOB Kaname!!" Koji gives the thumbs up. "I'm the guy who advised her to follow her heart!"


Kaname let out a sigh of relief at the yakuza's Engrish. It seemed that they hadn't just bought her 'innocent high school girl' routine, but they had also been moved by it.

But--

"All right," she says, resting her free hand on her hip. "Now that you've--"

--her relief is short-lived.

"We need...You guys to stamp this card so we can get this 'Moe-chan' statue for my friend here."
"K-Koji?!"

This was exactly what she didn't need. She wants to wave her hands in protest, and assure him that Johnny Domino is definitely not the guy that she likes--and in fact, she starts to, until she gets a glimpse of the one yakuza still staring them down menacingly.

Apparently, not all of the yakuza had quite bought their moving moment of love.

"Why, thank you, Koji," she says through gritted teeth.


Johnny Domino's brain is still broken. He tries to piece his cranial think-bot back together, but unfortunately Koji Kabuto bursts in at that moment and kicks the gooey brain shards all over the place.

"ah-", Johnny tries saying, the words refusing to come out of his throat. The young man can only flail mentally with mouth working silently.

"ah-", he looks at the yakuza who seem to have the wrong idea. "ah-", he looks at Koji who ABSOLUTELY has the wrong idea. "ah-", he looks at Kaname who-!

Johnny Domino gives up and closes his mouth. When the hell did Kaname decide they were a couple? This is seriously screwed up. Is it because he went to her apartment to study instead of doing it at school? He heard stories about crazy Japanese girls - set a foot in their home and they get it in their heads it's true love.

And she seemed so normal before!! Gaaah, Domino should've known someone who wields a paper fan with such deadly skill is anything but normal!

AND GEEZ, Kaname even knew he liked another girl! WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!

And in all this inner turmoil, a tiny voice nudges Johnny and whispers, 'Kaname sure has a nice shampoo-smell, though'.

Nevertheless, Domino takes a deep breath. "Look," he starts, gaining control of his vocal cords. "I think you got the wrong idea..." Poor Johnny. He thinks he's going to make the situation better like this.


Kaname glowers at Johnny, a menacing aura radiating in the space behind her. She didn't like this any more than he did, but she wanted to keep her job, and the only way she was going to keep it was by maintaining civil relations with the customers. And that included perverts and weirdos like these guys!

Communicating with Johnny via English to let him know the situation was completely impossible, too, now that they knew that one of the Yakuza knew at least /some/ English... even if it wasn't very good.

But before anything else can be said to remedy Johnny's words, the Yakuza good who had spent the past minute and thirty-three seconds glaring daggers at him steps forward, his gaze even more menacing than it was a moment before.

"H-hey, what's that look for? We're a perfectly normal couple here!"

"I don't think your boyfriend here feels the same way." He presses a strong hand on her shoulder, then with his free hand, jabs a calloused thumb in Johnny's direction.

Kaname casts a worried glance in Johnny's direction, then swallows. "Well, you're wrong!" she says, forcefully.


And there they go again, Kaname and the yakuza exchanging words in Japanese. Although to be honest, even if they were to simply repeat the word 'tamago' over and over, Domino's state would have prevented him from picking up on it regardless. His mind is too far gone at this point.

The murderous aura about Kaname is very palpable. Is this going to be /that/ kind of a relationship? Gulp.

And then the the top yakuza's glare and aggressive tone are also noted. And also the yakuza's breath, ew. "Maybe I should just let you two talk this out," he says weakly, stepping back from the yakuza's jabbed thumb.

But the yakuza will have none of that.

Still gripping Kaname by the shoulder with one hand, the punk whips his free arm and grasps Johnny's own shoulder, pulling him back at Kaname. Then to Kaname, he says: "You dame thinks I'm wrong... but I think I'm /right/. And I'ma gonna bet my brand new SOROKa COROLA MOTORCYCLE MK.II!.. that you ain't no couple."

The yakuza goons gasp. Not the Soroka Corola!!

The top yakuza leers: "Kiss him. Or would you rather kiss me, mmmmmmm?"


Koji watches the scene closely. Wait a minute! Johnny wasn't into Kaname?! That wasn't cool! He had to do something for love! "Come on guys. It's time to use music class to our advantage. Koji's friends start grabbing random items and get ready to make Kaname's life right again. "Ok! Percussion. Check" He looks at the bigger kid with a pot. "...Strings. Check!" He gives a thumbs up to kid who brought his guitar." "Winds..." Koji nods at the kid with the bottle. "Alright! Now...WORDS!"

