ã€ŠPhoenix Odysseyã€‹


 1. The Voodoo That You Do So Well

    ¡°Happy birthday, Yui!¡± Mei threw her arms around her big sister from behind, nearly knocking the tin cocktail shaker out of her grasp.

    Yui rolled her eyes, turning to her sister. It was hard to even speak to her seriously, considering the blue-haired fireball was dressed as a pink bunny. ¡°You¡¯ve already said that about a hundred times. What¡¯s happy about it? I feel ridiculous! Are you gonna go sell some cocktails or what?¡±

    ¡°Oh, lighten up, little sister!¡± Ayako gave Yui a gentle punch in the shoulder from behind, even as she bounced a bottle of tequila to cut off the flow from the pour spout. ¡°You just need to lean into it. Besides, you¡¯re so cute!¡±

    Yui whirled, groaning with fire in her eyes as her skirt caught on the corner of her stainless steel well again. ¡°Aya, I swear to all the gods, if you weren¡¯t pregnant, I¡¯d¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d what?¡± Ayako smirked, waving her purple finger at her sister. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not our fault you made that dumb bet with Sakura. We¡¯re just trying to have fun with you, Yui. Relax!¡± She wore an all-black dress with a yellow seashell hung from her neck, and all of her exposed skin had been air-brushed violet. She found it somewhat ironic, portraying the villain from a Disney movie when not four months ago, her youngest sister had embodied its heroine, a little mermaid named Ariel. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not every day a girl turns thirty. It¡¯s our sacred obligation as your sisters to give you as much shit as humanly possible.¡±

    ¡°I agree, Yui. You should be nicer.¡± A tall, lanky, raven-haired woman approached the bar, clad in a men¡¯s tuxedo with a long white scarf draped over her shoulders. Most of her hair was hidden in the black top hat she wore, and she looked every bit the part of some wealthy lordling as she cradled a black walking stick with a silver head over her right shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Yui glowered up at her girlfriend, both for the predicament she now found herself in, and the expected response to it. She set her shaker down, reaching for the hem of the black maid uniform she wore, and dropping into a reluctant curtsey. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°See? Isn¡¯t that better?¡± Sakura leaned over the bar, pulling Yui down into a kiss. ¡°I know you hate it babe, but I promise, I¡¯ll make it worth it when I get you home.¡±

    Yui snatched her shaker back from the bar counter with a violence that almost swatted it to the floor. ¡°You¡¯d friggin¡¯ better, after making me put up with this shit all night long.¡± Her head was cowed in humiliation, but she raised it with a deep blush as the head of Sakura¡¯s cane lifted up under her chin.

    ¡°Sir.¡± Sakura giggled brightly.

    Yui rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh. ¡°Oh, fuck y¡­¡±

    As she spoke, every light in the Phoenix, save the green emergency exit signs, switched off with a loud clack, leaving the room in total darkness. A murmur began to rise from the assembled patrons as they sought their partners - or their drinks - in the pitch-black bar, and wondered what was about to happen.

    After nearly ten seconds of disorientation had gone by for the three hundred and change revelers, the speakers shook with a deafening crack of thunder, and small white lights rigged throughout the ceiling of the bar flickered with flashes intended to simulate lightning. The rumble of anticipation grew even as the light blinked out and left the room in darkness again, and a few seconds later, another crash of thunder accompanied a flicker of the ceiling lights, this time with an additional sound: a deep, deafening rumble of a cackle that sounded as if it had echoed straight out of a crack in the ceiling of hell.

    The laughter of a demon.

    A single, narrow spotlight projected a focused beam of red light at the left side of the stage, revealing Hitomi Uyeno in a red sequined microdress. She wore a red headband with little devil horns, and a red felt tail swished from her backside as she rocked her hips, posing in the spotlight. Against the silence of the instruments and the shadows of the unlit dance floor, she began to sing.

    ¡°Whoa-oh-oh, uh-oh! Look out! Look out!¡±

    The crowd roared to life in recognition.

    A second red spotlight pierced the darkness to the right side of the stage, bringing Emi Kimoto into focus. She wore an identical devil dress and headband, and she rocked her body to face the middle of the stage as Hitomi had done.

    ¡°Whoa-oh-oh, uh-oh! She¡¯s gonna make you shout!¡±

    Hitomi stalked a few steps toward center stage in her nine-centimeter red heeled boots. The spotlight followed her as she did, leaving the center third of the stage still unlit. The red light glinted off of Ken¡¯s cymbals behind her as she sang.

    ¡°Whoa-oh-oh, uh-oh! Beware the flow!¡±

    Emi mirrored her roommate¡¯s movements, creeping to her right toward center stage. She gave the crowd a teasing wink, knowing as well as they did what was concealed in the shadows between the two spotlights. As she sang, more than half of the bar¡¯s patrons joined her in song from the darkness.

    ¡°Whoa-oh-oh, uh-oh! Turn off the radio!¡±

    With another peal of thunder that pegged the speakers at their maximum volume, the house lights came up to a level enabling dancing, but the crowd was more focused on the stage as the lights at the back of the stage flickered ever so briefly, unveiling a silhouette standing in the space between Hitomi and Emi.

    A silhouette with wings.

    As the stage lights came up fully to unveil all seven members of the band that called the Phoenix their home, the crowd went absolutely berzerk. Ranko strode forward between her backup dancers, wearing a pair of skin-tight red leather pants, red platform heels, and a black form-fitting shirt under a matching red leather jacket. Twin braided pigtails dangled behind her shoulders, and a prominent pair of curled horns jutted from the headband that supported her headset microphone. A massive pair of red vinyl wings strapped to her back towered nearly forty centimeters above her head and stretched almost all the way down to her knees. They had been accentuated with rubbery veins of some sort, and made to look like leather. Like the wings of a dragon. Or, in this case, a demon.

    The stage was decorated like a graveyard, with several foam tombstones lining the front of the stage. A large black cauldron glowed from within with a green, smoking miasma, and fake cobwebs were splayed over nearly every available surface that was visible from the audience¡¯s perspective.

    All four of the instruments behind her came to life - Crash¡¯s electric guitar, Shinji¡¯s bass, Ken¡¯s drums and Jacob¡¯s synthesizer - in an undulating rhythm that was familiar to most of the audience. That left only one instrument to add to Ranko¡¯s song - her own.

    ¡°It¡¯s the legendary lyricist, the Phoenix rose, here to shake your body from your hair down to your toes! It starts in your ears and flows down your spine, works its way into your hips until it makes you mine!¡±

    As she began what could only be described as a rap, Emi and Hitomi had both backed away from her, cowering and holding up their hands defensively in mock fear. Ranko turned to Emi, rotating her wrist slowly even as her tongue flashed through the lyrics at over a hundred and sixty beats per minute, and curled her index finger at eye level in the classic come here gesture. Emi straightened and began walking in a robotic shamble toward her, as if all control of her limbs had been lost.

    ¡°Oozes down into your heart and it infects your soul until your whole, entire body starts to lose control! ¡®Cause the second you start hearing my hypnotic groove¡­¡±

    Ranko turned to her right, making the same gesture in Hitomi¡¯s direction and summoning her to join her at center stage. Hitomi responded, a zombie-like stride bringing her just outside the radius of Ranko¡¯s wings.

    ¡°... you forget how to think, and you can only MOVE!¡±

    At the word move, all three girls hopped from their toes, and their feet returned to the stage in perfect synchronization. In unison, the girls planted their feet, leaning to their left as they popped their hips right, and extending their right arms out with open fingers.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be shy! Everyone knows you can¡¯t help but lose it when your system¡¯s overridden by the sound of music! It¡¯s not your fault; nobody can maintain their focus when they¡¯re sucked into the Dragon-style hocus-pocus!¡±

    All three girls turned to their right, shimmying their hips as they bent their knees and lowered themselves toward the stage in the next step of what had become, quite to Ranko¡¯s surprise, the official dance of Demon in Your Radio. Most of the people on the dance floor between the few booths did the same.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know why you¡¯re surprised that you¡¯re completely transfixed and absolutely mesmerized by the track that we mixed! I mean¡­¡±

    A single red spotlight beamed directly at Ranko. ¡°... with Ranko on the mic¡­¡±

    The light darted to Ranko¡¯s right, just behind Hitomi, at a blonde man in a black leather jacket with a red electric guitar strapped over his shoulder. ¡°Crash strummin¡¯...¡±

    Just as quickly, the light zoomed to the back center of the stage, glaring off of both the twin brass cymbals mounted atop the drum set and the glasses of the young man who manned it.

    ¡°... Ken drummin¡¯...¡±

    The spotlight panned right, highlighting a tall man with a bright green mohawk, jamming and swaying with the beat of his own synthesizer. As it did, the second spotlight snapped to life, focusing on another leather-jacketed man with a white bass guitar slung over his chest.

    ¡°... Shin and Jacob droppin¡¯ bombs back there? You should¡¯a seen it coming!¡±

    Emi snapped her head to the right, but her eyes stayed looking forward at the crowd as she sang, as if she was trying her best to issue a warning despite being entirely enthralled herself.

    ¡°Whoa-oh-oh, uh-oh! Beware the flow!¡±

    Hitomi whipped to face center stage, her ponytail swishing over her right shoulder as she did. Her deeper voice complemented the higher-pitched tune Emi had contributed.

    ¡°Whoa-oh-oh, uh-oh! Turn off the radio!¡±

    All three girls turned forward to the crowd and sang the chorus as one as they moved in flawless unison to the right side of the stage, their bodies never ceasing the movements that were echoed by the majority of the revelers in the packed bar.

    ¡°You can¡¯t help but dance! There¡¯s no time to rest! There¡¯s a siren on the mic that¡¯s making you possessed! There¡¯s nowhere to hide! Nowhere to go! No escapin¡¯ from the¡­¡±

    It was the booming bass voice of Shinji Yokota alone, in an ominous tone that rattled the speakers, that descended the scale nearly a full octave in the course of uttering the song¡¯s title.

    ¡°... demon in your ra-a-di-o!¡±

    While Hitomi and Emi continued to cycle through the steps of the dance they had popularized and the band extended the musical bridge to create a pause in the lyrics, Ranko strode to the middle of the stage. She waved to the crowd enthusiastically with a bright smile as she addressed her fans directly. ¡°What¡¯s up, Firebirds?! Happy Halloween!¡±

    She shouted over their cheers to continue. ¡°Are we ready to party, Phoenix?!¡±

    The dominant reply was not the wordless cheer she expected, but a two-word response that another verse of her song would soon prompt. ¡°Yes, mistress!¡± Among the hundreds of voices joining in that assertion was a raven-haired woman just four months Ranko¡¯s senior, who turned toward the stage from the booth to which she had just delivered a shrimp pizza and a pair of sodas. Akane Tendo gazed lovingly at the leather-clad vision that stalked the length of her kingdom on eight-centimeter heels, watching her stop not a meter from the spot where, four months ago, she had become Akane¡¯s wife. Akane spun on the pink glittery wheels of her white roller skates, leaning forward with her left leg to begin her movement back toward the bar. They were quite a pain to work tables in, especially in such a dynamic crowd, but they really completed the adorable pink-and-white carhop ensemble Izumi had made for her.

    Ranko laughed at the crowd¡¯s response, shaking her head emphatically. ¡°No, you¡¯re not. Not for this party! Not even close! You know why?¡±

    The question was rhetorical, but Ranko answered it anyway, in time with the beat her four dearest friends were laying down just behind her.

    ¡°There¡¯s another verse coming, so I¡¯m back from hell to put your shakin¡¯ butt right back under my spell! There¡¯s a slither in my rhythm, shipped in straight from Hades, heatin¡¯ all the boys up¡­¡±

    With a sly smirk, Ranko lowered her voice to a whisper into her microphone, holding one of her hands upright to the side of her face, her palm facing away from her mouth as if trying to shield the sound from eavesdroppers.

    ¡°... and most of the ladies.¡±

    A predominantly feminine roar came from the dancing masses between Akane¡¯s booths and the twin bars at which three of the couple¡¯s combined six sisters frantically poured drinks for the energetic customers.

    ¡°So, don¡¯t call a doctor! Don¡¯t call a priest! You¡¯re a thrall to the rhythm, and can¡¯t be released! All that¡¯s left is to surrender and profess devotion as you¡¯re lyrically commanded to perpetual motion! I¡¯m a psycho on the microphone, vile and evil! With a rhythm this insidious, it¡¯s gotta be illegal!¡± Over dozens of performances, Ranko had perfected the flow of even the song¡¯s fastest lines to ensure that her words bounced in just the right places, musically guiding the bodies of the revelers below to stay with the music as they danced.

    Hana Takahashi, the Phoenix¡¯ matriarch, pushed through the blue saloon doors leading into the main bar from the kitchen with her hip, setting a pair of steaming red plastic baskets of fried food on the service bar for Akane to deliver. She flashed a quick smile up at her youngest daughter commanding the crowd. It would always be Hana¡¯s bar, but Ranko had made it her own in ways that still thrilled the woman who had adopted, in one form or another, each of the six girls that zoomed around the bar making sure their customers had a good time on this Halloween night.

    Ranko raised her right hand, wiggling her fingers as if casting some dark spell, and Emi, Hitomi, and more than half of the dancing patrons below raised their arms above their head and let their hands hang limply at the wrists. All of the dancers took two halting steps forward as a mindless horde of thralls that Ranko¡¯s lyrics had commanded them to become.

    ¡°As long as you can hear me, then you¡¯re mine for the taking! Now, my devilish revelry¡¯s got your skeleton shakin¡¯! Your muscles take over, your mind¡¯s deactivated as this tricksy singin¡¯ pixie makes you totally captivated. Might as well give in and come to grips with your fate: once you heard the bass drop, it was already too late!¡±

    Hitomi and Emi crossed paths on the stage, Hitomi delivering her line first. ¡°Whoa-oh-oh, uh-oh! Beware the flow!¡±

    Emi gave her roommate a high five as they passed each other, as if tagging herself into the vocal role. ¡°Whoa-oh-oh! Uh-oh! Turn off the radio!¡±

    Again, all three girls snapped their heads forward, wiggling in concert as they sang the chorus together. ¡°You can¡¯t help but dance! There¡¯s no time to rest! There¡¯s a siren on the mic that¡¯s makin¡¯ you possessed! There¡¯s nowhere to hide! Nowhere to go!¡±

    Ranko trailed off for the last line, letting her backup singers and Shinji finish the chorus.

    ¡°No escapin¡¯ from the demon in your radio!¡±

    Ranko instead turned her back to the crowd, gulping down air in preparation for the fastest segment of the song. She had to get through fifty-nine notes before the music gave her even a beat to inhale again, and even as a world-class athlete, it was still tough for her.

    ¡°You¡¯re not ready for me, boy! I¡¯m strange and exotic! Diabolically, chaotically, hypnotically erotic! Even if you don¡¯t wanna be dancin¡¯, well, you¡¯re forced to be, so cower to my power of seductive sonic sorcery!¡±

    The red-headed, red-clad, red-winged sorceress of sound strode in a model walk forward toward the crowd, leaving Emi and Hitomi to handle the dancing duties while she gasped for air. The pause was just long enough for the crowd to hear Yui curse loudly as the humiliating costume her girlfriend had forced her to wear nearly knocked over a half-empty bottle of rum.

    ¡°You know you¡¯re totally enchanted, so give in to my hex! You ain¡¯t gettin¡¯ with me, and so it¡¯s better than sex! Even the wallflowers over there, bored and listless, will be crawling to the floor, screaming out¡­¡±

    Ranko did not need to utter the final two words of the verse, as Hitomi, Emi, all four members of the band, and nearly every person in the bar did so for her. Included among them were Ranko¡¯s doting wife and all four of the other sisters who called the Phoenix home.

    ¡°YES, MISTRESS!¡±

    Dropping back into the dance cadence alongside her backup performers, Ranko grinned mischievously. The undulating rhythm, as every Firebird in the audience knew, was about to stair-step down the musical scale for the final four-line chorus. Their anticipation only grew when it did not, and the roar of the crowd was deafening as Ranko rocketed into the first of the new verses she¡¯d written for tonight¡¯s surprise debut of the Demon in Your Radio live version, which she¡¯d dubbed the Hellfire Cut.

    ¡°Every bop I drop¡¯s a hit, because your mistress doesn¡¯t miss. That¡¯s why my beat has moved your feet up to the edge of the abyss! All this drummin¡¯ is summonin¡¯ up my musical minions, bodies rubbin¡¯ in the club I¡¯ve made my personal dominion.¡±

    With Hitomi and Emi both close enough to touch her, Ranko turned to her side, rolling her hips fluidly to the adulation of her captivated crowd. As she did, the lights behind her strobed in red, yellow and orange, visually transforming the little wooden stage into the very depths of hell.

    ¡°The irreverent revenant, revvin¡¯ up everyone hearing me. No talisman can challenge the malice of my tyranny! Bringin¡¯ the sickness with a quickness and it¡¯s spreading through the nation, infectin¡¯ you with vitriolic rollicking contagion!¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Ranko crossed her arms over her chest, the scrunching of her shoulders causing her red wings to flap inward and almost surround her. She swayed in silence as Emi carried on the chorus alone.

    ¡°You can¡¯t help but dance, there¡¯s no time to rest!¡±

    Snapping her head to her right, Ranko leveled her hand toward Hitomi with a commanding gesture as her other backup singer continued the call and response.

    ¡°There¡¯s a siren on the mic that¡¯s making you possessed!¡±

    Emi re-joined her for the third line of the chorus as Ranko completed a lap around the stage, waving toward the ceiling to encourage her revelers to their maximum level of excitement.

    ¡°There¡¯s nowhere to hide! Nowhere to go!¡±

    All three girls on stage crouched, resting their left hands on the stage as a peal of thunder cracked through the speakers and the lights at the back of the stage flashed bright. It was Shinji and Crash that finished the chorus on their own headset microphones.

    ¡°No escapin¡¯ from the demon in your radio!¡±

    The three women rose, and Ranko stood motionless on the stage as the high-energy dance beat continued from the instruments behind her. She just waited, watching with amusement as the crowd tried to keep up with what was happening. Only once the bar¡¯s fervor reached a fever pitch did she speak again.

    ¡°What? You guys seriously think you can handle more?!¡± Ranko giggled brightly into her headset as the partiers roared back in the affirmative. ¡°Well, alright! You asked for it!¡±

    She waited an extra bar before beginning the next verse, giving the skull-splitting roar time to settle. The band was used to this sort of thing happening, especially with the debut of new lyrics, and they picked up instantly on the need to repeat the few measures of music to let their lead vocalist catch up with it. Her blisteringly-fast rap verse followed to the rapt attention of the bar¡¯s nearly four hundred occupants.

    ¡°It¡¯s the verbal infernal, burnin¡¯ you up with the compulsion that drives you to involuntarily bodily convulsion! My silvery delivery is wigglin¡¯ your waistlines. I¡¯m wreckin¡¯ you, injectin¡¯ you with heckin¡¯ sexy bass lines! I¡¯m gonna make you dance until your limbs go limp!¡±

    She smirked, remembering the hours she¡¯d spent poring over just a few pages near the middle of her English dictionary as she worked to craft the alliterative verse.

    ¡°Impelling impromptu impetus, like an impudent imp!¡±

    Ranko motioned out to the mostly college-aged crowd with her hands. ¡°Now the masses shake their asses rockin¡¯ under my thrall; I¡¯ve got most of ¡®em already, but I¡¯m coming for them ALL!¡±

    There may have been nearly four hundred voices raised in the room, but Akane whooped the loudest in response. The second-year medical student¡¯s chiropractic education had been wearing her ragged, but tonight, no homework, no dreaded upcoming exam and no clinical rotation could dampen her revelry as she watched her lover work the crowd. Izumi winced, rubbing her ear in response to Mei¡¯s shrill shriek just a meter from it behind the service bar. The restrictive yellow princess gown she wore made the act more of a challenge than she cared to admit. Beauty is pain, Izumi reminded herself, as she had frequently done to poor Ranko as she made her baby sister suffer a thousand pinpricks and breath-snatching corset lacings in the fitting of her wedding dress a few months ago.

    ¡°I know I didn¡¯t warn ya, so I guess it wasn¡¯t fair to ya to bury you in scary tunes and lyrical hysteria.¡±

    Each of the six rhyming words in the next two lines were spat in a syncopated pattern to help standardize them despite their varying length. Ranko flashed her hands out with each of them, as if they were lyrical punches in a kata of sound.

    ¡°My harmonic sonic tonic¡¯s got you enraptured. With my iconic, demonic, stereophonic beat, you¡¯re captured! The commotion I¡¯m hostin¡¯s forcin¡¯ the motion of your vertebra; at least you die smiling when I musically murder ya! You know it isn¡¯t good for you, but still can¡¯t get enough of us! Surrender yourself up unto the sultry singing succubus!¡±

    Akane blushed, laughing at the idea of the girl who was once a borderline misogynistic boy named Ranma Saotome referring to herself as a hellspawn that drew her malicious energy from sex with men. There was undeniably power in her sex appeal, however, and no one knew it better than the woman who had made Ranko Tendo her wife not four months ago.

    Ranko stepped back, allowing Hitomi and Emi to carry the chorus without her.

    ¡°You can¡¯t help but dance! There¡¯s no time to rest! There¡¯s a siren on the mic that¡¯s makin¡¯ you possessed! There¡¯s nowhere to hide! Nowhere to go!¡±

    The crowd sang the final line along with all seven Dapper Dragons. ¡°No escapin¡¯ from the demon in your radio!¡±

    The music continued with no further vocals, and the crowd began to rumble again. Ranko laughed loudly, shaking her head. ¡°Seriously, guys? You really think you can handle ANOTHER new verse?! Are you joking me right now?!¡±

    The reply came in one voice from just under four hundred mouths. ¡°RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO!¡±

    Ranko snapped her left wrist downward, slipping a black rubber bulb out of her sleeve and into her waiting hand. She squeezed it repeatedly in her hand at her side as she filled her lungs with air for the song¡¯s final lightning-fast verse, and the thin red balloons Izumi had glued to her wings at positions to make them appear as veins coursing through the flaps began to inflate. As the balloons filled with air, they stiffened, their expansion carrying the folded fabric to which they were affixed with them and causing Ranko¡¯s wings to spread.

    ¡°RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO!¡±

    The crowd whooped delightedly at the practical effect as Ranko began yet another new verse.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got you bad already, but it¡¯s only gonna worsen, ¡®cause this final verse is just dispersed when Ranko¡¯s here in person! Now the demon¡¯s out the radio, and up here on the stage! I¡¯ve made you all my pets, and now, this dance floor is your cage!¡±

    Ranko¡¯s backup dancers made loose fists with both hands, shaking them in front of themselves as if rattling invisible prison bars. Ranko, on the other hand, wiggled her fingers on both upturned hands as if summoning a throng of the dead to rise from their graves and join the party.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m downright despotic with my melodic possession when my body and my rhyme combine in hellish obsession! With the dying multiplying, you¡¯ll be crying for your mommies once my deliciously malicious pitches turn you into zombies!¡±

    Hitomi, Emi, Crash and Shinji all formed a line, shambling toward Ranko as she waved her hands in the green-hued mist from a fog machine hidden behind one of the speakers, letting the miasma envelop her in mystery and cast her winged silhouette over the whole of the stage.

    ¡°I beat out every ghost and ghoul, laid waste to all the liches, for the right to come to Earth and make you all my dancing bitches! Now, I¡¯m the only oni with the tones to shake your bones, because you¡¯re mine to rock forever, and you¡¯re never going home!¡±

    The songstress grinned, remembering the humanities exam she¡¯d helped Akane study for a few weeks back, and the Italian epic the professor had made her read. Never would she have imagined that a reference to a nearly seven-hundred-year-old story would find its way into her lyrics, but then again, she¡¯d long ago stopped trying to enumerate all of the things about her daily life that she could never have fathomed just a year or two ago.

    ¡°Abandon all hope; this flow¡¯s a slippery slope, guy.¡±

    She reached into the left pocket of her red leather jacket, withdrawing a signed copy of the Phoenix Rising CD and holding the jewel case up for the crowd.

    ¡°So wholly unholy, even my record label¡¯s Yokai!¡±

    Ranko tossed the disc to a random reveler near the front of the stage before waving at the door with the back of her hand dismissively. ¡°Tell the boys lined up outside that we¡¯re about to lock the doors. I¡¯ll claim their souls tomorrow ¨C I¡¯ve already got yours!¡±

    All three women rocketed into the slightly-modified final chorus, singing loudly over the thundering clamor of their mostly-costumed audience.

    ¡°You can¡¯t help but dance! There¡¯s no time to rest! There¡¯s a siren on the mic that¡¯s got you possessed! There¡¯s nowhere to hide! Nowhere to go! No escaping from the demon in your radio!¡±

    All four musical instruments behind Ranko fell silent simultaneously, and Ranko raised her upturned right palm toward the crowd, clenching her fingers as if tightly gripping an invisible ball. Hitomi, Emi, and everyone following along with the dance on the floor stiffened with their arms at their sides, looking upward slightly as if their spines had been locked by Ranko¡¯s magic. The songstress sang the song¡¯s final line alone.

    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve got you, I ain¡¯t ever gonna let you go! No escaping from the demon in your radio!¡±

    Ranko grinned and gave a coy, impish wink. With a loud clap of thunder, the bar¡¯s lighting all cut off at once and plunged the dance floor back into total darkness. Shinji¡¯s demonic laughter rained down over the raucous crowd as the white ceiling lights flickered their interpretation of lightning, and the partiers¡¯ cheers and applause did not end until the lights came back up to reveal Ranko and her friends waving to them from the stage. In the darkness, Ranko twisted the tiny aluminum knob at the neck of the bulb in her hand, releasing the air from the balloons in her wings and permitting them to contract.

    ¡°Whoo! How¡¯s it going, Firebirds?! My name¡¯s Ranko Tendo, and these are my friends: Crash Matsuyama, Shinji Yokota, Ken Hirata, Jake Trimble, Hitomi Uyeno, and Emi Kimoto! We are Ranko and the Dapper Dragons, and we¡¯re so excited to have you here with us at the Phoenix for our second annual Halloween gore-gasm! Let¡¯s get this party started!¡±

    As she raised her fist in the air, the sound of a howling wolf split the air. The sample was followed by eight synthesizer notes that nearly everyone in the bar recognized immediately as the opening to the most iconic Halloween song of all time. Needing no prompting, the cheering crowd stood stiff, raising their shoulders and cocking their heads to the side before Ranko even began the lyrics over the repetitive beat.

    ¡°It¡¯s close to midnight, and somethin¡¯ evil¡¯s lurkin¡¯ in the dark! Under the moonlight, you see a sight that almost stops your heart. You try to scream, but terror takes the sound before you make it. You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes. You¡¯re paralyzed¡­¡±

    Hitomi and Emi led the crowd in spreading their arms to their sides, turning to the right and advancing forward with shuddering hips as they moved their arms at their waists like swimmers performing a breaststroke.

    ¡°¡®Cause this is thriller, thriller night, and no one¡¯s gonna save you from the beast about to strike! You know it¡¯s thriller, thriller night! You¡¯re fighting for your life inside a killer thriller tonight! Yeah!¡±

    Down on the dance floor, Akane took advantage of the crowd¡¯s more predictable movements to weave through the mass of humanity on her roller skates and pick up another few appetizers. She was tempted to join the famous dance, just to see how effectively she could do it on skates, but thought better of it. The last thing she needed was to wipe out in the short carhop dress and embarrass herself and Ranko both. She tucked a few more straws into the pocket on the front of the white lace-trimmed apron of the waitress outfit, scooping up an armful of chicken tenders and making her way back in the direction of booth eight.

    ¡°My lady,¡± Sakura said with a flourishing bow, tipping her top hat without releasing the mass of hair hidden within it, as she smiled up at Izumi. ¡°How fare you this eve?¡±

    Izzi giggled, bobbing her knees in a quick bow. ¡°I am quite well, good sir, and yourself?¡±

    Sakura grinned, leaning on the side of the service bar. She was careful to leave a clear path for Akane and Mei to reach the bar to collect orders for the endless crush of patrons. ¡°Fuck, this is fun! You girls sure know how to put on a show!¡±

    Izumi blushed a bit, tucking a wisp of her brown hair behind her ear. ¡°Hey, all I do is dress them. Everything you see up there? That¡¯s all Ranko and the boys. And Mei, for the props.¡± She motioned at her miserable older sister to her left at the main bar. ¡°Enjoying making her suffer?¡±

    ¡°Oh, girl, you have no idea.¡± Sakura cackled in Yui¡¯s direction, making sure her girlfriend could hear her. ¡°Silly girl thought she could outdrink me. That¡¯ll show her.¡±

    ¡°Still gonna kill you later,¡± Yui called in response from the main bar as she grumped at the irritating white tulle petticoat under her long-sleeved black dress. ¡°... Sir.¡±

    With a sinister smicker, Sakura slipped behind the main bar, and while most of the crowd was distracted dancing to the song¡¯s penultimate chorus, she slid her hand surreptitiously up the back of Yui¡¯s dress and gave her backside a firm squeeze followed by a swat. ¡°Maybe. But you¡¯re gonna do something else first, birthday girl.¡±

    Yui yelped in surprise before swiveling on her heels and wrapping her arms around her tuxedo-clad lover¡¯s neck. She simpered far more softly than she had behaved at any previous point in her trying evening, her voice taking on a kittenish growl. ¡°Mm. Yes, sir.¡±

    Mei groaned quietly. ¡°I swear, once you move in with us, Sakura, I¡¯m never gonna get to sleep again, am I?¡±

    The tuxedoed woman whirled, shrugging. ¡°We¡¯ll see. Still gotta get the new job. They¡¯re saying the promotion¡¯s almost certain to happen, but I won¡¯t know until my review in a few weeks. So until then, enjoy your peaceful dreams.¡±

    Sakura cleared her throat insistently. ¡°Um, excuse me.¡± She smirked, reaching out to her side and grabbing Yui by the white ribbon cinching her apron around her back as the blonde set off to pour another cocktail. ¡°Who told you to go anywhere?¡±

    Ranko¡¯s voice had fallen from the girls¡¯ consciousness as they flirted, so they were a bit startled when Shinji¡¯s deep bass began speaking rhythmically over the music.

    ¡°The foulest stench is in the air - the funk of forty thousand years - and grizzly ghouls from every tomb are closing in to seal your doom. And though you fight to stay alive, your body starts to shiver. For no mere mortal can resist the evil of the thriller¡­¡±

    Ranko waved to the crowd with a bright smile as their adulation died down. ¡°Seriously? You guys aren¡¯t tired yet? Oh, alright. I suppose we can give ya another Halloween classic, huh?¡± She grinned devilishly. The song was a late addition to the set list after Mei had forced her to sit and watch the campy American movie it had come from just a few days ago. While a lot of the plot seemed pretty goofy to Ranko, she could certainly empathize with the main character, a guy who was doing everything in his power to come off like a girl. It was a cute dance, though, and Ranko enjoyed the ensemble nature of it, giving her bandmates an opportunity to take the spotlight.

    Crash stepped forward, playing his guitar in a repetitive solo, and after just a few bars of it, he began to sing into his headset microphone.

    ¡°It¡¯s astounding. Time is fleeting. Madness takes its toll. But listen closely¡­¡±

    Hitomi strutted up to him, dragging her hand limply down his chest, ending just above his guitar as she added, ¡°Not for very much longer¡­¡±

    Crash grinned down at the brunette dancing immediately in front of him, in the first row of dancers at the stage¡¯s edge. I know you don¡¯t like other girls having their hands on me, Ukyo, but it¡¯s just the choreography, I promise. He only had a moment to consider it before resuming his singing in a rock scream.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got to keep control! I remember doing the Time Warp, drinking those moments when the blackness would hit me, and the void would be calling¡­¡±

    Hitomi had joined him for the last few words, but then Ranko, Emi, Shinji and Ken joined the chorus as the classical piano voice of Jacob¡¯s synthesizer tinkled down the scales.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do the Time Warp again! Let¡¯s do the Time Warp again!¡±

    All four instruments fell quiet, and everyone on stage went still as Ranko stepped forward, hopping once to her left side. She spoke the words rather than sang them. ¡°It¡¯s just a jump to the left¡­¡±

    The music resumed, led by Ken¡¯s bass drum as all the performers on stage sang the next steps of the instructions coaching the crowd how to perform the signature dance, not that many of them needed the refresher. ¡°... and then a step to the right!¡±

    Against another pause in the music, Ranko gave the next spoken directive. ¡°With your hands on your hips¡­¡±

    Everyone on stage save Jake and Ken, and most of the partiers on the dance floor, did as she asked. The performers began to form a circle at center stage, all singing the steps together. ¡°You bring your knees in tight! But it¡¯s the pelvic thrust that really drives you insa-a-a-a-a-ane! Let¡¯s do the Time Warp again! Let¡¯s do the Time Warp Again!¡± The group all exaggeratedly thrust their bodies forward into the center of the circle, waving their hands together before separating and clearing space for Hitomi to begin her character¡¯s solo.

    ¡°It¡¯s so dreamy! Oh, fantasy, free me so you can¡¯t see me! No, not at all! In another dimension, with voyeuristic intention, well secluded, I see all!¡±

    Crash grinned, stalking forward and leaning over his guitar as he countered her. ¡°With a bit of a mind flip¡­¡±

    Hitomi spun on her heel. ¡°You¡¯re into the time slip¡­¡±

    Again, Crash responded to her line with his own, in an almost spoken gravelly tone. ¡°And nothing can ever be the same.¡±

    Emi darted around him, leaning back against the back of his leather jacket as if she were falling faint. ¡°You¡¯re spaced out on sensation¡­¡±

    Crash¡¯s rock scream came as Emi threw herself off of his back, as if she had been startled by his outburst. ¡°Like you¡¯re under sedation¡­¡±

    Again, everyone but Jacob joined into the song¡¯s title line, and this time, most of the crowd did too as they repeated the steps as prescribed in the chorus.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do the Time Warp again! Let¡¯s do the Time Warp again!¡±

    Emi skittered forward to center stage on her tiptoes, almost hyperactively, and began to sing in a high-pitched nasal squeak. ¡°Well, I was walking down the street, just havin¡¯ a think, when a snake of a guy gave me an evil wink! He shook-a me up, he took me by surprise! He had a pickup truck and the devil¡¯s eyes! He stared at me, and I felt a change. Time meant nothing; never would again!¡±

    The full ensemble responded, ¡°Let¡¯s do the Time Warp again! Let¡¯s do the Time Warp again!¡±

    With a loud, high-pitched squeal, Emi took center stage alone, throwing herself into what amounted to a tap dancing solo routine that lasted for nearly fifteen seconds. While she did not have tap shoes on, Ariel played an audio sample of it over the music from his mixing board.

    With her hands on her hips, Ranko faced the crowd and hopped to her side without musical accompaniment. Again, she spoke the line rather than sang it. ¡°It¡¯s just a jump to the left!¡±

    Emi, Hitomi and Crash all kicked their right legs out and pulled them back as their right hands followed them. They repeated this motion three times as they described it in song: ¡°And then a step to the ri-i-ight!¡±

    Ranko smirked to the dancing crowd, giving them another spoken command that nearly none of them needed. ¡°Put your hands on your hips.¡±

    Her bandmates all complied as they continued the chorus together, carrying the dance through one final cycle. ¡°You bring your knees in tight! But it¡¯s the pelvic thrust that really drives you insa-a-a-a-ane! Let¡¯s do the Time Warp again! Let¡¯s do the Time Warp again!¡±

    With a dying drone, the synthesizer fell silent, and Jacob and Ken both slumped limply in their seats. Crash and Shinji collapsed into each other back-to-back, sliding to a seated position on the stage cradling their guitars. Hitomi and Emi dropped prone like rag dolls to the stage, and Ranko fell to her knees, unable to lay on her back due to the massive wings she still wore. None rose from their worn-out positions until the crowd had finally quieted down.

    ¡°YEAH! That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about, Phoenix!¡± Ranko whooped, hopping excitedly on the stage as she returned to her feet. As she did, her wings flapped behind her, clapping her on the shoulders. ¡°Oh, hey! As long as I¡¯ve got you all in the cheering mood, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like you all to do for me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking dare,¡± Yui grumbled under her breath as she slid a dirty martini across the bar.

    ¡°Everybody, say hey to my big sister Yui behind the bar¡­ it¡¯s her birthday today!¡± A cheer rose from the crowd as the twin white spotlights swung back to highlight Yui and her ridiculous costume. Sakura, seated across the bar from her, giggled wildly into her Manhattan.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna fucking kill her.¡±

    ¡°Aw, come on, Yui,¡± Sakura said with a mirthful grin, her empty glass clattering to the polyurethane bar counter. ¡°Not gonna curtsey?¡±

    ¡°You know,¡± Ranko began with a bit of a giggle in her voice, smiling down at the crowd as the spotlights returned to her. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s any secret that I¡¯m wildly in love with somebody. They don¡¯t like me to talk about it, but I just can¡¯t help it! After all, I worked hard for it! It wasn¡¯t always easy, though. I had to do a little¡­ convincing. You wanna hear the story?¡±

    The crowd rumbled in anticipation. They¡¯d already gotten the debut of the extended Demon in Your Radio, but a setup like this could only mean the dawning of a new song. They decided to answer her question as true Firebirds often did.

    ¡°RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO!¡±

    Akane giggled, swooping her legs to the side on her skates until she could lean forward on her toes to stop herself. Once stabilized, she leaned back against the kitchen wall near where the VIP table would have been on a normal night. No one ordered anything during Ranko¡¯s new songs anyway, and she wanted to see this one. She¡¯d heard Ranko practicing it a little earlier in the week, but she couldn¡¯t wait to see it with the full performance effect. It was already well on its way to becoming one of the singer¡¯s wife¡¯s favorites.

    ¡°RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO!¡±

    Ranko stalked around the black prop cauldron that rested near the back of center stage. It was just over a meter in diameter and a meter high. She traced its rim tauntingly with one finger as she circled it. After completing a full orbit, she flicked her fingers at it as if throwing a pinch of salt into a boiling pot. As she did, a wisp of smoke and a bright green light began to rise from the basin, accompanied by an audio sample of an explosion.

    ¡°Alright, then. Let¡¯s see what I can cook up for ya!¡±

 2. Punch it Up

    ¡°Good! Again!¡±

    Ranko planted her feet, preparing herself for the unavoidable sting. Even through the thick foam pad strapped to her forearm, the Cat¡¯s Tongue made its presence known every time Akane¡¯s newest student landed a punch.

    The Minato University quad was quiet that day, and each snap of a fist against the pad on her arm echoed through the mid-morning still. The cold wasn¡¯t helping; in fact, it only ramped up the sensitivity of Ranko¡¯s every nerve ending further, and it was all she could do to avoid audibly yelping with each practice strike her training partner landed. What I¡¯d give to not be barefoot, Ranko thought through a little shiver as her toes nestled between blades of dew-slick grass.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to, like, get used to getting hit if you do this enough? Like, where it doesn¡¯t hurt as much anymore? How long have you been doing this,¡± the taller girl asked as she set herself for another punch.

    Seventeen years, Ranko thought as she winced through the next blow. ¡°Oh, come on, Shi¡¯ri, I¡¯ve been a wuss about as long as you¡¯ve known me.¡±

    Shiori Nagata giggled, nodding as she switched sides and prepared to throw a punch with her left hand. ¡°Yep, that¡¯s you, Ranko! The Glass Orchid of Yusue High!¡±

    Ranko blushed behind a cute little smile. While she hated that she had a reputation for being fragile, she didn¡¯t mind the orchid part, referring to the new kanji she¡¯d chosen to represent her name when Akane¡¯s father had adopted her. Beats the hell out of blue thunder, she thought with a little giggle. She adjusted the black belt around her deep purple gi. She and Akane had chosen the color to distinguish her as a student instructor from the beginner students¡¯ white gis and Akane¡¯s master black. Plus, Ranko got a kick out of it being the colors of the university her wife attended - and that in a matter of months, she would, too ¨C if her math grades cooperated, anyway.

    Indeed, Ranko hoped that the addition of Akane¡¯s first female student - herself not included, of course - and a cheerleader to the class¡¯ roster would improve the energy level of the group. Ranko only occasionally found the time to attend Akane¡¯s classes, but her students seemed almost despondent the last few times she had. They seemed to be learning well enough, and a few of the seven of them could probably handle themselves pretty well in a fight by now, but there was a motivation factor that seemed to be missing in their weekly workouts of late.

    Akane¡¯s teaching style was far gentler than Ranko was used to, and while she was glad to see her wife and sensei was not resorting to torture disguised as training like Ranko¡¯s father and Happosai had, Ranko thought she might have overcorrected somewhat. She dared not say anything, though - Akane had offered her control of the fledgling dojo on more than one occasion and Ranko had turned it down. She still didn¡¯t want to run it, or really, to teach martial arts at all outside of occasionally helping out, but she wanted the school to be successful, even as she understood that its success would be meaningless unless it happened on Akane¡¯s terms.

    ¡°Hey, you guys, bring it in, would ya?¡± Ranko whooped loudly in her trademark cheerleader tone, starting to tread gingerly toward the center of the little field where the majority of Akane¡¯s students were sparring in pairs. Only Toshiaski Suzuki, the eldest of the dojo¡¯s seven students and its strongest fighter, remained off in the distance with Akane. The enormous rugby player hit like Ryoga when he made contact, but his moves were clunky and undisciplined, and Akane had been working with him one-on-one in the hopes of harnessing his power more effectively.

    "Hey, Ranko," Ando said, looking her over with concern. "You okay? You''re walkin'' like somebody kicked your ass." The freshman bent over as he spoke, stretching his left hamstring in the grass.

    Ranko blushed, stammering out a response to Akane''s youngest student. "Well, um, yeah, I''m fine. It''s just... you know, this is a beginner class and I can''t really learn a lot here at my level, so me and Sensei have... more intense workouts by ourselves, sometimes. You get it, right?"

    Shiori grinned, putting her arm around her friend''s back with a knowing smirk. "Ohh, poor Ranko! Did Sensei Akane use her new staff on you again?"

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Blushing furiously, Ranko hid her face behind her right hand. "It... um... It''s like her favorite technique these days."

    With a knowing smirk and a bright giggle, Shiori leaned over her shoulder in mock worry. "For it to mess up a martial artist as good as you as bad as that, she must be getting really good with it!¡±

    Ranko covered her eyes with both hands, after having searched the grassy quad and found no holes she could hide in. "Yeah, she pretty much puts me flat on my back with it every time..." She could feel the heat from her face on the palms of her hands. Shut up, Shi¡¯ri¡­

    Shiori cackled, and Ranko uncovered her face, her eyes darting around to the six boys surrounding them to watch for signs of understanding in their faces. The redhead prayed she found none.

    ¡°Hey, at least she hasn¡¯t put you face down with it¡­ yet. Or, has she?¡±

    ¡°Aaaaaanyway,¡± Ranko cried out, desperate to change the subject. ¡°I wanted to talk to you guys. You don¡¯t seem as excited in class as you used to be, and I¡¯m a little concerned. Just between you guys and me, is everything okay? Anything I need to talk to Sensei about?¡±

    Nori looked up at her, sighing. The Minato junior was often distracted in class anyway, but he had seemed even more despondent than usual of late. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t know, we kinda feel like we¡¯ve hit a wall, you know? Like, we¡¯re learning more, but we¡¯re not really getting better than anybody else in class, ¡®cause we only ever spar against each other and we all learn at about the same pace. And, I mean, none of us are ever gonna be able to beat you.¡±

    With a chuckle, Satoru Tashiro leaned back on the trunk of the tall tree under which he stood. The black-haired boy chuckled, shaking his head for emphasis. ¡°And even if one of us were good enough to try, Sensei¡¯d have any one of our asses doing pushups for a month if we hurt the teacher¡¯s pet.¡±

    Ranko blushed furiously, covering it with a quiet chuckle as she fingered the silver heart suspended on the black choker she wore. ¡°Oh, come on, I¡¯m not that fragile.¡±

    Shiori just rolled her eyes, motioning to the tattered white cushion still strapped to her former cheerleading co-captain¡¯s forearm.

    Another of Akane¡¯s students, an orange-haired Minato sophomore named Daichi, approached Ranko, shrugging as he walked. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s like¡­ We all know we can defend ourselves now, so it¡¯s like, what more is there? What are w¡­ whaaa!¡±

    Pushing his friend off of his lap as he sat on the grass, Hideki Masuda rolled his eyes. ¡°Damn it, Daichi, could you please watch where you¡¯re walking?!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Hideki,¡± the ginger boy said, brushing dirt and loose blades of grass from the knees of his white gi pants as he clamored back to his feet.

    Smirking, Shiori put her arm around Ranko¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hey, c¡¯mere a second?¡± Ranko nodded, following slowly as she was pulled out of earshot of the group. ¡°Are you thinking what I¡¯m thinking?¡± Shiori grinned down at her friend, who was a year her senior despite being a year behind her in school. In many ways, Shiori had been Ranko¡¯s mentor in all things related to leadership, and the redheaded songstress revered her advice in such matters.

    Ranko shrugged. ¡°Maybe if I knew what you were thinking, I¡¯d know if I was thinkin¡¯ it! I¡¯m just worried about these kids, and frankly, me and Akane can¡¯t afford for her to lose students if they start gettin¡¯ too bored.¡± While the newlyweds continued to receive quarterly payouts from Yokai Records for sales of Ranko¡¯s first album, they were paltry at best. Most amounted to a nice date night or a new piece of furniture as a bonus, and all but the most recent two had been funneled directly into the budget for their July wedding. Once the band¡¯s second album began selling, all that would hopefully change, as it would be paid out according to the new contract terms that their sister Nabiki had negotiated on behalf of the Dapper Dragons.

    ¡°Ya know, back when organized cheerleading first got started, the girls used to have this issue all the time, too. We¡¯re here, we cheer, we go home, so what?¡± Shiori hopped up onto a granite bench that overlooked a small pond in the university quad, sitting on the back of it with her feet on the seat.

    ¡°Yeah? Well, how¡¯d they fix it? I mean, who the heck cheers on the cheerleaders? I¡¯ve never seen any cheerleader motivation seminars or nothin¡¯.¡± Ranko sighed, leaning on the back of the bench next to her friend.

    Shiori giggled. ¡°Sure you have, Ranko.¡± She nudged the songwriter in the ribs gently with her elbow. ¡°In fact, the trophy from your last one¡¯s still in the case by the principal¡¯s office.¡±

 3. Darts and a Map

    ¡°Now, she¡¯s living out her fantasy! Don¡¯t know how it happened to a girl like me, but now, my happy ever after happens all the time!¡±

    Ranko straightened her back, waving to the crowd as the music to her latest hit single faded from the speakers. ¡°That¡¯s our show everybody! Good night, and thanks for coming out to the Phoenix tonight! Everybody be safe getting home, and we¡¯ll party with you again tomorrow!¡±

    She turned her back to the crowd, taking two steps toward Crash before snapping her head back to the audience so quickly that the white ribbon in her hair was almost thrown from her high ponytail. She smiled, ending the last song of the evening with a high-pitched solo run. ¡°Once upon a rhy-y-y-yme¡­¡±

    The Phoenix¡¯ star-in-residence bowed to the crowd, basking in their applause for a few more moments before following her bandmates down the stairs to the bar floor below. As had become something of a ritual, the front third of the standing audience formed an aisle of humanity stretching between the steps and the side door into the kitchen, and as she followed Ken down it to escape the crush of fans, she stopped to sign her name on several posters and CD covers.

    ¡°Great show, guys. I just need like a half hour to help the girls break down the place for the night, and then we can go talk.¡± Ranko grabbed a black vinyl apron, starting to put it on over the white button-down blouse and red skirt she wore, but Yui scoffed at her with an admonishing shake of her head.

    ¡°Hey. Superstar. You¡¯ve got other shit to do tonight. I think we can handle loading the dishwasher.¡±

    Ranko turned to her second-eldest sister. ¡°You sure, Yui? I mean, at your advanced age, you must be exhausted by this time of night!¡± She giggled loudly, but stopped abruptly when the girls¡¯ adoptive mother exited the walk-in cooler with a smirk of mock resentment on her lips.

    ¡°If she¡¯s too old, what does that make me, Ranko?¡±

    Aw, crap. ¡°Uh, no, you¡¯re just fine, Mom. Totally good!¡± Ranko giggled nervously as Hana swatted at her playfully with a bar towel.

    Hana laughed brightly. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought, kid. Go on. Nabiki¡¯s waiting for you in the office.¡±

    ¡°Nah,¡± Nabiki said, emerging from the side door with an armload of papers. ¡°Let¡¯s go grab a table out front. There¡¯s not enough room in there for everybody, and it looks like the crowd¡¯s just about cleared off.¡±

    Ken held the saloon door open as his bandmates and Nabiki all exited the back room, and Nabiki took a seat at the VIP table. It only seated six, and Hitomi, Emi, Ariel, Shinji and Ken joined her at the table. Jacob pulled over another chair from a nearby table, turning it backward and straddling it facing her. Ranko, meanwhile, retook the stage, pacing on it as Crash watched from his perch on the edge of the platform. Ranko had not been looking forward to this conversation, after all.

    ¡°Okay, gang, so here¡¯s what we¡¯ve got.¡± Nabiki spread the paperwork out on the table, and everyone seated at it began picking up sheets and poring over them as she spoke. ¡°Three months. Best I could do.¡±

    Ranko sighed, walking further away from the table. Her shoulders slumped sadly. ¡°Nabiki, we talked about this. I can¡¯t do it!¡±

    Shinji turned in his seat, slamming the tabletop hard with his palm as he glared up at his bandmate on the stage. ¡°Fuck, Ranko, come on! This is what we¡¯ve been waiting for this whole time, and you¡¯re gonna fuck around until you ruin it!¡±

    Looking up from her task as she wiped down the polyurethane counter of the service bar, Mei glared up at her ex-boyfriend, remembering a similar argument that led to the pair splitting up in the first place.

    ¡°You guys,¡± Ranko said apologetically, ¡°it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to do the tour. You know I do. It¡¯s all I could talk about for months when they first suggested it. But¡­ I got into college. You don¡¯t understand how big a deal that is for me. I worked so hard to get through high school, and I still didn¡¯t think I had a shot. If it hadn¡¯t been for cheer, I wouldn¡¯t have had a prayer, and now, if I don¡¯t start in May, the scholarship offer¡¯s no good. I asked if I could push it back, and the school said no. I know it sucks, but¡­ I just can¡¯t turn that down. It¡¯s a huge deal for me!¡±

    Shinji gestured at her, but his exasperated gaze was directed at his best friend. ¡°Crash, would you please talk some sense into your pet drama queen over here? Fucking dumbass hasn¡¯t figured out yet that people go to school to get ready for a career. They¡¯re not supposed to throw away a career they¡¯ve already got to go to school.¡±

    The guitarist waved him off. ¡°Oh, hell no. I¡¯m not getting in the middle of this.¡±

    Ranko sighed. ¡°And you¡¯re sure you can¡¯t get them to do a one-month run while I¡¯m on break, Nabiki?¡±

    The brunette shook her head. ¡°With the time it would take for travel and setup, that would get you maybe twelve shows, and it¡¯s just not enough to be worth the logistics and everything for them.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Ken said, picking up a page from one of the copies of the contract proposal. There was an excitement in his voice, as if he¡¯d solved a puzzle. ¡°Ranko, you said you could do a short tour if it happened on your break, right?¡±

    The redhead nodded. ¡°As long as I don¡¯t have to miss school, yeah.¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Ken grinned. ¡°Okay. They want a three-month tour, and they want it done by the end of the year. Ranko says she wants a one-month tour, on one of the breaks she gets between school terms, in April, August or December.¡± He folded the paper into thirds as if preparing to stuff it into an envelope before using the edge of the napkin holder to tear it into three even strips of paper. ¡°So, if we do three one month-tours, then Yokai gets their three months, Ranko gets to go to school, and it¡¯s still done by the end of the year.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s eyes widened as she walked closer to the table on the stage, looking down at his trifurcated paper example. ¡°That¡­ could work!¡±

    Crash swiveled, resting his right knee on the stage as he looked up at her. ¡°It would mean you didn¡¯t get a break of any kind for almost a year, though. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea. You¡¯ll wear yourself out again.¡±

    The songstress shook her head. ¡°No¡­ I think I can do this. Sure, it¡¯ll be a long slog, but I¡¯ll be okay. I mean, I¡¯d be performing here during my break anyway. It¡¯s just the travel part that¡¯s new, and I mean, who could ask for a better vacation than touring southeast Asia with her wife and her best friends? And besides, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re bringing a pizza oven¡­¡±

    Crash chuckled. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s assume for the moment that this plan gets by the boss. What would happen next?¡±

    ¡°Wait. The boss? If I¡¯m in, and you guys are all in¡­ who are you talking about, Crash?¡± Ranko sat next to him on the edge of the stage, dangling her feet off of it and kicking them in the air.

    The guitarist laughed, putting his arm around his friend¡¯s back. ¡°Akane. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s gonna take too kindly to this idea.¡±

    Smirking, Ranko rolled her eyes. ¡°Let me deal with her. I¡¯ll just let her know that this is what we¡¯ve decided, and that¡¯s just the way it¡¯s gonna have to be.¡± Her eyes widened as Crash, Shinji, Ken and Hitomi all cackled at once.

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Ken smirked, flicking the cap from his beer bottle up at the singer, who ducked under it. ¡°You¡¯re adorable, Ranko, acting like we don¡¯t know who wears the pants in your family.¡±

    If you only knew, Ken, Ranko thought with such a thorough blush that Crash felt the radiant warmth from her face just sitting next to her.

    ¡°Ooo-kay,¡± Nabiki said, blushing a bit herself. ¡°Leaving that alone for the moment, we¡¯d need to get Yokai to agree to the split. The hardest part is going to be dealing with the equipment and stuff for that long, but if we¡¯re willing to help cover the cost of storing it somewhere between the legs of the tour, I bet we can get them to bend on that.¡± She took one of the strips of paper Ken had torn up, ripping it into eight smaller pieces. ¡°Jake, wanna grab us some pens from the bar?¡±

    The green-fauxhawked keyboardist hopped up, returning in a moment with a handful of cheap black disposable pens from the cup by the credit card swipe, and Nabiki handed everyone at the table a slip of paper and a pen. Jacob kept two extra pens and slips of paper, passing them back to Crash and Ranko on the stage.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Nabiki continued. ¡°The logistics of this is gonna be complicated. Well, it would be anyway, with booking venues, travel, all that kind of stuff. So, we won¡¯t necessarily have full control over the stops on the tour; we¡¯ll have to kind of go where we can make it work. But let¡¯s have everybody nominate a city they¡¯d like to play, and we¡¯ll make a wish list to present to them.¡±

    ¡°Hell yes,¡± Shinji said, enthusiastically hunching over his little strip of paper. In a few moments, the red plastic basket that had once held Jacob¡¯s fried cheese sticks was filled with eight folded strips of paper.

    Nabiki stirred the basket with her fingers, flipping over another of the sheets of paper from the proposal she¡¯d printed and picking up a pen to record the responses. ¡°Let¡¯s see what we¡¯ve got.¡±

    She opened the first folded paper. ¡°Singapore.¡±

    ¡°Nice! Strong.¡± Shinji nodded with a grin as Nabiki wrote the name of the city on the blank strip of paper.

    Nabiki unfolded the second strip, shaking her head. ¡°Sorry, but they wanted to keep this a regional tour. We¡¯re probably gonna have to save London for the next one.¡±

    ¡°Dammit,¡± Emi exclaimed with a groan.

    A third strip was tossed to the table. ¡°Brisbane, Australia. Hello, Jacob.¡± Nabiki giggled, adding it to the list.

    ¡°What?! Who doesn¡¯t wanna play for their home crowd?¡± Jacob blushed, leaning back in his chair.

    Ranko giggled, leaning forward and nudging her keyboardist with her foot. ¡°Just admit you want the label to pay for you to make an intercontinental booty call, man.¡±

    ¡°Oh, please, Ranko. You barely survive if you have to wait for Akane to get home from school. I haven¡¯t seen Zoe for months.¡± Jacob scoffed up at her, sipping at his beer.

    Ken shook his head at Jacob with an awed sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you do it, man.¡±

    Shinji laughed at the diminutive drummer, picking up a chicken wing and gesturing grotesquely at Ken with it. ¡°Vaseline, mostly.¡±

    ¡°Ew!¡± Ranko contorted her face, sticking her tongue out. ¡°I swear. Fucking boys.¡±

    Nabiki couldn¡¯t stifle her laugh at the idea of Ranko, of all people, being disgusted by typical male behavior. ¡°Moving on.¡± She pulled another slip of paper from the basket. ¡°Bangkok, Thailand. Could be fun. I hear they¡¯ve got some great nightlife there.¡± She added it to her list, fishing a fifth vote from the little plastic basket. ¡°Ooh, this one could be interesting. Not sure we can pull it off, but we can try.¡±

    She started to write, and Ariel craned his neck to read it. ¡°Honolulu? I thought we weren¡¯t doing the United States?¡±

    Nabiki nodded. ¡°No chance on the mainland, but Hawai¡¯i isn¡¯t that far from some of the other spots they suggested. We can ask, anyway. Worst they can say is no.¡±

    ¡°Hear that, Ranko? Better pack your bathing suit, girlfriend!¡± Hitomi giggled. ¡°Beach party time!¡±

    ¡°Shanghai.¡± Nabiki grinned, adding the next name to the list as Crash whooped. ¡°Might need to do two shows there, actually, with that many people. I suspect that¡¯ll happen for a few of the bigger ones, come to think of it. Maybe even three, for the very biggest cities.¡± Nabiki opened the second-to-last strip. ¡°Speaking of which. Hong Kong.¡±

    Emi squealed, leaning over and hugging her roommate excitedly. ¡°Oh, girl, the shopping¡­ We¡¯re gonna have to ship our clothes home; they won¡¯t all fit in the plane!¡±

    Nabiki smirked as she read the last strip of paper in its carefully-practiced feminine handwriting. She could think of only one reason why someone would pick that city, out in the middle of nowhere as it was, and she knew exactly who had selected it.

    With a knowing grin up at her youngest sister, Nabiki wrote the final name without reading it aloud.

 4. Sparks

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Kazushi! You got this!¡± Ranko whooped loudly, shaking her pom-poms furiously in encouragement. He doesn¡¯t got this. That guy¡¯s wiping the floor with him.

    It was so strange for Ranko to be on the sidelines cheering at a martial arts competition of all things, but her squad had decided they wanted to make as many of the Yusue High¡¯s athletic events as possible, so there she stood. When she¡¯d first joined Yusue last year, she¡¯d briefly considered trying out for the judo team herself, but quickly discovered that would be a non-starter. With the Cat¡¯s Tongue, she thought she might be able to manage it, since per the competition rules, the most you could take was two hits in a fight before the match ended. Unfortunately, the boys only club policy had ended the idea before it really began.

    Ranko was okay with it now; much though the girl she was a year ago had turned green at the very thought of it, she couldn¡¯t be happier with her decision to join the Yusue cheerleaders in retrospect. She had made some incredible friends doing it, and it was fantastic exercise and dancing practice. Beyond that, it had opened a door for her that had been sealed forever and buried under concrete in her mind ¨C six weeks after receiving it, her acceptance letter to Minato University still hung on the refrigerator door in her apartment like it was an overproud child¡¯s crayon drawing. Plus, being the designated source of excitement really was a lot of fun, once she¡¯d gotten over her resistance on the basis of it being too girly and allowed herself to give it a chance.

    Ranko blushed a little at the thought of it; while she was sure there were still some feminine bridges too far for her, she had long ago lost count of how many she¡¯d crossed since discovering the Phoenix two years ago. She couldn¡¯t help stealing a glance down at her wedding ring, remembering not just the act of being a bride - and how incredibly womanly Akane had made her feel throughout the day and well into the night - but the as-yet-unexplained shockwave that had changed her life earlier that morning. Just a week and a half ago, Ranko had accidentally spilled some hot water on herself while making tea for Akane, and while it hurt like hell for a day and a half, her feminine form held. Dr. Tofu had come up with no leads, and while she still wanted answers, she was content to accept it as another blessing that she did not think she deserved. She almost wished she could add a verse to Once Upon a Rhyme about it, in acknowledgement of yet another miracle that had changed her life for the better, but something told her that appending her deepest secret to August 1991¡¯s number-one single wasn¡¯t the best way to keep it quiet. Maybe she¡¯d write an extra verse and keep it to herself, as she had done for so many others of her songs, she thought.

    She was snapped out of her daydream by a loud smack as Kazushi Sawaya took another kick to the face, crumpling to the mat.

    ¡°Keep your hands up, Sawaya,¡± the Yusue instructor yelled desperately.

    Ranko waved her pom-poms in support, holding them in front of her mouth to hide her cringe. Remember why you¡¯re here, Ranko. You¡¯re here to encourage, not to¡­ but damn it, why isn¡¯t anybody telling him the guy is leaving his left side wide open and telegraphing his kicks with his eyes?! Come on, man! You gotta see it!

    Her advice would have served no use, however, because not ten seconds after the Yusue combatant had retaken his stance, a punch to his stomach had ended his match in defeat. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Kazushi! You¡¯ll get him next time,¡± Etsuko called out as the dejected sophomore slinked back to the Yusue bench with his head hanging low.

    Sawaya couldn¡¯t have beat that dude if you¡¯d spotted him two points and a baseball bat, Ranko thought with a bemused smirk, but she swung her pom-poms wordlessly nonetheless. Still, she needed to focus. All of the choreography for their scheduled performances depended on fourteen cheerleaders, and she was a rambunctious freshman short. Kayo had called a few hours before the event and said she wasn¡¯t able to make it, and so some last-minute adjustments were in order.

    ¡°Hey there, gorgeous,¡± Ranko heard over her shoulder as she retook her seat in one of the padded red folding chairs reserved for her squad at courtside. She bristled, expecting to have to punch somebody for calling her that while not being her wife, but as she turned and recognized the speaker, her expression softened. ¡°Hey, Hideo.¡±

    Indeed, the stout junior had not been speaking to Ranko at all, but to the cheerleader seated immediately to Ranko¡¯s right. He leaned down, wrapping his arms around Kumiko¡¯s neck and kissing her on the cheek with a gentle squeeze. ¡°You¡¯re looking great out there, babe.¡±

    Giggling, Kumiko turned in her chair and returned his hug. The heat radiating from her blush could have powered Tokyo for an hour. ¡°You¡¯d say that no matter what I did, silly.¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s true no matter what you do,¡± the suave young man said with a grin. He looked up at the burly middle-aged man approaching him in the neon yellow security vest. ¡°They¡¯re coming to run me off, but I¡¯ll see you after the match? How¡¯s ice cream sound?¡±

    ¡°That depends,¡± Kumiko said with a coy smirk.

    The boy chuckled, backing away from her toward the bleachers to appease the security guard as he answered. ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯m buying!¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s a date!¡± Kumiko giggled, waving to him as he turned to retake his seat in the fifth row of the rubberized bleachers.

    Ranko leaned over to her friend, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she nudged Kumiko¡¯s bare shoulder with her fist. ¡°Safe to assume we won¡¯t be seeing you in the locker room to change?¡±

    With another deep blush, Kumiko looked down and fidgeted with her silver hair. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not my fault! He¡­ likes showing off the fact that he¡¯s dating a cheerleader.¡±

    The redheaded cheer captain nodded. She was still getting used to Kumiko¡¯s new hair color, but she was glad to see her friend taking pride in herself and displaying confidence. That was exactly why Ranko had recruited her to the squad in the first place, and even if they came in dead last at the upcoming Invitational in January, she wouldn¡¯t regret the decision. ¡°Well, any guy should be proud to have you, cheerleader or not. You¡¯re pretty awesome, ya know.¡± The corner of her mouth curled deviously. ¡°And you¡¯re sure the cheerleader thing is just what he wants to see at the ice cream parlor, and not, I don¡¯t know, in his bedroom?¡±

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Ranko! We¡¯re not¡­ doing that¡­ yet!¡± Kumiko¡¯s blush betrayed that she wasn¡¯t entirely closed off to the idea, however. ¡°I¡¯ve never done that with anybody before.¡±

    Ranko bit her lip with a little bit of a purr. ¡°Oh, honey, are you in for a treat.¡±

    The younger girl blushed, leaning in toward Ranko so she could whisper. ¡°Oh, I get it. Sometimes I swear you¡¯re trying to turn me gay with how much you talk about how good it is with Akane.¡±

    Shaking her head, Ranko tittered brightly. ¡°No, silly. Boys can do the job just fine, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re into.¡± She blushed. ¡°Not that they can do the job with me, but¡­ you get the idea.¡±

    Kumiko nodded. ¡°Have you ever¡­ been¡­ with a boy like that? Eiji, maybe?¡±

    ¡°Ew! No way!¡± Ranko made an exaggeratedly disgusted face, bulging out one of her eyes and sticking out her tongue. ¡°Sorry, girlfriend. You want advice on that, you gotta talk to Tanda or somebody.¡±

    Kumiko looked back into the bleachers, waving to Hideo again. ¡°Gods, I¡¯m so excited, Ranko! I never thought I¡¯d get to go on dates and stuff. Nobody showed that much interest in me before, but because you invited me to come cheer, now I¡¯m cool.¡±

    Ranko shook her head as she stood for the next performance. ¡°You were always cool, Kumi. If anything, this just gave you the confidence to believe it for yourself.¡± Ranko started to walk toward the space between the mats where they danced, but noticed Kumiko¡¯s eyes still following the boy in the bleachers. ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you get out of here and go get started on your ice cream date? With Kayo out, it¡¯ll balance the sides of the formation at six each.¡±

    The silver-haired girl¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°You mean it, Ran-chan?¡±

    The captain smirked, waving her off with a nod. ¡°Shoo. Have fun. Be safe.¡±

    Kumiko squealed and made for the bleachers as Ranko led the rest of her squad out to dance.

    <hr>

    ¡°And that¡¯s the match! Tatsuya Mikino has just secured his fourteenth win in a row! Can he carry his streak through the Honshu Mixed-Style Martial Arts Tournament this January, folks? Who knows, but tonight, he¡¯s our judo match champion! Congratulations to everyone at Shibuya High! These Stars really came to fight tonight, declawing the Lions nine matches to three!¡±

    Ranko gathered her pom-poms, stuffing them down into the black duffel bag behind her chair. While most of the girls carried the silver Yusue High bags the school had given them as part of their travel budget for the All-Tokyo Cheerleading Invitational last year, it was hard to mix up bags with the only one to have their captain¡¯s band logo screen-printed along its side.

    ¡°Hey, Shika? You mind hanging back a sec,¡± Ranko asked as her squadmates headed back toward the locker room.

    ¡°Yes, captain?!¡± Shika hustled to Ranko¡¯s side as if awaiting the orders of a drill sergeant.

    Ranko shook her head with an exasperated grin. ¡°Shika, how many times do I have to tell you? Call me Ranko.¡± It really was cute, she had to admit, the way Shika idolized her as both a cheerleader and a musician, but man, it got annoying sometimes. It was like packing her most rabid Firebirds with her every time she went to an event.

    ¡°Sure, captain. What did you need?¡±

    Ranko rolled her eyes. ¡°Ranko. Ran-ko. Say it.¡±

    Shika blushed softly. ¡°Okay¡­ Ranko.¡± She looked down at her shoes, fidgeting with her silver hair. Ranko idly wondered if she was where Kumiko had gotten the inspiration for her new hair color.

    ¡°Hey, you and Kayo are pretty good friends, right?¡± Ranko shouldered her bag as she led the sophomore away from the crowd.

    The younger girl nodded. ¡°I think so. Why, what¡¯s up?¡±

    Ranko sighed. ¡°I¡¯m kinda worried about her. Like, she hasn¡¯t even given me a headache talking in, like, three weeks. Her energy level¡¯s way off, and now she¡¯s missing performances. Something¡¯s not right. I was hoping maybe you knew what was up. Is everything okay with her mom and dad, stuff like that?¡±

    Shika shrugged. ¡°She hasn¡¯t told me about anything.¡±

    The captain nodded. ¡°Do me a favor? Keep an eye on her, and let me know if there¡¯s anything I can do to help her. She won¡¯t talk to me about whatever¡¯s going on, but it¡¯s getting pretty hard to ignore.¡±

    The silver-haired girl nodded. ¡°Yes, captain! Is there anything else?¡±

    Ranko scoffed, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. ¡°Girl, you¡¯re a lost cause. Go on, get outta here. I got something I gotta do before I go change.¡±

    Adjusting the weight of her bag on her shoulder, Ranko walked slowly toward the Shibuya bench, where the home team was still celebrating their trouncing of Ranko¡¯s Lions. She approached the match¡¯s victor, affecting an almost timid timbre in her voice. ¡°Um, Tatsuya? Could I¡­ talk to you a minute?¡±

    The champion turned to face her, his eyes taking on an all-too-familiar, all-too-stomach-turning glint at the sight of the cheerleader waiting to speak to him. ¡°Honey, you can talk to me about anything you want.¡±

    Ranko sighed. Questions now, barf later. ¡°I wanted to ask you about this tournament you¡¯re in. The Mixed-Style event?¡±

    Tatsuya smirked, lifting one of his legs and setting his foot on one of the folding chairs alongside the arena floor. ¡°No offense, but I don¡¯t think a 90-kilo little thing like you has much of a shot, princess. I can always use more girls cheering for me, though.¡±

    Ranko growled under her breath. Listen here, you jerk! Nobody is allowed to call me princess! She blushed involuntarily, trying to not let him see it lest it encourage his behavior. Nobody except Akane, anyway. I¡¯m only a princess for her. Besides, I¡¯d wipe the floor with you and your goofy-ass fighting stance. For now, best play along, though.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not for me! I¡¯m asking for my boyfriend. Do they let any style compete? How does it work?¡±

    ¡°Boyfriend, huh? We¡¯ll have to work on that, you and me. But as for the tournament? Any dojo can enter as long as it¡¯s on the list of approved styles. Boys, girls, whatever. It¡¯s only separated by age groups. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a school thing or whatever. We¡¯re entering as a school club, but there¡¯s lots of regular dojos competing too. In fact¡­¡± He reached down into his blue gym bag, retrieving a tattered, folded flier. ¡°Here¡¯s all the details. I hope you get your boyfriend to enter. After I beat his ass, maybe you¡¯ll be in the mood for an upgrade.¡±

    Oh, dude, you¡¯re lucky I¡¯m a lot chiller than I used to be. I¡¯d hate to see you embarrassed by a cheerleader in front of all your friends. And, if my wife were here right now to hear you talk to me like that, I¡¯m not sure you¡¯d ever walk again.

    Ranko put on an exaggerated show giggle, slipping the paper into her bag. ¡°Thanks, Tatsuya! Maybe I¡¯ll see you there!¡±

    ¡°Oh, I certainly hope so,¡± he replied with a wolfish sneer.

 5. The Envelope

    Akane sighed, rubbing her watering eyes. They seemed to burn all the time lately, and it was driving her crazy. It¡¯s probably just because I haven¡¯t been sleeping, she thought with a frown. She rested her head back in her seat, closing her eyes to give them a moment to rest. She still had four more stops until her train reached her destination, and she would be happy to give them any reprieve they could get.

    She was so tired that her muscles ached just from the exertion of walking around campus for the day. She¡¯d been working more hours at the Phoenix of late, as Ranko¡¯s popularity had not only packed the bar, but rendered it all but impossible for her to do anything except sing and sign autographs when the bar was open. The bar had been advertising for a new server for weeks, and she hoped Hana would find someone soon. Ideally, someone Hana and the girls don¡¯t have to put back together. I¡¯m not sure Ranko can handle any more sisters.

    Beyond that, her sophomore semester of her chiropractic education was absolutely brutalizing her with homework and clinicals. Akane didn¡¯t remember the last time she came home without four or five hours¡¯ worth of homework to do, although thanks to exams in three of her classes today, tonight offered her a rare reprieve. I am going to walk in the door, kiss my wife, and sleep for a month, she thought hopefully. She felt bad; it was a Tuesday, so Ranko would be off of work, but she just didn¡¯t think she had it in her to hang out.

    Her current curriculum dealt more with general anatomy, as it was required for all medical students, so she had clinical sessions in hospitals to watch the nurses work in addition to her classwork. She knew she¡¯d never use most of the things she was learning in chiropractic practice, and that only if she decided to practice instead of just using the knowledge for martial arts like she¡¯d planned, but she supposed it wasn¡¯t bad to know considering how injury-prone her Cat¡¯s Tongue-addled young wife seemed to be. Plus, it was kind of cool to get trained on some of the more basic techniques. She¡¯d just gotten certified last week for the Heimlich maneuver and CPR, as awkward as it had been to feel like she was making out with that rubber dummy.

    She jolted up as the person in the seat next to her jostled her shoulder. ¡°Huh?¡±

    The young man pointed out the window. ¡°I think you fell asleep. Isn¡¯t this your stop?¡±

    Akane shook the cobwebs from her head. ¡°Shit, yeah, it is! Thanks so much!¡± She gathered her school backpack and made for the exit, hopping down onto the train platform and beginning the short walk for home.

    ¡°Witchcraft, and I¡¯m finally gettin¡¯ through to you, through to you¡­¡± Akane sang under her breath as she walked. Dammit, that freaking song is nailed into my brain, Ranko. It¡¯s gonna be another hit, I just know it.

    Nine minutes later, Akane sighed as she trudged up the stairs to her second-floor apartment, her hand full of junk mail she¡¯d collected from their little mailbox downstairs. She slipped her key into the lock, turning it and popping the door open. ¡°Hey, Ranko. I¡¯m home.¡± The exhaustion was evident in her voice, but she did her best to sound excited to see her young wife anyway, because she always was.

    She kicked her shoes off and dropped her bag by the door, not even bothering to hang it up, but when she turned to face the kitchen, she stopped dead in her tracks. ¡°Okay, what the¡­?¡±

    Ranko beamed at her exhausted wife, closing the few steps from the kitchen to wrap her arms gently around her. ¡°Hi, Akane.¡± She giggled quietly, knowing full well why Akane found herself nearly speechless.

    ¡°Okay, what¡¯s up with¡­ this?¡± Akane motioned across the entire length of Ranko¡¯s body as the redhead released her from her grip.

    Ranko blushed, giggling coyly and fidgeting with the hem of her white lace apron, which she wore over the maid outfit Izumi had bought her for a show more than a year ago. She¡¯d never worn it on stage, and she was glad of it after seeing what a pervert Takao had turned out to be, but it had been in the back of her closet all this time. Seeing the way Yui¡¯s Halloween costume had made Sakura squirm a few days prior had reminded her about it.

    ¡°Well,¡± she said, her face aflame. ¡°I know you¡¯re whipped, and you¡¯re stressed, and so I am going to make it my personal mission to make sure you don¡¯t want for anything tonight. Dinner¡¯s ready, and afterwards, I¡¯ll take care of the dishes, I¡¯ll fetch you drinks, rub your shoulders¡­¡± She dragged her fingers gently down Akane¡¯s chest between her breasts. ¡°Anything you want me to do. I want you to relax and feel wonderful and amazing and loved all night long.¡±

    Akane blushed deeply, rubbing the backs of her fingers down Ranko¡¯s neck and eliciting a shiver and a gasp from the ever-sensitive young woman she¡¯d married four months ago. ¡°You really are the best wife anyone could ever ask for. Do you know that, beautiful?¡±

    Ranko blushed brighter still, fidgeting with her hair coyly. ¡°I hope so. I want to be perfection for you. Always. You deserve it.¡± She giggled as Akane lifted her, albeit with more of a grunt of exertion than usual, onto the kitchen countertop. ¡°Well, okay then. If this is where you want me¡­¡±

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re after, Ranko, and¡­ I want to, so bad, but I¡¯m so tired¡­¡± Akane sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to disappoint you after you¡¯ve done¡­ all this for me.¡±

    Ranko shook her head, resting her hand on Akane¡¯s chest gently. ¡°Akane, don¡¯t get me wrong. I wouldn¡¯t hate it if you felt up to¡­ taking advantage of the help a little bit.¡± She giggled playfully at the suggestion. ¡°But that¡¯s not why I did this. I honestly want to take care of you, and if that means rubbing your back until you fall asleep, then that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯ll do and it won¡¯t bother me at all, I promise.¡± She giggled, biting her lip impishly. ¡°That said, if you wake up with a little more energy¡­¡±

    Akane nodded, still eyeing her wife wolfishly. ¡°Oh, I think I¡¯ll find a way. I¡¯m just floored that you decided on your own to wear that thing. It¡¯s super cute on you. Like, you have no idea. Maybe you should wear it on stage after all.¡±

    Ranko shook her head, leaning forward on the counter and kissing Akane¡¯s bare skin just above her breasts at the edge of the low neckline of Akane¡¯s green sundress. ¡°No. This is just for you, Akane. Nobody else.¡±

    Akane sighed happily, wrapping her arms around the slender songstress. ¡°You are just the most amazing woman on the face of the earth. I am so in love with you, Ranko.¡±

    ¡°I love you too. But, go eat before it gets cold.¡± Akane nodded, heading for the table where two places were already set. Ranko hopped down off the counter to join her, giggling as the tulle petticoat under the dress tickled her legs. It didn¡¯t help matters that Akane holding her like that had gotten her excited, and that never failed ratcheted the Cat¡¯s Tongue sensitivities up into an even more heightened intensity.

    ¡°How did your tests go,¡± Ranko asked as Akane lifted a piece of salmon to her lips with her chopsticks.

    After swallowing the fish, Akane replied. ¡°Pretty good, I think. I¡¯m pretty confident I did well on the pressure points exam, and the organic chemistry one too. Not as sure on the one about drug interactions, but I guess we¡¯ll see.¡±

    Ranko grinned. ¡°Well, if your acupressure class ever mentions a cat¡¯s tongue, you be sure and let me know, okay?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a deal, babe.¡± Akane swallowed again. ¡°Gods, this is good.¡± Between work and school, the couple hadn¡¯t had a home-cooked meal together at home in nearly a week.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Beaming, Ranko nodded. ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t very well say I was going to do anything you want tonight and not start off with your favorite dinner, could I?¡±

    Akane shook her head. ¡°You really thought of everything, didn¡¯t you, flower girl? Gods, you¡¯re incredible.¡± She sighed quietly, willing the food to give her enough energy to reward Ranko for her consideration and her obvious effort.

    Ranko stood, walking behind Akane¡¯s chair. She hadn¡¯t eaten very much, but she wasn¡¯t especially hungry, and besides, she had higher priorities. She reached down to Akane¡¯s shoulders, beginning to knead her sore muscles with her strong fingers. ¡°Good grief, Akane, you could bounce a 500-yen coin off of these things.¡±

    Akane could only purr quietly in response, lolling her head back into her wife¡¯s massage even as she chewed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Ranko slipped into the bathroom door behind her, returning in just a moment with a tube of cucumber-scented lotion. She pulled her wedding ring and her promise ring off her hand, handing them both down to Akane. ¡°Keep an eye on those for me, would ya? They¡¯re pretty important to me.¡±

    She squirted some of the lotion into her left hand, shivering on contact with the cold substance. Ranko rubbed her hands together quickly, trying to warm the lotion both for Akane¡¯s benefit and her own, before returning her grip to Akane¡¯s shoulders. ¡°We¡¯re gonna get this all fixed for you. You¡¯re gonna relax, and I¡¯m gonna take such good care of you.¡± Her voice was halfway between a whisper and a purr, and the effect it had on Akane was almost as soothing as the massage itself. Ranko resisted the overwhelming urge to lean down and kiss her. She said she was too tired to play around, so I shouldn¡¯t encourage her, even though I desperately want to.

    As Akane finished her meal, Ranko sighed happily. ¡°There we go. This is feeling much better in here already. What do you think?¡± She squeezed at Akane¡¯s deltoids, finding them far more relaxed and pliable than they had been.

    Akane turned in her chair, looking up at her wife. ¡°I hope, when I get through four years of chiropractic school, I¡¯m half as good at making people feel amazing as you are right now.¡± She stood, wrapping her arms around Ranko and pulling her into a kiss, feeling the slight girl in the maid outfit shudder in her arms at her touch.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go get changed, I think, so I can relax.¡±

    Ranko looked up hopefully. ¡°Would you like me to help? After all, I did say I¡¯d wait on you all night...¡±

    Akane shook her head with a laugh. ¡°Somehow, I think if I take my clothes off in front of you right now, resting is not what I will end up doing.¡±

    Blushing, Ranko licked her lips. ¡°I mean¡­ you could just lay back, and I could do all the work if you want. If it will relax you, of course. I¡¯ll be good, I promise.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡± Akane grinned deviously, and Ranko squirmed, knowing already what was coming. She¡¯d walked herself right into it. She¡¯d never tell another soul, but it made her insides quiver every time Akane said the phrase. ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re a good girl?¡±

    ¡°If¡­ if you want me to be.¡± Ranko¡¯s voice positively oozed desire.

    Akane shuddered. ¡°Ooooo-kay then! I¡¯m gonna go get changed, before I need a cold shower. Or ten.¡± She leaned in and kissed Ranko once on the side of the neck, giving her a little tease to think about while she walked away.

    Trying to regulate her breath, Ranko walked back over to the dining table. Gotta focus on something else. She said she¡¯s tired. Gotta respect her boundaries. She picked up the bundle of mail, beginning to flip through it. Nothing to turn a girl off like coupons for the local car repair shop.

    Tucked between the third and fourth pages of the apartment community newsletter was an envelope. It had Ranko¡¯s name and address listed, but no return address - a tell-tale sign of an ad dressed up to look like something official. Still, the envelope was a really nice, heavy ivory linen. It felt a little too classy to be an advertisement, even one in disguise. Okay, you got me. Let¡¯s see what this is. She tore the letter open with her fingernail, a skeptical smirk on her face.

    <hr>

    ¡°Okay. That¡¯s better. Now I can relax.¡± Akane walked out of the bedroom five minutes later in a pink satin nightgown. She froze in place as her eyes fell on Ranko, still in her maid dress, splayed on her knees on the yellow linoleum dining room floor. The redhead was holding an ivory tri-folded letter in her hands, and she was crying.

    ¡°Ranko?! Baby, what¡¯s the matter?!¡± Akane closed the distance between them in four strides, and Ranko looked up into her wife¡¯s eyes from her knees. Her cheeks were flooded, but she was smiling. She could not form words, so Ranko handed the piece of paper up to her wife with a trembling hand.

    The letterhead had an embossed gold foil logo Akane had come to recognize from more than one magazine Ranko was subscribed to, and her eyes widened even before she got to the first paragraph. No way! Did she really¡­

    Dear Ms. Tendo:

    We at the Japan Composer¡¯s Association are pleased to inform you that you have been selected for the following Japan Record Award recognitions in the Pop/Rock category:

    Lyrics Award: Ranko Tendo, ¡°Once Upon a Rhyme¡±

    Album (New Artist) Award: Ranko and the Dapper Dragons, ¡°Phoenix Rising¡±

    Gold Disc Award: Ranko and the Dapper Dragons, ¡°Once Upon a Rhyme¡±

    As one of the recipients of the Gold Disc Award, your single ¡°Once Upon a Rhyme¡± has also been nominated for the Japan Record Award for Best Song. As a recipient of the Album (New Artist) Award, your album ¡°Phoenix Rising¡± has also been nominated for the Best New Album (New Artist) Award. The winners of these awards will be announced live on our awards telecast.

    As a multiple award winner, we request that your act perform one song on our live telecast. Our producers will be contacting you shortly to discuss song selection and placement within the program.

    Enclosed, please find passes for you and a guest to our awards gala on December 31st. If you are unable to attend, please contact us at the number below no later than December 15th and designate someone who will collect the award(s) on your behalf.

    Congratulations, and we look forward to seeing you at the event!

    Akane dropped to her knees next to her wife, hugging her tight. ¡°Oh my gods, Ranko, you did it! I¡¯m so, so proud of you, princess!¡±

    Ranko buried herself into Akane¡¯s chest, squealing joyfully. ¡°Can you believe it, Akane?! Crash is gonna die! This has been his dream forever. What am I gonna do? What am I gonna wear? What am¡­¡± Her eyes were frantic with excitement.

    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t recommend wearing that,¡± Akane said with a giggle.

    ¡°Akane!¡± Ranko blushed deeply, fixing her hair from where it had gotten mussed against Akane¡¯s chest. Her smile was absolutely infectious. ¡°I told you, this is just for you. Speaking of which¡­¡± She wiped the happy tears from her eyes with the back of her quivering hand, gazing lovingly up at her wife. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be waiting on you, remember?¡±

    Akane laughed, shaking her head. Adrenaline and excitement had erased all hope of sleep from her mind. ¡°Silly girl. I think this justifies a few minutes of celebration.¡±

    Ranko smiled brightly, shaking her head. ¡°I told you, I am all yours tonight. Now, what can your girl do for you?¡±

    Akane stood with a scintillating grin. ¡°Actually, you could help me with something, now that you mention it.¡±

    Taking Akane¡¯s hand, Ranko raised herself to her feet as well, smoothing out her petticoat. ¡°Anything you want. All you have to do is ask.¡±

    In one fluid motion, Akane swooped her arm behind Ranko¡¯s legs, scooping her up into her arms and cradling her just above waist level.

    Her eyes wide, Ranko reached out, wrapping her arms around Akane¡¯s neck for support. ¡°Hey! This doesn¡¯t feel like me taking care of you.¡±

    Akane grinned down at her, lowering her head to kiss her wife on the forehead as she turned toward the bedroom door. ¡°Sure it is. You¡¯re about to give me exactly what I want. See, I¡¯ve always had this fantasy about making love to a Japan Record Award-winning musician¡­¡±

 6. Taking Out the Trash

    I don¡¯t care what you say, Mr. Imai. These functions are anything but radical.

    Ranko glowered over her precalculus assignment, tossing her pencil to the pressboard desktop in frustration. I¡¯m never gonna get this shit. I swear, I¡¯m not taking math in college. I¡¯m majoring in cooking, singing, and looking cute. She laughed at the absurdity of her own thoughts. Just like everybody else who was a boy until junior year.

    ¡°Need help?¡±

    Ranko looked up at her silver-haired friend, nodding pleadingly. ¡°I thought there were too many kanji, but then math was like, stand back and watch me make up a whole bunch of new symbols that make no damn sense.¡±

    Kumiko leaned over her best friend¡¯s shoulder, picking up the pencil she¡¯d discarded. ¡°Okay, so you almost had this one. Reduce this down here and here, and we get 36x-squared right? Well, if that¡¯s 36 times x squared, what¡¯s the square root of 36?

    ¡°Six,¡± Ranko said, the rise in her voice indicating that she was asking more than declaring.

    ¡°Okay, and the square root of x squared is just x, right? So we¡¯ve got 6x over here, and the other side is just 12, so what¡¯s twelve divided by six?¡±

    ¡°... Two.¡±

    Kumiko nodded, handing Ranko back the Sanrio pencil so she could add her answer to the sheet. ¡°See? You can do this. I think sometimes you just let it intimidate you, and you don¡¯t slow down and think it through.¡±

    The songstress shrugged, drawing a circle around the numeral 2 on her paper. ¡°I guess so. But you make this stuff look so ea¡­¡± She was interrupted by a piercing electric chime blaring from the intercom system announcing the end of fifth period. ¡°Saved by the bell,¡± Ranko enthused with a giggle, stuffing her notebook into her school satchel.

    ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t wanna do sixth period! I just wanna get out of here. It¡¯s Friday, baby!¡± Kumiko laughed as she shouldered her backpack, throwing her arm over Ranko¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You wanna hang tomorrow?¡±

    Ranko shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t; I¡¯ve got that thing with my dad.¡± She blushed with a smile - the fact that the words my dad could pass her lips without disgust was still a novel and wonderful thought to her. ¡°Besides, what are you doing complaining about sixth period? You gotta, what, go make some muffins or something?¡±

    ¡°Look who¡¯s talking, little miss ballerina.¡± Kumiko giggled, nudging Ranko¡¯s arm gently with a fist. ¡°They get you fitted for your pink tutu yet?¡±

    Ranko scoffed. ¡°Oh, fuck off, Kumi. No chance in hell I¡¯m doing any of that stuff, and the deadline to sign up for the end-of-year recital was last month anyway. If you think I¡¯m letting Yui see me doing any of that frou-frou stuff, you¡¯re out of your mind, girl. I¡¯d never live that shit down.¡±

    Kumiko nodded. ¡°So I guess you¡¯re doing your performance through your music class, then?¡±

    The redhead laughed, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m an award-winning singer and songwriter and a cheerleader. I think I perform plenty, thank you very much.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s younger friend sped up for three steps to get ahead of her, turning to face her and stopping her with a stiff arm to her shoulder. ¡°Wait, are you saying you aren¡¯t signed up to do a senior performance?!¡±

    ¡°Why would I? Last thing I got time for is rehearsals and all that stuff. I¡¯ve got a world tour to get ready for, Kumi!¡± Ranko¡¯s mirth faded somewhat at the seriousness in Kumiko¡¯s eyes. ¡°What are you all worked up about, anyway?¡±

    Kumiko shook her head, allowing her forehead to come to rest in her hand. ¡°Ranko, you have got to learn to read the damn requirements paperwork sometime! One of these days, it¡¯s really gonna bite you in the ass and we won¡¯t be there to save you, girl! We¡¯re in a vocational school, so you gotta do a final project. For me, in art, I had to do that portfolio thing, remember?¡±

    Ranko nodded. ¡°You ain¡¯t gotta remind me; you blew off movie night for almost a month finishing that shit up.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± Kumi¡¯s eyes took on an urgent, almost frantic worry. ¡°For performance majors like you, you¡¯ve gotta do a senior performance as a graduation requirement, and you¡¯re running out of time!¡±

    Waving her off as she continued walking toward Kumiko¡¯s locker, Ranko laughed. ¡°I¡¯m covered with the cheerleading thing! I told ya.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not listening, Ranko! They won¡¯t count that! You better find something to sign up for, and quick, or you won¡¯t graduate in March!¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯ll throw a concert in the gym. Maybe I¡¯ll pull a Shiori and drop Not Yours, Don¡¯t Touch on my last day, just for old time¡¯s sake.¡± Ranko laughed, but her voice had taken on a bit of concern.

    Kumi sighed heavily, tossing her bag to the floor and beginning to fidget with the pink combination lock securing her locker. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re gonna let you get away with that, Ran-chan. If I were you, I¡¯d get your butt up to Mrs. Ikara¡¯s office and ask, like, right n¡­¡±

    Her voice trailed off as Kayo Morimoto, youngest of the Yusue High cheerleaders, crashed through the crowd in the corridor, in the opposite direction to the one Kumi and Ranko had been traveling. She was crying.

    ¡°What the¡­?¡± Kumiko started to close her locker, but Ranko put up her hand to encourage her friend to finish her preparations for her next class.

    ¡°I¡¯ll find out.¡± Ranko began weaving her way through the throng after the distraught pigtailed freshman, but quickly lost sight of the smaller girl in the chaos of the student body¡¯s excitement at the impending weekend. Just as she gave up the chase, she was slammed into from behind, and whirled to find herself face-to-face with another of her squadmates. ¡°Hey, Shika! What was all that about with Kayo?¡±

    The silver-haired sophomore sighed. ¡°You asked me to find out what was wrong with her, Captain. Well, I did, and you¡¯re not gonna like it, ma¡¯am.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Come on! There¡¯s gotta be a way to get an exception! I¡¯ve logged more hours on stage than the rest of my class combined!¡±

    The young counselor sighed, offering Ranko a peppermint from the jar on her desk. ¡°My hands are tied, Ranko. This is a requirement for all vocational schools with our accreditation level nationwide. I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re going to have to find a way, or you won¡¯t walk with your class at graduation.¡±

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Ranko gasped, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation. ¡°But I¡¯ve gotta start college! And it looks like the tour¡¯s gonna happen starting in April! I can¡¯t get hung up on this! Not now! There¡¯s gotta be something you can do, Mrs. Ikara. Please! They¡¯ve already closed all the slots for the dance thing; Ms. Kanzawa said there¡¯s no way I can get in. I¡¯ve worked so hard! You¡¯ve gotta be able to do something! I¡¯m begging here!¡±

    Mrs. Ikara sighed. ¡°You really do make this difficult on yourself sometimes, you know? But, you might be in luck. I spoke with the drama teacher, Ms. Zaito, yesterday, and she¡¯s found herself in a bit of a bind. She just had somebody drop out of her cast for their end-of-year performance. So, if you get with her right away before somebody else gets the slot, you might just be able to save your bacon.¡±

    ¡°Drama?! Like, acting and shit? Seriously?¡± Ranko¡¯s eyes were wide as saucers. How am I supposed to¡­

    ¡°Beggars can¡¯t be choosers, Ranko. You¡¯re awfully lucky this opened up this late in the year, honestly. And besides, you might enjoy it if you give it a chance! You ended up really getting into your dance class, after hating it in the beginning, remember?¡± The counselor smiled, trying in vain to cheer up the apoplectic cheerleader.

    Ranko sighed, answering with a hollow defeat in her voice. ¡°Yeah, I guess. I¡¯ll go talk to Ms. Zaito, I suppose. Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on, Ranko. Chin up.¡± Mrs. Ikara smiled brightly. ¡°It¡¯s the weekend! Got any fun plans?¡±

    The redhead nodded, shouldering her bag with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve got a show. I¡¯ve always got a show. But I gotta run. Thanks, Mrs. Ikara.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing, Ran-chan,¡± the counselor called after her, but the frustrated senior had already turned her back and was halfway out of her office.

    Stupid requirements. Making me act, now? Can¡¯t they just count all that bullshit with Eiji? Ranko grumbled to herself as she walked the empty hall toward her locker, the majority of the student body having already begun their weekend. She kicked dejectedly at an empty soda bottle that lay on the floor, not bothering to pick it up, and sending it skittering across the vacant corridor.

    Where the hell am I gonna find the time to learn lines and shit?! I¡¯ll just ask if I can play, like, a tree or something. Stand there, hold my arms out for an hour, get my stupid credit and move on. Friggin¡¯ ridiculous. Where do they get off makin¡¯ me do thi¡­ huh?

    ¡°Please, Kazushi! People are gonna hear you!¡±

    Ranko ducked behind a bank of lockers. Wait, was that¡­

    Silently dropping her black school satchel to the linoleum floor, she crept quietly around the corner, searching for the source of the sound. There, in the darkened hallway between a janitor closet and the side door into the boys¡¯ locker room, she found Kayo Morimoto, youngest of the fourteen Yusue High cheerleaders. The frightened girl was backed against the wall by a familiar beanpole of a boy.

    ¡°I told you, Kayo! How many times do I have to tell you, I expect you to come to my judo matches?! What the fuck good is it dating a cheerleader if¡­ who am I kidding, that¡¯s the problem, isn¡¯t it?! You just forgot again, didn¡¯t you? Fucking airhead.¡±

    Kayo tried to back up as he stepped closer to her, but she had nowhere left to go. ¡°I said I was sor¡­¡± Her apology was interrupted when the back of her boyfriend¡¯s right hand made contact with her cheek, sending her sprawling to the freshly-mopped floor.

    Kazushi Sawaya. Of course it¡¯s you. It¡¯s always the losers who try to act the biggest.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of your apologies, Kayo!¡± The brute stood over her, but stopped short of reaching down for her when he heard a voice behind him.

    ¡°Oooh, that looks like fun!¡± Ranko made no effort to make eye contact with her friend; she was focused entirely on the agitated young man with an excited, almost giddy sparkle in her eyes.

    How sweet of you to give me someone to take this day out on, Kazushi.

    Kazushi turned, rolling his eyes. ¡°This is none of your business, girlie. Best keep moving.¡±

    Still crumpled on the floor, Kayo nodded through her tears. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ranko. Go home.¡±

    ¡°But, I wanna try!¡± Ranko almost whined as she skipped toward the young man in her red school pinafore, a bright smile on her face. Her vapid, giggly demeanor was somewhat disorienting given the circumstances, and so the boy made no effort to react to the approaching cheerleader until her lightning left fist crashed into his cheek and threw him back against a bank of steel lockers to his right.

    ¡°Wow! I knew it! Beating up on someone weaker than you sure is cool, isn¡¯t it?!¡± Ranko affected an amused giggle as she spun on the heel of her school shoe, delivering a roundhouse kick to the boy¡¯s temple and driving him downward to his hands and knees. ¡°Shoulda listened to your judo instructor. Still can¡¯t remember to keep your hands up, dumbass.¡±

    You picked the wrong day to deserve a beating, asshole.

    ¡°Ranko, stop, please,¡± Kayo cried, steadying herself against the wall as she staggered to her feet.

    ¡°Oh, come on, Kayo! It¡¯s super fun to kick the living shit out of people who can¡¯t defend themselves! Isn¡¯t it, Kazushi?¡± As she said his name, she swatted away his weak attempt at a punch with her right hand before driving her left knee across her body, slamming it into his temple. Her strike interrupted his attempt to rise, sprawling him back to the ground spread-eagle on the tile.

    ¡°Let him go, Ranko,¡± Kayo pleaded, but Ranko ignored her. She had seen Kayo slowly recede from her own life for weeks, and now that her captain understood why, she would see it resolved.

    Unsatisfied with the lesson she¡¯d taught Kayo¡¯s boyfriend, Ranko continued throwing kick after kick into the recumbent boy¡¯s midsection, punctuating every few words with another sharp strike of her school sneaker into his torso as he curled up on the floor to protect his ribs. ¡°I think you¡¯re probably gonna want to split up with him, Kayo. He¡¯s definitely not your type. You¡¯re way too strong and way too cool for a loser like him!¡±

    Leaving Kazushi in the fetal position on the floor, Ranko turned back to Kayo. ¡°Come on, Kayo. Let¡¯s get you out of here and get you some ice for your face.¡± She rested her hand gently on her still-crying charge¡¯s back. Kayo shrunk from her somewhat, but did not resist her touch.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t over, you bitch!¡±

    Ranko patted her friend on the back softly. ¡°Hold that thought, Kayo, just for one more second.¡± She turned, closing the few steps back to the cursing boy who had yet to fully make it off of his knees.

    ¡°Oh, I think it is. See, ¡®cause here¡¯s the thing, Kazushi. I know exactly how boys like you think, and what¡¯s really important to you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡± The black-haired boy staggered to his feet, taking a wobbly fighting stance. ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±

    Ranko grinned. Oh, you want a real fight? You¡¯re fucking adorable. ¡°Here, probably best for me to just show you.¡± She took no stance of her own; rather, she just flashed him a mocking sneer and crossed her arms over her breasts smugly.

    The enraged junior roared as he made an undisciplined charge at her, but made it no further than three steps before crumpling back to the ground in a ball with an agonized howl.

    ¡°Those,¡± Ranko spat, as she pulled her left foot back from between his legs. ¡°And if you don¡¯t want to me to feed them to you, you will never speak to Kayo again. Do we have ourselves an understanding, or do I need to explain it again?¡±

    Receiving a weak nod in reply, Ranko turned, placing a supportive hand on her friend¡¯s back again as she scooped her satchel from the floor. ¡°Let¡¯s get outta here, honey. Leave this trash for the janitor.¡±

 7. Stumped

    ¡°Did you ever think I¡¯d end up back here like this,¡± Ranko asked, squeezing her wife¡¯s hand as she stretched her bare legs out over the grass, which had just begun to brown with the chill of fall.

    With a giggle, Akane released Ranko¡¯s hand, placing her fingers on her lover¡¯s cheek and pulling her into a kiss on the secluded little hilltop overlooking the park. ¡°Not in a million years, but I¡¯m glad. You deserve it.¡±

    Ranko smiled brightly as she was released from the kiss, emitting a happy sigh as she looked down on the stage of the little city park amphitheater not a half-kilometer from Furinkan High School. She¡¯d walked past it a thousand times on the way to school, but never could she have imagined she¡¯d be holding a concert on its stage one day as an award-winning female singer and songwriter. The steel trusses supporting the platform¡¯s lights and speakers gleamed in the orange-red blaze of the still-rising sun. ¡°I just hope this works out for Dad the way we want it to.¡±

    Beaming, Akane squeezed her wife¡¯s right forearm tight with both of her arms. It meant the world to her that Ranko was able to consider Soun Tendo her father, both in heart and on paper. The girl deserved a real dad after everything Genma Saotome had put her through. Akane was still beyond overjoyed that their gambit had been successful and Ranko had been officially added to the Tendo family registry, even though every legal document recorded the pair as sisters and not spouses.

    ¡°Are you kidding? You¡¯re gonna pack that place. You always do. And besides¡­ who could resist coming out to meet a sexy little thing like you?¡± Akane ran her fingers gently down the side of Ranko¡¯s neck, eliciting a shudder and a gasp from the redhead in the mauve sweater dress.

    ¡°Akane, I¡­ we need to¡­¡±

    ¡°Shh.¡± Looking around to make sure they were truly alone in the morning still of the park, Akane laid her right index finger over Ranko¡¯s lips. She leaned closer, using her left hand to pull the turtleneck of her wife¡¯s cotton dress down, and gently kissed the smaller girl¡¯s neck with open lips.

    Her breath catching in her throat, Ranko lolled her head to the side to give her lover greater access to her neck, managing to restrain her audible reaction to a quiet whine.

    ¡°I love you, Ranko.¡±

    Ranko nodded with wide eyes as she was lowered onto her back in the grass, whimpering between her words. ¡°I¡­ love¡­¡±

    Akane smiled down at her, stroking her cheek with the backs of her fingers before reaching behind her for the blue flannel blanket they¡¯d brought up to the hilltop. She unfurled it, throwing it over the whole of Ranko¡¯s prone body and pulling it up over her lover¡¯s head before joining her under it.

    ¡°Shh.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°There you girls are. I was starting to wonder.¡± Soun turned to his two youngest daughters with an excited smile, having finished nailing the corrugated cardboard TENDO FOR MAYOR sign to the telephone pole in front of his home.

    Ranko blushed, a glowing smile on her lips and in her eyes as she glanced to her left at Akane over their joined hands. ¡°Sorry, Dad. We were just¡­¡±

    ¡°Taking a walk,¡± Akane finished, wincing with a blush of her own as she noticed a few stubborn blades of grass still stuck to the back of Ranko¡¯s knee-length sweater dress with the last remnants of morning dew.

    ¡°Yes, well,¡± Soun said with a chuckle, slipping the handle of his claw hammer into the pocket of his brown gi pants. ¡°I can imagine for Ranko in particular, being back here must be quite an experience.¡± He blinked in surprise at the bubbly giggle that flowed from his adopted daughter in reply. Well, she is certainly in a good mood this morning!

    ¡°Has anybody showed up yet, Dad,¡± Akane asked, releasing Ranko¡¯s hand to stretch her arms upward with a little grunt.

    ¡°Yes, Toshiaki, he said his name was. He¡¯s waiting in the dojo. He¡¯s quite good, Akane. I was watching him practice for a bit. You¡¯ve done well with him. I¡¯m just so proud of you, you know. Seeing my little girl - my little girls - passing our art to a new generation of students so successfully? It¡¯s everything I could have hoped.¡±

    Ranko blushed deeply at her inclusion in Soun¡¯s little girls declaration. It felt so silly, and yet, so, so sweet. She nodded, resting her head on Akane¡¯s shoulder and looking up at her wife¡¯s face with doe eyes. ¡°Yeah, Akane¡¯s just the best. All of her students know it.¡± And soon, Dad, we¡¯re gonna prove it to all of Tokyo.

    ¡°Alright, you two lovebirds. You better rein that stuff in before the crowds show up, or we¡¯re gonna have the news cameras out here for all the wrong reasons.¡± Nabiki rubbed her eyes, walking out into the front yard in her orange silk bathrobe with a cup of green tea in her hand. The state of her hair made it abundantly clear she¡¯d just woken despite the fairly late hour. ¡°We need to keep the focus on Daddy¡¯s campaign today, remember?¡±

    She sipped at her tea with a dangerous sneer that both of her younger sisters knew all too well. ¡°Then again, they say there¡¯s no such thing as bad press, so on second thought, knock yourselves out. Ranko, any chance you thought to bring any lingerie?¡±

    Ranko almost fell over, her face aflame as Akane cackled sadistically. In all of Nabiki¡¯s good-natured teasing of the young couple, when it came to the dirty stuff, she never failed to ascribe the feminine role to Ranko, and the way it made her squirm amused the hell out of the singer¡¯s new wife.

    Soun blushed as well. ¡°Well, uh, I do, um, think we should start making preparations, do¡­ don¡¯t you, girls?¡±

    Nodding, Ranko turned to her wife. ¡°The demonstration starts at, what, eleven? So, we¡¯ve got just over an hour. We probably should go get changed.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this we shit, missy?¡± Akane grinned. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna be in it.¡±

    ¡°Why not?!¡± Ranko put her hands on her hips defiantly. ¡°You said you wanted all your students there to help. I¡¯m one of your students. I¡¯m here.¡±

    Akane giggled. ¡°One, because you¡¯re a student instructor, and more importantly, two, because you have to go get all beautiful for a concert at noon, little princess.¡± She leaned over, poking her wife on the nose.

    Ranko gasped in mock shock and disgust, covering her cheeks with her palms. ¡°Akane Tendo! Are you saying I¡¯m not beautiful already?!¡±

    ¡°No! I wo¡­ I wouldn¡¯t! Of course you are! I¡­¡± Akane stammered, waving her hands defensively until Ranko¡¯s giggle gave away her tease.

    The redhead threw her arms around her lover, snuggling against her shoulder. ¡°I love you too, babe. I suppose I can consign myself to a makeup chair while you go get all rough and tumble with the boys, but let the record show I could kick all their butts even in a dress and heels if I wanted to.¡±

    ¡°You can do anything you set your mind to, in anything you want, Ranko.¡± Akane giggled, squeezing her around the shoulders from the side. ¡°Or, in nothing at all, if you¡¯d rather.¡±

    ¡°Kasumi!¡± Nabiki turned back toward the house, her steaming tea still in hand. ¡°Please tell me Tofu¡¯s coming to the thing today! I think I¡¯m gonna be sick¡­¡±

    Akane rubbed Ranko¡¯s back through her sweater dress, brushing away another stray blade of crisp brown grass. ¡°Do you need help getting ready? I¡¯m afraid I didn¡¯t pack Izumi, but I¡¯m sure Kasumi or somebody could give you a hand with your makeup if you want.¡±

    Ranko blushed. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You did remember to bring Starlight, and she¡¯s great at that sort of thing!¡± She smiled warmly. How surreal an experience it had been last night, sleeping in Akane¡¯s old bedroom, curled up with her wife and her little stuffed unicorn on the tiny twin bed in the corner that she¡¯d so often tried to pry P-chan out of. More often than not, she had been launched out the window for her trouble. It felt as if she had split her past open and forced it to make space for the wildly different person she was now. Indeed, nearly no trace remained of the rolling disaster that her life had been the last time she had spent a night in Soun Tendo¡¯s home. It felt good to think about.

    ¡°I should be able to put together something good enough. I mean, it¡¯s not like I need to worry about catching any boys, now that I¡¯m a married woman and all.¡±

    The black-haired woman rolled her eyes, shaking her head slowly. ¡°I love you, silly girl. Go on, get to it.¡±

    Soun smiled, watching as the bouncy redhead flitted toward the house where she had once lived under his roof as a miserable young man. It¡¯s so good to see her this happy. Both of them, truly.

    ¡°Oh, Ranko, by the way! The paperwork you asked for is on the table,¡± he called after her.

    <hr>

    ¡°Kiyah!¡±

    Juro Nakahara winced as his roundhouse kick sailed harmlessly over the head of his classmate Satoru. While it was a friendly spar intended to demonstrate the Anything-Goes Martial Arts style, Sensei Akane had promised that the winner of each sparring match would get two weeks off from conditioning drills, and Juro was not about to lose.

    At least, until he did.

    Satoru whirled on his backside like a breakdancer, whirling his legs around his body and clipping Juro¡¯s legs out from under him, sending him sprawling to the grass. A chorus of oooohs came from the hundred or so onlookers standing in a circle around their match as Satoru struck downward with an elbow thrust into Juro¡¯s stomach from a recumbent position alongside him in the grass to secure the victory.

    ¡°Yeah! Great job, guys! You both fought great!¡± Akane clapped loudly for her students, padding across the grass barefoot in her black master¡¯s gi. ¡°So proud of you guys!¡± As she turned to face the crowd, she had to raise her voice to be heard over the sound of a synthesizer being configured and tested on the amphitheater stage a few hundred meters away. ¡°To finish our demonstration, please welcome our newest student, Shiori Nagata!¡±

    Akane, whatever are you going to show off with a white belt, Soun thought as Akane¡¯s only female student beyond the one she¡¯d married approached the center of the grassy clearing. Shiori bowed to her sensei, and then to Akane¡¯s father, before tightening the cloth belt of her white gi.

    The young sensei waved to a man with a green fauxhawk on the stage, and a moment later, the massive speakers surrounding the stage blared to life with a high-energy dance remix of one of the most popular songs of the last year.

    ¡°You ignite, and you¡­ You ignite and you¡­ You ignite and you ri-ri-ririririRISE!¡±

    Shioiri stepped forward into the beginnings of a fast-paced kata, whirling her arms around her body in a flurry of punches blended with blocks against phantom blows and more elegant motions more akin to dance than martial arts. Her smile was infectious. I¡¯m really doing it. This is awesome!

    She launched herself into a chain of three back handsprings, and as she was upside-down in the air for her second, the rumble of the crowd grew louder. By the time she re-stabilized on her feet, she realized why. She was no longer commanding the little patch of well-manicured grass alone. Across the clearing, about fifty meters from her, stood a red-haired girl in twin pigtails adorned with glittery red ribbons, in a navy blue pleated skirt and a white tee shirt emblazoned with TENDO FOR MAYOR in blue ink atop the outline of the Tendo dojo building. The shirt was cut for a boy, and the excess material around the belly was tied in a knot on her right hip exposing just the slightest sliver of her midriff.

    Shiori whipped into a roundhouse kick and Ranko mirrored it identically, spinning into a low sweep in perfect synchronization with her former and future cheerleading squadmate.

    With a grunt of exertion, Ranko threw herself into a double somersault, landing less than two meters from the end of her friend¡¯s opposite maneuver.

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°RAN-KO! RAN-KO!¡± came the familiar chant from the crowd, and Ranko frowned at the sound of it. No, guys. This is about the school, not me. She sighed in quiet understanding. This is why Akane didn¡¯t want me to be a part of the demo, I guess. I just wanted people to know I¡¯m still a martial artist. I¡¯m not just the Barbie doll on the stage. With a resigned wave, she jogged wordlessly from the clearing, leaving Shiori to finish her routine alone as she continued her trek to the amphitheater where her band awaited her.

    A few moments later, Akane led the crowd in clapping for her newest apprentice as she bowed to the group. ¡°Great job, Shiori! Isn¡¯t she amazing, guys?! Would you believe she¡¯s only been part of our dojo for two months?! Remember, my father Soun Tendo, when he isn¡¯t running to be your next mayor, offers classes right here in town! There¡¯s signup forms on the table over there if anyone¡¯s interested! In the meantime, if you turn your attention to the main stage for our spec¡­¡±

    ¡°WHAT¡¯S UP, NERIMA?! Damn, it¡¯s good to be home!¡± Ranko waved to the crowd as onlookers from the various activities filtered their way to the open grassy standing area in front of the amphitheater stage. Out of earshot as she was, the young singer was unaware she¡¯d interrupted her wife.

    ¡°Thanks so much for coming out to support my dad, Soun Tendo! You guys are all gonna be super awesome and vote for him next week, right?¡± She smiled brightly in response to the audience¡¯s loud response of approval.

    ¡°That¡¯s great! You really, should, honestly.¡± She turned to the side of the stage, where Soun sat in a white plastic folding chair waiting to speak after her performance. ¡°He¡¯s strong, kind, and fair. A girl couldn¡¯t ask for a better father, and Nerima couldn¡¯t ask for a better leader. Believe me, I know.¡± She covered her heart with her hand, bowing slightly with a smile. ¡°I love you, Dad, and I¡¯m so, so grateful I get to be your daughter.¡±

    From her place at the base of the stage, Akane wiped her eyes as a chorus of awwwws rained down around her. She, more than maybe anyone, understood just how deeply the sentiments of gratitude and love ran in Soun Tendo¡¯s adopted child, and how traumatizing her life with her biological father had been in stark contrast.

    ¡°Of course, everybody,¡± Ranko said, turning her attention back to the crowd at large. ¡°If you want to help this amazing man become your mayor, there¡¯s a lot more you can do than just vote. We¡¯re looking for as many volunteers as we can get to knock on doors this week and make sure everybody knows when and how to vote! There¡¯s donation buckets for the campaign fund set up over there at the tables, where my sisters are. And, after the show, anybody making a donation of at least three thousand yen is welcome to come up after the show for a picture and an autograph!¡± She wiggled three fingers in the air as she spoke to punctuate the number.

    Not waiting for the crowd¡¯s cheering to die down, she turned back to Soun. ¡°Hope you¡¯re up for lots of smiling and writing, Dad!¡± Soun turned to the crowd, mugging a winning grin as he mimed writing with an invisible pen from his seat. Ranko rolled her eyes playfully and shook her head with a beaming grin of her own. ¡°Oh, okay, I suppose I could be in the pictures too, if you really want.¡± She giggled a bit, adjusting the headset microphone on her head behind her pigtails as it picked up Crash laughing behind her.

    ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s still weird to me, people wantin¡¯ my picture and stuff. I was¡­ kind of a private kid growing up, and the thought that people are so interested in me still kinda blows my mind, ya know? Like, I¡¯m just a regular girl!¡±

    You are anything but, Mrs. Tendo, Akane thought with a blush and a smile as Crash¡¯s guitar began to crack through the crowd¡¯s laughter and murmurs.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a regular¡­ a simple, regular¡­ a normal, regular gi-i-i-irl¡­¡± Emi sung sweetly into her headset, waving to the crowd at stage left.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a regular¡­ a simple, regular¡­ a normal, regular girl,¡± Hitomi repeated as she stalked to the right side of the stage from behind Ranko as Ken¡¯s drums thundered the arrival of the voice the crowd had come to hear.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a regular girl! No need to follow me home, just ¡®cause I pay my light bill with a microphone! I¡¯m not Janet Jackson! I¡¯m not Paula Abdul! Somebody like me¡¯s never gonna be that cool! So, don¡¯t get upset, but I can¡¯t help but laugh whenever someone asks me for an autograph. I just don¡¯t know how to act like a celebrity; it¡¯s just way too crazy for a regular girl like me!¡±

    As she sang, Ranko punctuated the notes with giggles and shrugs, waving to more than a few people she knew in the crowd, even though most of them didn¡¯t know her back. Most of them had never known a girl named Ranko Tendo grew up in their little city, and found themselves wondering how they¡¯d never noticed someone like her, and why they only seemed to remember Councilman Tendo having three daughters.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a regular girl, just like I was before, but now they snap my picture at the grocery store! I¡¯m not Cyndi Lauper, and I¡¯m not Joan Jett. I¡¯m nowhere near that famous! Well, at least, not yet! So, I can¡¯t help but blush and crinkle up my nose when people rush up to me and ask me to pose. They say they can¡¯t believe we¡¯re doing this, and I agree! It¡¯s just way too crazy for a regular girl like me!¡±

    As she sang, Ranko walked the edge of the little stage, reaching down to the crowd and interacting with people wherever she could. She was there to be accessible in order to promote her father¡¯s campaign, after all, and the performance was as much about pressing flesh as it was the music itself ¨C especially since the album the song was a part of wouldn¡¯t even officially release for another few days. She had a few copies of the CD in her purse backstage, reserved in case she ran into someone she knew or the campaign received a truly exceptional donation.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a regular¡­ a simple, regular¡­ a normal, regular gi-i-i-irl,¡± she sang with Emi and Hitomi, shimmying her shoulders with each little note in the run of her syncopated chorus, bouncing around the stage with excitement as she did. She stretched out her tee shirt, still tied in a knot on her right hip to make it fit her form better, to smooth any wrinkles and make sure its message was clearly visible as she pointed to the words for emphasis while staring down the barrel of a middle-aged woman¡¯s Nikon camera.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a regular girl. Why are they so impressed? They write whole articles about the way I¡¯m dressed! I¡¯m not Bonnie Tyler. I¡¯m not Chaka Khan. So, why do people care about what I have on? This dress was clean this morning. It¡¯s a pretty blue. They asked me who designed it, and I have no clue!¡±

    She giggled, pointing with her thumb over her shoulder at one of the folding tables to the left side of the stage, where the designer of her shirt was currently accepting donations for their father¡¯s campaign. Of course they put Nabiki in charge of the money, Ranko thought with a grin. Akane for the martial arts demo and me for music, and Kasumi¡¯s in charge of hospitality.

    Ranko grinned at her adoptive father. All four of your girls are here for you, Dad. Just like it should be.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m a little underdressed for VIP? It¡¯s just way too crazy for a regular girl like me!¡±

    She flitted over to the edge of the stage, leaning down and blowing a kiss into the lens of a television camera that was recording her performance for a snippet on the evening news. She waved with a bright grin, making sure the campaign message on her tee shirt was still prominently visible as she did.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a regular girl, and I don¡¯t get why they would care at all about the things I have to say. I¡¯m not Stevie Nicks, Gloria Estefan¡­ why would they talk to me when they could have them on? Every single time that I get interviewed, I only answer their questions so I don¡¯t seem rude. Don¡¯t know why you¡¯d wanna hear my whole biography; it¡¯s just way too crazy for a regular girl like me!¡±

    As Hitomi and Emi crisscrossed on stage, repeating the one-line chorus, Ranko ran to the middle of the stage, leaning down and snatching a Polaroid camera from a standing fan in the front row. She turned, sitting cross-legged on the concrete stage with her back to the crowd, giving a wink and a smile and throwing up two fingers in the typical why, yes, I am an idol gesture. She held the camera high above her, pointing it at herself at an angle that would capture the majority of the crowd behind her, and pressed the green button atop the little black device to snap a picture. With another wink and a wave, she handed the camera back to the young man who had been holding it, keeping the film square that had been ejected from it in her hand and waving it in the air to accelerate its development as she bounced back to her feet and continued to sing.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a regular girl, and I am still surprised by how much better I look in random strangers¡¯ eyes. I¡¯m not Tina Turner. I¡¯m not Taylor Dayne. When people treat me like it, it still feels insane! People I¡¯ve been friends with for my whole life long aren¡¯t as impressed as folks get when they hear my songs. Sometimes I wish that I could be the girl they think they see, but it¡¯s just way too crazy for a regular girl like me!¡±

    Ranko held up the photograph she¡¯d taken to her face, planting a quick kiss on the white margin under the film frame and leaving an imprint of her hot pink lipstick. She walked over to the edge of the stage again, handing it down to the young blond man in the blue-and-white Furinkan High athletics jacket that she¡¯d taken the camera from. She couldn¡¯t help but giggle as his friends supported the limp fan from behind as he started to fall backward. Look at you, Ranko. Two years removed from being a boy, and the thought of your kisses is making the boys faint.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a regular girl, and not in all my plans could I have ever imagined I¡¯d have all these fans!¡± She pointed with both hands out to the crowd, sweeping her hands across the stage at breast level to indicate the breadth of the gathered revelry while its constituents whooped in self-congratulation.

    ¡°I¡¯m not Annie Lennox. I¡¯m not Bonnie Raitt. Have a hard time believing that I¡¯m all that great. Sure, I always hoped, one day, I¡¯d be a star, but it still feels so weird when suddenly, you are! They say that I¡¯ll be almost used to it by album three; right now, it¡¯s way too crazy for a regular girl like me!¡±

    Ranko flitted to the back center of the stage, squeezing Emi¡¯s hand as the pair joined in song. ¡°I¡¯m just a regular¡­ a simple, regular¡­ a normal, regular gi-i-i-irl!¡± Like Ranko, both backup dancers wore short pleated skirts and Tendo for Mayor tee shirts, though Hitomi and Emi had opted for simple high ponytails for the event, each held in place with sparkly blue ribbons.

    Slapping Hitomi¡¯s hand in a high-five as she crossed her on stage, Ranko and her brunette backup singer repeated the single line of the chorus. ¡°I¡¯m just a regular¡­ a simple, regular¡­ a normal, regular girl!¡±

    Ranko flitted over to the edge of the stage, offering Soun her hand and pulling him to his feet. She motioned to him with a smile as the crowd cheered for their preferred candidate, and Ranko leaned into him for a hug as she sang.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a regular girl, and I don¡¯t understand why people think I¡¯m special ¡®cause I¡¯m in a band! I¡¯m not Whitney Houston or Pat Benetar. I¡¯m not sure how my voice has carried me this far. So, if I seem dazed with people I¡¯ve just met, it¡¯s ¡®cause my life¡¯s a dream; don¡¯t wanna wake up yet! I still can¡¯t believe my name is up on that marquee! It¡¯s just way too crazy for a regular girl like me!¡±

    Soun waved to the cheering audience, returning to his seat as Ranko whipped her head over her shoulder to face the audience one last time, the key of the song dropping by a third-octave for the final half-verse.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a regular girl, but I have real big dreams, and every day, some more are coming true, it seems! I mean, I¡¯m not Madonna, and I¡¯m sure not Cher¡­¡±

    She turned to the right, flashing the brightest smile she could possibly exude down at the young woman in the black gi watching from the edge of the stage. She pointed down to the twin kanji screen-printed in blue across her chest, indicating the family name she¡¯d taken as her own. That she¡¯d bled and begged for.

    ¡°BUT I AM RANKO TENDO, and I¡¯M GETTING THERE!¡±

    She blushed at the crowd¡¯s roar of approval, singing over the din to complete her last verse.

    ¡°Even if I¡¯m flustered, it means everything that you take time to listen when you hear me sing. I just can¡¯t express how grateful I am that you¡¯d be so incredibly supportive of a regular girl like me!¡±

    ¡°RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO!¡± called the ebullient crowd as the four instruments positioned behind Ranko on the little concrete stage of the amphitheater finished their work, leaving her to sing the last line unaccompanied.

    ¡°Making music with my friends for you is honestly the greatest thing that¡¯s ever happened to a regular girl like me¡­¡±

    Ranko waved to the crowd with a bow, waiting for the cheering to die down before speaking. ¡°Thanks, you guys! Man, it means so much to be able to come back here and sing for you, and see everybody I know and so many of you that love and support my dad. I hope everybody¡¯s having a good time today! Don¡¯t forget, if you¡¯re hungry, the Uk-chan¡¯s cart is set up right back there by the pavilion, and ten percent of your purchase today goes to the Tendo for Mayor campaign fund! It¡¯s the best-tasting campaign donation you¡¯ll make all day! Thanks, Ukyo! We love ya!¡±

    A loud whoop of appreciation rose from the crowd for the proprietor of the city¡¯s favorite okonomiyaki cafe.

    ¡°You guys know Soun Tendo, and all he¡¯s done for this community. He¡¯s been a part of the city council for years, and he¡¯s been the organizer of the city watch, too. He¡¯s kept you safe from prowlers, wild pandas, all kinds of weird stuff!¡± Other than the occasional panty raid, of course.

    ¡°But, Daddy, I really can¡¯t help but wonder¡­¡± Ranko spun quickly to face her adoptive father with a hopeful smile, her twin pigtails and skirt swishing in a pair of parallel arcs behind her. ¡°Do you really think you have what it takes to protect the good people of Nerima from¡­ a demon?¡±

    The crowd erupted as Shinji¡¯s evil cackle rained down on them from the massive speakers overhead.

    ¡°Whoa-oh-oh, uh-oh! Look out, look out!¡±

 8. A Slow Night

    ¡°The slightest little touch, and I am hypnotized, just focused on how much I need you between my thighs. Whatever I was thinkin¡¯, baby, now it¡¯s gone, ¡®cause babe, you turn me off every time you turn me on!¡±

    A whoop rose from the half-empty dance floor of the Phoenix as Ranko leaned against the side wall, placing the sole of her right foot up on it with a bent knee and biting her lip suggestively as she looked out at the audience. The hem of her pleated pink skirt, with the twin white lines of piping around its lower edge, tickled the back of her left knee as it slipped a bit further up her right thigh.

    Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that it was a slow, rainy Monday night at the Phoenix, as the stage was a Dapper Dragon short. Fortunately, Jake, audio production wizard that he was becoming, had been been able to isolate the percussion tracks from several of the group¡¯s studio recordings and play them alongside the rest of the band¡¯s live instruments to account for their missing drummer.

    ¡°Uh-huh. I¡¯ll tell her. Thanks, Ryo.¡± Sighing, Izumi pushed the green talk button on the beige cordless telephone in her hand, and it acknowledged the completion of its work with a sad little beep. She turned her eyes back up to the stage, where her little sister was, gods love her, trying desperately to milk just a little more excitement out of the half-capacity crowd with her most salacious song. With some of those moves, baby sister, you¡¯re damn lucky Akane¡¯s not here tonight. She might not appreciate you showing off quite that much of what belongs to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready and willing. Empty out my head. Take your time in filling¡­ something else, instead! Whatever I was thinking, baby, now it¡¯s gone, ¡®cause babe, you turn me off every time you turn me on!¡±

    Her song finished, Ranko looked down from the stage as Izumi approached, breathless from her choreography. She wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her right wrist as she waited for her sister to reach the edge of the stage, sighing heavily when Izumi shook her head in the negative.

    ¡°Okay, Phoenix, we¡¯re gonna take five, and when I come back, we¡¯re gonna get a little Sneaky up here, cool?¡± A smattering of cheers rose from the hundred-and-eighty-or-so bar patrons as the songstress removed her headset microphone and made her exit from the stage. Ranko was halfway down the three steps to the bar floor, Shinji and Crash right behind her, when Izumi met her there. ¡°What¡¯s the verdict, Iz?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, honey. No good. Ryo says he¡¯s still down sick. Can¡¯t keep anything down. So, it looks like you¡¯re a quartet tonight again.¡± Izumi signed at the dismay in her sister¡¯s eyes.

    Scoffing, Shinji ruffled his spiky brown hair, expelling an arc of salty sweat from its frosted tips.  ¡°Seriously? That dude needs to like, eat his damn veggies or something. Me and Crash had the same bug, and we were good in like a day and a half. I bet he just likes laying in bed having his boyfriend take care of him.¡±

    ¡°Shinji Yokota! You be nice! I¡¯m sure Ken would be here if he felt up to it!¡± The middle of the five Phoenix sisters rested both her fists on the hips of her yellow floral dress, glaring at Ranko¡¯s bassist disapprovingly.

    Ranko blushed, giggling at her friend¡¯s admonishment. ¡°Oh shit, dude! You just got full-named by Mama Bear Izumi. You¡¯s in trou-ble!¡±

    ¡°Whatever, Ranko.¡± Shinji shrugged with a good-natured laugh, sliding past his band¡¯s lead vocalist and her sister on the steps to reach the bar room floor. ¡°Izzi isn¡¯t the first of you girls I¡¯ve pissed off, and probably won¡¯t be the last.¡± He chuckled, remembering his blue-haired ex-girlfriend as he watched her eldest sister Ayako carry a pizza out from the kitchen through the blue slatted saloon door and set it on the service bar counter. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go out back and burn one. Crash, you comin¡¯?¡±

    Ranko nodded to her blond best friend as he propped his guitar up in the little padded tripod stand behind him. ¡°Go on, get outta here. I gotta talk to Iz a second anyway. Jake, what about you?¡±

    The green-haired keyboardist looked up from the little makeshift audio station in the corner behind the VIP table. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good. I wanna try to pull another drum iso or two, so we have a couple more song options for tonight. Any requests?¡±

    Ranko shrugged, pulling on her black leather jacket. She felt like such a diva when she wore it, ever since Izumi had spelled out her name on the back of it with a few hundred white rhinestones prior to her concert at Tokyo Disneyland in July, but it beat being cold. The bar was warm enough despite the damp mid-November chill outside, but her red Phoenix staff tee shirt was drenched with sweat from dancing and the damp was creeping into her Cat¡¯s-Tongue-heightened nerve endings. ¡°You think you can get Demon? I mean, I know it¡¯s a shitload of bass.¡±

    Jake gave a bit of a shoulder shrug, but nodded. ¡°I think so? I might need an extra few minutes, but I¡¯ll give it a whack.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Jake! Good luck!¡± Ranko waved to him as she followed her sister back to the service bar, sighing at the pizza still sitting on the counter. ¡°One sec.¡± She snatched it up, and before Izumi could lodge her protest, Ranko had carried the cooling aluminum tray halfway to table sixteen.

    Four photos and an autograph later, Ranko padded back to the main bar counter, hopping up on one of the red vinyl-covered stool seats. She cringed as she noticed the wandering eyes of the middle-aged man on the stool to her right, adjusting her posture on her seat to allow her pleated skirt to cover more of her legs.

    ¡°This is why you¡¯re not supposed to run food anymore, Ranko. You can¡¯t serve tables effectively if you gotta stop for a meet-and-greet every time you bring a refill, goofball.¡± Izumi sighed, handing her sister a cold glass of soda.

    The redhead nodded, sucking appreciatively on the plastic straw protruding from the Collins glass in her hand. ¡°I know, but¡­ It¡¯s so hard to leave things undone. You girls are fucking whipped, and I wanna help.¡±

    Izumi reached across the bar counter, tucking a wisp of Ranko¡¯s sweat-slick red hair behind her ear with a smile. ¡°I know you do, honey. You¡¯re so sweet. But you¡¯re doing your job. It¡¯s just, your job isn¡¯t down here anymore. It¡¯s up there, on stage. We¡¯ll be alright. We just gotta get through another month or two, and after Aya has the baby, she said she¡¯d come help more if she can.¡±

    Ranko nodded grimly. ¡°I know, I know. Just, you¡¯re running yourself ragged dealing with Mioko, and Akane¡¯s practically a zombie with school these days. Aya¡¯s gonna come, sure, but you know having a newborn¡¯s gonna kick her ass, too. And, if the tour happens, and me and Akane are gone for a while entirely, I just¡­ I worry about you girls.¡±

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t.¡± Izumi reached across the bar again, giving Ranko a playful, gentle nudge on her forearm with a loving smile. ¡°The last time we had to put a Now Hiring sign up in that window, it worked out pretty great for us, so I¡¯m confident. Hopefully we¡¯ll find somebody to hire soon, and we can get them trained before you and Akane go all jet set on us. And I mean¡­ as much as Mei¡¯s got a new career goal every week, we ain¡¯t getting rid of her anytime soon. And Yui¡­ shit, they¡¯re gonna bury her in this place one day, right next to Mama.¡±

    The brunette sighed heavily. ¡°Ranko, I know you don¡¯t want to hear it, but¡­ you won three fucking Japan Record Awards, you¡¯re probably about to win two more, and your second album drops a week from now. I know this place is home for you, like it is for all of us, but¡­ you¡¯ve kind of outgrown the Phoenix, honey. You need to start worrying about the bigger things you have in front of you, little sister.¡±

    Ranko shook her head forcefully, her dangly silver heart earrings sticking to her sweat-slick neck. ¡°Not a chance. Like you said, this place is home. I was practically born here, Izzi - at least, the person I am now was. I don¡¯t care if they ask me to open for Paula Abdul, the day I get back, I¡¯ll be slinging Dragonfires right next to you and Yui. You¡¯re not getting rid of me that easy. I love this place, and I love all of you. I always will.¡±

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Nobody says you can¡¯t love it, Ranko, just that¡­ it might not always be the best use of your time.¡± Izumi smiled warmly. ¡°We can always teach another girl to refill drinks and bake pizzas, but you? The things you do on stage? The music you write? That¡¯s one of a kind, Mrs. Tendo. Irreplaceable. And, speaking as a true Firebird, I don¡¯t want to wait an extra two months to hear your third album because you were too busy delivering chicken wings to write songs!¡± Izumi giggled, taking Ranko¡¯s empty glass and refilling it for her with the soda gun in the service well before returning it to her parched singer sister. ¡°And besides, it¡¯s not just the music. You¡¯re gonna be our little college girl in another few months, too!¡±

    Ranko blushed. The thought that she had somehow, despite everything, earned her way into a college still boggled her mind. It made her simultaneously proud beyond measure of all she¡¯d achieved, and a little light-headed with embarrassment at the idea that she¡¯d earned her chance for a college education not by her academic prowess, but with her talents as a cheerleader of all things. Gods, Ranma, you would have a stroke if you knew how far I¡¯ve come in life just by setting fire to every limit you ever put on my existence as a girl.

    ¡°Yeah, well, all of you worked here all through college, and Akane is doing it right now. I¡¯ll manage, too.¡± Ranko smirked, her gaze falling on a faded scar at the base of her right palm as she lifted her soda glass to her lips again. ¡°Hide your pizza ovens.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not funny, kiddo.¡± Izumi sighed again. ¡°Just think about it, okay? Please? We all want what¡¯s best for you, Mama and all of us. Even if it¡¯s not here.¡± Her face brightened into a smile. ¡°But, speaking of your awards, I had an idea.¡±

    Ranko giggled. ¡°If it¡¯s the thing Kaito suggested the other day, I think it¡¯s great. He said he¡¯s gonna make a little display case right behind the bar for the trophy things, so we can show ¡®em off and everybody knows this bar is where Ranko and the Dapper Dragons come from.¡±

    With a roll of her eyes, Izumi leaned forward, resting her chin in her hands and her elbows on the polyurethane-coated bar top. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to keep those, like, at your place? They¡¯re yours. I¡¯m sure the boys will be taking theirs home.¡±

    ¡°Nah,¡± Ranko said, sliding her again-empty glass across the bar. ¡°I¡¯ll keep the next set. And like I said, this is home. But anyway, what was your idea?¡±

    ¡°Well, you got me thinking. You said they want you to do your song right after the New Album Award presentation, right? That means you¡¯re not gonna have time to change clothes in between, and they¡¯re gonna want you in your formal dress for the award presentation when - not if, you win. That means you¡¯re gonna need something pretty, but that you can perform in.¡±

    Ranko blushed at the idea that she was once again going to be stuffed into a formal gown, but nodded and managed a smile. ¡°I¡¯m listening. I¡¯m nervous, because I still lift my heavy-ass wedding dress in the closet whenever I want a workout, but I¡¯m listening¡­¡±

    Izumi¡¯s eyes took on a victorious shimmer. ¡°So I figured out how we can do it, and if we can pull this off, it¡¯s gonna be fucking amazing. But, fair warning, it¡¯s gonna be hot as hell.¡±

    The singer laughed as she nodded to Sakura, who had just entered the bar through the front door. Yui¡¯s girlfriend wore a blue blazer over a cream-colored silk blouse and a black pencil skirt, and she looked more than a little stressed as she made a beeline for the bar on her tall black heels.

    ¡°Well, as the song goes, Izzi¡­ You¡¯re talking to a Phoenix; I was fucking born in fire.¡±

    Izumi nodded, leaning over the bar toward her youngest sister and lowering her voice. ¡°So, here¡¯s what I was thinking¡­¡±

    Sakura slipped behind the bar, sliding past Izzi with an urgency in her eyes, and pulled Yui into a tight hug. Her voice carried a quiet sadness that disquieted all three of the Phoenix sisters in earshot. ¡°Hey, babe.¡±

    The blonde bartender looked up as she was embraced, gently returning her tin shaker to the bar as best she could with her satin-sleeved arms pinned to her sides. ¡°Hey to you too, I guess. You okay, Sakura? Did the meeting not go well?¡±

    ¡°Can¡­ Can we go talk somewhere private for a minute?¡± Sakura released Yui from the hug, taking her girlfriend by the hand instead.

    Yui gave a slow, nervous nod. ¡°O¡­kay? You¡¯re scaring me, love. C¡¯mon, we can use Mama¡¯s office.¡± Sakura turned back to the saloon door, pulling Yui behind her by the hand. Izumi, having finished blowing Ranko¡¯s mind with her fashion idea, slid to her left and picked up Yui¡¯s shaker, resuming the construction of a pair of Dragonfire cocktails for a young flight attendant and her date, and the redheaded songstress loped back to the stage for her next set.

    Yui pushed the door to Hana¡¯s office open, and as she did, Ayako sat up in surprise from the tattered leather chair behind the desk. The heavy thunk sound of the thick blue hardcover book she¡¯d been reading being slammed shut still lingered in the air as she rocketed out of the chair. ¡°Yui, Sakura, hey. Did you¡­ need something?¡± She tucked the book behind her back, holding it with both hands.

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s officially Weird Yui Out Day, apparently. Sakura just wanted to talk alone for a minute, but if you¡¯re busy¡­¡± The blonde shrugged. ¡°We can go upstairs, probably.¡± Unless, like, Mei¡¯s up there with some boy, or a zebra, or something. It¡¯s been just that kind of day where any kind of weird shit could happen.

    Ayako shook her head, sliding toward the door, careful not to let either of the other women see the cover of the huge, jacketless book she concealed behind her back in both hands. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s okay. If you¡¯re gonna be in here for a bit, I should go up front and help Izzi and Ran-chan anyway.¡± Sakura stepped into the room, clearing the space around the doorway to allow the pregnant woman to more comfortably pass into the hallway.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Yui said as she pulled the door closed. Her single-word sentence was punctuated with an ominous click from the door latch that pierced the quiet between the two women. ¡°Now, would you please tell me what¡¯s going on with you? You¡¯re kinda freaking me the fuck out, girlfriend.¡±

    Sakura sighed, sitting on the beat-up leather couch along the right wall and crossing her legs at the knee. ¡°So, I had my review today, like I thought.¡±

    Yui sighed heavily, wheeling the ripped leather chair out from behind her mother¡¯s desk and sitting in it facing the couch. ¡°You didn¡¯t get the promotion.¡± Her voice was sorrowful and soothing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, love.¡±

    The black-haired woman bit her lip, shaking her head. ¡°No, Yui. I did.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s great! Shitty of you to play all glum and fake me out, though! When do you start the new gig? We¡¯ll have to work with Mei on the details of getting you moved in and everything!¡± Yui reached forward to hug her girlfriend, but stopped when she realized Sakura was not dropping the act.

    ¡°Babe? What aren¡¯t you telling me?¡±

    Sakura sighed, looking down at her well-manicured fingernails. ¡°They offered me vice-president of bar operations for the whole chain, Yui. All two-hundred-some properties. But¡­ the job¡¯s in the home office, in Fukuoka.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Yui swallowed hard. ¡°That¡¯s like, so far away. How are we gonna¡­¡±

    Sakura reached out, taking Yui¡¯s hands in both of hers and giving them a tight squeeze. ¡°I want you to come with me, Yui. I get to hire my own people. I could put you in charge of training every bartender at a Sugoi property nationwide. It¡¯d be so much more money for both of us, and we could get a nice condo on the beach together, maybe a dog or something. Maybe a couple of rings or something¡­¡± She looked up with a hopeful smile, praying it would conceal the worry in her eyes.

    ¡°Sakura, I¡­¡± Yui let go of her girlfriend¡¯s hands, standing and beginning to pace around the cluttered office. ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t know what to say. It¡¯s just, it¡¯s so much. Like, that sounds great, but¡­ what about this place? My sisters and my mom?¡±

    The brunette nodded, standing as well and wrapping her arms tight around Yui. ¡°I know. It¡¯d be a huge change, and it¡¯s a big ask. But this place¡¯ll be fine. Your mom can pass it to Mei; the gods know she needs a direction. I just¡­ this opportunity is everything I¡¯ve been fighting my ass off for years to get, and¡­ I want to share it all with you, Yui. I love you so much.¡±

    ¡°I love you too, Sakura. I really, really do, more than I ever thought I could love somebody again after Kimi. But¡­ it¡¯s¡­¡± Yui looked down into the shorter girl¡¯s eyes, her own welling with tears. ¡°I need some time with this. When do you need to let them know?¡±

    ¡°They want me to start first of the year, so, a couple weeks, tops.¡± Sakura sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to pressure you like this, Yui. I just¡­ I want¡­¡±

    Yui nodded, wiping her eyes with the sides of her fingers before pulling her girlfriend into a kiss.

    ¡°I know.¡±

 9. Doing It With Style

    Ranko sighed nervously, shouldering her silver Yusue High cheerleading gym bag over the padded shoulder of her forest green business suit. Her matching green heels clacked severely on the linoleum floor of the empty atrium she strode across. She winced as her eyes found a cheap analog clock mounted high above the double door, shaking it off as she pulled the door open. Shit. A minute late, but hopefully they¡¯re not sticklers for that sort of thing.

    Crammed into one corner of the gym, a pair of long folding tables covered with green tablecloths were butted end-to-end with six men seated at them. Two were in dress shirts and ties, one wore a blue polo shirt, two wore athletic-fit tee shirts and the last was in a black gi. Her eyes kept falling back on the man in the polo shirt. Where do I know that dude from? Is he a regular at the Phoenix?

    I definitely overdressed, Ranko fretted as she took one of the empty white plastic folding chairs facing the dais. There were maybe a dozen other people in the seats, though there were chairs enough for nearly fifty.

    ¡°Calling this meeting of the Honshu Mixed-Style Martial Arts Tournament board of directors to order,¡± the balding man on the far left said, banging on the table a little too hard with his little wooden hammer and nearly spilling the glass of water on the table in front of the gi-clad man to his right. ¡°For our first order of business, with the tournament now just three months away, we will need to finalize the dojo roster tonight so we can begin contacting the senseis about the rules and participants.¡±

    ¡°To that end,¡± a young blond man in a tee shirt advertising an aikido dojo said, leaning forward into his tabletop microphone. ¡°We currently have fifteen registered dojos representing a dozen martial arts including aikido, kempo, muay thai, capoeira, jiu jitsu, jeet kune do, kendo, kung fu, tai chi, judo, taekwondo, and karate. So, we¡¯re thinking it¡¯s going to be a pretty well-rounded tournament this year!¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± the balding man said, ¡°we¡¯re excited about it for sure. We think it will provide excellent exposure for all of our competing clubs and dojos this year.¡± That guy must be in charge, Ranko thought. ¡°Did we get any last-minute applications to round out the entrants to an even sixteen, Sensei Yanda?¡±

    The blond man nodded sadly. ¡°One, but we weren¡¯t able to accept it because the art wasn¡¯t on the approved list.¡± He looked down at his notes. ¡°Anything-Goes Martial Arts? Never heard of it, personally. You guys?¡±

    Ranko swallowed hard, fidgeting in her seat as four of the five other men on the dais shook their heads, but the man in the polo shirt raised his hand. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard of it, once. About two years ago, some crazy girl came into my dojo and challenged me to try and show it off. I wiped the floor with her, and haven¡¯t heard about it since.¡±

    Fuck! That¡¯s where I know him! He¡¯s the sensei from that place across the street from the Phoenix!

    ¡°Well, then if we don¡¯t think the style can be competitive, I suppose we will have no choice to deny the application,¡± the president said, and he lifted his gavel again. Before it could strike the table, Ranko took a deep breath and stood.

    ¡°Excuse me, please?¡± She took a step into the aisle, walking forward from her place in the third row down the center aisle so that she could be seen.

    ¡°Wait, is that¡­¡± The sensei in the polo shirt sat up in his chair, and Ranko looked down at her hands. She was still more than a little ashamed at the way he¡¯d defeated her, even though she¡¯d been at a significant disadvantage at the time owing to far more than the Full-Body Cat¡¯s Tongue.

    Ranko nodded weakly. ¡°Yes. I did fight you a few years ago, but it wasn¡¯t a challenge. I just wanted a job.¡±

    ¡°And now you want into the tournament, after the beating you took? Aren¡¯t you worried you¡¯re just going to embarrass yourself?¡± Again. The ogre of a man smirked, proud of himself as he leaned back in his chair.

    Ranko swallowed hard again. She''d prepared for this possibility, but the chance she¡¯d have to come face-to-face with that particular person was not something she¡¯d considered. ¡°With respect, sir, when we fought, you restricted me to using kempo moves. Anything-Goes Martial Arts is about blending dozens of styles together - including every style represented in the tournament and more - to maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses. Asking me to use kempo only was like telling a songwriter she¡¯s only allowed to use one note.¡±

    Also, you were fighting a girl half your size, with the Full-Body Cat¡¯s Tongue curse, who hadn¡¯t eaten or slept in three days. Keep patting yourself on the back, there, buddy.

    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to give you and the board a demonstration, and I would greatly appreciate it if you¡¯d give me that chance before disqualifying my dojo.¡±

    The aikido sensei nodded. ¡°I think it¡¯s a perfectly reasonable idea. After we¡¯re finished with the rest of the meeting, then? What do you all say?¡± His question received nods from four of the other board members.

    ¡°We don¡¯t do kata here in the tournament. You¡¯ll have to prove you can actually fight,¡± the kempo sensei said as he cracked his knuckles.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be ready,¡± Ranko said, bending down and picking up her gym bag.

    <hr>

    Okay, Ranko. You can do this. Don¡¯t let him get in your head. Last time, you were fighting for something to eat. This time? It¡¯s for Akane¡¯s dojo. For her honor. Way more important.

    Ranko set her silver gym bag, now containing her heels and the green skirt suit and cream-colored silk blouse she¡¯d worn to the meeting, off near the bleachers of the high school gymnasium where the meeting had been held. She padded to the center of the cavernous gym on bare feet in her purple student-instructor gi, her hair pulled back in a black ribbon to match the cloth belt around her waist, and began hopping on her toes to loosen up. Honestly, in a basketball gym like this? I should have just worn my cheerleading uniform; I¡¯d have felt right at home, she thought with a blush. And it really would have gotten his goat, too.

    The chairs for the board meeting¡¯s attendees had been removed save those on the dais, and Ranko watched as five of the board members retook their seats after a few minutes to refresh their drinking water and have a break when the meeting ended. The kempo sensei had not returned; Ranko assumed he had gone to change into a gi of his own.

    She issued a deep, formal bow to the five remaining board members. Even if he decides to be a jerk, I just have to put on a good enough show to get the rest of their votes. I doubt it has to be unanimous. ¡°Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to demonstrate my art, everyone.¡±

    ¡°To claim to have mastered elements of all of these styles¡­¡± An older man in a coral dress shirt and a maroon tie adjusted his glasses as he read over her application form. Ranko had needed to write on the back of it; she¡¯d run out of room on the form to list over thirty martial arts that she knew at least one move from, not counting specialty techniques like the Cat Fist and the Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire maneuver. ¡°How long have you been studying?¡±

    ¡°Almost seventeen years,¡± Ranko said as she lifted her right leg toward the ceiling, stretching her hamstring as she supported it with her hands. ¡°We pull in techniques from everywhere we can find inspiration - various martial arts, dance, acupressure, all of it.¡±

    Joto Watanado, the board¡¯s president and master of the Watanado Kung Fu Academy of Ginza, gave an impressed little hmm in response. ¡°And you say this style has been around for a while? Our policy requires two generations of instruction, at minimum, for a style to qualify.¡±

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    Ranko nodded, throwing a kick at the air as she continued to loosen up. ¡°The style was originated by Master Happosai¡­¡± She swallowed back bile at the mention of the old lecher¡¯s name. ¡°He taught it to two students, one of whom was my father.¡± And the other was some jerk named Genma Saotome, Ranko thought with a sneer, thinking back to her surprise adoption by Akane¡¯s family on her wedding day. ¡°We learned from him, and in addition to my father¡¯s dojo in Nerima, now my¡­ sister¡­ teaches classes on the Minato University campus.¡± Man, it feels weird as hell to say that, but somehow, I think waving the gay flag in here today ain¡¯t gonna help my chances too much. ¡°I included a letter from our father in the application packet, where he explains the whole history.¡±

    A dark-skinned member of the board with jet black hair spoke, stroking his chin thoughtfully. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have to tell you, I¡¯m skeptical of all of this. Most of us trained for decades to master one style; to see someone so young claim to practice so many¡­¡±

    Ranko nodded at the man¡¯s tee shirt and the logo for his school. ¡°No, I get the skepticism. You do capoeira, right?¡±

    Getting a nod in reply, Ranko smiled hopefully. ¡°Okay. It¡¯s been a minute. Let me see if I remember this.¡± She bent her knees in an almost crouch, beginning to move fluidly in the beginning of the basic ginga dance that formed the backbone of capoeira¡¯s ever-in-motion style. Because the Brazilian style was so heavily dance-focused, it was hard without music, and Ranko blushed a bit as she realized she was mentally backing her movements with the most ass-kicking song she could think of: a popular rap track called Not Yours, Don¡¯t Touch. She launched a chapa de costas kick behind herself before spinning into a lower gancho de costas.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be a son of a bitch,¡± the South American master emoted.

    Ranko grinned proudly. That¡¯s one vote down. She straightened to a standing position and turned to the heavyset, aging man to his immediate left. ¡°Taekwondo, yeah?¡± Without waiting for a response, she lifted her left leg from the rubber gym floor and hung her foot at the level of her right knee, extending her left arm diagonally away from her body as her right elbow cocked over her head, beginning the kuemgang form. It was a form she would never forget; she¡¯d taken it  while perched atop a bamboo pole sticking out of a remote little Chinese spring, seconds before a panda had tackled her from it and changed her life forever.

    Ranko took two spinning steps forward, thrusting her elbow in front of herself. She tried not to smile too brightly as she overheard the taekwondo sensei mutter ¡°this girl is impressive¡± under his breath to the aikido instructor to his left.

    So it went down the line, until Ranko¡¯s Southern Tiger kung fu demonstration was interrupted by the sound of a throat clearing, and she turned to face the mountain of a kempo sensei that was to be her opponent. He wore the same blue gi he¡¯d had on that day, and Ranko shook her head forcefully to evict the memories of her last encounter with him from her mind. She was already confident her demonstrations had won her at least four votes, but that almost didn¡¯t matter. As far back as she could recall, Akio Fukui was the only person she¡¯d ever fought that she hadn¡¯t beaten at least once. That needed to change.

    ¡°Okay,¡± the board president began. ¡°Let¡¯s keep this to tournament rules. No strikes at the knee or groin. Torso and head strikes score a point. First to three points wins.¡±

    Ranko nodded, bowing to the giant man in the blue gi. His return bow was short and quick, almost dismissive in nature.

    Okay, jerk much? Wanna play that way? Alright, buddy.

    Ranko rose from her bow and extended her fists forward, her right in front of her left as she planted her feet in an inverted jeet kune do stance modified for her left-handedness.

    Sensei Fukui dropped wordlessly into an aggressive aiki gamae kempo stance, his left arm extended over his left foot as his right hand hung at eye level ready to strike. ¡°Ladies first,¡± the sensei said derisively.

    Chivalry, huh? Didn¡¯t expect that. Ranko nodded. Since the Cat¡¯s Tongue, she generally preferred to wait for her opponent to strike and react to it, but she didn¡¯t want to seem cowed by him, so she accepted his invitation. She launched out of her jeet kune do stance into a misdirected jiu jitsu crescent kick, aimed high at his right shoulder. The strike could not have scored if it hit, but her goal hadn¡¯t been to land it. Her opponent raised his right forearm to block the kick. As he did, Ranko hooked her ankle around his wrist and threw his blocking arm out of the way before whipping around under his arm to throw a karate empi-uchi elbow strike into his exposed stomach. Her beribboned red ponytail struck his chest before her arm did.

    ¡°Point!¡± The capoeira instructor stood, walking around the long folding table and stepping between the combatants to serve as a referee. ¡°One-zero, Tendo.¡±

    She¡¯s certainly quicker than she was the last time I fought her, the sensei thought as he retook his ready position.

    ¡°Fight!¡± came the instruction from the capoeira master, and this time Ranko stood back awaiting the large man¡¯s advance. She ducked under his roundhouse kick, hearing his gi pants whoosh over her head as she crouched. She cocked her fist to strike at his leg, remembering the rule about strikes to the knee at the last possible moment. Choosing to wait for another opportunity, she rose as his leg passed, but her opponent whirled immediately into a followup kick, striking at eye level.

    Nice.

    Ranko stepped inward from the side around his leg, lifting her leg and striking with her hip against his standing leg in a muay thai sweep that felled Sensei Fukui to the ground. She dropped with him, executing another elbow strike straight from hung gar kung fu to the prone man¡¯s stomach that earned her a nod from the board president.

    ¡°Point! Two-zero, Tendo!¡±

    Ranko stood up, offering a hand up to her opponent. Wouldn¡¯t hurt to have his vote, too, she thought. He did not take her hand, but he nodded in acknowledgement of her sportsmanship after kick-flipping to his feet.

    Okay. He¡¯s down two points, so he¡¯s gonna want to be aggressive. Time to utilize that. Ranko smiled, dropping into a hidari hanmi aikido stance with her left foot forward, giving her more space to throw to her opponent¡¯s right, where the right-handed fighter would be more likely to commit his momentum.

    ¡°Fight!¡±

    Ranko immediately prepared to receive the sensei¡¯s charge, and he rushed forward with a fist cocked just as she predicted. She planted her feet, reaching for his wrist, but he held his punch back, and her overcommitted reach gave him the opportunity to get in close. He brought his left hand forward in a hook punch that struck her hard on the cheek, sending her sprawling to the rubber floor.

    ¡°Point! Two-one, Tendo!¡±

    Ranko groaned, clamoring to her hands and knees. Fuck, I forgot how hard this guy hits. Her face felt like it had been run over with a steamroller, and she crumpled back to the floor on her side, covering her face with both of her hands. Maybe I¡¯ve done enough to convince them and I can tap out.

    When she uncovered her eyes and saw her opponent¡¯s satisfied sneer, the thought faded from her mind. No. I can¡¯t lose to him again. I won¡¯t. Slowly, with a loud groan, she staggered to her feet and adopted a left-handed judo stance.

    ¡°Are you sure you can continue,¡± the capoeira instructor-turned-referee asked, and Ranko nodded, refraining from speaking to avoid betraying that her teeth were still clenched in pain.

    ¡°Alright, if you¡¯re sure. Fight!¡±

    The sensei in the blue gi charged again, watching her for any signs of a throw after her attempt in the previous clinch. Ranko threw a taekwondo front snap kick to try and halt his momentum, but he swatted her leg aside and pushed her backward. She turned to face the floor as she fell, placing both of her hands on the rubber floor. She could hear him closing, and she threw her right leg up in a wide crescent, arching her back and neck upward with it gracefully. Her foot caught her opponent in the chest as he closed, and while it wasn¡¯t a particularly forceful kick, it didn¡¯t need to be - contact was all that was required to score.

    ¡°Point! Tendo, winner!¡±

    Ranko clapped victoriously, bowing to her defeated opponent.

    ¡°Not bad, kid,¡± Sensei Fukui said, rubbing his sore stomach after returning her bow, more respectfully this time. ¡°Really. Not bad at all. The number of styles you use really is impressive, and I¡¯m more than convinced. But I gotta ask, where¡¯d you learn that last kick? Never seen it before.¡±

    Ranko blushed behind the redness of her cheek from his punch, shouldering her silver Yusue High Cheerleading gym duffel. ¡°Kanzawa School of Ballet.¡±

 10. A Single Step

    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re serious?¡±

    Amaya Uyehara nodded, smiling down at the young songwriter. ¡°It¡¯s all set. Between Nabiki and our team here, we¡¯ve been busting butt to make this happen for you guys. We¡¯ve got temporary holds on all the venues, and we¡¯re starting to work on travel logistics. It¡¯s gonna be tight, it¡¯s gonna be hectic, but¡­¡±

    She placed her right hand on Ranko¡¯s back as the redhead stood hunched over the desk reading the packet of paperwork, offering her a plastic ballpoint pen with her left.

    ¡°... you¡¯re a signature away from going on international tour.¡±

    Ranko raised her eyes from the contract to the huge periwinkle sectional couch that dominated Amaya¡¯s office, where her bandmates all sat with excited expressions painted across their faces. ¡°And you guys are sure you think we can pull this off? We haven¡¯t even heard all the details yet.¡± She set the pen down on the table next to the unsigned document, blushing at the rattling sound it made when the shaking left hand holding it made contact with the oak tabletop.

    Nabiki rose from her position, seated atop one of the end tables on the edge of the sectional next to Shinji, and strode to the far wall. ¡°Let¡¯s walk through it, ¡®kay? Amaya, you got that map?¡±

    Taking the west side of the Oceanic regional map the record executive handed her, Nabiki unfolded the pamphlet and began affixing it to the huge whiteboard that dominated the wall with a series of clear acrylic magnets. Amaya took the other side, reaching high above her head to hang the northeasternmost corner, her yellow blazer sliding up her back to reveal the black blouse she wore under her suit.

    Picking up a long wooden dowel from the aluminum marker rail at the base of the whiteboard, Nabiki snapped it against the map along the southeastern edge of the largest island of the Japanese archipelago. ¡°Okay. First leg of the tour, in March and April. We start here in Tokyo on March 21, back at the Budokan. Ranko, you won¡¯t quite be on break yet, but it¡¯s a Saturday, and it¡¯s local, so we shouldn¡¯t have too many issues with your school.¡±

    Nabiki leaned the pointer against the wall for a moment, slipping off the burnt-orange suit jacket she wore and handing it off to Ranko to hold. Its padded shoulders were hampering her movement as she moved the pointer. Now in just a black silk blouse and the matching orange pencil skirt, she strode back to the wall and reclaimed her pointer.

    ¡°Okay. Not gonna lie, guys. Last week in March is gonna be busy as hell. We stay close to home for a few days so Ranko can get through graduation. We¡¯re in Osaka on Tuesday the 24th, Ranko¡¯s graduation ceremony is the 25th back here in Minato, and then the next day, we play in Kyoto. Fukuoka on Saturday the 28th, and then we have a week off to reconfigure for international travel.¡±

    ¡°Damn,¡± Ken said, leaning back on the couch between Jacob and Ariel and crossing his denim-clad legs. ¡°Fukuoka¡¯ll already be the furthest from home I¡¯ve ever been!¡±

    Nabiki grinned. ¡°Well, brace yourself, buddy, because on April fourth, we¡¯re rocking Honolulu!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Emi giggled, leaning to her left and squeezing her roommate around her shoulders. ¡°Beach time, baby!¡±

    Crash laughed, nudging Ranko¡¯s forearm with his fist. ¡°Bring some damn sunscreen this time, will ya, girl?!¡±

    Ranko giggled, leaning to her left into her guitarist¡¯s torso as he hugged her about her bare shoulders. His leather jacket was cool to the touch, and it made her shiver despite the mauve sweater dress she wore. ¡°Aww, you don¡¯t want to take care of me if I go all crispy critter on you? What kind of friend are you, anyway?!¡±

    Laughing, Nabiki shook her head and continued, leveling her pointer stick to the northernmost of two islands due east of Australia. ¡°Anyway, after Hawai¡¯i, we¡¯re in New Zealand for one show, and then hop over to Australia. Jake, we tried to build in a little down time there so you can visit with your family. If you fly out right after the Auckland show on the night of the eighth, you¡¯ll have almost five full days off in Australia before our first show in Melbourne on Monday the thirteenth. We bounce out to Perth that Wednesday, and then we¡¯re back to the east coast. I know, it¡¯s a lot of back-and-forth travel, but the fifteenth was the only day we could get a decent venue in Perth.¡±

    Jacob Trimble waved off her concern with the back of his left hand. ¡°Please. You¡¯re giving me a whole week back home. I can handle a couple short flights. This is amazing. Thanks, Nabs.¡±

    ¡°Two weeks, actually. After Perth, we¡¯ll play Brisbane on Friday the seventeenth and then we wrap the first leg of the tour with a pair of shows in Sydney on the nineteenth and twentieth. Our team will ship all the tour equipment to the Philippines and stick it in storage, and everybody comes home. Ranko starts college. Jake, let us know if you want us to get you a later flight home than everybody else, so you can spend a little more time with Zoe and your parents.¡±

    ¡°Will do,¡± he replied with a grin. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to everybody this weekend and work out a plan.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Nabiki continued. ¡°On to our second leg, in August. We¡¯re mostly island-hopping through the Mekong area here, starting with shows Saturday the first and Sunday the second in the Philippines. Ranko, your school lets out for break that Friday, so I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re gonna be doing the first show a little jet lagged, little sister. Pack some energy drinks.¡±

    Ranko gave a little salute of acknowledgement with her hand as Nabiki¡¯s pointer moved southwest to another archipelago.

    ¡°We left a little extra time here for travel. It¡¯ll give you a bit more downtime, but we were mostly concerned about shipping the gear all over the place on the water. You¡¯re in Jakarta, Indonesia on Friday the seventh, and then Bandung on the tenth and Medan on the twelfth.¡±

    ¡°Three shows in Indonesia? Surprising,¡± Ariel said, adjusting on the couch between Jacob and Emi.

    Nabiki shrugged her shoulders. ¡°We based the stops on three factors: sales of Phoenix Rising, cities with populations of at least half a million, and places where we could get venues with the right timing such that we could put together a reasonable travel path. We were trying to avoid sending you guys back and forth and wasting a bunch of time and money on unnecessary flights.¡±

    Shinji nodded. ¡°Makes sense. I didn¡¯t think we were that big in Indonesia, though.¡±

    Ranko smirked. ¡°When I¡¯m done, we¡¯re gonna be big everywhere, Edgy.¡±

    The bassist growled, shooting her a glare. ¡°I really wish you¡¯d stop calling me that, Ranko.¡±

    ¡°I know. And people in hell want ice water,¡± Ranko said through a giggle. ¡°Anyway, Nabiki, what¡¯s next after Indonesia?¡±

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Ranko¡¯s elder sister moved her pointer slightly east on the map, from Medan, Indonesia to a nearby peninsula. ¡°One hit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on the sixteenth, and then we hop down and do a two-night stand in Singapore on the twentieth and twenty-first.¡±

    ¡°Wait, hold up a sec.¡± Jacob asked, raising his hand with his eyebrows arched in curiosity. ¡°They have koalas in Malaysia? I thought they were only in Australia!¡±

    ¡°Kuala Lumpur. KU-al-a. It¡¯s the name of the capital city, dummy! Do we have to teach these stupid boys everything?!¡± Emi threw her empty plastic soda bottle at the green-haired boy. It bounced off his forehead with a hollow bonk and skittered across the floor, where Ranko scooped it up and tossed it into the blue plastic recycling bin on the floor next to Amaya¡¯s desk.

    Shaking her head as she rested her forehead in her palm, Nabiki laughed. ¡°I swear, you guys. Anyway, after Singapore, we finish the second leg of the tour in Cambodia on the twenty-fifth, Bangkok on Friday the twenty-eighth and Hanoi, Vietnam on the thirty-first. Ranko, it¡¯s gonna be awfully tight getting you back overnight in time for class on September first, so you might want to think about sticking to afternoon classes for that term or you might miss a lecture. Sorry.¡±

    Nodding, the redhead retook her seat on the armrest of the sectional sofa next to Crash. ¡°If it¡¯s just one class, it¡¯ll probably be okay. The first day¡¯ll likely just be getting books and shit anyway.¡±

    The band¡¯s manager bobbed her head in reply. ¡°Yep, and worst case, you could probably ask Shiori or somebody to pick up some stuff for you so you¡¯re all set when you get back.¡±

    Man, it¡¯s good to have friends who care enough to help, Ranko thought with a bright smile.

    ¡°So that gets us to the third third of the tour, in December,¡± Nabiki continued. ¡°Ranko, sis, you¡¯d better invest in some warm clothes. It¡¯s gonna be chilly as shit in China, especially in the mountains.¡±

    Ranko nodded, blushing at having been singled out for her sensitive skin even as the rough texture of the cheap upholstery scratched uncomfortably against the backs of her legs. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Izumi to take me shopping. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be devastated.¡±

    ¡°We start off in Chengdu, way out here, on the first,¡± Nabiki said, tapping the dead center of China with her pointer rod. ¡°Then we cut across to Xi¡¯an on the third and do a two-day weekend stand in Beijing on the fifth and sixth.¡±

    ¡°I have to say,¡± Amaya said with a slight shake of her head. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand Chengdu. It¡¯s big enough, I suppose, but it¡¯s so far out of the way, out in the middle of nowhere.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Ranko replied, a bit sheepishly. ¡°But I just¡­ I¡¯d really like to visit there. I haven¡¯t been out that way in a long time. It was the only city I asked for on the whole tour.¡± I have something I need to do there. Something I need to know.

    The record executive gave a little hmm of begrudging approval. ¡°And that¡¯s the only reason it made the list. I¡¯m not sure we¡¯ll be able to sell it out, though.¡±

    Crash scoffed, waving her off with a dismissive huff. ¡°Please. You put Ranko Tendo in a twenty-thousand-seat venue on fucking Venus, stick a microphone in her hand, and it¡¯ll be packed.¡± Ranko answered him with a goofy grin of gratitude.

    ¡°So, the thing with December is, the travel won¡¯t be super bad with just ten cities, but the schedule¡¯s pretty packed because we¡¯re doing two shows in four of them, for a total of fourteen performances compared to just eleven on the first and second legs. The demand is just too high.¡± Nabiki smiled. ¡°Our girl¡¯s just too popular to fill an arena just once in the bigger cities. That starts in Beijing on the fifth and sixth like I said, and then we¡¯ve got another two-day stretch in Shanghai on the ninth and tenth before hitting Shenzhen on the twelfth. We weren¡¯t really gonna do Shenzhen, but it just made sense considering we¡¯re going to have to travel all the gear overland right through it anyway to get from Shanghai to Hong Kong, where we do another two gigs on the 14th and 15th.¡±

    ¡°Nice,¡± Shinji said, pumping his fist excitedly. ¡°That¡¯s gonna be a hell of a spot for us, I think. Lot of English-speakers out there.¡±

    Amaya nodded. ¡°An astute observation, Shinji. We actually seriously considered adding a third show on the sixteenth, but the venue was booked.¡±

    ¡°And besides,¡± Nabiki said, ¡°We need a little extra time to get the gear into Taiwan with all the extra scrutiny of freight they do there, and we have a show booked in Taipei on Friday the eighteenth.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Man, you all really thought of everything, didn¡¯t ya?¡±

    Her elder sister cocked her head to the side with a wink and a self-congratulatory smirk. ¡°Beats the hell out of letting you poor, helpless booboos get stranded in the middle of nowhere with no instruments because nobody bothered to do the research ahead of time.¡±

    Hitomi leaned back on the couch, bouncing the toes of her right foot on the ground excitedly. It caused her left leg, which crossed the right at the knee, to oscillate nearly into Shinji¡¯s lap. ¡°What about Korea? Please tell me we¡¯re doing Korea.¡±

    Nabiki grinned, giving her fellow brunette a sharp nod. ¡°Two shows, the twentieth and twenty-first, at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. Seats just over 25,000, and we expect to sell out both shows. And then after that, we bounce you over to Sapporo on the 23rd to bring you home in time for Christmas.¡±

    Ranko raised her hand. ¡°Hold up, Nabiki. That¡¯s only thirteen shows. You said there was gonna be fourteen¡­¡±

    Nabiki giggled brightly. ¡°Well, look who¡¯s paying attention!¡± She snapped her pointer stick loudly on the whiteboard through the map, right back where it started. ¡°Our last show of the Wildfire Tour is back here in Tokyo, on Christmas Day.¡±

    Emi squealed loudly, squeezing Hitomi¡¯s hand. The blonde practically vibrated with excitement. ¡°We¡¯re gonna do a Christmas show! Ohmigods!¡±

    ¡°But, how, Nabiki?¡± Ranko stood, stretching her arms and back as she walked the six paces across the room to join her sister. ¡°You said we¡¯re at the Budokan, and they¡¯re doing that Christmas play thing there. We¡¯d never get set up in time after it ends!¡±

    Amaya grinned. She knew Ranko would be excited. ¡°You¡¯re at the Nippon Budokan for the first show, but for the Christmas finale? You¡¯re booked at the new Tokyo Dome. Which seats fifty. Seven. Thousand.¡±

    Ranko turned to Amaya, her mouth hanging open. ¡°You don¡¯t think we can really get that many, do you?!¡±

    Nabiki threw her arm over Ranko¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Honey, with the corporate sponsors and stuff being local, I¡¯ll be shocked if it doesn¡¯t sell out within an hour.¡±

    Ranko slumped back against the wall as if the wind were knocked out of her. Her backside clipped the aluminum rail under the whiteboard, knocking it to the floor and spilling several dry-erase markers across the carpet. ¡°Fifty-seven thousand people, coming to see me? I mean¡­ holy shit.¡±

    Crash joined her against the wall, pulling his best friend into a hug. ¡°Maybe, just maybe, after you see Firebirds all over the eastern hemisphere screaming your name for thirty-six nights, and come home to a shelf full of Japan Record Awards, you¡¯ll believe me when I tell you what a fucking star you are.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of the Budokan, Ranko, are you ready for Monday? Any last-minute questions?¡± Amaya leaned down as she spoke, picking up the marker rail and re-attaching it to the base of the whiteboard on the wall.

    Ranko blushed a deeper shade than the dusty reddish-pink hue of her sweater dress. She really wished the Yokai folks had been able to schedule the release of the Dapper Dragons¡¯ second album for a different day, but she¡¯d declined to mention why she would have preferred a later date. The sooner we get it out there, the sooner we can start to make some real money, she thought hopefully.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Ranko said as she strode back over to the round table at the center of the room. She snatched up the black pen, scrawling the kanji for orchid girl in the blank at the bottom of the last page of the contract.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±

 11. I Need to Tell You Something

    ¡°Ethmoid. Tailbone? Wait, no, that¡¯s the coccyx. Lower spine?¡±

    Akane flipped the blue index card in her hand over, reading the other side and wincing. Fuck, Orbital sockets. Always miss that one!

    She tossed her homemade flashcard to the side on her little desk, letting it spin to rest atop the pile with dozens of others as she leaned back in the wooden chair with a heavy sigh and rubbed her eyes. They were watering something terrible, almost blinding her every few minutes.

    ¡°Hiya!¡±

    Akane looked up just in time to see a flash of red and white zoom past her bleary eyes to her left. The weight of sixty-eight kilograms crashed down onto her lap as Ranko lifted the skirt of her school pinafore and straddled her wife, the creaking pine chair at the little study desk in the girls¡¯ bedroom groaning quietly in protest of its burden suddenly doubling. Akane barely had time to lower her hands from her eyes before Ranko¡¯s arms pinned her arms to the sides in a tight hug, snuggling her cheek into Akane¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°I love you!¡±

    Akane laughed, rolling her eyes. It never fails. It¡¯s like she can sense when I¡¯m having a bad day, and she just¡­ becomes joy. How does she do that?