Koji uses his best voice as he moves behind Johnny. "There you see her....Sitting there across the way...." Koji gestures to Kaname, snapping his fingers so the other keep up the beat. "She dont got a lot to say. But theres something about her. And you dont know why..But youre dying to try.." He gestures to the other Yakuza to join in as this needs more voice to work. "You wanna kiss the girl..."


Urk. An expression of nervousness draws itself across Kaname Chidori's face. She wasn't about to give her precious first kiss to just /anybody/, especially not Johnny Domino!

She swallows hard, beads of sweat quickly forming on the side of her face. How is she going to get out of this now?!

Why /her/?!

Her mind scrambles frantically for some sort of solution that won't involve her getting fired or a full-fledged Yakuza fight.

And then she has it; it suddenly pops into her head, the solution that she's been waiting for--!!

She opens her mouth planning to say the words that would completely resolve all of this peacefully, and then--

"OK, Percussion check!"

"Huh?!" Kaname spins around just in time to see Koji move behind Johnny; he continues his various /checks/ and then, he begins to sing.

"There you see her... Sitting there across the way...." Kaname lowers her head, her eyes obscured by her bangs.

"She dont got a lot to say. But theres something about her. And you dont know why..But youre dying to try.." She raises a fist, clenching it tightly.

Then the chorus begins: "You wanna kiss the girl..."

"THAT'S IT!" she screams. "I'VE HAD /ENOUGH/! I DON'T LIKE /HIM/!!" she says, gesturing violently in Johnny's direction. "I'VE NEVER LIKED /HIM/!!"

A menacing finger is jerked in the direction of the conglomerate of Yakuza. "And you! What sort of creeps come in to a to pick up girls?! DON'T YOU GUYS HAVE SOMETHING BETTER TO DO ON A SUNDAY?! EAT YOUR PARFAITS AND /GO HOME/!"


Johnny Domino... is not having a good day. It is now official. One would think ignorance is bliss, and not understanding what the yakuza punk is saying would keep Johnny from totally losing it. But unfortunately, Domino knows enough at this point to allow his imagination to go wild and then crash into a wall.

And then Koji happens. AGAIN.

What? Kiss the girl? What?! Who on earth said Johnny wanted to give /his/ first kiss to Kaname?! That does it. Johnny's brain is outta here.

And thus Domino reaches zen. The point beyond suffering, beyond brokeness, beyond mental instability. Johnny Domino... is serene. He stands there, quietly, watching Kaname explode. It's a good thing he doesn't understand what she's screaming, otherwise he might have found her overzealous declarations of un-like towards him hurtful.

Instead, he merely blinks.

The top yakuza, for his part, is taken aback. Very much so. Jesus christ, this waitress has a bark! On the one hand, thinks the top yakuza, Kaname just confessed Domino wasn't her boyfriend. On the other hand, she looks like she could murder him with a spoon.

"..keh!!", the top yakuza says, sitting down. "You're lucky I like blondes." A lame excuse, but it'll do. His goons also sit down. The short and portly one who congratulated Kaname and Domino is now appearing utterly devastated, tears running down his face.

And then... the entire cafe bursts into applause! What, you thought this scene didn't catch the attention of every other customer in sight? Of course it did! And they're all murmuring about what a wonderful meal and a show this cafe offers.

Domino looks around. His shanti mind makes note to inform his mother this cafe is a big success.


The Musical comes to a abrupt halt as Kaname begins to yell. The entire gang just stares at Kaname with Koji trying to come up with something to say. "Man. I guess we messed up the song pretty bad. We shoulda called Boss. That man has a mean tenor in situations like this." Koji breaks up the band, not particularly freaked out by Kaname's look. He's seen it many times before.


That's it, it's all over. She might as well turn in her uniform now, because there's no way that she's going to survive this and--

Kaname finds her thoughts are interrupted by a thunderous applause.

"Huh?!"


Kaname sets a parfait in front of Johnny Domino, and then slides into the chair opposite him, her own parfait in hand.

"About earlier..." she begins, "I'm sorry. I actually just started this job last week, and I couldn't afford to lose it already. Those guys are extreme weirdos!"


Now seated at a table with Kaname, Domino is... still not entirely back in the present. Mental disconnection is really a wonderful thing. He's better than before, though!

"Ah," Johnny provides most helpfully at Chidori's explanation. He looks down at his parfait and pokes it. Might as well taste what the food here is like. Mother will want a report on that as well.

Om nom nom parfait. Domino digs into the dish, testing the texture, taste and temperature. His conclusions are: slick, sweet and cold. YUM!

But there's still something that bugs Johnny about the previous scene. Not knowing all the details, his addled mind can reach only one conclusion. "So, lemme get this straight," Johnny says. "You... faked being the girlfriend of the owner's son," does Johnny mean himself?! "So you wouldn't lose your job?"


Outside the store, three little girls peer in through the window, one dark skinned, one Japanese, and one blond, possibly french from her complextion. The look on at the Yakuza thugs.

"Those guys were bothering Miss Kaname."
"She's Meiya-sama's friend."
"We should do something about them."

They look on through the window, determined gleams in their eyes.

+_+ +_+ +_+


One of the yakuza goons fidgets in his seat. "Ever get the feeling that you are being... watched?"



If there's anything that the Barcode Cafe is known for, it's its desserts; parfaits, tiny cakes, sundaes, they're all the resident chef's speciality. Today's selection is no different; after all that yelling and screaming, it's nice to enjoy something nice and cool.

"W-what?!" It takes a moment for the realization to dawn on her: "/You're/ the owner's son?!"

Kaname groans, letting her face fall into an open palm. If she had known /that/, this entire crisis could have been averted!


Johnny keeps stuffing his face, watching as Kaname seems to lose it a second time. "Mmmmhm," Domino affirms over a mouthful of snobby ice cream.

"Soooo, I guess you didn't know?" Johnny accepts Kaname's act at face value. "Well. Gee. What gives, then? Getting all touchy-feely like that," yes, he calls 'holding hands' being touchy-feely. "And yelling at those guys, uh, over your job? I don't get it."

Man, this parfait is delicious.


The three girls sink down below the level of the window and whisper amongst themselves, secure in the knowledge now one can see them - except for the top of their hair.

"Okay, ready? Break!"

The girls split up, two of them go around back and use ninja ropes to climb up to the roof. The third one, the blond, just walks in the front door and takes a seat near the Yakuza with her back to them as she flips through the menu.


The top yakuza's Yakuza Sense tingles. He stops eating and slooooowly turns around, eyeing the girl who just took a seat nearby. He suuuure likes blondes.

"Heh heh heh," he chuckles. Kaname may have eluded him, but that only made him all the more determined to win the next chase. And as luck would have it...

"Hey der, dame," the yakuza says, having gotten up and manuevered himself over to the blonde. He looms over her most manly.


"No," she says, letting out a weak laugh. "It's not like that at all. Those guys over there were giving me a hard time. I just thought if I claimed you were my boyfriend, they'd back off peacefully." A beat. "I guess I thought wrong..."

Normally, Kaname too would consider hand-holding touchy-feely, but it was different between friends. She had held Kyoko's hand before, and while holding Johnny's hand was admittedly a /little/ bit weird, it didn't bother her as much as the thought of holding Sousuke's.

Why was that?

"Noriko and you," she says, suddenly averting her gaze, a blush drawing itself across her face. "Haven't the two of /you/ held hands?"


This just goes to prove that this Yakuza is kinda sick, Tatsumi is like 13 at most.

But the girl's eyes gleam behind the menu, how much easier could this get? Fufufu. She turns around to face him with a big cheerful smile, "Oh hiii!" she waves up at the big Yakuza man.

Up on the roof...

The air conditioning ducts rattle as two ninja maid trainees lose their footing and fall down the vent.

BangbangbangLCUNK...

The unit must need servicing.


Johnny winces. Might be brainfreeze from eating too fast. Might be because Kaname mentioned Noriko.

"No," Domino responds. "At least, um," he screws up his face in thought. There was one instance, Johnny thinks, when they linked arms as part of a cheap disguise to avoid moon authorities. But that wasn't actually holding hands. And it was before Johnny even knew who Noriko was.

"No," the young man finally repeats, more conclusively. "We haven't." And just to make sure Kaname doesn't jump to any conclusions: "She lives in space. I almost never see her. I don't think she knows I..." Domino pauses. He doesn't exactly know how to say this. Bugger.

MEANWHILE AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CAFE, the yakuza goons nudge one another and point at where their leader is. They're ready to jump in and offer support whenever needed!