    ¡°Oh, Ranko, I love you too, silly girl.¡± Akane pulled her head back so she could face her wife, meeting her lover¡¯s cherry-glossed lips with her own. ¡°I take it somebody had a good day at school?¡±

    Ranko nodded. ¡°Got my precalculus exam back, and I got a four! Almost managed a five, but got tripped up on a couple of the parabolum things.¡±

    Oh, my love. You¡¯re adorable. Akane chuckled quietly, flashing the singer in her lap a bright smile that somehow cracked through the exhaustion and anxiety that permeated the whole of her existence. ¡°That¡¯s amazing, babe. I¡¯m so proud of you.¡±

    The redhead giggled, squeezing Akane tight around the neck again. ¡°Well, in fairness, I think Kumi deserves more of the credit than I do. She helped a lot when I was studying.¡±

    Akane cringed with a little nod. ¡°I know, baby. I¡¯m sorry. I haven¡¯t had much time to help you with your homework lately, and I promised I would.¡± She adjusted slightly in her chair, as Ranko¡¯s weight pinning her umber corduroy dress to the chair was causing it to pull uncomfortably on the rock-hard muscles at the back of her neck.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even start with that. You¡¯ve got more than enough to do with your own school. I¡¯ve got plenty of people to help, between Kumi and Aya. I¡¯ll be fine. Speaking of things to do, though¡­¡±

    Ranko reached into the left pocket of her school pinafore, producing a letter. The envelope¡¯s top edge had been torn open in a jagged pattern by an orange gel-glazed fingernail as Ranko ascended the steps - her excitement had not permitted her to wait until she reached the apartment and looked for a letter opener. She waved it in the air over her shoulder, teasing Akane with it. The cool little breeze the envelope produced as it fanned through the air tickled the black hair stuck to her face with the constant stream of thick tears welling from her overtired eyes. It felt nice.

    ¡°What¡¯s that,¡± Akane asked, a curious rise in her tone as the effervescent redhead in her lap bounced with joy.

    Ranko bit her lip coyly. ¡°Oh, nothin¡¯ much. Just a chance to show everybody who the best sensei in Tokyo is.¡±

    ¡°Wha¡­?¡± Akane reached for the envelope, but Ranko pulled it back out of her grasp before reaching into the envelope herself and producing a trifold sheet of white paper. Ranko unfurled the letter, beginning to read to her wife as she bounced happily on her lap.

    ¡°Dear Ms. Tendo. One of these days, we¡¯re gonna get them to write Mrs.! You¡¯re a married woman, after all!¡± Giggling brightly, Ranko continued. ¡°We are pleased to invite your dojo to compete in the 1992 Honshu Mixed-Style Martial Arts Tournament, to be held at the Nippon Budokan on January 4. Enclosed, please find the registration forms for your individual students, which must be returned no later than December 10. We look forward to seeing you at the event, and good luck!¡±

    Akane blinked incredulously, sending another stream of sticky tears running down her cheeks from her burning eyes. ¡°But¡­ What? How? I didn¡¯t apply, and anything-goes martial arts isn¡¯t even a sanctioned style in tournament competition!¡±

    Ranko giggled, wrapping her arms around her wife. ¡°I did, and it is now.¡± She leaned her head down, kissing Akane¡¯s tear-slick cheek and whispering in her ear, a quiet purr in her voice. ¡°We¡¯d better start training, master.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ Ranko, I don¡¯t know what to say! How did you even¡­ with everything else, just¡­ how?¡± Akane wrapped her arms around Ranko¡¯s back, the squirming girl snuggling even tighter into her shoulder as she did.

    ¡°Turns out, I can be pretty convincing when I want something. And I wanted the world to know how incredible you and your students are. I wanted them to recognize our art as something real. I wanted your students to know they¡¯re part of something special.¡±

    Akane chuckled, squeezing her lover tight again. ¡°You are something special, Ranko. I can¡¯t believe you did this! I just¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say! You are just the most supportive, caring, wonderful wife anyone could ever imagine. Do you know that, princess? I love you so, so much.¡± She felt the heat from Ranko¡¯s cheeks as she spoke, smiling brightly. Akane knew, even after all this time, that effeminate affectations like princess still never failed to make the love of her life squirm uncomfortably in the most wonderful ways, and she simply could not get enough of it.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Speaking of being a supportive wife¡­¡± Ranko giggled, reaching into her other pocket and producing another torn-open envelope. ¡°December¡¯s check from Yokai came a couple days early. And that means you need to take me shopping, girlfriend.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s laugh was infectious as she bounced on her wife¡¯s lap. ¡°We¡¯ve got so much stuff we¡¯re gonna need for the tour. I¡¯m gonna need more cold-weather clothes, and some of those little books with the sayings in different languages and stuff. What the hell language do they even speak in Malaysia, anyway? I¡¯m probably gonna need to top up on makeup, all that shit. You desperately need a new bathing suit before we hit Hawai¡¯i. I¡¯m thinking something¡­ really skimpy.¡± Ranko kissed Akane¡¯s neck, receiving almost no reaction as she did. ¡°Plus, we gotta go get our passports, and we should really buy some decent luggage, too. Crash said they tend to tear up the cheap stuff when you put it on airplanes, and the last thing I need is to be chasing your panties all over the runway between concerts.¡±

    Akane sighed heavily, hanging her head. I hate to do this when she¡¯s so excited, but it¡¯s dishonest to keep it from her any longer. She cradled Ranko tight in her arms, standing from her rickety wooden chair and carrying her lover to the bed, sitting her gently at the foot of it. She did not join her wife on the mattress, however.

    ¡°Ranko, baby, I need to talk to you about something.¡± Akane¡¯s voice was hollow, and Ranko sensed it wasn¡¯t just her exhaustion.

    The redhead sat up straight on the bed, a mien of concern washing over her face. ¡°Akane, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    Ranko reached out, squeezing Akane¡¯s hand in her own. ¡°Honey, please? You¡¯re scaring me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not coming with you.¡± Akane looked down to meet Ranko¡¯s gaze, her heart breaking as she washed the wave of disappointment crashing over her lover¡¯s countenance.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Ranko stood, a frantic expression in her eyes. ¡°You said you supported this whole tour thing! I thought you¡­¡±

    Akane raised her hand to hush her wife. ¡°I do, Ranko. I do. This is absolutely the right thing for you, even though I¡¯m scared to death you¡¯re gonna wear yourself out doing it. But¡­ gods, how to say this? I¡¯m so tied up with school, and your mom is gonna need all the help she can get at the bar with you gone and Yui maybe leaving, and it¡¯ll cost so much extra money for me to travel with you, and¡­ I just can¡¯t, baby girl. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    ¡°Akane, I¡­¡± Ranko slumped back down onto the bed, fidgeting with her custom-engraved wedding ring on her left hand. ¡°I can¡¯t be apart from you. I can¡¯t survive without you again. I won¡¯t. I¡¯m your wife. I¡¯m supposed to stay with you, always! If you¡¯re not coming, then I¡¯m not going! I¡¯ll tell the guys tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are,¡± Akane said, sitting next to Ranko on the bed. She rested her left knee on the mattress, swiveling at the waist to face her wife and taking both of her slender hands in her own. ¡°Ranko, I¡¯m sure one day your music is going to make enough money that we don¡¯t have to have any other work or anything, and that would be great to not have to worry about it, but¡­ I still want to have my own things. I want to finish school, and build on the dojo and everything, and I can¡¯t do that if I have to drop my whole life every time you do a show, because you¡¯re gonna do a shitload of shows, baby. Everybody on the planet is gonna want to see you sing. Honestly, I think you want me to have my own things too, even if it doesn¡¯t feel like it right this second. I mean, you getting us into this tournament is proof of that, isn¡¯t it? Besides, you¡¯re allowed to have experiences without me, too. You¡¯re your own woman, Ranko. You¡¯re not just the girl in the band, or the girl at the bar, or the girl I married. You¡¯re you, and you don¡¯t need anybody or anything else to define you.¡±

    Akane reached forward, pulling Ranko into a hug and holding her tight against her chest. She could feel the poor girl shaking as she rubbed her lover¡¯s bare forearm with her palm. ¡°You can do this, Ranko. It¡¯ll only be a couple weeks at a time, and we¡¯ll talk on the phone and stuff. You¡¯ll take lots of pictures, you¡¯ll have fun with the band, and you¡¯ll come home to me afterward and tell me all about it. Who knows, maybe I¡¯ll be able to fly out and catch a show here or there if timing and money work out for it. But I will be so mad at you if you turn down this opportunity because of me, and I don¡¯t think the boys would forgive you, either.¡±

    Akane kissed the top of Ranko¡¯s head through her flame-red hair, rocking her comfortingly in her arms on the bed. ¡°You are going to go take the world by storm, Ranko Tendo. They¡¯re going to be screaming your name all over the globe. You¡¯re going to make me so, so proud, like you always do.¡± She stroked the redhead¡¯s cheek, wiping away a tear that carried some of the cheerleader¡¯s cheap foundation with it onto Akane¡¯s thumb. ¡°You are going to go out there and show thousands, and thousands, and thousands of people how lucky I am that I¡¯m the one you¡¯re coming home to.¡±

    Ranko sat up, wiping her tears from her eyes with her fingertips. She looked up into her wife¡¯s bloodshot gaze, an almost desperation in her stare. ¡°And, like, you promise, you¡¯re not gonna find somebody better while I¡¯m gone?¡±

    The elder woman laughed, pulling her lover back into a hug. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you? There is nobody better than you, superstar. You¡¯re mine forever. My little flower girl, always. And no matter how far you travel, how many people throw themselves at you on that stage, don¡¯t you ever dare forget it.¡±

    Ranko nodded, biting her lip. ¡°We need to buy some more Tupperware, then, I guess.¡±

    Akane chuckled, releasing her wife from her grasp and looking down into her eyes. ¡°What the heck do you need with Tupperware on an international concert tour?¡±

    The redhead shook her head, nuzzling into Akane¡¯s chest and letting her lover envelop her in the strong arms that, more than any stage, were her safe place. Her home. It was a sensation she could not imagine going a day without. It terrified her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t. But if I don¡¯t leave you with a month¡¯s worth of leftovers while I¡¯m gone, you¡¯re gonna starve.¡±

 12. Wild Orchid

    I always knew I¡¯d perform here one day, but I never thought it would be like this¡­

    Ranko exhaled heavily, peeking out from behind the black curtain surrounding the stage.

    My gods, there¡¯s so many people¡­

    The north side of the Nippon Budokan¡¯s seating had been covered with black cloth, as the seats would have had a terrible view anyway of the stage situated on the arena floor. However, the remainder of the floor was open space for standing fans - dancing fans, most likely, more than making up for the lost capacity.

    The arena was home to Japan¡¯s national martial arts teams, and indeed, such tournaments were held in the hexagonal building quite regularly. In fact, the venue a stone¡¯s throw from the emperor¡¯s palace would be the home of the Honshu Mixed-Style Martial Arts tournament in just over five weeks, and Ranko intended to be there again, this time performing in a purple gi rather than sparkling red platform heels and a knee-length skirt. Crazy as it was, even that wasn¡¯t the last of her scheduled appearances in the building, as it was also the site of the kickoff show of her international tour in just a few months. Nor was it to be the next, because on New Year¡¯s Eve, the building would play host to the Japan Record Awards telecast at which she was a performer and a nominee. Something I only ever dreamed of, and now four times in four months? Who are you, Ranko, and how did you manage to do all of this?

    She watched surreptitiously from the shadows as Firebirds of all stripes streamed into the building, filtering into the seats in the three levels of seating surrounding the floor and jockeying for the best standing positions on the floor closer to the stage.

    Most of the revelers carried pinkish-lavender jewel cases in their hands, as well as bright green quarter-sheets of paper. Ranko couldn¡¯t guess what the papers were - sales receipts, probably - but the CD, she recognized quite well. In fact, it was the release of her second album that had prompted the show, before the largest crowd she¡¯d ever drawn. The announced attendance was just over seventeen thousand people, but Ranko could have sworn it was closer to twenty. Officially, the Budokan only seated fifteen thousand, but with the packed standing space on the floor of the arena, they were bursting the joint at the seams tonight.

    ¡°Nervous?¡± Ranko¡¯s eyes snapped up as Crash¡¯s firm hand clapped her on the shoulder through her red leather jacket. ¡°Don¡¯t be. You¡¯re gonna have to get used to this, girl. Come March, it¡¯s gonna be this or bigger every night.¡±

    ¡°No fucking way¡­¡± She looked up at her best friend through her wince at his forceful greeting with wonder in her eyes. ¡°You really think? Like, are we opening for Metallica or something?¡±

    Crash hugged his friend tight around the waist from behind. ¡°Oh, please. Like you don¡¯t know you¡¯re the headliner. Give it another year, Metallica will be opening for us.¡±

    Ranko giggled brightly. ¡°Keep dreamin¡¯, Matsuyama.¡± She grinned giddily up at him, leaning back against his chest gently with a contented sigh. The bouffant red waves atop her head threatened to choke him as they filled his nostrils. ¡°It¡¯s a nice dream, though.¡±

    ¡°Hey, take it easy with the snuggles over there, Crash. That¡¯s my girl, you know!¡± Akane stalked up to the pair, her black heeled boots clacking on the wooden floor of the backstage platform. She was all smiles.

    Ranko nodded, slipping out of Crash¡¯s arms and letting herself be enveloped in her wife¡¯s. ¡°Forever and always.¡±

    The songstress motioned with her neck out to the still-filling arena, the interior lights of which had just begun to dim, through the thin gap between the wall and the curtain. Several white spotlights zoomed through the crowd, seeming to spark electricity in them wherever it passed. ¡°Look at it, Akane. It¡¯s everything we ever dreamed. What more could I ever ask for?¡±

    As she spoke, Crash disappeared to the front side of the curtain, and Ranko heard his guitar make its presence known over the massive speakers spread throughout the concert venue as he tested it. It joined an occasional thumping from Ken Hirata¡¯s bass drum, and the high-pitched trilling arpeggio that flowed from the fingers of Jacob Trimble into his Yamaha DX-7 synthesizer keyboard.

    ¡°Look at me, Mrs. Tendo.¡± Akane smiled, physically spinning her lover in her arms to make eye contact. Ranko gazed into her eyes as if she¡¯d almost forgotten the nearly eighteen thousand souls on the other side of the curtain who were waiting for her.

    ¡°You are strong. You are brave. You are talented. You are beautiful. You belong here. Tonight, and every night. This is who you were meant to be, and gods, what a blessing it is to be next to you while the world truly discovers who you are.¡±

    But you¡¯re not gonna be there while the world discovers me, Akane. You¡¯re gonna be home, doing math homework, because you decided that was more important. She sighed, pushing the resentful thought from her mind. Don¡¯t be angry. Not today. Let¡¯s just enjoy this.

    Ranko blushed, forcing a giggle as she leaned back in her wife¡¯s arms. ¡°Yeah? And who am I?¡±

    On the other side of the curtain, the house lights dropped to nearly black, other than the running lights along the aisles and stairways to guide the latecomers still making their way to their seats, and the wordless roar formed into an answer to the question the starlet had asked her new wife.

    ¡°RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO!¡±

    Akane leaned down, brushing Ranko¡¯s hair from her face and pulling her into a kiss. ¡°You are the woman I love, and you are hell in heels. Now, go get ¡®em, babe. You sing your heart out. You dance your heart out.¡± She let Ranko go, and as the redhead turned to face the stage, she let out a yelp as she felt Akane¡¯s palm strike her hard on the backside under her pleated skirt.

    ¡°And you save just enough energy for me when we get home.¡±

    Ranko giggled, more naturally this time, biting her lip coyly and letting her eyes linger on her wife for just a moment before pulling apart the two sides of the black velvet curtain and stepping out into view of the crowd. Within half a second, the spotlights found her, instantly roasting her like an ant under a microscope in her red leather half-jacket. She waved excitedly to the crowd, whose chanting only intensified once they laid eyes on the star of the show. The lead vocalist of the Dapper Dragons bounced with energy on the balls of her feet as she made her way to center stage and donned her headset microphone.

    ¡°HOW WE DOING, TOKYO?! Can you believe we¡¯re doing this shit again?!¡± Ranko waved to the crowd, smiling brightly as she saw Akane slip into her seat in the first row of the middle tier of green plastic seats.

    ¡°RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO!¡±

    The building shook.

    Ranko just stood silently, covering her mouth to hide the fact that she was biting her lower lip.

    My gods. I have to be dreaming.

    ¡°RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO!¡±

    ¡°Gods, I love you guys, too! You about ready to get this show started?¡± Ranko blushed, soaking in the moment as a crowd that would overflow the Phoenix fifty times over roared her name.

    ¡°RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO!¡±

    ¡°Seriously, you guys! We¡¯ve only got the place ¡®til eleven; ya gotta let me sing!¡± Ranko giggled into her headset microphone. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s Monday night; don¡¯t you guys all have work and school and stuff in the morning?¡± A smattering of laughter rose from the crowd in the darkened arena as the chant finally began to dissipate.

    Ranko pointed to a large banner hanging in the covered seating area behind and above the stage. It, like the jewel cases in nearly every hand in the building, prominently featured Ranko¡¯s face and shoulders. She lay on her side with a contented smile, her cheek resting in a bed of orchids. She wore a white wide-brimmed hat with a lavender band, and she looked the perfect picture of a girl daydreaming about a springtime date. At the bottom, the words Wild Orchid were scrawled in white, in the same font as her name in the Ranko and the Dapper Dragons logo.

    She loved Akane¡¯s suggestion for her second album¡¯s title; a subtle nod to the change in her name from wild girl to orchid girl on their wedding day. The day she¡¯d finally left the last trace of the boy she once knew behind. Indeed, the album¡¯s twelve songs were largely all about Ranko¡¯s journey as she discovered who she really was, abandoning the ghosts of her past and embracing the promise of her new, softer, sweeter future. In Ranko¡¯s mind, she now had a distinct name for all three phases of her life¡¯s journey: wild horse for the boy she had once been, wild girl for the reluctant tomboy who crawled across the threshold of the Phoenix two years ago, and now orchid girl for the blissful young lady whose heart burst with pride at the idea of being a singer, a songwriter, and Akane Tendo¡¯s doting wife.

    ¡°So, here we are again. Two album release parties in a year. Talk about crazy town, right?! But the band and I can¡¯t thank you guys enough for all your support. And don¡¯t forget, starting in March, the Wildfire Tour gets going! We¡¯ll be hitting fourteen countries, but it all starts right here at the Budokan on March twenty-first! You guys all got your tickets, right?¡±

    The building quaked in response.

    ¡°My name¡¯s Ranko Tendo, and these are my friends! On guitar, the amazing, the astounding, the annoying, Crash Matsuyama!¡±

    The songstress giggled as Crash plucked a rousing solo on his electric guitar, the crowd showering him in adulation.

    ¡°On the ivories, my spikey-headed buddy, Jacob Trimble!¡±

    The spotlight whooshed up to the back row to Crash¡¯s left, where Jacob¡¯s fingers danced along the keys to punctuate his presence.

    ¡°On drums, my friend and yours! Let¡¯s give some love to Ken Hirata!¡±

    Ranko whooped over a thundering cascade that the twin wooden sticks in her friend¡¯s hands and the pedal under his right foot coaxed from the seven drums surrounding his seat.

    ¡°On the bass, on the brass, and always on my ass, it¡¯s Shinji Yokota!¡±

    The tall man in the black leather jacket laughed as his white bass guitar squealed loudly into the amplifier to which it was connected via a long black three-prong XLR cable.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it for my incredible background singers and dancers! My girls! Emi Kimoto and Hitomi Uyeno!¡±

    As the rhythm to Back for More began oozing from all four instruments, Hitomi and Emi strode out from behind the rear instruments, whooping as they took their places flanking Ranko. Hitomi wore a shimmering emerald dress, and Emi was costumed in a similarly-cut dress in scintillating sapphire.

    ¡°Together, we are Ranko and the Dapper Dragons, and we are back! For! More!¡± Ranko threw her right arm skyward victoriously, her clenched fist recalling her first-ever single.

    ¡°After the last time, you thought that I was done with you? Thing ab¡­¡±

    Ranko trailed off mid-word, looking back at her band in shock and confusion. All four instruments had ceased at once, as if her bandmates had decided in spontaneous concert not to perform after all.

    ¡°What the hell, guys?!¡± Ranko shrugged back at the boys, an urgent, exasperated glare in her eyes. You¡¯re ruining everything!

    So focused was she on trying to determine the reason for the music stoppage that she did not notice the crowd behind her pulling out the neon green papers they had been handed when they purchased their CDs and reading from them. In fact, she did not turn to face the audience again until, in one ebullient voice, they all began to sing.

    ¡°Happy birthday to you¡­ Happy birthday to you¡­¡±

    Ranko gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. Two years and a week ago, she hadn¡¯t been sure that a single person alive would acknowledge her eighteenth birthday, herself included. Now, as she formally came of age on her twentieth, seventeen thousand, six hundred and twenty-four voices serenaded her in a sold-out stadium full of strangers who had paid to hear her sing.

    ¡°Happy birthday, dear Ranko¡­¡±

    Ranko slumped to her bare knees on the stage, wiping tears from her eyes. Akane. This had to have been you.

    ¡°Happy birthday to you¡­¡±

    Ranko sniffled, squeezing her nose to try and clear her sinuses. ¡°I¡­ just¡­ I hope they promised you all some cake.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Once upon a rhyme, not so far away, there lived a little girl who had lost her way! Her fairy tale had been an epic fail from the beginning!¡±

    Ranko kicked her left leg high in the air, swooping it in a wide circle down until it rejoined her other ankle. Miss Kanzawa was right as usual; the ballet moves really do work in modern choreo if you use ¡®em right. She grinned back at Hitomi as her friend echoed the movement a beat behind her.

    She was having the time of her life.

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    ¡°Her heroes taught her how to make her stand, and now? That little girl is in her own ROCK BAND! She turned the page, and they¡¯re here on stage, and now, she¡¯s winning!¡±

    The capacity crowd thundered in response, celebrating her achievement with her in real time.

    ¡°Sure, it seems just like a fantasy¡­¡± Her voice hit the C note in the sixth octave a bit more easily than it had in July when she¡¯d first written the song, owing to months of practicing what was currently the most popular song on the Wild Orchid track list. The one that had already won two Japan Record Awards.

    ¡°... that fate would reach backward for a girl like me, but now, my happy ever after happens all the time¡­¡±

    A pair of canisters mounted on the far front corners of the stage belched flames nearly two meters skyward, far clear of the lead singer at center stage. She still felt the radiant heat, but she was so drenched with sweat already from an hour and a half of performing at her fullest under the scorching stage lights that she barely noticed its addition.

    ¡°Oof,¡± Ayako grunted, resting her hand on her belly. ¡°I think the kiddo¡¯s hungry. I¡¯m gonna go try and find a concession stand or something.¡±

    Akane smiled warmly at her wife¡¯s eldest sister, shaking her head. ¡°Nah¡­ You¡¯re almost eight months pregnant; you don¡¯t need to be pushing through a crowd in the dark. I¡¯ll go get snacks for everybody while I¡¯m up. Ma Shimizu, would you please come with me and give me a hand? It¡¯ll be a lot to carry if I get drinks for all of us.¡±

    Nodoka turned her head after a moment¡¯s delay, rising from her seat to the left of her daughter-in-not-quite-law. Responding to her maiden name again after more than twenty years was still taking some getting used to for her. ¡°Of course, sweetheart.¡±

    Akane rose, shaking her head with a little smile. Sometimes, just like Ranko, her head spun at how quickly their lives - their family - had changed for the better. Five months ago, Akane couldn¡¯t have fathomed having someone in her life she would think of as a mother, and now, as she watched her wife sing her heart out about how blessed she felt, she was seated directly between two people both girls regularly used that honorific to describe.

    As she led Nodoka down the aisle and shimmied past Ranko¡¯s sisters, Akane silently mouthed thank you to Aya for her help in executing Ranko¡¯s plan.

    ¡°Once upon a rhyme, not so far away, I got to drop a record on my damn birthday! Who could have guessed that I could be so blessed with how my life was going?!¡± She giggled into her headset microphone at her ad-lib change. She hadn¡¯t intended to acknowledge her birthday from the stage, but that ship had sailed before she¡¯d managed a dozen notes thanks to the surprise the concert organizers and the crowd had sprung on her.

    ¡°She¡¯s found family, friends, and true romance - doesn¡¯t know how she deserved the gifts she got by chance - but her fresh start has filled up her heart until it¡¯s overflowing! Now, she¡¯s living out her fantasy¡­¡±

    She held the stunningly high note, not for a second as in the studio version of the song, but for nearly a full two. She did not stop until the crowd whooped and whistled in respect of the vocal feat.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know how it happened to a girl like me, but now, my happy ever after happens, whoah-aaall the ti-i-i-ime! Once upon a rhyme¡­¡±

    The crowd had only just died down in their applause and adulation by the time Akane and Nodoka had made it into the hallway outside the main arena and begun their search for a food vendor. The concrete outer walls muffled the sound from the performance, which was precisely the intent behind the timing of Akane¡¯s snack run and her choice of companion for it. Look for the longest line, she thought. If she played her cards right, their errand would give Ranko enough time to sing both You Don¡¯t Know Me and Ghosts, sparing her biological mother the pain of having to sit through the performances.

    While Akane sought a vendor for some snacks, Ranko began her next song by singing to the standing-room-only crowd about her wife¡¯s favorite meal.

    ¡°I¡¯m good at cooking. Yeah, the furikake salmon that I make is the best. Not half-bad looking, even though sometimes I need half the afternoon to get dressed¡­¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°You are a non-compliant! STRONG! DEFIANT! Self-rescuing princess!¡±

    Ranko waved to the raucous capacity-plus crowd, her chest heaving with exhaustion. That¡¯s eleven. One to go. Shit, I should¡¯ve saved Worthy of You or something for the end to give myself a break.

    ¡°So, my princesses, who¡¯s here with their Prince Charming tonight? Let me hear you!¡± The arena shook with feminine shrieks, buying Ranko a few more seconds to catch her breath.

    ¡°That¡¯s awesome. And, I mean, you heard There Are No Words, so you know how madly in love I am, right? But, it wasn¡¯t always that way.¡± The redhead stalked across the stage, the spotlights following her and drawing attention to stage left to obscure Hitomi and Emi working in the shadows behind her on the right.

    ¡°And like I said, girls, we have the power to take what we want from the world. Always. And I got tired of waiting for my happily ever after. Sometimes, a girl has to take matters into her own hands¡­¡±

    As she spoke the last word, every light in the arena save the running lights on the stairs and the emergency exit signs blinked out. Throughout the arena, white flashes pierced the darkness as dozens of personal cameras went off from various sections of the crowd. The stage lights, too, flickered intermittently with white light before settling into a sickly green illuminating a thick mist that had been pumped onto the stage. The miasma originated from a fog machine hidden in the black wooden cauldron that Emi had dragged to center stage and locked into place. In the shadows, Ranko grabbed a small object from the edge of the prop, slipping it into the pocket of her leather jacket.

    Off to Ranko¡¯s left, Shinji slipped off his bass guitar, picking up his brass saxophone from the stand behind him. As Ranko gave a sly little laugh, Jacob¡¯s synthesizer began a solo, singing in a fast, upbeat piano voice.

    Ranko leaned on the edge of the cauldron, silhouetted in the murky green haze, kicking one heel off the ground and looking wantingly out at the crowd as if she was gazing at something she knew she could never have. When she began to sing, each of the quadruplets was delivered in a rapid, bouncing rhythm in rhyming lines of ten, three, three, and seven notes that tended to start high in the third octave and scoop downward into the middle second.

    ¡°I could never find the right words to say¡­¡±

    Hitomi and Emi joined her in the second half of the couplet as Hitomi wiggled her way toward Shinji. Shinji stepped forward, not yet playing his saxophone, but holding it in both hands in front of his chest. The fog machine cut off and the lights switched back to a neutral white, allowing the scene behind the singer to play out for the crowd.

    ¡°Every day, I would pray, as I watched you walk away.¡±

    Ranko turned, still leaning on the cauldron but now with her backside rather than her hands, toward Shinji. The expression on her face was one of sadness and unrequited need. ¡°Wanted to tell you the way I feel¡­¡±

    Again, Hitomi and Emi joined her for the second half of the rhyme. ¡°Here¡¯s the deal: dreamin¡¯ we¡¯ll be together soon for real.¡±

    Hitomi walked a full lap around Shinji as he began to add his saxophone to the rhythm, her left hand never breaking contact with his body.

    ¡°Saw her creep up on you from behind¡­¡±

    Hitomi kicked one heel back, leaning over Shinji¡¯s instrument as he leaned forward. As Emi helped Ranko carry the matching line, Hitomi planted a kiss on the musician¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°And it kinda blew my mind, seeing your lips intertwined.¡±

    Looking away from Shinji, Ranko hung her head in resignation. ¡°That¡¯s when I knew we could never be. Finally, I could see that you didn¡¯t care for me.¡±

    Hitomi model-stomped forward on her tall heels, backing Shinji nearly behind the stage curtain as he played, and Ranko left the cauldron, walking to the front of the stage with her hands clasped just under her chin, vocalizing as she moved.

    ¡°Whoa, ah-oh, oh, whoa, no, oh! Whoa-ah-oh, whoa, no-o-o-o-o!¡±

    Ranko turned her back on Shinji, fitting to the back left of the stage next to Ken¡¯s drum set. She leaned over him, leaning on his unused snare as if she were telling him the story. ¡°I ran when I couldn¡¯t watch anymore. Wasn¡¯t sure quite what for; I just picked a random door.¡±

    The songstress looked around the stage and out at the crowd, her hands folded across her chest with wonder in her eyes as if she had just stepped into some sort of magical kingdom. ¡°I found a shop full of all these antique books. Just a look¡¯s all it took! Found myself completely hooked!¡± As with every couplet, Hitomi and Emi harmonized with her through the second line of the rhyming pair.

    Ranko withdrew the small black object from her pocket, flitting back to center stage and opening the little black leather-bound book as if reading it. Those closest to the stage could see that the front cover was emblazoned with a pentagram in silver puff paint. The pages of the little journal she¡¯d bought at the bookstore on Akane¡¯s college campus last week had been yellowed by a tea-staining technique Mei had come up with in order to give them an aged look.

    ¡°I found a leather book bound all in black, in a stack, in the back, on the metaphysics rack.¡±

    She turned the book to the crowd, letting them see the first page as she walked closer to the still-smoking, green-tinged cauldron. The page featured a hand-drawn cauldron, a pair of hearts in the lower left corner, and several paragraphs written in far too small a script to be read from the floor.

    ¡°And I found instructions for brewing a potion for filling the subject with total DE-votioooooon¡­.¡± Her voice scooped low and then rose through the full fourth octave, as if building to something.

    She closed the book with a loud clap that was clearly audible through her headset and tossed it into the audience, where it was caught by a young man in the second standing row. He held it high above his head, whooping loudly before opening it. He found that all the pages after the second were blank, but the first two were filled with the lyrics of the song in the singer¡¯s own handwriting. At the end, it read Wild Orchid album release party, November 25, 1991, and it was signed with Ranko¡¯s name in romaji with her signature heart at the end.

    In the young Firebird¡¯s distraction, he did not notice as Hitomi and Emi took Ranko¡¯s hands and lifted her on top of the cauldron, where a perforated clear acrylic cover supported her weight as she stood on it. The ambient light dimmed again as the spotlights once again went green, the beams suspended in the mist from the cauldron below Ranko to illuminate her in an eerie, and yet still sultry, silhouette.

    ¡°And now, I got that witchcra-aaa-aft, and I¡¯m fin¡¯lly gettin¡¯ through to you, through to you, with the voodoo that I brew! Witchcra-aaa-aft, and I¡¯m decidin¡¯ what to do with you, do with you, since my love is new to you.¡±

    She packed her lungs as the stage lights came back up for the pair of lightning-fast lines that ended the chorus, her voice plummeting through an octave and a half twice in a single breath, each line culminating in the very lowest note Ranko¡¯s feminine voice could produce. Both of her backup singers joined her, Emi for the first line and Hitomi for the second, as the pair frolicked around the cauldron like nymphs at a campfire.

    ¡°You never would¡¯a messed with me before I found the recipe, but now, I¡¯ve got you under my spe-ell! So I¡¯ll change around your destiny and make you wind up next to me! Together, we¡¯ll be hotter than hell!¡±

    Shinji stepped forward out of the dark back corner of the stage, walking toward the cauldron still playing his saxophone as he strode. Hitomi approached Shinji again, reaching for him as if to hug him, but Shinji just walked right past her, toward Ranko, a bit stiffly as if not entirely of his own volition. As he approached, Ranko hopped down from the cauldron, curling her finger in Shinji¡¯s direction in the classic come here gesture with a mischievous sneer in her eyes and her right hand placed sassily on the hip of her miniskirt.

    ¡°Just like that, you belong to me. Utterly, endlessly, hopelessly in ecstasy.¡±

    Ranko put her arm around Shinji¡¯s back and skipped forward, and he scampered along beside her, the reed of his sax still in his mouth. Hitomi¡¯s mouth hung open and she glared in shock and rage at the new ¡°couple¡± and the girl she had suddenly and inexplicably been spurned for in the song¡¯s storyline.

    ¡°And now, you¡¯re right beside me everywhere I go. Every show, rain or snow! Not like you¡¯re gonna tell me no.¡±

    She led Shinji right past Hitomi, who shot the pair a furious facial expression as Ranko cackled darkly. The redhead threw her thumb over her shoulder to point back at Hitomi as she leaned against her saxophonist¡¯s torso with a mocking smirk of satisfaction.

    ¡°Now, it¡¯s your old girl that¡¯s constantly missin¡¯ you. She¡¯s the one crying, and I¡¯m the one kissing you¡­¡±

    The redhead split from Shin, dashing three steps toward the center of the stage and then channeling all the grace and athleticism of a ballerina, a cheerleader and a martial artist combined as she leapt up onto the cauldron unassisted. The stage lights dimmed but did not fade entirely to black, and Ranko raised her arms above her head and crossed her wrists, rolling her hips like an Arabian belly dancer from any number of old movies Akane had made her suffer through.

    Hitomi continued to mime talking to Shinji, but he never turned his head, continuing to watch Ranko move in the mist pouring from the cauldron as if he were enchanted beyond the capacity for free will by the redheaded sorceress writhing in the smoke.

    ¡°Because I got that witchcra-aaa-aft, and I¡¯m finally gettin¡¯ through to you, through to you, with the voodoo that I brew! Witchcra-aaa-aft, and I¡¯m decidin¡¯ what to do with you, do with you. At least a date or two with you.¡±

    She wagged her finger at the audience, extending her arm as if in denial. As had become something of a trademark for her, each rendition of the chorus had slight variations in the lyrics to keep things interesting. ¡°You never would¡¯a messed with me before I found the recipe, but now, I¡¯ve got you under my spe-ell, so I¡¯ll change around your destiny and make you wind up next to me! Together, babe, we¡¯re hotter than hell!¡±

    Ranko lowered herself to a crouch, resting her right hand on the clear acrylic cover of the cauldron on which she stood. The synthesizer and drums rolled in an undulating but ever-rising, ever-building few bars, and when it had reached its crescendo, Ranko launched herself upward from her crouch into a jump. As she did, the sound of an explosion rattled the arena and red and orange light flickered in the brume pouring from the cauldron as if the final ingredient had just been added to the volatile brew. As she landed in an almost superhero crouch a meter in front of the cauldron, she began the again-modified chorus alongside her harmonizing twin backup singers.

    ¡°Yeah, I got that witchcra-aaa-aft, and I¡¯m finally gettin¡¯ through to you, through to you, with the voodoo that I brew! Witchcra-aaa-aft, and I¡¯ve decided what to do with you, do with you: I¡¯ll spend my whole life through with you!¡±

    She ran around the cauldron to her right, grabbing both lapels of Shinji¡¯s leather jacket and yanking him close enough that the bell of his saxophone rested between her breasts. She sang directly up into his eyes with a commanding presence, stifling a giggle as the vibration of sound through his instrument tickled her ever-sensitive flesh.

    ¡°You never would¡¯a messed with me before I found the recipe, but now I¡¯ve got you under my spe-ell, ¡®cause I changed around your destiny and made you wind up next to me!¡±

    Ranko threw her bassist and saxophonist back a step, sprinting to front center stage and waving to the thundering crowd.

    ¡°That¡¯s our show, everybody! Thanks for coming! Enjoy the album, and we¡¯ll see you right back here at the Budokan in March! We¡¯re gonna spread this thing all over the world like Wildfire! Good night, Tokyo!¡±

    Taking a deep breath as the audience roared, Ranko planted her feet and prepared to belt the last few words at the maximum volume that her lungs could produce. She closed her eyes, clenching her right hand tightly in front of her in an open claw as if trying to channel every last scintilla of power she could muster from her slight body.

    She was going to need it.

    ¡°TOGETHER! We¡¯ll be ho-o-OO-ott-er¡­ than¡­. HEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLL!¡± On the last word, her voice soared midway through the fifth octave, her voice plummeting in a four-octave slide down to the mid-second in a single syllable that took just over two seconds to complete.

    As soon as the word hell began, Ranko¡¯s backup singers began singing over her, summarizing the song¡¯s story by cobbling together two half-lines from the chorus. ¡°But now, I¡¯ve got the recipe to make you wind up next to me¡­¡±

    Ranko¡¯s slide ended at the same time as Hitomi and Emi¡¯s line, and the three of them winked seductively in unison at the audience as they sang the last line together.

    ¡°Together, we¡¯ll be hotter than hell!¡±

    With another crashing peal of thunder from the speakers, the stage lights all went out. The white ceiling lights flickered in flashes of residual ¡°lightning¡± before leaving nothing but the green glow of the cauldron¡¯s miasma to illuminate the performers.

    ¡°RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO!¡±

 13. The Angel of Music

    Sighing, Ranko pulled open the pine double door leading into the Yusue High auditorium. Adjusting her pink-rimmed sunglasses, which she wore mostly to express her silent protest at her very presence in the room, she strode down the stairs of the long aisle between the two rightmost banks of red folding chairs toward the stage. I guess it is kinda weird that I¡¯ve never performed on that stage, all things considered, she thought as she approached the group of twenty or so students. Most were sitting in the first few rows of seats, watching as a junior girl in a long white dress struggled to stand up in a little wooden boat that lay on the stage.

    ¡°Looking for someone,¡± a voice asked from her left, and she turned to make eye contact with the only instructor in the room. She was an extremely short woman, nearly thirty centimeters shorter than even Ranko, and she wore a pair of thick round glasses in severe black frames that matched her salt-and-pepper hair.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ranko said, not removing her sunglasses. ¡°Mrs. Ikara sent me. She said you¡¯re a performer short, and I¡¯m a performance credit short, so I guess we¡¯re in a position to help each other.¡± She crossed her arms over her chest, a bit defiantly.

    The diminutive woman nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Yes, and it¡¯s wonderful to have you, honey. All of our roles save one are full, so there won¡¯t be much of a selection, I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    The redhead nodded, scratching at her chest through her itchy school uniform. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯m looking for, like, the most basic thing you got. Like, if you¡¯re casting for Silent Fencepost Number Two, I¡¯m your girl.¡± I don¡¯t really need your help to be a star, lady.

    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t have too many roles like that. I might be able to put you in the chorus and promote one of the other girls, I suppose. What¡¯s your name, dear?¡± Ms. Zaito adjusted her glasses, her eyes scanning the selection of young women in the first two rows of seats disapprovingly, as if not relishing the selection she needed to make.

    ¡°Ranko Tendo, ma¡¯am.¡± She walked toward an empty seat in the second row, beginning to slip her heavy black school satchel off of her shoulder into it.

    The old woman took a step back as if she¡¯d been threatened with a hammer. ¡°Wait. Ranko Tendo? Like, the Ranko Tendo? The singer?!¡±

    Welp. Shit. This can¡¯t be good. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me,¡± Ranko said with a resigned sigh. ¡°One demon in your radio, at your service.¡±

    Before Ranko could turn back to face her, the woman had closed the fifteen or so meters between them, and was standing within arm¡¯s reach. Indeed, she looked like she wanted to reach out and touch Ranko just to confirm that she was real and not some apparition.

    I¡¯m going to get to direct a girl who won three Japan Record Awards? Are you kidding me right now?

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but it just won¡¯t do to have someone of your stature in the background. No, ma¡¯am! Don¡¯t you worry, we¡¯ll make sure you shine, honey. Have you seen the show before?¡±

    The redhead shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what it¡¯s called. All I know is, Mrs. Ikara said I ain¡¯t gonna graduate if I didn¡¯t come here today, so I¡¯m here. I¡¯ve got an international tour coming up in a few months, and prep for it is really kicking my butt, and¡­ I¡¯m just not looking for a ton of extra commitment right now. I¡¯m sure what you¡¯re doing is great and all, but I¡¯ve just got way too much stuff to focus on right now as it is.¡±

    Ms. Zaito nodded. ¡°I understand all that. I do. But at the same time, this is an excellent skill for a girl in your position to have, and I think it would be good for you to push yourself in it a little. A good bit of the reason a performance is required in this program is to get you some experience with working with a group and a director, and we will need to level that up a little bit for you to get any growth out of it, given your background.¡± She leaned in closer, though Ranko still had to stoop down to hear her as she lowered her volume. ¡°And besides, the show could really use the help.¡±

    Ranko groaned in exasperation, throwing her hands in the air and clapping them down at her hips. ¡°I¡¯ve done like seven or eight music videos now, all kinds of stage performances. I promise, I got showbiz figured out, okay? Just tell me where to stand, would you please?¡±

    ¡°Let me ask you,¡± the director continued. ¡°What¡¯s the highest note in your vocal range?¡±

    ¡°C-six,¡± Ranko said proudly. ¡°Worked on it all summer trying to hit it, before¡­¡± She blushed. Before the wedding. ¡°Before we recorded Once Upon a Rhyme.¡±

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    Good save, Ranko.

    ¡°C-six?! That means you¡¯re only a quarter-octave away from¡­ oh, honey, you just have to help us out!¡± The tiny woman clapped her hands excitedly. I¡¯ve done this show for a few years now, and we¡¯ve never had a girl who could do it before. Not even close.

    Ranko rolled her eyes, glad her sunglasses mostly hid the disrespectful gesture. ¡°Okay, would you please tell me what you¡¯re on about, because I suspect whatever it is you¡¯re about to tell me, I ain¡¯t gonna like it.¡±

    The elderly woman gestured to one of the chairs, taking the one next to it and waiting for Ranko to join her in the cushy folding seats. The director groaned into her palm as the girl in the white dress tripped trying to step out of the boat on the stage, landing on her face.

    ¡°So, the female lead in this show has this really incredible song, that¡¯s kinda the high point of the whole show. The character¡¯s a gifted singer, so the expectation is that she has an incredible voice. Well, the song is supposed to end on an E-six, and every year, we¡¯ve had to shift it down to an E-five or lower because our lead couldn¡¯t carry the note. With you being so close, you might be able to¡­¡±

    ¡°E-freaking-six?! Are you out of your damn mind?!¡± Ranko blinked, gesticulating wildly with her hands. Her outburst drew the attention of most of the other performers, both those in the seats nearby and those on the stage. ¡°First off, let¡¯s forget for a minute that I asked you for the most basic role you got, and you¡¯re talking about the friggin¡¯ lead. I can¡¯t hit an E-six. Like, one out of every twenty thousand or so girls on Earth can, probably. That¡¯s just insanely high!¡±

    The instructor reached to her left, clapping her hand on the back of Ranko¡¯s. ¡°If anyone can do it, Ranko, with your talent, you can. I¡¯ll be happy to provide all the vocal coaching you need to help you stretch your range, if you¡¯re willing to try. I promise, if you can¡¯t do it come show time, we¡¯ll shift it down like we¡¯ve done in the past, but I believe you can. You¡¯ve just got to do this for us, Ranko.¡± With you in the lead, kid, I¡¯ll be able to fund the drama department for five years off the ticket sales alone.

    Ranko slumped a bit in her chair, rubbing her temples. A familiar throbbing behind her eyes was building, and she gave it a dejected sigh in welcome. Hello, anxiety, my old friend. Her voice was one of quiet resignation as she answered, not lifting her eyes to meet her new director¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯m not getting out of this, am I?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, honey. I mean, if you really refuse to do it, we¡¯ll figure something out, but¡­ I think you¡¯d be silly not to do it. It¡¯s not like increasing your range won¡¯t help you in your career. The acting experience, too. Lots of singers cross over into acting, you know, either in theater or in the movies.¡± Ms. Zaito stood, moving in front of Ranko¡¯s chair and making eye contact with her, an easy feat given her short stature. ¡°Please say you¡¯ll do this for us, and for yourself?¡±

    With a resigned sigh, Ranko pulled her sunglasses off and clipped them into the neckline of the white blouse she wore under her red school pinafore. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s assume for the moment I said yes. Where would we go from there?¡±

    Without answering her question, Ms. Zaito turned up to the stage, where the girl in the white dress was still sitting on the floor rubbing her cheek. ¡°Tsukiko, come here, please?¡±

    The young woman stood, navigating the steps down from the stage and closing the distance between her director and Ranko. She fidgeted with her high ponytail as she made eye contact with the short woman. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am?¡±

    ¡°Tsukiko, honey, I¡¯m sorry, but we¡­ We need to make a change, okay? I¡¯m going to ask you to slide over and take the role of Meg, okay?¡± Ms. Zaito reached for the blonde junior¡¯s shoulder, sighing when she realized she couldn¡¯t reach it.

    Tsukiko glared down at the seated redhead. ¡°You¡¯re replacing me with¡­ her?!¡± She growled loudly, gesturing to the singer as the fury in her eyes turned back to the director. ¡°I¡¯ve been busting my hump in rehearsals for months, and just like that, you¡¯re gonna¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tsukiko. I really am. The reality is, we¡¯re not any closer to ready than we were in September, and¡­ this is Ranko Tendo, honey. The girl¡¯s won three JRAs, for heaven¡¯s sakes. I just¡­¡± Ms. Zaito gasped, recoiling a bit as a guttural roar burst forth from the slender blonde.

    ¡°I can¡¯t BELIEVE this! I¡¯m OUT OF HERE! Good luck with this shit, Tendo!¡± The blonde stomped back toward the stage to collect her belongings, delivering a swift kick to a disused brass chandelier that lay on its side on the ground near the steps in frustration. She roared again, this time in pain as the dressing-room slippers she wore offered little protection from the metal she¡¯d kicked.

    Great. I¡¯ve been here five minutes, and this lady¡¯s making me enemies, Ranko thought with a quiet groan. ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯ve committed me now. Thanks.¡±

    Ms. Zaito adjusted her glasses, shaking her head in dismay. ¡°She¡¯ll be back, I¡¯m sure. Nobody takes demotions well, but in this case, it just had to be done. Here, honey, let me get you a script.¡±

    Ranko stood to follow the woman, cringing a bit at the disapproving stares from her new castmates. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose, guys! Don¡¯t look at me like that! I asked to play the fucking fencepost!

    The silent apology she made to her fellow actors with her eyes was interrupted by the director stuffing a thick paperback book into her hand. Ranko looked down at the black cover, emblazoned across the front with a white ceramic mask and a single red rose.

    ¡°Welcome to the show, Christine.¡±

 14. Flipping the Script

    ¡°Aw, come on! You¡¯ve got to be fucking shitting me!¡± Ranko growled, throwing the paperback book to the bed beside her in disgust.

    Akane laughed, picking Ziggy up off the bed and sitting the enormous pink teddy bear in the chair facing the study desk in the corner before taking his place on the bed beside her wife. ¡°Oh, come on, it¡¯s not that bad.¡±

    Ranko turned to her wife, an apoplectic frenzy in her eyes. ¡°Akane, are you kidding me? First off, I¡¯m gonna have to wear the stupid ballerina dress and do the dance thing, which is everything I was trying to get out of in the first place. Like, if I wanted to do that, I could¡¯ve just done the recital with Ms. Kanzawa. But now, I have to do all that, plus I have to¡­¡± She looked down in shame, curling up around the stuffed unicorn that lay hammocked in the skirt of her red school pinafore. She sighed as Akane pulled her into a hug, snuggling her cheek into Akane¡¯s shoulder. How the hell am I gonna survive without her arms for weeks at a time?

    ¡°I know, love. There¡¯s kissing.¡± Akane rocked her lover in her arms. ¡°You¡¯ll be alright. I know it¡¯s gonna be hard for you, but it¡¯s an act. I know you don¡¯t mean anything by it. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re cheating on me or anything. Actors do it all the time. Even gay ones.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Ranko sighed, burrowing tighter against Akane¡¯s torso. ¡°I don¡¯t want to pretend to¡­ with a boy! Couldn¡¯t I just, like, put some tape on his face or something so I don¡¯t have to touch him?¡±

    Akane giggled. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Ranko. How¡¯s he supposed to sing with his mouth taped shut?¡±

    ¡°His problem, not mine.¡± Ranko sighed. ¡°Everything we did with the Sneak video was to avoid having to do shit like this! They shouldn¡¯t be allowed to make me do this to graduate. Like, it should be illegal or something.¡±

    Akane sighed, squeezing her wife tightly in her arms as she looked at the pink tasseled bookmark protruding halfway through the paperback script with a bit of a wince. I¡¯ll just let her discover for herself that there¡¯s a kiss with the Phantom too, in the second act. ¡°I know, princess. Unfortunately, Aki can¡¯t get you out of it this time, since it¡¯s a school performance. It¡¯s not fair that they just thrust you into the lead like that, but can you blame them, really? I mean, what would they say about your director if she had a superstar in the cast and told her to sit quietly in the back?¡±

    Ranko grumbled, crossing her arms over her breasts with a pouting expression on her lips. ¡°Sometimes I don¡¯t wanna be a superstar. Sometimes I miss when nobody knew me, and I could be anonymous and just fade into the woodwork.¡± She exhaled heavily, realizing her words hadn¡¯t just been about the school musical.

    Ranko¡¯s wife kissed the top of her head gently through her flame-red hair. ¡°No you don¡¯t. You don¡¯t mean that. Not really. Those were hard times for you. You were born to be a star, my love, strange though the path you took to get there might have been. This is the right life for you, even when it gets a little bit hard. But I promise you, you can do this. The musical, the tour, all of it. You¡¯re the strongest person I¡¯ve ever met, Ranko. You can do anything.¡±

    Ranko whined pathetically, pulling her knees in tighter around Starlight¡¯s back. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna be strong any more, Akane. People sayin¡¯ I am just feels like they¡¯re trying to say suck it up in a nicer way.¡±

    ¡°I mean,¡± Akane said, stroking her beloved¡¯s hair gently as Ranko slid down her body and rested her head in her wife¡¯s lap. ¡°They are, kinda. But they¡¯re also saying that they believe in you, and that they know there¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t handle. I know I believe in you. I¡¯ll be right there for you every step of the way, flower girl. I promise.¡±

    ¡°No. You won¡¯t.¡±

    Akane slumped back against the headboard, rolling her eyes. ¡°Is this about me not coming on the tour again?¡± The redhead nodded silently, the rough texture of Akane¡¯s blue denim jeans prickling her Cat¡¯s Tongue-addled cheek. ¡°Baby, we talked about this. I just can¡¯t. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to. I just have responsibilities here. School, and looking after your family while you¡¯re gone.¡± She slid her arm under Ranko¡¯s slight frame, effortlessly lifting her into her lap and cradling her in her arms.

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    Ranko burrowed tighter against her wife¡¯s chest, shivering slightly in her wife¡¯s embrace. Nothing made her feel as small and vulnerable as she did when Akane picked her up. Most days, she didn¡¯t hate the sensation at all, but at the moment, it only served to underscore how entirely unprepared she felt to face the world without her family and the love of her life by her side.

    ¡°You¡¯re my family, Akane. I need you.¡±

    With a nod, Akane brought two of her fingers under Ranko¡¯s chin, lifting the sniffling girl¡¯s chin to force her to make eye contact. ¡°Yes, I am. And I love you, Ranko. I promise, you¡¯re gonna be okay. Crash and the boys will look out for you.¡±

    Akane sighed. Oh, gods. I know what this is.

    She squeezed her wife tight, curling her leg around the smaller girl¡¯s back to make her feel as enveloped as possible. ¡°I want you to listen to me, Ranko Tendo. You will never, ever have to be alone again in your life. Never. Do you understand me? I can only imagine how it must have felt for you, before the Phoenix, but this isn¡¯t that. Not at all. You may not be at home, Ranko, but it doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t have one.¡±

    Akane reached down for her wife¡¯s left hand, lifting it into Ranko¡¯s view and fidgeting with the custom-engraved silver band around her third finger. ¡°This isn¡¯t just there to tell everybody else you¡¯re taken, you know. It¡¯s to remind you that I am with you wherever you are, wherever you go. My heart is in your pocket every second of your life, Ranko. Even when I¡¯m not standing there. Even if I¡¯m a phone call away, or a continent away.¡±

    She slid her hand further down Ranko¡¯s arm, to the silver dragon that slumbered as ever, a silent guardian coiled around the musician¡¯s slender wrist. ¡°Likewise, this is there to remind you that Yui and your mom and all your sisters are with you, too. They love you, and nobody¡¯s gonna forget you or move on from you while you¡¯re out there showing the world what an amazing talent you are. You always have a home in our hearts, Ranko. Always. You will always have a place to belong, and a place to come back to. I promise.¡±

    Akane softly swept Ranko¡¯s hair from her face with the backs of her fingers, using her fingertips to gently brush a tear away from her welling blue eye. ¡°Now, come on. Where¡¯s my brave, beautiful girl?¡±

    Ranko dove forward again, crashing into Akane¡¯s torso and squeezing her tight about the ribs. ¡°In your arms, where she belongs,¡± she said through a hollow sniffle. ¡°Where she feels safe.¡±

    Akane sighed, holding her quivering wife tight against herself. ¡°You¡¯re safe, Ranko. You¡¯re gonna be fine, I promise. Besides,¡± she said with a chuckle, ¡°Crash knows I¡¯ll kill him if he lets anything happen to you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, believe me,¡± Ranko said, sitting up and managing a slight smile at Akane¡¯s jest. ¡°He¡¯s already told me how worried he is about trying to keep me out of trouble.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a big job! He should be!¡± Akane hugged her tight again, laughing merrily with her lover. ¡°My little hellion, out there taking on the world. They¡¯re not ready for you, beautiful.¡±

    The redhead sniffled, pulling herself out of the hug after a moment and wiping her nose on the back of her right wrist. ¡°Well, they better get ready, ¡®cause I¡¯m comin¡¯.¡± She did her best to put on a brave face, even though she wasn¡¯t entirely sure she was convincing herself, let alone Akane.

    Ruffling her partner¡¯s red hair between her pigtails, Akane smiled brightly. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡±

    Ever so gently, Akane lifted Ranko out of her lap, laying her softly on her back beside her on the bed. She reached forward with her left leg, hooking the paperback book on the corner of the bed with her foot and pulling it into arm¡¯s reach before leaning forward with a grunt of effort to grab it.

    ¡°Whatcha doin¡¯,¡± Ranko asked, looking curiously up at her wife.

    ¡°Well, I owe you, I think. I really feel bad. I¡¯ve been so busy, I haven¡¯t had much chance to help you with your homework lately.¡± Akane bit her lip, smickering coyly down at her lover. ¡°But I¡¯m gonna make it up to you right now.¡±

    Ranko shrugged, tossing Starlight behind her head to serve as a pillow. ¡°I don¡¯t have any homework tonight, Akane. I already told you.¡±

    Akane tapped the cover of the script in her hand for emphasis before tossing it over Ranko¡¯s shoulder to the nightstand behind her, smiling lovingly down at her. She swept her hand across Ranko¡¯s cheek, brushing her white-ribboned pigtail off of it onto the mattress below. ¡°Yes, you do, silly girl. Now, get your cute little ass over here, girl, and let¡¯s work on rehearsing that kiss.¡±

 15. Earning Their Wings

    ¡°Father once spoke of an angel. I used to dream he¡¯d appear. Now, as I sing, I can sense him, and I know he¡¯s here! Here in this room, he calls me sof¡­ huh?¡±

    Ranko turned, pulling her headphones off and dangling them around her neck in response to a tap on her shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re ready for us, Ran-chan.¡± Crash motioned to his friend, coaxing her to follow him back down the stark, white-tiled hallway to the boardroom on the sixth floor of the Yokai Records home office.

    The redhead nodded, reaching down to the Discman clipped to the wide, sparkly black belt looped around the waist of her beige corduroy tulip skirt and pressing its stop button. ¡°¡®Bout time.¡± Smiling with a contented sigh as Crash put his arm over her shoulders, left bare in the strapless red peasant shirt she wore, she leaned into his torso as the pair walked into the deep, cramped room. Hugs are awesome. Probably one of my favorite things about my life now. So many hugs.

    Around the long mahogany conference table that dominated the room were seated the other six members of the Dapper Dragons, as well as five young men Ranko didn¡¯t recognize, all in business casual button-down or polo shirts. Ayama Uyehara, the band¡¯s representative from the Yokai Records team, was seated at the far end of the table in a sleek black silk business suit and a bright yellow blouse. Ranko took her seat at the near end in a leather wheeled office chair, Crash sliding into the one to her immediate right.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Amaya began, ¡°So, first thing we wanted to cover today is the¡­¡±

    Shinji raised his hand, an almost accusatory tone in his voice. ¡°Sorry, but before we get going, who the hell are those dudes?¡±

    Amaya scoffed at the bassist¡¯s interruption. ¡°As I was saying, Shin, the first thing we want to cover is the new guys we¡¯ve added to the team for the tour. Boys?¡±

    The five young men stood, as did Amaya. She motioned first to a pudgy young man, probably in his late twenties, with a scruffy patchwork of a beard and a pair of square wire-framed glasses. ¡°This is Masaki Tabata. He¡¯s going to be your lighting tech for the show.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Ariel exclaimed, an air of offense in his voice. ¡°I do the lights and stuff! What the hell, Amaya?!¡±

    Amaya gave him a reassuring wave of her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ariel, you aren¡¯t being replaced. But, for a show this size, asking you to handle both the audio and the lighting effects is a lot, so Masaki¡¯s gonna be helping you out. You¡¯re the boss, and he¡¯s an extra set of hands to run the boards during the performance. Plus, he¡¯s certified in pyrotechnics and has a lot of experience with other practical stage effects, so we think he¡¯ll be able to really help punch up the presentation.¡±

    ¡°Aw, rad! We¡¯re gonna have pyro!¡± Ken clapped his hands excitedly, either not noticing or not minding his lead vocalist groaning into her palm to his right.

    Ariel nodded his assent, giving the newcomer a skeptical once-over with his eyes. ¡°Well, alright. Look forward to working with you, Masaki.¡±

    ¡°Masa, please. And yeah, me too, man! We¡¯re gonna put on one hell of a show,¡± the technician replied with a confident nod and an eager grin.

    Amaya gestured with an open hand to an enormous, dark-skinned American in a royal purple polo shirt that strained to contain his pectoral muscles. His head was shaved clean, and a diamond stud sparkled in his right earlobe. ¡°Lance Riker¡­¡±

    ¡°Jesus Christ, look at that guy,¡± Jacob whispered to Crash in English. ¡°He¡¯s bigger than you and me put together! Who the hell pays to feed that dude?¡±

    ¡°... and Norio Anzai.¡± Amaya swept her hand to the right, indicating a lankier Japanese boy with bright orange hair. He wore a pair of blue jeans with ballooning wide legs that were probably four sizes too big for him and a worn sky-blue polo shirt. ¡°They¡¯ll be your roadies.¡±

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    ¡°Sorry, what¡¯s a roadie?¡± Ranko raised her hand sheepishly, blushing with embarrassment at her industry naivete.

    ¡°I pick things up, I put things down,¡± Lance stammered, embarrassment in his eyes.

    Amaya chuckled. ¡°Lance is a former member of the United States Navy, who served in Okinawa until last year. He¡¯s still working on his Japanese a little bit. Sorry about that.¡±

    Ranko turned to the young man, smiling disarmingly and addressing him in English. ¡°Welcome to the Dapper Dragons, Lance. It¡¯s really good to have you.¡± The redhead watched a wave of relief wash over her new teammate¡¯s face as he was addressed in his mother tongue.

    ¡°Thanks so much! I¡¯m so excited to be with you guys, Mrs. Tendo. I really love your stuff, and it¡¯s just such a huge honor to be a part of your show. I promise, I won¡¯t let anything go wrong on this tour for you,¡± Lance replied, a gentle spark in the giant¡¯s eyes.

    Ranko nudged Crash through his plain white tee shirt with her elbow, whispering to him in Japanese with a giddy grin on her lips. ¡°I like this one.¡±

    Amaya gave a nod. She really had taken a liking to Ranko, despite all of the challenges they¡¯d had in convincing her to toe the corporate line. ¡°Roadies are basically your helpers on the tour, Ranko. They¡¯ll handle a lot of the setup and teardown of the stage, make sure the equipment gets from point A to point B, all that logistics work. They¡¯ll also help with things like running errands, security, stuff like that. Basically, they¡¯re there to manage the minutia, so you can focus on the music.¡±

    ¡°Holy crap. We get assistants?!¡± Ranko blushed, expanding her fingers on either side of her head in a my mind is blown gesture. ¡°You guys do know that I¡¯m a waitress, right?¡±

    Amaya smiled warmly with a shake of her head. ¡°Not anymore. You¡¯re an award-winning recording artist on an international tour. Welcome to the big leagues, kiddo.¡±

    ¡°Sanyo Arima,¡± said a handsome man of twenty-two who declined to wait to be introduced, flashing a winning, and almost cocky, smile across his square jaw. The black-haired man crossed his muscular arms over the chest of his emerald-green button-down dress shirt.

    ¡°Well, hello,¡± Hitomi purred, giving Emi an excitedly wide-eyed smile with a bit of a blush behind it.

    The last unnamed man gave a nervous wave. He was quite a bit taller than Sanyo, but slighter in build, a shock of blond-highlighted hair zig-zagging through his black flat top. ¡°Hey, everybody. I¡¯m Utaru. Utaru Tsuchida. Hi.¡± He slipped his hands into the pockets of his gray slacks, bouncing a bit on the heels of his black loafers. ¡°Good to meet you all.¡±

    ¡°Utaru and Sanyo will be your new backup dancers, Ranko.¡± Amaya retook her seat at the head of the table. ¡°Plus Emi and Hitomi, of course. You¡¯ll be working on larger stages than you¡¯re used to performing on for most of these shows, and we don¡¯t want it looking empty with just the three of you moving around. Plus, having a few more bodies will give us some more interesting options for choreography.

    The songstress nodded, slumping back in her chair. ¡°Welcome, guys. This is just¡­ wow. I didn¡¯t expect¡­ all of this. I figured we just, throw Crash¡¯s guitar in some bubble wrap, get on a plane, and away we go.¡±

    ¡°I told you it was gonna get serious now, Ranko. We¡¯re doing this shit for real.¡± Crash nudged his friend¡¯s bare shoulder with his fist gently. ¡°You ready, girl?¡±

    ¡°Not remotely, but I guess we¡¯re doing it anyway,¡± she replied with a nervous chuckle.

    ¡°You bet your ass we are,¡± Ken said through a victorious grin, rubbing his palms together excitedly.

    Amaya smiled, turning the page in the black leather-bound day planner on the table in front of her. ¡°Now. As for the set list. Obviously, this is up for discussion, but just as a starting point: how do you feel about leading off with Witchcraft? It¡¯s doing really well in radio play right now.¡±

    Ranko shook her head. ¡°No way. We gotta start the show with Demon in Your Radio. It¡¯s just, something about dropping the lights to black, and Shin¡¯s laugh, just lets the people know, shit¡¯s about to go down, ya know?¡±

    ¡°Fair enough. After that, I¡¯m thinking maybe Sneak?¡± Amaya sipped at her water bottle, sitting back in her leather chair. The seat made a little squeak as she adjusted her weight.

    With a devious smirk at her new backup dancers, Ranko shook her head again. ¡°Actually? Take Sneak off the list entirely for now. I¡¯ve got a crazy idea¡­¡±

 16. The Grass is Greener

    So fucking bored.

    Ranko sighed, watching off in the distance as her bandmates huddled around Norio in the empty soundstage that their record label had rented as a rehearsal space for the Wildfire Tour.  The orange-haired roadie was giving a lecture on how to pack up their instruments for safe transport, and given that Ranko¡¯s instrument resided in her throat, she didn¡¯t have much to gain from the discussion.

    She pressed play on the Discman clipped to the waistband of the green denim skirt she¡¯d borrowed from her wife, pulling her headphones back over her ears. Man, it¡¯s so weird listening to myself on this thing.

    Ranko swayed her hips, singing along with herself and trying to let the rhythm of Demon in Your Radio catch her. The larger stage and the addition of two new dancers would require an entirely new dance routine for nearly all of her songs, save the ones that weren¡¯t really dance tunes anyway, like There Are No Words.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault! Nobody can maintain their focus when they¡¯re sucked into the Dragon-style¡­ owww.¡±

    Ranko sighed, wincing and doubling over slightly. Man, being a girl fucking sucks sometimes. I¡¯m all grumpy, and I hurt, and I don¡¯t wanna do nothin¡¯. She grumbled loudly in the direction of the back half of the rehearsal space. And they couldn¡¯t even spring for the damn donut lady. I haven¡¯t eaten all day, and I¡¯m friggin¡¯ starving, and they got me sitting around here like an asshole with nothing to do. They could have at least ordered some pizzas or something.

    Stopping her CD player again, Ranko flopped to her backside dejectedly on the makeshift stage the roadies had erected for their rehearsals, extending her legs out and leaning back a little to alleviate pressure on her midsection. She pulled her headphones back from her ears, tossing them carelessly to the wooden platform rather than risking them getting tangled in her hair. Fuuuuuuuuck. I¡¯ve become the moody, hormonal bitch I used to hate. Turning her head to the pile of backpacks near which she¡¯d plopped herself, she bit her lip contemplatively. Maybe one of the boys brought snacks. At least they won¡¯t have to deal with me being bitchy ¡®cause I¡¯m hungry on top of everything else.

    She grabbed Crash¡¯s red backpack, unzipping it and peering inside. In it, she found Crash¡¯s leather gloves, a pack of cigarettes and a soft, plush cotton sweater in a vibrant green, but nothing to eat. ¡±Dammit, man. You had one job.¡±

    Ranko zipped the bag up again, returning it to where she found it before reaching for a forest green backpack with a tan suede bottom. Alright, Jake, you¡¯re not gonna let your girl down, are ya, buddy? A moment later, the redhead growled in frustration as she zipped her keyboardist¡¯s bag closed again and tossed it next to Crash¡¯s. You suck, man.

    Leaning back until her back touched the wooden stage, she stretched for a ratty black nylon duffel bag, unzipping it and slipping her hand inside. Oooh, hey, what¡¯s this?

    She grinned as she extracted a large plastic bag full of chocolate chip cookies. Jackpot! And chocolate, too! Shin, I take back everything I ever said about you. You¡¯re a gentleman and a scholar. Peeking into the bag, she managed a tiny huff of a chuckle. I guess it makes sense that you didn¡¯t pack milk, but a girl can dream.

    Separating the green seal of the plastic bag into its blue and yellow components, she reached her hand in and extracted one of the large cookies. She bit into it ravenously, chewing it with a slight cringe. Man, Shin. We gotta find you a girlfriend, dude. These things taste like fucking dirt. But right now, I¡¯m too hungry to care. And besides, compared to Akane¡¯s baking, this is freakin¡¯ gourmet. She swallowed, pressing the rest of the cookie into her mouth before reaching for another.

    Satisfied after a few moments, she stretched back out on the stage with a groan. I should¡¯ve brought some aspirin or something. Couldn¡¯t have had that in your bags, huh, guys? Honestly. What kinds of pack mules are you, anyway?! Do you not realize what your job is as boys? She shook her head with another exasperated chuckle. Not like I couldn¡¯t have put some in my purse, I guess. Gotta remember for tomorrow.

    She reached into her purse, withdrawing a small black notebook, the cover of which was printed with her signature in bright pink, and a disposable blue ballpoint pen. Opening it to the first page with writing on it, she bit the end of the pen contemplatively as she read what she¡¯d written the day before.

    I hear it in your breathing, and I see it in your eyes. You¡¯re looking for the seething fire where romance goes to die¡­

    With a devilish grin, she uncapped the pen, adding the next line of the new song. Oooh, that¡¯s good.

    <hr>

    ¡°Um, Ranko? You okay over there?¡± Crash sat down on the stage next to his friend, who was curled up in a ball in the fetal position with her cheek resting on the guitarist¡¯s green sweater. She¡¯d balled it up like a pillow under her head, and was repeatedly stroking one of the sleeves between the fingers of her left hand with a gentle touch and an almost enraptured expression. She was covered up with her leather jacket as if it were a blanket. Her still-open notebook and her CD player lay next to her on the stage floor, and her eyes were barely half-open.

    ¡°This is so soft¡­¡± Ranko giggled, smiling up at her friend as she patted his sweater gently. ¡°I like it.¡±

    Her friend laughed, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ glad you approve, I guess? You about ready to rehearse? I know you said you were hungry; wanna order some Chinese for delivery? I had no idea that whole demonstration was gonna take so long, or we¡¯d have grabbed a bite beforehand. Sorry about that.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay.¡± Her voice was a bit distant, and she nuzzled her cheek into Crash¡¯s sweater again with a quiet purr as if it were her favorite stuffed unicorn. ¡°I had some of Shin¡¯s cookies. They didn¡¯t really hit the spot, though. I¡¯m even hungrier than I was before!¡± She tittered cutely, leaning into her friend as if trying to keep her words secret, but forgetting to actually modulate her volume. ¡°He¡¯s a terrible baker, Crash. He¡¯s gonna make somebody a shit wife one day.¡±

    Shinji swallowed hard, snapping his head to the pair with panic in his eyes. ¡°You what?!¡±

    Ranko lolled her head to the side limply to look up at her bassist, a dreamy, far-off look in her eyes. ¡°Yeah, sorry, dude. Normally Jake¡¯s got me covered on the snack tip, but bro let me down today. I¡¯ll make ya some better cookies tomorrow, Shin. Promise. What the heck did you put in those, anyway? They tasted weird.¡±

    The black-haired boy¡¯s eyes darted up to Crash, full of worry. ¡°Ho¡­ how many of those did you eat, Ranko?!¡±

    She shrugged, giggling again. ¡°I ¡¯unno. Five? Six, maybe? I was really hungry. And really grumpy. Bitchy, bitchy girl. Grrrowl. But I feel a little better, though¡­ the chocolate¡¯s helping with the cramps, I think.¡±

    Shinji¡¯s head drooped until his forehead rested in his palm. ¡°Oh, fuck.¡±

    Crash¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Shin, were those the¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Aw, hell.¡± Crash groaned, shaking his head as he looked down at his friend, still splayed out on the plywood platform. ¡°Um, Ranko, listen, I need you to sit up, okay, hon? Can you do that for me, please?¡±

    ¡°Nuh-uh. Comfy.¡± She waved the back of her hand at him, not lifting her cheek from his sweater. ¡°Go ¡®way. I¡¯m relaxing. I¡¯ll sing later.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Crash said, slipping his hand under the limp young woman¡¯s back and pulling her up into a sitting position. ¡°I bet you are relaxed, all right.¡±

    She nodded emphatically with a giggle, her eyes wide with wonder at the idea that he could guess how she felt. ¡°I feel like a noodle!¡± She reached down for the cotton sweater behind her, wrapping it around her shoulders with a quiet purr as she snuggled under it. ¡°Gimme that. It¡¯s really fuckin¡¯ cold in here, and this feels nice. So soft. Feel this, Crash! It¡¯s amazing.¡±

    Crash pulled the slender girl into a hug against his chest, mostly to keep her from swaying. ¡°Listen to me, Ranko. I need you to try to keep it together for us now, ¡®kay? I know you¡¯re feeling a little goofy right now.¡±

    Ranko tittered brightly, looking up at him with a silly grin. ¡°How¡¯d you know?!¡± She reached up, tapping him on the forehead with her finger. ¡°You¡¯re so smart, Crash.¡±

    ¡°Ranko,¡± the guitarist whispered, pulling her hand back as she reached for her Discman. ¡°There was something in those cookies you ate. Come on, you gotta focus right now.¡±

    ¡°There must¡¯a been. They tasted like butt.¡± She curled her legs up under her, giggling as the black nylon leggings she wore under her skirt tickled her ever-sensitive skin. ¡°Your hugs feel really good, Crash. You know that? You give great hugs. Not like Akane, but like, really good friend hugs. The best.¡±

    Crash groaned. ¡°No, Ran-chan, listen to me. There was grass in those.¡±

    Nodding with a giggle, Ranko pressed closer against his chest. ¡°They sure tasted like it.¡±

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Ugh, Ranko¡­¡± Crash leaned down, whispering something in her ear. She shivered in his arms, just from the sensation of his breath on her earlobe and the back of her neck.

    The singer gasped loudly as he finished, rocketing her head up from her guitarist¡¯s chest and looking up at Shinji with her mouth hanging open in shock, her eyes wide. ¡°You do drugs?!¡±

    ¡°Keep your fucking voice down, Ranko,¡± Crash growled through his teeth, squeezing her tightly. He craned his neck to see if any of the record label representatives, or the new members of their traveling entourage, seemed to be reacting. ¡°Shin, get her some water or something.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a bad boy, Crash. He does drugs. Wait! I ate his¡­ do I do drugs now? Am I¡­ a bad girl?¡± Ranko giggled. ¡°Being a bad girl is fun sometimes.¡± She blushed. ¡°I like being a girl. It¡¯s so much better than being a stupid boy. Except for stupid cramps. They¡¯re stupid and no fun.¡± She offered a thumbs-down and a spattering raspberry to punctuate her point.

    Crash shook his head with a light chuckle, sweeping her red hair out of her face where it had become disheveled as she lay on the stage. ¡°I¡¯ll have to take your word for it, Ran-chan.¡± He reached up for the bottle of water Shinji handed him, passing it down to his delirious charge. ¡°Here, drink this. It¡¯ll help.¡±

    ¡°Ooh, good idea! My mouth tastes like blanket.¡± Ranko reached for the clear plastic bottle with both hands, lifting it to her mouth. After a moment, she pulled the bottle back down, looking at it incredulously. ¡°Oh! Duh.¡± She shook her head, unscrewing the white plastic bottle cap and tossing it aside before trying again to extract the liquid from its container.

    Akane¡¯s gonna kill us, Crash thought with a sigh. ¡°Shin, you and Jake go over and keep the others busy, and I¡¯ll see what I can do to sober her up. C¡¯mon, Ran-chan. Let¡¯s walk it off a little. Stand up.¡± He started to rise, dragging her dead weight to her feet.

    ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to!¡± She pounded on his chest gently, a whiny pout in her voice. ¡°You guys should go practice. I¡¯m gonna just go sit over there.¡±

    Under the circumstances, I suppose she can be forgiven for being a brat, he thought with a chuckle. ¡°No such luck, missy. Come on. We gotta go to work now.¡±

    ¡°Is she alright,¡± came a booming drawl from behind Crash.

    The guitarist turned, looking up into the eyes of one of their new roadies. He squinted a bit. the stage lamps glaring off of Lance¡¯s bald head shining into his eyes. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s good. She¡¯s just a little sleepy. Isn¡¯t she, Ran-chan?¡±

    Ranko giggled, swaying a little on her chunky heels like a rag doll in her friend¡¯s arms as she met the enormous man¡¯s gaze. Her glassy eyes weren¡¯t entirely pointed in the same direction. ¡°Crash says we have to sing now. But we can¡¯t. Ken¡¯s not here.¡± She leaned over with a vapid giggle, stabbing her right hand out at eye level and poking Lance firmly in the sternum twice with her outstretched index finger. ¡°You ate him, didn¡¯t you? Admit it. That¡¯s how you get so big, eatin¡¯ poor, innocent drummers.¡±

    Crash could only shake his head in response to the American¡¯s confused expression. He wasn¡¯t sure if Lance¡¯s mystification was due to his not understanding Ranko¡¯s Japanese, or just her ridiculous accusation not making much sense. Probably a bit of both, he thought.

    ¡°Ken¡¯s gonna be here in a little bit, Ranko. He¡¯s just at an appointment right now.¡± Crash rubbed her back firmly through her long-sleeved candy-cane-striped tee shirt, trying to stimulate her blood flow.

    ¡°It¡¯s not fair,¡± Ranko whined loudly. ¡°How come he gets to not be here, and I gotta be here? My girl parts hurt and I just wanna go sleep.¡±

    Oh, don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re gonna sleep like a rock tonight, kiddo. ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re the star, Ranko. Now let¡¯s go. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s sing something.¡± Crash looked up at the giant man hopefully. ¡°Hey, I bet Lance would love to hear one of the new songs you¡¯ve been working on. Why don¡¯t you sing Hole in the Wall for him?¡±

    ¡°Pffffft,¡± Ranko replied, blowing a raspberry at her friend and paying no mind to the spittle she expelled onto his black Jimi Hendrix tee shirt. Stupid girl parts.

    ¡°Or, you know, that works too, I guess.¡± Crash groaned loudly. What am I gonna do with her?

    Lance leaned down to Crash, whispering to him in English. ¡°Get some coffee in her.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, she¡¯s fine. Just a little tired. She¡¯s okay.¡± Crash bounced Ranko in his arms as he replied to Lance in his native tongue, willing the songstress to support her own weight more fully.

    ¡°Sure, right. I used to see this all the time in the Navy. Seriously. I¡¯ll get her some coffee. How does she like it?¡± Lance grinned down at the slight woman in her guitarist¡¯s arms.

    Crash shrugged. ¡°Never seen her drink it before.¡±

    ¡°Black it is,¡± Lance said with a nod and headed off to the large silver urn situated on a folding table near the restrooms at the far end of the soundstage.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like coffee,¡± Ranko said, sticking her tongue out in disgust. ¡°It¡¯s hot. I don¡¯t like hot. It hurts. Stupid cat¡¯s tongue.¡±

    ¡°Cat tongue? Huh? Girl, you¡¯re even further gone than I thought.¡± Crash laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry. We¡¯re gonna get you perked right up and you¡¯re gonna rock this rehearsal.¡±

    Ranko nodded matter-of-factly. ¡°Cat¡¯s tongue. It¡¯s this weird thing that makes my skin all extra touchy. It makes hot and cold hurt a lot, and it makes hurt hurt a lot more too. Stupid fuckin¡¯ Cologne. But it makes things feel really nice sometimes too. Like Akane. Akane makes me feel really nice. Sooooo nice.¡± She purred quietly, resting her cheek on his chest. ¡°And, like, that time you kissed me. That felt really nice, too.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?!¡± Crash looked down at her incredulously. He started to step back, but thought better of letting the wobbly girl go at the last moment. And what does aftershave have to do with it?

    The redhead giggled behind flushed cheeks, nodding again. ¡°Yep. I don¡¯t like boys, but it made me all tingly anyway. Couldn¡¯t help it. So you better be good and not kiss me no more, ¡®cause I get all fuzzy when people touch me.¡± She poked at his nose with her finger as the words no more escaped her lips, nearly missing and stabbing at his eye instead. ¡°I don¡¯t want to, it just happens. I can¡¯t help it. Sometimes even hugs make me all buzzy inside.¡± She snuggled tighter into his arms, whimpering contentedly. ¡°Your hugs feel so good, Crash. So happy. Happy hugs. I didn¡¯t used to get hugs, but now I get lots of hugs, and that¡¯s better.¡±

    Crash blinked, shaking his head in shock. ¡°Is¡­ is this why you wouldn¡¯t work with anybody else but Aki on the Sneak video?¡±

    Ranko nodded with a vacant laugh. ¡°I didn¡¯t want nobody makin¡¯ me feel all whoooo like that ¡®scept Akane. ¡®Specially not with all you nasty perverts watchin¡¯ me.¡± She poked him accusingly in the chest with a single outstretched finger. ¡°Icky, icky boys.¡±

    ¡°And¡­¡± Crash¡¯s eyes widened, more and more of the oddities he¡¯d witnessed and questions he¡¯d had in his two years of friendship with his band¡¯s lead vocalist beginning to come into focus in his mind. ¡°Turn Me Off/Turn Me On?¡±

    ¡°Yep! It¡¯s all about Akane makin¡¯ my brain go all blerp.¡± Ranko let her neck and back go limp and lolled her head against his shoulder for emphasis. ¡°Like, when she goes¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Crash retorted, cutting her off with a nervous chuckle before she could continue her sentence. ¡°I don¡¯t need to know. That¡¯s between you two.¡±

    Ranko nodded. ¡°I made you blu-ush,¡± she giggled in a sing-song voice. ¡°Speakin¡¯ of. The Cat¡¯s Tongue. It¡¯s a secret, so don¡¯t tell nobody. My sisters don¡¯t even know, ¡®cause I don¡¯t want ¡®em thinkin¡¯ I¡¯m a weirdo. Am I a weirdo, Crash? I don¡¯t wanna be a weirdo. I worked really hard to not be a weirdo anymore.¡±

    Smiling down at his friend with a shake of his head, Crash squeezed her tighter around her back. ¡°No, Ranko. You¡¯re not a weirdo. Special, I¡¯ll give you, but not weird.¡±

    ¡°You sure? I feel pretty fuckin¡¯ weird right now.¡± She giggled again. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the drugs, isn¡¯t it?!¡±

    ¡°Probably, but let¡¯s not talk about that in front of everybody, okay? Shh.¡± He beamed amusedly down at her, chuckling quietly to himself. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ranko. I¡¯m not gonna kiss you anymore, promise.¡±

    Ranko nodded, patting him on the shoulder gently. ¡°That¡¯s good. You¡¯re a good guy, Crash. You aren¡¯t all gross and nasty like most boys. I like you. You won¡¯t get all lonely when we¡¯re out there on tour and try to come sneak some kisses, right? You better not, anyway. I don¡¯t wanna have to tell Ukyo you¡¯re being bad, ¡®cause she''s gonna kick your ass so bad if you don¡¯t behave. Whack with that big ol¡¯ spatula of hers, right upside those big, goofy ears of yours.¡± She gently swatted at the side of his head with her palm for emphasis.

    ¡°Plus, if you kiss me again, Akane¡¯ll kick your butt, too. She¡¯s pretty possessive of me.¡± The redhead blushed, idly fingering the silver heart swaying from the white lace choker around her neck. ¡°But if you¡¯re good, then you¡¯re not being bad, and I don¡¯t gotta tell nobody you¡¯re being bad, and that¡¯s good, right?¡± She looked down at her fingers with confusion in her eyes, tapping one fingertip after the other as if trying to count backwards and unwind her own logic in her mind. ¡°Right.¡±

    Crash laughed heartily, shaking his head in amusement at his stoned friend. ¡°Akane¡¯s right, you know. You really are a silly girl.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but you love me,¡± Ranko mewled quietly, rubbing her cheek softly against his shirt. The transfer of Jimi Hendrix¡¯ logo, cracking in places from too many trips through the dryer, tickled her skin.

    The guitarist could only nod in assent. ¡°Yeah, I do, goofball.¡±

    ¡°Here,¡± Lance said in English, returning with a steaming white styrofoam cup. ¡°Get this in her, and then find her something to eat. What did she take?¡±

    Crash sighed, replying in kind. ¡°Weed. A lot. She didn¡¯t know. Hang on to that a second for me and let it cool, though, okay?¡±

    She trusted me with that Cat¡¯s Tongue thing. I need to look out for her.

    The dark-skinned roadie nodded, smiling at the singer supported in her guitarist¡¯s embrace. ¡°You two are really close, aren¡¯t ya? Anyone can tell.¡±

    With a gentle nod and a soft smile, Crash turned his eyes down to the shock of red hair pressed against his torso. ¡°Yeah, I guess we are. In a way, I guess you could say we saved each other. She¡¯s my best friend.¡± He swept a strand of hair away from Ranko¡¯s cheek, switching back into Japanese. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Ran-chan?¡±

    ¡°... Ranko?¡±

    The guitarist could only chuckle quietly over the gentle snore he received in reply from the limp young woman resting against his chest.

 17. Kicking Butt, Taking Names

    ¡°Yes! That was perfect, Hideki! Great job!¡± Akane beamed at her student, a sophomore only a few months Akane¡¯s junior, through the gap his foot left in the board she was holding. She tossed the two splintered halves of wood to the grass, reaching forward to offer a congratulatory high-five to the young man in the white gi. ¡°That¡¯s the way, bud!¡±

    Akane snatched another slightly-warped plywood board from a stack piled under a nearby tree, bracing her bare feet in the grass in a forward stance and holding the new piece of wood vertically with a pair of locked elbows. ¡°Alright, Juro. Just like we talked about. You got this!¡±

    The sentence had barely cleared her lips when the board snapped in twain, the fist of Juro Nakahara stopping mere inches from the sensei¡¯s nose.

    ¡°Dude! That was so great! I¡¯m so proud of all you guys!¡± Akane clapped, and her applause was joined by a second set of hands she heard approaching from behind her.

    ¡°I see Kaito¡¯s donation is going to good use.¡±

    Akane turned, smiling broadly and waving to her partner. ¡°Yep! Your brother really came through for us with all this extra lumber.¡±

    Ranko blushed, biting her lip. He¡¯s your brother too, silly girl, but I guess I can¡¯t say that in front of all your students. ¡°I¡¯m glad it¡¯s helping.¡±

    The black-haired sensei bowed to her students. ¡°Let¡¯s have a quick lap around the quad, everybody.¡± A chorus of groans met her in reply, but one by one, the six young men and Ranko¡¯s friend Shiori formed a single-file line and began jogging toward the edge of the grassy commons.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing school ran late,¡± Akane asked, turning back to her wife once the pair were alone. ¡°Must have, since you¡¯re still in your uniform.¡±

    Ranko blushed, smiling a bit. ¡°Yeah. I stuck around for a little extra help in math. Stupid limits. The only limit I¡¯m finding is mine. Besides, you should enjoy this outfit while you can. You¡¯re only getting a couple more months of me in this thing.¡± She bit the tip of her finger, a coy little giggle on her lips. ¡°But I can find somewhere to go change if you want - how much longer are you gonna run class tonight?¡±

    The singer¡¯s wife laughed, putting her arm around her bride. She walked alongside her, leading her into the shade of a large oak tree and sitting on the pile of as-yet unbroken misfit plywood scraps that Kaito¡¯s construction company had donated. ¡°Like you wouldn¡¯t put it on again if I asked. And besides, in a couple months, I¡¯ll be bedding a college cheerleader whenever I want instead.¡±

    The redhead tittered brightly, fidgeting with her newly shoulder-length red hair as she took a seat on the boards next to her wife. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to bring plenty of spirit.¡±

    Akane nodded, pulling Ranko close and whispering in her ear. ¡°Maybe we should buy Mr. Gao a new pair of earplugs for Christmas.¡± She blew cold air softly over her lover¡¯s earlobe for emphasis.

    The younger girl shivered, her hypersensitive skin bristling at both the December chill and her wife¡¯s teasing. She did draw some warmth from her flushing cheeks, blushing at the thought of being overheard. The Full-Body Cat¡¯s Tongue certainly made for quite the experience when she made love, both for herself, and anyone else who happened to be in earshot. ¡°If he hasn¡¯t bought himself a pair by now, it¡¯s gotta be because he likes to listen in.¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡± Akane giggled. ¡°Not like you¡¯re gonna keep it down.¡±

    Ranko shook her head matter-of-factly, biting her lower lip and smickering at her wife. Her voice was a soft purr. ¡°Akane! Honestly! I¡¯m a singer. If anyone knows you¡¯re supposed to cheer when you experience an absolutely incredible performance¡­¡±

    ¡°O¡­ kay!¡± It was Akane¡¯s turn to blush, and she hid her face a bit against the shoulder of Ranko¡¯s school uniform with a nervous chuckle. ¡°Well, I, uh¡­ I¡¯m glad you like my work.¡±

    ¡°Five stars, every time.¡± Ranko giggled, deciding to be merciful and change the subject, lest her partner squirm all the way off of the lumber pile into the grass. She motioned to the train of young martial artists jogging around the east perimeter of the common quad. ¡°They¡¯re looking good. They¡¯re looking ready.¡±

    Akane nodded, the mirth disappearing from her eyes. She adjusted the cloth belt of her black master¡¯s gi where it was biting uncomfortably into her stomach. ¡°Yeah, they are. I haven¡¯t had the heart to tell them yet.¡±

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°Tell ¡®em what?¡± Ranko pulled her hand from the right pocket of her red school pinafore, producing a pair of individually-wrapped strips of salmon jerky. She tore one open with her teeth, offering the other to Akane.

    Akane bit her lip gently, a sadness in her eyes. ¡°That we¡¯re not gonna be in the tournament after all.¡± She took the packaged snack from her wife, but made no effort to open it.

    ¡°Says who?¡± Ranko swallowed a bite of the dried fish, wiping the crumbs from her mouth with the back of her right wrist. ¡°We¡¯re gonna do this thing, and we¡¯re gonna wipe the damn floor with everybody there. You know we will. It¡¯s in the bag, babe.¡±

    Akane shook her head, a disappointed pall in her eyes. ¡°I got a letter this morning. The rules say that in order for a dojo to compete, you have to have entrants in the novice, advanced, and master tiers. I entered Hideki and Toshiyaki in advanced, Shiori and the rest of the boys in novice, and myself in master, but they rejected it because senseis aren¡¯t allowed to compete.¡±

    ¡°Gee,¡± Ranko asked incredulously, nudging Akane in the ribs gently with her left elbow. ¡°I wonder where you could possibly find a master-level disciple of Anything-Goes Martial Arts on short notice! Why didn¡¯t you add me to the list in the first place, ya big dummy?!¡±

    Akane scoffed, waving away the suggestion with the back of her hand. ¡°Come on, Ranko, be serious. Between cheerleading, prep for the tour, work, and everything, you barely even have time to do your homework anymore. And, more importantly, I¡¯m not subjecting you to the risk of getting hurt so I can win some plastic trophy. It¡¯s not worth it. Not even close.¡±

    Ranko sighed. ¡°You mean the Cat¡¯s Tongue. Akane, I can still fight, especially if I¡¯m fighting with tournament rules. If I get hit, I get a couple minutes to get over it before the fight starts again, so they can¡¯t hurt me too bad. I mean, heck, the most anyone could possibly hit me is three times. Besides, it¡¯s not about a trophy, love. It¡¯s about honor. Yours, and the dojo¡¯s. Our dojo¡¯s. Let me do this for us. For you.¡±

    Akane sighed. ¡°Ranko, I¡­ I can¡¯t ask you to do that. Not with how¡­¡±

    Ranko cupped her hand around Akane¡¯s cheek, turning her lover¡¯s face to force her to make eye contact. ¡°Akane, you¡¯re not asking. I¡¯m offering. I want to do it. I miss martial arts. I mean, I know I¡¯ll never be able to fight like I used¡¯ta, but¡­ please let me do this? Let me take just one day, out of all the time I spend being a cheerleader and a singer and a waitress and a housewife, and just¡­ get to have a little taste of what I used to be? Just for a second, just long enough to prove to myself I still can?¡±

    ¡°But what if you get hurt?! What if something happens and¡­ I won¡¯t be able to protect you out there, baby.¡± Akane rubbed Ranko¡¯s leg through her thick cotton school pinafore skirt. ¡°It¡¯s not like it used to be before. I can¡¯t just stand by and watch you fight any more. You¡¯re my wife. You¡¯re mine to look after now. It¡¯s my responsibility. You¡¯re the cute one, and I¡¯m the¡­¡±

    Ranko sighed, cutting her bride off with a wave of her hand. ¡°First off, you¡¯re cute too, ya know. For a tomboy, anyway.¡± She laughed playfully, squeezing her wife around the shoulders. ¡°Second, you know I had to fight to even get us into the tournament in the first place, right?¡±

    Akane nodded, craning her neck to gauge how much longer their privacy would last before her students completed their jog around the quad. ¡°I remember. You said there was all kinds of applications, and¡­¡±

    ¡°No, Akane. I literally fought a dude. The sensei from the joint across the street from the Phoenix wanted a demo¡­¡±

    ¡°You WHAT?! Ranko, how could¡­¡±

    ¡°... and I beat him, Akane. I mean, he hit me once, and not gonna lie, it hurt pretty good there for a minute, but I got back up. And I won. For us. For you. So we could do this, and show everybody our art. So your students could take pride in their school, and their sensei.¡± Ranko blushed, smiling lovingly up into her lover¡¯s eyes as her hand reached for Akane¡¯s. ¡°Our sensei.¡±

    Akane paused, seeming to consider it for a moment, but having made up her mind, she shook her head emphatically. ¡°No. I can¡¯t expose you to that kind of risk, princess. If you get hurt, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll do.¡±

    Ranko leaned over to her left, burrowing herself under Akane¡¯s arm and snuggling against her chest. ¡°I do. You¡¯ll take care of me and love me until I¡¯m okay again, like you always do. Like I know you always will.¡± She tittered softly, whispering as she affected a gaze of pure adoration that needed little encouragement. ¡°My hero.¡±

    My gods, when did I become the damsel in distress? And, more importantly, when did it start feeling so damn good to be the one getting rescued?

    The dojo¡¯s master sighed in quiet resignation, but couldn¡¯t help a smicker at her lover¡¯s playfulness. ¡°What am I ever gonna do with you, Ranko Tendo?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna win yourself a tournament. You¡¯re gonna put Anything-Goes Martial Arts on the map in a way Dad could only have dreamed of.¡± After scanning the quad for watching eyes, Ranko leaned up and stole a quick kiss under Akane¡¯s chin, her cheek still nuzzled against her wife¡¯s breast.

    ¡°As for what you do with me after that¡­ I guess we¡¯ll just have to ask Mr. Gao.¡±

 18. Girls Like Me Can Call It Home

    ¡°Do I have to?!¡± Ranko looked pleadingly up at her sister, shaking her head nervously as her eyes fell back down to the device in her hand. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna.¡±

    With a roll of her eyes and an admonishing shake of her head, Yui groaned. ¡°It¡¯s called the Dragonfire for a reason, dipshit. Go on, don¡¯t be a baby.¡±

    Wincing, Ranko shielded her eyes and clicked the trigger of the brulee torch in her hand, extending her arm as far from her body as possible. She waved the blue acetylene flame over the glass of murky yellow liquid on the bar counter, yelping as it ignited and snapping her arm back as quickly as she could. The quarter-shot of rum floated at the top of the glass burned a bright blue, toasting the chunks of pineapple and jalape?o and the single maraschino cherry suspended over the rim on a bamboo skewer like a pig on a spit.

    ¡°There you go! Baby¡¯s first cocktail! Great job, little sister!¡± Yui reached down, ruffling Ranko¡¯s curly hair. The redhead was fresh from the salon, having trimmed her hair to the shortest length it had been since discovering the Phoenix two years ago. It came just to her shoulders, bouncing in loose curls that tickled her wherever the green cotton shirt she wore did not protect them. Between dancing and the intense martial arts training she¡¯d been doing with Akane to regain her form before the tournament in a few weeks, the shorter hair was more manageable, and - dare she admit it - Ranko thought it was super cute. It was still long enough to do ponytails and pigtails when the circumstances called for it, too.

    Yui gave a little click of her tongue as she repositioned the maroon headband in Ranko¡¯s hair, which she¡¯d knocked loose with her hand. Satisfied once the glittery bow was just to the right of the crown of her youngest sister¡¯s head, she nodded in confirmation. ¡°Proud of ya, kiddo.¡±

    Ranko blushed brightly, a weak smile forming on her lips. She might have the adulation of hundreds of thousands of fans around the globe, but inspiring pride in the people who took a chance on her when she was a homeless nobody was still one of the highlights of her life every time she thought about it. ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡±

    Yui motioned to the stage with a tilt of her head. ¡°Now, you¡¯d better get back to your real job, girl. They¡¯re waitin¡¯ for you up there.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we wait for Aya to get here before I go up? When are you out of here?¡± Ranko sighed, wishing Yui¡¯s last night at the Phoenix could last forever.

    The blonde bartender shrugged her shoulders with a quiet sigh. ¡°Sakura will be here when she can, and then we¡¯re gonna¡­¡± She trailed off before changing the subject. ¡°Aya¡¯s not coming tonight. She¡¯s still dealing with the baby stuff. And, it¡¯s not like she¡¯s running too hard anyway. She¡¯s about ready to pop! So, it¡¯ll still be on you to run stuff until Izzi gets here. Sorry to leave you so short-handed, sis.¡±

    Ranko frowned, slumping onto one of the stools. ¡°What¡¯s going on with Aya¡¯s baby? She¡¯s been super stressed the last couple¡¯a weeks, but she never seems to want to talk about it when I ask.¡±

    Yui rolled her eyes, leaning forward on the counter with her elbows. ¡°This is why I don¡¯t wanna have kids. Too damn nerve-wracking. And that¡¯s before you figure in the whole, having to fuck dudes part of it.¡± She giggled as Ranko made a disgusted face at the idea, sticking out her tongue and bugging out one of her eyes.

    ¡°Apparently Kage found out his family has the gene for some really bad medical thing. Down¡¯s¡­ something or other. They did some tests, and it looks like the kiddo¡¯s in the clear, but it really got Aya freaked out. The docs keep asking her for her family medical history, so they know what to look out for on her side, but she doesn¡¯t know it ¡®cause she¡¯s adopted. Her adopted mom, the adoption agency, everybody¡¯s telling her they either don¡¯t know anything about her birth family, or aren¡¯t allowed to tell her, and she¡¯s climbing the walls about it.¡±

    Ranko winced. I¡¯d better warn Mom she¡¯s digging. That could get pretty awkward, pretty damn fast.

    Yui waved at her little sister, trying to get her head out of whatever sad place it was in. She was sad enough without having to see it etched in her family¡¯s faces, too. ¡°Go on, you. Go sing something. I¡¯ll stick around as long as I can, and Izzi¡¯ll be here soon to take over back here.¡±

    Sighing, Ranko nodded. She slipped off her stool and rounded the bar counter. Slamming into Yui¡¯s body at almost a full run, she wrapped the tall blonde tight in her arms, squeezing her hard. ¡°Gods, I¡¯m gonna miss you, Yui.¡±

    ¡°Aw, c¡¯mon, Ran-chan. I¡¯m not going to the moon, kiddo. I¡¯ll be around. Fukuoka¡¯s a hell of a lot closer than some of the places you¡¯re gonna be come April, ya know.¡± The blonde threw her right arm over her youngest sister¡¯s shoulders, returning her hug.

    Ranko blushed, smiling nervously as she thought about the pending first leg of her tour. Not really the time to remind me how lonely it¡¯s gonna be, Yui. ¡°Maybe, but at least I¡¯m coming back after.¡±

    Yui nodded, brushing the tips of her blonde bob from her eyes. ¡°And that¡¯s why I can do this. I know you and the girls will keep this place goin¡¯ for me. Now, go on. Get your ass up there, superstar.¡± She tried to affect a chipper tone, but Ranko could hear the sadness in her voice.

    Ranko forced a smile, nodding as she fidgeted with the tips of her newly-shortened hair. ¡°Yes, big sister.¡± She turned to the front of the room, slipping between the twin bar counters and turning right toward the stage. She didn¡¯t notice Yui¡¯s sad sigh as she turned her back.

    Gotta put on a smile now, Ranko. The songstress closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Life of the party. Life of the party. Life of the party. Here we go, girl. Slowly, she opened her bright blue eyes, summoning a cute grin as she surveyed the three hundred and twelve people who packed the Phoenix¡¯ main room for a Saturday night party in early December.

    Smoothing the long-sleeve kelly green shirt she wore so that the words Santa, I Can Explain Everything screen-printed on it in white were more visible across her breasts, she waved to the crowd. She reached behind herself, flipping the switch on the plastic battery back clipped to the waistband of the white lace gathered skirt she wore over her dark green leggings.

    ¡°What¡¯s up, Phoeeeeeeeeeeeeniiiiiiiiiiix?! You guys ready for a party?!¡±

    Dissatisfied with the volume of their cheered response, Ranko shook her head with a little tsk. ¡°Clearly, not ready enough. Yui! Dragonfires for everybody!¡± The cheer grew in volume as Ranko reached to her right, pointing with two fingers at a regular she recognized. ¡°That guy¡¯s buying!¡± She fidgeted with her hair as the crowd laughed, swaying her hips slightly despite there being no music playing behind her yet.

    ¡°You know, guys¡­ You might have heard, I¡¯m goin¡¯ on tour pretty soon.¡± Indeed, the poster of tour dates plastered to the inside of the Phoenix¡¯ front window gave its clientele little choice but to be aware. ¡°And I¡¯m gonna miss the shit outta this place, and all of you. Like, it¡¯s gonna be cool to play all kinds of new places, but this is always gonna be home, ya know? There may be different places, but there ain¡¯t no place better than a Saturday night right here at the Phoenix with my sisters, my mom, and the mother fuckin¡¯ original Firebirds!¡±

    As the crowd cheered at their acknowledgement, Ranko walked over to Shinji. She pointed behind him as if asking permission, which he granted with a quick nod and the beginnings of a smile. Reaching behind him to the instrument stand where the versatile musician kept his arsenal of gear, she lifted his cherry red lacquered electric guitar and slipped its strap over her shoulder.

    She pulled a shiny black plastic pick from a leather pouch glued to the back of the instrument, beginning to stab at the strings in a short solo. As she strummed the first few chords of the song, she crossed back to her right, making eye contact with her best friend. When the two were within arm¡¯s reach of each other, Ranko and Crash nodded in sync, bouncing on their heels as they both slammed into the main rhythm of Ranko¡¯s newest songs on their guitars.

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    However heavy her heart was, nothing brought a smile to Ranko Tendo¡¯s face like music. She whipped her head to the side with a grin that outshone the sun, her bouncy red locks flying around her cheek as the headset microphone butted up against her maroon bow headband picked up the first few notes of the first song of what would eventually become Ranko and the Dapper Dragons¡¯ third studio album.

    ¡°Three floors, full of boys in their suit coats and ties. Brass doors you gotta wait, like, half the night to get by. Staff tees; everyone behind the bar looks the same. Twelve TVs, so you can watch a freakin¡¯ dozen ball games¡­¡±

    She bounced playfully on the stage, swaying the lace skirt around her hips under the candy-red guitar. Ranko knew she couldn¡¯t dance as much as she normally did while she was playing, and the song didn¡¯t especially need the second guitar, but it was a special kind of fun to play it while she moved. Somehow, it made her feel like more of a real musician, and she imagined herself in the company of Jon Bon Jovi as she thrashed the six strings of the electric axe resting on her breasts with her left hand.

    ¡°Hot pink; everything¡¯s covered in neon. Gold sink, matching toilet that¡¯s too pretty to pee on. It¡¯s all shine. The floor is covered with glitter. That¡¯s fine, if you want a dish of mints in the shitter.¡±

    Taking her hands off of the guitar for the moment and letting it dangle loose on the black leather strap over her shoulder, Ranko laced her fingers behind her neck, just behind the dangly silver hearts swaying from her earlobes. She rolled her hips playfully, closing her eyes for the moment and letting herself be lost in the music as she thrashed her head side to side with the support of her hands.

    ¡°Give me standing room only, and twenty-four tables. Give me shakin¡¯ my ass off for as long as I¡¯m able. Give me top-shelf gossip and bottom-shelf liquor, in bottles rockin¡¯ faded, worn-out sell-by stickers.¡±

    ¡°Hey, beautiful.¡±

    Yui looked up, managing a weak smile as she made eye contact with her longtime girlfriend. ¡°Hey, Sakura.¡± Her voice was distant, and she bit softly at her lower lip as she turned her eyes back to the stage.

    Sakura weaved deftly between the counters, pulling Yui into a kiss that the blonde bartender only half-heartedly returned. ¡°You about ready to go start our big adventure?¡±

    ¡°Give me fools all fallin¡¯ off their stools, and fallin¡¯ off the wagon. Give me thirty-year-old speakers, thumpin¡¯ Ranko and the Dragons!¡±

    Ranko grinned brightly as she sang over the roar of just north of three hundred Firebirds. ¡°¡®Cause it¡¯s hard to let your hair down when the bar looks like the mall! So, you¡¯ll find me raisin¡¯ hell, here in my hole in the wall!¡±

    Yui spun a pair of tin shakers in her hands, rocking the two of them like maracas in time with the music. She turned each to their sides, splitting them from the mixing glasses capping them simultaneously with her long, powerful fingers and draining a pair of margaritas into waiting conical glasses on the bar top. She was grateful for the order, as it gave her just one moment more to be what she had been for the last three years - the Phoenix¡¯ lead bartender.

    ¡°Packed all night, parking lot full of shiny brand-new Ferraris. Wound so tight, it¡¯s like they¡¯re all two hours deep in shibari. When I drink, I wanna party with the boys who go hard, but they think they can just pick a girl, and charge her to their card¡­¡±

    ¡°Sure thing, guys! Come back and see us again!¡± Yui waved as she handed the young blond man back his credit card, sighing as he led his date back toward the stage with their drinks in hand. Come see them, anyway. Her eyes surveyed the little corner behind the bar that had been her home these last few years - the place where she had grown from the broken girl Ayako found bleeding in the alley into the confident woman she was now.

    ¡°I¡¯m not fond of watchin¡¯ rich guys¡¯ daughters gettin¡¯ all spastic - trust fund blondes, with their purses and their noses full¡¯a plastic. It¡¯s high-class. It¡¯s just the cr¨¨me de la cr¨¨me. But I¡¯ll pass - who wants to party with them?!¡±

    Ranko flitted to the wall at stage right, smirking as she reached out and ran her finger over the top of a mirrored glass plaque promoting one of the house brands of tequila they served. She brushed her hands against each other, knocking the dust from her fingers before throwing her fingers downward again over the strings of Shinji¡¯s guitar.

    ¡°Give me blacked-out front windows the haters can¡¯t see through. A dirty dance floor that you can¡¯t help but stick your feet to. Give me two working burners and an ice machine that¡¯s busted, jukebox full of oldies that were new the last time it was dusted¡­¡±

    She leaned to her side, resting her head on her best friend¡¯s shoulder as the pair played through the melody together on their guitars.

    ¡°Give me threadbare red benches that are turning brown with age¡­¡± Ranko wiggled her hips, causing her skirt to sway teasingly around her legs. ¡°... and people makin¡¯ out within an arm¡¯s length of the stage¡­¡±

    Sakura rested her hand gently on the shoulder of Yui¡¯s sparkly yellow sweater. ¡°Come on, babe,¡± she coaxed in a soft tone. ¡°We¡¯re gonna miss our train.¡±

    ¡°Rather play a little dive bar than a concert hall, so come find me up on stage here in my hole in the wall¡­¡±

    Yui nodded, reaching to the wall next to the beige plastic cradle for the bar¡¯s cordless telephone and freeing a small wooden frame from the nail that fastened it to the dark wood paneling. She ran her fingertips slowly over the glass, smiling wistfully down into her own eyes. The photo featured Hana and all six of the Phoenix¡¯s daughters, huddled around Ranko in her fluffy red dress. All seven women in the photo were aglow, beaming in celebration of the release of Phoenix Rising at its debut party in the street in front of the bar earlier that year.

    Sakura sighed, rubbing her girlfriend¡¯s back. ¡°Yui, I know it¡¯s hard, but we¡¯ve got to get g¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t.¡±

    Sakura gasped, taking a step back. ¡°What?¡±

    Yui sighed, fingering the frame in her hands as she turned to her girlfriend, tears welling in her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t leave this place, Sakura. The Phoenix is everything, Sakura. My whole life is here.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Sakura slumped onto one of the barstools. ¡°I already accepted the job. I can¡¯t¡­¡±

    With a sniffle, Yui brushed her hair away from her face and wiped at her left eye, nodding sadly behind her hand. ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°Give me workin¡¯ guys who show up on payday to drink the hurt off, and girls a half a shot away from tearin¡¯ that tee shirt off¡­¡± Ranko kicked at the air, slamming hard downward onto the strings of her bassist¡¯s shiny red guitar.

    Sakura cradled her head in her hands, her elbows resting on the bar counter that had been Yui Fukawa¡¯s shield from the world for nearly thirteen years. ¡°But that would mean.. we¡­¡±

    Again, Yui nodded sadly, this time wiping both of her green eyes with her fingers and smudging her blue-tinged mascara slightly. ¡°I know. I¡¯m so sorry, Sakura. You should go. You¡¯re gonna be late.¡±

    ¡°Give me posters on the wall for cheap American beer, and laminated menus ain¡¯t been changed in a year.¡± Ranko waved to a regular she knew even as she bopped back-to-back with Crash on the stage, both of their guitars pointed skyward as they played the final refrain.

    The raven-haired girl shook her head desperately. ¡°Yui, please! You can¡¯t do this! I love you!¡±

    The taller girl nodded, leaning back against the bar counter hard enough to rattle the glass bottles strewn across it. ¡°I love you too, Sakura. And that¡¯s why I have to let you go.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ just like that? After everything?¡± Sakura¡¯s hands shook as she reached for Yui¡¯s across the bar counter. ¡°Please, Yui, think about this¡­¡±

    Yui bit her lip, nodding. ¡°I have thought about it. Please go, before you miss your train.¡± She turned away, fidgeting with a half-empty bottle of Captain Morgan to avoid having to make further eye contact with the woman she loved. ¡°Go. I mean it.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll call you, okay? I¡¯m not ready to give up on us. Not like this.¡± Sakura slipped off the bar stool, careful to mind her black nylon pencil skirt. ¡°I love you, Yui.¡±

    Yui could only nod silently in reply as the woman she loved made for the door. She distracted herself by turning her eyes back to the latest young woman that her family and the bar they all called home had saved, as she sang with her friends on the little stage they¡¯d built for her.

    ¡°All I need¡¯s a couple spotlights and a headset microphone. You rich kids might call it hell, but girls like me can call it home. It¡¯s a rowdy, dirty, funky, flirty free-for-all, where you¡¯ll find me and my girls here in my hole in the wall.¡±

 19. A Sour Note

    ¡°I thought that I heard you laughing. I thought that I heard you sing. I think I thought I saw you try¡­¡±

    Yui groaned, rolling her eyes at her blue-haired sister as she tossed a bottle of vodka over her shoulder, catching it pointed downward over her tin shaker. ¡°Mei, I swear, this guy¡¯s gonna lose more than his religion if he doesn¡¯t shut the hell up. Where in the actual fuck did you find these clowns?!¡± Her orange skirt swayed behind her in a wide arc as she spun quickly to scoop up an orange spiral to garnish the drink in her hand.

    With a shrug, the younger sister handed a large shrimp pizza over the counter to Izumi. ¡°I put up a sign offering an open mic night, and they signed up. We gotta try something.¡±

    ¡°Well, close the damn mic, then! Fuck, Mei! We can¡¯t do this to our regulars. We serve them wagyu filet five nights a week when Ranko¡¯s here; we can¡¯t give them fish flakes the other two. And we¡¯d better ramp up the search, ¡®cause we¡¯re gonna need a couple of decent bands to get us through for weeks at a time while Ran-chan¡¯s away.¡± Yui cocked her head, putting on a bright customer service smile as she slid the margarita glass in her hand across the sealed bar top to a young flight attendant.

    Mei nodded with a sigh. Man, she¡¯s been a real bitch since she broke up with Sakura. Poor thing, it must be killing her, especially this close to Christmas. ¡°I know, Yui. I know. But, it¡¯s not like I can just ask do you suck, yes or no, on the application form! We gotta let ¡®em try, and we already do the tryouts on the slowest nights to minimize the damage when they¡¯re bad. We could just plug the karaoke machine back in, maybe. I dunno!¡±

    ¡°That was just a dream. Try, fly, cry, try¡­ that was just a dream¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeesh. Should we get the hook?¡±

    Yui and Ayako both looked up to the blue saloon door to greet the woman who had emerged from it. ¡°Please, mama? I¡¯m about to hit this bottle myself just to make the fucking pain stop,¡± the younger girl pleaded.

    Ayako groaned, covering her ears with her hands. ¡°No fair rubbing it in that I can¡¯t drink, you little shit!¡±

    ¡°Hey, Aya? Can I¡­ talk to you for a second, honey?¡± Hana bit her lip, a nervousness in her eyes that unsettled all three of her daughters. In their experience, nothing made Hana Takahashi nervous. The woman was made of iron and hellfire, and five of the six young women on the Phoenix¡¯ payroll were only alive because of it.

    Ayako slipped carefully off the stool behind the service bar to her feet, wincing as she stretched her back. ¡°Sure, mama. What¡¯s up?¡±

    Hana motioned to her, coaxing her toward the back of the house. ¡°Back here, honey. I just need a couple minutes.¡± She held the swinging blue door open to permit the very pregnant eldest of the Phoenix sisters to pass.

    ¡°Wonder what that¡¯s all about,¡± Mei asked, receiving only a shrug from Yui in reply. She spun her head back around in response to a greeting from across the service bar. ¡°Oh, hi. Sorry about that.¡±

    The young man was heavy-set, with a five-o¡¯-clock shadow cast over his round cheeks. His brown shaggy hair was a bit slick with sweat from an hour and a half under the bright lights of the Phoenix¡¯ little stage. ¡°It¡¯s all good. We¡¯re done. From the reaction of the crowd, I¡¯m¡­ guessing you aren¡¯t inviting us back.¡±

    Mei cringed, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, man. You were great on the guitar, but your singer¡­¡± She inhaled sharply through her teeth in an auditory wince. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡±

    The guitarist shook his head. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s cool. I get it. Yeah, Tsuneo¡¯s¡­ yeah. And I know your clientele¡¯s a little spoiled to begin with, what with Ranko and the Dapper Dragons playing here a couple times a week.¡±

    Mei nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a high bar, to be sure, but somebody¡¯s gotta fill the stage while she¡¯s gallivanting around Australia¡­¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Aya, baby, sit down.¡±

    Hana took her eldest daughter¡¯s hand, easing her down onto the threadbare leather couch in her ever-cluttered office.

    Aya frowned, grunting a bit as gravity won over and she plopped her backside to the couch with an undignified frppp of creaking leather. ¡°Mama, what¡¯s going on? You¡¯re kind of creeping me out here.¡±

    The Phoenix¡¯ matriarch nodded, pulling her leather jacket off to reveal her orange Jose Cuervo tee shirt. Indeed, shirts advertising liquor or bands made up more than ninety percent of her wardrobe. That didn¡¯t even count the band merchandise they sold behind the service bar, for the pop/rock band her youngest daughter fronted. She tossed the black coat over her desk, paying no mind to the few torn-open envelopes it knocked to the floor.

    ¡°I know, sweetheart. I¡­ have something I need to tell you. Something I should¡¯ve told you years ago. And, there¡¯s really no easy way to say this, so I¡¯m just gonna say it, okay? I know¡­¡± She swallowed hard, wheeling her tattered leather office chair out from behind her desk and situating it across from her daughter¡¯s spot on the couch before slipping into it and reaching for her eldest daughter¡¯s hands.

    ¡°I heard what you¡¯ve been going through with the baby, and all the research you¡¯ve been doing. I know it¡¯s been weighing on you, not knowing your family history like Kage does. I want to help you, Ayako. Always. I¡¯m always gonna be here for you, baby girl. And the thing is¡­¡±

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    Hana gave Aya¡¯s hands a tight squeeze, and Ayako wasn¡¯t sure which of the women the gesture was intended to bolster.

    ¡±Aya, I know who your birth mother is.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°So, hey, I wanted to ask you¡­ it¡¯s Mei, right?¡±

    The blue-haired girl nodded, her pigtails bouncing in front of her face. She blushed, making a little flrrp sound with her lips as she blew a white satin ribbon tail out of her mouth. ¡°That¡¯s me! What¡¯s up?¡±

    The young guitarist leaned forward on the counter, as there were no stools positioned at the service bar. He lurched slightly forward as his elbow skittered out from under him, slipping on a ring of condensation left behind by a prior patron¡¯s pilsner glass. He brushed the residual liquid from the sleeve of his festive green button-down shirt as best he was able. Nice. Real smooth.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s looking pretty obvious that The Snake Charmers won¡¯t be rising up the charts any time soon, and well, we really can¡¯t seem to book a stable gig to save our lives. After tonight, I think you¡¯ve got a pretty good idea why. Anyway, I saw your sign in the window ¨C are you guys still hiring? I could really use something steady.¡±

    Mei blushed, fidgeting a bit with her sky-blue skater dress. Wow, I don¡¯t even remember the last time we had a boy working here. ¡°I mean, we¡¯re not hiring for music; it¡¯s mostly service and stuff. We¡¯re a little short-handed these days, as you might have noticed. What was your name again?¡±

    ¡°Seiichi. Seiichi Tanagawa. And, I get it; no worries at all. If you think my guitar skills shred, you should see me work a dishwasher.¡± He chuckled quietly at his own joke, a glint of mirth in his eyes. ¡°If you¡¯re still lookin¡¯, anyway. If not, no hard feelings.¡±

    Mei gave a sharp nod, her pigtails annoyingly flopping into her face again. ¡°Oh, we are, and we¡¯d love to get someone started before Christmas, ¡®cause one of us is about to be out on maternity for a while, and another¡­ well, I think you know what Ranko¡¯s gonna be up to.¡±

    The guitarist laughed, stealing a glance back up at the stage and his significantly less-famous band. He shook his head before pointing up to the black tee shirt hanging behind the bar that listed the thirty-six dates of the upcoming Wildfire Tour in three columns of white text inside a hot pink angular frame across its back. The frame was ringed by two white dragons down the sides and bottom, surrounding a lone pink orchid in a circle at the bottom center. ¡°Doesn¡¯t everybody? Trying not to get too jealous over here.¡±

    With a giggle and another nod, Mei once again brushed her hair from her eyes. Why am I such a giggle stick tonight? ¡°Makes two of us. She¡¯s gonna see Hong Kong and Shanghai, and I¡¯m gonna¡­ pour some more shots.¡± She smiled brightly up at the boy, lifting a bottle of tequila and tilting it slightly in his direction in salute before flipping it upside-down and letting an ounce of the clear liquid flow into the glass in front of her through the attached silver pour spout. ¡°It¡¯s good to meet you, Seiichi Tanagawa.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°All this time?! You¡¯ve known all this time and you didn¡¯t tell me? Why, mama?! I¡¯ve always wanted to know.¡±

    ¡°I know, honey. And¡­¡± Hana slumped in her chair, looking down at her hands in shame. ¡°I was just so afraid to screw up what we have. We¡¯ve gotten so close, and I couldn¡¯t bear to mess it up.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t know why you¡¯d think that!¡± Ayako sighed, grimacing as she adjusted her weight on the couch in a vain effort to find a comfortable position to sit in. Her son¡¯s constant kicking at the inside of her abdomen was doing the task no favors. ¡°You¡¯ve been great to me. The girls, too. So much better than my adoptive family was.¡±

    Hana sighed, willing herself to summon up a reservoir of strength sufficient to utter a sentence she¡¯d withheld in silence for nearly twenty years. She squeezed her daughter¡¯s hands tight, not leaving herself a free hand to wipe the tears forming in her eyes.

    ¡°Ayako, baby¡­ the thing is, I¡¯m your birth mom. It¡¯s me, honey.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Well, Seiichi, I¡¯ll tell you what. I don¡¯t make the decisions here; the Phoenix is a family bar and we do everything like that as a group. I¡¯d love to have you meet everybody, but my mom and Aya are¡­¡± Mei shrugged her shoulders, cocking her head back toward the blue saloon door. ¡°... busy, I guess, and Ran-chan and Akane are off tonight. Could you maybe come by later in the week, maybe Saturday afternoon sometime? Then we can round all the girls up and talk about it.¡±

    The mousy-haired young man nodded earnestly. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯d be great. I¡¯ve heard such great things about this place.¡±

    Mei blushed, nodding emphatically. ¡°Yeah, say what you want about our little dive bar, but we¡¯re a family here, and nothing comes between us, ev¡­¡±

    ¡°WHAT!?!¡±

    Yui and Mei¡¯s eyes both snapped up to the saloon door at the outburst emanating from behind it. A moment later, Ayako crashed through the door into the main bar area, turning many a patron¡¯s head as well given that the stage was currently unoccupied and no music was playing to drown out the shout. The door slammed into the back counter of the service bar hard enough to rattle the bottles on the mirrored display shelves above it.

    Hana emerged through the door a moment later, a frantic look in her eyes. ¡°Aya, please, wait! Just let me talk to you!¡±

    ¡°SEVENTEEN YEARS! You¡¯ve had seventeen fucking years and you couldn¡¯t find five minutes to tell me?! You¡¯ve had plenty of chances to talk!¡±

    Hana charged after her daughter, reaching for her shoulder. ¡°Ayako, I can explain, if you¡¯ll just let me!¡±

    The younger woman whirled quickly, almost losing her balance due to the weight distribution of her distended belly. The fury in her eyes was evident to everyone in the half-empty bar.

    ¡°I can¡¯t! I can¡¯t even fucking look at you right now! I¡­ I gotta get the fuck out of here!¡± Ayako stepped out of Hana¡¯s grasp, stomping toward the front of the bar. Without another word, she crashed through the glass double door, throwing it shut behind her with a guttural growl.

    ¡°Like I was saying,¡± Mei offered worriedly, her eyes following her distraught mother as she weaved her way back through curious bar patrons and slipped back through the saloon door into the back of the house. ¡°Nothing comes between us. Ever.¡±

 20. Roar

    ¡°Alright, girls! Last practice before break! We¡¯ve got an Invitational to win next month, so let¡¯s see some energy!¡± Ranko clapped her hands sharply, jogging to the front of the line formed by the other thirteen Yusue Fighting Lions cheerleaders.

    ¡°Let¡¯s warm up with some handspring chains, and, go!¡± Ranko launched herself backward, propelling herself off of the ground with her arms and tucking her knees under her as she rolled in the air. She landed mere centimeters from Tamiko, who then launched into her own handspring, the landing of which triggered Kumiko¡¯s, and so on it went until all fourteen girls had executed the stunt. When they had, Aoi spun and sprung back in the opposite direction, reversing the chain through the line again to end with Ranko. The squad captain wasn¡¯t concerned with the girls¡¯ ability to perform the basic gymnastic move; rather, the drill¡¯s purpose was to train them to pay attention to what their squadmates were doing and execute based on timing.

    ¡°Nice! Great job everybody! Kayo, just a hair slow there. Remember, you want to start your launch as soon as you see Rin¡¯s legs straighten out, so that you can be off the ground just as she¡¯s landing.¡± Ranko gave the freshman a reassuring smile. It had taken a few weeks, but the youngest of the Yusue cheerleaders was finally starting to regain her spirit after the messy breakup she¡¯d endured. Ranko felt bad about it, for her own part in the whole thing, but both girls agreed that, painful though any relationship ending could be, Kayo was better off without Kazushi Sawaya.

    The thought of breakups cast a pall over Ranko¡¯s heart, as her thoughts turned to Yui. Her elder sister¡¯s choice to remain at the Phoenix rather than following Sakura to Fukuoka was tearing the poor woman apart, and Ranko wished she could do anything at all to ease her pain. Selfishly, she was glad Yui¡¯d decided to stay; she was in no way ready to be without her favorite of her elder sisters, but she hated how much it was hurting Yui to do it. Indeed, she felt partly responsible; she¡¯d begged Yui to reconsider her decision to move away from the bar they all called home.

    Between Yui and Sakura¡¯s breakup and the chill between Hana and Ayako, it hardly felt much like a festive holiday season at the Phoenix. They hadn¡¯t even had a real party for Mioko¡¯s first birthday, as Izumi and Kaito had opted for a quiet celebration at their apartment instead. Ranko felt some measure of responsibility for the argument between her eldest sister and her mother as well, as it had been she who warned Hana that Ayako was searching for answers about her birth family. Not only were Hana and Ayako still not speaking, but Yui and Izumi were both being a bit resentful with the family¡¯s matriarch after years of deception about their sister¡¯s true parentage. Whether they were more upset at having been lied to themselves, or just in solidarity with Ayako, Ranko dared not guess. She wasn¡¯t sure it mattered very much.

    I¡¯m just screwin¡¯ things up for everybody. At least Mei¡¯s doing alright, I guess.

    ¡°Captain! We¡¯re ready to practice the routine whenever you give the word, ma¡¯am!¡±

    Ranko groaned, snapping her thoughts back to the present with a sigh. She¡¯d long since given up any hope of getting Shika to refer to her by name, so she responded to the honorific with a nod as she turned to the group. ¡°Alright, yeah. Let¡¯s line it up. Kumi, hit the music?¡±

    Ranko¡¯s silver-haired friend jogged over to the aluminum bleachers lining the home side of the rugby field, pressing play on the little portable stereo. Her task done, Kumiko sprinted back to her place, getting her feet set just in time for the cassette player to begin emitting sound.

    ¡°Whee-dee-dee-dee, de-dee, dee-dee-dee, oh-wee-bom-bom-bo-way¡­ Whee-dee-dee-dee, de-dee, dee-dee-dee, oh-wee-bom-bom-bo-way¡­¡±

    The fourteen girls, in two rows of seven, swayed gently with the music, swishing their pom-poms at their sides and rolling their hips as if they were hula dancers.

    ¡°In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion slzzzzzzzzzt!¡±

    At the sound of the record scratch, each of the girls froze for a two-count before launching into a back tuck as the sound of a lion¡¯s roar pealed through the speakers of the little boom box on the bleachers. A bass-heavy dance track emerged from under the audio sample, beginning the new song Ranko had written specifically for the upcoming All-Tokyo Cheerleading Invitational.

    Taking point in a chevron of five girls, Ranko executed three back handsprings in a row. Each of the girls behind her did the same, in two parallel pairs of two. As they did, Kumiko brought up the rear waving a red-and-white flag with the Yusue Lions¡¯ logo emblazoned on it. Overhead, Tamiko and Etsuko twisted through the air in a pair of criss-crossing arcs that cleared the whole of the formation, having been propelled upward by Momoe and Ayame, respectively. On each side of the formation, two cheerleaders waited to basket-catch the airborne young women as they returned to earth.

    ¡°Everybody thinks we¡¯re cute and soft and pretty! Everybody wants to come and pet the kitty, but little do they know who really runs this city!¡±

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    While the song¡¯s vocalist would be singing live during the performance, her singing had been pre-recorded over the track Jacob had mixed for their practice runs. Ranko popped her hips to the side in time with the sound of her own voice, striking a pose with her pom-poms at her ribs. While the other cheerleaders cascaded behind her in a series of flips and handsprings, Ranko alone began a fast-paced dance that was somewhere between a salsa and a ballet. Not quite sure how I¡¯m gonna do this and sing at the same time, she thought to herself as she leaned backward, touching the ground with her fingers as she arched her back. I¡¯ll figure it out. Can¡¯t be harder than a quadruple twist.

    She lifted her legs to kick herself back to her feet. As Ranko began a spin move, lifting one leg from the ground, she suddenly found herself restrained from behind by a pair of massive arms.

    ¡°RAWR!¡±

    With her arms pinned to her sides, Ranko yelped loudly in surprise, kicking furiously at the air. Her reaction startled her roaring assailant into releasing her and she fell forward to the ground on her hands and knees, rolling over onto her back to make eye contact with her attacker.

    And then she screamed.

    ¡°GET IT AWAY FROM ME! GET IT AWAAAAAY!¡±

    She clamored on her feet and hands, crab-walking away from the large bipedal cat in a red shirt hulking over her. ¡°WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT GET IT AWAY GET IT¡­¡±

    The great beast lifted its furry yellow arms to the sides of its massive head, lifting it off of its shoulders to reveal a boy¡¯s face. ¡°Ranko, chill, will ya? It¡¯s just a costume!¡±

    ¡°H¡­ Hideo?¡± Ranko stared up at the young man, still quaking with adrenaline at the surprise encounter with the giant cat.

    Kumiko¡¯s boyfriend laughed. ¡°Man, talk about high-strung! The mascot costume finally came. Just in the nick of time, too! What do you think? Obviously, it¡¯s convincing, ¡®cause it scared the pants right off¡¯a you¡­¡±

    Ranko glared at the lion¡¯s head resting under Hideo¡¯s arm, more than a bit embarrassed at her reaction. ¡°You can¡¯t just sneak up on a girl and grab her like that! What¡¯s the big idea?! You¡¯re lucky I didn¡¯t hit ya!¡± She kick-flipped to her feet, looking over her squadmates with no small measure of irritation. ¡°Alright, which one of you clownfuckers did this?¡±

    Kumiko raised her hand sheepishly. ¡°We had a little money left over in the travel budget, and we thought it would be a cool thing to add to the routine. We wanted to surprise you.¡±

    ¡°Well, you did that, alright! Holy fuck, Kumi!¡± Ranko shook her head, walking closer to the mascot and staring into the costume¡¯s eyes as if still not entirely sure it wasn¡¯t real. Gotta get used to this thing, I guess. It¡¯s gonna be fine. It¡¯s not really a cat. It¡¯s just a suit. I¡¯m alright. She poked at the lion¡¯s nose with her fingers, much though she would have preferred to punch it just to show it who was boss.

    ¡°And I¡¯m guessing now you girls expect me to add this monstrosity to our choreography?¡± Ranko sighed defeatedly. I¡¯m gonna have to just sit and stare at that damn thing until my brain figures out it¡¯s not gonna try to eat me. Better have Akane there, just in case I get to purring. She blushed at the thought.

    Kumiko nodded, folding her hands in a pleading gesture as Etsuko stopped the music. ¡°Please? It¡¯s so cute!¡±

    Yep. Adorable. Kill it with fucking fire.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a great idea,¡± Ranko said, glaring at the costume. ¡°Why don¡¯t we have our new friend do the quadruple twist this time, and I¡¯ll just stay down here and dance?¡±

    Giggling, Kumiko shrugged. ¡°I mean, maybe you could wear the suit, and then do the quad in it. Do you think you could? I¡¯d think it would be too hard to maneuver in it.¡±

    At least if I was inside it, I wouldn¡¯t have to fucking look at it. Ranko growled at her friend. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re gonna go with no. Last thing I need up there is another fifteen kilos strapped to my back, and limited visibility to boot. Sounds like a great way for a lion to pounce directly onto her face.¡±

    Kumiko giggled, throwing her arm over her best friend¡¯s shoulders. ¡°We really did get you good, though. You should¡¯a seen your face, Ran-chan!¡±

    The redhead rolled her eyes, brushing grass from her gray Yusue High Athletics sweatpants. ¡°Yeah, well, glad you enjoyed yourself. Guess who¡¯s buying me make-up ice cream later?¡±

    The squad captain clapped her hands sharply to draw the attention of the other girls, who were largely milling about awaiting further instruction. ¡°Alright. Now, if we¡¯re done playing scare the piss out of Ranko, can we please nail down this routine? Rin, you lead this time so I can watch everybody, ¡®kay?¡±

    The squad¡¯s best dancer after Ranko jogged up to take Ranko¡¯s place at the center of the formation as Ranko rewound the cassette in the boombox back to the beginning. The green-haired girl nodded emphatically, snatching up her pom-poms from the grass and assuming Ranko¡¯s pose proudly. ¡°Yes, captain!¡±

    Ranko shook her head with a chuckle. These girls are absolute goofballs, but I¡¯m gonna miss the hell out of them. ¡°Alright, Lions! Let¡¯s try this again!¡±

 21. Christmas Is for Lovers

    ¡°Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, but the very next day, you gave it aw¡­ hey!¡±

    Ranko giggled brightly, losing track of her singing as she felt a tickle on the side of her neck. ¡°No sneaking up on me like that when I¡¯m cookin¡¯!¡±

    Akane draped her arm around her wife¡¯s waist, spinning the slight redhead around in her arms. She wiggled the fluffy white cotton puff dangling from the top of Ranko¡¯s green plush Santa hat, tickling her bare shoulder with it again. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault you went and got all irresistibly cute. It can¡¯t be helped.¡± Grinning, Akane slipped her hand around her lover¡¯s back again, laughing heartily over Ranko¡¯s loud yelp as her hand slid up the back of the skirt of the singer¡¯s green velvet dress and forcefully grabbed a handful of her backside. ¡°See? Powerless to resist.¡±

    ¡°Listen here, you. You think just because you went and married me, you get to just put your hands on me whenever you want?!¡± Ranko planted her feet, resting her fists on her hips in a defiant stance.

    Akane nodded matter-of-factly, answering in a chipper tone. ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°Well, okay.¡± Ranko tittered again, stepping forward and letting Akane envelop her in her strong arms. She curled her arms against her chest, tucking her hands under her chin to curl up as tightly as she could in her wife¡¯s embrace. ¡°Just making sure we agree.¡± She nuzzled her cheek gently against Akane¡¯s chest through her white lace dress, careful not to smudge too much of her foundation on it.

    ¡°Akane, do you have any idea how much I love you?¡±

    Rubbing Ranko¡¯s back through her velvet dress and grinning at the purr it elicited from her ever-sensitive young wife, Akane nodded. ¡°If I had to wager a guess, I¡¯d say, about as much as I love you.¡±

    Ranko sighed happily, nodding in agreement. ¡°I feel so lucky that we get to be together for Christmas, and not have to hide like so many of our friends do. It kinda kicked our asses a little getting here, but now I get to melt into your arms whenever I want, and not feel anything except proud of it.¡± She giggled quietly. ¡°And I always want.¡±

    ¡°I know, princess. Me, too. That¡¯s why I think it was so sweet of you to want to throw this party, for our friends who can¡¯t.¡± Akane grinned, brushing a strand of Ranko¡¯s shoulder-length hair out of her lover¡¯s eyes and tucking it behind her left ear. ¡°Gods, what I¡¯d give to go back to three years ago and show you this moment. You standing there in that adorable dress, dancing and singing while you cook Christmas dinner for fourteen.¡±

    Ranko sighed quietly, but her cheeks reddened slightly. ¡°So you could tease me about what a silly girl you were gonna turn me into?¡±

    Akane shook her head, running her fingers over the smaller girl¡¯s cheek and restoring the smicker that had momentarily vanished from it. ¡°No. So I could show you this glorious, beautiful smile on your face, and the joy I see in your eyes right now. So you¡¯d know there was hope you could be this happy one day.¡±

    Without warning, Ranko jumped upward into Akane¡¯s chest, wrapping her arms tight around her wife¡¯s neck and letting Akane catch her. The raven-haired young woman gripped her left wrist with her right hand, creating a ledge behind Ranko¡¯s backside for her to sit on. Ranko dove forward, pulling Akane into a kiss. She whimpered quietly as Akane responded in it, the sound muffled somewhat by Akane¡¯s tongue. She could have stayed in that mid-December moment for the rest of her life and been content, but Akane pulled back at the sound of a chime from just behind her.

    ¡°Sounds like our first guests are here, princess.¡± Akane bounced her once in her arms, stepping forward and depositing her wife on the edge of the kitchen counter. Before she turned to the door, Akane reached out, gently tapping the younger girl on the nose. ¡°My beautiful girl.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s cheeks were still aflame as Akane pulled the door open, waving exaggeratedly. ¡°Hey, girls! Merry Christmas!¡± Akane¡¯s hands flew into a series of gestures, translating her words into sign language for the young woman holding Nanami Ikehara¡¯s arm.

    Mitsuru made a flurry of gestures, grinning up at Ranko as the redhead crossed her ankles, which still dangled from the kitchen countertop. Akane cackled, and Nanami joined her in a laugh and a blush.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll bite, what did I miss?¡± Ranko smirked, hopping back down to her feet.

    Akane shook her head, grinning ear-to-ear at her wife. ¡°Mitsuru saw the look on your face, and asked if we needed them to take a walk around the block and come back in an hour.¡±

    The redhead¡¯s cheeks warmed again, and she shook her head, hiding her face a bit. ¡°Was it that obvious?¡±

    ¡°Only a little, babe.¡± Akane laughed, leading their guests into the living room as Nanami relayed Ranko¡¯s words to her girlfriend. Three plastic tables had been set end-to-end, surrounded by the four wooden chairs from the girls¡¯ dining room set as well as ten plastic folding chairs. The long table was tiled in festive red and green tablecloths, with a pair of potted silk poinsettias dividing the long dais into thirds.

    Ranko slipped back out of the kitchen, leaning against the countertop dividing the alleyway kitchen from the living room. ¡°I¡¯ll start the chicken once a few more people get here; I don¡¯t want things getting too cold. The potato salad and most of the other sides are ready to rock, and the cake¡¯s in the oven.¡±

    ¡°Sounds amazing, Ran-chan! Anything I can do to help?¡± Nanami grinned, her hands flying in front of her as she echoed her words with her hands for the benefit of her longtime girlfriend. ¡°We really appreciate you inviting us tonight.¡±

    The redhead shook her head emphatically, the silver jingle bells dangling from her earlobes tinkling merrily. ¡°Nope! We¡¯re kind of in a holding pattern right now. Just relax! You girls want some wine, soda, or anything? There¡¯s wagashi on the trays over there if you want.¡±

    Nanami shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re golden right now, hon.¡± She slipped her blue bomber jacket off, starting to set it on the couch next to her, but Akane stepped forward to take it.

    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll throw the coats in the other room.¡± With a few signs to Mitsuru, Akane indicated her intent, and soon had two heavy jackets in her arms to trundle off to the bedroom.  She heard a pair of chimes as she slipped behind the half-closed door, and when she returned, two young men had joined the celebration in her living room.

    ¡°Hey, Akane! Merry Christmas!¡± Ryo waved with a grin, setting the festive gift bag in his hand down on the counter.

    ¡°Merry Christmas to you guys, too! Aw, you didn¡¯t have to dress up! We¡¯re not that formal around here. Want me to take your coats?¡± Akane reached for Ken¡¯s navy blue blazer, which the young drummer had already slipped his arms out of and draped over his forearms.

    ¡°Bro! How you feelin¡¯, man?¡±

    Ken turned to the redhead in the alley kitchen with a bright smile after offloading his coat to one of the hostesses, wrapping the other in a tight hug. ¡°Alright. Damn bug just kicked my ass again.¡±

    Ranko nodded. ¡°It¡¯s something going around. Shit burned through my cheer squad like the fucking plague. I¡¯m not sure Aoi and Ishii are gonna make it tonight; Aoi¡¯s pretty much over it but Ishii was still feeling like ass the other day.¡± She flitted back into the kitchen, returning with a pair of dark brown bottles and offering one each to her drummer and his date. ¡°Beer?¡±

    Ryo laughed, untwisting the cap of his bottle. ¡°Depends. Am I breathing?¡± Before he could lower the bottle from his lips after the first sip of the hoppy libation, the other bottle was thrust into his hand.

    ¡°You mind, babe?¡±

    The elder of the two boys laughed, setting his open beer on the corner of the long row of tables. He unscrewed the cap from the second beer, tossing it in the trash can and handing the opened bottle back to Ken. ¡°There ya go.¡±

    Ken smiled, leaning against Ryo¡¯s chest with a happy sigh. ¡°And this is why everyone needs a boyfriend.¡±

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°I¡¯m good, thanks,¡± Ranko replied from the kitchen with a bright laughter in her voice.

    ¡°You¡¯re just saying that ¡®cause your wife¡¯s stronger than any boy you know,¡± Nanami called back, playfully punching at Akane¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Cuter, too,¡± Ranko shouted over the loud whir of her stand mixer as she began working on a strawberry glaze for one of the desserts she¡¯d prepared.

    <hr>

    Ranko giggled as the tails of the ribbon cinching the white apron she wore around her waist tickled the back of her knees with every move of the little salsa-inspired dance she performed alone in front of her stovetop. She swished her hips joyfully as she sang along with the radio, almost wishing she¡¯d worn a petticoat under the dress just to make her skirt more playful. Still, the infectious Latin beat pouring from the little portable stereo on the kitchen counter refused to be denied.

    ¡°Feliz navidad! Feliz navidad! Feliz navidad, prospero a?o y felicidad¡­¡±

    Damn straight, Akane. You¡¯re right. The guy from three years ago would never recognize me. And I don¡¯t fucking care. Fuck that guy. He wasn¡¯t happy, and I am. And you know what? I friggin¡¯ deserve it.

    She reached over the bubbling pot with her hands in bright yellow rubber gloves, pinching at a drumstick with a long pair of tongs and plucking it from the oil. She rested it on a paper-towel-covered plate, searching for another piece of chicken. The deep fryer at the bar would have made it a lot easier to cook for this many people, but, gotta go with what I got.

    The last of the current batch of chicken having been rescued from the Dutch oven full of boiling peanut oil, Ranko set her tongs down on the counter. A few more pieces and we should have enough, I think. But, before she could reach for another raw drumstick, she was grabbed around the left wrist and jerked backward. She spun around, and Akane caught Ranko¡¯s rubber-gloved right hand in her left, stepping forward with a sway in her hips.

    Ranko beamed, understanding her wife¡¯s unspoken invitation perfectly. She stepped back, following her lover¡¯s lead as her left hand took Akane¡¯s right. The ceaselessly fluid motion of her hips carried her as she stepped backward again, nearly to the end of the narrow alleyway kitchen. She arched her back as Akane lifted her hand above her head, spinning her body around and slamming her back into Akane¡¯s chest. Akane did not care in the least that the plush tassel at the tip of Ranko¡¯s hat hit her in the face as she wrapped her hands around her beloved¡¯s waist. Ranko took Akane¡¯s hand in her own, wrapping her wife¡¯s arm around her waist like a belt and taking two exaggerated steps forward with the woman in the white dress in tow. Akane pulled back her hand just for a fraction of a second, pulling Ranko¡¯s left glove off of her hand and tossing it to the counter. A similar move in the opposite direction whipped the smaller girl around to Akane¡¯s other side, and as she spun Ranko around her body, she quickly divested the beautiful redhead in her arms of her second rubber glove.

    With a nudge on her back from Akane¡¯s left hand, Ranko spun thrice, orbiting her love as she twirled on her ankles until it was Akane being backed into the kitchen alley.

    ¡°I wanna wish you a merry Christmas! I wanna wish you a merry Christmas! I wanna wish you a merry Christmas, from the bottom of my hea-aaart!¡±

    Of all the new dance styles Ranko had learned in Ms. Kanzawa¡¯s class, salsa was her favorite, especially when Akane danced it with her. The showy arm movements and the constant wiggle of the waist felt especially feminine, and not in the silly fluffy tutu way that ballet did. Coupled with the emphasis on holding each other close, and the way the dance¡¯s leader manipulated their partner physically, it made her feel unabashedly sexy, and in Akane¡¯s arms, there was little she¡¯d rather be.

    Ranko crashed forward into Akane¡¯s chest, writhing in time against her lover¡¯s body as she felt Akane¡¯s hand take a handful of her ass through the skirt of her green velvet dress. She lay a gentle hand on Akane¡¯s right breast, dancing with no discernable gap between their bodies, or between their hearts.

    She beamed as Akane¡¯s strong arms lifted her from the ground, holding on around her partner¡¯s neck as Akane spun on her feet. On the third such spin, Akane released her waist, tossing her a little more than a meter. Ranko twisted twice in the air before landing just outside the entrance of the kitchen, facing into it. She stalked forward, flaring her arms above her head fluidly as she closed the distance to rejoin her partner. Akane took her hand, whirling the smaller girl around her again, and Ranko couldn¡¯t help but giggle at the little jingle bells dangling from her ears joining the rhythm of the music as Akane¡¯s hands took a commanding grip of her hips.

    Don¡¯t ever take your hands off of me, Akane. Never.

    ¡°Feliz navidad! Feliz navidad! Feliz navidad, prospero a?o y felicidad¡­¡±

    Akane lifted her arm over her head again, spinning Ranko around her body and again pulling her into the corner of the alleyway kitchen. Ranko whirled backward until she was as far from her wife as she could be while still holding her hand, but then Akane yanked her back. Letting go of Akane¡¯s hand, Ranko spun through the gap, rolling her body along the length of Akane¡¯s arm until her hip collided with Akane¡¯s, and the larger girl¡¯s arms coiled around her again. Ranko lifted her right leg, resting her knee against Akane¡¯s hip and arching her back behind her, Akane¡¯s right hand supporting her as she was dipped back to look up at the white popcorn ceiling in time with the song¡¯s ending.

    ¡°I wanna wish you a merry Christmas, from the bottom of my hea-aaaart!¡±

    Ranko blushed breathlessly at the sound of cheering and clapping from the other side of the kitchen counter, having all but forgotten the presence of her dinner guests.

    ¡°Dinner and a show! Whooo!¡± Tamiko laughed at her blushing friend and captain, popping a wagashi into her mouth.

    ¡°Speaking of dinner,¡± Ranko said, reaching for her right glove on the counter where Akane had tossed it. ¡°Food¡¯s almost done, so everybody might wanna get settled.¡± She wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her right forearm, having worked herself up from her vigorous dance in the heat of the kitchen. ¡°Akane, you wanna start pouring drinks?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Akane replied, all smiles as she reached for the handle of the refrigerator door.

    ¡°Thank you, lover,¡± Ranko giggled as she dropped another chicken thigh into the boiling cauldron of oil on the gas stovetop with her tongs. Yori took her seat next to Tamiko, whipping the match in her hand through the air to extinguish it after having lit all of the white tapered candles in the two centerpieces between the poinsettias on the table.

    Nanami turned the volume down on the portable stereo before sliding into a chair to Mitsuru¡¯s right, between her and Ken. Aoi and Ryo shuttled between the counter and the table, placing serving dishes of fried chicken, potato salad, mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese on each side of the table as well as a small wooden caddy full of various dipping sauces and condiments.

    Ranko turned the burner of the stove off, using her still-greasy tongs to turn the knob at the back of the stovetop rather than reaching over the blue flame. She slipped her gloves off, tossing them aside and reaching behind herself to untie her apron. ¡°Anybody need anything else before I sit?¡±

    Akane pulled out the chair to the left of her own at the head of the table, motioning to it. ¡°Come on, babe. You¡¯ve done plenty, and you haven¡¯t sat down in hours.¡±

    Blushing at the idea of having her chair pulled out for her, Ranko made her way from the kitchen, but a loud chime from the door startled her as she passed it. Dusting her hands off, the redhead reached for the doorknob, pulling the door inward and smiling up at the two young men waiting in the hallway.

    ¡°Hey, Ranko! Are we too late?¡±

    Ranko beamed, stepping out of the doorway to admit the tardy couple into her aromatic apartment. ¡°Actually, Eiji, your timing¡¯s perfect.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Hurry up, Santa!¡± Aoi giggled, tossing a balled-up red paper napkin at the young man bent under the base of the sparsely-decorated Christmas tree in the corner of Ranko and Akane¡¯s living room.

    ¡°I¡¯m workin¡¯ on it,¡± Orochi said with a laugh, straightening his back with a brightly-colored gift in each hand. ¡°Some of you guys¡¯ handwriting sucks! Okay, this one¡¯s for Mitsuru and Nanami.¡± He handed the shiny silver bag in his right hand off to the tall green-haired girl to his left. ¡°Sorry, still learning everyone¡¯s names. Who¡¯s Hitomi?¡±

    A whoop and a hand rose from the floor, where Ranko¡¯s backup dancers cuddled with their backs to the kitchen counter, and Orochi stepped forward to deliver a small box wrapped in festive green paper pocked with red reindeer to Emi.

    ¡°Okay, and then this one¡¯s for Aoi and Ishii, and this one¡¯s¡­¡± Orochi squinted down at the small tag and the tiny kanji scrawled messily on it. ¡°Ken and Ryo.¡± He distributed the last two couples¡¯ Secret Santa gifts before taking one of the wooden dining room chairs next to Eiji. ¡°Before we start, I just wanna say thanks for tonight, Ranko and Akane. It was so nice to get to do this. Me and Ei-chan hardly ever get to do holidays as a couple, and I think I speak for everybody here when I say it means a lot that you thought of us.¡±

    ¡°Hear, hear! We love you, gay Mom and Dad!¡± Emi giggled, whooping as she smiled warmly at her friend and fellow vocalist.

    Ranko¡¯s cheeks flushed, squirming a bit in Akane¡¯s lap on the couch as her wife squeezed her tight around the waist. Not sure how I feel about anybody calling me ¡®mom¡¯, she thought, her blush deepening when she realized she¡¯d not even for a microsecond considered the possibility that the dad in Emi¡¯s affectation could have been meant for her.

    Akane must have picked up on her discomfort, because she laughed heartily, reaching around Ranko¡¯s shoulder to softly poke her nose with an outstretched finger. ¡°See, Ranko? I always knew you¡¯d make a good mom someday.¡±

    Gross, but okay. You wanna tease, Akane? Well, two can play that game, babe.

    Ranko leaned back against Akane¡¯s chest with a devious grin, lifting her lips until they were mere centimeters from Akane¡¯s right ear as she reached up behind herself to cup her lover¡¯s cheek in her hand. Her voice was a quiet, lusty purr.

    ¡°Mm. You know it, daddy.¡±

    Akane sputtered, choking on air as her cheeks caught fire to a chorus of tittering from their guests and the beaming young woman wiggling in her lap.

 22. Ill Be Home for Christmas

    Kasumi smiled softly, padding down the last two steps from her bedroom in her lavender nightgown and white house slippers. The sun had only just started peeking over the horizon, and the Tendo house was still dark save the multi-colored points of twinkling light cast on the walls and floor from the Christmas tree in the corner.

    It¡¯s going to be so nice to be all together for Christmas again, she thought as she rounded the corner into the living room. With a bright matronly smile, she called out softly to Akane, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor staring at the tree. ¡°Good morning, Akane! Merry Christmas!¡±

    Akane nodded, turning her head to the side and lifting a finger to her lips. She gestured downward with her head, and as Kasumi stepped closer, she realized why her sister had chosen not to speak. Her knees tucked under her, Ranko lay pressed against Akane¡¯s body, her fingers loosely gripping handfuls of Akane¡¯s red satin pajamas and her head resting in the space between Akane¡¯s left shoulder and left breast. Sensing her wife-turned-pillow stirring, the sleeping redhead nuzzled tighter into Akane¡¯s chest, a contented unconscious purr of relaxation escaping the smaller girl¡¯s throat.

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t she just the cutest thing,¡± Kasumi whispered, smiling down at her two youngest sisters. ¡°What time did you two get in last night?¡±

    Akane shrugged, replying almost soundlessly. ¡°It had to have been after three; we didn¡¯t even get out of her show until quarter after two. We got here, got changed, and came down here for a few minutes of quiet alone time.¡± She motioned down to the sleeping girl in her arms with a soft smile. ¡°Might have ended up being a little more than a few minutes.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been up all night,¡± Kasumi asked, receiving a silent nod in reply. ¡°That¡¯s so sweet.¡±

    Ever so gently, Akane lowered her head, planting the softest of kisses on the top of her wife¡¯s head through her flame-red hair. It still smelled of hair spray, and the chemical served to lock Ranko¡¯s hair in the most disheveled possible configuration borne of a few hours of sleeping in a seated position. ¡°I didn¡¯t have the heart to wake her. She¡¯s always so bone tired after her big shows.¡±

    Kasumi beamed at the young lovers, nodding in understanding. ¡°Gods, Akane, it¡¯s so good to see the two of you so happy. You¡¯ve been through so much, and just¡­ When she left here that day, I never thought the day would come when we¡¯d all be together like this again.¡± She stifled a  giggle, trying in vain to keep it quiet. ¡°All four of us Tendo girls, under one roof for Christmas morning.¡±

    Akane smiled up at her eldest sister, the woman who had all but raised her. ¡°Everything I could have ever imagined, Kasumi. Everything I could have ever dreamed. She¡¯s all that and so much more.¡± Her adoring eyes fell back on the shock of matted red hair just under her chin. ¡°I¡¯ve never been so happy in my whole life. And neither has she.¡±

    Akane¡¯s eyes darted back up at the sound of a mechanical click and whir, finding Nabiki now standing next to Kasumi in her orange fox-print pajamas with a Polaroid camera in her hand. ¡°Morning, girls,¡± she said quietly, waving the film square that popped out of the front of her camera in the air to accelerate its development.

    ¡°Mm. Morning.¡±

    Before Ranko¡¯s eyes opened, Akane¡¯s lips were on her forehead. ¡°Good morning to you too, beautiful. Merry Christmas.¡±

    ¡°Mm-hmm. What time is it?¡± Ranko opened her eyes, stretching her arms with a vocalized yawn.

    ¡°Almost 7:30,¡± Kasumi volunteered.

    Ranko raised her eyes to meet Akane¡¯s, a soft, sleepy smile cracking her lips. ¡°You¡­ sat there and held me all night?¡±

    With a nod, Akane tried in vain to corral Ranko¡¯s nearly crunchy, haphazard hair with her fingertips. ¡°Nowhere on Earth I¡¯d rather be, baby girl.¡±

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    ¡°Mm. I love you too, Akane.¡± Ranko stretched her neck, reaching up with her hand to guide Akane¡¯s face down into a kiss. ¡°But you should go get some sleep now. We have a busy day planned.¡±

    Akane smiled warmly. She shook her head in the negative, but her yawn betrayed how tired she really was. ¡°Alright. Coming with me?¡±

    The redhead shook her head, slowly clambering to her feet with a whimperingly vocalized stretch. ¡°No such luck. I¡¯ve got wife duty, helping Kasumi with breakfast.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, Ranko, I can handle it myself. I always have,¡± Kasumi offered with her trademark gentle smile, but Ranko waved her objection away with her hand.

    ¡°No, I wanna help.¡± The redhead beamed down at her wife, offering her a hand to help her off the floor. ¡°I wanna be part of making things special for my family.¡±

    Akane took the hand that was offered, supporting herself with it as she stood. Her back made several loud pops as she stretched, reaching for the ceiling with another loud yawn.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, big sister Kasumi,¡± Ranko said with a giggle, motioning toward the kitchen door. ¡°Let¡¯s put all that bridal training you gave me to good use.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°I have to say, Kasumi, you outdid yourself. That just might be the best natto you¡¯ve ever made,¡± Soun said, patting his belly contentedly. ¡°I might need thirds.¡± He turned his head in reply to a bright giggle coming from his right, but the response came from Kasumi on his left.

    ¡°Actually, Father, that was Ranko¡¯s recipe.¡± The de facto Tendo matriarch beamed with pride at the youngest of her three sisters.

    He turned, beaming with pride at the young woman in the red dress seated between Akane and Nabiki. ¡°Well, then the compliment rightly belongs to her. Well done, Ranko.¡±

    Ranko leaned into the congratulatory side hug from her wife, beaming with a radiant smile. ¡°Why, thank you, Mr. Mayor. I¡¯m so glad you liked it.¡±

    The mustachioed man laughed heartily, a broad grin across his face. ¡°I don¡¯t even take office until the week after next, but that aside, there¡¯s no greater honor you could pay me than the title you usually use for me, Ranko, dear.¡±

    The redhead blushed, adjusting her hair with her hand as an excuse to hide her reddening cheeks. ¡°You got it, Dad.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± Soun said, setting his chopsticks down on a little jade turtle next to his plate. ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you, Ranko. Of all of you girls, honestly. I don¡¯t say it nearly enough, but, I truly am blessed to have four incredible daughters. I love you all.¡±

    Nabiki nodded, standing and scooping her bowl and plate from the table. ¡°We love you too, Daddy. Akane, wanna give me a hand? Kasumi and Ran-chan cooked; the least we can do is handle the dishes.¡±

    ¡°Right!¡± Akane hopped to her feet, picking up the still-warm soup bowl in front of her wife. Ranko giggled as the hem of Akane¡¯s yellow dress tickled her shoulders as she hurried past.

    <hr>

    ¡°Don¡¯t you girls have to get going? What time are you two expected at Hana¡¯s?¡±

    Akane lifted her eyes to meet the gaze of her other mother-in-law. ¡°We¡¯re gonna go in just a few more minutes, Ma Shimizu. Ranko has one more thing she wanted to do first.¡± She frowned slightly, dreading the second half of their Christmas Day schedule. Between Yui¡¯s deepening melancholy and the rift between Hana and Ayako, she wasn¡¯t expecting an especially festive time. She did, however, find a smile at the sound of footsteps descending the stairs from her former bedroom. ¡°Hey, beautiful. Are you about ready?¡±

    Ranko blushed, slipping the long black bag from her back. She lowered it by the shoulder strap to the dining room table and began to unzip it. ¡°Yep!¡± She smiled at the merry belly laugh from her adoptive father as she turned to face him, her shiny phoenix-styled guitar strapped across her chest.

    ¡°If you remember, Dad, it was you and Akane makin¡¯ me sing at Christmas that got all this started for me in the first place.¡± She gestured with her neck to the framed photo of herself and Akane, embracing backstage at the Wild Orchid release celebration a month to the day ago, mounted on the dining room wall. ¡°Only seems right that we make it a tradition, huh?¡±

    Ranko sat on the tabletop, pulling the pink plastic pick from a small leather pouch affixed to the back of the guitar and beginning to pluck at its strings, a bright smile on her lips as she swayed on her backside, tapping at the floor with her foot to keep time.

    ¡°Rockin¡¯ around the Christmas tree, at the Christmas party hop. Mistletoe hung where you can see; every couple tries to stop. Rockin¡¯ around the Christmas tree, let the Christmas spirit ring! Later, we¡¯ll have some pumpkin pie, and we¡¯ll do some caroling¡­¡±

 23. To the Nines

    Akane swiveled on her heels for another lap around the small apartment kitchen, glancing up at the cerulean digital clock built into Izumi¡¯s gas stove. Figure we need at least an hour to get a taxi and get over there¡­ no idea how long it takes to get in and settled and everything. You¡¯re cutting it awfully fucking close, Izzi.

    ¡°Auntie Akane, doesn¡¯t that feel weird, being dressed like that?¡± Hoshi looked up from the booklet that came with his stage magic playset as Akane¡¯s pacing track took her back into the living room.

    Akane blushed, looking down at herself. She couldn¡¯t help but nod. ¡°A little, but it¡¯s what your Auntie Ranko needs me to do tonight. And you know there¡¯s nothing I wouldn¡¯t do for her.¡±

    Hoshi nodded, tossing the book aside on the floor next to the small wooden ¡°wand¡± that came with the magic kit. ¡°But why does she need you to dress up like a boy?¡± He reached up to his head, pulling the shiny black plastic top hat from the crown of his head and offering it to her. ¡°You want my hat to go with it?¡±

    That¡¯s the question, isn¡¯t it, kiddo? The young woman sighed, pulling one of the dining room table chairs into the living room and sitting on it carefully. Man, these things are so restrictive. I don¡¯t know how dudes do it. She tugged at the collar of the crisply-starched white dress shirt lashed tight around her throat with a black bow tie. Though, I suppose it¡¯s no worse than asking Ranko to wear a wedding dress was.

    ¡°Well, ya see, buddy¡­ Remember how, when we got married, Ranko and I told you that it was a secret, because a lot of people don¡¯t understand how two girls can love each other the way we do?¡± Receiving a nod in reply, Akane continued. ¡°Well, your auntie has to go to a super fancy party tonight, and she asked me to come with her to support her. But some people, because they¡¯re closed-minded and not very nice, think Ranko should be with a boy instead of with me. So, in order to keep them from being jerks about it to her, I¡¯m going to pretend to be a boy tonight.¡±

    Hoshi nodded matter-of-factly. ¡°That seems silly. Why doesn¡¯t she just tell them she loves you, and they should suck an egg if they don¡¯t like it?¡±

    ¡°If it were only that easy, Hoshi. But the more smart people like you realize it¡¯s silly, the closer the day comes where couples like me and your Auntie Ranko don¡¯t have to pretend anymo¡­¡± Her voice trailed off at the sound of sticking paint popping apart as Izumi¡¯s bedroom door swung inward.

    Izumi exited the room first, flashing Akane a broad smile of pride as the younger girl stood from her seat. ¡°Mr. Tendo, I present to you: your date for the evening.¡± She turned with a bow and a flourish, gesturing with her hand back to her open bedroom door.

    Akane could only gasp as a second figure emerged from the apartment¡¯s master bedroom. Ranko had made it all the way down the narrow T-shaped hallway into the kitchen before Akane found her wits enough to speak. ¡°Oh. My. Gods. Ranko, baby, I¡­¡±

    Ranko blushed deeply, resisting the urge to fidget with her hair, which Izumi had pinned back in a tight bun behind her head with a pair of pale jade chopsticks. ¡°Do you like?¡±

    Akane started walking a lap around the young songstress, taking in Izumi¡¯s handwork. Ranko wore an off-shoulder dress in a light green, with short sleeves coming to the middle of her upper arms. The whole of the dress was comprised of thousands of individual flowers, as if a field of mint-colored carnations had spontaneously picked a beautiful woman and decided to grow around her body. The skirt of the dress came to just above Ranko¡¯s ankles, where a pair of silver boots with short, chunky heels disappeared up into the folds of her puffy skirt.

    The colored dress was fitted tightly to her waist, the skirt flaring out from there in a wide circle around lower legs. The wide neckline of the dress, adorned with a large, crinkly bow between her breasts, revealed a shimmery silver layer under it, which provided some small additional measure of modesty to her cleavage. It peeked out slightly under the edges of her sleeves, as well. Her hair and makeup were immaculate, as they always were when Izumi got her youngest sister ready for the stage. The ensemble was completed by Ranko¡¯s ever-present silver dragon bracelet on her left arm, both her wedding and her promise rings, the silver star necklace Izumi had given her as a bridesmaid¡¯s gift, and a pair of dangly silver heart earrings.

    ¡°Like is not a strong enough word, princess. You look¡­ incredible. Just, beyond description.¡±

    ¡°I feel so silly,¡± Ranko squeaked. ¡°Like, it was one thing to be all dressed up at the wedding, but everybody there¡¯s gonna be all fancy, and I guess, I think they¡¯re gonna figure out that I¡¯m used to being in denim skirts and tee shirts, ya know?¡± At least it¡¯s not black gi pants that ain¡¯t been washed in a week anymore. Progress, right?

    Akane shook her head emphatically. ¡°You, Ranko Tendo, are stunningly beautiful. There¡¯s nobody in the world who can outclass you, my love. You belong at this event tonight just as much as they do, and they¡¯d better get used to seeing you there, because I expect this is going to be a New Year¡¯s Eve tradition for us from now on.¡±

    ¡°Oh, stop¡­¡± Ranko tittered brightly, hiding her face in her hands. ¡°You¡¯re gonna give me an ego if you aren¡¯t careful.¡±

    ¡°You? An ego? No way! Not you!¡± Akane laughed loudly. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got news for you. I¡¯m not going to be careful. Not one damn bit.¡± Akane wrapped her arms around Ranko¡¯s chest tightly from behind, as best she could in the restrictive tuxedo jacket. The dress crinkled stiffly everywhere she touched it, making a loud rustling sound. She leaned forward, resting her chin on Ranko¡¯s shoulder and speaking in a gruff, gravely tone mere centimeters from her left ear. Her hot breath made the little hairs on the back of Ranko¡¯s neck stand straight at attention.

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    ¡°I am going to tell you over and over and over again what a beautiful, talented, sexy little thing you are, until you learn to accept it, and then I¡¯m going to tell you some more. You¡¯re damn right it¡¯s gonna go to your head just how amazing you are, because I¡¯m not going to rest until it does. Do you understand me, Mrs. Tendo?¡±

    Ranko whimpered quietly, lolling her head to the side to invite Akane closer to her neck. ¡°Y¡­. yes, sss¡­ sir.¡±

    With a broad smile of accomplishment, Akane closed the newly-created distance and placed the gentlest of kisses on her lover¡¯s earlobe just above the silver heart dangling from it.

    ¡°Good girl.¡±

    Ranko didn¡¯t know whether the kiss had been what made her quake weakly in her lover¡¯s arms, or the two whispered words that followed it. She wasn¡¯t sure she cared.

    ¡°Well,¡± Izumi scoffed. ¡°As cool as it would be to have spent the last three hours getting you both dressed to the nines just so you can make out in my kitchen in front of my kid, don¡¯t you have some awards to go win?¡±

    ¡°Mo-om,¡± Hoshi protested from the living room floor. ¡°Don¡¯t be gross!¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ranko said, giggling as she regained her composure. ¡°Don¡¯t be gross!¡±

    ¡°Listen to me,¡± Izumi said, closing the distance to her youngest sister and taking Ranko¡¯s hands in hers. ¡°You got this. You hear me? Everything¡¯s gonna be great. I promise.¡±

    Ranko looked down at her right hand, her fraying nerves making themselves apparent in her eyes. ¡°And you¡¯re fucking sure this is gonna work?¡±

    The young designer nodded, flashing Ranko a reassuring smile. ¡°I¡¯m positive. Well, mostly.¡± She lowered her voice, gesturing with her neck to Akane, who was trying on Hoshi¡¯s plastic top hat on for size in the living room. ¡°You¡¯re sure you don¡¯t want to warn her?¡±

    The singer crinkled her nose, shaking in her head in the negative and responding as quietly as she could manage. ¡°Nah. No reason for her to be as scared as I am. Let¡¯s keep it a surprise. Besides, I¡­¡± Her words were cut off by the sharp, insistent chiming of Izumi¡¯s doorbell, which rang twice in rapid succession.

    ¡°Speaking of surprises¡­¡± Izumi giggled. ¡°I think you should get the door, Ran-chan.¡±

    The hell? Ranko shrugged, closing the twelve steps to the apartment front door and pulling it open. ¡°Hell¡­ o?¡± She blinked in disbelief at the young stranger in the white tuxedo standing alone in the second-floor hallway of Izumi¡¯s apartment building. His jet-black hair was slicked back with gel.

    ¡°Miss Tendo,¡± he asked with a flourish and a bow. ¡°Ready to depart?¡±

    Akane put her fists on her hips, rolling her eyes at Izumi. ¡°Iz, you didn¡¯t do what I think you did, did you?¡±

    Izumi shrugged, giggling. ¡°We can¡¯t very well have our superstar showing up on the red carpet in a taxicab, can we? Me and Mei went halves on it. Now, go on, scoot.¡±

    ¡°Ak¡­ Aki,¡± Ranko remembered at the last moment. ¡°What¡¯s even happening right now?¡±

    Akane laughed, trying not to let it devolve into a feminine giggle as she hooked her arm through the crook of Ranko¡¯s elbow. ¡°Remember the end of Pretty Woman?¡±

    The redhead¡¯s eyes went wide as she whipped her head back around to gape at her sister. ¡°You didn¡¯t!¡±

    Izumi nodded. ¡°We did. Now, shoo. And good luck. We all love you.¡±

    ¡°Kick butt, Auntie Ranko!¡± Hoshi waved excitedly from the living room floor.

    ¡°She always does,¡± Akane said, her eyes falling adoringly back on Ranko as the driver held the apartment door open for the songstress and her husband.

    Ranko followed the dapper young man downstairs and out the front door of the four-story building to the street beyond, where a white stretch limousine awaited. She turned her head to Akane, her mouth agape. ¡°Holy shit.¡±

    The driver opened the car door, but Akane hustled ahead of Ranko, taking the door handle from him. ¡°I got it. My lady?¡± She offered Ranko her hand gently, grinning at Ranko¡¯s full-body blush as it was accepted.

    Ranko ducked into the car, sitting on one of the long leather seats and sliding over to make room for Akane to enter. ¡°Look at this thing! This car is nicer than our apartment! It¡¯s got a freakin¡¯ bar in it!¡±

    Akane laughed, shaking her head. ¡°Well, I suppose it¡¯s not that different from having an apartment in a bar, then, huh?¡±

    The young singer giggled. ¡°I see what you did there, Aki.¡±

    Akane nodded, sniffing at the air with a puzzled expression on her face. ¡°Do you smell something weird in here? It¡¯s like, bathroom cleaner or something.¡±

    Ranko shrugged, blushing. ¡°Beats me.¡± No questions, Akane. Don¡¯t spoil the surprise.

    Her eyes continued exploring the deluxe vehicle in search of a distraction, her eyes falling on a button near the front of the seating area. ¡°What¡¯s that do?¡± She reached out and pushed it gently, and a blackout panel rose from the rear-facing seats with a quiet whir, blocking the driver¡¯s view of the pair.

    ¡°Oooh, privacy mode.¡± Ranko smickered at her lover thirstily. ¡°We¡¯ll have to remember that one for the way home.¡±

    ¡°The way home, huh?¡± Akane slid closer, pulling Ranko¡¯s head over to whisper in her ear. ¡°Girl, if you didn¡¯t have to sing on national television in an hour and a half, you¡¯d already be out of that dress.¡±

    Ranko blushed brightly. Oh, Akane, if you had any idea, lover. ¡°Get over here and kiss me, mister.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, madam.¡± Akane laughed brightly, pulling her wife into a soft kiss as the car began to move.

 24. Girls on Fire

    Ranko stepped carefully out of the limousine, Akane trundling her dress for her from behind to keep the puffy skirt from getting caught on the door handles. Immediately, she was greeted by a cacophony of clicks as rows of paparazzi snapped photo after photo of the new arrivals. The young singer could only blush and wave as flash bulbs flickered in her eyes from every direction like so many stars flickering into existence and immediately going nova and burning out.

    ¡°There¡¯s so many cameras,¡± Ranko whispered to her companion through teeth gritted in a smile.

    Akane nodded with a suave grin. ¡°Of course there are. Who wouldn¡¯t want a picture of the most beautiful thing here?¡±

    ¡°Ranko!¡± A photographer in a sky-blue dress waved at her excitedly across the red velvet rope line, and the redhead snapped her head in her direction, waving excitedly.

    It¡¯s so crazy. These people get paid to follow stars around all day just to take their pictures.

    And they know my name.

    ¡°Is that your husband, Ranko?! Do we finally get to meet him?¡±

    Ranko¡¯s face went red, and then white, and then red again. She looked up at Akane, who gave her a pleading look. She reached down for Akane¡¯s hand, and when Akane looked down at her, a fire lit in the singer¡¯s blue eyes.

    Well, babe, Ranko thought. I can¡¯t spare you from the cameras, but I can make it so you don¡¯t have to talk at least. Maybe this isn¡¯t necessary. But I want it, and I¡¯m taking it.

    ¡°This¡­ is the love of my life.¡± As the cameras flashed all around her, Ranko stood on the tiptoes of her silver heeled boots, closing her eyes and planting an open-mouthed kiss on Akane¡¯s lips. It took her a moment, but Akane responded in the kiss eventually, wrapping her arms around the small of Ranko¡¯s back in her restrictive tuxedo jacket. The singer whimpered quietly, her whole body warming at the thoughts running through her mind at warp speed as the sound of camera shutters built into a thunder-like rumble in a semicircle around the couple.