The top yakuza smirks. "You sure gots a cute face," he says. "How bout I give ya an escort and keep you safe from perverts, mmmmmm?"


It's the same for Kaname and her sister, Ayame; the two of them rarely got to see each other. Between the difference in US Schools and Japanese School breaks and their father's work schedule, the two had to rely mostly on written e-mail correspondence or phone calls to keep in touch.

"Why don't you call her, then?" she asks, leaning over the table. "Just because you guys aren't physically close doesn't mean that you two can't be emotionally!"

A clank overhead from the air conditioner vent sends Kaname's gaze towards the ceiling. "Did you guys get that checked out before you bought the place?"


"Ah!" Tasumi blushes and puts her hands to her cheeks, getting big doe eyes "Really?" the blur filter and sparkly lights are added in post-production for full effect. "You'd do that...for me?"

But Tatsumi looks away, hands still on her cheeks "But I couldn't go with more then one man. I'd be too...emberassed."

Meanwhile, over head. Four eyes peer through a ventilation grill. "She is really pouring it on..."

"Shh!"


"I dunno," Johnny says, replying to Kaname's question about calling.

Then he looks up at the ducts. "Um... I dunno!"

Kaname's questions are getting just a tinsy bit annoying for Johnny. He honestly doesn't really know what to do about Noriko. And the extended time apart makes it hard to keep the emotions cultivated. At this rate he'll only feel a shadow of a crush focused on the image of Noriko in his mind than the actual deal.

So clearly the only course of action is to TURN THIS ON KANAME. "So, what, do you have someone YOU call?"

MEANWHILE IN A TABLE FAR FAR AWAY, the top yakuza nearly spazzes. Face going red, steam shooting out of his nose, the man can't believe his luck. Tasumi works her wily 13-year old charms on him, then tops it off by saying she'd only go with one man?! Hot dang, paint him pink and slap him silly!

"Well, no problem! I'll just tell my friends to stay here," top yakuza throws his three goons a glare that clearly says 'back off'. Then back to the blonde: "And we can go anywhere you like, mmmmmmhmhmhmheheheh."

And then one of the goons fidgets again, feeling the eyes of the ninjas in the vents prickling the back of his neck. "Yo, dudes, I'm tellings ya, there's someone watching us!"



"W-well," Kaname stammers. "Occasionally. It's not something I do all the time. Most of the time it's just to remind him to do his homework or to show up for class." Kaname frowns.

"So!" On the topic of homework...! "How did you do on the math test the other day?"


"Oh wow! Thank you!" Tatsumi jumps up and takes the Yakuza leader by the arm. "I need to get back to my place~ It's not far!" Oh god she is going to scrub herself in the bath until she removes three layers of skin, ew, ew, ew!

Meanwhile as the other Yakuza thugs focus on their aniki and his conquest, drop of liquid fall onto a parifait from above.

Ebisu leans back, grininnig wickedly as she holds an eyedrop and a bottle.

Extra strength Liquid Laxative.

Do not take without diluting in water.

She didn't dilute it.


Remind him to do his homework and show up to class? In any other universe, that may have very well been Johnny Domino! The description fits well enough.

And then Kaname somehow manages to turn this right back on Domino. CRAFTY! "..the test? Errrrm." Johnny squirms.

Right about now, Johnny and Kaname's math teacher begins grading Domino's math test. Sweating and shaking, fearing for the horrors that await him (grading a student of Jindai less than 65? OUTRAGEOUS!), the teacher checks the first problem... and discovers his fears are proven correct. The first question is wrong in almost every conceivable way.

"NOOOOO," the teacher yells to the heavens, arms spread wide, and then bashes his face into his desk. Will the rest of the test be just as awful?!

Back at the cafe, Domino continues squirming. "I, uh... did it, if that's what you're asking."

MEANWHILE THE THIRD SUBPLOT UNRAVELS! The top yakuza is in paradise. The girl is clinging to him. And leading him back to her place! He throws one final look at his goons and gives them a thumb up. Life is wonderful.

Mister Top Yakuza leaves. His three goons deflate. "Man, he always gets all the women," mutters one. "Yeah, all the men, too," says a second. "Yeah-- wait, what?", inquires a third. There's an awkward pause. Then all three go back to their food. This is gonna be nasty.


"You did it? That's not what I meant! Did you think you did well?"

Math and sciences came easily to Kaname; it was probably due to her own Whispered abilities. Even theories and calculations that required a lengthy explanation came to her naturally. Kyoko was always bugging her for her secret, but there really wasn't one to give.

"You know," she laughs, "After today, maybe I should start tutoring you in Japanese, too. "


Ebisu's work is done, all she has to do is sit back and watch gleefully for the inevitable. It's up to poor Tomoe to watch the men's bathroom.

Tatsumi however seems to gleefully guide the Yakuza man out on to the street. "You're so brave to take me home."

"Through Shinjuku."


Tutoring Johnny in Japanese? Kaname finds this amusing, but Johnny does not. He looks at the girl with a dry expression, then says, "Nnnnno."

Hm. That may have been overly harsh. Johnny mentally smacks himself and appends, "I'm leaving today. Don't expect to be back for a while. I guess this is goodbye, really."

Poor Johnny has no clue how wrong he is. The math teacher keeps grading Domino's test, eyes growing wider and wider with each passing question. The first exercise may have been a disaster, but everything else... is almost perfect. Johnny Domino, whose grades up until now were making a mockery of the proud reputation of Jindai, has passed the test with a grade of 92. HOLY SHMAZOOL!!

What follows is an urgent staff meeting being called, the teachers putting their heads together to figure out how Domino managed to get such a grade. Did he use a cheat sheet? Did he let someone else take his test? What made this test any different from the rest?!

The answer soon becomes clear: Domino's tutoring session with Kaname prior to the exam. Realizing this, the Jindai staff makes a solemn vow. For the sake of keeping their graduates' scores stellar and protecting the school reputation, in order to keep Johnny up to Jindai standards, KANAME AND JOHNNY MUST NEVER SEPARATE!

...meanwhile...

The yakuza goons keep eating. "So," the short and portly one speaks up. "We share the bill?" --not one moment after the question gets asked, and one of the yakuzas suddenly launches to his feet, moaning and clutching his ass. He flees in the direction of the bathroom. "OY," calls short and portly. "No skipping out! Hmph." He turns to the second goon. "Guess we'll have to share--"

The second goon leaps up, howling and running away as well. Short and portly remains alone. "...YOU JERKS!" He sniffles, sad and alone. Pulling out his wallet, he begins counting the money-- and a moment later flees the scene, leaving a thick wad of cash discarded on the table. Kaname is gonna get a very big tip.



"You're leaving?" Her voice is uncharacteristically quiet. Is that a tinge of disappointment in Kaname's voice? Or is it worry?

Maybe it's strange to feel this way about a student that she really talked to for the first time just this week. But somehow, when it came to the pilots she knew, she couldn't help but dote over them more than the 'normal' students she was friends with.

Though with her ability, Kaname herself couldn't be considered 'normal' by traditional standards, she still had the chance to live a normal life. Tessa, Macua, Meiya, Johnny, Sousuke... all of them had a reason to fight, and it was that reason that kept them from living the sort of normal life that Kaname took advantage of.

For most of them, Jindai High was their only connection to a normal life.

"Don't you want to graduate with everyone else?"



"Not really," Johnny admits.

"Oh, I'll probably graduate at some point. The military insists, you know?" Not that it makes much sense to Domino. He's surrounded by pilots between 10 and 17. If /they/ don't have a diploma of any kind, why does Johnny need one?

Maybe when the military DOES finally get someone old enough to have a diploma, it makes sure they damn well HAVE one, to make up for all those teens and preteens who are still stuck in school. Ugh, what a mess.

"But whatever." Domino pushes the empty glass away, the parfait now stored someplace safe and warm. "I'd better get going. I'll be sure to tell my mom the parfaits here are great. And that the waitresses are," Domino gives Kaname a teasing look. "Unique. And that your uniform is..."

...

"...hm. Well, maybe I'll just let her see for herself." Japan is freaky.


How can he say something like that? Was his education really not that important to him? Was he just doing this to appease his superiors?

"Is that all you've got to say? That you're just going to graduate because you /have/ to?"

Kaname slams two open palms on the table; a few nearby patrons look up, anticipating another show. "Why don't you do something for /yourself/ for a change? Why do you always have to just /follow orders/?"

She swings an arm out in front of her."If that's the way you want to be, then just go! See if I care!"


Poor, poor Tomoe, she cringes in the air ducts over the men's bathroom. She - she can HEAR it, and smell it. that awfull effect of the exrta strength liquid laxatives as it causes horrible pain and suffering in those Yakuza.