    Look at all these people watching us, Akane. Look at them watching me love you. Look at them watching you make me yours. Don¡¯t you dare ever stop.

    After seven seconds that Ranko wished could have lasted seven years, Akane pulled back, squeezing her wife¡¯s hand tight. ¡°Come on, babe,¡± Akane said, affecting a gruff tone in her voice. ¡°We¡¯re gonna be late.¡±

    Ranko nodded, lacing her slender silver-tipped fingers between Akane¡¯s as the pair strode the red carpet together. She was positively aglow. ¡°Thank you for doing this tonight. For being here with me.¡±

    Akane nodded, squeezing her wife¡¯s hand tighter in a wordless you¡¯re welcome.

    The redheaded celebrity¡¯s mouth fell open as she scanned the crowd. ¡°Holy shit, Ak¡­ Aki! Look! That¡¯s fuckin¡¯ Noriyuki Makihara over there! Like, just standing there!¡±

    ¡°Go say hi,¡± Akane said with a grin, nudging her bride gently. ¡°I told you, you belong here as much as they do.¡±

    ¡°No fucking way! I couldn¡¯t possibly!¡± To avoid further temptation, she pulled Akane forward into the front entrance of the Tokyo Budokan. Off to the left, a variety of small booths were set up, each with a cloth backdrop advertising some magazine or television program. Musicians and other celebrity guests packed most of them, especially the ones for music-themed publications, giving interviews and posing for photo shoots. Ranko found one that was largely unoccupied, squeezing Akane¡¯s hand to get her attention before pointing at it with two outstretched fingers. ¡°I¡¯m gonna run down there for a quick sec. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±

    Akane blinked as Ranko slipped down a short flight of concrete steps and stepped into one of the little photo alcoves. Is that Ranko Tendo, my Ranko Tendo, flitting off to be photographed for a freakin¡¯ fashion insider show? Voluntarily?! What the actual hell? Am I taking crazy pills?

    Sure enough, Ranko posed with her hip thrust out, showing off every angle of the flowery mint party dress she wore. Her smile could have outshone the sun.

    ¡°Hey, will you guys be here after the event?¡± Ranko leaned forward, blowing a cute kiss to the camera as she queried the diminutive photographer.

    The young brunette behind the camera nodded. ¡°You bet! Not that anybody stops. They¡¯re all in too much of a hurry to get to the afterparties.¡±

    Ranko smiled knowingly. ¡°So, if I come back after, you promise you¡¯ll be here?¡±

    The slender photographer gave a bit of a shrug, clicking off another photo as Ranko lifted her skirt out to her side. ¡°Not sure why you¡¯d want to pose for the same pictures twice, but, yeah, sure. I promise.¡±

    ¡°Great! Thanks!¡± Ranko giggled, throwing her a giddy wave as she bounced back toward the steps, retaking Akane¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± came a clear voice from some unknown young man a few dozen meters behind her as she rejoined her ¡®husband¡¯, his voice carrying in the concrete entranceway of the martial arts hall.

    ¡°Is that Ranko freakin¡¯ Tendo? Just, like, standing right over there?!¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Figures. Put you in a fifty-thousand-yen suit, and you still look goofy as fuck.¡±

    Crash stood from his seat at the round table designated for the Dapper Dragons and their plus-ones, pulling his best friend into a hug with a guffaw. ¡°Yeah, well, at least I¡¯m not dressed like a party pi?ata.¡±

    ¡°Easy, Matsuyama. My sister made me this dress, and I¡¯ll whack you until candy falls out if you insult it.¡± Ranko winked surreptitiously, confirming the answer to Crash¡¯s question before he could ask it. ¡°Or I¡¯ll just have your girlfriend do it for me. Hey, Ukyo!¡±

    The young brunette seated to Crash¡¯s left beamed, waving with wiggling fingers. She was positively scintillating in a sapphire evening gown that sparkled from the low neckline to her ankles, matching blue stiletto heels that tied up her ankles with long satin ribbons, and deep blue opera gloves that sparkled like stars all the way up to her elbows. Even her trademark white hair ribbon was missing, and her long hair had been curled into bouncy brown waves stretching to the middle of her shoulder blades. ¡°Hey, Ran-chan. Looking hot, girl!¡±

    Oh, you have no damn idea, Uk-chan. ¡°If you think I look good¡­¡± Ranko reached behind her, hooking the arm of the tuxedoed individual behind her that was exchanging greetings with Hitomi and pulling her into view. ¡°Take a look at this guy, wouldja?¡±

    Ukyo¡¯s face caught fire. Whoa. Those are¡­ feelings I didn¡¯t expect to feel. She covered her gaping mouth with her right hand, her fingers outstretched, as she identified the young man on Ranko¡¯s arm. ¡°Ak¡­¡±

    ¡°Aki,¡± Ranko quickly interjected before her friend had a chance to accidentally out her date. ¡°My husband.¡±

    ¡°Well, um¡­ He certainly cleans up nice.¡± Ukyo giggled knowingly up at Akane.

    The young singer cupped Akane¡¯s blushing cheek in her hand, gazing lovingly up at her. ¡°He¡¯s just the sexiest thing alive.¡± The Full Body Cat¡¯s Tongue made Ranko acutely aware of the several degrees warmer her lover¡¯s face became at her statement.

    Ranko waved to Ken, who sat by himself on the far side of the table staring up at the stage. She approached, clapping her hand on his shoulder supportively. ¡°Hey, bud. I know what you¡¯re feelin¡¯. I¡¯m so sorry he couldn¡¯t be here for you tonight.¡±

    Ken sighed sadly, turning and shrugging in Akane¡¯s direction. ¡°Yeah, well, I guess Ryoko doesn¡¯t dress up quite as convincingly as Aki does.¡±

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the thirty-third annual Japan Record Awards, presented by the Japan Composers¡¯ Association!¡± A roar of applause came from the audience in response to the public address announcer, both in the rows of seats above, and the round tables at floor level where the nominees for the major awards were seated.

    ¡°Please take your seats! Our live telecast begins in just five minutes.¡±

    Shinji smirked, the silver collar chain that he wore in lieu of a tie tinkling against his water glass as he reached for the plate of complimentary snacks at the center of the white tablecloth. He picked up the large glass platter, holding it out to Ranko. ¡°Oi, Ran-chan! Want a cookie?¡±

    Ranko sputtered quietly. ¡°No, I¡¯m good. No cookies for me! Thanks, Shin.¡± Her face was aflame, remembering the last time she¡¯d taken a cookie from her bassist. She¡¯d woken up five hours later on the stained green couch in Crash¡¯s apartment, having no idea how she¡¯d gotten there. Crash had been the consummate gentleman, as well as she remembered at least, having just brought her home to let her sleep off the worst of the effects. Afterward, they¡¯d agreed that, in the interests of saving Shinji¡¯s life, it was probably better not to let the woman who currently had her arm around Ranko¡¯s right hip know about her little edible adventure.

    <hr>

    ¡°Here¡¯s your drink, man. Anything else you want?¡±

    Mei frowned admonishingly at her elder sister, handing the young man a steaming basket of fried potatoes over the counter. ¡°Here ya go. Enjoy. On the house.¡±

    The patron nodded his thanks to Mei, giving Yui a bit of a disaffected glare as he turned to head back to his table. As soon as he was out of earshot, Mei whirled to her left, frustration in her eyes. ¡°Honestly, Yui. Can you not pull yourself together for one night?¡±

    ¡°Fuck off, Mei.¡± Yui growled, turning her back to her sister and wiping the polyurethane bar counter down with a towel even though it did not need it.

    The slight creak of a hinge behind the bartender was largely drowned out by the bar¡¯s sound system, which was currently thumping Not Yours, Don¡¯t Touch through its eighteen thousand watts of Electro-Voice speakers. ¡°Yui, can I talk to you back here for a minute, honey?¡± The voice coming from the saloon door was gentle in tone, but left no question about the fact that it was not a request.

    ¡°Sure, mama.¡± Yui threw the damp blue bar towel on the counter dejectedly with a loud suspiration, trudging behind Mei and pushing through the swinging door less than gently.

    She followed Hana into her office, shaking her head as the bar¡¯s proprietress closed the door behind her. ¡°Look, mama. I just¡­¡± Yui trailed off, hushed by a silent wave of Hana¡¯s hand as the elder woman took her seat behind her ever-cluttered desk.

    Hana sighed sadly. ¡°Yui, I love you. You know that, right?¡±

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    The blonde nodded sharply. ¡°Of course I know that. What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m shutting you down for the night, Yui.¡± Hana bit her lip grimly.

    Yui rolled her eyes with a groan, throwing her arms up in exasperation. ¡°I snapped at Mei one time. Come on! She¡¯s been chirpin¡¯ at me all friggin¡¯ night, ma!¡±

    Hana motioned to the leather couch to her left. There was a gentle, but firm, air about her voice. ¡°Sit down, baby.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to sit down! I¡¯m fine! It¡¯s New Year¡¯s fucking Eve, and I need to get back out there!¡± Yui reached for the doorknob behind her, but missed it with her hand falling a few centimeters too far left. She felt a hand clasp her shoulder, looking up with turmoil in her eyes to meet its owner.

    ¡°Yui, I¡¯m your mom. You can¡¯t lie to me. You¡¯re not fine.¡± Hana rubbed her daughter¡¯s back gently through her black long-sleeve Pantera tee shirt. ¡°First off, I¡¯ve owned a bar for twenty years, so I think I can tell when somebody¡¯s drunk.¡±

    Yui scoffed, waving her hand in the air dismissively. ¡°Oh, please, ma. You know I know better than to drink on the job.¡±

    The young woman¡¯s adoptive mother nodded understandingly. ¡°And what about drinking all day before the job? Mei told me everything, honey, not that she had to.¡±

    The bartender roared in anger. ¡°I¡¯m gonna fucking kill her! It¡¯s none of her damned business what I¡­ You know what? Forget it. I don¡¯t have time for this. I need to get back out there. Izzi¡¯s gonna drown.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m shutting you down tonight so you can make time for it, Yui.¡± Hana squeezed her daughter¡¯s shoulder tight in her strong right hand. ¡°It¡¯s admirable how you¡¯ve tried to soldier on to keep this place going, but I¡¯m watching you come apart a little more night after night. You didn¡¯t even come to Christmas.¡±

    Yui shrugged. ¡°I mean, everybody knew Aya wasn¡¯t gonna show, and between that and both Akane¡¯s family and Kaito¡¯s doing stuff with them in the afternoon, I don¡¯t know why you didn¡¯t just cancel the damn thing anyway.¡±

    The old barkeep slumped her shoulders. The last thing she needed right now was a reminder that she and her eldest - and only biological - daughter were still not on speaking terms. ¡°Yui, please just listen to me, okay? I¡¯m telling you from experience, baby. Sometimes you just can¡¯t fit any more duct tape on your heart, and you just have to give yourself permission to let it break.¡±

    Yui turned her back to Hana, her eyes glistening. ¡°I can¡¯t. If I start, I won¡¯t stop.¡±

    Hana reached out immediately, pulling the slender girl into a tight hug with a loud clap as the younger woman crashed into the front of her mother¡¯s leather jacket. ¡°Let it go, baby. I¡¯m here. It¡¯s okay.¡±

    After but a moment¡¯s hesitation, the tall blonde buried her face in Hana¡¯s shoulder, gripping two huge handfuls of black leather behind her mother¡¯s back as she began to sob.

    ¡°I miss her so f¡­ f¡­. fucking much, mo¡­ mom.¡±

    Hana nodded, stroking her daughter¡¯s short blonde hair with her free hand. ¡°I know, sweetheart. I know you do. So do I.¡±

    <hr>

    Ranko looked up as Akane squeezed her hand.

    ¡°I love you. I¡¯m proud of you no matter what. Remember that.¡±

    The young songstress smiled nervously in response, her hand quivering in Akane¡¯s. She nodded, not taking her eyes off of the older, heavy-set man in the black tuxedo speaking at the podium.

    ¡°We¡¯re proud to present our five nominees for the Best Album from a New Artist, in the Rock/Pop category. First¡­ Arisa from Alisa Mizuki!¡±

    A bright spotlight beam swiveled to a table a few dozen meters from Ranko¡¯s, where a girl who couldn¡¯t have been more than sixteen waved to the cameras as the audience cheered from the tiered seating behind her.

    ¡°Who Are You Getting Sleepy With, from Noriyuki Makihara!¡± The spotlights whirled a few rows back, to a tuxedoed man sitting alone in one of the front rows of folding seats. The crowd roared at the mention of the popular artist¡¯s name.

    Even Ranko cheered for him. ¡°We¡¯re so screwed,¡± Ranko said. ¡°No way we¡¯re gonna beat Nor¡­¡±

    ¡°Phoenix Rising, by Ranko and the Dapper Dragons!¡±

    Ranko froze mid-word as the spotlights found her. She sat at the table with only Akane, Ukyo and Ariel, as the remainder of the band had already headed to the performance stage to set up for their performance immediately after the Best Album from a New Artist award presentation.

    ¡°Smile, babe.¡±

    The singer blushed at Akane¡¯s words, managing a nervous grin and a wave. The audience erupted as her name was called, possibly even louder than they had for the previous artist.

    ¡°Nakajima, by Michiyo Nakajima!¡±

    Ranko blushed, craning her neck to find the teenager the spotlight centered on. Her brow furrowed slightly. ¡°Aki, do we know her from somewhere? She seems familiar.¡±

    Akane shrugged, unable to get a clear view of the young brunette. ¡°Not sure, babe.¡±

    ¡°... and Shadows and Scales, by Three Red Eyes!¡±

    The spotlights whirled to the table to Ranko¡¯s immediate left, where a group of young boys who could have been triplets stood up and whooped loudly for themselves. One of them made a muscle flex with his arms, and another shot the camera a smoldering look as if he wanted to make love to it.

    Ugh. So obnoxious. Ranko scoffed, bouncing in her seat nervously. Ukyo reached across the table, taking the trembling hand opposite the one Akane already held with a reassuring squeeze.

    <hr>

    ¡°EVERYBODY SHUT THE FUCK UP!¡±

    The bar fell to stunned silence at the sound of the normally mild-mannered Izumi Sando roaring loudly enough to be heard over the din of two-hundred-plus New Year¡¯s revelers and the bar¡¯s audio system. Mei pushed a few buttons on the audio mixing board, silencing Eurythmics as Izumi pegged the volume of the little television mounted above table twelve with a silver plastic remote control.

    The saloon door swung outward, and Hana led a bleary-eyed Yui Fukawa by the hand out into the main bar. The haphazard little family¡¯s mother held her breath, staring at the television and squeezing her daughter¡¯s hand as she whispered a silent prayer.

    The balding man in the tuxedo opened an envelope as the camera zoomed closer to his glass podium. He read the ivory card he pulled from within slowly, not yet turning his eyes back up to the camera.

    ¡°Come ON!¡± Mei groaned, gesturing furiously at the television. ¡°You¡¯re killing us, dude!¡±

    ¡°And the winner is¡­ Phoenix Rising, Ranko and the Dapper Dragons!¡±

    The video feed cut to a different camera, showing Ranko in her bright mint green floral dress as she slumped forward and hid her face in her hands. A handsome young man in a black tuxedo rubbed her back, grinning adoringly at the singer as the only other woman at the table stood, whooping excitedly and clapping her opera-gloved hands.

    Eleven kilometers away from the table at which she sat, in a little dive bar in the Minato district of Tokyo, two hundred and sixty-eight souls went absolutely berserk.

    <hr>

    Ranko stood, the whole of her body vibrating as Akane released her. She turned and gave a sharp nod to Ariel, who darted off toward the production booth with a purpose. Without offering an explanation of her technician¡¯s mission to Akane, she began the walk up to the steps at stage left. In the puffy, heavy dress, it took her a moment to ascend them, but she waved with a bright blush as some thirteen thousand people roared for her in the same arena where she¡¯d released her second album on her birthday not five weeks ago. The same arena where, just a few days hence, she would be competing in the first ever appearance of Anything-Goes Martial Arts in a mixed martial arts tournament environment. Talk about a left turn, that one.

    The tuxedoed man handed Ranko a large orange plaque featuring a gold relief of Euterpe, the Greek muse of music, holding her harp. He motioned with a smile to the glass podium, where a gooseneck microphone extended toward her, before stepping back and making his way offstage.

    Ranko inched forward, clutching the plaque tight to her chest. She didn¡¯t remember the last time she¡¯d been really nervous staring into the head of a microphone, but that night, it could not be denied. She was well and truly terrified, and the hot mic was the least of her worries.

    ¡°Oh my gods, everybody. Thank you so much,¡± she began, her voice quavering slightly. ¡°There¡¯s just so many people we need to thank, and I guess gotta speak for the boys too, ¡®cause they¡¯re gettin¡¯ set up for a little somethin¡¯ over there.¡± Ranko smirked playfully, leaning closer to the mic and whispering into it. ¡±Probably a good idea anyway; I think Shin¡¯s been drinkin¡¯ a little bit." She giggled along with the crowd¡¯s laughter.

    ¡°To Amaya, Yuji and everybody at Yokai Records, I just wanna say thanks for taking a chance on some awkward girl you found slingin¡¯ cocktails in a bar. Our business manager, my sister Nabiki. We love you, girl! All of our families - there¡¯s too many of you to name, but we love you all so much, and none of us would be here without you. Ukyo, Zoe, Aki¡­¡± Ranko sighed softly, both at having to use Akane¡¯s assumed masculine name, and having to omit mentioning Ken¡¯s boyfriend Ryo by name entirely. ¡°All our partners. We¡¯re just the singers; you¡¯re our song.¡±

    Alone at their little round table, Akane and Ukyo cheered as loudly as the pair could manage.

    ¡°There¡¯s one more group I gotta shout out,¡± Ranko continued. ¡°Over in Minato, there¡¯s this little bar called the Phoenix. Maybe you¡¯ve heard of it?¡±

    Hana could not hear herself think over the crowd surrounding her in the bar she¡¯d built with her own two hands.

    ¡°That place gave us a place to play, and it gave me a place to become who I was meant to be. I even wrote a song about it. I love all of you so much. You made this happen tonight.¡±

    Hana rubbed Yui¡¯s back through her daughter¡¯s denim jacket. After Hana herself, it had been Yui who had done the most work to put the heart of the fragile girl they¡¯d found on the sidewalk just over two years ago back together, and now, that girl was on national television winning awards.

    Ranko looked up and to her left, rolling her eyes in mock exasperation as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She set the plaque carefully on the podium. ¡°Crash, I¡¯m talkin¡¯ here, dude!¡±

    The crowd laughed again as Ranko gave her guitarist an exaggerated shrug, throwing her hands up and letting them fall limply to her sides. ¡°What do you want?!¡±

    Crash grinned, playing along as he leaned forward to speak into the gooseneck microphone on the podium. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, Ran-chan, but¡­ We gotta go play now.¡± He motioned over his shoulder with his thumb to the performance area where Shinji, Ken and Jacob were already positioned at their marks, at the ready with their instruments.

    <hr>

    ¡°Um, Iz, you do know she already won, right?¡±

    Izumi did not gratify Mei¡¯s question with so much as eye contact, waving her off frantically and continuing to stare nervously at the television, leaning over table twelve on her elbows and not caring in the least that there was a middle-aged couple currently eating their pizza in the booth at the time.

    Please, gods, let this work, the young brunette prayed, holding her breath as she watched her sister turn back to Crash on the little television.

    <hr>

    ¡°Sure thing, Crash!¡± Ranko smiled nervously, looking up and to her left at her table. I love you, Akane. Here goes nothin¡¯.

    ¡°Just let me get changed. I mean, I can¡¯t very well dance in this.¡± Ranko grabbed at her puffy, crinkly green skirt, stepping out from behind the podium and swishing it around her legs for emphasis.

    Still behind the podium, Crash shook his head as he bent the microphone to the left so it could pick Ranko up as well as himself. ¡°No, Ranko. Listen, girl. We don¡¯t have time for you to go backstage. We gotta go play now.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re forgetting something, Crash.¡± Ranko turned to look at him, a confident smirk on her face that was an absolute lie. ¡°You¡¯re talking to a phoenix.¡±

    The door to the production booth burst open, and a young man in a black suit rushed into the dimly-lit room. Two yellow-jacketed security personnel closed on him immediately, restraining him before he could take another step toward the three rows of broadcast equipment and its tenders.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± The producer, a stout man in his mid-forties, looked up from his monitor with an irritated glare. ¡°We¡¯re broadcasting live nationwide right now!¡±

    The young Caucasian man dug in the pocket of his suit coat, producing a lanyard with a laminated pass dangling from it. ¡°I know. Sorry! My name¡¯s Ariel Wright. I¡¯m Ranko and the Dapper Dragons¡¯ audio tech. Cut her mic!¡±

    ¡°But, she¡¯s in the middle of her acceptance sp¡­¡±

    ¡°Just do it,¡± Ariel pleaded. ¡°Now!¡±

    Izzi, I sure hope you know what you¡¯re doing. Fuck. Ready or not, Ranko. Here we go.

    Ranko took a deep breath, exhaling it slowly and not taking another. She closed her eyes, bending her knees slightly. She bent her right arm at the elbow until her upturned hand hung just a few millimeters below the tails of the large mint-green bow adorning the neckline of her gown.

    And then, slowly and deliberately, she snapped her fingers.

    A collective gasp rose from the audience, and Akane rocketed out of her seat. ¡°Ranko!¡±

    Where the lead singer of the Dapper Dragons had stood at center stage not a moment before, all that could be seen was a bright orange column of flame.

 25. Once Upon a Rhyme

    One, takoyaki. Hot. Hothothot. Fuck. Don¡¯t breathe. Don¡¯t move. Don¡¯t scream. Fuck, don¡¯t scream. How did I let her talk me into this?

    Ranko gritted her teeth, whimpering quietly as she dug her fingernails deep into her palms, holding her bare forearms away from her flaming clothing. Every muscle in her body was locked in place, tensed to its very maximum.

    Two, takoyaki. Fuck! Almost there. Fuckfuckfuck. One more second. You can do it, Ranko. Be strong. It¡¯s only gonna hurt for one more damn second. Not sure if Ariel was able to get them to turn the mic off in time. Don¡¯t you dare fucking scream, girl.

    The thundering applause told her it was safe to open her eyes.

    Three.

    Her mint green floral dress had entirely vanished. In its place was a shorter, skin-tight dress in a shimmering, mirror-shiny silver, as if it were made entirely of aluminum foil. It matched the calf-length boots she wore perfectly, her skirt almost meeting it with only her knees exposed between. Ranko reached behind herself, checking to ensure the jade chopsticks pinning her hair back remained in place and that her hair had not caught fire as had befallen Michael Jackson during a commercial shoot a few years ago.

    She stood quivering on the stage, trying to steady her breathing. Well, I¡¯ll be a son of a bitch. I didn¡¯t die after all. Come on, nerves. Reboot. We gotta go sing now.

    Every soul in the building roared in awe of the shocking surprise they¡¯d just witnessed.

    Every soul save one.

    ¡°What the f¡­ HOW?! I¡¯m going to fucking kill Izumi, scaring me like that!¡± Akane growled in Ukyo¡¯s direction as she retook her seat.

    Ranko pulled on the headset microphone Hitomi brought her, resting it gently in front of the chopsticks holding back her hair and positioning the boom microphone on her cheek. She exhaled heavily, taking a second more to regain her composure before donning her brightest stage smile, her chest still heaving. ¡°There! That¡¯s better! Now we can do a show!¡±

    She turned her back to the crowd, turning the battery pack off again before striding back to the performance stage as Emi and Hitomi flanked her from the sides, having already changed into their own silver dresses backstage.

    ¡°Dude, Ran-chan, that was fucking legendary,¡± Emi marveled. ¡°How?!¡±

    Ranko shrugged, smiling sheepishly. ¡°Izzi¡¯s a fuckin¡¯ wizard.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°What in the shit?! Izzi, how did she do that?!¡±

    The brunette giggled, hugging Mei excitedly. ¡°It WORKED!¡±

    ¡°You mean, immolating our little sister on live television? Yeah, I¡¯d say! Mother fuck, girl! Just, how?!¡± Mei rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she cocked her head skyward.

    Izumi reached into her pocket, pulling out a crinkly square of translucent white paper. ¡°Flash paper. The same stuff that came in Hoshi¡¯s little magician kit.¡± She waved it over the blue flame flickering atop the Dragonfire cocktail in Mei¡¯s hand, and the little square caught fire immediately. Izumi held it up at shoulder level and dropped it to spare her fingers the bright orange flame, but by the time it would have reached the hardwood floor, the paper had entirely vanished without a trace. ¡°Two thousand and sixty-eight individual flowers made out of it, dyed green, and sewn together.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s still hot! How did you not cook the poor thing to death?! She¡¯s squeamish about the damn torch for the drinks, for fuck¡¯s sake!¡± Mei dropped the cocktail off at table nineteen, Izumi following her to continue the conversation.

    Izumi smirked proudly, clearly amused with her own ingenuity. ¡°Nomex. It¡¯s the stuff they make firefighter suits out of. It¡¯s fire and heat resistant for up to about a minute, and we only needed a few seconds. I made her performance dress and her boots out of it. Masa, Ranko¡¯s new pyrotechnician, was able to score me some. As for the heat, it was probably uncomfortable as hell, but she only had to tolerate it for a second or two until the flash paper burned off.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The bar¡¯s new server sidled over between the two girls, a curious expression on his face.

    Mei shook her head, a grin forming on her lips as she chuckled at the young man passing her with a handful of empty red plastic appetizer baskets. ¡°Oh, nothin¡¯, Seiichi. Just realizing my sister¡¯s a fucking psychopath.¡±

    <hr>

    Here we go, Ranko thought with a nervous giggle as Jacob¡¯s fingers began to tickle his Yamaha DX-7 synthesizer, coaxing a bright, tinkling beat out of it that Ken and Shinji quickly underpinned with a fast-paced bassline.

    Ranko flipped the switch on the battery pack for her headset, whirling to face the crowd. Her face was aglow with excitement as she stalked forward on the stage, Hitomi and Emi flanking her in their matching silver dresses. Theirs, at least, weren¡¯t quite as itchy, owing to not needing to be constructed of flame-retardant fibers. As she whirled, Ranko caught a whiff of her flame-red hair pinned tight behind her head, and nearly choked.

    I cannot freaking wait to wash this crap out of my hair. It friggin¡¯ stinks. I get why Izzi did it; that Borax shit is supposed to keep stuff from catching fire, but man, it¡¯s so gross.

    Despite her discomfort, Ranko¡¯s joy could not be denied, and the song for which she¡¯d won two Japan Record Awards thus far was about to declare it to the largest audience she¡¯d ever performed for.

    ¡°Story opens on a cold, dark street, with a girl who was frightened, hungry, broke and beat. Goin¡¯ nowhere fast, running from her past, no one to turn to.¡±

    ¡°You okay, Ak¡­ Aki?¡± Ukyo reached across the table, resting her gloved hand on Akane¡¯s left sleeve.

    Akane nodded, setting the empty water glass that had been Crash¡¯s back on the white tablecloth with a slightly quivering hand. ¡°Yeah, just¡­ that scared the ever-living fuck out of me. I can¡¯t believe she didn¡¯t tell me she was gonna do that.¡±

    The dolled-up okonomiyaki chef scoffed playfully. ¡°Would you have let her do it if she had?¡±

    ¡°Not in a million years,¡± Akane said, a smile cracking the serious expression she wore as she chuckled with her realization. ¡°And that¡¯s why she didn¡¯t warn me, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Ukyo giggled. ¡°Now you¡¯re catchin¡¯ on, honey.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Started slow, but they both wanted more. Rented an apartment on the second floor. They both grew, and as they did, they knew the way things were progressing¡­¡±

    Mei looked up from her swishing skirt as she danced with herself behind the service bar in time with her sister¡¯s performance on the television, shooting a skeptical glance at the new server as he passed her with a flaming drink in his hand. ¡°Where you going with that?¡±

    Seiichi motioned to the blonde sitting alone at the round table closest to the empty stage. ¡°VIP.¡±

    The blue-haired girl snatched the Dragonfire from his hand, blowing the blue flame out with a quick puff. ¡°Nuh-uh. She¡¯s cut off for the night. Tell her I said so.¡±

    The heavy-set man cringed, shaking his head in the negative. ¡°I¡¯m not telling her that. I don¡¯t really wanna piss her off. She¡¯s in a mood. That¡¯s not really how I¡¯m looking to end my first week. Or, ya know, my life.¡±

    Mei sighed. We gotta get her over this somehow. ¡°Gimme your notepad a second.¡±

    She took the pad that Seiichi offered, writing a few characters on it with a disposable blue ballpoint pen she found on the countertop. Mei tore the top page of the pad off, folding it in half and handing it to the new hire. ¡°Bring her this.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Once upon a rhyme, not so far away, there lived a little girl who had lost her way. Her fairy tale had been an epic fail from the beginning. Her heroes taught her how to make a stand, and now, that girl is in her own rock band! Turned the page, and they¡¯re still on stage¡­¡±

    She reached behind the glass podium, which had been wheeled off to the side of the stage for her performance, picking up the orange-and-gold plaque with her band¡¯s name engraved at the bottom. She held it up to the closest of the eight television cameras pointed at the stage, pointing to it with an incredulous expression on her face.

    ¡°And now, they¡¯re winning!¡±

    Ranko returned the award to the podium, dancing merrily over between Hitomi and Emi before blowing a kiss back over her shoulder to the steadicam with a cute little wave as it swooped past her on the stage.

    ¡°Sure, it seems just like a fantasy that fate would reach backward for a girl like me¡­¡±

    It really is ridiculous that I¡¯m even here. The universe does some weird shit sometimes, but damned if I¡¯m not grateful for it. Ranko grinned, opting to eschew the award-winning song¡¯s coda in favor of something one-off that better captured the occasion.

    ¡°Once upon a rhyme, not so far away, our girl got asked to kick it at the J.R.A.¡¯s! And here she is, with the best in the biz, and she cannot believe it!¡±

    Ranko covered her cheeks with her hands as the audience roared, gasping playfully for the cameras in an effort to convey how entirely surreal the moment felt to the young starlet who, just over two years ago, had been a homeless, friendless waif of a girl, and just over three years ago, had been an cocksure, arrogant bastard of a boy.

    ¡°If you would¡¯ve told her just a few months back that her life was gonna end up on this whole new track, she¡¯d have said you¡¯re not right in the head; she could not conceive it.¡±

    Hey, Ranko-of-a-year-ago! You¡¯re gonna win a Japan Record Award. We¡¯re gonna put you on national TV in a formal dress while Akane, who you married and who is also legally your sister, watches. In a tuxedo. You¡¯re gonna love it! Oh, and by the way, you¡¯re gonna set yourself on fucking fire. Yeah, sorry, not buying it.

    The redhead laughed to herself as she flitted to the side of the stage, leaning into one of the tripod-mounted cameras. She rested her hand on the side of the device, pointing with her other hand into its lens, then to herself, and then shrugging with an excited, if entirely disbelieving, expression on her face.

    ¡°But now, she¡¯s rocking out! On LIVE TV! Don¡¯t know why the gods decided they would smile on me, but now, my happy ever after happens whoa-aaaaaaall the time¡­¡±

    <hr>

    At least one of us is getting their happily ever after, Ran-chan. Glad somebody is.

    Yui sighed, picking up the Collins glass of soda Seiichi had brought her instead of the cocktail she¡¯d requested and sipping from it dejectedly. She glared down at the creased green order slip her drink had been resting on, the blue ink slightly running from the condensation ring it left on the paper. Still, Mei¡¯s handwriting was clearly legible, the words just fucking call her staring mockingly up at her from the tabletop.

    Yeah, that¡¯ll do.

    Setting the glass down with a quarter of its contents missing, Yui reached into the pocket of her jeans, withdrawing a small silver flask and surreptitiously adding a splash of rum to the drink.

    It¡¯s no Dragonfire, but it¡¯ll do in a pinch, she thought as she stirred the glass with a chopstick.

    <hr>

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry you didn¡¯t get the best song award, babe. You deserved it.¡±

    The young singer shrugged in her silver dress as she strode through the open concrete entranceway of the Budokan, shivering a bit in the chill of the first hour of January 1992 without the benefit of the top layer of dress that she¡¯d burned to a cinder live on stage. Ranko smiled warmly as Akane draped her black tuxedo jacket over shoulders, snuggling into it. It smelled like Akane. It was nice. It felt like home.

    ¡°We won four awards. I got nothin¡¯ to be ashamed of, Aki. Besides, Ai wa Katsu¡¯s a fantastic song. I don¡¯t mind losing to a song that deserved to win. We¡¯ll get ¡®em next time.¡±

    Akane nodded, smiling warmly at her lover. ¡°So, I think I¡¯ve got most of it figured out. Just one thing about your little stunt that¡¯s still throwing me. How the hell did you trigger it?¡±

    Ranko giggled, holding out her right hand and turning it up so Akane could see her fingers. A tiny glint of metal was just barely visible on the tip of her middle finger, and a small square of flint, the edges of which were still covered with foundation to help disguise it, was stuck to the tip of her thumb.

    ¡°Flint and some steel wool, and a little bit of epoxy. Just like a cigarette lighter. Rub ¡®em together, and¡­¡± She snapped her fingers, and a tiny spark ejected out from between them. ¡°Iz put some sort of chemical in the bow to make it super flammable, and from there, it was just letting the flash paper do its thing.¡±

    Akane nodded, shaking her head. ¡°You really are a crazy girl, you know that?¡±

    ¡°Ranko! My gods, how did you¡­¡± came a shout from a few dozen meters away.

    The redhead bit her lip coyly with a sweet smicker as she slipped her left hand out of Akane¡¯s, answering her lover quietly as she stepped backward a few times toward the source of the voice calling her while still facing her wife. ¡°Just crazy about you.¡±

    Without giving Akane a chance to answer, she turned and bounded excitedly back to the fashion magazine¡¯s booth, shrugging off Akane¡¯s coat and placing a hand on her hip with an almost cocky expression on her face as the flabbergasted reporter she¡¯d met earlier snapped photo after photo, the flashes blinding Ranko as she tried to face Akane. The singer had a much easier time smiling when she was looking at her wife.

    A second reporter had joined the wide-eyed blonde in the little stall during the gala, an attractive woman in a flowing pink gown and almost dangerously tall stiletto heels. She stepped forward between the commercial video camera on the heavy-duty tripod behind her and the celebrity she was preparing to interview, thrusting a handheld microphone with her company¡¯s logo on a red square shroud around its base into the singer¡¯s face. ¡°Ranko, people will be talking about that costume change for years! How did you pull it off? We simply have to know!¡±

    That¡¯s why she went looking for these guys, Akane thought with a smirk. Clever girl.

    ¡°Oh, this?¡± Ranko motioned to her second costume of the evening. ¡°It¡¯s nothin¡¯ when you have a truly gifted designer. Her name¡¯s Izumi Sando, and her studio¡¯s in Minato. Everybody should really check her out! Fair warning though; I get first dibs on her time, ¡®cause she¡¯s my big sister.¡±

 26. Blood and Honor

    ¡°Point! Tendo, winner!¡±

    Ranko bowed sharply to her vanquished opponent, a lithe blonde from a local capoeira academy, to the cheers of the rightmost third of the half-capacity audience at the Tokyo Budokan.

    ¡°See, Sensei? I told ya I can still do this,¡± Ranko said, grinning as she jogged over to join her wife at the side of ring three.

    Akane nodded. ¡°It was just one match. Don¡¯t get too cocky, okay?¡± She looked around, allowing herself a sly grin once she realized no one else she knew was around. ¡°But you did kinda kick her butt.¡±

    Ranko scoffed. ¡°What¡¯s this kinda shit? It was three to nothin¡¯, Akane. How we doing otherwise?¡±

    The young master in the black gi craned her neck to check the score display at the center of the arena. ¡°Well, Shiori and Nori both lost their first matches, which we kind of expected, but Satoru lost a close one, too. Daichi and Hideki advanced, though, and Juro¡¯s getting ready now on ring one.¡±

    ¡°Nice! We¡¯ve still got our best fighters up in all three categories, then. Lookin¡¯ good, sensei!¡± Ranko grinned. ¡°And I¡¯m still in good shape for that bet I made.¡±

    Akane rolled her eyes, managing a laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t know that I¡¯d call getting out of the dishes if you win the tournament a high-stakes wager, goofball.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all the dishes for two weeks! That¡¯s nothin¡¯ to sneeze at!¡± Ranko giggled, giving her lover a playful jab in the arm. ¡°Have you seen any of our family?¡±

    The black-haired girl pointed to a first-level section on the near side of the arena. ¡°Ma Shimizu¡¯s up there somewhere. I ran into her earlier. Haven¡¯t seen Mom or any of your sisters yet, though. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re around, though.¡±

    Ranko blushed, smiling brightly. My mom saw me win a fight. I waited sixteen fucking years to be able to say that.

    ¡°Oi! Ranko!¡±

    The redhead looked up. ¡°Speak of the devil!¡±

    Akane waved up to Izumi as she addressed her wife. ¡°You go say hey; I¡¯m gonna go check in on Juro.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sensei,¡± Ranko acknowledged with a chuckle. She jogged slowly over to the foam barricade separating the combatant arena from the bottom row of the bleachers, waving to Izumi as she approached. In her black Ranko and the Dapper Dragons tee shirt, her sister was fairly easy to spot. ¡°Izzi! Did you see the fight?¡±

    The brunette smiled proudly, giving her little sister a nod. ¡°Are you kidding? That girl¡¯s still over there looking for the rest of her ass. Great job!¡±

    ¡°See,¡± Ranko said with a prideful smile, holding one hand under her chin and one to the side of one of her cheeks, her thumbs stuck out to form corners as if holding a picture frame around herself.  ¡°Not just a pretty face!¡± She pulled her hair down from her ponytail, re-tying it where it had started to come loose during her previous match. ¡°Where¡¯s everybody else?¡±

    Izumi frowned. ¡°Sorry, hon. It¡¯s just me and Hoshi today. He¡¯s hanging out up there with Nodoka. Yui¡­¡± She sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping. ¡°Her and Sakura finally broke it off on the phone this morning. With both of them working so much, they just can¡¯t ever seem to make the trip to see each other, and so it was mutual, but Yui¡¯s a mess, and Mei stayed home with her to try and keep her out of a bottle.¡±

    The younger sister nodded softly, biting her lip as her own shoulders went slack. ¡°That really fucking sucks. I¡¯m really worried about her, Iz. She ain¡¯t been right since Sakura left town, and it¡¯s only gonna get worse now.¡± Ranko looked up at the sound of cheering, pumping her fist in a muted celebration as the scoreboard updated with the results from ring one, reflecting that Juro Nakahara had just secured another victory for the Tendo School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts. ¡°Is Mom heading over there? If anybody¡¯s got experience shakin¡¯ us girls out of the worst of it¡­¡±

    The brunette smiled weakly. ¡°Mama¡¯s¡­ probably halfway to Yoko by now. She rode out just before I left to come here. Kage called, and¡­ well, it seems like we have ourselves a new nephew.¡±

    ¡°No shit?! That¡¯s great! But I thought Aya and Mom still weren¡¯t talking.¡± Ranko sighed sadly, remembering the thoroughly depressing Christmas gathering at Hana¡¯s apartment, which had been missing two of her four sisters.

    Izumi bobbed her head softly, offering Ranko a pea chip from the open bag in her hand. ¡°I guess Mama figured she had to try. But yeah, Kage said little Jun¡¯s doing great, Aya too.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Akane Tendo! Ah, it does this noble samurai¡¯s heart good to see you well! Are you competing in the tournament this day?¡±

    Akane groaned, drooping her head until her face fell into her hand. Oh, hell. Not him. She turned, shaking her head. ¡°Nope, can¡¯t say as I am. My dojo is, though.¡±

    Tatewaki Kuno nodded, tightening the black cloth belt around his silver kendo uniform. ¡°I am glad, for it would pain me greatly to have to face you in combat. As yet, the Ginza Academy Kendo Club is undefeated, no doubt due to the expert mentorship they have received from yours truly.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re here as a sensei, too, then,¡± Akane asked hopefully.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°I am afraid not; that honor falls to Master Yoshikiro. I am competing in the master tier, though thus far there has been little competition of which to speak. I have no doubt that any disciple of yours will prove a far more formidable challenger, however.¡±

    Oh, fuck. I gotta warn Ranko, Akane thought with a cringe. I don¡¯t want her fighting him again. Maybe he¡¯ll get knocked out before they get matched up. The young sensei bit her lip, wishing she didn¡¯t have the thought she did. Or, she will. Man, I feel like the world¡¯s biggest jerk saying I¡¯d rather her lose than have to face him again, but¡­ she almost died last time.

    The young man slipped his wooden shinai into his belt, freeing his hands. ¡°Dark though my days have been since the fair Ranko bested me in challenge and forbade me to date with you, I hope you have been well. Has anyone else been so fortunate as to claim the heart of the incomparable Akane Tendo, if it be not too knave of me to ask?¡±

    Akane grinned darkly. Oh, buddy, if you only knew. You¡¯d bleed out through your nostrils right here if you knew half the things I do to your precious little pigtailed girl. Better not say anything, though. I know Ranko outed herself to him before, but I don¡¯t want to give him any more details without talking to her first.

    ¡°Oh, yeah, I am. Thank you for asking. I¡¯m really happy, actually.¡± Please don¡¯t ask. Please don¡¯t ask.

    ¡°And your cousin Ranko,¡± Kuno prodded hopefully.

    And, fuck. ¡°Sister, actually. My father adopted her last year, after her own father¡­ died.¡± Akane frowned at the thought of Ranko¡¯s biological father, who no one she knew had heard from since she had maimed his hand on the morning of her wedding with Ranko¡¯s ancestral katana. I mean, I guess he could¡¯ve bled to death. Couldn¡¯t have happened to a nicer guy.

    Kuno nodded sadly. ¡°A decent and honorable thing for your father to have done. He is a good man, and it brings a smile to this warrior¡¯s heart to know she is well cared for. Please extend my deepest condolences to fair Ranko on her loss.¡±

    Akane scoffed, but a sinister smirk crept across her lips. ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t say she¡¯s too broken up over it.¡± I really shouldn¡¯t volunteer anything, but it¡¯s too much fun. I can¡¯t help it. ¡°After all, it was him that saddled her with Ranma in the first place.¡±

    Kuno nodded with a bit of a scoff. ¡°Then, good riddance indeed.¡±

    A sniveling, squeaky voice called to Kuno from behind him, and no more than waist-high. ¡°Master, a thousand apologies, but your next match is starting soon.¡±

    Rolling his eyes with a sigh of annoyance, he whirled, fury in his eyes. ¡°Silence, wretched Sasuke! Can you not see I am speaking with Akane Tendo?!¡±

    Akane perked up at the sound of an announcement for the next match over the building¡¯s loudspeakers, which not a week ago had announced her wife as the winner of the Japan Record Award for Best Album by a New Artist. ¡°Listen, that¡¯s one of my students competing. I should go anyway. Maybe I¡¯ll see you around.¡±

    The young swordsman nodded. ¡°Would that I should be so blessed, Akane Tendo. Fare thee well.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Alright, Toshi. Listen. You¡¯re way stronger than this dude, but in tournament rules, that¡¯s not as big a benefit. You only get one point a hit, no matter how hard you hit him. So, stop trying to go for the big swing, and just make contact, okay? It¡¯s about being fast.¡±

    Akane¡¯s burly disciple nodded. ¡°Yes, sensei, but¡­ he¡¯s so much quicker than me. How am I supposed to¡­¡±

    Ranko raised a hand, two fingers extended. I don¡¯t wanna contradict Akane, but¡­

    ¡°Ran-chan, did you have something?¡± Akane smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to raise your hand, ya know. It¡¯s not English class.¡±

    The redhead nodded. ¡°Thanks, sensei. So, Toshiaki, here¡¯s the deal. You need to think outside the lines a little. The crazy thing about fast people is they slow down awfully quick if they can¡¯t breathe. Give him a good shot in the chest, and it¡¯ll gas him hard. That¡¯s your window.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± The large boy shrugged in exasperation. ¡°I can¡¯t get close enough. He¡¯ll just hit me.¡±

    Ranko ducked, holding up a forearm in front of her lowered head by way of example. ¡°Get small, and drive your shoulder through him. He won¡¯t be able to reach anything that counts for a point.¡±

    ¡°Ranko,¡± Akane said, resting her hand on her lover¡¯s shoulder through her purple gi. ¡°Shoulder strikes don¡¯t score. Just hands, feet, elbows and knees.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to score, Akane. It just has to slow the guy down long enough for another hit that can. What do you think?¡± Ranko smiled up at the two hopefully.

    Akane nodded. ¡°If you think you can do it, Toshi, go for it.¡± She looked up at the official, who was motioning for her fighter to return to his mark. ¡°Go get him!¡±

    Toshiaki returned to his line, bowing to the diminutive orange-haired boy in the green gi across ring two from him.

    ¡°Suzuki two, Arachi two. Next point wins.¡± The referee raised her arm between the two, dropping it with a one-word imperative. ¡°Fight!¡± She had barely stepped aside before Toshiaki charged through the center of the ring, lowering his right shoulder and leveling his left arm in front of his head to prevent a strike to the head that would secure the match for Juto Arachi.

    Toshi¡¯s opponent rained several blows on his shoulders and forearms, but nothing that would count for a point. His attempt to strike rather than retreat proved costly, and the larger boy crashed hard into his chest like an American football linebacker, sending him sprawling to the mat. Toshi was knocked off balance by the obstacle in his path suddenly clearing, but leaned into the stumble, falling atop the smaller boy and dropping his elbow. It landed square in the Asakusa combatant¡¯s belly, eliciting a loud groan and a cough.

    ¡°Point, Suzuki! Winner,¡± called the referee as Toshiaki clamored to his feet. The mountain of a young man turned and offered a hand down to his opponent, who accepted it and was pulled back to his feet.

    ¡°Good fight, man.¡± Toshi bowed respectfully, and received a shallow bow in return. Under normal circumstances, he might have been offended, but the poor kid was still trying to catch his breath. Toshi jogged back to Akane and Ranko, all smiles. ¡°That was brilliant!¡±

    Akane clapped loudly for her top disciple - as she considered Ranko a student in name only - as he approached. ¡°That¡¯s the way, Toshi! Great, great fight!¡± Ranko offered him a high-five as he passed.

    ¡°Starting in five minutes in ring three, semifinal match one,¡± the public-address announcer called over the building¡¯s speaker system. ¡°Ranko Tendo, Tendo School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts, versus Tatsuya Mikino, Shibuya High School Judo Club.¡±

    Ranko grinned at Akane, cracking her knuckles. ¡°Oooh, this one¡¯s gonna be fun.¡±

 27. The Wheat and the Chaff

    ¡°Do I know you from somewhere,¡± the muscular-but-slim young man said, smirking dismissively across the blue vinyl competition mat at his opponent. ¡°You look familiar.¡±

    Ranko grinned, popping her neck as she bounced on the balls of her feet in her purple student instructor¡¯s gi, keeping herself warmed up as she spoke. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Tatsuya? Don¡¯tcha recognize me without the pleated skirt and the pom-poms?¡±

    Tatsuka Mikino¡¯s jaw fell slack. ¡°The¡­ cheerleader? From Yusue, right? I thought you were asking about the tournament for your boyfriend.¡±

    Well, that¡¯s refreshing, I suppose. I wonder how much longer people will recognize me as anything except the lead singer of the Dapper Dragons.

    The redhead giggled brightly, giving him a mocking wave. ¡°Oh, please. They ain¡¯t built a boy yet that could handle me.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Ranko, c¡¯mere a minute.¡±

    Speaking of people who can handle me... Ranko¡¯s face turned crimson as she turned her back to her upcoming opponent, jogging to the side of the mat to join her wife. ¡°Yes, sensei?¡± Gotta keep it formal in front of her students. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be over with Toshi?¡±

    Akane grinned. ¡°Actually¡­ Dad is over there working with him.¡±

    ¡°No shit?! Dad came?!¡± Ranko beamed. ¡°That¡¯s so great!¡±

    The young sensei nodded, grinning proudly. ¡°He wanted to see the first-ever tournament appearance of his art. The one you made happen. And since he was here anyway, he decided to help out. He said he loves you and good luck, but he figured we should divide and conquer a little bit.¡±

    Ranko nodded in understanding. ¡°No, it totally makes sense. Frankly, you should be over there helping them, too. I don¡¯t really need coaching, but your students do.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, Ranko,¡± Akane replied, her hands on her hips almost admonishingly. ¡°Did you really think I¡¯d be anywhere else when you were about to fight?¡±

    The redhead waved off her lover¡¯s concerns. ¡°I didn¡¯t think so, no, but it doesn¡¯t mean you shouldn¡¯t. Akane, I¡¯m gonna wipe the floor with this dude, and you know it. Mostly, I¡¯m just watchin¡¯ to see if he¡¯s gonna try to grope me or something.¡±

    Akane rolls her eyes. ¡°One of those, huh? Well, if he does, you have my permission as your sensei to punt his balls into the upper deck, okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Ranko replied with a giggle. ¡°No letting him grab what belongs to you. Got it.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you wanna be technical, all of you is mine, so I guess that means no getting hit at all. And you know what that means.¡± Akane smickered, stepping closer and crinkling her nose cutely as she poked Ranko on the nose. ¡°What do we say?¡±

    Ranko giggled, covering her chest with her crossed arms. ¡°Not yours, don¡¯t touch!¡±

    Akane laughed at their little game. ¡°All kidding aside, I mean it, Ranko. Watch yourself.¡± Akane reached into the pocket of her gi top, fingering Ranko¡¯s wedding ring. The referees had made the combatants take off their jewelry to avoid the risk of hidden weapons or just someone having their cheek sliced open by a pretty diamond solitaire, and Akane had agreed to hang on to the custom-engraved ring for her wife. Ranko felt naked without it, but she was grateful that the long sleeves of her purple gi at least covered the angry scar that wormed its way across her left wrist, as her silver dragon bracelet also resided in her partner¡¯s pocket for the time being.

    ¡°But¡­ if I don¡¯t get hurt¡­¡± Ranko blushed playfully, toying with the tip of her high ponytail as she craned her neck, making sure no one else was in earshot. ¡°... what will you kiss and make all better?¡±

    Akane¡¯s face caught fire, and she hid her cheeks in her palm. ¡°Oh, silly girl, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll think of someth¡­¡±

    ¡°Fighters! To your places!¡±

    With a nod over her lover¡¯s shoulder to the referee, Akane reached out, clasping Ranko gently on her shoulder. ¡°Go get him. Just be careful. This guy¡¯s won a ton of tournaments. He knows what he¡¯s doing. I mean, he¡¯s no Kuno, but¡­¡±

    Ranko nodded. ¡°Akane, I got this.¡± As she spoke, and began walking toward the center of the blue vinyl mat, she rubbed the back of her fist with her hand, a gesture her sensei returned.

    ¡°Okay,¡± the tall ginger referee began after gathering both fighters. ¡°Refresher on the rules. No shots to the groin, knees, or throat. Strike the torso or the head, or pin your opponent¡¯s shoulders to the mat, to score. First to three points wins. On a point or an injury, I¡¯ll call break, and you¡¯ll wait by your sensei until I resume the match. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Tatsuka replied, and Ranko offered a sharp nod as the two fighters turned to bow to each other.

    The combatant in the blue gi dropped into a judo aiyotsu stance, smirking confidently. ¡°This is gonna be interesting. I¡¯ve never fought a girl before, let alone one who had a girl for a sensei, too.¡±

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    Ranko growled, pulling herself up into a taekwondo kuemgang form. ¡°And now we know why you¡¯re undefeated.¡± That, and you do judo, so you¡¯re not even allowed to punch or kick people most of the time.

    ¡°Fight,¡± came the directive from the referee, and Ranko stepped back in time to watch a kick sail harmlessly across her face close enough to hear the whoosh of her opponent¡¯s gi pants.

    Ooh, somebody cross-trained in kung fu for mixed tournaments. Smart. Do that with thirty or forty more styles, and you just might be able to hang with me.

    While the tall boy recentered after the wheel kick, Ranko stepped forward, swatting aside the hand he¡¯d held up to protect his ribs. She snapped her hand back at the elbow, locking her wrist and striking up at his cheek with the back of her fist.

    ¡°Point! Tendo one, Mikino zero,¡± the referee said, stepping between the combatants as Ranko backed off.

    ¡°Damn, you¡¯re fast,¡± Tatsuka said, rubbing his cheek.

    Ranko smirked a bit arrogantly. You¡¯re just lucky I¡¯m being sporting, bud. You¡¯d shit that gi if I decided to bust out the Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire technique.

    ¡°Fight,¡± came the referee¡¯s instruction.

    Ranko stepped forward, maintaining a jeet kune do stance. She smirked when her opponent took a defensive position. ¡°Aww, what happened? Not as cocky now? C¡¯mon, come get some more.¡±

    ¡°Alright, that does it!¡± Tatsuka roared, charging forward and reaching forward for her wrist to pull her into a judo grapple.

    Uh-oh. Still telegraphing your moves there, dude.

    Ranko sidestepped easily, giving him a bit of a shove in the back and sending him stumbling off of the blue mat onto the concrete floor surrounding it.

    ¡°Ol¨¦,¡± she called with a giggle, taking a stance like a Spanish bullfighter with one arm in the air.

    Ranko¡¯s opponent growled, adjusting his blue gi as he returned to the center of the mat and took a more aggressive stance.

    ¡°Fight!¡±

    The referee barely had time to duck before the infuriated boy¡¯s leg flew upward at the lithe, smirking redhead. Ranko stepped forward, catching Tatsuka¡¯s ankle in both of her hands and lifting his leg as high as she could reach. Holding his left ankle high in the air, she hooked his right with her right ankle. She pulled her right hand down to his chest and shoved forward with it, thrusting Tatsuka hard off of his footing. Ranko lifted her leg, stomping downward with her right foot into her opponent¡¯s stomach as he lay prone at her feet.

    ¡°Point! Two-zero, Tendo. Break!¡±

    ¡°Man, Imada, Tendo is really embarrassing Mikino here. We did not expect to see this from a first-time competitor, but she really came to fight today!¡±

    The local radio broadcaster¡¯s partner smirked, turning to his side as he leaned over the folding table that had been set up ringside and cocked his head to the black microphone on the table between them. ¡°Turns out, she¡¯s got the moves on or off the stage, Seno!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Mikino,¡± the Shibuya sensei screamed at his student. ¡°Get centered!¡±

    Too late now, sensei. I¡¯m in his head. Ranko smirked, settling into a jiu jitsu stance.

    The tall boy closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and exhaling it slowly, It was almost three full seconds before he opened his eyes, smiling confidently. He pulled himself up into a flat kung fu stance, looking significantly more relaxed.

    ¡°Well, look at this, Seno,¡± the commentator on the right side of the table said. ¡°Mikino looks like he might be getting his head back in the match, and that could mean real trouble for Tendo!¡±

    ¡°Fight!¡±

    Ranko stepped forward, raising her left leg for a high kick. Tatsuka reached up with both of his hands to protect his face, but his opponent never extended her knee. With his torso unguarded, Ranko leaned forward on her standing leg, letting herself fall toward him and driving downward with her fist into his stomach. She rode the defeated martial artist all the way to the ground, and she felt him sputter under her when they crashed to the mat.

    ¡°Or, you know, maybe not,¡± Yuri Imada said with a chuckle to his broadcast partner as the referee declared Ranko the match winner and the combatants clamored to their feet.

    ¡°And that is how you do that,¡± Ranko bragged as she returned to her wife¡¯s side, beaming brightly.

    Akane nodded, worry in her eyes. ¡°Yeah, you did great, Ranko.¡± Her voice was distant, almost hollow.

    The redhead scoffed. ¡°Who ate your lunch over there? I whooped his ass, Akane. Why so glum?¡±

    The young sensei motioned to the scoreboard with a tilt of her neck. ¡°Kuno won his match, too. So, that¡¯s who you¡¯ll be facing in the finals.¡±

    Ranko nodded, her own grin fading as she wiped the sweat from her brow with the sleeve of her gi. ¡°I mean, we had to expect it, right? I¡­ I got this. It¡¯ll be okay. How about our boys?¡±

    ¡°With the novices, Daichi lost, but Juro¡¯s in the finals. As for the advanced guys, we¡¯ve got a little bit of an issue.¡± Akane nodded to her father in acknowledgement as Soun approached the couple from ring one.

    Ranko cringed. ¡°They both lost, huh? Damn. I really thought Toshi had a shot.¡±

    Akane laughed as she hugged the girls¡¯ father around the waist. ¡°Actually¡­ they both won, so it¡¯s Toshi and Hideki in the finals against each other.¡±

    Soun chuckled, releasing Akane from the hug. ¡°A good problem to have! I¡¯ll coach one, and Akane can take the other. Hello, Ranko!¡± He reached forward, and the slender redhead melted into her father¡¯s strong embrace.

    Man, hugs feel great. I fucking love hugs. Where was this my whole life?

    ¡°Hey, Dad! Thanks so much for coming!¡± Ranko¡¯s eyes sparkled happily up at him as he released her shoulders.

    ¡°Are you kidding? My daughters are making me so very proud today. How could I stay away?¡± Soun laughed loudly, a sincere smile on his cheeks.

    Ranko beamed warmly. It had been almost a year since Soun had accepted her into his family, and six months since he¡¯d made it official on her wedding day, but being called Soun Tendo¡¯s daughter still filled her stomach with butterflies sometimes. ¡°Did you hear Aya had the baby? A boy. His name¡¯s Jun.¡±

    The old martial artist nodded. ¡°Your sister told me. Izumi, I think her name is? I¡¯m sorry; I feel terrible that I¡¯m not more confident with their names, but there¡¯s so many of them!¡±

    The redhead nodded. ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re a motley crew, but they¡¯re mine, and I wouldn¡¯t trade ¡®em for the world.¡±

 28. Bend, Dont Break

    ¡°I am so fucking proud of you guys right now. You have no idea.¡± Akane laughed, standing between Toshiaki Suzuki and Daichi Arita, her two advanced students. ¡°And let me ask you, Toshi: how does it feel to be the first ever student of Anything-Goes Martial Arts to win a sanctioned tournament?¡±

    The bullish boy grinned down at his first-place trophy. ¡°Not gonna lie, Sensei. It feels pretty damn awesome. But Daichi put up one hell of a fight.¡±

    ¡°You bet your ass he did,¡± Ranko said through a laugh, throwing her arm over the vanquished young man. ¡°Great job, both you guys.¡± She turned to the five gathered students in the white gis standing with Soun. ¡°And me and Akane are super proud of you all in the novice group, too. You¡¯re all brand-new to martial arts, so don¡¯t get discouraged. There¡¯ll be lots more tournaments.¡±

    Juro Nakahara, his cheek still smarting from the punch that cost him his own finals match, still managed a small smile. ¡°Damn straight. We¡¯ll get ¡®em next time, Sensei.¡±

    Akane laughed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if any of you will even still be in the novice category next time, Juro. Not at the rate you¡¯re all learning.¡±

    ¡°Maybe for the boys,¡± Shiori said with a groan as she pulled hair down from its tight ponytail. ¡°I got my ass straight-up handed to me.¡±

    Ranko shook her head. ¡°Shi¡¯ri, first off, I don¡¯t think that girl should¡¯ve even been in novice tier to begin with. She was pretty good. And she ended up winning the whole thing, so it¡¯s not like you lost to a scrub.¡±

    Juro rubbed his cheek as he nodded in agreement of Ranko¡¯s assessment of the tween blonde who had dispatched him from the tournament as well.

    The redhead gave Shiori a playful punch in the shoulder. ¡°You did great, and with as far as you¡¯ve come in just a couple¡¯a months? You got this. Please. If you could turn me into a fuckin¡¯ cheerleader in a few weeks, I think me and Akane can get you up to speed on this stuff, too.¡±

    She blushed, thinking about the cheerleading practice she was missing at that very moment to compete in the tournament. It¡¯s just a walkthrough for the routine; they¡¯ll be fine. They all know it cold, except for Hideo, and all he has to do is stand there in that freaky fucking cat costume and wave, pretty much. Ranko flashed a grin up at her former captain. Two more weeks of practice, and then I¡¯ll make them champions again, Shi¡¯ri. Just like I promised you.

    Ranko laughed as her thoughts were interrupted by the booming sound system of the Tokyo Budokan. The transition from C+C Music Factory¡¯s Things That Make You Go Hmmm¡­ to another popular dance track was punctuated by a loud, devilish cackle raining through the public address speakers.

    Man, I¡¯m over here thinking about cheerleading, at a martial arts tournament, while listening to myself sing Demon in Your Radio. Sheesh. Maybe I need to take it down a notch.

    She was jostled from her thoughts by a feminine shout from behind her. ¡°Ranko! Ranko Tendo!¡±

    Ranko turned, needing a moment to recognize the blonde martial artist, probably two or three years Ranko¡¯s senior, who had won the novice division after having vanquished both Shiori and Juro. ¡°Hey. Good fighting today. What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°I, um¡­ I hate to ask,¡± the blonde began, blushing as she looked down at the tournament program in her hand. ¡°Since we¡¯re from competing dojos and all¡­¡±

    Ranko chuckled, shaking her head with a disbelieving grin and motioning to the program and the silver marker in the woman¡¯s hand. ¡°Sure. Give it here. What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°At¡­ Atsuko,¡± the blonde stammered.

    Returning the flushing Firebird¡¯s grateful smile, she opened the booklet to the page listing the roster for Akane¡¯s dojo. Folding the thirty-two page booklet¡¯s cover over itself to make the book more rigid in her hand, she uncapped the marker in her teeth before writing something on the glossy page next to her black-and-white photo, just beneath Akane¡¯s.

    ¡°There ya go,¡± she said after sticking the tip of the marker into her mouth to re-cap it, wiping the cap off on the leg of her gi pants before handing it back to her. She left the book open so the tittering fan could admire the signature, and to allow the marker¡¯s ink to dry.

    Atsuko squealed excitedly, reading what Ranko had written: Hey, Atsuko! Congratulations on your win today! Keep fighting! - Ranko??

    ¡°Omigods, thank you so much! Sorry, was that weird of me to ask? I bet it was weird. I¡¯m so friggin¡¯ weird.¡±

    Ranko waved her off with a giggle. ¡°I promise, I¡¯m used to it.¡± And this is nothing. When the tour starts¡­ hell, I¡¯d better pack an extra wrist.

    ¡°Indeed. It is little wonder that all who encounter the fair Ranko Tendo fall enchanted by her, as I long have been.¡±

    Atsuko turned to look up at Tatewaki Kuno as he approached behind Ranko, blushing. ¡°Aww, Ranko, is this your husband?¡±

    Aaaaand, I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. Ranko could only shake her head in the negative as she gagged, but she did so quite emphatically.

    ¡°Kuno,¡± she finally managed to sputter. ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°Tatewaki, please. Whilst you have sundered this lonely warrior¡¯s heart with your refusal to date with me, we need not return to such stilted formality, dear Ranko.¡± His voice was soft, carrying a gentleness Ranko was not used to hearing from the brash martial artist.

    Says the guy who talks like Don Quixote after a dozen of Shin¡¯s special recipe cookies, Ranko thought to herself with a smirk. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna date anybody, Kuno. I¡¯m married. I thought everybody knew that. It¡¯s in the freakin¡¯ album notes of Wild Orchid, even!¡±

    The tall man nodded. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m aware. I must say, I found the news grievously distressing, given¡­ that which you confided in me when we spoke on the matter previously.¡±

    Ranko sighed, grateful Atsuko had already darted off to show her autograph off to her friends. Yeah, shit. I guess I did tell him I was into girls. ¡°Well,¡± she said, sipping from a water bottle to buy herself another moment to come up with a good pivot, ¡°you did say that night that if I found the right person, I might change my mind, and, well¡­¡±

    Kuno sighed, his shoulders slumping. ¡°I see. While I am saddened beyond description that you have chosen another, it is my most fervent wish that you have found and continue to have happiness, Ranko. Truly. After so long at the mercy of that thrice-damned Saotome, you deserve no less.¡±

    Wow, Kuno. Look at you, being¡­ nice. Now I almost feel bad that I gotta kick your ass in a minute.

    ¡°Thanks, Ku¡­ Tatewaki. Really.¡± Ranko smiled sincerely, stealing a glance over his shoulder at Akane. ¡°I really am happy.¡±

    Her soon-to-be-opponent nodded sagely. ¡°This gladdens me. And should the day ever come when that be no longer the case, you need but speak the word, and I shall be your sword. The vengeance of the Blue Thunder shall be swift and true, and my arms will open once again to thee, fair Ranko.¡±

    Aaaaand, it¡¯s gone.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good, man. Really. Thanks, though.¡± She smiled brightly at the sight of someone speaking with Akane. ¡°Hey, listen, I gotta go, okay? I¡¯ll see you in the ring.¡±

    Kuno grimaced. ¡°It brings me no pleasure to raise my blade against thee again, Ranko. The honor of my sensei demands I must, but the thought of striking the flesh of an angel¡­¡±

    Oh, don¡¯t worry, buddy. I¡¯m not gonna let you hit me. Not this time.

    ¡°Yeah, that does kinda suck for you, I guess. Gotta go!¡± Ranko waved as she jogged over to Akane, grinning brightly. ¡°Hey, Ma!¡±

    Nodoka turned, beaming at her daughter. ¡°Ranko! There you are! You¡¯re doing so well, honey!¡±

    Ranko sighed happily as her biological mother engulfed her in her arms. ¡°See? I still got it!¡± It wasn¡¯t all for nothing, Ma. I can still fight. And if it wasn¡¯t for the whole ¡°merge the schools¡± business, I never would¡¯a met Akane. So, even if I never fought again, it wasn¡¯t all for nothing. It gave me everything.

    ¡°You certainly do! I¡¯m so very proud of you, my little orchid.¡± Nodoka beamed, leaning in close and whispering to her daughter. ¡°If this is what you¡¯re capable of after what happened to you¡­¡±

    The young singer nodded sadly. Yeah, Ma. I used¡¯ta be a badass. You don¡¯t gotta remind me of what I lost, okay? Not now. ¡°Nah. This is me holding back the good stuff. Gotta be a good sport, right?¡±

    Nodoka chuckled, releasing her daughter¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Well, then I certainly wouldn¡¯t want to tangle with you!¡±

    ¡°Just remember that, because you and me made an agreement, and I expect you to honor it.¡± Ranko tipped her water bottle in her mother¡¯s direction.

    Akane looked up to her wife with a curious smile. ¡°Oh? We have more on the line than a week¡¯s worth of dishes?¡±

    ¡°TWO weeks, missy. Nice try!¡± Ranko laughed, smirking up at her mother. ¡°Ma issued me a challenge. If I win the tournament¡­¡± She reached forward, poking Nodoka¡¯s belly through her silk obi. ¡°... this one has to let me take her to the mall and buy her an actual dress.¡±

    Akane gasped, covering her open mouth with both of her hands. ¡°A dress!? Why, Ma Shimizu, the scandal!¡± She giggled brightly. Oh, honey. The idea that you, of all people, would consider dress shopping to be a reward and not a punishment¡­

    Nodoka blushed deeply, averting her eyes from Akane. ¡°Yes, well, my daughter has been trying for months to convince me to stop dressing like it¡¯s the sixties.¡±

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    The redhead cackled, tossing her empty water bottle in a nearby cardboard trash can. ¡°She means the sixteen sixties.¡±

    ¡°Please take your seats. Starting in five minutes in the center ring, our master-level final: Tatewaki Kuno of Ginza Academy Kendo Club versus Ranko Tendo of the Tendo School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts!¡±

    Ranko looked up at the blaring speakers overhead, the deep voice rumbling through her body as if she¡¯d been spoken to by the disembodied voice of the gods. ¡°Alright, alright, sheesh!¡± She turned her eyes to her wife with a grin. ¡°So, whaddya think, sensei? Ready to go kick one more ass today?¡±

    Akane smiled, wrapping her arms around Ranko from behind and squeezing her tight. ¡°Ranko, I would follow you anywhere.¡±

    Yeah, Akane. Anywhere. Except Australia, and China, and Thailand, and Indonesia, and¡­ Ranko sighed quietly, her smile disappearing. She willed herself to swallow her hurt at the reminder that her wife had decided not to accompany her on her upcoming tour, glad that Akane could not see her face from behind. Every day that the tour grew closer, Ranko¡¯s resentment was growing as well, but there was nothing to be done for it, so all she could do was keep it to herself.

    Gotta put it out of my head. Can¡¯t let it mess with my mind right now. Gotta go fight.

    ¡°Good luck, baby. Be careful.¡± Nodoka cupped Ranko¡¯s cheek even as Akane held her, leaning down and kissing it.

    Ranko forced herself to flash a confident smirk up at her mother. ¡°No worries. It¡¯s in the bag, ma. Better start thinkin¡¯ about what color dress you want.¡±

    ¡°And here it is, folks, our final fight of the master¡¯s division, here at the 1992 Honshu Mixed-Style Martial Arts Tournament, and it features Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Ginza Academy, against Ranko Tendo, of the Tendo School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts - and notably, also of Ranko and the Dapper Dragons!¡±

    ¡°You know, Seno,¡± Yuri Amada said with a chuckle as he turned in his seat to respond to his fellow radio commentator. ¡°We were a little skeptical about that nickname, so we sent one of our interns out to Ginza Academy to ask their students, what is the Blue Thunder?¡±

    Nobuo Seno laughed, as he already knew the punchline to his partner¡¯s jibe, tousling his hair as he leaned into the microphone on the table between them. ¡°Yeah? How¡¯d that go?¡±

    ¡°Of the hundred students who responded to our survey, fifteen said Blue Thunder is a sports drink. Thirty-one said it¡¯s an American action movie - which it actually also is, for what it¡¯s worth. Fifty-four respondents told us they think it¡¯s a¡­ how do I say this on air¡­ a personal massager.¡±

    Nobuo chuckled. ¡°And how many does that leave who said it¡¯s a martial artist?¡±

    Yuri reached forward, grabbing the microphone and pulling it closer to his lips, deepening his voice. ¡°Um, that would be zero, Seno.¡±

    Ranko bowed to her opponent, flashing Akane a glance as she rose. Akane looked terrified, and the fear evident in her eyes was beginning to erode Ranko¡¯s own confidence.

    It¡¯s Kuno. I¡¯ve beat him a thousand times. Just gotta do it once more. Easy peasy. I got this.

    Don¡¯t get hit, Ranko. Don¡¯t you fucking dare get hit, girl. He hits you with that damned stick, it¡¯s over.

    ¡°Alright, fighters,¡± the referee began after Kuno and Ranko had both bowed to him. ¡°Congratulations on making it to the finals. Remember the rules. No strikes to the throat, groin or knees. First to three points wins. Points are scored for a strike to the head or chest, or a ten-second pin of both shoulders. Understood?¡±

    Receiving a pair of nods, he raised his hand between the combatants as Ranko adopted a kung fu stance, dropping it like a gate to release them against each other. ¡°Fight!¡±

    ¡°En garde, Ranko!¡± Kuno slashed horizontally with his bamboo shenai, and Ranko heard it whoosh loudly over her head as she bent backward. It passed close enough to her face that if she¡¯d stuck her tongue out, she could have licked it.

    Holy fuck, that was close. Yikes. Looks like Mr. Chivalry¡¯s not planning on taking it easy on the cute girl after all. Alright then.

    She snapped back to a vertical position, getting her right forearm up just in time to block a slash in the opposite direction. Ranko yelped loudly, cradling her arm as she stepped back. Fuck, that hurt! Can¡¯t block that damn thing. Doesn¡¯t matter if it scores if it messes me up too much to fight. Fuckfuckfuck. Stupid, stupid.

    ¡°Are you alright,¡± the referee asked, and Ranko gave him a sharp nod, shaking her arm limply in the air with a grimace. ¡°Alright. Continue.¡±

    ¡°It hardly seems fair that they let him have a weapon,¡± Nodoka fretted nervously.

    Akane nodded, biting at her fingernails. ¡°I know, but she knew the rules when she signed up.¡± She should have brought her own, honestly, even if she only used it to block.

    Ranko¡¯s eyes widened as Kuno brought his wooden sword down with an exaggerated overhand strike at her head, holding the weapon with both of his hands.

    Nope, not today, Ranko thought, closing her hands with open palms at lightning speed. She caught the shinai between her palms a few centimeters from her forehead, grabbing it tight and falling backward. She yanked the wooden weapon forward as she plummeted to her backside on the blue vinyl padded mat, pulling Kuno over herself with it, and planted her foot in his ribs. While the kick itself was enough to score, Ranko pushed off with her foot and rolled backward onto her shoulders, launching him over her body and onto his back on the concrete just beyond the edge of the mat.

    ¡°Point, Tendo! One-zero!¡±

    Nodoka screeched excitedly, jumping up and down behind Akane.

    Kuno padded back to the mat on his bare feet, bracing his ribs with his hand. ¡°Well struck, fair Ranko!¡±

    Yeah, whatever. Bring that goofy ass back over here so I can finish kicking it, Ranko thought as she kick-flipped back to her feet, glaring at Sasuke as he returned his master¡¯s weapon from the periphery of the ring. She rubbed her still-stinging forearm for a moment before assuming a defensive stance.

    Let¡¯s see what else ya got, dude. Two more points. That¡¯s all I need.

    ¡°Fight!¡±

    Ranko side-stepped Kuno¡¯s weapon as he swung wide to her left, watching carefully for her opportunity. Stay small. Don¡¯t give him anything to hit, she thought, crouching low as she adopted a capoeira ginga.

    Keep moving. Wait for it. Wait for it¡­

    Ranko stepped forward in the crouched Afro-Brazilian dance just as Kuno slashed at her from the side.

    There it is.

    She hopped up, striking at his wrist with a fast punch, extending the middle knuckle of her right hand out further than the rest to create a point that she jabbed precisely into the cavity between the two arm bones, striking directly at the ligaments of his carpal tunnel. The strike forced his reflexes to misfire and he opened his fingers, and the wooden shinai fell from his right hand into her waiting left.

    ¡°Gimme that thing!¡± She raised his own weapon against him, clasping both hands over the hilt and braining him hard with the bamboo stick.

    ¡°Point!¡±

    The crowd erupted in cheers.

    Either this place is packed with Firebirds, or they just like seeing the girl win, Ranko thought with a grin, flipping the wooden sword around in her hand and offering it hilt-first back to her opponent.

    One more to go.

    ¡°YES! Ranko!¡± Akane cheered loudly, jumping up and down next to Nodoka in her black gi and forgetting for the moment that she was supposed to be coaching, rather than just being her wife¡¯s biggest fan as she usually was.

    The referee summoned both of the combatants back to the center ring, raising his arm between them again. ¡°Two-zero, Tendo. And, fight!¡±

    Ranko hopped over a low sweep of Kuno¡¯s shinai, retreating a bit and watching for another opportunity. Just need him to screw up one more time. She pulled her arms up in a jeet kune do stance. Come on¡­ one more mistake¡­

    With a loud kiai, Kuno whipped the sword diagonally at her. Ranko sidestepped, but wasn¡¯t quite fast enough, and the downward slash just barely clipped her chest. The redhead fell to the mat with a loud cry, curling her knees tight as she lay on her side.

    ¡°Point, Kuno! Two to one!¡± the referee called out, his eyes raising as Akane ran out onto the mat.

    ¡°Time,¡± Akane screamed as she skidded to her knees next to Ranko on the padded floor.

    ¡°Baby? Are you okay?¡± Akane leaned down close, resting her hand gently on Ranko¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Uh¡­ uh-huh, I just¡­ owwww¡­¡± Ranko whimpered, and Akane resisted every urge to pull her up into a comforting hug.

    I have to be her sensei now. All these people are watching. ¡°Can you keep fighting?¡±

    Ranko nodded, still curled up tight on her side in the fetal position. ¡°He¡­ fucker got me right in the fucking nipple! Mother fuck, that hurts!¡±

    Akane cringed. Yeah, that would probably put me down too, babe, Cat¡¯s Tongue or no Cat¡¯s Tongue.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got two minutes, sensei,¡± the referee said after tapping Akane on the shoulder. She acknowledged him with a nod, her eyes never leaving her wife.

    While Akane tended to Ranko on the mat, Sasuke ran out to the center of the ring with a water bottle in hand. ¡°Well done, master! You¡¯re going to win for sure!¡±

    Kuno rolled his eyes, as he often did at the very existence of his manservant, opening his mouth wordlessly. Sasuke raised the bottle to squirt water into his master¡¯s mouth, but his aim was off, and he sprayed a stream of clear liquid all down the side of Kuno¡¯s kendo uniform and onto the floor mat behind him.

    ¡°Ugh! You cretin! Can you not manage even this most simple of tasks?! Give me that this instant, and begone with you!¡± Kuno snatched the water bottle from the diminutive wretch, squirting the remainder of its contents into his mouth. His refreshment finished, he hurled the empty aluminum bottle, striking the poor servant in the back of the head with a hollow bonk as he retreated from the ring.

    ¡°Thank you, master,¡± Sasuke mewled as he crawled the rest of the way out of the ring.

    Kuno¡¯s opponent winced as Akane helped her to her feet. ¡°You¡¯re sure you don¡¯t want me to call this, Ranko?¡±

    Ranko shook her head vehemently. ¡°No way. I only gotta get one more point to win this thing.¡±

    Akane nodded. ¡°Then go get it, babe.¡± She leaned in close under the guise of adjusting the belt around Ranko¡¯s purple gi, whispering to her. ¡°I love you.¡±

    Ranko gave her a warm smile through her gritted teeth in reply as Akane jogged back to the sideline to take her place next to Nodoka, Soun, Shiori and Toshiaki.

    Alright. You heard her, Ranko. Let¡¯s get that point and go home. Gotta get a cute little plastic trophy to put next to your Japan Record Awards. She took a tight karate stance, protecting her chest closely with her hands.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure you¡¯re alright to continue, Tendo,¡± the referee asked, satisfied with her nodded reply. ¡°Alright. Then, fight!¡± He stepped nimbly out of the way, and Kuno brandished his weapon, but neither fighter made a move toward the other.

    ¡°Come on, Kuno! Let¡¯s finish this!¡± Ranko growled as she motioned toward herself with her fingers. ¡°Bring it!¡±

    ¡°Very well. En garde!¡± Kuno swept his shinai forward in a wide slash, and Ranko whipped into a roundhouse kick at his wrist. Again, she dislodged the wooden sword from his hand, and it sailed out of the ring, clattering hollowly on the concrete next to Kuno¡¯s sensei.

    Alright. Good. Now it¡¯s hand-to-hand. Not exactly your strong suit, is it, Kuno? Advantage, me.

    Ranko approached, flashing a high kick at her opponent¡¯s cheek, but he swatted it aside with his right hand, retreating backward as he frantically scrambled for a new plan of attack. Pressing her advantage, Ranko charged into Kuno¡¯s half of the mat, lifting her leg for another high kick.

    Kuno ducked, kicking at the shin of her standing left leg in an attempt at a sweep. As he did, Ranko whipped her leg around, the momentum of her roundhouse applying torque to her foot on the mat. The grip of her bare toes on the vinyl was loosened by the small pool of water she¡¯d planted her foot in, left over from Sasuke¡¯s failed attempt to give his master a drink. She bent her knee a bit to compensate as she slipped, lowering her center of gravity to prevent herself from falling entirely.

    Just as she did, Kuno¡¯s sweep made contact with her leg.

    Akane could have sworn that she saw Ranko¡¯s left knee bend the wrong way, just for a fraction of a second, before her wife crashed to the mat in a writhing heap, grasping at her leg with both of her hands.

    The half-capacity crowd of the Tokyo Budokan, so boisterous in their cheers a moment before, fell entirely silent. No sound could be heard in the cavernous arena, save one:

    Ranko¡¯s agonized scream.

    ~~~ END BOOK TEN ~~~

 29. Torn

    Phoenix Odyssey

    Book XI: Oceania

    ¡°Put me DOWN!¡±

    Ranko wailed, her left leg racked with sharp, biting pain that radiated through the inside of her knee. Wannabe samurai Tatewaki Kuno, who had just moments before been her final opponent in the 1992 Honshu Mixed-Style Martial Arts Tournament, had scooped her from the blue vinyl mat the second he¡¯d heard her scream. Kuno kicked the blue steel double door separating the arena floor from the locker areas at waist level, hard enough to send the handles on the opposite side crashing against the back side of the wall. Ranko did her best to stabilize her knee with her hands as the jostling of her legs dangling over his forearm sent another laser of pain up her leg with his every hurried step.

    ¡°Hey, where do you think you''re¡­¡±

    ¡°Where in this blasted labyrinth is the medical staff? Can you not see an angel has fallen, man?!¡± Kuno roared at the young security agent that addressed him in frustration, a frenzied glare in his cobalt eyes. He turned to his left, storming down a long, nondescript cinder block hallway in the direction the stunned young man had pointed.

    ¡°Fear not, fair Ranko! I shall see thee made well!¡±

    ¡°If you were so worried about hurting me, ya shouldn''t have kicked my knee out in the first place, ya pigfucker! Put me the fuck down!¡± She punched downward at his shoulders through his silver silk kendo uniform, as she was carried, but the young kendo practitioner was as a man possessed.

    ¡°Akane?!¡± Ranko wailed desperately, craning her neck in every direction looking for her sensei and wife as she was trundled down another featureless concrete corridor. She bit her tongue hard as Kuno bumped her leg into the door frame, bracing her leg in her hands again and whining loudly.

    I don''t care if they saw my fucking leg off, Tatewaki motherfucking Kuno is not seeing me cry.

    ¡°What the hell?!¡± A short man in his mid-forties, a dumpy fellow in a wrinkled blue polo shirt and khakis, whirled to face the door as it crashed open.

    Kuno charged into the room, dumping Ranko quickly onto a padded waist-high steel table. ¡°Well?! Be quick, man!¡±

    The medic rubbed his chin, taking in the situation. ¡°I don''t even know what happened. What''s going on, miss?¡±

    ¡°Get rid of him!¡± Ranko glared up at Kuno, growling through gritted teeth. Her leg throbbed furiously, and she winced as she pulled up the leg of her purple gi pants to look at it. A deep purple bruise was forming on the inside of her left knee, and something about her kneecap looked¡­ off, and she wasn''t quite sure she could put her finger on how.

    ¡°I''m sorry, sir, but she''s right. If you''re not family, I need you to step out now.¡± The medic did not look up from Ranko, but his stern voice left little room for argument, and Kuno nodded, stepping out of the room without another word and closing the door gently behind him.

    ¡°Okay, honey. Now do you wanna tell me what ha¡­¡±

    ¡°Gyaaaaah!¡± Ranko screamed, arching her back off the brown vinyl covering of the table as he began a physical examination of her left knee, pressing gently in various places around the joint. The physician wasn''t sure how much of her wail was a result of his ministrations and how much was pent up agony that she''d just refused to let out in the presence of her opponent.

    ¡°When he kicked it, it bent funny. I felt something pop. Fuck me, it hurts!¡±

    The medic frowned. From the description alone, he had a fair guess what had happened, and he doubted she was going to like the diagnosis. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll get it checked out. Try to take a couple deep breaths, okay? What''s your name, honey?¡±

    ¡°Ra¡­ Ranko. Ranko T-tendo.¡± She sniffled quietly, the small of her back returning to the table as he finished his examination and stopped prodding at her injury.

    ¡°No kidding? Not the same one whose CD has been playing on repeat in my daughter''s room for a month straight, I''d guess?¡±

    Smiling at the nod he received in reply, the middle-aged doctor walked to a small steel refrigerator in one corner of the room, removing a cyan cloth bag containing some sort of gel. He wiggled it in his hand, bending it into a curve. ¡°Okay. I''m gonna get some ice on this thing and get the swelling down, so we can see what we¡¯re dealing with, okay?¡±

    Ranko shook her head in panic. ¡°No! Put it in something, please! I can''t¡­ ha¡­ handle the c-cold¡­¡± Her knee was firing every alarm in her nervous system as it was; the last thing she needed was the Cat¡¯s Tongue reacting to the sudden introduction of ice to her flesh.

    He complied, and once the ice pack had been ensconced in a white cotton pillowcase, she consented to his wrapping it around her knee. She still whimpered as he nestled it into place, and she could have sworn she felt her kneecap¡­ move¡­ under his hand.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Akane?¡± Ranko raised herself up on her elbows behind her to try and follow the medic with her eyes as he moved about the room.

    ¡°I''ll do you one better,¡± he said with a gentle smile, trying to calm the frantic girl on his exam table down. ¡°Who¡¯s Akane?¡±

    ¡°My wi¡­ my sensei.¡± Ranko remembered what the medic had told Kuno about only family being allowed in the small exam room. ¡°And also my sss¡­ sister.¡± Ranko shivered under the ice, the throbbing beginning to dull somewhat.

    The kindly man nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll find her for you in just a second, sweetheart. Let me just get you s¡­¡±

    The door crashed open again, and a broad-shouldered woman with short black hair, clad in a black gi, barreled into the room. ¡°Ranko!¡±

    Ranko reached toward the door, grasping with her fingers. ¡°Akane! I¡­¡±

    ¡°Good news,¡± the doctor said with a chuckle. ¡°I found her.¡±

    ¡°What''s wrong with her,¡± Akane demanded, taking her wife¡¯s hand while following the medic around the room with deep brown eyes filled with urgency. A second person entered the room, a matronly brunette in a green silk kimono, and she was in turn followed by a tall, mustachioed man in a brown gi.

    ¡°Ma, Dad, hey¡­¡± Ranko waved weakly, letting her elbows unlock and dropping her shoulders back to the table.

    ¡°I''m so proud of you, Ranko,¡± Nodoka began. ¡°You fought so well. Truly incredi¡­¡±

    Akane shook her head at the older woman. ¡°Ma Shimizu, please. Not now with that.¡±

    ¡°Izzi?¡± Ranko looked up hopefully for the one adult member of her Phoenix family that had been in attendance during her match.

    Akane bit her lip, shaking her head slightly again. ¡°She ran Hoshi home, but we¡¯ll call her as soon as we figure out what''s going on. Kaito should be home by now, so he can watch Hoshi and she can come back if we need her. She said she loves you.¡±

    The medic sighed, sitting on a short wheeled stool and sliding it closer to the examination table. ¡°Okay, so listen, Ranko. I want you to go up to the emergency room and get this looked at, okay? They''re gonna want to do an MRI. Once they do, they''ll be able to let you know what''s going on in there, and what we¡¯re gonna need to do to get you back to fighting form. Okay?¡±

    ¡°What''s an MRI,¡± Ranko asked, looking up at Akane with doe-eyed terror.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Akane squeezed her lover¡¯s hand gently in quiet reassurance. ¡°It''s like an X-ray, but it takes pictures of muscles, tendons and stuff instead of bones. It doesn''t hurt. They''re gonna slide your leg in this big tube, and it''s gonna make a bunch of loud noise, and that''s it. Easy.¡±

    ¡°Will you be with me,¡± the redhead pled hopefully.

    Akane shook her head. ¡°I can''t. Nobody else can be in the room when they do it. But it only takes a few minutes, and I''ll be right outside, princess. I promise.¡±

    As they spoke, the medic retreated to a small closet, returning with a piece of folded vinyl stretched over an aluminum frame on two large wheels. He spread the handles apart, locking the frame of the wheelchair in the open position. ¡°Miss Tendo, your chariot awaits. Do you have a way to get to the hospital?¡±

    Nodoka nodded. ¡°I can drive her.¡± Last month, she¡¯d sold the house in Yokohama that she had shared with Ranko¡¯s father all those years ago in order to move closer to her daughter and her family, and when she did, she splurged and bought herself an old beige Toyota Corolla. She had considered it to be a terribly frivolous decision at the time, but she silently thanked the gods for her moment of prescient self-indulgence.

    ¡°I''m not gettin¡¯ in no damn wheelchair. Not me. The pain¡¯s dying down some. I think I can walk on it.¡± Ranko started to slide off the table, but Akane placed her hand on her lover¡¯s chest between her breasts, locking her elbow and holding her in place on the exam table.

    ¡°Are you out of your damned mind? Get in the freakin¡¯ chair, Ranko.¡±

    Nodoka nodded hopefully. ¡°Maybe it''s best to do what the doctor says, little orchid?¡±

    Ranko pushed Akane¡¯s hand aside. ¡°I am not leaving my first real martial arts tournament in a freakin¡¯ wheelchair. It''s not happeni¡­ urk!¡±

    Her feet touched the white linoleum tile of the little clinic in the bowels of the Tokyo Budokan, and her left leg buckled under her the moment she attempted to bear weight on it.

    ¡°... Shit.¡± She sighed heavily, lifting her leg gently from the floor. She shifted all her weight to her right leg, leaning against the table as Soun pulled the chair closer.

    ¡°Come now, Ranko. You fought well, and made us all very proud, but it''s time to prioritize your health.¡± Soun patted the seat of the chair.

    Ranko looked up at him with a dejected sigh, a sadness in her eyes. She wanted to win so badly for him and for Akane. To prove that, Cat¡¯s Tongue be damned, femininity be damned, she could still fight. And here she was, crippled by a freak accident when she was one point from victory. Done in by a freaking puddle of water, of all things. Why did it always have to be water?! The whole thing made her sick.

    She leaned on Akane''s shoulder for support, hopping twice on her good leg to turn her body, and let herself fall heavily backward into the black vinyl sling that made up the wheelchair¡¯s seat.

    ¡°Alright, Ranko,¡± the doctor said, walking around the chair to re-enter his patient''s field of vision. ¡°Keep it as still as you can until you get there, okay? I know it feels weird, but if it''s unstable in there, the more you fidget with it, the more damage you could do. Got it?¡±

    Ranko nodded, and the pudgy man continued. ¡°Alright. Anything else you need from me before I get you on your way?¡±

    Akane shook her head with a bit of a smirk up at her wife. ¡°Between us, we¡¯ll manage. But I''m pretty sure the guy in the hallway has a broken nose.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Okay, Miss Tendo?¡±

    Both of the young women in emergency exam room number three looked up in response to the name they shared. Akane reached for the clipboard in the blonde doctor¡¯s hand, but the young medic in the too-long white lab coat did not hand it over.

    Makes sense. She doesn¡¯t know I¡¯ve had any medical training, Akane thought to herself.

    The doctor smiled in amusement. ¡°Let¡¯s try this again. I¡¯d ask which one of you is Ranko, but I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s the one in the bed with the ice on her knee?¡±

    Ranko rolled her eyes with a groan. ¡°You figured that out all by yourself, huh?¡±

    Akane sighed, squeezing her wife¡¯s hand. ¡°Ranko, c¡¯mon. Be nice.¡± She looked back up to the doctor with a grimace. ¡°Sorry about that.¡±

    Dr. Ozuda waved Akane off with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay. The pain meds we gave her can make people a little irritable sometimes, and well, we usually don¡¯t see too many people in here who are having a good day, if you catch my drift.¡± She sat on a small round stool, reaching into one of the wooden cabinets mounted to the wall beneath the counter and removing a resin model that looked like it might have been made of bone. She wheeled closer to Ranko¡¯s bed on the stool, holding up the model of a human knee.

    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s talk about your results, honey. So, this is your knee, right? And you¡¯ve got these four ligaments here, that are in charge of keeping your knee stable.¡± She tapped a stringy-looking red structure with the tip of a pen. ¡°You¡¯ve got the anterior cruciate ligament, the posterior cruciate ligament, the lateral collateral ligament and the medial collateral ligament,¡± she said, moving her pen to each on the model as she spoke.

    ¡°So, your medial collateral ligament, here on the inside of your knee, connects your femur and your tibia, these bones here and here. It basically provides support and stability to your knee, so it doesn¡¯t wobble side to side too much. And, well, it seems you went and tore yours.¡±

    Akane winced. That was my guess based on what she described, but fuck, I¡¯d hoped I was wrong. ¡°What grade?¡±

    ¡°Two,¡± the doctor said. ¡°By the hair of her chin.¡±

    Ranko looked up, blinking droopily. She was confused, and she wasn¡¯t sure how much of it was the medication she¡¯d been administered. ¡°What did I have to do to get a better grade?¡±

    Akane laughed, shaking her head and kissing Ranko¡¯s forehead. ¡°No, Ranko. For this, lower is better, I promise.¡±

    Dr. Ozuda continued. ¡°Your sister¡¯s right. A grade one tear basically means you nicked it. It¡¯s sore for a week or two, and you¡¯re good. A grade three tear is the worst; that¡¯s where you¡¯ve completely ripped the thing in half. You¡¯ve got a grade two, which is somewhere in between, but if there was such a thing as a grade two-and-three-quarters, that¡¯s about where you¡¯d be right now.¡±

    ¡°Will she need surgery,¡± Akane asked worriedly.

    Ranko lolled her head to the side and gave her lover a dreamy smile, glad her wife knew what she was talking about. All those late nights of homework are paying off, baby. You sound like you know as much about this as she does. I¡¯m so flippin¡¯ proud of you. And I¡¯m not just thinking that ¡®cause I¡¯m high as a kite on whatever the shit that white pill was, neither.

    The doctor shook her head. ¡°No, but that doesn¡¯t mean recovery¡¯s gonna be easy. You should be walking on it in a few weeks, though.¡±

    ¡°A few weeks?! But¡­ I¡¯ve gotta¡­¡± Ranko¡¯s eyes were wild, adrenaline overcoming her sedation.

    Akane patted her hand, willing her love to calm down and let her do the talking. ¡°Sorry. She¡¯s a professional singer, and a cheerleader, and she has a bunch of big shows coming up. She¡¯s going on tour in March, and the cheerleading competition¡¯s in what, three weeks?¡±

    The doctor cringed as Ranko nodded in confirmation. ¡°Yeah, I said she¡¯d be walking in a few weeks. I didn¡¯t say anything about athletics.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t even hurt anymore. Gimme s¡¯more of these pills the lady gave me, and I¡¯ll be fine. I gotta do the¡­ thing!¡± Ranko slammed her hand down on the arm rail of her bed.

    Akane sighed. ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything we can do? Elective surgery, even?¡±

    The young doctor shook her head. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference, honestly. The recovery would be about the same. You said her tour¡¯s in March?¡±

    The elder Tendo girl nodded. ¡°First show¡¯s at the end of March; rehearsals have already started.¡±

    ¡°And she does a lot of dancing, I¡¯d guess?¡±

    Again, Akane nodded.

    The doctor sighed, pausing for a moment to think through her options before replying. ¡°Alright. So listen to me, Ranko. I think we can get you back to a hundred percent, or darn close, in time for your tour. But that means you¡¯re going to have to be incredibly dedicated to your recovery. No pushing yourself. As much rest as humanly possible. In fact, I don¡¯t even want you bearing weight on it for at least a month. You¡¯ll have to evaluate with an orthopedic specialist, but that¡¯s my recommendation, anyway. We need to let it get as strong as we can in the amount of time you have.¡±

    Ranko adjusted in the bed, sitting up on the vinyl mattress with a most unflattering sound. ¡°But if it doesn¡¯t hurt, or I work through it, can I¡­ Akane, the Invitational¡­¡±

    The doctor sighed, setting her model on the bed at Ranko¡¯s feet. ¡°Listen, Miss Tendo. I don¡¯t want to sugar coat this. You have a significant injury. If you play your cards right, come April, it¡¯ll be almost like it never happened and you can go on with your life. But if you don¡¯t take this seriously, and you damage the structure of your leg any more¡­¡±

    Akane cut her off, squeezing Ranko¡¯s hand tight. ¡°You could wreck your knee permanently.¡±

    The doctor bobbed her head in agreement. ¡°Potentially to the point that not even surgery could fix it.¡±

    ¡°And that would¡­¡± Ranko bit her lip sadly.

    ¡°It would ruin everything, baby,¡± Akane said, gazing pitifully down at her beloved. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be able to dance, or cheer, or fight. None of it. So you can¡¯t screw around with this. No big, tough macho girl act this time, you hear me?¡±

 30. The Pep Talk

    ¡°Oh, come on, you idiot! That''s where the guy with the freakin¡¯ axe is!¡±

    Ranko groaned, leaning back on her couch and slapping her forehead with her palm before motioning to the little television set on the opposite side of her tiny living room with her hand. ¡°I swear, these girls deserve to get hacked to bits. Freakin¡¯ morons!¡±

    Shiori Nagata laughed with her friend, tossing a kernel of popcorn at her from the other side of Ranko¡¯s threadbare couch. She brushed a few loose kernels from the front of her blue Minato Athletics tee shirt onto the lap of her black jeans, and from there to the floor. ¡°Oh, hey! Look at this creepy farm house in the middle of nowhere with no phones and no neighbors for fifty kilometers in any direction! Nobody has heard from the last five people who owned this joint, but that¡¯s fine. Let me just move my kids in tomorrow!¡±

    ¡°I mean,¡± Ranko said with a chuckle, throwing another kernel of her own, ¡°if the rent is cheap enough, maybe¡­¡±

    Ranko''s fellow cheerleader and martial artist giggled brightly. ¡°I can''t watch this crap anymore. I''m gonna get some more pizza. You want anything while I''m up?¡±

    The redhead sighed, the mirth fading from her cheeks. She hated being waited on, in her own home, especially by her guests. At half past nine on a Wednesday night, she should have been four songs deep into her second set at the Phoenix, not balefully gazing up at her friend in the hopes of being fetched a can of soda or another slice of shrimp pizza.

    ¡°You don''t gotta be my damn maid, Shi¡¯ri. I can get stuff.¡± She glared disdainfully at the pair of aluminum crutches leaned against the end table closest to her seat. Carrying things in her hands while using the crutches was a near impossibility, so she was grateful for the number of long dresses with pockets she owned. The pockets were usually enough to transport a can of soda or a small packaged snack, and the long skirts hid the unsightly metal hinged brace that stabilized her left knee, which was kept locked at its full extension as often as possible.

    ¡°Look, dipshit. I''m here. I¡¯m up. I got two legs that work. Don''t be a dummy. Whaddya want?¡± Shiori opened the refrigerator, peering into it as she called out her response.

    Ranko sighed heavily. ¡°You didn''t even wanna hang out, did you? Akane just asked you to come sit with me while she''s at class, and take care of me, didn''t she?¡±

    Ranko''s friend scoffed. ¡°Oh, come on, Ran-chan. Don''t be like that! I''ve been promising you I would come over for movie night for months.¡± She smiled, handing an unopened can of grape soda down to the redhead whose left leg was still extended onto the living room coffee table. ¡°That said, don''t be surprised if Crash spontaneously offers to hang tomorrow night, and Kumi wants to do an anime marathon on Friday.¡±

    Ranko growled lowly. ¡°Dammit, Akane! I told her, I''m not an invalid. I can function just fine. She don''t gotta keep lining up babysitters for me.¡± She stood on her right leg, stuffing one of her crutches under the left armpit of her mint green dress and bracing her weight on it. ¡°I''m gonna go pee now, unless you think I need some help with that?!¡±

    Shiori shook her head with a wave. ¡°Nah. That, I think I''ll let you handle on your own.¡± As Ranko hobbled into the bathroom, Shiori turned her attention back to the television. A few moments later, a loud bang sounded behind her, and she jumped, needing a moment to realize it wasn''t the murderer on television behind her, but something of far greater importance.

    She hopped up, knocking on the bathroom door gently. ¡°You okay in there, Ran-chan?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± came the dejected reply from behind the bathroom door. There was another bang, quieter this time. ¡°There just isn''t enough room in here to work these fucking things.¡±

    A moment later, Shiori heard the toilet flush, and the door opened. She walked alongside Ranko back to the couch, not touching her, but remaining ready to assist if needed. Ranko let herself flop heavily to the couch, unable to sit gently without the ability to bend her knee, and lifted her leg with her hands back onto the table.

    She glared at the crutches, grabbing one and hurling it to the floor in frustration. ¡°Fuck! I hate these fucking things. I''m not doing a month on them. No way. I swear, Shi¡¯ri, I''m gonna land that damn quad in three weeks, come hell or high water. Your friggin¡¯ hero Mieko Suto couldn''t do it a second time, but I will, so help me gods.¡±

    Shiori sat next to her friend, clasping her shoulder with her hand. ¡°No, Ranko. You''re not. You remember what the doctor said. Don''t be stupid. I know it sucks and I know you''re disappointed, but a month of shitty horror flicks beats the hell out of being laid up for life, doesn''t it?!¡±

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Besides,¡± she continued, returning to her feet and retrieving the crutch Ranko had thrown. ¡°If you let yourself heal and get right, you can still land the quad in college. We¡¯re counting on it! In fact, your whole college plan depends on it. You worked so hard for that scholarship, so don''t fuck it up by being impatient!¡±

    Ranko sighed sadly, slumping back onto the couch. ¡°It''s not just for me, Shi¡¯ri. I promised you I''d win them another Invitational when you gave me the squad. I promised them. They''re counting on me, and I don''t wanna let them down after they put their trust in me.¡± Indeed, the idea of people believing in her was still a relatively new concept in the young redhead¡¯s life, and she was still extremely sensitive to any risk of disappointing someone who had bet on her in even the smallest degree.

    ¡°Ranko¡­¡± Shiori bit her lip, slouching a bit. ¡°Lemme ask you this. The girls on the squad all are your friends, right?¡±

    Ranko nodded. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯d say so. I hope so, anyway.¡±

    Shiori walked over to the kitchen counter, picking up a tall plastic trophy, gold in color, featuring a featureless figure executing a high side kick. She''d brought it to Ranko that evening, as she and Akane had already been at the hospital during the award ceremony at the end of the martial arts tournament, and Shiori had stayed to accept it on Ranko¡¯s behalf. Because the strike to her knee that had incapacitated her and ended the match was illegal per tournament rules, Kuno had been disqualified and Ranko awarded the master division championship by default. For her part, Ranko wished Shiori had kept the damn thing at home for a while longer. The last thing she felt like was a champion. She could barely dress herself.

    Shiori held up the trophy for Ranko to see. ¡°These things are great. They look pretty on shelves and they give people a sense of pride. But let me ask you. If I marched all thirteen of the girls up here right now and asked them, would you rather win a cheap trophy that won''t even be yours to keep, if it means Ranko maybe maims herself and ruins her music career, or come in dead last at the Invitational and have your friend be okay long-term, how do you think they''d answer?¡±

    Ranko sighed. ¡°That''s not the point, Shi¡¯ri. They put their faith in me.¡±

    Shiori nodded. ¡°Did you train them? The way you worked with us last year? Are they any good?¡±

    The cheer captain nodded emphatically. ¡°Maybe even better than we were last year.¡±

    ¡°Then,¡± Shiori asked, tipping her soda can slightly in Ranko''s direction, ¡°don''t you think maybe it''s time you put a little faith in them? They can still win, and you can still help. You''re just gonna have to lead from the side and not from the front this time.¡±

    ¡°I''m not that kind of leader,¡± Ranko whined. ¡°That was more your strength than mine. Hey, would you help? You could come back with me and help coach. Get them ready.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s friend shook her head. ¡°No. I''m not doing that. Not because I''m not willing to help you, but because you don''t need me to. You can do this, and win or lose, you should do it. It''s your responsibility, and your right, as captain, and all of those girls know it. Every one of them would follow you into hell, Ran-chan.¡±

    ¡°Which is why I''m so worried I might lead them there,¡± the redhead mumbled glumly.

    Shiori waved her off with a quiet scoff. ¡°Don''t be stupid. They''ll be fine. Besides, they''ve got that song you wrote. Which is awesome, by the way. I hope the school keeps it and uses it as a fight song. I mean, hell, you¡¯ll probably be their most famous alumna the day you get your diploma.¡±

    Ranko nodded. ¡°Hey, that''s true! Maybe I could just sit in a chair and sing, and then at least I''d be helping!¡±

    Shiori shook her head vigorously. ¡°Sorry. Invitational rules say if you''re on stage and you don''t dance or do any stunts, they dock the squad points. The best thing you can do is give them a tape, give them the choreography, and get the hell out of the way and trust them to go nail the routine.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s friend sighed sympathetically, remembering her own ankle injury that had cost her the opportunity to perform at the All-Tokyo Cheerleading Invitational in her freshman year at Yusue High School. ¡°I know it sucks. Cheerleaders stand on the sidelines all year and root for everybody else, and the Invitational is the one time a year when we get to be the stars, and now I''m asking you to be, well, a cheerleader there, too. But you gotta know it''s the smart play, right? And you''re so much better off than any other girl in your situation. For most cheerleaders, that''s the one time all year the audience will be cheering for them rather than with them. But you? How many of your tour shows have already sold out?¡±

    Ranko blushed, answering meekly. ¡°Fourteen, I think?¡±

    She sighed shamefully. Shiori was right. She''d gotten off easy compared to how bad the injury could have been. If Kuno had kicked her even ten percent harder, she almost certainly would have had to cancel the entire tour and spend the next year in physical therapy instead.

    ¡°See, Ranko?¡± Shiori nudged her friend¡¯s shoulder gently. ¡°Suck it up, sugar. You''ll be back to hearin¡¯ ¡®em screaming your name again in no time. But, for now? I''m telling you, as your friend, your former captain, and the babysitter your wife nominated for the evening: plant your narrow little ass on that couch and eat your fucking pizza.¡±

    She laughed heartily, tossing her redheaded friend the remote control. ¡°And, for fuck¡¯s sake, pick a different movie.¡±

 31. Backup Plans

    ¡°You sure you don''t want me to get that for you?¡±

    Kumiko sighed, walking slowly alongside her best friend and captain at a snail¡¯s pace as Ranko navigated the crowded halls of Yusue Vocational High School on her aluminum crutches. The redhead had traded the black attache-style satchel she normally carried her school supplies in for a pink backpack with a black suede bottom, owing to not having a free hand to carry it given her mobility issues.

    ¡°It''s alright, Kumi. The crutches are a pain in the ass, but the backpack doesn''t really make all that much difference.¡± Ranko sighed, hopping up the first of the twenty-four steps needed to reach her second-floor class.

    Kumiko nodded, brushing her silver hair from her eyes. The roots were starting to come in brown again, but she had an appointment booked for Saturday to get her hair recolored in time for the upcoming Invitational in a few short weeks. ¡°I know, I just¡­ I wanna help ya, ya know? It sucks to watch you struggling and just sorta, stand here.¡±

    Ranko managed a smile as she propelled herself up to the third step, the metal brace concealed under her red school pinafore keeping her left leg bent at nearly a right angle so that her foot could not drag on  the floor. ¡°I know, Kumi. I appreciate it. I just¡­ I''m not so good at the sit around and be taken care of thing.¡±

    Kumiko giggled, leaning in close as Ranko bounced up another step. ¡°Clearly, Akane needs to spend more time pampering you then.¡±

    The redhead blushed. ¡°When she can, she does, and it''s wonderful. But lately, she just never has any time. All I do these days is go to school and go home and I still barely see her. And it¡¯s only gonna get worse come March.¡±

    Kumiko sighed furtively. ¡°You still can''t get her to budge, huh?¡±

    Ranko shook her head. ¡°Nope. She''s dead set on staying here and doing school stuff and working. And, I get it. I do. I guess I shouldn''t expect my career to be any more important than hers. But, like, who knows if this is ever gonna happen again? If I''m ever gonna get another chance to go on another tour?¡± She grunted as she hauled herself up another step. ¡°I mean, hell, this stupid knee damn near wrecked this tour as it is! I''m gonna see the world and I just¡­ she is my world. I don''t wanna do it without her. Kumi, I don''t want to breathe without her.¡±

    ¡°Is she gonna come to any of the shows,¡± Kumiko asked, warning Ranko with a gentle touch on her hip that a basketball player was coming up behind her, ascending the stairs to her right much more quickly than she could manage on her crutches.

    ¡°The local ones. She said she''d try to make one or two of the foreign shows if we can afford it and her schedule works out, but¡­ I''m not holding my breath.¡± Ranko yelped as she propelled herself up the next step, pausing for a moment and hopping to the corner of the little landing where the staircase changed directions halfway up.

    ¡°Well, I''ll be there at the local ones for sure! You better save me some VIP tickets.¡± Kumiko stood in front of Ranko¡¯s leg on the landing, ensuring no one could bump into it in their rush to climb the stairs.

    Ranko nodded. ¡°You bet your ass, girl.¡±

    Kumiko blushed, fidgeting with her backpack strap. ¡°And¡­ you might wanna save me some seats for the Sapporo show in December, too.¡±

    Ranko gasped, her eyes wide with excitement. ¡°You got in?!¡±

    Her friend giggled, nodding enthusiastically. ¡°Sapporo University College of Animation, here we come! Got my acceptance letter a few days ago, but, with you getting hurt, I figured it wasn''t the right time to tell you.¡±

    The redhead leaned her crutches on the railing, reaching for her friend and pulling her into a tight hug. ¡°Are you kidding me right now? I''m always glad to hear good news about my friends! Oh, Kumi, I''m so freakin¡¯ happy for you! Congratulations! I''m gonna miss the shit out of you though, so you better make sure you call me, like, all the time!¡±

    The silver-haired girl blushed into her friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Oh, don''t worry. I thoroughly intend to milk the ¡®my best friend won four Japan Record Awards¡¯ thing for every shred of popularity I can get once I¡¯m out there.¡±

    Ranko smiled. ¡°You go right ahead. And once the tour is done, I''ll do a special show out there for you and your friends if you want. On your school campus or something, maybe. I¡¯ll sign stuff, whatever you want. My cool points are your cool points.¡±

    Kumiko grinned as Ranko resumed her trek up the stairs. ¡°I knew you would. You''re awesome like that.¡± She blushed deeply. ¡°Every geeky girl should get to have a cool friend like you, Ranko.¡±

    It was Ranko¡¯s turn to blush, and she turned to Kumiko again despite standing in the middle of the stairway.

    ¡°Hey. When I got here, and I didn''t know anybody, and I didn''t have a record deal and I was just a scared shitless girl that was two years too old for her grade, you looked out for me. Every misfit girl like me should get to have a cool friend like you, Kumiko Iwata.¡±

    With another grunt of exertion, Ranko ascended another step. ¡°What have the girls been saying? About my leg?¡±

    Kumiko sighed. ¡°They don''t think we have a chance to win now. I don''t think any of them are mad at you or anything, just kinda bummed.¡±

    ¡°I think we can still win, if nobody gives up,¡± Ranko said. ¡°I had a really good talk with Shi¡¯ri about it, and she''s right. It was never badass Ranko and thirteen other girls. All we are doing is going from fourteen badasses to thirteen badasses, and a goofy boy in a giant cat suit.¡± She giggled, hopping up the last step.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Kumi exclaimed. ¡°I''m the only one who gets to call him goofy!¡±

    Ranko laughed, turning the corner to her right. ¡°Then tell him for me, wouldja?¡±

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Will do.¡± Kumiko waved, noting they had reached Ranko¡¯s destination. ¡°I''ll see you at practice, ¡®kay?¡±

    With a nod, Ranko pulled the door open. Kumiko held it open for her as Ranko hobbled into the school''s dance studio.

    ¡°Hey, Ranko,¡± Ms. Kanzawa said. ¡°Good to have you back.¡±

    Ranko shrugged, sliding her backpack off and dropping it to the floor near the east wall. ¡°I don''t know how back I am, teach. Not sure I got too many pli¨¦s in me right now.¡±

    The dance instructor nodded. ¡°No, I figured as much. But, you do have some work to do to get ready for Phantom.¡±

    Ranko rolled her eyes. ¡°You mean I can''t get out of that on a whole not so much with the walking technicality? Or at least, put Tsukiko back in the lead and give me a minor part like I asked for in the first place?!¡±

    Ms. Kanzawa laughed. ¡°Honey, I don''t think Ms. Zaito would pass up getting to work with someone with your star power if she had to wheel you around the stage on a drink cart. But we can get you ready, I think. I''ve got tapes from a couple previous performances, both here and from some professional troupes. I figure we can set you up on the TV in my office and you can do some video rehearsals, practice the songs, stuff like that. It''s a better use of your time than being propped up in the corner being bored, anyway.¡±

    Ranko sighed. ¡°It''s a conspiracy, I swear! Besides, I''m gonna look weird as hell in that ballet getup with a big ol¡¯ brace on my leg.¡±

    The teacher nodded. ¡°You thinking you''ll be in one of those nylon stretch things for a while when you get out of the immobilizer?¡± Getting a nod in reply, she continued. ¡°I was thinking about that. We could add another petticoat under your skirt. It would be a little more bulk, but it would also give you some length, probably enough to hide the brace.¡±

    Ranko sighed dejectedly. ¡°I swear, teach. Just once in my life, I am gonna have a problem that doesn''t have to get solved by punching someone in the nose, or wearing a frillier outfit.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Come on, girls. Don¡¯t look at me like that!¡±

    Ranko sighed, her shoulders slumping as she sat on the first row of aluminum bleachers lining the home sideline of the Yusue Vocational High rugby field, her crutches resting against the railing to her left. It was too nice of a day to feel so glum, but she was heartbroken to have to let her squadmates down. Stupid fucking Kuno. Ruining everything.

    Her leg was throbbing something fierce; she¡¯d taken the last of the ibuprofen in her purse at lunch and its effects had long worn off. She was getting dangerously tempted to take the one Percoset she had with her - in case of emergency, Akane had said when she¡¯d forced her to bring it along - but Ranko was scared of heavy pain medication after her overdose. Besides, the last thing she needed at the moment was to be foggy-headed, and that stuff tended to make her quite a¡­ silly girl, she thought with a blush.

    ¡°It just sucks,¡± Aoi groaned, gesturing to Ranko¡¯s elevated leg, locked in its outstretched position by the metal brace hidden under the skirt of Ranko¡¯s school uniform. ¡°We were so close.¡± Quiet grumbles of assent from Tanda and Etsuko echoed her sentiment.

    ¡°We still are!¡± Kayo stepped forward, turning her back to Ranko and facing her elder cheerleaders. ¡°We¡¯re the best there is, even without Ranko! We can do this! Besides, it¡¯s not her fault she got hurt!¡±

    Kumiko nodded, brushing her silver-dyed hair from her eyes in a losing battle with the crisp January breeze. ¡°That¡¯s right! You can see how bad she feels about it. Don¡¯t make it worse. It¡¯s not productive. Just focus on how hard we¡¯re going to have to work to get a plan ready for the Invitational!¡± Please. Ranko¡¯s a half a breath away from trying to fly on one fucking leg as it is. She¡¯s just crazy enough to risk her career on it. Don¡¯t freakin¡¯ push her.

    Shika stepped forward, whirling to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Kumi. With both of them having silver hair, they could have passed for twins. ¡°Damn straight! We are going to rally around our captain, and we are going to win to honor all the work she did getting us ready!¡± She made a fist, pumping it determinedly in front of her chest.

    The trio were joined by Rin Matsubara, standing to Shika¡¯s right and crossing her arms over her chest confidently. ¡°Besides, I learned Ranko¡¯s part of the dance in practice. I can¡¯t pull off the quad, and I¡¯m no singer, but the rest of the choreo¡¯s fine! And Kumi and Hideo added the mascot, which wasn¡¯t even in the original plan. We can fucking do this, Lions!¡±

    Ranko smiled happily at her four recruits. I am so damned proud of you girls right now. I chose well.

    Tamiko nodded, walking up to Ranko¡¯s left. ¡°Alright, captain. What¡¯s the plan? How we gonna go get that trophy?¡±

    Her girlfriend Yori wrapped her arms around Tami¡¯s forearm, resting her head on her longtime girlfriend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Just tell us where you need us, champ.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Ranko said, and Kumiko smiled as she watched her friend¡¯s spirit return to her body in real time. With new life in her eyes, Ranko reached for her school satchel and withdrew a white binder covered in transparent plastic over a team photo of the previous year¡¯s Yusue High cheerleading squad posing with their trophy. She¡¯d replaced the picture of Mieko Suto, as the former cheerleader¡¯s achievements had since been surpassed by the binder¡¯s new owner herself, but otherwise, it was the same one Shiori had handed down to her at graduation. Opening it, she flipped to a diagram of the beginning part of the Lions¡¯ choreography for the 1992 All-Tokyo Cheerleading Invitational.

    ¡°Okay, so here¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking. Like Rin said, she knows my part of the routine. You ready to lead us out there, superstar?¡±

    The green-haired junior nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll make you proud, Ranko!¡± Several of the other cheerleaders whooped, clapping her on the shoulders in encouragement.

    ¡°Okay. That means we¡¯re gonna lose her in the main pattern, so Kumi, we¡¯re gonna slide you over there to fill her spot,¡± Ranko continued, looking up at her best friend at the school.

    Kumiko gulped. ¡°But¡­ that spot has to¡­ fly.¡± As it was, her role as the designated flag bearer meant she was the only one who would not have to do any major aerial stunts. The thought of being thrown into the air like that terrified her.

    Ranko nodded. ¡°You¡¯re ready, Kumi. I know you¡¯re scared, but I promise, you can do it. I believe in you, girl. We all do.¡±

    ¡°Hell yeah, Kumiko!¡± Kayo whooped loudly. ¡°You got this!¡±

    ¡°Ku-MI! Ku-MI,¡± several of the other cheerleaders chanted, forming a half-circle behind her in support.

    Kumiko blushed deeply, hiding behind her hair as her squadmates chanted her name. ¡°But, what about the flag?¡±

    Ranko rolled her eyes. ¡°That job falls to your boyfriend. Think you¡¯re up to it, kitty?¡±

    Hideo laughed, looking up into the eyes of his red lion costume sitting on the bleachers a few meters from Ranko. He waved his fluffy paw in her direction. ¡°Rawr.¡±

    Kumiko wrapped her arms around him with a quiet purr. ¡°Mm. Careful with that, babe. I gotta focus!¡± She giggled brightly. ¡°I¡¯ll show you the flag routine. It¡¯s easy.¡±

    The redheaded captain chuckled, shaking her head. ¡°For the rest of you, nothing changes. Rin¡¯ll do my part, and just scale the quad down to a triple twist. Kumi takes her slot, Hideo takes Kumi¡¯s. We¡¯ll use the pre-recorded music we made. Any questions?¡±

    Momoe raised her hand. ¡°Where are you taking us for ice cream after we win?¡±

    Ranko laughed. ¡°Wherever the fuck ya want, Mo.¡±

    Tanda clapped Kumiko on the shoulder. ¡°C¡¯mon, little miss magical girl. We need to go teach you how to fly.¡±

 32. Jerks

    Izumi sighed, putting her arm around her elder sister¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hey, come on, Yui. Could ya at least try to smile?¡±

    The blonde sighed, glaring at the bottle of root beer in her hand. ¡°This is me trying, Iz. I feel like shit. My head hurts, my heart hurts, and all I want is for everybody to just leave me the fuck alone.¡±

    Mei shook her head emphatically. ¡°As your roommate, I can vouch for the fact that the last thing you need right now is to be left alone. We¡¯re worried about you! And besides, you just want to be by yourself so there¡¯s nobody around to keep you out of the liquor cabinet.¡±

    ¡°Yeah? Well, who made it any of your business anyway, Mei? I ain¡¯t right, and the best thing you guys can do is get the hell out of my face about it and go live your lives.¡±

    Yui growled, but before she could stand, Ukyo stood from her seat on the floor and blocked her. ¡°Listen, Yui. I don¡¯t know you as well as your sisters do, but I know you¡¯re more resilient than this. Ran-chan¡¯s told me so many stories. To hear her talk, you¡¯re made of freakin¡¯ iron, just like your mom.¡±

    Yui sighed, slumping back onto the left side of Izumi¡¯s orange couch. ¡°Exactly. I¡¯m supposed to be the one telling all these clowns to act right. You¡¯ve all got your own shit to deal with, and you¡¯re all hoverin¡¯ around me.¡±

    Mei rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s because we love you, dipshit. We miss you. You haven¡¯t been you in over a month, and¡­ nothing¡¯s the same.¡±

    Ranko sighed, reaching up and placing her hand on Yui¡¯s knee through her elder sister¡¯s blue jeans. She was wearing a long, pastel pink dress with small matching bows in each of her loose pigtails, and she was currently seated in Akane¡¯s lap on the floor of Izumi¡¯s apartment.

    Ranko had largely been avoiding the Phoenix, as every time she set foot in the place, she had been mobbed by well-meaning Firebirds wanting to know when she would return to the stage. She ached to be up there singing again, but ultimately, it was not Ranko, not her band, and not Hana who would make that determination, but an orthopedic specialist in Shibuya, and she had no idea what they would say. At her first appointment, the doctor had warned her that it was possible she would not perform again until the start of the tour, a fate that haunted Ranko to even consider. Besides starting the tour with no meaningful rehearsal, she would miss her last chances to perform for her local fans before a month away, plus her final opportunity to perform alongside the cheerleading squad she led. The possibility was unacceptable to her, but also all but entirely out of her hands to control. Between Akane, Shiori, Kumiko, Crash and Hana, an ironclad alliance had been formed with a singular focus on keeping her from pushing herself prematurely, however much she may have wanted to.

    Between her absence at the bar her family owned, and her sisters¡¯ preoccupations with other matters, Ranko had not seen much of her sisters since her injury, and it had been killing her almost as much as the incessant throbbing of her left knee. Izumi and Ayako had little to no social lives owing to having young babies, and Mei had been fairly constantly engaged as a caretaker as well, trying her best to keep Yui upright and sober through her sorrows. With her mother holding the bar they all called home together with her two hands while her daughters all struggled, the result had been that Ranko had been without most of her family, relying on the constant parade of bandmates and friends that Akane had recruited to keep her company and look after her needs when Akane herself was at school or work.

    The redhead waited until Yui looked down to make eye contact with her before speaking.

    ¡°You know, somebody super smart said something to me once that really stuck with me,¡± Ranko began with a soft smile. ¡°You¡¯re wanted. You have worth.¡±

    All four of the other Phoenix sisters, including the one who had joined the clan through marriage the previous July, finished the mantra aloud with Ranko. ¡°And you have people who care about you.¡±

    The lithe blonde sneered darkly at her own words being used against her. She placed her empty glass root beer bottle on the end table to her right, not especially gently. ¡°Yeah, well, if only certain people cared about me more than being the Vice President of Very Important Bullshit down in Fukuoka¡­¡±

    Mei sighed. ¡°Look, we know, Yui. You¡¯re hurting. We all loved Sakura. But, whether we agree with her choice or not, she¡¯s made it, and we gotta focus on the future now. Besides, you know there was some shit she did that annoyed the piss out of you. Try to focus on that. Like, when I was with Shin¡­ ugh. Dude just insisted on leaving the seat up in the bathroom, all the time. I don¡¯t miss that!¡±

    Yui managed a dark chuckle. ¡°I live with you, Mei, remember? I don¡¯t miss it, either.¡±

    Izumi sighed, looking down into the lime-green playpen in the living room where her daughter was currently teething on an orange plastic ring. ¡°I remember Sata ¨C Hoshi¡¯s dad ¨C used to call me sugar tits all the time. Drove me fucking nuts.¡±

    ¡°Ew,¡± Ayako reacted, her tongue stuck out of her mouth. ¡°So nasty.¡± She giggled at a bubbling sensation against her chest. ¡°Jun thinks so too, apparently.¡± She peeked under the shroud she had draped over her right arm, concealing her infant son as he nursed. ¡°Don¡¯t ya, baby boy?¡±

    Hoshi¡¯s mother nodded. I¡¯m so glad Hoshi is being raised by a real man now - but now probably isn¡¯t the best time to bring up how good some of us have it in our relationships.

    Ayako rolled her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ before Kage, there was Michi. Man, what a prick he was. You remember, Yui?¡±

    Izumi nodded. ¡°I remember him! He always had this weird smell. Like, garlic and gym shoes.¡±

    ¡°Ew! Gross,¡± Ukyo gagged.

    The blonde sneered. ¡°How could I forget? Most sexist piece of shit I think I¡¯ve ever met for longer than it took to pour a drink, too. Tryin¡¯ to tell you that you couldn¡¯t go to college or anything, you had to stay home and get pregnant. What a total douche.¡±

    Ayako snickered; there was something ironic about Yui making the statement as she sat on the couch with a newborn nursing against her. ¡°Yeah, he was kind of a pig. He even tried to talk down to my m¡­ my adopted mom, one time.¡± She cringed, and the other girls knew exactly why.

    ¡°You know, Aya, at some point you gotta let this shit with Mama go.¡± Izumi sighed, wrapping her arms around her eldest sister. ¡°She was doing what she thought was right. She fucked it up but good, but her heart was in the right place, sis. You know it was. Her heart doesn¡¯t know any other place to be. And she wants to hang out with you and Jun so bad.¡±

    Ayako toyed with her shoulder-length, rail-straight black hair, which she now knew she had inherited from her biological mother. ¡°Yeah, I know. I¡¯m almost there, I think. I just¡­ All that time wondering, and the answer was right there. It¡¯s¡­ a lot.¡±

    Ranko nodded, cuddling against Akane¡¯s shoulder in part to hide the shame in her eyes. She¡¯d still shared with no one - not even Akane - that she alone among their number had long known the truth of Ayako¡¯s parentage. Once she¡¯d warned Hana, and Hana had come clean to Ayako, there seemed little point in creating further drama within the Phoenix family with the revelation while so much was already going on.

    The lone brunette of the Phoenix¡¯s six sisters nodded with a sigh. ¡°I get it, Aya. It rocked all of us for a minute, too, not gonna lie. But Mama doesn¡¯t love any of us any different, and at the end of the day that¡¯s all that matters. She chose to be your mom when you needed her, just like she did for all of us, and that¡¯s not nothin¡¯, even if she did choose not to be a parent at first when she didn¡¯t think she could do a good job of it.¡±

    Aya suspired heavily, adjusting her dress under the pale blue shroud before removing it from her shoulder and unveiling her weeks-old son. ¡°I¡¯m not mad that she gave me up, Iz. I¡¯m mad that she didn¡¯t tell me all this time.¡±

    Yui rolled her eyes. ¡°She was probably worried it would make all the rest of us feel¡­ I don¡¯t know, like less of her daughters or something. Not that we would¡¯ve. I¡¯m not saying I agree with her decision, but I at least can understand it.¡±

    ¡°Can I get anyone anything while I¡¯m up,¡± Ukyo called as she made her way to the refrigerator.

    ¡°I¡¯d love a beer.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Mei said, glaring at Yui even as she answered Ukyo. ¡°She would not.¡±

    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, Mei! You¡¯re not even gonna let me have a beer? Like, hard liquor I get, but¡­ I¡¯d have to drink my weight in beer to feel anything, and you know it.¡± Yui clapped her hands to her thighs loudly in exasperation, but her younger sister and roommate would not budge.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°Yui, I haven¡¯t seen you sober in a week and a half. Please.¡± Mei sighed, sitting back in the oak dining room chair. ¡°So, what about you, Yui? Let¡¯s hear something about Sakura that drove you freakin¡¯ crazy.¡±

    The blonde sighed, rubbing her temples. ¡°She left.¡±

    Ayako cringed. ¡°Kinda walked into that one, but I think you¡¯re sort of missing the point of the exercise here, Yui. C¡¯mon, somebody else go. Somebody with a really bad one.¡±

    Mei started to open her mouth, biting her lip and thinking better of whatever it was she¡¯d been about to say. I¡¯m pretty much over what happened with him, but it still messes with Ranko to think about Mikado sometimes. Better keep that one to myself. ¡°Akane, what about you?¡±

    Akane blushed, squeezing her lover tight around her waist as she bounced Ranko on her knee. ¡°Well¡­¡±

    Ranko turned her head to look up at her wife. What are¡­ you never dated anybody before me!

    ¡°So,¡± Akane began. ¡°My dad¡¯s a traditionalist. Or, he was, before he found out his daughter¡¯s bi, anyway.¡± She giggled brightly, and several of the other girls joined her. ¡°So, he set up one of those arranged marriages and stuck me with this absolute jerk of a boy¡­¡± As she spoke, her fingers idly stroked the right side of Ranko¡¯s neck. The soft sensuality sent Akane¡¯s wife into a shivering silence.

    ¡°Oooh,¡± Izumi said, walking back in from the kitchen and perching herself on one of her dining room chairs. ¡°Arranged marriages always bring out the worst kinds of boys. Tell us everything, girl!¡±

    Ukyo blushed, both at knowing exactly what her friend was up to, and at her observation of the way Akane was keeping Ranko pacified and paralyzed with her touch.

    ¡°So, yeah. This dude. Ugh! Didn¡¯t think girls could, or even should, fight. He couldn¡¯t go more than about five minutes without calling me uncute or tomboy, something like that. Talk about sexist - he wouldn¡¯t even learn how to fold a shirt or cook an egg, because those were jobs for girls. And, like, he wore the same shirt and pants just about every single day.¡± As she spoke, she gently rocked Ranko in her arms. Her intent was to make her lover blush, to be sure, but only in praise of the person she had become, and everything the person she was describing had needed to unlearn in order to become the sweet and kind woman she loved so much.

    Akayo crinkled her nose. ¡°That¡¯s just nasty.¡±

    Akane smirked, continuing to tease Ranko¡¯s flesh as she laid her former life bare. Ranko, for her part, could only whimper quietly, coyly hiding her furious blush against her lover¡¯s shoulder. She couldn¡¯t even make a run for it; her aluminum crutches had been moved and leaned against the wall, far out of reach without assistance, to prevent anyone from tripping on them in the narrow living room.

    ¡°He was absolutely emotionally unavailable,¡± Akane continued. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t ever talk about anything he felt, and didn¡¯t want me to, either. Couldn¡¯t so much as get an I love you out of that creep in two years. It was obvious he didn¡¯t want anything to do with me, but he¡¯d beat the hell out of anyone else who tried to get close. And that¡¯s not even counting how the pervert used to sneak into my bedroom at night after I was asleep!¡±

    I¡¯m so, so sorry, Akane. Ranko sighed quietly as she remained enveloped in her wife¡¯s arms. You deserved so much better than the person I was back then. I hope you¡¯re getting everything you need from me now, at least. I love you so much.

    ¡°Ugh! Akane, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Mei reached out, putting her hand on Akane¡¯s left shoulder, her right being occupied by her wife¡¯s neon-red face. ¡°How¡¯d you get out of it, if it was arranged like that? Did your dad finally let you out of it?¡±

    Akane smiled warmly down at the top of Ranko¡¯s head, planting a kiss on it through a shock of bright red hair. ¡°As it happens, I lucked out, and he just packed up and left one day. Not long after, I ended up finding this little princess instead, and the rest is history.¡±

    Ranko didn¡¯t look up, but Akane could feel the flesh of her lover¡¯s cheeks continuing to warm against her bare shoulder.

    ¡°Oh, yeah. I didn¡¯t even tell you girls the worst part,¡± Akane said with a smirk. ¡°He was fooling around with what, three other girls at the same time? Maybe even more? Right in front of me, too! Wasn¡¯t even shy about it! Always lettin¡¯ ¡®em bring him food, hug and kiss on him, all of it. In my own house half the time, even!¡±

    ¡°No shit, right?!¡± Ukyo smirked at her friend in Akane¡¯s lap, not that the redhead saw it. ¡°He did the same thing with me, too! That two-timing bastard! Ugh! And with all the free okonomiyaki I gave him, shit, I could¡¯ve afforded to close the restaurant for a month and come on tour with Crash!¡± She giggled, quite enjoying the way the teasing was tormenting poor Ranko.

    Ayako leaned closer to Akane from her place on the couch, cradling her infant son¡¯s head tight against her chest with her hand. ¡°What was his name?¡±

    Ranko¡¯s wife smiled down at her lover, hesitating for a moment in thought before shaking her head and stroking her beloved¡¯s hair. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. He¡¯s in the past, where he belongs, and I¡¯m right where I belong now.¡± She ran her fingers gently through Ranko¡¯s bangs, before picking up one of Ranko¡¯s twin pigtails and tickling her nose with the end of it like a paintbrush. ¡°With the love of my life.¡±

    ¡°What about you, Ranko?¡± Yui prodded her youngest sister gently on the shoulder. ¡°Surely you¡¯ve got at least one dating horror story in there somewhere.¡±

    Ranko looked up, a dreamy expression in her eyes, after Akane stopped teasing her long enough to allow her to rejoin the conversation. ¡°I don¡¯t know what all you hussies are talking about,¡± Ranko said with a bright smile up at Akane. ¡°I¡¯m a good girl. I married my high school sweetheart.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡± Mei gave her sister a nudge. ¡°And what about that Eiji kid?¡±

    ¡°That was pretend, I told you,¡± Ranko answered with a groan. ¡°That shit don¡¯t count.¡±

    Mei chuckled. ¡°Was he a boy?¡±

    ¡°Obviously,¡± Ranko chuckled.

    ¡°So, then, clearly, he was gross. Dish, girl!¡± Mei giggled brightly.

    Ranko¡¯s face flushed even more. ¡°I mean, it was just the standard boy stuff. Thinkin¡¯ girls didn¡¯t know nothin¡¯ about sports, not letting me talk around his friends, sorta just treating me as an object to show off in his trophy case, the usual kinda crap. Ya know?¡±

    Akane frowned. I still hate that she went through that whole experience for me. But gods, it could have been so much worse for her.

    ¡°Was he at least a good kisser,¡± Mei asked hopefully.

    ¡°I told ya, I didn¡¯t kiss him! Ew! And he¡¯s gay, anyway!¡± Ranko made a disgusted face at the thought of it, the whole conversation bringing up memories of a week where half of her high school campus had been relatively certain she was pregnant with Eiji Kanda¡¯s kid.

    ¡°Sure ya didn¡¯t,¡± Mei snickered. ¡°Not even once?¡±

    Ranko shook her head and gesticulated wildly in the direction of the young woman in the gray sweat pants on whose lap she sat. ¡°Observe, Mei. See this? This is what I like. l like the people with the girl parts. I do not like the people with the boy parts.¡±

    ¡°Unless the boy parts are detachable,¡± Yui shot back with her trademark teasing snicker.

    Ranko¡¯s face caught fire again. ¡°Now, you just shut your damn face about that, Yui Fukawa!¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± Yui retorted with a smirk and a wave. ¡°It¡¯s not like anybody here doesn¡¯t know.¡±

    Akane snickered playfully at her wife. ¡°Are you kidding? Anyone who has ever walked down our street after dark probably knows.¡±

    The redhead squirmed in Akane¡¯s lap. The act of sitting there, being held like that, already made her feel a certain kind of way, and the current subject of conversation was definitely not what she expected to be discussing in front of her whole family and Ukyo. ¡°Even if it¡¯s true, a lady never tells.¡± C¡¯mon, bullshit social constraints! Save me!

    ¡°So what¡¯s stopping you,¡± Mei said with a snicker, adjusting in her chair and sipping at her root beer. In the interests of not tormenting Yui, she¡¯d opted to steer clear of alcohol for the afternoon.

    ¡°Look, you all suck, okay?¡± Ranko hid her face, pointing at Yui. ¡°You suck.¡± Her hand moved left, to Mei. ¡°And you suck.¡± Her hand slid back over to the right, to Ukyo. ¡°And you suck.¡± She squirmed slightly on Akane¡¯s lap. ¡°And you suck, too, ya know.¡±

    Akane smirked, tickling her lover¡¯s ribs. ¡°Yeah, but when I do, I don¡¯t normally hear you complaining¡­¡±

    As Ranko struggled not to black out from all the blood flow to her face, Yui cackled at Akane¡¯s comment. ¡°What about Crash,¡± Yui prodded through her laughter. ¡°I know you kissed him.¡±

    ¡°I did not!¡± Ranko¡¯s face was somehow even brighter red than her hair. ¡°He kissed me! I did not kiss him! There was absolutely no mutual kissage going on whatsoever! Zero!¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Mei and Ranko looked up to Ukyo. ¡°Huh?¡±

    The young chef blushed, hugging herself through her royal blue plush turtleneck sweater. ¡°Yes. Crash is a phenomenal kisser. Ranko, honey, you missed out.¡±

 33. Helping Hands

    Akane sighed, looking over the redhead sitting on her couch skeptically. ¡°I really don¡¯t wanna go to class today and leave you alone. I don¡¯t trust you.¡±

    Her wife groaned, throwing her hands up in the air and letting them fall to the hips of her sleeveless yellow skater dress with a loud thwap. ¡°Akane, don¡¯t be ridiculous. You can¡¯t just pause your whole life for me.¡±

    And if you can, you should fucking come on tour with me, not sit on the couch with me and watch shitty reruns.

    Akane shook her head with an exasperated smile. ¡°Princess, you are my life. I¡¯m worried about you. So, I¡¯ll go, but I¡¯m coming home right after my exam. And, so help me¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, I know. Don¡¯t do any chores. Just sit here and look pretty.¡± Ranko made a raspberry with her tongue against her lips, slumping back onto the couch.

    Ranko¡¯s wife grinned, reaching down and stroking her partner¡¯s cheek with the backs of her fingers ever-so-gently. ¡°I mean, at least you¡¯re good at it. You¡¯re definitely the cute one in the family.¡±

    The redhead blushed, shivering a little at Akane¡¯s soft touch. ¡°I aim to please, my love.¡±

    ¡°Then you hit what you aimed for.¡± Akane smiled, tilting Ranko¡¯s chin upward with her fingers and bending down to give her lover a whisper-soft kiss on her strawberry-glossed lips. ¡°I love you, Ranko. Now, can I count on you to be a good girl and stay put until I get back, or do I need to make another round of calls and try to find someone to come stay with you?¡±

    ¡°Butt. Couch. Understood.¡± Ranko giggled brightly. ¡°I love you, too. Now get going, or you¡¯re gonna have to tell your professor you¡¯re late because you couldn¡¯t stop flirting with a cute girl.¡±

    ¡°There are worse reasons,¡± Akane said with a blush of her own, shouldering her blue school backpack over her heather gray Minato University Athletic Department tee shirt. ¡°See you soon.¡±

    ¡°See ya, Akane! Love you! Good luck on your test!¡± Ranko waved, blowing her wife another kiss as Akane walked to, and then through, the door into the hallway, locking the door behind her with her key.

    Ranko bit her lip, closing her eyes and listening for the sound of footsteps on the stairs descending from their second-floor apartment to the building¡¯s main entrance below. Once she heard the steel outer door slam in the brisk January breeze downstairs, she turned to her right, smirking to her constant companion of late.

    ¡°Okay, Starlight, just so we have our stories straight: when Akane asks who cleaned the house, we¡¯re blaming Ziggy. Got it?¡±

    Taking the stuffed unicorn¡¯s silence as assent, she hopped up on her right leg, supporting her weight on it as she retrieved her crutches from where they leaned on the end table next to her and stuffed them under her armpits.

    I should¡¯ve worn a tee shirt or something with sleeves; these things hurt like hell on bare skin.

    Ranko sighed, looking around and taking stock of the state of the apartment she shared with her young wife. The place hadn¡¯t been cleaned properly in nearly three weeks, between Ranko¡¯s injury and Akane¡¯s grueling class schedule. She was embarrassed at the number of the couple¡¯s friends and family who had seen it in such a condition, as Akane had paraded damn near everyone Ranko knew by to keep her occupied and cared for. Keeping the apartment clean was something she considered to be her responsibility as Akane¡¯s wife, despite Hana¡¯s constant assurances that Akane was, in fact, just as much of a wife as Ranko was. With her leg still locked immobile by the hinged metal brace ratchet-strapped to it, she hadn¡¯t been able to do chores, cook, or cheer, and she couldn¡¯t work or perform either. She hadn¡¯t even been able to take a proper shower by herself since the injury she¡¯d suffered in her fight with Kuno, forcing Akane to endure the frigid water with her.

    She felt entirely useless, and she hated it.

    Not today, Ranko swore to herself as she hobbled to the kitchen on her crutches, surveying the sink full of plastic containers - mostly artifacts of food offerings sent home with Akane by Hana and Ranko¡¯s sisters to keep the couple fed while Ranko was unable to work in the kitchen. It had taken more than a year, but the Phoenix clan had finally experienced enough inedible disasters to accept that their youngest sister was not kidding when she said Akane¡¯s culinary skills were far beyond hope of salvation.

    The young couple couldn¡¯t afford to order in every night, either. Hana had continued to pay Ranko as if she was working her usual shifts; Ranko had asked her not to, but Akane had been accepting the money in secret anyway. As the arbiter of the couple¡¯s budget, Akane understood the reality that they needed the money, whatever her wife¡¯s pride might have had to say about it. Ranko¡¯s first payout under the new contract Nabiki had negotiated for Wild Orchid would be coming in a few weeks, and it was set to be the first significant check she was slated to receive from her music career. It was a good thing, too, because the list of things Ranko needed to buy before she left on the first leg of her international tour was staggering.

    Okay, Ranko. Think. How are we gonna pull this off? She peeked over the kitchen counter into the living room, her lips curling upward with the formation of a plan. She swung herself around the counter on her crutches, turning and leaning on the living room side of the countertop. She reached down for one of the rarely-used wooden bar stools that were tucked under the counter¡¯s overhang into the living room, picking it up and setting it upside-down on the counter. Slipping her crutches back under her armpits, she hobbled back into the kitchen, taking the stool down from the counter on the kitchen side and setting it on the floor in front of the sink.

    Okay¡­ I can do this. One. Two.

    Ranko gritted her teeth, planting the rubber feet of her crutches firmly on the pinkish linoleum kitchen floor. She pushed down hard on their handles with her arms with a grunt, hopping as best she could on her good leg. It wasn¡¯t comfortable, but she managed to raise herself high enough to plop down on the stool.

    Yes! Didn¡¯t die! Nice!

    Propping her metal crutches against the countertop next to her, Ranko popped the dishwasher open and swiveled the faucet to one side of the sink, turning on the stream of water to its coldest setting. One by one, she ran the plastic containers under the ice-cold jet of water to knock the larger morsels of food loose before arranging them as tightly as possible in the top rack of the dishwasher. She dared not reach far enough down to use the bottom rack for fear of falling from her stool. Ranko cringed as she removed the blue plastic lid of a large container Izumi had sent home with Akane a week ago. It had been full of lasagna once, but with the pasta long gone, the interior of the container had begun to smell.

    I promise, Akane, I¡¯ll never let it get this bad again. In fairness, you were supposed to be the one to do the dishes anyway, since I technically won the tournament, but I know how worn out you are. I¡¯d have cleaned all this up days ago, if you hadn¡¯t all but kept me chained to the couch under constant supervision.

    The redhead grabbed the bottle of dish soap from the counter, holding it over the little cup in the door and squeezing from nearly a meter above. She only got about two-thirds of the soap into the cup; the rest dripped around it. Gonna have to be good enough; I can¡¯t reach, she thought. Using the end of one of her crutches to pop the hinged door up high enough that she could reach it, she latched it closed and pressed the start button, grinning proudly as the sound of water whooshing around in the machine began.

    Look at me, accomplishing shit. Now, to get down from here. Ranko took a deep breath, transferring her weight to the kitchen countertop and sliding down off the stool onto her right foot. It jostled her injured knee somewhat, and she winced a bit, but she was down. Opting to leave the stool there in case she needed it for future chores, she plodded her way back into the living room.

    Okay. What else needs doing, that I can actually do? The floor needs to be swept something fierce, but I¡¯m not sure I can manage a broom on these damn things. She sighed in defeat at a pair of Akane¡¯s socks, piled on the floor next to the couch. She¡¯s gotta be about out of clothes by now. I was already a few days behind on the laundry with the holidays and the awards show, before I got hurt. She glanced through the open bedroom door at the overflowing gray wicker laundry hamper with a frown. Yeah, I gotta make a dent in that, somehow.

    Ranko gingerly bounced into the bedroom on her crutches, having to shimmy sideways through the narrow door to pass. Hmmm. How¡¯m I gonna carry the hamper? Aha!

    She lifted her left crutch, jamming it down hard into the hamper. She wiggled it as best she could, driving it as far toward the bottom of the hamper as possible. ¡°Okay, c¡¯mere,¡± she said aloud, sliding the crutch forward and dragging the hamper on the floor along with it. She put as much of her weight as possible on the right crutch while the left one slowly pulled the wicker hamper across the floor toward the bathroom, where the access door to the apartment¡¯s tiny washer and dryer was located.

    So focused was she on maintaining some semblance of balance that the sudden shrill tone of the doorbell startled her. ¡°Wha? Who would¡­ coming!¡± She attempted to pull the crutch out of the hamper, but it caught on a belt loop on a pair of Akane¡¯s jeans, and the force with which she¡¯d yanked it caused Ranko to topple to her side, crashing to the floor on her right hip.

    ¡°Ow! Fuck!¡± Ranko shimmied the half-meter or so across the bathroom floor to reclaim her right crutch, having freed her left one from the laundry hamper. It took her a minute and a half to carefully maneuver from the floor to the toilet seat, and from there back to a vertical position.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming, sorry!¡± Ranko moved as quickly as the crutches would allow to the front door, turning the deadbolt and pulling the door inward. ¡°Oh! Hey, Ma!¡±

    Nodoka Shimizu, clad in a beige kimono printed with large white and red flowers, waved from the doorway, but there was concern in her eyes. ¡°I heard a loud noise. Did you fall, baby?¡± The recent divorcee started to look over her daughter, as if damage done to her ligaments would have been visible through her daughter¡¯s yellow sundress somehow.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m fine,¡± Ranko lied, padding gingerly out of the way of the door on her crutches to allow her mother entry. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you today. What¡¯s up?¡± Ranko frowned, looking over the disheveled state of her apartment again. I freakin¡¯ hate that she¡¯s seeing me fail like this.

    Ranko¡¯s biological mother stepped close, pulling her daughter into a hug. ¡°I came by to check on you, and see if I could help with anything, since you¡¯re still not on your feet and Akane¡¯s been so busy.¡±

    The redhead winced. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ really sweet of you. I¡¯ve been trying, Ma. I swear. I¡¯m so embarrassed with how filthy this place is, I just¡­ it¡¯s hard, and Akane won¡¯t let me do nothin¡¯, but she really doesn¡¯t have the time to do it, either. Poor thing¡¯s fallen asleep at the desk droolin¡¯ on her homework three nights this week as it is. I wanna pull my weight, but¡­¡± She lifted her crutches off the floor for emphasis. ¡°I can barely even support my weight. Stupid knee.¡±

    Nodoka nodded, a matronly smile forming on her lips. ¡°Then, consider me your helper for the day. Let me know what you¡¯re most concerned with, and I¡¯ll see that it¡¯s done.¡± I do wish Akane could have stepped up a bit more around here, but if my daughter says she¡¯s doing her best, I¡¯ll have to take her word for it.

    Ranko sighed quietly. ¡°That¡¯s so nice of you to offer, Ma, but I couldn¡¯t ask you to come over and clean up after me. That¡¯s not how this is supposed to work. It¡¯s my job to be the housewife around here.¡±

    With a roll of her eyes and a shake of her head, Nodoka cupped her daughter¡¯s cheek in her hands. ¡°Nonsense. I missed out on two decades of taking care of you, sweetheart. I think I can manage an afternoon. Come on now, little orchid. Let me help you.¡± She smiled broadly, a gesture Ranko returned. It never failed to make Ranko blush when Nodoka referred explicitly to the new form of her name that she¡¯d taken on her wedding day, when Soun Tendo had adopted her as his fourth daughter and given the woman who had risen from the ashes of Ranma Saotome¡¯s life her own legal existence.

    ¡°Alright, if you promise not to judge me for how dirty everything is. I swear, I¡¯ll be back to keeping it spotless as soon as I can walk right. At least, until I go away, that is. I can¡¯t make promises for what Akane does with the place when I¡¯m in New Zealand.¡± The redhead giggled as Nodoka pulled out one of the couple¡¯s rickety dining room chairs for her.

    ¡°Yes, I suppose that would be an awfully long flight just to run a broom over the floor,¡± Nodoka said with a slight laugh. ¡°Come here, baby. Sit down, and let your mama take care of all this.¡±

    Ranko plopped down into the chair, leaning her crutches against the table. She smirked over at the couch, where her huge stuffed pink bear sat slumped to his side alongside Starlight. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re off the hook this time, Zigs.¡±

    ¡°I do wonder sometimes,¡± Nodoka asked as she scooped Akane¡¯s socks from the living room floor, ¡°why you chose to take on so many of the traditionally feminine responsibilities in your relationship. I wouldn¡¯t have expected that, considering.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s cheeks reddened. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡­ I know it¡¯s weird, especially for¡­ a girl like me, but I like it, doin¡¯ stuff for her. It¡¯s like, nobody enjoys the act of mopping the bathroom, but, every little thing I do around here is another opportunity to make Akane¡¯s day just a little bit better. And that just¡­ it feels good, even on the days where she doesn¡¯t notice everything I did. Sometimes it feels best when she doesn¡¯t notice, ¡®cause it means I did such a good job taking it off her mind that it wasn¡¯t ever on it, ya know? Besides, having grown up with Kasumi, she was used to having everything done for her, so it was kind of a culture shock asking her to pitch in around here at all. I mean, some stuff, I was always gonna have to do anyways. Like, I¡¯m not trying to die young, so I¡¯m not about to let her set foot in my kitchen. I just¡­ I don¡¯t know, I just like feeling like I¡¯m taking care of her. Is that silly?¡±

    Ranko¡¯s mother nodded, smiling wistfully. ¡°I felt exactly the same way when I first met your father. So, maybe that¡¯s a little bit of me coming through in you.¡±

    The redhead¡¯s cheeks darkened further. The idea of any mannerism being carried down to her from her biological mother, despite their long estrangement, made her happy to think about. ¡°I hope so.¡±

    ¡°Any ideas what you¡¯re gonna do when your career gets too busy to keep it up? I mean, this tour of yours is probably just the beginning for you.¡± As she spoke, the elder woman picked up a pile of junk mail on the dining room table, flipping through it to ensure there was nothing of consequence interspersed between the advertisements before depositing it in the nearby kitchen trash can.

    ¡°Hopefully by then, I can start making some real money doing this, and I can pay somebody to clean the house. Akane can go be a doctor and run her dojo, and I¡¯ll just¡­ sing.¡± Ranko sighed happily at the long-held dream. She blushed furiously. My music career started with Izzi trying to dress me like a maid, and it might end up with me being able to afford to hire one, she thought to herself.

    ¡°It sounds lovely, dear.¡± Nodoka frowned as she spied the overturned laundry hamper on the bathroom floor, realizing that was likely what had caused her daughter¡¯s fall that she¡¯d heard from the hallway. She bent down and righted it, opening the washing machine. ¡°How¡¯s your leg feeling, honey,¡± she asked as she tossed one of Ranko¡¯s dresses into the overhead front-loading machine.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I guess. I mean, it¡¯s still pretty sore; I¡¯m eatin¡¯ ibuprofen like they¡¯re candy. They offered me some stronger stuff for pain, but¡­ I don¡¯t really like that crap too much.¡± Not after it almost killed me when I fought Kuno the last time, anyway. Besides, it makes me kinda goofy. Almost as bad as Shin¡¯s baking. Ranko lifted her left leg with her hands, elevating it gently across the seat of another of the dining room chairs with a quiet wince.

    ¡°Have they given you any indication how much longer it will be,¡± Nodoka asked as she added a few pairs of Ranko¡¯s panties to the washing machine, leaving aside Akane¡¯s jeans for a future load so as not to damage her daughter¡¯s satin unmentionables.

    Ranko sighed. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to go back to the doctor a week from Tuesday. If they like the way it looks when they check it then, they¡¯re gonna let me start walking on it, with the brace, and they¡¯ll give me some exercises to do to build up a little strength in it again. They said they¡¯re probably gonna want me to keep the brace on it as much as possible up until the tour, just to give it as much time to heal as we can before I start dancing on it full speed.¡±

    The songstress¡¯ mother nodded. ¡°Makes sense, even though I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not what you¡¯d prefer to he¡­¡± She stopped mid-word, startled by the loud thwump sound of a solid object falling out of the wadded-up shirt she¡¯d lifted from the hamper. It clattered to the bathroom floor, bouncing slightly on contact.

    ¡°Yeah, I wish I¡­ oh, gods.¡± Ranko gulped at the sight of the object laying bare on the yellow checkered linoleum flooring of the narrow bathroom, and she immediately felt lightheaded from all of the blood in her body flowing into her face at once. ¡°I, uh, ma, that¡¯s, um, that¡¯s¡­ not what you think¡­¡±

    Kill me now. Please. Just toss my ass off the fire escape. I have never been so mortified in my entire life, and that''s including the number of times I got wet at the wrong times and strangers ended up seeing my tits.

    Nodoka, her face as flushed as her daughter¡¯s, bent down to pick up the oblong rubber item tentatively with two fingers, holding it at arm¡¯s length and letting it dangle loosely from them. She eyed it trepidatiously, as if she were concerned the item in her hand was going to bite her. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fairly certain it is, dear.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, um, ya see, it¡¯s like this, Yui and Sakura, they¡­ and me an¡¯ Akane, ya know, we¡¯re¡­ umm¡­ and sometimes when we¡­¡± Ranko stammered, burying her face in her hands. Only her damaged knee prevented her from standing and running out of the apartment in shame.

    Her mother shook her head, dropping the awkward item in the bathroom sink and jumping back away from it as if it were covered with spiders. ¡°I mean, I wasn¡¯t especially expecting something like that to jump out of your laundry basket at me, but I¡­ I suppose I¡¯m just glad to see you still get an opportunity to be a little masculine from time to time after all.¡± She tucked her brown hair behind her ear, clearly more flustered than she sought to let on.

    Ranko¡¯s face invented a new shade of red. ¡°Ma! It¡¯s not mine!¡±

    The flushed middle-aged woman in the kimono laughed. ¡°I understand that you¡¯re embarrassed, honey, but it¡¯s¡­ pretty hard to deny, given the circumstances, don¡¯t you think? You don¡¯t have to lie to me.¡±

    The redhead swallowed hard behind her hands. ¡°I, um¡­ I¡¯m not lying. It¡¯s not mine! I¡­ didn¡¯t say it¡¯s not¡­ ours.¡±

    Nodoka paused for a moment, and then her smile melted like ice cream in the summer sun as the reality of Ranko¡¯s words sank in.

    ¡°... Oh. But¡­¡± Ranko¡¯s mother raised a finger as if requesting a moment for her thoughts to finish coalescing around a sentence, her brow furrowing.

    Ranko covered her face in her hands again. ¡°Ma, don¡¯t ask if you don¡¯t wanna know.¡±

    ¡°Good idea,¡± Nodoka replied after a prolonged pause, her cheeks still a bright crimson. ¡°We¡¯ll just¡­¡± She reached into the clothes hamper, pulling out one of Akane¡¯s tee shirts and gingerly draping it over the sink like a shroud to hide the object of their mutual embarrassment from view.

    Akane is never, ever, ever gonna fuckin¡¯ let me live that down, Ranko thought, her cheeks still blazing. Please, gods, don¡¯t let her find anything else.

    ¡°This is pretty,¡± Nodoka said, pulling a pastel pink dress from the hamper and holding it up to get a better look at it.

    Ranko nodded, grateful for literally anything else to talk about. ¡°It¡¯s one of my favorites. I bought it for me and Akane¡¯s first date. It¡¯s actually the first dress I ever picked out for myself. And, speaking of, don¡¯t think you¡¯re getting out of our bet. I won the tournament, on a technicality or not, so you owe me a shopping trip.¡±

    The middle-aged brunette nodded as she added a scoop of laundry powder and started the washing machine. ¡°Oh, I know. You¡¯re right; you earned it. As soon as you¡¯re on your feet a bit, we¡¯ll go. I want you to be able to enjoy it too, honey.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± Nodoka¡¯s daughter replied. ¡°We¡¯re gonna drag your butt kicking and screaming into the twentieth century while we still can. We¡¯ve only got a few years left.¡±

    With a shake of her head, a chuckle and a smile, Ranko¡¯s mother moved the half-full laundry hamper to the side of the bathroom out of the way, opening the door separating the bathroom and the bedroom. ¡°I don¡¯t see why I can¡¯t just let my pop star daughter be the fashion-forward woman of the family.¡±

    Ranko laughed, raising her voice to be heard in the bedroom around the corner. ¡°You hear that, Ma? In the distance? That¡¯s the sound of Izzi¡¯s heart breaking.¡±

    Nodoka laughed heartily as she returned to the bathroom after having made her daughter¡¯s queen-sized bed. ¡°She¡¯ll survive.¡± She opened the dryer, where the last load of laundry Ranko had finished before her injury still waited to be put away. She pulled one of Akane¡¯s dresses out, shaking it hard once to loosen some of the wrinkles that had formed in the last few weeks. ¡°You don¡¯t keep your empty hangers by your laundry machines? I guess they¡¯re still in the¡­¡±

    ¡°Uh, Ma?! Maybe¡­ um¡­ don¡¯t go in the closet?¡± The heat from Ranko¡¯s cheeks could have powered the greater Tokyo metropolitan area for an hour. ¡°Sorry, Akane¡¯s just really particular about her stuff.¡± And if you open that door, after what you just found, I promise, you¡¯re gonna be in therapy for the rest of your life.

    Nodoka laughed, nodding in understanding as she put the dress back in the dryer. ¡°Well, then, is it at least safe to ask where you girls keep your broom?¡±

 34. Whatever Kills the Pain

    ¡°So, if you¡¯re dying to know how I feel about you now, turn on your radio¡­¡±

    Ranko scribbled in her little black Ranko and the Dapper Dragons spiral notebook, adding another line with a black disposable ballpoint pen before quickly slamming the book closed again and snapping her eyes forward. ¡°Oh, hi! Sorry about that! What can I get you?¡±

    The nervous coed standing on the other side of the secondary bar blushed as she fidgeted with the white ribbon in her jet-black hair. ¡°Um, two drafts and a Wild Orchid CD, please?¡±

    Ranko grinned, reaching behind herself from her stool and grabbing a cellophane-wrapped jewel case from the merchandise display behind the service bar. ¡°You got it! Want me to sign this for ya?¡± She reached for a black marker next to the cash register.

    The black-haired customer blushed, nodding sheepishly. ¡°Would you mind?¡±

    The songstress shook her head with a smile as she started to remove the plastic wrap from the CD. ¡°Not at all. In fact¡­ those girls over there at table sixteen?¡± She motioned with the back end of her uncapped marker. ¡°That''s Hitomi Uyeno and Emi Kimoto, my backup singers. I bet they''d sign for you too, if you asked ¡®em.¡±

    ¡°Oh, man, really?! That''d be awesome!¡± She giggled as Ranko blew gently over her signature to help dry the ink on the CD insert featuring a large photo of her laying in a field of orchids in her favorite white lace dress.

    Ranko took the young woman¡¯s credit card, running it through the imprinter with a loud ka-chunk and returning it to her along with the reclosed jewel case before reaching into the blue plastic rack on the counter next to her for a pair of pilsner glasses. ¡°You having fun out there tonight?¡± She smiled brightly as she tilted the first glass under the tap, slowly steepening the angle as the glass filled to keep the appropriate amount of foam at the top of the glass, just as Yui had taught her.

    The customer bobbed her with a grin. ¡°I mean, we wish you were up there singing, but¡­¡±

    Ranko nodded a bit wistfully, handing over both beers with a smile that was a bit less sincere than it had been a moment before. ¡°You and me both. Hopefully soon.¡± She softly dropped her fist onto the plush beige padding atop the crutch leaning against the back of the counter. ¡°Stupid things.¡±

    The woman sped off to rejoin her date, and Ranko looked up as she felt a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Huh? Oh! Hi, Mom!¡±

    Hana leaned down, kissing the top of Ranko¡¯s hairspray-stiffened coif. ¡°Hey, little star. How you holding up, honey?¡±

    Ranko made a noncommittal gesture that was somewhere between a shake of her head and a shrug. ¡°Alright, I think. Knee¡¯s mostly okay, I guess. Am I doing alright up here? I''m so nervous I¡¯m gonna screw this up and Yui¡¯s gonna murder me.¡±

    Hana smiled proudly down at her youngest daughter. While it was true that Ranko had never tended bar at the Phoenix before, Yui had taught her sister the basics before Christmas, before she''d reconsidered her decision to leave the bar and move to Fukuoka with her then-girlfriend. It was far from the best use of the young starlet¡¯s talents, but the bar was short both Izumi and Akane that night. Ayako was not yet ready to resume pitching in, either, and Ranko wasn''t sure whether it was her eldest sister¡¯s ongoing rift with Hana or the demands of her newborn son that was the bigger impediment. Either way, the bar was short-handed, and the redhead who had put the little hole in the wall on the map had offered to come in and do what little she could to help on one leg, even if it were just to park herself on a stool and be the blushing beer girl for the evening.

    ¡°You''re doing great, baby.¡± Hana rubbed Ranko¡¯s back through her mint green dress. ¡°How''s the music?¡±

    Ranko smiled up at her friend, standing on the stage behind a folding table full of blinking electronic equipment. ¡°He''s doing pretty good! I told you it was worth taking a chance on him.¡±

    Hana nodded with a smile, bouncing a bit on her knees as she vibed with the dance track pouring from the twelve overhead speakers. ¡°You were right again, honey.¡±

    ¡°... Hey, Mom?¡±

    Hana turned, having already taken two steps back toward the blue saloon door and the kitchen beyond, where no shortage of orders for pizzas and chicken wings awaited her. ¡°Yeah, Ranko?¡±

    The redhead motioned to her left with her neck, to a despondent blonde leaning over the main bar counter, idly spinning an unopened beer bottle on the polyurethane bar top. ¡°What can I do for her, mama,¡± Ranko pleaded quietly. ¡°She got me through so much, and now she''s hurting, and nothing I say seems to be helping. It just makes her mad.¡±

    Hana sighed, looking with worry and no small amount of pity up at her second-eldest daughter as she squeezed Ranko around her shoulders. ¡°She''ll be alright, baby. She''s a tough cookie, like all of you are. But, it was hard for her to let Sakura in, after what she went through the last time she dated, and this just cut her really deep. We should have expected it to, honestly, given her past. Sometimes broken hearts, just like broken knees, don''t get better with anything except time. So, all we can do is tell her over and over again that we love her, and we¡¯re here for her when and if she needs us.¡±

    Ranko nodded. ¡°And try to keep her from drinking.¡±

    Hana nodded, biting her lip and blowing a heavy sigh out over it. She looked bone-tired, but Ranko guessed her soul was far more ragged than her body, given how much she¡¯d watched her children suffer of late. Yui¡¯s drinking, more than anything else, was what Hana truly feared as it pertained to her daughter¡¯s misguided attempts to cope with her grief. She had seen alcohol destroy more good people than she could begin to count in her decades in the bar business, and she was terrified of watching it happen to Yui. ¡°Yeah, baby. As best we can.¡±

    With a soft pat on her daughter¡¯s shoulder, Hana slipped back through the swinging blue door into the kitchen, and Ranko¡¯s attention was redirected to the bespectacled young man with frosted tips who approached the bar after having descended from the stage. Her stage. ¡°Hey, Ran-chan. How''s it going?¡±

    Ranko grinned with a bit of a blush, spinning another pilsner glass into her hand and beginning to fill it from the tap. ¡°Good! Real good! You''ve got a great set going up there, dude.¡±

    Orochi Matsuda nodded, turning to survey the two hundred-plus revelers who were dancing to the pop record he¡¯d left spinning on his portable turntable. ¡°They seem to be enjoying it, anyway. You sure you won''t let me play any of your stuff? I bet they''d go nuts out there.¡±

    Ranko shook her head, shouting over the music. ¡°It would just set expectations for them, and I don''t wanna let them down. Mom won''t even let me get up there and sing the slow stuff until I''m off the crutches. Hey, where''s Ei-chan? He does remember I lifted his banishment, right?¡±

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    The young deejay shrugged with a chuckle as Ranko handed him the beer. ¡°Basketball practice. I figured he¡¯d be here by now, but maybe his train ran late or something.¡± He craned his neck, scanning the crowd again with his eyes. ¡°Speaking of people we can''t find¡­ where''s Mei hiding?¡±

    Ranko gave a shallow shrug of her shoulders, wincing slightly. They were killing her after supporting her weight on her arms all day at school on her crutches. She swiveled slightly at her waist to look back at the blue slatted door. ¡°She was gonna show Seiichi how to do inventory, so I guess they''re in the back still.¡±

    Orochi reached over the bar, a thousand-yen bill in hand, but Ranko waved him off with the back of her hand. ¡°Talent drinks for free. House rules.¡±

    The young man laughed. ¡°I don''t know about talent, but if you''re sure¡­¡± He jammed the bill back into his pocket without bothering to return it to his wallet.

    ¡°Hey, can I get a Dragonfire,¡± the slender brunette in the sparkly silver tank top asked, reaching across the bar and poking Yui on the shoulder. The rectangular chips of multicolored resin coating her shirt captured every colored beam of light from the tracks in the ceiling, making Hitomi look like a disco ball in stiletto heels.

    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Yui said glumly, straightening her posture and reaching for a bottle of rum. ¡°Surprised you girls are hanging here tonight. Isn''t it ladies¡¯ night at Steam?¡±

    ¡°Drinks are cheaper here.¡± Hitomi flashed her a winning smile. ¡°Bartenders are cuter, too.¡±

    Yui gave a sage nod, blushing a bit. ¡°Seems as good a reason as any, I guess.¡± She started to tip the bottle of rum over a mixing glass, but Hitomi¡¯s hand caught Yui¡¯s before she could invert the bottle enough for liquid to begin to flow from the pour spout.

    ¡°Hey. When are you gonna be okay,¡± Hitomi asked softly.

    Yui scoffed, shrugging as she put the bottle back down on the counter. ¡°Who knows? Tomorrow? Never?¡± She sighed heavily. ¡°It''s not getting any easier. It''s fuckin¡¯ supposed to get easier, Hitomi.¡±

    The brunette nodded, stepping up onto the footrest of a barstool, carefully minding her miniskirt as she sat on it. Ranko could not fathom how the girl didn''t freeze to death; even when it was snowing outside on a mid-January night, Hitomi wouldn''t be caught dead in anything that reached down as far as her knees.

    ¡°I''m guessing you haven''t¡­ ya know, been with anyone, since?¡± Hitomi''s voice was soft and soothing despite the thumping bass playing behind her. Ariel had adjusted the bar¡¯s sound system some time ago, repositioning the speakers to direct sound away from the main bar and toward the dance floor to allow customers to order drinks without screaming at the bartenders.

    The blonde glanced back at the backlit array of bottles behind her with a disinterested sneer. ¡°Got a great night planned with a really good guy, in fact. We go way back, him and me.¡±

    Hitomi scowled. ¡°Nice try. Jack Daniels doesn¡¯t count, Yui. I¡¯m bein¡¯ serious here. You seeing anybody yet?¡±

    Yui chuckled darkly. ¡°Just Bob.¡± She leaned her elbows on the counter, rubbing her itchy right wrist through the sleeve of her blue denim jacket.

    ¡°Bob? A guy?! You?! With a name like that, I''m guessing what, American?¡± Hitomi giggled. ¡°Spill it.¡±

    Yui blushed a bit, leaning in closer with a wistful smile. ¡°Sorry. Something Sakura used to say. Bob. B.O.B.¡± She lowered her voice further, to the closest thing to a whisper that had a chance to be heard over Orochi¡¯s dance music selection. ¡°Battery-Operated Boyfriend.¡±

    ¡°... Oh! Yeah, I know Bob! He''s great! Never could figure out how to get him to do the flippin¡¯ dishes, though!¡± Hitomi giggled brightly. ¡°You here ¡®til close tonight?¡±

    Yui nodded. ¡°And every night.¡±

    Hitomi bit her lip, glancing over at the blonde at table sixteen. ¡°So, hey, listen. When you get done tonight, why don''t you come back to my place for a bit? I bet me and Ems can find a way to¡­ get you smiling again.¡± She tittered brightly. ¡°Bob¡¯s welcome too, of course. The more, the merrier.¡±

    The blonde nearly collapsed behind the bar, her eyes wide as saucers. ¡°Wh¡­ what?!¡±

    Hitomi giggled, nodding spritely. ¡°C''mon! What''s the point of getting off if you''re not gonna, ya know, get off?¡±

    ¡°But I thought you girls w¡­ were¡­¡± Yui stammered, her green eyes turning to Emi at table sixteen as if she were afraid Hitomi''s roommate was going to come snatch the brunette from her stool by her hair for two-timing. She received a bright smile and a cute little wave in return, and it only poured more fuel on the fire she felt building in her cheeks.

    Hitomi smiled, waving Yui¡¯s concern off with her hand. ¡°Me and Ems, it''s like this. We like to play. Sometimes we bring people home to play with. Sometimes, we play with each other. Sometimes, one of us brings someone home, and we¡­ share. I mean, I guess we¡¯ll have to call Shinji and tell him we''re busy tonight.¡± Hitomi grinned devilishly. ¡°Unless, of course, you''d rather we let him come by anyway¡­¡±

    Hana groaned at the shrimp pizza on the aluminum tray on her prep counter, looking up at the clock mounted to the left of the bar¡¯s bespoke pizza oven. Come on, Mei. It''s gonna get cold. Where the hell is that girl? Sighing, she scooped the tray up, carrying it out to the front room. She bustled between Ranko, who was still conversing with the bar¡¯s new deejay, and Yui, who seemed to be trying to light a Dragonfire aflame with just the heat from her cheeks, for some reason. Still, at least Yui was smiling. Hana had not seen Yui crack even the faintest smile in some time, and it did her heart good to see light in her daughter¡¯s eyes, even in the smallest of measures.

    Dropping the large pie off at table six, she hurried back behind the service bar, wiping her brow on the sleeve of her ever-present black leather jacket with an exhausted groan. I''m getting too old for this shit.

    ¡°Hey, Ran-chan? Have you seen Mei or Seiichi?¡±

    Ranko shrugged as Orochi headed back toward the stage to queue up another song. ¡°Sorry, Mom. I thought they were back there with you. And I haven''t gone anywhere, ¡®cause I was told I''m not allowed to get down off this stool unless I gotta pee.¡±

    Hana smiled sweetly despite her slumped posture. ¡°Yes, you were. And I''m proud of you for listening for once. Good girl.¡±

    Ranko blushed. While the phrase had nowhere near the same effect coming from her mother as it did from Akane, it still filled her stomach with butterflies. It felt good to make Hana proud, even if it had been achieved by sitting perched on a bar stool and pouring beer in glasses until her ass had gone numb.