Meanwhile, Tatsumi, apon entering Shinjuku with the Yakuza leader, holds up a hankerchief. "Hey, can you tell me what you think of this new perfume? You look like a guy that knows what he likes from women~" upon smelling the handerchief though, he would discover something.

Chloroform isn't really perfume.


Whatthecrap--

Domino leans back in his seat in surprise. Kaname's outburst, like so many other Kaname outbursts, is quite intimidating. However, unlike previous Kaname outbursts, this one hit Johnny in a tender spot.

"..you," Domino begins, eyes narrowing. He doesn't finish right away. Instead, he slowly rises to his feet, matching Kaname's glare.

"Do you know what I want?" Johnny doesn't raise his voice. He doesn't lose his head as he speaks. But his tone is nonetheless harsh. "I want to live a normal life. I want to run away, leave everything behind. Crawl into some hole and forget the past year ever happened!" The last part is spat out with a certain level of contempt. What this contempt is directed at, however, is not immediately clear.

"But I can't. I /mustn't/. Following orders is all I have right now!" Even as the words are leaving his mouth, Johnny can't believe he's saying them. In the past, Domino did everything to cause trouble, try and break rules and laws, annoying superior officers and acting like the selfish jerk that he is. But he can't do that anymore. He's seen too much, been through so many things.

"Don't worry. If it's up to me, I won't intrude on your happy normal life anymore."

Domino turns around and begins marching for the exit.

Somewhere, somehow, a yakuza leader falls asleep.


A whirlwind of emotions suddenly overcome Kaname: fury, sadness, frustration, shock, surprise--all of these feelings rise to the surface simutaneously. Kaname was so accustomed to Sousuke's unemotional responses to her outbursts that she never once anticipated how Johnny would react to her own.

Kaname rises to her feet, her leg knocking against the table as she slips out of the booth. Her parfait, hardly touched in the midst of their conversation, wobbles precariously at this sudden movement. She makes no effort to stop it from crashing to the floor, instead marching after the ponytailed boy. She catches Johnny's wrist before he hits the door.

Her hand still around his wrist, Kaname maneuvers herself in front in front of him. In one quick jerk, she raises an arm, then with one swift movement, smacks her hand against his face with a loud crack.

"Do you really think that'd make me happy?!" She angry, furious even, but even as as she shouts, her eyes tingle with a familiar sting.

She pushes it back.

"Every time I say something that makes sense, you make excuses! Do you really think that your parents /need/ you to pilot? They've got this restaurant, for crying out loud! Even if they /did/ need the money, do you think they'd still choose that over /your/ happiness?"


A sudden flame erupts inside Johnny at Kaname's words and, more importantly, actions. Stopping him -- slapping him! An intense rage shoots to the surface, having gathered while Domino made his speech earlier, but contained.

Now it is unleashed. Expression furious, Domino slaps Kaname in return. Customers and waiters alike gasp.

One deep breath, two deep breaths, and the shaking Johnny feels exhaustion overcoming him. He probably should not have done that. "Don't patronize me," Johnny says. "What makes sense to you in your normal little world..." ...doesn't make sense in the military, Domino wants to say. He doesn't, however. The military has changed him, somehow. He hates it.

The on-duty manager is already rushing to the scene, planning to demand (politely) that Johnny leave. Domino makes to push past Kaname and take his leave.


Kaname lifts a hand to her face, where he struck her; for a split second, she is stunned. She hadn't expected this from him--not the easygoing kid who tried to make excuses to get out of doing his math homework!

Anger burbles beneath her chest; her fists clenched even tighter than they were earlier today, when she was dealing with those Yakuza. "Who's patronizing who?! You think you're the only one with problems, don't you?! You think that just because I have a normal life, I have it so much easier than you?! Well, it isn't easy!"

There's so much that she wants to say, angry words that she bites back. He doesn't have to worry about being abducted by terrorists or experimented on; he's capable of protecting himself! He chose to become a pilot; she never even had a choice!

And yet he can act like his life is so much more difficult than his?! He doesn't have a /clue/!


Johnny doesn't reply. He simply walks out, pushing past Kaname and leaving her to stew in her rage.

Johnny doesn't know a thing about Kaname's life. But neither does show know much at all about his. And right now, Johnny wouldn't mind keeping it this way. Whatever shortlived contact Domino had with this girl, he plans to sever.

Unfortunately, it would appear fate has already decided the two shall meet again, sooner than either expected.