    The bar¡¯s proprietress sighed again, trudging back into the kitchen. She''s not out there, and she''s not back here. Maybe she''s not feeling well? She crept quietly up the stairs to the little apartment above her office that had at one time or another been home to all of her daughters save the one she¡¯d acquired through Ranko¡¯s marriage, careful not to make much noise on the steps in case Mei were dealing with a headache. She''d spent enough nights in bars with powerful sound systems to recognize the occupational hazard as the distinct possibility that it was.

    ¡°Mei, sweetheart? Are you alr¡­¡±

    Hana lifted her hand off the doorknob as if it had burned her, her jaw falling slack mid-word as she peered into the darkened apartment.

    ¡°Mama?!¡± Mei sat up bolt-straight in the bed against the white metal headboard, clutching the purple duvet cover tight around her chest. Only one of her trademark pigtails was intact, her bare right shoulder almost entirely hidden under a cascade of wavy, matted cotton candy-blue hair.

    Mei¡¯s mother turned her eyes quickly to the right at the sound of a loud thump in the narrow space between the bed and the bathroom door.

    Hana stepped cautiously to her right, peering around the bed. There, she found the flushed, nude form of her new server sprawled awkwardly on the apartment floor.

 35. Whats Your Name?

    ¡°I should¡¯ve worn my uniform,¡± Ranko lamented with a sigh, grunting as she swung her immobilized left leg forward between her crutches.

    Akane sighed softly, rubbing her wife¡¯s back through the shiny silver polyester warmup suit she wore and playing gently with the loose red ponytail draped over her shoulder and secured with a large, glittery silver bow. The words YUSUE LIONS CHEER were embroidered in bright, bold red English lettering down the right side of Ranko¡¯s body, starting just under her armpit and continuing all the way down to her knee on her warmup pants. Along with all of the many other things that sucked about Ranko being on crutches, it meant she couldn¡¯t hold her lover¡¯s hand when they walked, not that she could do that much in public anyway. ¡°Hey. It¡¯s not like they don¡¯t know you¡¯re part of the squad. Besides, you¡¯d have frozen out here in it, and there¡¯s no way you could have hidden your brace under that skirt.¡±

    Plus, if you¡¯re not in uniform, I don¡¯t have to worry about you trying to sneak out there and perform on one leg. I wouldn¡¯t put it past you otherwise, Ranko.

    Ranko blushed deeply. ¡°I can barely hide my freakin¡¯ panties under that skirt, Akane.¡±

    The raven-haired girl giggled, leaning in closer to her wife, careful not to disrupt the path of her aluminum crutches. ¡°Why do you think I like it on you so much? And your Minato uniform¡¯s gonna be even smaller.¡±

    The gimpy girl to Akane¡¯s right paused on her crutches, turning to face her with a smicker. ¡°And you thought I was doing it for the scholarship? I just wanted to watch you squirm at the thought of me in the outfit.¡±

    With a giggle, Akane held open the door to the massive auditorium that, as last year, hosted the All-Tokyo Cheerleading Invitational. ¡°Well, mission accomplished, princess.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s face warmed further. You¡¯d think I¡¯d be used to her calling me that by now, but it still gets me every damn time.

    She looked around the campus, at the hundreds of cheerleaders, families, fans and press bustling this way and that, and sighing quietly to herself. Things were so much different than last year. She hadn¡¯t come on the bus with the other girls, she wasn¡¯t in her uniform, and she knew she wasn¡¯t going to compete. Depending on what her orthopedic specialist said in a few days, she might not ever get the chance to perform with her high school squad again. In a lot of ways, it felt like even though she was still two months from graduation, she had already been¡­ moved on from in a way that hurt far more than she cared to admit. Shiori had to beg her to join the cheerleaders last year, and now, even though she knew she would have a new squad waiting for her in just a few months¡¯ time, the thought of leaving her Yusue squad behind gave her a sense of impending loss that she simply couldn¡¯t shake.

    Maybe it won¡¯t feel so¡­ unfinished¡­ if they win today. If we win. I¡¯m not gone yet. I might be on one freaking leg, but I¡¯m still one of them for a little while longer.

    Stopping at the doorway to the main auditorium, Akane slipped Ranko¡¯s pink backpack off of the shoulders of the red Yusue High Athletics sweatshirt she¡¯d borrowed from her wife in order to support her squad, holding the straps open for Ranko to slip her arms into. ¡°You gotta take this now. This is my stop, love.¡±

    The redhead nodded, adjusting the weight of her bag on her back and tightening the straps slightly to account for her smaller arms and keep its swaying from impeding her crutches. She sighed with a heavy resignation, nodding and looking up at the double doors leading back to the dressing rooms with an air of dread about her.

    ¡°Hey, Ranko?¡±

    Ranko looked up to Akane. ¡°Mm?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you. No matter what. Your girls have got this.¡± Akane flashed her lover a bright smile of reassurance, clawing at the air with stiff, bent fingers in what Shiori Nagata had minted as the de facto secret handshake of the Yusue High cheerleading squad last year.

    Ranko returned the catlike gesture with her left hand, but let the claw collapse into a loose fist at the end of it, which she then rubbed in a circular motion at waist height with her right hand.

    I love you too, Ranko. Go get ¡®em, baby. Akane nodded in acknowledgement, turning for the general admission seating as a tall, slightly pudgy security guard in a black uniform with a bright yellow vest held the pine double door to the dressing rooms open for Ranko to pass on her crutches.

    Ranko trudged down the narrow hallway, stopping at the third door on the right. A sheet of white paper in a plastic page protector was taped to the door, displaying the logo for the Yusue Vocational High School Fighting Lions in red. She tapped twice on the door with the foot of her right crutch, and a moment later, the door swung inward, where the squad¡¯s captain was greeted by its youngest member.

    ¡°Hey, Ranko! You ready to do this thing?¡± Kayo smiled nervously, walking alongside her friend as Momoe and Etsuko both waved to her in the doorway.

    The redhead smirked, lifting up the aluminum sticks under her armpits for emphasis. ¡°Well, I left this place on crutches last year, and we won, so, I guess we¡¯ll call it a good omen.¡± She moved forward a bit in the room, but in the bustle of thirteen nervous cheerleaders, there was nearly no space to maneuver.

    At least, not until a shrill whistle split the air, drawing the attention of all thirteen other girls in the locker room. All motion and conversation ceased, and the cheerleaders¡¯ focus all turned to Shika Fukita. The silver-haired sophomore had hopped up onto the long bench running through the middle of the room, already in her full uniform, and only once she noticed that she had everyone¡¯s attention did she remove her two fingers from her mouth.

    ¡°Everybody! Make way for the captain!¡±

    The crowd of girls parted, the young women congregating against the two rows of long mirrors and vacating a wide aisle running from the door to the back of the room. Ranko blushed as she trudged between the two rows of cheerleaders in silence, but her cheeks darkened far further when Kumiko began cheering and clapping her hands. She was joined by Rin and Moriko, and then by Yori and Mizuki, and soon, all thirteen of the active Lions cheerleaders were clapping for her.

    Ranko found an empty spot on the long bench, letting herself flop to her backside heavily. She started to set her crutches aside, but stopped when she realized the activity in the room had not resumed. Every eye in the dressing room was still laser-focused on her.

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    Oh, gods. They¡¯re waiting for a fucking speech.

    The redhead stood again, resting the knee of her uninjured right leg on the long wooden bench bisecting the room and distributing most of her weight to it, using the crutch under her left arm for balance only.

    Here goes nothing.

    ¡°Hey, girls,¡± Ranko began nervously, licking lips dried from nerves and the January chill both. ¡°Fuck, I wish I could compete with you all today. You all look so freakin¡¯ ready. Well, except you, Tami. Put your damn shirt on, girl,¡± she said through a nervous giggle. The spate of laughter that rose from her squadmates gave her a welcome moment to think of what to say next.

    ¡°Today,¡± Ranko continued, ¡°the people on the radio, and everybody else that thinks they know anything about this competition out there, are talking about me. I was listening on the train on the way in. Oh, they don¡¯t stand a chance without Ranko, Ranko won all these music awards, quadruple twist, yadda, yadda, yadda.¡± She nodded in understanding as a quiet, defeated collective murmur arose from the assembled young women.

    ¡°Ya know, when I joined this squad halfway through last year, nobody gave us a chance at this thing. And I mean nobody. Yusue hadn¡¯t won an Invitational in thirty-some years. No one knew who I was, not really, or who any of us were. We weren¡¯t the returning champs. We were the returning nobodies. But you know what? We left our hearts out there on that mat, and we made them respect us.¡±

    Etsuko whooped loudly. ¡°Hell yeah, we did!¡±

    Ranko swung gingerly forward on her crutches, taking a step closer to the girl who had silenced the cheerleaders for her as she hopped down from the bench to the floor. ¡°Hey. Tell me something. What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Shika Fukita, captain!¡± The silver-haired girl stood almost at militaristic attention in her red-and-silver cheerleading uniform. The seriousness of her expression was somewhat undermined by the streaks of sparkly silver puff paint under her eyes.

    Ranko nodded. ¡°Then I guess you¡¯d better go out there and show that crowd, those judges, your family, and everybody else who Shika Fukita is.¡±

    She hobbled a few steps to her left, looking up into the nervous blue eyes of a girl with bright lime-green hair tied back in a pair of high pigtails with silver bows in them. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°R¡­ Rin. Rin Mats¡­ subara.¡± The junior brushed her twintails behind her ears with trembling fingers.

    Ranko bobbed her head again. ¡°You were new to the squad this year, so none of these girls knew you. They were champions, and you were just some transfer student from Kobe that had never cheered before. Let me ask you: who is this, Lions?¡±

    ¡°RIN MATSUBARA!¡±

    The captain smiled warmly at the young dancer as their squadmates shouted her name. ¡°You see? You made champions respect you, and now, you¡¯re about to go out there and lead them.¡± Ranko lifted her right crutch, pointing at the double door leading to the arena with it. ¡°Now, you need to make everybody out there respect you, too. Can you do that, Rin Matsubara? Are you ready to do that?¡±

    Rin nodded resolutely, blushing. ¡°Yes, captain.¡±

    Ranko grinned, her sparkling blue eyes turning a half-meter to Rin¡¯s left. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    The squad¡¯s other silver-haired cheerleader blushed at being asked the question by her best friend, and further still at participating in the somewhat contrived motivational exercise. Still, she straightened her posture, answering in a bright voice that sought to minimize its nervous wavering.

    ¡°Kumiko Iwata, captain.¡±

    Ranko smiled warmly, addressing the room rather than Kumiko herself. ¡°You know, I had to talk Kumiko into trying out for this squad last summer. I begged her. She said she wasn¡¯t ready. She couldn¡¯t dance her way out of a paper bag. She¡¯d never had any gymnastics training at all. This girl thought she was too much of a nerd to even buy a ticket to an event like this, let alone compete in it. She was scared shitless.¡±

    ¡°She still is,¡± Kumiko offered quietly, looking down at her silver cheer sneakers.

    Ranko nodded softly. ¡°Well, then, let¡¯s ask the top squad in Tokyo what they think. Hey, Lions? Does Kumiko Iwata deserve to fly with you today?¡±

    ¡°KU-MI! KU-MI!¡± The girls chanted loudly, Aoi and Tanda pounding on the aluminum lockers in time with the cheer.

    ¡°Sounds like a pretty strong endorsement to me. I¡¯m convinced. They¡¯re convinced. What about you? Are you convinced, Kumi?¡± Ranko smiled, putting her hand on her friend¡¯s shoulder and giving it a firm squeeze of assurance.

    Blushing, Kumiko hesitated for just a moment before giving a sharp nod, cracking a more confident smile of her own. ¡°Yes, captain.¡±

    ¡°Good! Now, go out there and convince them, too.¡± Ranko raised her crutch to shoulder level, parallel with the ground, pointing it at a girl with a bright orange ponytail in the far corner. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Tanda Yoshida, captain!¡±

    Ranko swiveled slightly at the waist, leveling her crutch in the direction of the mousey brunette standing next to Tanda. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Mizuki Kajiwara!¡±

    On Ranko went, singling out each cheerleader in turn with a wordless point.

    ¡°Etsuko Araya!¡±

    ¡°I am Yoriko Shoda!¡±

    ¡°Aoi Tabata!¡±

    ¡°My name is Momoe Sada!¡±

    ¡°Moriko Ishihara!¡±

    ¡°Ayame Makino!¡±

    ¡°Kayo Morimoto, captain!¡±

    ¡°Tamiko Horiuchi!¡±

    Ranko smiled brightly at her charges despite her wistful sadness, recognizing a glimmer of hope in their eyes that had not been there a few moments before as she made eye contact with each in turn. ¡°I¡¯m graduating in two months. I¡¯m never going to compete in this thing again. So, I don¡¯t want you to listen to anybody out there talking about Ranko Tendo. She¡¯s a has-been around here anyway. I want you to go make that crowd out there forget my name.¡±

    Ranko reached her hand forward, fingers outstretched with her palm pointed to the floor, inviting her squadmates to huddle around her and join hands.

    ¡°I want every single one of you to go out there and make them remember yours.¡±

 36. Claws

    ¡°Are! You! READY?!¡± The public address announcer¡¯s deep voice rumbled through the speakers of the cavernous auditorium, rising in volume to match the roar of the capacity crowd.

    Hideo, clad in his fluffy red mascot lion suit, jogged out on stage, waving to the crowd as the judges reset their score sheets and prepared for the next performance. Ranko felt bad that he¡¯d missed out on her little pep talk, as boys weren¡¯t allowed in their dressing room, but Kumiko had shared the highlights with her boyfriend afterward.

    ¡°Remember what I said,¡± Ranko encouraged, squeezing Rin¡¯s shoulder tight as the other cheerleaders bounded after Hideo onto the stage. ¡°Don¡¯t try to push it. You don¡¯t need to do anything more than we rehearsed. You¡¯ve got this, Rin.¡±

    The green-haired girl nodded hopefully. ¡°I promise, I¡¯ll make you proud, Ran-chan.¡±

    Ranko beamed. ¡°You already have. Speaking of which¡­¡± Ranko slung her pink backpack around her body, letting it dangle over her shoulder in front of her and reaching into it. She withdrew a white binder, its fraying plastic cover plastered with a photo of the Yusue High cheerleaders.

    Rin looked closer as she noticed the cover photo had been changed, grinning when she recognized her own face in it. ¡°You put this year¡¯s squad on it.¡±

    Ranko nodded, handing the binder forward. ¡°Listen, I need you to hold onto this for me, okay?¡±

    The junior nodded, looking around the backstage area. ¡°Sure, Ranko! Where do you want me to put it?¡±

    ¡°In your bag, dipshit.¡± Ranko laughed, watching the shorter girl¡¯s eyes widen in shock.

    ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­¡± Rin gasped as her friend and squadmate gave her an emphatic nod.

    ¡°You earned it, Rin. No matter what happens out there today. You¡¯re ready.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d better be ready,¡± the announcer continued, ¡°because our last squad needs no introduction. Please welcome our returning All-Tokyo Cheerleading Invitational champions, the Yusue High Fighting LLLLLLLLLIONS!¡±

    Ranko smiled, gesturing with her neck to the stage. ¡°That¡¯s your cue. Go lead your squad, captain.¡±

    Rin bounced on her heels, looking around frantically. Finding nowhere else to put it, she thrust the binder forcefully back into Ranko¡¯s arms with a loud squeal of excitement, giving her a tight hug before charging out onto the stage, throwing herself into a trio of handsprings that carried her to the front center of the formation.

    A high-pitched male voice began pealing with no musical accompaniment from the speakers. It was almost painful to listen to at that volume, and a quiet murmur arose from the crowd at the fairly slow music selection.

    ¡°Whee-dee-dee-dee, de-dee, dee-dee-dee, oh-wee-bom-bom-bo-way¡­ Whee-dee-dee-dee, de-dee, dee-dee-dee, oh-wee-bom-bom-bo-way¡­¡±

    Each of the girls swung their pom-poms gently side to side, rocking their hips and swaying their heads along with them and lightly bouncing their knees.

    ¡°I¡¯ve gotta say, Isanagi. This isn¡¯t the sort of high-energy performance we¡¯d expect from the defending champions.¡± The young radio announcer turned to her fellow commentator. ¡°Has Ranko Tendo¡¯s injury doomed these girls before they even started?¡±

    ¡°In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion slzzzzzzzzzt!¡±

    The loud record scratch was punctuated by Hideo bringing the paws of his red lion suit to his cheeks in mock dismay as all thirteen girls froze in place for a two-count, their arms held stiffly at their sides.

    Rin felt the vibration of the sound system in the soles of her feet, the vinyl-and-foam gymnastics mat beneath her rumbling with the audio sample of a lion¡¯s roar. She rushed forward, tossing her pom-poms on the floor just in front of the judges¡¯ table and flashing the three-person panel a bright smile. Single-file, the other twelve cheerleaders followed her and did the same, adding their pom-poms to the pile and flitting around the mat in a circle until they returned to the center of the mat.

    ¡°Everybody thinks we¡¯re cute and soft and pretty! Everybody wants to come and pet the kitty, but little do they know who really runs this city!¡±

    Rin took the leading point of a V-shaped formation, with Kumiko and Tanda on her left and Shika and Moriko on the right. As one, all five girls launched into a series of two back handsprings, driving the chevron backward until it surrounded Hideo, who waved a white Yusue High flag featuring a bold red lion on an aluminum flagpole in both of his ¡°paws.¡± Tamiko and Etsuko ran perpendicular to the formation, leaping into the arms of Momoe and Ayame, respectfully. Each of the fliers were launched overhead, criss-crossing in the air over the whole of the formation in a pair of double twists before Kayo and Aoi secured Tamiko in a basket catch and Yori and Mizuki caught Etsie.

    Ranko¡¯s jeering voice flowed from the speakers over a high-energy electronic dance beat. Man, it¡¯s weird to hear myself singing and not be performing, she thought as she watched from a plastic chair an attendant had brought her backstage, trying her best to resist biting her red-and-silver-painted fingernails to quell her nerves.

    ¡°You¡¯re looking unsteady, ¡®cause you just weren¡¯t ready! Ain¡¯t no lettin¡¯ up, we¡¯re shreddin¡¯ up your banner to confetti!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Miho. These Lions sure look like they came to fight today to me, with or without their captain.¡± Isanagi Mikami stroked his chin, watching the routine intently from the radio broadcasters¡¯ table at the edge of the mat. ¡°Who the heck is this girl who¡¯s taken Ranko Tendo¡¯s place?¡±

    Her name is Rin Matsubara, the green-haired girl thought with a sassy smirk at the broadcasters. Don¡¯t you fucking forget it. Her body came alive, thrashing herself this way and that in a dance all her own. Ranko could barely follow the choreography she¡¯d designed at the speed with which it was executed, the newly-appointed captain¡¯s pigtails almost parallel with the floor at all times because her head had never stopped moving.

    On either side of the dancing cadre of cheerleaders, Kumiko and Moriko ran hard toward the back of the formation, where Ayame and Momoe awaited them.

    Ranko held her breath backstage, biting her knuckle hard. Come on. Come on. Come on. Please.

    ¡°You tried to puff your chest up, but now, we got you pressed up!¡± Ranko¡¯s voice rocketed from the speakers at warp speed, her voice more of a spoken rap than words being sung over the hammering electronic beat Jacob had assembled. ¡°You underestimated; I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s where you messed up!¡±

    In perfect synchronization, the two running girls leapt forward, propelled skyward by the interlaced fingers of Ayame Makino and Momoe Sada.

    Come on, Kumi. Come on. Come on.

    Each of the girls executed a flawless double twist in mid-air, with Kayo rushing up to join Ayame in a basket catch of Kumiko on the right, and Yori forming the second half of the basket that lowered Moriko safely back to the stage floor on the right.

    ¡°YES!¡± Ranko sprung upward from her seat to her feet, pumping her fist in the air in elation. So excited was she that she¡¯d momentarily forgotten certain realities of her current situation. ¡°Ow,¡± she whimpered pathetically, flopping her butt back to the orange plastic chair with a loud scrape that was thankfully drowned out by the sound of her own voice blaring from untold numbers of speakers surrounding the auditorium.

    ¡°GO, KUMI!¡±

    Ranko blushed with a bright smile. Even with some six or seven thousand people roaring in the auditorium, she¡¯d recognized the sound of a singular cheer. She¡¯d spent enough nights in packed bars and concert venues straining to pick out the sound of her wife¡¯s voice over the din to be well-practiced at it. Ranko scanned the crowd for the source of the sound, grinning broadly as she found Akane halfway up in section D and recognized the brown-haired woman bouncing excitedly on her feet next to her wife. She was still in her police uniform from the shift she¡¯d left early to be in attendance. Ranko could not see the face of the portly man seated to the left of Kumiko¡¯s mother behind his video camera, but she knew who it was instantly. Awesome! Mr. and Mrs. Iwata, I¡¯m so glad you guys could get off work to see this! Look at our girl go!

    As her silver-haired friend rocked her hips, beaming in elation and relief as she danced face-to-face with the lion mascot costume manned by her boyfriend, Ranko clapped her hands hard twice, refocusing herself. Okay. We¡¯re not done yet. Dial in. We got this, girls.

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    ¡°You. Don¡¯t. Have a shot! Might think you¡¯re gonna win, but you¡¯re certainly not!¡±

    Rin smirked, wagging her finger as she dragged her leg slowly across the stage, her hand on her hip under the hem of her red-and-silver pleated skirt. Behind her, Momoe launched herself into a back handspring, moving from Rin¡¯s right to her left. She bounced out of the handspring into a single twist, landing mere centimeters from Tamiko. Her feet had scarcely kissed the blue vinyl mat before Tamiko was airborne in a handspring of her own, her single twist triggering her girlfriend¡¯s handspring, and on the chain went across the stage until six of the cheerleaders had their turn.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be all covered with gauze, tore up all over because you weren¡¯t preppin¡¯ for the weapons at the ends of our paws¡­¡±

    When Ayame landed, she reached forward, grabbing Tanda by the wrist. She planted her feet, whipping Tanda to the right and launching her forward in the opposite direction, back across the mat. Tanda sprung forward on her wrists, reversing the chain through the second row of cheerleaders with her own aerial twist. Her landing set off Shika, who in turn prompted Kumiko, and then Aoi, Kayo, and Moriko.

    ¡°While we¡¯re rocking you, they¡¯re mocking you, in shock and awe! No use tryin¡¯ once the Lions got¡¯cha locked in their jaws¡­¡±

    ¡°Man, these girls are really locked in! You can really see the hours of preparation that went into this routine. You can¡¯t find even a millisecond where one of them is out of sync. Every single one of these Lions is laser-focused.¡± Isanagi turned to his co-broadcaster again, watching as all twelve girls behind Rin lowered to crouches, placing their right hands on the mat and shaking their backsides in synchronization as they moved forward. ¡°You really have to credit their choreographer for this.¡±

    ¡°Actually,¡± Miho Nakasone said, leaning forward into the tabletop microphone. ¡°Yusue squad captain Ranko Tendo is credited with the choreo for this routine.¡±

    The man to Miho¡¯s left¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Sing, dance, write music, cheer, choreograph. Is there anything that girl can¡¯t do?!¡±

    Walk, Ranko thought with a dark chuckle from her seat in the dark.

    All thirteen of Ranko¡¯s squadmates scraped their outstretched fingers along the mat, from right to left. As their hands crossed past their bodies, the girls began to rise to standing positions, slashing diagonally through the air with their outstretched fingers. They held up their clawed fingers at shoulder height, much like the gesture Ranko and Akane had shared in the lobby.

    ¡°Mess with the cat, you get the CLAWS!¡±

    Tamiko charged up to the center of the formation, and Rin, Yori and Aoi all surrounded her. Tami pulled her hand up to her lips, affecting a cutely enchanting doe-eyed expression as she rolled her hips in a manner that was anything but cute, her pleated skirt sliding dangerously high on her left thigh. The three girls surrounding her made a show of pawing at the air around her, orbiting her clockwise while the remaining nine cheerleaders danced in a wider concentric circle around the quartet counter-clockwise.

    ¡°We can tell you¡¯re smitten, but your moves aren¡¯t hittin¡¯, ¡®cause you¡¯ll never have the skills it takes to kick it with a kitten¡­¡±

    The outer circle of girls split apart as it stopped rotating. Kayo and Kumiko executed parallel back handsprings, taking stationary positions next to each other. At equidistant positions splitting the outer circle into thirds, Shika and Mizuki did the same to form another pair, and Momoe and Tanda a third.

    Meanwhile, Ayame closed inward from the outer ring, placing her hands on Aoi¡¯s hips and lifting her to a standing position on her shoulders. Etsuko did the same with Yori, and Momoe with Tamiko. As one, the three elevated cheerleaders launched themselves backward from their squadmates¡¯ shoulders, each executing a double twist in the air and landing in the waiting arms of the pair of girls behind them. As the fliers catapulted through the air, Etsuko, Momoe and Ayame all fell backward to the mat, pawing at the air with both hands and both feet like playful kittens as they lay on their backs as Rin danced alone at the center of the flower the girls had created with their bodies.

    ¡°Baby, honestly? Nope! But, since you¡¯re holding out hope, we¡¯re gonna tease ya like a feather on the end of a rope!¡±

    Ranko giggled, singing along with herself backstage as she bounced excitedly in her solitary seat. They¡¯re doing so freakin¡¯ great!

    Hideo charged forward, the Yusue flag in his fluffy mitts, and Ranko sat up in her seat. This had been the only new part of the choreography she¡¯d changed after replacing herself with Rin and Kumiko with Hideo. It had been in Ranko¡¯s original design, but Kumiko didn¡¯t feel comfortable enough to attempt it when she¡¯d been the one tasked with wielding the flag, so it had been cut. Hideo was willing to try, however, and Ranko had called in a favor to help get him trained on the moves in time.

    In the eighteenth row of section D, Akane sat forward in her chair nervously as well. Come on, Hideo. You can do it. Just like I showed you guys at practice.

    The boy in the giant fluffy lion costume whirled the flag over his head, spinning it around his body at incredible speed for someone whose dexterity was so hampered by the unwieldy mascot costume. Rin bent backward, mere centimeters from Kumiko¡¯s boyfriend, writhing this way and that with the music as the flag flashed around her on its aluminum pole. Despite the pounding bass raining down on her from everywhere, Rin could hear the flag whoosh through the air every time she narrowly dodged it with her dance.

    ¡°I gotta tell you, Miho, that Rin Matsubara is like a girl possessed out there, and this mascot? Good gods! Where did they find this guy? His name¡¯s not even in the program! That¡¯s what you get here at the Invitational, everybody! Come for the dancing, stay for the two-meter lions doing Shaolin kung fu! We¡¯ve got it all here, folks!¡±

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s cute that you tried, but you just picked the wrong side. See, that¡¯s the thing about a lioness: she always rolls with pride!¡±

    As the word pride hit, Rin reached up with her right hand, catching the flagpole as Hideo whirled it toward her. Hideo released it, letting her snatch it from him. She whirled it once around her body, leveling it parallel with and level with her waist. Bouncing once on the balls of her feet, Rin began to run in the direction of her squadmates, who had formed a single-file line down the center of the mat with no more than a meter of space separating each of them. As she charged her squadmates at a full sprint, each girl crumpled into a front roll under the pole, the flag whipping over their backs as they ducked it. As soon as the pole had passed them, each girl rocketed back to her feet, resuming her dance as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°You. Don¡¯t. Have a shot! Might think you¡¯re gonna win, but you¡¯re certainly not!¡±

    The line of cheerleaders split up into two parallel ones, with Mizuki, Momoe, Yori, Tanda, Kumiko and Shika on the left and Tamiko, Ayame, Kayo, Etsuko, Moriko and Aoi on the right. Each of the girls on the left reached across the gap, taking the wrist of the girl across from her tightly in her grasp. The six pairs frolicked in stationary circles, never releasing each other.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be all covered with gauze, tore up all over because you weren¡¯t preppin¡¯ for the weapons at the ends of our paws¡­¡±

    The six pairs of girls sped up their rotation to build momentum, and then, as one, all six of the girls who had made up the left line planted their feet, whipping their partners around and releasing them upward as they were thrown toward stage left. Each of the six girls who had been thrown went airborne, soaring some three meters and completing a triple twist before landing on their feet, each facing the judges as their feet rejoined the mat.

    ¡°While we¡¯re rocking you, they¡¯re mocking you, in shock and awe!¡±

    Hideo ran to the center of the mat, laying prone on his stomach in his lion costume. Yori charged up next to him, dropping to her knees and bracing her hands on the mat facing the judges. Moriko, the shortest member of the squad, stood at attention a half-meter in front of Yori as Rin tossed the flag to Kumiko, jogging to the back of the formation.

    ¡°Well, this is interesting, Isanagi. It looks like they¡¯re setting up for a big finish,¡± Miho said, sitting forward in her chair at the broadcast table in anticipation as Mizuki, the squad¡¯s tallest member, took a standing position directly in front of Moriko.

    ¡°No use tryin¡¯ once the Lions got¡¯cha locked in their jaws¡­¡±

    ¡°This is where you¡¯d likely have seen Tendo throw in the quadruple twist, Miho. With her on the sidelines, it¡¯ll be interesting to see what the Lions do here¡­¡±

    Bellowing in exertion, Rin took off at a dead run toward the formation. She did her best to tune out the crowd, her nerves, and the two quartets of cheerleaders that dotted the left and right wings of the mat, each of whom launched into a single twist from a standing position as she sprinted forward. She stepped with her left foot on Hideo¡¯s back, lurching forward and planting her right foot on Yori¡¯s shoulder blade through her bra strap. She carried her forward momentum up the staircase created by her squadmates¡¯ bodies, stepping on Moriko¡¯s left shoulder and then Mizuki¡¯s right in her sparkly silver cheerleading sneakers and screaming as she propelled herself forward toward the judges¡¯ table.

    She executed two front tucks, followed by a twist. And then another. And then a third.

    As Rin flew forward, Hideo stood, gesturing forward with his paws. Yori leaned to her left on her hands and knees, extending her right hand outward in a claw gesture. Moriko leaned to her right, mirroring Yori¡¯s pose as Mizuki slid downward into a full split on the mat, facing forward and extending both her hands in stiff claws and scratching at the air. Kumiko took a position behind her boyfriend, waving the flag frantically over his head.

    Rin landed in nearly a superhero crouch, her lime-green pigtails flopping over her shoulders. She let her right hand hover just millimeters from the mat to avoid a mandatory penalty for a three-point landing. Once her momentum had been arrested enough to demonstrate control and to avoid a deduction, she let her hand contact the mat, taking the same crouched pose that all eight of the girls that had done the single twists at the formation¡¯s sides had already assumed. With a loud roar, all nine of the posing girls dragged their fingers across the mat, slashing upward across their bodies in perfect unison as they rose to standing positions. As the bass line thumped to its conclusion, they smiled brightly forward before turning their outstretched fingers to face the judges, raising their claw-like hands in a threatening posture.

    ¡°MESS WITH THE CAT, YOU GET THE CLAWS!¡±

    As the crowd erupted, Ranko silently dragged herself to her feet in the dark, smiling wistfully as she tucked her crutches under her arms.

 37. Cracks in the Ceiling

    Ranko swallowed a gulp of room-temperature water from her plastic bottle, sighing as she dejectedly tossed the empty bottle in the gray trash can next to Ms. Zaito¡¯s desk.

    ¡°Hey, come on! Don''t get discouraged.¡± The diminutive drama teacher flashed her pupil a smile, but there was a little concern behind it that she didn''t fully manage to hide.

    ¡°I told you, you should have left Tsukiko in the lead. I  can''t  do this. We¡¯ve been trying for a month now and all I''ve done is sound like a frog in a freakin¡¯ juicer.¡± Ranko fiddled idly with her ponytail as she spoke. ¡°And I still haven''t even gotten through a freaking rehearsal because of my stupid leg.¡± She glared in frustration at the pair of aluminum crutches leaning against the teacher''s green chalkboard. ¡°I¡¯m gonna suck at this, and embarrass us all.¡±

    Ms. Zaito furrowed her brow slightly. ¡°What did the doctor say?¡±

    The redhead nodded. ¡°Next Thursday, I''m allowed to loosen the screws so I can bend it. I still gotta wear the brace a little longer, so it can''t flop around side to side, but at least I''ll be able to walk on it.¡±

    The instructor smiled. ¡°That''s gotta be exciting for you, honey.¡±

    Ranko sighed distantly.  ¡°Yeah, I guess so. I''ve just already missed so much that I wanted to do.¡± Indeed, she hadn''t even gone up on stage with her fellow cheerleaders to accept the trophy for Yusue High¡¯s second consecutive All-Tokyo Cheerleading Invitational title, opting to let the organizers announce Rin as squad captain and celebrate the squad¡¯s victory without her. She had told them to make the judges forget her, and when they had done largely as instructed, it didn''t feel right to take any credit for what they had done on the mat without her.

    ¡°And like, I have my tour coming up, besides your show, and I haven''t gotten to practice for any of it. No joke, I have nightmares about, like, falling off the stage and crap.¡±

    Ms. Zaito pulled her rolling office chair out from behind her desk, wheeling it next to Ranko¡¯s seat and sliding into it. ¡°Hey. You''re putting way too much pressure on yourself, kid. I can''t speak for your tour, but given how successful you''ve been in your music career so far, I think you''ll probably be alright. As for the musical, I have been doing  Phantom here every year for a while now. Believe me when I tell you, if I didn''t think you could do this, I''d recast you, just like I did when I swapped you in for Tsukiko. I''ve heard you sing the songs, and you have that all nailed. It''s just the acting part now.¡±

    Ranko groaned, her shoulders slumping in her school uniform. ¡°Except for this  impossible   freaking note you want me to hit. I''m straining as hard as I can, and I don''t feel any closer than I was before. If anything, I might be getting  worse.¡±

    ¡°Of course you are getting worse, honey. And it''s because you''re trying too hard.¡± Ms. Zaito sighed, letting her shoulders slump a little in demonstration. ¡°You need to relax. It''s all about confidence. Like, you told me you used to really struggle with the high C in Once Upon a Rhyme, but it got easier with practice. I''m sure some of that was practice, true, but I would wager that a bigger part of it is just that you developed a sense of confidence that you could do it.¡±

    She stood, her short frame leaving her almost at eye level with her student even though Ranko was still seated. ¡°Come on, let''s try together. Start your stretches?¡±

    Ranko sighed, leaning her head back and sticking out her tongue as far as it would go.  These stretches are so weird. I must look like a freaking iguana in a school dress, she thought as she retracted her tongue for a moment between repetitions of the stretch.

    ¡°Okay, good,¡± Ms. Zaito said after ten of the tongue stretches. ¡°Now, the yawns?¡±

    Ranko blushed. She actually was finding it a little harder to yawn on command these days. Between her inability to do much at the Phoenix, being barred from nearly all housework, and the occasional assist from the bottle of Percoset in her backpack when her knee was especially sore, she had been sleeping more than she could ever remember of late. It was such a foreign feeling for her, not being bone-tired every day.  Better enjoy sleeping while I can,  she thought.  Somehow, I don''t think I''m gonna be getting eight hours a night on the road.

    Still, after a moment of concentration, she yawned widely, stretching her mouth as wide as she could and vocalizing through the yawn as she stretched her arms.

    ¡°There you go! Great job.  Stretch  everything out in there. Remember to stay loose.  Relax.¡±  Ms. Zaito smiled encouragingly, her voice soft and soothing, like she was talking to a baby. Or maybe a puppy.

    Ranko blushed further.  Oh, I''m relaxed alright.  She sighed, glaring at her knee.  Freakin¡¯ Haru, not watchin¡¯ where you were going.  One of her classmates had stripped over her outstretched leg in her English class, and she¡¯d been forced to break down and take one of the white pain pills in her bag in order to get through the remainder of the day.  At least I don''t feel all braindead anymore. I swear, the only thing that makes me more of a ditz than those friggin¡¯ pills is when Akane touches me. Gods help me when I get my math quiz back. I''ll be lucky if I got my damned name right.

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    Knowing the routine after four previous vocal coaching sessions, Ranko began singing scales, each series of eight  la  sounds starting one note higher than the one previous. She started with a C4, stepping up through the octave until she reached C5. She then did the same beginning at D4 and progressing up to D5, and on she went, until she ran a scale from C5 to C6. She sighed, her posture visibly shrinking as she started with a D5, looking up at Ms. Zaito forlornly. Sure enough, when she reached C6, the scale¡¯s final attempt at a note came out in a flat, hoarse  croak  sung at perhaps a third the volume of the note before.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±   Ranko sighed, slumping back into her chair. ¡°It¡¯s  hopeless.¡±

    The teacher walked behind her desk, slipping her hand into the wide drawer above the knee hole and producing a green rubber band. ¡°Let me show you something.¡± She held up the rubber band. ¡°So, this is your vocal fold, right?¡± She hooked the rubber hand between her thumb and index finger, separating the fingers until the band was stretched to perhaps half of its maximum. ¡°And my hand is your throat. Here, pluck that. Like a guitar.¡±

    Ranko did as she was instructed, and the rubber band made a low  thrum  sound.

    ¡°Now, watch this,¡± Ms. Zaito continued, nearly doubling the distance between her fingers and causing the band to stretch further, thinning slightly. ¡°Pluck it again.¡±

    Again, Ranko reached over her wrist and flicked the band upward with her finger. When she released it, a higher  thwring  sound came from the rapidly-vibrating rubber.

    ¡°See? That¡¯s how we make higher notes.¡± The teacher relaxed her fingers, handing Ranko the rubber band. ¡°Try it on your hand for a second.¡±

    The redhead wrapped the band around her thumb and index finger, but as she tried to stretch her fingers apart, the teacher reached over into Ranko¡¯s lap. She wrapped her palm around the back of Ranko¡¯s left hand, curling her fingers around Ranko¡¯s hand. She held tight, preventing Ranko¡¯s index finger from moving any further away from her thumb.

    Ranko looked up in confusion. ¡°But¡­ you said you wanted me to¡­¡±

    The instructor smiled. ¡°So, we know that the rubber band, our  vocal fold,  remember, is capable of stretching more and making that higher sound. There¡¯s enough flexibility there that it can do it; you just saw it. But, we can¡¯t stretch it any more effectively because the area  around   it is so tense that your  throat  can¡¯t allow it to.¡± Shaking Ranko¡¯s hand in her tight grip for emphasis, she reached down with her other hand and flicked the rubber band, coaxing a low  thrum  sound from it.

    ¡°But,¡± Ms. Zaito continued, ¡°if we  relax the muscles¡­¡± She left her hand wrapped around Ranko¡¯s fingers, but released all of the pressure she was applying, allowing Ranko to stretch her fingers further apart. Again, the vocal coach strummed the rubber band, and a higher tone was produced as the band vibrated. ¡°See?¡±

    Ranko looked down at her hand in wonder.  ¡°Whoa.¡±

    The diminutive woman grinned.  ¡°Now  you¡¯re getting it. This is why you stretch your mouth, and hold it as open as far you can when you sing high. We want to leave as much room for things to stretch and move in there as we can. But it means you can¡¯t be stressed and tense and all  scrunched up.¡±  She scrunched her head down into her shoulders until her neck almost disappeared, affecting her voice with a strained twang like a goblin. ¡°You gotta sing like you  love it.    If any student I¡¯ve  ever  had loved to sing, I know you do. And I know you¡¯ve got the talent to do it, too. So you¡¯ve got all the ingredients, you just need to get out of your own way. One other thing to consider¡­¡±

    She reached down and plucked the band once more, only barely stretching it upward before releasing it. A lower sound, shorter in duration, was produced. ¡°You¡¯re so worried that you¡¯re going to sound bad that you¡¯re not putting any air, any volume, behind the note. So you¡¯re not giving the vocal folds enough  oomph to actually vibrate the way you want them to.¡±

    Ranko blushed. ¡°But, I¡¯m embarrassed. It sounds awful when I get it wrong, and I don¡¯t want somebody to hear me.¡±

    The teacher laughed. ¡°You¡¯re a  singer,  honey. Being heard is  the whole point.  Don¡¯t worry about sounding bad or hitting it flat. I¡¯m a teacher, not an audience. You don¡¯t have to impress me; you already have. Hearing it sound bad a thousand times until you learn how to make it sound good is  my job, and besides, nobody outside this room can hear you when you¡¯re in here, anyway.¡± She motioned to the black eggshell foam sheets covering the wall separating her classroom from the hallway.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s give it a try, but don¡¯t push it. Don¡¯t worry about the show, or any of that stuff. Just be a care-free high school girl who loves to sing, okay? I want you to close your eyes. Relax your shoulders. Chin up straight, and take a couple of deep breaths, okay?¡±

    Ranko complied, an infinitesimal glimmer of hope visible in her deep blue eyes before she closed them.

    ¡°Okay. Now, put your mind somewhere else. Don¡¯t focus on sitting here with the tyrannical,  mean old  drama teacher. Go somewhere where you¡¯re completely happy, and completely comfortable.¡± Ms. Zaito gave Ranko a soft, almost matronly smile.

    Ranko nodded, smiling broadly as she pictured herself standing alone on her stage at the Phoenix, facing out into the bar. In her mind¡¯s eye, Hana and Akane sat at the VIP table to her left, but no one else was present in the bar.

    ¡°Good, good. Now, try the scale again, and put some air behind it this time. Lift up your chin, and don¡¯t be ashamed to open your mouth wide! You don¡¯t have anything to hide; you brush your teeth, right? What¡¯s to worry about? If you sing it flat, then so be it, but sing it proud, girl. I promise, you can do this, Ranko.¡±

    Ranko fidgeted in her chair.  It¡¯s so much to keep track of. I didn¡¯t realize I was doing all this when I sang; I was just¡­ singin¡¯. But, what the hell. Here we go.

    ¡°La, la-la, la-la, la¡­¡±  Ranko lifted her chin until it was some fifteen degrees higher than parallel with the floor, letting her resonant sixth-octave C flow from her tongue.  ¡°La!¡±

    But then, there came an  eighth ¡°La!¡±  It was quieter, slightly more tentative, but it was definitely there. Ranko opened her eyes in shock, a wide smile on her lips as her fingers fell loosely to her throat.  ¡°Did I just¡­?!¡±

    Ms. Zaito grinned excitedly. ¡°That, Ranko, was your very first  D6.¡±  She poked at a key on the right side of her piano¡¯s keyboard, producing a similar tone. ¡°I  told   you, you could do it. You¡¯re officially  halfway there,  honey.¡±

 38. Trophies

    ¡°LET¡¯S GO, MYSTICS!¡±

    Ranko roared excitedly, clapping her hands. She would not be a Minato University cheerleader for a few more months, but she was doing her best anyway - at least, considering she couldn¡¯t even stand up to cheer with the rest of the capacity crowd in the cavernous college gymnasium. Thus, she found herself unable to see anything but the butt of the blonde coed in the seat in front of her every time the Minato Mystics volleyball team scored another point.

    I mean, at least it¡¯s a nice butt, but, dammit, sit down, lady! I¡¯m trying to watch my wife win a championship here! Ranko groaned, cursing the metal crutches leaned against the steel railing of the bleachers to her left under her breath for what must have been the thousandth time. It had been a month since her injury, but between her mobility challenges, the pain, and her agonizing absence from cheerleading, her job at the Phoenix, and the stage all, it had felt like a year. She felt like she was failing everyone in her life ¨C Akane first and foremost. Four more days, and then I¡¯m throwing those fucking things in the dumpster, I swear.

    She couldn¡¯t even dress the way she wanted to. Normally, she¡¯d have worn her purple Minato University tee shirt, which Akane had bought her in celebration of Ranko¡¯s acceptance letter, paired with her black pleated skirt, but doing so would have shown off the hideous hinged contraption that was all but bolted to her left leg, immobilizing it between metal bars that were locked in place with four screws. She felt like a robot in pigtails, and moved like it, to boot. She¡¯d worn her Minato tee shirt at least, pairing it with a long white skirt. She didn¡¯t really like it; it was super itchy on her Cat¡¯s Tongue-addled skin, but she¡¯d had to borrow it from Akane. Both of her long skirts with pockets were in the dirty clothes hamper, and between Ranko¡¯s leg and Akane¡¯s frantic study schedule, the girls were behind on the laundry, and almost everything else, too. She¡¯d been wearing her silver cheerleading sneakers every time she¡¯d gone out since her injury; somehow, she didn¡¯t think she needed the added difficulty level of using crutches in heels. That part, she didn¡¯t mind so much - while her ¡°show shoes,¡± as she often called them, were undeniably cuter, they never got any easier or more comfortable to wear.

    The redhead glanced nervously up at the scoreboard. Akane¡¯s Mystics were up by two scores, but the Asakusa Bears were staying with them point-for-point. Come on! Finish them off, she willed as Asami Yanda slid on her knees on the rubber court to dig under a spike from the defending champions.

    The white ball ricocheted off of the Asakusa striker¡¯s forearms and careened quickly back over the net. Nanami leapt toward the net, blocking the ball with her arms high above the net and rocketing it downward at the Bears¡¯ libero. She was unable to defend in time, and the ball crashed hard into her head, sending her sprawling to the rubber court. The ball rolled across the floor for a Minato point. As the blonde¡¯s teammates helped her up, the logo for the sporting goods company that had manufactured the volleyball was clearly legible, albeit backward, in the red imprint on her forehead.

    Ranko''s side of the bench erupted in cheers. Both Ranko and her companion, seated immediately to her right, held up their hands, palms facing each other at shoulder level and width, and twisted their wrists rapidly as if the hands were waving to each other. Ranko still screamed in celebration, but that was of little consequence to Nanami¡¯s longtime girlfriend Mitsuru Shishido. So, in order to be inclusive to her friend, Ranko used her hands to form the Japanese Sign Language sign for applause.

    Come on, Akane. One more point. Ranko bounced in her seat, ignoring the throbbing in her knee.

    One more point, and you¡¯re a champion.

    Nanami threw the ball upward, cocking her hand back to serve, and Ranko felt Mitsuru squeeze her hand in her lap in nervous anticipation.

    <hr>

    ¡°Hey, Ranko, c¡¯mere! I want you to come meet the girls!¡±

    Ranko sighed, glaring down at her the bulge of metal bars and bolts stabilizing her knee under the long white peasant skirt she had borrowed from Akane. ¡°Shi¡¯ri, not now. I don''t want their first impression of me to be when I''m all gimpy.¡±

    Shiori approached Ranko on the bleachers. She wore a purple crop top with three-centimeter wide shoulder straps and a purple pleated miniskirt that gave way to silver panels when the brunette¡¯s legs moved. The word Mystics was emblazoned across her chest, both in English cursive and kanji, in large silver lettering that sparkled with glitter. Silvery stars, scintillating with Shiori¡¯s every move, surrounded the lettering in an arc and trailed down to her bare midriff down the left side of her top. The shiny stars picked up again at the waistband of her skirt, continuing down to the hem along her left hip. On the left side of Shiori¡¯s pale, bare belly, four small stars of varying sizes had been tattooed in black, connecting the break in the two lines of stars across her articles of clothing. A large, sparkly silver bow adorned Shiori''s high auburn ponytail, and her cheeks were smeared with streaks of purple and silver glitter paint.

    Ranko blushed furiously at the sight of her former captain¡¯s uniform up close. I¡¯m actually excited to get my new cheerleading uniform. Poor Ranma is rolling in his grave - or he would be, if he had one. I guess, technically, he¡¯s buried inside me. She smirked with a quiet little chuckle that none of the other volleyball fans sitting around her heard. So, he¡¯s doing quadruple twists in his grave. Or, he will be when I get out of this fucking brace, anyway. When I get my own set of those in a few months, I won''t be able to walk for a whole different reason. Akane will make sure of it. I hope the tattoos aren''t mandatory, though, ¡®cause with the Cat¡¯s Tongue¡­ no thank you.

    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, Ran-chan. They''re athletes. They know injuries happen. It''s nothing to be ashamed of. And you get so loud in here when Akane¡¯s playing, they kind of already consider you an honorary member of the squad, anyway.¡± Shiori leaned down to offer Ranko a hand to her feet, stabilizing her friend until she could get her crutches situated under her armpits.

    With Shiori going before her to help push a path through the crowd, Ranko carefully plodded down the steps of the plasticized bleachers to the bottom. Shiori moved an aluminum barrier out of the way for her as she scooted sideways past it onto the volleyball court on her crutches.

    ¡°Hey, girls,¡± Shiori said as the pair approached. ¡°I want you to formally meet Ranko Tendo.¡±

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    Fourteen other cheerleaders huddled around Ranko, firing questions too quickly to be independently understood, let alone answered. Ranko glanced up at her friend, panic in her eyes, until Shiori calmed them down with a downward gesture with both of her outstretched palms. ¡°One at a time, girls! Don¡¯t scare her off!¡±

    ¡°Hey, Ranko,¡± a tall, svelte cheerleader with long, wavy raven-black hair said, and the rest of the squad silenced to allow her to speak. She must be the captain, Ranko thought to herself with a smile. Other than Akane, that''s probably the prettiest woman I''ve ever seen in my life.

    ¡°Hi,¡± Ranko stammered, mentally admonishing herself for even noticing another girl was pretty. ¡°Your squad is awesome. I can''t wait to officially be a Pixie in a few months and fly with you all.¡± She tapped her leg gently with her crutch. ¡°After I can walk, anyway.¡±

    The young woman grinned brightly. ¡°She even knows the name of the squad. Nice! You''ve been doing your homework! Name¡¯s Yasuko Machiro. You won''t be flying with me, sadly. As cool as it would''ve been to perform with a real pop star, I gotta blow this joint. I''m starting a master¡¯s program in aerospace engineering out in Nagano next term.¡±

    ¡°Right on,¡± Ranko enthused with a smile and a nod. A freakin¡¯ literal rocket scientist. How cool is that? I can''t believe I used to think all cheerleaders were dumb. Just one of a million things I had wrong about girls before I learned how to be one.

    The redhead let go of the handles of her crutches, gripping them with her armpits and holding all of her weight on her right foot. Ranko lifted her hands up to chin level and shoulder width, wiggling her fingers as she tilted her arms slightly outward as if she was spreading invisible glitter in front of her. When her arms reached about fifteen degrees of tilt from vertical, she extended her index, middle and ring fingers skyward, cocking her head with a wink and a cute smile.

    ¡°I might have been practicing a little.¡± Ranko giggled, smiling up at Shiori in gratitude for having taught her the gesture. Much like the clawing gesture her friend had invented had become a calling card for the Yusue cheerleading squad - having inspired the song Ranko had recorded for their second Invitational championship - the ¡°Pixie dust¡± had become an almost secret club handshake for the Minato squad. ¡°As much as I can from the couch, anyhow. I¡¯m just so excited!¡±

    An orange-haired girl to Ranko¡¯s right grinned, nodding emphatically. Her pale face was liberally dotted with bright orange freckles. ¡°I like this one. You¡¯re gonna fit in great with us, Ranko. My name¡¯s Minori. It¡¯s great to meet you!¡±

    ¡°You too,¡± Ranko said, blushing a bit as she smiled.

    To Minori¡¯s left, a lanky young woman with long, wavy platinum blonde hair smirked down at Ranko. She was very tall, and there was something in the confident, almost sassy way she carried herself that reminded Ranko of Yui. At least, before Yui fell apart, Ranko mused sadly.

    ¡°Suzume Nomura. It¡¯s good to meet ya, Ranko. Congrats on winning the Invitational!¡± She smirked. ¡°Two years in a row, even if you did beat out my Archers for the first one.¡±

    Ranko shrugged, giggling. ¡°Thanks! I¡¯d say I was sorry, but I¡¯m not really sure I¡¯d mean it.¡±

    Suzume laughed. ¡°Well, we¡¯re all Pixies now, so I suppose I can forgive ya.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d better,¡± said a short brunette as she squeezed Suzume around the waist. She was much shorter than Suzume - indeed, most of the squad was - and the right side of her brown pixie cut was decorated with a row of six tiny barrette clips decorated with pink and purple bows. ¡°Shizuka Araya. Good to finally meet¡¯cha, Ranko.¡±

    Ranko blinked. ¡°Araya? You¡¯re not¡­?¡±

    Shizuka nodded, grinning broadly. ¡°Yeah, Etsuko¡¯s my little sister. So, I¡¯ve heard all about you.¡±

    ¡°Welp, I¡¯m in trouble,¡± Ranko said, giggling with her future squadmates.

    The brunette waved her left hand, the diamond solitaire of her engagement ring sparkling under the gymnasium lights. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s all good stuff!¡±

    ¡°Then Etsie¡¯s a big ol¡¯ liar,¡± Ranko said, blushing with a bright smile.

    ¡°Nah, she knows what she¡¯s talking about,¡± said another, taller brunette, this one far more familiar to Ranko. There was a cordial smile on her lips and a softness in her green eyes.

    ¡°Hey, Kotone,¡± Ranko said mutedly with a blush and a wave. The two hadn¡¯t always been the best of friends; when they¡¯d both been on the Yusue squad, Kotone had chafed hard under Ranko¡¯s leadership style before Shiori - and a squad-wide walkout Kotone had led - convinced her to lighten up. But, in the weeks after the Lions had won their first All-Tokyo Cheerleading Invitational, before Kotone graduated, the girls had discovered that shared victory goes a long way toward soothing old wounds.

    ¡°If you ladies don¡¯t mind, I believe you have something that belongs to me.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s blue eyes brightened at the sound of the familiar voice, and the cheerleaders parted to make way for Akane as she emerged from the Mystics¡¯ locker room in a pair of blue jeans and a pastel green corset shirt. ¡°Hey, champ!¡±

    Akane hugged Ranko tight around the waist, picking her up off the ground and spinning her in the air as her crutches clattered to the gymnasium floor. ¡°We did it!¡±

    The redhead giggled brightly into her wife¡¯s beaming face. Every shred of her soul wanted to reach down and pull Akane into a kiss, but there were still too many people filtering out of the arena. ¡°Yeah you did! I¡¯m so freakin¡¯ proud of you, Akane! I mean, it would¡¯a been great if you could have waited until I got to formally be a Minato cheerleader for you, but¡­¡±

    Grinning, Akane set her down gently, supporting her weight in her arms until Shiori returned Ranko¡¯s crutches to her. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll tell you what. We¡¯ll just have to win again next year, just for you. Do we have a deal, my little pixie princess?¡± She reached out, flicking the little silver heart dangling from Ranko¡¯s black lace choker with her index finger.

    Ranko blushed, nodding emphatically. The look on her face made Akane squirm a little, the same dreamy, madly-in-love facial expression that her wife had worn nearly all day at their wedding - an early-morning encounter with her biological father notwithstanding. ¡°Deal! I¡¯m gonna hold you to that, you know.¡±

    Suzume smirked, leaning on Akane¡¯s shoulder from behind with her elbow, her hair cascading over the front of Akane¡¯s shirt. ¡°We all will, captain.¡±

 39. Exes and Bros

    ¡°Holy fuck, Crash! It¡¯s¡­¡±

    Ranko¡¯s blue eyes were the size of saucers as she scanned the massive indoor space. What had been an empty warehouse with a plywood stage not much bigger than the one at the Phoenix before her knee injury a month ago had been entirely transformed. The north wall of the building was covered with a huge poster wallpapering nearly the entire sixty-meter-wide span, printed with an enormous panoramic photograph of a packed crowd in a large stadium.

    A scant forty or so white padded folding plastic chairs were lined in two parallel rows running through the middle of the room, and a quartet of gray folding tables along the east wall overflowed with snacks, coffee machines, and other creature comforts.

    But, at the south end of the building, Ariel, Masa and the roadies had practically built a whole-ass stadium. A stage nearly double the size of the one she¡¯d performed on at the Japan Record Awards sprawled in front of her, the stage floor raised over three meters off the floor of the two-story open space. The center of the south wall behind the stage was lined with a large screen some six meters high and half the width of the stage, currently displaying a projection of a black background and thousands of little twinkling stars. Huge trusses of lights and speakers hung this way and that, with orange and green cords zip-tied everywhere to power everything and run audio and data connections. The back left and right corners of the stage were curtained off, creating small areas for quick costume changes out of the view of the mock audience spackled onto the back wall with poster tack. Small doors were cut into the stage platform at intervals to allow the roadies access to get under it. For what, Ranko could not guess. Maybe it¡¯s where they keep the boxes they¡¯re gonna ship all this shit in, she wondered.

    ¡°They¡¯re gonna build all that¡­¡± Ranko looked up at Crash, her eyes alight with wonder. ¡°... everywhere we go?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve got it down to eight hours. The goal is to do it in six.¡±

    Ranko turned her head, smiling up - way up - into the face of Lance Riker. ¡°You mean, you didn¡¯t build all of that just once?¡±

    Lance laughed, shaking his head with a bright smile. ¡°We tear it down and put it back up every other day! Did you really think this whole setup was just so you and the boys in the band could practice?¡±

    Ranko blushed, fiddling with her hair. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s fair. It¡¯s just¡­ wow. It¡¯s beautiful. Like, I figured they¡¯d give us a couple of banners and a guitar stand and call it a day. This is just¡­ incredible!¡±

    The enormous veteran chuckled. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t take credit for all that. Ariel, Masa and them did the designs. I just, ya know¡­¡±

    ¡°Pick things up, and put things down,¡± Crash said with a chuckle, having heard the roadie¡¯s catchphrase enough times in the month their star had been absent to have memorized it.

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Lance gave a deep belly laugh, looking the redheaded girl in the sky blue dress over and beaming. ¡°How¡¯s the leg holding up, Ran-chan?¡±

    Ranko lifted the calf-length skirt of her dress a few centimeters, revealing a set of four flat steel bars, in two pairs on either side of her left knee that hinged on a single bolt each to allow her leg to bend for the first time in over a month. The contraption was strapped to her knee with a series of long black Velcro straps. Leaning on Crash¡¯s arm for support, she lifted her leg off the ground, slowly bending it back and forth in the brace, which squeaked slightly as she moved. ¡°Getting there. It¡¯s just good to be on my feet again!¡±

    Lance nodded. ¡°Yeah, I know the feeling. I messed up my leg when I was in the service, and I was out of commission for almost three whole months. Never played so much Nintendo in my whole life. I was bored outta my friggin¡¯ skull.¡± As usual, he spoke with the pair in English.

    The redhead gasped. ¡°Did you get shot?!¡±

    The veteran smiled, shaking his head. ¡°Freaking basketball game.¡± Something about the look in his eyes left Ranko wondering if he was being entirely honest with her, but she thought better than to press further. Gods know I¡¯ve got my share of shit I don¡¯t like to talk about, she considered.

    Ranko let her dress fall back around her calves, beaming. She tried to maintain respectful eye contact with her teammates, but she just couldn¡¯t stop stealing glances up at the stage. Her stage. Crash must have noticed, because he leaned down to her, grinning mischievously. ¡°You wanna get up there and check it out?¡±

    ¡°Oh, gods, Crash, do I!¡± Ranko bounced on her good leg, squealing excitedly.

    The guitarist offered her his right arm, his elbow extended out to her. ¡°My lady?¡±

    The redhead blushed deeply, looking down at his leather-clad arm with a soft, coy smile. ¡°Why¡­¡± She looked down, brushing her wavy red hair out of her eyes with pink-manicured fingertips. ¡°Thank you, kind sir.¡± She gripped his arm, leaning a bit of her weight on it each time she stepped on her left leg. Her cheeks darkened further as she realized how similar the feeling was to when Nodoka had walked her down the aisle at her wedding.

    They were three-quarters of the way across the cavernous space when Ranko stopped, her grip on her best friend¡¯s arm prompting Crash to pause as well.

    ¡°You okay, Ran-chan?¡± The guitarist looked down at her with concern. ¡°Was I going too fast?¡±

    ¡°Crash¡­ thank you.¡±

    The tall young man laughed, running his hand through his spiky blond hair. ¡°Oh, come on. Don¡¯t mention it. The last thing I need is you jacking your leg up again. Of course I¡¯m gonna help ya, dipshit.¡±

    Ranko shook her head, patting his forearm softly with her hand and smiling sincerely up into his green eyes. ¡°No, Crash. Thank you. All of this? All my songs, the band, this tour¡­ you did this for me. You found me in that shithole of a place Takao ran, and I was just a terrified nobody, and you made me¡­ all of this. I owe it all to you. All this time I¡¯ve been laid up, I¡¯ve been thinking about it, missing it, and it just made me realize how grateful I really am. I feel like I never properly said thank you.¡±

    Crash waved his left hand, his right arm still tight in his friend and former crush¡¯s grasp. ¡°You won a couple of Japan Record Awards for the way you said thank you, if memory serves.¡±

    Again, Ranko emphatically shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s one thing to tell a crowd, or sing it into a recorder. It¡¯s another thing to look my best friend in the face and tell him I wouldn¡¯t have the life I love without him. I¡¯ll never forget it, Noboyuki. I mean it.¡±

    The young man¡¯s smile softened, becoming at once more serious and more sincere at the sound of his true name. ¡°Ranko, in case you didn¡¯t notice, me and Ken and Shin were all in that exact same shithole when we met. Hitomi and Ems, too. None of us were going anywhere either. You were always the missing piece. In fact, you know what?¡± He turned to the back of the room, yelling toward a dark corner. ¡°Ariel! Light it up!¡±

    A soaring electronic synthesizer riff came from the giant speakers mounted around the stage, and Ranko snapped her eyes up in its direction. She gasped as the image projected on the giant screen behind it began to move. Slowly, across the black background and the twinkling stars, a hot pink line began to appear, as if a giant invisible hand were writing on the back wall with a marker. As she watched, the animation drew out her feminine signature over the course of four seconds, complete with a little plop sound as the lopsided outline of a heart appeared at the end of the five romaji characters.

    ¡°Last I checked, it didn¡¯t say Crash up there.¡± The guitarist beamed down at her, wrapping her tightly in a hug. His voice lowered to a soothing, gentle tone as he spoke centimeters from her right ear. ¡°You might not have been world-famous when I met you, Ranko Tendo, but you were never a nobody.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s cheeks burned as she wiped a tear from them, burying her face in his chest and breathing deep of the black leather jacket he was almost never without. Between him and Hana, she had conditioned herself to relax at the smell of leather almost as much as at the feel of hugs themselves. Oh, Crash, if you only knew how long I went where I didn¡¯t even have a name of my own.

    ¡°So, listen, Ran-chan,¡± Crash said in nearly a whisper as he released her and they resumed their slow walk to the stage, Ranko having re-taken his forearm for support. ¡°I think you need to tell the guys about that whole Cat¡¯s Tongue thing. Or, at least, Masa.¡±

    The songstress shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want anybody knowing. My sisters don¡¯t even know! It¡¯s too risky. If people know how easy I am to hurt¡­¡±

    Crash nodded. ¡°I get it, but Ranko, these people are going to be traveling the world with you. It¡¯s their job to keep you safe. If anybody needs to know you¡¯re easy to hurt, don¡¯t you think it should be the people who are trying to protect you?¡±

    Ranko scoffed dismissively. ¡°Present busted knee notwithstanding, I can look after myself. I appreciate having security, but I think I¡¯ll be¡­¡±

    As she spoke, a flash of light and a staggering wave of heat sent her eyes rocketing up to the stage again as she was but a few steps from the metal staircase leading up its right side. No fewer than fifteen jets of flame had suddenly belched upward, creating a curtain of orange light some three meters high across nearly the entire front edge of the stage.

    ¡°What in the FUCK?!¡± Ranko started to jump back, but Crash caught her, not wanting to risk her overtaxing her knee.

    Crash could feel the slender girl trembling in his arms, and he hugged her tight against his chest from behind. ¡°Like I said, Ranko. You need to tell them what they''re dealing with.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Sure, it seems just like a fantasy¡­¡±

    Ranko beamed as she belted the C6 that was no longer the upper limit of her vocal range into a headset microphone. Emi danced just off to her right, and Hitomi was stalking the far end of the huge stage, but Ranko herself mostly stood stationary. While she longed to start working on the choreography directly with her backup dancers, including the two new male ones she had yet to rehearse with at all, her doctor had advised her to wait. Just a few more weeks. Gotta get a little stronger first.

    ¡°... that fate would reach backward for a girl like me, but now, my happy ever after happens whoa-aaaall the ti-i-i-ime¡­¡±

    The door in the back of the room, and a woman in a yellow skirt suit entered on a pair of matching stiletto heels that clacked loudly on the concrete floor as the music ended. ¡°Man, it¡¯s good to see you up there again, Ranko,¡± she called up to the singer, clapping her hands.

    ¡°Not as good as it feels to be up here,¡± Ranko called back through her microphone with a bright smile. ¡°How you been, Amaya?¡±

    The Yokai Records executive smiled. ¡°Doing alright. Sorry I¡¯m late; my babysitter was running behind. What do you think of the stage?¡±

    Ranko blushed, looking back at her surroundings and smiling at her bandmates. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. It¡¯s perfect.¡± Other than the whole trying to barbecue my ass up here thing. ¡°Thank you so much!¡±

    The thirty-something woman smiled in response, running her finger through her shoulder-length black hair. ¡°Of course. We can¡¯t have our star out there not looking the part, do we?¡±

    The singer¡¯s cheeks warmed further. ¡°Oh, I know! Shinji deserves all of this, and more! I¡¯m thinking a super posh dressing room. Lots of pink.¡±

    ¡°Oh, fuck all the way off, Tendo,¡± the bassist said with a loud chuckle.

    ¡°Hey, ¡®Maya? I wanted to ask. The set list. Is it locked? Or can it be changed?¡± Ranko lowered herself gently onto a folding chair that had been brought up to the stage for her to allow her to rest her leg between songs.

    Amaya shrugged. ¡°I mean, the boys have been rehearsing for a while now, but¡­ I suppose so, if you all want to. You¡¯ve got enough time for about eighteen songs, so you might have to swap something out if you wanted to add something, but that¡¯s probably doable. Why? Whatcha thinking?¡±

    ¡°Is it okay if I add something that isn¡¯t on Phoenix Rising or Wild Orchid? Something new?¡± Ranko looked up with a hopeful smile.

    The woman in the yellow skirt and blazer nodded. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t do it too much, I don¡¯t see why not. Let''s say two, maybe three songs tops, but other than that, let¡¯s keep it to the stuff on the albums. We wanna sell those CDs, after all! Why, did you write something new while you were banged up?¡±

    Ranko blushed a bit. ¡°Well, I was thinking about what you said. About wanting me to have a song that talks about¡­ boys. And, well¡­¡±

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Amaya chuckled, sliding into one of the folding chairs with an excited, toothy grin plastered across her face. ¡°Oh, now, this, I gotta hear.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± The redhead looked back at Jacob. ¡°You guys ready to do the new one?¡±

    Receiving nods of assent from all four of the other musicians on the stage, Ranko rose to her feet, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear with a nervous flush. She thought back to that night a few weeks ago, sitting in Akane¡¯s lap on Izumi¡¯s living room floor, listening to her and her sisters recount their terrible experiences with the boys they¡¯d dated in their past. She had insisted that night that there were no boys in her past to talk about.

    It had been a lie.

    While she hadn¡¯t admitted it in the presence of her sisters, Ranko certainly did have someone she had a few things to say about, too - perhaps more than any of them.

    A heavy, almost angry riff broke the silence courtesy of Noboyuki Matsuyama and his cherry-red instrument, joined immediately by a long run on the snare and bass drums and an undercurrent laid down by Shin¡¯s white bass guitar.

    Ranko stepped forward, a bit tentatively, a flame in the icy pools of her blue eyes as she clenched her hands in fists. Her voice had an angry, almost arrogant twang in it, as befit the way she felt about the boy for whom she¡¯d written the song.

    ¡°Hey, jerk! I¡¯m talking to you! I¡¯m still getting over all the shit you put me through! And yet, it¡¯s finally clear: I am so much better off these days, ¡®cause you¡¯re not here!¡±

    Crash thrashed his head downward as his hands flashed over the strings of his guitar. He stole a smile up at the beaming redhead a meter in front of him, swaying gingerly with the music on legs that had yet to fully rediscover their stride. She had refused to tell him the name of the bastard she¡¯d written the song about, but Crash was glad he¡¯d never met him, or the guy would have likely gotten a punch in the mouth. Nobody treats her like that and gets away with it. Not on my watch. Not her, he swore to himself.

    ¡°At last, I feel like I¡¯m free. Dropped your dead weight from my neck, and I can just¡­ be me! Can¡¯t wait to see how far I can go, without your constant voice inside my head, telling me no.¡±

    Well, ¡®Nothing Compares 2 U¡¯ it ain¡¯t, but¡­ Amaya laughed quietly under her breath, crossing her ankles and listening. We told her she had to say she was with a boy, but we didn¡¯t specify that she had to say she liked it. Our bad.

    ¡°You¡¯re done with holding me back! Wasted too much of my life on you; don¡¯t owe you jack! And that feels great! Hey, jerk, you¡¯re never gonna get the chance to watch me suffocate!¡±

    While Eiji Kanda had stifled her for a few months during their sham relationship, she¡¯d largely forgiven him for his mistreatment. Ranko knew he had been trying his best to play the macho boy to keep up the act, all the way down to the parts of being a macho boy that weren¡¯t much fun for girls to be around. If ever there was a girl who understood the toxic ways boys were often taught to behave, it was Ranko Tendo.

    But the song was not written for Eiji. Nor had she written Hey, Jerk! for Takao Tashima, or Mikado Sanzenin, or Saburo Kimura. Nor was it about Tatewaki Kuno, or any of the other legions of boys who had thrown themselves at her and been rebuffed over the years.

    No.

    Nobody had ever hurt her quite the way he did. No one ever could, not in a million years.

    This one¡¯s for you, Ranma, she thought with a sneer as she began the chorus.

    ¡°You¡¯re an asshole! You¡¯re a pervert! You¡¯re a heartless creep! Tell me what about all that I should¡¯ve wanted to keep! You are violent, and angry, and you¡¯re always rude, and you wonder why I never even miss you, dude!¡±

    Ranko stole a glance back at the giant projection of the effeminate name she¡¯d chosen for herself written in hot pink behind her, beaming proudly as she returned her eyes to the handful of folding chairs lined up in a warehouse in the middle of the Meguro district.

    ¡°Now I''m happy, and I''m thriving; having so much fun! All I had to do was say that you and me are done. So, yeah! It''s true! Hey, jerk: I''m finally getting over being jerked around by you!¡±

    Ranko inhaled deeply through her nose, blowing the air out slowly through her mouth. Crash had brought her a recording of the music they¡¯d composed based on her lyrics and the general rhythm, but she¡¯d never actually sung the new song in front of anyone before. She didn¡¯t realize how hard it would hit her to access the feelings she harbored about the boy she had once been.

    She thought back to the countless times she¡¯d been chased around by Kodachi, Shampoo, Ukyo, and yes, even Akane. How much time she¡¯d spent wondering what life could be like with each of them. Ranma had always known that the potential futures he had to choose from all felt wrong, but he¡¯d refused to allow himself to consider the true reason why.

    ¡°Hey, jerk! I honestly tried looking past all of the girls that you took for a ride. Although I knew it was wrong, I bit my tongue and waited my turn while you strung them along.¡±

    Ranma had always been so focused on becoming the perfect, untouchable icon of masculinity that Genma expected - that Nodoka, Akane, and his other suitors expected - that he had entirely ignored the whisper in his heart that ached for something different. Something better. Something more.

    Something Ranko Tendo saw every time she looked in a mirror.

    ¡°But now, I finally see. The only girl you never even gave a chance was me! You loved putting me down, except when showing me off got you shit all over town.¡±

    Ranma had hurt Akane something terribly, and the other girls, too, but the soul-deep pain and the burning, gut-wrenching shame that the song¡¯s subject had put Ranko through was singular and unique. It had taken her years, and a lot of help, to claw her way out of it, and she knew she still had a ways to go yet. No one would ever truly know just how thoroughly, and for how long, the arrogant, sexist boy she¡¯d written the song for had suppressed the ebullient young woman in the sky blue dress whose heart soared as she made music on a stage with her friends for the first time in nearly six weeks.

    But not anymore. She had fought bitterly for her right to exist, and won.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad I got up and split! I guess I was just the last girl to get sick of your shit!¡±

    Ranko glanced downward, smiling softly as thousands of watts of incandescent light, beaming from an untold number of canister lights pointed at her from every conceivable direction, sparkled in the tiny diamond on her hand that marked her forever as Akane¡¯s life partner. Ranma had never been able to fully commit to any of the women who had pursued him, but it had always felt the most right with Akane. The problem was never you, Akane. It was always me, she mused wistfully. You were always the girl for me. I just had to figure out how to become the girl for you. It wasn''t that I wasn¡¯t destined to be your husband. It was that I wasn¡¯t supposed to be one at all.

    ¡°Tough luck! That¡¯s life. Hey, jerk, you¡¯d best get used to it: I¡¯m somebody else¡¯s wife!¡±

    Hitomi whooped loudly from her seat on the far right of the back row of folding chairs. No choreography had been designed for the new song yet, so she and her partner just watched as their friend sang on a stage for the first time since Christmas.

    ¡°You¡¯re an asshole! You¡¯re a pervert! You¡¯re a heartless creep! Tell me what about all that I should¡¯ve wanted to keep! You are violent and angry, and you¡¯re always rude, and you wonder why I never even miss you, dude!¡±

    She took a few steps to her right as she sang, reaching around the shoulders of the tall blond man with the red guitar in his hands and giving him a tight squeeze.

    ¡°Now, I¡¯m happy, and I¡¯m thriving, havin¡¯ so much fun! All I had to do was say that you and me are done! So, yeah, it¡¯s true! Hey, jerk, I¡¯m fin¡¯lly gettin¡¯ over bein¡¯ jerked around by you!¡±

    She chuckled quietly to herself, remembering the uninvited guest that had demonstrated to her on her wedding day that, in a miracle she still ached to understand, her masculine body had become as firmly a part of her past as her masculine persona was.

    ¡°Hey, jerk! There¡¯s not much to say. I mean, hell, your father never liked me, anyway!¡±

    Ranko sighed softly, thinking back to those first days after the Phoenix Pill was lost. All the time she¡¯d spent alone in the Tendo guest room, or sitting up on the dojo roof, trying to make sense of who she was. All the tears she¡¯d cried in the dark of night as Ranma¡¯s identity railed against the feminine body it had suddenly found itself trapped in. Even after she¡¯d run from the Tendo home that early October night, when she was homeless and alone, her resolve to find a way forward as a woman had been begrudging at best.

    Really, it was only once she¡¯d burned her student identification card on her eighteenth birthday, and decided to leave Ranma Saotome behind for good, that she had gotten to experience a sense of self that didn¡¯t hurt to think about for the first time since Jusenkyo. One that she could, at long last, embrace without shame.

    ¡°I knew that we couldn¡¯t last. One of us was always gonna feel like the outcast. This thing was killing us both, so, instead of shrinking in your shadow, I chose growth.¡±

    She beamed brightly, playing with the skirt of her sky blue dress in her fingers and remembering the morning of her eighteenth birthday. The first day the pretty girl in the mirror had said I am Ranko, rather than I am pretending to be a girl named Ranko. The first day she¡¯d decided to truly embrace Hana and her sisters as family and not just as coworkers. The first day that the woman that had been chained up and silenced in the dark recesses of Ranma¡¯s soul for years had taken the keys and slid, ready or not, into the driver¡¯s seat.

    The day she was truly born.

    ¡°I¡¯m proud of myself because the girl I am is SO MUCH STRONGER than the GHOST I was! I made my choice! Might have damn near broke my spirit, but I found my voice! You had your turn! Hey, jerk! I am the star now, and all you can do is WATCH ME BURN!¡±

    She looked up at the tour poster taped to the back of the steel door leading out to the street. It bore a life-sized picture of her face, so it was like looking into a mirror.

    ¡°You¡¯re an asshole! You¡¯re a pervert! You¡¯re a heartless creep! Tell me what about all that I should¡¯ve wanted to keep! You are violent and angry, and you¡¯re always rude, and you wonder why I never even miss you, dude!¡±

    Ranko regarded the silver dragon coiled as always around her left wrist, concealing the remnants of Ranma Saotome¡¯s mortal wound on her feminine flesh. I¡¯m not just angry at you for the person you were, Ranma. To an extent, you couldn¡¯t help it. You were a product of Pop and everything else around you. I¡¯m mad at you for denying me the opportunity to become the person I deserved to be for so damned long. For not listening to your heart screaming that it needed more. That I needed¡­ to be me.

    ¡°Now, I¡¯m happy, and I¡¯m thriving, havin¡¯ so much fun! All I had to do was say that you and me are done! So, yeah, it¡¯s true! Hey, jerk, I¡¯m finally getting over bein¡¯ jerked around by you!¡±

    Ranko smiled quietly as Jake and Crash played the song¡¯s bridge, throwing a wave to Hitomi and Emi. I¡¯ve gotta be the first singer in history to write a breakup song about themself, she thought with a silent chuckle.

    Every step of the process had been painful, but Ranko was ever so grateful to her past self for taking those brave first steps. The boy she had been, and the girl her heart knew she was destined to be, had never coexisted well. For one to flourish, the other had to recede. In the end, it had taken the love and acceptance of Hana and her sisters at the Phoenix for Ranko to give herself permission to choose the way she wanted to live, and not the way she¡¯d spent months trying to hold onto on force of habit alone.

    ¡°I knew, right from the start, it was gonna hurt like hell to cut you out of my heart. I did what I had to do. Didn¡¯t like the girl I was when I was still with you.¡±

    Man, those first days were tough! Fighting with her bras. Remembering not to admonish herself too much if she giggled or blushed. Reminding herself over and over in class that Miss Tendo meant her, and not just Akane.

    Allowing Izumi to put her in a wedding dress.

    Allowing herself to smile when Yui and Izzi and Mei called her their baby sister.

    Allowing herself to feel joy when Akane called her beautiful, or princess, or silly girl.

    Allowing herself to feel joy at all.

    ¡°But I put my brave face on, and it gets easier for me every day that you¡¯re gone.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t perfect. She doubted it ever would be. There would still be days where she¡¯d feel ridiculous. She knew she¡¯d still feel foolish in the frilly tutu they expected her to wear in the first act of Phantom of the Opera at school in five weeks, for example. Ranko nodded resolutely in her headset, singing almost mournfully into its microphone.

    ¡°I admit that, from time to time, I can still feel you bangin¡¯ on the back door of my mind.¡±

    She imagined that there were still bridges too far, but she¡¯d crossed most of them long ago. And burned them.

    ¡°And, yeah, I guess that is why I wrote this song: so, once and for all, I can say goodbye. The answer¡¯s no!¡±

    She turned slowly, careful not to apply too much torque to her throbbing knee, and smiled warmly at her band. Her friends. Her brothers, almost. She glanced up again at her signature hovering in four-meter-high fuschia letters against the back wall.

    She was glowing more brightly than it did.

    ¡°Hey, jerk, I¡¯ve got what I want, and it¡¯s time for me to let you go!¡±

    Ranko¡¯s voice became quieter - gentler, despite the harsh lyrics - as she raised her left arm at the elbow, slipping her right thumb under her silver bracelet and stroking the raised ridge running along her wrist thoughtfully.

    ¡°You¡¯re an asshole! You¡¯re a pervert! You¡¯re a heartless creep! Tell me what about all that I should¡¯ve wanted to keep! You are violent and angry, and you¡¯re always rude, and you wonder why I never even miss you, dude! Now, I¡¯m happy and I¡¯m thriving, having so much fun. All I had to do was say that you and me are done.¡±

    She flipped the little clasp on the underside of her wrist, her silver guardian dragon releasing its tail from its mouth for the first time in weeks that did not involve an ice-cold shower or an MRI machine. The bracelet popped open, and she slipped it into the right pocket of her dress to keep its weight from swaying into her still-healing knee in the left one.

    Ranko cradled her wrist in her right hand, gazing down at it and singing to it as if the scar was a portal through which her voice could reach back into the past and directly address the soul of a boy who had died nearly three years ago.

    ¡°So, yeah. It¡¯s true. Hey, jerk¡­ I¡¯m never going back to being jerked around by you.¡±

 40. I Kissed a Ghoul

    ¡°Well, look who decided to join us,¡± Hisashi said with a shake of his head and a disapproving expression. ¡°Finally.¡±

    The redhead in the Yusue school pinafore sighed, glaring down at her knee through her long red skirt. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry I haven¡¯t been able to rehearse. I couldn¡¯t help it. I couldn¡¯t walk, man.¡± I barely can now.

    Another boy, a handsome sophomore sitting on a large crate with his legs extended over it, scoffed. ¡°Well, good news, we¡¯ve got a month to put a whole-ass show together, now that we¡¯ve got a lead. Maybe we should¡¯a just left Tsukiko in the lead.¡±

    Ranko groaned. ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t ask for that. I told you guys, that wasn¡¯t my choice! I¡¯d switch with her right now if Zaito would let me!¡± She sighed quietly, looking down. ¡°Listen, guys. I¡¯m not trying to fight with anybody. I¡¯ve got a lot of work to do to catch up, and I¡¯m gonna need your help if we¡¯re gonna pull this off. I don¡¯t even have my costumes yet. Please.¡±

    ¡°Like, have you ever acted before, Ranko?¡± Hisashi¡¯s wavy, light brown hair bounced lightly on his shoulders as he approached her. ¡°I mean, you walked in here not even knowing the name of the show, and Zaito just handed you the most coveted role in Broadway history without so much as an audition, so¡­¡±

    Well, you bought that I was bangin¡¯ Eiji, just like the rest of the school, didn¡¯t ya? Ranko shook her head with a quiet chuckle, but said nothing.

    Akira sighed, trundling the massive orange Victorian dress she wore in the direction of the sophomore. ¡°Hisashi, give her a break! She¡¯s a world class singer!¡±

    Ranko blushed brightly, fidgeting with her fingers demurely as her castmate defended her. I don¡¯t know about world class, but world traveling will be true soon enough, I guess.

    ¡°Maybe so,¡± Hisashi said, taking off the tuxedo jacket he wore and tossing it over the back of a chair in the front row of Yusue¡¯s theater. ¡°But how are we supposed to know that if she¡¯s never even showed up?¡± He raised his voice to be heard over the sound of hammers behind him as another part of the Phantom¡¯s labyrinth was being constructed by a few student volunteers.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, dummy. Buy one of her CDs? If you can find a store that isn¡¯t sold out of them, that is.¡± Akira rolled her eyes, smiling at their star. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, Ranko. He¡¯s just butthurt ¡®cause he wanted to kiss Tsukiko at the end of act one.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s stomach roiled at the thought, but she nodded. ¡°I get it. I really do. I¡¯d probably be pissed in your shoes, too, but¡­ I¡¯m here now, whether I asked to be or not, and all I can do is make the best of it and try to do a good job for ya.¡±

    ¡°I dunno,¡± Yoshiro said, pulling the white plaster half-mask from his cheek and setting it aside. ¡°This whole thing¡¯s makin¡¯ me nervous as hell.¡±

    The young songstress cracked a small smile, looking down at her hands and blushing. The play¡¯s Phantom had reminded her of a scene she¡¯d read in the script a hundred times, in which her character had to prove herself to a similarly skeptical audience.

    She knew exactly what she had to do, and she opened her mouth nervously to sing.

    ¡°Think of me. Think of me fondly, when we¡¯ve said goodbye. Remember me, once in a while. Please, promise me you¡¯ll try?¡±

    The hammering stopped. A few of the background dancers, who had been tittering off in a dark corner backstage awaiting their portion of the rehearsal, peeked out from behind the curtain. Their jaws were hanging open in stunned silence.

    ¡°Holy¡­¡± Tsukiko gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.

    ¡°Then you¡¯ll find that once again, you long to take your heart back and be free. If you ever find a moment, spare a thought for me¡­¡±

    Ranko blushed as Ms. Zaito slipped quickly onto the bench behind the grand piano, supporting her lead by joining her in the music mid-song. At least she knows how hard I¡¯ve been working, despite not being able to rehearse for real, the redhead thought with an appreciative nod at her instructor.

    ¡°We never said our love was evergreen, or as unchanging as the sea. But, if you can still remember, stop and think of me. Think of all the things we¡¯ve shared and seen. Don¡¯t think about the way things might have been¡­¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Love me. That¡¯s all I ask of you.¡±

    Ranko sighed as she and Hisashi finished the song together, looking up nervously at her teacher as the piano continued without her voice. She swallowed hard, fidgeting with her fingernails. ¡°Do I absolutely have to do this? What if, in our version, Christine and Raoul are like, best friends? Bros? Like, maybe she knows he loves her, but she¡¯s just not into him¡­ like that?¡±

    He could even play guitar, maybe.

    Hisashi sneered, popping himself away from the gray faux brick with his elbows. ¡°If you can¡¯t do the role, step down from the role. Seems easy enough.¡±

    Tsukiko said nothing, turning her gaze away as she blushed. I know the feeling, Ranko. I wasn¡¯t particularly looking forward to kissing him, either. He smells funny, and he¡¯s kind of a jerk.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Ranko, hon, c¡¯mere. Let me show you something.¡± Akira stood carefully, struggling to straighten herself from her seat in the theater¡¯s front row in a burnt orange boned corset over a matching dress with a wide Victorian hoop skirt. The girl playing Carlotta motioned to one of the boys who was working on the set dressings with a hand saw. ¡°Shigeo, can I borrow you for a second?¡±

    The wide-eyed freshman boy dropped his tool on the blue plastic tarp under his feet and plodded over with a grin. He wiped his brow with the left sleeve of his white school uniform shirt as he looked up into the young woman¡¯s face, framed with dark brown curls that cascaded down to her shoulders. ¡°What¡¯s up, ¡®kira?¡±

    Ranko watched intently as the junior in the fancy dress grabbed Shigeo about the face, pulling him into a furious kiss that she held for several seconds. The redhead blushed brightly, biting her lip and trying to be respectful enough to look away. Sheesh. Get a room, you two.

    ¡°What the¡­¡± Shigeo blinked as Akira released his face. His cheeks were positively glowing red.

    Masaru, the roundish boy playing Fermin, chuckled with a grin. ¡°Oh, nice. You¡¯re showing her the thumb thing.¡±

    Ranko growled under her breath. Gods, I swear, if that means I¡¯m supposed to pretend it¡¯s his thumb poking me in the thigh, I¡¯m fuckin¡¯ out of here.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it, Akira. Unless you¡¯re telling me I¡¯m supposed to make sure my boyfriend gets cast¡­¡± And, well, that ain¡¯t happening any time soon, Ranko thought, idly fingering her wedding ring with her left middle finger and pinky for reassurance.

    Akira giggled, holding up her hand. Her thumb was smeared with hot pink lipstick. ¡°Nah! Look. It¡¯s a little trick actresses do. You like, cup their cheek with your hand like you¡¯re being all lovey-dovey, with your thumb down by their chin. Then, at the last second, you stick your thumb over their mouth, and kiss that instead. It looks natural from the audience¡¯s point of view, and absolutely zero cootie transfer occurs.¡±

    ¡°Whoa,¡± Ranko said. ¡°That¡¯s freakin¡¯ genius. I couldn¡¯t tell at all. How¡­¡±

    ¡°Look, Ranko. Watch.¡± She demonstrated again, more slowly, on Shigeo, and Akira blushed a bit herself at the realization that she could feel the temperature of the younger boy¡¯s cheek rising through the skin of her palm. ¡°See, we put our hand here, give ¡®em a nice, long look. Really get the smolder going. That¡¯s important to help sell the whole thing. Then, we get real close, hesitate for another quick moment, and, just before our lips touch¡­¡± As she lowered her head, her thumb slipped up from his chin quickly, resting horizontally across his lips as her mouth made contact with her knuckle.

    The poor boy absolutely quaked under the beautiful upperclassman¡¯s touch. He was not actually receiving a kiss, but he would not have hated it if he had been.

    ¡°Nice,¡± Ranko said with a relieved grin. You have no idea how many nightmares you just saved me, Akira. Fuck, I wish I¡¯d been here to see this two months ago. ¡°Thanks!¡±

    Akira nodded with a smile of her own. ¡°You got it! And, bonus tip: if you¡¯ve got your hair down, it¡¯ll be even easier to hide what you¡¯re doing,¡± Akira volunteered as she straightened her back after looming over Shigeo for a third example stage kiss.

    ¡°Um, are you sure you got it, Ranko?¡± Shigeo lifted his quivering hand nervously, extending his index finger skyward. Had Ukyo been in the high school¡¯s drama theater at the moment, she absolutely could have cooked an okonomiyaki on the boy¡¯s cheeks, so warm were they. ¡°I mean, if you need to see it a couple more times¡­¡±

    As Akira giggled, Hisashi sneered again, rolling his eyes as he leaned back on the gray wooden facade of a gothic rooftop tower and crossed his arms defiantly. If he was going for the stereotypical bad boy look, he was failing miserably.

    Dude, if you¡¯re that determined to pull off the emo douche vibe, I could ask Shin to come give ya some pointers, Ranko thought with a sinister smirk. Let ya learn from the master.

    ¡°Oh, come on. Really? Those stage kisses always look so fake. You can always tell. I thought we were going for a quality show here. Some star you are.¡± Hisashi turned away from his co-star, walking toward a large wooden crate and reaching for the water bottle he¡¯d left resting on it.

    Masaru grumbled. ¡°Would you quit your whining, Hisashi?¡± He turned to Ranko, corralling the tails of his costume¡¯s red brocade coat behind himself. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. He just knows this is the only way he¡¯s ever gonna get a girl to kiss him.¡±

    ¡°Shut your hole, Adachi. I get lots of girls!¡± The boy cast as Raoul glowered, shooting a glare at the pudgy boy in the red coat.

    ¡°Posters don¡¯t count, dude. However sticky they may be,¡± Masaru scoffed, smirking in Ranko¡¯s direction as if clearly pleased with himself for his insult.

    Probably rehearsed that one in his head for weeks, Ranko wondered, suppressing a chuckle.

    Hisashi waved the stumpy sophomore off with his left hand, sipping from his water bottle. ¡°Please. I can pull whatever bird I want.¡± He turned his head to Ranko. ¡°Even the diva ones.¡±

    Ranko growled lowly, taking a deep breath as she willed the fists she¡¯d involuntarily balled her hands into to relax. ¡°No, You know what? I think I got this thing. In fact, I bet I can do it just fine. Get over here, Hisashi!¡± She stalked toward the boy in the black tuxedo jacket, a resolute determination flaring in her deep blue eyes.

    ¡°Hey, hey, eas¡­. Mrmmmphrmm!!¡± The arrogant boy flailed his arms desperately, his eyes bulging, as Ranko reached under his wavy brown shoulder-length hair and took hold of his face with both of her hands.

    ¡°Um, Ranko? Honey?¡± Ms. Zaito stepped forward hesitantly in her black dress, holding up her hand limply as if calling for attention. Her timid, unassumingly soft voice carried some measure of concern. As she watched her hand-picked lead, she drew her hand back to her mouth in some combination of amusement and horror.

    ¡°You don¡¯t¡­ actually¡­ have to¡­ um¡­ crush him¡­¡±

 41. Pencils Down

    Please, gods. Kill me. Bolt of lightning. Right here at the kitchen table. Quick and painless. A meteor works, too. Anything to make it stop.

    Ranko sighed, rubbing her throbbing temples with her pink-manicured fingertips, her elbows resting on the top of the dining table straddling her calculus notes. I swear, when I get to college, I¡¯m majoring in flower arranging or something where there¡¯s no damn math.

    She stared down at the integrals in her notes, groaning quietly. The numbers were starting to swim in her vision, and she wasn¡¯t sure if it was because her eyes were watering with exhaustion, or if her brain was just full. Okay, if the area of the circle is 82, then the oval around it is¡­ oh, who the fuck cares? C¡¯mon, Ranko. Focus. Next right step. Take the lim¡­

    Her mind ground to a halt mid-thought with the subtlety of a train crash at the sensation of her loose ponytail being picked up and moved slowly over the bare skin of her back. Before she could turn in her chair, a set of strong fingers began moving whisper-softly over both of her shoulders.

    ¡°Hey there, beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Hi,¡± Ranko stammered, leaning back in her creaky wooden chair and blushing up at Akane with an almost drunken giggle.

    Akane bent down, kissing her wife on the top of her head through her flame-red hair. ¡°How¡¯s it coming?¡±

    ¡°I hate math,¡± Ranko whined pathetically. ¡°And I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m s¡¯posed to concentrate on it, when you¡¯re bein¡¯ all sexy and shit up there. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be studying, too?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, just stretching for a sec,¡± Akane said, vocalizing her way through reaching for the ceiling with her wrists crossed. ¡°I¡¯m gonna run down and get the mail real quick. Need anything while I¡¯m up?¡±

    Receiving a shake of Ranko¡¯s head in the negative by way of reply, Akane grabbed her keys from the nail hammered into the back of the apartment¡¯s front door, pulling it open and slipping through it into the somewhat dingy hallway. ¡°Hey, Mr. Gao,¡± she said with a bright smile and a wave as she passed her neighbor on the way to the stairs down to the mailbox.

    Ranko sighed, tossing her pencil to the tabletop and rubbing at her eyes. What kind of asshole makes us do this stuff without a calculator, anyway? Like, basic math, enough to make change for a drink or something, sure. But, I¡¯m pretty sure the day is never gonna come where I¡¯m gonna be like, out in the woods, with nothing but a pencil, and think, ¡°Ya know what? I think I¡¯m gonna spontaneously engineer a suspension bridge real quick, just for funsies.¡±

    She shook the cobwebs from her mind, taking another sip from the narrow can of energy drink next to her notebook and turning to the next page of her book. Come on, Ranko, she encouraged herself. Gotta pass this. This test is about the only thing left between me and college.

    Okay. Vectors. At least these are straight lines, none of that parabullshit. I can do this! Let¡¯s see. Question one. Describe the vector [0, -100, 0]. She chuckled darkly. Long line, pointing straight down, she wrote on her paper with a frustrated sneer. Like, all the way down, off the page, off the table, into the garbage disposal. Just like what this test is gonna do to my fucking grades.

    Ranko looked up with bleary eyes as Akane returned to the apartment with a bundle of mail under her arm. She offered Akane a little wave as her wife returned her keys to the nail behind the door. ¡°Make sure you hang on to the flyer from the grocery store for me, babe.¡±

    I used to spend my weekends learning forbidden martial arts techniques in hidden temples in the mountains, and now? I clip coupons for frozen vegetables. I guess adventures as an adult just hit different.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Akane replied, a chipper brightness in her voice that had not been present before she left the apartment to head downstairs. She closed the few steps from the kitchen to the dining area after tossing most of the junk mail in the trash, softly dragging her fingers over the exposed part of Ranko¡¯s neck and back again through the wide opening of her pastel yellow square-necked shirt.

    Ranko smiled, putting down her pencil and dropping her head to let Akane have easier access to her shoulders. ¡°Fuck, that feels good. But you need to get back to work in there.¡± While you still can, because if you tease me too much longer¡­

    ¡°A girl can only stare at so many organic chemistry formulas. I needed a break. I thought maybe you might, too.¡± Akane slid the puffy elastic sleeves down a bit on Ranko¡¯s forearms to expose more of her shoulders, leaning down and kissing the left one as the smaller girl quivered in her chair.

    Ranko¡¯s breath caught in her throat with a quiet whine, the Full-Body Cat¡¯s Tongue causing her to shiver from her nose to her toes. ¡°Uh-hmmmm,¡± came a high-pitched whimper in reply. Perhaps there had been a more complex thought in Ranko¡¯s mind on the matter, but somewhere between her brain and her mouth, the screaming of her hypersensitive nerve endings had shouted it down until it had become an unintelligible, muddled mess not worth voicing.

    Akane smiled, petting Ranko¡¯s hair. ¡°How¡¯s your knee feeling? Think you¡¯re up to going out for a bit? It¡¯s too nice of a day to be cooped up in separate rooms all afternoon with our noses in books.¡±

    The redhead gritted her teeth for a moment, trying to will her mind to focus despite Akane¡¯s attentions. ¡°We can¡¯t. Not ¡®til we get paid.¡±

    ¡°You sure about that?¡±

    A white envelope fell to the table in front of Ranko with a loud thwap. The upper-left hand corner was marked with the red wordmark logo for Yokai Records. Ranko knew what it was without opening it; they¡¯d been waiting for weeks for her first royalty check from Wild Orchid to arrive. With it, they¡¯d finally be able to get Ranko some of the things she needed for the tour, but beyond that, it would give the young couple the first financial breathing room they¡¯d had since before Christmas.

    The award-winning songstress¡¯ eyes widened in excitement, but before she could voice her reaction, Akane placed another soft kiss on the side of her neck, and the whole of her mind was again flooded in the song of her Cat¡¯s Tongue-amplified nerve endings, drowning out her every attempt at cogent thought.

    ¡°I can¡¯t even remember the last time we went on a date. Maybe New Year¡¯s, if you count the awards show.¡± Akane¡¯s fingers traced the upper edge of the black lace choker around Ranko¡¯s throat, agonizingly slowly. ¡°I mean, I suppose it should count, considering what we did in the back of the limo on the way home,¡± Akane offered with a tittering smicker. Her wife was not in much of a position to participate meaningfully in the conversation, so she availed herself of the opportunity to steer it in whatever direction she chose. ¡°Come on, princess. Let¡¯s shut these damn books and go do something!¡±

    Ranko turned her head slightly to the left, glancing up at the half-ajar bedroom door. A soft purr escaped her lips as she quivered in her chair. I know where you can take me, Akane, and I don¡¯t even gotta put my shoes on. It¡¯s been so fucking long¡­ Between how busy the girls had been, and the risk to Ranko¡¯s still-healing knee, the pair had not been intimate in weeks.

    Akane leaned down, leaning on Ranko¡¯s relaxing shoulders and whispering in her ear. ¡°I want to show off my beautiful wife.¡±

    The feel of her partner¡¯s hot breath on Ranko¡¯s earlobe alone was almost enough to cost her the last remaining infinitesimal shred of control she had over her nervous system. She turned her head to Akane, a desperate, unspoken plea pooling in her eyes.

    ¡°Aww,¡± Akane said teasingly with a playful giggle. ¡°Somebody has other ideas, huh?¡±

    Ranko nodded emphatically, and a single whimpered word made it through the fog of sparks that clouded her mind. ¡°... p¡­ please?¡±

    Akane laughed loudly, a wide grin growing on her face. ¡°Aww, poor baby. You don¡¯t have to beg.¡± As she spoke, Ranko heard a low rumbling coming from her beloved¡¯s abdomen through her pastel green blouse and white knee-length skirt. ¡°But you do have to wait. I¡¯m starving. How do you feel about dim sum?¡± She broke her touch, allowing Ranko¡¯s mental faculties to begin the process of rebooting enough to function.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Ranko purred, still trying to normalize her breathing. ¡°Dim some lights, light some candles¡­¡± She answered in English in order to make her wordplay work. Don¡¯t look now, but lyrics girl is gettin¡¯ kinda good at this shit.

    ¡°Nice try, silly girl. C¡¯mon,¡± Akane coaxed, offering her wife a hand out of her wooden chair.

    Ranko wobbled a bit on her feet, flushing dark red as she realized it wasn¡¯t because of her still-unstable knee. Biting her lip, she looked down coyly, fidgeting idly with her fingers. ¡°What do you¡­ want me to wear?¡±

    Akane¡¯s face flushed as well. Wow. She really is trying hard today. She looked over Ranko¡¯s yellow square-necked shirt, pale with white daisies dotting it all over. It fit tight around her midsection with rows of ruffled elastic, much like the ends of the short, puffy sleeves. Ranko had paired it with a long umber tiered skirt that came to the middle of her calves, concealing the unsightly steel-and-nylon buttress still fortifying her left leg.

    The larger girl wrapped her arms gently around Ranko¡¯s waist, her hands gently rubbing the small of her back. Her touch felt wonderful to Ranko; not only was she craving Akane¡¯s physical attention beyond all words or reason, but her lumbar region was killing her after three and a half hours spent in a wooden dining chair hunched over a green spiral notebook.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    ¡°You can change if you want, but I think you¡¯re absolutely stunning just like that, flower girl.¡± Akane leaned down slowly, and Ranko needed no encouragement to lift her chin to offer her lips up to her. After taking her fill of them, Akane pulled back and offered her love a warm smile. ¡°Well, there¡¯s one thing we should still probably do before we go. Sit back down for a second?¡±

    The redhead did as she was told as Akane disappeared into the bathroom, returning a moment later with a pink chrome-finished hair brush. Ranko reached for it with grasping fingers, but her hand was rebuffed, and mere few seconds later, she felt her wife gently pulling the brown elastic from her flame-red hair and teasing it loose with her fingers.

    Draping Ranko¡¯s hair over the white painted wood of the chair back, Akane started at the ends and began brushing the tangles from it. She wrapped her hand around the hair she was working with, holding it tight a few centimeters above where she was working, such that the pulling sensation of the brush through her hair was arrested by her fingers before causing discomfort to Ranko¡¯s ever-sensitive scalp.

    The redhead relaxed her shoulders, closing her eyes and sighing happily. I am the luckiest girl alive, she mused as the rounded plastic bristles of Akane¡¯s brush reached the hair at the nape of her neck and began massaging the base of her scalp.

    Akane finished taming her lover¡¯s wild mane, pulling it back into a more orderly ponytail with the same brown elastic she¡¯d removed from it a few minutes before. Just above the hair tie, she weaved the aluminum clip of a ten-centimeter yellow grosgrain bow through the ruby strands, snapping it into place with a little click.

    ¡°There. Beautiful.¡± Akane planted another gentle kiss on Ranko¡¯s neck where it met her left shoulder, now that her wife¡¯s tresses had been corralled out of the way.

    ¡°Mm¡­ You sure you don¡¯t want me to go put on some makeup or something?¡± Ranko blushed, playing cutely with the tip of her newly-decorated red ponytail as she smiled up at her wife.

    Akane scrunched her nose, shaking her head with a smile. ¡°You can if you want to, but I don¡¯t think you need to. You already look amazing, and besides, I wanna get the hell out of this apartment.¡±

    The redhead peered longingly back at the couple¡¯s unmade queen-sized bed through the cracked bedroom door. That makes one of us, she thought with cheeks that were somehow collecting even more of her blood supply.

    Her wife must have read her mind, because Akane closed on her, placing her hands gently on Ranko¡¯s hips from behind. ¡°The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get home.¡±

    Ranko turned in her chair, nodding emphatically with a hopeful smile. ¡°Then, I¡¯m ready! Yep! All set!¡±

    Akane laughed, slipping into the bedroom again and returning with a pair of thin white ankle socks with little lace frills trimming the top edges. She next headed to the door, picking up Ranko¡¯s sparkly silver cheerleading sneakers from a black plastic tray just inside the apartment¡¯s front door. ¡°Okay, c¡¯mere, you.¡±

    Ranko blushed as Akane knelt on the laminate floor in front of her chair, separating the bundle of socks in her hands. The brace still made it quite difficult, if not impossible, for Ranko to turn her leg to the side in her lap in order to put her shoes on, so Akane helped her whenever she could. The act of being physically dressed by her wife was embarrassing, but when she was in certain moods, it sent a little tingle down her spine, too. She was pulled out of her wandering thoughts by a sudden, overpowering sensation radiating from the sole of her right foot.

    ¡°Hey! STOP that! It tic¡­ tickles!¡± Ranko giggled brightly, kicking her leg as best she could in a futile effort to defend herself as Akane restrained her ankle tightly in her right hand, the fingers of her left dancing on the underside of her lover¡¯s Cat¡¯s Tongue-afflicted foot.

    ¡°Not a chance, babe. I love listening to you laugh.¡± Akane tormented her for a few more moments before releasing her ankle, wiggling one of the white socks onto her right foot. She was far gentler with Ranko¡¯s left foot, and in moments, the lacy ankle socks and silver sneakers were in place and Ranko was being helped to her feet again.

    The redhead¡¯s body was all but vibrating as Akane reached for the door. ¡°After you, my love,¡± Akane invited, motioning to the open doorway.

    Ranko blushed, smiling cutely as she started to step forward, but her left foot caught on one of the legs of the chair she¡¯d just stood from. It skittered a few centimeters away with a loud scrape on the laminate floor as she wobbled a bit, quickly regaining her balance and shifting her weight to her good leg. She snapped her head back toward the grating noise. ¡°Shit, sorry!¡±

    Akane cackled, shaking her head and rolling her eyes with a disbelieving grin. ¡°Um, Ranko? Baby? Did you¡­ just apologize¡­ to the furniture?¡±

    Ranko laughed, letting her head drop until she cradled her face in her open palm. Her cheeks were aflame with her embarrassment. ¡°Mm-hmm. Yep. I did that.¡±

    ¡°Wow.¡± Akane¡¯s mirthful laughter continued as she tossed Ranko¡¯s white peacoat over her wife¡¯s shoulders, rubbing her back through it. ¡°I love you, silly girl, but you¡¯re hopeless. Precious, but hopeless.¡±

    Well, if you didn¡¯t want me acting like an airhead, you shouldn¡¯t have turned my damned brain to mush like that, Akane. The redhead leaned to her right, snuggling into Akane¡¯s chest as Akane pulled the door closed behind them and locked it. ¡°I love you, too.¡±

    <hr>

    Ranko blushed as Akane helped her out of the taxi, careful to keep her skirt from getting caught in the car door as Akane closed it behind her. ¡°I could¡¯ve walked, ya know. It was only a couple of blocks.¡±

    Her spouse nodded, smiling softly. ¡°I know, superstar, but it¡¯s better for you to take it easy on that leg for a little while longer if you can.¡± She offered a hand to Ranko to allow her to distribute some of her weight onto her forearm.

    The injured girl didn¡¯t feel any great need to favor her leg, but she was grateful for the excuse to hold Akane¡¯s hand, and took it as she was led to the front door of the couple¡¯s favorite dim sum restaurant. Akane released her hand long enough to hold the door open for her, and Ranko flashed her the sweetest of smiles as she passed her in the entryway.

    You always make me feel so special, Akane. It¡¯s the little things.

    The pair were seated in moments at their usual table, a secluded round four-top in the back corner of the restaurant closest to the kitchen, nearly surrounded with a continuous curved red vinyl bench. Ranko gingerly slid her away around the C-shaped seat to the very back, as she usually did when she and Akane went out to avoid being recognized by her ever-growing legion of Firebirds.

    The restaurant was dark, decorated mostly in black and burgundy. It was lit by round red paper lanterns dangling over each of the tables, the name of the restaurant hand-painted on each in broad black brush strokes. A sort of lingering mist hung in the air from all the steaming delicacies, and the moisture of it tickled Ranko¡¯s skin as she pulled off her white peacoat and folded it on the bench to her left.

    Akane thanked the server that had led them to their table with a smile and a nod before turning her attention to Ranko. ¡°It always smells so good in here,¡± she said over the sound of pots and pans being shuttled around on the other side of the half-door leading into the restaurant¡¯s alley kitchen.

    Ranko nodded dreamily, stars in her eyes as she turned her gaze to the laminated menu resting on the table. ¡°What are you in the mood for?¡±

    Akane smirked devilishly, sliding from the outer edge of the bench around the curve toward the back, until her left hip was touching Ranko¡¯s right.

    ¡°Oh, I can think of a few things.¡±

    As she spoke, Ranko felt her tiered skirt tickling her right leg as it was pulled up to her knee under the long beige polyester tablecloth. Her eyes bulged, her cheeks blazing, as she felt Akane¡¯s fingers ever so gingerly start dancing on the top of her right thigh.

    ¡°I¡­ ¡®kane, how¡­ am¡­¡±

    Akane smiled, giggling as she watched the poor girl¡¯s lower jaw quiver as she tried to protest. ¡°Shhhh.¡±

    Knowing better than to argue, Ranko nodded quietly, focusing on breathing as Akane continued to tease her. Akane¡¯s touch was nowhere near high enough on her leg to be indecent, but the Cat¡¯s Tongue did not care in the slightest.

    ¡°Hi, welcome to Bao by Zhao! Have you ladies decided what you want to start with today,¡± asked a harried server in her early forties as she scurried over to their table. Her long, slightly greasy brown hair was tied back with a red silk handkerchief that almost matched her burgundy polo shirt.

    Ranko opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out of it.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Akane said with a bright smile. ¡°We¡¯d love some almond shrimp balls, some pork shumai, a couple of ginger soup buns¡­¡±

    Just breathe. Don¡¯t make noise. Don¡¯t make a face. Stay perfectly still, Ranko coached herself, struggling to do all of those things as Akane tormented her ceaselessly with her gentle caress while she nonchalantly placed their dinner order.

    ¡°... some steamed spare ribs, and¡­ oh, maybe some egg tarts, please.¡±

    The server nodded, finishing her shorthand notes for the order. ¡°And what all would you like to drink?¡±

    Akane smiled brightly, quite amused with her wife¡¯s current predicament. ¡°I¡¯ll do the green tea, and she¡¯ll have a soda, please.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s face was aflame as Akane ordered for her. Her wife had gotten what she wanted exactly right, but that wasn¡¯t the point at all.

    ¡°You¡¯re ssso b-bad¡­¡±

    The black-haired girl snickered as their server disappeared into the kitchen to deliver their ticket to the expediter, leaning in close to Ranko¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I mean, if it¡¯s really that much of a problem, I don¡¯t have to touch you any more for the rest of the day¡­¡± She paused the motion of her hand, only for the briefest of moments, but her threat was clearly understood.

    The redhead whined quietly. ¡°... n¡­ not f-fair¡­¡±

    Akane nodded, letting one of her fingers slide to the inside of Ranko¡¯s right thigh, just barely a centimeter above her knee, where she knew from blissfully-earned experience the poor thing was even more sensitive. ¡°Who said it had to be fair to be fun? Besides, didn¡¯t you write a whole verse in a song about this once? Careful what you wish for, princess.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s face somehow glowed a deeper red than the paper lantern gently swaying from the ceiling a half-meter above their table. It was true. By the time he brings the menus, I can¡¯t even speak¡­ Even drunk as she had been, she¡¯d quite enjoyed making Akane squirm all those months ago with the surprise debut of Turn Me Off/Turn Me On at Steam the night before their wedding. I guess this is her revenge, Ranko thought.

    ¡°What are you gon-na d-do?¡± The redhead quaked in her seat, careful not to let her backside move too much and risk the vinyl of the bench under her backside squeaking and attracting attention. The tablecloth concealed Akane¡¯s hand and her half-raised brown skirt, but that would only hold so long as Ranko raised no further suspicion.

    Akane beamed sweetly. ¡°I¡¯m going to sit right here and enjoy our lovely celebration dinner.¡± She lowered her voice to a whisper, her innocent smile morphing into a devilishly devious smirk as her fingers flicked across her lover¡¯s exposed skin just behind her right knee.

    ¡°And you¡¯re going to sit right there, look pretty for me, and wait patiently to be dessert.¡±

 42. The Comfort Zone

    ¡°Oh, I couldn¡¯t possibly!¡±

    Ranko scoffed, leaning on a beige pressboard partition outside the narrow dressing room stall. ¡°What¡¯s the problem with that one?¡±

    A pathetic whimper escaped from the stall. ¡°It¡¯s far too short, and the sleeves show way too much skin.¡±

    The redhead rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°Ma, come on. It¡¯s like, knee length. That¡¯s perfectly normal!¡±

    ¡°Sweetheart, not everyone can dress¡­ the way you do on stage,¡± Nodoka admonished from the fitting booth, passing the green sundress back over the door to her daughter.

    Ranko scoffed, letting her head fall back to the partition she leaned on with a hollow thunk. ¡°Sheesh, Ma! You don¡¯t gotta make me sound like a freakin¡¯ stripper! I dress cute on stage, but I¡¯m decent!¡± Most of the time, anyway. She¡¯s gonna have a fucking stroke when she sees my Minato cheer uniform.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to imply¡­ I¡¯m sorry, honey. I just¡­ the idea of wearing some of these things in public is a little too embarrassing to me. It¡¯s just not what I¡¯m used to.¡± Nodoka slipped back into her orange silk kimono, sighing with relief at the comfort of its familiarity on her skin.

    The redhead outside the dressing room chuckled. ¡°Um, Ma? You do realize who you¡¯re talking to when you say that, right?¡± The irony of hearing her birth mother¡¯s voice complaining about the nerve-wracking experience of wearing skirts and dresses in the same fitting room where Izumi had foisted a new style upon a former boy in her first days at the Phoenix was not lost on the young singer. I promise, dressing like a modern woman ain¡¯t gonna be half as weird for you as it was for me in the beginning.

    Nodoka pulled the door inward and stepped out of the fitting booth. ¡°I¡¯m trying, Ranko. I really am. I know I promised.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. Let¡¯s try to find something that¡¯s, like, ankle length. I think you¡¯re probably gonna have to deal with shorter sleeves, ¡®cause they¡¯ve already gotten rid of most of their cold-weather stuff, but you can wear a jacket or something over it until you get a little more comfortable.¡± Ranko smirked. ¡°Ya know, for somebody who put me through a whole gauntlet to see how brave I was, you¡¯re bein¡¯ kind of a wuss about this.¡± She giggled a bit, though it was largely faked; she still didn¡¯t like to think about the awkward and stressful first days of her relationship with her biological mother, but she meant no offense, and she hoped her laugh would soften the perceived intent of her words and avoid the risk of an argument that could darken the mood of the mother-daughter outing.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m moving forward with a lot of things in my life - spending time with you, moving out of the house in Yokohama - and I need to open myself up to new experiences.¡± Nodoka smiled nervously. ¡°Let¡¯s look for something together?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± Ranko smiled brightly. ¡°Any thoughts about a color?¡±

    Her mother thought for a moment, rubbing her chin in contemplation. ¡°Maybe something light, appropriate for spring.¡±

    ¡°Oh, now that is cute!¡± Ranko left her mother¡¯s side, stalking over to a nearby rack facing the dressing rooms and holding up a bright yellow drop-waist dress. A flock of white doves was printed across it, starting at the left hip and flying in formation around the waist and up the chest, the line ending with a single dove holding a red rose in its beak printed on the right breast.

    ¡°Ranko, I agreed to consider short sleeves, but that one doesn¡¯t have any at all,¡± Nodoka said, pursing her lips in disapproval.

    Ranko blushed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about for you.¡± She started flipping through the hangers on the rack with a hopeful urgency, pulling out the fourth hanger from the front. ¡°Yes! They have it in my size!¡±

    Nodoka smiled softly, standing back and watching her daughter with maternal pride. She¡¯s indistinguishable from any other girl her age. It¡¯s truly incredible, the way she¡¯s adapted. I wonder if she ever still thinks about it, how far she¡¯s really come. I never knew the boy Ranma was, but gods, the girl she became¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, honey.¡± Nodoka wasn¡¯t sure if she was still talking about the dress. ¡°Would you like it?¡±

    The redhead nodded. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m definitely getting this one.¡±

    ¡°Let me,¡± Nodoka said with a grin. ¡°I know you¡¯ve got a royalty check burning a hole in your pocket, but¡­ let¡¯s call it your graduation gift.¡±

    Ranko rolled her eyes. ¡°A little early for that, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve still got another few weeks at Yusue.¡±

    That wasn¡¯t necessarily the lessons I was referring to, sweetheart. ¡°Then, a just because I want to spoil my daughter gift, then. How¡¯s that?¡±

    With an exaggerated sigh, Ranko extended her forearm gently. Laughing sweetly and playing along, Nodoka reached out, taking her daughter¡¯s left wrist limply in her hand and giving it the slightest of turns.

    ¡°Ow!¡± Ranko emoted, blushing as she cradled her arm with a winning smile. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re gonna twist my arm, okay¡­¡±

    Still laughing, the elder woman crossed the white linoleum walkway and turned to another set of racks in a section designated for dressier outfits, separated out by its green carpet rather than the blue in the section where Ranko had chosen her dress. ¡°Alright, now back to the hard part: finding something to look good on me.¡±

    Ranko crinkled her nose, still smiling brightly. Is this what it¡¯s like with normal girls and their moms? It feels so¡­ natural. ¡°Oh, stop. You¡¯re gonna look great! I know it. You¡¯ve got good genes.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I do, do I? I suppose if I ever have a daughter, she¡¯ll be very pretty,¡± Nodoka teased.

    ¡°You know it!¡± Ranko blushed, the giddy grin on her strawberry-glossed lips in no danger of receding.

    ¡°What about that one?¡± Nodoka weaved her way through several metal four-way racks to the back wall, looking up at a wrap dress with elbow-length sleeves. It was an off-white with huge navy blue flowers printed all over it, and looked long enough to at least reach to the middle of the taller woman¡¯s calves.

    Ranko smiled. ¡°I think it¡¯s fantastic, Ma.¡± She started to stand on her tiptoes and reach for the hanger, but a slight wince crossed her face. ¡°Crap. I can¡¯t do that on my leg just yet.¡±

    The taller woman grinned. ¡°Here, I can get it, sweetheart.¡± Nodoka reached over her head, beginning to flip through the hangers to search for a dress matching the size of the green one she¡¯d tried on previously.

    ¡°Grab one in a nine, too,¡± Ranko encouraged.

    Nodoka scoffed. ¡°Oh, honey, I don¡¯t think that would come anywhere close to fitting me, but I appreciate the sentiment.¡±

    Her daughter laughed, smiling brightly. I didn¡¯t even know it, but I waited my whole life for a day like today. Just one more thing in my life I had no business being lucky enough to have. Once upon a rhyme¡­

    ¡°Naah! I¡¯m gonna get one, too. We can be twinsies!¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Sure thing! Enjoy it, and take care!¡±

    Ranko giggled, waving to a young woman in a denim skirtall and a green tee shirt as she darted excitedly back to her husband, the marker lines on her newly-signed copy of Wild Orchid still drying.

    The young celebrity blushed a bit as she returned to her shopping companion, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°Sorry about that. It¡¯s always a risk when I walk past a record store.¡±

    With a warm, matronly smile, Nodoka Shimizu waved her daughter¡¯s apology away with the back of her left hand, their shopping bags from the dress shop in her right. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, honey. It¡¯s part of your job, I suppose. And, I¡¯ll admit, as a mother, it¡¯s nice sometimes to see that everyone loves your little girl.¡±

    The light pink of Ranko¡¯s cheeks turned a brighter red than her foundation had any hope to hide at the thought of being Nodoka¡¯s little girl. Just hearing those words out loud like that was like shaking up a jar full of butterflies and hornets in her belly.

    ¡°Are you still doing alright, dear? You can let me know if you need to sit down.¡± Nodoka gave her daughter another fawning smile. ¡°The way you¡¯re walking today still looks like you¡¯re hurting.¡±

    Ranko blushed furiously, hiding her face with her manicured left hand. She was indeed fairly sore, but her still-healing knee was not the reason why. ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll be okay. I¡¯ll take some more ibuprofen when we stop for lunch, just in case. Thanks, though.¡± We sure have come a long way from biting my arm ¡®til it bled while my girly bits got waxed because I wasn¡¯t allowed to tell her it hurt.

    ¡°Ooh, hey, could we stop in this one for a second?¡± Ranko gestured to the open glass door of a small shop between a candy store and a half-depth storefront full of gacha machines.

    Nodoka nodded. ¡°I¡¯m in no rush, dear.¡± She smiled, crossing her hands over the white obi of her kimono as her daughter flitted into the store. It¡¯s not what I expected my relationship with my child to be, but¡­ it¡¯s so good to be getting closer to her. Gods, how close I came to losing her forever. She trailed a few steps behind her daughter, finding herself surrounded by an array of purses, suitcases, garment bags and briefcases.

    It took her but a moment to find Ranko in the narrow shop, lifting a large suitcase up onto the sales counter and beginning to unzip it.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Would you mind doing that on the floor, please,¡± the elderly male clerk asked, pursing his lips a bit at the young girl covering his display of luxury pens in the glass case.

    ¡°Sorry! My leg¡¯s kinda messed up, and I can¡¯t really bend down too good.¡± Ranko lifted the hem of her red skirt slightly, just enough to show the bottom edge of the black-and-steel contraption that still supported the sides of her left knee. ¡°I¡¯ll only be a minute. Please?¡±

    The man nodded, putting up his hand with a calming wave. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m sorry; I didn¡¯t know. Take all the time you need. Do you need any help?¡±

    The bag was bright red, dotted with large white polka dots on all sides. It reminded Ranko of the dress she saw the Minnie Mouse character wearing when she¡¯d played Ariel at Tokyo Disneyland. So large was it that, if she¡¯d had full flexibility in her left leg, she likely could have curled up inside it. A small leather patch embossed with the outline of the Eiffel Tower graced the front of the bag. Ranko marveled at the huge suitcase, looking at the bottom of it. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a bag that has wheels on the short side like that.¡± She turned it so she could look quizzically at the opposite end of the bag. ¡°I guess you bend down and drag it by this handle here?¡±

    The mustachioed clerk reached out for the plastic handle, giving it a yank. The telescoping handle extended upward nearly half a meter on two aluminum rods that must have been concealed under the liner of the bag¡¯s interior. ¡°You pull it up like this, and you can just wheel it behind you through the airport. And then when you get where you¡¯re going, just push it back in.¡± He slid the handle back into the bag with a little click.

    ¡°That is so cool! And they let you on the plane with these?¡± Ranko opened the bag again, looking over its interior compartment as if the whole thing were a spaceship.

    ¡°The smaller ones, yes. You¡¯d have to check the big one. You can get the bags individually, or as a set. We have a small one for taking on the plane with you, and then the large one here, and one in between. There¡¯s also a garment bag and a toiletry bag that match, if you¡¯re interested.¡± The clerk motioned to each bag on the display she¡¯d taken the large suitcase from as he named them.

    ¡°What do I have to check it for? Does it do something?¡± Ranko looked up at the old man, confusion painted on her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I seem dumb. I¡¯ve¡­ actually never been on a plane before.¡±

    The kindly man shook his head, smiling disarmingly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it at all. Lots of girls your age haven¡¯t. Ol¡¯ Jun will help you out, no problem.¡±

    Ranko beamed. ¡°Your name is Jun? That¡¯s so cool! My nephew¡¯s name is Jun! He¡¯s two months old.¡±

    Jun laughed heartily, his expression brightening considerably. ¡°Then he has the makings of being a fine young man, it sounds like! So, as for your bags. The plane has a small bin above the seats where you can put a little bag, like this one.¡± He walked around the counter, picking up a smaller version of the vertical rolling bag. ¡°We recommend you pack one spare outfit, as well as anything you might need during the flight, like a book or any snacks or medications, things like that, in one of these. Lots of women put their purses in them too, so it¡¯s one less thing to keep track of. Then, your bigger bags, like these three here, go in a separate area of the plane underneath. You give your bag to them when you get to the airport, and then they bring it to you when you get back off the plane at the other end of your flight. That¡¯s called checking your bag, because they give you a little check that they use to match up with your bag when you get where you¡¯re going.¡±

    Ranko nodded, following along intently. She thought she might need to take notes.

    ¡°Now, the bigger suitcases, like this one, are great for folded shirts, bulky things like jeans, shoes, undergarments, and the like. But, for the ladies, we recommend a garment bag.¡± He picked up a shorter, squatter bag decorated with an identical red and white dot pattern. ¡°It has the same sort of handles-and-wheels system, but it¡¯s designed so your longer dresses don¡¯t get wrinkled when you travel.¡±

    Ranko looked at the bag skeptically. ¡°How does that work exactly?¡± I can barely get some of them from the dryer to the closet without Akane havin¡¯ to iron them. It drove Ranko crazy to ask her, but as the heat from the iron could be quite uncomfortable on her Cat¡¯s Tongue skin, her wife did it whenever she was able.

    Jun reached down, undoing two plastic clips on each side of the bag, and then unfolded the whole of it until it lay flat on the floor. He unzipped all the way around the bag¡¯s black interior, revealing a metal clip at the top of a large empty compartment. ¡°You stick your hangers here, and then your dresses stay mostly flat. This foam bar in the middle here makes the bend where the bag itself folds a bit gentler, so you don¡¯t get a crease through the middle of your outfits. And then, when you get to your hotel, you just¡­¡± He reached into a hidden pocket at the end of the bag where the hanger hook was, pulling out an aluminum hook on a short chain. ¡°... hang this whole thing up in the closet, and that¡¯s that.¡±

    Damn. I¡¯ve come a long way from a couple shirts jammed in a backpack. ¡°That looks super useful! I¡¯m gonna be traveling with a lot of dresses, I think.¡±

    Nodoka beamed proudly. ¡°My daughter¡¯s a singer. She¡¯s going on world tour starting next month. So we need to make sure she has everything she needs, and that it will be convenient for her to manage her things.¡±

    Ranko blushed, fidgeting a little bit on her silver-sneakered feet.

    ¡°Well, then,¡± Jun said, zipping the garment bag back up. ¡°I recommend getting one of the large bags, a small one for carrying on the plane, the garment bag, and the toiletry bag for makeup and such.¡±

    Nodoka eyed the clerk skeptically. ¡°Do you honestly think she can haul all that through the airport by herself? She¡¯s just a little thing, after all.¡±

    ¡°Maaa,¡± Ranko said. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re bringing Crash. He can carry my extra stuff. You just know that dude¡¯s gonna live out of his guitar case and a backpack for three months. If Ukyo doesn¡¯t pack his bag for him, I¡¯ll be shocked if he remembers to bring his underpants.¡±

    As both women laughed, Jun demonstrated the use of a series of straps and clips dangling from the various bags to attach them all together, with the smaller bag being dragged behind the larger, and the garment bag riding on top of the larger one, strapped to the telescoping handle. ¡°Here you go, everything¡¯s all set, and you can move it all with one hand. Throw the toiletry bag over your shoulder, and away you go. Simple!¡±

    Ranko smiled up at her mother. ¡°What do you think? It¡¯s kinda cute, and it looks really easy to work with.¡±

    Nodoka laughed, smiling with a little shake of her head. ¡°I¡¯m not the one traveling, baby. If you like it, you should get it. I do agree, it¡¯s pretty, and it¡¯s nice that it¡¯s not just another black or brown bag that will get mixed up with everyone else¡¯s at the airport. It should stand out.¡±

    The redhead nodded, taking the handle of the combined bag tower and taking it for a short test drive around the store. ¡°I like it, I think! But, we should get the whole set, with the middle-sized bag, too.¡±

    Her mother bit her lip a bit. ¡°Are you sure? That seems like an awful lot to navigate at once. Will you need to bring that much? Most of your things for the show will be packed with the stage and the instruments, won¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s good for me, but we¡¯ll need more space for Ak¡­¡± She trailed off mid-word, her crestfallen eyes sinking to the floor. Nodoka was certain she¡¯d just watched the light in her daughter¡¯s soul physically plop out of them onto the store¡¯s brown berber carpet in real time. ¡°No, you¡¯re right. Just these four, I guess.¡± She fumbled in her black cross-body purse, pulling out a wad of bills and setting them in the plastic tray on the glass counter where she¡¯d inspected her new luggage a moment ago.

    Jun strapped an orange plastic tag around the handles of each bag to indicate that they¡¯d been paid for, and Ranko carelessly threw her change loose in her bag without bothering to count it or put it into its designated compartment. She took the handle of the Frankensteined collection of bags, dragging it into the main mall area as quickly as her still-healing leg would permit her to move.

    Nodoka threw the shoulder strap of the empty toiletry bag over her shoulder, following after her daughter. ¡°Honey, are you¡­¡±

    Ranko shook her head, biting her lip. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna talk about it, Ma.¡±

    The elder woman rested her hand gently on her daughter¡¯s shoulder through her baby pink blouse. ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t want to, but I get the sense you might need to.¡±

    The redhead whirled to face her mother, so quickly that Nodoka detected the hint of a wince as her daughter¡¯s left leg twisted a bit further than it was prepared to.

    ¡°Why won¡¯t she¡­ I¡¯d follow her to hell and back, Ma. Why won¡¯t she come with me? Doesn¡¯t she know I need her?! How could she not know? I tell her every day! I can¡¯t do this all by myself. I¡¯m not ready!¡±

    Nodoka sighed softly. ¡°She knows you need her, little orchid. She knows. But I think she might have more confidence in you than you do. I think she knows you¡¯re strong, and brave, and capable. I think she believes in you more than you will ever realize. We all do, honey.¡±

    Ranko shook her head forcefully enough for her white-ribboned ponytail to flop to her other shoulder, biting her lip hard. She¡¯d gotten far more comfortable around her biological mother in the months after her wedding, but she wasn¡¯t sure she was ready to let the woman she¡¯d spent her whole childhood running from see her cry again if she could help it. ¡°Then she¡¯s stupid. She knows I¡¯m not ready. I can¡¯t¡­ I know I¡¯m not s¡¯posed to be, but I¡¯m afraid, Ma. I need help for everything. I barely know how to¡­¡± Ranko left her sentence unfinished, but Nodoka understood her meaning.

    ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t want to see the world without her! She keeps telling me about how much fun I¡¯m gonna have, all these amazing things I¡¯m gonna see. Showin¡¯ me travel maps and stuff, tryin¡¯ to get me excited.¡± Ranko sighed, slumping over her new luggage. ¡°How am I supposed to have fun in Bangkok when my whole heart is still in Tokyo, Ma?! How am I even supposed to breathe without her?¡±

    Nodoka sighed slowly, nodding as she took a seat on a green wooden bench, patting the empty side of it next to her in invitation. ¡°Ranko, baby¡­ I want you to listen to your mother, now. If there¡¯s anyone on this good earth who knows how hard it is to wake up every morning without the people you love most in the world close to you, it¡¯s me. Your father ripped my whole heart out for fifteen years when he took you away from me.¡±

    Ranko nodded, flopping heavily down on the bench next to her mother. ¡°I guess, next to that, whining about a month at a time sounds pretty pathetic, huh?¡± Her voice was sullen, resigned.

    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t, sweetheart. It sounds perfectly normal. But¡­¡± Nodoka sighed, fighting to maintain control of her emotions. Now¡¯s not the time to wallow in self-pity because you were without your child for so long, Nodoka. Now is the time to help her, like you always wanted to.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re going to like hearing this, but I think Akane¡¯s doing a smart thing. It hurts, I know. Gods, precious, I know. But, I think maybe the fact that you don¡¯t think you can do this without her is precisely why you have to. And I think Akane knows that, even if she doesn¡¯t necessarily realize she does.¡± Nodoka reached over, softly sweeping a loose strand of her daughter¡¯s flame-red hair out of her face and tucking it behind the diamond stud earring in her left ear for her.

    ¡°You need to prove to yourself that you can manage on your own.¡± Nodoka lowered her voice, looking around to make sure no one was paying close enough attention to their conversation to process her words. ¡°You¡¯ve been leaning on Akane, and your sisters, basically since you became¡­ who you are, and you haven¡¯t learned how to trust yourself. You don¡¯t think you can exist as the girl you¡¯ve become on your own, because you¡¯ve never had to. You¡¯ve never tried.¡±

    She mustered a reassuring smile, patting Ranko on the thigh comfortingly. ¡°So, yes, while you¡¯re apart, it¡¯s going to hurt. Every single day. I¡¯m not going to sit here and lie to you and tell you that it won¡¯t. But when you come back, with your head held high - when that suitcase over there is covered with stickers from all the countries you¡¯ve conquered with your voice, and filled up to bursting with souvenirs from every backwater gift shop you can find - you¡¯ll know. You¡¯ll never, ever doubt yourself like this again. You will be able to look all of those women who taught you how to live in the eyes, and watch them marvel at just how unbelievably good of a job they did.¡±

    Nodoka lifted her hand from Ranko¡¯s thigh, taking her right hand and giving it a firm squeeze. "Maybe when there¡¯s no other voices in your ear but your own in the mirror, you¡¯ll figure out how to tell yourself how formidable you are, because you never seem to believe anyone else in your life when they tell you. I hope so, Ranko.¡± She released Ranko¡¯s hand, patting the back of it.

    ¡°If there¡¯s anyone alive who deserves to walk this wide world with pride, it¡¯s you, my daughter.¡±

 43. Partners

    ¡°Why, thank you.¡±

    Summoning a bit of energy from some hidden reserve, she managed a bright smile at the tall, muscular young man who had opened the cafe door for her. She slipped through it, waiting at the hostess station for her companion to join her with a slight shiver. It was always cold in the little shop, possibly owing to its huge display of ice cream options behind a glass sneeze guard, and the thin, pale blue medical scrubs she wore did little to insulate her against it.

    She looked up with a softer smile as the sensation of cold passed, as Sho had thrown his brown suede jacket over her shoulders. Akane began pulling her arms into the sleeves, blushing a bit. ¡°Thanks. I really gotta start remembering to stop at the locker room on the way out and grab mine.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it, Akane. I got ya.¡± The gentleman she¡¯d been paired with for most of her clinical training beamed down at her as the pair were escorted across the white tile floor to a booth against the east wall, and Akane slid onto one of its periwinkle vinyl benches. The dingy, chipped off-white mica surface of the wall-mounted tabletop was still damp from the server¡¯s wipedown after the previous diners had left. She scooted close to the window, hoping the rays of afternoon sun streaming through the raised blinds would help her warm up, at least until she could get a hot cup of tea between her hands.

    The handsome young man¡¯s short, spiky black hair was slicked back with a bit of gel. He was probably two years Akane¡¯s senior, with dark skin from a lifetime of summers spent at the beach. His muscles were well-defined, but not so far so as to be grotesque. Sho Kitarage¡¯s over-focus on chivalry, coupled with his overall appearance, reminded Akane a bit of Ryoga, if he hadn¡¯t been such a freaking idiot, coming after Ranko like he had. Like Akane, he wore a set of light blue medical scrubs, as was required for all clinical trainees.

    ¡°Damn, Anako,¡± the cafe¡¯s hostess exclaimed, sidling up to the young waitress working the back section of the cafe. ¡°Trade me spots. I wanna get a better look at that guy. Fuckin¡¯ yummy!¡± She made a show of fanning herself with a laminated menu.

    ¡°Don''t waste your time, Kasane. I¡¯m pretty sure that''s his girlfriend he''s with,¡± the brunette server replied. ¡°They''re in here together a couple times a week, and they''re always laughing and cutting up. Besides, do you honestly not see the way he looks at her? You need some new glasses, girl!¡±

    ¡°That''s just ¡®cause he doesn''t know me yet,¡± Kasane replied hopefully.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Sho said, regarding Akane with his steel-gray eyes as he reached into his pocket and produced a stack of pink index cards. ¡°Pop quiz.¡±

    Akane groaned, hanging her head back on the padded booth bench. ¡°Oh, come on! Can¡¯t we just eat lunch and take a break? My brain hurts.¡±

    Akane¡¯s lab partner chuckled. ¡°We¡¯re med students. We¡¯ll rest when we¡¯re dead.¡± He glanced down at the first card. ¡°Pancreatic enzymes. And, go.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± Akane said, leaning her head against the glass of the window with a hollow bonk. ¡°There¡¯s Go, Fuck, and Yourself.¡±

    Sho laughed loudly, making an irritating buzzing noise in his throat. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not the correct answer, Miss Tendo. Care to try again? I¡¯d hate to see you cost yourself a shot at the bonus round.¡±

    ¡°Lipase, lactase, phospholipase, esterase, and amylase,¡± Akane recited in a robotic tone, grasping needily for the cup of hot water their server brought her. ¡°Any chance I won some rocket fuel to put in here?¡±

    Her companion shook his head, offering her a dark brown wicker basket from his side of the table. It was divided into four quadrants, each stuffed with a different type of tea bag in little paper packets. She chose a black tea, tearing open the little packet and dropping the bag into the water. After hesitating in contemplation for a moment, she grabbed a second packet, adding it to the same cup. Yeah, gonna need some stronger stuff.

    ¡°We¡¯ll stop at the gas station on the way back to the hospital and see if we can¡¯t get you a can of zoom juice,¡± Sho said with a smile as he sipped at the glass of soda the server had brought him.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Akane nodded, whining quietly. I used to judge Ranko so much for drinking that shit all the time, but here I am downing two or three cans a day. At least she isn¡¯t seeing it. I don¡¯t need her picking up her old bad habits again, especially not right before she goes away. I gotta remember to add that to the list of things for Crash to watch for, she thought with a soft smile. Can¡¯t trust that girl gallivanting around southeast Asia without some sort of supervision, after all.

    ¡°How many B vitamins are there,¡± Sho asked, flipping to a different index card.

    The exhausted woman sitting across from him groaned, hanging her head over the teacup she held in both her hands, basking in its warmth while she waited for it to steep. ¡°Eight. And before you ask: thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folate, and cobalamin.¡±

    The young man chuckled, stuffing the stack of cards back into the pocket of his medical uniform pants. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so stressed about Zumo¡¯s test. You¡¯re gonna nail it; you¡¯ve got all this stuff down cold.¡± Sho smiled softly. ¡°You¡¯ve always been better at this stuff than me.¡±

    Akane rolled her eyes, shaking her head a bit. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m more worried I¡¯m gonna sleep through it. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been this tired in my life, and I¡¯ve only got¡­ gods, how much more of this shit?¡±

    The tall man across the table from her smirked. ¡°Five years? Maybe six? Not too bad.¡±

    Sho¡¯s lab partner whimpered pathetically, curling back up against the window. Maybe I should just take Ranko¡¯s offer to let me be a stay-at-home wife after all. This crap¡¯s gonna kill me.

    ¡°News from the home front? Things still rough with your family?¡± Sho nodded gratefully to their waitress as she refilled his soda glass from an amber-colored plastic pitcher.

    Akane nodded sadly. ¡°Yui¡¯s still a fucking mess. I don¡¯t know what we¡¯re gonna do with her. I think Mom¡¯s one, maybe two more hung-over shifts away from taking a day trip down to Fukuoka and dragging her ex back here by her freaking hoop earrings. We¡¯ve all been trying our best to keep her out of the booze, but she¡¯s a bartender, so it¡¯s pretty easy for her to get hold of stuff if she wants to bad enough. It¡¯s been really hard on the other girls, too - after Mom, Yui¡¯s kind of the glue that keeps that place together. Izumi and Ayako are both busy all the time with their babies; at least Izzi¡¯s daughter is old enough for day care now. At the rate they¡¯re going, Mei and her new boyfriend are gonna turn up pregnant any day now, too. Aya and Mom are finally talking again, so that¡¯s something, I guess.¡±

    Akane chuckled. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard from Kasumi in days; she went with her boyfriend to some chiropractic seminar retreat thing up north someplace and they decided to make a vacation out of it. My poor dad¡¯s gonna die, living on takeout breakfast, lunch and dinner for a week, but my friend Ukyo¡¯s keeping an eye on him for me since she lives out by him. And Nabiki¡­¡± She laughed again, shaking her head. ¡°They should just give her the damn keys to Yokai Records already. She¡¯s been doing more to get the tour buttoned up than everybody who works there combined. Without her, I think Ranko would probably show up in Cambodia or something and not even have a freakin¡¯ hotel room booked.¡±

    Sho nodded quietly, his facial expression seeming to darken slightly at the mention of Akane¡¯s wife. His eyes followed her every movement intently. ¡°How¡¯s she holding up, with her leg?¡±

    Akane shrugged. ¡°Walking on it, finally. If it were anybody else, they¡¯d probably let her go down to just a nylon brace now, but the ortho¡¯s being super cautious because we all know the second they unstrap that thing from her knee, Ranko¡¯s gonna go full speed on it whether they want her to or not, and she can¡¯t really afford a setback with the tour so close. We¡¯re being really careful not to tell Ranko that, though, because she¡¯s itching to get out of that immobilizer something terrible, and if she knew we were only keeping it on her to keep her little ass planted on the couch a little bit longer, my wife would absolutely murder us all.¡±

    Sitting up from the window, she smiled brightly as the server slid a red plastic basket containing a sandwich and some tempura vegetables in front of her. The lab partners were such frequent patrons of the little sandwich shop that she had both of their usual orders memorized. Akane dove into the sandwich feverishly; one of the many things she¡¯d had to learn to survive without during Ranko¡¯s convalescence was her usual breakfast at home before leaving for the hospital, and she was starving.

    Sho idly fiddled with his bowl of rice with the ends of his chopsticks as he listened to his friend. ¡°And you''re gonna be okay, right? While she¡¯s gone?¡±

    Akane nodded hesitantly, trying to put on a happy and confident face. ¡°I think so. At least I¡¯ll have everybody at the Phoenix, and you, of course! After all, these clinicals wait for no one!¡±

    Her partner laughed, lifting his bowl of rice in a salute of acknowledgement. ¡°And I¡¯ll see that we keep you fed while your little domestic goddess is away.¡±

    Akane blushed at the thought of Ranko, of all people, being addressed by that label, but despite Ranko¡¯s current incapacity, she really couldn''t argue with it. She cooks, she cleans, she shops, she does the laundry, and she''s amazing in every other way, too. Gods, I''m such a lucky girl.

    Fuck, I''m gonna miss her.

 44. The Phoenix of the Opera

    Let''s see. I could swear they said it was down this hallway. Prop storage? Nope. Janitor closet? Nope. Boys¡¯ dressing room? Nope. Girls¡¯ dressing room. That''s me! Got it. Crap, could they have put this any freaking further from the stage?!

    Ranko pushed open the third door on the right after having found the correct label, walking into a large, darkened room. She reached to the gray cinder block wall on the right of the door, throwing all three switches upward, and a series of fluorescent lights recessed into the ivory drop ceiling began to flicker to life.

    Nice. First one here. I get a little privacy.

    The room was structured not dissimilarly from the locker rooms provided at the All-Tokyo Cheerleading Invitational, but whereas that venue had been set up as half for athletics, half for performance, this one leaned fully toward the stage. Long beige counters lined the full length of the back wall and both sides of the long, narrow room, and twenty-some red vinyl chairs dotted the counter at intervals all the way around. In front of each, a large mirror surrounded by bright white round light bulbs was mounted to the wall. Each chair had a sign taped to the back of it with a performer''s name, and next to every chair was a rolling aluminum clothes rack containing the outfits that the performer would wear throughout Yusue High Drama Club¡¯s annual presentation of The Phantom of the Opera. Even without the benefit of the nameplates, she recognized her designated station just from the number, and the intricacy, of the costumes on its accompanying rack.

    Just kill me now, she thought as she trudged the length of the room to her spot along the back wall. After setting the pink backpack containing her makeup on the countertop, she wheeled her chair out, gasping.

    Resting in the chair was a bouquet of two dozen long-stemmed white roses, tied with a simple white satin ribbon. There was a card, but Ranko did not need it; less the colored flora representing her sisters, it looked exactly like her wedding bouquet had. Still, she picked up the card anyway, giggling to herself as she read it.

    Ranko,

    Break a leg. Wait, on second thought, please don''t! Not again!

    Good luck. Have a great show. I love you forever, flower girl.

    You''re my song.

    ~ Aki

    Ranko blushed, first at the sentiment of the card, and then at Akane¡¯s masculine pseudonym being the signatory. It makes sense. She didn''t know who was gonna see these. They''re beautiful.

    Ranko scanned the room with her eyes, frowning a bit. Not a single one of the other girls got anything, she noted with a sigh. That would feel awful, seeing that somebody else got stuff and they didn¡¯t. That would break my heart if it happened to me.

    Nodding her head as she resolved herself to a decision, she picked up her bouquet, walking the few steps around her costume rack to Akira¡¯s station. Loosening the ribbon around her flowers, she pulled one long rose loose from the bundle and laid it on Akira¡¯s seat. She then moved to Tsukiko¡¯s station and did the same, and on she went until all ten of the other female performers had a rose awaiting them as well. I''ll still have a bouquet to bring home, and I doubt Akane will mind me not keeping them all if it means nobody has to feel left out.

    Her redistribution of wealth concluded, Ranko re-tied the white satin ribbon around her remaining dozen flowers and rested them on the counter in front of her seat as she slid into the chair. Good thing I looked before I sat down, or nobody would have any flowers, and Akira would have to spend half of act one helping me pick thorns out of my ass.

    She pulled the skirt of her white lace dress up past her thighs. Oh, this is gonna feel so, so, soooo good, she thought as she began unfastening the Velcro straps holding the metal immobilizer brace around her left knee. The loud thrrrip of the hook-and-loop straps separating echoed loudly in the mostly empty room. She moaned in relief when the brace clattered to the terrazzo floor, leaning back in her chair.

    I promised Akane I''d put it back on after the show, but even just a couple hours of freedom¡­

    She bent her knee back and forth, giving it the slightest of twists to very, very gently test it. Not too bad, considering. Stiff, a little bit sore, but more than manageable. She stood, taking a tentative test stroll around the narrow room. She beamed, her radiant smile almost hurting her cheeks, it was so broad.

    Alright. Let¡¯s really give this thing a try.

    Ranko took two big steps forward, throwing her arms gracefully up into the air with a wide swoop as her feet left the ground. She kicked her right leg forward, brushing it forward with her toes pointed outward as she twisted her upper body. Her legs met in mid-air ever so briefly, swishing together as they switched positions. The once-reluctant ballerina thrust her right leg backward, holding it parallel to the floor as she landed gently on her left foot, letting the extension of her foot and ankle cushion most of the landing rather than carry the shock up to her knee as her arms swished up over her head. It sent a little jolt of pain through her left leg when she landed the tour jet¨¦, but she stayed upright.

    Fuck yes! Ranko''s back, baby!

    She pumped her fist excitedly in the empty dressing room, whooping to herself. She blushed as her celebration echoed loudly back to her.

    Okay, Ranko. Party¡¯s over. She looked up at the clothing rack next to her station. Time to go get prettied up.

    <hr>

    Four rows back from the stage, on its right wing, a girl in a pastel yellow dress squirmed nervously in her seat. She looked up, smiling, as she felt arms being laid across her shoulders from both her left and right. She was simultaneously squeezed tight between the two elder women that bookended her.

    ¡°Akane, relax, honey. She¡¯s gonna do great,¡± Hana said. She wore the same gray pantsuit she¡¯d worn the day she officiated the young woman¡¯s wedding to her youngest daughter, her salt-and-pepper hair held back with a simple silver headband.

    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about that. I just¡­ it¡¯s her first time back on stage since her knee. I just don¡¯t want her pushing herself too hard,¡± Akane said, fidgeting on her backside.

    ¡°Ranko knows her limits, honey. She¡¯s going to be just fine. Relax.¡± Nodoka Shimizu smiled down at her daughter-in-not-quite-law, looking radiant in an off-white wrap dress covered with large blue floral print.

    Ranko? Knows her limits? Have you met that girl, Ma Shimizu? Akane sighed heavily.

    Hana nodded. ¡°Nodoka¡¯s right. You know the first thing she¡¯s going to do when she comes out here is look for us, and if she sees you about ready to wiggle out of your skin, it¡¯s just gonna make her nervous, too.¡±

    ¡°Am I late?¡±

    Two seats to Hana¡¯s right, Izumi looked up, flashing her elder sister a bright smile. ¡°Just in time, Yui. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here. Ran-chan¡¯s gonna be thrilled to see you.¡±

    Yui flopped heavily into the seat to Izumi¡¯s right. She wore a black denim jacket over a greenish-yellow bodycon dress that came to the knees of her long legs. ¡°Man, they made this place look legit. I feel like I¡¯m going to see the fuckin¡¯ queen of something.¡± She turned in her seat, waving to an elderly woman in the row behind her with a laugh. ¡°You¡¯re gonna have a hell of a show. My baby sister¡¯s gonna sing the shit out of this thing.¡± There was something slightly off about her voice.

    Izzi¡¯s face steamed, and she leaned into her sister, lowering her voice despite the fury in it. ¡°Yui, I can¡¯t fucking believe you right now. You know how important this is to Ranko, and you fucking show up drunk?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know,¡± Yui said with a glower at her sister, ¡°I haven¡¯t had a drink all fuckin¡¯ day.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s two in the afternoon, Yui. You¡¯re still fucking drunk from last night?!¡± Izumi shook her head, shaking in her anger despite her efforts to keep her voice down.

    ¡°That¡­ is possible.¡± Yui shrugged.

    ¡°Just sit there, and for fuck¡¯s sake, keep your gods-damned mouth shut, would you? I swear to you, Yui Fukawa, if you embarrass our sister, I will drag your scrawny ass out of here myself.¡± Izumi glared at her sister, leaving no doubt as to the seriousness of her threat. She spoke in a quiet voice, but Yui recognized her tone. She didn¡¯t hear it much these days, but a few years back, Izumi had often used it when dealing with a misbehaving Hoshi.

    ¡°And I¡¯ll help her,¡± offered Mei from her seat between Izumi and Hana.

    The organ music playing through the array of speakers in the high school auditorium faded out, and as the audience settled, the red velvet curtain obscuring the stage began to recede to the wings.

    A young freshman boy in a black suit with a wide black ascot hammered at a wooden podium with a little gavel, looking out over an assortment of students standing in a semicircle around him with their backs to the audience.

    ¡°Sold! Number, sir? Thank you. Showing here, lot six-six-three¡­¡±

    <hr>

    Ranko closed her eyes as six of her fellow actresses, all dressed in the same white dress and flowing organza ballet tutu as she was, pressed around her to shield her from view. Each added a piece of costume around her, attaching it with Velcro around her body in the interest of speed.

    Their work done, the girls split off from her, revealing her now in a long white ball gown covered with glitter and lace. The tutu she still wore under it served as a petticoat, flaring the dress out widely around her waist, and little glass beads had been clipped into her flame-red hair in various places to allow it to sparkle in the stage lighting.

    She felt utterly ridiculous.

    ¡°Think of me. Think of me waking, silent and resigned. Imagine me, trying too hard to put you from my mind. Recall those days. Look back on all those times. Think of the things we¡¯ll never do. There will never be a day when I don''t think of you.¡±

    A spotlight flickered to life, pointing up at a balcony seat on the right side of the stage, not far from directly above Akane and the rest of Ranko¡¯s family. It highlighted Hasashi in a black smoking jacket over a puffy white shirt. He began to sing.

    ¡°Can it be? Can it be Christine?!¡± He stood, clapping his hands enthusiastically. ¡°Brava!¡±

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°How the fuck did he get up there so quick,¡± Yui asked, craning her neck upward. ¡°Ow!¡± She recoiled her leg back, seething through her teeth at Izumi having stomped on her foot.

    <hr>

    A haunting male singing voice seemed to come from everywhere in the theater at once, as Ranko¡¯s eyes searched the building from the stage for its source.

    ¡°I am your angel of music. Come to me, angel of music¡­¡±

    Yui leaned over to Izumi, whispering. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not suspicious at all.¡±

    ¡°Shut. Up.¡± Izumi¡¯s eyes snapped back up to the stage as a pipe organ began reverberating through the auditorium¡¯s antiquated speakers. Ranko held up her skirts and carefully stepped through what appeared to be the gilded frame of the large mirror in her character¡¯s dressing room. The crowd sat up at attention, almost to a person, as if they seemed to know what was coming.

    The redheaded firebrand walked carefully across the stage, led along by the hand by a boy with black hair, wearing a long black cloak over a black tuxedo. A white plaster mask covered the right half of his face. As they strode to stage left, other students, dressed in all black to minimize their visibility in the background, began hauling away the set dressings from the dressing room, revealing what appeared to be some sort of underground dungeon set behind it. The back wall was styled to appear as if it were constructed of dingy, damp, and mossy stone, and fake torches mounted into wall sconces gave off an orange glow every meter or so along it.

    Ranko still wore the long, flowing white gown, slightly discolored in a few places. It might have been a wedding dress at one point before it had found its way into a secondhand shop, and from there into the costume closet of a high school drama club. Should have let me make her something, Izumi thought, grumbling to herself under her breath.

    Ranko¡¯s wavy, slightly curly hair was held back by the one addition she had personally made to her costume: an antique silver comb featuring a relief of four daisies.

    ¡°In sleep, he sang to me. In dreams, he came. That voice which calls to me, and speaks my name. And, do I dream again? For now, I find: the Phantom of the Opera is there, inside my mind¡­¡±

    Yui¡¯s jaw fell open as her youngest sister began to sing. ¡°Holy crap, she doesn¡¯t sound anything like she does at the Ph..¡±

    Her hoarse whisper was cut off mid-word by Izumi¡¯s elbow being sharply thrust into her ribs. The blonde rubbed them, wincing as she watched the boy help Ranko lower herself into a little gondola on the stage. Her skirts flowed over the sides of the craft, nearly dragging the floor. The boy playing the Opera Ghost picked up a long pole, beginning to push the little boat forward across the stage floor on hidden wheels as the stage began to flood with a thick white mist that made Ranko shiver in her seat in the rickety prop.

    ¡°Your spirit and my voice, in one combined. The Phantom of the Opera is there, inside my mind¡­¡± Ranko sang brightly, despite a look of terror in her eyes. Whether she was acting, or just thinking about the end of the song, her wife could not tell from her seat in the fourth row.

    Come on, baby, Akane thought, sitting forward in her seat and fidgeting nervously.

    ¡°Sing, my angel of music!¡± The Phantom¡¯s booming baritone commanded Ranko, and she replied, vocalizing in ever-higher tones.

    You can do it. I believe in you. Akane¡¯s foot bounced frantically on the floor. Despite the worry in her eyes, she smiled up to her left as Nodoka reached over into her lap, taking Akane¡¯s hand and giving it a hopeful squeeze.

    ¡°Sing for me,¡± Yoshiro coaxed again.

    Still higher Ranko¡¯s voice climbed, and with every new note she reached, Akane¡¯s spine tensed a little more. Come on, princess. You¡¯ve got this.

    ¡°Sing, my angel!¡±

    Please. Please, gods. She¡¯s worked so hard. She needs this win so bad right now. She¡¯s so scared. I¡¯m watching her shake from here. Please.

    ¡°SING FOR ME!¡±

    Here goes nothing, Ranko thought, closing her eyes. Just like this morning in the shower, Ranko. Relax. No pressure. If you can''t see them, they can''t see you.

    She threw her head back, opening her mouth as wide as it would go and unleashing an E in the sixth octave that she maintained for a full second and a half at her full-volume voice.

    A quiet murmur rose from the crowd behind Akane. Never before, in the four previous years Yusue High had performed Phantom of the Opera, had the actress portraying Christine Daae ever hit that note. Or, for that matter, even tried.

    Then again, they¡¯d never cast a star like Ranko Tendo before.

    ¡°I have brought you to the seat of sweet music¡¯s throne. To this kingdom, where all must pay homage to music.¡±

    Akane bounced in her seat, looking gleefully up at Hana as Nodoka squeezed her hands in jubilation. Ranko, meanwhile, broke character for just a moment; while her character should have been terrified at being hauled into an underground crypt by a murderer, the redhead beamed in the little wheeled boat on the stage. To Akane¡¯s eye, it looked as if her wife had even shocked herself with the sound that had indeed come out of her as she¡¯d intended it to. Shut the fuck up, Phantom. She¡¯s my angel, not yours, and until you stop singing, I can¡¯t jump out of this chair and cheer for her.

    In the second-to-last row on the upper left mezzanine of the school¡¯s aging theater, Kumiko Iwata¡¯s mouth fell open. She turned to her mother on her right, beaming with joy for her best friend. ¡°She did it,¡± she silently mouthed, bouncing excitedly in her seat as Rin Matsubara hugged her from behind.

    Akane watched as Yoshiro ripped a brown curtain to the side, revealing a mannequin with a bright red wig, wearing sheer white veil and a white wedding gown not dissimilar from what Ranko currently wore. The songstress collapsed into Yoshiro¡¯s arms in a faux faint, and he scooped her up, carrying her limp form to a mattress with a red canopy over it and laying her gently stop it.

    ¡°Help me make the music of the night¡­¡±

    His voice trailed off, the stage lighting went dark, and every soul in the packed auditorium rocketed to their feet in applause.

    None did so faster than Akane Tendo.

    ¡°Brava, Ranko!¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Miss Daae will be playing the pageboy. The silent role. Carlotta will be playing the lead!¡±

    Noboyuki Matsuyama could not restrain a quiet chuckle under his breath. Yeah, you think you''re gonna keep Ranko quiet? Fat chance of that, buddy, Crash thought with a smirk as he adjusted himself in his seat halfway back on the right side of the upper balcony.

    As Masaru and Hando sang onstage with Akira and Hisashi, Ranko quaked with the release of nervous energy in Ms. Zaito¡¯s arms behind the curtain.

    ¡°I am so proud of you, Ranko! That was incredible,¡± the teacher and director enthused. ¡°I told you that you could do it!¡±

    ¡°Prima donna, first lady of the stage! Your devotees are on their knees to implore you¡­¡±

    Thank the gods I didn''t get cast as Carlotta. All that fawning would just freak me out. Ranko beamed. ¡°I was so friggin¡¯ scared. But I tried to relax, just like you said.¡±

    The stumpy teacher grinned. ¡°And you did wonderfully. No one can ever take away what you just did, honey. You''re a legend. You''ll always know you can do it now.¡±

    The redhead blushed, recalling a similar statement her mother had made a few weeks before about her upcoming tour. ¡°I¡­ gotta go get changed.¡± She motioned over her shoulder with her thumb, back toward the girls¡¯ dressing room that might as well have been in Kyoto for as far from the stage proper as it was.

    I gotta go pretend to be a boy for a minute.

    <hr>

    Ranko blushed, wearing her pageboy costume consisting of a frilly white shirt, gold lame pants and a lacy white cravat, coupled with a blonde bouffant wig and a face full of stark white makeup.

    This boy outfit is about as ridiculous as I feel in it, she thought. I can''t even pretend to be a dude anymore without feeling weirded out. I guess I really am just your princess now, Akane. And ya know what? I got no complaints. She covered her cheeks with her hands, exaggerating a wide gasp with her mouth.

    ¡°Poor fool, he makes me laugh! Ha-ha-ha-ha aaaaaaaaaaaah!¡±

    Akira, as Carlotta, shrieked and jumped backwards as a dummy made of a Halloween mask and an old men¡¯s brown suit stuffed with straw fell from the rafters, snapping on a noose a meter from the stage floor and swaying on the end of the rope.

    ¡°What the¡­?!¡± Yui jumped back in her seat.

    ¡°It¡¯s part of the show, Yui. Shut up.¡± Izumi glared as the curtain abruptly slammed shut.

    Masaru grabbed Ranko by the shoulders, pulling her through the slit between the curtains and back in front of them. ¡±Uh, we are terribly sorry! The show will resume in ten minutes¡¯ time, when the role of the Countess will be played by Miss Christine Daae.¡± He thrust Ranko forward, and she looked back at him, summoning a shocked expression before she was physically hauled back behind the curtain.

    Okay, Ranko thought as she jogged back to the dressing room, grunting slightly with the exertion on her sore left knee. Gotta go throw another friggin¡¯ corset on. No big deal. This is just my life now.

    <hr>

    Ranko shivered despite the red velvet cloak she wore over her light pink dress and ivory boned corset, the beginnings of the Countess costume Akira had worn in the previous scene. The snow raining down on her was fake, generated from a blower in the rafters above the stage, but it was cold nonetheless. There was one other source of warmth available to her, but she did not especially want it.

    ¡°Say you need me with you here, beside you. Anywhere you go, let me go, too. Christine, that¡¯s all I ask of you.¡±

    The redhead quivered at Hisashi¡¯s left hand moving gently across the side of her neck as he sang. His other arm was around her waist, holding her tightly against himself from behind. No, Cat¡¯s Tongue. Don¡¯t you dare. He¡¯s a boy. And he¡¯s a jerk. And, most importantly, he¡¯s not Akane. Biting her tongue hard behind her stage smile in an attempt to override the unwelcome pleasure sensation with one of pain, she reached up, taking his hand in hers and moving it from her neck. She dragged it downward, resting it on her ribcage where the firm boning of the corset she wore protected her nearly entirely from the sensation of his touch. She hoped it looked like she was being sensual, and not just that she wanted his hands off of her goosebump-pocked skin.

    ¡°Share each day with me. Each night, each morning,¡± the pair sang together, as Hisashi released her and she whirled around a large styrofoam statue of an angel playing a trumpet to face him.

    ¡°Say you love me,¡± Ranko implored in her singing voice, much though she really would have preferred if he wouldn¡¯t.

    ¡°You know I do,¡± he replied in song.

    ¡°Love me. That¡¯s all I ask of you,¡± the two harmonized together.

    Okay, lunch. What I ask of you is that you do me a favor and stay where I put you, Ranko thought as she flashed her arm forward with the speed of the Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire technique. She took Hisashi¡¯s cheek in her hand, thrusting herself toward him on her tiptoes until she was centimeters from his face. Just the smell of him that close made her shudder in disgust, but she swallowed hard, doing her best to put on a pretty face. Just like Eiji. Just pretend.

    Slipping her thumb over his lips, Ranko lowered her head, sucking on her knuckle as her slightly curled hair cascaded over her shoulder, hiding both actors¡¯ faces from the view of the crowd. She felt his hands slide slowly down her back, reaching, and then starting to pass, her waistline.

    Oh, no you don¡¯t, ya little perv.

    Still selling the stage kiss, Ranko backed him up one step until his back was pressed against the set wall, painted to look like the outside of a stone tower on the roof of the Opera Populaire. She popped her right leg up at the knee to enjoin him. To the audience, it appeared as if she had thrown herself passionately into his embrace. Ranko¡¯s thumb, meanwhile, muffled Hisashi¡¯s groan of pain as her knee applied firm pressure, crushing his groin hard against the plywood wall. Shouldn''t be putting all my weight on my left leg, she thought as she increased the force with which she drove her right knee forward. But, worth it.

    Well, you sold it, babe, Akane thought from her seat. I know you¡¯re faking, and I still wanna fucking kill him.

    ¡°YOU WILL CURSE THE DAY YOU DID NOT DO¡­ ALL THAT THE PHANTOM ASKED OF YOU!¡±

    The curtain slammed shut to the urgent blaring of a pipe organ, signaling the end of the first act and the beginning of intermission.

    ¡°Is it over,¡± Yui asked incredulously as she and everyone else in the theater began to applaud. She leaned closer to her very irritated little sister, lowering her voice.

    ¡°But she didn''t even smooch the second dude yet!¡±

 45. The Last Dance

    Ranko sighed, tuning out the sounds of nearly three thousand people just above her head as she walked alone in the dark under the aluminum bleachers of the Yusue High rugby field. So much has happened here, she thought. So much of my life changed here.

    She glanced out at a dirt patch near the twenty-meter line on the field, remembering working with Kumiko on her dance moves in time with Dream-Colored Chaser on that very spot. Looking down at her feet, behind the home bleachers, she chuckled with a shake of her head. I wonder how many times I landed on my face, right here, when I was trying to land the quad that first year.

    Ignoring the slight soreness in her left knee after a full rugby game¡¯s worth of performances alongside her squadmates, she kicked her silver cheerleading sneakers through the grass wistfully. It all ends tonight. On to bigger things - maybe better things - but¡­ different things.

    I learned how to be a teammate here.

    I learned how to be a leader here.

    I learned how to be a friend here.

    I¡¯m not ready for it to end.

    She was pulled out of her nostalgia by a shrill whistle as a scrum on the rugby field ended, eliciting a loud cheer from the bleachers directly over her head. The Yusue rugby team, in their red shirts and silver pants, had spent the evening absolutely dismantling their opponents in powder-blue pants and white jerseys, and the whistle had indicated the end of the match.

    ¡°Hey, Ran-chan? It¡¯s time.¡±

    The redhead whirled quickly in her red cheer shell, emblazoned with a pouncing lion, and her red-and-silver pleated skirt. She blushed slightly; it always gave her just a little bit of a shiver down her spine when her twin pigtails tickled her bare shoulders under the power of the Full Body Cat¡¯s Tongue. The sensation served as a physical reminder to her on days where she¡¯d explicitly set out to be extra cute.

    She¡¯d downgraded to a black nylon knee brace without metal supports, which gave her much more freedom of movement. It was also less than half the weight of the immobilizer, which was a welcome relief. The scans she¡¯d had the Monday before had confirmed that the ligaments in her knee were fully healed, so the brace was entirely precautionary, a measure of extra support until the strength - and her confidence - in her left knee returned. Some minor residual soreness remained in a leg that had not been meaningfully exercised in months. But, so long as she kept the major gymnastic stunts to a minimum, an agreement had been reached in consultation both with the orthopedic specialist Ranko saw every two weeks in Shibuya, and the budding young chiropractor she saw every night in her bedroom.

    She would get to have her last dance with her squadmates.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming, Rin,¡± she answered with a soft smile.

    The redhead took one last, long look around. I hope this place remembers me as much as I¡¯ll remember it.

    ¡°And there you have it, Lions fans!¡± The public address announcer¡¯s feminine voice boomed through a slight crackle in the speakers mounted on each side of the scoreboards.

    When I¡¯m a gazillionaire, I gotta donate some better sound gear to this place, Ranko thought with a smile as she strode back to join her squadmates on the field for the final time. She glanced up at the scoreboard, chuckling to herself with a little blush at the match results flashing on the aging outdoor video board.

    How fitting that it should end like this.

    ¡°In the final match of the season, your Yusue HIgh Fightin¡¯ Lions have defeated the Furinkan High Dolphins by a final score of 49 to 16! Don¡¯t forget, stick around for a very special performance by the Yusue Lions cheerleaders, and musical guests, Ranko and the Dapper Dragons!¡±

    ¡°You okay?¡±

    Ranko felt a hand on her bare shoulder, looking up and smiling into Emi Kimoto¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yeah. Just¡­ lotta memories here, is all.¡±

    Emi gave an understanding nod. ¡°It¡¯s always hard moving on. But, try to worry about tomorrow tomorrow, and enjoy tonight tonight.¡±

    The redhead nodded, blushing a little as she took in Emi¡¯s attire. ¡°I knew I shouldn¡¯t have let Izzi talk me into those outfits for you two. It¡¯s weirding me out even more than I thought it would.¡±

    Emi gazed down at the black cheerleader-style crop top she wore, with silver glitter piping running down the sleeves and sides. At the center of her chest, where a team logo would normally appear, Ranko¡¯s pink signature sparkled in fuschia glitter across her chest. A matching bright pink pleated skirt completed the outfit, with several centimeters of bare skin separating the two articles of clothing around her midriff. She¡¯d completed the look with a pair of hot pink bows adorning the loose twin pigtails sprouting from the sides of her scalp just above her ears.

    ¡°Yeah, well, it¡¯s cute, so deal with it,¡± Emi said, giggling. ¡°I like it.¡±

    Ranko blushed, giggling brightly. ¡°If you dig it that much, I bet Izzi could make you one with Hitomi¡¯s name plastered across your tits, if you really wanted.¡±

    The blonde smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°And who¡¯s to say I wouldn¡¯t put her in one that says Emi instead?¡±

    The songstress and cheerleader shrugged, blushing. ¡°Whatever floats your boats, I guess.¡± I mean, I certainly prefer being Akane¡¯s cheerleader, so, I get it¡­

    Emi giggled, squeezing the shorter girl around the shoulders. ¡°Your sister¡¯s already working on both of them.¡±

    Ranko let her flushing face fall into her hands with a chuckle. ¡°Of fucking course she is.¡± The fact that the girls viewed the outfits¡­ that way¡­ made seeing her own name on them even more awkward for Ranko, but she tried to put it out of her mind. ¡°We should go help get the stage set up.¡±

    The blonde shook her head disapprovingly. ¡°First off, you¡¯re the star. You¡¯re not supposed to be doing that kinda stuff. Second, you still gotta take it a little easy on your knee. And third¡­¡± Emi shot her a little wink. ¡°Sometimes, it¡¯s fun to just sit around in a short skirt and watch the boys work up a sweat.¡±

    ¡°Emi!¡± Ranko¡¯s face glowed brighter than the floodlights illuminating the grassy pitch behind them.

    ¡°I swear, girl¡­¡± Emi giggled brightly. ¡°If it kills me, I¡¯m gonna get a little diva attitude in you yet.¡±

    Ranko shook her head, crinkling her nose cutely. ¡°There¡¯s enough diva in you for the both of us, Ems. Go on, go make Shinji squirm. I gotta go talk with my squad.¡±

    Emi waved her off. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about tormenting poor Shin. ¡®Tomi¡¯s already on the case.¡± She sneered devilishly. ¡°But maybe she could use a hand. See you up there!¡± She flitted off, leaving Ranko to jog over to the other thirteen Yusue High cheerleaders, who were still mingling with the victorious rugby players. As she walked, Ranko scanned the faces of the defeated Furinkan players to see if she recognized anyone, but after several years away from her former school, she did not.

    And it ain¡¯t exactly likely anyone would recognize me, considering, she thought with a grin. Hell, I barely do, some days.

    ¡°Are you girls ready,¡± Ranko asked, even though she knew they were. She smiled warmly at her squadmates and friends. I¡¯m so proud of you all.

    Kumiko gave her friend a soft nod. ¡°You bet, Ran-chan. I¡¯m so stoked we get to do a brand-new song with you!¡±

    The pop star grinned. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been saving this one, hoping I could do it with you all. And whenever the label gets around to having me film the music video, I want all of you girls in it with me, got it? It¡¯ll be awesome!¡±

    An excited whoop rose amongst the girls, and several of them took their turns to rush up and squeeze Ranko around the shoulders.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Shin! Plug the speakers in!¡±

    A few meters in front of the stage, Hitomi and Emi each waved a pair of shiny red-and-silver pom-poms they¡¯d borrowed from the cheerleaders, Hitomi kicking her leg high in the air with a giggle as they chanted. A loud thwang rose from the temporary stage under construction at midfield, and Ranko whirled to find Shinji in a heap in the grass just off the left side of the stage, a microphone stand and his bass guitar heaped haphazardly atop him. Guess the girls were even more distracting than they thought, Ranko mused with a giggle. Don¡¯t kill the poor bastard! I need a bassist on tour!

    ¡°So, I guess this is it, huh?¡± Ranko sighed. ¡°Fuck, I¡¯m gonna miss doing this with you girls.¡± She could only imagine Mizuki, Aoi, Etsuko and Kumi - her fellow seniors - all felt the same. ¡°We¡¯re never gonna forget each other. Never.¡± She turned her eyes up to the packed bleachers, buzzing with anticipation.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go make sure they never forget us, either.¡± Ranko grinned up at the green-haired junior to her left. ¡°Ready to lead us out there, cap?¡±

    Rin Matsubara blushed, shaking her head. ¡°Nuh-uh. Not tonight. No chance. We¡¯re behind you, Ranko.¡± A cheer of assent rose from her squadmates.

    Ranko nodded, beaming and reaching out her hand, her palm extended downward. ¡°Alright then. One more time.¡±

    The other girls huddled around close, stacking their hands atop Ranko¡¯s. As all thirteen girls crammed in close enough to get their hands in the pile, Ranko took a final, slow glance around her, making eye contact with each. Her gaze lingered for a moment on each of the girls in turn, as if trying to memorize their faces. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and releasing it slowly.

    ¡°Mess with the cat¡­¡±

    Where one voice had begun the cheerleading squad¡¯s new rallying cry, fourteen finished it.

    ¡°YOU GET THE CLAWS!¡±

    The redhead began jogging toward the stage, her friends following her. She longed to join them in the cartwheels they performed as they made their way to their starting places, but she¡¯d promised Akane she would avoid major jumps. Nine more days. Once I¡¯m on that stage on the Budokan, I¡¯m giving it everything I¡¯ve got, ready or not. She walked between the six large black placards that lay face-down, evenly spaced in a line some ten meters in front of the stage parallel with its front edge.

    The crowd seemed far louder than it should have been for its size. Ranko blushed, realizing that unless she squeezed in a set at the Phoenix in the next week, she honestly didn¡¯t know when she¡¯d next perform before a crowd that small. She slowly made her way up the stairs to the platform Crash and Jake had erected, waving to the audience along the home bleachers. Her face brightened as her eyes fell on the third row on the left, and she hung her left fist limply in front of her as she rubbed the back of it with her right hand, smiling up at Akane, Izumi and Hana sitting together. Akane and Izzi stood and whooped loudly, and Hana frantically tried to finish chewing the last bite of whatever she¡¯d gotten from the concession stand so she could join her daughters.

    ¡°You sure you¡¯re ready for this?¡± The voice came from just over Ranko¡¯s left shoulder as she felt a pair of strong arms encircle her from the side. ¡°Your leg doing okay?¡±

    Ranko smiled, leaning into Crash¡¯s chest with a happy sigh. His hugs feel so good. ¡°Gods, yes. And even if I wasn¡¯t, I¡¯m doing it anyway!¡±

    He shook his head with an amused smirk and an inaudible scoff. ¡°Of fucking course you are.¡±

    As Crash released her, Ken strode up behind the redhead in a black tee shirt and matching skinny jeans, holding out her rhinestone-bedazzled black leather jacket. ¡°Good to have you back, Ran-chan.¡±

    She beamed brightly, pulling the jacket inscribed with her name on over her cheerleading uniform and leaving it hanging open in front. ¡°Good to be back.¡± She offered Shinji and Jake high-fives, giving a sharp nod of acknowledgement to Hitomi as she waited next to Emi in their matching mock cheerleading uniforms.

    Rin flashed Ranko a thumbs-up from the grass below, taking her position at the right rear edge of a spread of thirteen cheerleaders. Receiving one in reply, she turned her eyes up to the glass audio booth atop the bleachers, throwing a thumbs-up to Suzume and Ariel.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± Suzume excitedly called into her public-address microphone. ¡°Please welcome, for the last time, your 1992 All-Tokyo Cheerleading Invitational champion Yusue Fighting Lions Cheerleaders, and special guests, Ranko and the Dapper Dragons!¡±

    Ranko waved enthusiastically to the crowd with both hands, hopping slightly a few times to loosen her knee back up.

    ¡°What¡¯s up, Yusue? Are you ready to bounce?!¡± Ranko giggled into her headset microphone, surveying the crowd as she planted her feet, her legs spread apart as she hung her arms rigidly at her sides, her hands in fists. A staccato electronic dance rhythm began pouring out of Jacob¡¯s synthesizer keyboard, supported by Ken¡¯s drums. Shinji leaned forward into the microphone mounted to the stand in front of his position at the right side of the stage, beatboxing a low thwom sound into it to further support the thumping rhythm of Ranko¡¯s new dance track.

    Here we go, Ranko. We¡¯re back, baby.

    ¡°Nine o¡¯clock on Friday, and they¡¯re playin¡¯ my song. I¡¯m so ready; I¡¯ve been waiting for this all! Week! Long!¡±

    More like all year, she thought as she whipped her head to the side, her pigtails flying over her shoulders as she bent her knees, lowering herself slightly as she rocked her backside with each of the last three staccato words of the first line. Fuck, it feels good to dance again!

    ¡°There¡¯s no time for talking, or sittin¡¯ round gawkin¡¯! Don¡¯t wanna stop to eat. The only thing I need tonight¡¯s a rhythm and a beat!¡±

    As she strode closer to Crash, thirteen synchronized single twists were launched from the grass in front of the stage, each girl with her shiny foil red-and-silver pom-poms refracting the stadium lighting in her hands as she twirled in the air. As soon as their feet hit the ground, the sparkly puffs were thrown to the grass.

    ¡°You know what I came out to do.¡± Ranko stood directly in front of Crash, shaking her backside only the width of his guitar from him as her hand reached up over her shoulder, cupping his cheek.

    She whipped her body around, dragging her finger in a zigzag pattern down the front of Crash¡¯s white tee shirt as she wiggled her butt in the direction of the crowd.

    ¡°You gotta shake it with me before I¡¯ll shout for you!¡±

    Ranko returned to center stage, flanked two meters apart by Hitomi on her left and Emi on her right. She grinned up at the steps leading up to the stage, as Rin climbed up to the stage on Emi¡¯s side, and Kumiko on Hitomi¡¯s. The five girls formed a line across the front of the stage.

    ¡°I guess you''re gonna make me spell the whole thing out for you¡­¡±

    The other eleven cheerleaders formed a line as well, on the grass of the rugby pitch. Etsuko, Momoe, Aoi, Shika, Ayame and Kayo each stood behind one of the black signs in the grass, with Tanda, Tamiko, Yori, Mizuki and Moriko standing rigidly in the gaps between them, arms at their sides.

    ¡°I gotta BE the one that''s rockin¡¯ out the hardest in the club!¡±

    As Ranko shouted more than sang the word be, she was joined by all thirteen of her fellow cheerleaders as well as Hitomi and Emi. She gestured to herself with both of her thumbs at the level of her breasts, slowly rotating to face right and pumping her hands back and forth with the beat as she finished the line. All four other girls on stage, and the five cheerleaders still on the grass that were not assigned a sign, did the same as Etsuko lifted up the placard in front of her. The front of it was painted the same bright fuschia as was used in Ranko''s signature in the band logo, featuring a large letter B painted in thick black lines in the same font.

    ¡°OH! I''m gonna go until the sun! Comes! Up!¡±

    As with be, the word oh was shouted by all of the cheerleaders as if it were any other chant they might have performed at a sporting event. Momoe lifted the sign in front of her, featuring a large letter O in the same style. Etsie spun in place with her sign held high above her head. Ranko, like all of her other dancers, held her hands up at shoulder height, fingers spread in the gesture that ended the Minato University cheerleaders¡¯ pixie dust gesture. The music cut out entirely as she sang the words sun comes up staccato, and with each of the three words, she led her dancers in raising her hands a little further skyward.

    ¡°YOU know what I wanna do, and who I wanna do it with!¡±

    The word you was shouted by all fifteen women in the performance. Ranko led the dancers in pointing out to the crowd with two fingers on each hand, having turned back to face forward. Her hands stayed still, but her hips wiggled left and right with every beat as Momoe and Etsuko spun in place and Aoi lifted a placard featuring a black letter U.

    ¡°ANyone can do it, if you''re not afraid to wiggle it!¡±

    Shika¡¯s N sign rocketed above her head as the girls all shouted the first syllable of the word anyone. Starting at her right, Ranko (and her other dancers) panned her pointing gesture across the front of the stage, thrusting her hands backward and forward four times until she had reached her left side and indicated the entire crowd. This was completed by the end of the word afraid, and then she again swayed her backside, just once, left and then right in a pronounced wiggle not unlike the clanging of a bell.

    ¡°You SEE me on the floor givin¡¯ it all that I got¡­¡±

    Ayame threw a placard painted with the letter C up above her head as the dancers all cheered the word and lowered their left arms, holding their right hands flat above the level of their eyes and bopping left to right as if scanning the crowd for someone and shielding their eyes from the sun.

    ¡°So, EEE-ven if you''re tired, pound your drink and take your shot!¡±

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Kayo raised the final sign, displaying the letter E. The dancers all yelled the final letter. They rotated the wrists of the hands that shielded their eyes, resting the backs of their hands against their foreheads and slumping slightly as if they were suddenly exhausted. At the words pound your drink, all ten dancers cocked their left hands up to their mouths as if drinking an invisible shot of whiskey before punching forward into the air with the same hand with the words take your shot.

    All six cheerleaders holding the signs lowered them below their waists, facing them toward their bodies, but did not drop them.

    ¡°I feel the thump of the bass, and I''ll be up in your face¡­¡±

    Ranko thrust both of her fists forward, keeping her elbows bent, at the word thump. As she sang the words up in your face, she turned ninety degrees to face right, leaning back slightly and reaching her arm over her head as if she were trying to hug the neck of a taller person standing behind her. Her dancers all did the same. Each of the six cheerleaders still holding the signs rocked their hips once to the left at the word bass and back to the right at face.

    ¡°Ya gotta shake it with me right where it counts, counts, counts!¡±

    Kumiko raised both her arms over her head, crossing her wrists and wiggling her butt. Each time Ranko uttered the word counts, she and her fellow dancers bent their knees a bit more, until their short cheerleading skirts nearly touched the ground.

    The girls holding the signs held them out to their left at the first counts, then straight above their head at the second, and out to the right at the third, without turning them back to face the audience.

    ¡°So, if ya wanna be with me, B-O-U-N-C-E!¡±

    Ranko led a rapid-fire abbreviated version of the dance as she spelled out the word. She gestured to her chest with her thumbs, then flared her hands upward without moving her elbows. Her open palms quickly transitioned into the forward point, which was then panned across the audience. She swooped her right hand back from the leftmost point to shield her eyes, and then rotated her wrist to lay the backs of her fingers against her forehead.

    Her eleven fellow dancers all joined her in the dance she had choreographed for the song¡¯s chorus, and each of the six cheerleaders holding the signs spun them back around to face the crowd as their letter was called.

    ¡°Yeah! You need a little bit of bounce!¡±

    All sixteen girls jumped into the air in unison, kicking their heels back until they almost kicked themselves in the backsides. Ranko giggled a bit into her microphone as the hem of her skirt tickled her ankles.

    When the cheerleaders holding the signs landed, their placards were tossed face-down to the grass.

    ¡°Standing in the corner, and I¡¯m hanging on your elbow. You¡¯re thinkin¡¯ that we¡¯re gonna skip another one, but hell, no!¡± Ranko shook her head, smirking to the crowd. At her sides, Hitomi, Kumiko, Rin and Emi all wagged their fingers, snaking the whole of their bodies left and right behind them, as did all eleven cheerleaders still down in the grass.

    Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have used that word. I¡¯m at school after all. Ranko thought, before smirking to herself. You know what? Naaah. As the great Shiori Nagata once said, ¡®I¡¯m graduating in a week; what are they gonna do, kick me off the squad?¡¯ Fuck it. It¡¯s my party, and I¡¯ll cuss if I want to.

    ¡°You¡¯re gasping for air, but I just let down my hair,¡± she sang, shaking her head and letting her loose, red-and-silver-beribboned pigtails dance on the shoulders of her leather jacket. ¡°The night is just beginning! My dress is soaked with so much sweat¡­¡± She pinched at the red-and-silver cheerleading shell top under her jacket with her left hand, pulling it away from her skin a few times and fanning her face with her right hand as if she were overheated. ¡°... it looks like I went swimming!¡±

    ¡°DJ, DJ, DJ, come on, spin up a song! Get me back out on the dance floor where you know I belong!¡±

    She smirked back at Crash, who took his hands off of his cherry-red guitar and made a show of mopping his brow with his hand.

    ¡°My date¡¯s worn out, but I¡¯m still good to shake it all night long!¡±

    Up in the bleachers, Akane shook her head, dropping her face into her palm with an only half-amused laugh. Ranko, baby, you do know, you could occasionally pick one of the other boys to be your designated stage boyfriend, right?

    As she sang, Kumiko and Rin jogged back down the steps to the grass. Etsie, Aoi, Momoe, Ayame, and Kayo picked their signs back up, but Kumi took Shika¡¯s place in front of the N sign and scooped it from the grass. Shika jogged to the back of the formation, joining Rin and Mitzuki. Tamiko and Yori stood next to each other halfway between Shika¡¯s group and the front line, and Tanda took her position between Kumiko and Aoi on the front line.

    ¡°I¡¯ve gotta BE the one that¡¯s rockin¡¯ out the hardest in the club!¡±

    Again, Ranko, Hitomi, Emi, and every cheerleader not holding a placard gestured to themselves with both thumbs, rocking their hands as if they were holding invisible maracas as they used four steps to swivel ninety degrees to their right. Etsuko held up the B sign, and all the other sign-holders waved their placards over their heads in wide arcs, facing away from the crowd with their plain black backs showing. All sixteen girls yelled ¡±BE!¡± as one, spelling out the word less in a singing voice, and more in a chant, as the cheerleaders they were.

    ¡°OH! I¡¯m gonna go until the SUN! COMES! UP!¡±

    In one voice, all sixteen girls yelled ¡±OH!¡± as Momoe turned her letter sign forward and raised it over her head. Ranko, Hitomi, Emi and Tanda flared their hands out as they did in the previous chorus, but Tamiko stepped into Yori¡¯s laced-together fingers. Shika, meanwhile, stepped between Rin and Mitzuki, placing one of her hands on each of the girls¡¯ interior shoulders. Rin and Mitzuki formed a cradle with their enjoined fingers, and Shika stepped into it with her right foot.

    At the word sun, Tanda jumped upward, spinning in a single twist and landing on her feet in the grass.

    In time with the word comes, Yori launched her girlfriend skyward directly behind Tanda, watching her execute a double twist in the air and come down into her arms.

    As the word up was roared out of Ranko¡¯s lips, Rin and Mitzuki together propelled Shika, the squad¡¯s top gymnast after Ranko, even higher into the air than Tamiko had flown. Shika executed three twists, flying backward as she did. Her flight arc carried her high enough to clear the two-meter high stage platform, where Hitomi and Emi executed a clean basket catch of the silver-haired cheerleader on the stage. They lowered her to the stage floor, where she joined Ranko just in time to point forward in the next step of the dance Ranko had choreographed - the first she¡¯d ever designed specifically with the intent of creating a fad dance for her fans to learn.

    ¡°YOU know what you gotta do, and who you gotta do it with! AN-yone can do it, if you¡¯re not afraid to wiggle it!¡±

    The redheaded songstress spared the briefest of moments to steal a proud smile at her two permanent backup dancers. Ranko had needed to give Hitomi and Emi a crash course in the art of the basket catch just the evening before. They had performed it flawlessly, and Ranko breathed a sigh of relief. She may have neglected to mention to Shika that the girls responsible for catching her an instant before she slammed head-first into the stage like a lawn dart had never actually done the maneuver before.

    Ranko¡¯s hands panned the crowd alongside Shika¡¯s, Hitomi¡¯s and Emi¡¯s as the six signless cheerleaders still at ground level did the same, and Aoi and then Kumiko turned their signs forward to reveal their letters.

    All sixteen women rocked their hips side to side in perfect unison, swishing their pleated skirts left and right with pronounced, deliberate motions as the words wiggle it sprung forward from Ranko¡¯s microphone and through the rugby field¡¯s aging sound system, supported by the large speakers Shinji and Ariel had mounted to each side of the stage itself.

    ¡°You SEE me on the floor givin¡¯ it all that I got, so EEE-ven if you¡¯re tired, pound your drink and take your shot!¡±

    Ranko¡¯s wrist rotated, resting her hand across her eyebrows as she transitioned from the shade your eyes and search the crowd gesture associated with see to the exhausted, pathetic faint move at the long E sound in the word even. As throughout the chorus, all sixteen girls shouted out the letter sounds spelling out the word bounce as Shinji¡¯s bass beatboxing in his microphone laid down the beat alongside Ken¡¯s drums. Ayame and then Kayo turned the C and E signs, respectively, forward, waving them overhead when it was their turn.

    Ranko jogged over to her guitarist, smirking playfully at the nervous expression in his eyes. Oh, relax. Just be a good boy, play along, and for the gods¡¯ sake, don¡¯t poke me with nothin¡¯ that belongs to Ukyo.

    ¡°I feel the thump of the bass¡­¡± Ranko thrust her fists forward, opening her hands at the last possible instant and grabbing Crash¡¯s jacket.

    ¡°And I¡¯ll be up in your face¡­¡± She pulled herself closer, turning her back to Crash. She reached back as per the moves of her dance, wrapping her hand around the back of his neck as her backside swayed close enough to him that she could feel the strings of his guitar against her butt through her pleated cheerleading skirt.

    ¡°You gotta shake it with me, right where it counts, counts, COUNTS!¡± All of the girls lowered themselves on their knees, swaying their asses as their arms tensed parallel to the ground, their hands in fists as they dropped their backsides nearly all the way to the ground. Crash, meanwhile, hoped it wasn¡¯t too terribly obvious to the crowd how much he was blushing as his best friend did so not ten centimeters in front of him.

    ¡°If you wanna be with me,¡± Ranko sang as she popped back to a standing position, ignoring the slight twinge of pain in her knee as she pushed up from the squatting position.

    ¡°B-O-U-N-C-E,¡± she continued, again rapidly moving through the gestures associated with each of the six letters in the song behind the hedge of pink-and-black signs spelling the word out a meter high in the hands of six of her Yusue High cheerleading squadmates.

    ¡°You need a little bit of BOUNCE!¡±

    Ranko fell silent, as did the instruments in Crash, Shinji and Jake¡¯s hands. Ranko took a few steps to the right, joining Shika on the right side of the stage parallel with where Hitomi and Emi were stationed on the left. All four girls performed a freestyle little dance as Ken hammered on the snare and the cymbals in front of him, kicking at the pedal of his bass drum with a gleeful grin on his face.

    There you go, buddy, Ranko thought, beaming back at her ecstatic percussionist friend as she wiggled her hips with the rolling thunder coming from Ken¡¯s drumsticks. I¡¯m so sorry it took twenty-six songs, Ken, but you finally got your fucking drum solo.

    Ranko ran over to Ken, leaning her butt on the edge of the giant bass drum bearing her signature from the right hand side, careful to stay clear of the still-vibrating cymbals. She bobbed her head with each loud thump from the drum, which was bolstered by Shinji beatboxing in his low bass voice in his microphone. As Crash, Shinji and Jacob resumed playing their instruments, Ranko reached down, giving Ken a little congratulatory squeeze around his shoulders before popping back up to her feet and acknowledging his work.

    ¡°The bass is thumpin¡¯, place is jumpin¡¯, no time for a slow one! The song comes on, and babe, I¡¯m gone¡­¡±

    The redhead waved cutely to Ken as she stopped leaning on his drum and strode back to center stage.

    ¡°... and I¡¯m stopping for no one!¡±

    She lowered her head, gripping her pigtails at their bases in her hands and swaying her head in mock dismay.

    ¡°Seven days¡¯ worth of pain all built up in my brain; it¡¯s time it gets released¡­¡±

    She released her hair, and all sixteen girls raised their arms above their heads, crossing their arms at the wrists. In synchronization, they bobbed their heads vertically up and down between their forearms.

    ¡°So, my head starts movin¡¯ north and south¡­¡±

    While still nodding their heads with the beat, the girls all jumped up and turned their backs to the crowd in mid-air, rocking their backsides forcefully side to side as they landed.

    ¡°... and my ass goes west and east!¡±

    As she was already facing him, Ranko closed the distance to Crash again, shaking her head in mock disappointment.

    Oh, hell, the guitarist thought. Why you always gotta pick on me?

    ¡°I¡¯ve given you plenty of leeway.¡± Ranko cocked her head, waving Crash off with the back of her head before running three steps to her left, turning and hopping up onto a fuzzy gray box housing an amplifier.

    Thank you, gods, Crash thought, releasing the breath he was holding.

    Ranko leaned over from her seat, crossing her ankles as she ran the backs of her fingers down Jacob¡¯s cheek, looking him over with an expression that made Akane blush from her seat in the bleachers.

    ¡°If this keeps up,¡± Ranko sang with a sultry purr in her voice, ¡°I¡¯m gonna go home with the DJ!¡±

    Apparently, I just need to learn to play an instrument, Akane mused, her face still aglow. I think I can still play that plastic recorder I got in fifth grade¡­

    Ranko snapped her fingers on both hands, expanding her fingers outward in the pixie dust gesture of her collegiate cheerleading squad. All of the other dancers, both on the stage and in the grass, turned and cupped their hands over their cheeks, dropping their jaws in an exaggerated mime of shock.

    ¡°And it¡¯ll happen so damn rapidly that you¡¯ll need instant replay!¡±

    As she sang, the six cheerleaders bearing the letter placards fanned out at intervals along the long bank of bleachers, and all six waved toward themselves, cupping their hands to their ears in encouragement to the crowd to make themselves heard.

    ¡°I¡¯ve gotta BE the one that¡¯s rockin¡¯ out the hardest in the club!¡±

    At the sound of the letter, the entire section seated in front of Etsuko shouted the letter as well. Several Yusue High fans were standing at their seats, beginning to fumble their way through the dance steps as they pointed to their chests with their thumbs.

    Not perfect, but they¡¯re working on it, Ranko thought with a grin as she launched into the second line of the chorus.

    ¡°OH! We¡¯re gonna go until the SUN! COMES! UP!¡±

    The staccato words were again sung over no musical accompaniment as Momoe¡¯s sign energized the second section of the bleachers from Ranko¡¯s right, and Ranko, Hitomi, Emi, and the other cheerleaders pumped their open palms toward the sky.

    ¡°YOU know what¡¯cha gotta do, and who you gotta do it with! AN-yone can do it if you¡¯re not afraid to wiggle it!¡±

    Aoi¡¯s and then Kumiko¡¯s sections stood up and roared their assigned letters when they were prompted to do so by the cheerleaders standing in the grass in front of them. As the words wiggle it slithered from her wife¡¯s lips, Akane faced Izumi, and the two of them bent their knees, shaking their backsides as the lyrics commanded. Hana, watching from just behind Izumi on her right in a pair of blue jeans and her black leather second skin over a black Jim Beam tee shirt, could only cackle as she watched three of her six daughters enjoying themselves.

    ¡°Ya SEE me on the floor givin¡¯ it all that I got, so EEE-ven if you¡¯re tired, pound your drink and take your shot!¡± The dancers cocked their left arms upward, throwing back their invisible shots of liquor before rocketing their fists forward and swaying their butts playfully in their pleated skirts.

    ¡°I feel the thump of the bass¡­¡± Ranko reached out, punching at the air with both of her hands less than a meter from Shin as he made a loud thump sound with his mouth into the microphone on the stand in front of him.

    ¡°... and I¡¯ll be up in your face¡­¡±

    Akane giggled loudly, stepping close and swaying close enough to Ranko¡¯s elder sister for their skirts to swish into each other.

    ¡°Ya gotta shake it with me, right where it counts, counts, counts!¡±

    Ranko¡¯s left knee popped in her black nylon brace as she straightened after lowering her backside almost to the stage floor in the third repetition of the dance. Her eyes widened, and she took a half a beat to gasp in concern. Shit, fuck, okay. Breathe, Ranko. Don¡¯t panic. The doc said it might do that when I dance for a bit, and as long as it doesn¡¯t hurt, it¡¯s okay. We¡¯re fine. We¡¯re good. False alarm.

    ¡°So, if you wanna be with me, B-O-U-N-C-E!¡± Ranko was a half-beat slow getting into the B pose, but she caught up with her fellow dancers by the time she was expected to flare her palms outward for the O. The six cheerleaders hoisting the signs raised them high in front of their sections of the crowd, and enough rose to their feet as their section was called upon to create a wave of humanity crashing from the right side of the bleachers to the left.

    ¡°You need a little bit of bounce!¡±

    The aluminum bleachers shook under the pressure of a few hundred people all making tiny little hops at their seats.

    Alright, Ranko. Breathe. Settle. Everything¡¯s fine. Got our little scare out of the way, and I¡¯m still going. Gotta finish the song strong, and then I get a little bit of a break. And speaking of¡­

    She spun hard and fast on her right heel, letting her pleated skirt flare upward around her hips. ¡°So, if you think I¡¯m slowing down, you¡¯re probably dreaming; they¡¯re gonna have to drag me off this dance floor kicking and screaming!¡±

    Emi grabbed Ranko from behind, lifting her up, and Ranko flailed at the air with her arms and feet as she was carried several steps.

    ¡°No time for restin¡¯ our feet, ¡®cause they¡¯re still pumpin¡¯ the beat, and I love how it feels!¡±

    Ranko giggled into her headset microphone as she ran back over to Crash, smirking and poking him in the nose over his guitar. She stepped up on her tiptoes, still several centimeters shorter than him, but holding herself in that position with the back halves of her feet raised off of the stage platform.

    ¡°I¡¯ve partied twice as hard as you tonight, and I did it in heels!¡±

    She lowered her heels back to the floor, thrashing the whole of her body as quickly as she could manage, even as she planted her left leg rather than apply any further torque to it. It¡¯s fine. Just gotta build my confidence back up. Gotta learn to trust it again.

    ¡°Tonight, I¡¯m shakin¡¯ off my sorrows, so even if I¡¯m broke and have to beg and borrow¡­¡±

    She made a gesture of counting out invisible money in her hands as Shika jogged down the steps to rejoin her fellow cheerleaders, and all of the girls not holding signs launched into synchronized back handsprings.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be ploppin¡¯ down the cover; do it all again tomorrow! Yeah, I¡¯m gonna BE the girl that¡¯s rockin¡¯ out the hardest in the club!¡±

    Ranko pointed to her chest with her thumbs, rocking to the side. Let¡¯s finish strong.

    ¡°OH! I¡¯m gonna go until the SUN! COMES! UP!¡±

    The second section of the bleachers roared to life as Momoe waved her sign at them, but a smattering of fans from across the entire side of the stadium joined in, singing the words sun comes up in three progressively higher notes. More of them attempted the dance than had in the previous repetition of the chorus.

    ¡°YOU know what you gotta do, and who ya gotta do it with! AN-yone can do it, if you¡¯re not afraid to wiggle it!¡±

    And I can¡¯t be afraid to wiggle it either, Ranko thought, throwing herself into her choreography and rocking her hips as forcefully as she had before. See? All good.

    ¡°Ya SEE me on the floor givin¡¯ it all that I got, so EEE-ven if you¡¯re tired, pound your drink and take your shot!¡±

    Ranko wiped her lips with the right sleeve of her jacket rather than punching forward at the take your shot line, as if cleaning her mouth after taking a drink.

    ¡°I feel the thump of the bass, and I¡¯ll be up in your face; ya gotta shake it with me right where it counts, counts, COUNTS!¡±

    She rocketed back up to a standing position after the deep knee bend, beaming in excitement and relief. No pop. No pain. We¡¯re back, baby!

    ¡°So, if you wanna be with me¡­¡±

    The six girls holding the signs raised them in rapid succession as Hitomi, Ranko and Emi performed the six gestures, but made no sound. They did not need to; the crowd did it for them.

    ¡°B! O! U! N! C! E!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! You need a little bit of bounce!¡±

    Ranko giggled, smiling breathlessly out at the crowd. Whew. I gotta work back up to this. I¡¯m actually a little winded.

    Fortunately, the audience had plenty of air left in them.

    ¡°RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO!¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± she said into her microphone, clasping her hands over her heart. ¡°I¡¯m gonna miss you guys, too.¡±

    As she spoke, the other baker¡¯s dozen cheerleaders put their placards down, scooping their pom-poms back up from the grass and reforming into two rows of seven and six girls. Ranko walked across the stage, taking high steps to test her knee.

    ¡°Shit, did she hurt herself?!¡± Akane propelled herself off of the aluminum bench where she sat, but Hana rested a hand on her shoulder gently.

    ¡°She knows she needs to stop if she has an issue. Trust her, Aka¡­¡±

    Hana¡¯s voice was cut off by a loud, high-pitched voice flooding the outdoor stadium from the speakers as the cheerleaders began to sway like hula dancers.

    ¡°Whee-dee-dee-dee, de-dee, dee-dee-dee, oh-wee-bom-bom-bo-way¡­ Whee-dee-dee-dee, de-dee, dee-dee-dee, oh-wee-bom-bom-bo-way¡­ In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion slzzzzzzzzzt!¡±

 46. Take Whats Yours

    ¡°Come on, not even one hint?!¡±

    Izumi shook her head, smirking devilishly at her youngest sister¡¯s wife. ¡°No. I told you, Akane. I¡¯m not spoiling anything. You¡¯re just going to have to sit back and enjoy it, like any other fan.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Akane sighed, swiveling in her seat. She opened her mouth to speak, but was shushed with a raised hand before she could make a sound.

    ¡°Not a chance, little sister,¡± Nabiki said. ¡°I¡¯m sworn to secrecy.¡± The brunette gave her sister a wink, and a little bit of a grin. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you this, though - you¡¯re in for one hell of a show.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not fair! You two got to see the rehearsals, but she never let me come!¡± Akane pouted, crossing her arms over the white lace dress she wore, embroidered with little white roses everywhere. In Akane¡¯s mind, wearing her lover¡¯s favorite dress was a way to be closer to her, even though she knew Ranko could not acknowledge her directly on stage in front of some nearly fourteen thousand people.

    Izumi giggled. ¡°Well, between me and Nabiki, we all but planned the damn thing.¡± She grinned proudly; other than for one costume change, she had designed every outfit worn by Ranko or any of her four backup dancers throughout the entire Wildfire Tour performance, and hand-made more than half of them. Along with helping out at the Phoenix when she could, it had been her full-time job for months. She¡¯d even hired one of her former classmates from her fashion design school to help with the sewing.

    Akane sat up in her seat, looking left and right down the first row of seats at the Tokyo Budokan. One of the stipulations Nabiki had negotiated as part of Ranko¡¯s tour compensation was that, for the first show, the entire front row of the martial arts arena would be reserved for her family and friends, and those of her bandmates. In attendance were Soun Tendo and all six sisters Akane and Ranko shared, as well as Kaito, Seiichi and Dr. Tofu. Hana was there, as was Nodoka, though she and Kasumi both wore earplugs to help them tolerate the incredibly loud music. To the far right side of the row, Shiori Nagata sat with eleven of Ranko¡¯s thirteen Ranko¡¯s Yusue High cheerleading squadmates, as well as Kumiko¡¯s boyfriend Hideo. To the far left, Ryo Kajiwara sat with Crash¡¯s parents and his little brother Obu, and even Shinji¡¯s father was in attendance. Both of Hitomi¡¯s fathers were there as well, as was Emi¡¯s mom and her younger sister Chiasa. There were a few people there Akane did not recognize; she assumed they were guests of the new backup dancers, Sanyo and Utaru. She felt bad that no one from Jacob¡¯s family was in attendance for the first show, but given that the entire production would be moving to Australia in a few weeks, it made little practical sense for them all to make an intercontinental trip to see a show that they¡¯d be able to catch in their backyard soon enough.

    We¡¯re all here for you, princess. We¡¯re all so damn proud of you.

    <hr>

    ¡°Whoa-ohhhh! It¡¯s a passion! Whoa-oh! You can feel it in the air! Whoa-ohhh¡­¡±

    Ranko paced in the VIP lounge backstage as the cover band played onstage. Her fingers drummed nervously against her thighs, and her breathing was quickened.

    ¡°Hey. Why are you so freaked out? Not only have you played shows this size before, but you¡¯ve played this exact building before. Twice, in just the last six months.¡± Crash rested his hand gently on his best friend¡¯s back through her leather jacket.

    Yeah. And the last time I was in this building, I damn near tore my leg in half, Crash.

    The redhead nodded, brushing her hair out of her eyes. She stopped her stalking, looking up into the blonde man¡¯s kind eyes. ¡°I know, but it just¡­ it feels different this time. Maybe ¡®cause it doesn¡¯t feel like a regular show, but like, the start of something. The start of everything.¡±

    Crash nodded sagely. ¡°I mean, it is. But that¡¯s a good thing. This is everything we¡¯ve worked for.¡±

    Ranko sighed in despair. ¡°Everything you¡¯ve worked for. I don¡¯t feel like I did enough. I¡¯m not ready. I didn¡¯t get anywhere near enough time to rehearse ¡®cause of my stupid knee. What if I screw up? What if I fall down in the middle of a song? What if¡­¡±

    Her words cut off as Crash pulled her into a tight hug. ¡°You¡¯ve got this, Ranko. You might not have gotten to practice the dances much, but you fuckin¡¯ designed ¡®em. You may not have sung the songs every day in that warehouse, but you wrote ¡®em.¡± He extended his arms, holding her out from his body again so he could look down into her face.

    ¡°Every single person in that audience paid good money to be here tonight because they love you. They love us. They¡¯re not here to judge you. They¡¯re here to celebrate you. They¡¯re here to party with you. They¡¯re here to see you be the incredible performer you are, and I know you well enough to know they¡¯re not going to be disappointed.¡±

    Ranko nodded. ¡°But what about my knee? What about the fi¡­¡±

    Her friend waved her words away with his hand. ¡°Your knee¡¯s held up fine in rehearsals. You¡¯ve done this whole show start to finish a half a dozen times already. Plus, we did the show at your school and the farewell show at the Phoenix, and you were all good there, too. You¡¯re wearing your brace, right?¡±

    The redhead nodded.

    ¡°Okay. And as for the fire, you told Masa about your¡­ thing, and he made all the adjustments you asked for. You¡¯re gonna be okay, Ran-chan. I promise. We won¡¯t let anything happen to you out there.¡± He smiled warmly down to her. ¡°The whole front row, and the whole stage, are gonna be jammed full of people who would lay down and die for you, girl. You couldn¡¯t be in a safer place.¡±

    ¡°Damn straight,¡± Hitomi said, giving Ranko a very gentle nudge on the arm with her fist as she walked by, her sparkling red heels clacking on the tile floor like a ticking clock.

    Ranko glanced around, her shoulders relaxing a little bit. ¡°You¡¯re right. You guys won¡¯t let me fuck it all up, will ya?¡±

    Crash shook his head, flashing her a soft, reassuring smile. ¡°You won¡¯t, but we¡¯ve got your back anyway. There¡¯s absolutely nothing to be nervous about!¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ where¡¯s Ken?¡± Ranko¡¯s eyes scanned the room, confirming it to be one Dapper Dragon short.

    With an exasperated scoff, Shinji shook his head and motioned to a closed door on his right from the purple couch he was perched on. ¡°He¡¯s still in there throwing up.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, check out your local record store and pick up our first single, Stars at Noon!¡±

    Shut up, Akane thought as she glowered up at the lead singer of the opening act from her seat, dead-center in the front row.

    We sat through four songs. Shut. Up. Get your shit, and get the fuck off my girl¡¯s stage.

    ¡°Thank you so much, Tokyo! We¡¯re Four for Friday! We love¡­¡±

    The bleach-blonde in the sparkling gold minidress fell silent, as did everything else coming from the stage, as a loud thud shook the building so hard that Akane felt the rumble through her seat cushion. In an instant, the entire building fell to pitch blackness and absolute silence; only the tiny emergency lights on the stairs were lit. Akane could not even see her hand in front of her face.

    Oh, no. Not a power outage! Not tonight! It¡¯s not fair, gods! It¡¯s her first show!

    ¡°Nabiki, do something! Can you call the elec¡­¡±

    Whatever else Akane said, it was buried under a sound that split the air of the darkened arena. It was so loud that Kasumi winced even with her earplugs muffling it somewhat.

    ¡°MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA¡­.¡±

    The deep, evil cackle crackled through the darkness like a bolt of lightning, and the confusion in the audience turned to electric excitement in an instant.

    ¡°Ran-ko! Ran-ko!¡± The singular cheer came from the far right of the front row.

    Akane grinned, joining in the chant of her wife¡¯s name with Kumiko, and in an instant, some thirteen thousand other voices.

    ¡°RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO!¡±

    I remember the girl that wanted to be invisible. Who wanted to hide from everything and everyone in shame for the rest of her life. Who didn¡¯t even want Akane to know her name. Ranko smiled nervously to herself in the darkness as the audience roared her name, her outfit creaking audibly with her every move as she adjusted her weight on her perch.

    Well, Ranko, time to meet the whole damn world. Ready or not, here we fucking go.

    Akane rocked back hard in her seat as, at the far right side of the stage, a bright jet of orange flame exploded from the stage floor, nearly three meters high. It projected a silhouette of a girl standing in front of it in a short dress, but the bright flame against the absolute ambient darkness of the arena made it impossible to make out more detail. After nearly a minute in total darkness, it hurt Akane¡¯s eyes somewhat to even look at it.

    ¡°Whoa-oh-oh, uh-oh! Look out! Look out!¡±

    Hitomi rocked her body to the right, extending her leg outward and resting both of her hands on her knee as if bowing in deference to the center of the stage. It was only then that Akane noticed a new detail in the silhouette of the young woman backlit by a jet of flame.

    She had wings.

    As Akane shielded her eyes, and the audience behind her erupted in cheers, a second jet of flame spewed from the floor on the far left of the stage, revealing another nearly identical winged silhouette, if slightly taller.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Whoa-oh-oh, uh-oh! She¡¯s gonna make you shout!¡±

    Emi rocked into the opposite cowed pose, only for a moment, before both spouts of flame went out, returning the room to total darkness.

    After a four-count in the silence and the dark, a new jet of flame belched forth from the stage floor, this one again on the right side, but closer to the center. Again, it backlit Hitomi Uyeno as her wings bounced gently behind her back.

    ¡°Whoa-oh-oh! Uh-oh! Beware the flow!¡±

    A fourth jet of flame blasted upward from the stage, this one a third of the stage¡¯s width from stage left, about ten meters from Hitomi¡¯s new position. Emi struck a pose in front of it, rocking her hips in silhouette.

    ¡°Whoa-oh-oh! Uh-oh! TURN OFF THE RADIO!¡±

    Both columns of fire behind the female dancers remained lit, but then a second pair lit a few meters behind them. No music played, but a half-second later, a third pair of flames blasted upward from the stage floor, the two parallel trios of controlled conflagration creating an aisle ten meters wide down the middle of stage.

    Holy shit, Akane thought, swallowing hard. That¡¯s¡­ a lot of fucking fire. Hope you know what you¡¯re doing, Masa.

    A pair of tall men marched forward in lockstep out of the darkness at center stage, illuminated only by the firelight. They moved as one, close enough for their shoulders to touch. The duo wore what appeared to be leather armor, dyed a sickly blood red. The pattern of the leather molded around their torsos made them appear less like soldiers ready for battle, and more like demons who¡¯d had their flesh flayed from them in the bowels of hell to reveal their ribs and viscera.

    Seated on their enjoined shoulders and supported by their opposite hands was a stunning young woman in dark, blood-red leather pants and a matching leather jacket over a scintillating sequined black camisole. Her shirt matched the sparkling of her glitter-encrusted black heeled boots, which covered the ankles of her pants and rose came to the middle of her calves.

    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Yui gasped, rocking forward in her seat and covering her gaping mouth with her hand.

    ¡°I told you,¡± Izumi said, smirking to her right at her elder sister. ¡°Little sister didn¡¯t come to play.¡±

    Crash did, however, and he began thrashing at his guitar in the darkness alongside his bandmates. We did it, guys. We said we were gonna need a miracle if we were ever gonna make it this far, and we found one. He grinned brightly, slamming his fingers down hard over the strings of his cherry-red instrument.

    Her name is Ranko.

    ¡°It¡¯s the legendary lyricist, the Phoenix rose! I¡¯m here to shake your body from your hair down to your toes! It starts in your hips, and flows down your spine; works its way into your hips until it makes you mine!¡±

    Whoooooa, hot-hot-hot, Ranko thought as her eyes surveyed the geysers of flame surrounding her perch atop her two male backup dancers. We¡¯re okay. It¡¯s uncomfortable, but it can¡¯t burn me. It¡¯s too far away. Masa will turn it off in a second. You¡¯re safe, Ranko. Just sing.

    Illuminated only by the six columns of orange fire, the redhead sang at the maximum volume her lungs could produce; even with the power of untold thousands of watts of sound equipment, she worried the crowd would not be able to hear her over her cheering. She uncrossed her ankles as Sanyo and Utaru carried her down the burning corridor, safely distant from the flames. Her hands swayed in front of her, gesturing wildly as if preparing to cast some magic spell.

    ¡°Oozes down into your heart, and it infects your soul, until your whole, entire body starts to lose control! ¡®Cause the second you start hearing my hypnotic groove, you¡¯ll forget how to think¡­¡±

    As Hitomi and Emi ran to join Sanyo and Utaru at the second pair of flaming pillars, Ranko lifted her feet, placing the soles of her boots flat on the chest plates of the young mens¡¯ armor. She tried to ignore their strong hands on her backside as they hurled her forward, and she kicked off with all the force her newly-repaired leg could produce, executing a single forward layout in the air.

    ¡°... and you can only¡­¡±

    She landed in a crouch between the frontmost two columns of fire, her left leg extended fully to protect her knee from the impact. Ranko balled her fist, driving it down into the stage floor. As it made contact, all eight jets of flame - as well as four new ones along the front edge of the stage - came to life at once, each of them gaining almost a meter in height as Masa increased their fuel supply from the audiovisual booth. At the same instant, Ariel Wright flipped a series of switches, bringing the stage lighting up to reveal Ranko, her four dancers, and the four musicians behind them in their full glory.

    Behind the nine Dapper Dragons, a giant backlit screen flashed to life. It showed a fiery orange, glowing crack forming, and then spreading, across the back wall of the stage. A quick animation played of the black background shattering like obsidian glass, a corresponding sound sample of breaking glass playing atop the music through the gargantuan speakers around the arena. The animated shards of the matte black background image rained downward out of the screen¡¯s frame to reveal a hellish scene of brimstone and fire, as if Ranko had blasted the back wall of the building out and created a window looking out onto the devil¡¯s front yard in the depths of Hades itself.

    ¡°MOVE!¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°When they said ¡®once upon a time¡¯, that time is now! So, chase your glory! Just pick up the pen and start again; this time, you write the story!¡±

    Ranko rocked across the stage in a scintillating silver empire dress that fell to the middle of her calves. She¡¯d removed her knee brace as part of the costume change, so there was no visible evidence of the injury that had hobbled her for most of the last three months. She strode left to right, waving to the audience as she bounced excitedly across the stage in a pair of entirely transparent, short heels that made her look as if she were dancing barefoot on her tiptoes if one didn¡¯t look closely enough.

    ¡°You have always been your heroine; no damsel in distress! You are a non-compliant! Strong! DEFIANT!¡±

    The capacity crowd of the Tokyo Budokan, led by the love of Ranko Tendo¡¯s life, sang the last three words of the chorus back to her.

    ¡°SELF-RESCUING PRINCESS!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! You got it,¡± Ranko said into her headset microphone as she bopped across the stage. There wasn¡¯t as much choreography to Self-Rescuing Princess, owing to both the complex costuming, and the need for a breather between a few of Ranko¡¯s more performance-intensive songs. Her knee was throbbing slightly, but it was holding. More than an hour into the performance, the crowd was still electrified.

    She was radiant.

    ¡°Hey there, Snow White! Somewhere, there¡¯s a mirror on the wall, and I hope one day, it swears that you¡¯re the bravest of them all! They might say you¡¯re overzealous when you¡¯re makin¡¯ your own way, but it¡¯s only ¡®cause they¡¯re jealous of the girl you¡¯ll be someday!¡±

    Emi and Hitomi, both in sparkling yellow gowns that had been quickly fastened over their prior costumes much as Ranko¡¯s first act costume in Phantom of the Opera had been, continued dancing in a sort of pop-infused waltz with Sanyo and Utaru, respectively. Both boys wore long green brocade coats adorned with gold trim over the black pants they¡¯d already had on from the previous costume change, giving them the look of princes done up for a formal ball.

    ¡°So, let this be your ¡®I want it¡¯ song, and shout it to the rafters! You have waited far too long to start your happy ever after!¡±

    ¡°YEAAAAAAAAAAHH!¡± Kumiko roared, throwing her fist in the air as she cheered for her best friend.

    ¡°When they said ¡®once upon a time¡¯, that time is now! So, chase your glory! Just pick up the pen and start again; this time, you write the story! You have always been your heroine! No damsel in distress! You are a¡­¡±

    Ranko gestured with an upraised left hand, cupping her right to her ear as if straining to hear, as she faced the bank of three rows of seating on stage left.

    ¡°NON-COMPLIANT!¡±

    As the left side of the arena roared the word, Ranko whipped her body to the right, performing the same gesture as she looked up to the third deck of seating on the north side of the arena.

    ¡°STRONG!¡±

    Ranko leveled both her hands to gesture to the floor seating directly in front of the stage.

    ¡°DEFIANT!¡± Akane bellowed from her standing position in the front row, less than a meter from the stage and less than five meters from where the love of her life commanded an orchestra of humanity with her voice. She had not sat down in nearly twenty minutes.

    Ranko spread her arms wide, beaming as she invited the entire arena to finish the chorus for her.

    They did.

    ¡°SELF-RESCUING PRINCESS!¡±

    Ranko grinned giddily. I¡¯ve got a crowd at my back. Everyone I¡¯ve ever loved is watching me sing. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever felt like this. I don¡¯t ever want this night to end.

    The young singer giggled into her headset microphone. ¡°You guys are so great! Where my princesses at?!¡±

    A mostly effeminate whooooooooo rose from the crowd as the redhead snapped her head forward.

    She thought about the character she¡¯d played at Tokyo Disneyland on Akane¡¯s twentieth birthday, the literal fish out of water that was Ariel. She had only just gotten familiar with the character in a single caffeine-fueled viewing of the source film the night before she¡¯d performed the song the first time. Even still, she had definitely understood how Ariel must have felt, stepping into a world that was not her own and having to learn how to navigate it in order to find a way to capture the destiny that she knew awaited her there.

    ¡°Hey there, little mermaid! Come on, crawl out of the sea! It¡¯s high time you figured out exactly who you¡¯re s¡¯posed to be!¡±

    The audience thundered in excitement for a new verse, as they already had for Demon in Your Radio.

    ¡°Nobody said it¡¯s easy, fighting self-doubt and deceit. But if you wanna stand your ground, you¡¯ve gotta find your feet!¡±

    Ranko glanced down at her sparkling clear heels, giving a little shrug as if she were surprised to discover they were there.

    We¡¯re not at Disneyland anymore, girls, Ranko thought with a smirk. We¡¯re in my castle now. Here, I get to be a bad girl if I want.

    ¡°It¡¯s scary, and it¡¯s risky, life on unfamiliar shores. But, find your voice, and make your choice, and FUCKING TAKE WHAT¡¯S YOURS!¡±

    With no pause in the lyrics, Ranko belted the chorus over the thundering adulation of the crowd, thrusting her fist in the air victoriously.

    ¡°When they said ¡®once upon a time¡¯, that time is NOW! So, CHASE YOUR GLORY!¡±

    She mimed writing in the air with an invisible quill as Sanyo and Utaru both tossed their dance partners skyward in their arms.

    ¡°Just pick up the pen, and start again! This time, YOU write the story! You have always been your heroine; no damsel in distress! You are a¡­¡±

    Leaving the crowd unprompted to finish the chorus as she ¡°threw¡± the imaginary pen to the floor, Ranko bent her knee and lifted her left leg off the ground to almost waist height. She reached down, carefully slipping off her left shoe.

    ¡°NON-COMPLIANT!¡±

    She held it up at eye level, contemplating the transparent heel.

    ¡°STRONG! DEFIANT!¡±

    Ranko turned it in her hand as she stepped out of her other shoe and left it on the stage, marveling at the footwear in her hand as if it were the key to a whole new life, as it had been for Cinderella.

    ¡°SELF-RESCUING PRINCESS!¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Ranko gave a devious little smirk to the crowd, crinkling her nose with an unimpressed, almost bored expression on her face. She shrugged, nonchalantly tossing her left shoe backward over her shoulder.

    The glass slipper shattered on contact with the stage floor.

 47. Moving On

    ¡°Ongo Subara!¡±

    Hana clapped politely, smiling as a group of girls sitting halfway back in the sea of teenagers stood and whooped loudly for their friend. ¡°You got the camera ready?¡±

    ¡°For the fourteenth time,  yes, mama.¡±  Izumi laughed, but she checked the lens cap of the device in her hand again anyway, just to be sure.

    ¡°Yuki Sozano," came the principal¡¯s call, and a short, pudgy blond boy in a red blazer and black pants strode up onto the stage.

    ¡°How many more,¡± Yui asked, adjusting her sunglasses. Her head was killing her, and the constant booming of names through the auditorium''s speakers for the last two hours was doing her no favors.

    Ayako looked over to her left at her next-youngest sister in her black pantsuit and orange silk blouse.  Not sure if she''s having withdrawals or a hangover, but at least she''s here and she''s dressed up, she thought. Hana Takahashi¡¯s eldest daughter glanced down at the ivory cardstock program in her hand, which was open to the second-to-last page. ¡°Five.¡±

    ¡°Sato Taizama!¡±

    Akane tapped Nodoka Shimizu urgently on the thigh through her red silk kimono, pointing to the right side of the stage. The ceremony organizers had lined the students up alphabetically, separating the girls to one side and the boys to the other. In a long line of girls wearing identical red and white pinafores, it was easy to mix them up at a distance, but Akane would know that shock of red hair anywhere.

    ¡±There she is, Ma!¡±

    Nodoka squeezed Akane¡¯s hand tight, and Akane herself was squeezed firmly about the shoulder from the seat to her right.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is happening. I''m so proud of her,¡± Soun said, choking back a sniffle.

    Akane turned her head, beaming with joy up at the mustachioed man. ¡°Me too, Dad. She worked  so hard   for this. You have  no earthly idea.¡±

    ¡°Goji Tadashi!¡±

    The boy in front of the line stepped forward, bowing deeply to the school principal and several teachers who were seated on the stage before shaking the principal¡¯s hand and being handed a red vinyl folio embossed with gold foil writing on its cover.

    Mei snapped photo after photo, as fast as her little Polaroid camera could click, hoping to catch one where Ranko was looking back toward the audience. The redhead was swaying on her heels in what Mei could only assume was a combination of nerves and excitement.

    ¡°Oh, honey, that piece of crap¡¯s not gonna do you any good from way back here. Try this? You can pick up a hair out of place from a hundred meters away with mine.¡± Smirking, Nabiki lifted a black strap over her neck from around her navy blazer and handed the blue-haired girl on her right a Canon camera with a long telephoto lens.  Just don''t ask what I originally bought it for, mmmkay?

    ¡°Makoto Tagano!¡±

    ¡°Do you think you can see us back here, Father?¡± Kasumi Tendo waved up at the line of girls on the right side of the stage, receiving no acknowledgement. She wore a long pink dress, her hair tied back in a matching mauve ribbon, and her mother¡¯s pearl necklace.  I think you would have loved your fourth daughter, Mother. She really is incredible.

    ¡°I''m not sure, sweetheart. But we will get to visit with her after the ceremony, I''m sure.¡± Soun reached to his right, gently squeezing his eldest daughter¡¯s left hand. He was mindful not to apply too much pressure and risk hurting his hand on the new gold and diamond solitaire she wore on her third finger.

    ¡°Keiichi Tekaga!¡±

    Sitting up in his seat, Noboyuki Matsuyama clapped his hands excitedly as a muted round of applause rose in the packed auditorium for the next boy in line. ¡°Here we go!¡± He blushed as his girlfriend hugged him close around his waist.

    Yui reached over, squeezing Ayako¡¯s hand with a smile despite her raging headache. ¡°She fucking  did it , sis!¡±

    Aya nodded, mouthing a silent thanks to Kage for staying home with Jun in order to enable her to join her sisters for the monumental moment in their family¡¯s history. ¡°You bet your ass she did. I¡¯m just glad to have helped a little.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± Yui said with a smile.

    The principal took a sip of water from a plastic bottle as if he knew he might have to shout the next name at a higher volume, leaning forward into the microphone at his podium again. ¡°Ranko Tendo!¡±

    ¡°RANKOOOOOOO!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!¡±

    The excited squeal from a seated group of girls near the front of the stage was deafening even over the twelve guests Ranko had brought on her own. Each graduate was only afforded six tickets, but Kumiko and Etsuko had both donated a few of their extras to enable her to invite more well-wishers.

    ¡°Good news,¡±  Mei said with a giggle to Nabiki. ¡°I found where the cheerleaders are sitting.¡± She zoomed into the center of the mass of screaming girls with Nabiki¡¯s high-end camera, catching a great candid photo of Kumiko Iwata standing and clutching her diploma in her hand as she cheered for her best friend.

    The cheering in the auditorium was louder generally as well, possibly due to Ranko¡¯s popularity as cheerleading captain, and possibly due to her status as a celebrity.

    Blushing, Ranko strode across the stage in her Yusue school uniform. She bowed deeply to each of the teachers sitting on the stage, with especially bright smiles for Ms. Kanzawa, Mrs. Tanaka and Ms. Zaito. Her warmth toward her three mathematics teachers was slightly more muted.

    She gave a final, formal bow to the principal, reaching out with trembling hands for the red faux leather portfolio. The faculty organizers had asked the students not to open them on stage, but Ranko could not help herself. She flipped the landscape-oriented folder open, running her fingers over the embossed words on the ivory certificate framed within.

    Ranko Tendo is hereby awarded this Diploma in recognition of the satisfactory completion of all the responsibilities and requirements for high school graduation as determined by the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture. Certified by the undersigned this twenty-third day of March, 1992.

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    Principal Ikaru Mosato

    Yusue Vocational High School

    ¡°Thank you, Principal Mosato.¡± Ranko beamed, reaching out to shake his hand.

    ¡°You are most welcome, Miss Tendo,¡± he answered, beaming at the greater-than-normal volume of camera flashes in the auditorium. ¡°And may I say, all of us at Yusue are proud to have known you.¡±

    Ranko blushed as she was ushered past the principal¡¯s podium, holding up her folio and waving to the cadre of cheerleaders as she approached them.

    ¡°TENDOOOOOOO!¡±

    Ranko looked up for the source of the sound of the bellowed cheer, grinning at the blond young man standing next to her biological mother with his hands cupped around his mouth. She scanned the row, spying her wife, all three of her parents, all six of her sisters and her best friends. Seeing Mei leveling the high-powered camera at her, Ranko held open her folio toward it, and blew a kiss in the direction of Akane as more flash bulbs began to flicker.

    ¡°Zuko Tosaru,¡± the principal called as Ranko descended the steps from the stage to rejoin her friends.

    <hr>

    I swear,  Ranko thought, her cheeks aflame.  All those nights I spent alone out in the cold, I never could have imagined this. I mean, graduating high school, sure. Never thought that was gonna happen. Never thought I was gonna go to college. Never thought I¡¯d be on tour with my band. But this, more than anything else.

    She sighed happily, melting into her mother¡¯s arms.

    I never thought the day would come when my ribs would be sore from having too many people hug me.

    ¡°Mom, thank you  so much  for this. I thought you were crazy when you took me to get that test, and you told me how amazing today would feel. I didn¡¯t believe you then, but you were right. You¡¯re friggin¡¯  always  right.¡± It was so strange to hug her and not smell leather, but Hana had opted to wear her gray pantsuit again.  Dressed up for me twice in two weeks. One more, and I think she gets a free sandwich someplace.

    Hana smiled warmly, kissing her daughter through the slightly frizzy red hair atop her head that had been mussed somewhat by the breeze outside the Yusue High auditorium. ¡°Comes with the territory when you¡¯re a parent, I guess. They send you an instruction manual.¡±

    Pop¡¯s must¡¯ve got lost in the mail, Ranko thought with a smirk.

    Ranko turned as another pair of strong arms enveloped her. ¡°Hey, Dad!¡± She beamed up at Soun Tendo. The sheer wattage of her smile could have powered Tokyo for a week. ¡°I friggin¡¯ did it! Can you  believe it?!¡±

    Soun crouched a bit, wrapping his hand gently around the back of his youngest daughter¡¯s head and pulling it forward, kissing her softly on the forehead. ¡°I can, because I believe in  you.  I¡¯m so, so very proud of you, Ranko. Graduating from high school is a monumental achievement for  anyone,  but with the challenges  you¡¯ve faced¡­¡±

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m okay, Dad.¡± Ranko¡¯s eyes surveyed her family, clutching the red folio containing her diploma under her arm as if she feared someone would try to take it from her. ¡°I am wanted, I have worth, and I have people who care about me. That¡¯s all you need.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re damn right it is,¡± came a feminine voice from behind Soun, and Ranko¡¯s face somehow brightened further still.

    ¡°Yui¡­¡±

    ¡°Get your ass over here, little sister.¡± Yui wrapped the redhead tight in her arms, lifting her up off the ground and spinning her around. ¡°Do you have any idea how happy I am right now?¡± She still wore her sunglasses, but it seemed as if the ibuprofen Nodoka had given her was working at least somewhat.

    Ranko giggled as she was twirled in the air. ¡°I¡¯ve got a pretty good idea. You¡¯ll never have to do  math homework  with me again, Teach.¡±

    The blonde cackled. ¡°Yeah, that doesn¡¯t suck either.¡±

    Ranko bit her lip as she was returned to her feet. ¡°Hey, Yui? Can I¡­ talk to you for a minute? Like, just you and me?¡±

    The elder girl smiled warmly. ¡°You bet, Ran-chan.¡± She followed as Ranko led her away from her family to a green wooden bench near the bus stop, taking a seat next to her youngest sister. ¡°What¡¯s up? You got all serious all of a sudden.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Ranko looked up at Yui, a streak of mascara mixed with salt water running down her cheek from her right eye.

    ¡°I owe this all to you.¡±

    Yui shook her head, sighing softly. ¡°No, you don¡¯t. I helped, sure. That¡¯s what sisters do. But you did the hard work. You showed up. You fought for it, every day. You took the worst it had to give and kept going, and I am so freakin¡¯  stupidly  proud of you for it. You just have no idea, kiddo.¡± She blushed, smiling a bit. ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t call you that anymore, miss high school graduate.¡±

    Ranko shook her head, wiping her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m  always   gonna be your kid sister, Yui. I¡¯m always gonna  look up to you.¡±

    The elder girl sighed, her head drooping a bit. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure that¡¯s such a good idea these days.¡± Her eyes raised as she felt her hand being squeezed.

    ¡°It will  always   be a good idea, Yui. I¡¯ve learned so much from you. You were¡­ I wanted to  be you. When I first got here. When I first met you all. You were¡­¡± Ranko sniffled, biting her lip.

    ¡°I was  eighteen years old  when I met you, Yui, and¡­ you were my very first  hero.   And¡­¡± The redhead squeezed her sister¡¯s hand again.  I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s the right time for this, but this is the best state I¡¯ve seen her in... shit, in weeks.

    ¡°I need you to be a hero again now.¡±

    Yui scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talkin¡¯ about, Ran-chan. You got the world by the balls. Startin¡¯ college next month, goin¡¯ on tour, got somebody who loves you more than all the stars in the sky¡­ We should all be so lucky.¡± Her flippant smirk evaporated as she saw the seriousness in her little sister¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Heroes fight the good fight. Heroes give us examples to live by.¡± Ranko turned on the bench, taking both of her sister¡¯s hands in hers. ¡°And heroes get up when they get knocked down.¡± Yui felt a tear drip onto the back of her hand, it having dripped from her sister¡¯s chin.

    ¡°Things are falling apart around here, it feels like. I¡¯m gonna be a continent away, Aya and Mei have their own shit going on, Izzi¡¯s so busy with her fashion stuff, Akane can barely breathe with her school, and she¡¯s breaking my heart not coming with me as it is. It feels like Mom¡¯s getting a year older every day she has to hold everything together on her own. You¡¯re the glue that holds this family together, Yui. We need you. I¡¯m really scared, leaving while everything is all fucked up like this. But I¡¯ll be able to sleep at night while I¡¯m gone, knowing the  heart of the Phoenix  is beating again, if you¡¯ll just find a way to  get up.¡±

    Ranko sighed softly, fidgeting on the bench in the school uniform she wore for the final time. ¡°I know you¡¯re hurting, Yui. I wish I could take it away from you, and I wish I could tell you when it was gonna stop, but I can¡¯t. What I can tell you - what I can  promise you   - is that the steps don¡¯t start getting easier until you start  taking them.  No matter what any of us say or do, you¡¯ll stay in this hole you¡¯ve been in forever until  you   decide it¡¯s time to climb out.  I love you, Yui.  Mom loves you. The girls love you. I know that¡¯s not everything you want, but it¡¯s not nothing. It was enough to save my life. It was enough to save  all  our lives.¡±

    Ranko nodded, tapping into a reservoir of strength just to be able to speak without devolving entirely into a sobbing mess. She squeezed her sister¡¯s hands tighter, waiting to continue speaking until Yui made eye contact again.

    ¡°Because¡­ that¡¯s what heroes do, Yui. When people are scared, and they¡¯re hurt, and they¡¯re down on their luck, and everything¡¯s gone to shit, heroes  save lives.  And you¡¯re my big sister, and you¡¯re my hero, and  I fucking need you,  and so I¡¯m begging you:  save your own. Please    come back to us, Yui.  I know it¡¯s gonna be hard as hell, but I need you to try. For yourself, and for us all.  Please.¡±

    The elder girl sniffled, lowering her head and wiping her nose on the sleeve of her blazer without releasing her sister¡¯s hands.  ¡°When the hell did you get so smart, kiddo?¡±

    Ranko blushed, finding a gentle smile. ¡°Well, I  did graduate high school an hour ago.¡±

 48. Bon Voyage

    ¡°You never would¡¯a messed with me before I found the recipe, but now I got you under my spe-ell! So I¡¯ll change around your destiny to make you wind up next to me; together, we¡¯ll be hotter than hell!¡±

    Swaying from her position seated atop table sixteen in the bar she called home - literally, for a time - Ranko lip-synced with her own voice coming from Orochi¡¯s deejay equipment. The song had not done as well in radio play as Once Upon a Rhyme and a few of the other tracks from her second album, but it had been well-received in each of the three local concerts that began the Wildfire Tour. After the kickoff show at the Budokan on Saturday, she played a packed house at the Osaka-Jo Hall arena on Tuesday, and the outdoor Nishikyogoku Athletic Stadium in Kyoto on Thursday.

    That, despite squeezing in her high school graduation ceremony on Monday afternoon and a small family gathering on Sunday night at her father¡¯s home to celebrate her sister Kasumi¡¯s engagement to Dr. Tofu.

    It had been one hell of a week, and tomorrow night¡¯s show in Fukuoka was just the start of the really crazy part of the first leg of her tour. Masa, Norio, Ariel and Lance were already down south setting up her stage in the new Hakata no Mori Athletic Stadium, where she would perform for just over twenty-two thousand Firebirds, the largest crowd she¡¯d ever seen.

    So far.

    Her eyes scanned from one corner of the bar to the next, lingering on every beer ad, every scratch in a tabletop, and every chip in the paint on the walls as she committed it to memory.

    The place had changed in the last few years since she¡¯d all but crawled across its threshold hungry and broken a week before her eighteenth birthday. Some of the drink ads plastered on the walls had been replaced with new ones, and the 1989 calendars the beer distributors had sent out had been replaced with 1992 ones. The laminated half-page menus jammed into the napkin holders on every table advertised new options for brick-fired pizzas and parmesan garlic wings. The Pac-Man standup arcade machine that used to be in the corner by the door to the mens¡¯ room now resided in the living room of Mei and Yui¡¯s apartment. The bathroom doors had received a fresh coat of maroon paint. The round tables dotting the floor had been rearranged to widen the footpaths between them.

    The tiny corner stage and the karaoke machine had been torn out, replaced with a wooden platform that ran the entire length of the back wall separating the bar room proper from the ladies¡¯ restroom. The three wooden shelves on the wall behind the service bar that had once stored dusty extra bottles of rum and whiskey now were stacked with shrink-wrapped CDs and black Ranko and the Dapper Dragons tee shirts. Just around the corner from them, facing the front door, the narrow wall enclosing the service bar that had been bare that first day now displayed a large pine-framed photo of seven women standing in front of an empty stage in the street in front of the bar, with her signature splayed across the back of it in giant pink letters. A few centimeters above it, an orange and gold plaque venerating the winner of the 1991 Japan Record Award for Best Album from a New Artist hung from a single drywall screw.

    I guess I¡¯ve made as much of an impact on this place as it¡¯s made on me, she thought with a satisfied smile as she smoothed the knee-length pastel pink skirt she wore. I¡¯m glad.

    ¡°Witch-cra-aaaft, and I¡¯ve decided what to do with you, do with you: I¡¯ll spend my whole life through with you¡­¡±

    ¡°You know, Ran-chan, you suck at partying.¡±

    The redhead was pulled from her thoughts by a second girl hopping up to join her in sitting on the square tabletop. Kumiko reached around the shoulders of Ranko¡¯s pale blue hoodie, pulling her into a tight side hug. ¡°You okay?¡±

    Ranko nodded, summoning a smile. ¡°Yeah! Just¡­ ya know, thinkin¡¯.¡±

    Kumiko laughed, shaking her head. ¡°I just graduated high school on Monday. I¡¯m trying to avoid thinking for a little while longer if I can help it.¡±

    The redhead giggled in reply, giving a sage nod that was only a little exaggerated. ¡°Probably for the best. I saw the way the calculus final exam wrecked you. Could¡¯a sworn there was smoke coming out of your ears.¡±

    ¡°Hey! I got a better grade on that test than you did!¡± Kumiko gave her friend a playful swat on her arm.

    Ranko blushed. ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s not a fair comparison. Math and I are mortal enemies.¡± And I defeated it. Barely. Her face turned serious, and she looked down at her white-and-pink French manicure. ¡°I¡¯m gonna miss you so much, Kumi.¡±

    Kumiko sighed, giving her friend a tight squeeze. ¡°I¡¯m gonna miss you too, Ran-chan. But we¡¯re both gonna go do the things we were born to do, and it¡¯s okay to be happy about that. And, like, I¡¯ll have a phone in my dorm. And you¡¯d fucking better use it, girl!¡±

    The redhead nodded. ¡°I promise. And if you need anything¡­ advice, somebody to come rock your sorority party¡­¡±

    ¡°I promise, Ranko.¡± The silver-haired girl tittered loudly. ¡°The first time I get stuck in math class, I¡¯ll call you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, fuck off, Iwata.¡± Ranko giggled as she squeezed her friend tight.

    ¡°There, that¡¯s more like the girl I know,¡± Kumiko said as she hugged the songstress back. ¡°Now, go on, wallflower. Go enjoy your friggin¡¯ goodbye party.¡± She gave Ranko a shove, pushing her forward until her backside slid off the tabletop.

    <hr>

    ¡°Yes, Akane. For the eighty-seventh time, I promise.¡± The tall, blond guitarist sighed in exasperation, looking down into the piercing gaze of Akane Tendo.

    Akane sighed, swaying on her feet in her pastel green dress. It had a wide, white belt made of faux leather, secured around her midsection with a large gold buckle. ¡°I know, it¡¯s just¡­¡± She turned, glancing across the bar room at Kumiko and Ranko giggling together.

    ¡°I get it. I promise. I¡¯ll watch out for the¡­ cat tongue thing, make sure Masa doesn¡¯t go too nutso with the fire, and I¡¯ll keep her out of trouble while we¡¯re traveling as best I can. Lance is gonna watch her like a hawk, too. He¡¯s all but adopted that kid, and¡­ you haven¡¯t met him yet, Akane, but, you do not want to fuck with that man.¡± Crash laughed. ¡°Dude would eat me and Shinji both for breakfast and not even be full.¡±

    Akane managed a small smile. ¡°I understand, and I know I don¡¯t have to tell you. It¡¯s just¡­ she¡¯s my whole life, Crash. If anything¡­¡±

    Crash nodded, clapping Akane firmly on the shoulder with the hand that was not currently occupied with his dark brown beer bottle. ¡°Akane, I won¡¯t let anything happen to her. You know I won¡¯t. I love her. Not¡­ like that, or anything!¡± Not anymore, at least. ¡°Like a sis¨C I mean, frien¨C¡± He sighed, chuckling and shaking his head as his eyes fell to the floor. ¡°Shit, you know what I mean, and I¡¯m just gonna shut up before I get myself in any more trouble.¡±

    Akane smirked playfully, wagging her finger up at the tall man. ¡°Yeah, well¡­ so help me gods, Crash, if she comes back pregnant, I don¡¯t care what you say. I¡¯m blaming you.¡±

    The young guitarist sputtered, and Akane blinked, wiping a few droplets of light beer from her cheeks.

    <hr>

    ¡°You¡¯re sure you don¡¯t need me to come with you? I can always get another internship in a couple months.¡± A tall man of twenty-three, with so slender a build that he was almost frail, rubbed his companion¡¯s back. ¡°It¡¯s really no big deal. Gimme an hour, and I can run home and pack a bag.¡±

    Ken sighed. ¡°Ryo, I wish you could, but¡­ this is the top firm in Tokyo. You shouldn¡¯t screw that up. I¡¯ll just be gone for a couple of weeks, even though Ranko¡¯s making it sound like we¡¯re going to Mars or something. There¡¯ll be other tours. It¡¯s okay.¡± He strained, stretching his full body length upward from his bar stool to be able to reach high enough to kiss his boyfriend on the lips.

    ¡°Besides,¡± Ken said with almost a giggle, ¡±somebody has to snuggle the puppy while I¡¯m gone. That¡¯s a big job!¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°I¡¯d tell you to behave while you¡¯re out there, but¡­¡± The short, stumpy man laughed, stroking his curly orange beard. ¡°I know better.¡±

    ¡°Daddy!¡± Hitomi gasped, stifling a giggle behind her hand and affecting a scandalized facial expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± Her other hand fell limply across her cleavage as if to ask, who, me?

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°I do,¡± Emi said, wrapping her arms around Hitomi¡¯s waist from behind and planting a kiss on the shorter girl¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Uyeno. You have my word, if she gets herself in trouble, I¡¯ll make absolutely sure she has a great time doing it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m afraid of,¡± a taller man with short black hair mused, flashing his daughter¡¯s on-again, off-again girlfriend a knowing smirk.

    ¡°We¡¯ll do our best, Dad,¡± Hitomi said, smiling up into the eyes of her other father. ¡°But¡­¡± She flashed a smirk behind her at the redheaded girl that was talking to Izumi in a light blue hoodie featuring a large white embroidered heart with cute little black whiskers on it. ¡°We¡¯re traveling with a demon, so you can¡¯t be too surprised if we end up raisin¡¯ a little bit of hell.¡±

    Mr. Uyeno laughed heartily. ¡°Well, try to keep it to a minimum, okay? Just raise some heck. Ideally, in small quantities.¡±

    Emi giggled, squeezing Hitomi tight. ¡°I make no promises.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Yui, I¡­¡±

    The blonde whirled behind the bar. ¡°Hey, little sis. You okay?¡±

    Ranko nodded tentatively. ¡°Just been thinkin¡¯, about graduation. We¡¯re¡­ okay, right? You and me? You¡¯re not mad at me or nothin¡¯?¡± As she spoke, Ranko picked up a small glass jar that rested on the counter behind the bar. It looked like it might have held cherries or jalape?os once, but the label had been removed and the jar had been thoroughly washed. It was missing its lid, and it contained five thin blue plastic drink stirring straws. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    Yui smiled warmly down at her sister. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± She lowered her voice, bending down to bring her mouth closer to Ranko¡¯s ear. ¡°That¡¯s for me. To help me stay focused.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ stirring straws? I don¡¯t get it.¡± Ranko shrugged.

    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ been putting one in the jar every day I go without having a drink. Every day in a row, anyway. I gotta dump it out and start over if I mess up. It was Mama¡¯s idea. I guess the concept is, it¡¯s supposed to remind me how long I¡¯ve held out when it gets hard.¡±

    Ranko beamed at her sister. The straws in the little jar, which moments earlier would have been tossed in the trash without a second thought, had taken on an almost sacred significance in her eyes in the span of a few syllables. ¡°Yui, I¡¯m so proud of you! You have no idea.¡± She threw her arms around Yui, squeezing her tight. ¡°Thank you, Yui. Thank you for listening to me.¡±

    The blonde squeezed her back, so tightly it hurt, but Ranko did not mind in the least. ¡°Well, what can I say? You¡¯re an impressionable young girl. We can¡¯t have your heroes going and letting you down, now, can we?¡± She sighed quietly into her sister¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m proud of me, too, kiddo. I¡¯m trying. Thanks for caring enough to give your big sister a swift kick in the ass when she needed one.¡±

    ¡°Always. I love you so much, Yui!¡± Ranko broke the hug, picking up the glass jar and shaking it in the barkeep¡¯s face. ¡°And I expect this to be a lot fuller when I get home, ya got it?¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Here. I bought you something.¡±

    Crash looked over the little black device his girlfriend had handed him skeptically, fiddling with the spring-loaded clip on its back. ¡°Really, Ukyo?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! I mean, you¡¯re gonna be all over, right? I can¡¯t keep track of a thousand hotel rooms and phone numbers, crap like that. I¡¯ve got a business to run! So, just keep this with you, and I can get a hold of you wherever you are.¡± Ukyo flashed a sweet smile up at him.

    ¡°Oooh,¡± the guitarist¡¯s friend said with a smirk, leaning over Crash¡¯s shoulder to look at the pager in his hand. ¡°Looks like shit¡¯s gettin¡¯ serious, bro. You got yourself a leash.¡±

    Crash flushed furiously as he clipped the device to the waistband of his blue jeans, turning it inward so that the plastic casing rested against the skin of his hip. ¡°That¡¯s not what it¡¯s about at all, Shin! Shut the fuck up!¡±

    The young chef smirked, running her hand down the narrow strip of tan tee shirt visible between the open breasts of her boyfriend¡¯s leather jacket. ¡°You sure about that, Noboyuki?¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Ranko? Honey, what are you doing hiding up here? There¡¯s a party going on for you downstairs, ya know.¡±

    The redhead looked up, smiling softly at the woman standing in the open doorway of her former apartment. ¡°Hey, Mom. I¡¯m good.¡±

    Hana sat on the bed next to her daughter, pulling her under her arm and against her chest. ¡°Nice try. Baby, what¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t flash that fake-ass smile at me. I know my little girl too well for that.¡±

    Ranko sighed, curling her knees into her chest and letting Hana¡¯s embrace envelop her. Her disused left knee strained slightly, but she ignored it. ¡°Mama, I don¡¯t wanna go. I¡¯m scared. I don¡¯t want to leave everything I love behind like this. I fought too hard for it, and I don¡¯t wanna let it go.¡±

    The Phoenix¡¯ matriarch squeezed her youngest child close, sighing gently. ¡°Oh, honey. You¡¯re not leaving anything behind. Everything you love will be waiting for you right where you left it when you get home, I promise. You¡¯re not leaving us. You¡¯re having an adventure - one you¡¯re doing to do great at - and you¡¯re gonna come back in a few weeks and regale us all with your epic tales. You can absolutely do this. You¡¯re a survivor, kid, just like your sisters.¡±

    The redhead shook her head frantically, hugging tight into Hana¡¯s leather-clad chest. ¡°I¡¯m not ready, Mom.¡±

    Hana kissed the girl in her arms on the top of her head through her hairspray-stiffened red mane. ¡°Yes, you are, Ranko. Yes, you are. I know you are. You¡¯ve been through so many bigger challenges than this. You are stronger and braver and smarter than you¡¯ve ever given yourself credit for.¡± She sighed quietly, kicking her heels gently against the white aluminum footboard of the twin-sized bed.

    ¡°Ranko, do you know why I renamed this place Phoenix?¡±

    Ranko sniffled quietly with a slow shake of her head. ¡°I mean, you never told me, but I figured it was obvious. The girls who come here rose from the ashes.¡±

    Hana nodded softly. ¡°That they did, but that¡¯s not why I picked the name.¡±

    ¡°Why then?¡± Ranko sat up, looking at her mother curiously as she wiped her running nose on the sleeve of her plush hoodie.

    The Phoenix¡¯ matriarch leaned forward, putting her hand behind Ranko¡¯s head. She pulled her gently forward, placing a soft kiss on her daughter¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Because the girls here burn the brightest, and shine their light on the whole of the world. Because they can¡¯t ever be defeated - they might sometimes be down, but they¡¯re never, ever out. Because they are fucking legendary.¡±

    Hana pulled the shivering singer into a hug again, holding her tight against her black leather jacket. ¡°So, I want you to dry your tears, and get on that plane with your chin up. I want you to carry the light I¡¯ve watched grow in you everywhere you go. I want you to inspire the thousands - millions - of girls that need a light in the dark to guide them. I want you to be a symbol of hope for every girl out there who thinks what¡¯s broken in them can¡¯t be fixed. I want girls none of us will ever meet, in cities whose names we can barely pronounce, to know they can walk out of the fire stronger than they went in, like Ranko Tendo did. That¡¯s a power only you possess, baby. I can do it with one girl at a time, if I¡¯m very lucky. You can do it with stadiums full. That is a legacy you can leave that will last forever, Ranko. But you¡¯ve got to be brave enough to do it.¡±

    Ranko sniffled loudly against her mother¡¯s chest. ¡°No pressure, huh?¡±

    ¡°There you two are.¡±

    The redhead sat up on the bed, waving limply in the direction of the doorway. ¡°Hey, Akane. We¡¯re just talkin¡¯.¡±

    Akane nodded, smiling softly. She was always so glad to see Ranko open herself up to her mother¡¯s wisdom and counsel. ¡°Do you need a minute?¡±

    Hana shook her head. ¡°No, I think maybe I¡¯m not the one she needs right now.¡± She stood, bending over her daughter to kiss her forehead again. ¡°I love you, little star, and I¡¯m so proud of you.¡±

    ¡°I love you too, Mom,¡± Ranko said through another sniffle as Akane sat in the still-warm little nest Hana¡¯s backside had made in the purple duvet cover. Hana stepped quietly out of the room, noiselessly closing the door to the little one-room orphanage above her bar.

    ¡°Hey, princess,¡± Akane said, flashing her lover a gentle smile. ¡°Smile for me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m tryin¡¯, Akane. I swear.¡±

    Ranko did manage a small smile, wiping more of her mascara from her cheeks with her fingers. I¡¯m not sure why the hell I bothered putting this shit on; I knew I was gonna end up crying and fucking it up.

    ¡°Hey. I mean it. Look at me. I have to remember your face for the next few weeks, and I don¡¯t want to remember it sad. I wanna see the brave, beautiful, silly girl I love. I know she¡¯s in there.¡± Akane reached out, brushing a loose strand of Ranko¡¯s hair from her eyes before playfully poking the golden heart dangling from the pale pink choker that peeked out through the V-shaped neckline of her lover¡¯s hoodie. It was styled as if it had been constructed of old-timey cogs and gears like some steampunk mechanism, with a faux keyhole at its center.

    ¡°Akane, I¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Shhh.¡± Akane pulled her wife into a hug, stroking her hair. ¡°Yes, you can. I¡¯ll look after everything for you, I promise. I¡¯ll keep an eye on Yui, and your mom, and this place. All of it. All you need to worry about is going out there, showing the world who you are, and taking what¡¯s yours. And never, ever forgetting that you¡¯re mine, and you¡¯re coming home to me.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I love you, Akane. More than anything.¡±

    The larger girl rubbed Ranko¡¯s back firmly under the hood that dangled beneath her red hair from the back of her sweatshirt. ¡°I love you too, Mrs. Tendo. I love you fiercely, I love you proudly, and I love you forever.¡±

    Ranko ignored the knocking on the apartment door as she was pulled into a desperate kiss that threatened to melt the whole of what little resolve she had for the task ahead.

    The door swung open gently after a second set of soft raps, and Mei¡¯s voice called to the lovers.

    ¡°Ranko, honey, the van¡¯s here to take you to the airport.¡±

    Akane withdrew her tongue slowly from Ranko¡¯s mouth, standing and offering her wife her left hand as she wiped a tear from her own cheek with her right.

    ¡°Come on, princess. It¡¯s time for you to go conquer the world.¡±

 49. Accidental Alchemy

    Gods help me.

    Yui sighed, brushing the tips of her blonde bob out of her eyes with her black-painted fingernails. Desperate times, and all that. We don¡¯t have a choice. There¡¯s just not enough people left to work.

    ¡°Hey, Akane? C¡¯mere a minute?¡±

    It was a slow night at the Phoenix, but because it was a Saturday, its full staff complement was on hand for the evening. Figures. Tomorrow we¡¯ll have nobody behind the bar, and probably be slammed. Just our luck. Maybe not, though. I guess we should¡¯ve expected it would be quiet without our star. Yui checked the digital wristwatch on her left arm. She¡¯s probably halfway through There Are No Words by now, down in Fukuoka. I wonder if Sakura¡¯s at the show. I wonder if she¡­

    She glanced up at the little glass jar on the back counter of the main bar, with six blue stirring straws protruding slightly from its open mouth. Can¡¯t think like that. That¡¯s how bad shit starts happening in my head. There¡¯s plenty of people I love here to focus on, without worrying about the ones who chose to leave. She shook her head softly as if willing the darkness to pop out of her brain through her ears, managing a slight - if somewhat nervous - smile at her youngest sister¡¯s wife as Akane joined her behind the bar.

    ¡°Hey, Yui. What¡¯s up?¡±

    Yui swallowed hard. ¡°So, uh, how would you feel about, maybe, um¡­ learning how to mix some drinks?¡±

    Akane¡¯s face lit up like Christmas morning, bouncing excitedly on her white tennis shoes. ¡°Really?! You¡¯re gonna show me?¡±

    I¡¯m gonna try, anyway. Yui looked around the back of the bar nervously. Any sharp objects I need to put away or anything? ¡°Uh¡­ Yeah! Sure! Whaddya wanna start with?¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­ It¡¯s the Phoenix! It¡¯s gotta be the Dragonfire, right?¡± Akane giggled excitedly, not noticing the way Yui¡¯s shoulders slumped at her words.

    Of course she picks that. Girl can¡¯t handle making a rum and Coke, so let¡¯s jump right to lighting shit on fire. Fan-fucking-tastic.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Yui took a deep breath, letting it out slowly through clenched teeth. ¡°First things first. In the fridge, there¡¯s a white jug. Grab it?¡± She began gathering liquor bottles from the back counter as she waited for Akane to retrieve the jug.

    ¡°So this¡­¡± Yui held up the jug Akane brought her. ¡°... is the pineapple juice for the Dragonfire. It is not used for anything else, because we make this stuff special. For every 300 milliliters of pineapple juice, we cut up one jalape?o and leave it in the juice overnight. This is called infusing it, and it makes the juice nice and spicy. Use the regular pineapple juice in the cans for anything else that calls for it. Got it?¡±

    Akane nodded, smiling brightly. ¡°You bet! What next?¡±

    Yui held up a steel device that looked like a small hourglass, open at both ends, like two funnels that had been welded together in the middle. ¡°See this? This is called a jigger. We use it to measure stuff.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡± Akane rubbed her chin thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you use one of those before.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± Yui smirked confidently. ¡°I¡¯m really good at this. You¡¯re¡­ not. Yet. So, you use the jigger.¡± I taught fucking Ranko to do trigonometry. I can handle this. ¡°It has two sides, a big one and a small one.¡± She turned the object over in her hand, letting Akane observe the difference, before handing it to Akane along with a thick mixing glass.

    ¡°Alright. Start with the big side of the jigger, and let¡¯s add two of them full of our spicy juice.¡± She observed as her instructions were followed. ¡°Great! Now, grab the mezcal? The clear stuff back there with the blue label.¡±

    ¡°Mezcal?¡± Akane grabbed the bottle, cradling it in both hands and reading the label.

    Yui shook her head with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s a lot like tequila, but, like, its older, pruder big brother. Let¡¯s add one of the big jiggers of that to the glass.¡±

    Akane nodded, following the directions precisely. If I screw this up, they¡¯re never gonna let me try this again. I¡¯ve been waiting for over a year.

    Yui beamed. ¡°You¡¯re doing so great! Flip the jigger over to the little side now, and fill it up about halfway with lime juice. Little green bottle over there on the counter.¡± She watched as her directions were followed. ¡°Perfect! Add that, and then the same amount of the rum. Red label, second from the right.¡±

    ¡°What next?¡± Akane spun on her heels to smile up at Yui. ¡°This is so much fun!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you can handle the next part,¡± Yui said with a confident smirk. ¡°It gets hard from here. We need ice. Great big scoop.¡±

    Akane grabbed the scoop, filling the mixing glass nearly to the top with ice cubes. A few fell onto the floor, and she winced. ¡°Shit! Sorry about that!¡±

    Yui waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Occupational hazard, don¡¯t worry about it. That¡¯s why we got these rubber mats on the floor. Keeps us from slipping. Helps your feet not get tired, too.¡± She spun a tin cup into her hand, larger than the glass Akane was building the cocktail in. ¡°Alright. This is your shaker. Let¡¯s pop that upside-down on top of the glass, and kinda swat it on the ass a little. If you do it right, you¡¯ll sort of feel it pop a little when the seal forms. If you don¡¯t feel that, the stuff will go everywhere when we shake it. Don¡¯t go too hard though; we don¡¯t want the customers picking bits of glass out of their drink.¡±

    Akane giggled brightly. ¡°Yeah, probably not.¡± She gave the bottom of the metal cup a firm slap. ¡°How¡¯s that?¡±

    Yui picked up the mated glasses, examining them carefully. ¡°Looks good to me. Now, shake the piss out of that for a few seconds, okay? Don¡¯t forget to smile when you do it; this is when we get the customer excited about what they¡¯re gonna get.¡±

    The younger girl began rocking the shaker over her shoulder with both hands, as she¡¯d seen her sister do a thousand times. As she did, Yui¡¯s eyes rose to greet a customer approaching the bar. ¡°Hey, hon, what can I getcha?¡±

    The middle-aged man adjusted his glasses, checking the laminated menu that rested on the bar. ¡°Oh, just a negroni, I think.¡±

    ¡°Easy-peasy! Coming right up!¡± With a speed and deftness that shocked Akane, Yui built and served the beverage, trading it across the bar for a few bills in small denominations.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Yui said, turning back to look at Akane. ¡°That should be just about¡­ wait¡­ what¡­ what the hell did you do?¡± She looked down in horror at the glass. Akane had removed the shaking tin from the mixing glass, but the drink was now no longer the appealing, milky yellow of pineapple. The color more closely resembled something Yui had mopped from the floor of the ladies¡¯ room a few hours ago.

    Akane smiled proudly. ¡°I remembered that we add some extra spice to it right before we serve it, so I got a head start!¡±

    Yui glanced to her right, where the shaker of red pepper flakes remained out of Akane¡¯s reach. Her head slowly drooped until her nose rested in her palm. ¡°And¡­ how exactly did you do that?¡±

    The black-haired girl waved a small red bottle in the air. ¡°Hot wing sauce! Not too much though, just three or four squirts.¡±

    The Phoenix¡¯ lead bartender slumped as if her heart had just been torn out of her chest. Gods preserve me, she¡¯s hopeless. ¡°Okay, well, let¡¯s just go ahead and dump that, and we¡¯ll start again.¡±

    Akane frowned dejectedly. ¡°You¡¯re not even gonna taste it?¡±

    Yui glanced up at the little cherry jar on the counter, counting the six plastic stirring straws sticking out of it with her eyes. ¡°I¡­ umm¡­ I really shouldn¡¯t, Akane. Trying not to drink, and all.¡±

    Laughing, Hana waved at Yui from the service bar. ¡°Oh, I think you¡¯ll be fine, as long as you just do a little taste with a straw. I¡¯m super proud of you for turning it down, but you can¡¯t teach her if you don¡¯t don¡¯t taste what she¡¯s making and give her feedback. Don¡¯t worry, honey, we won¡¯t let you fall off the wagon, I promise. We¡¯ll watch ya.¡±

    But, I really, really don¡¯t want to, Yui thought with dismay. Way to go fuck up a perfectly good excuse, Ma. Oh well. Let¡¯s get this over with. Not much point wasting the prosecco to finish it.

    Yui dipped a white plastic straw in the puce-colored liquid, capping the end of it with her thumb. Closing her eyes and steeling her nerves, she pulled the straw into her mouth and moved her thumb. Akane watched as her elder sister¡¯s eyes bulged nearly out of her skull. Yui dropped the straw on the floor, leaning over the polyurethane bar counter as she coughed and sputtered. ¡°Oh, gods.¡±

    I mean, we¡¯ve had people ask us to crank up the spice on the Dragonfire on occasion, but that thing¡¯s got less fucking balance than Ranko¡¯s bank account.

    Cackling, Mei slipped behind Yui to retrieve another aluminum tray of spiral-cut lemon garnishes. ¡°Good stuff, huh?¡±

    Yui glared, grabbing another straw and jamming it down into the glass. ¡°Mei, c¡¯mere. Try this.¡±

    Mei brushed one of her electric blue pigtails from her face, a few strands of loose hair getting caught on the black spiked leather bracelet she wore on her left arm. ¡°Let me get this straight.¡±

    She pointed down at the mixing glass on the counter. ¡°Whatever that is in that glass¡­¡±

    Her hands rose, waving her fingers in front of her sister¡¯s cheeks. ¡°... put that look¡­¡±

    Her pointing fingers fell slightly downward, now indicating Yui¡¯s torso. ¡°... on your face¡­¡±

    Mei turned her wrists, so that both of her index fingers were pointing at herself. ¡°... and now you expect me to put it in my mouth?!¡±

    Yui sneered, withdrawing the straw from the glass. ¡°We¡¯re sisters. We suffer together. Get your scrawny ass over here.¡± She reached out, grabbing Mei by the hood of her sweatshirt, and when Mei opened her mouth to protest, Yui crammed the straw into her mouth. Teach you to be a little shit.

    Mei whimpered, leaning over the sink and spitting out the contents of her mouth. ¡°Fuck me! Forget dragonfire; that tastes like fucking HELLFIRE!¡±

    Akane frowned, fidgeting sadly with her hands. I¡¯m sorry, girls. I¡¯m just awful at this.

    ¡°Alright, by popular request!¡± Orochi called loudly to the crowd from the microphone mounted above his deejay turnstile. ¡°Here¡¯s Ranko and the Dapper Dragons¡¯ Demon in Your Radio - the Hellfire Cut!¡± While the extended version of the song was reserved for live performances, Ranko had recorded a version of it for the bar to play in her absence.

    ¡°Wait, what did he say?¡± Yui blinked, her eyes darting between Mei¡¯s choking and the young man pressing buttons on the sound equipment.

    ¡°The Hellfire Cut. It¡¯s what Ranko calls the version of Demon with the extra verses.¡± Akane sighed. Does she really not pay attention when her sister performs? I guess she¡¯s too busy. People actually want to drink the cocktails she makes.

    Yui stroked her chin. ¡°The Hellfire Cut¡­¡± She glanced down at the murky pinkish-brown liquid in Akane¡¯s mixing glass. ¡°A drink that tastes like hellfire¡­¡±

    Mei¡¯s eyes followed as her sister began darting around behind the bar, collecting armloads of ingredients. ¡°Yui, what are you¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Mei! Just, gimme a second. I got an idea!¡± Her eyes scanned the shelves. I need orange. I¡¯ve got yellow. I need red. And I gotta balance that heat. Red and sweet. Red and sweet. Where are you¡­

    She grinned, grabbing a small tin of strawberries from under the bar, garnishes for the daiquiris. ¡°Akane, cut the tops off all these real quick!¡± Yui slid the tray over to her, moving frantically behind the bar. Wing sauce is no good, too many other flavors. But, tabasco¡­

    Grabbing a new mixing glass, Yui began building another Dragonfire, using smaller measures of all of the ingredients except the alcohol to leave extra room in the glass. She moved at a dazzling speed, an almost possessed determination in her eyes. Okay. That¡¯s our base. Now, let¡¯s raise some hell. Yui dripped a small amount of the tabasco into the glass.

    ¡°Done!¡± Akane held up the tray proudly. At least I did that right.

    Yui took the tin of strawberries from Akane, dumping its contents into a blender with a scoop of sugar and setting it to work. Within moments, a thick, deep red syrup sluiced from the pitcher into the mixing glass. As the heavier syrup began to sink in the milky yellow pineapple juice, it began to take on a wispy orange appearance. She flipped a metal shaker tin over her shoulder, catching it behind herself and slapping it firmly on the mixing glass.

    ¡°Whoa,¡± Izumi said, leaning over to her mother behind the service bar with a joyful grin. ¡°Mama, she¡¯s back.¡±

    Having finished rocking the glasses over her shoulder, Yui set them on the counter again with the mixing glass pointed down. What sloshed to the bottom of the mated glasses almost glowed a bright orange.

    ¡°Holy crap! It looks just like¡­¡±

    Mei nodded, leaning over Akane¡¯s shoulder as they watched their energized mixologist sister work. ¡°Like liquid fire.¡±

    ¡°Ashes. Ashes. Where are you, ashes¡­¡± Yui scanned her supplies again, a wide grin crossing her lips. ¡°Yes! C¡¯mere, you.¡± She reached to the back of her little caddy of rimming salts, pulling out a small jar that looked like it was filled with tiny grains of charcoal.

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna dump dirt in it?!¡± Akane blinked. And I thought I was bad.

    ¡°Black salt.¡± Yui dumped a bit of the salt in a small dish. She flipped an empty glass upside down, dipping it first into a saucer of simple syrup before grinding it into the little pile of black powder. When she withdrew it, the entire rim of the glass was coated in what appeared to be blackened stone.

    ¡°I need a garnish. Something that¡¯ll burn orange.¡± Yui¡¯s eyes scanned her supplies again, snapping her fingers with her left hand as she poured the drink from her mixing shaker carefully into the glass without mussing the salt rim.

    ¡°Hold that thought!¡± Hana grinned, disappearing through the blue saloon door into the back room. She returned from the kitchen a moment later with a long stick, on which two large white marshmallows were skewered on one end. ¡°Leftovers from Hoshi¡¯s birthday. They¡¯ll burn real good¡­¡±

    Yui grinned¡­¡±And they¡¯ll turn black almost instantly, and still taste good. And the extra sweet is there in case the spice overpowers somebody. My mother is a fucking genius.¡± She leaned over as Hana crammed the stick into the glass, kissing her on the cheek. ¡°Lighter!¡±

    ¡°Yo!¡±

    Yui turned to face the sound, raising her hand just in time to catch the blue disposable lighter Izumi had thrown from the service bar. With a quick flick, the tower of marshmallows protruding from the glass of viscous orange liquid were blackening under a wisp of bright orange flame.

    She slipped a clean straw into the glass, pulling it into her mouth and releasing her thumb. A satisfied purr rumbled from her lips as she tossed the straw in the trash bin, handing the still-aflame finished glass to Akane.

    ¡°I give you¡­ the Hellfire.¡±

    Izumi smirked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Yui. You¡¯re talented as hell, but¡­ strawberries, pineapple and tabasco? Who would ever put that combination together?¡±

    Yui nodded with a grin. ¡°It¡¯s batshit crazy. It¡¯s bold. It¡¯s unpredictable. And it¡¯s amazing.¡± She grinned down at Akane as the younger girl¡¯s eyes brightened with her first taste of Yui¡¯s concoction. ¡°Sound like anyone you know?¡±

    Akane grinned, nodding as she thought of Ranko¡¯s favorite lip gloss with the taste of the cocktail still on her tongue. Sweet, tastes of strawberry, and then it sneaks up and smacks you in the ass with how hot it is. Yep, that¡¯s my wife, alright.

    ¡°So we¡¯re gonna have a new drink for the menu, then?¡± Mei grinned, waiting her turn to try the fiery libation.

    ¡°Not just one.¡± Yui grinned excitedly. ¡°We¡¯re gonna come up with a whole damn new line of specialty cocktails.¡± She glanced up at the Japan Record Award plaque for Best Album by a New Artist hanging on the narrow wall separating the service bar from the dance floor. ¡°And we¡¯re gonna theme them all on Ranko¡¯s songs. We¡¯re gonna make the menu synonymous with her music. Should¡¯a done it ages ago, really.¡±

    Hana grinned proudly. ¡°That sounds like an incredible idea! Even for you, coming up with a whole array of innovative stuff like that is gonna take time, though.¡±

    Yui laughed. ¡°Nope! We¡¯re gonna do it all tonight. Because we have a secret weapon.¡± Her eyes fell on the youngest of the five sisters in attendance.

    Looking around, Akane fidgeted with the bottom hem of her black Ranko and the Dapper Dragons tee shirt. ¡°It must be a secret, because I have no idea what the hell you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    The blonde whirled, handing a laminated drink menu to Akane. ¡°Make another drink. Pick anything on the list you want. I¡¯m not gonna help you. Just do whatever you think is right. The recipes are in that little black notebook on the bottom shelf.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ I utterly ruined the last one. Why would¡­¡± Akane slumped her shoulders, sighed in despair. ¡°I¡¯m just gonna fuck it up.¡±

    Yui reached down, giving her sister a tight hug. ¡°Yes, you are. You¡¯re going to fuck it up spectacularly, in ways none of us would be creative or crazy enough to think of. And then, we¡¯re gonna get inspired. We¡¯re gonna fix it, we¡¯ll turn it into something amazing, and we¡¯re gonna match it up to something in Ranko¡¯s discography. C¡¯mon, little sister. Let¡¯s do this together, you and me. Let¡¯s turn your curse into a fucking superpower.¡±

    Blushing, Akane looked over the menu, her fingers trembling slightly. I¡¯m¡­ actually helping! And we¡¯re gonna put Ranko¡¯s mark on this place! She¡¯ll be so proud of me!

    ¡°Let¡¯s do a Midori Sour,¡± Akane said with a hopeful grin, finding the relevant page in Yui¡¯s little black notebook. ¡°Okay. Midori liquor and vodka. Easy enough to start.¡± She filled the large end of the jigger once each with the two ingredients, her hands trembling a bit with her nerves as Yui watched over her shoulder. It wasn¡¯t a judgemental stare, or the usual sense of shock and horror that people normally exhibited when they watched her work in a kitchen. It was more of¡­ a childlike wonder, mixed with a healthy dose of morbid curiosity.

    ¡°Talk us through what you¡¯re doing, Akane,¡± Yui encouraged as Seiichi sidled up behind Mei, wrapping his arms around her waist. ¡°We need to know what you¡¯re thinking.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Next, lemon juice.¡± She scooped a yellow plastic bottle from the counter, filling the large end of the jigger again and adding it to the glass.

    Hana opened her mouth, reaching forward slightly with her left hand, but Yui¡¯s hand fell softly on her shoulder before she could make a sound.

    ¡°Don¡¯t help her, mama. Just watch.¡±

    ¡°Next is¡­¡± Akane checked the notebook again. ¡°Lime juice. Got it!¡± Again, she filled the large end of the jigger, this time from the green bottle. The recipe had called for half that amount of both lemon and lime juice, but this detail was lost on the misguided mixologist.

    ¡°And¡­ add ice and shake?¡±

    Yui nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± She watched as Akane popped the mixing tin atop her mixing glass. ¡°Whoawhoawhoa¡­ when you shake, point the metal cup forward, not the glass.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Akane blinked, surprised at the advice. ¡°But, don¡¯t the customers want to see the drink?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll see it soon enough, when you pour it. Until then, if that thing flies apart while you¡¯re shaking it, as a customer, would you rather get bonked with a tin, or have glass flying at your face?¡± Yui smirked playfully.

    The raven-haired girl cringed. I never would have thought of that. ¡°Yeah! I suppose that makes sense!¡± She set the glasses on the counter, smacking the side of the mixing glass to release the suction holding the shaker in place. A hopeful spark in her eyes, she dunked a straw in the glass, applying her thumb to create negative pressure. It would be just my luck, I¡¯d finally get one right when everyone¡¯s hoping for me to screw it up.

    She lifted the straw to her lips, releasing her thumb. Oh, no, Akane thought as she puckered her lips. ¡°A little too sour. Give me a minute, I wanna see if I can fix it.¡±

    Yui nodded, motioning to the wall of ingredients. ¡°Sure! Give it your best shot.¡±

    Akane smiled, her eyes falling on a small, transparent plastic bottle with a light green label. ¡°Yes! Simple syrup will brighten it right back up!¡± She scooped the bottle up, adding two long squirts from it into the mixing glass.

    ¡°But¡­ that¡¯s the sour syrup,¡± Mei whispered in an ominous tone, a pronounced grimace on her face.

    ¡°Shhh. Let her go,¡± Yui said, grinning deviously.

    Akane returned the tin to the mixing glass, giving it another vigorous shake, this time turning the combined glasses upside down before beginning so that the metal shaker pointed toward the smattering of customers milling about on the other side of the bar. None of them seemed to be waiting to order; perhaps they, too, were merely curious about the liquid trainwreck being concocted over Akane¡¯s right shoulder.

    Dunking another straw into the modified beverage, Akane coughed, spitting the green liquid into the sink. ¡°Ewwww! That¡¯s way too sour now! How the heck did it get worse?! Maybe I can still salvage it¡­ hey! Fruit¡¯s sweet! Maybe some of that?¡±

    Yui shrugged, wearing an ear-to-ear grin of amusement. ¡°Sounds plausible to me. Give it a try.¡±

    Akane¡¯s eyes scanned the countertops, grinning as she spied an array of dark fruits resting in a shallow tray of clear liquid. ¡°There! Perfect!¡± She grabbed two of them with a pair of bar tongs, dropping them into the drink one at a time and swishing the mixture around a bit with a clean straw.

    ¡°Oh, gods,¡± Izumi groaned quietly, turning her gaze away from Akane¡¯s work as the second sour sake-drenched plum plopped into the glass. ¡°I can¡¯t watch.¡±

    ¡°Alright, Akane. Let¡¯s¡­ see what you¡¯ve come up with.¡± Yui reached for the glass, knowing full well what she was getting herself into.

    Mei winced, reaching up and patting her elder sister on the shoulder. ¡°Well, Yui, it¡¯s been a pleasure knowing you.¡±

    Filling only the very tip of a straw with the verdant liquid, Yui dropped the concoction onto her tongue. Hana watched, wondering if her daughter¡¯s cheeks would actually turn inside out, as they seemed to threaten to.

    ¡°O¡­ okay,¡± Yui sputtered, hacking droplets of acrid liquid into the crook of her leather-wrapped left elbow. ¡°Little bit sour, there, hon.¡±

    ¡°Still?!¡± Akane frowned. ¡°I could have sworn the grapes would fix it.¡±

    Seiichi lowered his head, bringing his lips mere centimeters from Mei¡¯s ear. ¡°She¡¯s pranking Yui, right? Nobody could be that clueless.¡±

    Mei¡¯s head fell limply into her palm. ¡°No, Seiichi. Exactly one person could¡­¡±

    Okay, Yui. Dial it in, the blonde mixologist thought as she flushed her palate with a sip of club soda. Stupidly sour. Bright green. Stuff floating in it. She snapped her fingers, pointing to the merchandise rack behind the service bar. ¡°Izzi, grab me a couple¡¯a CDs. One each.¡±

    Seiichi shuttled the two shrink-wrapped jewel cases between the twin bars, and Yui tiled them next to each other on the bar, her sister¡¯s image on the covers facing down so she could read the track lists on the backs.

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Whatcha thinkin¡¯ this time, Yui?¡± Mei stood on her tiptoes, trying to peer over her taller sister¡¯s shoulder and get a sense of what she was focused on.

    Yui popped open the cash register with a little ding, withdrawing a few small bills from the right side of the drawer. ¡°Hey, Seiichi. C¡¯mere a minute.¡± She leaned forward over the bar counter, whispering to the server and handing him the wad of cash.

    ¡°Be quick,¡± she admonished him, straightening her back and returning to her ingredients.

    Mei blinked in curious surprise. ¡°What are you doing with my boyfriend?¡±

    Yui shrugged as Seiichi made for the front of the bar. ¡°Just sent him on a quick errand to the novelty shop across the street. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± She interlaced her fingers, stretching her arms to their full extension and bending her fingers backwards, popping her knuckles. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s make some magic.¡±

    She spun a mixing glass into her hand, adding a shot each of Midori liquor and top-shelf vodka to it. ¡°Okay¡­ we want extra sour, but not a stupid amount. Let¡¯s go with double the lemon juice.¡± She filled the large end of Akane¡¯s jigger from the yellow plastic squirt bottle, adding it to the glass.

    That¡¯s what I¡­ shit, that¡¯s where I messed up, Akane thought with a grimace.

    ¡°Izzi, you¡¯re up! Mind cutting me some pineapple chunks? Running low over here.¡± Yui grinned, reaching under the counter for a small glass jar. Other than its contents and the presence of a label and a lid, it was identical to the one that held the six stirrers signifying her sobriety streak.

    ¡°Sure, just a sec,¡± Izzi called in reply as she garnished a Manhattan for a young flight attendant standing across the service bar from her.

    Yui capped the mixing glass with the shaker and gave it a good mix, tasting it with a straw. Too sour for the Midori recipe, but not sour enough to really kick your ass. She shrugged, looking over at the countertop directly in front of Akane. Well, worked for the goose, works for the gander. She picked up the small, clear bottle of sour syrup, adding a single squirt to her glass and swishing it around with her straw before tasting again. Okay. It tastes worse, and in bizarro cocktail world, that¡¯s a good thing. Now, to balance¡­

    She dipped a bar spoon into the jar she¡¯d retrieved from under the counter, dropping five maraschino cherries into the glass. She let the trace amount of cherry juice that pooled at the bottom of the spoon disappear into the green liquid as well, giving it a light squish with her spoon. Getting a little viscosity to it, too. Perfecto. Needs more chunks though¡­ No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than Izumi handed her a small bowl of pineapple chunks for the Dragonfire cocktail.

    ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am.¡± Yui grinned, flicking four of the small pineapple cubes into the mixture. ¡°And now, we¡¯re just waiting on Seiichi.¡±

    Mei gazed quizzically up at her sister, careful not to poke herself with the metal spikes on her bracelet as she stroked her chin. ¡°What are you up to now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you,¡± Yui said with an excited grin, reaching out with grabby fingers across the bar as Seiichi re-entered the bar through the glass double doors with an opaque green plastic shopping bag in his hand.

    ¡°They only had six, so I got ¡®em all,¡± the young server said, handing over the spoils of his adventure. ¡°Change is in the bag.¡±

    Yui peeked down into the bag, a giddy smile crossing her lips. ¡°This is perfect. Thanks!¡± She reached down into it, withdrawing a small, black metal basin not much larger than a coffee mug, and half as deep. It resembled a miniature version of a Dutch oven, or perhaps even one of the old-timey cookpots people used to hang over fireplaces to cook stew in before the era of gas and electric stoves.

    She set the empty vessel on the countertop, reaching back into the bag for a small rectangular cardboard box printed in bright blue and purple colors and tearing it open with the flaps at the narrow end.

    ¡°Pop rock candies?¡± Akane blinked. ¡°The hell?¡±

    Yui dumped the contents of the mixing glass, chunks and all, into the little metal container, adding a generous pour from the box of candies, and floating a splash of club soda from the gun protruding from her well on its metallic hose. Dipping a straw into it, she tasted the drink, but did not hand it off to her sisters yet. She waited just a moment before trying it again, as if she wasn¡¯t sure she agreed with her own original assessment.

    ¡°Fuck. Yes.¡±

    She slid the little metal cup over to Akane, who eyed it with no small measure of skepticism. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ bubbling.¡±

    Yui nodded sagely. ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s the pop candies. The club soda too, a little, probably.¡± The bubbles occasionally nudged one of the pieces of fruit out of their way as they made their frantic trek to the surface to release their gaseous contents.

    ¡°It looks like something out of Halloween,¡± Mei mused, before wincing a bit, remembering that her elder sister didn¡¯t like acknowledging the holiday she shared her birthday with.

    Akane pulled a draught of the sickly-looking green liquid into a straw, releasing it into her mouth. ¡°Whoa! It¡¯s sour as hell, but it¡¯s good!¡±

    Yui grinned, nodding with a smile that indicated she was excited about a secret she had yet to share. ¡°Give it about ten seconds, and then taste it again?¡±

    The younger girl watched the clock on the wall, and once the second hand had moved from the two to the four, she returned the straw to the little metal pot and again released its contents onto her tongue.

    ¡°The hell?! It tastes different!¡±

    Yui snickered, glad her intoxicating chemistry experience had worked as she hoped. ¡°As the candies melt, and the fruit sits in there, the sweetness kind of leeches into the drink and balances out the sour a little more. So the more you drink, the sweeter it gets. Kind of like¡­¡±

    Izumi grinned, her eyes widening with a realization. ¡°Like a love potion!¡±

    The blonde barmaster nodded, handing the little iron cauldron to her sister as if it were a prize she¡¯d won for solving the puzzle. ¡°Ding, ding, ding! Behold, the Voodoo Brew.¡±

    Hana laughed merrily. ¡°Witchcraft.¡±

    Yui spun to face her mother in the corner of the bar, so quickly that her knee-length black skirt flared up around her legs.

    ¡°And I¡¯m finally gettin¡¯ through to you, through to you, with the voodoo that I brew,¡± Yui sang with a chipper giggle. ¡°Alright, ¡®Kane. You¡¯re up again.¡± She nudged the little black book of recipes toward the black-haired girl.

    ¡°We could do a drink themed on Nothing, and just sell them an empty glass,¡± Seiichi offered.

    Yui laughed loudly. ¡°Hilarious, but no.¡±

    ¡°What about Hole in the Wall? We could just water down some light beer.¡± Akane perked up hopefully.

    ¡°Points for theme, but it also has to be something people actually wanna drink,¡± Yui said with a smirk. ¡°Look in the book. We¡¯ll find somethin¡¯.¡±

    Akane nodded, flipping through the pages. It took her a few moments, but she stopped about halfway through the book, her cheeks catching fire. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ go with this one.¡±

    Yui peered over her shoulder at the book, laughing with a loud pfft. ¡°Yeah¡­ I can see where that one would make you think of your wife¡­ Alright. Go for it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a shot, though. How do I¡­¡±

    The blonde shrugged. ¡°Just double everything and put it in the same kind of glass. It¡¯s just for practice, anyway.¡±

    Her pupil nodded. ¡°Sure! Okay¡­ So I need¡­ looks like a whole one of peach schnapps.¡± She filled the jigger from the bottle Yui indicated, dumping the liquor into the glass. ¡°Orange juice?¡±

    Yui handed her a plastic jug from the refrigerator under the bar top, filled halfway with a pulpless fruit juice. ¡°Here ya go.¡±

    Again, Akane filled the jigger, pouring its contents into the mixing container.

    ¡°Cranberry?¡±

    Yui handed her a labeled plastic bottle from the fridge. ¡°Cranberry!¡± Her voice was sharp in reply, as if she were playing at being a nurse handing tools off to a surgeon. In a moment, a jigger full of it had joined the other ingredients.

    The bar¡¯s lead bartender nodded, somewhat impressed. Holy crap. Is she¡­ actually gonna pull this off? I guess it is pretty easy, with just four ingredients and equal amounts of them.

    ¡°Aaaaand, vodka! Got it!¡± Akane reached for a bottle of clear liquid, measuring out the full jigger and splashing it into the drink. A little overflowed the jigger that wound up in the glass as well.

    We were so close. Yui covered her eyes with her hand as Akane shook the drink. ¡°Give it a try?¡±

    Akane dipped a straw in the glass of bright pink liquid, releasing its contents onto her tongue. She gave Yui a disgusted look, sticking her tongue out as if she were trying to scrape her taste buds clean on the back of her teeth. ¡°What the hell? I did everything right!¡±

    Yui picked up the bottle containing the fourth ingredient, turning it so Akane could read the label. ¡°Not quite.¡±

    Akane glanced up at her instructor with a mystified expression. ¡°What¡¯s everclear?¡±

    ¡°It might as well be the shit you take nail polish off with,¡± Yui said with a smirk. ¡°So, I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m gonna have to dump my straws if I even taste that one, but I get the idea. It looks like a little softball, but then it runs up behind you and hits you in the back of the head with a fucking bat. Sound about right?¡±

    The younger girl could only nod. ¡°Why would anybody drink that?!¡±

    Yui shrugged. ¡°When you don¡¯t wanna feel anything for the rest of the night, and you don¡¯t wanna pay for twenty drinks to do it, it¡¯s the quicker fucker upper.¡± She looked down at the counter, contemplating the glass of pretty pink poison for a moment. ¡°Okay. So, pretty, feminine, unassuming, clobbers you with a sledgehammer. Sure sounds like a self-rescuing princess to me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Akane giggled. This is so much fun!

    Yui grinned. ¡°Okay. First things first, let¡¯s axe the Everclear. We¡¯re not looking to burn people¡¯s taste buds off. But, we need to sneak some more alcohol in it somewhere, but keep it almost sickeningly sweet.¡± She bit her lip, smiling widely. ¡°I got it. Hey, Iz! Where¡¯s that frothy thing you use for making your fussy bitch coffee?¡±

    Akane cackled as the strawberry Izumi had hurled from the service bar ricocheted off of Yui¡¯s forehead, landing in the mixing glass. ¡°Hey, projectile garnish!¡±

    The blonde giggled. ¡°You know what? Just for that, we¡¯re fuckin¡¯ running with it. And you said strawberry¡¯s Ranko¡¯s thing anyway.¡± As she spoke, she sat about rebuilding the drink in a new glass, adding vodka, peach schnapps and orange juice in equal measures.

    ¡°We want to keep the pink, but cranberry¡¯s too bitter. We gotta have sweeter.¡± Yui grinned, her eyes falling on the jar of cherries that had yet to be put away from the invention of the Voodoo Brew. ¡°Heeeeeey. Come to mama.¡± She picked up the jar, pouring a liberal amount of the thick red juice into the mixing glass and beginning to shake it.

    Akane scratched her head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that have the same amount of stuff as the original one? I¡¯m confused.¡±

    ¡°Trust me,¡± Yui said as Izumi handed her a handheld milk frother. ¡°Watch this.¡± In a new glass, Yui combined equal parts Irish cream liquor and a chocolate-infused liquor with a dash of the cherry juice, setting the frother to work on it. Within seconds, a light, fluffy foam in a pastel pink filled half the glass.

    Yui poured the drink from her mixing glass into a conical margarita glass before coating the entire surface area of the drink in her foam concoction. She pierced three strawberries with the sides of the glass, rimming it at equal thirds with the fruit to give it the appearance of a crown.

    ¡°The Glass Slipper.¡± Yui grinned, handing it to Akane.

    Ranko¡¯s wife dunked her straw into the drink, releasing its contents into her mouth. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s yummy, but it¡¯s not especially strong.¡±

    Yui grinned. ¡°Try the foam. That¡¯s where it sneaks up on you.¡±

    Akane scooped some of the pink froth up with a strawberry, biting into it. ¡°Whoa. That¡¯s strong. But good! It¡¯s like chocolate covered strawberries, with a kick in the ass!¡±

    Mei picked up the glass, slipping a straw into it slowly to ensure she got some of the foam in her straw as well. She cocked her head back, dripping the contents of the straw into her mouth.

    ¡°Well? Whatcha think, sis?¡± Yui grinned up at Mei. ¡°I know you like the sweet drinks.¡±

    The blue-haired girl said nothing. She simply dropped the straw back into the glass, walking away toward the service bar as she continued to drink it through the little plastic tube.

    Akane giggled. ¡°I think that¡¯s probably a pretty solid endorsement.¡±

    Izumi grinned. ¡°And, hey! We already have the guy we ordered the glass slippers for Ranko¡¯s show from! We could get some more, and actually¡­ serve the drink in a glass shoe!¡±

    ¡°Fucking genius,¡± Yui said with a grin. ¡°Meanwhile, Mei, if you¡¯re done getting schnockered over there, you mind cutting up some more peppers? We¡¯re running low over here for Dragonfire garnish.¡± Yui waved the black book in front of Akane. ¡°Up for one more experiment?¡±

    The black-haired girl nodded emphatically. ¡°Why not? Anything particular you want to try?¡±

    As she watched the pink concoction disappear into Mei¡¯s mouth without even getting to try it, Hana gave a little hmmm of contemplation. ¡°You haven¡¯t really done anything with dark liquors yet.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, good call, Mama! Akane, hit the third section in the book there, and pick something.¡± Yui whirled on her heels, beginning to whip up a Tequila Sunrise for a suave-looking young man with spiky black hair.

    ¡°Your peppers, miss.¡± Mei smirked, handing a highball glass full of sliced jalape?o peppers to her sister. ¡°And I¡¯m gonna need another one of those Slipper things as soon as we close for the night.¡±

    Yui laughed, dumping the peppers into her garnish tray. ¡°Glad you liked it.¡± She set the empty glass on the back counter, returning to the drink she was making for the attractive man in the black sport coat.

    ¡°Okay, Yui! I think I wanna try this o¡­ Sho?! Hey! What are you doing here?!¡± Akane blushed, wiping her fingers on the hips of her blue jeans.

    Akane¡¯s lab partner shrugged, flashing her a winning smile. ¡°I was in the neighborhood. I was thirsty. I¡¯ve heard good things about this place from a very enthusiastic member of its staff.¡±

    Akane blushed, noticing her reddening cheeks in her reflection in the lenses of his glasses. Her realization did not help her mitigate the condition ¨C quite the opposite, in fact. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s great! As long as I¡¯m not tending bar, anyway. I¡¯m awful at it. I screw up everything I make. But Yui? She¡¯s the best!¡±

    Sho laughed loudly. ¡°Oh, I bet you can manage.¡± He motioned to the bottle of Jack Daniels in her hand. ¡°Why don¡¯t you make me a Jack and Coke? Nobody can mess that up.¡±

    Clearly, you don¡¯t know my sister as well as you think you do, Yui thought with a smirk. But, to her shock and amazement, Akane managed to add equal parts Jack Daniels and soda to a highball glass.

    ¡°Whoa! You actually did it! Let me try. I have to experience your first successful cocktail.¡± She was a bit nervous about it; Jack Daniels was her liquor of choice, and she worried that the taste of it might be too tempting for her to resist finishing the drink. I¡¯ll be okay, she thought, glancing over at her jar of straws. It¡¯s worth the risk to be supportive for Akane. I can be strong. For them. I promised Ran-chan.

    Yui grabbed a clean straw, dunking it into the glass and releasing the liquid into her mouth. Her eyes bulged, and she slapped the counter twice with her palm, stomping her chunky black heel on the rubber anti-fatigue mat on the floor.

    ¡°Are you okay, miss,¡± Sho asked, leaning over the bar with some measure of concern.

    ¡°Akane,¡± Yui said, her voice hoarse as she struggled to regain her composure. ¡°You didn¡¯t¡­ happen to see where that glass Mei brought me the peppers in ended up, did you?¡±

    ¡°Sure, Yui! It was right¡­ oh, shit.¡± Akane smacked herself in the forehead with an open palm.

    Sho cackled, but there was a nervousness in her eyes that hadn¡¯t been there a moment ago. ¡°I mean, what are the odds, right?¡±

    With this one, Yui thought, pretty much a hundred percent across the board. ¡°We¡¯re still training, so, enjoy your Sunrise, huh? On the house.¡±

    The young man nodded. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that, but thanks. Um, good to see you, Akane! Catch you at class tomorrow!¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± Akane fiddled with her fingers as she answered.

    As Sho went in search of a table, Yui spun around to face her beleaguered protege again. ¡°That guy is totally crashing on you.¡±

    Akane blinked, shaking herself out of her humiliation. ¡°What? Crashing?¡±

    Yui smirked devilishly. ¡°Yeah. Somethin¡¯ me and Mei started saying. It¡¯s like¡­ when somebody¡¯s crushing on you, but you¡¯re too much of a friggin¡¯ idiot to notice.¡±

    ¡°Where the hell did you come up with a name like¡­¡± Akane stopped mid-sentence, chuckling. Her face was positively afire. ¡°Oh. But¡­ it¡¯s not like that with Sho. He¡¯s just nice. He¡¯s a good friend, and we just like, look after each other and stuff. He helps me, I help him, and oh gods, you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Yui smirked. ¡°Anyway. Back to training. Fuck, that last one was like a fucking flaming spike through my tongue!¡± A spike, or¡­ a nail. The Black Nail! Yes! Yui grinned. ¡°But if we balanced it¡­ Time to muddle!¡±

    ¡°Is that, like, where you cuddle in the mud?¡± Akane glanced up at Yui skeptically. ¡°I hope not, ¡®cause that¡¯s weird.¡±

    Yui¡¯s face dropped into her palm. ¡°Oh, girl, what are we gonna do with you? Gimme a highball glass.¡±

    Receiving a glass container from her younger sister, Yui threw a few of the pepper slices Mei had brought her into it. ¡°So, muddling means to just sort of lightly smoosh some stuff in the glass. We¡¯re trying to get some of the juices out.¡± She picked up a short steel rod, grinding the pepper slices into the bottom of the glass with it until a shallow pool of oil sat at the bottom of the glass.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s scoop the pepper bits out.¡± Yui used a bar spoon to do just that. ¡°And now¡­ we just make ourselves a nuclear version of the Black Nail. One of my favorites.¡± After holding the bottle of Jack Daniels Akane had left on the counter upside down for a six-count, she bounced the pour spout to cut off the flow into the glass.

    ¡°Okay. Now, a splash of lemon juice¡­¡± Akane tossed her the yellow plastic bottle they¡¯d used before, and Yui added a small squirt from it to the glass.

    ¡°And some soda.¡± Yui grabbed the soda gun, holding it over the glass and filling it nearly to the top with carbonated, caramel-colored cola.

    Akane peered over the glass. ¡°Is it done?¡±

    ¡°Almost! But we gotta balance that spicy from the peppers, and we do that with sweet.¡± Yui reached under the counter, pulling out a small plastic bottle shaped like a teddy bear, with a white nozzle sticking out of its top. She turned it over the glass, drizzling a bit of honey into the glass. ¡°Give it a quick stir, and¡­ voila!¡±

    Mei bopped up behind Yui at the bar. ¡°I wanna try!¡±

    Yui handed her the glass, and Mei dropped a straw into it, the steel spikes of her leather bracelet clinking against the rim of the glass.

    ¡°Whoa. That¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s like¡­ it¡¯s sweet, but it¡¯s like¡­ evil.¡±

    The blonde grinned. ¡°Evil sweet, huh? Hey, gimme that.¡± She reached out, but rather than taking the glass from Mei¡¯s hand, she unsnapped the black leather bracelet from her sister¡¯s wrist.

    ¡°Hey! Where you going with that? Seiichi gave me that!¡± Mei growled, but she was even more upset when Yui next snatched the glass from her hand as well. ¡°Hey!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s sweetly evil.¡± Yui wrapped the bracelet around the highball glass, snapping it in place such that one could not pick up the glass without piercing their palm on the spikes.

    Akane smirked. ¡°I mean, it looks hot as hell, but what¡¯s the point? You can¡¯t even pick it up easily!¡±

    Yui whirled. ¡°I know that you want it, girl. I understand. But, I¡¯m gonna have to ask you, girl, to watch your hands¡­¡±

 50. Woman Up

    Eye shadow. Eye shadow. Where the fuck are you?!

    Ranko groaned in frustration, frantically flinging cosmetic products around the surface of the small vanity counter in her hotel room.

    I''ve gotta be at the venue in less than two hours. I don''t have time for this shit.

    It was only once she stopped digging about in her large red and white polka-dotted cosmetic bag that she realized her hands were trembling.

    I''ve done this hundreds of times. Hell, I wear at least a little makeup almost every day now¡­ weird as that is to actually think about. I mean, I never know when people are gonna run up to me and start taking pictures and shit. There''s no such thing as a quick run to the store where nobody''s gonna notice me anymore.

    So, why the fuck am I so nervous?

    She sighed, glancing out through the open hotel curtains. From her eighth-story hotel room, she could see the stadium where she would perform that evening. If she stood up, she could even make out the trusses supporting the lights above of the stage Masa, Ariel and the roadies had constructed the day before. Behind them, her eyes panned across the east side of the stadium¡¯s seating, around the upper rim of the shallow bowl surrounding the athletic field on which her temporary stage had been built.

    It was already filling up with people.

    Maybe because I''ve never done this by myself before for a show bigger than the couple hundred people that fit into the Phoenix, and this one¡¯s damn near twenty-three thousand! There''s gonna be cameras showing my face three meters high on the video screens all night, she thought, swallowing hard. Can''t exactly get away with fucked up lipstick. Or missing eye shadow! Fuck, where the hell did I put that?!

    Because there were an odd number of girls - she¡¯d chosen to believe that was the reason and not that Nabiki had given her special treatment as both the star and her sister when making the arrangements - Ranko had a private hotel room booked for her in every city they would play during the Wildfire Tour.

    I hope nobody thinks I''m being a diva or anything. I wouldn''t have minded sharing. I slept in a public park for a while. I shared a room with Pop for years. I''m used to not having privacy.

    The rest of the tour¡¯s traveling entourage was booked two to a room. For the guys, Crash roomed with Shinji, Jacob with Ariel, Masa with Norio, Sanyo with Utaru, and Lance with Ken. As the only other girls, and as they were a couple anyway, Hitomi and Emi shared the room next door to Ranko¡¯s.

    She glanced up at the narrow pink door to the right of her little vanity on the south wall of her room. It was deadbolted, but she could hear giggling on the other side of it. As she had discovered the previous evening, the walls between the adjoining rooms were thin. Now I know how Mr. Gao feels. The sounds of a couple¡­ coupling in the next room over had only made her first night without her wife that much harder to bear. The little door led directly into the adjoining room, presumably installed to enable parents who had booked the room next door for their children to easily check on them.

    Steeling her nerves with a deep breath that she let escape slowly through pursed lips, Ranko softly rapped on the door.

    ¡±Yeah, Ran-chan?¡± The singer recognized Hitomi''s sing-song voice through the door.

    ¡°Hey, ¡®Tomi. You¡­ mind if I come in a second? You girls decent?¡± Ranko sighed. I feel like an idiot, asking for help. They don''t even know how relatively new I am at all this, like Akane and my sisters do.

    Ranko heard a little click as the deadbolt on Hitomi¡¯s side of the door was released, and it swung open to reveal the brunette already wearing her first stage costume. ¡°Hey, hon. What''s up,¡± Hitomi asked with a bright smile.

    ¡°Do you, ummm¡­¡± Ranko fidgeted with her hands. The timidity she felt would have been more suited for a first date. ¡°Would it be okay if I¡­ got ready with you girls? I''m a nervous wreck.¡±

    Over Hitomi''s shoulder, Emi giggled, waving toward herself with an open hand. ¡°Of course! Get in here, girl.¡±

    Ranko blushed, entering slowly and taking a seat on the blue vinyl loveseat in the corner of the girls'' room. The room had two twin-sized beds in it, but her backup dancers had dragged the nightstand that should have been between them into the far corner of the room and pushed them together. The singer made a mental note to ask Nabiki if she could change their rooms at the hotels in Australia so the couple could share a single, bigger bed, like the one Ranko¡¯s room had as a single occupancy.

    Who knows. Maybe I''ll need it. Maybe Akane will miss me and show up after all. I wonder what she''s doing right now. She glanced up at the little black digital alarm clock on the nightstand in the corner, finding its face blank. They must not have plugged it back in when they moved it, she concluded. It was starting to get dark outside the window, so even without the clock, Ranko knew Akane was almost certainly already at work. I hope she¡¯s having a good night. I wish I could call, but I don¡¯t have time. Besides, it¡¯s a Saturday, so they¡¯re probably slammed right now.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ranko mumbled. ¡°Between my sisters and Akane, I guess I''m just used to being swarmed with girls all the time, and it feels kinda lonely getting ready by myself.¡± It was a partial lie, but close enough to the truth that she felt no guilt in telling it.

    Emi grinned, scoffing dismissively as she jammed the peg at the back of a cascade of silver dangling stars through a piercing in her left ear lobe. ¡°Please. Don''t sweat it. You''re welcome in here anytime.¡±

    Ranko blushed, glancing back at the two mated twin beds. ¡°Well, maybe not any time¡­¡±

    The blonde shrugged matter-of-factly, tilting her head to move her hair out of the way so she could insert her other earring. ¡°Eh. I said what I said.¡±

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Ranko¡¯s cheeks darkened much more, and she suddenly found herself very interested in examining the contours of the silver dragon coiled around her left wrist. ¡°I, um, well¡­ uhhhh¡­ thanks, I guess?¡±

    Hitomi giggled in her seat at the vanity, applying a purplish mascara with a practiced hand and blowing a kiss to the blonde walking behind her in the mirror. ¡°Aww, don''t fluster the poor girl, Ems! Ya don¡¯t wanna run her off, do ya?¡±

    ¡°You two are so bad,¡± Ranko said with a giggle. ¡°Literally, do either of you ever think about anything except flirting?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s rich. Look who¡¯s talking,¡± Emi said, as Hitomi cackled behind her so hard that she had to pause working with her mascara brush to avoid poking herself in the eye. ¡°What with the little tramp that you are.¡±

    Ranko grew lightheaded from the blood flow to her face, and even more so once she caught a glimpse of it in the mirrored sliding door of the closet in the hotel room. She turned her head from the mirror to look incredulously over at her friend and backup singer. ¡°What the hell are you even on about now, Ems?!¡±

    Hitomi smirked, capping her mascara and tossing it to the vanity counter. ¡°Oh, please. Like we didn¡¯t all see you and Crash holding hands on the plane. We weren¡¯t even off the fucking runway yet and you were already gettin¡¯ into that shit.¡±

    The redhead sputtered, and not from all the hair spray in the air. ¡°It was nothing like that! Come on! You know me better than that!¡±

    Hitomi tittered, puckering her lips as she began to run the tip of her blood-red lipstick tube over them. ¡°Of course not. You just dropped something in his palm, and had to go looking for it. Perfectly innocent!¡±

    ¡°Nuh-uh¡­¡± Ranko swallowed hard. Might be less embarrassing to let them think that than have to admit the truth. They¡¯d probably go easier on me about it. But if they tell Akane¡­

    ¡°Well, what then?¡± Emi passed Hitomi¡¯s chair, dragging her fingers nonchalantly over the brunette¡¯s bare shoulders as she headed to the rack where her yellow suitcase rested to search for her hair dryer.

    ¡°I¡­¡± She sighed, hugging her knees to her chest defensively. ¡°I¡¯d never been on a plane before, okay? I was¡­¡± Ranko sighed, her cheeks a redder shade than the magenta in her eye shadow tray could ever produce. If I could friggin¡¯ find it. ¡°I was scared, alright?! There was all that noise, and then like the seat and everything starts shakin¡¯ like that, and then the feel of the ground is just sort of gone¡­¡±

    The blonde reached over, grabbing the back of the loveseat and giving it a hard shake. ¡°Oh, I bet you felt the earth move under you, alright¡­¡±

    Ranko¡¯s eyes widened as she bolted back to an upright position in her seat. ¡°If you¡¯re just gonna pick on me, I¡¯m gonna go back to my room.¡± Ranko stood from the rocking two-seater couch, but Emi shook her head, motioning her to the empty bench she¡¯d pulled up for herself in front of the mirrored closet door.

    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mere. Sit, sit. We¡¯re just teasin¡¯ ya. You¡¯re on tour. As far as me and ¡®Tomi are concerned, what happens out here stays out here. Honestly, it¡¯s really none of our business anyway. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re gonna go runnin¡¯ to Akane and stirrin¡¯ up shit for ya!¡±

    Ranko swallowed hard, shaking her head defiantly. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna fuckin¡¯ mess around on my wife!¡±

    Hitomi laughed, swiveling her legs around the blue vinyl ottoman she sat on in her sparkling red devil minidress. ¡°Famous last words.¡±

    Emi cackled teasingly. ¡°You¡¯d better get your butt over there and get the rest of your face on though, or Norio¡¯s gonna clobber you long before Akane does.¡±

    The redhead nodded. She strode back into her hotel room, taking a brief moment to breathe through her embarrassment before sweeping the cosmetics strewn about her vanity into her red-and-white bag with her forearm. Without zipping it closed, she threw the strap over her shoulder before slipping back through the door into her backup singers¡¯ room and making her way over to the little tan bench in front of the closet door mirror. She plopped down on it, her red leather pants squeaking loudly against its vinyl covering.

    She tossed the cosmetic bag to the floor, fumbling in it with her left hand until she produced a tube of lipstick. She greatly preferred gloss; it tasted better and didn¡¯t feel quite so heavy and viscous on her Cat¡¯s Tongue-addled lips, but it didn¡¯t show up as well, especially at distance. It was a deep wine red, and Akane said it worked with her skin tone. Ranko¡¯s preference was generally for a brighter red that matched her hair better.

    When did I start having serious opinions about this stuff?  No zealot like a convert, I guess.

    She puckered her lips, beginning to paint them with the little maroon tube in her hand as Emi fired up her blow dryer in the bathroom, fluffing out her bombshell blonde hair. ¡°Do we have a meet and greet at this one?¡±

    ¡°I think so,¡± Emi called over the noise of her hair dryer. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s too bad though, if memory serves. Maybe thirty or so VIPs.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± Ranko moaned with a sigh. ¡°More boys bringing me flowers.¡± At least they don¡¯t get too grabby at these things, since we started asking Lance to hang out in the lounge after the show.

    Hitomi laughed, rolling her eyes. ¡°Well, any of them you don¡¯t want, you just send them my way.¡± She threw her redheaded friend a wink and a smirk. ¡°The boys, not the flowers.¡±

    ¡°I guess,¡± the songstress replied almost dejectedly, tossing her lipstick into her bag and beginning to apply her mascara. Her hands shook slightly, but she was still pleased with how the effect was coming out. ¡°I just wish they¡¯d figure out I¡¯m married and leave me alone.¡±

    Emi emerged from the bathroom, resting the back of her hand over forehead and bending her knees slightly in mock despair belied by her tittering. The move was straight out of the choreography from B-O-U-N-C-E. ¡°Ohhhh! Poor me! I¡¯m too hot for my own good!¡±

    Ranko giggled, stopping her hand and turning to the girls. ¡°How the hell do you expect me to get the look right on this when you keep makin¡¯ me blush?¡±

    The brunette smirked, touching up the concealer on a spot on her chin. ¡°With as often as you do it, maybe you ought to just plan for it.¡±

    ¡°Fuck off, ¡®Tomi,¡± Ranko retorted with a self-conscious giggle, but her blushing being called out did nothing but intensify it. But as she turned back to look at herself in the mirrored door of her friends¡¯ closet, her smile softened into one of pride.

    I¡­ I did it! I actually look good, and I did it all by myself. Maybe I really can do this. Maybe I¡¯m gonna be okay. Except for that fuckin¡¯...

    Her thought was interrupted by Emi¡¯s hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°Oh! Ran-chan, I almost forgot! Did you need that eye shadow you gave me in Kyoto back?¡±

 51. Empty Nests

    ¡°Push off and go, baby, take to the air! With your feet off the ground, you can go anywhere. There¡¯s no rivers, no mountains, no boundaries, no walls. When you¡¯re up in the clouds, there¡¯s no limits at all.¡±

    Akane sighed happily, looking down into the oak bassinet she gently rocked with her hand. Rest well, Jun. Auntie Akane loves you, little man.

    She tiptoed carefully to the end of the twin bed that had once been her wife¡¯s, sitting carefully atop the purple down comforter. I wonder what she¡¯s up to right now, she thought as she reminisced about those awkward first few nights together at the Phoenix, when Akane had learned to let go of the boy she¡¯d once been engaged to, and found a brave, fragile, magical girl named Ranko in his place.

    And fallen in love with her.

    ¡°You¡¯re a natural,¡± came a whispered voice from the open doorway. ¡°Both of them down at once? I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s ever been done before.¡±

    Akane looked up at Jun¡¯s bassinet before glancing to her right. In the dinette area of Ranko¡¯s former apartment above the Phoenix, a lime-green playpen had been erected in which Izumi¡¯s one-year-old daughter Mioko also slept, curled up tight on her stomach. Her fingers still loosely grasped the tiny stuffed unicorn, no bigger than Akane¡¯s hand, that Ranko had brought her niece back from Osaka.

    Akane shrugged, smiling up at Hana and answering in a whisper. ¡°It¡¯s a bar. Ever tried just putting a little whiskey in their bottles?¡±

    Hana mimed snapping her fingers in realization, without actually applying enough pressure to her thumb to make noise and risk waking the babies. ¡°Might wanna grab the monitor and make your escape while you can.¡±

    Nodding, Akane picked up a small plastic speaker from the mattress, pocketing it in her green denim skirt. With the deftness of a martial artist, she tiptoed noiselessly to the doorway, barefoot as she was, pulling it shut without a sound.

    Stepping gently off the last of the stairs into the kitchen, Akane pulled the speaker from her pocket, turning it on and holding her breath for a moment as she listened to ensure that her footfalls on their stairs had not woken either of the two youngest members of the Phoenix clan. She sighed in relief when, after a moment, she heard no signs of stirring.

    Her eyes flashed to the space above the saloon door, looking out into the main bar area, at the sound of a whoosh. Ayako was grinning, holding up a glass of bright orange liquid that burned blue and orange at the top. Yui had summoned all of her sisters - save the one that was currently somewhere over the Pacific Ocean - to the bar before opening so that they could practice the construction of the various new signature drinks the Phoenix planned to offer, each of which was based on some mixology misadventure caused by Akane¡¯s bartending ineptitude. Yui had dubbed them Rocktails, as each was themed to one of Ranko¡¯s songs. As Akane herself knew better than to attempt building the complex drinks for customers, she¡¯d volunteered for babysitting duty to allow her elder sisters to concentrate on their training.

    It¡¯s so good to see Yui back in her element. Man, she scared us there for a bit. Whatever Ranko said to her must really have sunk in. Then again, that¡¯s just my girl. Every time I think she¡¯s grown as much as is possible for a person, she does something else to amaze and astound me.

    Fuck, I miss her.

    ¡°You really are good with the kids, ya know. It¡¯s impressive, especially for somebody your age, without younger siblings.¡± Hana smiled, returning to her regular speaking voice as she slipped into the kitchen and resumed mixing the dry elements for fried chicken batter.

    What are you talking about, Mom? I have a younger sister. I just sleep with her. Akane smirked in amusement, blushing as she recalled the strange circumstances that led to Ranko having legally become Soun Tendo¡¯s fourth daughter on their wedding day, the paperwork having been signed in the very room where Jun and Mioko now slept.

    ¡°I dunno, it¡¯s just something I¡¯ve always sort of gravitated to.¡± She gave her mother-in-not-quite-law a shrug. ¡°My mother was really amazing with kids, everybody says. My sister Kasumi¡¯s kind of that way, too. Nabiki¡­ not so much.¡±

    Hana laughed quietly. ¡°I guess we all have our strengths.¡± She sat down on a stool behind the counter, sighing heavily. ¡°It¡¯s such a shame that you and Ranko can¡¯t¡­¡±

    Akane nodded, looking down. ¡°Yeah. I¡­ I think about it a lot sometimes, especially since the wedding, what with Ayako getting pregnant around the same time. But I don¡¯t like sayin¡¯ anything about it. There¡¯s not much point; neither me or Ranko have time for a responsibility like that, and¡­¡± She blushed deeply. ¡°We¡­ seem to be missing a key component.¡±

    The elder woman in the leather jacket nodded sagely. ¡°There¡¯s ways, you know, if you want it badly enough. Adoption, for one.¡±

    Slumping onto a stool opposite Hana at the prep counter, Akane bobbed her head softly in understanding. ¡°Yeah. Maybe one day. Right now though, it would just be another hard thing in our lives that we aren¡¯t equipped to handle.¡±

    ¡°Have you talked to Ranko about it,¡± Hana asked. She continued shaking the plastic bag in which she was combining the flour and seasonings for the batter mix, a little less vigorously than she might normally have.

    Akane shrugged, shaking her head. ¡°There¡¯s really no point. Ranko is¡­ she would agree to do just about anything I asked, I think, without taking a second to consider what it would mean for her. So, I try not to bring up things if I think there¡¯s a chance they would be bad for her, because she will absolutely try to leap before she looks. And besides¡­¡± She picked up a piece of celery, fiddling with it idly in her fingers. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna make her feel bad.¡±

    ¡°Why would she? There¡¯s nothing wrong with discussing your dreams, even if you end up deciding not to pursue them.¡± Hana sighed, dropping the bag of white powdered batter mix to the counter.

    Because she feels bad that she isn¡¯t a boy anymore, Mom, Akane thought as she chewed the bite of celery she¡¯d taken.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Ranko, she¡­¡±

    How do I say this in a way that doesn¡¯t give too much away?

    ¡°Sometimes, Ranko feels like I¡¯m¡­ I don¡¯t know, doing her a favor, by being with her. Before I¡­ met her¡­ I wasn¡¯t really into girls, and I think Ranko sometimes feels like I sacrificed something when I decided to date her. The last thing I want is for her to feel guilty that I can¡¯t have a baby of my own because I chose to be with a woman.¡±

    Her wife¡¯s mother nodded slowly. ¡°That¡¯s a very considerate approach, but I doubt she would want you to keep quiet about your dreams for her sake, either. You could absolutely wait until the tour is over, if you want to let her focus, but if you want a child, you should tell her at some point.¡±

    Akane shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I do want it, honestly. I mean, it¡¯s like¡­ It sounds all fun and romantic, but then when you get into the nitty-gritty of having to do it, and all the responsibilities, I know it¡¯s probably way more than we can handle. I think about it - dream about it - sometimes, but I don¡¯t know if it would really work for us. I mean, I¡¯m in school for another few years, and at the rate we¡¯re going, Ranko¡¯s gonna see Paris before I see my pillow. Plus, she¡¯s gonna start college when she gets back, too, and be even busier than she was before. Maybe I just need to focus on being a cool auntie for Hoshi, Mioko and Jun for now.¡± She blushed, giggling a bit. ¡°Who knows, maybe Kasumi and Tofu will have a baby after they get married.¡±

    Hana reached across the counter, patting Akane softly on the back of her hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay to take some time and get your own thoughts in order before you tell her, but once you know what you want, promise me you won¡¯t keep it from her. She wouldn¡¯t want that for you, and neither do I.¡±

    Akane said nothing, but gave a slow nod in response.

    The bar¡¯s owner gave her a soft, weary smile that took a few seconds to make its way across her cheeks. ¡°Speaking of, how¡¯s things with our girl? Did you get to talk to her last night after the show? Is everything working out okay so far?¡±

    Akane sighed. ¡°No, she never called, but between the show and the meet and greet, plus the flight, she was probably exhausted.¡±

    Hana bobbed her head gently in acknowledgement as she began adding ingredients to the huge steel bowl of the stand mixer for pizza dough. ¡°That¡¯s almost certainly it. Hopefully she has a nice hotel and everything. Did the tour organizers take good care of her, I hope?¡±

    The singer¡¯s wife scoffed loudly. ¡°Without Nabiki, I don¡¯t think they¡¯d have managed to pull off a tour of the mall. The label people didn¡¯t take care of the venues, the hotels, shipping the instruments and stuff - anything. Nabiki did all of that. She¡¯s incredible. Yokai¡­¡± She shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve ever had a star like Ranko before, and they¡¯re a little bit out of their depth dealing with it all. In fairness¡­¡± Akane giggled a bit. ¡°... she is quite the handful sometimes.¡±

    Hana chuckled. ¡°I know the feeling. Before Ranko, our best singer here was some guy who liked drinking scotch and soda on Thursdays until he felt confident enough to belt Cher.¡± She sighed, resting her elbows on the steel countertop and rubbing her temples. ¡°I don¡¯t have to worry about my daughter out there, do I?¡±

    Akane shook her head. ¡°No more than you will anyway, I don¡¯t think. Nabiki quadruple-checked everything. She takes a lot of pride in that sort of thing. Besides, she knows if anything happens to my wife out there in some other country someplace, sister or no, I¡¯ll absolutely cut a bitch.¡± She scooped up a chef¡¯s knife from the counter and spinning it showily in her fingers.

    Hana laughed quietly. ¡°Point taken.¡± There was a distance to her, a sort of disconnection Akane wasn¡¯t used to seeing in her wife¡¯s mother.

    ¡°Mom, are you okay? You just seem a little¡­ off today.¡± Akane sat up on her stool, looking Hana over carefully.

    With a dismissive scoff, the elder woman waved her hand as the sound of four of her daughters giggling wafted over the slatted half-door leading into the barroom. ¡°Oh, yeah. Just a little tired, honey. With everybody being so stretched thin, I don¡¯t remember the last time I had a night off.¡± She glanced back up at the saloon door. ¡°I¡¯m doing a lot better now, though. I can¡¯t tell you how much it feels like a mountain¡¯s been lifted off my shoulders, just seeing Yui smiling again.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡± Akane wagged her finger at her mother admonishingly. ¡°Well, as soon as Ranko gets back, you should take a couple of days and relax. Hang out with your grandbabies, and let us girls hold the fort. You¡¯d know you¡¯d tell Ranko or any of us to do the same thing if we were as whipped as you look.¡±

    Hana gave a wide smile. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right, I would. And you have my word, I will. Thank you for your concern, sweetheart, but honestly, there¡¯s nothing wrong with me that a good night or two¡¯s sleep won¡¯t cure. In the meantime, I¡¯m the mom around here, and it¡¯s my job to look out for my girls, including you. So, how are you holding up, honey? What with Ranko being away?¡±

    Akane sighed, slumping her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m a fucking mess. It broke her heart so bad that I didn¡¯t go with her. I just feel so damn guilty. I know you said it was the right thing to do, but I feel like the shittiest partner alive. I¡­¡±

    ¡°It absolutely was,¡± Hana said, interrupting her. ¡°I told you back when you were making the decision in the first place, and I¡¯ll say it again. She needed this opportunity to build her confidence. She needs to learn to believe in, and rely on, herself. In a lot of ways, it¡¯s the one thing we couldn¡¯t teach her, between you, me and her sisters. She has to figure that out on her own. Besides, you have a right to not put your own life on a shelf whenever her career comes calling. That¡¯s how resentment gets built, and I don¡¯t want it for you girls.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t either, but¡­ I don¡¯t want her thinking I don¡¯t care, either. Mom, what do I do? Like, I told her I was too busy to come, and as soon as I said that, I ended up with a whole weekend where I have no school stuff to do, and now I¡¯m just gonna sit on the couch and feel like I ditched her for three days.¡± Akane sighed. ¡°Until work, anyway.¡±

    The bar¡¯s proprietress stood, smiling excitedly with the formation of an idea. ¡°Stay here a second.¡± Akane followed with her eyes as Hana moved down the narrow hallway to the blue saloon door. The owner of the Phoenix returned in a moment with her hand clenched around something small.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    A wad of paper was thrust into Akane¡¯s hand. Hana¡¯s daughter turned her wrist and opened her fingers, her eyes widening as she looked at what she had been handed. ¡°Mom, what is¡­¡±

    ¡°Go to her.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Akane laid the stack of bills on the stainless steel countertop. ¡°I can¡¯t take this! It¡¯s so much money! Besides, I¡¯ve got work, and you just said I should let her do her own thing.¡±

    Hana smiled sagely, patting Akane¡¯s hand again. ¡°I said you should let her do the trip on her own, and I meant it. You shouldn¡¯t go to stay. But like you said, you¡¯ve got a free weekend. With me, Seiichi and the girls, we¡¯ve got things more than covered here, especially if it¡¯s slow again.¡±

    Besides, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to let you cook or tend bar, she thought with a slight smirk she did her best to conceal.

    ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who needs a break, honey. You¡¯re worn out, too, and you know it as well as I do. You barely saw Ranko for three months before she left, and she couldn¡¯t even walk for most of that time. So, it¡¯s your choice. You can spend your weekend watching sad movies on TV and second-guessing yourself, or you can take that money, buy yourself a plane ticket, and spend it in Hawai¡¯i.¡±

    Hana grinned broadly, shooting a wink at her youngest daughter¡¯s wife.

    ¡°I hear there¡¯s gonna be one hell of a show in Honolulu this Saturday.¡±

 52. The Lei of the Land

    ¡°Dude, seriously?! You brought that girl with the weird alien tattoo back to your room?! What did Crash do?¡±

    Shinji shrugged as he popped open the taxi door. ¡°Not my day to watch him. Maybe he stayed at the bar, I dunno.¡±

    Ranko rolled her eyes as Shinji held the door of the yellow Toyota open for her, careful not to give him too much of a show under her kelly green sundress as she stepped out of the car in the hotel parking lot. She slipped her sunglasses on, adjusting the weight of her small black purse on her bare right shoulder. ¡°Just left the poor bastard there with nothing to do all night and no room to go back to, huh?¡±

    The bassist gave a low chuckle. ¡°I ain¡¯t had any since before we left Tokyo. Trust me, it didn¡¯t take that long.¡±

    Ranko cringed, crinkling her nose. ¡°I really didn¡¯t need to know that, thank you.¡± With Hitomi and Emi flanking her, and Shinji falling behind, she made her way across the valet lane in front of the four-star hotel Nabiki had booked the band in.

    A man in a red uniform festooned with brass buttons pulled the glass door open, holding it for the party. ¡°Welcome back, Miss Tendo,¡± he said with a wave.

    Weird that nobody bows here, Ranko thought, waving back to him with a bright smile. I wonder if they know everybody¡¯s name that stays here, or just mine. I wonder if¡­ is it because I¡¯m famous? Like, is this what it feels like to be Madonna or somebody? So lost was she in dreams of her celebrity status that she didn¡¯t notice Shinji slip a few bills into the man¡¯s hand. That was another strange thing that had baffled her after almost a week in America - it seemed like nobody just got paid from their job like normal; everybody who helped you with anything expected you to give them money directly.

    Due to a lack of available venues, she and the other Dapper Dragons had a few days of downtime in Honolulu between shows. It had been a welcome break for Ranko, who hadn¡¯t really gotten a chance to catch her breath from her injury, a frantic rehearsal schedule to make up for lost time, and the end of her high school career. She wished Nabiki would have just brought them home for a few days on the itinerary after the previous show, but flights and the transport needed to get their gear to Hawai¡¯i was so much less expensive early in the week that it came out cheaper to travel early and stay in the hotel for a few extra days.

    As it was, she¡¯d spent most of the day before as a third wheel, tagging along with Emi and Hitomi as they hit the local shops. Ranko had bought very little of her own. She couldn¡¯t exactly cook for herself on tour, and while the Yokai people were chipping in for her meals and incidentals every day, it wasn¡¯t enough, and she was cognizant of spending too much money in Hawai¡¯i and leaving Akane short in Japan for the things she needed.

    Indeed, almost everything she¡¯d purchased the day before was a gift to bring home to someone she loved. She was particularly excited about the book she¡¯d bought for Yui, a catalog of some sixty different cocktails that could be made using pineapples. Since pineapple juice was the basis of the Dragonfire, she thought her sister might find it useful if she ever wanted to play around with the recipes again. If she¡¯s feeling up to it, she thought. She¡¯d spoken with her mother on the phone on Wednesday afternoon, who had told Ranko to her great relief that the number of stirring straws in Yui¡¯s little cup behind the bar was continuing to increase. Hana had also told her that Yui and Akane had a surprise planned for her when she got home, and Ranko wasn¡¯t sure if she was excited or worried about it. I haven¡¯t gotten many surprises from Yui, but I know most of Izzi¡¯s surprises generally involve lace and shoes that hurt my feet. Oh, and the occasional dress that I¡¯m supposed to set on fire while wearing it on national television.

    The second taxi carrying Crash, Jake and Ken back from the little breakfast restaurant pulled into the valet lane as Ranko entered the building, the welcome blast of air conditioning starting her bare legs shivering. I don¡¯t know how people survive here; it¡¯s so fucking hot. Pretty, but hot.

    ¡°Meet you back down here in twenty,¡± Hitomi said with a giggle, nudging Ranko gently in the ribs. ¡°Hurry up and get in your bathing suit, girl! The beach is calling, and we must answer!¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± she replied with a bright smile. "But I¡¯m getting an umbrella or something, and some more sunscreen. I¡¯m gonna bake out th¡­¡±

    ¡°Ranko?¡±

    The young singer stopped mid-word, whipping her head with enough force to smack Shinji in the face with her tight red braid. That sounded just like¡­ She scanned the few couches arrayed in the lobby of the hotel, her eyes locking on the second one from the left.

    ¡°Akane?!¡±

    Akane blushed, nodding as she stood and smoothed the yellow dress she wore. Her short black hair was held back by a yellow headband with a large off-center bow above her right ear.

    ¡°Surprise!¡± Akane ran forward, and before Ranko could finish stammering, the redhead was nearly tackled in a hug.

    Ranko, for her part, squeezed back, giggling as Akane picked her up off the ground and spun her in the air. ¡°What are you doing here?! I thought you had school!¡±

    Akane nodded, scanning the lobby with her eyes. Damn. Too many people to risk a kiss out here. ¡°I managed to get a long weekend, and Mom told me to play hooky from work and catch the next flight out here. So, here I am! Hi!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, hi!¡± Ranko giggled, squeezing Akane tight. ¡°Gods, I¡¯ve missed you so much! So, you¡¯re just like, here to hang out? I¡¯ll tell Hitomi and Ems I can¡¯t come with them. We just were gonna go drag the boys to the beach.¡± She leaned in closer, whispering. ¡°I¡¯ve got a 500-yen bet going with Emi that Shin catches fire as soon as his skin is exposed to sunlight.¡±

    Akane giggled. ¡°I mean, sounds like a safe bet to me. Don¡¯t cancel the beach, though! That sounds fun! I¡¯ll just come with! I don¡¯t care what we do. I¡¯m not here to see Hawai¡¯i. I¡¯m here to see you.¡±

    Ranko blushed deeply. ¡°O¡­ okay.¡± She smiled at the little red-and-white weekend bag Akane was dragging behind her. She went and got the matching bag to finish our set. ¡°I gotta go change first, though.¡±

    The singer¡¯s wife eyed her curiously. ¡°What¡¯s got you all blushy, little miss?¡± She was all smiles as Ranko pushed the elevator button for the fifth floor.

    ¡°N¡­nothin¡¯.¡± Ranko grinned coyly at her lover as the elevator started to move. ¡°I¡¯m just glad to see you, is all.¡±

    Akane nodded, stroking her wife¡¯s neck softly with the backs of her fingers in the elevator they found themselves alone in. ¡°You look so good, baby. You look so pretty. You look happy.¡± The redhead, in her flowing green sundress, sunglasses, yellow flip-flops, and the little white straw hat with the hibiscus flower tucked into the brim looked the perfect picture of a vacationing beach bunny.

    Ranko blushed more deeply still, shivering slightly under the touch she¡¯d been starved for all week. ¡°I am, now that you¡¯re here with me.¡±

    Akane sighed quietly. ¡°You know, you¡¯re allowed to have fun when I¡¯m not here too, right? Nobody expects you to sit locked up in your tower like Rapunzel and wait for the show just because I¡¯m at home. I want you to go out and experience things on this trip, too.¡±

    The redhead nodded. ¡°I know, and I am. Like, I was gonna go to the beach before I knew you were here, and I went shopping with the girls yesterday. But¡­ everything¡¯s just so much better with you.¡± As she spoke, the elevator dinged and the door opened, and Ranko turned right, leading Akane to the third door on the left side of the hallway. She swung her purse forward on her shoulder, unzipping it and digging within for a single key on a keychain decorated with a bright orange rubber fob indicating the room number.

    ¡°Well, such as it is, home sweet home,¡± Ranko said as she swung the door open. The housekeeping staff had apparently already been by for the day, as her queen-sized bed was made. It always made Ranko blush to see it; the maids had the adorable habit of tucking Starlight under the blankets as if she were sleeping. A few articles of dirty clothes were crumpled in one corner of the room, next to her large suitcase, propped open on a folding luggage rack against the far wall. Her cosmetic bag lay on the bathroom counter, with half its contents spilled out over the countertop, and her red-and-white polka-dotted garment bag hung open in the narrow closet, its door still slightly ajar. The dresser, nightstands and headboard were all in a white oak that gave the room a beachy ambiance, and a plush green chair and matching ottoman by the window rounded out the furniture. A few paintings of beach scenes hung from the walls in pale frames that appeared to have been constructed of driftwood.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Oh, this is cute! Nabiki hooked you up,¡± Akane said, pulling open the somewhat ugly blue and yellow floral curtains. They were made of a heavy material that blocked nearly all light. ¡°Wow! You¡¯ve even got a view of the water!¡±

    Ranko smiled. ¡°Me and the girls do, yeah. The boys are on the other side of the hall, and their windows look out onto a billboard for shaving cream.¡±

    Akane giggled, waving her hand in the air. ¡°They¡¯re boys. They don¡¯t appreciate the finer things anyway.¡± She pulled the curtains closed again. ¡°And speaking of finer things¡­ Don¡¯t you need to be getting out of that dress?¡±

    The redhead looked down, her cheeks afire. ¡°I, um¡­ about that.¡± She walked into the bathroom, returning with two fairly small garments in a matching electric blue. The color reminded Akane of Mei¡¯s hair. Large white flowers were printed throughout both the top and bottom of the outfit.

    ¡°Um¡­ Hitomi said my old bathing suit wasn¡¯t cute enough¡­ She, uhhh, made me buy a new one.¡±

    Akane bit her lip coyly. ¡°Well, remind me to thank her later. Come on, now.¡± She reached behind her wife, pulling at the tails of the white ribbon sash cinching the green dress around her lover¡¯s waist until it came untied. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to keep anyone waiting, would you?¡±

    Sitting on the edge of the bed in the adjacent room, Emi sang quietly to herself as she applied a milky white sunscreen lotion to her long, pale legs.

    ¡°But now I¡¯ve got the recipe to make you wind up next t¡­¡±

    Her eyes darted up as a loud thud shook the drywall dividing her hotel room from Ranko¡¯s hard enough to tilt the framed painting of a red wooden lounge chair under an umbrella on the sand hanging above the dresser a few degrees on its nail. She shook her head, giggling at the sounds that followed.

    ¡°Uh, ¡®Tomi? Take your time, hon,¡± she called into the bathroom. ¡°Something tells me we¡¯re not leaving in fifteen minutes.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°So, hi.¡± Hitomi giggled, nudging Ranko in the elevator. Ranko was wearing her new blue and white bikini, covered with a long white sheer wrap dress. Because it was transparent, Hitomi could easily confirm that more than just the singer¡¯s cheeks flushed red. ¡°Feeling better, Ran-chan?¡±

    Ranko shrank into the corner of the brass-lined elevator, looking up to Akane for rescue. The black-haired girl in the yellow-and-blue striped one-piece bathing suit offered none. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡±

    Emi giggled. ¡°Oh, definitely not. But whatever it is she¡¯s talking about, Crash, Shin and Norio all needed a cigarette after it. Saw ¡®em in the hall on the way down.¡±

    ¡°They did not!¡± Ranko hid her flushed face with her hands. If she thought the move was stopping people from staring, it was in fact having exactly the opposite effect.

    Akane shrugged, smirking at her wife even as she answered Emi. ¡°I¡¯d say I¡¯m sorry, but I wouldn¡¯t mean it. All of you in the band have something you play with to make music, and well¡­¡± She dragged her fingers gently down the back of Ranko¡¯s neck, eliciting a quiet whimper from her. ¡°So do I.¡±

    Hitomi giggled. ¡°For sure! That last note¡­ Ems, do you think that was an O-5 or an O-6?¡±

    ¡°Shaduuuuuupp,¡± Ranko pleaded with a quiet whine as the elevator door opened, darting through it to escape the girls¡¯ teasing.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± she overheard Jacob ask the clerk in English at the reception desk as she hustled past him toward the hotel¡¯s front door, hiding her face in her palm. ¡°You guys don¡¯t happen to sell earplugs in the gift shop, do you?¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Oof!¡±

    Emi giggled in her white bikini, gazing through the net at Crash sprawled on his stomach in the hot sand. He wore no shirt, no shoes, and a pair of green floral board shorts, and his black Ray-Ban sunglasses lay in the sand a few centimeters from his face. ¡°Awwww, so close!¡±

    ¡°But, not close enough,¡± Ranko said, stalking across the sand and giving her friend high-fives with both hands as Jacob helped Crash to his feet.

    ¡°Woooooo, girls team! Score more points!¡± Hitomi cheered loudly from her lounge chair, in a hot pink sports bra and a black bikini bottom, as she watched the action unfold.

    Ranko laughed. ¡°Yikes. We¡¯re gonna have to work on your cheerleading technique, ¡®Tomi.¡±

    The brunette shrugged with a bright grin under her neon green sunglasses. ¡°Sorry, Ran-chan. I traded in my pom-poms for mai tais today.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a fair match,¡± Ken said with a groan, laughing as he tossed the white volleyball back over the net to Akane. ¡°You¡¯ve got a ringer!¡±

    Ranko laughed loudly, shaking her head piteously at her drummer. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not like you guys didn¡¯t know she¡¯s a volleyball champion when you challenged us! Besides¡­¡± Ranko lay her fingers limply across her chin, cocking her head cutely under her white straw hat. ¡°I thought you boys were supposed to be so much better at sports than us silly girls.¡± She gave a disappointed little click of her tongue, pursing her lips and shaking her head as if admonishing a misbehaving puppy.

    ¡°Shin! Get over here! We need a hand!¡± Crash waved frantically to the bassist, who sat in a nearby chaise lounge chair in a long white shirt that was unbuttoned open to reveal his abs and the waistband of his black board shorts. His shorts were decorated with white zig-zag lines all over in some sort of tribal pattern.

    ¡°Maybe in a little bit. My hands are full.¡± Shinji raised his arms, showing off the two beers in clear plastic cups he held.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Shin,¡± Akane said with a laugh as carried the ball to the back line to serve. ¡°They¡¯re not gonna last much longer anyway. What¡¯s the score, anyway?¡±

    Ranko giggled, knowing full well her wife already knew it. ¡°That would be Princesses fourteen, Dragons five.¡± She waggled an open palm across the net at Crash tauntingly, extending all five of her fingers.

    ¡°Aww, shit,¡± Ken groaned in exhaustion as the ball rocketed over the tall net. ¡°Look out, Crash! Comin¡¯ to you!¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°I told you she¡¯d come,¡± Crash said, reaching over and squeezing the redheaded girl walking next to him on the sand in a side hug.

    Ranko smiled hopefully. ¡°It¡¯s so surreal that she¡¯s here.¡± She gazed across the beach at the woman in the blue-and-yellow bathing suit, who was currently fourth in line at the beachside tiki bar. ¡°Even if it¡¯s just for a couple days.¡± Her voice darkened considerably at the prospect of her wife going home.

    Crash sighed slowly, lowering his voice despite none of their companions having a chance to hear them over the crashing waves. ¡°You¡¯re gonna try to convince her to stay, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Ranko looked up at him questioningly.

    The guitarist nodded. ¡°I mean, try, I guess. And I wish you the best of luck. Just¡­ don¡¯t get your hopes up, okay? You were finally starting to sort of get over it and come out of your shell a little bit, and I don¡¯t want you boarding yourself back up in your room and moping if it doesn¡¯t go the way you want.¡±

    Ranko bobbed her head. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll try, Crash. She¡¯s just¡­¡±

    The tall blond man rolled his eyes. ¡°I know, I know. She¡¯s your everything, you can¡¯t live without her, blah, blah, blah. You girls are so fucking clingy sometimes.¡±

    The redhead giggled as she was tickled by something buzzing in her friend¡¯s pocket against her bare hip. ¡°Speaking of clingy girls¡­¡±

    Crash groaned, pulling the pager out of his pocket and checking the number, though there was little point; there was no suspense about who was calling him. ¡°I swear, that girl¡¯s gonna drive me batty with this fucking thing.¡±

    Ranko waved her hand, laughing brightly. ¡°Oh, you haven¡¯t seen the half of how far up in your business Ukyo can get when she really wants to. Trust me on this one. But she loves you, and she misses you. Quit your bitching, and take the win.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­ you see a payphone around here anywhere?¡± Crash scoured the beach, but Ranko tugged on his wrist, pointing him toward the side of the building where the tiki bar was. ¡°Over there by the bathrooms.¡±

    He turned to make his way in the direction she pointed, but Ranko pulled him back. ¡°Hey, before you go, real quick. Would you be okay if we swapped out Worthy of You in tomorrow¡¯s set with the new one we worked on Tuesday? Not for the whole tour, just this one show.¡±

    Crash laughed, his eyes falling on Akane again as she made her way back toward the pair with a red frozen drink in each hand. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine why you might wanna do that! I don¡¯t mind, but let me check with everybody and make sure they¡¯re comfortable with the music and stuff. We won¡¯t have graphics for the video board or anything for it, though.¡±

    Ranko grinned. ¡°I don¡¯t care about that. Thanks, bud. Now, shoo. Don¡¯t keep Ukyo waiting, and tell her I said hi.¡±

    He laughed. ¡°Will do. But if we change up the set list the day of the show, you¡¯re telling Masa. Dude¡¯s gonna have a fuckin¡¯ stroke.¡±

    The songstress blushed. ¡°As long as he doesn¡¯t light me on fire. It¡¯s hot enough out here as it is!¡±

 53. Looking Forward, Looking Back

    ¡°Man, that was good!¡± Jacob stretched, leaning back on the wooden bench with his bare feet in the sand, the taste of roast pork and pineapple still dancing on his tongue. ¡°I¡¯m gonna miss this place. It¡¯s so peaceful here.¡±

    Crash chuckled, tossing a stick into the fire as he gazed out over the water of ¡®Aiea Bay, the sky above it beginning its transition from blue to pink with the first hints of sunset. In the distance, several surfers frolicked in the waves, their voices too far away to carry. ¡°Somehow, I¡¯m sure Zoe¡¯s gonna make it up to you when you see them next week.¡±

    The keyboardist grinned, bobbing his head. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s gonna be great. You guys are gonna love them.¡±

    Shinji glanced up at the little boardwalk surrounding the beachfront counter-service restaurant, where the crowd was beginning to thin. No doubt, they were beginning to make the trek toward Aloha Stadium, which despite covering some of the seating due to distance from the stage or - in the case of the north side of the bowl, being behind it - was set to receive just north of thirty thousand fans in just under two hours for a concert. ¡°We should probably think about getting over to the venue.¡±

    ¡°In a few minutes,¡± the girl in the orange-and-yellow floral dress said, smiling lovingly at the redhead in white to her right. ¡°I¡¯m not ready for this to end yet.¡±

    Ranko turned, cupping Akane¡¯s cheek in her hand and pulling her into a kiss in the firelight.

    ¡°Me either.¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey,¡± Shinji groaned, gesturing at the girls with his open beer bottle. ¡°Easy with that shit in public, yeah?¡±

    The songstress sighed, releasing Akane and sitting up straight. She nodded sadly as she played with the strand of white flowers dangling around her neck and over her breasts. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Sorry.¡± She fiddled with her fingers in her lap, turning to Akane. ¡°I, um¡­ pulled some strings, and scored you a seat up front for the show.¡± Ranko blushed, giving her wife a little nudge. ¡°That is, if you even wanna come. I mean, you¡¯ve seen it before, after all.¡±

    Akane squeezed her wife tight around the forearm. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t miss it for all the world, princess. And I¡¯m not likely to get a chance to see it again for a few months after tonight.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re still going home, then?¡±

    Her wife nodded softly. ¡°In the morning. I have to, baby. We talked about this. But don¡¯t get all mopey about it, okay? We still have tonight.¡±

    The redhead exhaled heavily, as if Akane was watching the light leave her heart in real time. ¡°Yeah. I guess we do.¡± She stood, letting go of Akane¡¯s hand. ¡°Shin¡¯s right. We should get over to the stadium and start getting ready.¡±

    ¡°Ranko, I¡­¡± Akane reached up for her, sighing. The timbre of her voice raised with concern.

    Ranko interrupted her, not taking the hand that was offered. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. We¡¯ve gotta go.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°No shadow can claim you! No challenge can tame you! You¡¯re stronger than you realize! There isn¡¯t a thing which could ever extinguish the INFERNO that burns IN YOUR EYES!¡±

    The video board behind Ranko flickered in torrents of animated flame, wreathing an empty black background in the center. Each time the name of the song was screamed by Ranko, all four musicians and both of her backup singers, the word also flashed in the center of the screen in huge orange block letters. The 31,204 people packing the west, south and east sides of the open-air football stadium needed no reminder of what they should be chanting alongside the songstress and her friends, however.

    ¡°RISE like a dragon and RISE from the agony! RISE and rekindle the fla-a-a-ame!¡±

    With each shout, Ranko thrust her arm up and forward, punching at the air with her right fist in her red leather jacket. She wore it over a black sequined camisole, her red leather pants and her glittery black boots, the same costume she¡¯d opened the show and performed the first four songs in. All twelve of the fuel jets mounted to the front of the stage belched skyward every time she said the word, sending streams of orange flame three meters skyward with each repetition as if Ranko herself were controlling the flame with her fist under the waxing crescent moon.

    ¡°When LIFE turns to ashes, you GO get the matches, and SEAR away all of the sha-a-a-ame!¡±

    The redheaded firebrand stalked the back edge of the stage, as far away from the wall of flame as she could be without tripping over Jacob and Ken¡¯s instruments. To her left, Hitomi and Sanyo raised their arms urgently, summoning the west side of the stadium to its feet. Emi and Utaru did the same on the right. The male dancers had changed out of their blood-red leather demon armor, and into form-fitting black tee shirts and matching pants, during the show¡¯s second number. Hitomi and Emi had swapped out their red sparkly dresses for black knee-length jean skirts and hot pink princess vests under black denim half-jackets just before the start of Freak.

    ¡°BURN like a demon, and EARN what you¡¯re dreamin¡¯! The Phoenix inside never dies!¡±

    Ranko strode to the center of the stage, glancing down at her feet to check her positioning. Don¡¯t wanna screw this up, or it¡¯s gonna be an awfully short tour. Sanyo and Hitomi charged up to join her on her left, Emi and Utaru on the right, and the five dancers kicked their legs up like baseball pitchers, punching at the air as they launched back into their group choreography.

    ¡°RISE like a dragon and RISE from the agony! RISE and rekindle the fla-a-a-ame!¡±

    Sing it, baby, Akane thought as she roared the song¡¯s title from her seat at stage left. The best Ranko had been able to secure on short notice was a seat in the third row back, but the angle she had to the stage was oddly reminiscent of her vantage back at her little round VIP table at the Phoenix. It made her smile.

    How far you¡¯ve come from there, Ranko.

    ¡°When LIFE turns to ashes, you GO get the matches, and SEAR away all of the sha-a-a-ame! BURN like a demon, and EARN what you¡¯re dreamin¡¯!¡±

    The loud screech of a bird of prey roared through the speakers over the music, and an animation of a giant firebird began to circle the giant screen clockwise behind Ranko and her fellow performers.

    ¡°The Phoenix inside never dies!¡±

    ¡°Never dies,¡± Crash sang as Sanyo picked Hitomi up by the waist, whirling her into his arms and tossing her toward the front left of the stage.

    ¡°Never dies!¡± Shinji slammed his fingers down on the strings of his bass guitar in time with his words, as Emi landed from her own twisting throw on the right side of the stage, taking a position a third of the way from both the right and front edges of the platform.

    ¡°Never dies!¡± Jacob glanced up at the performers as Utaru and Sanyo scattered closer to Hitomi and Emi on the stage¡¯s wings, leaving Ranko alone and giving her a wide berth at the center of the stage platform.

    ¡°Never dies!¡± Ken¡¯s voice, high-pitched for a man, was joined by Hitomi and Emi through their headset microphones.

    The flaming orange bird dove abruptly downward through the center of the screen, and as it disappeared from the bottom of the image, a wall of flame spewed upward in the animation as if the bird had struck the stage floor and lit the whole of it afire behind Jacob and Ken. The fiery jets along the stage¡¯s front edge all exploded to life as well.

    Here we go, Ranko thought, gritting her teeth. Deep breath. Deep breath. It can¡¯t get me. It can¡¯t get me.

    ¡°YOU IGNITE, AND YOU RISE!¡±

    From a narrow groove cut into the stage floor, covered with steel mesh grating to keep the performers from tripping in it, a column of orange fire blasted skyward a few meters behind Ranko. The flame spread around her, curving and following the grooves in the floor around the singer¡¯s position until it fully surrounded her in a wide, lopsided heart-shaped curtain of flame encompassing nearly half the width of the stage that obscured her entirely from the view of the crowd. The outline was an identical match to the heart at the end of her signature, as if it had been inscribed on the stage with a fountain pen that used napalm for ink.

    The stadium erupted as the fire blasted from the stage floor, cheering and chanting the songstress¡¯ name for nearly a full minute. Then, all at once, the jets extinguished, revealing Ranko standing in the same place she had been a moment before, now wearing a glittery white A-line dress that came to her knees and left her arms exposed. Her forehead glistened with sweat from the heat of the flame she¡¯d endured to protect her from the view of over thirty thousand Firebirds as she¡¯d changed her clothes on the stage.

    She stalked forward on her sparkly silver heels, waving to the crowd as their cheers intensified and giving them a moment to die down before continuing.

    ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s right! Sometimes, life just shits on ya, and it¡¯s on you to get up, dust yourself off, and move on. It could be anything. Bad day at work, bullshit with your family¡­¡±

    Crash¡¯s guitar began playing an angry rhythm unfamiliar to the crowd - the second time they¡¯d heard a song that night that had appeared on neither of Ranko and the Dapper Dragons¡¯ two studio albums. Their excitement was palpable.

    ¡°... or a total jerk of a boy¡­¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°And you wonder why I never even miss you, dude!¡±

    The video screen behind Ranko showed a bright pink silhouette of a woman in a puffy dress, in the style popular in America in the fifties. She thrust her hand up, stiff-arming a teal silhouette of a man before turning and walking away from him, holding her skirts up off the ground. Because Hey, Jerk! had been a fairly late add to the set list, the animation team that had worked on the rest of the graphics for the video screen had not produced the little cartoon. Instead, it had been rushed into existence over the course of a caffeine-fueled three-day weekend by an aspiring mangaka named Kumiko Iwata.

    ¡°Now I¡¯m happy, and I¡¯m thriving! Havin¡¯ so much fun! All I had to do was say that you and me are done!¡±

    Ranko gave a dismissive wave over her shoulder at Shinji, not unlike the one the animated girl on the screen was doing, as Hitomi and Emi both distanced themselves from their dance partners with disgusted glares on their faces. The music cut out, leaving Ranko¡¯s voice as the only instrument still carried on the light Hawaiian breeze off the bay.

    ¡°So yeah! It¡¯s true! Hey, jerk! I¡¯m never going back to being jerked around by you!¡±

    The singer waved to the crowd over their enthusiastic cheers, smiling brightly. She stole a quick glance to the left side of the stage, ensuring Akane was still in the seat she¡¯d procured for her wife at the last minute due to her surprise arrival.

    ¡°Right? Can you believe that guy? I mean, honestly! Who would do that kind of shit to a cute girl like me?!¡±

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    A jerk of a boy, raised by a bigger jerk of a father, who didn¡¯t know better. Who didn¡¯t know his own heart, and was too afraid to listen to it, Akane thought darkly. She understood Ranko¡¯s motivation for writing Hey, Jerk!, but she didn¡¯t like the song at all. Hearing her wife sing it unsettled her far more than Sneak, and that lyrical warhead had been directed at her personally.

    I wish she could forgive herself, Akane thought. I hate that she¡¯s put in a position to have to beat herself up on stage like that every night. She deserves better. I could throttle that bitch at Yokai who told her she had to write a song about a boy.

    Akane sat forward in her seat, smiling to herself. While Hey, Jerk! always left a pit in her stomach, Worthy of You, the next song in the set list from the shows she¡¯d seen in Tokyo and Osaka, tended to make her smile. She still wished Ranko hadn¡¯t been quite so self-deprecating in it, but Ranko had admitted to her privately that the tone of the song had been more Crash¡¯s vision for the duet than her own.

    ¡°You know, though¡­ thinking back on things, I haven¡¯t always been the best at relationships, either.¡± Ranko turned, her eyes falling directly on Akane. ¡°I¡¯ve grown enough as a person that I can admit when I was wrong.¡±

    Ranko, baby, Akane wondered, sitting up in her seat again. What are you doing?

    Crash did not step forward, as he normally did at the start of the duet. Akane cocked her head slightly in curiosity as a sad, if not necessarily slow-paced, rhythm began to rise from Jacob¡¯s synthesizer keyboard, singing in its grand piano voice.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t perfect. Wasn¡¯t perfect, no-oh!¡±

    As Hitomi and Emi sang the intro, Ranko reached out her right hand, balled into a loose fist that she rubbed three times in a circular motion with the fingers of her left, her diamond wedding ring reflecting the green and blue stage lighting.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t perfect. Wasn¡¯t perfect, no-oh-oh, oh,¡± Emi and Hitomi repeated as they criss-crossed the stage. The screen behind Ranko displayed her band¡¯s logo, as no graphics had been prepared for the impromptu performance of the song that the repeated performances of Hey, Jerk! had inspired Ranko to write.

    Ranma hurt me bad, to be sure, Ranko thought. But I wasn¡¯t the only one.

    The redhead¡¯s soft, almost pleading eyes were deadlocked with Akane¡¯s in the audience as she opened her mouth to sing.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m sorry for the way that I was back then! If I had it to do over, wouldn¡¯t do it again! I¡¯ve lost count of the amount of hours I¡¯ve spent wishin¡¯ I could just go back a little, make a few better decisions¡­¡±

    Akane sat all the way forward in her seat, leaning her weight on her knees. Is this¡­ for me?

    Ranko did not have much planned in the way of choreography for the new song, so she swayed in place as the song began. She had to remind herself to occasionally make eye contact with her fans and not just single Akane out in the crowd.

    ¡°Sure, I made a few mistakes - okay, more than a few - but there¡¯s nothing I regret more than the way I treated you. Looking back on how it happened, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s more surprising: that you ever took me back, or that I stopped apologizing.¡±

    In the third row, Akane rocked back into her seat, covering her mouth with hands that formed a little tent over her nose. Oh, Ranko¡­ I don¡¯t hold you responsible for those things. Not anymore.

    Crash¡¯s guitar came to life, introducing a more upbeat pop melody for the length of the chorus atop Jacob¡¯s piano.

    ¡°Back then, I really hurt you. Back then, I couldn¡¯t see just how little I deserved you being close to me. Back then, I wasn¡¯t perfect. Back then, I wasn¡¯t smart. It seems like all I ever did was go and break your heart¡­¡±

    Ranko began moving into a series of basic dance steps. While Sanyo and Utaru had left the stage at the end of Hey, Jerk! owing to having no choreography prepared for them for Back Then, Hitomi and Emi remained for their backup singing roles. They recognized the steps Ranko had begun as something they had done before at the Phoenix, and were able to join in, improvising somewhat as they went to account for the larger stage and the slight differences in the beat.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m sorry for the things that I said back then. Could¡¯ve been a better lover, and a better friend. Shoulda figured out way earlier that what was missin¡¯ was that I could never shut up long enough to listen.¡±

    Akane smiled softly, if a bit wistfully. You? Needing to have the loudest voice in the room? She craned her neck to look at the other thirty-one thousand people in the football stadium hanging on Ranko¡¯s every word. Naaww. Not my girl.

    Ranko shook her head on the stage, sighing quietly in the quarter-second gap between lines of the song. ¡°I said lots of stupid stuff back then I didn¡¯t mean. Wish I knew what I know now, back when I was sixteen. Looking back, I really hate the way that I ignored you all those times you really needed me to be there for you¡­¡±

    Akane sighed in her seat, biting her lip. I wasn¡¯t much better, baby. If everything you were talking about in Hey, Jerk! happened - if you were really hurting like that, struggling like that - I should have seen it. I should have been there to listen. To help. It¡¯s no wonder you were angry all the time. You were fighting against your own heart, and you didn¡¯t even really understand why.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t perfect. Wasn¡¯t perfect, no-oh! I wasn¡¯t perfect, baby, wasn¡¯t perfect, no-oh-oh-oh whoa!¡± Hitomi and Emi leaned in to each other, shaking their heads as they sang and crouching with their hands on their knees as if singing into a shared stand microphone even though both wore headsets.

    ¡°Back then, I really hurt you. Back then, I couldn¡¯t see just how little I deserved you being close to me. Back then, I wasn¡¯t perfect. Back then, I wasn¡¯t smart. It seems like all I ever did was go and break your heart¡­¡±

    She stalked across the front of the stage in her sparkling silver heels, greeting the audience more closely than she¡¯d been able to during the pyrotechnic displays across the stage¡¯s leading edge that had been so prevalent in the earlier songs of the set list. Ranko alternated between waving to the crowd and wiping her eyes carefully with her black-painted fingertips.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m sorry for the feelings I hid back then. I was way more cold and callous than I should¡¯ve been. At the time, I knew I loved you, but I let you doubt it, and denied it when you asked until we fought about it.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s eyes fell directly on Akane, and she clasped her hands over her heart in her sparkly white dress.

    I swear, baby, Akane thought, wiping a tear of her own in her seat. I could sing this song right back to you, and it would sound exactly the same. I¡¯m sorry, too, princess.

    Ranko shook her head as if denying something, her blown-out red hair cascading over her bare shoulders.

    ¡°When they caught me making eyes, I said it wasn¡¯t true; there was no way I could be falling for someone like you. Looking back, I wish I¡¯d told the truth of how I felt. Wonder how it would¡¯ve changed the hands that we were dealt.¡±

    The redhead bit her lip. If Pop and Dad hadn¡¯t pushed us so hard, who knows what might¡¯ve happened. I mean, we made it, and I¡¯m happy, but¡­ so much lost time. For both of us. She tried to put on a smile, swishing her hips and letting the white dress flare around her hips. Gotta try and remember to put on a show, too.

    However little she was dancing, judging by their cheers, the crowd did not seem to mind.

    ¡°Back then, I really hurt you. Back then, I couldn¡¯t see just how little I deserved you being close to me. Back then, I wasn¡¯t perfect. Back then, I wasn¡¯t smart. It seems like all I ever did was go and break your heart¡­¡±

    Ranko pinched at her forehead with her right thumb and first finger, her other three fingers extended as she winced slightly. She flattened her hand into an open palm facing her left, with her fingers tight together and her thumb touching her forehead, before then moving it forward in the direction of a certain black-haired girl seated in the third row.

    Akane nodded in sad acknowledgement. She had enlisted her wife¡¯s help to study for her Japanese Sign Language elective class at Minato University more than enough times for both girls to have memorized the sign for I¡¯m sorry.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m sorry for the way I made you feel back then. I¡¯ve been treating you like crap since, gods, I don¡¯t know when!¡±

    Ranko looked up as she felt a hand on her back. She hadn¡¯t even realized she¡¯d stopped dancing, but Emi¡¯s gentle touch of support gave her a measure of comfort as she worked through the worst of the guilt she felt about her past with her now-wife.

    ¡°Every time that you got close to me, I got unnerved. Pushed you away from me with insults you did not deserve. I was trying to deny the way I felt for you. Thought maybe I could love you less somehow, if you did, too. Looking back, I don¡¯t know how we ever found romance, when I never found a way to give you half a chance¡­¡±

    Emi turned to Hitomi, giving her a wild gesture with her hands and motioning to Ranko. Understanding her partner¡¯s unspoken directive, Hitomi joined Emi in singing the full chorus without their front woman, giving Ranko a much-needed moment to compose herself.

    ¡°Back then, I really hurt you. Back then, I couldn¡¯t see just how little I deserved you being close to me. Back then, I wasn¡¯t perfect. Back then, I wasn¡¯t smart. It seems like all I ever did was go and break your heart¡­¡±

    Ranko, princess¡­ It¡¯s one thing to bare your heart like this on stage at the Phoenix, with a couple hundred drunk people and your family all around us. But here? In front of all these people? This might be the bravest thing I¡¯ve ever seen, Akane thought as her eyes scanned the thousands of souls surrounding her in the packed arena.

    I¡¯m so proud of you, Ranko. And I forgave you a long time ago.

    ¡°Gods, I can¡¯t believe how far we¡¯ve come since way back then. Who¡¯d have guessed I¡¯d ever wind up more than your girlfriend?¡±

    The idea of looking to the future rather than the past seemed to brighten Ranko¡¯s spirits. She¡¯d managed to wipe away her tears expertly enough to avoid entirely destroying her makeup. She flashed Akane a bright smile, wiggling her hips with her hands folded over her heart.

    ¡°Who¡¯d have ever thought we had a chance to last this long? That you ever would forgive me for all I did wrong? Every day I wake up next to you, I need a minute to believe it¡¯s not a dream that the bed has you in it.¡±

    The singer looked down at her fingers, gazing adoringly at her left hand. I am where I belong now. No matter what sort of crazy bullshit we put each other through to get here, we¡¯re here. At least for tonight.

    ¡°Looking back, sometimes the hardest thing is that I know, if I wasn¡¯t cruel, we could have done this years ago.¡±

    Ranko forced a smile, her eyes panning the crowd. Come on, Ranko, get your head in the game. Big finish, and let¡¯s move on with the show. I should¡¯ve realized how much harder this was gonna be in front of a crowd this size. Crash was right. He usually is, when it comes to shit like this.

    ¡°Back then, I was bad for you. Back then, I was flat wrong. The worst part is, I think I prob¡¯lly knew it all along. Back then, I wasn¡¯t perfect. Back then, I made mistakes. I swear, I¡¯ll make it up to you, don¡¯t care how long it takes.¡±

    As the music ended, Ranko¡¯s eyes raised to seek out the love of her life. Akane, like most everyone in Aloha Stadium at that moment, was on her feet.

    She was cheering.

    She was smiling.

    She was rubbing the back of her right fist with her left hand.

    ¡°RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO!¡±

    ¡°So, yeah. I screw up just like everybody else,¡± Ranko said as the crowd finally died down after the second back-to-back unreleased song they¡¯d heard that April night. The singer took a deep breath, letting it out slowly through pursed lips. Dial it in, Ranko.

    ¡°I think sometimes people think singers, musicians, stuff like that are somehow perfect, but I gotta tell ya, I fuck my life up at least as much as anybody else here does. After all¡­¡± She turned to her right, giving Emi a sharp nod.

    As Hitomi gave Ranko¡¯s hand a quick squeeze, Emi crossed the stage on her white chunky heels, letting her voice rise to the very top of the fourth octave.

    ¡°She¡¯s just a regular, a simple, regular¡­ a normal, regular gi-i-i-irl!¡±

 54. Tears on the Tarmac

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a little extra room in my bag, if you want me to take back some of the souvenirs and stuff. Less for you to haul around,¡± Akane said, sighing as she looked up from her open, packed suitcase on the hotel room bed to her wife. A cheap pink plastic lei rested atop her folded clothing and a pile of Polaroid pictures taken on her weekend excursion to Hawai¡¯i in the mid-sized red-and-white polka dotted wheeled bag.

    ¡°If you want,¡± Ranko said hollowly, not turning from the open window as she watched the waves crash to the white sand of Waikiki Beach. Her own packed bags rested in the corner of the room closest to the bathroom, ready for her nine-hour mid-afternoon flight to Auckland with her bandmates. She had barely spoken all morning.

    Stay strong, Akane. Remember what Mom said. This is what¡¯s best for her, even if she hates it. ¡°Hey.¡± She approached, wrapping her arm around the hips of Ranko¡¯s mint green dress. ¡°Smile for me, beautiful.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t smile,¡± Ranko whispered, resting her head on Akane¡¯s shoulder but not turning her eyes from the water through the window. ¡°You asked me not to lie to you again.¡±

    Akane winced, sighing softly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s hard. I really am. It¡¯s killing me too, I promise. But hey, try to focus on the positive! You¡¯re gonna be in New Zealand tonight! I¡¯m sure there¡¯s lots of cool¡­ actually, I have no idea what the hell they do in New Zealand. But, I bet it¡¯s way better than Old Zealand!¡± She giggled a bit.

    ¡°Where the hell is Old Zealand,¡± Ranko asked, not taking her eyes off the window. ¡°Never even heard of it.¡±

    Akane shrugged. ¡°No one cares. That¡¯s how much better the new one is! And, after that, you get to go to Australia, and hang out with all Jake and Ariel¡¯s people! I¡¯m sure that¡¯s gonna be super fun! I¡¯m crazy jealous that you get to meet Zoe! I¡¯ve heard so much about them, and they seem so awesome!¡±

    Ranko sighed again, turning to her lover. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be jealous, Akane. You could¡­ You could just come with me. I told you before that it was bugging me that you didn¡¯t, but I was trying to understand your reasons. Everybody told me it was for the best, and I tried to accept that, but I feel like if it¡¯s so great, it shouldn¡¯t fucking hurt like this. Now that you¡¯ve come out here, and I¡¯ve seen how perfect it can be, doing this with you here with me, I don¡¯t want it to stop.¡±

    Akane cringed. Yeah, I was afraid of that when I decided to come out here. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be like that. Come on. You were doing so great before I got here. You told me yourself, you were hanging out with Emi and Hitomi, and the boys besides, having a good time. If half of Jake¡¯s stories are true, you and Zoe are gonna be peas in a pod, too. You¡¯re gonna be just fine, silly girl.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be fine, Akane! I want to be great. I want to be amazing. And that doesn¡¯t happen without you. If I try real hard, I can get to okay. But with you? I can be who I¡¯m supposed to be.¡± Ranko reached out, taking Akane¡¯s hands in hers. ¡°I¡¯m asking you, Akane. I don¡¯t ask you for anything. When I couldn¡¯t walk, I wouldn¡¯t even ask you to get me a soda out of the fridge. But I¡¯m asking you for this. I¡¯m begging for this. Stay with me, Akane. Please.¡±

    Her shoulders slumping, Akane squeezed Ranko¡¯s hands tight before releasing them. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t, Ranko. I¡¯ve gotta do this, baby. There¡¯s important things going on for me back home, and you¡­¡± She chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re out here conquering the world one stadium at a time, and you don¡¯t need my help to do it.¡±

    Ranko whirled, the sadness in her eyes seeming to give way to anger. ¡°What important things, Akane?! You¡¯re on school break right now, same as me! There¡¯s no reason you can¡¯t stay with me, except that you don¡¯t want to.¡±

    The singer¡¯s wife sighed, collapsing heavily onto her backside on the bed next to her open suitcase. ¡°Well, the Phoenix, for one. Mom needs a break. She¡¯s whipped, after having covered for Yui so long. They need me.¡±

    The redhead shook her head forcefully, her red braid whipping over her shoulder. ¡°Yui¡¯s back in action, Mom says. With it being quieter at the bar, and everybody being there, they¡¯ve got plenty of people, even if Mom takes it easy for a few days. They could manage.¡±

    Akane nodded. ¡°Even if that were the case, just because I don¡¯t have class, doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t have school work. They assign us all kinds of homework and stuff to do during the breaks to get ready for the next term. It¡¯s normal in college - you¡¯ll see when you start - but it¡¯s even more so with medical programs.¡±

    Ranko peeked into Akane¡¯s open bag. ¡°Plenty of room in there for a couple of textbooks. Nabiki has a key to our apartment. She could ship your stuff overnight to the hotel in Auckland for you, easy.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just the homework itself, Ranko. Like, there¡¯s so much to cram into my skull, and I need all the head start I can get. The extra clinical time and one-on-one practice is a huge help. Sho and I are meeting to study three or four times a¡­¡±

    ¡°There it is.¡±

    Akane blinked, rocking back a bit on the bed. ¡°There what is? What are you on about, Ranko?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m about to go play five packed houses in Australia, and you can¡¯t find the time to come, but let Sho ask you out for a fuckin¡¯ sandwich and you drop everything.¡± Ranko growled, turning back to the window and hugging herself across the chest. ¡°Including me.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Akane rocketed to her feet so quickly she almost tripped on the skirt of her yellow sundress. ¡°Are you kidding me right now with this? Are you¡­ actually jealous?! Of him?!¡±

    Ranko sighed, slamming her palm hard into the black aluminum frame around the window. ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot, Akane! I know how he looks at you. I¡¯ve seen it when he comes to pick you up for your little study dates. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t talk to my sisters, either. They got phones, too. I know he¡¯s been hanging out at the bar more and more lately, right around the time you¡¯re suddenly so anxious to start picking up all these extra shifts at work.¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Akane glowered, a guttural roar in her throat. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you with this! Do you really think I would¡­¡±

    The redhead shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to think anymore, Akane! I just know what it looks like, from across the mother fucking ocean. What it feels like, when you¡¯re sitting on a plane for half a day with nothing to do but wonder why your person doesn¡¯t wanna be there with you. And what it feels like is that Mr. Suave started circling you like a shark the second my plane left the ground, and now you¡¯re in one hell of a hurry to get back there and leave me out here alone again.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re NOT alone! The whole band is out here with you! All your friends are looking out for you! And, I mean, you wanna talk about guys hanging all over people?! After I watched you joined at the hip with a half-naked Crash all weekend at the beach?! You two have actually kissed, and I still didn¡¯t say a word about it when you flew off to parts unknown with him! If we¡¯re putting it all on the table, Ranko, which one of us dated a boy for four months in school and didn¡¯t tell the other? Which one of us woke up in some boy¡¯s apartment a few months ago and didn¡¯t tell the other? It sure wasn¡¯t me!¡± Akane stomped her foot, turning her back on her wife with a loud hmmph.

    Wait, she knew about that day? How¡­ fucking Hitomi. Get a drink or two in her, and she¡¯ll give you her damn bank account number if you ask. Damned motormouth.

    ¡°That thing with Crash wasn¡¯t my fault! I didn¡¯t know what was in Shin¡¯s stupid cookies! I blacked out at the rehearsal joint, and Crash took me back to his place to sleep it off! I didn¡¯t ask him to do that!¡± Ranko whirled from the window, leaning her backside on the glass. ¡°Be reasonable!¡±

    ¡°Reasonable?! After you go and make this accusation when I¡¯m about to get on a fucking plane?! Let me just ask you, Ranko: when you were high as a kite that day, did you touch him? Did you kiss him? Did you¡­ more than that with him?!¡± Akane slammed her suitcase shut, beginning to zip it closed. ¡°Well?! Answer me, Ranko!¡±

    I¡­ I can¡¯t, Ranko thought with a grimace she prayed Akane did not notice. Not for absolute sure. I¡­ don¡¯t remember. But Crash swore I didn¡¯t do nothin¡¯ stupid, and gods, I hope he¡¯s not lying to protect me.

    ¡°Of course I didn¡¯t! And it¡¯s different, anyway! I never liked boys, and you know it! You always did! I¡¯m not crazy enough to think that goes away just because you started fucking a girl, Akane! I¡¯ve always known I couldn¡¯t give you everything you wanted. That you were¡­ settling for less.¡±

    ¡°Oh, not this shit again, Ranko!¡± Akane stomped closer, thrusting the back of her left hand in Ranko¡¯s face, her fingers splayed out. She did not strike her, nor did she intend to.

    ¡°You see that ring, Ranko?! I didn¡¯t start fucking a girl, MRS. TENDO! I fucking married one! You know why I did that? It damn sure wasn¡¯t for the money! I married you because I was committed to you, no matter what! I don¡¯t give a shit that you¡¯re a girl. I love you. Not boys. Not girls. I¡¯m a gods-damned Rankosexual. I can¡¯t fucking believe that after all this time, you can¡¯t trust me half as much as you¡¯ve asked me to trust you! Was there anything in that song last night that was the truth?! Or are we really back to all this bullshit now?!¡±

    Ranko gasped. ¡°Akane, I¡­ I just¡­¡±

    ¡°You know what, Ranko? No. You¡¯ve said what you had to say. Now, you are gonna listen. I have never led Sho on. I never would. Never! And the fact that you think I¡¯d go along with that for a second and betray you¡­ It¡¯s like you don¡¯t know me at all!¡±

    She snatched her bag off the bed, yanking the handle upward hard enough to almost snap it off the suitcase. ¡°I¡¯m gonna call a cab from the lobby and head to the airport. You¡­ don¡¯t need to come with me.¡±

    ¡°But, wait! We¡­ I¡­¡± Ranko stammered, reaching for her, but Akane stepped back out of her grasp.

    Akane reached for the doorknob, pulling the door leading into the hallway. With one foot in the hall, she hesitated, not turning her eyes back to Ranko as she spoke.

    ¡°I love you, Ranko. I do, even though I really don¡¯t like you right this minute. When you get home, I¡¯ll be there waiting for you. I promise. I¡¯ll see you in two weeks. I strongly suggest you use some of that time to think about whether or not you believed me when I promised you forever.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Folks, this is the captain speaking. We¡¯ve reached our cruising altitude of just about eleven kilometers, and it looks like smooth sailing for the next eight and a half hours to Auckland, where it¡¯ll be a brisk eleven degrees Celsius when we touch down just after midnight. In just a moment, our flight crew will turn off the seat belt sign and you¡¯ll be free to move about the cabin. Our crew will come around shortly with drinks and refreshments. Thank you so much, and enjoy the flight.¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡± Hitomi sighed, resting her hand on the shoulder of the girl in the window seat. ¡°Talk to us, Ranko. Please?¡±

    The redhead shook her head, still crying into the back of the stuffed unicorn she clutched in her arms. She did her best to use Starlight¡¯s plush body to muffle the sound of her sobbing and avoid disrupting her fellow passengers on the Boeing 767 airliner. She was sitting on her left hip, huddled on her side in the seat with her knees pulled into her chest and her forehead pressed against the window of the plane as the island of Oahu disappeared outside it, giving way to a wide swath of empty ocean reflecting the afternoon sunlight off the waves.

    ¡°Shh¡­¡± Emi reached around her girlfriend from the aisle seat, rubbing Ranko¡¯s thigh where the skirt of her mint green dress ended. ¡°You¡¯re gonna be alright, honey. This is all gonna blow over. I know it. You¡¯re just stressed and sad. You just miss her. She knows that. She¡¯ll understand.¡±

    Only a handful of words were audible through the fluff of Ranko¡¯s stuffed companion, and through her sniffling tears.

    ¡°I screwed up ev¡­ ryth-thing. I just wan¡­ na go ho¡­ home.¡±

 55. Brisbane

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    ¡°Akane! Hi! Omigods, I¡¯ve missed you so much! I lov¡­¡±

    ¡°You have reached the Tendo residence. I¡¯m sorry, but no one¡¯s here to take your call right now. Please leave a message at the beep and we¡¯ll get back to you just as soon as we can. Have a great day!¡±

    The joy in Ranko¡¯s eyes faded instantly, and by the time the sad little beep came through the receiver of the payphone mounted to the wall just outside the mens¡¯ room between gates 78 and 80 of the Eagle Farm international terminal, her voice was a hollow shell of the excitement it had carried a moment before.

    ¡°Hey, Akane. It¡¯s me. We just landed safe in Brisbane. We¡¯re waiting for our ride now. I wish you¡¯d pick up. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re not home, or home and just don¡¯t wanna talk to me, but¡­ I miss you. I love you so much. I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯ll call again when I have the number at the hotel and our room numbers and stuff. Please call me back?¡±

    She dejectedly returned the receiver to its cradle, turning away from the telephone to find Crash standing behind her. Crash held up the little black pager he¡¯d just turned back on after deplaning, which was still buzzing as it caught up with all of the messages that had been sent to it in the four hours they¡¯d been airborne en route from Auckland.

    ¡°I swear, when we get home, I am gonna cram this thing so far up her¡­¡±

    Ranko sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll trade you. At least your girl wants to talk to you.¡±

    Crash winced. ¡°Sorry. Still nothing?¡±

    The redhead shook her head. ¡°Not since Honolulu. I really fucked up bad this time, Crash.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s friend stepped closer, pulling the slight girl into his arms. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be alright, Ran-chan. She promised she¡¯d be there when you get home. She didn¡¯t take her ring off or nothin¡¯, and I¡¯m sure the girls would tell you if there were, like, moving trucks outside your apartment and shit. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s just taking some time to blow off some steam before you talk. I mean, you know how it is. I swear, girls are just fucked up in the heads sometimes!¡± He blushed, stammering a little. ¡°Uh¡­ present company excluded, of course.¡±

    Ranko managed a chuckle, shaking her head. ¡°Nah, Crash. Present company chief among them.¡± She craned her neck past the guitarist, scanning the terminal with her eyes. ¡°How¡¯s Ken?¡±

    Crash laughed. ¡°Still in the bathroom. I swear, that dude has the stomach of a¡­¡±

    The redhead shook her head admonishingly. ¡°Aww, don¡¯t pick on him. It¡¯s not his fault. He just doesn¡¯t do too good on planes.¡± She cringed slightly. ¡°Or cars. Or boats.¡±

    The blond guitarist shrugged. ¡°Hope they got lots of trains around here, I guess.¡±

    Ranko turned her eyes to the sign above the entrance to the main terminal, scouring its list of amenities. A symbol featuring a white animal in a red square caught her eye, and she pointed to it excitedly. ¡°Hey, is that what I think it is? Maybe we could rent him a kangaroo to ride around town!¡±

    ¡°Dude! Do they do that?! Ride kangaroos, I mean?¡± Crash¡¯s eyes widened excitedly.

    ¡°I dunno, maybe? I guess it¡¯d be like those weird two-legged things in Star Wars?¡± Ranko shrugged, managing a little giggle. ¡°Or like a chocobo in those video games Mei likes.¡±

    Crash laughed loudly. ¡°Well, if they do, we are definitely getting some! Where you think they do the rentals? You think you can like, joust on ¡®em, like those old-timey knights and stuff?¡±

    ¡°How the fuck should I know, dipshit? I¡¯ve been here just as long as you! Who the hell do you think I am, the mayor¡¯s wife?!¡± Ranko rolled her eyes, shaking her head in disbelief as she chuckled. Fuckin¡¯ boys.

    ¡°He wishes,¡± Crash said, grabbing the handle of Ranko¡¯s carryon bag and wheeling it behind himself to leave her arms free to cradle Starlight. After a few steps, he pointed excitedly to a red square sign featuring the silhouette of a white kangaroo. ¡°Hey! There! It¡¯s the kangaroo desk! Qantas. You think that¡¯s how they say kangaroo in Australian?¡±

    Ranko cradled her forehead in her palm. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s just kangaroo, dumbass.¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you two idiots doing?!¡±

    Crash pointed up to the sign from the back of the line, turning back to Jacob with an excited grin. ¡°Kangaroo rentals, dude!¡±

    Jacob groaned, his shoulders slumping and his head shaking in stunned amusement as he turned to walk toward luggage terminal I. ¡°Fucking hopeless, both of them, I swear to God.¡±

    <hr>

    Ranko fidgeted nervously in the narrow hallway outside unit 402, picking at her fingernails and rocking her weight back and forth on her silver cheerleading sneakers. She wore her yellow dress with the flock of doves and roses, her loose ponytail pulled back in a white ribbon, along with her silver-and-diamond star necklace and a pair of silver star-shaped earrings.

    ¡°For real, girl. You wanna take a breath?¡± Jake laughed, nudging Ranko¡¯s bare forearm with his fist. ¡°You look more scared shitless than when we go on stage.¡±

    The redhead looked down at her feet, blushing. ¡°When people buy tickets to our show, I already know they like me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, stop with the self-deprecating act. You¡¯re fucking awes¡­¡± Jacob¡¯s voice cut off as the door to the apartment was pulled open. ¡°Hey, you!¡±

    As Jacob and his partner embraced, Ranko looked them over. Zoe was short for an Australian - only a few centimeters taller than Ranko herself. Their hair was short and spiky, like Orochi¡¯s would be if he let it grow out a bit more, and dyed a bright pink - almost the color of Ranko¡¯s signature in the band¡¯s logo - with a white streak of highlights down the left side. They had spiked piercings jutting out of the backs of both of their earlobes. Zoe wore a purple princess vest-style shirt that exposed several tattoos wrapped around both of their arms. Below that, they wore a pair of black jeans, the legs of which were all torn up as if they¡¯d been washed with a bag full of razor blades, and a pink leather collar, the front of which was molded into the shape of a star. Their eyes were a bright teal behind the round rose-colored fashion sunglasses they wore.

    ¡°Hello. You¡¯re welcome at my house,¡± Zoe said in Japanese, bowing to Ranko and her bandmates as Jake released them from the hug.

    Not perfect, but not bad, Ranko thought as she returned the bow. ¡°Hi, Zoe! It¡¯s so good to finally meet you!¡±

    Standing behind her in his trademark leather jacket, Crash returned a shallow bow, laughing as he did. ¡°Jake¡¯s told us lots of really good lies about you.¡± To his right, Shinji waved wordlessly.

    The quartet was ushered into Zoe¡¯s apartment, which was the absolute portrait of chaos. Laundry was piled on every conceivable surface - on the floor, the couch, the drum set in the corner of the living room, and even a shirt tossed over the corner of the television set. The carpet was a dingy brown; Ranko wasn¡¯t entirely sure if it was originally that color or just hadn¡¯t been vacuumed in three years. A collection of barrettes, magazines, and the odd Chinese takeout container dominated the little glass coffee table. No two pieces of furniture in the room matched, other than that all of them were equally shabby, as if they¡¯d been collected from thrift stores and people discarding things they no longer needed in front of the apartment building¡¯s dumpster. Posters for various bands were hung on the living room walls with scotch tape and thumbtacks, including one featuring the cover art for Wild Orchid.

    Gods, I¡¯d be mortified if anyone saw my place like this, Ranko thought. Her disgusted grimace morphed into a soft smile, rolling her eyes and laughing silently at her thoughts. Yeah, that¡¯s me. Ranko Tendo, ex-boy, and domestic goddess. Sure glad I dressed up to impress her.

    ¡°Happy to see you straightened up the place for us, babe,¡± Jake said with a chuckle as he tossed an olive green dress and a pair of black shorts to the floor and sat in the space on the couch it had created.

    ¡°This is straightened up,¡± Zoe said, laughing as they leaned on the wall. The couple had switched to English in their conversation.

    ¡°So, Zoe King,¡± Jake said, gesturing around the room. ¡°This is Crash Matsuyama and Shinji Yokota. And this¡­¡±

    Zoe waved their hand to the boys, rolling their eyes at Jacob. ¡°I know who the chick whose face has been taped to my wall for two years is, ya wanker. Hi, Ranko.¡±

    Ranko waved from her standing position near the door. ¡°Hi!¡± She smiled brightly, trying to focus on the person and not their surroundings. ¡°It¡¯s so good to finally put a face with the name. Jake talks about you all the time!¡±

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    The pink-haired Australian grinned, nodding at their boyfriend. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s a good guy, even if sometimes he is easier to deal with when you pawn him off on a rock star in Japan for a couple¡¯a years.¡±

    ¡°Listen here, you little shit¡­¡± Jacob approached Zoe with a mockingly threatening posture, before wrapping them in his arms and lowering his head to kiss them.

    Crash nudged Ranko gently in her ribs. ¡°Maybe we oughta go. They haven¡¯t gotten much alone time in a while.¡±

    The green-haired keyboardist broke the kiss, turning to his friends. ¡°Nah, don¡¯t be like that. Besides¡­ me an¡¯ Zo have news on that front. We wanted to wait to tell ya until we could do it together. You wanna tell ¡®em, babe?¡±

    Oh, no, Ranko thought, gasping quietly to herself. Is he leaving the band?

    ¡°Well,¡± Zoe said, grinning up at Jacob. ¡°Our plan had always been for Jakey to finish architecture school in Japan, while I wrapped up my master¡¯s degree here. When we were done, he¡¯d come back here to `Straya to stay.¡±

    Shin turned to Crash, his eyes wide, with a sinister sneer on his face. ¡°Jakey?¡± he mouthed silently.

    ¡°But,¡± Zoe continued, ¡°that was before he fell in with you lot. And well, now it looks like he¡¯s not gonna be designing buildings anytime soon. But, while there¡¯s kids everywhere I can teach, there¡¯s only one place on Earth where Jakey can be a Dapper Dragon. So, change of plans - I¡¯m gonna move to Japan instead!¡±

    Ranko squealed loudly. ¡°No shit?! That¡¯s so awesome, Zoe! When are you coming?¡±

    Zoe smiled as Jacob squeezed them around the waist. ¡°I¡¯m finishing up my last exams and stuff in the next couple of weeks, and then it¡¯s just about getting my shit together and getting out there. So, by the end of May at the latest, I should officially be settled in!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fantastic! Ukyo was so bummed she didn¡¯t get to meet you! Now all the Dragon partners can finally hang out!¡± Crash beamed.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ranko said, smirking. ¡°We¡¯ll have a party! We¡¯ll invite Zoe, and Akane, and Ukyo, and Ryo, and Shin¡¯s hand, and¡­ hey!¡± The redhead ducked as Shinji hurled an empty beer can he found on the floor in her direction. It bounced off a Pink Floyd poster on the wall and skittered into a corner, where it joined three of its mates.

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to find a new place when she gets out there, Jakey. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve got enough room in that little studio you rent for a fucking goldfish.¡± Shinji smirked, pulling out the wadded black Pantera shirt that was wadded up under his backside on the yellowing couch and tossing it to the cluttered floor.

    Jacob blushed, turning to his friend. ¡°So, Shin? I know it¡¯s a little weird if you¡¯re used to the way they taught you English in school, and without all the -chans and -kuns and stuff, but Zoe uses they and them instead of she and her. So, like, whenever you¡¯d say ano kata in Japanese, use they instead.¡±

    ¡°Huh? I thought they was for like¡­ more than one person,¡± Shinji replied in Japanese, looking up at Zoe quizzically as he spoke to their boyfriend.

    ¡°It normally is, but it¡¯s¡­.¡± Jacob sighed, switching back to English. ¡°Like, if I said to you in English, my boss was mean, and you didn¡¯t know if they were male or female, you¡¯d say what did they say? It¡¯s the same idea.¡±

    Shinji blinked in confusion. ¡°Okay¡­ and why do you do that exactly? Seems¡­ complicated.¡±

    Jake nodded. ¡°It can be. Zo, babe, would you please explain? I¡¯m still kinda getting used to it myself, and I don¡¯t wanna screw it up.¡±

    Zoe smiled, pulling out a wicker chair from under their dining room table. They shook it off, letting the various detritus on the seat to fall to the floor before pulling it more into the center of the cluttered room and turning it backward to straddle it.

    ¡°Sure. It¡¯s kind of a new thing, for me, and generally, so, I don¡¯t expect a lot of people have heard of it. I picked it up from my friend Lee a few months ago at school, and it just sort of¡­ fits me, I guess. It means something different and personal to everybody anyway. So, just because I say this, doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s the same for everybody who refers to themselves this way. It¡¯s just how I see myself.

    ¡°Basically, here¡¯s the idea. Everything you think about when somebody says boy or girl, male or female, is there because it¡¯s sort of the pattern a lot of folks follow. You think of a boy, and you think of leather jackets, rough and tumble, muscles and stubble, cussing while they drink a beer and mow the grass. Like, Shinji over there. That¡¯s what the average person would think of if I told ¡®em to close their eyes and picture a boy.¡±

    Zoe¡¯s eyes turned toward the door. ¡°And then you think of a girl, and you think of earrings and painted fingernails, and small and slight, and soft smiles and pretty dresses and bows in their hair. Cooking dinner, drinking fruity little cocktails and wine spritzers, giggling about the latest gossip and bein¡¯ all prim and proper. Being a lady. Like Ranko over there. That¡¯s a hundred percent what you would picture if I said, draw me a girl.¡±

    Ranko blushed furiously, saying nothing.

    ¡°But those patterns don¡¯t fit everybody. That¡¯s what the world has decided a stereotypical boy and a stereotypical girl are, and it doesn¡¯t leave a lot of room for variance. For originality. If Shin wore a dress, or Ranko was chewing spitting tobacco, lots of people would look at them and say, they¡¯re not supposed to do that. Well, why the hell not? Is it because of the bits they fuck with? Because that doesn¡¯t seem like it oughtta be anybody¡¯s fuckin¡¯ business anyway.

    ¡°Being¡­ what I am, whatever you wanna call it, means not letting anatomy determine the way I feel or behave. At least, that¡¯s what it means to me, anyhow. I get to pick and choose the parts of what the world calls being a boy and the parts the world calls being a girl that I like, and I don¡¯t have to pick the same things today that I picked yesterday. And sometimes I don¡¯t really feel like picking either. And that doesn¡¯t mean there¡¯s anything wrong with the way Ranko and Shin do it, either. It¡¯s about doing what feels right to you, in the moment, and not askin¡¯ your naughty bits for permission first.

    ¡°I basically tell the world, if you¡¯re gonna judge whether everything I say, wear and do is okay just because of whether or not I¡¯m a girl, well, then I¡¯m not gonna be a girl. And I¡¯m not gonna flip a switch and burn all my skirts and say, now I¡¯m Mr. Zoe and yes-sir this, no-sir that, either. I¡¯m just gonna be Zo, and the world doesn¡¯t get to apply some template to me based on being a boy or a girl to figure me out. If they wanna understand me, there¡¯s no shortcuts. They¡¯re just gonna have to fuckin¡¯ get to know me.¡±

    Where the hell was that concept a few years ago when I could¡¯ve used it, Ranko thought, blushing. Am I¡­ whatever that is? Somewhere between? She flushed further, trying to look away and hide it without being too obvious. I mean, there was a time, right after the Cat¡¯s Tongue, where I didn¡¯t really feel like a boy or a girl, so I get where they¡¯re coming from. I mean, it didn¡¯t feel exactly like that for me, but Zo said it¡¯s different for everybody. Their outlook on it doesn¡¯t have to be mine. And besides, Zo¡¯s never heard of Jusenkyo.

    But now, I do pretty much everything the way people would expect a girl to do it. Maybe that¡¯s ¡®cause of Izzi and everybody¡¯s influence, but¡­ I like it. Most of the time, anyway. And, I guess I didn¡¯t have to do all of this to be a ¡°real girl.¡± I could¡¯ve never worn dresses, like Mom, or worn my hair short like Yui, or stuck with sports and martial arts like Akane. And I mean, Ukyo? Forget about it. All this stuff that I thought, ¡°this is what I have to do because I¡¯m a girl,¡± I know at least one girl who doesn¡¯t do that, and they¡¯re no less girls than I am. In fact, they¡¯re the same women I¡¯ve looked up to all this time.

    Ranko glanced up at the blond boy leaning against the wall, between Zoe¡¯s drum set and the sliding door leading out to the fire escape. I mean, hell, if I was trying to check every box and be the perfect stereotypical girl in society¡¯s eyes, I¡¯d probably be wearing Crash¡¯s ring right now and not Akane¡¯s.

    Shinji nodded, a mystified expression on his face. ¡°Well, shit. I didn¡¯t realize it was all that complicated. Sorry I called ya she, then.¡±

    With a shrug and a smile, Zoe waved their hand at him. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m still figurin¡¯ it all out, too. I mean, all of us are, really. Besides, I still use she and her sometimes too, when the mood strikes. It doesn¡¯t offend me or nothin¡¯. Just do your best, don¡¯t call me he or him, and we¡¯re good.¡± Zoe reached out, giving Jacob a tight squeeze around his ribs with a bright smile up at their boyfriend. ¡°You can call me his, though.¡±

    Jake nodded, reaching across the coffee table and giving his partner¡¯s hand a squeeze. ¡°If you feel more comfortable, given all the language weirdness, just say Zoe.¡±

    Zoe grinned. ¡°That works, too. But anyway. Enough¡¯a all that stuffy shit. What all have you all been up to since you got in town? Ready for the first show?¡±

    Zoe¡¯s boyfriend smirked. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe it if I told ya, Zo-zo. These dumbshits tried to rent a goddamn roo at the airport!¡±

    ¡°Dare I ask?¡± Zoe¡¯s face drooped into their hand, their pink glasses sliding into their palm. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m gonna. What on God¡¯s green earth made you decide you needed to rent a fuckin¡¯ kangaroo?!¡±

    Ranko shrugged, giggling brightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t think we could afford to buy one, and it¡¯s not like they¡¯d let us bring it on the plane.¡±

    Jacob shook his head, squeezing Zoe around their shoulders. ¡°Look, I know they¡¯re not too bright, but at least they¡¯re cute. Whaddya think, babe, can we keep ¡®em?¡±

 56. Upside Down

    ¡°Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!¡±

    As the little car spun faster with the enormous wheel it was attached to, Hitomi dove to her side and clutched at Emi. Across from them, Ranko and Crash occupied the other bench facing the center of the car, one of twenty that made up the Enterprise ride. As the giant wheel picked up speed, it began tilting upward, from a horizontal orientation toward a more vertical one.

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Ranko wailed as the centrifugal force slid her sideways across the plastic bench into Crash¡¯s hip. With the way the thrill ride tossed her about as it spun up, Ranko found herself grateful - not for the first time that day - for Hitomi¡¯s advice to wear shorts rather than a skirt. The spinning ride had to be moving at fifty or sixty kilometers an hour as it whizzed the little carts around. Ranko tried to look out at the rest of the Dream World theme park, but before her eyes could focus on anything, it was upside down again. The whole exercise was starting to give her a mild headache, so she turned her eyes from the open-air sides of the cart. She felt like the pressure of the spinning thrill ride would crush her chest, but it didn¡¯t seem to offend the Full-Body Cat¡¯s Tongue. It just pinned her to her seat.

    ¡°THIS IS AWESOOOOOOOOOME!¡±

    Ranko giggled, clearly recognizing Shinji¡¯s deep voice shouting over the roar of the whirling wheel from the next cart behind them on the wheel. Her bassist occupied it with Jacob, Zoe and Masa.

    Eventually, the ride began to slow, and eventually stopped with the wheel having returned to a horizontal position. Ranko stood as the doors of the carts were pulled open by a pair of attendants, stepping down off of the cart to the metal loading platform below. She took a few tenuous steps, wobbling slightly in her silver cheerleading sneakers as she slowly drifted to the right.

    ¡°Whoa, easy there, you.¡± Crash grabbed her shoulders through the yellow peplum top she wore over her denim shorts, steadying her as her balance started returning. ¡°Don¡¯t need you nose-diving off this thing.¡±

    The redhead giggled, swaying on her feet. ¡°Ugggh¡­ whew, man, that thing really kicks your ass!¡±

    ¡°Right?! I¡¯m going again!¡± Shinji whooped, throwing his fists in the air and grinning widely.

    Ranko chuckled as she watched him rush back to the ride¡¯s queue. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen him so happy.¡± A few more tenuous steps reunited her with Ken, who handed her back her black cross-body purse. As the drummer turned to return Hitomi her little silver backpack, Ranko gave him a little sigh. ¡°I feel bad, Ken. The boys keep wanting to do the crazy rides, but they¡¯re not really the kind of thing that¡¯s your speed. You see anything you think you can do? C¡¯mon, bud, you get the next pick.¡±

    ¡°That roulette wheel thing over there looks cool,¡± Masa said, pointing to a wobbling disc just across the walkway from the Enterprise.

    Ken looked up at it, and the green around his gills gave Ranko all the answer she needed, flashing a back off look and a shake of her head at her pyrotechnician.

    ¡°Alright, gimme a sec,¡± the drummer said, reaching into the back pocket of his green board shorts and producing a folded brochure. He unfolded the park map, taking a moment to look it over. ¡°This one, I could probably handle.¡± He pointed to a ride at the far northwest corner of the park, a good hike from their current position at the southeast side, in the Country Fair area.

    ¡°Rocky Hollow Log Ride? Looks like a lot of water,¡± Ranko said, craning over Ken¡¯s shoulder with a worried countenance. ¡°Do you get wet on it?¡±

    Ken flipped to the back of the brochure, finding the description for the ride. ¡°Well, let¡¯s see¡­ the Thunder River Rapids Ride one says you may get wet¡­ where are you, Rocky Hollow Log Ride? Got it! An exhilarating log flume, yadda, yadda, welp, yeah¡­ you will get soaked.¡±

    Ranko nodded, blushing a little. ¡°I, uhh¡­ I think I¡¯m gonna sit that one out then, but you guys have fun! Actually, let me see that a sec?¡± She took the map from Ken, looking over the amenities in the central plaza near the front of the park. ¡°Alright, cool. Looks like they¡¯ve got some payphones over there by the entrance. I¡¯m gonna peel off there, and see if I can get Mom or somebody on the phone at the bar.¡± She grabbed Crash¡¯s left wrist without asking, twisting his arm to look at his wristwatch. ¡°It¡¯s two o¡¯clock their time; at least somebody should be there setting up for the night by now. I¡¯ll meet you guys¡­ here,¡± she said, tapping a spot in the northwest corner of the central area. ¡°This ice cream shop.¡±

    ¡°Of course you¡¯d pick the ice cream shop,¡± Crash said with a chuckle.¡±

    Ranko rolled her eyes up at her friend. ¡°Hey, a girl has needs. It¡¯s gotta be twenty-seven degrees out here. I¡¯m freakin¡¯ roasting.¡±

    Emi giggled, fanning herself with her own copy of the map brochure. ¡°She¡¯s not wrong.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of, Ran-chan, you might wanna throw some more sunscreen on when you get a second,¡± the blonde guitarist offered.

    ¡°Yes, mother,¡± Ranko said monotonously, rolling her eyes. She walked with them a bit further, as their paths converged until the Main Street area opened up to her left. ¡°Alright. Have fun on the logs, guys! See you soon!¡±

    She approached the City Hall building, behind which was a first aid station and a bank of pay telephones. After a brief wait, one of the phones became available, and Ranko lifted the receiver, fishing in her purse for a coin. She dropped it into the phone, and it immediately dropped back out of the coin return flap at the bottom of the casing.

    What the¡­ Oh. Dumbass. She stuffed the 50-yen coin back into her purse, digging around more at the bottom until she extracted an Australian fifty-cent coin. The telephone seemed happier to accept its native currency, and she piled a few more of the coins into the machine. It¡¯s international; no idea how expensive it is, but I wanna get more than a few minutes if somebody answers, she thought hopefully. Especially if¡­

    She dialed the number for her former home, catching herself holding her breath as the other end of the line rang a continent away. She heard a click on the third ring.

    ¡°Thank you for calling the Phoenix! How can I help you?¡±

    ¡°Yui! Hi! It¡¯s me!¡± Ranko grinned. It¡¯s so good to hear a little life in her voice again!

    ¡°Hey! How you doing, Ran-chan?! Girls! Ranko¡¯s on the phone! Where you at, little sister?¡±

    Ranko looked around at her surroundings. ¡°We¡¯re at this really cool place called Dreamworld. It¡¯s an amusement park near Brisbane. Jake and Zoe brought us. Yui, you guys are gonna love them! They¡¯re so cool, and they¡¯re coming back to Japan to stay in a couple months! How¡¯s things there? You still being good? How many straws?¡±

    ¡°Seventeen,¡± Yui replied into the cordless telephone behind the main bar of the Phoenix.

    ¡°Yui, that¡¯s so great! I¡¯m so proud of you, hon! I love you so much! How¡¯s everybody? Hows¡­¡± The mirth in Ranko¡¯s voice trailed off a little. She heard Yui sigh into the receiver before her sister spoke again.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°We¡¯re all okay, Ran-chan. Akane¡¯s alright. She¡¯s quiet, but she¡¯s here. We¡¯re keeping an eye on her.¡±

    Ranko nodded, clutching the plastic receiver, hot from being out in the sun all day, as close to her ear as she dared. ¡°Has she said anything? She hasn¡¯t returned my calls.¡±

    ¡°I know, hon. She''s upset. Whatever went down between you two, she''s not over it yet, but she doesn''t seem to be getting worse or anything. Just trying to let you do your thing out there, I think. You''re not gonna believe what she and I did at the bar, though! I can''t wait to show you when you get home. It''s a surprise.¡±

    Ranko nodded. ¡°I know. I can''t wait to get home. At least, Akane won''t be able to ignore me. Just twelve more days and I''ll be on a plane!¡±

    ¡°Well, don''t wish it away too fast. Try not to let this shit with Akane spoil your fun. She''s still grumpy, but she''s not gonna do anything drastic or nothin¡¯. You don''t need to worry. Oh, hey, hang on. Mei wants to talk to you.¡±

    ¡°Hi, Ranko,¡± came a new, excited voice from the receiver. ¡°How¡¯s Australia?¡±

    Ranko laughed. ¡°Hot. Very hot. Not as bad as Hawai¡¯i, at least. Seems like there''s two kinds of people here: half of them wants to be your best friend the minute they meet you, and the other half would just as soon feed you to a crocodile as look at you. Not really much in-between. But Jake and Zo are helping us stick to the good kinds. It''s so good to see him so happy, Mei. I¡¯m going crazy being away from you all and Akane for two weeks. I can''t imagine how he¡¯s survived it for so long.¡±

    Mei nodded, not that Ranko could see it from over seven thousand kilometers away. ¡°I know it''s not easy, but you''re doing so great. Akane brought back a newspaper from the day after your show in Honolulu, and there was a review that couldn¡¯t say enough good things about you! We saved it for you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ranko said glumly, her mood darkening again at the mention of her estranged wife¡¯s name.

    ¡°Are you guys having fun, at least?¡±

    Ranko¡¯s smile returned somewhat. ¡°Yeah. Nabiki reserved us a couple of days of downtime here in Brisbane so Jake and Ariel could see their families and stuff. Our first show down here is in Melbourne on the thirteenth. It''s a few hours away so we¡¯ll probably head up on the twelfth. At least, Ariel, Masa, Lance and Norio will, anyway. We¡¯re at this theme park. I''m having a blast, other than missing you girls so damn bad. You should see Shin. It''s like he''s Hoshi¡¯s age out here.¡±

    ¡°I''m glad.¡± While Mei''s ex-boyfriend was not her favorite topic of conversation, she was glad her sister and her friends were having a good time. ¡°No! Go away! I¡¯m talking to¡­ hey!¡±

    ¡°Hey there, little star. How you holding up?¡±

    Ranko answered, still giggling at Mei¡¯s protest at the confiscation of the telephone. ¡°Hi, Mom! I''m good! Miss you bad, though.¡±

    ¡°We miss you more, honey. But don''t you worry about a thing. The bar is in good hands, and Orochi is keeping your stage warm for you. Ukyo and your friends are fine too. Shiori was here yesterday, and she says hello. She also says to tell you¡­¡± Hana¡¯s voice lowered to a whisper, as if she feared her daughters would hear her. ¡°Rawr.¡±

    Ranko giggled brightly. ¡°Well, send her one back from me, Mama!¡±

    ¡°Do I really have to,¡± Hana pleaded, laughing with her daughter.

    ¡°One minute remaining,¡± interjected an audio warning in English from the payphone.

    ¡°I''m almost out of time. Is there any chance you can get Akane to talk to me?¡± Ranko sighed. ¡±Please?¡±

    Ranko heard her mother sigh heavily through the receiver. ¡°I''ll try, baby. Akane? Come talk to her, honey. She misses you. She¡¯s worried about you. It won''t get better until you two talk it out. Please?¡±

    Ranko held her breath for several seconds until she heard a voice through the speaker again.

    ¡°I''m sorry, Ranko. She says to tell you she''s not ready yet, but that she loves you and misses you.¡±

    Ranko sighed defeatedly, letting her forehead thump into the glass divider between her phone booth and the one to its left with a hollow bonk. ¡°Alright. Just do what you can, Mom, please. It''s killing me not being able to fix this with her from way out here. Give her a hug for me, and tell her again that I''m sorry.¡±

    ¡°I know, sweetheart. I''ll try. We all will. We¡¯ll look after her. And, you don''t forget to look out for yourself too, either, you hear me? We all love you, ba¡­¡±

    ¡°Mom?¡±

    ¡°Your call has ended. Thank you for using Telecom Australia. Have a nice day.¡±

    Groaning in frustration, Ranko slammed the receiver back into its cradle, adjusting the weight of her purse on her shoulder. Stupid phone companies don''t gotta make this stuff so expensive. It''s gotta be cheaper to make a phone call happen than to, like, take a letter across the ocean.

    She looked down at her hands, turning her wedding ring on her left hand where it had become slightly twisted on the ride. I love you, Akane. I miss you.

    Resigning herself to put her strained relationship out of her mind, Ranko made her way to the ice cream stand where she had promised to meet their friends. The whole of the group had reconnected, and Ranko giggled at the sight of the enormous Lance Ryder licking at a chocolate cone like a giant five-year-old for whom Christmas has come early.

    ¡°Hey, guys. Mom and everybody back home say hi.¡± She grinned brightly as Hitomi handed her a styrofoam cup full of strawberry ice cream and whipped cream, topped with a maraschino cherry. ¡°You, my friend, are my absolute hero.¡±

    ¡°Oi, Ranko! I gotcha summat, mate.¡±

    Ranko looked up at Zoe, wiping a bit of whipped cream from her nose. ¡°Huh? You didn''t have to¡­¡± She rolled her eyes, chuckling as Zoe reached down into the white plastic bag in their hand and produced a stuffed kangaroo. It wore a white tee shirt with the logo for the park on it.

    ¡°Now ya ain¡¯t gotta rent one, right?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± The redhead giggled as she took possession of the stuffed animal, which was nearly the size of Starlight, almost as tall as the length of her forearm. ¡°I''m never living that down, am I?¡±

    Zoe chuckled, their hands balled in fists at the waist of their black pleated skirt. They also wore a pair of fishnet stockings that disappeared into the ankles of their heavy black combat boots. The hosiery made Ranko blush, remembering the one time Akane had convinced her to try a pair. I don''t know how they pull those off in this heat. So itchy. But I did squirm all night in them, and somehow, I think that was Akane¡¯s intent from the beginning.

    ¡°Not a bleedin¡¯ chance in ¡®ell, Blue.¡±

    ¡°Blue?¡± Ranko looked up to Jacob in confusion, repeating the word in Japanese to confirm she¡¯d translated it correctly.

    Jake laughed, nodding and replying in Japanese. ¡°It¡¯s a thing we Aussies call people with red hair. Don¡¯t ask me why, we just do.¡±

    Ranko nodded, switching back to English as she looked the toy over with an amused grin. ¡°Thanks, Zo. It¡¯s really cute!¡± She spread the kangaroo¡¯s plush arms apart and lifted its little shirt as if searching for something along its underbelly. ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯m confused. I thought kangaroos were s¡¯posta have pouches in the front.¡±

    Zoe laughed, turning their eyes up to their boyfriend. ¡°Jakey, this one really don''t know nothin¡¯ does she? Only the girl ¡®roos got a pouch, ya donkey.¡±

    Of all the people I didn''t expect to hear about the differences between girls and boys from today, Ranko thought with a giggle. ¡°How come?¡±

    ¡°It''s where they keep the joeys at while they''s still little, ya goose.¡± Zoe leaned into Jacob¡¯s torso, resting their head on his chest.

    ¡°Sorry. English. What''s a joey?¡± Ranko looked up, mystified.

    ¡°It''s a baby kangaroo, Ranko,¡± Jacob offered in Japanese, after kissing Zoe on the top of their head through their shock of bright pink spiked hair. ¡°Like how a baby cat is a kitten.¡±

    Ranko smiled, holding up her new friend to face herself. ¡°Joey, huh? Well, hello there, Joey.¡±

    She turned her eyes to Jacob and his partner, beaming as she tucked her new companion under her arm and gathered up another bite of her rapidly-melting ice cream on a plastic disposable spoon.

    ¡°Well, okay then, tour guides. We¡¯ve got go-karts, the Thunderbolt, the Vintage Car Adventure, and Eureka Mountain. What are we riding next?¡±

 57. Calling Out

    ¡°You guys, c¡¯mere! You gotta listen to this!¡±

    Ranko vaulted over the back of the plush red couch in the hotel lobby, landing on her hip on the cushion next to Crash with a bright laugh. ¡°So, hi.¡±

    Crash laughed as well, shaking his head at his friend as both turned their attention to Shinji. He chewed on the bagel he¡¯d obtained from the hotel breakfast buffet. Hitomi and Emi hadn¡¯t come down yet, and as the occupant of the hotel room next door to theirs, Ranko was quite confident she knew why. They¡¯d had a late night. As the traveling entourage had returned to Brisbane for their show there later that evening, Jacob had opted to spend the night before with Zoe and left Ken with sole possession of their shared hotel room.

    Shinji snapped the tabloid-format newspaper in his hands outward to get it to stand up straight, holding it in his lap on the loveseat opposite Jake and Ranko¡¯s couch as he began to read aloud over the din of continental breakfast dishes being banged about.

    ¡°When my editor asked me to cover a Japanese pop concert fronted by a twenty-year old girl for the West Australian, my reaction was¡­ let¡¯s just say, not one of excitement. I envisioned five girls in matching outfits, dancing as identical clones and singing high-pitched songs about bubble gum and candy that I didn¡¯t understand a word of.

    ¡°Within the first three songs, Ranko and the Dapper Dragons had shown me just how wrong I was. The costuming, dancing and stagecraft was easily on par with any Western headliner you might name, delivering a spectacle of incredible proportion from the moment the lead singer was carried onto the stage by some sort of demon soldiers, all the way through to the innovative encore. The legion of Firebirds, as the band¡¯s fans have become known, shook the Perth Oval with their voices from the first song to the last, and lead singer Ranko Tendo seemed to connect with them in a way only the best stage performers of the West can match.

    ¡°The songs - all of which were sung entirely in English - tackle subjects of substance, from homelessness and reinventing oneself to a strained relationship with both of the lead singer¡¯s parents. These were interspersed with charming love ballads, infectious dance bops, and an absolutely blushworthy song I find myself unable to describe in a way that is suitable for our young readers. All are delivered with a passion and a precision remarkable in a group this new, and in a singer so young.

    ¡°By the time the performance was over, Ranko Tendo and her friends had done exactly what their debut hit had promised - I rose ignited from my seat. As I write this, the one regret I have about my editor sending me to see the Wildfire Tour is that she didn¡¯t do so sooner, when there might still have been time to get tickets to the three remaining Australian shows for my family and friends.¡±

    ¡°Holy crap,¡± Crash said, turning with wide eyes to Ranko. ¡°You¡¯re a hit!¡±

    Ranko blushed, shaking her head. ¡°Not just me! All of us. I don¡¯t do any of this alone, Crash.¡±

    Shinji grinned, closing the newspaper with a deep laugh. ¡°Yeah, dipshit. After all, I¡¯m the first voice they hear at the show.¡± He held up the newspaper, offering it to Ranko. ¡°I grabbed a bunch of these at the airport, so we¡¯ve got extras.¡±

    The redhead grinned as she took possession of the paper. ¡°Thanks, Shin! Mom says she wants to take some of the reviews and pictures and stuff and make a nice frame display at the Phoenix.¡±

    Crash chuckled. ¡°Of course she does. Hana will tell you it¡¯s all being done to promote the band that made her bar famous, but come on. She¡¯s such a fuckin¡¯ mom.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she is,¡± Ranko said with a grin. ¡°She¡¯s the mom of the millennium, and I¡¯ll fight anybody who says different. I miss them so fucking much. All of them.¡± Especially Akane. Gods, I wish she¡¯d just talk to me. Just long to say I love you. Something. Anything.

    ¡°Four more days, Ran-chan. You just gotta hold out ¡®til Tuesday night.¡± Crash reached out, squeezing his best friend around the shoulders.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying, man. Hey, where the hell¡¯s Ken? Did he go over with Lance and the guys to the venue already?¡± Ranko craned her neck to see if her drummer was at the breakfast buffet, to no avail.

    Shinji stood, stretching his back with a yawn. ¡°Want me to go bang on his door? Dude¡¯s gotta be up. He crashed as soon as we got in from Perth.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Jacob¡¯s voice called, and the trio turned to face him as he walked into the lobby arm-in-arm with Zoe. ¡°I¡¯ve got a key.¡±

    ¡°Want me to come with,¡± Zoe asked, giving Jake a loving smirk. ¡°Try out the bed a bit?¡±

    Jacob swung his arm forward, smacking Zoe on the seat of their blue jeans loudly enough to turn several heads in the hotel lobby. ¡°I think I can manage, babe.¡±

    ¡°You cheeky little fucker,¡± Zoe exclaimed, reaching for their boyfriend with a grin, but he was already out of arm¡¯s length and stepping into the elevator.

    ¡°Ken? You in here, bud?¡± Jacob slipped the room key back into his pocket as he peered around, finding Ken curled up in the far bed from the door in the fetal position under the gray-striped covers. The darkened room smelled something awful, and when Jacob spied the bathroom trash can sitting on the oak nightstand next to Ken¡¯s bed, the keyboardist guessed why.

    Jacob sat on the still-made second bed with a sigh, waiting to see if Ken stirred at his presence. He did, rolling over to face the door. The band¡¯s drummer looked positively green, and spoke quietly with a strained, gravelly voice.

    ¡°Hey, Jake.¡±

    Jacob sighed, speaking softly in deference to the wincing in Ken¡¯s eyes at the sound of a neighboring room¡¯s door slamming loudly in the hallway. ¡°Hey, dude. You don¡¯t look so good. What¡¯s going on, bro?¡±

    Ken coughed quietly, bracing his ribs against a pillow as he buried his face in it. His hair was matted to his face with sweat, and he wore no shirt under the blanket. ¡°Been up sick all night. Don¡¯t get too close, man.¡±

    ¡°Again?¡± Jake sighed heavily, looking his friend over with concern. ¡°We gotta get you some vitamins, or a mask, or something, dude. Can I get you anything? Need a drink, or some medicine or anything? I can try to find you a walk-in doctor around here somewhere if you want. C¡¯mon, we gotta get you right for tonight.¡±

    The drummer hacked again, sitting up quickly in his silver boxers and grabbing the trash can. He hugged it against himself, fortunately not needing to avail himself of it. ¡°If you want me on stage tonight, Jake, fuck the doctor. You¡¯d better call a damn priest.¡±

    Jacob¡¯s eyes widened with worry. ¡°Ken, bro, I know you feel like shit, but I¡¯m not sure bailing on the show¡¯s an option. We¡¯re playing for eleven thousand people in less than twelve hours, dude. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s get some fluids in you, and you¡¯ll be good to g¡­¡±

    His encouragement was interrupted by loud heaving as Ken¡¯s face disappeared into the gray plastic trash can.

    ¡°Yeesh. Alright, man. Let me go talk to the guys. I¡¯m not sure what we¡¯re gonna be able to do, but just¡­ feel better, yeah?¡±

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Ken nodded once before thrusting his face back into the plastic liner of the trash receptacle.

    <hr>

    ¡°This is Jenna Thompkins with ABQ News, out at the Eagle Farm Airport with our Friday Funnies segment. We¡¯re here with Skylar Mackensie, who had herself quite an interesting day at work this Thursday past. Miss Mackensie tells us a pair of unidentified travelers stopped by her kiosk here at the international terminal and requested - you¡¯ll never believe this, folks - to rent a kangaroo! Skylar, wanna tell us how it happened?¡±

    Ignoring the television behind the reception desk, Jacob made for the bank of sofas and loveseats near the breakfast area, rejoining his partner and friends. ¡°Uh, guys? We¡¯ve got a problem. Ken¡¯s¡­¡± Jacob scanned the lobby, making sure no one from the breakfast buffet was eating within earshot. ¡°He¡¯s pukin¡¯ his guts out up there. Says he can¡¯t play tonight.¡±

    ¡°What?! He has to play!¡± Shinji rocketed off of the couch, gesturing wildly with his hands. ¡°Take your ass back up there and tell him to put his big boy pants on and suck it up. This ain¡¯t some gig at the Phoenix where we can slap in an audio track if the drummer doesn¡¯t show. We¡¯re talking thousands of people that paid money for this shit, Jake!¡±

    The keyboardist nodded. ¡°I know, Shin, but¡­ I mean, do we really want him chundering in his snare drum on stage? We gotta figure something else out, guys. What about one of those talent agencies, like the one you guys all met at?¡±

    Ranko and Hitomi both cringed at the memory of their time at Takao Tashima¡¯s house of horrors, but Crash answered before either girl had the opportunity to. ¡°Even if we knew where to find one of those down here, it would take somebody way too long to get up to speed. The show¡¯s in¡­¡± He checked his watch. ¡°Nine hours. You¡¯re never gonna find somebody who knows all our songs in that kind of time. Hell, three of the songs on the set list haven¡¯t even been on our albums yet!¡±

    ¡°Are we gonna have to cancel the show,¡± Ranko asked nervously, fidgeting with the skirt of her mint green dress. ¡°How would we even do that?¡±

    Crash sighed heavily, his shoulders drooping. ¡°And of all the shows, it had to be this one, where all Jake¡¯s family and everybody are. Dude, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    Taking his seat again, Shinji growled under his breath. ¡°I swear, we need to just plastic-wrap that fucking guy.¡±

    Crash groaned, burying his face in his hands with his elbows on his knees. ¡°Man, this fucking sucks. I think we might not have a choice. I mean, we couldn¡¯t even fly someone here from home in time.¡±

    Ranko stood glumly from the couch, smoothing out her dress. ¡°Alright. I¡­ guess I¡¯ll call Nabiki. She¡¯ll know what to do.¡±

    Hitomi whined in disappointment, despite Emi¡¯s side hug of support. ¡°Yeah, good call. I guess there¡¯s no way we could find someone around here who plays drums and knows our music, let alone someone who could be ready to go in less than half a day. Fuck!¡±

    Jacob turned his head to his left and slightly downward, nearly burying his nose in a shock of gel-stiffened fuschia hair. ¡°Yeah¡­ absolutely no chance at all of that,¡± he intoned pointedly in English. Ranko stopped, having only made it a few steps from her seat on the couch, turning back with a curious expression on her face. What is he on about?

    It took a moment before Zoe realized what was being suggested.

    ¡°Are you¡­ ya gotta be out¡¯a yer fuckin¡¯ bloody ¡®ead, Trimble!¡± Zoe stammered loudly, backing away from their boyfriend and waving him off with their fingers. Ranko wondered how Zoe even moved their hands at all, with all the costume metal rings molded into the shapes of skulls and such they wore on their fingers. ¡°I ain¡¯t played in public since fuckin¡¯ high school!¡±

    ¡°Please, Zoe? I know you know the songs. I wouldn¡¯t ask if we weren¡¯t desperate.¡± Jacob reached down for their hand, but Zoe pulled away, looking up at him incredulously.

    Ranko stepped closer, eyeing Zoe as if Jacob¡¯s partner had somehow just transformed into a unicorn. ¡°You¡­ you play drums? Really?!¡±

    Zoe glowered at their boyfriend through their rose-colored fashion glasses. ¡°I did. In school, fuckin¡¯ ages ago. Ain¡¯t even practiced in months.¡± Zoe turned to Ranko, but gestured up to Jacob with their thumb over their shoulder. ¡°And now, this twat wants me to play for¡­ what, two thousand people?¡±

    ¡°Eleven thousand, three hundred and twelve,¡± Shinji offered blithely, laying on his back on the red loveseat in the lobby and tossing a red and orange hacky sack up into the air. ¡°Give or take.¡±

    ¡°Eleven thou¡­¡± Zoe stammered, shaking their head emphatically. ¡°No bleedin¡¯ way! I can¡¯t! I couldn¡¯t fucking¡­ never! I couldn¡¯t dream of keepin¡¯ up with Ken, anyhow. He¡¯s too good.¡±

    Jacob reached down for Zoe¡¯s hand, giving it a hopeful squeeze. ¡°Nobody¡¯s asking you to. Just stick to the basics. Keep the beat. We¡¯re just looking to limp through this one show while Ken¡¯s sick. Please, baby. I¡¯ll do anything you want. You said you wanted a new telly, right?¡±

    Zoe pursed their lips, stomping their foot in their steel-toed combat boots. ¡°You¡­¡± They growled loudly. ¡°For this?! I¡¯d want a bleedin¡¯ pony!¡±

    Ranko smiled reassuringly, resting her hand on Zoe¡¯s shoulder reassuringly. ¡°Sorry, Zo. Best I can do is a kangaroo.¡±

    Whirling back toward Jacob, Zoe grabbed him by the front of his Hawaiian button-down shirt. ¡°If I say I¡¯ll do this - and that is a bleedin¡¯ whoppin¡¯ if - I¡¯m not doing the shiny dress-up and shit like Princess Sparkle-tits and Friends over there, ya got me?!¡±

    ¡°Wait, Ems,¡± Hitomi said, giggling. ¡°I thought you were Princess Sparkle-tits.¡±

    Emi tittered loudly, squeezing her girlfriend around her shoulders, left bare by her new white Dreamworld tank top. ¡°Naw, dummy. Ranko¡¯s Princess Sparkle-tits. I¡¯m Lady Glitterbug. Get it right!¡±

    ¡°Ugh. Give me strength. Ya see what I mean, Jakey? That shit ain¡¯t me.¡± Zoe shook their head, removing their pink glasses and rubbing the bridge of their nose with their index finger and thumb.

    Ranko blushed. Yeah, Zo, I know a little something about pushing back on stage outfits. ¡°Hey. You can wear whatever you want. You¡¯ll be in the back, in the dark, behind a drum set, but even if you weren¡¯t, we don¡¯t costume the band, just the dancers and me. Besides, like Jake said, we¡¯re desperate. And I mean, hell, look at Shin! He¡¯s allergic to color, and we still keep him around. Look, I¡¯ll show you.¡± She reached up, pulling the mint-green bow barrette clip out of her ponytail and tossing it over the back of the loveseat.

    ¡°Aaaaaaa-choooo!¡± Shin laughed loudly as the bow landed on his chest, before picking it up with two fingers as if it were a dead rat and flinging it back at Ranko.

    Ranko bowed deeply to her new pink-haired friend, unsure though she was about the impact it would have on an Australian. ¡°Zoe, if you can do this, you¡¯d really be saving us. We can¡¯t do the show without a drummer. You¡¯re our only chance. Please.¡±

    As Zoe watched in horror, Crash, Hitomi, Emi and Shinji all rose from their seats, turning and bowing low to her as well.

    Zoe sighed heavily, their shoulders slumping in resignation. They turned, poking Jacob firmly in the sternum with an outstretched finger. ¡°You fuckin¡¯ owe me big for this one, yeeaauuu¡­¡±

    Jacob reached out, hooking his fingers under the light pink leather collar Zoe wore and yanking it forward hard enough to almost pull them off their feet as he leaned down to kiss them. Zoe¡¯s yelp of shock gave way to a purr of contentment.

    ¡°Everything I got¡¯s already yours, Zo-zo.¡±

 58. Dancing With Dragons

    ¡°Come on. It''s okay.¡±

    Jacob reached behind himself, taking Zoe¡¯s hand even though most of it was obscured in the purple and black striped sleeve of their shirt. He gave a gentle tug, willing his partner past the stack of aluminum equipment cases that obscured the left side entrance to the stage of the Brisbane Entertainment Center.

    Zoe¡¯s eyes were the size of the snare drum at center stage as Jacob led his partner out into the empty arena. Jake gave a polite wave to Norio as he jogged across the stage, an orange extension cable of some sort in hand.

    ¡°Christ on a pogo stick. It looks so much bigger from this side.¡± Zoe¡¯s voice was an awed whisper uttered with their jaw hanging slack.

    Jake laughed, wrapping his arms around his lover¡¯s waist from behind. ¡°What, this? This is actually the smallest place we''ve played on the tour so far, and it ain¡¯t close. Hawai¡¯i was four times this size.¡±

    ¡°FOUR TI - how do you¡­ like, I''d be hidin¡¯ behind the bass drum, huggin¡¯ me knees and cryin¡¯ for me mum!¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes scanned the empty seats as if the fill-in drummer thought someone would jump out at any moment and declare the whole thing a prank for one of those shows on TV that made asses out of people for sport.

    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± Jake pulled Zoe forward toward the drum set. ¡°You get used to it, I guess. I know we¡¯re kinda throwing ya in the deep end here, babe, but we really need ya.¡± He motioned to the stool behind the bass drum emblazoned with his band''s logo. ¡°Go on. Give it a try. It won''t bite.¡±

    ¡°Aye, but I might!¡± Zoe tentatively slid onto the black vinyl seat of the stool, surveying the drum set from behind as if they were afraid to touch anything.

    Jacob laughed, taking a few steps to his right and hopping onto another stool, this one behind his synthesizer. He gestured to his instrument with both hands. ¡°Look, Zo. I''ll be right here the whole time. I can even scoot closer if you want. Go on, get your sticks out! Give it a go.¡±

    Zoe¡¯s eyes glared even as their mouth smiled. ¡°You come any closer, an¡¯ I might ought to brain you with me sticks just for makin¡¯ me do this loony shit in the first.¡± They dropped their worn, olive drab backpack to the stage floor, bending down and fighting with the zipper. After several forceful yanks, the metal zipper tab broke free of the loose string it was caught on and the bag opened, spilling the clothes they and Jacob had swung by their flat to obtain on the way from the hotel and the performance venue into the stage floor. Digging to the bottom of the bag, Zoe withdrew a pair of pink plastic sticks, each nearly the length of their forearm.

    ¡°And introducing, from Brisbane, Queensland, the incredible drummer, the talented, the astounding, the sexy as fuck, Zooooooeeeee Kiiiiiiiiing!¡± Jacob affected his voice to sound like a public address announcer, cupping his hands over his mouth to make the sound of his voice reverberate slightly.

    As Jacob breathed heavily into his hands to simulate the roar of a crowd, Zoe giggled, making a tentative swipe at one of the cymbals with the stick in their left hand. They quickly pulled their hand back at the loud tsssss sound emanating from the brass disc.

    ¡°See? Just like your set at home, Zo-zo. Nothin¡¯ to it. Go on, babes. Don''t be shy.¡± He motioned to his partner¡¯s hands. ¡±Light ¡®em up.¡±

    Zoe took a deep breath, closing their eyes. They started at their right side, swinging both sticks and thumping on the floor tom several times as they swiveled leftward on their stool. Their pass peppered both of the tom-toms with sharp raps, springing the sticks in Zoe¡¯s hands backward to prepare them to rocket into the next strike. As Zoe¡¯s black-booted ankle worked the pedal controlling the bass drum bearing the band¡¯s logo, their sticks found their way to the snare drum on the far left. Having completed the circuit around the drums, Zoe reached forward with both arms, slamming their sticks down onto the high hats on both sides of the drum set.

    When Zoe opened their eyes, Jacob was standing just opposite the snare drum, smiling down at his partner. ¡°I told you, Zo. You got this. If this is gonna work, you need to stop thinking you¡¯re sitting in Ken¡¯s seat. You need to own these cans tonight. Ken can have ¡®em back tomorrow.¡± He reached down, cupping Zoe¡¯s cheek in his hand. ¡°But tonight, babes, you are a Dragon.¡±

    Zoe blushed, flashing a coy smile up at their lover, tracing his chest with their fingers over the snare drum. ¡°Guess that¡¯s a step up from Dragon rider, eh?¡±

    The keyboardist laughed loudly. ¡°Oh, nobody said you¡¯re getting out of that.¡±

    ¡°I better don¡¯t,¡± Zoe said with a chuckle. ¡°I like it too much, yeah?¡± They looked around the empty arena, exhaling slowly as they came to terms with what they were about to do in seven short hours. ¡°I think I wanna sit and practice for a bit, a¡¯ight?¡±

    Jake nodded. ¡°Sure. We gotta clear off about five when they start letting people in, but you got almost five hours ¡®til then. I think Shin has a tape of at least one or two of the new songs. You brought your tape player, right?¡±

    Zoe reached down into their olive backpack, producing a battered black cassette deck that had to be ten years old, plastered with stickers overlapping each other on every conceivable surface. It was already loaded with a tape of the Wild Orchid album. ¡°See what ya can do, babes.¡±

    The green-haired keyboardist nodded, stepping around the drum set and leaning down, giving his partner a kiss on their forehead. ¡°Hey. You look good down there, Zo-zo. It suits you. Show those things who¡¯s boss, yeah?¡±

    Zoe nodded, pulling their headphones over their spiky pink hair, careful not to stretch the band too much and strain the thick wrap of black electrical tape that held the arch of the headband together. They left their right ear uncovered so they could still hear the drums as they played, and after reaching down for the button on the far right of the device, Jacob could hear Demon in Your Radio beginning to spill out of the unused right earpiece.

    Wrapping their fists around their drumsticks, Zoe slammed the back ends of them down hard onto their thighs. It pushed the buttons on the backs of the sticks, and both began to glow with a bright neon pink light.

    ¡°There¡¯s nowhere to hide, nowhere to go,¡± they sang - not especially well - along with Ranko as their glowing pink sticks rained down on the heads of the drums. Jacob smiled, throwing his partner a wave and heading backstage.

    <hr>

    ¡°Just like that, you belong to me - utterly, endlessly, hopelessly in ecstasy¡­¡±

    Hitomi stage-glared at her friend as Ranko backed Utaru up on the stage in her sparkly white A-line dress, the same one she¡¯d changed into onstage in a wreath of flame between Rise and Hey, Jerk! She popped her hips playfully left and right with every step, her right hand resting gently on Utaru¡¯s chest as her skirt swished about her thighs.

    Sanyo had not returned to the stage after the previous song, in which none of the backup dancers had performed. The prior song had also been a break for all of the musicians save Jacob, who had played You¡¯re My Song in a light, intimate piano voice from his synthesizer. There had been a guitar accompanying Jake¡¯s keyboard, but it was the phoenix-styled acoustic instrument Ranko herself had played, rather than Crash¡¯s electric or Shinji¡¯s bass.

    ¡°And now, you¡¯re right beside me everywhere I go: every show, rain or snow. Not like you can tell me no. Now it¡¯s your old girl who¡¯s constantly missin¡¯ you. She¡¯s the one crying, and I¡¯m the one kissing yoooooooooooouuuuu¡­¡±

    Ranko hurried to center stage, flanked by Hitomi on her right and Emi on her left. She faced the crowd, planting her feet and smiling brightly to the audience as she shimmied her legs slightly. The twisting motion wasn¡¯t the most comfortable on her still-strengthening left knee, but she put it out of her mind. As she uttered the name of the song in the chorus, she threw her arms upward, as if summoning, by some mystic power, the jets of sickly green flame that blasted forth from the fourth and eighth emitters mounted into the front of the stage.

    ¡°And now, I got that witchcraaaaaaaaa-aft!¡±

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Ranko spread her arms wide, and the lime-green flame that began at the fourth and eighth jets at the front of the stage spread left to the first through third, and right from the ninth through twelfth, leaving a gap in the middle of the two walls of fire for the audience to see Ranko and her backup dancers.

    ¡°And I¡¯m fin¡¯lly gettin¡¯ through to you!¡±

    The jets of fire all went out.

    ¡°Through to you, with the voodoo that I brew!¡±

    Again, Ranko reached down to knee level, as if summoning another belch of fire from the bowels of hell itself. She raised her arms as she sang, again coaxing columns of green flame from the fourth and eighth jets before gesturing to spread the curtains of fire around the edges of the stage.

    ¡°Witchcra-aaaaaaaft! And I¡¯m decidin¡¯ what to do with you, do with you! At least a date or two with you!¡±

    Ranko stalked back to the array of instruments against the back wall of the stage, which was lit by the giant screen projecting the image of an old-timey antique book store piled high with rustic leather-bound tomes on shelves so tall that rolling ladders were required to access the upper rows of books. The whole scene had a fantasy quality to it, as if it would not be at all surprising to find a fairy napping atop one of the thicker books.

    She leaned forward, her back to the audience, as she rested her hands on the bass drum, flashing Zoe King a bright smile as she sang. While nothing felt quite the same without Ken on stage with her, Zoe had acquitted themselves brilliantly throughout the first eight songs of the show. After the mostly acoustic performance of You¡¯re My Song where the drums were not required, their emergency drummer was again holding their own, despite fewer than ten hours of preparation. Ranko doubted, had she not mentioned it to the crowd when introducing the band, that many would have noticed a significant dropoff from the Dapper Dragons¡¯ usual drummer.

    Ranko shook her backside toward the crowd as she shot Zoe a wink, doing her best to encourage her new friend and tell them how great a job they were doing without being able to speak to them directly.

    ¡°You never would¡¯a messed with me before I found the recipe, but now, I gotcha under my spe-eeeeell! So, I¡¯ll change around your destiny, and make you wind up next to me! Together, babe, we¡¯re hotter than hell!¡±

    Ranko peeled away from the drums, waving with a smile to Jacob as she circled back around to the back right of the stage, just between Jake and Shin. There, a large cauldron, perhaps a meter wide and just over waist-high to Ranko, had sat throughout the performance, having been brought out by Norio in the dark while the spotlights singled out Ranko during her soulful rendition of You¡¯re My Song. The song had hit Ranko harder on tour these last few nights, as it reminded her of just how desperately she loved Akane, and how heartbroken she was about the fact that they¡¯d still not spoken since their argument in the hotel in Hawai¡¯i twelve days ago. Four more days, and I¡¯ll be home, and we¡¯ll fix this, Akane. I promise.

    Dry ice stored under the cauldron created a thick, cold mist around it, and a pair of green-hued stage lights pointed at it gave the entire thing an eerie, otherworldly glow, as one might expect in the lair of any evil Disney witch.

    ¡°Yeah! I got that witchcra-aaaaaaaft! And I¡¯m fin¡¯lly gettin¡¯ through to you, through to you, with the voodoo that I brew!¡±

    Her hips rocked side-to-side like a ringing bell on each of the two through to you lines, with Hitomi and Emi joining her at her sides.

    ¡°Witchcra-aaaaaaaft! And I¡¯ve decided what to do with you! Do with you! I¡¯ll spend my whole life through with you!¡±

    As she sang, Hitomi and Emi split off, taking positions near the center of the stage, with Utaru closely following Hitomi. Ranko planted her foot on a single step that had been built into the back of the cauldron. Another step up, and Ranko had climbed atop the large, glowing basin, over which a plexiglass cover had been erected to support her weight. The green glow from beneath her, caught in the glitter of her white dress, made her look like an apparition straight out of the veil between the worlds of life and death.

    Ranko took a firm stance, her sparkly heels a half-meter apart on the plexiglass covering the cauldron. She raised her left hand, her fingers splayed out, catching some of the green-tinged mist in the air and pulling it upward.

    ¡°You never would¡¯a messed with me¡­¡±

    She repeated the gesture with her right hand, surrounding herself with more of the inky, verdant vapor.

    ¡°Before I found the recipe¡­¡±

    As Ranko posed innocently atop the cauldron in which she had supposedly brewed her love potion, Hitomi and Emi sang the next line of the final chorus without her.

    ¡°But now, she¡¯s got you under her speeeeee-ell!¡±

    Ranko swung her arm forward as if swinging an invisible whip, in the direction of Utaru and Hitomi. As she did, Utaru froze, stiffening his body as if he had just been electrocuted.

    ¡°¡®Cause I changed around your destiny¡­¡±

    Ranko yanked left arm back, her hand in a fist, and Utaru spun thrice in rapid succession as he returned to the side of the cauldron, as if the redhead standing atop it had yanked him back by his leash.

    ¡°And made you wind up next to me¡­¡±

    The singer reached down, crouching with her knees bent, ruffling Utaru¡¯s hair almost condescendingly with the fingers of her right hand, as one might reward a puppy for bringing their slippers.

    ¡°Togetheeeeeer¡­ we¡¯ll be ho-o-o-otte-e-er¡­ tha-a-a-a-an¡­¡±

    Hitomi and Emi huddled around Utaru as he took one step forward between them. ¡°But now I¡¯ve got the recipe to make you wind up next to me,¡± the two girls sang, but Ranko did not join them.

    Instead, she cupped her hands upward at knee level, slowly rising to a standing position from her crouch as she sang. In the single syllable, she began in the fifth octave, sliding it downward through the fourth, third, and finally into the second as she rose, lifting her arms until they eventually were extended fully skyward as if bringing the subject of the word she sang out of the depths of the underworld and onto the stage with her.

    ¡°HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLL!!!¡±

    Ranko and both girls sang the final line together with no backing from any of the four instruments on stage. ¡°Together, we¡¯ll be hotter than hell!¡±

    Ranko winked to the crowd, blowing a kiss forward in her left hand. She then cocked her hand back in a fist, throwing it downward forcefully and opening her fingers as if casting some final ingredient downward into the cauldron beneath her feet to complete her sinister spell.

    The area around the cauldron erupted in green-tinged mist with a loud boom, nearly obscuring it from the view of the audience. All twelve flame jets along the front edge of the stage belched green fire three meters into the air of the Brisbane Entertainment Center. As they did, the two halves of the plexiglass under Ranko¡¯s feet fell inward, and Ranko disappeared into the cauldron¡¯s basin.

    <hr>

    ¡°Dude, Zoe, are you kidding? You were amazing!¡± Ranko threw her arm around Jacob¡¯s partner, squeezing them tight around the shoulders, as the group entered the hotel lobby.

    Jake nodded, ruffling his fingers in his partner¡¯s spiky pink hair. ¡°I fuckin¡¯ told you you could do it, Zo-zo! How¡¯d it feel, being up there like that?¡±

    ¡°Not gonna lie¡­ pretty bloody fuckin¡¯ great,¡± Zoe said, beaming despite their exhaustion. After seven hours of drum play, they thought their arms might fall off at the shoulders at any moment. ¡°I get why ya lot love doin¡¯ it so much now. It¡¯s intoxicatin¡¯, hearin¡¯ em all screamin¡¯ like ¡®at.¡±

    Shin nodded. ¡°Of course, they don¡¯t chant our names¡­¡± He nudged Ranko in the shoulder gently with his fist.

    Ranko turned, walking backward into the lobby as she faced Shinji. ¡°Well, next time, you sing the lyrics, maybe throw on a nice, short dress, and I bet they¡¯ll love you too, Shin. Oh, better work on shakin¡¯ that ass a little!¡±

    ¡°Ooooh!¡± Hitomi giggled, covering her mouth as she realized how loud her laughter echoed in the mostly-empty hotel lobby at just before eleven at night. ¡°Got ¡®em!¡±

    Leaning down and planting a kiss on Zoe¡¯s forehead, Jake looked up to Crash. ¡°I¡¯m gonna run upstairs and check on Ken real quick.¡±

    ¡°Tell him we love him,¡± Ranko called after Jacob just before the elevator doors closed behind him.

    <hr>

    ¡°Guys, it¡¯s not good.¡± Jake sighed, slumping onto one of the sofas in the lobby that had become the band¡¯s de facto meeting room over the last two days. ¡°The doctor at the walk-in joint said it¡¯s probably the flu or some sort of stomach bug, and he¡¯s probably gonna be down for a couple days, maybe as long as a week.¡±

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Crash said, drooping his head back to rest on the back of the loveseat. ¡°That fucking sucks. Dude¡¯s gotta be dying up there. Nothing they can really do about that sort of thing either, he¡¯s just gotta wait it out. Shit, he might as well just fly back to Tokyo and rest up at home, I guess. But then what are we gonna do about the Sydney shows?¡±

    Ranko tried to push her disappointment for Ken out of her mind, putting on a hopeful smile as she turned from Crash to look at Jacob and his couchmate. ¡°I don¡¯t know, guys. Where could we ever find a badass drummer on short notice to get us through Sunday and Monday nights?¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s you, babes,¡± Jacob said with a chuckle. ¡°Whaddya say? You got two more nights of being a rock star in ya?¡±

    ¡°I dunno, mate,¡± Zoe said, beaming as they shook their head. ¡°Lemme just check my social sched¡­ fuck yeah, I¡¯m ready! Let¡¯s do this shit!¡±

    The band, less their ill drummer, whooped in excitement. ¡°ZO-E! ZO-E,¡± the group chanted as the temporary Dragon blushed a brighter shade of pink than their hair.

 59. Surprise

    ¡°Mei, that looks great!¡±

    Izumi peeked over her sister¡¯s shoulder, where just beyond her electric blue pigtails and the puffy peplum of her cerulean shirt, a long banner made of some twenty sheets of perforated fanfold dot matrix printer paper was spread across the entire length of the main bar counter. A few of the leftmost sheets dangled off the edge, nearly dragging on the floor between the main and service bar counters. The giant banner, produced that morning on a rented computer at the local metropolitan library, read welcome home, Ranko and the Dapper Dragons, and the characters were interspersed with several generic clip art images, including musical notes, a guitar, a microphone, an orchid and a party hat with streamers. As the library¡¯s computer lab only had black-and-white printers, Mei was coloring in the grayscale graphics with a collection of pungent magic markers as she hunched over it from her stool. A rubber bar mat under the paper prevented the colored markers from seeping through the paper and staining the polyurethane countertop.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Izumi said, turning her attention to her eldest sister. ¡°And you''re sure you can be here by two on Tuesday? We want everybody here before they get here, for the big surprise!¡±

    Aya nodded with an easy smile. ¡°Yes, Izzi. Worst case, I can bring Jun with me and put him down upstairs again. Take a breath, Iz. Everything''s gonna be great!¡± In fact, as it was just past two o¡¯clock on that quiet late-April Sunday afternoon, Ayako¡¯s infant son was asleep upstairs in his oak bassinet at that very moment. The sound of quiet, rhythmic breathing coming through the plastic speaker clipped to the waistline of Ayako¡¯s pastel green skirt confirmed it.

    ¡°I know,¡± Izumi said, stealing a glance across the bar room at Akane. ¡°I just know how lonely Ranko¡¯s been out there, and I want her to know we love her and missed her, and how excited we are to have her back. All of them, really. Hell, I even miss Crash, that goofy bastard.¡±

    Ukyo giggled from her seat at the bar, where she watched Yui fiddling with some cocktail ingredients. ¡°Right?! I haven''t been slammed into even once in, like, almost a month!¡±

    ¡°Like you mind when he slams into you, Uk-chan,¡± Yui said with a smirk. ¡°In fact, when he gets back, I bet you''re gonna slam into him all fuckin¡¯ night long.¡±

    The brunette flushed deeply, fidgeting with her ponytail. ¡°I mean, I was hoping it would be more him slamming into me, but¡­¡±

    As the girls tittered together, the Phoenix¡¯ designated party planner approached Akane cautiously at the far end of the bar room. ¡°Hey, ¡®Kane? Where are we at in terms of getting hold of everyone''s families for invitations?¡±

    Akane, who had been lost in thought and gazing at the empty stage from her once-usual seat at the VIP table, looked up to Izumi. ¡°Huh? Oh. Invitations. Nabiki¡¯s going through the emergency contact list for everybody to get phone numbers and spread the word. Ukyo said she was gonna pass it on to Crash¡¯s family. We obviously got you guys and my family on board, and we don''t have to worry about Lance or Jake since they won''t have anyone in Japan to bring. Nabiki is struggling to get a hold of Norio¡¯s sister. We were gonna ask him for a different number, but Nabiki thinks it¡¯ll ruin the surprise.¡±

    Izumi sat next to Akane at the table, reaching out and patting the younger girl¡¯s hand where it rested next to her soda. ¡°Hey. Are you gonna be okay at this thing? I know you and Ranko haven''t spoken since Hawai¡¯i; are you girls gonna make this shit all awkward?¡±

    Akane shrugged, sighing softly as she fidgeted with her hands in the lap of her red skirt. ¡°I mean¡­ I¡¯m not gonna lie, Izumi. What Ranko said hurt me. I''m not mad at her, though. Not anymore. I''m more¡­ sad at her. And sad for her, that she can have thousands of people chant her name every night and still not think she''s good enough for me. I''m just, me, ya know? What more could I want than her? And it just breaks my heart, because I know she didn''t say those things about me and Sho because she really thinks I''m some two-timing jerk. She said it because she¡¯s terrified I''m going to wake up one day and agree with her that I deserve better than the best there''s ever been.¡±

    Izumi nodded, letting Akane''s hand go. ¡°But¡­ if you''re not mad anymore, why won''t you talk to her?¡±

    With another quiet sigh, Akane lowered her head, slipping her hands under her bangs and rubbing her temples with her fingers as she rested her elbows on the table top. ¡°I don''t know, Iz. I think part of me was mad, until I started thinking about seeing her on Tuesday, and getting excited rather than upset. But I also wanted to kind of force her to not cling on to my every word, and measure her existence by the time between our calls. I wanted her to go experience this trip and see that she could do it on her own, and have a good time doing it. I want her to bring me home stories we can laugh about together, rather than having heard them all before she gets home, rushed on an international party line at three hundred yen a minute.¡±

    The brunette nodded sadly, adjusting her wedding ring on her left hand. ¡°Makes sense, I guess. I just¡­ you should have heard the desperation in her voice, Akane. It was like she thought she was gonna die if she didn''t talk to you.¡±

    ¡°I know. And, I probably screwed up. I probably should have talked to her, even if it was just to tell her myself that I love her and I''ll be here when she gets home. It''s just, I¡­ I want her to always want me, but never feel like she can''t function without me. It was scary how quickly she just shut down as a human being when I told her I was coming home from Hawai¡¯i. I think I did more harm than good going out there with the whole, build up her confidence thing. Like I said, I probably fucked the whole thing up from the get-go.¡±

    Akane stood, running her fingers through her black bangs to ensure she hadn''t mussed them too badly when she rubbed her head. ¡°I should get to work cutting pineapples. We are gonna be making loads of those special cocktails the day after tomorrow!¡±

    Izumi stood as well, catching up with Akane in three strides and hugging her sister''s wife from behind. ¡°Hey. There''s no rulebook for this stuff, okay? Just tell her you love her, give her a great big hug, and everything will be fine. Maybe you ought to call her tomorrow night before she flies home, just to break the ice before you''re face to face with seventy other people around?¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Akane nodded, turning as Izumi released her and smiling. ¡°That''s probably a good idea. I''ll think about it.¡±

    The party planner grinned broadly. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s dial in. So we¡¯ve got invitations in progress. Orochi¡¯s gonna handle the music. I think we ought to hide all the microphones, or you just know a certain somebody¡¯s gonna try to get up there and sing before she so much as puts her suitcases down. Mei and Aya are in charge of decorations. Yui¡¯s got the cocktail lineup sorted. What are we thinking about for food?¡±

    ¡°If you want, I can bring my portable griddle and do okonomiyaki,¡± Ukyo offered hopefully from her seat at the bar counter next to Mei.

    ¡°Who the heck wants okonomiyaki and cocktails? Besides, it''s the one night you''re gonna let yourself take off, so take it off, yeah?¡± Akane laughed. ¡°I swear, between you and Ranko, you girls are competing for who can work yourself into an early grave the fastest.¡±

    Mei sighed. ¡°As usual, you dummies are worried about stuff I already took care of. Me and Mama got a whole menu planned. I''m even making a cake. A great big one, with, like, layers and shit!¡±

    ¡°Nice! I''m sure Kasumi would bring something too, if you ask! Just reach out to her. She''s always happy to help with this kind of stuff!¡± Akane beamed at the thought of her sisters from both sides of her marriage working together so seamlessly.

    ¡°Hey, Aya? You, uh¡­ mind tasting this beer? Something seems a little¡­ off with it.¡± Yui walked around the bar counter, handing a frosted pilsner glass full of yellow liquid, with a white frothy foam topping it and a lemon wedge garnish, to her elder sister at the service bar.

    Ayako adjusted her black-rimmed glasses and looked down analytically at the beverage she was handed, turning it in her hand to examine it. ¡°I mean, it''s bubbling, so the carbonation is good. It''s certainly cold enough.¡± She lifted it to her lips with some measure of hesitance, her eyes widening before she even finished swallowing.

    ¡°What the hell is that?! It tastes like I drank a freakin'' apple pie! Fuck, that''s good!¡±

    Yui beamed. ¡°I give you the Regular Girl. Our newest Rocktail. It looks just like a regular, boring old beer, but it sneaks up on you with shocking sweetness.¡±

    Mei reached for the glass with grabby fingers, and Ayako passed it across the gap between the main and service bars to her. Mei sipped it, moaning audibly into the rim of the glass as she did. ¡°Oh, Yui, that is stupid good. What''s in it?!¡±

    The Phoenix¡¯ lead mixologist motioned to the counter behind the bar, where an unlabeled cherry jar sat filled with twenty-seven blue stirring straws protruding from its mouth. Next to it were a collection of bottles comprising the ingredients Yui had used to build her latest creation.

    ¡°Apple brandy, simple syrup, and lemon juice for the flavor, and club soda for the fizz. Plus a little vanilla extract, cinnamon and nutmeg for that apple pie vibe. The head is Irish cream liquor.¡± Yui took the glass from Mei over her glaring protest, offering it to Izumi to try. ¡°What do you guys think?¡±

    ¡°Dude,¡± Izumi said, handing the frosted glass to Akane and wiping her lips on the sleeve of her royal blue satin blouse. ¡°That is off the charts, sis. And I love that it looks just like a beer! So¡­ unassuming.¡±

    Yui nodded, beaming at her own ingenuity. ¡°Yeah, well, the song is all about how Ranko doesn''t think she''s anything special, but all of us know better. So the drink announces itself as not very remarkable with its looks, and then you get a taste and you realize how truly special it really is.¡±

    Akane smiled warmly at her sister-in-not-quite-law¡¯s sentiment, handing the empty glass back to Yui. ¡°It¡¯s a perfect concept. I fucking love it!¡± And I love that it basically tells Ranko¡¯s inferiority complex what it can go and do with itself.

    Yui pulled another frosted pilsner glass out from the chiller under the bar, pouring an eight count of apple brandy into it. ¡°I''m gonna take one back to Mama and see if I can fool her with it.¡±

    Aya gave a low whistle, shaking her head in doubt. ¡°I¡¯ve got a thousand yen that says she spots it right away. That woman knows her beer, now. She¡¯s been drinking and serving beer longer than any of us have been breathing air.¡±

    Yui grinned as she stirred the brandy, syrup, juice and spices together in the glass with a long bar spoon. ¡°You''re on!¡±

    ¡°Good luck, Yui! Just be easy when you go in the office, Yui,¡± Izumi encouraged. ¡°Mama said she had a headache when she went back there earlier, so she might be lying down on her couch.¡±

    ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll be gentle. And besides, I¡¯m bringing her a nice glass of beer,¡± Yui said with a mischievous grin. She pushed through the blue saloon doors and hung a right through the slightly ajar office door.

    ¡°Hey, Mama? Is something weird about this b¡­¡±

    Yui blushed, finding her mother slouched over her desk, still in her ever-present black leather jacket, her hair pulled back in a ponytail and her cheek resting on a stack of paperwork. ¡°Oh, mama, ya dummy. If you were that tired, you shoulda just laid down.¡±

    Yui tiptoed closer, tapping Hana on the shoulder. ¡°Hey, ma? C¡¯mon, why don''t you move over to the couch and take a proper nap?¡±

    She received no reply.

    Damn. She''s really zonked. Maybe she took something for her headache.

    ¡°Ma, seriously. You''re gonna be miserable if you stay like that. You''ll have a crick in your neck all damn night.¡± Yui gave her mother a firmer shake, and Hana¡¯s head lifted slightly from the desk, before lolling over to the side and falling back to the desktop again.

    ¡°... Mama?¡± Yui set the pilsner glass down on the corner of the desk, reaching out to give Hana a firm pat on the cheek to rouse her. Something was off, and it took Yui nearly two full seconds to notice what it was.

    She had passed her hand under Hana¡¯s nose, but she had felt no moving air.

    ¡°Mama?!¡± Yui grabbed the Phoenix¡¯ matriarch about the shoulders, giving her a hard shake.

    She received no response.

    ¡°Mom, PLEASE!¡± Yui begged through eyes flooding with tears, frantically thrashing her mother¡¯s limp form in her hands.

    ¡°...please, mama, wake up?¡±

 60. Thank You, and Good Night

    ¡°Once upon a rhyme, not so far away, our girl took over Sydney, just for fun, one day! She¡¯s out here slingin¡¯ words, recruiting new Firebirds, and hey, she just got going! She¡¯s found family, friends and true romance; doesn¡¯t know how she deserved the gifts she got by chance, but her fresh start has filled up her heart until it¡¯s overflowing!¡±

    The lead vocalist of Ranko and the Dapper Dragons grinned broadly, surveying some thirteen thousand people packing the Sydney Entertainment Centre, nearly all of them on their feet. I love you guys, too, Ranko thought as she clasped her hands over her heart. The music continued without the final line, and Ranko raised both of her arms, waving enthusiastically to the capacity crowd. She was exhausted, and running on pure adrenaline, but enough of it was pumping through her veins to power the city for a week.

    ¡°That¡¯s our show! Thanks so much for coming out, Sydney! We¡¯ll see you tomorrow, right back here at the S.E.C! Say good night to my friends, the Dapper Dragons! On keyboard, the awesomest Aussie, Jacob Trimble!¡±

    The crowd roared as the other instruments fell silent, giving the green-haired keyboardist in the orange plaid button-down shirt a few moments of solo time to improvise a tune on his Yamaha DX-7 synthesizer.

    ¡°On drums¡­¡± Ranko continued, biting her lip slightly as she thought about Ken. By now, he was likely home, with Ryo and his labrador Thunder to comfort him through his illness. Miss you, buddy. Hope you¡¯re feeling better. ¡°... our special guest Dragon, straight from Brisbane, Zooooooooe King!¡±

    A fairly muted drum solo rocketed from Ken¡¯s drum set, played by a slight, diminutive young person with spiky, hot pink hair. They wore a dress made of thick, clear plastic, like a raincoat, cinched at their waist with a transparent blue plastic belt over a pair of cut-off denim shorts and a black tee shirt with several rips across the ribs as if they had been slashed by a giant cat. Zoe pounded at the drums furiously with a pair of plastic drumsticks that glowed bright pink in the dark back third of the stage. The crowd didn¡¯t clap as much as they had for Jacob due to not knowing the newcomer, but those who cheered screamed enough to largely make up the difference.

    The drums faded out, but a low rhythm continued, now pouring forth from a pearlescent white bass guitar situated just behind Ranko to her right. It was strapped over the eldest member of the Dapper Dragons¡¯ ever-present black leather jacket, his microphone occasionally picking up the sound of the studs and rivets lining it colliding with the back of the instrument.

    ¡°Bringin¡¯ the thunder all the way down under, give it up for Shinji Yokota on bass and sax!¡±

    Shinji bellowed a demonic cackle, just like the one he¡¯d opened Demon in Your Radio with two hours earlier, into his stand microphone as he plucked at his bass.

    Ranko flitted over to stage right in the mock school uniform she wore, consisting of a white blouse, blue collar and short pleated miniskirt, and a bright red bow at her throat that almost perfectly matched her twin-tailed hair. She wrapped her arms around the fourth musician onstage, hugging the tall blond man from the side as he plucked at his cherry-red guitar to the exclusion of all of the other instruments on stage.

    ¡°Makin¡¯ the strings sing, my best friend in the world, MISTER! Crash! Matsuyama!¡± Ranko squeezed him tight as the crowd roared for him. It was he, more than anyone else, who had carried her into show business. Without him, she doubted anyone outside a little dive bar in the Minato district of Tokyo would have ever heard her sing, and every time she stood on stage being showered with adulation by thousands of screaming Firebirds, she felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude to him for it.

    As she squeezed him tight, she felt something vibrating in the pocket of Crash¡¯s blue denim jacket, smirking to herself. Looks like your leash is gettin¡¯ tugged again, bud.

    Ranko released her friend from the embrace, striding back to center stage on her chunky heels. Their white leather was laced up to her ankles, styled like high-top basketball sneakers but with an eight-centimeter heel.

    ¡°My girls! Hitomi Uyeno!¡± The redheaded singer motioned with an open hand to her left. Hitomi gripped the longer skirt of her own school uniform, in the same colors as Ranko¡¯s but with a longer pinafore skirt more like Ranko¡¯s Yusue uniform, giving the crowd a little curtsey.

    As the crowd saluted Hitomi, Utaru and Sanyo jogged out from their backstage cloister, both in street clothes. Utaru wore an emerald green silk button-down shirt that was left open to show the plain white tee shirt underneath and a pair of black slacks. Sanyo was clad in blue jeans and a green tee shirt bearing the logo and track silhouette of the Bush Beast, a massive wooden roller coaster he¡¯d ridden earlier that day at Wonderland Sydney, a local amusement park. Utaru took his place next to Hitomi, but Sanyo rushed up behind Ranko, tapping her urgently on the shoulder. She ignored him entirely.

    ¡°... and Emi Kimoto!¡± With a wave to her right, Ranko motioned to the blonde at her other flank, costumed in an identical school uniform to Hitomi¡¯s. Emi touched both of her hands to her lips, blowing a kiss to the crowd as they cheered for her.

    Again, Sanyo tapped her on the shoulder, more insistently this time.

    Ranko stomped her foot in annoyance, glaring at him over her shoulder. ¡°Not now, dude! I¡¯m talking to all my new friends! Besides, I told you, I¡¯m not interested!¡±

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Ranko said, smiling as she turned her eyes back to the crowd with a shake of her head. ¡°Sorry. Where was I? Oh, yeah! Got any love for my friend, Utaru Tsuchida? Isn¡¯t he just the cuuuuuutest?¡± Ranko effected a giggle with an exaggerated wink as she motioned to her right, the crowd whooping at his introduction. One of these days I¡¯m gonna get through that line and not gag.

    While the crowd crowed for Utaru, Sanyo stepped up to be within reach of the starlet again, this time grabbing Ranko firmly by the shoulders. The vocalist growled angrily into her headset microphone, whirling around to face him. She gave him a hard shove in the chest with both hands, launching him nearly a meter backward onto his back on the stage floor.

    The crowd fell quiet, murmuring to each other in concern for the singer who was seemingly being harassed on stage. Timed perfectly with his backside crashing to the stage, Shinji¡¯s bass guitar and Zoe¡¯s bass drum both emitted a loud thump.

    Ranko stepped forward, looming over the prone boy. The redhead said nothing, but a quiet, almost tentative sing-song taunt began flowing through the massive speakers of the Sydney Entertainment Centre, courtesy of Ranko¡¯s two backup singers.

    ¡°Na, na-na, na. Na, na-na, nuh-uh!¡±

    The crowd erupted.

    ¡°Na, na-na, na. Na, na-na, not yours¡­¡±

    The stage lights all blinked out, save a bright white spotlight that surrounded Ranko and Sanyo. Hitomi and Emi jogged off to help Lance and Norio prepare the darkened half of the stage for the surprise encore song.

    Ranko gesticulated in mock anger with her hands, stomping her white heels mere centimeters from Sanyo as he stared up at her from his backside. Mustering as much stage venom on her tongue as she could, Ranko began laying into the young dancer portraying Saburo Kimura.

    ¡°I guess you thought that if you followed me around, then I¡¯d give in to you? I probably should tell ya straight; I¡¯m really not that into you! The way you drive me nuts on stage is gettin¡¯ kinda scary, so, I¡¯m gonna send the message to ya clearly, and in stereo!¡±

    Ranko turned back to face the crowd, framing her face with her hands and flashing a cherubic smile. ¡°You must see how I look, and think that I¡¯m a perfect angel, ¡®cause you didn¡¯t seem concerned that, when I¡¯m mad¡­¡±

    She whirled hard, her twin pigtails swinging over her shoulder as she stomped her foot again and spat the remainder of the lines down at the prone young dancer with gravel and disgust in her voice.

    ¡°... I¡¯m FUCKING dangerous!¡±

    Ranko shrugged, shaking her head and scoffing into her headset microphone as she regarded Sanyo. ¡°You wanna be the guy for me?¡±

    She covered her sternum with her left hand, covering that with her right, sneering with a little chuckle. ¡°Oh, man! You must be joking! And if I feel your fingers on my ass again¡­¡±

    Ranko lifted her right leg until her knee was almost at eye level, slamming her chunky heel to the stage floor hard mere centimeters from Sanyo¡¯s right hand.

    ¡°... they¡¯ll wind up broken!¡±

    Ranko whirled on her heels, walking away from Sanyo as he sat up on the stage floor. The band all stopped playing as the spotlight followed the singer in the sailor fuku as she made her way to stage right, where a queen-sized bed with a deep purple duvet cover that reached all the way to the stage floor and matching headboard and footboards made of brass bars now stood. Utaru was laying on the bed, on the side furthest from the stage, and Ranko plopped her butt down on the edge of the bed facing the crowd with an exasperated expression on her face.

    The enormous video screen behind the stage came back to life, displaying what looked to be a bedroom wall. There was a window, through which a gloomy, rainy night could be seen, and a framed photo hung on the wall to its right. The identical picture, featuring Ranko, Hana and her sisters - all of them, including Akane - standing in front of the stage before the release party for the Dapper Dragons¡¯ first album, hung on the wall behind the service bar at the Phoenix. It was the same backdrop, and the same bedroom furniture, that had been used during her rendition of There Are No Words.

    She reached behind herself to the far end of the bed, where a half-meter long white plush unicorn leaned against the footboard with a distinct droop in its neck. Ranko scooped it up into her arms and gave the stuffed animal a tight squeeze. She breathed in deep with her nose almost buried in the plush creature¡¯s back, exhaling in a soft sigh as her shoulders slumped. You still smell like Akane, Starlight. Gods, I fucking miss her. Two more days. Two more days, and I can hold her, and tell her I¡¯m sorry, and fix everything I fucked up.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, babe,¡± Utaru asked. He wore no microphone, but the one Masa had hidden in the folds of the duvet cover picked up his voice.

    The crowd rumbled in a bit of unrest; while clearly something was going on onstage, they were more than a little disappointed that fan-favorite Not Yours, Don¡¯t Touch had received only the one verse, and not even so much a chorus.

    ¡°You don¡¯t wanna talk about it, so just forget it, Utaru.¡± Ranko sighed, a hollowness in her voice as she rocked Starlight on her knees.

    ¡°Hey,¡± he said, sitting up on the bed and resting her hand softly on her shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Utaru. If you ask me again, I¡¯m gonna answer you.¡± She stood, leaving Starlight in her place on the bed. There was more than a hint of a threat rising in her voice.

    Utaru slid off the bed to his feet on the other side, such that the bed was between him and Ranko, with Ranko occupying the side closer to the front of the stage. ¡°I mean it, Ranko. Talk to me.¡±

    She took a step forward, spinning almost violently to face Utaru. She threw her hands up in the air in mock frustration as the band resumed playing - but this time, a different tune. Almost instantaneously, Ranko¡¯s voice joined the other four instruments.

    ¡°You say you¡¯re not sorry that we¡¯re lovers, babe. Why¡¯d you hide me underneath the covers, babe?!¡±

    As she sang, a silent prayer rocketed through her head that the Australian building safety inspectors had been thorough. She was relatively certain the Sydney Entertainment Center¡¯s roof was about to come off in a man-made earthquake. Singing over the deafening roar of thirteen thousand Australians, Ranko pressed forward with the lyrics.

    ¡°You tell me I don¡¯t have any flaws, but then, why¡¯s my stuff still locked up in your closet, then?! You tell everybody that there¡¯s no one here, and lock the door and touch me, and it sends me to the stratosphere.¡±

    Utaru rounded the bed, and reached out as if he intended to hug her, but Ranko extended her right arm with her elbow locked and palm extended, indicating he should come no closer.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand the need for this mystique. If I¡¯m so good for you, why do you sneak?!¡±

    The duvet cover of the bed was pulled back from the far side of the bed, raising it from the floor in front like a curtain. It revealed Hitomi and Emi both lying on the stage floor on their stomachs under the bed, facing the crowd with their chins propped up on their palms and their elbows resting on the floor. The two of them harmonized the start of the chorus together in their school uniform costumes without Ranko joining them.

    ¡°Sneak, baby, sneak, baby, don¡¯t get caught!¡±

    Ranko nodded to the girls under the bed, but turned her eyes up to Utaru. ¡°You don¡¯t want anyone to know about this thing we¡¯ve got!¡± She clicked her tongue hard on the T sound at the end of got, almost admonishingly.

    The Dapper Dragons¡¯ two female backup singers swayed their heads side to side in unison from under the bed, as if they were a two-woman bobsled team.

    ¡°Sneak, baby, sneak, baby, don¡¯t tell yet!¡±

    Ranko stepped within arm¡¯s reach of Utaru, reaching up with the back of her hand and pretending to wipe his brow. She flung her hand downward, as if flicking invisible liquid from it, as she sang.

    ¡°... and let ¡®em think it¡¯s just the temperature that makes you sweat!¡±

    The redhead bounded back to center stage, the spotlight following her and leaving both wings of the stage in darkness. She sighed, slumping her shoulders as she spoke to the crowd with no musical backdrop. ¡°Sorry about that, guys. I swear, freakin¡¯ boys! Sometimes ya just wanna¡­¡±

    ¡°Ranko! Hey! C¡¯mere!¡±

    Ranko whipped her head to her left, stalking forward toward the newly-spotlit Sanyo as Crash and Jacob led the musical transition back into the first song of the mashup. He slowly backed away as she approached him with an air of vengeful purpose, as if she meant to strike him.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna tell you one more time, and maybe I¡¯ll get through to you, ¡®cause it¡¯s painfully obvious: you don¡¯t know who you¡¯re talking to!¡±

    She threw her hands to the side, palms upturned and elbows bent, in a you¡¯ve gotta be kidding me shrug. It was unsettling. Sanyo knew she¡¯d scripted the whole thing, and yet, the fury in her eyes was palpably believable. He didn¡¯t like it pointed in his direction.

    ¡°You think that you can corner me on stage and get my kisses, but you¡¯re just the type¡¯a guy who tries to hit the floor¡­¡±

    Ranko turned her back to him, waving him off with the back of her hand over her shoulder. Singing loudly over the cheering crowd, she rolled her eyes with a shake of her head, shrugging with her arms extended at her sides. Her gesture clearly asked the audience, can you believe this guy?

    ¡°... and misses!¡±

    Ranko cackled darkly, turning back to regard Sanyo¡¯s not-entirely-faked expression of fear.

    ¡°I honestly can say I¡¯ve never met someone more lame than you. It¡¯s pretty sad when Super Mario¡¯s got way more game than you!¡± She held out her cupped left hand, rocking her right fist over it as if she were using an invisible Atari joystick.

    Hitomi and Emi, having been freed from under the bed with the help of Norio and Utaru on the darkened left side of the stage, flitted into the spotlight flanking their friend. Emi smirked, popping her hips hard in his direction, and began to sing.

    ¡°We think that you should take a beat.¡±

    Hitomi nodded, leaning her back against Emi¡¯s and crossing her arms over her breasts. ¡°Examine your priorities!¡±

    Ranko pushed between them, one arm on each of their shoulders. ¡°Buy tickets for tomorrow if you¡¯re tryin¡¯ to see more of me, ¡®cause I know that you want me, boy! I un-der-stand!¡±

    Hitomi closed the distance between herself and Sanyo, resting her hand gently on his right shoulder. Emi followed, placing her palm on his back.

    ¡°But we¡¯re gonna have to ask you, boy, to¡­¡±

    The girls orbited him in opposite directions as they sang, never taking their hands off of his body, until both were standing in front of him, between him and Ranko.

    ¡°WATCH! YOUR! HANDS!¡± Some six thousand Firebirds joined the roommates and friends as they roared at Sanyo and shoved him backward.

    ¡°You should know by now, that isn¡¯t so polite to do,¡± Emi offered, wagging her finger side to side centimeters from Sanyo¡¯s face.

    Hitomi nodded, crossing her arms again defiantly and cocking her head crossly in his direction. ¡°Keep your fingers off¡¯a things that don¡¯t belong! To! You!¡±

    Ranko stood on her tiptoes, peeking over Hitomi¡¯s shoulder at him as she swayed her backside in the direction of the crowd. ¡°Boy, I never really liked you that much¡­¡±

    The building shook with some ten thousand voices issuing the same four-word admonition.

    ¡°NOT YOURS! DON¡¯T TOUCH!¡±

    Ranko waved Sanyo off over her shoulder dismissively, and she, Hitomi and Emi strode rightward on the stage, the spotlight following them and leaving Sanyo alone in the dark. A second spotlight sparked to life as the music quieted to just Jacob¡¯s synthesizer. The round beam of white light revealed Utaru, Crash and Shinji huddled together in conversation. The giant screen behind the stage displayed the image of a verdant park, much as the corresponding scene in the Sneak music video had.

    ¡°Yeah, man,¡± Utaru said through the headset microphone he¡¯d donned as Ranko sang the second verse of Not Yours, Don¡¯t Touch. ¡°After the show, we should go get some beers or something. I bet Sydney¡¯s got some great pubs around here.¡±

    As the crowd cheered for their hometown¡¯s drinking scene, Ranko clasped her hands over her heart, looking excitedly up at Utaru. The young dancer made eye contact with her, but then turned his head to Shinji. ¡°There¡¯s gotta be one around here showing the rugby match.¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Shinji said. ¡°You should ask Emi to come with! I think she likes you!¡±

    Ranko¡¯s eyes fell to the stage, slumping with disappointment at having been ignored. Hitomi and Emi both rubbed her back, consoling their friend as Ranko began to sing over Jacob¡¯s synthesizer and his partner¡¯s borrowed drums. There was a sadness in her voice, despite the energy of the bouncy pop rhythm of Sneak.

    ¡°You tell me you¡¯ve started hearing wedding bells. Still, your friends try to hook you up with someone else. When you talk to them, it¡¯s like you don¡¯t know I¡¯m alive. The second that they look away, you push me into overdrive. I can¡¯t help it, falling underneath your spell.¡±

    As she sang, Utaru waved wordlessly to the band¡¯s guitarists and the spotlight followed him as he strode over to Ranko and her friends. He reached out as if to hug her, but Ranko thrust out her right arm, locking her elbow and holding him at bay.

    ¡°You¡¯re the best at kiss, and kiss, and never tell! We¡¯re living in a game of hide-and-seek.¡±

    Emi and Hitomi each leaned on one of Ranko¡¯s shoulders supportively, glaring up at Utaru. ¡°If she¡¯s so good for you, why do you sneak?¡±

    As the girls sang, Ranko hurried back to stage right, laying on the bed on her back as the video screen swapped back to the bedroom wall scene. Her knees bopped left and right, her feet flat on the duvet cover, and she swayed Starlight about on her chest as if the unicorn were dancing along with the music.

    ¡°Sneak, baby, sneak, baby, no one knows how many nights I¡¯ve lay here begging you to hold me close.¡±

    Leaving Starlight at the head of the bed atop the pillows, Ranko rolled over to face the crowd, running her left hand seductively down her side and hooking her thumb under the skirt of her sailor fuku. She wiggled her shoulders, giving herself an almost pinup girl appearance as she sang.

    ¡°Sneak, baby, sneak, baby, tell those lies, and don¡¯t admit the way my body leaves you hypnotized¡­¡±

    Ranko hopped to her feet, reaching under the bed and grabbing a black school satchel which she carried by its handle in her right hand. She moved quickly to center stage, in front of the backdrop of the video screen¡¯s return to the park scene. Hitomi and Emi, each carrying their own black school bags, ran up from the dark to join her, and the three of them walked toward stage left, giggling with each other about some joke they¡¯d not shared with the crowd.

    ¡°Hey, girls!¡± Sanyo, now wearing a navy blue jacket and necktie over a white shirt and blue slacks like a boys¡¯ school uniform, approached the trio. ¡°How¡¯s it goin¡¯, Ranko?¡±

    ¡°Really?!¡± Ranko sighed, rolling her eyes as she lolled her head backward to glare in frustration up at the ceiling of the Sydney Entertainment Center. ¡°Uggghh¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, Ranko,¡± Sanyo pleaded. ¡°Why won¡¯t you just talk to me?¡±

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    Ranko lowered her head into her hand, rubbing her temples in exasperation. ¡°I mean¡­¡±

    Again, Not Yours, Don¡¯t Touch¡¯s snappy beat began pouring from Crash¡¯s guitar and Jacob¡¯s synthesizer.

    ¡±I understand your thinking, dude. You¡¯re digging my aesthetic, but the problem is, your vibe is coming off as just pathetic. I¡¯m too hot for you to handle. Should¡¯ve read the warning label. Forget being unsexy; what you¡¯re doing is unstable!¡±

    Hitomi erupted in a condescending giggle, waving the boy away with the back of her hand. ¡°The fact you even think you¡¯re in her league is just adorable!¡±

    The redhead nodded to Sanyo, motioning to Hitomi in agreement as she crinkled her nose in disgust. ¡°Yeah, dude. I¡¯ve seen you at your best, and boy, your best is fucking horrible!¡±

    Emi wagged her finger in Sanyo¡¯s face again as Ranko turned, seeming to converse with Hitomi about something. ¡°So, think about the way you act, and maybe re-evaluate!¡±

    Ranko turned her back to Sanyo, throwing a dismissive wave over her shoulder as she walked back toward the bedroom scene at stage right. ¡°You can¡¯t get with me for a second, let alone a second date!¡±

    Ugh, I hate this part, Ranko thought as she walked. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s an act. It¡¯s just an act. He¡¯s not gonna touch me.

    Utaru gave her a wave from the bed, where he sat with his back to the headboard, under the purple duvet cover from the waist down.

    Ranko sighed and sat near the footboard, leaning her back on it and scooping Starlight back up into her arms. She laid her legs across the bed with her feet facing Utaru and crossed her ankles, in no small part because Utaru¡¯s position would have otherwise given him a prime viewing angle to her underwear. She affected a sultry expression on her face and turned toward the crowd with her finger laid vertically over her lips.

    ¡°You made me your dirty little secret. Then, you made me your dirty little freak again!¡±

    She framed her face with her hands, letting all traces of naughty ambitions be replaced with a cherubic gentleness as if she were one of the airheaded love interests in one of Kumiko¡¯s manga novels.

    ¡°I¡¯m a good girl, prim and proper innocence¡­¡±

    Ranko reached down, walking the index and middle fingers of her right hand up her bare leg toward her pleated blue miniskirt.

    ¡°They don¡¯t see your fingers creepin¡¯ up my dress. I¡¯ll keep quiet for ya, baby. It¡¯s okay.¡±

    Clasping her hands one atop the other in front of her mouth but leaving enough space for the boom of her headset microphone, Ranko sang in a whispered voice.

    ¡°Hold my breath so they don¡¯t hear you take my breath away.¡±

    She let her neck go limp, leaning back over the footboard and dangling her twin pigtails nearly all the way to the floor of the stage.

    ¡°The way you move my body makes me weak! If I¡¯m so good for you, why do you sneak?¡±

    She rocketed back to an upright seated position so quickly that it almost made her lightheaded, swiveling at the waist to face the crowd. The songstress crossed her hands such as to obscure nearly her entire face from the audience with her fingers extended outward, her right hand in front of the left to hide her wedding ring.

    ¡°Sneak, baby, sneak, baby, hide your face, so no one figures out it¡¯s you touchin¡¯ my¡­¡±

    She moved her crossed hands from her face, crossing them instead over her crotch with an audible gasp.

    ¡°... special place! Sneak, baby, sneak, baby, you¡¯re my dream!¡±

    She scooped Starlight up again, pressing her forehead against the unicorn¡¯s back as she swung her legs off the bed to dangle them a few centimeters from the floor facing the crowd. She kicked her feet excitedly as she hid herself behind her plush companion.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m buried in my pillow when you make me SCREAM!¡±

    Ranko slid off the bed, scurrying back to center stage as the video screen behind her switched back to the anime-style castle backdrop that had been displayed throughout most of Self-Rescuing Princess. There, she found Hitomi and Emi, both with their arms extended and their hands resting on Sanyo¡¯s chest as if holding him back from reaching her. The music once again seamlessly shifted from the bouncy rhythm of Sneak to the harder-edged cadence of Not Yours, Don¡¯t Touch, led largely by Crash¡¯s insistent guitar. Sanyo had removed his jacket and tie, and now wore just the navy slacks and his white short-sleeved button-down shirt with the collar unbuttoned.

    ¡°You thought that you¡¯d convince me, and I¡¯d play your little scene? Well¡­¡± Ranko pointed up at the screen. ¡°You¡¯re in my castle now, and on this stage¡­¡±

    She spread her arms wide as she sang the last four words of the line. Her gesture told the audience exactly what was expected of them, and thousands of voices joined her.

    ¡°ALL HAIL THE QUEEN!¡±

    Hitomi stepped around from Sanyo¡¯s side until she was directly in front of him, moving her head around with a curious expression as if checking him over, like a mother who was concerned her child might be injured.

    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± Hitomi sneered at the young actor darkly. ¡°You¡¯re lookin¡¯ like your confidence is laggin¡¯.¡±

    Ranko clapped her hand on Hitomi¡¯s shoulder, giggling into her headset. ¡°That¡¯s just the price you pay when losers try to dance with Dragons!¡±

    She turned her attention to Sanyo, adopting a sneer of her own. ¡°Dude, I don¡¯t know what went through your head. She¡¯s hot, I¡¯m gonna date her,¡± Ranko sang, affecting a nasal, mocking tone in her voice. As she did, the screen behind her switched back to an image from the fifth song of her set - a single word written in four flaming romaji letters.

    ¡°Boy, my RISE was meteoric¡­¡±

    The four letters of RISE on the screen melted into a single, molten ball at the upper left of the screen, and the animation showed it zooming downward and rightward with a burning trail behind it against a field of stars.

    ¡°Now? I¡¯ll leave you in a crater!¡±

    As Shinji repeated the word crater in his deep bass voice, the fireball disappeared off the screen right behind where Sanyo stood, and the twelve fire jets at the front of the stage ignited.

    ¡°Your lines are tired and laughable. I¡¯m burning with desire?¡±

    As Ranko mocked the pathetic advances of the boy she¡¯d originally written the song for, a great bird of animated orange flame seemingly erupted from the stage floor on the video screen behind her and began circling the screen. The jets of fire subsided, as if their fuel had been consumed in the recreation of the firebird.

    ¡°Bitch, you¡¯re talking to a Phoenix! I was FUCKING BORN IN FIRE!¡±

    The jets of flame all blasted back to their full three-meter height as the ear-splitting screech of a bird of prey pealed from the speakers of the Sydney Entertainment Center. Simultaneously, the phoenix on the video screen spread its wings wide and exploded outward in a brilliant inferno of light.

    ¡°I know that you want me, boy! I un-der-stand! But I¡¯m gonna have to ask you, boy, to watch your hands! You should know by now that isn¡¯t so polite to do. Keep your fingers off of things that don¡¯t belong to you!¡±

    The callback in the chorus came not from any of the three female singers, but from Shinji and Crash, playing their instruments in the shadowed back third of the stage. Shinji sang in his thundering deep bass voice, and it sounded as if the gods themselves were warning poor Sanyo away from his attempts at conquest. ¡°Dude, she¡¯s never gonna like you that much!¡±

    ¡°Not yours,¡± Hitomi sang with a smirk, bending forward at the waist and shaking her finger in Sanyo¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch,¡± Emi finished, holding up her palm in a stop gesture with her arm fully extended toward him. Behind her, the video screen changed again, displaying a huge photo of the back wall behind the little stage the band called home at the Phoenix, complete with beer ads and the band¡¯s logo spray-painted on the wall. It was the same scene that had been displayed during the performance of You Don¡¯t Know Me.

    Utaru rushed up out of the dark to Ranko¡¯s right as Not Yours, Don¡¯t Touch¡¯s rhythm blended seamlessly back into that of Sneak, reaching out as if he wanted to hug her. She turned her back, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to notice how it gets to me that you won¡¯t let them know you¡¯re sleeping next to me. Every heartbeat, I am under your command.¡±

    Ranko turned, reaching for his wrist. Just an act. Just an act.

    ¡°What I¡¯d give if you¡¯d let them see you hold my hand.¡±

    As Hitomi and Emi danced behind her and Sanyo stepped back out of the spotlights, Ranko linked her arm with Utaru, pulling him forward toward the edge of the stage.

    ¡°I¡¯m your candy, baby! Drip me off your arm! Let them talk, babe! We ain¡¯t doin¡¯ nothin¡¯ wrong!¡±

    Utaru wrested his hand free, stepping back away from the edge of the stage. He made a show of turning his face from the audience and covering it with his hand as if trying to hide his identity. The effect made him look like a vampire who had been confronted with garlic and sunlight. Ranko, mock rage in her eyes, whirled on him, stomping her foot and throwing both of her arms downward with her hands balled into fists.

    ¡°You say you think I¡¯m perfect and unique. If I¡¯m so good for you, why do you sneak?!¡±

    The screen behind Ranko changed again, this time showing a view of a different nightclub. Everything was pink and purple, with silhouettes of people on the edges as if they surrounded the stage on which Ranko stood. Bright pink and green laser lights shot periodically across the animated scene. The setup wasn¡¯t an identical representation of the little round stage at Steam, the gay club she and Akane visited on occasion, but it had definitely been inspired by it. The same image had been behind Ranko as she¡¯d sung Turn Me Off/Turn Me On, having been motivated by the raunchy song¡¯s debut at Steam the night of her bachelorette party.

    Sanyo stepped forward, waving his hands in the air as if he was trying to get Ranko¡¯s attention. It was the first time during the mashup performance that both Sanyo and Utaru were visible in the stage lights at once. As he tried to approach Ranko, Emi and Hitomi blocked him, and began to sing to him.

    ¡°Na, na-na, na! Na, na-na, nuh-uh! Na, na-na, na! Na, na-na! Not yours! Na, na-na, na! Na, na-na, nuh-uh! Na, na-na, na! Na, na-na! Not yours!¡±

    Ranko, still facing Utaru, gestured to the audience wildly with her hands. Her pleading gaze implored Utaru¡¯s character to come clean with the thirteen thousand souls that packed the Sydney Entertainment Center that Sunday afternoon.

    ¡°Speak, baby! Speak, baby! Tell them, please, the way your whisper in my ear can put me on my knees! Speak, baby! Speak, baby! Say it¡¯s true that you¡¯re okay with people knowing I belong to you!¡±

    Again, Hitomi and Emi admonished Sanyo to keep his distance with the sing-song chant of the first song¡¯s chorus.

    ¡°Na, na-na, na! Na, na-na, nuh-uh! Na, na-na, na! Na, na-na! Not yours! Na, na-na, na! Na, na-na, nuh-uh! Na, na-na, na! Na, na-na! Not yours!¡±

    As Hitomi and Emi admonished Sanyo, Ranko continued to plead her case for transparency to Utaru, wiggling her hips seductively in place as she sang. ¡°Speak, baby! Speak, baby! Say you¡¯re mine, and send another little shiver up and down my spine! Speak, baby! Speak, baby! Say I¡¯m yours, and I don¡¯t have to be your lover just behind closed doors!¡±

    The backdrop video changed again, now displaying a scene that looked like the interior of a trendy shopping mall. Continuing the theme of recapping of the entire two-hour concert during the encore, the backdrop was the same one that had been shown during Ranko¡¯s performance of Ring, Ring, Ring. With a hard stage shove, Hitomi and Emi drove Sanyo backward out of the spotlight, leaving Ranko alone to sing to Utaru.

    ¡°Not sure how you think we¡¯re gonna hide this thing.¡±

    She held up her left hand with her palm facing herself, pointing to it with her right index finger.

    ¡°I¡¯m damn sure not taking off my wedding ring!¡±

    The audience, nearly none of which had ever heard the extended, live-only lyrics to Sneak, were almost universally on their feet, roaring in excitement.

    ¡°Hold me down, ¡®cause it¡¯s getting hard to explain all those claw marks dug into the mattress frame! I can¡¯t keep our love a secret anymore! I know they can hear me screaming from next door!¡±

    Emi walked over to the ¡°couple,¡± nodding in agreement. ¡°Yeah! Every time you make the headboard creak¡­¡±

    Hitomi joined her, throwing a shrug and an oh well grimace in Ranko¡¯s direction. ¡°... it gets a bit more obvious you sneak!¡±

    Behind the performers, the video screen took on the appearance of a high school sports stadium, showing a distant scoreboard featuring a team called the Dragons with fifty points, and a team called the Pandas with zero. Beneath the scoreboard and the animated stadium lights, a crowd of hundreds of hand-animated fans waved flags and cheered inaudibly, just as they had during the performance of B-O-U-N-C-E two songs ago.

    ¡°But -¡±

    Sanyo stepped back into the spotlight, and Ranko whirled on him fast enough to throw both of her loose twin pigtails over her shoulder as Hitomi and Emi corralled Utaru backward. The girls held Utaru¡¯s arms tight at his sides, as if they were trying to keep him from physically attacking Sanyo.

    Before Sanyo could say another word, Ranko launched into yet more new lyrics, these set to the rhythm of Not Yours, Don¡¯t Touch. A well-acted fury burned in her eyes as she charged the few steps forward to get right in her backup dancer¡¯s face.

    ¡°Just saying no should be enough, no matter what the reason is! I shouldn¡¯t have to prove to you I won¡¯t be yours, by being his!¡± Ranko gestured behind herself at Utaru as the crowd whooped in support of her right to choose.

    ¡°So, get it through your head, because this girl is off the menu!¡±

    Ranko gestured to Sanyo¡¯s head with her right hand, mere centimeters from him. Her hips never stopped swaying, the short blue skirt of her seifuku flaring around her thighs.

    ¡°Take your greasy hair, and pervert stares, and find another venue!¡±

    As Hitomi, Emi and Utaru danced in the periphery of the spotlight, Ranko turned her back to Sanyo, covering her mouth with her left hand and placing her right on her stomach as if she felt ill.

    ¡°The thought of laying next to you just makes me wanna vomit.¡±

    She slid her hand downward from her mouth, tracing it teasingly down her breasts and her stomach as she flashed the audience a sultry, desirous smile. Her singing voice became almost a purr.

    ¡°I deserve someone who makes me come¡­¡±

    She spun around on her heels, raising her voice and stomping forward toward Sanyo as the animation of the meteor from a few verses ago played behind her on the eight-meter video screen again.

    ¡°... more often than a comet!¡±

    As the animated meteor ¡°struck¡± the stage, all twelve flamethrowers at the front of the stage ignited, and the screen changed from the space scene to the fiery hellscape of brimstone and lava that had backed Demon in Your Radio at the very beginning of the show.

    ¡°It¡¯s time for you to let this go, and stop all this insanity! If I were the last girl alive, your FACE would END HUMANITY!¡±

    As the crowd erupted, Ranko spun back to Utaru as Hitomi and Emi danced behind her. The video screen¡¯s image changed again, this time displaying a sea of thousands of lit white candles, as it had done during You¡¯re My Song.

    ¡°Sneak, baby, sneak, baby! You don¡¯t mind, but I¡¯m dying inside trying to deny you¡¯re mine!¡±

    Emi and Hitomi rounded on Sanyo as he stepped forward into the spotlight again. ¡°We know that you want her, boy! We understand! But we¡¯re gonna have to ask you, boy, to watch your hands¡­¡±

    Ranko threw her arm behind her, motioning angrily to Sanyo as she sang facing Utaru. ¡±Sneak, baby, sneak, baby! Hey, we tried, but I have to deal with this shit every day we hide!¡±

    Ranko¡¯s backup singers continued the chorus of Not Yours, Don¡¯t Touch, gesturing with their hands to Sanyo as they danced. ¡°You should know by now that isn¡¯t so polite to do, and even if she could, she wouldn¡¯t wanna be with you!¡±

    The redhead¡¯s voice raised in volume as she prepared to finish the song, turning to sing directly to the crowd for almost the first time throughout the entire final song.

    ¡°I¡¯ve done my best at playing mild and meek, but the guys can¡¯t keep their eyes off my physique!¡±

    As she sang, Utaru approached her on her right, and Sanyo on her left, with Emi and Hitomi flanking them. Ranko extended her right arm outward to point to Utaru.

    ¡°All I want is you beside me!¡±

    She whipped her head to the left, reaching out her other arm toward Sanyo.

    ¡°All they want¡¯s to be inside me!¡±

    Ranko turned to face the crowd, spreading her arms in a can you believe this shit? gesture as she hung her head.

    ¡°Do you see what I go through because we sneak?!¡±

    She turned to face the crowd again, all five of the performers waved to the roaring audience as the band behind them switched back to the poppy piano rhythm song that had been originally interrupted with the encore.

    With an open hand and a bright smile, Ranko gestured to the boy she¡¯d been tormenting for the last ten minutes. ¡°Sanyo Arima, everybody! Give him some love; he¡¯s been such a good sport.¡± She stepped closer, giving him a friendly hug; it was the least she could do after berating his character for ten minutes.

    After releasing him, Ranko turned back to the crowd, beaming with joy as she finally finished the song the encore had interrupted.

    ¡°Now, I¡¯m livin¡¯ out my fantasy! Don¡¯t know how it happened to a girl like me, but thanks to you, my happy ever after happens whoa-AAAAAALLL the ti-i-i-i-me!¡±

    The music finally ended, and Crash slumped his shoulders in exhaustion after ten minutes of nearly continuous play. Zoe rotated their arms, trying to find a comfortable position for their shoulders after pounding on the drums for as long as they had. Unlike their boyfriend and his bandmates, Zoe did not have months of practice in which to become acclimated to the pace and build endurance for two hours of continuous performance.

    ¡°Good night, Sydney! WE LOVE YOU!¡± Ranko yelled out to the crowd, waving with both of her hands and blowing kisses to the various corners of the audience until the music stopped and the stage lights all blinked out at once. All twelve of the fire jets at the front of the stage blasted upward one final time. They, along with the video screen behind the stage that had returned to displaying Ranko¡¯s signature in the band¡¯s logo, provided the only light that silhouetted the performers, leaving Ranko to sing the final line of the concert in a high-pitched, almost ethereal voice with no musical accompaniment in the dark.

    ¡°Once upon a rhy-y-y-yme¡­"

    <hr>

    Ranko giggled, smiling brightly for a photo with her arm around a blonde girl in a pink taffeta dress and throwing two fingers in the air. She wore an olive green long-sleeved sweater dress, borrowed from Emi, as the air conditioning in the VIP lounge was set far too cold for a girl with full-body cat¡¯s tongue skin to be comfortable in a sailor fuku.

    ¡°What''s your name,¡± Ranko asked the teen in English as she uncapped a silver fine-point marker in her hands.

    ¡°E-elisa,¡± the girl stammered.

    ¡°Ooh, that''s a pretty name! Did you like the show, Elisa?¡± As she spoke, Ranko signed the black Wildfire Tour tee shirt the seventeen-year-old had handed her, not forgetting to add the little heart at the end of her name.

    ¡°It was great! I loved Self-Rescuing Princess,¡± Elisa replied, fawning over the starlet''s personalized autograph.

    Ranko blushed. ¡° Yeah? It''s one of my favorites, too!¡± She leaned back on the blue velvet couch in the VIP lounge. The room was filled with a small number of fans who had paid extra for backstage passes for a meet-and-greet after the show, as the band had done after many of the shows on the first leg of the Wildfire Tour.

    ¡°Is it weird, breaking your shoes like that after the song,¡± Elisa asked. ¡°I couldn¡¯t imagine.¡±

    Ranko blushed, laughing brightly. ¡°Eh, we got a whole case of ¡®em we travel with. I break the left one on odd dates and the right one on the evens. And I mean, yeah, they¡¯re pretty¡­¡± She leaned in close, crinkling her nose a bit as she shook her head. ¡°... but they¡¯re not very comfortable at all.¡±

    Hitomi and Emi were giggling with a cadre of four women their age, all in tight-fitting dresses. Judging by their behavior, Ranko strongly suspected at least one of them had smuggled a flask of something into the show in their purse. A twenty-something platinum blonde was sitting on Shinji''s lap in a plush red chair, and from the look of her, and the way Shin was looking at her, Ranko guessed she was about ten minutes from being invited back to the band¡¯s hotel.

    ¡°Dammit! Again?!¡± Crash pulled out the buzzing plastic pager from the pocket of his denim jacket, pushing a button to display the number calling him. ¡°Five times in two fucking hours! It''s not like she doesn''t know when we¡¯re on stage!¡± He pressed the button again to scroll through the calls he¡¯d missed, and a puzzled expression began to cross his face.

    Ranko cackled mockingly at her browbeaten friend. ¡°Clearly, needy girl is needy. You''d better go call her already, before she buys a plane ticket to come down here and fetch your ass, dude!¡± She shook her head with a smile. Being just a little clingy there, Uk-chan. But it''s cute. Kinda wish Akane were making half as much of an effort right about now. But at least we¡¯ll be home the day after tomorrow, and we can finally sit down and sort our shit out. She said I don¡¯t have anything to worry about, and we¡¯re just gonna talk it out when I get home.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Crash said quizzically, his voice raising in puzzled concern. ¡°I¡¯ll be¡­ right back.¡± He slipped out of the lounge, leaving the door open and asking a security guard posted in the hallway for directions to the nearest pay telephone.

    ¡°Zo, you were so great tonight. Thanks so much for stepping up again. You really saved our asses out there, just like in Brisbane.¡± Ranko gave a thumbs-up to the pink-haired young drummer cuddling with Jacob on the gray loveseat in the corner of the lounge.

    ¡°Too right! It¡¯s been great, gettin¡¯ to rock with you guys like ¡®at,¡± Zoe sighed happily as Jacob squeezed them around the shoulders. ¡°Gotta say, not how I thought I¡¯d spend me weekend, but I figger it beats sittin¡¯ on me couch starin¡¯ at the telly.¡± They laughed loudly, leaning into Jacob¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Though, I can barely lift me arms! Playin¡¯ for you¡¯s a workout, Blue!¡± They sat up excitedly, taking a marker from a young Aussie boy and signing their name to his Wild Orchid poster despite having had nothing to do with the album¡¯s production.

    Another of the forty or so fans milling around the room approached Ranko. He was a debonair-looking man in his late twenties clad in a navy blue polo shirt, a gray pinstripe sport coat and matching slacks. He had a square chin covered with day-old orange stubble. ¡°Miss Tendo?¡±

    Ranko waved at him with the back of her hand. ¡°I''m in way too good of a mood for that Miss Tendo shit. Call me Ranko.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Ranko,¡± the handsome ginger man said with a blush, holding out the cellophane-wrapped bundle of lavender-colored orchids in his hand with a loud crinkling sound. ¡°For you.¡±

    It was Ranko¡¯s turn to blush. ¡°Aww! That was so sweet of you! Thank you!¡± Please don''t ask me out. Please don''t ask me out. Did you literally not listen to the last ten minutes of the show?

    He smiled brightly, starting to bow. Ranko presumed he meant to try and respect her culture, but he looked more like an American pretending to be an English butler than a polite Japanese man in doing so. ¡°I was wondering if you wo¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay! Thanks a lot, everybody!¡± Crash called loudly in English as he returned, leaning into the room from the open doorway. ¡°We¡¯re gonna shut it down for the night. We really appreciate you coming out for the show. Good night!¡±

    The man handed the flowers to Ranko, turning angrily to her guitarist. ¡°Hey! The tickets said the lounge would be open for an hour, and it''s only been¡­¡±

    ¡°I said, everybody GET OUT!¡± Crash roared, his customer service patience quickly giving way to the urgency building in his eyes, and every conversation in the room ceased at once.

    The ginger man in the suit gave Crash a dirty look as he pushed past him into the hallway. ¡°Fuckin¡¯ drongo.¡±

    It took a few more moments for the room to clear of fans, and as Ranko looked up to her guitarist, the mirth in her eyes gave way to concern, and then to terror. In the nearly three years she¡¯d known her best friend, she had never seen a look like that in his eyes, and not since the day he¡¯d broken Takao Tashima¡¯s nose had she heard him raise his voice like that. ¡°Crash, what¡­¡±

    Crash closed the door behind him, leaning his back against it. His eyes panned from one band member to the next, as if deciding whether each should be allowed to stay. Seemingly satisfied that they all should, Crash¡¯s gaze turned to Ranko, his face ashen, and he took a step closer to the couch where she sat.

    ¡°Crash, please. What¡¯s going on? You''re scaring me.¡± Ranko¡¯s voice quavered as she set the flowers on the couch next to her, sitting up straight and watching with wide eyes as her friend dropped to one knee on the berber carpet in front of the couch and placed his hand softly on her right knee. The blond man looked simultaneously gutted and frantic, and he blinked a tear out of his eye as he looked up into his friend¡¯s terrified face to confirm that she was right to worry.

    ¡°Ranko, listen to me, hon. I need you to grab your stuff. We need to get you on a plane. Tonight. Right now.¡± Crash spoke in the gentlest voice he could manage as his bandmates looked on in worried silence.

    ¡°We¡¯ve gotta get you home.¡±

    ~~ END BOOK ELEVEN ~~

 61. Broken Hearts

    Phoenix Odyssey

    Book XII: Mekong

    Akane sighed in exhaustion, leaning wearily on the open door frame. Fuck, I need to find a minute and try to get a quick nap.

    She gazed with bleary eyes into room sixteen of the Ikebara Hospital intensive care unit, where her wife¡¯s mother lay connected to every conceivable piece of medical equipment. There was a blood pressure cuff on her left arm, a pulse oximeter on the index finger of her right hand, and intravenous lines protruding from the insides of both of her elbows. A thick, clear plastic tube lined with ridges disappeared down her throat, secured around her lips with white medical tape. For the moment, all of the vitals on the monitors read green, and no alarms were blaring save the once-per second monotone beep of the electrocardiogram machine monitoring Hana¡¯s heart rhythms and the periodic alerts of the ventilator.

    Akane¡¯s own heart, meanwhile, lay not much further away.

    Curled up as tight as could be managed against the chill of the hospital room, and pressed against her mother¡¯s body on the corner of the narrow hospital bed with her cheek resting on the back of Hana¡¯s right hand, lay a young woman in an olive green sweater dress. Her red hair was terribly matted after a fitful hour of sleep curled up in less than a meter of space at Hana¡¯s side - not to mention ten hours on an intercontinental red-eye flight - the hair-styling product that had been applied in a hotel room in Australia helping it hold its disheveled form. She still wore the white high-top heels from her performance of Once Upon a Rhyme. She was wrapped in Hana¡¯s black leather jacket, having curled as much of herself under it as possible both for its warmth, and for the sense of safety she felt at its very scent - a sanctuary and serenity that was in short supply for Ranko Tendo and everyone in her family that night. A stuffed unicorn peeked its head out from under her right arm, tucked between her body and Hana¡¯s.

    I hate to wake her, but¡­

    ¡°Hey, Ranko,¡± Akane whispered, touching her wife gently on the shoulder.

    After two more gentle shakes, Ranko opened her eyes, lifting her head off her mother''s hand. ¡°Hi, Akane. I''m¡­ I''m sorry I didn''t come home. I had the cab bring me straight here from the airport.¡± She smiled blearily, blinking the sleep from her eyes as she started to sit up.

    Akane nodded, offering her wife her hand and motioning to the door with her neck. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I was here, anyway. Let''s go talk for a minute. Let her rest.¡±

    Ranko bobbed her head gently, carefully extracting herself from the hospital bed and ensuring she was not entangled in any of the tubes and wires connected to the medical equipment. ¡°Watch over her for me, Starlight,¡± Ranko whispered pleadingly, leaving her unicorn companion to keep vigil at her adoptive mother¡¯s bedside. She took Akane¡¯s hand, walking with her out into the hall and pulling the door mostly closed behind her.

    Akane wore a set of pale blue scrubs, her hospital credentials clipped to her breast pocket on a retracting cord, and a pair of gray sneakers that had been white once. She looked like she hadn''t slept in days, her bloodshot eyes struggling to even focus on the love of her life as Ranko regarded her. ¡°Sorry I wasn¡¯t up here earlier. I was down in the cafeteria getting something to eat. I don¡¯t know when you ate last, but they¡¯ve got a pretty decent grilled salmon tonight if you¡¯re hungry.¡±

    Ranko shrugged through a wide yawn. ¡°I¡¯m not. I don¡¯t even know what time it is. My plane got in about 3:30, and I came straight here. There wasn¡¯t anybody around to ask what¡¯s going on, so I just¡­ laid with her. I didn¡¯t know what else to do. Akane, what the hell happened?¡±

    Akane sighed wearily. ¡°She had a heart attack at her desk at the bar, about two o¡¯clock this afternoon. We called an ambulance and got her here. They stabilized her and did a bunch of tests, and the last I heard, they were still waiting for the results to come back. I don¡¯t know many more details than that yet.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised the other girls aren¡¯t here,¡± Ranko said with a tinge of frustration in her voice. I flew ten hours to be here, and they couldn¡¯t find a taxi to come a few blocks?!

    Ranko¡¯s wife gave a slow nod. ¡°It¡¯s not their fault. They¡¯re only letting one of us in there at a time, so I ran home and put on my scrubs after they got her settled. When they see I¡¯m on staff with the hospital, they usually don¡¯t count me as a visitor even though they know I¡¯m family. Mei was planning to be here a little while ago, but since you were already here, I called her and told her to get a little more sleep and take the next shift instead so you could have some time.¡±

    ¡°Is everybody else¡­¡± Ranko¡¯s sentence was interrupted with another yawn and a stretch, but Akane got the idea.

    ¡°We¡¯re doing,¡± Akane said, leaning heavily on the wall of the hallway. ¡°Mei, Izzi and Aya have all been up here throughout the day. Yui¡­ she¡¯s a mess, babe. She¡¯s the one that found Mom.¡±

    ¡°Do we have to¡­ worry about her? With¡­ ya know?¡± Ranko cringed, not wanting to even speak her concerns into the universe, but she mimed toward her mouth with her hand as if she were lifting an invisible drinking glass to her lips.

    Akane shrugged with a weary shake of her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, princess. Maybe. But Yui¡¯s gonna have to be strong and take care of herself for the time being. We¡¯ve got our hands full looking out for Mom.¡±

    Ranko bit her lip, tentatively stepping closer to her wife. She was hesitant to reach out for her, much though every thought in her head, every feeling in her heart and every nerve in her body was screaming at her to do so. She¡¯s probably still mad at me. We haven¡¯t spoken in weeks, and now, it has to be like this.

    ¡°How are you doing? Are you okay?¡± Ranko lifted her shaking hand to her lips, trying not to let Akane see her frayed nerves in her facial expression. She was failing miserably at her attempt to hide her worries, both for Hana, and for the state of her marriage.

    Akane nodded slowly, her voice hollow and worn. ¡°I¡¯ll be alright. I¡¯m just bone-tired. I¡¯ve been here for¡­¡± She checked her watch with another heavy sigh. ¡°... almost fifteen hours.¡±

    The redhead winced, leaning on the wall next to her wife. Her back covered a poster describing the hospital¡¯s procedure for patient evacuations during a fire. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go home and rest? If everybody else is taking shifts, you don''t need to stay the whole time.¡±

    With a shake of her head, Akane turned to face her partner. ¡°I promised you I¡¯d watch over your family until you got home, didn¡¯t I? I wasn¡¯t about to stop now.¡±

    Ranko gasped quietly, covering her mouth with her hand again. ¡°Akane, I¡­¡±

    Akane put her hand up, and Ranko trailed off to listen. ¡°Ranko, look. I love you. I''m sorry I didn''t take your calls. I was angry and I was¡­ a lot of things, really, but none of that shit matters right now. We can talk about it later if you want, but it¡¯s not important. Right now, our focus needs to be on all of this, and on Mom. You don''t have anything to worry about with us. We¡¯re okay, you and me, and I don¡¯t want you walking on eggshells on top of everything else you¡¯re worried about. I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re here now.¡±

    Ranko rushed forward, pulling Akane into the tightest hug the elder girl had ever felt in her life. ¡°Akane, I love you so much. I¡¯m so sorry about everything. I missed you every single second.¡±

    Akane nodded, her chin bouncing gently on Ranko¡¯s shoulder through her mother¡¯s jacket. ¡°I missed you too, princess.¡± She released her wife, wrapping her hand around three of Ranko¡¯s fingers. ¡°I''m sorry you had to fly back like that, not knowing what things were gonna be like when you landed. That had to have been the loneliest ten hours of your life.¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Ranko sighed. She wasn''t sure how Akane would take the information she had to share, but the last thing she needed at the moment was dishonesty between herself and her wife, especially where boys were concerned.

    ¡°I¡­ wasn''t alone. Crash flew back with me, so I wouldn''t have to be by myself. I hope that¡¯s okay. He was gonna start calling around, waking up Nabiki and the Yokai people to start trying to figure out what to do about tomorrow''s show. The rest of the band - except for Ken, of course - is still in Sydney. I left my bags and everything behind. Even Joey. I left right from the show. Emi¡¯s gonna get my stuff and Crash¡¯s together and bring it back with her. I think the plan is still for them to take their original flights back, but I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    ¡°Joey?¡± Akane raised an eyebrow with a little smirk.

    The redhead blushed furiously, managing a restrained laugh. ¡°New stuffy. He¡¯s a kangaroo. There¡¯s a whole story. Don¡¯t ask. Jake¡¯s never gonna let me live it down as it is.¡±

    Akane responded with a small smile. ¡°O¡­ kay? Remind me to thank Crash later. Coming back with you like that¡­ that was sweet of him to do.¡±

    ¡°He was really¡­ I think you¡¯d have been proud of him, the way he looked out for me tonight. But you¡­ you''re not mad? After what we talked about in Hawai¡¯i¡­¡± Ranko¡¯s eyes were wide with worry, but Akane gave her hand another gentle squeeze.

    ¡°I''d have given anything to be there for you, to hold you, when you heard what happened. If I couldn¡¯t be there, I¡¯m glad he was. He¡¯s a good guy. A good friend. I¡¯m so grateful that you weren¡¯t alone tonight.¡±

    Ranko nodded in relief and a bit of incredulity. ¡°Yeah, me too. I was so scared I wouldn¡¯t get here in time.¡±

    ¡°I know, baby. I was holding my breath until you got here. But you did.¡± Akane gestured to the slightly-ajar door of the intensive care unit with her neck. ¡°And she knows you¡¯re here. I¡¯m sure of it. I looked at her chart not that long ago, and right around the time you got here, her blood pressure and everything came back down into normal range. It¡¯s like she was waiting for you to get home safe before she could rest.¡±

    ¡°Does that happen? When people are¡­ out of it like that?¡± Ranko looked at her mother curiously through the observation window.

    ¡°Apparently. I¡¯ve heard too many people that work here talk about stuff like that for it to be a coincidence. She must have just wanted all her girls with her. Like she always has.¡± Akane gestured to her wife, and the long, knee-length green dress she wore under her mother¡¯s leather coat. The too-long sleeves of Hana¡¯s jacket nearly obscured her hands. ¡°New dress? Haven¡¯t seen that one before.¡±

    The redhead shook her head. ¡°Borrowed it from Emi. Like I said, I left for the airport right from the show, and didn¡¯t really feel like flying in a sailor fuku.¡±

    The taller girl blushed a bit. ¡°Can¡¯t say I blame you for that one. Man, the Yokai people are gonna be pissed that they have to cancel tomorrow''s show.¡± Akane sighed, slumping heavily onto a wooden bench without a back in the intensive care unit hallway.

    The redhead joined her on the bench, resting her head softly on Akane¡¯s shoulder. ¡°They can cancel the whole fucking tour; I don''t care. As it is, they got two more shows than they would have if Zoe hadn''t bailed us out when Ken got sick. The gods themselves couldn''t have kept me from getting on that plane tonight. I''ll worry about the tour later, once Mom is back on her feet.¡± Ranko sighed, looking up at the display outside the room mirroring her mother¡¯s vital signs. ¡°If she gets back on her feet.¡±

    Akane smiled reassuringly, patting her wife softly on the hand as it rested on her left knee. ¡°Are you kidding me? That''s Hana Takahashi in there. The gods of Death came looking for her tonight, and got sent back to the underworld empty-handed with a limp and a black eye for their trouble. She has no business being alive, but here she is. That woman is made of fucking titanium.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I just hope that''s enough. Akane, I need her. I waited my whole life to have a real mom. I''m not ready to lose her yet. I don¡¯t think I ever will be.¡± Ranko looked up to her wife with terror in her eyes, unsure if she really wanted the answer she was about to ask for. ¡°You know medical stuff. Be honest with me. Is¡­ is Mom gonna die?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know, baby. But maybe he does.¡± Akane stood quickly from her seat next to her wife, stabilizing herself as she wobbled on her feet with the sudden head rush. Fuck, I gotta get some sleep. ¡°Doctor Okano!¡± Akane waved to an elderly man in a white lab coat as he headed from the staff lounge toward the nurses¡¯ station. ¡°Could we get a moment, please?¡±

    The stumpy man approached, greeting the pair with a gentle, grandfatherly smile that put Ranko a little bit more at ease despite the grim tidings he might well bear. ¡°Hello, Miss Tendo. And this is¡­?¡±

    Akane winced slightly. ¡°Ranko. Another of my sisters.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, the singer! Your sister Izumi was telling me about you earlier. I''m glad to see you made it back from¡­ Australia, was it?¡± The doctor punctuated his words with a gentle nod of approval.

    ¡°Doctor,¡± Ranko pleaded. ¡°What happened? Is my mom gonna¡­¡± She could not bear to say the word aloud again.

    ¡°So, your mother¡¯s had a heart attack,¡± the doctor began. ¡°A pretty nasty one, from the looks of it. We are still working through a battery of tests to see how much damage there is to her heart. The good news is, she''s through the worst of it. These things can happen in clusters, and so the name of the game now is keeping a close eye on things to make sure she doesn''t have a secondary attack. If we can keep that from happening, she¡¯s not likely to get any worse. The bad news is, we don''t know how long she wasn¡¯t breathing before your sisters found her, and prolonged lack of oxygen can cause all sorts of long-term issues. We won''t have a clear picture about what, if any, lasting damage was done until she wakes up and we can try to talk to her. She''s awfully lucky she has a daughter with medical training, though.¡± He looked up, smiling proudly at Akane. ¡°If your sister hadn¡¯t been there to perform CPR, we would be having a very different conversation right now.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s head whipped around to her side, looking up at Akane with eyes the size of saucers as if her wife had just transcended into godhood. ¡°Akane?! You¡­ you saved her?!¡±

    Akane nodded gently. ¡°I hope so.¡±

    ¡°But that means¡­¡± Ranko gasped, covering her gaping mouth with her trembling fingers. ¡°... if you had been in Australia with me like I asked, Mom¡­ would have¡­¡±

    Akane bit her lip hard, and could only give another soft nod. ¡°Maybe.¡±

    Ranko threw herself at her wife, squeezing her so tightly around the neck that Akane thought her head might pop off. ¡°Akane, thank you! Thank you so, so, so much!¡±

    The black-haired girl sighed, hugging her back. ¡°Hey, c¡¯mon. What else was I gonna do? She''s my mom too, ya know.¡±

    ¡°It would have been my fault,¡± Ranko said, a tremble in her voice. ¡°She¡¯d be dead because I threw a hissy fit about being lonely. Gods, how could I¡­¡±

    Akane shook her head, her eyes darting to the doctor without facing away from Ranko as if trying to remind Ranko to watch what she said in present company. ¡°Ran-chan, don¡¯t think like that. None of us could have known she was gonna get sick. It wouldn¡¯t have been anybody¡¯s fault. We just got lucky that things happened the way they did. Let¡¯s just take the win.¡±

    Dr. Okano continued, pulling Hana¡¯s medical chart binder from an acrylic bin mounted to the wall outside her room and flipping through it as he spoke. ¡°Anyway, assuming we get her through this, she''s gonna have to make a few changes. Diet, exercise, rest, those sorts of things. Can she count on you girls to help make sure she does that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Both girls emphatically voiced their acceptance of responsibility, though neither had the slightest clue how anyone would get Hana Takahashi to do anything she didn''t want to do.

    The doctor smiled gently at their enthusiasm. ¡°Well, one of the biggest things she¡¯s gonna need is a lot of love and help while she fights back from this, and judging by all of you ladies I¡¯ve seen watching over her tonight, she¡¯s going to be in excellent hands. But, look, girls. No offense intended, but you both look like you haven''t slept in a month. We¡¯re going to keep her sedated for the next two days or so, to watch her and give her time to recover. After that, we¡¯ll stop the medication, and she could wake up in five minutes, or¡­¡± He sighed worriedly. ¡°... longer. Why don''t you go home and get some rest, and we¡¯ll call you if there''s any change?¡±

    Ranko shook her head. ¡°I''m staying. I''ll sleep on the floor if I have to.¡± She turned her eyes to Akane. ¡°You should go home. I got a little bit of sleep on the plane, at least.¡±

    Akane reached down, squeezing Ranko''s hand. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in weeks. If you¡¯re staying, I¡¯m staying.¡±

    ¡°Then, it¡¯s settled.¡±

    Ranko and Akane both looked up at the source of the new voice, smiling at the bobbing pair of blue pigtails approaching them down the long white hallway.

    ¡°Both of you go get some sleep. I¡¯ve got the watch.¡± Mei grinned gently, reaching out and pulling Ranko into a soft hug, careful not to spill the styrofoam coffee cup in her hand on her sister¡¯s back or let it touch her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry it had to be like this, little sister, but welcome home.¡±

 62. Picking Up the Pieces

    Yui sighed, tossing her keys on the bar top and looking around the empty room. Everything was exactly as it had been left the night before. She didn¡¯t bother turning on the lights as she walked in and began surveying the state of the place.

    No one had put away the banner for the now-aborted surprise party. The dried-out green marker Mei had been using to color it lay uncapped on the edge of the countertop, and the stool she¡¯d been sitting on when Yui screamed still lay on its side on the floor. The dishwasher behind the bar stood part way open, having never been run with the last load of glasses from two nights ago. A pair of flies crawled on the tray of strawberries that had been prepared for garnishes.

    Ignoring the front of the house for the moment, Yui pushed through the blue half-door into the back room, peering cautiously into her mother¡¯s office. A pilsner glass, which yesterday had contained the Regular Girl cocktail she¡¯d intended for her mother to try, had rolled to a stop on its side on the corner of the desk, its contents having mostly soaked into the dingy brown area rug that dominated the center of the room. Scattered envelopes and papers lay strewn all around the chair on the floor where they¡¯d been knocked down as Akane pulled Hana from her position slumped over the desk to perform chest compressions on the dingy old throw rug. Akane¡¯s quick action had saved her mother¡¯s life.

    At least, Yui prayed that it had.

    Continuing back to the kitchen, the blonde bartender cringed. The smell was awful, especially the raw chicken and the container of milk that had been left on the counter overnight. The bag of flour that Ayako had been using to make batter for the chicken lay on its side, partially spilled out onto the stainless steel countertop. Yui checked all the knobs along the back wall; at least her sisters had remembered to turn off the gas appliances and the pizza oven in their rush to lock up and follow the ambulance to the hospital in Ayako¡¯s black sedan.

    With a heavy sigh, Yui pulled her black motorcycle helmet off of her head, setting it on one of the stools on the near side of the prep counter in the kitchen.

    Where do I even start with all this?

    She glanced up at the clock. Shit. Three hours until¡­ The blonde cringed, shaking the thought from her head. Who the fuck am I kidding? We¡¯re not opening tonight. None of us have slept, and none of us¡­ Fuck, none of us can even breathe. Not without her. Not until we know she¡¯s okay.

    Yui sighed in the silence, pulling on a pair of heavy yellow latex gloves that she retrieved from the cabinet under the sink. No way around but through, I guess. Let¡¯s deal with the smell first.

    She poured the spoiled milk out into the large basin sink, rinsing it down with water from the faucet and capping the empty container. Yui nearly gagged from the stench of it, covering her nose and mouth with her gloved hand as she tossed the flattened container into the large round trash can next to the prep counter. She took a moment to unbolt the steel door leading out to the alley, swinging it open and jamming one of the white plastic chairs in the alley under the door handle to keep it propped ajar. Gods, I gotta get some fresh air in here.

    Turning to the prep counter, Yui dumped the trays of chicken into the black liner of the wheeled, sky-blue trash can, banging each loudly on the rim of the can to unstick the slimy breasts without touching them. She stacked the three aluminum trays, propping them on their sides in the wash basin. There¡¯s gonna be more dishes; I¡¯ll do them all at once, she thought.

    Cupping her left hand, she dragged the edge of her palm over the steel counter, brushing the majority of the spilled flour into the trash can before righting the flour container and resealing it. This should be fine; it was only open for a few hours. She returned the plastic bag to its place under the prep counter.

    While it was going to be a lot of work to get the place cleaned up by herself, Yui didn¡¯t mind doing it. The rest of her sisters were taking shifts at the hospital - even Ranko, who had somehow gotten a last-minute overnight flight home from Sydney the night before. That poor thing, sitting for ten hours on a plane alone not knowing if Mama was gonna be alive or dead when she landed. Yui hadn¡¯t seen Ranko yet, as she¡¯d been avoiding the hospital. She knew she should go. She knew she should take a shift. She knew she should be there when Hana woke. She just couldn¡¯t. She couldn¡¯t see her mother like that; all those tubes and wires and¡­ No. It would make her look¡­ mortal. Yui couldn¡¯t stand it. She¡¯d left the hospital as soon as the doctors told them only one family member could be present at a time, and still felt terribly guilty for having been relieved to have an excuse to get out of that place.

    She picked up the large plastic spice shakers, capping them and returning them to the steel rail mounted to the wall. That done, she made for the little alcove on the right side of the hallway, pulling out a yellow broom. Not much point in a dustpan; the back door¡¯s open anyhow. I¡¯ll just sweep it outside. She set about doing exactly that, getting the majority of the flour that had spilled to the floor pushed out the door into the alleyway where the next rain would wash it away. The kitchen needs a mop too, but I¡¯ll do that last. I gotta be able to walk in here without slipping.

    She scanned the room with a sigh. Okay. For a first pass, this is good enough, I guess.

    Yui stalked down the hallway back toward the bar room. The liquor storage closet was unlocked, so she pushed it closed and pushed the brass padlock back through the loop to hold it closed. She turned to the opposite side of the hallway, hesitating in the doorway. The white linoleum floor of the hallway was marred with two black trails left behind by the rubber wheels of the gurney the paramedics had wheeled into the bar to bear Hana out to the ambulance.

    Come on, Yui. Be a big girl. You can do this.

    She stepped hesitantly into her mother¡¯s office, looking around. Okay. There¡¯s the papers on the floor, the glass. It¡¯s not too bad in here, I suppose. Her eyes fell on her mother¡¯s chair, which lay on its side on the floor against the back wall with the seat facing outward. Akane had turned it to get Hana out of her chair and onto the floor, and it had fallen over when her mother had been lifted out of it.

    Yui shuddered at the sight of it. Her mind echoed with the memory of her own screams, pleading for her mother to wake up and begging the woman who had fought so hard for Yui¡¯s life and the lives of all of her sisters to fight for her own. She sat down on the battered leather couch, resting her elbows on her knees and letting her head drop into her hands as she stared at the empty black desk chair.

    Her chest heaved, her ribs aching. It had taken two hours after Hana had been revived for Yui to even remember why. Akane had pushed her out of the way to get to Hana, and she¡¯d banged her side on the corner of the desk. She didn¡¯t remember Akane yelling at her to move. She wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d heard the younger girl at all as she stood frozen holding her mother¡¯s lifeless form in her arms.

    Yui pulled the latex gloves from her hands, tossing them to the couch next to her and wiping her eyes with her fingers. She hadn¡¯t really noticed that she¡¯d started crying until the salt of her tears began to burn her eyes. She felt numb. Empty, like the chair she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off of. Her mother¡¯s place. The ratty old desk chair was torn and battered, and one of the armrests was loose. The whole thing sat lopsided on its wheels and the pneumatic support in its base no longer provided the cushioning it once did. It should have been thrown away and replaced years ago, but to the blonde bartender that regarded it, that duct-taped black vinyl seat was sacred ground.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    When you come home, Mama, I¡¯m gonna buy you a new chair. I promise. I¡¯ll buy you a fucking throne. Just¡­ come home. Please. I can¡¯t do this without you. Not the bar, not¡­ life. I can¡¯t. The other girls, they¡¯ve all got their thing. Izzi and Aya have their husbands and their families. Ranko and Akane have each other, and their careers and school. Mei¡­ she¡¯ll figure something out when she¡¯s ready. She¡¯s got a thousand things she wants to do, she just needs to pick one. But me? What the fuck am I gonna do?

    It¡¯s you and me, Mama. You, me and this place. It¡¯s my whole existence. It¡¯s my whole universe, and it¡¯s too fucking empty right now. You can¡¯t leave me here like this. Please.

    Yui stood, leaving her gloves on the couch. ¡°I gotta get the fuck out of this room,¡± she mumbled aloud through her sniffles. She grabbed the empty glass from the corner of the desk, heading back out to the bar area through the blue saloon doors.

    She stepped behind the main bar and jammed the empty glass into the dishwasher, adding two that remained on the counter as well. She picked up the bottle of apple brandy, popping the pour spout out of it and replacing it with the cap that still lay on the counter next to it. Yui turned back to the counter to put the lemon juice away, but something else caught her eye instead.

    Yui regarded the little jar for a moment, picking it up and examining it as if it were some relic she¡¯d unearthed from some ancient civilization. It was only as she held it, and the twenty-seven blue stirring straws poking out of its open mouth, that she realized how badly her hands were shaking.

    Put it down, Yui. This isn¡¯t helping. Put it down.

    Her eyes scanned the back of the bar and the array of bottles lined up on the mirrored shelves behind the counter. Her commonly-used bottles rested in the well under the counter, awaiting her skilled hands whenever the Phoenix next opened.

    I¡¯m sorry, Ranko. I¡¯m sorry, Mama. I know I promised, but¡­

    She upended the jar in her hand with a heavy sigh, dumping the straws into the trash can under the bar. The jar itself soon joined them.

    Right now, I just need the hurt to stop. Get my hands to stop shaking. We¡¯ll worry about tomorrow tomorrow.

    She reached for the bottle of Jack Daniels in her well, grabbing a highball glass from behind the bar. Yui hadn¡¯t brought any ice from the machine in the back. She didn¡¯t care. With trembling hands, she filled the glass, lifting it and staring at the room-temperature amber liquid within, and her reflection in the mirror behind the bar as she held it.

    Alright, Jack. I¡¯m counting on ya, old buddy. Just take the edge off a little for me, okay? Just enough to settle my nerves. That¡¯s all I need.

    Yui sighed, having almost brought the glass to her lips when she heard the front door of the bar swing open. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯re closed,¡± she said flatly, not looking up from her glass.

    She heard footsteps - a woman¡¯s heels - on the hardwood floor. They were still approaching her. Yui whirled, fury in her eyes. How dare someone invade on us right now?

    ¡°I said, we¡¯re fucking¡­¡± Yui gasped, and froze in place.

    ¡°I know,¡± the black-haired woman said gently. ¡°I know, Yui.¡±

    Yui¡¯s eyes flooded, and she covered her gaping mouth with her trembling hand. ¡°How¡­ what¡­¡±

    Tossing her gray silk blazer over the back of the nearest bar stool, Sakura Chino sighed softly. ¡°Mei called me this morning and told me what happened. She knows how I feel about your mom, and thought I¡¯d wanna know. And, well, I hung up the phone, and my feet just kind of started moving on their own. I just¡­ I knew I had to get here. To you.¡±

    ¡°Sa¡­ Sakura?!¡± Yui set the still-full highball on the bar top, the leaded glass rattling in her shaking hand against the polyurethane surface. ¡°Is it really¡­¡±

    Yui¡¯s ex-girlfriend stepped closer, nodding slowly. ¡°Yeah, Yui. I¡¯m here.¡± Her voice was soft and soothing, despite the severity of the clack noises in the empty bar room with her every step closer to the bar and its keeper.

    ¡°Sakura, what am I gonna do?¡± The blonde was pulled into Sakura¡¯s arms, held tightly against former partner¡¯s body as her salty tears soaked into Sakura¡¯s cream-colored silk blouse.

    ¡°Shhhhh. You¡¯re gonna be alright, Yui. She¡¯s a fighter. All you girls are. We¡¯re gonna pull together and we¡¯re gonna get through this. You¡¯re not alone, Yui.¡± The raven-haired woman rubbed Yui¡¯s back firmly, holding her close.

    Yui lifted her head off of Sakura¡¯s shoulder, looking incredulously into her green eyes. ¡°... We?¡±

    Sakura nodded, managing a small smile. ¡°We.¡±

    The blonde shook her head, sniffling and wiping her nose on the sleeve of her blue denim jacket. ¡°But¡­ you have your job down in Fukuoka. You shouldn¡¯t even be here!¡±

    In response, Sakura reached out, wiping Yui¡¯s tears from her cheek with her long, pale fingers and offering her a gentle smile. ¡°I quit. This morning, on my way here. Didn¡¯t even clean out my desk; they can have my stupid little potted plant and shit. I¡¯ve been miserable every day since I¡¯ve been down there anyway.¡±

    Yui covered her gasp with her hands. ¡°But then¡­ what are you gonna do?¡±

    Sakura smiled gently, resting her hand on the blonde¡¯s shoulder gently as she looked around the disheveled bar room. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I heard about this kitschy little bar in Minato that might need a little help for a while. I mean, it¡¯s no five-star hotel, but¡­¡± She flashed Yui a brighter smile and a wink. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s got a certain¡­ charm about it that I just can¡¯t seem to get out of my head.¡±

    Yui blinked. ¡°But, your career! You were gonna be vice president of¡­ whatever. Why?¡±

    With a little shrug and a bright smile, Sakura took a step closer. ¡°I¡­ I fuckin¡¯ love you, Yui, okay? I love the fuck out of you. I never stopped. I never should have gotten on that damned train. I fucked up. I kept waiting for you to come to me, but I should have known you wouldn¡¯t. This is where you belong. I¡¯m sorry it took me going away for a while for my dumb ass to realize that where I belong is wherever you are. If you¡¯ll have me, anyway. I¡¯m so sorry I wasn¡¯t here when you needed me last night, but I¡¯m here now, and I¡¯m not leaving unless you tell me to.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you mean¡­.you¡­?¡± Yui blinked the tears from her eyes. Is this really happening?

    ¡°Yeah. I do.¡± Sakura reached out again, wrapping her arms around the back of Yui¡¯s head and pulling her forward into a kiss.

    ¡°Oh, hey¡­¡± The raven-haired woman smiled as she broke the kiss. ¡°You know anybody who¡¯s got a couch I can crash on until I find a place back up here? Or, could I maybe borrow that apartment upstairs for a bit?¡±

    Yui giggled, wrapping her arms around Sakura¡¯s neck. ¡°For you, I think we can do better than a couch. In fact, I¡¯ve got half a queen-sized bed with your name on it.¡±

    ¡°Just half?¡± Sakura giggled a bit, crinkling her nose cutely. ¡°What about the other half?¡±

    The blonde rested her hand on Sakura¡¯s chest, gazing lovingly into her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s where I¡¯ll be.¡±

 63. Back to Real Life

    Ranko padded barefoot into the living room of her apartment, looking it over with sleep-crusted eyes. She wore a yellow nightgown, her hair matted to one side, having slept the night before with her head in Akane¡¯s lap while the elder girl studied her organic chemistry book.

    Oh, Akane, what am I gonna do with you?

    The sink overflowed with plastic leftover containers, and the trash can overflowed with energy drink cans and snack wrappers just outside the kitchen. The floor itself was in dire need of a broom, nearly every surface bore a thin layer of dust, and it had been abundantly clear when she¡¯d gotten home on Monday morning that the bathroom hadn¡¯t been cleaned the whole time she¡¯d been on tour, either. The couch was buried in discarded clothing, most of it inside-out, implying it had been worn and left there dirty.

    A large pile of unopened mail dominated the right side of the dining room table, along with a small arrangement of yellow tulips and white daisies in a little white wicker basket. It had been delivered yesterday, a gift from the girls¡¯ father and Akane¡¯s sisters. The card expressed well-wishes for Hana, as well as a welcome home message for Ranko.

    I love you too, Dad. Thanks for thinking of us, even though I¡¯m guessing it was Kasumi¡¯s idea.

    Ranko sighed heavily. Alright. International pop star mode, off. Housewife mode, on. Where to even start with all of this? She pulled the pantry door open, retrieving her pink princess apron from the nail hammered into the inside of the door and slipping it over her head. She doubted she needed it over her nightgown, but the thought of it made her feel cute, and that made the daunting backlog of chores feel a bit more bearable somehow.

    She crept quietly into the bathroom as she tied the apron behind her back, peeking through the door connecting the narrow room to the bedroom. Akane still slept, sitting up in the bed with her back against the headboard, and Ranko smiled softly at her. I don¡¯t dare wake her to get her more comfortable. She won¡¯t go back to sleep if I do. Snickering at Akane¡¯s loud snoring, she pulled the door closed as quietly as she could, pulling the laundry closet in the bathroom open and popping the round windowed door of the washing machine. Sure, baby. You don¡¯t snore. Whatever you say.

    Ranko crept quietly out to the living room, beginning to gather the laundry strewn about the room. She left only the white socks behind, as those would not go in the same load as the colored clothes in her arms. I¡¯ll do those with the whites, but the rest of those are in the bedroom, and getting them would wake Akane up. She stuffed the load of shirts and pants into the machine, adding a scoop of powdered detergent and pushing the silver knob inward to trigger the delicate wash cycle. She hadn¡¯t quite mastered what laundry settings to use for what items, so other than bulky towels - which had their own labeled setting on the washer - she typically washed everything on the same don¡¯t ruin the panties and dresses setting Izumi had told her to use, and it seemed to work out okay most of the time.

    Alright. Gotta get dressed before I can take the trash out; don¡¯t need anybody seeing me in this. And my clean clothes are in the bedroom, so¡­ dishes, I guess.

    Ranko turned the cold water knob on the kitchen faucet to its highest setting, and then began to carefully turn the knob until the red line on the resin knob aligned with the one painted in red nail polish on the stainless steel surface of the sink. Akane had marked it for her a few weeks after the wedding, as when the hot water knob was at that precise position with the cold water tap fully open, the water temperature was reasonably comfortable on her hypersensitive skin. At least I don¡¯t have to do everything on full blast cold, now that I don¡¯t gotta worry about a boy busting out of my nightgown, she thought with a soft smile. Still, she donned her yellow latex gloves as a precaution before scooping up a musty-smelling piece of plasticware and popping open the dishwasher with her foot.

    ¡°Once upon a rhyme, not so far away, our girl washed dishes that have been here since Thursday,¡± Ranko sang under her breath with a slight smirk as she passed the square plastic tub under the water and positioned it in the top rack of the dishwasher. The plastic leftover containers made up nearly all of the pile, save chopsticks and spoons ¨C no doubt, Ranko¡¯s sisters had pitched in to keep Akane fed while she was away, much as they had when her leg was injured and she was unable to cook for her wife. She picked up a round orange container, smiling at it in recognition. It was her mother¡¯s, and Hana usually sent them home with some leftovers in it after the family¡¯s shared holiday meals.

    You¡¯re not done, buddy. You don¡¯t get to retire. Not yet. We¡¯re gonna have more Christmases and birthdays and all kinds of shit together, and Mom¡¯s gonna fill you with all sorts of stuff. You¡¯ll see. She¡¯s gonna beat this. She has to. We need her. I need her.

    Ranko plopped the container and its lid into the dishwasher. She reached into the sink for a soup bowl, but when she turned to place it in the top rack of the appliance, she was startled by someone standing next to her.

    ¡°Silly girl, I didn¡¯t expect you to do all this. I was gonna do it all before you got home! Before I knew you were coming home early, anyway.¡± Akane smiled softly, reaching out and playing with a sleep-matted strand of her lover¡¯s red hair.

    The redhead winced. ¡°Shit, Akane, did I wake you? I¡¯m sorry! I was trying to be quiet.¡± She deposited the bowl in the dishwasher, shutting off the water tap and pulling off her latex gloves. ¡°I think I¡¯ve got the kitchen put together enough that I can cook in here, if you want breakfast.¡± Ranko tittered briefly, glancing at the refrigerator. ¡°Assuming we have groceries in there, and I haven¡¯t forgotten how to do this, anyway. It¡¯s been a few weeks, after all.¡±

    Akane laughed, shaking her head with a smile. ¡°Come here to me, princess.¡± As Ranko stepped closer, the larger girl wrapped her in her arms, giving her a tight squeeze. She leaned down, resting her chin on Ranko¡¯s shoulder and breathing deep of the scent of her. ¡°Gods, I¡¯ve missed you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I can tell,¡± Ranko said over her laughter as she nuzzled into Akane¡¯s chest. ¡°The place looks like a typhoon hit it, and I bet you¡¯ve lost a couple kilos since I¡¯ve been gone!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not why I missed you, and you know it, little miss.¡± Akane kicked the dishwasher closed with her foot, picking her giggling wife up and carrying her back into the dining area. She gently deposited Ranko in one of the chairs. Akane grinned, resting her hands on the back of the chair on either side of Ranko¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I just wanna look at you for a minute.¡±

    Ranko blushed, shrinking under Akane¡¯s gaze and hiding her face with her hands. ¡°Oh, please. I must look awful.¡±

    ¡°You are absolutely beautiful,¡± Akane said gently, beaming down at her wife. ¡°Did you know that?¡±

    ¡°Nuh-uh! I haven¡¯t even brushed my hair or gotten dressed yet! I look terrible!¡± The redhead shyly curled up in her seated position, trying further to hide from her lover¡¯s gaze.

    Ranko¡¯s eyes widened as Akane took her firmly by the wrists, pulling her hands down and pinning them to the tops of her thighs so that she could not obscure her face. Akane¡¯s voice took on an insistent, almost admonishing, firmness. ¡°I said¡­ You. Are. Beautiful. And I want you to sit and relax. You don¡¯t need to fly home all night from fucking Australia and clean up after me. I¡¯ll take care of this stuff.¡±

    The redhead smiled sweetly. ¡°I don¡¯t mind, Akane. I¡¯ve missed taking care of you, and I can¡¯t just sit here and watch you do the work.¡±

    Akane shook her head. ¡°You can, and you will. Besides, you¡¯re gonna be busy.¡±

    With a shrug, Ranko looked around the room. ¡°Doing what? Nabiki and Crash are handling the band stuff, and Izzi¡¯s up at the hospital.¡±

    Reaching down with a smile, Akane poked her on the nose. ¡°Sitting there and looking adorable for me. It¡¯s a big job, you know. C¡¯mon, gimme that apron.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s head swayed left and right in the negative as she crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. ¡°The looking adorable part, I guess I can do, but I¡¯m at least gonna help you deal with this mess.¡±

    Akane chuckled deviously. ¡°If you say so. But let¡¯s work on the adorable part first. Stay there a second; I¡¯ll be right back.¡± She gave a cute little wave and disappeared back into the bedroom, returning in a moment with a green paddle hairbrush and four lengths of satin ribbon, two red and two yellow. She laid the ribbons on the table alongside the brush, leaning over Ranko¡¯s shoulder from behind.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°Four ribbons?¡± Ranko blushed. ¡°Seems like a bit much, but if you wa¡­. Hey!¡± Ranko¡¯s eyes widened as Akane grabbed her left wrist, pulling it down and behind the back of the chair. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Akane reached over her wife¡¯s shoulder again, taking one of the red ribbons while still restraining Ranko¡¯s left wrist. In a flash, she¡¯d used the half-meter-long piece of red satin to lash Ranko¡¯s arm to the back of the wooden dining chair.

    ¡°Akane! What the heck are you¡­ hey, stop that!¡± Before Ranko could adjust, though, her right wrist was in Akane¡¯s grasp, and she soon found both of her arms tied tightly behind her back through the latticed chair back, the second red ribbon woven through the silver dragon bracelet coiled around her wrist for added security.

    Akane reached through the slats in the chair back, untying the sash holding Ranko¡¯s apron around her back, before reaching over her and lifting it off of her. ¡°There. Next time I tell you to sit still, you should listen.¡± Grinning, Akane slipped the apron over her own neck and began to tie it behind herself, despite having no serious concern about dirtying the gray Minato University Athletics tee shirt she¡¯d slept in the night before.

    ¡°But, I¡­ it¡¯s no fair!¡± Ranko pouted as Akane giggled at her plight.

    ¡°Keep complaining, and I¡¯ll take your nightgown, too.¡± Akane¡¯s devious sneer sent a shiver up Ranko¡¯s spine, and the younger girl was entirely sure her wife intended to make good on her threat if necessary. Having finished securing the apron around her back, Akane reached down for the hairbrush, turning it so that the bristles were pointed downward toward the floor. She slid it under Ranko¡¯s chin, using it to lift her lover¡¯s face until she was making eye contact. ¡°Smile for me, beautiful.¡±

    Despite being entirely stunned by Akane¡¯s actions, despite her exhaustion and worry, and despite her cheeks burning hot enough to cook an egg on, Ranko found it easy to comply. Akane pulled the hairbrush back, walking around Ranko¡¯s chair and beginning to gently untangle her wife¡¯s crimson mane.

    Ranko whimpered, rubbing her thighs together like a cricket as she squirmed in the chair. ¡°Akane¡­ this isn¡¯t fair. You know what it does to me when you mess with my hair¡­¡±

    Akane snickered, leaning down and giving the restrained girl a gentle kiss on her neck, just below her right ear, before lifting her head slightly to whisper into it. ¡°Do I? It¡¯s been a while. I might have forgotten. You should probably tell me again, just in case.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s face somehow grew redder still as she sharply inhaled, her whole body stiffening under the feel of Akane¡¯s breath on her skin. ¡°It m¡­ makes me wanna¡­¡±

    With a taunting giggle, Akane cut her off with another kiss to her neck, causing Ranko¡¯s sentence to die in her throat with a quiet gasp. Again, Akane whispered in her wife¡¯s ear, this time on the left side. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re in a position to do anything right now. Maybe you should try that again, princess?¡±

    Ranko lowered her eyes and turned her head to the side, trying in vain to hide her face despite having no access to her hands to do it with. She understood exactly what Akane wanted from her. ¡°It makes me want you to play with me.¡±

    Akane gathered the right half of Ranko¡¯s red hair in her hand, corralling it into a pigtail in her hand. Before she secured it, she pulled it to the side, forcibly tilting Ranko¡¯s head to the right and exposing the left side of her neck wide. ¡°That¡¯s better.¡± Holding her hair tight, Akane leaned down and tauntingly gently blew cold air over Ranko¡¯s shoulder, grinning as a mountain range of goosebumps appeared instantly. ¡°Good girl.¡±

    The quivering redhead did her best to sit still as Akane secured the right side of her hair in a white elastic before tying one of the yellow ribbons around it in a large bow. Prepared though she was for it, she still gasped involuntarily when Akane forcefully yanked her head to the left side, repeating the gesture and teasing her newly-exposed right shoulder as she had the left.

    Once Ranko¡¯s second pigtail was tied off and decorated with the second yellow ribbon, Akane walked around the chair to stand in front of her restrained lover again. ¡°There.¡± She smiled down at her blushing bride, seemingly proud of her accomplishment. ¡°Now. Tell me what a pretty girl you are. I want to hear you say it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m your pretty girl,¡± Ranko whimpered quietly, her face a brighter red than her newly-styled hair as she tried again to hide her face against her shoulder. The utterly failed attempt only widened Akane¡¯s smile of pride in her handiwork.

    Akane reached down, softly resting her hand on her wife¡¯s cheek. ¡°Damn straight. And you always will be. Don¡¯t you dare forget it.¡± Akane leaned down, kissing the restrained girl on the lips and receiving an enthusiastic response from her as Ranko pleaded wordlessly not to be left in the state she was presently in.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s see.¡± Akane looked around the apartment, making a show of sighing heavily. ¡°There¡¯s a lot to do here, and I¡¯m nowhere near as efficient at this as my wife. Heck, this might take me all day.¡± She flashed a smirk down at her lover. ¡°But you¡¯re not going anywhere, are ya?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I guess not,¡± Ranko mewled as Akane resumed loading the dishwasher.

    Akane grinned up at her wife as she deposited another plastic tub in the upper rack of the appliance. ¡°So, Zoe played drums for you when Ken got sick? How¡¯d they do?¡±

    ¡°Good. Really good! I felt so bad for Ken, though. I guess it¡¯s better that he wasn¡¯t there for all the shit hitting the fan when you guys called. Fuck, I¡¯m glad Crash had that beeper.¡± Ranko sighed, her worry about her mother and her drummer both dampening the mood Akane had put her in somewhat.

    Akane nodded as she started the dishwasher. ¡°Well, we¡¯re getting you your own pager before you go out for the next part of the tour. We¡¯re lucky Ukyo was at the bar; I didn¡¯t even have the number for Crash¡¯s to reach you guys.¡±

    ¡°Aw, man,¡± Ranko whined. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to pick on Crash for getting his leash yanked anymore, if I¡¯m gonna have my own.¡± She blushed furiously at the devious look in Akane¡¯s eyes in response to her statement, deciding not to press the topic further.

    Without breaking stride as she moved between the kitchen and the bathroom, Akane reached down and dragged her fingers over the back of her lover¡¯s neck, eliciting another quiet whine from the restrained girl. She said nothing, pulling the washer open and beginning to transfer its contents into the dryer just below it. As she tossed the olive dress Ranko had borrowed from Emi into the machine, the telephone mounted to the kitchen wall began to ring.

    ¡°Aw, come on, Ranko, you¡¯re not going to get the phone?¡± Akane sneered devilishly at her love as she passed the chair she was tied to again, picking up the receiver. ¡°Hello? Tendo residence.¡±

    Ranko craned her neck, trying to hear who was on the other end of the phone. After all, it could have been news about her mother. Akane stretched the coiled cord as far as it would go, walking around behind Ranko¡¯s chair as she pinned the receiver to her ear with her shoulder.

    ¡°Yeah, Shi¡¯ri. Ranko got in late last night.¡± As Akane spoke, her left hand cupped over Ranko¡¯s mouth, pressed tight against her lips. She reached down, pulling Ranko¡¯s nightdress up a little and running her fingers over the bare skin of her lover¡¯s ribcage. Akane grinned at the sensation of air trying to leave Ranko¡¯s quivering lips and finding no space for sound to form behind her hand.

    ¡°Yeah, she can¡¯t come to the phone right now. She just got back, and you know how it is. So much to do. She¡¯s just really tied up right now. You understand.¡± Akane¡¯s gentle fingers became a quick pinching tickle, which the restrained woman could neither defend herself against, nor plead for mercy from. Ranko squirmed desperately against the ribbons tied to her wrists and Akane¡¯s grasping hands, neither giving her any quarter.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take good care of her,¡± Akane said into the telephone, grinning down into Ranko¡¯s eyes wolfishly as her tickling gave way back to gentle teasing of her lover¡¯s hypersensitive skin. ¡°I promise.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh. Well, I have it on good authority that she¡¯s really excited to get her hands on her new cheer uniform, so I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t miss it. Okay. I gotta run; I wanna keep the line clear in case anybody from the hospital calls. Take care, Shiori!¡± Akane winked at Ranko as she removed her hand from the redhead¡¯s lips, walking over to the wall and returning the telephone receiver to its cradle.

    ¡°You are so bad,¡± Ranko said, her neon crimson face wearing the most sincere smile Akane had seen on it since her wife had been back in Japan.

    Akane giggled, walking over to the front of the chair. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t hear you complaining. Oh, wait. I guess you couldn¡¯t, huh?¡±

    Ranko rolled her eyes with a chuckle. ¡°Look here, you little shit. I¡¯m gonna¡­¡± She trailed off as Akane straddled the chair, sitting on the helpless girl¡¯s lap facing her.

    ¡°Yeah? You¡¯re gonna what?¡± Akane poked her lover on the nose, smirking victoriously at her.

    The redhead¡¯s cheeks burned. ¡°Well, I¡¯m gonna¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m¡­"

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± Akane grinned, picking up one of Ranko¡¯s pigtails and running the tip of it down the side of her neck agonizingly slowly. ¡°Now, if you¡¯re done being sassy, I¡¯ve got a much better use in mind for your mouth.¡±

    Ranko offered no further complaint as Akane¡¯s lips met hers.

 64. Awakening

    Ranko blinked, surveying the little waiting room outside the intensive care unit of Ikebara Hospital. The unit normally only allowed one visitor at a time, though the staff had continued to make exceptions for Akane due to her position as a student intern. As a result, the windowless family waiting room was fairly small, with a mere twelve chairs in a mauve vinyl, in three banks of four chairs connected by their wooden armrests. Ranko was therefore surprised to find not one, but three, of her sisters in the room as she entered.

    ¡°You guys? What¡¯s going on?¡± Ranko¡¯s voice took on a worried tone as her eyes darted from Mei to Izumi and then Ayako, trying to determine the mood in the room.

    Mei bounded up to her youngest sister in her flouncy pastel blue dress, squeezing Ranko¡¯s hand with a bright smile. ¡°Mama¡¯s awake!¡±

    Ranko gasped audibly, turning and grinning to Akane at her side. ¡°Seriously?! Why didn¡¯t you guys call us?!¡±

    Ayako waved from her seat closest to the little television set in the room, on which some inane game show was playing and being entirely ignored by everyone in the room. ¡°I did. I got your machine; you must¡¯ve already left. It was less than a half an hour ago.¡±

    ¡°Can we see her,¡± Ranko asked hopefully, turning back toward the door.

    ¡°Not yet, Ran-chan.¡± Izumi took her arm back from around Hoshi¡¯s shoulder, standing and walking over to join her sister and her bride. ¡°The doctor¡¯s in with her now doing stuff. They said they¡¯d let us know.¡±

    Ranko nodded in understanding. ¡°Did they say if she¡¯s¡­ ya know, okay?¡±

    Izumi shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s what the doctors are checking on now, I think.¡±

    As her sister answered, Ranko walked over to where Izumi had been sitting, crouching down in front of the chair next to the one her sister had just vacated. ¡°Hey, little man,¡± she said with a smile, tousling Hoshi¡¯s hair. ¡°Your dad was telling me the other day all about how awesome you¡¯ve been helping your mom out with things while your grandma¡¯s been sick, and I just wanted to tell you how proud of you I am.¡±

    Hoshi dove forward, wrapping his arms tight around Ranko¡¯s neck. ¡°I missed you so much, Auntie Ranko! We gotta play my new Super Famicom game! You run around fighting people! You¡¯re gonna love it! How was Australia? Did you see any kangaroos?¡±

    The redhead chuckled, her cheeks catching flame. ¡°I can¡¯t say as we did.¡± She swiveled her neck swiftly to face the door as she heard it open again, but it was not the doctor that entered. Instead, it was a pair of women, one of which Ranko did not expect to see. ¡°Yui! Sakura?! What are you doing here,¡± she asked excitedly.

    Yui squeezed Sakura¡¯s hand, smiling up at her sisters. ¡°Sake¡¯s gonna help us out for a while until Mom¡¯s better. I know we normally run all hires past the whole family, but I didn¡¯t think any of you would mind me saying yes to her help.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Ranko grinned, closing the distance and giving Yui a tight hug. ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you both.¡± She released Yui, turning and offering Sakura a hug as well. ¡°Welcome home, Sakura.¡±

    The tall woman in the lime-green business suit hugged Ranko back tightly. ¡°Hey, Ran-chan. It¡¯s good to see you! And I gotta tell you, girl. Your show is fucking nuts.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Ranko blinked, thinking for a moment. ¡°Fukuoka? You came?!¡±

    Sakura smiled, nodding. ¡°I wasn¡¯t gonna miss your first big concert tour! Are you kidding? Had to get a ticket in the nosebleed section off of a scalper, but you bet your ass I was there.¡±

    Ranko shook her head, laughing as her ponytail tickled her shoulders. ¡°You shoulda told me you were coming, dipshit! I¡¯d have gotten you some VIP passes or something!¡±

    The elder woman crinkled her nose, frowning a bit. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure I should, considering where things were at the time. But that¡¯s all in the past now.¡± She turned, beaming into Yui¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m back, Ranko¡¯s back, your mom¡¯s gonna be back¡­ We¡¯re finally gonna have everything the way it¡¯s supposed to be again.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait,¡± Yui volunteered, squeezing Sakura¡¯s hand with a simpering smile.

    ¡°So¡­ Sake?¡± Ayako poked her little sister in the shoulder with her finger through her black leather jacket.

    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± Yui blushed deeply, continuing to stare lovingly at Sakura as if she were still in a state of disbelief that her presence was even real. ¡°What can I say? She¡¯s intoxicating.¡±

    Mei chuckled, rolling her eyes with a shake of her head. ¡°I swear, you two are gonna make me gag.¡±

    The blonde bartender turned to Mei with her trademark devious smirk. ¡°I thought that was Seiichi¡¯s j¡­¡±

    She trailed off as the door opened behind her, admitting a tall, muscular American man in his late thirties. His blond hair was short and spiky, and he wore a white lab coat over his pale blue scrubs. ¡°Hello. You all are Ms. Takahashi¡¯s family, right?¡±

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    A chorus of affirmations rose in response to his question, and everyone began to gather around the doctor. Izumi squeezed Hoshi tight, holding her breath as she waited for the young doctor¡¯s words.

    ¡°Okay,¡± he began, turning to try to let everyone get a chance to look into his piercing blue eyes as he smiled reassuringly. ¡°My name¡¯s Dr. Reynalt, and I¡¯m the attending physician here tonight. So, there¡¯s a lot of news, and most of it is good.¡± He gave the eight people in the room a moment to process the information, waiting until the murmur in the little waiting room died down before he continued. ¡°So, to start with. Our tests show that she does have some fairly significant damage to her heart, and the damaged parts don¡¯t necessarily get better. That¡¯s the bad news. But what she¡¯s still got is working pretty well.¡±

    He leaned on the wall wearily, sighing softly in exhaustion at the tail end of his twelve-hour shift. ¡°The reality is, your mom¡¯s a sixty-one year old woman, and she¡¯s probably going to have to start living like it a little bit. You can¡¯t beat Father Time forever, I¡¯m afraid. She isn¡¯t going to have the stamina to work twelve-hour shifts on her feet six days a week. Not for a good long while, at the very least. She¡¯s gonna have to take it a little easy. But if she can do that, and make a few other lifestyle changes like changing up her diet, I don¡¯t see any reason that she can¡¯t recover just fine from this and see this little guy grow up.¡± He grinned, motioning down to Hoshi, who smiled brightly at being acknowledged.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be sending her home with some medication that she¡¯ll be on for the rest of her life, to help prevent this from happening again, and she¡¯ll want to keep up with regular testing and stuff to make sure problems aren¡¯t creeping up on us, but that¡¯s just the reality of getting older, I think. It¡¯s nothing that¡¯ll be a big deal for her.¡±

    Yui raised her hand, waiting for eye contact before she spoke. ¡°What about now? What kind of state is she in? Is she¡­ you know, talking and stuff?¡±

    The young doctor smiled. ¡°That was the most important thing we were worried about. With her heart, we could mostly know what we were dealing with from the tests before she ever woke up. But we didn¡¯t know how long she was without oxygen before you ladies found her, and what that would do to her brain. But the first thing she did when we took the ventilator tube out of her mouth was ask me where her girls were. That¡¯s an excellent sign.¡±

    A gasp of relief rose from the eight women in the room as Dr. Reynalt continued. ¡°As for her physical state¡­ She¡¯s gonna be weak, and very tired. She¡¯s been out of it for a few days. Her voice is gonna be pretty weak for a while; you gotta remember, her throat¡¯s sore as hell from having that big plastic tube shoved down it this whole time. You¡¯re gonna want to take it a little easy hugging her, too. She¡¯s got a couple of broken ribs from the chest compressions.¡±

    Akane winced, looking up at Ranko¡¯s sisters guiltily. ¡°Shit, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    The doctor laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t be. It¡¯s pretty common when performing CPR, even for professional paramedics. I bet if you asked her, she¡¯d say it beats the heck out of being dead. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. You saved her life.¡± He smiled up at Akane reassuringly. ¡°Doctor Okano¡¯s just about done in there with her, and then you can go back one at a time to see her.¡±

    Stepping forward, Akane looked the doctor over with a pleading countenance. ¡°Doc, could we please just have a couple of minutes with her as a family?¡±

    The young medic sighed, nodding softly. ¡°Ten minutes, and then all but one of you¡¯s gotta come out, okay?¡±

    ¡°We promise,¡± Akane said, smiling gratefully.

    <hr>

    ¡°Hey, Mama,¡± Mei said softly, as the first to enter the hospital room.

    Hana lay on her back in the narrow adjustable bed, propped up slightly on a pillow. The ventilator tube had been replaced with a simple oxygen cannula under her nose, but her face was devoid of nearly all color. IV lines and EKG cables still trailed every which way under the thin white hospital blanket, connected to various equipment mounted to the back wall. Weakly, Hana lifted her hand a few centimeters to wave, but a smile crossed her dry lips.

    ¡°There she is,¡± Izumi said, slipping in next to her sister with Hoshi in tow.

    ¡°Hi, Grandma,¡± Hoshi offered with a wave and a smile. Hana turned her head slightly to look at him, as he stood at roughly eye level to the mattress, and flashed him a wider smile.

    Ayako took the right side of the bed, walking up near her mother¡¯s head and sliding a wheeled tray out of the way. ¡°Doc says you¡¯re a tough old bird, not that we didn¡¯t already know it.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Mom,¡± Ranko offered with a wave, slipping in next to Ayako. She was still holding Akane¡¯s hand as the pair leaned on the wall of the narrow room.

    ¡°We¡¯re here, Mama. All of us,¡± Yui said, swallowing hard as she stepped into the jam-packed room and stood at the foot of the bed, Sakura at her side with her arm wrapped around Yui¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°My girls,¡± Hana whispered, smiling softly. She moved her head slowly, trying to make eye contact with all of them.

    Ayako reached down, taking Hana¡¯s left hand in her own. ¡°We love you, Mom.¡± A chorus of assent rose around her statement.

    ¡°Love you too,¡± Hana said, her voice strengthening a little. ¡°Yui?¡±

    The blonde stepped forward, putting her hand on Hana¡¯s foot through the pastel green hospital sock she wore. ¡°I¡¯m here, Mama. Sakura, too. She came home.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Hana said, her smile widening. ¡°Are you okay, Yui?¡±

    With a chuckle and a shake of her head, Yui smiled. ¡°Now that you¡¯re back with us, yeah, I¡¯m gonna be okay. I can¡¯t believe you, though. Everything you¡¯ve been through, and the first thing you do is worry about me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m your mom,¡± Hana whispered, lifting her head a little to try and look more directly at Yui. ¡°It¡¯ll take more than death to stop me.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not gonna die, so we don¡¯t have anything to worry about.¡± Ranko rested her hand on Hana¡¯s knee, smiling brightly down at her. ¡°We¡¯re gonna get you better, and everything¡¯s gonna be just like it was.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Mei nodded resolutely, resting her hand on her mother¡¯s shoulder through her paper-thin hospital gown. ¡°You¡¯re gonna outlive all of us, lady.¡±

    ¡°Little star,¡± Hana said weakly, turning her head to the left to face Ranko. ¡°I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you¡¯re on the wrong continent.¡±

    Ranko crinkled her nose, shaking her head and laughing as she squeezed Hana¡¯s bare knee with her hand. ¡°No, Mom. I¡¯m exactly where I¡¯m supposed to be.¡± She smiled up at Sakura. ¡°We all are.¡±

 65. Higher Education

    Ranko took a deep breath as the elevator doors opened, stepping out into the long, sterile hallway. After four days, she¡¯d mastered the labyrinthine layout of the fourth floor of Ikebara Hospital, and she made a left turn, heading for the cardiac care unit. Pushing through the pine double doors with her backside, Ranko waved to one of the nurses she¡¯d been friendly with over the last few days. With her arms full, she could only wiggle her fingers. ¡°Hey, Hinako! Brought ya somethin¡¯!¡±

    The nurse turned to regard the two boxes of donuts in the redhead¡¯s arms, grinning a bit as she kicked the brakes on the cart she was pushing. ¡°You know, you and your sisters are gonna kill us with all the food you¡¯ve been bringing us.¡±

    Ranko shook her head, handing her the boxes. ¡°Nah, you¡¯ll be fine. We just appreciate what good care you¡¯ve been taking of our mom, and we want to say thank you, that¡¯s all.¡± She blushed a bit. ¡°Sorry, today¡¯s offering isn¡¯t homemade; I¡¯m better at cooking than baking.¡± I should practice that some more, I guess.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Hinako said, opening the top box and pulling out a dark brown glazed donut. ¡°I suppose I can forgive you, just this once, but only because you brought me chocolate.¡± She giggled, biting into the confection.

    Ranko adjusted the pink backpack on her back, which she wore over a fuschia satin blouse and a blue denim pencil skirt. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail with a matching pink ribbon, and she¡¯d finished the outfit with a pair of white chunky heels. ¡°How is she today?¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Hinako said through a mouthful of donut, swallowing before she continued. ¡°Seems to be getting a lot stronger. A couple more days, and we should be able to get her out of here.¡±

    Ranko smiled brightly. ¡°That¡¯d be great! I¡¯m gonna go see her, cool?¡± Receiving a nod in reply from the chewing nurse, she made for the fifth door on the left, room 422, and pushed the door open.

    ¡°Morning, Mama!¡± Ranko smiled brightly, waving to Hana.

    The color in Hana¡¯s face had largely returned, and her bed had been adjusted so that she was nearly fully sitting up. She had been watching the news on the small television mounted on the wall with a swivel arm, the sound coming out of a tinny little speaker tethered to the bed that also served as the television¡¯s remote control. ¡°Hey, little star. What are you doing here today?¡±

    Ranko blushed, setting her backpack down on the mauve vinyl chair in the corner of the room and beginning to unzip it. ¡°Well, I remembered what you and Yui did a couple years ago, and¡­¡± She pulled a disposable camera out of her bag, ripping the package open and depositing the empty cardboard sleeve and silver anti-static bag in the little pink trash can in the corner. ¡°I couldn¡¯t let a little thing like a heart attack keep you from getting to take pictures on the first day of school. I know it¡¯s important to ya.¡±

    Hana laughed loudly, a wide smile crossing her lips. ¡°Oh, I love you, Ranko.¡± She reached out with her right arm, her left one still a little hard to move with the IV and pulse oximeter connections, and Ranko handed her the little camera, having already wound it to prepare it for the first picture.

    ¡°You look adorable,¡± Hana said as she pointed the camera, snapping a photo and starting to wind it with her thumb. ¡°Do you miss the uniform?¡±

    Ranko giggled, smiling for the photo and framing her face with her hands. ¡°Not. At. All. Fuck, that thing was so itchy! I still can¡¯t believe you got me into that damn thing in the first place.¡±

    Hana smiled softly. ¡°Yeah, but aren¡¯t you glad you did it now? Look at you, off to college.¡±

    The redhead blushed, but couldn¡¯t resist a grin of pride in herself. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know. You¡¯re the mom. You¡¯re supposed to be right; ya ain¡¯t gotta gloat about it!¡± Just the thought of being able to assume that a parent had her best interests in mind and a general wisdom in their decision making was still such a foreign concept to Ranko, much though it was becoming less so after nearly three years spent as Hana Takahashi¡¯s youngest daughter.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it gloating,¡± Hana said as she snapped another picture. ¡°I¡¯m just so damn proud of you, is all. I always knew you could do this if you tried, even when you doubted it, and it does my heart good to see it happening for you. You deserve it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± Ranko blushed more deeply, knowing it would be captured on Hana¡¯s camera. ¡°I¡¯m proud of me, too, silly as it feels to say so. But, speaking of doing your heart good, how are you feeling? The nurses say you¡¯re doing great, and we can bring you home soon.¡±

    Hana sighed, looking over the various wires and contraptions still connecting her to the medical equipment scattered along the back half of the room. ¡°I¡¯m doing. I can¡¯t wait to get out of here, though. I¡¯m going stir-crazy, and I am gonna kill somebody if they don¡¯t bring me something decent to eat soon.¡±

    Ranko nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom. The doctor made us promise not to bring anything in for you. They caught Mei trying to sneak in some chicken wings yesterday and read her the riot act. They really want you to change up your diet. Apparently thirty-five years of bar food six nights a week isn¡¯t super good for you. Who knew?¡± She smiled brightly. ¡°But, the night you come home, Mei and I are gonna work together, and we¡¯re gonna make you anything you want. I promise.¡±

    ¡°Just you two?¡± Hana laughed. ¡°Not gonna invite Akane to help?¡±

    Ranko cackled loudly, shaking her head as her mother snapped another photo. ¡°We¡¯re trying to get you better, not kill you!¡±

    The singer¡¯s mother laughed along with her daughter, adjusting her weight slightly in the bed. She winced as she tried to sit up, and Ranko stepped closer to help her lift her body, careful not to snag any of the wires or rumple the thin white hospital gown her mother wore.

    ¡°Have you girls reopened the bar yet?¡±

    Ranko shook her head. ¡°Tonight¡¯s our first night back. Yui and Sakura are freakin¡¯ frantic, but I don¡¯t know why; it¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t done it a million times before. Mom, I gotta tell ya. All those nights in huge stadiums are great, but I can¡¯t fucking wait to be back on that little stage in there. It¡¯s still home.¡±

    Hana grinned. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it, baby. I gotta say, I was a little worried you were gonna outgrow us once you got out there on tour. You¡¯ve gotta tell me all about it.¡±

    The redhead reached down, taking her mother¡¯s hand, and the laughter in her eyes gave way to a soft sincerity. ¡°Mom, I am never gonna outgrow you, or my sisters. Never. If I keep growing my whole life, one day I might feel like I¡¯m good enough to stand next to you. You and the girls¡­ you¡¯re my heroes, Mom. I said it in Once Upon a Rhyme, and I meant it. I love you so much. And you can¡¯t fucking scare me like this again, you got me? That flight home, not knowing if you were gonna be here when I landed¡­ I didn¡¯t think I could hold my breath for ten hours, but I swear, I did.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s mother squeezed her hand tight in return, and Hana¡¯s daughter smiled at the feeling of strength returning to her grasp. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, baby. I¡¯m not done fighting for you girls yet.¡±

    The songstress leaned down, kissing her mother softly on the forehead with her strawberry-glazed lips. ¡°You better not. I waited too damned long to find you.¡±

    ¡°I love you too, Ran-chan,¡± Hana said with a smile as Ranko straightened back to a standing position. ¡°How much time do you have before your class? I don¡¯t want you being late on your first day.¡±

    Ranko shrugged, reaching down to her waist and pulling a small pink object out of her pocket. She pressed the button on the glittery transparent pager, reading the time on the little monochrome LCD screen. ¡°I¡¯ve got about another ten minutes and then I gotta scoot.¡±

    ¡°Make it five,¡± Hana said, handing her daughter back the disposable camera. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to have to rush. You¡¯ve been stressed out enough on my account lately.¡±

    With a nod, Ranko rolled her eyes. She knew there was no point arguing with her mother. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    Fumbling under the blanket, Hana found the remote for the television and pressed the large red button to turn it off. ¡°What class do you have first?¡±

    ¡°Today¡¯s just English. Tomorrow I have humanities and public speaking,¡± Ranko said with a blush. ¡°Can you believe that bullshit? They told me I have to take a public speaking class, because they want to make sure I don¡¯t have stage fright. Can¡¯t I just be like, bro, you do know I sang for almost two hundred thousand people in the last three weeks, right? And I did it in a fuckin¡¯ sailor fuku, to boot.¡±

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    Hana shrugged. ¡°Look at it this way, baby. It¡¯ll be an easy class for you.¡±

    With a smirk, Ranko nodded. ¡°Well, just wait ¡®til I bring in three roadies, a pyrotechnics expert and a couple of backup dancers to help me give a speech on, I dunno, butterflies or some shit. Then we¡¯ll see who¡¯s laughing.¡±

    Cackling, Hana leaned her head back on her mattress. ¡°What other classes are you taking?¡±

    Ranko shook her head, shouldering her backpack. ¡°Just those three for this term, and a once-a-week intro to computers class. Akane and I talked about it, and we decided that between school, cheerleading, the bar and the tour, it was better to take it easy for the first term, especially since it¡¯s not like getting my degree is holding me up from doing my career or anything. That was about the minimum I could take for the scholarship, so we¡¯re gonna try to get some of the general education crap out of the way now so I can focus on the good stuff once the tour¡¯s done. I didn¡¯t even wanna do the computer thing this term, but Akane said I¡¯m gonna need it sooner rather than later.¡±

    Laughing, Hana rested her left hand on her chest. ¡°Ranko Tendo, taking it easy and not pushing herself to the limit? Who are you, and what have you done with my daughter? Careful, you¡¯re gonna give me another heart attack from the shock!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t even joke about that shit, Mom!¡± Ranko shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not fuckin¡¯ funny.¡±

    Hana nodded, reaching out to Ranko with her untethered arm. ¡°C¡¯mere, give me a hug, and then you gotta get out of here. And don¡¯t try to push yourself to come back here after class, okay? Head to the bar and help your sisters.¡±

    Ranko leaned close, giving her mother the tightest hug she dared given Hana¡¯s still-healing broken ribs. ¡°I will, Mom. I promise. Akane¡¯ll be up here in about an hour for her shift, anyway. I love you. You rest up, okay?¡±

    Hana rubbed her daughter¡¯s back through her pink satin blouse, letting her go after holding her for nearly a full minute. ¡°I will. I love you too, baby. Ranko, honey¡­ I am so, so, so proud of you. I want you to have an amazing day, and enjoy it. You¡¯ve earned it, little star.¡±

    <hr>

    Man, the campus feels a lot bigger when you¡¯re not just standing in the quad doing kata, Ranko thought as she adjusted the weight of her bag on her shoulders. The concept of all the classes not being in one building was foreign enough to her, let alone the lack of things like lockers. I gotta start leaving everything but the books for the day¡¯s classes at home. Lugging all this shit around is almost as bad as when Pop made me carry all the camp gear.

    ¡°Hey, excuse me?¡± Ranko waved to a young man and his girlfriend as they passed on the sidewalk. ¡°Do you know where Jubei Hall is?¡±

    The woman lifted her arm from around her boyfriend¡¯s back, pointing behind her with two fingers. ¡°Maybe half a kilometer that way, on your left. Look for the abstract metal sculpture thing out front. You can¡¯t miss it!¡±

    If I didn¡¯t already miss it, I wouldn¡¯t be asking for freaking directions, Ranko thought with a sigh. ¡°Thanks so much!¡± She offered a grateful smile and a wave before unclipping her pager from the waistband of her denim skirt and checking the time. Oof. I gotta hustle. She put a bit more speed in her step, jogging up the four concrete steps to a gray brick building with just under four minutes to go before the start of her class.

    She quickly found the lecture hall listed on her schedule, and walked into a cavernous room that she might have confused for a small concert venue, complete with a stage and some three hundred tan stadium-style seats, each with a little black half-desk mounted to it on an aluminum bar. Ranko cringed slightly with the realization that the half-desks were all fastened to the right side of the seats, and she as a left-handed person would not be able to rest her arm on one to write. Well, that sucks, she thought. The seating was about three-quarters full, and Ranko slipped into the aisle seat in the third row from the back just as the instructor emerged from a door at the back of the stage.

    The teacher wore a pair of blue slacks and a cream-colored blouse, and couldn¡¯t have been more than about twenty-five years old. Akane had told Ranko about the idea of student instructors, and the woman standing on the stage at the front of the auditorium almost certainly fit the description. ¡°Good morning,¡± she said loudly, without the benefit of a microphone. Fortunately, the acoustics in the room were excellent, and Ranko had no trouble making her out from the back of the room. ¡°My name is Hisoka Kamiya, and I¡¯ll be your instructor for this term. You should all have a copy of the syllabus, but if not, please see me after class and I¡¯ll get you one.¡±

    Ranko dug in her backpack for her yellow notebook and a black rollerball pen, as well as a yellow folder containing the three-page syllabus. At least I picked out my own supplies this term, and I¡¯m not rocking band merch everywhere. I felt like such a tool with that last year. She did her best to set up her notebook on the half-desk, swiveling at the waist uncomfortably to try to apply her left hand to the paper.

    ¡°Alright,¡± the instructor said, turning on the projector. She pressed a button on a gray remote control, and a large screen began to descend from the ceiling on a motorized track.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get started, shall we?¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°You okay? That looked miserable, having to sit sideways to write like that.¡±

    Ranko looked up to the girl seated to her right as the class began packing up their belongings, shrugging a bit. ¡°You get used to it. The world¡¯s not really designed for left-handed people, I guess.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s classmate was probably twelve to eighteen months her junior. Her platinum blonde hair had a single blue streak running down the left side, and it was straight as an arrow all the way down to her shoulders. A second, thinner blue streak darted down the left side of her bangs, just above her eye. She wore a pair of cutoff denim shorts that didn¡¯t even reach the edge of her chair under a black tee shirt depicting an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog wearing white gloves and red running shoes, and her steel-gray eyes were couched behind a pair of round glasses in translucent purple acrylic frames. ¡°Maybe bring a clipboard? At least then you could set it on your lap,¡± the girl offered hopefully.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Ranko said with a smile. ¡°Thanks! I¡¯ll have to try and pick one up this weekend when I get a minute to find a store. Things are¡­ a little crazy for me right now.¡±

    The younger girl blushed, nodding as she brushed her hair away from her face and shouldered her drab green messenger bag. ¡°Yeah¡­ first day jitters are real for all of us, I¡¯m sure.¡± There was a distance to her voice, as if she didn¡¯t really know what to make of her companion.

    Ranko nodded, declining to bring up the as-yet-unknown fallout of her early return from Australia. After weeks of being hounded for autographs everywhere she went, it was nice to have a few moments to just be a normal person again and not a pop starlet. Not wanting to come off as a downer, she chose not to mention her mother¡¯s ongoing hospitalization, either.

    ¡°I¡¯m Yumeko,¡± the younger girl said with a warm smile. ¡°Yumeko Niwa. I guess I¡¯ll be seeing you?¡±

    Ranko nodded, smiling brightly. ¡°Sure hope so! My name¡¯s¡­¡±

    Yumeko giggled, nodding and putting up her hand before Ranko could finish her sentence. ¡°I know who you are. I think just about everybody does. You¡¯re¡­ kind of a legend, especially in this part of town.¡±

    Blushing, Ranko looked down as she zipped up her bag. ¡°Damn! And here I thought I was flying under the radar a little.¡±

    ¡°Fat chance of that,¡± Yumeko said with a bit of a shy smile. ¡°Sorry to disappoint you.¡±

    With a shrug, Ranko crinkled her nose. ¡°It doesn¡¯t bother me, as long as people aren¡¯t like, hounding me to sign stuff every day on my way to class or anything. I¡¯m happy to do it, but like, there¡¯s a time and a place, ya know?¡± She smiled a bit. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to go to class, do my homework, all that shit.¡±

    ¡°A Regular Girl, huh?¡± Yumeko giggled as she referenced Ranko¡¯s discography. ¡°Didn¡¯t really peg you as the type to mean that. I figured Not Yours, Don¡¯t Touch was more your true form.¡±

    Ranko blushed at the acknowledgement of her music. It was so rare to encounter someone who recognized her, and didn¡¯t fawn all over her to the point of annoyance. It was refreshing. ¡°I mean, I try to be pretty chill, so long as people aren¡¯t grabbin¡¯ at my ass or nothin¡¯.¡± She started walking alongside her new acquaintance as the pair ascended the stairs to the doors at the back of the auditorium. ¡°I only do the whole viper thing to the people who deserve it.¡±

    ¡°Seems reasonable enough,¡± Yumeko said with a smile as she pushed the door open, holding it for Ranko and her overstuffed pink backpack.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ranko acknowledged the younger girl with a nod and a smile as she slipped through the door out into the early afternoon sun of a beautiful May day. This is nice, getting out of class and going outside, and not into some jam-packed hall lined with metal lockers. Feels more¡­ free.

    Yumeko followed her after continuing to hold the door for a pair of young men who were walking just behind them, taking a few hurried steps to catch up to the young singer. ¡°What¡¯cha got going on now? Another class?¡±

    Ranko shook her head, pulling her pager off of the waistband of her denim pencil skirt and checking the time. ¡°Nah, just got the one today. I gotta get to work, though.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ still have a job? Besides the whole, pop sensation thing?¡± Yumeko blinked, looking over Ranko with a puzzled expression.

    The redhead nodded, smiling. ¡°Yeah! I mean, I do a lot of singing there, too, but¡­ My family owns a little bar not far from here. The Phoenix. I sing, wait tables sometimes, whatever I can do to help. You should come by! I go on at eight every night except Tuesday. When I¡¯m not on the road, anyway.¡±

    Nodding, Yumeko cracked another small smile. ¡°I think I¡¯d like that. I¡¯ve always been curious to see you perform live.¡± The young Firebird blushed shyly, fidgeting with her purple and white painted fingernails as she walked. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ not what I thought you¡¯d be.¡±

    Ranko frowned, lowering her eyes a little bit as she walked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. How so?¡±

    Yumeko blushed more deeply, eschewing her fingers in favor of hiding her face with her rail-straight blonde hair. ¡°Oh, man, you¡¯re gonna make me say it, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I mean, I¡¯m not gonna force ya or nothin¡¯, but¡­¡± Ranko blushed as her sentence died partway through. However she¡¯d disappointed the younger girl, she wanted to fix it - the last thing she wanted was to come off as unapproachable in her new school. She knew it would be a tall order given her celebrity, but Ranko badly wanted to cultivate a few friendships. She couldn¡¯t fathom how she¡¯d have made it through her first few months at Yusue High without Kumiko; in fact, she made a mental note to give her friend a call later in the week to find out how her first week in her manga art school had gone, and give her an update on her mother¡¯s condition.

    ¡°I guess I¡­¡± Yumeko cringed, looking down in embarrassment. ¡°... kinda thought you were gonna be a stuck-up bitch.¡±

 66. Refuge

    He stood, stretching his back with a loud groan. As he pressed forward on his hips, his lumbar spine popped in several places, granting him some measure of relief from the stiffness born of another night spent sleeping on the ground. With a sigh, he kicked a bit of dirt over the last remnants of his campfire. The fire had burned out hours ago, but he wanted to ensure there were no hot embers remaining underneath the charred wood chips that remained in the little pit he¡¯d dug in the grass.

    Sighing, Genma Saotome brushed the leaves and dirt from his beige gi pants with his maimed left hand before picking up his tightly-rolled sleeping mat and buckling it to the top of his large camping backpack. He wished he¡¯d thought of bringing a coat. Too long at Tendo¡¯s made me soft. I forgot how cold it gets in the mountains, he thought regretfully as he shouldered his brown pack with a grunt. He took a long draught from his canteen, ignoring the growling of his stomach. Hopefully there¡¯s a river nearby, and I can refill my water and catch something for breakfast. But for now, gotta get moving. It¡¯s got to be around here somewhere¡­

    With another resolute sigh, Genma scanned his campsite with his eyes one final time, ensuring none of his belongings had been missed when he packed up. Time to get a move on, Saotome. He turned toward the summit, beginning to trudge forward.

    He ached for the comforts of home. True, he had slept on the same bedroll for years in the guestroom of Soun Tendo¡¯s house, but at least there hadn¡¯t been rocks under it. There was a hot bath, a ready supply of sake, heating in the winter, and Kasumi¡¯s cooking. Gods, what he¡¯d have given for a few of her gyoza just then. Beyond that, though, there were people. He missed his banter with Tendo over a game of shogi, and his debates with Nabiki over the news of the day. He missed his morning ritual of training with¡­

    He shook his head, willing the memories to flee his mind through his ears as he walked. No amount of dwelling on the past ever seemed to help. It was all over now. He¡¯d lost everything. His dojo, his friends, his wife, his son¡­

    That was the part Genma had never understood. His relationship with Nodoka was broken the second he¡¯d taken Ranma from her arms, and a part of him had always known it would be. He¡¯d done what he felt he had to do to make the boy strong, and carry on the legacy of his martial art. Once Tendo¡¯s third child was born, also a girl, Genma knew it was incumbent on him to ensure that his child, if male, was in position to take on the responsibility of the next generation of Anything-Goes Martial Arts. It was imperative that Ranma was strong. That he was invincible.

    Of all the springs Ranma could have fallen into at Jusenkyo¡­

    Sure, being a panda half of his life was an annoyance, but it had its benefits. It could be used for intimidation and disguise. The great beast was inherently powerful. Sometimes, if he played his cards right, it even netted him a free meal. But even when Genma had spent days, sometimes as long as a week or two, in that form, it had never once crossed his mind to embrace it permanently. Never had he felt for a second that he would be better served by leaving his natural form behind for good.

    While, true, he had never been faced with a condition such as the Full-Body Cat¡¯s Tongue, it almost wasn¡¯t the fact that his son was a girl that bothered him. It was that he stopped fighting it. He had given himself over to it entirely. A woman, with the edge of steel he had devoted the whole of his adult life to sharpening in his son, could have stood a chance as master. As his mangled left hand reminded him constantly, Akane was proof of it.

    But instead, Ranma had chosen¡­ weakness. He had thrown away nearly two decades of training and dedication to be a dress-up doll for some girls he¡¯d just met, and run away from all of his responsibilities to do so. To top it off, not only did he seemingly feel no shame at his defeat at the hands of the Amazons, he flaunted it, on a stage, in front of thousands. He pranced around in short skirts and pigtails, and took pride in not only abandoning martial arts, but in becoming a cheerleader, of all things. It disgusted Genma to even think about.

    In truth, Genma wondered how much of Ranma¡¯s transformation had come at the hands of the women at that bar he spent time in, and how much had been Akane¡¯s direct influence on him. After all, he¡¯d met the bar¡¯s owner - the one Ranma called mother - and she had seemed anything but the demure, mincing type. She certainly didn¡¯t punch like it, he recalled, rubbing his jaw. It still hurt sometimes, when it was cold out or bad weather was coming.

    But Genma had often wondered about Akane; she often seemed more boyish than girlish, and had always seemed to have a softer spot for Ranma¡¯s girl form. Perhaps it had been her desire to have a more effeminate girlfriend that had changed Ranma so. It was one of many reasons he had grown to hate Akane Tendo. Not only had she stolen his son - his legacy - from him, she had taken his dojo from him as well. To add insult to injury, she had also taken half of his hand - and with his wife¡¯s ancestral blade, no less! Had Soun Tendo decided to pair Ranma with either of his elder daughters that fateful day, perhaps Genma might still have a son, even if in name only.

    Maybe it¡¯s time to just let him go, Genma thought with a sad sigh as he stepped over a fallen log. The boy I knew is gone, whatever the reason may be for it. There is nothing left of my son, and getting him back now would just paint me with his shame. But training Ranma had been his whole existence for so long; what would he do with himself, if not that?

    Once Soun had turned his back on him in support of his youngest daughter, Genma knew nothing would be the same for him. Everyone in his life had turned on him for the crime of wanting good things for his only son, condemning him to nearly a year of living rough with nowhere to turn. Even now, his last hope dwindled as he searched the frigid mountainside for a place he¡¯d been to only once before in his life. It was a long shot at best, but it was his only shot.

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    Genma¡¯s melancholy was interrupted by a rustling in the bushes, and the aging martial artist dropped to a silent crouch. As he watched, a smallish wild deer poked its head through the brush, and his heart soared. That¡¯ll feed me for a week, he thought as he slowly reached for a rock. He cocked his arm back and let the pebble fly, but the doe ducked her head at the last instant and the rock sailed harmlessly over its head. The sound startled it, and it turned to flee.

    Dammit, Genma thought, rising to a standing position and taking off in a run after the doe. The young deer had a definitive advantage in agility over a nearly sixty-year-old man, and it was all Genma could do to keep it in sight as it bounded up the mountainside.

    The deer reached a steep dropoff beyond the ridge, and Genma licked his lips at the thought of fresh venison. You can¡¯t run forever. You¡¯ve got nowhere else to go. Now, be a good deer and come get in my belly, he thought as he snatched up another rock. Just as he launched it at the young doe, however, she disappeared down the ridge.

    Shit! Get back here, you! He plodded tiredly after the deer, reaching the ridge and peering over it. As he did, his face cracked in a wide smile. The deer was nowhere to be seen, but at the base of the ridge, nestled into a little nook in the craggy mountainside, was a small beige building with a blue tile roof and a matching blue outer wall surrounding the grounds. He broke out into a loud laugh, resting his fists on his hips. ¡°I found it,¡± he cheered excitedly, beginning to scout a path down the rocky crevasse.

    Some twenty minutes of scrambling down loose gravel on his calloused bare feet later, he reached the gate of the imposing structure. Grabbing the frayed yellow rope that dangled from the large iron bell outside, he swung the clapper twice to sound the bell, and its resonant clang echoed through the little valley. With every passing moment he stood outside the complex, his spirits rose further. It was the first hope he¡¯d known in weeks.

    After three minutes that felt like three months, the great bamboo gate swung open, though Genma saw no one standing in it; at least, not until he looked down. The elderly master was barely a meter tall at best, clad in a navy blue gi that was all but entirely obscured by his bushy grayish-blonde hair and beard that dragged on the gravel beneath his bare feet.

    ¡°Master Chingensai,¡± Genma proclaimed, bowing low. ¡°I have searched for your dojo for months. Thank the gods I¡¯ve found you at last.¡±

    The diminutive warrior nodded, stroking his chin under his beard thoughtfully. He spoke in a weak, nasal voice as he regarded his guest. ¡°Waaaaaait a minute! I know you. You¡¯re one of Happosai¡¯s boys, aren¡¯t ya?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master Chingensai,¡± Genma said, nodding without rising from his bow. ¡°Genma Saotome.¡±

    The old man smiled, not that Genma could see it behind his shaggy beard and unkempt moustache. ¡°Of course, of course. Well, come in out of the cold, already! Let¡¯s find you something to eat. I¡¯m pretty sure I could hear your stomach growling from a few kilometers away.¡±

    Genma straightened his back with a grateful smile. ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± He stepped through the gate, helping the aged man push the wooden gate closed. He followed Master Chingensai toward the largest of the three buildings in the complex, but had not quite made it to the door before he froze at the sound of a familiar voice.

    ¡°Genma, my boy, is that you?¡±

    Genma turned, dropping to his hands and knees and lowering his forehead to the white gravel path. ¡°Master! How I had hoped I¡¯d find you here!¡±

    The ancient man hopped down from his perch atop a large kirin statue, puffing on his corncob pipe as he regarded the man who had been his student. He disregarded the gravel dust that puffed up around him under his feet, rendering his deep maroon gi a dull gray. ¡°What brings you all the way out here, Genma? You¡¯re an awfully long way from home!¡±

    Happosai¡¯s disciple coughed gravel dust from his lungs, not lifting his head from the rocky ground. ¡°Master, I don¡¯t have a home anymore. I don¡¯t know what to do. Everything¡¯s fallen apart. I came looking for you in the hopes I might train with you, and try to find some meaning in all of this.¡±

    ¡°Well, get up out of the dirt, and talk to me. What¡¯s happened, my boy,¡± Happosai asked, taking another long drag from his pipe.

    Genma rose to his knees and then his feet, sighing as he brushed the dust from his beige gi pants. ¡°Master, since you left¡­ I lost my school. To Akane Tendo, of all people, using some dirty trick she picked up from the Amazons. But beyond that¡­ I lost my¡­ I lost Ranma. We never found a cure for the Cat¡¯s Tongue, and he¡­ he gave up, Master. On his masculinity, on the art, on me, on everything, and now he spends his days singing. In dresses. For men. Tendo has turned on me, too, because I wouldn¡¯t coddle the boy. Nodoka knows all about it, too, and I¡¯m sure she¡¯s looking for me¡­¡± He held up his left hand, showing his master the gnarly remnants of his missing ring and pinkie fingers. ¡°... to finish what Akane started.¡±

    Happosai stroked his chin thoughtfully. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve certainly made a mess of things, haven¡¯t you, Genma?¡±

    Genma sighed, lowering his eyes in shame. ¡°Yes, Master. And every time I¡¯ve tried to fix things, I¡¯ve only made it worse. I need your wisdom.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm. It¡¯s certainly a pickle, isn¡¯t it? Why not just go to China like you planned? See if you can find the Spring of Drowned Man, and use it to set things right. Take Ranma, and start over?¡± The old man tapped the ash from the barrel of his pipe, slipping it into the pocket of his gi pants.

    ¡°He¡­¡± Genma sighed. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want it, Master. Not anymore. I tried to bring him - by force, even - and I couldn¡¯t. He wants nothing more to do with me. He wants to be a girl. He¡­ enjoys it.¡±

    ¡°Really, now?!¡± Happosai laughed, and there was a sinister amusement in its tone that made even Genma Saotome shudder.

    ¡°Now, this, I have to see for myself.¡±

 67. Reignition

    Ranko sighed softly, relaxing into the hug. ¡°Hey, Crash,¡± she said with a soft smile, resting her cheek on the breast of his leather jacket.

    ¡°How¡¯s your mom,¡± Crash asked, letting her go after a moment. Although it had yet to re-open after more than a week closed, the Phoenix was a bustle of activity. All seven Dapper Dragons were present, as were all of Ranko¡¯s sisters save Ayako, who was taking a shift at the hospital with her mother. Akane and Sakura were also in the back, though Ranko wasn¡¯t quite sure what they were up to.

    Ranko smiled warmly. ¡°She¡¯s doin¡¯ good. Really good. Another couple days, they¡¯re gonna let us bring her home.¡±

    She turned, waving down another dear friend as he walked past. ¡°Ken! Get your scrawny little ass over here, you.¡± She followed him until he set his soda down on a nearby table, and wrapped her arms tightly around him. ¡°Good to see you, buddy! How you feeling?¡±

    Ken hugged Ranko back, more gently than she squeezed him. ¡°I¡¯m doin¡¯. Man, that stomach flu kicked my ass but good. I¡¯m so sorry I made it hard for you guys out there, but Jake says Zoe did pretty good for ya, anyway!¡±

    Ranko nodded. ¡°Yeah, Zo was great, but they¡¯re no Ken Hirata! We missed you, man, on stage and off. For real, though, are you okay? You¡¯ve been sick a lot lately, man.¡±

    The slender drummer shrugged as he tossed his hoodie over the back of a nearby chair. ¡°Not everybody can laugh off a fuckin¡¯ heart attack like your mom, I guess. But, yeah, I¡¯m gonna talk to my doctor next week and see if there¡¯s some vitamins or something I should be taking before we go on the next leg of the tour.¡±

    The redhead giggled. ¡°That, or get you one of those spaceman suits. Somethin¡¯, dude. Zoe won¡¯t be randomly chillin¡¯ in Jakarta to bail us out if you go down on us again, bro.¡±

    ¡°Wait, who¡¯s going down on us?!¡± Hitomi cackled, squeezing Ranko about the shoulders from behind. ¡°And why wasn¡¯t I invited?¡±

    Ranko¡¯s face caught fire as Hitomi hugged her. ¡°Leave it to you to make shit weird, ¡®Tomi.¡±

    Hitomi released the singer from her grasp, grabbing the hem of her short pink vinyl skirt and offering a playful little curtsey with a giggle. ¡°My work here is done.¡± She glanced up at the bar, where Yui and Izumi were frantically mixing drinks despite the bar being devoid of customers. ¡°What are those two up to?¡±

    The bartenders¡¯ sister shrugged. ¡°Practicing, maybe? Who knows?¡± Curiosity got the better of her, and she wandered toward the bar. ¡°Whatcha doin¡¯, girls?¡±

    Izumi turned, snapping her fingers and waving Ranko away with the back of her hand. ¡°It¡¯s a secret. No Dragons allowed. Shoo.¡±

    ¡°Well, damn, I know when I¡¯m not wanted.¡± Ranko blushed. ¡°I¡¯m just gonna go hang out with somebody else, then.¡± She offered a playful little harumph and pushed through the saloon doors, hanging a right turn into Hana¡¯s office through the open door. There, she found Sakura and Akane sitting on the floor, surrounded by cardboard and styrofoam as the pair worked to assemble a new pneumatic office chair with a pale blue cloth seat.

    ¡°It looks really good in here,¡± Ranko said, scanning the room with her eyes. A vertical metal rack now rested on the corner of Hana¡¯s desk, with five shelves for paperwork, and all of the papers that had been strewn throughout the office into it had been sorted into bills, inventory, and other categories with little tabs hanging off the edges of the paper trays. The desk had been cleaned, all the furniture dusted, and Hana¡¯s decrepit old office chair now protruded from the open dumpster in the back alley, to be replaced with the upgraded model Sakura and Akane were assembling.

    The VHS tapes for the security system had been labeled, placed into sleeves and stacked neatly in a red cardboard craft box next to the monitor. The potted plant hanging from the ceiling in the corner above the couch, which had been dead for more than a year, had been replaced with a flowering lavender orchid. The choice of flower made the young singer blush with a bright smile. The couch was still battered with time, but the ratty leather was brighter for having been cleaned, and all of the crevices and spaces between the cushions had been vacuumed out. They¡¯d even rented a carpet steamer and used it to discover entirely new designs in the area rug under Hana¡¯s desk that had previously been lost to time and ground-in dirt.

    Akane smiled up at her partner, leaning back from her seat on the floor and reaching up for her hand. ¡°We wanted everything to be perfect for her when she comes home.¡±

    Ranko leaned down to kiss her bride, inadvertently ticking Akane¡¯s shoulders with her loose wavy hair as she did. ¡°It will be. It still feels surreal that she¡¯s coming home at all, after everything.¡±

    ¡°I told you she would. That woman is¡­ what is it you used to say? Cotton wrapped around concrete?¡± Akane grinned. ¡°She¡¯s gonna outlive all of us.¡±

    The redhead laughed, smiling brightly. ¡°I love you, silly girl.¡± She turned her head to the room¡¯s other occupant. ¡°Sakura, I can¡¯t thank you enough for all of this, and for¡­ ya know, coming back to us. I was scared to death about Yui with all of this, and since you¡¯ve been back, it¡¯s like she¡¯s a whole new person - actually, even better. She¡¯s the person she used to be. She needs you.¡±

    Sakura grinned, laughing over the quiet whir of the electric screwdriver in her hand as it attached the left armrest to the chair she was assembling. ¡°Yeah, well, what can I say? I¡¯m pretty fuckin¡¯ amazing.¡± She set the screwdriver down, its work completed for the moment. ¡°In all seriousness, Ran-chan, I never should have left without her.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± Ranko smirked, purring quietly as Akane rubbed her bare calf casually from her seat on the floor. ¡°According to basically every anime, there¡¯s prophecies about the seventh sister having to like, become a magical girl and fight demons and shit, and our family already has six, so¡­ watch out, is all I¡¯m sayin¡¯.¡±

    Sakura cocked the screwdriver drill upward in her hand, wrapping both of her hands around its trigger as if it were a pistol and she were one of the girls on the covers of the popular police serials of the day. ¡°I think I¡¯ll take my chances.¡± She laughed loudly as she gathered various bits of packing material and stuffed them back into the large cardboard box the chair had come in.

    Ranko giggled, leaning her leg a little more into Akane¡¯s gentle affection. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll call Kumiko and tell her to start practicing drawing you in a sailor fuku for your new manga, just in case.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± Yui¡¯s girlfriend said with a bright laugh of her own as she jammed another long rail of styrofoam down into the box with a loud crack.

    ¡°Hey, Ran-chan? We¡¯re ready for you, hon.¡±

    Ranko looked back to the open doorway at the sound of Yui¡¯s voice. ¡°Ready for what?¡±

    Yui grinned excitedly, leaning on the doorway in a black cotton turtleneck and a pair of slim-fitting white jeans. ¡°You¡¯ll see. Akane, you comin¡¯?¡±

    ¡°You bet!¡± Ranko¡¯s wife popped up off the floor, squeezing Ranko around the arm with a little squeal of excitement.

    Ranko blinked. ¡°Wait¡­ you¡¯re in on this¡­ whatever this is?!¡±

    ¡°Since before Hawai¡¯i, babe,¡± Akane said with a smirk, reaching up and poking Ranko¡¯s nose with her finger.

    The redhead gasped. ¡°Why, you little shit¡­ I¡¯m gonna g¡­¡± Her voice was muffled by Akane¡¯s lips touching hers, and whatever else she planned to say devolved into a quiet whine as Akane kissed her.

    ¡°Shhhh,¡± Akane said, blushing coyly as her hands slid down Ranko¡¯s forearm to take her hand. ¡°Come on, you.¡± She pulled Ranko by the hand out of the office and through the blue saloon door. As they reached the bar counter, Ranko¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Lined up across the two bar counters was an array of cocktails that looked unfamiliar to Ranko¡¯s eyes, with at least three servings of each distinct libation prepared. There were orange ones, green ones, shots, martini glasses, a viscous drink in a metal cauldron, and one in a glass wrapped in a spiked leather bracelet, among many others.

    ¡°What in the actual hell?¡± Ranko looked over the array of drinks. ¡°What the heck are you up to, Yui?!¡±

    Akane pulled her by the hand to the customer side of the bar, where her six bandmates were all perched on stools. Not waiting for Ranko to get the hint, she rested her hands on Ranko¡¯s hips, mindful to pin her denim skirt around her thighs with her hands as she lifted the smaller girl in her arms and deposited her on the stool closest to the service bar.

    Ranko giggled as she was lifted. ¡°Hey!¡± But, her eyes turned to the array of drinks on the counter, trying to suss out what Yui was planning as Akane slipped back behind the bar to join her.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Yui said with a grin, gesturing with open arms to the array of beverages. ¡°So, Akane had this great idea while you guys were away, about doing themed drinks based on some of your more popular songs. We¡¯ve been working on concepts for a while now, and we¡¯ve come up with seven that we think are ready for prime time. And well, there¡¯s seven of you, so we thought it would be a good idea to have you try them all, and have everybody pick a favorite. And then when we get the new menus printed, next to each drink it¡¯ll say, like, this one is Crash¡¯s favorite, this one is Jake¡¯s, stuff like that. Don¡¯t drink the whole thing - if all of you have seven drinks each, we¡¯re gonna have to cart you out of here.¡± She rolled her eyes at her youngest sister. ¡°Some of us, maybe after one or two.¡±

    Shinji grinned. ¡°That is such a fucking cool idea, you guys! I love this concept so much.¡± He reached out for what appeared to be a frothy beer in a frosted pilsner glass, not waiting for further instructions. ¡°Not sure what song you guys are planning on theming a glass of beer after. Hole in the Wall, mayb¡­¡± His voice trailed off as the glass reached his lips. ¡°What in the hell?¡± He looked at the glass incredulously as if it were made of magic.

    Yui giggled. ¡°The Regular Girl. It tells you it¡¯s a boring old beer, nothing to be excited about, and then you taste it and realize¡­¡± Her eyes fell on Ranko with a soft smile. ¡°... it was a lot more special than it gave itself credit for.¡±

    Ranko blushed shyly at her sister¡¯s words.

    ¡°It¡¯s made with apple brandy, simple syrup, lemon juice and a few other things. It¡¯s basically like drinking an apple pie,¡± Yui explained, handing Hitomi and Crash the other two servings of the cocktail she described.

    ¡°Oh my gods,¡± Hitomi moaned, a mustache of Irish cream foam still lingering over her upper lip. ¡°That¡¯s my favorite. No question.¡±

    Emi nudged her gently with her elbow. ¡°You haven¡¯t even tried the other six yet, blockhead. C¡¯mon, lemme try.¡±

    Hitomi pulled the glass away from her girlfriend defensively with both of her hands, hugging it to herself. ¡°Go away! Get your own!¡±

    Yui laughed at her reaction as Shinji and Crash¡¯s glasses were passed around to the remaining Dapper Dragons. ¡°Well, that¡¯s one endorsement, at least. We¡¯ll ask you all to pick your faves after you¡¯ve tried them all; just, we want each of you to pick a different one so each one has a Dragon to pair it up to. So, if two of you like the same one, you¡¯ll have to fight for it, I guess.¡±

    Jacob pointed to the metal cauldron sitting in front of his seat. ¡°Okay, I gotta know what that is. It looks like some sort of slime or something. Crazy cool.¡± He started to reach for the cocktail, but Yui held up her hand. ¡°One second.¡± She reached over the cauldron, dumping a spoonful of colored candies into the liquid and giving it a quick stir. Within seconds, the drink began to roil and bubble slightly, making a soft fizzing sound as the cherries and chunks of pineapple floating in it were batted around in the container by the rising bubbles.

    ¡°Who-hoh,¡± Jacob said as he pulled the cauldron toward himself.

    ¡°I give you the Voodoo Brew,¡± Yui said as she added the spoonfuls of pop rock candies to the other two cauldrons and distributed them to Ranko on one end of the bar and Ken on the other.

    ¡°Midori, vodka, and some sour mix, with a bunch of fruit and our pop rocks.¡±

    ¡°Witchcra-a-a-aft,¡± Emi sang quietly as she watched Ken taste the drink.

    ¡°You got it,¡± Yui said, giggling as Ken¡¯s eyes watered with a mouthful of the drink.

    Ken sputtered slightly. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s sour as fuck. It''s really good, but¡­ yowch.¡±

    Yui chuckled. ¡°Emi, give it a try?¡± She watched as Emi dunked a straw into the cauldron, her own cheeks all but inverting as she emptied the straw onto her tongue.

    ¡°Holy crap, Yui¡­ that¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t think my lips are ever gonna unpucker.¡±

    Emi blushed as Hitomi wrapped her hand around her cheek, turning her head toward herself and kissing her. ¡°I, for one, happen to  like it when your lips are puckered, Ems.¡±

    Yui laughed. ¡°Okay, everybody¡¯s tried it - now, give them a good stir, and try it again.¡±

    Crash, Emi and Ranko whisked the drinks briskly in their cauldrons with clean straws, and Ranko dropped another strawful on her tongue. ¡°Holy crap! It¡¯s sweet now?!¡±

    ¡°As a love potion should be, babe,¡± Akane said with a grin. ¡°It starts off hard to drink, and the more of it you drink, the sweeter it gets. It¡¯s the pop rocks melting in the drink that does it.¡±

    Ken moaned in his enjoyment, grasping for the cauldron in Emi¡¯s hand as he discarded his tasting straw on the bar top. ¡°Give me that back.¡±

    Emi laughed, looking the drink over in her hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I kinda like it!¡±

    The drummer leaned in closer, trying his best to look dangerous. It did not work at all, as the boy was nearly half a meter shorter than the tall blonde. ¡°I. Said. Give!¡± He laughed at his own mock aggression.

    ¡°Tell you what,¡± Yui said. ¡°After everyone¡¯s chosen a favorite, if you¡¯re not all three sheets to the wind, I¡¯ll make you each your own of whatever one you picked. Deal?¡±

    A chorus of whoops of assent rose from the Dapper Dragons as Yui reached for another glass, this one a tall Collins glass rimmed in black salt. She reached into a tray under the counter, pulling out a metal skewer with two large white marshmallows pushed to the far end, just under a skull-shaped knob molded into the steel. She dripped some thick red syrup into the glass and gave it a very gentle stir with the marshmallow skewer, causing the orange liquid to take on a misty reddish tint wherever the wisps of thicker syrup were not fully incorporated. Yui then poured a quarter-full shot glass of clear liquid over the top of the drink, quickly waving a lighter over it. The alcohol she¡¯d floated at the top of the drink caught fire in a bright blue, much as the familiar Dragonfire did, but the fire then lit the marshmallows and they began to burn orange.

    ¡°Behold,¡± Yui said with a grin as she put a drink in front of Ken. ¡°The Hellfire.¡± She smirked at Ranko. ¡°It comes highly recommended by demons who may, or may not, reside in one¡¯s radio. It¡¯s a play off the original Dragonfire, with the pineapple and jalape?o and stuff, but it packs a hell of a lot more punch. You¡¯ll see.¡±

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Ranko lifted the glass, holding it up and watching the grenadine swirl through it as its contents burned. ¡°That just looks so fucking cool.¡± She blew out the fire, raising the glass to her lips, and her cheeks went bright red.

    ¡°Oh, you thought I meant it was more alcoholic?¡± Yui giggled as Ken, Ranko and Hitomi all coughed. ¡°Nope! That¡¯s the tabasco in it. It¡¯s spicy as¡­ well, hellfire.¡±

    ¡°Clearly, it¡¯s not for regular mortals,¡± Shinji said. ¡°So, gimme.¡± He reached across Hitomi¡¯s body and took the drink from Emi, casually taking a large gulp of the cocktail. His eyes bulged, and he slapped the counter several times with his open palm as he willed himself to swallow the liquid burning his tongue.

    Ranko giggled at her bassist¡¯s suffering born of his machismo. ¡°How you doing over there, Shin? Good stuff?¡±

    Shinji was still coughing and unable to respond, but Hitomi nodded. ¡°It¡¯s really good, it¡¯s just, you don¡¯t expect that much heat off a drink, so it sneaks up on you.¡± She blushed. ¡°Wait - do we have a drink for Sneak?¡±

    ¡°Not yet,¡± Yui said as Jacob took Crash¡¯s glass from him. ¡°Working on it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Jacob said, lifting the drink to his nose and smelling it to get a sense of its spice level. As his bandmates watched in awe and horror, he lifted the glass to his lips, downing its entire contents at once. He emitted a refreshed ahhhh sound as he set the empty glass in front of Yui, standing on the footrests of his stool and looking left and right at his friends. ¡°You¡¯re all a bunch¡¯a pussies.¡±

    Ranko gasped. ¡°What. The. Fuck. Just¡­ how?!¡±

    Jake flashed the band¡¯s lead vocalist a smirk. ¡°Riding kangaroos makes you strong, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Oh, fuck all the way off, Trimble,¡± Ranko mumbled as the band laughed at her. ¡°Am I ever gonna live that down?!¡±

    ¡°Not if I live to be a thousand,¡± Jacob said with a merry guffaw. ¡°Neither is your band husband,¡± he said, nudging Crash¡¯s shoulder with his fist. ¡°And you shouldn¡¯t expect Zo to let you off easy when they get here next week, either.¡±

    Ranko said nothing, burying her burning face in her hands and praying Akane wasn¡¯t upset by the insinuation.

    ¡°Ready for the next one,¡± Yui asked with a grin. ¡°Maybe something to tame the spice down a little?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please,¡± Emi pleaded, and her eyes widened as Yui pushed a martini glass in front of her. The drink within was a light pink, with striations of reddish syrup batted about by bubbles of carbonation rising lazily to its surface around a ball of light pink ice cream that seemed to sparkle as Emi beheld it. A single maraschino cherry rested atop the ice cream, pressed partway into a divot in the ball to help it hold its place. The whole glass was rimmed in sparkly glitter.

    ¡°The Hypnoteaser,¡± Yui said with a grin. ¡°Cherry ice cream in a pink champagne float.¡±

    Ranko, whose cheeks had not yet returned to their normal shade, felt them warming again. ¡°Turn Me Off/Turn Me On? And that¡¯s why it kinda looks like a¡­¡±

    ¡°Mm-hmmm,¡± Yui said with a mischievous smirk. ¡°Enjoy, little sister.¡± She handed another of the cocktails to the redhead on her far right.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Hitomi flashed a devilish smirk up at Emi before leaning down to the bar surface, flicking her tongue over her girlfriend¡¯s stemmed glass without lifting it from the bar and scooping the cherry off the top of her ice cream with it. She flashed Emi a devious simper as she chewed the cherry, some of the glitter from the ice cream making her tongue sparkle as she licked her lips.

    ¡°Is there something in that ice cream,¡± Shinji asked, poking at it with his spoon. ¡°It tastes a little boozy.¡±

    Yui nodded. ¡°We mix a little light rum, and a shitload of edible glitter, into the ice cream and then re-freeze it. If you let the ice cream melt, the whole thing becomes this sort of sparkly, bubbly slush, which we thought fit the sort of airhead Barbie vibe of the song.¡±

    Ranko, her cheeks still aflame at the words being used to describe the song - and herself as the one who wrote and performed it - set the drink down. ¡°It¡¯s really good.¡±

    ¡°You like it,¡± Akane asked, reaching across the bar and stroking her wife¡¯s cheek with the backs of her fingers. ¡°Is it your favorite? For, you know, reasons?¡±

    ¡°Akane¡­¡± Ranko hid her face shyly. ¡°The boys are watchin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°There are worse things in the world than reminding them you''re mine from time to time,¡± Akane said with a smirk at Crash as Yui pushed forward another set of glasses. The highballs contained a deep brown liquid, so much so that it was nearly black, and the glasses were wrapped in leather straps with spikes protruding from them all around the cocktail.

    ¡°Here you go,¡± Yui said with a winning smirk. ¡°Watch Your Hands¡­¡±

    Shinji pinched his glass carefully around the rim, lifting it to his mouth. ¡°Awwww, yeah. This is what I''m talking about. Honey, bourbon? Yes, please.¡± Emi reached for his glass, but he pulled it back from her, smacking the back of her hand gently. ¡°Uh-uh. Not yours. Don''t touch.¡±

    ¡°You got it, Shin!¡± Yui laughed as the other two glasses made their way down the line of musicians along the bar.

    Ranko looked at the glass as Crash slid it over to her. ¡°How the hell are you supposed to drink it?¡±

    Yui smiled. ¡°Carefully. Or you can take the easy way and just take the spikes off the glass first. But where''s the fun in that? Here, maybe this one¡¯s a little more your speed, sis.¡± She picked up a sparkly glass shoe, not at all unlike the ones Ranko wore when performing Self-Rescuing Princess on the Wildfire Tour. It was full of a bright pink liquid, the top covered with a bit of white foam.

    ¡°The Glass Slipper,¡± Yui said with a smile, gesturing forward with her hands in offering. ¡°And before you ask, yes, we asked the same place that did your shoes for the show to make the glasses.¡±

    Akane smirked. ¡°Ranko, remember in Phantom of the Opera, where the owners are drinking out of Carlotta¡¯s shoes to show deference because she''s the prima donna? Well, here ya go, diva.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s face had not been its normal shade in nearly fifteen minutes. ¡°Akaneeee! I don''t really act like that¡­ do I?¡± She shrank a bit on her stool, remembering what her new friend Yumeko had said after class about expecting her to be unapproachable due to her celebrity. Am I turning into one of those mean girls? Gods, I hope not¡­

    Her wife laughed, offering Ranko a soft smile. ¡°Of course not, princess.¡± She walked around the bar, leaning down and whispering in Ranko¡¯s ear. ¡°But this one is your favorite.¡±

    Ranko laughed. ¡°Oh, it is, huh?¡±

    Akane dragged her finger around the upper edge of the white lace choker around Ranko''s neck. ¡°Yes. It is.¡±

    ¡°Vodka, orange juice, cherry juice, peach schnapps¡­ this is a fun one,¡± Yui said proudly.

    ¡°Is that chocolate in the foam,¡± Emi asked, wiping some of it from the tip of her nose.

    Yui nodded. ¡°Chocolate liqueur and Irish cream, yeah.¡±

    Crash motioned to the bar counter, on which three rows of ten shot glasses still rested. Ten of them held a milky yellow liquid, ten a vibrant green, and the last ten a thick pink. Behind them were six tall goblets, maybe half full with a deep red beverage that looked like it might be red wine. ¡°What''s all that?¡±

    Yui smiled proudly. ¡°This one, I¡¯m really stoked about.¡± She picked up one of the yellow shot glasses. ¡°This one is just a miniature Dragonfire, representing the Phoenix itself.¡±

    She reached under the counter, pulling out a small black vinyl record and spinning it on the tips of her fingers before setting it on the counter. She rested the Dragonfire shot on the record, off to one side rather than in the center.

    ¡°Then, we have the Aki¡¯s Apple, for Akane. It''s a really simple one; Midori and apple liqueur, half and half.¡± Yui held up one of the bright green shots for demonstration before adding it to the record as if it were a serving tray. Ranko blushed at the wordplay, grinning up at her wife.

    ¡°Our third shot,¡± Yui said, picking up one of the reddish pink shots, ¡°is the Dapper Dragonfruit. Bet you guys can''t guess who that one is all about. Dragonfruit syrup and rum. Sweet, and packs a pretty decent little punch.¡±

    She added the third shot glass to the record, the three glasses spaced evenly around its rim, before picking up one of the taller glasses. ¡°This is a sangria cocktail with a little bit of light rum. It''s fairly chill. We call it the Orchid Girl, because it¡¯s for you, Ran-chan.¡± As she spoke, she garnished the glass with a large purplish flower that matched the ones in the new hanging planter in her mother¡¯s office. ¡°It''s yummy on its own¡­¡± She picked up another of the yellow shots, dumping it into the glass. A green and a red shot soon followed, and Yui stirred the now-full glass with a straw. ¡°But if you add all of those elements to the drink representing Ranko, you get¡­¡±

    Ranko blushed, smiling as she recognized the setup of her most decorated song. ¡°You get happy ever after.¡±

    Yui nodded. ¡°This,¡± she said, holding one of the half-empty glasses of sangria cocktail in one hand and the record in the other, holding it like a miniature serving tray perched atop her outstretched fingertips. ¡°... is the Once Upon a Flight. People can drink the different things individually, or mix them all together to get one ass-kickin¡¯ cocktail.¡±

    As she spoke, Akane set about building six more records with one each of the shots. Yui, meanwhile, added the remaining two sets of shot glasses to two more of the tall glasses, such that there were now three half-empty drinks and three with the shots mixed in.

    Akane distributed a record to each member of the band, and Yui gave Orchid Girls to Crash, Hitomi and Shinji before handing fully-mixed cocktails to Ken, Emi and Jacob. ¡°Here, try it mixed, and then you can try the individual components separately if you want,¡± Yui said, beaming.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Emi said as she tasted the mixed version of the drink. ¡°There''s so much going on in there, and somehow, it still works.¡±

    ¡°Dude,¡± Ken said, an empty shot glass clattering to the bar in front of him. ¡°The apple one is the shit. For real.¡±

    ¡°The reddish one is my favorite of the three,¡± Ranko said before turning to her wife with a smirk. ¡°No offense, Aki.¡±

    Akane gave Ranko a devious wink that made her partner swallow hard. ¡°Oh, none taken, flower girl.¡±

    Yui clapped her hands as the drinks were passed and discussed. ¡°So, what are we thinking? Favorites? I think we have to give the Hellfire to Jake, ¡®cause he''s the only one who could even tolerate it.¡±

    Jacob nodded. ¡°I liked that one and the Watch Your Hands best, so that works for me.¡±

    Ranko blushed, answering Yui even as she looked up at Akane. ¡°The Glass Slipper,¡± she said as Akane smiled, crinkling her nose cutely at her partner.

    ¡°Well, if Jake isn''t gonna take Watch Your Hands, I will,¡± Shinji offered. ¡°I''m the main dark liquor drinker of us anyway, I think.¡±

    Yui smiled, purring quietly as Sakura emerged from the back room and wrapped her arms around her lover''s waist.

    ¡°I''m so proud of you, Yui,¡± Sakura whispered as the band continued negotiating for the various libations.

    Hitomi took another sip from the pinkish martini glass in front of her, flicking her renewed glittery tongue at Emi playfully. ¡°I want the Hypnoteaser.¡±

    ¡°Can''t imagine why, babe,¡± Emi said with a blush and a giggle. ¡°I guess that leaves me the Regular Girl, since I was down to those two.¡±

    Crash held up the tall goblet containing the combined contents of the Once Upon a Flight. ¡°I gotta say, I really like this one. I think I might like the drinks better individually, but it''s fantastic either way.¡±

    Yui turned to Ken. ¡°That leaves the Voodoo Brew. Does that work for you, man?¡±

    Ken nodded. ¡°Actually, it does. The super sour at the beginning is a little rough, but I love the effect of how it gets sweeter and you can just wait a minute until the candy dissolves to drink it if the sour¡¯s too much.¡±

    Yui grinned excitedly, clapping her hands. ¡°Then it sounds like Ranko¡¯s Rocktails are all set! Thanks, everybody!¡±

    Emi beamed, tilting the Regular Girl in her hand in deference to the bartender. ¡°You really knocked these out of the park, Yui. Great job, girl!¡±

    Yui blushed. ¡°It wouldn''t have happened without Akane. She gets some credit, too!¡±

    Ranko¡¯s wife blushed shyly. ¡°Oh, please. All I did was butcher a few drinks badly enough for Yui to get ideas. She made them, ya know, good.¡±

    ¡°Well I think you two did great, babe,¡± Ranko said with a silly laugh. ¡°C¡¯mere and give me a hug. This was a great surpr¡­¡±

    Ranko dismounted the stool as she spoke, but as soon as her legs took on the responsibility of keeping her upright, they abdicated it, and the redhead spilled to the floor in a fit of giggles.

    Crash laughed deeply, the rest of the band joining him as Akane helped her thoroughly buzzed wife to her feet. ¡°Well, it looks like somebody''s tail got rocked, alright!¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Hey, everybody! WELCOME BACK TO THE PHOENIX!¡± Mei roared into her handheld microphone over the capacity-and-then-some crowd¡¯s cheers. ¡°We¡¯re so sorry we¡¯ve been away. As you may have heard, we¡¯ve been dealing with some stuff, but we¡¯re back, baby! I¡¯m back!¡±

    The crowd whooped for the bubbly blue-haired bartender, and she beamed as she waved to the assemblage.

    ¡°Yui and Aya are back!¡± Mei motioned to the back bar, where the two eldest of her sisters both tossed bottles high in the air. The pair each spun on their heels until they ended up back to back, and each caught the bottle the other had thrown. It had taken a few months since Aya had returned to the bar, but their synchronization as partners behind the bar had returned to the peak level it had known just before Ayako got married, vacating a place at the bar for a certain wayward redhead.

    ¡°Seiichi and Akane are back!¡± Mei smiled up at her boyfriend as he waved to the crowd from behind the service bar. Akane did not respond to the mention of her own name, as she had a large pizza in each of her hands at the moment, shuttling the pies to table nine.

    ¡°Izzi¡¯s back!¡± The nearly four hundred people roared for Mei¡¯s sister, although they did not see her - she was currently in the back kitchen operating the pizza ovens while Mei fired up the crowd.

    Sakura was working in the back office, still trying to make sense of the state Hana had left the bills and such in before her unforeseen furlough. She had asked not to be called out, as she thought the addition of a new member to staff while Hana was out would make it seem as if she intended to replace the irreplaceable.

    ¡°Mama¡¯s not back yet, but she will be next week, and we¡¯re going to throw her one hell of a welcome home party, right, guys?!¡± The roar was deafening in response. ¡°Don¡¯t forget, everybody, we¡¯ve got all new drinks on our m¡­¡±

    ¡°Mei, aren¡¯t you forgetting somebody?¡± The bubbly, disembodied voice poured through the speakers like melted butter, and the building shook as the house lights all cut out with a loud clack as if the breaker had been thrown. The volume of the audience¡¯s jubilation only increased at the sound of Shinji¡¯s devilish laughter following Ranko¡¯s call.

    ¡°Whoa-oh-oh, uh-oh! Watch out, watch out! Whoa-oh-oh, uh-oh! She¡¯s gonna make you shout!¡±

    A bright giggle dripped from the twelve Electro-Voice speakers mounted to the Phoenix¡¯ ceiling. ¡°Whaaaaaaat? You guys didn¡¯t miss me or anything, did ya?¡±

    ¡°Whoa-oh-oh, uh-oh! Beware the flow! Whoa-oh-oh, uh-oh! Turn off the ra-a-di-o!¡±

    A loud bang came from the front of the room, and the startled crowd whirled to face it. Mei, once the majority of the audience had turned away from the stage, made her exit from it and scurried through the side door back into the kitchen.

    The glass double doors at the front of the Phoenix burst open, and Ranko strode in as if she owned the place, heel over toe in her black pumps and her sparkling red dress. Hitomi and Emi flanked her in the same style dresses but in green and blue, respectively. Ranko¡¯s headset was carefully incorporated into her blown-out red hair, save the plastic boom microphone that hovered a centimeter from her glazed lips.

    ¡°You all can say that you were here the night the Phoenix rose! We¡¯re back to shake your body from your hair down to your toes!¡± As she sang the modified first verse of Demon in Your Radio, she slowly advanced toward the stage, touching as many of the hands that were extended to her as possible even as Hitomi and Emi ensured she was never held up too long.

    ¡°I know your mistress has been traveling a long, long, time, but I can¡¯t have you forgetting that your souls are mine!¡±

    Ken, Jacob, Shinji and Crash emerged from the kitchen through the side door, taking their places at their instruments on stage. In the interests of the special, inverted entrance, Ranko was performing the first verse of the song over recorded music.

    ¡°I took New Zealand and America - Australia, too - but the Wildfire I spread started right here, with you!¡± Ranko vaulted up the three steps at the side of the stage, waving to the roaring crowd with both hands as she finished the one-off verse.

    ¡°Hope you¡¯ve rested, ¡®cause the best is back to sling her groove. Break time¡¯s over, Firebirds, and now, it¡¯s time to MOVE!¡±

 68. Since Youve Been Gone

    Kasumi hummed merrily to herself as she bent down, holding up her pink skirt with one hand as she ran her mop under the dining room table. I think Thursdays will be my mop days, she noted to herself. For several weeks now, she had been planning a schedule whereby she could visit her father''s home a few times a week and do chores for him despite the fact that, sometime in the next year, she would be moving out to live with her soon-to-be-husband, Dr. Tofu Ono. She knew that Soun was ill-prepared to care for the house himself, having not done so in any meaningful way since he met Kasumi¡¯s mother Rumiko decades ago, and Nabiki¡­

    Kasumi giggled at the thought of Nabiki taking over the household duties. Her younger sister was a girl of many talents, but when it came to the domestic arts, she was even more helpless than Akane in all but cooking, and that was saying something. Given the choice, Nabiki would almost certainly hire a maid to help around the house rather than do so herself, regardless of the cost. I should have encouraged both of the girls to help more while they were growing up and gotten them used to it, she thought with a twinge of regret. She smiled at the irony that after herself, the most domestically capable of her three sisters was the one who had not even been raised as a woman. She was so proud of Ranko, though, for her willingness to do the unglamorous work of keeping a home because it brought Akane comfort. As a proper wife should, she mused with an easy smile.

    ¡°Good morning, Kasumi,¡± came a call from the open sliding door to the side yard. It was accompanied by the merry chirping of a few birds and the sound of the garbage collection truck moving down the street outside.

    Kasumi looked up with a wave, her humming stopping as she straightened her back and leaned on her mop. ¡°Oh! Good morning, Father! I''m sorry, I didn''t realize you were already awake! I''ll get breakfast started right away.¡±

    Soun grinned, putting up a hand in reassurance. ¡°No need to apologize, Kasumi. Or to rush, for that matter.¡± He walked over to her, putting his arm around his eldest daughter¡¯s shoulder and giving her a kiss on her cheek, his mustache tickling her skin slightly. ¡°I love you, you know.¡±

    Kasumi blushed, beaming brightly at her father. ¡°I love you, too, Father! You seem to be in a wonderful mood today!¡±

    Her father nodded, emitting a merry belly laugh. ¡°I am! It''s a beautiful day! I¡¯ve just had a great workout, my girls are all doing well, we got the city ordinance passed to increase funding for the park renovations¡­ everything is exactly as it should be.¡± He motioned to the knee-high wooden table sitting on the porch just outside the sliding door. ¡°And I look forward to continuing my winning streak!¡±

    Kasumi blushed more deeply with a slow nod. Since Ranko¡¯s biological father had left their home, Kasumi had been learning to play shogi in an effort to stave off her father''s loneliness, but years of playing competitively against someone who had no qualms about cheating had honed his skill at the game impressively. ¡°One day, Father, I will catch you when you least expect it. I should be finished with my chores no later than lunchtime, and afterward, we can play if you¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°You might want to wait until after dinner, and pump some sake into him first. You¡¯d probably stand a better chance.¡±

    Kasumi laughed, turning her eyes to the staircase at the sound of the new voice as she shook her head. ¡°Good morning to you too, Nabiki.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Kasumi.¡± Nabiki approached the pair, leaning in and giving her father a peck on the cheek. ¡°Morning, Daddy.¡±

    Soun smiled, hugging her. ¡°Good morning to you too, Nabiki. Any big plans for today?¡±

    The brunette glanced over the empty table, frowning slightly at the notable absence of food on it. ¡°Still working with the Yokai people to deal with the fallout from Ranko¡¯s canceled show in Australia. We¡¯re starting to put together a plan for a third album contract, too. I gotta tell you, Daddy, part of me wishes Ranko would let me find her a new label. These guys are clueless sometimes, but, at least it means I can rake ¡®em across the coals when it comes to contract negotiations.¡±

    Soun flashed his daughter a prideful grin. ¡°I''m sure you''re doing a wonderful job, sweetheart. Your sister is lucky to have your help.¡±

    Nabiki shrugged with a confident smirk. ¡°Yeah, I guess she is. But, I mean, she''s gotta work over tens of thousands of people a night. I think I can handle a boardroom full. Oh, and speaking of helping, I finished up the updates to the city budget proposal for you. Everything''s in your briefcase.¡±

    Soun laughed, looking over his daughters. ¡°I don''t know what this old man would do without you two.¡±

    ¡°Probably starve,¡± Nabiki said with a playful sneer, glancing back at the table. ¡°And speaking of starving¡­¡±

    Kasumi laughed, shaking her head again. ¡°I suppose that''s my cue. If you''ll excuse me, Father¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, some breakfast would be lovely, Kasumi.¡±

    The girls both gasped at the new voice that had entered the conversation, and Soun whirled to find a diminutive figure standing in the entryway. He immediately dropped to his knees, prostrating himself on the still-damp wooden floor. ¡°Master! You''re¡­ you''re back?!¡±

    Happosai laughed, resting his fists on his hips. ¡°You bet! Did you miss me?¡±

    Not remotely, Nabiki thought with an icy glare.

    ¡°Grandfather Happosai, welcome!¡± Kasumi smiled at him, much though Nabiki could easily see the disingenuity of her sister¡¯s outward happiness. Kasumi, honey, you¡¯re a sweetheart, but you¡¯re an absolutely shit liar.

    ¡°What brings you back after all this time,¡± Soun asked, swallowing hard. ¡°... Master?¡±

    Happosai laughed heartily. ¡°Soun, my boy, I¡¯ve been gone for nearly three years! I had to come and check on you! So tell me, what have I missed? The place seems¡­ a bit emptier than I remember.¡±

    Nabiki¡¯s head drooped forward into her palm. ¡°Hoo boy, here we go,¡± she murmured under her breath into her hand.

    ¡°Well, Master, you see¡­¡± Soun scrambled to his feet. ¡°I, um, well¡­¡±

    Nabiki grabbed her sister¡¯s left wrist, holding up Kasumi¡¯s hand. ¡°Dr. Tofu finally popped the question!¡± At least that¡¯s one of us off limits to you, asshole.

    Happosai chuckled, nodding to himself. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, dear. And you? What are you up to these days?¡± He eyed her tight denim jumper ravenously, and it sent a shiver of disgust up Nabiki¡¯s spine.

    ¡°...Daddy got elected mayor! Can you believe it?!¡± Nabiki waved her hands defensively, though she knew she would quickly run out of other things to talk about ¨C she had a guess which of the Tendo girls the old pervert was really asking after, and it was likely not one of the two in the room, but the one whose face was plastered on billboards in a dozen countries at the moment.

    With a grin, Happosai hopped off the floor, jumping high enough to slap Soun hard on the back. Soun stumbled forward, almost collapsing onto the tabletop. ¡°Well, congratulations! I knew you had it in you, Soun!¡± The ancient sensei landed on his feet atop the dining room table. ¡°I notice Genma¡¯s not here. Where did he get off to?¡± He knew full well where, as he¡¯d left his other disciple back at Master Chingensai¡¯s dojo, but he wanted to hear the Tendos¡¯ side of the story. ¡°Still sleeping off a bottle upstairs, I¡¯d guess?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Saotome doesn¡¯t live here anymore,¡± Kasumi said, an uncharacteristic edge in her voice. ¡°Not ever since he¡­¡± She trailed off as Nabiki squeezed her wrist hard.

    Soun stepped forward, a quiet resignation in his voice. Nabiki shook her head at him, but he winced and gave her a little shrug. ¡°Master, you remember what happened to¡­ Ranma, right before you left, right? With the Full-Body Cat¡¯s Tongue?¡±

    ¡°Well, fuck. Here we go,¡± Nabiki exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air and letting them clap loudly to her sides. ¡°Just couldn¡¯t keep your mouth shut, Daddy.¡±

    ¡°It¡­ rings a bell.¡± Happosai sneered unsettlingly, as if he were about to tear into his favorite dessert. The hungry look in his eyes turned Nabiki¡¯s stomach. ¡°Why, what happened?¡±

    Nabiki glared, shaking her head vehemently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. She¡¯s moved on. Far away from here.¡±

    ¡°She?¡± Happosai turned back up to Soun, still standing on his dining room table. He stroked his chin in mock curiosity. ¡°Soun, what aren¡¯t you telling me? What¡¯s happened to dear Ranma?¡± He affected a grandfatherly tone of concern that Nabiki immediately recognized as fake.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do it,¡± Nabiki mouthed silently behind him, flailing her hands frantically at her father over the old man¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Oh, Grandfather, if you please,¡± Kasumi implored, returning to the room after depositing her mop back in the broom closet in the hallway. ¡°We don¡¯t call her that anymore. She goes by Ranko now.¡±

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Nabiki groaned, whirling to glare openly at her sister. ¡°Kasumi? Big sister?¡± She stepped closer to Kasumi, growling through her gritted teeth. ¡±Shut. Up. We don¡¯t need to talk about that.¡±

    ¡°Nabiki Tendo! I can¡¯t believe you!¡± Kasumi gasped, putting her hands on her hips admonishingly. ¡°Ranko is proud of the woman she is now, and we should be proud of her, too. I won¡¯t have our sister treated like something we should be ashamed of in this house.¡±

    I¡¯m not ashamed of her, Kasumi. I just don¡¯t want to give the king of the lechers a map to her fucking doorstep, Nabiki thought with a heavy sigh.

    ¡°Woman? Sister?¡± Happosai¡¯s voice rose an octave in curiosity, turning to Kasumi. ¡°How did¡­¡±

    Kasumi smiled proudly. ¡°Ranko lives full-time as a young woman now. In fact, she¡¯s no longer able to take her old male form at all, not even if she tries. She and Akane were married last November, and Father formally added Ranko to our family registry as his daughter, meaning Ranko Tendo is our little sister now. And she¡¯s just incredible, Grandfather.¡±

    Nabiki growled lowly, shaking her head in dismay with a loud sigh. Might as well have stuck an apple in her mouth and put her on a fucking silver platter, Kasumi. I love you, sis, but fuck me, you don¡¯t think shit through before you speak sometimes. Thank the gods I don¡¯t ever have to take you with me into a boardroom. You¡¯d get eaten alive.

    ¡°She¡­ married¡­ girl¡­¡± Genma didn¡¯t mention that¡­ Happosai¡¯s eyes were wider than rice bowls, and a grin crossed his face, filled with so much dark joy and wonder that it seemed as if he¡¯d found Aladdin¡¯s magic lamp buried in a pile of satin unmentionables.

    Nabiki thought she saw his body physically quivering. She was glad Kasumi hadn¡¯t started breakfast; she¡¯d long since lost her appetite. ¡°Honestly, Daddy. Do we have to put up with this? I mean, look at him. That¡¯s your youngest daughter he¡¯s thinking about with that disgusting look on his face.¡±

    ¡°Soun, my boy?¡± Happosai turned back to his disciple, a toxic brew of excitement and authority in his eyes. ¡°Where can I find dear Ranko now, exactly?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s on tour,¡± Nabiki blurted forcefully. ¡°Out of the country. Will be until Christmas. She¡¯s a singer, and she¡¯s traveling all over hell, with a security detail and everything. So, I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s quite unavailable. Sorry.¡± She shot Kasumi a don¡¯t you dare contradict me glare as she spoke, crossing her arms over her chest.

    Happosai¡¯s spine seemed to melt, and the diminutive old man slumped in disappointment. ¡°I see. Well, that¡¯s unfortunate.¡± He turned to Nabiki. ¡°If memory serves, you¡¯re pretty handy with a camera, Nabiki. I don¡¯t suppose you have any¡­ pictures?¡±

    Nabiki shook her head. ¡°Nope, sorry! I don¡¯t really do much photography anym¡­¡±

    ¡°Nabiki,¡± her father interrupted. ¡°Surely there¡¯d be no harm in letting the master see the family photo album, now, would there? There¡¯s nothing untoward in there. Be a dear and get it for us, would you, please?¡±

    I don¡¯t know why I bother. I¡¯m over here trying to look out for Ranko and Akane, and I¡¯ve got Tweedle-dad and Tweedle-dumbass coming up behind me and serving them up to Uncle Gropey. I swear, nobody thinks this shit through, especially not where that old pervert is concerned. Nabiki seethed as she stormed into Soun¡¯s bedroom, retrieving a large square binder bound in a green leather reminiscent of Komodo dragon skin, stuffed six centimeters thick with celluloid pages that crinkled loudly each time her arm moved while carrying it. I¡¯m sorry, girls. I tried to protect you. She thrust the book forcefully into her father¡¯s hands without making eye contact with him.

    ¡°Do you not want to show the master the pictures, Nabiki?¡± Soun frowned in disappointment at the young brunette as she stepped away from him.

    Nabiki shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly again. ¡°No. I do not.¡± She sighed heavily. Sure, I used to sell photos to Kuno, but he at least liked Ranko and Akane. He¡¯d have married either of them if he¡¯d gotten the chance. This old pervert just wants to¡­ She shuddered, refusing to even complete the thought in the silence of her own mind.

    ¡°I will, Father,¡± Kasumi said, reaching out for the photo album. Soun handed it to her, and she walked to the table, sitting cross-legged at her usual place on the floor next to it. Happosai hopped down from the tabletop to join her, stretching his body upward to peer over the book despite his impossibly short frame.

    ¡°So this is Ranko now, Grandfather. Our little sister,¡± Kasumi said with no small measure of pride, opening the book and flipping to one of the last pages first. ¡°Ever since her wedding.¡±

    The aged martial artist peered over the photo album, his eyes bulging as he took in a photo of Ranko in a stunning, pearl-encrusted wedding gown, clutching the arm of a woman in a white kimono as she ascended a ramp to join another bride. Akane was radiant as well, and while Ranko¡¯s face could not be seen from the angle the photo was taken from, Akane¡¯s eyes looked as if she was seeing the sun for the first time. ¡°... Amazing. And Nodoka was there?! I¡­ did not expect that.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s won over a great many people, Master. Quite impressive, that girl.¡± Soun nodded sagely.

    ¡°Oh, yes. Quite impressive indeed,¡± Happosai said with a grin.

    Nabiki rolled her eyes as Happosai responded, leaning her back on the wall standoffishly. ¡°He didn¡¯t mean her tits, jerk.¡±

    Kasumi clicked her tongue in disapproval. ¡°Be polite, Nabiki.¡± She flipped to another page in the book. ¡°Ah, here¡¯s Ranko with her other adopted family.¡± She motioned to a photo of Ranko in a red dress, surrounded by Akane and five women Happosai did not recognize. They were leaning on what appeared to be some sort of temporary raised platform in the middle of a city street. ¡°This is her adopted mother Hana, and her sisters: Izumi, Mei, Yui, and Ayako,¡± Kasumi called out as she pointed to each of the women in the photo in turn. ¡°She met them at the bar she works at.¡±

    ¡°Four¡­ more¡­ sisters?¡± Happosai¡¯s face seemed to flush, less like an embarrassed blush, and more like a dumpling that was slowly steaming.

    Kasumi nodded softly. ¡°They¡¯re all lovely people, Grandfather. They¡¯ve been so wonderful and helpful to her.¡± She flipped to another page, beaming down at the Polaroid photo of her youngest sister on the stage at the Phoenix. She wore a black leather half-jacket over a red tee shirt with a black firebird printed on it and a black pleated skirt, and she held her right fist in the air as her left held a microphone close to her lips. Her hair was tied back in a simple, unbraided ponytail. Four male musicians Happosai had never seen dotted the back of the stage, behind which the word RISE was projected on the wall in white light.

    Happosai grinned wolfishly. ¡°She really does perform, huh?¡±

    With a bright smile, Kasumi nodded emphatically. ¡°Oh, yes! She has concerts for thousands - tens of thousands - of people now. I¡¯ll play some of her music for you in a moment if you like. She¡¯s really something, Grandfather! And her band has grown even more since this photo was taken.¡±

    She flipped to another page, featuring Ranko and Akane sitting on a Hawaiian beach holding hands. Ranko wore a black one-piece bathing suit printed with pink hibiscus flowers and a white straw hat adorned with a pink bow, and Akane wore a yellow bikini top with a blue bottom. Behind them, a short brunette girl in a pink sports bra and black bikini bottom was being held in the air by a taller blonde in a white bikini, ankle deep in the cerulean waters of the Pacific Ocean. The two girls were locked in a kiss.

    ¡°That¡¯s Hitomi, and this is Emi. They¡¯re Ranko¡¯s good friends, and her backup dancers,¡± Kasumi said, tapping the girls in the photo with her finger as she named them.

    Happosai needed no help to draw his attention to them. His face reddened further, swallowing hard as he stared at the photo as if trying to memorize it. His breathing quickened, becoming somewhat labored, as if he was physically exerted.

    ¡°She¡¯s even gotten to perform outside of her normal band stuff,¡± Kasumi said, flipping to a new spread of pages. On the left, Ranko stood on stage in an amphitheater somewhere in a teal dress under a black corset with a large matching bow in her hair. She was beaming and giving the crowd a soft wave with her fingers pressed together, as if she were in a beauty pageant. On the right side, she was clad in what seemed to be a vintage wedding dress, and she was bent over a boy in a tuxedo as if kissing him.

    ¡°Here she is performing Phantom of the Opera for her school musical, and over here¡­ she actually got to be a Disney princess for a day! On Akane¡¯s birthday, too! She was so adorable; you should have seen her!¡±

    Happosai nodded, his face a brighter red than his gi. ¡°Yes¡­ I¡­ sh¡­¡± His words came out almost as a wheeze as his eyes darted back and forth between the pictures. Nabiki was shocked to note that he wasn¡¯t drooling on himself. Yet, she thought darkly.

    Kasumi turned the page again, landing on a photo of Ranko from her first day at Yusue High, wearing her red-and-white school pinafore, with a red ribbon tied in her hair with a large bow. She held a giant pink teddy bear in her arms, hugging it around the waist and smiling over its shoulder at the camera.

    Happosai¡¯s eyes widened further as he placed his palms on the table to support his weight and leaned over the book. ¡°She¡­ went to school¡­ as a¡­ g¡­ girl?¡± His voice was low and raspy, as if he could barely catch his breath.

    Kasumi nodded. ¡°Just graduated, too! She had her first day of college a few days ago! Can you believe it? She couldn¡¯t really afford it, but she earned a scholarship for athletics.¡± Flipping to another page, Kasumi indicated a photo of Ranko standing at the head of a group of thirteen other girls, all wearing identical red, white and silver cheerleading uniforms emblazoned with silver silhouettes of lions. Ranko was all smiles, a large silver bow in her hair as she thrust her fist skyward. On either side of her were pyramids of three cheerleaders, and another pair were twisting in mid-air flanking her.

    ¡°She¡­ I¡­¡± Happosai sputtered, seeming to wobble a bit on his backside as he stared at the fourteen girls in their barely-there pleated skirts. Nabiki could swear she saw the individual veins in his forehead bulging.

    ¡°Ugh. This is so gross. I can¡¯t watch this shit anymore; it¡¯s making my skin crawl,¡± Nabiki spat disgustedly, popping her weight off the wall with her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m going upst¡­¡± Her voice was cut off at the sound of a loud thud coming from the direction of the table. Nabiki whipped her head around to take in its source as the sound of rattling ceramic from the shaken tea cups echoed through the dining room.

    The elderly man¡¯s head lay face-down atop the celluloid page. He was not moving, his entire form propped limply against the edge of the table.

    ¡°Grandfather, are you¡­¡± Kasumi rested her hand gently on Happosai¡¯s back, giving his shoulder a firm shake and receiving no response. ¡°Oh, dear! Grandfather?!¡±

 69. Plugged In

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I''m not going!¡±

    Akane sighed, sitting on the foot of her bed and looking up at the nonplussed redhead sitting at the study desk. ¡°Ranko, come on. Be respectful. You have to go.¡±

    Ranko looked up from her English notes, shaking her head. ¡°What for?! It''s not my fault the old pervert looked at a picture of me in my cheer uniform and threw a fucking clot! I didn''t kill him, Akane!¡±

    ¡°No one said you did, Ranko.¡± Akane stood again, walking behind Ranko¡¯s chair and rubbing her back through the yellow peplum shirt she wore. ¡°But that doesn''t mean we shouldn''t show respect and go to the man¡¯s funeral.¡±

    Ranko scoffed, leaning back into Akane¡¯s hands. She looked up with her head cocked backward, rolling her eyes. ¡°Respect for what, exactly? What about that man merits respect?! He¡¯s a lecher, a creep and a thief. I didn''t want anything to do with him when he was alive, and I damn sure don''t now that he¡¯s dead!¡±

    ¡°Ranko, please.¡± Akane shook her head in almost matronly admonishment. ¡°You shouldn''t speak ill of the dead. Don''t you have anything nice you could say about him?¡±

    Ranko shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°He''s dead. That''s nice.¡±

    ¡°Ugh! You''re hopeless. He was an awful person, that''s true. I won''t try to deny it. But we can respect what he did, at least. Grandfather Happosai founded our whole style of martial arts, Ranko. You have to at least give him that.¡± Akane leaned down, kissing her wife on the forehead to try to soften her rebuke.

    ¡°I don''t have to give him nothin¡¯. He¡¯s taken plenty. I don''t even do martial arts anymore - not really - and as far as I am concerned, you and Dad are the ones who invented the style I know. You took his style and changed it, by giving it some honor. You made it about mixing and mastering techniques and not just about cruelty and dirty tricks and fucking panty raids. If you want me to go pick through his burnt-ass bones so he can reach out of the box and grab my tits one last time for old times¡¯ sake, I''m just not all that interested.¡±

    Ranko sighed, closing her textbook and standing. She turned, swinging the chair around to face her wife before retaking her seat. ¡°Martial arts never did anything good for me anyway. Just a lot of bullshit and sadness.¡±

    The singer''s wife shook her head. ¡°I can''t believe you would say that! What about Jusenkyo?!¡±

    The redhead blinked in surprise. I¡­ wow. I spent so long resenting that. It never really occurred to me that I think about it differently now. It''s like the Cat¡¯s Tongue, where I used to hate it and, now that I''m happy with who I am, I''m¡­ grateful for it.

    ¡°Besides,¡± Akane said, pacing back over toward the couple¡¯s dresser. ¡°Without him teaching them martial arts, our fathers would never have met. Which means you and me would never have met, either. And without Jusenkyo, you wouldn''t ever have set foot in the Phoenix or met your family, and you''d never have started singing, either. You owe way more to the art than you realize, baby.¡±

    Ranko nodded softly. ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess I never thought about it like that. But I¡­¡± She sighed, turning her head away from her wife. ¡°I just don''t wanna go, okay?¡±

    Akane pulled her wife¡¯s chair away from the study desk with her in it, turning it to face the bed. She then sat on the edge of the freshly-made bed, taking both of Ranko''s hands on her own. ¡°There''s something you''re not saying. I know you too well for you to hide stuff from me, you know. Why won¡¯t you talk to me?¡±

    The redhead nodded sadly. ¡°I just¡­ it''s not just the dead assholes I don''t wanna see. It''s the living ones, too.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? It''ll be small, just Dad and the girls and¡­¡± Akane cringed in realization. ¡°Oh. I get it. You''re worried about him, aren''t you?¡±

    Ranko said nothing, but she bobbed her head again, her ponytail bouncing cutely on her shoulder despite the emptiness in her eyes.

    ¡°Look at me, princess.¡± Akane squeezed her hands tight, shaking them a bit in her lover¡¯s lap until Ranko''s eyes raised to meet hers. ¡°I will not let him touch you. I won''t even let him speak to you. He won''t be able to sneak up while I''m away or asleep. Not this time. I will watch you every second.¡± She grinned disarmingly. ¡°And I don¡¯t even mind doing it, because let me tell you, you are easy on the eyes, girlfriend.¡±

    Ranko blushed deeply, fidgeting with the end of her ponytail. She was not expecting the compliment in the middle of the current conversation. ¡°I''m glad I can be pretty for you.¡±

    Akane stood, reaching down and stuffing her arm under Ranko¡¯s backside, lifting her effortlessly out of the chair. She sat back on the bed, depositing the flushed redhead on her lap sidesaddle and wrapping her arms around Ranko''s ribs. ¡°You are not just pretty, little miss. You are the most beautiful creature that has ever walked this earth. And you''re all mine. Gods help anyone who tries to tell me different.¡±

    Ranko cuddled against Akane¡¯s chest, nuzzling her cheek into the front of her left shoulder. She curled up small, wanting to feel entirely enveloped by Akane''s presence. Not even when she had been an all-but-invincible martial artist had she felt even half as safe as she did whenever she was surrounded by Akane Tendo¡¯s arms. ¡°I love you, Akane. I love it when you hold me. I''ve never been so happy to be anything as I am to be yours.¡±

    Akane kissed the smaller girl on the top of her head. ¡°I love you more.¡±

    ¡°Why do we have to do this? Why can¡¯t I just stay here forever, in your arms, where I¡¯m safe?¡± Ranko pulled her knees up into her chest more tightly.

    Akane smirked. ¡°You know¡­ we could have some fun with this if we wanted to.¡±

    The young singer purred against Akane''s chest. ¡°Any time you want to have fun with me, all you have to do is ask, ya know.¡±

    ¡°Not like that, silly girl. At least, not there. I''m talking about the funeral.¡± Akane chuckled, shaking her head.

    Ranko blushed, rolling her eyes with a shake of her head. ¡°Way to kill the mood, babe.¡±

    Akane leaned her head forward, kissing the bottom of her lover¡¯s earlobe with open lips. ¡°Don''t you worry, little princess,¡± Akane whispered mere centimeters from her ear. ¡°If I want you to be in the mood, you will be. I can make that happen any time I like.¡±

    The redhead shivered, her breath catching in her throat as she nodded emphatically. She tightened her grip around Akane¡¯s neck with her arms as her body quaked in her wife''s lap.

    ¡°So you were telling me about your new friend at school. Yume, you said her name was?¡±

    Ranko''s head bobbed slowly in response, but Akane''s gentle kiss on the side of her neck had rendered the young singer in her lap momentarily incapable of speech.

    ¡°Well,¡± Akane said, tracing her fingers down the trembling girl¡¯s hypersensitive neck. ¡°You said she thought you were gonna be an unapproachable bitch because you''re a celebrity.¡±

    ¡°I''ll be whatever you wa¡­ want, Akane. Just don''t sss¡­stop touching me,¡± Ranko pleaded haltingly.

    Akane grinned. ¡°What if we leaned into it? Show old Saotome just how much higher class my girl is than him?¡± She paused her teasing for a moment, allowing Ranko to be able to think clearly enough for consideration and potential consent.

    Ranko¡¯s flushed deeper still. ¡°So you want me to, like, be a catty little cu¡­¡±

    Her words were cut off by a rapping at the front door of the girls'' apartment, and Akane blinked in surprise. She stood, cradling her wife in her arms until she could be deposited back into the study chair. Akane leaned down, whispering in her ear. ¡°Now, you stay right here and be cute for me until I get back.¡±

    Leaving Ranko to catch her breath after a furious kiss, Akane made for the door and pulled it open. There was no one at the door, but a large box awaited her on the doorstep. It took her a moment to look it over before she realized what it was. ¡°Oh, sweet! It''s here early!¡±

    ¡°What is,¡± Ranko called from the bedroom, daring not to leave the chair she was told to stay in. She heard the door slam closed, and a moment later Akane walked into the bedroom carrying an enormous white square cardboard box. Ranko was fairly certain that if they got cozy, she and Akane could have curled up in it together.

    Akane grinned, lowering the box carefully to the mattress. ¡°Something I ordered before you left on tour, when you got the last Yokai check. We¡¯re gonna need it for school, I think.¡± She used her fingernail to pierce the packing tape sealing the box, popping its tabs open. She pulled a large, jagged piece of white styrofoam from the box, turning and balancing it atop Ranko''s ponytail. ¡°Hold that for me,¡± she said with a giggle.

    As Ranko watched, Akane reached her arms almost all the way to the shoulders in the box, extracting what appeared to be a small beige television from it. It had a large ivory base with a variety of slots in the front of it, and a selection of unfamiliar ports and connections dotting the back.

    ¡°We needed a TV for school? We already have one, but I''m down for extra distractions if it''s a choice between that and doing homework,¡± Ranko said with a giggle as she set the styrofoam square aside.

    Akane set the device on the center of the desk, reaching back into the box and pulling out a flat box that was almost the full length of the taller one. She opened it as well, removing a beige keyboard with a coiled cord and setting it in front of the monitor.

    ¡°You bought a computer?¡± Ranko blinked. ¡°Do you even know how to use one of those?¡±

    Akane grinned and nodded. ¡°I do, and you¡¯re going to, soon. Why did you think I made you sign up for a computer class, silly girl?¡± She began piling a collection of wires and accessories on the desktop as they came out of the box.

    ¡°Do you need me to move to the bed, so you can hook it up?¡± Ranko watched curiously, having never seen such a thing attempted. It was a skill she did not know her lover possessed.

    Akane giggled. ¡°Unless you''d like me to put you in the box like a cute little kitty.¡±

    Ranko blushed furiously, shrinking with a shy simper as she hid her face against her shoulder. ¡°No, I¡­ I''m good, thank you.¡± She stood and made her way to the bed as Akane snapped her fingers, swinging her arm forward as if disappointed with her wife¡¯s answer.

    The larger girl crawled under the table, beginning to connect wires to the back of the machine. She threaded a telephone cable from the jack on the wall up behind the desk to the back of the machine before grabbing the dangling gray power cord from behind the device and plugging it into the electrical socket under the desk.

    ¡°You look excited,¡± Ranko said, continuing to watch her. ¡°I¡¯m glad. I mean, I prefer to be the thing that''s exciting you, but¡­¡±

    Akane laughed as she returned to her feet, leaning over the desk and connecting the mechanical keyboard and single-button mouse to the back of the device. ¡°You always excite me, gorgeous, even when I''m distracted.¡± She reached behind the monitor, flicking a switch with a heavy click. ¡°I think that''s got it!¡±

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    Sure enough, a tinny chime squelched forth from the monotone speaker built into the side of the monitor, and it lit up to reveal a gray and white loading screen. A loud grinding noise split the air as the machine checked for the presence of a floppy disk in the drive and found none. Ranko grinned, clapping her hands in playful applause. ¡°You did it! You gonna play with it for a bit? I can move my stuff out of the way.¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Akane said, standing and motioning to the chair. ¡°You¡¯re gonna play with it for a minute.¡±

    The redhead waved her hands defensively. ¡°Nuh-uh! I don''t know how! I might break it!¡±

    Akane laughed, patting the chair. ¡°You can''t break it, and I''m gonna show you how to use it. C¡¯mon, get your cute little ass over here and sit down.¡±

    As Ranko sat, the screen changed to a background image of a nondescript grassy hill, over which several icons had been rendered down the left side. ¡°Oh, cool, it has pictures!¡± The only computer she had ever used was with Nabiki at a school computer lab years ago, and its interface had been all green text.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Akane said. ¡°You can put any picture you want up there and that''s what it shows whenever you don''t have something open.¡±

    Ranko picked up a small beige peripheral connected to the computer, looking at it skeptically. ¡°Is this a microphone or something? Hello,¡± she called into the hole in the bottom of the device.

    Akane laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. ¡°Silly girl. You use it to point at stuff. Look, I¡¯ll show you.¡± She took the mouse and rested it back on the table, pointing to the little white arrow on the screen with her finger as she dragged the mouse across the painted wood surface with a quiet scratching sound that reminded her she needed to buy a mouse pad. ¡°And then when the arrow is on what you want, you push the button to pick it.¡±

    ¡°How do you change the picture,¡± Ranko asked, smiling up at Akane. I love it when she teaches me stuff, Ranko thought. She leaned over to the bed, grabbing her stuffed phoenix and setting it in her lap. ¡°Come here, Burny! We¡¯re gonna learn how to be nerds!¡±

    Rolling her eyes, Akane pointed to an icon. ¡°Click there. Then there.¡± She continued issuing directives until Ranko was faced with a selection of twelve images that came included with the operating system.

    The redhead cycled through a few pieces of abstract art, a random photo of a seaside cliff, and a few images that were just the logo of the software company on different-colored backgrounds. ¡°These are all kinda lame. I guess we¡¯ll just leave the original one,¡± Ranko said with a tiny hint of disappointment on her face.

    ¡°Nah,¡± Akane said, waving her hand dismissively. ¡°We¡¯ll just go online and download a new one. Click that thing right there.¡±

    Ranko set Burny on the desk and reached for the mouse, moving it where Akane¡¯s finger pointed and clicking on a picture of a globe. In a moment, she was greeted with a small window asking for a user name and a password. ¡°Do we have to set something up to use this,¡± Ranko asked with genuine curiosity.

    Akane.shook her head. ¡°I took care of the sign up from school so it would be ready when the computer got here. Click on the user name box and type tendo, all lowercase. Oh, ya gotta click that button there first, to switch to the English key layout.¡±

    The redhead smiled. ¡°Well, that part I could have guessed. But what about the password?¡± She clicked the next box on the little dialog box.

    ¡°Put in the number sign - hold the shift key and push 3. Good job. Then push 1, and then type the word firebird,¡± Akane said, smiling brightly.

    ¡°Number one Firebird, huh?¡± Ranko blushed as she typed slowly, hunting for each key with a single outstretched index finger before turning in the chair to face her wife.

    ¡°Well, I am, aren''t I?¡± Akane leaned down and kissed her cheek as a loud screeching sound began whining from the side of the device. Ranko started to jump, but Akane smiled reassuringly. ¡°That''s just the noise it makes when it connects. It''s normal. And when the sound is done, we should be in.¡±

    Indeed, a few moments later the irritating noise transitioned to what sounded like static and then fell silent, and a screen popped up featuring a blocky image of a white rabbit and a set of options in English.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Akane said. ¡°We¡¯re connected. There''s all kinds of stuff we can do on here, but right now we want a new picture for the background, right?¡± Ranko nodded, and Akane continued. ¡°Then we want to pick the Image Gallery there.¡±

    Ranko moved the mouse to the words, but nothing happened when she clicked on them. ¡°I think it''s busted. What did I do wrong?¡± She sounded a bit worried.

    Akane laughed softly. ¡°Nothing, baby. The mouse doesn''t work on this part.¡± She pointed to the English word on the screen. ¡°See how the I in Image is a different color? That means you push that key to get to it. So, hit the I key on the keyboard.¡±

    Ranko did as she was told and smiled when the screen changed, her eyes widening. ¡°Holy crap. There''s a ton of categories here. Nature, sports, art¡­¡±

    Akane grinned deviously. ¡°Push C.¡±

    The redhead searched the categories until she found the one with the purple letter Akane mentioned. ¡°Celebrities?¡± Still, she pushed the key as she was instructed and an alphabetized list of names appeared, each with a purple number in front of a name rather than a highlighted letter.

    ¡°Okay, hit N for Next Page,¡± Akane instructed, quickly scanning the new options with her eyes. ¡°Again? Keep going.¡±

    The more pages that scrolled by, the deeper the shade of red coloring Ranko¡¯s cheeks became. ¡°You''re not looking for who I think you are, are you?¡±

    Akane giggled. ¡°Depends on who you think I''m looking for. There! Type in 281 and push Return.¡±

    Ranko scanned the list, and sure enough, next to the requested number was her own name. ¡°The hell? People actually have pictures of me up there?¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn''t they? Do you not see people with cameras at your shows?¡± As Akane spoke, a long list of cryptic file names began to render on the screen.

    Ranko nodded. ¡°Fair point, I guess. How do you know what the pictures look like?¡±

    Akane shrugged. ¡°You gotta just kind of pick one at random and see if you like it. So I guess just start at the first one. Type in the number.¡±

    The redhead typed a 1 and pressed Return on the keyboard, and one line at a time, the image began to slowly render. ¡°Man, this thing takes forever.¡±

    ¡°It''s faster at school. They have a better connection. But yeah, at home, it can take a little bit. That''s okay, though. It just gives us convenient snuggle breaks!¡± Akane dove forward, wrapping her arms around Ranko in the chair from behind, tickling her as she kissed her on the nape of her neck.

    The young songstress squirmed and giggled as the picture slowly began to form on the screen. After a few moments of being tickled and teased, enough of the image had displayed to identify it as a still screen from her performance of Back for More on the Saturday television show Bangers on the Beach.

    ¡°Aw, man, they got bathing suit pictures on there?!¡± Ranko hid her face with her hands in embarrassment.

    Akane giggled, playing with her beloved¡¯s ponytail. ¡°You were on national television, silly girl. Did you not think people saw it? But, this picture¡¯s too blurry. Push the X button to cancel the download, and let¡¯s look for a different one.¡±

    Ranko did as she was told, entering a 2 for the next photo on the list. Again, Akane pounced on her, kissing and tickling her as the photo began to slowly develop on the monitor. Barely ten percent of it had been rendered before Ranko identified the backdrop as Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, and noted that the picture was in better focus and saved at a higher quality; unfortunately, that had the effect of dramatically slowing the download.

    As Ranko wiggled and giggled under her touch, Akane watched the photo continue to slowly appear. Ranko was wearing her sailor fuku, both of her beribboned pigtails flying parallel to the stage floor as she moved. That, coupled with the anime-styled castle on the video screen behind her, indicated that the photo had been taken either during the performance of Once Upon a Rhyme, or perhaps the mashup of Not Yours, Don''t Touch and Sneak that followed it in the encore. The photo was taken from a low angle, implying that it was shot from one of the first few rows of the audience.

    ¡°Oh, this is a cute one,¡± Akane said, giggling as Ranko tried in vain to protect herself from the barrage of tickles.

    However, as more of the image was rendered and the agonizingly slow scan lines passed her waist, Ranko began to squirm for a different reason. From the angle at which the photo was taken, her pastel pink lace panties were clearly visible under her blue pleated skirt. ¡°Oh, gods,¡± she mouthed quietly, covering her mouth with her hands.

    ¡°Hey¡­ Shhh. It¡¯s okay, baby,¡± Akane said, wrapping her arms around her wife with an understanding sigh and a bit of a frown. ¡°You¡¯re alright,¡± she said soothingly. ¡°You can¡¯t really¡­ see anything.¡±

    Ranko pulled her knees up, placing her feet on the seat of the chair and hugging her knees, her thighs pressed tightly together. ¡°You don¡¯t think they took it that way¡­ on purpose, do you?¡±

    Akane leaned down, kissing her wife on the top of the head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, princess. I guess it¡¯s possible.¡± She sighed softly. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re a cute girl, and there¡¯s plenty of gross people out there who like cute girls a little too much.¡± Hell, Dad¡¯s gonna have one cremated later this morning. ¡°It¡¯s not okay that someone might try to do stuff like that, but I think we probably have to expect the reality that some people at your shows will try as your popularity grows, and be prepared for it.¡±

    ¡°How do we take it off of there? Off the computer, I mean?¡± Ranko looked up hopefully to Akane, shrinking a bit when her wife shook her head.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Akane squeezed her tight around the shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m not sure we can, baby. It¡¯s not as bad as it could be, at least.¡±

    Ranko started to reach for the keyboard. ¡°Can¡¯t we just cancel it like we did the other one, so people can¡¯t see it?¡±

    Akane shook her head again. ¡°That means we don¡¯t see it, but it doesn¡¯t stop anyone else.¡± As she spoke, the photo finished rendering, the image ending just above Ranko¡¯s knees.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna start wearing shorts under my dresses on stage, I think. Like I used to, before. Is that¡­ okay? Is that a thing normal girls do?¡± Ranko looked up to her wife nervously for confirmation, smiling a bit in relief when Akane nodded.

    ¡°Ranko, honey, listen to me. You are a normal girl. If you do something, it becomes a thing normal girls do. If it makes you more comfortable, it¡¯s absolutely okay, princess. They make special shorts that are really tight, for athletics and stuff, so they won¡¯t bulge or bunch up under your skirts. We¡¯ll get you a few pairs before you go back out on the road, I promise.¡± Akane rubbed her love¡¯s shoulder comfortingly through her frilly yellow shirt. ¡°I¡¯ll reach out to the administrators of this system tomorrow, and see if I can get them to take the picture down and check for any more like it. I can¡¯t promise they will, but I¡¯ll ask.¡±

    Ranko nuzzled against Akane¡¯s hand with her cheek. ¡°Thanks, Akane. You take such good care of me. Now, how do we get rid of it off our computer?¡±

    Akane giggled, taking Ranko¡¯s hand before it reached the keyboard. ¡°I mean¡­ while I don¡¯t love anybody else having it, and I¡¯d love five minutes alone in a dark alley with whoever uploaded it, I dunno. I kinda like it.¡± She grinned deviously, affecting a purr in her voice as she spoke, hoping to cheer her lover up.

    ¡°Akane!¡± Ranko turned to look up at her, shock in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re so bad!¡± Her cheeks were flushed, but the beginnings of a smile were starting to cross her lips. ¡°And you used to call me a pervert!¡±

    The raven-haired girl behind her blushed, giggling a bit. ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t know about the random American creepo that took the picture in the first place, but I married you. I¡¯m allowed to look up your skirt if I want to.¡± She leaned down, kissing Ranko on the forehead. ¡°And unlike in high school, I don¡¯t even have to pay Nabiki for this one. Bonus!¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ Nabiki sold you pictures of me?¡± Ranko¡¯s face was absolutely glowing red, her jaw hanging slack.

    Akane bit her lip, nodding her head with a guilty little smile crossing her lips. Her own cheeks were nearly the color of Ranko¡¯s hair. ¡°Why did you think I always told you the top drawer of my desk was off-limits?¡±

    ¡°I thought you kept your diary in there!¡± Ranko gasped, covering her gaping mouth with her hands. ¡°You little shit!¡±

    Akane giggled. ¡°I did! Just, ya know, other stuff too! Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t have anything too dirty. Mostly just the cute ones. But now, I don¡¯t have to rely on sneaking pictures.¡± She leaned down again, suckling ever so gently on Ranko¡¯s earlobe and flicking at the silver stud punched through it with her tongue. ¡°I get to see you whenever I want.¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­ yeah.¡± Ranko¡¯s face was aflame, but she gave her lover a bit of a coy simper as Akane let her recover from the kiss. ¡°If you want to look at my body, you don¡¯t gotta be sneaky about it. Not anymore. I¡¯ll gladly just take off whatever I¡¯m wearing.¡±

    Akane breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Ranko¡¯s smile. She reached over Ranko¡¯s shoulder, pressing B on the keyboard to go back and close out the image without removing the downloaded copy from the computer¡¯s hard drive. That done, she reached down, scooping Ranko out of the chair and effortlessly lifting the smaller girl.

    ¡°Oh, no you won¡¯t. I¡¯m supposed to take good care of you, remember?¡± Akane leaned down, kissing the redhead she cradled in her arms on the lips as she lowered her gently onto her back on the yellow duvet cover of their bed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it off for you.¡±

 70. The Departed

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you guys are gonna make me do this.¡± Ranko sighed, fidgeting with her wedding ring in the back row of the long black utility vehicle. The contrast of her sparkly diamond solitaire against the skirt of her black dress intrigued her. Diamond in the rough, I suppose. She adjusted in her seat, the lace of her white tulle slip tormenting her thighs under her dress.

    As she stared at it, her hand was enveloped in a larger one, and Ranko turned to her left to be greeted by Akane¡¯s smile of reassurance. ¡°I know. But you¡¯re gonna be okay. Nothing bad¡¯s gonna happen to you, I promise. We¡¯ve made sure of it every way we can, beautiful.¡± As she spoke, the vehicle hit a bump in the road, coaxing a wooden rattling sound from the Shimizu ancestral katana as it shifted in its blue scabbard against the leg of Akane¡¯s black gi pants.

    ¡°Besides,¡± Nabiki said, turning from her seat in front of Akane in the middle row to look behind her to Ranko. She wrapped her arm around Kasumi¡¯s headrest to support herself as the six-seater vehicle bounced over another stone in the gravel road. ¡°You don¡¯t even know if he¡¯ll show up. Guts aren¡¯t exactly his strong suit.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Ranko said in quiet resignation, turning away from her wife and sister and watching out the tinted window as the vehicle began slowly creeping up a hill in the little park in the Nerima town center. ¡°He¡¯ll show.¡±

    Akane leaned to her right, wrapping her arms around Ranko¡¯s waist and resting her head on her wife¡¯s left shoulder. ¡°He can¡¯t hurt you, baby girl.¡± She reached up, adjusting the strand of pearls around her wife¡¯s neck and moving the clasp back behind her, under her cascade of wavy red hair. It was simply styled, with two thin braids forming a rope to hold the rest of her hair back against the expectation of wind, held in place with a large black satin bow at the back of her head. She wore a pair of pearl earrings which she¡¯d bought specifically for the occasion, to match the heirloom necklace she wore. Ranko¡¯s makeup was perfect; her skill had clearly improved after nearly a month of preparing for nightly shows on her own. She¡¯d spent nearly two hours on it - she wanted to look her best, and her best for this occasion meant she wanted to appear as feminine as possible. She would allow no crack in her effeminate identity big enough to be picked at.

    ¡°Your whole family¡¯s with you, Ranko.¡± Even my mom, Akane thought as she smiled at the pearl necklace Kasumi had given her on the girls¡¯ wedding day, just hours after the last time they¡¯d seen the subject of her wife¡¯s current dread. Hours after the last time Akane had drawn the weapon that rested against her left knee in defense of the woman she loved.

    ¡°And you know Kasumi will absolutely fuck somebody up if she has to,¡± Nabiki offered with a sneer and a chuckle. ¡°I mean, she already killed the old freak.¡±

    ¡°Nabiki!¡± Kasumi turned to her sister with a gasp. ¡°I did not! Be polite. It¡¯s a solemn occasion.¡±

    As the eldest of Soun Tendo¡¯s four daughters admonished her sister, the vehicle ground to a stop on a relatively steep incline. The crunch of the gravel road under the tires sounded not unlike the grinding Ranko felt in her teeth as she looked out her window, sighing resolutely. She could make out seven figures clad in white gi milling about near a meter-high black obelisk that had been erected on the hilltop under the shade of a cherry blossom tree. Whether or not others were present, she could not see from her current angle.

    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Soun said from the front passenger seat, turning in his seat and opening his door. He stepped carefully out into the grass and the early afternoon sun, protecting the small black urn he cradled in his hands.

    Nabiki¡¯s door opened from the outside, and the driver stepped out of the way to permit her to exit the vehicle. She stepped out, taking a moment to ensure her heels had adequate purchase in the grass before putting her weight on her leg and rising. She wore a black blazer and matching slacks, so she had no difficulty getting out of the utility vehicle, but the driver reached in to offer a hand to Kasumi, whose long ebon kimono posed a challenge for her dexterity.

    Once the two elder girls were out of the vehicle, Akane¡¯s door opened, again from the outside, and the enormous man stepped clear to permit her to exit the vehicle. Akane stood, taking a step forward to clear space for her wife as she strapped the blue scabbard across the chest of her black master¡¯s gi and slung the Shimizu ancestral katana over her back.

    Again, the driver stepped inward, offering his hand into the vehicle to support its final occupant. Ranko took his hand, and he could feel her fingers shaking in his palm as she slipped on her dark sunglasses and exited the vehicle on her chunky heels. Unlike Nabiki, the lifelong martial artist and expert gymnast and dancer had no trouble navigating the loose gravel in her fancy shoes.

    Ranko summoned a small smile, clasping her hand on the arm of the dark-skinned bald American that had helped her to her feet. He wore a black suit over a crisp white shirt and a long, skinny black tie, as well as a pair of dark sunglasses of his own. The giant man gave her a quiet nod and a bit of a reassuring grin in return.

    ¡°Thanks, Lance,¡± Ranko whispered in English as he pushed the car door closed behind her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you sweat a thing,¡± Lance Riker replied under his breath, his eyes brightening a bit. ¡°I got your back, girl.¡± While her roadie-turned-bodyguard had been briefed that Ranko¡¯s biological father would likely be present and that she considered him a threat if so, he did not know the details of exactly why there was bad blood between the two. It didn¡¯t especially matter to him. If his friend was worried about something, he would ensure she didn¡¯t have to be.

    ¡°You always do, buddy,¡± Ranko said appreciatively, offering him a more sincere smile and a little bit of a blush. She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Akane¡¯s right bicep as the family ascended the hill with Lance behind them. The military veteran¡¯s eyes tactically scanned the hillside as they ascended, and he quickened his pace until he was caught up with the younger girls, walking within arm¡¯s reach to Ranko¡¯s right as she matched Akane¡¯s gait on her left.

    Akane felt the woman on her arm¡¯s body go rigid mid-step, and she looked up, the hilltop coming into clearer view as they reached its apex. She knew without looking what she would see, but she had maintained a sliver of hope that she¡¯d be wrong.

    ¡°Breathe, Ranko,¡± she implored herself under her breath. ¡°He won¡¯t touch you. I swear it.¡± As Genma Saotome made eye contact with her, Akane adjusted the weight of the katana strapped across her back, ensuring he saw the afternoon sun glinting off of the weapon that had maimed his left hand as it rode on the back of the woman who had swung it.

    Ranko fidgeted under her birth father¡¯s gaze. She wore a conservative black dress that came down just past her knees, but she felt naked as he looked her over. Remember the plan, Ranko, she begged herself. You¡¯re not better than everyone. Just better than him. Stay strong.

    ¡°Saotome,¡± Soun said in terse greeting, approaching him with the remains of their former master cradled in his hands. Genma wore a cheap black suit over a stiff red dress shirt, the whole outfit rumpled and ill-fitting, as if he¡¯d bought it that morning in one of those second-hand clothes stores Akane had introduced Ranko to. He¡¯d omitted his trademark kerchief, and the afternoon sun glared off of his pale bald scalp. His wire-frame glasses bore several deep scratches in the lenses. A few meters away, Master Chingensai stood staring at the empty crypt at the base of a black obsidian obelisk.

    ¡°Sensei,¡± offered Satoru Tashiro with a deep bow, and Akane¡¯s six other students joined the couple offering greetings of their own as well. Each wore a white gi. While none of them had ever met Happosai, Akane had asked them to come. It was fitting, she thought, for everyone who had ever practiced Anything-Goes Martial Arts to come and pay respect to its founder, even though she wished one of his two original disciples had neglected to show.

    Beyond that, however untrained her students were compared to Genma Saotome, asking them to come meant seven more pairs of eyes keeping watch over her terrified wife. She¡¯d also instructed them to wear their gi as she did, as in Akane¡¯s mind, their presence was more about respecting the art than respecting the man. She couldn¡¯t fault Ranko for her reasoning when she¡¯d decided to wear a dress instead, though, even if she didn¡¯t agree with the underlying sentiment. Ranko had even suggested a kimono, but they¡¯d not had time to shop for one. Besides, Akane thought, having them dressed for a fight puts Saotome on notice. There¡¯s a whole-ass army at Ranko¡¯s back today, plus me, Dad and Lance. Just let him try something.

    Ranko sighed gently as Shiori Nagata reached out, pulling her into a hug. ¡°You okay, Ran-chan? Is that him?¡± Shiori glared over Ranko¡¯s shoulder at the bald man talking with Ranko¡¯s father, feeling the redhead¡¯s chin bobbing in a nod against her chest.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even worry about him,¡± Shiori encouraged, releasing Ranko from the hug. ¡°He ain¡¯t so bad. I can take him.¡± She grinned disarmingly. ¡°How¡¯s your mom holding up?¡±

    The redhead managed a thin smile. ¡°Doing a lot better. They¡¯re gonna let her come home from the hospital tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Shiori grinned, clapping Ranko on the shoulder. ¡°I knew she¡¯d get through it. She¡¯s tough as nails, just like her daughter.¡±

    ¡°Pretty sure she was doing it before I was,¡± Ranko said with a blush.

    <hr>

    Genma glowered at his child as she stood between Akane and a brunette he didn¡¯t recognize. Ranko had kept her back to him almost the entire time. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see him here.¡±

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Soun sighed. ¡°Leave her be, Saotome. Please. This isn¡¯t the time or place for confrontation. She¡¯s not here for you, and you¡¯re not here for her.¡±

    Genma sighed heavily, glancing down at the obsidian plinth that bore Happosai¡¯s name, and the empty vault beneath it that awaited the jet-black container in his best friend¡¯s hands. ¡°Nobody¡¯s here for me, Tendo. Not anymore.¡±

    ¡°You did that to yourself, old friend,¡± Soun said sorrowfully. ¡°Turning your back was a choice you made. A choice you continue to make.¡± He motioned with his head to the black leather glove concealing Genma¡¯s maimed left hand. ¡°How many more pieces of yourself are you going to leave behind before you start asking yourself why?¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Sir, I''m going to need to ask you to step back.¡± Lance towered over the aging martial artist, his voice soft but firm.

    ¡°But that''s my¡­¡±

    Genma started to step forward, but the mountain of a man blocked his path. ¡°I''m not going to ask you again, sir. Keep your distance from Mrs. Tendo.¡±

    Oh, so we are going by Mrs. Tendo now? Gods, Ranma. Who even are you anymore?

    Less than a meter away, Ranko bristled. The funeral rites had been performed, with Happosai¡¯s cremains sealed into the small concrete vault at the top of the hill under a lone cherry blossom tree, overlooking Furinkan High School to the north and the city park to the south.

    ¡°It''s okay, Ranko,¡± Akane pleaded under her breath, patting her wife reassuringly on the arm. ¡°Ignore him. Let Lance handle it.¡±

    ¡°You won''t even talk to me now?!¡± Genma shouted past Lance, and Akane stiffened, releasing Ranko''s arm. She wanted to be ready to draw the sword on her back at a moment''s notice.

    ¡°Leave her be, Saotome! You''ve hurt her enough!¡± Akane whirled on her heel, stomping her foot in the grass. ¡°Why do you have to be so cruel?!¡±

    ¡°What do you want,¡± Ranko spat at the man she once called father, resting her hand on Akane¡¯s shoulder. She felt safe, surrounded as she was Akane and Lance as her real father and Akane''s seven students looked on as well. There is no one on this hill who wouldn''t fight for me. Not even Kasumi and Tofu. Everyone is behind me, and you have no one. You can''t hurt me anymore.

    She flashed Genma a confident sneer, hoping it masked her trepidation. Yumeko said the expectation is for celebrities to be stuck-up bitches. Well, I guess it''s time to lean in, she mused. She glanced up at Lance, giving him a little nod. ¡°I suppose I can talk to him for a minute. Just stay close, please, Lance.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Lance said formally, shooting Genma a threatening glare of warning before taking a few steps back.

    Ranko looked up at Akane, but her wife shook her head vigorously. ¡°Oh, there''s no chance in hell I''m leaving you alone with him. Don¡¯t even ask.¡±

    ¡°He really loved it here,¡± Genma said, looking out wistfully over the hillside. ¡°Tendo picked a good place to lay him to rest. He used to come up here to meditate in the mornings, you know.¡±

    Ranko scoffed. ¡°Is that what he called it? He came up here in the morning because you can see the field where the Furinkan cheerleaders practice! He wasn''t meditating, unless you count dreaming about girls¡¯ tits and asses.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised to see you all in gi,¡± Genma said to Akane icily as he waved off Ranko¡¯s assertion with his gloved left hand. ¡°It doesn''t seem very appropriate for a funeral.¡±

    Akane scoffed. ¡°We are here as martial artists, to pay respect to the art. No decent person could respect the man himself. Even you couldn''t most days; you were just too chickenshit to admit it and stand up to him.¡±

    Genma rolled his eyes. He inhaled to rebut Akane¡¯s insult, but his eyes fell on his ex-wife¡¯s katana and he thought better of it. ¡°Then if you''re all here as martial artists¡­¡± His gaze turned to Ranko.

    The redhead wrapped her arms around Akane¡¯s left bicep, flashing her brightest stage simper as she looked up at her lover. ¡°Oh, me? I''m not a martial artist. Not anymore. I''m a singer. I''m only here as Master Tendo¡¯s dutiful and supportive wife.¡± Ranko leaned in, giving Akane a gentle kiss on her cheek. ¡°As is appropriate for a young lady like me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don''t feed me that bullshit, b¡­¡± Genma¡¯s voice trailed off as Akane reached over her shoulder with her right hand, wrapping her fingers around the gilded blue hilt of the sword at her back.

    ¡°Don''t you dare finish that word,¡± Akane growled. ¡°So help me gods, if you hurt her - if you say one fucking word that is anything but respectful to my wife - I''ll finish what I started on our wedding day. I¡¯ll drop you right where you stand, put your ass in a hole right here next to the old freak, and then I''ll go home and have a piece of pie.¡±

    Genma stepped back, and Ranko sneered at him. ¡°I know, right? I married a fucking badass, and that''s why she''s the master of Anything-Goes Martial Arts.¡± She grinned up at Akane again. ¡°Come to think of it, this guy kinda reminds me of that loser you won that dojo challenge against a while back.¡± She wagged her finger in the air as if coming to a sudden realization. ¡°I thought there was something familiar about him!¡± Ranko flashed a dark, toothy grin under her sunglasses as she watched the old man wince at her words.

    The old man stepped forward, and Akane sidestepped between him and Ranko, blocking him with her body. ¡°Oh, no you don¡¯t. Don¡¯t even try to touch her.¡±

    ¡°Still hiding behind others, I see, Ran¡­¡±

    Ranko put up her hand before he could finish deadnaming her, snickering loudly. ¡°I don¡¯t have to fight anymore. I¡¯ve outgrown it. I¡¯ve outgrown you. I guess I can''t blame you for being surprised, though. You wouldn¡¯t know what it looks like when someone stands up for the people they love. You¡¯ve never seen it, and you¡¯ve damn sure never done it, Genma.¡±

    The diminished martial artist sighed, shaking his head in dismay. ¡°I suppose I don''t even rate being called old man anymore?¡±

    Ranko flipped her hair over her shoulder, resetting it after a breezy gust ripped through the park. ¡°You killed your son. You don''t deserve a daughter. But, as for me? I am the youngest of Mayor Soun Tendo¡¯s four daughters, and I¡¯m damned proud to finally have a man among men that I can call father after all these years.¡±

    ¡°Because of this¡­ whatever this is, with you two? We all know there''s nothing binding between you. There can''t be, not so long as you look like that.¡± Genma gestured to Ranko¡¯s dress, but the young woman was relatively certain he meant the body under it. ¡°You''re still mine.¡± His words sounded more like a desperate plea than a statement of fact.

    ¡°Might wanna check those family registries again, Saotome,¡± Akane spat. ¡°A lot has happened while you were out in the woods licking your wounds like an animal.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Ranko asked quietly, and there was a tremble in her voice that drew Akane''s attention. ¡°Why do you insist on trying to make me miserable? What does it get you? Does it make you feel good, trying to hurt me? Because you can''t. Not anymore. I have a career and a family, and friends, and a college scholarship, and millions of fans, and you''re gonna go back to chasing squirrels for dinner tonight. I have everything I want, and you have nothing and no one, and you especially don''t have me. I''ve changed, for the better, and I''m starting to realize that you aren''t upset because you don''t like who I became. You''re pissed because you can¡¯t keep up. Because I''ve learned enough about how to live that I don''t have to buy into your bullshit anymore. It took a lot of work from a lot of people who love me a lot more than you ever did, but I''ve learned better. I won''t apologize for it. I¡¯m not a freak. I''m exactly who I''m supposed to be, no thanks to you.¡±

    Ranko turned, flashing Akane an exaggerated smile. ¡°We should get out of here. I promised Daddy I¡¯d make lunch for everyone when we got back to the house.¡±

    Akane grinned, picking up Ranko''s intent. ¡°I mean, he does love your cooking, princess. We all do.¡±

    Genma''s growling stomach drowned out any protest he might have made as his child turned to the mammoth man standing a few meters away, waving dismissively over her shoulder as she flipped her hair behind herself. ¡°Lance? I''m finished with him. Let¡¯s go home.¡±

    ¡°You heard her,¡± Lance commanded, stepping between the young woman and the old man. ¡°Have a nice day,¡± he said in a mockingly cheerful voice that made his true feelings clear. He turned his back on Genma, shadowing Ranko as she took Akane''s hand and the pair headed for the black SUV waiting at the bottom of the hill.

    ¡°I''m so proud of you,¡± Akane whispered as they walked, squeezing Ranko¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°I love you, Ranko Tendo.¡±

    Ranko smiled softly. ¡°I love you too. And, you know what? I''m proud of me, too.¡±

    ¡°Are you girls about ready,¡± Soun asked, leaning on the side of the vehicle. His eyes met Ranko¡¯s, and he gestured to the hilltop. ¡°I saw you two talking. Is everything alright?¡±

    Ranko beamed, wrapping her arms around Soun¡¯s neck. She wasn''t normally physically affectionate like that with him, but especially in that moment, her gratitude and love for him knew no bounds. Blushing at the very thought that she felt inclined to do so, she raised herself up on her tiptoes in her black heels, planting a tentative kiss on Soun''s right cheek. ¡°Couldn''t be better, Daddy.¡±

    Genma could only glare as the beautiful young redhead in the black dress was engulfed in her father''s loving embrace.

 71. Someone I Used to Know

    ¡°What should I do next,¡± Ranko asked, giggling as she leaned to her right and rested her temple on Akane¡¯s shoulder as she sat on the top of the Tendo dining room table.

    ¡°What about Self-Rescuing Princess,¡± Tofu Ono asked hopefully, looking up at her.

    ¡°Tofu,¡± Kasumi admonished from her seat on her fiance''s lap, smiling softly as she hugged him about the neck. ¡°Can''t we pick someone else¡¯s songs? Don''t make it work for her.¡±

    Ranko shook her head with a wide smile. The funeral service that afternoon, and her encounter with Genma there, had underscored for her how grateful she was to be a part of a family that loved and appreciated her. There was nothing she wouldn''t do for them. ¡°I really don''t mind, big sister.¡± She started tapping her foot on the floor to find the rhythm, wishing she¡¯d thought to bring her acoustic guitar. ¡±Hey there, Cinderella, get your¡­¡±

    She trailed off as Soun emerged from his bedroom, carrying his brown leather attach¨¦ case. He had changed back into his brown gi, unlike the rest of his family that were still in their funeral attire.

    ¡°Dad? Are you going out?¡±

    Soun nodded, giving his youngest daughter a thin smile. ¡°Just for a little while, Ranko. I just¡­ I have something I need to check on.¡±

    Ranko nodded. ¡°Should we¡­¡± She motioned to the front door with her hand.

    The Tendo patriarch shook his head with a smile. ¡°Nonsense, Ranko. You girls aren''t guests here. I would hope you know that.¡± Besides, it was a bit late for Akane and Ranko to get a train back to Minato. Lance had left hours ago to return the rented SUV after using it to deliver fourteen black trash bags full of ladies¡¯ unmentionables to a local women''s shelter at the mayor¡¯s request. Trying to track down their original owners would have been nigh impossible, and Soun felt that it was better to donate them and get his master¡¯s ill-gotten spoils out of his guest room at the earliest opportunity.

    With a wave to his daughters, Soun slipped out the door, walking briskly in the direction of Furinkan High School.

    <hr>

    ¡°Kanpai!¡± Genma raised the little white porcelain cup in his hand above his head. Laughing, he lowered the cup to his lips, draining the sake into his mouth in one gulp.

    He fumbled about in the dark for a moment before his mangled left hand found the glass bottle. He uncorked it, refilling his cup with the last of its contents and tossing the newly-emptied bottle aside in the grass with a mournful sigh.

    ¡°Well, here we are, Master. Just you and me, a couple of rejects nobody wants. But at least you didn''t abandon me. You stuck with me to the end.¡± He reached out, clinking his cup against its mate, which sat full of rice wine atop the obsidian slab covering the vault that he''d watched Happosai¡¯s ashes lowered into a few hours before. ¡°Kanpai!¡±

    ¡°I thought I''d find you here,¡± a voice called out mournfully, and Genma turned on his backside to face the newcomer in the darkness. He still wore his red dress shirt and black slacks, his tie discarded in the grass as he sat on his black sport coat like a picnic blanket.

    ¡°I was just leaving,¡± Genma said, picking up the empty sake bottle again and shaking it upside down to illustrate his predicament.

    Soun plopped down cross-legged next to his old friend, pulling his attach¨¦ case into his lap and popping it open. It contained a full bottle of sake, two plain wooden cups, and a large square book bound in green leather. He withdrew the bottle and uncorked it, pouring some of its contents into Genma¡¯s waiting cup before taking one of the wooden cups and filling it for himself.

    ¡°To the master,¡± Soun said softly, lifting the cup in Genma''s direction.

    ¡°Kanpai,¡± the already-drunken martial artist shouted, tapping his cup against Soun¡¯s.

    After both men drained their cups, Soun sighed, setting his still-open leather briefcase in the grass beside himself. ¡°Saotome, what are you doing up here? You know this isn''t doing anyone any good.¡±

    ¡°Oh, now you''re worried about me, Tendo?¡± Genma stretched his arm out for the bottle, but Soun held it out of his friend¡¯s reach. ¡°Now that you''ve taken everything from me, even my son?¡±

    Soun sighed heavily, his head dropping. ¡°My friend, I wish you could see things clearly. You''re doing this to yourself, and it''s ruining you in everyone¡¯s eyes, especially Ranko¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Don''t call him that,¡± Genma slurred. ¡°Not with me.¡±

    Soun winced. The rebuke was no less than he expected, but a part of him had at least been holding out some glimmer of hope for better. ¡°Saotome¡­ Genma¡­¡± He swallowed hard. He knew what was in his heart, but he was struggling to will the words past his lips. His shame was still too great.

    ¡°You know, I sometimes think about the day Akane re-introduced me to her. I spoke to her much the same way you do. I called her a boy, a freak, and a disgrace. Hell, I accused her of taking her clothes off for men. Akane all but disowned me for it.¡± Soun leaned back, supporting himself with his palms on the grass as he started up at the stars.

    ¡°But then you went soft,¡± Genma said, again reaching for and missing the bottle of sake Soun had brought.

    ¡°Do you remember the time you won that trip to Ganawa Hot Springs, Saotome?¡± Soun reached down, brushing an ant off of his knee as effortlessly as he had brushed aside his friend¡¯s insult.

    Genma laughed. ¡°Do I! One of the best weekends of my life! They had this pork dish there that was¡­¡±

    ¡°She came to me that day,¡± Soun interrupted. ¡°Ranko did. To talk. I used her old name, I told her she was wrong to behave the way she was, and I told her she wasn''t good enough for Akane. And that kid, that little girl, took every insult I threw at her with a stiff lip, and she begged me to forgive Akane even if I hated Ranko for it for the rest of my life. She didn''t care how much she was hurt, as long as Akane was happy. In that moment, that girl demonstrated more strength and resolve than I ever saw out of her in a fight, and she showed me just how wrong I was.¡±

    Soun sighed, taking a moment to think of what he wanted to say next. ¡°Saotome, she is completely different than she was as Ranma. It¡¯s undeniable. I know that''s hard for you to accept. But¡­ she''s not worse. In a lot of ways, I think she''s better. She''s happier than I¡¯ve ever seen her - Akane is, too. The school is secure. It''s everything we wanted for our kids.¡±

    Genma scoffed, picking up the cup of sake from Happosai''s grave and downing it. ¡°Whatever that thing flouncing around in that dress was today, it was not my son.¡±

    Soun nodded, sitting up. He reached into his briefcase, pulling out the leatherbound photo album. He set it in his lap, not yet opening it, and reached for the sake bottle. Genma reached his cup out hopefully and Soun filled it, capping the bottle without pouring himself another cup.

    ¡°You''re right, Saotome. It was not your son. Not anymore.¡± He opened the album with the crinkle of celluloid, angling it so that the first page of photographs was illuminated by the lamps lighting the path through the park. ¡°But I think you might come to feel differently about things if you got to know your daughter, like I did. Like Nodoka did. I mean, if Ranko could convince her¡­¡±

    Genma growled as he winced through the burning of the alcohol coursing down his throat. ¡°Don''t you mean your daughter, Tendo? They told me that you adopted¡­ her. My best friend, and you snatched my only child right out from under me.¡±

    Soun sighed, nodding slowly. ¡°I did, and I won''t apologize for it. She needed a father, Genma. Desperately. She was starving for someone to love and accept her that way, Saotome. And the saddest thing about it is¡­¡± He tapped a photo of Ranko in her Yusue cheerleading uniform, holding up the trophy from the 1991 All-Tokyo Cheerleading Invitational. ¡°If the person in these pictures had been born a girl, you''d be the proudest father alive. I know that, because I know you. I know what you wanted for your children. We talked about it all the time when we were young.¡±

    Soun sighed wistfully, filling his cup with rice wine. ¡°I didn''t ask to raise three girls by myself after Rumiko died. I didn''t expect Nabiki to turn away from the art and go to business school, to say nothing of¡­ well, let¡¯s just say it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if she brings a girlfriend home one day, too. I had no idea what to do with Akane when she was little. She was the youngest, and I expected her to be a little princess, but I turned her into a tomboy because I didn''t know how to deal with a girl without Rumiko¡¯s guidance. I asked way too much of Kasumi. I needed her to help me with her sisters, and I made her become a mother before she¡¯d even been on her first date.

    ¡°None of us get everything we plan, Saotome, but it doesn''t mean we can''t love what we get. Do I wish Rumiko hadn''t died? Of course I do. I miss her desperately, every single day, and I know the girls do, too. But I don''t hate my daughters for the women they grew up to be because of it. I wouldn''t trade away the lives they¡¯ve made for themselves. They¡¯ve found what works for them, and as their father, my job is to make sure they¡¯re making progress along a good path, even if it¡¯s not the one I might have chosen for them. You¡¯ve got to stop hating Ranko because she made the best of the hand fate dealt her.¡±

    Genma grumbled, reaching across Soun¡¯s lap for the bottle. ¡°Maybe you and I are just different then, Tendo, because I don¡¯t recognize the person in those pictures. That¡¯s no one I know.¡±

    With a nod, Soun turned the page in the photo album in his lap. ¡°Then let me introduce you. Permit an old man, and an old friend, a moment to brag about his little girl.¡±

    The bald man to Soun¡¯s left nodded slowly, lifting the glass bottle in his hand. ¡°You have until this runs out. So, talk fast, Tendo.¡± With a trembling hand, he refilled his cup again and immediately knocked it back against his lips.

    With a nod, Soun smiled down at the next full-page photo in the book, turning it to show his friend. The photo featured Ranko, in her red-and-white Yusue High pinafore, surrounded by five other girls similarly dressed. Each of the six girls held a red leather folio in their hand. One of them, a short girl wearing thick glasses with silver hair that was turning dark brown at its roots, was hugging Ranko around the waist. ¡°Her high school graduation. Nobody thought she could do it, given how far behind she was, but she worked her backside off and made it happen. Even earned herself a scholarship to college. She just started her first classes last week.¡±

    ¡°Not sure what he needs that for,¡± Genma mumbled pointedly, ¡°if he¡¯s going to make a living shaking his ass in short skirts.¡±

    Soun sighed, his head drooping. If any other man had said that about his youngest daughter, he would have flattened them with his fist, but if he had any hope of reaching his friend, he had to let him get the poison out of his heart and into the air. Better that I hear it than she does, he thought to himself. I owe her that much at least, after everything. ¡°She wants it. She wants to succeed. She wants to feel like she¡¯s accomplished something, and prove to herself and others that she is more than¡­ what you just said.¡±

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Who are the other girls,¡± Genma asked, taking a sincere look at the photo for the first time.

    ¡°Her friends,¡± Soun replied, his pride evident in his voice. ¡°Everyone loved her at school. Her classmates, her teachers¡­ She was extraordinarily popular, and I¡¯m sure she will be in college, too.¡± He tapped the face of the silver-haired girl hugging Ranko in the photo. ¡°This is Kumiko, her best friend. She wasn¡¯t very athletic, but Ranko trained her in gymnastics and made her a champion. She stood up to more than one bully for her, and did the same for other girls, too.¡±

    Genma rubbed his chin. ¡°I thought he didn¡¯t fight anymore.¡±

    Soun nodded. ¡°She¡¯s still got every bit of the talent and training we gave her. She relies more on speed than strength now, but she holds her own.¡± He flipped to the next page, which featured Ranko, wearing her purple student instructor¡¯s gi, in the middle of a high kick to the face of a boy twice her size. Her left foot was planted on a blue vinyl gym mat printed with the logo of the Honshu Mixed-Style Martial Arts Tournament. ¡°In fact, she won a master-level tournament just a few months ago. Another of Akane¡¯s students won at the intermediate level, too, with Ranko helping train him.¡±

    The older man scoffed, shaking his head with a dismissive wave of his hand. ¡°Nonsense. Those big tournaments don¡¯t even let our art compete.¡±

    Soun smirked at the opportunity to again speak up for Ranko¡¯s achievements. ¡°Actually, they do now. Ranko took it upon herself to go through the whole procedure to get Anything-Goes Martial Arts formally recognized, including winning a challenge against one of the senseis on their board of directors to do it. She literally put our school - our art - on the map.¡±

    ¡°... Huh.¡± Genma nodded, pursing his lips thoughtfully before raising another cup of sake to them.

    The mustachioed man flipped to the next page, on which there was a picture of Ranko and Akane in their gi, standing surrounded by six young men in white gi. The two Tendo girls were each holding one side of a two-meter wooden sign carved from half of a cherry wood tabletop, declaring the little park in which they stood as the Minato chapter of the School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts under Master Akane Tendo. ¡°See? One school, just like we always wanted.¡±

    ¡°Maybe not just like,¡± Genma said dismissively. ¡°Ranma should have been the one with his name on the sign. He¡¯s the true master.¡±

    ¡°Ranko made a different choice,¡± Soun said, turning the page again. The next spread featured several smaller, square Polaroid photos of Ranko dressed in a green velvet dress and matching winter hat, her hands adorned with a pair of lacy white gloves wrapped around a dynamic microphone. Her red hair was braided with a white ribbon, making her ponytail look like a long candy cane. In the upper right corner was the photo Nabiki had taken of the poster advertising the first Christmas concert at the Phoenix, and at the lower left was a Polaroid of Ranko and Akane on stage singing Baby, It¡¯s Cold Outside together.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t actually heard her music, have you, Saotome?¡± Soun leaned back on his elbows in the grass, wishing he¡¯d thought to borrow Akane¡¯s portable compact disc player before leaving the house.

    The old man shrugged. ¡°Maybe part of a song here or there on the radio. Honestly, I¡¯ve probably heard it and not even known it was Ranma. But, he sings in a karaoke bar. How impressive could it be?¡±

    ¡°You should listen to it,¡± the Tendo patriarch replied, ¡°because it is impressive. Far more so than you realize. She talks a lot about how she feels about things in her songs. It would be a good way to get to know her. The person she is now, anyway.¡±

    Soun turned the page, spinning the book sideways to reveal a full-page landscape photo. It was taken from behind Ranko, who crouched at the center of the frame with her back to the camera in a red leather jacket and matching tight leather pants. She held her left fist aloft above her head as if she were in the middle of punching the floorboards under her. On either side of her were two three-meter high jets of orange flame belching skyward from the stage floor, illuminating the two young men with guitars strapped to their chests on the left and right side of the image. Two slender girls flanked the redhead, each wearing shimmery red dresses with leathery maroon wings strapped to their backs. The top half of the photo showed the darkened arena seating of the Tokyo Budokan, dotted with thousands of faces and camera flashes.

    ¡°It¡¯s like this everywhere she goes. People love her.¡±

    Genma rolled his eyes. ¡°Dressing like that, I can see why.¡±

    ¡°If it were just her costumes, and not her music, I doubt this would have happened.¡± Soun skipped a few pages in the celluloid book, pointing to a photograph that featured Ranko sitting on the top of the bar counter in the Phoenix with her ankles crossed in a yellow sweater dress. She had an orange plaque in her lap, propped up against her torso, and held another in each arm, holding them up across each of her thighs so that the three plaques were all in a row.

    ¡°What are those,¡± Genma asked, setting down his cup of sake. He adjusted his wire-framed glasses, squinting to read the plaques in the dim lighting of the shadowed park.

    ¡°Japan Record Awards. The most prestigious recognition you can get in the music industry, Saotome.¡± Soun turned the page, showing Genma another photo with a closer view of the center plaque so he could read it more clearly.

    The bald man picked up the book, tilting it this way and that to catch light from the park¡¯s lamp posts on the parts of the picture he was trying to read. ¡°Once Upon a Rhyme?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s one of her more popular songs, and one of my favorites. The whole song is just Ranko expressing her gratitude for how much better her life is since she¡¯s changed things. Since she¡¯s become who she is now. It talks about how blessed she feels because destiny gave her a second chance to build a life for herself. That¡¯s actually my favorite line in the song: Sure, it seems just like a fantasy that fate would reach backward for a girl like me, but now, my happy ever after happens all the time,¡± Soun said, not daring to try and actually sing the lyrics. Nowhere near drunk enough for that, he thought, allowing himself a small smirk.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to get you to understand, Saotome. I know it¡¯s so much different than you planned for Ranma, but for the first time in her life, Ranko is happy. She knows joy. She¡¯s living a life she wants, on her own terms. We didn¡¯t give her that, like we should have. We failed her, and she went and made a whole life - a whole identity - for herself, by herself, on her own. She¡¯s earned every smile in these pictures and more.¡±

    Genma blinked thoughtfully as he read the plaque in the photo. ¡°And you say he won three of these awards?¡±

    Soun laughed. ¡°No, old friend. She won four.¡± He turned the page again, past a few pages of candid and casual photos of his four daughters, stopping only when Genma bristled at another large photo of Ranko in her cheerleading uniform for Yusue, twisting in mid-air.

    ¡°See, that, I don''t understand. Could he possibly have picked a more ridiculous thing to do? Flouncing around half-naked with bows in his hair, cheering on boys rather than doing something himself? How does someone with the skills he has lower himself to that?¡±

    Growling under his breath, Soun shook his head. His friend¡¯s continued dismissal of his youngest daughter¡¯s achievements was really beginning to wear on his patience, and the more inebriated Genma became, the more Soun worried it would become intolerable. Still, knowing that confrontation would only hasten an argument and further close Genma¡¯s mind, he maintained his composure for the time being. ¡°You''d be surprised at the athleticism required. Her martial arts skill played directly into her gymnastics; she actually gave lessons to her teammates based on your training. And all she did from there was perform a gymnastic technique that had never been done successfully in the history of the competition and earned herself a free college education by doing so. And besides, she tried to do martial arts at her school, and they wouldn''t let her.¡±

    ¡°Because they don''t take girls,¡± Genma supposed.

    Soun nodded in confirmation. ¡°So she did the next best thing they would let her do, and excelled at it. Genma, she really is incredible. I wish you¡¯d let yourself see it.¡± He sighed heavily. ¡°It is possible to be formidable and be a woman at the same time. Sometimes, I think you don''t realize that. I would think losing to Akane twice would have made the point clear for you.¡± He laughed wistfully, holding out his cup for Genma to fill from the bottle in his hand. ¡°Without knowing it, Ranko absolutely inherited her headstrong nature and unwillingness to back down or give up from her mother. I remember how Nodoka was when you two first met. She was a force of nature, old friend.¡±

    ¡°Don''t remind me, Tendo,¡± Genma implored, filling his own cup as well as Soun¡¯s. ¡°But Ranma did give up. He stopped looking for a cure, and he ran away.¡±

    Soun nodded, smirking a bit. ¡°I think it''s one thing to give up on something because you don''t think you can achieve it, and something else entirely to decide to stop fighting for something because you realize you don''t want it anymore. You think these awful things about her, about how she is somehow inferior because she''s a woman. By nearly every measure, it''s the opposite. She does better in school, and in relationships. She has friends and family and a career. She''s happier. She makes Akane happy. She smiles. She laughs. She gets out of bed in the morning with a purpose. She has a life she''s proud of, and all she wants is for the people in her life to be proud of her, too. I know I am, for my part.¡± As her father.

    He turned the page, smiling at a picture of Ranko in a white Tendo for Mayor tee shirt that was tied in a knot at her hip, hugging him on a temporary stage at an outdoor campaign rally held just a few hundred meters from where he now sat. ¡°And she''s proud of what she''s a part of - be it my family, the bar she works at and the family there, her band, all of it - because it''s all things she''s chosen and made for herself. She¡¯s been given next to nothing in this life. Everything she has, she has earned.¡±

    He turned the page to a photo of Ranko and Akane alongside Hana and all four of Ranko¡¯s sisters, in front of the temporary stage that had been erected in the street in front of the Phoenix the night of the Phoenix Rising release party. ¡°And she has people willing to fight for her, too.¡±

    Genma rubbed his jaw, which popped as he touched it, glowering at Hana''s face in the photo. ¡°Oh, believe me, I know.¡±

    Soun smiled softly. ¡°I know we as parents always have dreams for our kids, and they don''t always align with what they end up doing. That''s the problem with having to watch them grow up; eventually, they start thinking for themselves and making their own decisions. But honestly, Saotome, what more could we ask for than our children being happy and feeling fulfilled in their lives? What more could we want for our girls?¡±

    He sighed quietly, reaching out and clapping Genma on the thigh with his hand. ¡°You know, I remember the day I told you Rumiko was pregnant with Kasumi. We were so excited, and we sat and drank and talked for hours, you and me.¡± He tipped his cup to the black obsidian obelisk in front of him. ¡°The master was so furious at us the next day when we were both too hungover to train that he made us run in place all day long. Do you remember, Saotome?¡±

    Genma nodded, also dipping his cup toward the grave in respect. ¡°Like it was yesterday,¡± he said reverently.

    ¡°I remember talking about what we hoped for, for our children. Hell, you hadn''t even met Nodoka yet, and you already had all these big plans for yours. And I''ll never forget what you said. If you had a son, you wanted him to be strong and brave. You wanted him to be a master martial artist and the awe of everyone around him. Someone the people he loved could count on.¡±

    Genma bobbed his head again. ¡°And I did my best with Ranma. I made some mistakes, to be sure, but I thought I could make him into all of those things. I really thought I''d done it, Tendo, and then Jusenkyo happened.¡±

    The slender man in the brown gi nodded sagely. ¡°But here''s the real question: do you remember what you said you wanted if your child was a girl?¡±

    Genma winced, looking down at the bottom of his cup as if he expected to find some wisdom there. His response was quiet, and there was almost a shame in it as his shoulders slumped. ¡°I wanted her to be smart and beautiful. I wanted her to be well-loved and to take care of the people she loved. And ultimately, to marry well and be happy.¡±

    His friend clapped him on the shoulder, pulling him tight against his ribs. ¡°Genma, you got everything you wanted in a son, and you got everything you wanted in a daughter. You just got it all in the same person, which is arguably even more impressive.¡± Soun turned to the last page in the photo album, a full-page portrait showing Akane¡¯s glowingly excited face as Ranko approached her on the stage at the Phoenix in her wedding dress, clutching Nodoka¡¯s arm.

    Genma¡¯s eyes widened as his eyes took in the photo. The faintest hint of a smile began to cross his face. ¡°Nodoka¡­ gave her away?¡±

    Soun nodded, smiling in quiet acknowledgment. ¡°An honor that should have been yours, old friend. But instead, you attacked her that morning. She was in so much pain from that fight with you that she could barely stand, but she smiled and put on that beautiful dress and married the love of her life, because she refused to be told she couldn''t. What more strength do you want than that? What more conviction could you ask for from your child?¡±

    ¡°It''s just¡­¡± Genma pursed his lips, exhaling heavily as he shook his head. ¡°I had a son, and now, I don''t. And it makes me angry.¡±

    ¡°Saotome, you haven¡¯t been listening. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been trying to tell you.¡± Soun Tendo shook his head, groaning as he stood from the grass and stretched his back. ¡°You and Nodoka always had a daughter. You just didn''t know it yet.¡±

 72. A Lot to Unpack

    ¡°Her heroes taught her how to make her stand. An angel came and put a ring on her left hand. They turned the page, put her back on stage, and now, she''s winning¡­¡±

    Yui¡¯s quiet singing slipped back into humming as she punched a box knife through a stubborn piece of packing tape and tore open the cardboard box on her bed. ¡°I swear, babe, next time you move, if you don''t label the damned boxes¡­ Anyway, this one¡¯s bathroom stuff.¡±

    Sakura flitted out of the kitchen in Yui and Meii¡¯s apartment - now hers as well - with a wide grin. ¡°Oh, thank the gods. I love you, Yui, but your shampoo fucking sucks.¡± She ran her fingers through her greasy hair, which had been split into two messy pigtails with a pair of loose yellow elastics. Her heather gray tee shirt was drenched with sweat after hours of unloading and unpacking her belongings from the truck she¡¯d rented in Fukuoka the day before.

    ¡°Yeah, well, I guess I''m just not as prissy as you are about my hair,¡± Yui said with a playful smile, tossing her a green plastic bottle that had fallen from the container. ¡°I don''t need to maintain curls or nothin¡¯, so as long as it doesn''t fall out or get long enough to end up in people''s drinks, fuck it.¡±

    Sakura giggled, turning and leaning her back against her girlfriend. ¡°Well, what can I say? One of us has to be the diva if the other one''s gonna be butch, and I suppose I''m gonna have to take one for the team and be the cute one in this relationship. It''s hard work, but somebody''s gotta do it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, whatever, princess. Get off me! You''re all gross.¡± Yui swatted her playfully on the backside. ¡°Come snuggle me after you''re all dolled up.¡±

    Sakura laughed, turning and wrapping her arms around Yui¡¯s neck. ¡°I will cuddle you whenever I damn well please, lover girl. And careful with all the dolling up talk. We do still have that maid outfit from your birthday, you know.¡±

    ¡°Keep dreaming, girlfriend.¡± Yui gave an amused sneer in her partner¡¯s direction. ¡°Even if I wanted to - and I most definitely do not - it¡¯s too much of a pain to move around in all that when we''re busy.¡± She thrust the box from the bed into Sakura¡¯s hands. ¡°Go on. Put all your lotions and potions away. I swear, I don''t have that many bottles behind the fuckin¡¯ bar.¡±

    Sakura took the box, heading into the bathroom and beginning to stock the cabinet under the sink. ¡°Sheesh! Some of this shit looks like it''s been under here for a decade! I don''t think they even make this brand anymore! Can we get rid of it?¡±

    ¡°Don''t look at me,¡± Yui called back from the bedroom as she grabbed another box from the pile and set about cutting the tape. ¡°All that crap is Mei¡¯s.¡±

    Yui tore the box open after cutting the tape, dumping its contents out onto the unmade bed once she saw that it was full of clothing. She picked up a sweater dress with long sleeves, clicking her tongue. ¡°You little shit! You said you didn''t have my orange dress!¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Sakura called back over the clanking of aluminum bottles being tossed haphazardly into the bathroom cabinet. ¡°I found it behind the bed when I was packing up.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I thought you said you looked for it!¡± Yui shook her head, grabbing a hanger from the couple''s open closet to put the dress on.

    Sakura laughed, making her way back into the bedroom. ¡°I did! Look, it wouldn''t have gotten lost in the first place if you''d kept better track of your clothes. It''s not my fault you were in such a hurry for me to get you out of them!¡±

    Yui purred, stealing a kiss as her girlfriend walked past. ¡°Oh, yes it is, and you know it, girl.¡±

    ¡°Mm. Guilty as charged,¡± the black-haired woman replied. ¡°And absolutely no regrets.¡± She licked her lips suggestively. ¡°None whatsoever.¡±

    Yui chuckled. ¡°Well, unless you want those jeans to go missing the same way my dress did, you''d better focus. Keep sticking that tongue out at me, and I''m gonna find something more interesting for you to do with it.¡±

    ¡°Not until we''ve both had a shower,¡± Sakura replied in an almost chastising tone of voice. ¡°Maybe during us both having a shower, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m never going to sleep again, am I?¡±

    Yui looked up as her sister popped through the front door of their fourth-floor apartment, carrying one of the boxes from the truck. ¡°Oh, you''ll be fine, blockhead.¡± She blushed, nudging her girlfriend on the shoulder as Sakura hung a yellow business suit on a hanger. ¡°If she gets too loud, I''ll find something to stick in her mouth, don''t worry.¡±

    ¡°Listen here, you,¡± Sakura said, depositing the hanger on the closet rod before turning back to Yui. ¡°I am definitely not the loud one in this relationship. You''re over here making me sound like I''m Ranko.¡±

    ¡°Besides,¡± Yui said with a matter-of-fact smirk. ¡°Last time Seiichi was over, I seem to remember having to crash at Mama¡¯s place because I thought your headboard was gonna end up coming through the wall into the fucking living room. So, don''t play little miss innocent with me, Mei.¡±

    Mei blushed furiously. ¡°Look, I don''t know what to say. I¡¯d apologize, but I wouldn''t mean it. I¡¯m telling you, sis, you don''t know what you''re missing on the whole boys front.¡±

    ¡°I am missing not a damn thing,¡± Yui said, leaning on Sakura¡¯s shoulder with a devious grin painted across her lips. ¡°Everything a boy can do, a girl can do with the proper equipment, and then I can go back to not worrying about them leaving the seat up. All the fun of a boy, none of the gross bits.¡±

    Mei shrugged. ¡°I mean, doesn''t work so good if you want kids, though.¡±

    ¡°Like I said,¡± Yui replied flatly. ¡°None of the gross bits. Izzi and Aya can do the whole mommy dearest thing; it''s more their speed. I''ll be an awesome aunt, love my nieces and nephews, and when I''ve had my fill of the little shits, they go back to being somebody else''s problem. That¡¯s what we call a win-win, if you ask me. No, I''m perfectly happy with things just the way they are.¡±

    As she spoke, she smiled dreamily at Sakura. It still felt like a miracle that she was back in Yui¡¯s life after so long away. Her presence made everything easier. The good stuff felt better and the bad stuff hurt less. Just like that, she hadn''t felt the overwhelming urge to drink anymore, though she had yet to permit herself anything more than a taste test of a cocktail since Ranko¡¯s high school graduation nearly two months ago. She didn''t know how she would have made it through the ordeal with her mother¡¯s hospitalization without Sakura having showed up when she had, but she imagined she would have spent most of the last few weeks at the bottom of a bottle.

    ¡°Aww,¡± Mei said, pulling a stuffed pink Pac-Man ghost out of a box. ¡°This little guy just has to live out on top of the arcade machine.¡± Receiving a nod of assent from Sakura, she headed out to the living room to place it.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°Can I ask you a question, Sake?¡± Yui closed the distance to her girlfriend again, wrapping her arms around the slender woman¡¯s waist from behind as she stuck another plastic clothes hanger through the neck hole of a cream-colored satin blouse.

    ¡°Anything, hot stuff.¡± As she spoke, Sakura teasingly wiggled her backside against the front of Yui¡¯s jeans while Mei was otherwise occupied.

    Yui leaned over her shoulder, kissing her softly on the cheek. ¡°Do you have any idea at all how much I love you, and how grateful I am to have you back?¡±

    Blushing, Sakura turned in Yui''s arms, resting her elbows on Yui¡¯s shoulders and crossing her wrists behind the blonde¡¯s head. ¡°If I had to guess, I would say about as much as I love you, and about as grateful as I am that you took me back.¡±

    It was Yui¡¯s turn to blush as Sakura leaned in for another kiss, stepping forward and backing the lithe bartender up against the tall dresser on their shared bedroom¡¯s east wall without breaking contact with her lips.

    ¡°I''d tell you two to get a room, but I guess you already did,¡± Mei said, giggling as she set another box down on the bed. ¡°You''re gonna have a hell of a time explaining to the rental place that you couldn''t get the truck returned in time because you couldn''t keep your hands off each other long enough to unload it.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Sakura giggled as she broke the kiss, still pinning Yui¡¯s body against the dresser. ¡°Guys are weird like that when it comes to couples like us. Hell, he would probably waive the late fee if he got to watch me kiss her.¡±

    Mei nodded. ¡°I keep telling Ranko it''s only a matter of time before somebody catches her making eyes at Akane, and in her line of work, she¡¯d be in deep shit.¡±

    Yui shrugged. ¡°Kumiko has a freakin¡¯ video tape of them face-fucking on the main stage at Steam. If it was gonna get her, it would''ve gotten her by now. Honestly, I think pretty much everybody knows about her and Akane at this point. And, if you ask me, Ranko and Akane are the last two people alive who don''t know that everybody knows about them. As for me¡­¡± She rubbed her right wrist pensively through the sleeve of her jewel tone green sweater. ¡°I''m sick to fucking death of being ashamed of who I love.¡±

    Sakura released her, taking a box knife to the next cardboard carton that awaited her on the bed. ¡°This one''s kitchen stuff! I swear, it''s like Christmas. Every box you open is a surprise when you find out what''s in it.¡± She scooped the box into her arms, giggling as she slid past Mei and headed for the apartment¡¯s narrow food prep area. Mei trailed behind her, leaving Yui in the bedroom alone.

    Yui scooped up the box knife, flicking the lever on the side to expose the blade again. She didn''t feel great about having a knife in her hand so soon after thinking about the scars on her arms, but she physically shook it out of her mind with a thrash of her head. I don''t need to think about that shit anymore. I''m in a much better place now. I''m wanted, I have worth, and I have people who care about me.

    Instead, she slashed through the strip of silver duct tape holding the smallish box near her headboard closed. She must have run out of the clear stuff, Yui thought as she tore through the few centimeters of tape that had not been thoroughly cut, pulling the box flaps open. More clothes. I swear, girl, you''re as bad as Izzi.

    She dumped the box out onto the bed, but as she turned to the closet for a handful of empty hangers, she heard something small clatter to the floor. Yui turned, searching for whatever had fallen and not finding it. Okay, I may be crazy, but I know I''m not that crazy. Something definitely fell. Maybe it ended up under the bed?

    Yui dropped to her hands and knees, lifting the black dust ruffle around her queen-sized bedframe. Just a few centimeters behind it, butted up against a small plastic container where Yui kept¡­ things she didn''t want Mei to find, there was a tiny wooden cube. It couldn''t have been more than three or four centimeters to a side, and it was constructed of a deep, well-lacquered cherry, not unlike the tabletops at the Phoenix. She retrieved it, supporting her weight on the mattress as she clamored back to her feet.

    It''s got hinges. It''s a¡­ jewelry box? I swear, Sakura, you''ve got more jewelry than any four girls need.

    Yui popped it open, but she didn''t recognize the diamond ring in the box. Its gold band was inlaid with several tiny ruby chips, surrounding a princess-cut diamond solitaire. It was far too muted for Sakura¡¯s tastes, though; Yui knew her girlfriend had never met a piece of costume jewelry too gaudy for her.

    But if it''s not hers¡­

    Yui gasped.

    No¡­ no way. She didn''t. She wouldn''t. No fucking way.

    She closed the box with a loud snap, setting it on the dresser and pulling her hand back as if it had burned her skin. Don''t let it get in your head, Yui. It''s probably something one of her exes gave her, and that''s why she never wears it.

    She picked up an ivory blazer, threading the hook of a green plastic hanger through the little satin loop at the back of the neck and placing it on the rod on Sakura''s side of the closet. As she returned to the bed with another empty hanger in hand, she couldn''t help but glance up at the little box again.

    Before she left, she was hinting like she¡­ Yui shook her head. Don''t be stupid, Yui. She''s not the settling down type. Never has been. Hell, neither am I. At least, I never have been¡­

    Still, no matter how much she tried to convince herself to ignore it, the little wooden box screamed for her attention every time she passed it with another article of clothing. After four such passes, she sighed, picking the box up and opening it again.

    You''re just gonna torment me until I prove to myself that you''re not¡­ that, aren¡¯t you? Fuck it. Let''s just go ask her and get this shit over with. Snapping the box closed and cupping it in her hand, Yui made her way to the kitchen.

    Sakura was in the room alone, stacking a set of yellow earthenware dinner plates in the cabinet. ¡°I swear, it''s like a fucking dorm room in here. Did you girls have any two kitchen items that matched?¡±

    ¡°Sake, I¡­¡± Yui''s face was aflame. ¡°Sorry, I shouldn''t. It''s dumb. Nevermind.¡± She turned to walk back into the bedroom. Stupid Yui. Stupid.

    Sakura followed her girlfriend, tossing a pale blue dish towel that had been used as packing material for the plates over the back of a chair at the dining room table as she passed it. ¡°Hey. That was weird. What''s¡­¡±

    Her voice, and her breath, stopped as her eyes fell on the little box in Yui''s hand. ¡°Shit.¡± Sakura¡¯s invective fell from her lips after nearly five seconds of silence which Yui was relatively certain had lasted closer to fifteen years.

    ¡°It''s cool. I get it. You don''t wanna talk about it. We¡¯ve all got pasts.¡± Yui stepped forward, dropping the box in Sakura¡¯s palm. And now you freaked her out. Nice going, dumbass. ¡°S¡­ sorry.¡±

    Sakura smiled softly, her cheeks reddening. ¡°It¡­ wasn''t about my past. More¡­ future?¡±

    Yui blinked, freezing mid-step on her way back to the bed to hang another dress. ¡°...What?¡± Her voice was a full octave higher in pitch than usual.

    Sakura nodded, stepping closer. ¡°Before I left for Fukuoka, I told you I wanted to be with you forever. Did you think I wasn''t being serious?¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Yui turned, her face the color of the little ruby chips surrounding the diamond in her girlfriend''s hand. ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°But then everything happened, and I turned into an idiot.¡± Sakura sighed wistfully. ¡°And I went down south for some stupid job instead of focusing on what I sh¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Sakura blinked as she was interrupted. ¡°Huh?¡±

    Yui stalked toward her black-haired partner as fast as her bare feet would carry her, a flame of intensity in her green eyes. ¡°Did I stutter? I fucking said yes.¡± She reached out, grabbing Sakura''s face by the cheeks and pulling her into a furious kiss.

    The women separated after nearly a minute of being joined at the lips. Sakura was halfway through sliding the ring onto Yui¡¯s left hand when she heard a loud thump behind her. Both women looked up to see a cardboard box laying on its side, spilling a mound of towels onto the floor.

    Standing just behind it, Mei¡¯s hands were clasped to her cheeks in shock.

 73. The Room Where it Happened

    Ranko thrashed her head to the side, her ponytail flying over her shoulder as she danced. She was positively glowing.

    She had faced Genma Saotome and come out not only unscathed, but having made him feel small for a change. Nabiki was working on the stuff with the label, and she¡¯d had a chance to work with the boys on a couple of new songs. She was in college. She¡¯d formally joined the cheerleading squad at Minato University a few days ago. She was with her friends and her family. Sakura had come home and all but instantly pulled Yui out of her months-long funk. She had made up with Akane - even though some of the things they¡¯d fought about in Hawai¡¯i had yet to come up again since. She was up on her stage. She was home, and everyone else she loved was about to be, too.

    On that Thursday night, Ranko Tendo was joy incarnate.

    ¡°I gotta BE the one that¡¯s rockin¡¯ out the hardest in the club, and OH! I¡¯m gonna go until the¡­¡±

    Ranko raised her hands to her shoulders, palms up, as the crowd continued the chorus of one of her newest songs for her. She extended her arms toward the roof, punctuating each of the words with a brief pause in her upward motion.

    ¡°SUN! COMES! UP!¡±

    She swiveled on her heels, her pleated pink skirt flaring around her hips as she turned to face Hitomi and pointed to her with two fingers. ¡°YOU know whatcha gotta do, and who ya gotta do it with!¡±

    Giggling, she leaned backward until most of her weight was supported by Emi¡¯s chest just behind her. She panned the crowd with her hand, flashing her Firebirds a smile that outshone the sun as she jiggled her butt against Emi¡¯s hip.

    ¡°AN-yone can do it, if you¡¯re not afraid to wiggle it!¡±

    The effervescent redhead shaded her eyes with her hand as if blocking the sun from her face, looking to the front door. What she saw there caused her cheeks to all but explode in a rain of glitter and joy, but she held herself together. Gotta finish the song first.

    ¡°See me on the floor giving it all that I got, so¡­¡±

    She turned her hand to the side, resting the back of her hand on her forehead as if she were exhausted. She was not. She could have danced all night.

    ¡°Eee-ven if you¡¯re tired, pound your drink, and take your shot!¡±

    She mimed throwing a shot back into her mouth, and then pointed forward to the crowd.

    ¡°I feel the THUMP of the bass, and I¡¯ll be UP IN YOUR FACE!¡± She stepped forward, almost threateningly, toward Hitomi, who threw her hands forward and jolted the redhead¡¯s shoulders backward.

    ¡°Ya gotta shake it with me right where it counts, counts, COUNTS!¡± Ranko giggled as she wiggled her backside toward the crowd, ignoring the camera flashes as she did. I got nothing to worry about now, boys. Akane got me the hookup with these compression shorts. Not gonna see anything that belongs to her now, are ya?

    ¡°So, if you wanna be with me¡­¡± Ranko pointed to the crowd, indicating to them to finish the song as she executed the six dance steps associated with the letters that spelled the song¡¯s title alongside her backup dancers.

    ¡°B! O! U! N! C! E!¡±

    Ranko nodded, jumping high in the air and kicking her heels behind herself hard enough to kick herself in the butt as she thrust her fist upward. ¡°That¡¯s right! You need a little bit of BOUNCE!¡±

    The ebullient redhead landed on the stage in a superhero pose, with one leg kicked out and one fist on the stage floor. Three hundred and sixty-four voices roared for her.

    She only cared about one.

    Ranko rolled forward, laying herself out as she shifted her weight to her hands and launched herself upward to her feet. ¡°Hell yeah! That¡¯s how we do it, Phoenix!¡±

    She turned and nodded to Crash, who began to disentangle from his instrument. Ken stood from his drum set and Shinji returned his bass guitar to its stand to Ranko¡¯s left. The drummer got a gentle hug from Hitomi as the girls exited the stage, leaving only Ranko and Jacob on it. Jacob waved down to the edge of the stage, where his pink-haired partner had danced in concert with the three women on stage for most of the evening. Ranko threw a quick wave in their direction, too. Sorry, Zo. Any other night, I¡¯d be thrilled to have you at the VIP table all night with Akane and Ukyo, but¡­ not tonight. Sorry. Tonight, it¡¯s reserved.

    ¡°You know, guys, I gotta tell ya, I fucking love this bar.¡± Ranko sat on the edge of the stage as she spoke, dangling her feet off a few centimeters from the floor.

    Another roar came from the crowd in acknowledgement of the Phoenix itself, newly reopened just a few days ago after an eight-day closure.

    ¡°I love it for the atmosphere. I love it for the crowd. I love it for the drinks. But mostly¡­¡± Ranko smiled, blinking a tear from her eyes. ¡°I love the people. The people who made this place not just a watering hole, but a home. A family. And there¡¯s one person more than any other responsible for that.¡± Ranko extended her arm to the double door at the opposite end of the room where Akayo waited, supporting a woman nearly twice her age on her arm. ¡°Firebirds, make way for the heart of the Phoenix - my mother, Hana Takahashi!¡±

    The crowd parted instantly, turning to the back door to look. Yui thought the roof would come off as the place rocked under their collective voices. Hana released her grip on Aya¡¯s shoulder, smiling and waving to her patrons. She wore her trademark leather jacket over a white tee shirt and a pair of black jeans.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got it from here, baby,¡± Hana whispered to Ayako, taking a step forward. As she did, the applause in the bar began to organize itself into a more rhythmic clap rather than haphazard cheering, and it seemed to grow in power with every step Hana took toward the VIP table at stage left in the two-meter wide channel the crowd had made for her to walk through.

    ¡°HA-NA! HA-NA! HA-NA,¡± the crowd chanted as they clapped, amplified by Ranko herself joining the chant through her headset microphone.

    ¡°You guys, excuse me just a second,¡± Ranko said as Hana took her seat at the round table to stage left. She slipped her backside off the stage to land on the bar floor, flitting around the table and leaning down to hug her mother tight around the shoulders.

    ¡°Welcome home, Mom,¡± Ranko said, either not realizing or not caring that the headset microphone she wore would pick up her words. ¡°I love you.¡±

    ¡°I love you too, little star,¡± Hana said, and her voice also carried through Ranko¡¯s headset. A chorus of awwwwwwws rained around the pair, and Ranko blushed a bit at the sound.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go sing now, ¡®kay?¡± Ranko giggled at Hana¡¯s nodded response as she gestured over her shoulder with her thumb. She bounced back up the three stairs excitedly.

    As the songstress adjusted her headset after the hug, Mei slipped through the side door from the kitchen with a large orange earthenware bowl, setting it in front of her mother with a thousand-watt smile. ¡°You hungry, Mama?¡±

    Hana glanced down at the bowl, raising her eyes to her blue-haired daughter with daggers in them. ¡°Not for that, I¡¯m not. When the fuck did my bar start serving salad?¡±

    Mei shrugged, handing her a pair of disposable bamboo chopsticks. ¡°About five seconds after the onion rings almost killed you. Now, I love you, but shut the fuck up and eat your green food.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still your mother, you know,¡± Hana said defiantly despite her smile. ¡°You¡¯re not the boss of me.¡±

    As she did, Izumi, who had made her way from behind the service bar in her silver sparkly dress, leaned over the table and pushed the bowl closer to Hana¡¯s chest. ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t have taken in enough of us strays that we outnumber you five to one.¡±

    ¡°Six,¡± Akane said, crossing her arms and throwing a wink down at Hana.

    ¡°Seven,¡± came a call from behind Mei, and Sakura leaned on her roommate¡¯s shoulder with a smile down at Hana.

    ¡°... Damn it,¡± Hana said, sighing as she picked up the chopsticks and began poking disinterestedly at the lettuce drenched in orange ginger dressing.

    By the time Hana¡¯s eyes made it back up to the stage, Jacob¡¯s synthesizer had been pushed forward from the rear of the stage to the center, and he and Ranko stood over it talking with him. Her microphone had been cut off.

    ¡°Are you sure you''re ready to do this, Ran-chan,¡± Jake asked her, his back to the crowd.

    Ranko nodded. ¡°I think I¡¯m ready, yeah. Just get everything set up for me, ¡®kay?¡± She reached behind herself, switching the battery pack powering her headset back on, and she stepped forward to address the crowd as Jacob worked.

    ¡°November eighteenth, 1989. It wasn¡¯t that long ago at all. Not even three years yet.¡± She pulled up a wooden stool, perching on it. She was speaking to the crowd, but her eyes were locked on Hana. ¡°I guess you guys see me as this badass girl that has the world in her hand. International tours and scholarships and autographs, married, loving family, and all that shit. And yeah, I guess that¡¯s me, now. But, if you¡¯ll give me just a minute¡­ let me tell you about the girl I was on November eighteenth, 1989, and how I got from there to here.¡± She reached up with a shaking hand, wiping a tear away from her eyes before it could do much damage to her eye shadow.

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t eaten in three days. I¡¯d just had the living shit beat out of me that morning. I looked like a dirty clothes hamper and probably smelled worse. Everything I owned was in a backpack I could barely lift because there wasn¡¯t anything left of me but skin and bone. I was sleeping in a park a few blocks from here. I was utterly, entirely alone in this world, and I had nowhere to go. And I mean nowhere. I was seventeen years old, and there wasn¡¯t a soul on this earth who wanted me.¡±

    She looked down at her hands, her voice cracking a bit as she spoke. ¡°That morning, I was sitting on a bench right out there across the street, trying to decide if I had enough money for one last rice ball, and I see this little red now hiring sign in that window right back there behind the hostess stand. I thought, what the hell, I¡¯ll probably suck at being a waitress, but it beats going hungry, and I all but crawled through that door back there with my last breath.¡±

    Ranko sniffled, letting her tears fall freely from her cheeks onto the stage floor. ¡°And that incredible woman, sitting right there, gave me a chance when I didn¡¯t deserve one. I wonder if any of you guys were here that first Saturday night, and remember that frantic redhead with grass in her hair running around this place like a chicken with her head cut off, fucking up everybody¡¯s orders and praying she didn¡¯t break any glasses she couldn¡¯t afford to pay for. I worked like every bucket of ice I delivered or plate I put in the dishwasher was the difference between eating and starving, because for me, it was.¡±

    Akane stood behind Hana, resting her hand on her shoulder. She wasn¡¯t sure which of them hearing the story from Ranko¡¯s point of view was harder for.

    ¡°It, um¡­ It was raining really hard that night, and Yui and Hana pulled me aside after my first shift. I swear, you guys, I thought they were gonna fire me and put me out in the storm. I¡¯m sitting there, my mind going a thousand kilometers a second trying to figure out what I did wrong. And that woman¡­ that beautiful, kind, gentle woman right there, tells me, we can tell you need help, and there¡¯s an apartment upstairs you can use. Clean clothes, whatever I wanted to eat, and the first hug I¡¯d had in months. And now, I¡¯m like, what¡¯s the catch? Who the hell does this for some fucked-up, homeless, hopeless kid they just met?¡±

    Ranko looked up, flashing an adoring smile down at the VIP table. ¡°Hana Takahashi does.¡±

    She stood, picking the stool up and carrying it to the back corner of the stage as she continued to speak. ¡°I, um¡­ I didn¡¯t exactly win the parent lottery growing up. I mean, you guys have heard Freak and You Don¡¯t Know Me, so, like, I don¡¯t need to get into all that. I didn¡¯t know my ass from my elbow about anything. Two years behind in school. Hadn¡¯t seen my mother in twelve years. I was an absolute, unmitigated trash fire of a human being, and calling me a disaster would¡¯ve been a step up.¡±

    Ranko returned to the edge of the stage, where she spoke over absolute silence in the bar as the sympathetic crowd listened to her story.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°And she¡­¡± Ranko lowered her eyes, wiping them with her fingers. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just¡­¡± A quiet applause filled the room as she took a moment to compose herself. Nearly a full minute later, she felt ready to continue.

    ¡°She decided she was gonna be the mom I never had. Her daughters were gonna be the sisters I never had. And they taught me¡­ gods, everything. They gave me help, and hope, when I didn¡¯t have any of either. When I didn¡¯t even think I deserved any of either. Whatever it is you guys love in me¡­¡± Ranko sniffled as she pointed down to her mother with an open palm, her face drenched with tears. ¡°She put it there.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s voice cracked, losing the battle to control her tears enough to keep speaking. ¡°And just¡­ the night I heard she got sick, I was on a plane all night trying to get home, just praying I¡¯d get one more second to look that woman in the eyes and tell her thank you.¡± She sniffled loudly into her headset microphone. ¡°So, thank you, Mom, from the bottom of the heart you glued back together, for making me so much more than I ever could have dreamed was possible.¡±

    Akane and Izumi both squeezed Hana around the shoulders as she cried softly into her uneaten salad.

    ¡°And that night, sitting on that plane, I was going crazy. I¡¯d have flapped my arms if I thought it would¡¯ve made the damned thing go faster. All I could think about was all the things I wanted to say, and how I didn¡¯t know if I was gonna get home in time to have a chance to say ¡®em. And my buddy Crash - who flew back from Australia with me like an absolute fucking hero so I wouldn¡¯t be alone - told me to write it all down, just so I¡¯d have something to do with my hands.¡±

    Ranko reached into the shallow pocket of her blue denim half-jacket, which she wore over a white tee shirt featuring a large pink heart embroidered on it with a puffy texture. She extracted a folded sheet of white notebook paper out of it and began to open it. As she did, the stage lighting shone through the page, revealing more than one place where the blue ink had been smudged by falling tears while it had still been wet.

    ¡°Guys, I, um¡­¡± She bit her lip, shaking her head as she looked up at the back bar, where Yui and Sakura stood watching her, hand in hand. ¡°I know, this is supposed to be a party. Mom¡¯s home, and she¡¯s okay, and we¡¯re all supposed to be happy, and I am! I swear I am, but¡­¡± She held up the paper in her shaking hand. ¡°Would you guys mind giving me just a couple more minutes?¡±

    The crowd cheered their assent, and Ranko rounded on her heels and took a few steps backward. To the surprise of Hana and everyone who had not been in the bar earlier that afternoon for rehearsal, she took a seat on the black padded bench Jacob had pulled forward along with his instrument. Taking his cue, Ariel dropped the house lights until the bar room was in near-total darkness, illuminated only by a single soft white spotlight on Ranko and the five white candles Jacob had left burning atop the black-lacqured wooden casing surrounding his keyboard. She propped the unfolded paper up against the casing around the synthesizer, closing her eyes and whispering a silent prayer for courage.

    Okay, Mr. Gankuji. I hope I don¡¯t embarrass you too badly, Ranko thought as she remembered her twelfth-grade music teacher. She¡¯d learned on an acoustic grand piano, though, and the array of buttons, levers and knobs on the electronic synthesizer absolutely baffled her. Thank the gods Jacob set this up for me ahead of time, because I¡¯d have about as much of a chance to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile with this thing as I would to pick the piano sound.

    She reached her trembling hands forward for the keys, resting her right index finger on middle C and exhaling heavily. Here goes nothing. I can do this. It¡¯s for Mom. Nervously, she began plucking a simple melody from the keys, closing her eyes and willing her fingers to remember the pattern on their own so she could focus on singing. No sound had yet escaped her lips, and Hana was already fighting back tears with Akane and Izumi standing at her side.

    Ranko played the simplistic chord progression through twice before finding the confidence to add her voice to the synthesizer¡¯s piano tones and maintain both at once. Once she did, it was a soft, almost haunting tone that came forth from her, not unlike her first performance of There Are No Words on her wedding day.

    ¡°I am intelligent - at least, in my own way - and there¡¯s always someone out there who cares what I have to say. I am powerful - and not just in a fight - but it¡¯s okay to ask for help if I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be alright.¡±

    Ranko smiled up at the crowd, nodding as a few of them in the front row pulled their cigarette lighters out of their pockets and flicked them to life, waving them over their heads. The first to do so had been Zoe King. Her voice trembled as she sang, and more than once, she had to pause for half a beat to swallow back her emotions.

    ¡°People respect me - and not only ¡®cause I sing. I know kindness costs me nothing, but to some, means everything. Though I might be a world away, as long as there¡¯s a phone, I¡¯ll never spend another minute thinking I¡¯m alone¡­¡±

    The redhead looked up from the keyboard, smiling at her sniffling mother at the VIP table. Her voice took on an added confidence as she entered the chorus, as if she were somehow surer of what she was saying than she had been in the verse before.

    ¡°I am beautiful, and not just in my face. Though I may make mistakes, I have what it takes, and I¡¯ll always have a place! There¡¯s gotta be a million, and so these are just a few¡­¡±

    Ranko swallowed back her tears behind a wide smile. ¡°... of all the things¡­ all the things¡­ whoa, all the thi-i-i-ings¡­¡±

    She nodded softly in her mother¡¯s direction after a two-beat pause. ¡°... I¡¯ve learned from you.¡±

    Ranko thought back again to the last conversation she¡¯d had with Hana in the apartment above the Phoenix, just minutes before she¡¯d left on tour. You told me to spread my light, Mom. You told me to make sure everyone around the world got to see what I¡¯ve learned, and I will, I swear it. But I¡¯m gonna make damn sure they know where it came from. It¡¯s not my legacy I¡¯m spreading. It¡¯s yours. All I am is what you made me, and I¡¯m damn proud of it.

    The audience stood in silence as Ranko¡¯s keyboard playing took on a bit more of a flourish, filling the gap between verses and giving her a moment to regain control of her emotions and recover her voice. It seemed as if she felt more confident playing the synthesizer when she could concentrate on it alone and not also need to sing. Salty drops of water rained down on the backs of her hands from her eyes as she played.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a burden. People like having me around. I won¡¯t ever be so lost that there¡¯s no hope of being found. I¡¯m just a kid, and I¡¯m still figuring out living, so when I screw up - and I know I will - I deserve to be forgiven.¡±

    ¡°She seriously wrote all this on the plane?¡±

    Crash leaned closer to Hitomi, replying in a whisper without taking his eyes off of his best friend as she sang. ¡°In about forty-five minutes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a good person,¡± Ranko asserted in song, thinking back to all the doubts she¡¯d carried about herself after fleeing the Tendo home. ¡°I don¡¯t have to feel ashamed. I never got a say in how I was raised, and probably can¡¯t be blamed.¡±

    She glanced down at her bracelet, dangling just off the edge of the keyboard on her left wrist. She thought about her recent encounter with her biological father, and the things he¡¯d said to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a failure because I ran when things got grim. It was never that I¡¯m not enough - I¡¯m just too good for him.¡±

    Again, Ranko¡¯s voice found new strength as the chorus began, seeming to shift out of a hauntingly soft, timid timbre into more of a confident assertion.

    ¡°I am beautiful, and not just in my face! Though I may make mistakes, I have what it takes, and I¡¯ll always have a pla-a-a-ace! I know that I am wanted, and I¡¯m worthy of love, too, ¡®cause of the things¡­ yeah, all the things¡­ whooooa, a-all the thi-i-i-ings¡­¡±

    The redhead swallowed hard, closing her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve learned¡­ from you.¡±

    Hana slumped forward a bit, and Akane knelt next to her chair to check on her. The Phoenix¡¯ matriarch hid her face behind her hand, and the gentle flow of tears that had begun at the first few lines had given way to a torrent of liquid emotion. Akane just squeezed her around the shoulders, holding her wife¡¯s mother as Ranko sang. Izumi slipped away from the pair, heading back toward the bar.

    ¡°Love is honest,¡± Ranko continued. ¡°It has nothing to confess. It knows no boundaries or conditions; there¡¯s no if, and no unless. Love is given. It¡¯s not a thing I have to earn, and the only expectation¡¯s that I love you in return. Love¡¯s not easy. It takes courage. It takes trust.¡±

    I¡¯m allowed to protect myself, Ranko thought. Even from the people who are supposed to be closest to me. It was one of the hardest things to learn.

    She swallowed hard before singing the next line. ¡°And, if someone breaks my heart too much, I can leave them in the dust.¡±

    Behind the main bar, Seiichi reached out, squeezing Mei around the shoulders as she swayed with her sister¡¯s song in the darkness. Similarly, Yui leaned backward, resting the crown of her head on Sakura¡¯s shoulder as her girlfriend held her around the waist from behind.

    Ranko smiled up at the girls behind the bar from her seat at the keyboard. ¡°And I¡¯ll always have a family. It¡¯s not something I can lose. I may not have been born into it, but that means I got to choose¡­¡±

    The redhead stood from the bench, leaning over the keyboard as she played with more force, leaning a bit of her weight into each stroke to generate a fuller sound from the touch-sensitive electronic keys.

    ¡°I AM BEAUTIFUL, and not just in my face! Though I may make mistakes, I have what it takes, and I¡¯ll whoa-a-always have a pla-a-a-ce! I finally understand so much I should have always knew: all the things¡­ all the things¡­ whoa-a-a-a-ALL the thi-i-i-ings¡­¡±

    She took her hands off the keyboard, turning to face the VIP table. Hana¡¯s eyes were not focused on her, still hidden behind her trembling hand as Akane held her tight around the shoulders.

    ¡°I¡¯ve learned¡­ from you.¡±

    The redhead retook her seat at the synthesizer, careful to mind her skirt as she did despite the pair of black compression shorts she wore under it. Almost done, Ranko. One more verse. Breathe. Everything¡¯s okay now. Mom¡¯s okay. There¡¯s no reason for this to be sad.

    Ayako slipped between Yui and Izumi behind the bar, setting down the bottle of Midori in her hand. ¡°Is it time?¡±

    ¡°Not yet,¡± Yui whispered, stealing a glance down at the device mounted to the wall under the bar counter on Mei¡¯s left.

    ¡°Having started out with nothing doesn¡¯t have to be a curse. My struggles made me different, but they¡¯ll never make me worse. I have people I can go to if I¡¯m ever in a jam. I am special, strong and valuable exactly as I am.¡±

    Ranko smiled at the candlelight sparkling from her wedding ring as her fingers danced over the keys. The idea of marrying Akane, like so many other things, had seemed so out of reach when she¡¯d first come to the Phoenix. She¡¯d thought her life was over, but it had only just begun.

    ¡°I am unique, but I don¡¯t have to change myself to fit. And the only thing a girl can never, ever do¡­ is quit.¡±

    A few whoops and claps rose from the crowd. While most of the audience were keeping quiet in respect for the slow, soulful nature of the ballad, certain sentiments could not go unlauded in the estimation of some of the Firebirds in attendance that night.

    ¡°There is nothing I can¡¯t do if I can only find the nerve.¡±

    Ranko bit her bottom lip hard, struggling to get the final line of the fourth verse past it. The sentiment was one of the hardest lessons she had learned since her arrival at the Phoenix, and having put in writing that she finally understood it was cathartic in a way no lyric could begin to describe.

    ¡°There is nothing that I want from life that I do not deserve.¡±

    Izumi wiped her eyes, nodding to Mei. The younger girl reached under the counter in the darkness.

    ¡°I am beautiful,¡± Ranko sang with the full force of her voice, admonishing herself for letting her voice crack with emotion in the previous line. Her confidence seemed to grow at the keyboard as the song went on, and she had begun injecting little flourishes between the key notes of the rhythm as she played. ¡°... and not just in my face! Though I may make mistakes, I have what it takes, and I¡¯ll whoooooa-always have a pla-a-ace!¡±

    She smiled down at Hana, who had managed to compose herself enough to return her eyes to her youngest daughter on the stage.

    ¡°The dreams I never dared to dream are starting to come true, thanks to the things¡­ all the things, whoa-a-all the thi-i-i-ings¡­ I¡¯ve learned¡­ from you.¡±

    Ranko shifted both her hands to the right, moving the entire rhythm up into the next octave higher. Her voice joined it to match.

    ¡°When people hear these words, I¡¯m glad that they will learn them, too. All the things, all the things, whoa, all the thi-i-i-ings¡­ I¡¯ve learned from you.¡±

    The redhead stood from her borrowed instrument, walking off the edge of the stage without taking the stairs. She landed effortlessly on her toes in her white heeled sneakers, closing the three steps to the edge of the round table at which her mother sat. As Hana smiled up at her, Ranko sat gently on the tabletop. She reached over her mother¡¯s untouched bowl of salad and took both of Hana¡¯s hands in her own. With no music behind her, Ranko smiled down into her mother¡¯s eyes, her own still glistening with tears. Her voice was soft, almost childlike, and spoken rather than sung.

    ¡°Mom, I need to tell you this, right now, before this life is through. Thank you.¡± She returned to a gentle singing voice. ¡°For all the things¡­¡±

    ¡°All the things,¡± came another voice that was not Ranko¡¯s. Nor was it Hitomi or Emi¡¯s. Hana swiveled in her seat, finding all four of her other adopted daughters standing behind the main bar holding hands. The handheld emcee microphone was in Mei¡¯s fist, and she passed it to her right as the last word was sung.

    ¡°All the things,¡± Izumi sang brightly, blowing her mother a kiss before passing the microphone again to her right.

    ¡°All¡­ the th¡­ings,¡± Ayako sang haltingly, a timid, tender tremble in her voice as she squeezed Izumi¡¯s right hand for comfort. She clutched the microphone tight just under her chin, and Yui had to reach across her body for it.

    Yui pulled the microphone closer to herself, but Ayako¡¯s fingers remained locked around it, so the blonde leaned down to sing into it in her shorter sister¡¯s hand. ¡°All the things,¡± she sang, ignoring the tears streaming down her cheeks.

    ¡°Whoa, a-a-a-all the thi-i-i-ings,¡± Ranko belted in the fifth octave from her seat on Hana¡¯s table, squeezing her mother¡¯s hands tight. She flashed Akane a quick smile at her mother¡¯s side.

    The redhead released Hana¡¯s hands, running her fingers through her mother¡¯s salt-and-pepper hair. She leaned down from her perch on the tabletop, gently kissing the woman who had saved her life on the forehead with her strawberry-glazed lips. Her voice fell to barely a whisper for the final four words as she beamed into her mother¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°... I¡¯ve learned¡­ from you.¡±

 74. Fire Up the Presses

    ¡°Soooo,¡± Ranko said, leaning forward on her bar stool excitedly. ¡°When¡¯s the wedding? I¡¯m calling dibs on planning your bachelorette party. I owe you two lovebirds for as much as you fucked with me and Akane.¡± And the fact that I couldn''t walk right for a week after the honeymoon, to boot.

    ¡°About that¡­¡± Yui blushed, looking up at Sakura with a soft smile from the employee side of the bar. ¡°We¡¯ve¡­ decided not to do a wedding.¡±

    Ranko rocked back. ¡°What?! But, you¡¯re engaged! You¡¯ve got a ring and everything! Don¡¯t tell me she got cold feet again! Sakura, do you and I need to¡­¡± She clenched her left hand into a fist.

    Sakura giggled, squeezing Yui around the shoulders. ¡°No, no, Ranko, nothing like that. Just¡­ how to say it? We¡¯re¡­ together enough.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s like, when Akane asked you, we knew there wasn¡¯t anything official to the wedding, it was just about the show. And you guys wanted that. Well, Akane did, anyway, and let¡¯s be honest: you wanted whatever Akane did. Besides, you should just admit it - you¡¯re way too much of an attention whore not to have gotten a chance to be a bride. But, for me and Sake¡­¡± Yui shrugged. ¡°We just decided we don¡¯t need it. It won¡¯t be legal anyway, and all the hoopla¡¯s just¡­ not us.¡±

    Ranko sipped at her soda. ¡°So, Sakura¡¯s just, your wife now? That¡¯s it?!¡± No fair! I didn¡¯t get a chance to get out of doing the big foofy dress and everything¡­

    ¡°We¡¯re together,¡± Sakura said, squeezing Yui around her chest from behind. ¡°Forever. We don¡¯t necessarily care what people call it. She¡¯s mine, and I¡¯m hers, and that¡¯s just all that matters to us.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Ranko said, gingerly dismounting her stool with a slight wince. Owwww. Stop that, stupid uterus. Nobody asked for your opinion. ¡°That¡¯s just bullshit. I don¡¯t get to tease you or nothin¡¯?!¡± The bright smile on her face helped to blunt her complaint. As she spoke, she walked around the counter, slipping behind it and wrapping her arms tight around Sakura¡¯s waist. ¡°Well¡­ I guess, welcome to the family, big sister. Love ya.¡±

    Sakura giggled brightly as Yui looked on, all smiles. ¡°Love you too, little sister.¡± She squeezed Ranko back just as tightly. ¡°Ya know, I always wanted a sister.¡±

    Ranko let out a loud laugh, shaking her head in some combination of irony and pity. ¡°Well, now you¡¯ve got more of them than you know what to do with, so, like, have fun sorting that shit out.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll manage,¡± Yui said with a smirk. ¡°Even if some of you are a right pain in the ass. Speaking of which, what the hell are you even doing here this early? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be all, like, college girl and shit?¡±

    The redhead shrugged. ¡°Fuck if I know. Nabiki said I had to be here, so I¡¯m here. I don¡¯t make the rules. I show up when I¡¯m told. I sing when people say sing.¡±

    Yui laughed. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re not careful, I¡¯ll put an apron on you and put you to work, diva.¡±

    Ranko frowned. ¡°Yui, I wish I could make you guys understand that I wasn¡¯t kidding when I said I want to help. I¡¯m not too good to cut up a few oranges or wash some dishes. No stupid plaque on the wall is gonna change the fact that we¡¯re a family and we work together.¡±

    ¡°Just checking,¡± Sakura asked, gesturing to the orange-and-gold rectangle on the wall over her new little sister¡¯s shoulder behind the service bar. ¡°The stupid plaque we¡¯re referring to is the Japan Record Award, right?¡± As she spoke, she made the motion of little quotation marks in the air with her fingers.

    The young starlet shrugged, scooping up a paring knife from the bar countertop as she slowly remounted her stool. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s cool that we won a couple of ¡®em, but¡­ I¡¯ll always be the girl that learned how to live by waiting tables in this place. That¡¯s nothin¡¯ to be ashamed of. Now, gimme that bin of lemons.¡± She twirled the knife in her fingers as she spoke.

    Yui tossed the aluminum tray up onto the counter with a loud clatter, and Ranko snatched up one of the fruits, setting into it with the knife in her hand. ¡°Well, if you two are officially official, Yui, you¡¯d better hurry up and get that girl a ring.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you worry, Ran-chan,¡± Yui said, rolling her eyes with a soft smile as she glanced down at the golden diamond-and-ruby ring on her own left hand, extending her fingers to admire it. ¡°She¡¯s already been shopping. Don¡¯t be surprised if I¡¯m broke as hell for the next six months or so.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m worth it,¡± Sakura purred, leaning over her lover¡¯s back as the blonde cleaned one of the beer taps.

    Yui blushed deeply, nodding her head. ¡°Nobody said you weren¡¯t, babe. Just, you might have to be worth it while we¡¯re living on instant ramen for a minute, is all.¡±

    Ranko scoffed. ¡°Oh, come on, Yui. You¡¯re my big sister. You hooked us up when I messed up my leg in January. You know I won¡¯t let you starve.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± the blonde said with a mournful chuckle. ¡°But you¡¯re gonna be island-hopping in a little over a month, and that just leaves us with Akane¡¯s cooking.¡±

    The young songstress cringed as she tossed another bifurcated lemon into the tray. ¡°Yeowch. Yeah, fair point. You¡¯re pretty fucked, hon. Sorry. I¡¯ll say something nice at the funeral, promise.¡±

    ¡°Morning, ladies,¡± Nabiki said as she pushed through the front door, smirking at Ranko.

    It never failed to make the redhead blush that Nabiki went out of her way to use the most feminine words possible to refer to her at every opportunity. Akane did it too, but while her use of effeminate terms felt like a constant reminder that she embraced Ranko¡¯s reconfigured identity, something about the way Nabiki did it always came off like she was teasing. There was no malice in it. Ranko was certain of it. It was clearly intended more as a bit of playful sisterly mocking. But, Ranko didn''t always enjoy the way it made her squirm, as if Nabiki were constantly taunting her with a secret she could decide to reveal at any moment if the mood struck her.

    ¡°Hey, sis,¡± Ranko said with a wave, the paring knife still in her hand. She willed away her momentary ire, putting on a smile. I know Nabiki loves me, and she''s just trying to be a good sister the best way she knows how. It¡¯s not her fault. No matter how sincerely a shark smiles, it can''t help but let you see its teeth.

    ¡°Get yourself cleaned up, Ran-chan. She''s gonna be here in a few minutes.¡± Nabiki tossed her green clutch on the bar counter with a sigh. ¡°Ugh. The train sucked today.¡±

    Ranko nodded, jamming the knife deep into a lemon to sheathe the blade and ensure no one hurt themselves on it. ¡°Who¡¯s coming? You never told me.¡±

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Oh? Didn¡¯t I?¡± The lithe brunette nodded, taking off her green blazer and hanging it over the back of a bar stool near her purse with a devious sneer. ¡°There''s a reason for that. If I had, you wouldn''t have shown up.¡±

    ¡°Fantastic. My confidence is overflowing,¡± the redhead mused darkly with a roll of her eyes as she dismounted her stool again. She slipped behind the bar, turning the faucet on its coldest setting. Nabiki winced a bit as she watched her sister shiver when her hands entered the cold water. The water heater was all the way on the other end of the bar, and so the temperature of the water at the service bar¡¯s sink was hit-or-miss. Keeping it as cold as possible was the only way for Ranko to ensure discomfort did not become agony when the hot water suddenly made it all the way through the pipes and began to flow from the faucet.

    As Ranko dried her hands with a blue bar towel, a girl probably a year her junior burst into the room, almost falling forward on her face as the double doors out to the street swung inward. She was a few centimeters shorter than Ranko herself, her blonde ponytail tied back in a yellow elastic. A trio of white plastic barrettes in the shape of small bows formed a line down the left side of her scalp. She wore a gray houndstooth skirtall over an ivory turtleneck sweater and black knee-high boots.

    ¡°Omigods! It¡¯s really you! I thought they were pranking me.¡± The girl was practically vibrating with energy as she approached the songstress. On the way, she deposited the large, cube-shaped black nylon bag hanging from her shoulder on the top of table eleven.

    ¡°Uh, sorry?¡± Ranko blinked, tossing her towel aside. She looks familiar, but I can¡¯t place her face¡­

    Nabiki smirked, walking around Ranko to join the blonde. ¡°Ran-chan, this is Natsuko Ogawa. She¡¯s twenty years old, and she¡¯s a sophomore at Yokohama College, majoring in public relations. And, as of this morning¡­¡± She flashed a satisfied smirk in Ranko¡¯s direction, clearly enjoying the way she knew her little sister would blanch as she finished her sentence.

    ¡°... the president of the official Ranko and the Dapper Dragons fan club.¡±

    Ranko blinked as the blonde bowed low to her. ¡°Um, what?! We don¡¯t have an official¡­ um, one of¡­ those!¡± She scratched her head with a nervous chuckle, knocking the purple headband with the little polka-dotted bow on it askew in her hair. What the hell are you playing at, Nabiki? She returned Natsuko¡¯s bow, a skeptical expression in her eyes.

    ¡°You do now,¡± Nabiki said with a chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s important for every major band to have one, and well, last I checked, you¡¯re becoming a major band.¡±

    Natsuko beamed at the redhead. ¡°Oh, gods, Ranko, this is gonna be so great! We¡¯re gonna tell stories, and talk about your tour, and hang out, and take pictures and stuff¡­ we¡¯re gonna, like, be besties!¡± She let out a sound that sounded somewhere between a squeal of excitement and the screech of a starving fruit bat as she bounced on her toes.

    Ranko glanced back over to the bar. She said nothing, but her eyes could not have more clearly expressed a cry for help if the kanji had appeared in her pupils. Yui gave her nothing but a shrug and a smirk before returning to flushing the soda tap behind the bar out with vinegar.

    ¡°Natsuko¡¯s going to be writing a monthly newsletter for the fans,¡± Nabiki explained. ¡°For each edition, she¡¯ll do an interview with you, or one of the guys in the band. She¡¯ll take a bunch of pictures, stuff like that. You¡¯ll see her at a lot of your shows from now on, and we¡¯re flying her to Manila so she can cover the two shows there when you go back out. The idea is that we want to give your fans a sort of backstage pass to the band, and let them feel like they¡¯re part of it - especially the ones who can¡¯t get here to the bar to interact with you whenever they want.¡±

    Sure, because there¡¯s totally nothing behind the curtain I don¡¯t want to announce to the whole world, Ranko thought with a nervous glance at her wedding ring.

    Nabiki turned to the blonde, motioning to her right with her neck. ¡°Natsuko, why don¡¯t you go get your camera set up? C¡¯mere, Ran-chan. We¡¯ve gotta fix your hair.¡±

    The exhilarated girl darted back to retrieve her bag with another ear-splitting squeal, and Nabiki took Ranko by the wrist, dragging her a few meters away and beginning to adjust her headband for her.

    ¡°Just checking, Nabiki. You know I hate you with the fury of a thousand suns, right?¡±

    Ranko¡¯s elder sister and manager nodded, her voice rising in pitch in a mocking tone. ¡°Uh-huh! Just don¡¯t forget to smile pretty while you do it, cuuuutie pie.¡±

    The redhead sighed in resignation, glancing back at the tripod being assembled behind her. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have at least warned me there was gonna be pictures so I could¡¯ve picked a different outfit and maybe put a little more effort into my makeup?¡±

    Nabiki shook her head. ¡°Naaah. The whole idea is that it¡¯s supposed to be candid. She¡¯s the avatar for every one of your fans who wishes they could just¡­ hang out with you, and see you when the stage lights go down and you¡¯re just being the real you. You should start thinking of her like she¡¯s part of the band.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re never gonna tell me when she¡¯s gonna show up waving a camera in my face?¡± Ranko lowered her head. ¡°Why would you do this to me?¡±

    ¡°Two reasons.¡± Nabiki sneered, dropping a little wink at her sister. ¡°First, I wasn¡¯t kidding. You do need a fan club. Yokai gets letters every month from people asking how to sign up for it.¡±

    Ranko blushed brightly. Really?! Nobody ever told me. ¡°... And the second reason?¡±

    Nabiki giggled, gesturing to her sister¡¯s cheeks with her hand. ¡°The look on your face is fucking priceless.¡±

    ¡°For you?¡± Ranko glared sheepishly at her sister, smoothing the purple crushed velvet dress she wore and willing it to somehow transform into something a little less casual. ¡°I thought everything had a price.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m all set!¡± The effervescent blonde squeaked again, and Ranko prayed Natsuko didn¡¯t see her roll her eyes hard enough to offset the rotation of the planet.

    ¡°Hey, Nabiki, would you mind taking a picture with Ranko and me?¡± Natsuko motioned to the black anodized aluminum tripod, on which her Nikon camera sat poised like a sniper rifle aimed at Ranko¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s the green button there on top.¡±

    Nabiki smirked, stepping behind the camera and winking at Ranko. ¡°Oh, I got it. I¡¯ve always been pretty handy with a camera.¡±

    Die in a fire, Nabiki, Ranko thought as Natsuko draped her arm behind the small of her back, her radiant stage smile masking her true emotions as the first flash of the camera blared in her eyes.

    ¡°So, what now? We done?¡± Ranko¡¯s hopeful expression was dashed as soon as Natsuko sat down at table eleven, moving her camera bag to the floor. ¡°Right. Interview.¡± Ranko chuckled nervously, slipping into the chair opposite Natsuko. Fuck my life.

    Natsuko reached down into her camera bag, extracting a small black spiral notebook with pink and white writing emblazoned across its cover and pulling her pink ballpoint pen out from where it had been jammed through the wire loops of the binding.

    She¡¯s rocking my merch. Because of fucking course she is. Ranko tried to contain her sigh as Natsuko uncapped her pen and got situated. ¡°So, what do we talk about first? I¡¯ve¡­ never done this before, sorry.¡±

    ¡°Now that you girls are all cozy, I¡¯m going to dip out. Busy, busy!¡± Nabiki giggled, scooping her blazer from the bar stool where she¡¯d left it. ¡°Have fun, now!¡±

    Ranko smiled brightly, waving to her sister. ¡°Take care, Nabiki!¡± I don¡¯t know what happened, Akane. I swear, I was just standing there, minding my own business, and the ice machine fell over on her head. There was nothing I could do. At least it was quick and she didn¡¯t suffer. We¡¯ll all miss her very much.

    ¡°I thought we¡¯d talk about the first part of the tour,¡± Natsuko said excitedly. ¡°I mean, you guys did a couple of countries, dropped three songs we haven¡¯t heard on your albums yet, had to do two shows with an emergency drummer, and then had to cancel a concert! Talk about a crazy freakin¡¯ month! We¡¯ve gotta know everything!¡±

    Ranko winced, lowering her head into her hands. ¡°Telling you all that would take all day.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh!¡± Natsuko giggled, turning to an empty page in her notebook. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve got all the time in the world.¡±

 75. Tweaks

    Ranko sighed, leaning back into the black leather office chair with a little shiver. ¡°Why do they gotta keep it so fucking cold in here?!¡±

    The brunette to Ranko¡¯s right shook her head. ¡°I told you, you should have dressed warmer. It''s a shrewd negotiating tactic people do when they control the meeting place. If you''re uncomfortable, you won''t stay as long, and you''ll give up on fights you might otherwise dig in on just to get out of the room quicker.¡±

    The songstress rolled her eyes at Nabiki. ¡°Are people really that¡­ shitty? Like, they wanna be unfair so bad that they''ll resort to freezing your tits off with the air conditioner to do it?¡± She crossed her arms over her breasts, the Cat¡¯s Tongue affording her no mercy from the air vent located directly over her chair at the head of the Yokai Records boardroom table closest to the double doors.

    Nabiki sighed, pulling her arm out of her black blazer. ¡°Here. Put this on. I can''t have you squirming around like you¡¯ve gotta pee while I''m working. It''s a bad look.¡±

    Ranko stuck her tongue out at it. ¡°Blegh. It looks so¡­ business-ey. Why can''t they make stuff like that, but like, cute?¡± Still, she took the nylon coat and began to slip it on over her teal skater dress. Fucking shoulder pads? Really, Nabs? Un-cute, and slightly itchy, though she may have thought it, she was grateful for its warmth.

    The brunette chuckled at the sentiment, made all the more absurd by who it was who¡¯d said it. ¡°Because it''s more important to look like you''re no nonsense,¡± Nabiki said as she held the other sleeve for Ranko to slide her arm into. ¡°Especially for us as women. We need to make sure everyone knows they need to take us seriously.¡±

    Ranko sighed, slumping back in her chair slightly. ¡°All these extra rules and precautions and shit for girls suck.¡±

    ¡°Tell me about it, sis,¡± Nabiki groaned. ¡°But that''s why you keep me around. I''m here to be the boring, straight-laced agent for you, so you can play the bubbly little princess. You¡¯re a badass too, but¡­ in a different way.¡±

    The redhead blushed furiously at the idea of anyone besides Akane calling her little princess, even if it was her big sister.  ¡°How long are they gonna make us sit here and stare at the wall? Or is this another one of those power move things?¡±

    The elder woman, stifling a shiver of her own without the benefit of her blazer, nodded. ¡°Oh, absolutely. Making us wait is supposed to make us feel like their time is more important than ours.¡±

    ¡°Can''t wear a jacket to get out of that one. How are you supposed to counter it,¡± Ranko asked with no small measure of genuine curiosity.

    Nabiki smirked at her position, getting to impart wisdom to her apprentice. ¡°There''s a few ways. You can show up late, or leave after a few minutes if you haven''t been seen. But we don''t need to resort to that level just yet. We don''t want to completely go adversarial. Not yet, anyway.¡±

    ¡°I don''t get why this is even a thing,¡± Ranko said dejectedly. ¡°I don''t even know how much money we¡¯ve made for them, but it''s gotta be a truckload, and we haven''t even seen much of it at all yet. You¡¯d think they''d just appreciate that and be cool with us.¡±

    Chuckling, Nabiki opened her leather briefcase and began organizing her paperwork. ¡°The one constant in business is when you give someone access to a little bit of money or power, all it ever does is make them want more.¡±

    ¡°I guess. And another thing¡­ how come they didn''t ask the rest of the band to come? Why just us?¡± Ranko looked up at the white analog clock on the far wall, tapping her foot. The movement was helping her stay warm, however nervous it might have made her appear.

    Nabiki patted Ranko¡¯s hand on the tabletop. ¡°Technically, they didn''t ask us. They asked you. But I''m not about to let you deal with them without me. You''re too fucking nice.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, I think,¡± Ranko said with a blushing smile. ¡°As long as you aren''t just covering for me ¡®cause you think I''m some kinda bubble brain.¡±

    ¡°Well, that much goes without saying,¡± Nabiki said, giggling playfully with her sister.

    Ranko gasped. ¡°Look here, you little sh¡­¡± She trailed off as Nabiki nudged her leg with her knee under the table. The brunette turned in her chair at the sounds of footsteps approaching from beyond the closed boardroom door behind Ranko, and Ranko caught the hint and did likewise.

    The door swung open and Amaya Uyehara entered the room in a green skirt suit, flanked by two large men in dark suits. Ranko recognized neither of them. ¡°Hello, Ranko,¡± Amaya said cheerily. ¡°Nabiki,¡± she said with a nod to the brunette, significantly less warmly.

    ¡°Hey, Amaya,¡± Ranko said with a wave and a bit of a chuckle. ¡°What''s with the bodyguards? I don''t even have a bow with me today.¡±

    Amaya rolled her eyes with a smirk, gesturing to the tall, dark-skinned blonde man on her left. ¡°This is Yasushi Imada, from our publicity and marketing team.¡± She extended her other arm to the stumpy man with the black five o¡¯clock shadow. ¡°And this is Kichirou Kondo, from creative.¡±

    Ranko stood and bowed politely to the two men. ¡°Hi, guys. I''m Ranko Tendo. Good to meet ya.¡±

    ¡°Nabiki Tendo. I''m my sister''s representation,¡± the brunette to Ranko''s side said, standing and offering a shallow, skeptical bow of her own.

    The two men bowed formally to the young women, sitting next to Amaya at the far side of the boardroom table. The gap of several seats between the Yokai team and the Tendo sisters felt ominous to Ranko as she retook her seat.

    ¡°So, what''s the holdup, Amaya? I figured you guys would be thrilled to get going on another album. Or is it just too soon after the first two for you?¡± Ranko sat forward in her chair, resting her arms on the mahogany table.

    Amaya frowned a bit nervously, glancing up at the men on her left. ¡°We are, Ranko. We are. We just have a few¡­ tweaks¡­ we need to make.¡±

    ¡°First things first. What''s the status of the canceled show in Australia,¡± Nabiki asked pointedly. ¡°It''s been almost two months. We need to get this put to bed.¡±

    Amaya clicked her tongue behind her teeth. ¡°In consultation with our legal team, we¡¯ve decided not to reschedule. The logistics of getting the band and the gear and everything back out to Australia at the end of the tour for one make-up show just aren''t worth it. Consequently, we will adjust the band¡¯s compensation to reflect thirty-five shows instead of thirty-six. Since the show was canceled through no fault of Yokai¡¯s, we are going to need to ask the Dapper Dragons to cover the deposit on the arena and the staff time to process ticket refunds and such.¡±

    Nabiki shook her head. ¡°Nice try, Amaya.¡± She pulled out a thick packet of paper from her briefcase, waving it in the air over her head. ¡°The insurance policy you guys took out on the tour covers cancellations due to the health of the performers. We won''t be reimbursing you for anything you didn''t have to pay. That''s just double-dipping.¡±

    Amaya growled. Fuck, she''s good. ¡°Maybe so, but as much as we, of course, understand and support Ranko''s decision to come home, her mother is not a performer, so that won''t fly.¡±

    ¡°No, but Ken is, and he had already been home sick for over a day when Ranko got on that plane. It isn''t the band¡¯s responsibility to replace performers on short notice while on tour; your contract with them expressly says so. The fact you canceled one show instead of three was a gift, because they were well within their rights to shut it down as soon as Ken came down with that flu. You guys got incredibly lucky that Jacob¡¯s partner was available to help.¡± Nabiki snuck a quick wink at her sister, smirking.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°But, Zoe was available. So, the performer argument doesn''t work,¡± Amaya countered, her hands on her hips.

    Nabiki shook her head. ¡°Zoe was performing on a volunteer basis. You guys didn''t even pay them. We¡¯ll keep that little tidbit between us; no need to involve the performing rights unions in all of this. Their assistance was entirely at will, and they chose not to volunteer to perform while Ranko was distracted due to her mother being hospitalized a continent away. The performance would have been sub-par, and Zoe understandably refused to participate in it. Thus, the band had no drummer, and you had no choice but to cancel the show. Which, in turn, triggered your insurance policy pertaining to the health of the performers, and also had the convenient side benefit of freeing Ranko up to come home and see her mom.¡±

    We need to fire our whole legal staff and hire that kid, Amaya thought. She''s out-thinking six industry professionals with law degrees and she''s a fucking college junior. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ take it up with the team. We will table this for now.¡±

    ¡°I thought you might see it our way,¡± Nabiki said with a victorious grin. ¡°Now, about the new album¡­¡±

    Mr. Kondo cleared his throat. ¡°Before we get into that, we¡¯d love to talk about the tour for a minute.¡±

    Ranko squirmed in her chair a bit. Oh, shit. Am I in trouble? I didn¡¯t mean to screw things up, but¡­ when Mom got sick, I¡­ I didn¡¯t have a choice.

    Nabiki nudged Ranko with her knee under the table, sitting up a bit and scooting her briefcase over on the table so she could see the man around it. ¡°We¡¯re listening¡­¡± There was a healthy helping of skepticism in her voice.

    The short man folded his hands on the table, interlacing his fingers. ¡°We¡¯re concerned about some of the¡­ subject matter, as we head into more conservative countries like China.¡±

    The young songstress growled. ¡°Come on! I already played your game and made it explicitly clear in a song that I date boys!¡±

    Aaaand, now my skin¡¯s crawling. Thanks, dude.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just that,¡± Mr. Kondo said. ¡°It¡¯s the¡­ how do we say, confrontational, nature of some of your lyrics. We¡¯d like to see some changes to the set list going forward. For example, ending the show with the Not Yours, Don¡¯t Touch and Sneak mashup just¡­ We think it sends the wrong message. Between that, Freak, Hey, Jerk! and You Don¡¯t Know Me, almost a third of the show is songs that are, frankly, angry and violent. It¡¯s not the sort of thing we expect from our idols.¡±

    ¡°Lucky for you, I¡¯m not an idol, then,¡± Ranko said, a sharp edge in her tone. ¡°This is the way I¡¯ve always performed. It¡¯s what my fans like, and what they expect. Record sales seem to be doin¡¯ fine! What would you even want me to replace them with?¡±

    ¡°Well, Right Where I Wanna Be and Call Me Pandora are options. Nothing would work, I suppose. Fly could be cute, if we pair it with the right costume,¡± he said hopefully.

    ¡°Fly?! It¡¯s a literal fucking lullaby, dude! That would destroy the energy of the show!¡± Ranko gestured furiously to the man, turning her aggravated gaze to Nabiki. ¡°They can¡¯t make us do this, can they?¡±

    Nabiki flipped through a few papers in her hands, closing her briefcase hard to mask the sound of her stomping on Ranko¡¯s foot under the table. She checked the language in the band¡¯s contract, flipping through several pages before she found the relevant section. ¡°No. They can¡¯t. You have creative control. Says so right here in section eighteen.¡± Nabiki tapped the paragraph with her finger, showing Ranko the text.

    The taller man at the table nodded. ¡°It¡¯s true. We don¡¯t have the power to force you to change the set. However, we do control what sorts of contracts we¡¯d like to enter into in the future, and that means¡­¡±

    ¡°The third album,¡± Nabiki said, sighing. ¡°You don¡¯t have a stick, so you¡¯re just whacking her upside the head with the carrot.¡±

    ¡°Wha¡­?¡± Ranko blinked, her eyes scanning the room for flying vegetables. She found none. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Nabiki growled. ¡°They¡¯re saying they won¡¯t sign on for the new album unless you give them what they want.¡±

    Mr. Kondo shook his head with a bit of a sneer. ¡°I don¡¯t think any of us actually said that, Miss Tendo.¡±

    Fidgeting in her seat, Amaya spoke up. ¡°Ranko, look. We¡¯ve enjoyed working with you, but¡­ let¡¯s be honest here. You haven¡¯t made it easy on us. Yokai can¡¯t continue to be fully at your mercy on everything. We need to restore a little bit of balance if this partnership is going to continue to work.¡±

    ¡°So¡­¡± Ranko sighed. ¡°I let you guys blow up the show, and you sign the contract for the third album? That¡¯s the deal?¡±

    Mr. Imada shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s part of it.¡± He slid a sheet of paper across the table to the redhead. There seemed to be a dark satisfaction in his eyes as he did.

    The further down the page Ranko¡¯s eyes went, the more fury built in them. ¡°You expect me to¡­¡±

    Nabiki snatched the paper out of her sister¡¯s hand, her eyes darting across the page. ¡°Oh, come on, Amaya. You know she can¡¯t agree to this.¡± At least, I¡¯m pretty sure you do, but we¡¯re playing it cool for the moment.

    ¡°All of our other talent does,¡± Amaya said matter-of-factly. ¡°It¡¯s standard language in the Yokai contract for artists now.¡±

    ¡°What other talent? The other artists Yokai has fucking suck, and you know it, Amaya!¡± Ranko slammed back in her seat, growling. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you guys would try to do this to me, after everything!¡±

    Nabiki sighed. If she doesn¡¯t let me go find her another label after this¡­ ¡°Look, clearly, you¡¯ve blindsided us with this. We¡¯ll need a little time to talk it over with the band. In the interim, as a show of good faith, we¡¯ll drop one of the songs you don¡¯t like from the set, if you let her replace it with another of her new songs. If you expect us to demonstrate faith that a deal for a third album will be reached, then it¡¯s only fair you allow her to promote one of the new songs for it, and pick something more appropriate for the concert atmosphere.¡± She wanted to drop Freak anyway; so we can take what we want and let them think it¡¯s a concession.

    ¡°We can work with that,¡± Mr. Imada said. ¡°As a starting point.¡±

    Nabiki stood, gathering her paperwork. ¡°C¡¯mon, Ranko. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± The redhead rose to her feet as Nabiki jammed the documents into her briefcase and slammed it shut again.

    ¡°Ranko, we really hope this will work out,¡± Amaya said softly as she spied the anguished expression in the redhead¡¯s face. She hated the way the business aspect of their relationship constantly interfered with what she was relatively certain would have otherwise blossomed into a mutual friendship. ¡°We honestly do love working with you.¡±

    Nabiki glowered across the length of the boardroom table. ¡°You guys sure have a funny way of showing it.¡± She snatched up her brown briefcase, turning for the door to the hallway and holding it for Ranko.

    <hr>

    Ranko handed Nabiki back her blazer, slumping onto the vinyl seat of the eastbound train back to Minato. ¡°Can you believe they tried that?!¡± She pulled her knees up to her chest, putting her feet on the seat.

    The brunette nodded, slipping her arm back into her jacket. ¡°I¡¯m honestly surprised they haven¡¯t tried it before now, given everything. With the way things have been going, it was only a matter of time. Ranko, you¡¯ve got to let me try and find you another record company. You¡¯ve just gotta.¡±

    The redhead shook her head glumly. ¡°If I did that, we¡¯d lose access to all our old music. We¡¯d be starting over from scratch. The guys would never go for it. The fans, either. And if we did it now, the tour would be wrecked, too. I couldn¡¯t agree to it if I wanted to, and right now¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Nabiki said with a sigh of resignation, seeming to put a little steel in her spine as she reached into the pocket of her slacks for a folded sheet of paper. ¡°If that¡¯s your position, then so be it.¡±

    Ranko nodded resolutely. ¡°I hate everything about it, but it has to be.¡± She sat back on her seat, rubbing her temples with her manicured fingers. ¡°So, what¡¯s our play now, business sensei?¡±

    Nabiki closed her hand into a fist, crumpling the paper in her hand into a ball and tossing it onto the plastic tray table between her seat and Ranko¡¯s. The words Artist Code of Conduct were still visible in bold as it rolled to a stop.

    ¡°Now, baby sister, we go to war.¡±

 76. Something I Have to Do

    ¡°Throwin¡¯ off an orange glow and makin¡¯ people nervous...¡±

    The redhead on stage twisted her waist this way and that, playing with the flowing knee-length skirt of her yellow sundress as she moved. Despite all the stress with Yokai, she was all smiles. Nabiki will handle it her way, and I¡¯ll handle it mine. I¡¯m just glad that freakazoid Natsuko¡¯s not here today. She seems decent enough, but holy fuck, she¡¯s a lot to handle.

    It was barely one in the afternoon, and none of Ranko¡¯s sisters had arrived at the Phoenix to begin their prep work for the evening¡¯s service. She had to squeeze in rehearsals around her classes as best she could, especially when working on new material, and that sometimes meant an earlier start than she might have liked. She¡¯d promised Yokai a replacement for Freak in the set list by the start of the second leg of her tour, which was less than seven weeks away.

    ¡°Spreading out of all control, and ¡­¡±

    Ranko stopped her rehearsal mid-verse, smiling up at the double door as it opened. She squinted a bit at the bright afternoon sunlight pouring through the door into the fairly dark bar room, shielding her eyes until it closed behind the newcomer. Recognizing him, she pulled off her headset, tossing it back on its charging shelf before bounding down the three steps at stage left to the floor. ¡°Hey, bud!¡±

    ¡°It''s sounding really good, guys.¡± Ken Hirata smiled weakly to the redhead as he closed the distance to the stage area from the door. He wore a black Ranko and the Dapper Dragons tee shirt under an unbuttoned red plaid button-down shirt, paired with black jeans. ¡°Almost ready for prime time.¡± He reached out as he met Ranko, hugging her tight. He seemed to hesitate to let her go.

    Crash nodded, carefully propping his guitar in its stand before descending the steps himself. ¡°It¡¯s getting there. I still wanna play with the bridge a little bit. It needs some more¡­ I dunno, oomph.¡±

    ¡°Needs a drummer, too,¡± Shinji said, sitting on the edge of the stage and dangling his legs off of it. ¡°You''re almost twenty minutes late, bro. What gives?¡±

    Ken winced visibly, nodding his head. He said nothing.

    Jacob clapped his hand on Ken¡¯s shoulder firmly and gave him a little shake with his arm, his elbow locked stiffly extended. ¡°Good thing we got the best drummer there is, then, huh?¡±

    ¡°...Yeah.¡± Ken¡¯s voice was distant and hollow, and he turned his back to the band, taking a few steps to one of the round tables at the left side of the stage and slumping into one of the seats facing the stage.

    Shinji waved toward himself from his seat, an exasperated expression in his brown eyes. ¡°Um, hello? Dumbass, you do know the band practice is up here, right? Or are we gonna stop for lunch first? Maybe a light supper?¡±

    ¡°Guys,¡± Emi said, waving her hand downward at Shinji to shush him. ¡°Shut up. Something¡¯s not right.¡± She pulled off her green denim jacket, tossing it over the back of the chair next to Ken and sitting in it. ¡°Ken, are you okay, buddy? What''s going on?¡± Emi reached over the tabletop, resting her hand on her friend¡¯s forearm.

    Ken lowered his eyes to his hands, fidgeting idly with his fingers. ¡°I¡­¡±

    Ranko¡¯s face took on a pallor of concern as she slid into the chair on the other side of her friend. ¡°Ken, you''re starting to scare us. What''s wrong?¡± She reached out, resting her manicured hand softly on his other flannel sleeve.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Ken bit his lip, trying to steel himself. His eyes shimmered with nascent tears that he kept from falling down his cheeks only through sheer force of will.

    ¡°I have to¡­ leave the band. I''m so, so sorry, guys.¡±

    ¡°What?! Ken, why would you¡­¡± Crash hurried to the table, leaning over Ranko¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don''t listen to Shin. He''s just being a dick. That''s just what he does. You know that.¡±

    Shinji groaned, hopping down to his feet. ¡°Sitting right here, you know. But really, Ken, I give you shit, but you don''t gotta get that dramatic about it. Come on, now. Knock this crap off and let¡¯s get to work.¡±

    Jacob sighed, shaking his head sorrowfully. He took a step closer, putting a supportive arm around a visibly distraught Hitomi¡¯s back. ¡°This¡­ isn''t ¡®cause of the stress, is it?¡±

    Ken shook his head, staring down at his hands as if he thought the answers might be written in invisible ink on the backs of his thumbs.  ¡°So, I, um¡­ I told you guys I was gonna go to the doctor about why I''m getting sick all the time. Well, they did a bunch of tests, and¡­¡±

    Ranko sat up bolt-straight in her wooden chair, terror in her eyes. Oh, gods, no. She patted his arm softly, her voice quiet and reserved. ¡°What is it, Ken?¡±

    The drummer continued, each of his arms held by one of the women sitting beside him. ¡°So, there''s something new that''s been going around the last few years, and the doctors say it''s been happening a lot to¡­ guys like me and Ryo. Basically, it''s a virus, but it doesn''t get you sick. At least, not by itself. It just sorta wrecks your immune system. So, it means I get sick a lot easier than everybody else, and when I do, it¡¯s a lot worse, ¡®cause my body can¡¯t fight it off.¡±

    Shinji, who had just reached the table, took two big steps back away from it. ¡°Is it catching?¡±

    Ken managed the tiniest of smiles, blushing a bit. ¡°Yeah. It''s contagious, but you can''t catch it from me. There''s only two ways to really pass it to somebody. You''d have to either touch my blood, or¡­ do something else with me. And Shinji, I promise, you don''t have to worry about me wanting to do that with you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, one of those, huh?¡± Shin nodded in sagely understanding. ¡°Yeah, I''ve had my share. They give you some antibiotics, and it clears it up pretty quick. Couple, three days, you¡¯re right as rain.¡±

    Ken''s eyes fell to the tabletop again, a sullen, hollow timbre in his voice. ¡°Yeah, with this one, not so much.¡±

    Emi swallowed hard with an audible gulp. ¡°So, what do they do to fix it?¡±

    The drummer shook his head, his shoulders slumping. Already the smallest member of the band besides Ranko, he seemed to physically shrink by the moment as he spoke. ¡°They¡­ don''t. At least, not yet. It''s still being researched.¡±

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°So, let me see if I get this straight,¡± Jacob said softly. ¡°So, like, it just means you¡¯re always getting colds and shit? ¡®Cause you¡¯ve been dealing with that for years now. We¡¯ve worked around it this long; we¡¯re used to it. We could get you a mask or something for the plane rides and stuff, if you¡¯re that worried about it.¡±

    Ken sighed despondently, fidgeting with a stack of cardboard coasters advertising light beer that he¡¯d picked up from the table. ¡°It¡¯s not that easy. Like, that flu I had in Australia? All of you guys were probably exposed to it, too. Especially you, Jake, since we shared a hotel room in Perth. I mean, we traveled together, we ate together, we were on the planes together, everything. But none of you got sick. I did, ¡®cause my body couldn¡¯t fight it off, and then once I caught it, what would have given you the runs for an afternoon flattened me for a week and a half. But it means if I caught anything even remotely bad¡­¡±

    He tossed the coasters aside dejectedly with a loud sniffle. ¡°And basically, the longer I have this thing, the weaker my system gets, and eventually, the same germ that would just give you a runny nose could easily kill me. Like, I¡¯ve got this big, scary disease, but when it finally gets me, the disease won¡¯t even be what does it. It sits back and waits for something else to do it, like a fucking coward. I¡¯ll die from a motherfucking cold. And the doctors say it¡¯s already pretty advanced, or I wouldn¡¯t be getting as sick as I have been all the time. I just¡­ I can¡¯t screw around with it and take the risk of big crowds and planes and a new city every night. Not right now. I need you guys to understand. Please. I feel shitty enough as it is, bailing on you all like this.¡±

    Biting her lip, Emi slipped out of her chair, kneeling next to Ken¡¯s on the floor. Her voice trembled, but she fought to maintain a brave face for her friend. ¡°Hey. Of course we understand. We¡¯ll figure out the music part later. But, what are you gonna do? You can¡¯t give up. You just¡­ can¡¯t.¡±

    Ken shrugged, sitting back in his chair and looking up at the ceiling. ¡°I¡¯m not. They''re doing a lot of work on it around the world, but especially in the United States, and some of the stuff they¡¯re trying looks promising. That''s why I''ve gotta disappear for a while. My dad pulled some strings, and he threw a bunch of money at some research college over there to get me in one of the trials at the last minute. So, here''s hoping. But I gotta be out there by the end of the month. Dad¡¯s trying to charter a private plane so I don¡¯t even gotta risk flying out to California with other people.¡±

    Ranko swallowed hard. She had to ask the question, much though she did not think she wanted the answer. ¡°You said it spreads by¡­¡± She wiped her eyes with her quaking hands. ¡°Is¡­ is Ryo¡­¡±

    The singer¡¯s friend physically recoiled at her words. ¡°I don¡¯t know. We¡¯re still waiting on his test results. But¡­¡± His voice was even hollower than before. ¡°I¡¯m sick, and he¡¯s not. Which means if he does have it, I¡¯ve probably had it longer, so I would have to have been the one to¡­¡± He could not finish the thought, paralyzed as he was in horror at the doom his relationship with Ryo might have wrought for the man he loved, and he trailed off into silence.

    Hitomi wiped her eyes, still leaning against Jacob for support. ¡°If he does have it, then your dad¡¯ll just take care of both of you.¡±

    Ken shook his head again, losing the battle to restrain his tears. ¡°Dad doesn¡¯t know Ryo exists. If he did¡­ forget helping Ryo, he probably wouldn¡¯t even help me. And Ryo¡¯s family doesn¡¯t know about us, either, so¡­ whether he¡¯s sick or not¡­¡±

    Crash winced, shaking his head. He spoke softly, rubbing Ranko¡¯s back for comfort through her yellow dress as he did. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was more for her comfort or his, but she appreciated her friend¡¯s loving gesture. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ not going with you, is he?¡±

    The distraught young man could not answer in words, but his sobbing increased by an order of magnitude at the guitarist¡¯s words, all but confirming Crash¡¯s assumption.

    ¡°Oh, my gods, Ken¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Ranko rocketed forward from her seat, wrapping her arms tightly around her crying friend¡¯s neck. ¡°Is there anything we can¡­ anything?¡±

    Ken took two great handfuls of the back of Ranko¡¯s dress, bawling into her shoulder as she held him in her arms.

    ¡°FUCK!¡±

    A feral roar came from the back corner of the bar, and table six flew a full meter in the air. The round wooden table landed upside-down against the edge of the stage, in three separate pieces. Shinji lowered the foot he¡¯d kicked it with, his black boot making a loud clack as he stomped it on the hardwood floor.

    ¡°He¡¯s not honestly thinking about the band right now, is he?!¡± Hitomi looked up nervously at Jacob, who released her with a pat on the back and started walking tentatively toward the enraged bassist.

    ¡°Shin, hey.¡± Jake reached out gently with his hand as he approached, as if trying to quell a raging predator. ¡°Take it easy, dude.¡±

    With a loud whoosh of his black duster around his thighs, Shinji whirled to face Jacob. The rage in his eyes was undeniable, but so too were the twin rivers drenching his cheeks. ¡°What kind of rat bastard would do that to his¡­¡±

    The green-haired keyboardist stepped forward, grabbing his friend and pulling him into a hug. ¡°I know, Shin. I know.¡± A furious scream rose within the elder man, muffled into the shoulder of Jacob¡¯s black denim jacket.

    Whoa, Emi thought, her eyes darting between Shinji and Ken. I¡¯ve never seen the big guy cry before.

    ¡°You guys are gonna be okay,¡± came an almost-whimper from the young man in Ranko¡¯s arms, and Ken sat up, drying his bloodshot eyes with his right sleeve. ¡°I¡¯m sure Zoe can replace me, like they did in Australia. It¡¯ll be like nothin¡¯ ever happened. They¡¯re gonna do great. I know it.¡±

    Ranko shook her head urgently, reaching out for his hand as Emi darted in for a hug of her own. ¡°Ken Hirata, don¡¯t you friggin¡¯ dare say that! No one could ever replace you!¡±

    Ken managed the smallest of smiles, blinking through his tears. ¡°You know what I mean. They¡¯ll take good care of you guys for me.¡± He bit his lip hard. ¡°Just until I get back, yeah?¡±

    Crash nodded resolutely, despite his sniffling. ¡°You bet your ass, Ken. Just until you get back. That¡¯ll always be your seat back there behind the cans, man. I¡¯m sure Zo will keep it warm for you as long as you need, but you¡¯d better go kick this thing¡¯s ass with a quickness and get back to it.¡± He wiped his eyes with the back of his left hand as his right flashed forward, forcefully grabbing a handful of Ken¡¯s black tee shirt. He pointed down into Ken¡¯s face with an outstretched index finger that quivered mere centimeters from the smaller man¡¯s nose.

    ¡°You are going to beat this thing. That¡¯s not a request. Do you fucking hear me, Hirata?! ¡®Cause I¡¯m not gonna fucking tell you again!¡±

    With a powerful yank, Crash heaved the slight young man out of his chair and pulled him forward onto his feet. He clasped both of his arms tightly around Ken¡¯s back with a loud clap.

    ¡°I fucking love you, brother. Don¡¯t you ever forget it, you scrawny little son of a bitch. Never.¡±

 77. Venom

    ¡°There are no words. Nothing I can say, but I''m gonna do my best to try and tell you anyway. You deserve to know how much you''ve changed my li-i-i-ife. How impossible and magical it feels to be your wife¡­¡±

    Akane sighed happily, swaying with her wife¡¯s song behind the Phoenix¡¯ service bar. It never failed to take her mind back to the first time she had heard it, when a sobbing Ranko choked it out alone on stage on their wedding night.

    I am so in love with that girl.

    Her sentiment was not shared by the crowd of just shy of three hundred, who were getting a little restless after Ranko had opened her set with back-to-back-to-back ballads: first You''re My Song, then Nothing, and now There Are No Words. Even the performance itself felt muted. Ranko wore a long, conservative pastel blue wrap dress that fell all the way to her ankles with full-length sleeves, and Hitomi and Emi were not even on stage with the band. The redhead stood rail-straight on the stage, having not performed a single dance step yet in the evening¡¯s performance.

    ¡°I¡¯m out of here,¡± a gruff, athletic-looking man in his late twenties said, grumbling at his waitress as he stood from his table. ¡°This is just boring as shit tonight.¡±

    Mei smirked, shaking her head and grabbing the Watch Your Hands cocktail from her tray, carefully pinching it by the top of the spike-rimmed highball glass as she set it on the round cherry table in front of the frustrated patron. ¡°Here. Give it five more minutes. Have a drink on the house. Trust me on this.¡±

    ¡°Why, you think I¡¯m gonna nod off or something?¡± The man sighed. ¡°Whatever. The show sucks tonight, but free booze is free booze, I guess.¡± He slumped back into his chair, setting about unsnapping the leather bracelet that armored his cocktail.

    ¡°I gotta say, he¡¯s not wrong. This¡­ is kinda weak tonight,¡± Yui said, sighing up at the stage as Mei returned to the bar. ¡°But don¡¯t tell her I said so. I guess I need to make a new drink for table nine, huh?¡±

    Mei nodded, her electric blue pigtails bobbing on her shoulders. They were left bare by the sparkly red tank top she¡¯d paired with a black denim miniskirt. ¡°Would you, please?¡±

    Yui reached into her well, pulling out her bottle of Jack Daniels. It was such a relief to be able to hold it in her hand and not ache for it as much as she once did, when it was the only thing dulling the pain of her long separation from her now-wife. I think I¡¯d probably be okay now if I had a drink once in a while. It was never the booze I was addicted to. It was just¡­ the not wanting to feel anything. I¡¯m not ready to risk it just yet, though. She turned the bottle over a new highball glass, counting out the beats as her pour spout measured the liquor into the glass. ¡°What the hell¡¯s gotten into her tonight?¡±

    The younger girl giggled. ¡°Oh, I forgot! You and Sakura weren¡¯t here for rehearsal!¡±

    With a chuckle, Yui shook her head. ¡°Look, me and Sakura aren¡¯t taking a honeymoon. We went to the fucking movies for a couple hours. Sue me. So, what¡¯s the deal with Ranko and the Diazepam Dragons?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, no, no,¡± Mei said with another bright laugh. ¡°If you don¡¯t show up for rehearsal, you find out along with everybody else. That¡¯s the rules.¡±

    A smattering of polite applause dotted the room as Ranko finished her third ballad of the evening, a disquieted murmur rising from the crowd. Mei reached over the bar, nudging Yui in the ribs as she added the honey to the cocktail she was building. ¡°Here we go.¡±

    Ranko sighed sadly as she looked out over the dissatisfied audience. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, guys.¡± Her shoulders slumped, and she brushed a strand of loose hair from her eyes with her left hand. In addition to her wedding ring, she wore a pair of costume pearl rings with gold bands on her middle and index fingers, and the wisp of red hair briefly coiled between them as her fingers moved through it. ¡°The thing is¡­ it¡¯s my record label. They want me to clean up the act. I¡¯ve gotta be a good girl from now on. That means just the sweet stuff, I¡¯m afraid. No more Not Yours, Don¡¯t Touch.¡±

    ¡°Nooooo!¡± came the most passionate response the bargoers had uttered all night.

    ¡°No more Sneak.¡± Ranko shook her head, a grimace on her face. As she did, Crash reached down into the crowd behind her. From the floor, Seiichi reached up, offering him a small, oblong orange device. With a nod of thanks, Crash turned back to the back of the stage, unplugging the cable connecting his guitar to the amplifier.

    ¡°Come on,¡± came a disgusted shout from a young woman in the back, standing by the hostess stand with her friends in a black cocktail dress. Given the slurring of her words, Mei made a mental note not to serve her any more drinks.

    ¡°No more Hey, Jerk! and no more You Don¡¯t Know Me, either. I¡¯m really sorry, guys. You understand how it is when the corporate suits get involved.¡± The redhead on the stage shrugged mournfully, taking a step forward on the stage.

    Crash bent down, plugging the device into the cable that he¡¯d disconnected from his guitar. He then ran a new black cable he¡¯d retrieved from the equipment shelf behind the curtain from his guitar down into the little box, leaving it lying out of the way on the stage floor.

    A loud boooooooooo rained down on Ranko from all directions as she spoke. Yui¡¯s heart broke for her sister at the sound of rejection and disappointment rising around her. At least, it did, until she looked up from the drink she¡¯d just finished building and saw the look in Ranko¡¯s eyes. It was not the defeated, dejected look she expected when she heard the crowd begin to voice its displeasure. Rather, there was a deviant spark behind the blue pools half-obscured by Ranko¡¯s loose, wavy red hair.

    ¡°She¡¯s up to something, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    Mei smirked, picking up the new cocktail for table nine. ¡°It¡¯s Ranko. When isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°So, I guess that leaves us just one question,¡± the musical firebrand mused into her headset microphone with a dejected sigh over the disaffected murmurs of the crowd.

    ¡°You guys didn¡¯t actually believe I¡¯d go along with that shit, didja?¡±

    Ranko flashed a playful wink in the direction of the VIP table, the corner of her mouth curling into the beginnings of a mischievous smile as the crowd whipped into an immediate frenzy. Down at the round table to stage left, Ken Hirata leaned back in his chair, holding up his Voodoo Brew cocktail with a loud whoop.

    We¡¯re gonna give you a good sendoff tonight, buddy, Ranko thought. I promise. Get ready. We¡¯re gonna show you we¡¯re gonna be okay, so you can go fight your own fight. And we¡¯re both gonna fucking win.

    Ranko reached down to her waist, unbuckling the wide black leather belt encircling her hips. Already, the previously-despondent crowd had been whipped into a furor by her declaration of defiance, but the building shook as she pulled apart the sides of her wrap dress and tossed it to the floor at Ken¡¯s feet.

    Underneath it, Ranko wore what was barely more than a bra, in a bright fuschia. The straps and trim were caked in layer upon layer of silver glitter. Below her waist, she had on a skirt that looked as if it were made of liquid glitter. It was a bright metallic silver from her waist to her knees, where it slowly transitioned into a matching fuschia as if it had been dunked in pink glitter paint. In addition to her silver dragon bracelet, several plain brass bands were stacked on each of her wrists. Her short silver heels were barely visible under the gold trim of her sparkling skirt.

    Draped over each of her arms was a bit of sheer pink cloth that moved with her arms as she raised them behind her head, pulling the white ribbon from her hair and tossing it to the floor. She shook her head, letting her wavy curls bounce free from their prison and dance on her shoulders.

    Behind her, new Dapper Dragons drummer Zoe King slammed the backs of their clear acrylic drumsticks down on their thighs, and the sticks began to glow in a neon pink as if they were lightsabers from Star Wars. With a grin up at Jacob, they began a slow, rhythmic banging on the tom-toms, kicking at the bass drum every four beats.

    With no other instruments playing, Ranko began to dance to the repetitive drumbeat. She moved as if her spine had been liquefied, her hips sloshing side to side wherever she went. She swirled her arms around her face, letting the sheer cloth drag over her exposed skin as she kicked her heels backward off the floor. Her arms swayed like a hula dancer¡¯s, pausing only when she slid her fingers up her bare skin and willing herself not to shiver at her own touch.

    ¡°Akane? Honey?¡± Yui reached over the bar and tapped her sister on the shoulder, a bemused smile on her flushed cheeks as she passed her a white paper cocktail napkin. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ umm¡­ you¡¯re kinda, um¡­ drooling a little bit.¡±

    After a full forty seconds of Ranko tantalizingly swaying to the sound of Zoe pounding the drum set Ken had just an hour earlier officially relinquished command of, the new drummer¡¯s boyfriend began to tickle his keyboard with his fingers. The synthesizer emitted a breathy wind sound, reminiscent of an Indian pungi. The wooden flute tone was playful and seemed to sway with a mind of its own, evoking the image of those old men who would sit on the dusty ground in some middle-eastern country and charm the cobras with their flutes.

    Indeed, Ranko¡¯s movements were almost serpentine in their fluidity. She flowed ceaselessly this way and that without ever seeming to take a rigid form, as if she had forgotten she had a spine. The transparent pink silks dangling from her forearms almost constantly obscured her face from the crowd as she moved, with whichever hand that was not currently in the air playfully holding her scintillating skirt up out of the way of her feet.

    With a loud slam from the bass drum, both instruments ceased, with Ranko bent so far backward on the stage that her hair touched the floor. She remained there for a full ten seconds, soaking in the applause of the crowd over the silence of her band.

    Zoe reached down to the floor, picking up a pair of wooden maracas and shaking them in front of the microphone mounted over the drum set. The sound could easily have been mistaken for the threatening rattle of a venomous snake.

    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaahh-ahaahhaaahhh,¡± came a deep bass rumble from the throat of Shinji Yokota, and both instruments resumed as Shinji continued to vocalize in a maqam that sounded like something out of an Arabian Nights film. Crash began to pluck at his guitar, but it did not sing in its usual voice. The device Seiichi had loaned him altered the tone of his instrument as the signal passed through it, and what poured out of the speakers sounded less like an electric guitar, and instead almost identical to a traditional Indian sitar.

    It was at that moment that the side door to the Phoenix¡¯ narrow kitchen burst open, and Hitomi and Emi emerged from it. Both wore long pants made of the same sheer material as Ranko¡¯s arm silks that billowed around their legs - light blue for Hitomi, light green for Emi. Only what amounted to bikini bottoms in the same colors protected the backup dancers¡¯ modesty under them. Both women were barefoot, and wore tops that were naught more than sparkly strapless bras in colors matching their flowing pants. Additionally, the girls wore thin, transparent veils covering their faces from the bridges of their noses down, and both had done their eyeshadow and mascara to greatly emphasize their eyes. Emi¡¯s long blonde hair was pulled back in a high ponytail secured with several brass rings to make it almost stand on end at the top of her scalp, like something out of that old American television show, I Dream of Jeannie.

    The girls split as they ran around the VIP table to access the stairs and ascend to the stage, Emi dragging her fingernails softly over Ken¡¯s back in silent greeting as she passed him. They joined Ranko on her left and right respectively, immediately picking up the same choreography she was already executing.

    Shinji leaned close to his stand microphone, emitting what could only be described as a menacing hiss. As he did, Ranko snapped up from her position coiled halfway around Emi, and stared out at the crowd with an icy glare. She licked her cherry red lips seductively, and only then - a full two minutes and ten seconds after the song began - did she finally open her mouth to sing. When she did, her voice was affected with a bit of a twang befitting the middle-eastern influence of the song, but there was no shortage of her signature spunk in it.

    ¡°So! They want a girl who fawns over her boyfriend, like some idol?¡±

    Hitomi and Emi both covered their veils with their open left hands, letting their jaws hang agape behind them as if they were shocked by something. Ranko chuckled darkly into her headset microphone.

    ¡°They¡¯d best ask somebody else, ¡®cause on a mic, I¡¯m homicidal!¡±

    The already-apoplectic crowd erupted.

    ¡°The censor¡¯s crying stop¡­¡±

    Emi and Hitomi extended their left arms forward, their elbows locked as they held their palms up toward the crowd.

    ¡°... but I¡¯m impossible to box in. All the skeptics getting septic off my tantalizing toxin.¡±

    As she sang the final two words, Ranko turned her backside to the crowd, shaking it emphatically in her shimmery skirt. She turned back to face the crowd, crossing her wrists high above her head. The loose brass rings around her arms slid down almost to her elbows, save her silver dragon that was too tight-fitting to move and expose the scar on her left wrist.

    Don¡¯t crack a smile. Gotta be serious. Badass girl time now, gigglestick later. Fuck, I should have tested these out before the show. These silk things are tickly as shit on my arms.

    She rolled her hips constantly, slowly stepping to her right to rotate in place as she did, as if she were in some sort of display case and being inspected from every angle.

    ¡°Won¡¯t sit in my basket and dance to their flute, the cobra to their charmer. Try to make me follow suit¡­¡±

    The redhead took a huge step forward with her right foot, her left still planted, bending both her knees to almost ninety degree angles. She held out her left arm with a bent elbow and an open, upturned palm at waist level. Her right arm was at eye level, her elbow slightly bent, extending her fingers toward the crowd with her palm turned down.

    ¡°... they¡¯re gonna need a suit of armor!¡±

    Akane laughed, shaking her head as she leaned on the wall and watched the love of her life perform. Whoever needed a drink refill could wait a damn minute; magic was happening on that little stage in the harbor district of Minato that night, and she would not ignore it for a moment.

    Of course she would. Of fucking course she would integrate snake-style kung fu into the choreography for this song.

    Ranko popped up to a standing position, crossing her ankles as she advanced forward. Both of her arms flowed around her like serpents rearing back to attack, the pink silks dangling from her forearms refracting the stage lights as they swirled at her sides. She leapt from the floor, throwing both her arms high above her head to increase her upward momentum as she kicked her left leg up a little, and then her right leg all the way to eye level, waving the sparkly fabric hanging from her right arm over her foot as it snapped upward.

    ¡°I¡¯m not some shrinking violet; I¡¯m a warrior who sings. I mean, a snake is just a dragon pissed ¡®cause someone stole her wings!¡±

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    As Ranko seamlessly blended her nearly two decades of martial arts mastery into every step of her choreography, Hitomi and Emi torqued their hips side to side, running their hands seductively through their hair as they dipped their shoulders in whatever direction their waists were moving at the time.

    ¡°They¡¯re ¡®bout to get a demonstration of my vile verbosity¡­¡±

    The redhead crouched low with her knees bent, sweeping over the stage floor with her arm low enough that the pink fabric flowing from her forearm dragged on the wooden surface. She swooped upward from the motion, windmilling both of her arms widely at her sides in the kung fu form transition until she locked her elbow with her left arm extended in a clawlike motion, as if her middle and index fingers were fangs on the head of a serpent.

    ¡°They¡¯re gonna need an amputation if they raise a hand to me!¡±

    All three girls on stage bopped forward playfully, seeming for all the world to be celebrating Ranko¡¯s threat, as if her victory were a foregone conclusion. They kicked their feet upward off the stage as they hopped forward, Ranko holding her glittery skirt out of the way of her shoes.

    Again, Shinji hissed into his microphone, and Zoe shook the twin maracas into theirs.

    ¡°Yeah, this girl¡¯s a viper, coiled up to strike!¡±

    The jilted songstress raised her arms wide over her head, tauntingly rocking her hips as she did. It was as if she reveled in her declaration of independence.

    Because she did.

    ¡°Deadly as a sniper on a rhythm and a mic!¡±

    Ranko giggled loudly into her microphone as Hitomi pressed against her back. She wiggled her backside against her friend, playfully swishing her skirt around her legs with her hands like something out of Snow White.

    ¡°You think I¡¯m cute and innocent, but mess with me, and then I¡¯m up here rockin¡¯ like a moccasin, injecting verbal venom!¡±

    She popped herself away from Hitomi¡¯s body with a thrust of her shoulders back into Hitomi¡¯s breasts, snapping her hand forward at lightning speed with her outstretched fingers in a wushu snake kung fu strike.

    ¡°Spitting like a cobra¡­¡±

    Ranko crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself as her hips swung left and right, making the whole of her shimmery silver skirt rock at her waist like a ringing iron bell of warning. Indeed, alarm bells would have been blaring in the nearby Shibuya district that night, if the people sitting around the Yokai Records boardroom table could have seen the sultry declaration of war their leading lady was issuing from her own personal stage on that Friday evening in early June.

    ¡°Crushing like a python¡­¡±

    All three girls placed their hands on their hips, shimmying at the waists with their arms extended to their sides. Emi¡¯s sheer green harem pants ballooned around her pale, slender legs as she moved.

    ¡°Badder than an adder¡­¡±

    The house lights in the Phoenix blinked out in an instant, and a cascade of colored can lights flickered one after the other in rapid succession in the direction of the stage, no one of them staying lit for more than an eighth of a second. Ranko¡¯s arms rose high over her head, and she positioned her hands a few centimeters apart with her fingers extended like claws. The silhouette cast on the wall behind her, surrounded by the stage light flickering in every color of the rainbow, looked like a giant shadow puppet of a hissing serpent rising from her shoulders.

    ¡°... when the stage hands turn the lights on!¡±

    The house lights came back up to reveal Ranko holding up her sparkly skirt in the pinched fingers of her right hand in almost a curtsey as she kicked her heel back behind herself. She arched her back until her hair touched the heel of her sparkly silver sandal, flashing a thousand-watt smile up at the crowd.

    ¡°They want me to be all soft, and sweet, and bubbly, and fake?¡±

    The young redhead shrugged cutely at the crowd with her palms upturned, rocking her shoulders side to side like something out of the music video for Walk Like an Egyptian. Hitomi and Emi, meanwhile, both cowered at her sides as if they expected she would lash out at them at any moment.

    ¡°If they can¡¯t handle the sssssssssnakebite¡­¡±

    Ranko snapped her arm outward, making a claw with her left hand. The long fingernails of only her thumb, middle and index fingers were painted in a pearlescent silver and filed to points, with just the slightest outline of deep red at the tips and up the outer edges. The effect gave her clawed fingers the appearance of fangs dripping with blood. The large twin faux pearls on the rings she wore on her index and middle fingers were painted with a single vertical yellow line on each. They resembled beady eyes that glinted with danger in the green-tinged light from the stage floor. The combined effect made the whole of her arm look like a serpent striking out at its prey with the almost imperceptible speed of motion that only the Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire technique could produce. As her arm rocketed forward, a deep, threatening hiss slithered through Shinji¡¯s microphone and Zoe¡¯s maracas added a menacing rattle.

    ¡°... they should not fuck with the sssssssnake!¡±

    The redhead bopped playfully around the edge of the stage, swaying her hips as she giggled and framed her face with her hands. The juxtaposition of her easy, playful frolicking and the vitriol dripping from the lyrics was jarring, but it was exactly the point she was trying to make. She rolled her hips forward, her firm midsection seeming to slither upward from her waist to her shoulders as she gyrated in time with the drums Zoe had just inherited from one of Ranko¡¯s best friends.

    I can be fun, and cute - my way - and everybody wins, or you can fight me, and lose. Your move, assholes.

    As Shinji vocalized another deep maqam into his microphone, Ranko whirled on her heel into a high kick, using the momentum to propel herself into a leap. She extended her left leg forward and right leg back as far as they would go, then switching them before she landed.

    That¡¯s right. Burlesque, to kung fu, to ballet, in a second and a half. Anything-goes musical arts, final attack, bitches. Suck on that, Amaya.

    She rocked her shoulders forward and back, shaking her chest out as she stalked the length of the stage. Her arms never stopped moving, swinging high over her head as she all but skipped across the raised platform. Her waist was in constant motion as well. Her smile was infectious, and she moved as if she was having the time of her life dancing with her friends. The appearance was intentional, and it had the added benefit of being true. There was an unabashedly sultry overtone to her every movement, and not even Hitomi and Emi echoing her movements at her sides in their own revealing costumes could divert the audiences¡¯ eyes for long.

    ¡°My rhyme¡¯s intoxicating, any way you wanna look at it. There ain¡¯t no antidote for every note of it I¡¯m gonna spit. Every single cypher is all uncontrolled and raw.¡±

    She rocked the whole of her body to the left, shaking her hands as if they held invisible maracas as she bounced them up and down at her sides. Her grin could have outshone the sun.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty, fun, and hyper¡­¡±

    Her hands flattened out and she rocketed them forward in three poking strikes with her outstretched fingers; they would have been a flurry of punches had her fingers not been extended.

    ¡°... packing venom in my jaws! They¡¯re like¡­¡±

    Ranko raised her left hand up, again forming it in the form of a claw as she faced the mock snake¡¯s face toward the audience. She faced it toward herself and moved her thumb up and down as she sang, almost using her hand as a sock puppet as if it were singing the lyrics in a conversation with her.

    ¡°Dang, that girl¡¯s got fangs¡­¡±

    She flashed her hand outward at lightning speed, closing it in a fist. Her index and middle fingers overlapped her thumb, giving the impression that the ¡°snake¡¯s¡± jaws had clamped shut.

    ¡°... when I snap at ¡®em like a taipan.¡±

    Ranko crossed her wrists over her head, undulating her belly like a burlesque dancer, painfully slowly and deliberately.

    ¡°Who¡¯s got the slither with her? Who can bite ¡®em? Smite ¡®em?¡± She pointed to herself with both of her thumbs, flashing another bright smile at her audience. ¡°I can!¡±

    Ranko reached out, grabbing at the side of Hitomi''s neck with her ¡°fanged¡± left hand. The brunette cringed, sticking out her tongue and unfocusing her eyes. She slumped to her side, dangling her neck loosely as if she had just died.

    ¡°A little gets inside you, and your system is in shock! Call the ranger, ¡®cause there¡¯s danger¡­¡±

    She stalked toward Shinji as he hissed into his microphone. Zoe¡¯s maracas rattled again as she approached him.

    ¡°... hiding under all this rock!¡± Ranko shouted the last word into Shin¡¯s stand microphone, but her headset picked it up as well. The effect was that her voice echoed through the little bar with a quarter of a second delay between her own microphone and Shinji¡¯s.

    The redhead giggled into her mic as she turned her back to Shinji, finding Emi standing right behind her. She dragged her hand down Emi''s chest as the blonde backed up, Ranko chasing after her stride for stride. Both girls flailed their arms showily as they moved in wide, sweeping motions, Ranko''s arm silks flapping behind her elbows.

    ¡°A sweet and sexy melody with too much poison in it, lyrics biting fast as lightning¡­¡±

    Ranko stopped moving, but let Emi take a few more steps backward to ensure she was out of the redhead¡¯s reach. Once she was at a safe distance, Ranko began firing her snakelike palms in her direction with the speed of the most deadly art she knew. The one that, but for the timely intervention of a half-blind Amazon boy, would have killed Ranko Tendo before she¡¯d had a chance to be reborn.

    ¡°... at two hundred beats per minute!¡±

    Ranko whipped her glittery silver skirt into a high spinning kick, letting herself fall backward once her leg was fully extended. Hitomi caught her, and Emi grabbed her feet, lifting the girl off the floor and holding her parallel with the stage as she flourished about herself with her arms and sang.

    ¡°Yeah, this girl¡¯s a viper, coiled up to strike. Deadly as a sniper on a rhythm and a mic.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s friends deposited her gently on her knees on the stage. She gave the crowd a bright, innocent smile with starry, dreamy eyes, clasping her hands sweetly under her chin.

    ¡°You think I''m cute and innocent, but mess with me, and then I''m¡­¡±

    She launched herself upward from her knees, uppercutting the air. Even with the violence of her explosion from the floor, her hips still rolled seductively.

    ¡°... up here rockin'' like a moccasin, injectin¡¯ verbal venom!¡±

    The lithe redhead pressed her palms together under her chin, dancing in place with a skip in her step as her conjoined hands moved left and right against her chest.

    ¡°Spitting like a cobra. Crushing like a python. I¡¯m badder than an adder when the stage hands turn the lights on!¡±

    She lifted her shimmering skirt until the hem tickled her knees, arching her left leg backward until the sole of her shoe touched her hair. The briefest flash of black around her calves was visible as her skirt slid back into place. Ranko effected a little giggle in her voice, letting her hair dangle over her right shoulder as the pink sheer material dangling from her forearms tickled her left.

    ¡°They want me to be all soft, and sweet, and bubbly, and fake.¡±

    Emi and Hitomi flanked her, bracing their left arms at the elbows in their right palms. They let their left forearms sway side-to-side, their wrists limp, invoking the image of cobras enthralled by the sound of a charmer¡¯s flute.

    ¡°If they can¡¯t handle the ssssssssssnakebite,¡± both of the Dapper Dragons¡¯ backup dancers sang in harmony, extending the hissing sound of the last word.

    ¡°They should not FUCK with the SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSNAKE,¡± Ranko spat as she crossed her ankles and whirled into another wushu kung fu form, the silks on her forearms forming a tornadic pair of arcs orbiting her spinning form.

    All three of the girls raised their arms above their heads, crossing their wrists as if they¡¯d been bound together. Crash and Jake both silenced their instruments, and to the sound of only Shinji¡¯s bass guitar and a furious drumbeat, Ranko and her friends began to move as one. Every twist of a waist, every wave of a hand, and every kick of a foot was in perfect unison with the other two women on the stage, as if they¡¯d been practicing the choreography together in some faraway harem cloister for decades. In reality, Ranko had scripted it only four days ago.

    As the redhead walked past Shinji, he bent down, hissing loudly into his stand microphone again. Both Hitomi and Emi jumped back with loud screeches, as if they had nearly stepped on a moccasin with their bare feet, but Ranko turned on them, baring her teeth and stomping forward menacingly in their direction with her back to Shinji.

    ¡°So, push me if you dare. C¡¯mon and test me if you wanna, but your struggle makes me stronger, like a fucking anaconda! Yeah, if you try to challenge me, I¡¯m gonna be the victor! Squeeze the breath out of your body like a damned boa constrictor!¡±

    She turned her back to the crowd, resting her hands on the hips of her sparkling silver-and-pink skirt. Ranko wiggled her backside emphatically, bending her knees a bit as she did to emphasize her curves. As she did, Zoe¡¯s maracas lent a rattling sound to the music, which had once again been rejoined by all four performers.

    ¡°Set to battle, bring the rattle when I start shakin¡¯ my tail¡­¡±

    Ranko turned such that her left side faced the crowd, running her fingers ever so slowly down her exposed upper arm. The dangling sheer fabric slid across her skin agonizingly delicately, and it was all the young, hypersensitive singer could do not to moan into her microphone. The arousing sensation did inject a bit of extra sultriness to her motion, not that it needed it.

    ¡°Skin like butter, but I utter poison¡­¡±

    She bent her knees slowly, rocking her backside left and right as she bent deeper, her skirt pooling on the stage floor until her butt was mere centimeters from it.

    ¡°... sliding down the scales.¡±

    With her back to the crowd, Hitomi threw back a shot of 151 rum that she¡¯d collected from the top of Jacob¡¯s synthesizer casing. It burned her tongue, but she only needed to hold it in her mouth for a moment. She turned, and while Ranko still was nearly sitting on the stage, she spat the liquor toward the crowd over her head. As she did, she flicked the disposable cigarette lighter concealed in her hand, and the rum ignited into a jet of blue flame roaring from her lips.

    ¡°Lyrics burn you going down like they¡¯re a shot without a chaser,¡± Ranko sang, staying low until the blast of fire cleared her head. ¡°Moves are rotten as a cottonmouth, and quicker than a racer.¡±

    The lead singer launched herself back to her feet, swaying with her arms extended. Akane recognized it as another snake kung fu form, but the way Ranko performed it in time with the music, it could easily have been mistaken as a hula or something out of a burlesque show.

    ¡°Sultry like some R&B, and spicy as a samba.¡±

    As Ranko made a bubbly laugh into her microphone, Hitomi closed on her from her left, singing into her headset. ¡°First the giggle¡­¡±

    Ranko slammed her hips left and right as forcefully as she could manage as Emi joined her on the right, resting her hand on the redhead¡¯s waist. ¡°Then the wiggle,¡± Emi sang.

    ¡°Then, too late!¡± Emi and Hitomi sang together as each of them grabbed one side of Ranko¡¯s waistband and pulled back, tearing her glittery silver skirt in half. Underneath, Ranko was wearing a pair of leggings that extended just past her knees. They were composed of thousands of jet-black sequins in several layers, giving the appearance of dark snakeskin scales as they moved along her legs.

    ¡°Here comes the mamba,¡± Ranko sang over the thunderous roar of her legion of Firebirds. They certainly seem to like it when parts of my clothes come off, she noted with a smirk.

    ¡°Yeah, this girl¡¯s a viper, coiled up to strike!¡± All three of the girls stepped forward, throwing high kicks in the air with their arms windmilling around them at their sides. Akane wondered if either Hitomi or Emi had any idea that the bubbly pop star between them had taught them one of the most advanced techniques in kung fu, under the guise of an impressive dance step.

    ¡°Deadly as a sniper on a rhythm and a mic,¡± Hitomi and Emi added as one as Ranko launched herself into a back handspring, finding the mobility to do so easier to come by after being freed of her ankle-length skirt.

    ¡°Spitting like a cobra,¡± Emi sang as Ranko stomped forward, thrusting her head toward the crowd as if expelling venom from her throat at them.

    ¡°Crushing like a python,¡± Hitomi added as Ranko crossed her arms over her chest, writhing this way and that as if trying to escape from an invisible straight jacket.

    ¡°She¡¯s badder than an adder when the stage hands turn the lights on,¡± both backup singers sang together as Ranko strode the edge of the stage from right to left, reaching down and letting the sheer pink silks flowing from her forearms slide over the heads of the first row of patrons standing at the edge of the stage.

    ¡°They want us to be all soft and sweet, and bubbly, and fake,¡± the three girls sang together, framing their faces in their hands like some sort of cutesy manga girls who had just been praised by some sexy upperclassman boy.

    Ranko flashed a smirk down to the VIP table, where a latecomer had joined Ken. The slender brunette raised her half-empty Regular Girl cocktail in the air, tipping it in the direction of the woman who was about to lead the Dapper Dragons to war.

    I sure hope you know what you¡¯re doing, Nabiki, Ranko thought as she glared confidently up at the crowd.

    ¡°If you can¡¯t handle the sssssssssssnakebite, then DO NOT FUCK WITH THE SNAKE!¡±

 78. Buzz

    Ranko groaned, rubbing the palm of her sore left hand just above her ever-present silver bracelet. ¡°How many more of these stupid things are there?!¡±

    Nabiki smirked, waving off her little sister¡¯s complaint. ¡°Oh, just another six or seven hundred.¡±

    ¡°Seve¡­ what?! Are you fucking serious?!¡± The redhead groaned loudly, throwing her hands in the air and letting them slap down hard on the round wooden table. The tabletop shook a bit, causing the nearly half-meter high pile of dreaded neon pink papers to cascade across its cherry surface. ¡°Whose dumb-ass idea was it to have me sign all of these stupid things, anyway?!¡± She pushed away from the table, sighing as she meandered over to the bar counter. ¡°I need a fuckin¡¯ break.¡±

    The redhead lifted the skirt of her lavender sundress, carefully sliding onto one of the bar stools with an exhausted sigh. Behind the bar, a lanky blonde leaned across the counter with a bemused smirk. ¡°If memory serves, Ran-chan, that was your idea.¡± Yui slid a pilsner glass full of dark brown soda across the counter to her sister.

    ¡°Yeah, well, like I said.¡± Ranko scoffed and took a long draught of her drink, resting her left wrist against the glass to use it as a makeshift ice pack. ¡°Dumbass.¡± She flashed her sister a soft smile. ¡°I guess, I just wanted the first newsletter to be a little special for ¡®em, ya know? Especially given¡­ anyway, I¡¯m definitely not doing this every month, especially if the subscriber numbers go up much mo¡­¡± Her voice cut off at the sound of a deep chime coming from the kitchen.

    Yui pushed off with her elbows on the counter, popping herself to a standing position. ¡°Oooh! It¡¯s here!¡± She flitted toward the blue saloon door to the back, bouncing on her heels. Before she could open it, she was greeted by a black-haired woman exiting the kitchen in a green Mountain Dew tee shirt and a pair of jeans that fit her as if they¡¯d been spray-painted onto her legs. She carried a large box in her arms.

    ¡°I swear, Yuri, the look on your face? You¡¯d think it was Christmas.¡± Sakura giggled brightly, winking at her partner as she passed her the white cardboard container. ¡°I¡¯m still busy doing the bills back there, but maybe later, you can sit on my lap and tell me what you want?¡±

    The blonde took the box, hiding her blushing simper behind it as she carried it back to the polyurethane bar counter. Does she always gotta call me that in front of people?

    Ranko chuckled at the pair, draining the rest of her soda into her mouth and swallowing it back. ¡°Watch out, Yui! Sure sounds like Sakura Claus is trying to turn you into a little ho, ho, ho!¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Yui swatted playfully at the songstress¡¯ arm across the bar with a pale blue bar towel, her cheeks glowing red. ¡°I may have to take that kinda crap from my wife, but I¡¯m not putting up with it from my little sister!¡±

    The young singer giggled, snapping her hand out and catching the towel. She drew her arm back, yanking the towel away and disarming the giggling bartender. ¡°Look. You could have sucked it up, put on a big, fluffy white dress for a couple hours and looked like an idiot. Let me get all the teasing and shit all out of my system. But no-ooh, you had to go all modern woman don¡¯t need nothin¡¯ fancy and skip all the hoopla, and so now? All of this sass¡­¡± She motioned to her face with a rotation of her wrist, a motion she regretted with a slight wince. ¡°You¡¯re stuck with it forever, sis. There¡¯s no other outlet for it. This is just your life now.¡±

    Ranko turned as she felt a tap on her shoulder, smiling down at her partner from her perch on the stool. ¡°Hey, ¡®Kane! Wanna get in on this? I¡¯m just roastin¡¯ a Yuri over here.¡± She smirked deviously.

    She blinked when Akane handed her a small object made of pink plastic, an admonishing scowl on her face. ¡°Ranko, I keep telling you, you¡¯ve got to stop leaving this thing lying around everywhere. You need to get used to having it with you all the time before you go on the road again, silly girl. Every time I turn around, I find it lying on a table or something. You¡¯re gonna walk off and leave it somewhere if you¡¯re not careful.¡±

    The redhead sighed. ¡°C¡¯mon! I mean, I¡¯m just hangin¡¯ at the bar, Akane! It¡¯s not like anybody¡¯s gonna call me here! Besides, I don¡¯t got my purse with me.¡± She lifted the hem of her dress, reaching up into it. When she extracted her hands, her pager was no longer in them.

    ¡°Then you¡¯re gonna have to start carrying it more, I guess.¡± Akane¡¯s face dropped into her palm as she watched her wife¡¯s beeper disappear. ¡°Did you just¡­ clip that¡­ to your panties? Seriously? What are we gonna do with you, girl?¡±

    Her wife shrugged, blushing a bit at the scandalized look Akane gave her. ¡°Look, you said I gotta have it on me, and this dress don¡¯t have pockets. What the hell else am I s¡¯posed to do with it?¡± Eager to change the subject, she glanced back up at the bar, where Yui had pulled four tall bottles of liquor and a few smaller containers out of the shipping box. ¡°So, what¡¯s all that shit?¡±

    Yui grinned excitedly, picking up a bottle of milky white liquid and holding it up for display. ¡°This is called arak. It¡¯s a liquor made with anise and licorice and stuff.¡± She next tapped a small metal tin with a pink label that rested on the counter beside it. ¡°And this is sumac, which is a kind of spice that has a little bit of a metallic bite. If you use it in a cocktail, it makes it come out a deep red, which is pretty cool, too.¡±

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Ranko picked up another liquor bottle, this one containing a clear liquid that looked not unlike vodka to her. She read the label aloud with a skeptical tone in her voice. ¡°Raki?¡±

    The blonde nodded. ¡°It¡¯s Turkish. Made from grape pomace and aniseed, usually.¡± She reached back into the box, extracting a bottle of pomegranate syrup and a small dropper bottle of licorice bitters from the folds of bubble wrap. Sakura reached behind her wife, snatching the sheet of packing material from the box and beginning to pop the large bubbles with her thumbs.

    ¡°What¡¯s all this crap for,¡± Ranko asked, handing the bottle of raki back to her sister.

    With a chuckle, Yui took the bottle and added it to her little hoard. ¡°Well, I figured if you¡¯re gonna go all snake charmer with Viper, we ought to have a Rocktail to match. So, I ordered a bunch of cool ingredients from that part of the world to experiment with, and once I get a chance to play around and put together something I like, we¡¯re going to introduce the world to the Snakebite.¡±

    Ranko nodded, a sad little grimace in her eyes. ¡°Yeah, I guess we do need another one, don¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Yui nudged her across the counter. ¡°Nothin¡¯ wrong with celebrating a new song with some adventurously yummy booze, goofball. Why the long face?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± Ranko said, her shoulders slumping. The mirth had vanished from her eyes. ¡°I just remembered we¡¯re gonna need a new drink on the menu to be Zoe¡¯s favorite, ¡®cause Ken¡­¡± She sighed heavily. It had been three days since her friend and former drummer had left for a research university in California, and she missed him terribly already. She melted into the side hug that was offered to her, nuzzling her cheek against Akane¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m so worried about him.¡±

    Akane kissed her wife on the temple, stroking her loose, wavy hair with a gentle hand. ¡°He¡¯s gonna be fine, baby. He¡¯s got the best doctors on the planet looking out for him.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare take his name off that fucking drink, Yui,¡± Ranko implored as her lover held her. ¡°Not ever. He might not be on stage with us right now, but he¡¯s a Dapper Dragon forever!¡± It was a trivial thing, but she could not bear anything that put more distance between Ken and the people he loved, no matter how small.

    The blonde shook her head, resting a supportive hand on her sister¡¯s forearm. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it, honey.¡±

    Ranko sighed, glancing back wistfully at the mountain of newsletters awaiting her signature as Nabiki folded another packet of three pastel pink pages and stuffed it into an envelope, sliding it around the table to Mei for a stamp. ¡°I hate that our first one of those had to give them the bad news.¡± And the next one might end up saying that we¡¯re not doing another album, depending on what Yokai¡¯s next move is.

    ¡°It¡¯s not all bad for ¡®em, babe,¡± Akane said, giving her a little shake to buck her up. ¡°I mean, there¡¯s three pictures of you in your bathing suit in there.¡±

    The redhead managed a dark chuckle, shaking her head slightly with a roll of her eyes. ¡°Leave it to you, pervert.¡± Still, she seemed to regain her composure a bit for having laughed.

    Akane mock-scoffed, rocking back on her heels and resting her hand gently on her chest between her breasts, covering the cartoonish sorcerer logo of the Minato Mystics on her gray tee shirt. ¡°Pervert? Me? I¡¯m entirely innocent. I wasn¡¯t even gay until you came along and corrupted me, you little she-devil, you¡­¡±

    Ranko purred, leaning forward on her stool to kiss her wife on the lips. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d better get back to work,¡± Akane said, motioning with her hand toward the table. ¡°Those things aren¡¯t gonna sign themselves.¡±

    The young singer slid off the stool to her feet with a pathetic whine. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna. My hand hurts from all the writing, and I still gotta do homework after this, too.¡±

    Akane reached for her wrist, pulling gently at her wife¡¯s right arm. ¡°No, Ranko. Come on. Procrastination time is over, girlfriend. Back to the grindstone now.¡±

    ¡°No! I don¡¯t wanna! You¡¯re not the boss of me! Nyaaaaaaaah!¡± Ranko stuck her tongue out playfully, using her finger to make one of her eyes droop in a ridiculously mocking expression as she pulled her arm free from Akane¡¯s grasp.

    The elder girl chortled sadistically, looking her wife over with a ravenous sneer. ¡°Oh? You think so, huh?¡±

    The expression on Ranko¡¯s face changed in an instant, to one of flustered nervousness. Oh, shit. Stepped in it now. ¡°I, uh¡­ I gotta go! Look out, Sakura!¡± The singer vaulted the bar in a single hop, slipping past Yui and her wife and crashing through the blue saloon door to the safety of the back room.

    Akane did not give chase, however, instead slipping around Yui and casually behind the bar and reaching under the counter on the side closest to the front door.

    Yui shook her head, continuing to add her collection of experimental ingredients to the cabinet under the back bar. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re letting her get away with¡­¡± She blinked as she heard a repeated beep coming from Akane¡¯s hand, and turned to find her holding the bar¡¯s gray cordless telephone in her hand below the edge of the counter. ¡°Who you callin¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh! Nobody,¡± Akane said with a devious malice in her eyes as a little chirp came from the receiver. She pressed a few more buttons on the handset without ever lifting it to her ear, clicking the green talk button with her thumb to end the call. She returned the receiver to its cradle with a little clatter, nonchalantly picking up the bar towel Ranko had abandoned. She began to idly wipe down the counter with it, even though it didn¡¯t really need cleaning.

    The blonde shrugged. ¡°Whatever floats your boat, I gue¡­¡± Yui stopped mid-word as she heard a series of three high-pitched beeps and a low hum coming from the back room.

    They were immediately followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the floor.

 79. Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

    One.

    The world spun around her at lightning speed as Ranko¡¯s form plummeted to the earth. There was a certain freedom in falling. Not knowing which way was up momentarily absolved her mind of worrying about keeping her footing. It made things feel more normalized, as if the daily chaos of her life was just expected and normal, and nothing at all to be concerned about. Whether it was the emotional thunderclap of Ken¡¯s diagnosis and subsequent departure from the band, frantically trying to help Zoe ramp up to fill in for him on a semi-permanent basis on drums, her mother¡¯s continued recovery, or her ongoing standoff with Yokai Records, it felt like everything in her world was upside-down most of the time lately anyway. No reason it shouldn¡¯t be literally, physically inverted, too.

    Two.

    For most people, freefalling toward the earth head-first would be terrifying. Most people¡¯s eyes would be forced open wide, frantically searching for purchase or the hope of solid ground, rather than serenely closed. Most people would barely be able to breathe at the thought of being at the mercy of gravity, rather than finding a quiet peace in the absence of so many other forces that would otherwise be pressing on them from every direction at once.

    Ranko Tendo was not most people.

    Three.

    I¡¯m gonna be okay. I am wanted. I have worth. I have people who care about me. People who have my back. People who won¡¯t let me hit the ground, no matter how far, or how fast, I fall. There will always be someone there to catch me.

    She snapped her body around, beginning to arrest the torque with which she was spiraling her torso.

    And that¡¯s four. Okay, Ranko. You¡¯ve been spinning in place long enough. Time to level out and straighten up.

    Ranko opened her eyes, bending at the waist until her sparkly silver sneakers almost touched her nose. She gripped her ankles tight, bracing for the sudden stop. She felt two pairs of hands on her back, cushioning her as she was cradled in a basket formed by the arms of two young women. Her backside was less than a meter from the floor when the two girls lifted with all the force they could bring to bear, immediately propelling her back into the sky.

    The redhead tucked her knees tight under her chin, grabbing them with her hands as she rolled twice in the air.

    It¡¯s gonna be weird and I¡¯m gonna be a little dizzy for a minute, but I¡¯ll always land on my feet. That¡¯s what a Phoenix does.

    Ranko laid out from the tuck position, cushioning her landing with an outstretched ankle as her sneakers made contact with the rubber floor of the Minato University gymnasium.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± The ecstatic cheerleader kicked her leg high in the air, celebrating the first quadruple twist she had ever landed outside a competition. She was all smiles, her eyes sparkling more brightly than the twin streaks of silver glitter paint running parallel with her eyebrows on each of her cheeks. Forget a stupid plastic trophy - she had a far more important reason to bring her best effort to her performance that Friday mid-June afternoon.

    ¡°Introducing your defending champions, the Minaaaaaaaaato Myyyyyyyyyystiiiiiiics!¡± The public address announcer roared into the microphone from his little glass booth above the basketball hoop, which had been lifted to the rafters to get it out of the way.

    ¡°Lead onto the court by number three, team captain, Akaaaaaaaaaneeeeeee Teeeeeeeeeeeendoooooooooo!¡±

    ¡°WHOOOOOOOOOOOOO! GO AKANE!¡± Ranko giggled as she leaped skyward, splitting her legs out to her sides and touching her toes mid-air. Quadruple twist or no, as her wife emerged from the locker room to the sound of Ranko¡¯s cheers, the newest member of the Minato Mystics¡¯ cheerleading squad thought maybe she really could fly.

    ¡°TEN-DO! TEN-DO! TEN-DO!¡± The crowd whooped and hollered for their captain, waving purple flags that had been handed out by the booster club. Ranko beamed as she caught the reflective silver foil pom-poms Shiori Nagata had tossed her, clapping them together in time with the capacity crowd¡¯s chant of her family name. She was proud to join the crowd in it, strange though it felt to do so. Most of the time she heard that word chanted, it was for her, after all.

    Clutching the shiny puffs in her hands as she was, she doubted Akane could see that she was rubbing the back of her left fist with her right hand. When the love of her life lingered for an extra half-second of smiles in her direction as she jogged past in her purple jersey and silver shorts, somehow, she suspected Akane knew, anyway.

    The slender redhead shivered as the gymnasium¡¯s air conditioner kicked on again with a whir that was drowned out by the raucous cheering raining down on her from every direction. From her experience in the crowd last year, watching from the sidelines as Akane and her squad had won Minato¡¯s first volleyball championship in two decades, she knew that it was always cold in the indoor arena at the start of a match. Eventually, the body heat of an energetic crowd and the radiant energy of the fluorescent lighting would warm it up, and the chill lingering in her bones would pass.

    Of course, when I was sitting in the stands, I was wearin¡¯ a lot more clothes.

    Ranko blushed slightly at the thought of just how exposed she was. Her Minato cheer uniform left little to the imagination, with her midriff bared between the short purple crop-top and the matching pleated microskirt. The shirt, as it could only generously be called, was adorned with a row of sparkly silver stars that trailed across the bust and down the left side of her ribcage. The star pattern broke as the garment gave way to skin, resuming at the same spot on her hip at the waistband of her skirt and cascading down the purple outer pleats of her skirt until it reached the hem. The word Mystics was emblazoned both in kanji and in English across her chest in glittery silver thread, though, in Ranko¡¯s eyes, it might as well have read Akane across her breasts.

    Maybe I could have Izzi make me one that does, she thought, her cheeks aflame. I¡¯m sure Akane wouldn¡¯t hate it. She waved her pom-poms high above her head, whooping loudly for Haruki Oshima as the slender girl with the red pixie cut jogged onto the court behind Akane wearing jersey number six. Wish I¡¯da thought about asking before tonight, come to think of it.

    <hr>

    ¡°Everybody¡¯s freeeeeeeeee¡­ to feel good!¡±

    Ranko rocked her hips just behind Suzume, grinning up at the crowd as she went through the simplistic choreography steps. It¡¯s so weird not to be in the lead. And to not be wearing a mic.

    The redhead skipped in a circle between Suzume and Kotone, rocking her head side to side with every move. She giggled at the way the silver satin ribbon in her ponytail tickled her bare shoulders as she danced with the upbeat tune.

    Honestly, though? It¡¯s okay. For now, at least. I¡¯m the new kid here, and I don¡¯t need to go all prima donna girl right off the bat. That¡¯s what turned Kotone off of me at Yusue, and she¡¯ll be the first to freak out if I do it again here. They don¡¯t owe me anything, and they gave me a scholarship, so they clearly know what they have when and if they decide they want it. I don¡¯t need to be top billing all the time.

    The effervescent redhead beamed up at the crowd as Shiori took her by the hips and launched her skyward into a double twist. Superstar? Pshaw. Not here, and I don¡¯t think I wanna be. I¡¯m just one of the girls, cheering for our team. I¡¯m totally not just rooting for the team captain, who is totally just my sister, and who totally isn¡¯t gonna take me out of this outfit and fuck me stupid the nanosecond she gets a chance to get me alone.

    But she¡¯s gonna have to wait. I¡¯ve got plans for her, first.

    The eurobeat rhythm thumped almost deafeningly behind her as she moved. The sound system is so much louder down here than it is in the stands, she thought as she backed up against Asami, the pair both flashing scintillating smiles at the home crowd as they danced back-to-back with their shoulders touching.

    ¡°Now is the moment to reach out to someone; it¡¯s all up to you! When everyone¡¯s sharing their hope, then love will win through!¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°That dude in the second row, the one in the white polo¡­ fuck, Ran-chan, I thought he was gonna faint watching your dance solo.¡±

    Ranko blushed a bit, brushing a strand of hair that had escaped her ponytail out of her eye as she walked with Shiori. ¡°Yeah?¡± She smirked mischievously up at her friend. ¡°I hadn''t noticed.¡±

    The blonde continued giggling, shaking her head. ¡°Wait a minute, you saw¡­ were you shaking your ass harder in his direction on purpose, to torment the poor bastard?¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on, Shi¡¯ri, would I do that?¡± Ranko shot her another devious sneer. ¡°After all, I¡¯m a good girl, prim and proper innocence¡­¡±

    While she¡¯d never give a boy a chance to act on it, now that she felt fairly safe from their advances most days, Ranko didn¡¯t necessarily hate the attention. Her attractiveness had been no small part of her rise to stardom, and she was beginning to find a comfort level with it. They¡¯re gonna look. As long as they don¡¯t touch, there¡¯s no harm in acknowledging that, especially if it sells records. She¡¯d never tell Akane, though, for fear every boy in the arena would be pummeled to death just for having a set of eyes.

    Beyond that, though, as much would have mortified any remaining vestige of Ranma Saotome¡¯s psyche in her mind, she¡¯d been fantasizing for the better part of a year about cheering for Akane at one of her games, and then having the star athlete bring her home to have her way with her own personal cheerleader. She felt sexy as hell, and was having a hard time convincing herself to pretend otherwise.

    ¡°Yes. Yes you would, you sly little shit.¡± Shiori laughed merrily alongside her friend. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go get changed before the thing. You comin¡¯?¡±

    Ranko blushed deep crimson, shaking her head with a devious grin. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m just gonna wear this tonight.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ oooh, that¡¯s just cruel,¡± Ranko¡¯s friend said with a smirk. ¡°I fucking love it. I¡¯ll probably be about a half hour behind you. That cool?¡±

    The redhead nodded. ¡°Sure! Whenever you get there¡¯s cool! See ya, Shi¡¯ri!¡± She waved excitedly, turning as Shiori headed for the locker room at the sound of someone approaching.

    ¡°Hey, Ranko! Great job today, new kid!¡± Suzume gave her a wink and a thumbs-up. Ranko responded by gesturing outward with her hands as if sprinkling seasoning over a roasting chicken in the Pixie Dust gesture Shiori had invented. She ended the gesture by pointing up at the ceiling of the gymnasium with both of her index fingers as Suzume continued speaking.

    ¡°So, me and a couple of the girls are gonna head over to Ishiro¡¯s Cafe for some milkshakes. We do it a lot, to go hang and unwind after a show. You wanna come?¡±

    Ranko grinned at being invited to hang out with the girls. ¡°I¡¯d love to, Suzie. You have no idea. Thanks so much for inviting me, but I¡¯m gonna have to take a rain check¡­¡± She blushed, looking down at her hands and biting her lower lip gently. ¡°I¡¯ve got a date tonight.¡±

    Suzume nodded with a broad smile. ¡°Well, then you have a great time and don¡¯t let me hold you up. We¡¯ll catch you next time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a plan!¡± Ranko waved with a thousand-watt smile as Suzume made after Shiori to the cheerleaders¡¯ locker room. Ranko, for her part, wandered out into the hallway just outside the main athletic locker room, leaning on the cold cinder block wall. It caused the whole of her body to shiver, and she closed her eyes, resting her head on the white-painted concrete with a blissful grin.

    ¡°Hey there, hot stuff. Going my way?¡±

    Ranko turned her head to the sound of her lover¡¯s voice, nodding emphatically. Her ponytail bobbed on her shoulder, and she squirmed with the way it tickled her. ¡°I¡¯m going wherever you are, Akane. Always.¡±

    Akane smiled softly. She¡¯d changed out of her volleyball uniform, and wore a pair of green denim jeans and an ivory turtleneck sweater. There seemed to be something off in her eyes, as if there was something bothering her that she didn¡¯t want to talk about.

    I promise, Akane, I didn¡¯t forget, Ranko thought with the smallest of frowns as she spied the disquiet in her wife¡¯s eyes. You¡¯ll see.

    ¡°Well, all-star, you gonna walk this cute little cheerleader home, or what?¡± Ranko giggled, leaning into her lover with a happy sigh.

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    Akane blushed, looking around to see if anyone was in earshot. ¡°You don¡¯t gotta ask me twice, princess.¡± Ranko linked arms with her, resting her fingers on Akane¡¯s wrist as the pair headed for the leftmost set of glass double doors that led out to the street.

    Not sure if walking arm-in-arm like this is an acceptable sister thing, or if it''s risky to do in public. Tonight? Ask me if I fuckin¡¯ care, Ranko mused with a fawning smile at her lover.

    ¡°You were great tonight,¡± Akane said, patting her wife on the hand and fidgeting slightly with her wedding ring. ¡°I was so proud of you.¡±

    The redhead''s face steamed, looking down at their joined arms as they walked. ¡°You¡­ you were watchin¡¯?¡±

    Akane nodded, a soft smile on her lips. ¡°How could I not? I mean, just look at you! Coach Anada had to repeat the play like three times in our time outs ¡®cause I kept losing focus!¡±

    Ranko simpered adorably, biting her lower lip. I''m gonna chew this damn thing off tonight at this rate. ¡°Are you trying to say I''m distractingly cute? Doesn''t seem like a very proper thing to think about your little sister. You''re such a dirty pervert, Akane Tendo¡­¡±

    ¡®Yeah?¡± Akane yanked Ranko hard by the arm, pulling her into a darkened, narrow walkway between two buildings. ¡°Then you''re gonna hate this¡­¡± She slammed Ranko¡¯s back against the rough brick wall, cradling the back of her head before it could contact the side of the building. She ignored Ranko¡¯s quiet yelp as the porous brick surface scratched at her bare back, pinning both of her wrists to the wall. Akane threw herself forward, forcefully kissing the slender cheerleader.

    Ranko whimpered needfully into the kiss, making no effort to fight Akane¡¯s grasp. ¡°No, no, it''s okay,¡± she said after taking a moment to regain control of her breathing. ¡°I can be convinced.¡±

    Akane snickered wolfishly at the restrained redhead, locking her elbows to keep her lover¡¯s wrists pinned to the bricks. ¡°You know, little girl, you should be more careful walking in dark alleys dressed like that. Anyone could just sneak up and take advantage of you.¡±

    Ranko blushed neon red, averting her eyes downward between her forearms as she bit her lip yet again. ¡°P¡­ please?¡± Her voice raised an octave, almost hopefully.

    Akane laughed, releasing the smaller girl¡¯s arms. ¡°Maybe when we get home.¡± She flashed an impish grin at the love of her life. ¡°If you''re a good girl, that is.¡±

    You have no idea, Akane. Ranko whined, wishing for the thousandth time that the pair didn''t already have plans for the evening. ¡°Hey, can we swing by the bar real quick on the way? I left my school bag there and I gotta get my homework for tomorrow.¡±

    Akane rolled her eyes. ¡°Fine, but I don''t wanna get stuck there for two hours talking to your sisters, and absolutely no going on stage. I have plans for you tonight, missy.¡±

    ¡°Promises, promises,¡± Ranko purred as she turned down the street toward the bar she suspected a part of her would always call home.

    Akane blinked in concern as they approached the door of the establishment. ¡°The place seems awfully quiet for a Friday night.¡±

    ¡°Well, of course it is, silly! You''re monopolizing their star power.¡± Ranko dragged her finger down Akane''s nose, swishing back to face the door hard enough for her cheer skirt to flare around her waist and brush against Akane¡¯s jeans. She stood outside the door, making no move to reach for its brass handle.

    Akane blushed a bit, basking in every moment of Ranko''s flirtatious attitude. ¡°Aren''t you gonna go in?¡±

    The cheerleader scoffed and put her fists on her hips, flashing Akane the mockingly playful glare of a disappointed, jilted girlfriend. ¡°Honestly! Didn''t your father teach you anything? You''re supposed to open doors for a lady, ya big dummy!¡±

    ¡°You''re right! My mistake, Miss Tendo.¡± Akane reached for the door handle, starting to pull it open.

    ¡°SURPRISE!¡±

    Akane rocked back on her heels, her eyes wide. ¡°What the¡­?!¡±

    The redhead whirled to face her wife in the doorway, popping her heel up behind herself as she pulled Akane into a gentle kiss.

    ¡°You didn''t really think I went and forgot your birthday, didja? Now, go on, get in there. Your public awaits.¡± Ranko giggled, swatting Akane playfully on the butt through her skinny jeans.

    <hr>

    ¡°Woman, if you don¡¯t put that fucking tray down¡­¡±

    Hana rolled her eyes, turning in the narrow hallway connecting the kitchen to the bar area. ¡°Mei, honey, it¡¯s been over a month. I can manage carrying a couple of friggin¡¯ baskets of fries, honest.¡±

    Mei snatched the tray from over her mother¡¯s shoulder with her left hand, wagging her finger admonishingly at her nose with her right. ¡°The doctor said no work until next month. I was sitting right there when he said it, ya stubborn old mule! Now, go on, get outta my kitchen! Shoo!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m in here cooking, sweetheart. You girls have been carrying the load for long enough; I¡¯ve gotta do something! I can¡¯t just sit around and let you all wait on me. It¡¯s not my style.¡± Hana smiled softly. They really are all such good kids.

    The blue-haired girl rolled her eyes with a little shake of her head. ¡°You can, and you will. There¡¯s seven of us, not to mention Seiichi, and there¡¯s not a single one of us who wouldn¡¯t rather run twice as hard if it means you rest and heal up strong.¡± She took a few steps toward the bar, resting her free hand on the blue saloon door. ¡°I swear, Mama, if you don¡¯t get out here and put your ass in a chair, I¡¯m getting you one of those shock collars that goes off if you try to walk past this door.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright! You win, I¡¯m coming.¡±

    Hana laughed as Mei started to push through the door, but her daughter froze halfway through the door at the sound of steel scraping aluminum.

    ¡°I heard that. Put. The mother fucking pizza. Down, Mom.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°So, that¡¯s your new cheer uniform?¡± Jacob looked the redhead over in her purple-and-silver glittery outfit, a hungrier look in his eyes than Ranko was used to seeing from her green-haired friend.

    Ranko didn¡¯t seem to notice it, though, more preoccupied with sipping at the Regular Girl cocktail in her hand. She nodded, a proud smile on her lips. ¡°Yep! Official Pixie!¡±

    ¡°Man, that¡¯s a bummer,¡± Jake said with a chortle. ¡°Any idea when they¡¯re gonna let you have the rest of it?¡±

    The redhead lowered her eyes a bit, trying to hide her blush behind a confident smirk. ¡°Look, Trimble. Ain¡¯t my fault your girl¡­ partn¡­ Zoe wears three layers head to toe everywhere they go.¡± She shrugged, cocking her head to the side cutely. ¡°Poor, poor boy, never getting to look at anything this hot.¡± She folded her hands sincerely, resting them on her chest with a piteous expression in her eyes as if she were beholding a hungry puppy. ¡°I feel for you, friend. Truly.¡±

    Zoe scoffed, rolling their eyes. ¡°I¡¯m plenty hot, mate. I jus¡¯ don¡¯t need to advertise it. Jakey gets plenty, don¡¯t you worry none.¡±

    Ranko giggled. ¡°I¡¯m just playin¡¯ anyway, Zo.¡±

    ¡°Uh, Crash? Babe?¡± Ukyo nudged her boyfriend gently in the ribs with her elbow through his black Slayer tee shirt. ¡°Are you okay, sugar? Do you need a bib or anything?¡±

    ¡°Whuuh? I wasn¡¯t lookin¡¯ at nothin¡¯! Honest!¡± Crash waved his hands frantically in front of his face, snapping his head back to look away from his best friend hard enough to nearly snap his neck. He turned to face the young chef he¡¯d been dating for the better part of a year, a nervously sheepish grin crossing his face.

    Ukyo giggled, lowering her voice as she leaned in close to him and draped her arm around his lower back. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, Crash. It¡¯ll get you in even more trouble, and besides, you kinda suck at it. Of course you were looking! For fuck¡¯s sake, dude, I was looking!¡±

    ¡°I was not,¡± Crash pleaded.

    With a laugh, Ukyo turned to the two women behind her. ¡°Judges?¡±

    The giggling blonde looked down to her girlfriend, and then both nodded in Ukyo¡¯s direction. ¡°Oh, yeah. He was definitely ogling. We saw the whole thing,¡± Emi said with a smirk.

    ¡°Well, Ems did, anyway,¡± Hitomi said with a bit of an impish grin, holding up the glass high-heeled shoe she was drinking from. ¡°I was busy gettin¡¯ drunk and starin¡¯ at Ranko¡¯s ass.¡± She shrugged, crinkling her nose a bit. ¡°It¡¯s a tough job, but somebody¡¯s gotta do it.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Did we have to invite him?¡± Ranko glowered at the tall man in the green button-down shirt talking with her wife, stabbing at the ice cream in her margarita glass with her spoon as if it were a dagger.

    Yui sighed, reaching over the bar counter to steal one of Ranko¡¯s puffs of fried potato and popping it into her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s her party and he¡¯s her friend, Ran-chan. Sho¡¯s not gonna try anything, especially not with all of us here.¡±

    Ranko nodded, staring plaintively into her sparkly cocktail glass. ¡°Are you sure? ¡®Cause, I mean, I bet it would be hilarious watching some guy get his balls get ripped off by a cheerleader.¡±

    ¡°As far as I¡¯ve seen, he hasn¡¯t made any advances when he¡¯s been by, Ran-chan. He¡¯s been respectful enough. They¡¯re just friends, just like you and Crash.¡± Yui reached for another of her sister¡¯s tater tots, but Ranko pushed the remainder of the basket across the counter to her with a sigh. Referencing her friendship with Crash was not the reassurance Yui thought it was.

    ¡°If you¡¯re still feeling this way, you¡¯ve gotta talk to her about it,¡± Yui said, gesturing to Ranko¡¯s face with open fingers with her mouth still full of potato. ¡°This pout from the shadows vibe you¡¯re throwing has Sneak written all over it.¡±

    The songstress sighed, pulling her spoon out of her mouth upside-down. ¡°I tried, in Hawai¡¯i, and everything went to shit between us. We were gonna talk about it when I got home, but Mom got sick, and then neither of us wanted to rock the boat, I guess. Things are good, as long as I don¡¯t talk about it.¡±

    Yui frowned, leaning on the countertop. ¡°Ranko, honey, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you¡¯re sitting here at a party you threw for your person, and you¡¯re busy cryin¡¯ in your booze with your big sister. I don¡¯t know what that is, but I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d classify it as good.¡±

    Ranko slid off the stool, her eyes going wide. ¡°Owwww!¡± She reached behind herself, wincing a bit as her feet hit the floor.

    ¡°You okay? What happened?¡± Yui straightened up on her feet to peer over the countertop.

    The redhead blushed, looking down a little in humiliation and rubbing her backside as she glared at the brown vinyl of her stool. ¡°My ass got stuck to the fucking seat.¡±

    The blonde cackled, smirking down at her sister. ¡°Yeah, sorry about that. The safety directions for the bar stools made it clear you¡¯re supposed to be wearing some clothes when you sit in ¡®em.¡±

    ¡°We should put up a warning sign. It¡¯s a fuckin¡¯ hazard.¡± Ranko managed a smile at her sister. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough of this shit.¡±

    ¡°Ranko? What are you¡­¡± Yui sighed in exasperation as her youngest sister stalked over to her wife and Sho. ¡°Please be good,¡± the bartender mumbled under her breath.

    Ranko wrapped her arms around Akane¡¯s waist. ¡°Hiya!¡± She smiled brightly up at Akane, her head pressed to her chest just below Akane¡¯s right armpit. Sheltered under Akane¡¯s arm, she shot a glare of warning up at Sho. Not yours. Don¡¯t touch.

    ¡°Hey, gorgeous,¡± Akane said, squeezing her tight. ¡°Sho was just telling me about this new Western movie coming out, where a singer in a bar has to pretend to be one of those Catholic shrine maidens to hide from the mafia. It¡¯s supposed to be really funny.¡±

    Ranko nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll go see it together, you and me, whenever you want. It¡¯ll be a fun date.¡± Feels a little close to home for my tastes, but, no chance I¡¯m letting him invite her. While she spoke to Akane, her eyes never broke contact with Sho¡¯s.

    Sho chuckled nervously down at the possessive cheerleader, running his fingers through his jet-black hair. ¡°Well, I think I¡¯ve monopolized the birthday girl long enough. I think I¡¯ll¡­ go get another drink.¡± He spun on his heel, walking back in the direction of the bar.

    That¡¯s right, bitch. You¡¯d better run. Ranko squeezed her wife even tighter around the waist, smiling as she reveled in her victory. This is mine.

    ¡°I hope you had a good time, Akane.¡± Ranko rested her head back on her wife¡¯s chest, nuzzling against her with her cheek. ¡°We got you good.¡±

    Akane chuckled, nodding. ¡°Yeah, you sure did, babe. Never saw this coming, not even when you said you needed to go by the bar.¡±

    The redhead giggled a bit absently, and Akane suggested the three Hypnoteasers Yui had made her probably had a lot to do with it. ¡°Well, I know I couldn¡¯t one-up last year, but Disney already had somebody to play that Belle chick.¡±

    ¡°Ranko Tendo, you are all the princess I need. Get your cute little butt over here and kiss me.¡± Akane reached behind the cheerleader¡¯s back.

    Ranko licked her lips, which scintillated in the bar¡¯s lighting, caked as they were with sugar glitter from her drinks. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Anything for the birthday girl.¡± She leaned closer, purring softly as Akane¡¯s lips made contact with her own.

    ¡°So¡­ you about ready to get out of here?¡± Ranko simpered pleadingly up at her beloved. ¡°I still have to give you your birthday present.¡± She played with the shimmery silver ribbon in her hair, leaning into Akane¡¯s chest.

    ¡°I even put a bow on it for you.¡±

 80. On This Day

    Akane sighed, dropping her backpack on the floor just inside the door to their little apartment. Fuck. It''s so hot. Indeed, the first Monday of July had been a scorcher, and she¡¯d missed her train and had to walk home from class. Stupid Professor Omago keeping us late. Asshole. She peeled off her sweat-drenched shirt, tossing it on the floor in front of the washer and dryer in their narrow bathroom. It hit the front of the dryer with a loud bang before dropping to the linoleum with a moist squelsh sound.

    Ugh. So gross.

    She was surprised not to find Ranko in the kitchen; normally at 4:30 on a Monday afternoon, she would be finishing up dinner in time to eat, clean up, and get to the Phoenix in time for her set to start at eight. Maybe her class ran late, too? Akane opened the refrigerator, extracting a plastic bottle containing a vibrant orange sports drink and cracking the plastic seal holding on the cap. As she drank half the bottle in one go, she remained in front of the open refrigerator for a few more seconds in just her soaked bra and shorts, reveling in the blast of cool air.

    I can do this. Sure, I''m exhausted, but I just gotta survive another few weeks until the term ends and I can get a little bit of a break. She frowned as she closed the fridge, a sudden realization crossing her mind. That means I only have a few more weeks until Ranko leaves again, too. Fuck. I¡¯m so happy she¡¯s getting to go on tour, but I can¡¯t wait until it¡¯s over.

    Turning back toward her bedroom, she held the bottle of cold liquid against her forehead as she made for the bathroom. Good gods, I need a shower. I reek. And after work, I¡¯m gonna sleep like a fucking rock. These all-weekend study jams are for the friggin¡¯ birds.

    Something caught Akane¡¯s eye on the dining room table as she passed, and she stopped short. What the¡­ She walked around the table, examining the large, flat box. It was a light teal, printed with a pattern of little white tulips. Laying atop it was a single, long-stemmed white rose with a thin white ribbon tied around its step in a large bow, and a small ivory card embossed with gold foil trim. It was covered in Ranko¡¯s handwriting in black ink.

    Your ride will be here at six. Be ready. Work¡¯s been handled. I love you, beautiful.

    The card was signed your orchid girl, and punctuated with a little hand-drawn heart.

    Akane gasped, looking up at the calendar on the wall. Oh, fuck! It¡¯s the sixth! It¡¯s¡­ She covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide in terror. How could I forget our anniversary?!

    She glanced up at the clock, panic setting in. An hour and a half?! I don¡¯t even know where¡­ what am I supposed to¡­ It was then that her eyes fell on the box again, and she smiled softly, remembering the way she¡¯d surprised Ranko with a new dress on the night she proposed as Aki. Did she really¡­

    Stopping for a brief moment to smell the rose that had been laid across the box, she pulled its lid off, her jaw falling slack. Inside, wrapped in a crinkly layer of pastel pink tissue paper, was a red satin cocktail dress. With trembling fingers, Akane lifted it from the box, holding it up to herself. It came down to just above her knees, and the entire right side of it was dominated with a single embroidered black rose that bloomed just below the right breast, the thorny stem snaking down the whole length of the skirt to its hem. She checked the tag, closing her eyes and shaking her head with a self-admonishing chuckle. I¡¯m such a dummy. Of course she knows my size. She does my freaking laundry.

    She smiled down at the card, and the signature of the woman who had written it. The incredible, inestimable, impossible woman that she had married a year and two hours ago.

    Ranko Tendo, I am going to love you for the rest of eternity, and then some.

    Akane squealed happily, spinning in place. She held the dress away from her body to avoid it getting all sweaty. Oh my gods, I gotta get a move on! Laying the red garment gently back in its box, Akane darted toward the shower, a song in her heart.

    <hr>

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, we¡¯re here.¡±

    Akane looked up as the hired black sedan pulled to a stop, peering out the window of the back seat. Huh. This is¡­ not what I expected.

    The car door to Akane¡¯s left swung open, and the driver bowed, motioning toward the entrance of the familiar building. The red carpet runner leading to the door, lined with copper poles and velvet rope lines, was entirely devoid of people, an unheard-of sight for 6:45 in the evening. Only the bouncer, standing vigil outside the copper double doors of one of the most popular night clubs in Tokyo in his jet-black suit, indicated that the business was even open.

    Akane gently took the hand the driver offered her, stepping carefully out of the vehicle onto the carpet in the glittery red heels she¡¯d borrowed from her wife¡¯s side of their shared closet. She¡¯d had to rush her makeup, but while the job hadn¡¯t been as elaborate as she might have liked, she was happy with how it had come out. Still, she felt like a movie star as she stepped out onto the red carpet that seemed to be laid out just for her - and that was before she looked down.

    Running down the middle of the red carpet, from the valet lane all the way to the doors, was a sparse trail of white rose petals.

    What the¡­ how¡­ what¡­

    Akane scooped up the bouquet of white roses she¡¯d paid the driver to stop at a corner florist shop for on the way, and the driver closed the car door behind her. ¡°Have a nice evening, miss,¡± the driver said with a smile and a flourish as he slid back into the driver¡¯s seat of his vehicle and slowly pulled away, leaving her alone on the carpet.

    She slowly strode down the carpet, her head swiveling as she took in the scene from every angle, as if she expected some sort of hidden camera to pop out from behind the light mist raining down from the sign above the door and tell her it had all been a prank. As she approached the door, she swung her thin black purse around her body to unzip it and retrieve her identification card, but the bouncer just stepped forward and pulled the door open for her.

    ¡°Welcome to Steam, Mrs. Tendo. We¡¯ve been expecting you.¡±

    With wide eyes, Akane walked into the bar. Had the bouncer not said its name, Akane doubted she¡¯d have recognized it. All the tables had been cleared from the floor, save a single one - a square four-top covered with a white linen tablecloth. It had been placed a mere two meters from the round central stage, dead center. It had but two chairs at it, one facing the stage and the other with its back to the raised platform. The table bore a vase of two dozen red roses and other things she could not see from where she stood. The trail of white rose petals continued from the doorway, creating a path extending the full length of the dance floor to the nearer of the two chairs.

    The lights in the room had been dimmed to their minimum, but the bright white flower petals gave Akane an easily-visible path to follow. The stage itself was devoid of its usual band equipment. Instead, just off-center on the round stage where Ranko had debuted Turn Me Off/Turn Me On at their bachelorette party, stood a black grand piano. The entire outer edge of the stage was rimmed in tall white candles, all lazily casting thin wisps of smoke skyward. There had to have been a hundred or more. The stage floor¡¯s glossy black surface was coated in red rose petals. Covering the back wall, dangling just in front of the plush purple curtain obscuring the small backstage area, was a net of softly twinkling white lights that might have been repurposed Christmas decorations.

    How did she do this?

    Akane followed the trail of roses to the table she presumed was for her, and as she approached it, a server in a white sport coat and slacks emerged from behind the bar to pull her chair out for her. ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± he greeted cordially, pushing her chair back toward the table once she was seated in it. He reached into the ice bucket that had been hidden behind the floral display, uncorking the bottle of pink champagne and carefully filling the flute in front of her.

    ¡°What is all this,¡± Akane asked, a stunned expression on her face. ¡°Where is she?¡±

    The handsome server bowed slightly, giving her a knowing smirk. ¡°Enjoy the show, Mrs. Tendo.¡±

    The show? What did¡­

    Before she could even finish her thought, the sparkly purple velour curtain at the back of the stage parted, admitting a woman wearing a black tuxedo onto the platform. The suit was tailored to her feminine body, unlike the ones Akane had worn when posing as Aki. Her short blonde hair was slicked back with gel like a man¡¯s, and she gave Akane a shallow bow before taking a seat on the piano bench.

    So, she got us a private musician? That¡¯s sweet, but where the hell is¡­

    The blonde at the piano began to play, and the sounds of unseen drums began to rain down from the powerful nightclub sound system. It was a soaring, inspirational melody, but it did not make Akane¡¯s heart speed up half as much as what happened next.

    The curtain parted again, and what strode through it was a vision of perfection. Ranko wore a scintillating silver sheath dress that clung tightly to her form from her breast line to her ankles, only spared contact with the floor by her eight-centimeter silver heels. The fabric looked like it had been made by pressing a bucket of glitter into a flat sheet somehow. Every millimeter of her sparkled, down to the dangly diamond earrings, and the diamond pendant that Akane recognized as Izumi¡¯s. Akane was relatively certain Ranko had even dusted the bare skin of her arms and breasts in metallic glitter. The dress was slit almost all the way to her waistline along her left leg. It had no straps and left the redhead¡¯s shoulders bare, though her hands were covered in a pair of ivory opera gloves that came to just below her elbows. Her wavy hair bounced luxuriously on her shoulders. Every aspect of her makeup was perfect, from her bright red lipstick to her sparkly silver fingernail polish.

    Oh. My. Gods, Akane thought, gasping and covering her gaping mouth with her hands. She knew she should cheer, or clap, or wave, or something.

    She could not. She was absolutely, positively dumbstruck.

    Ranko walked to the piano, running her fingers along its lid with a sultry smile at her wife. Several white and red rose petals fell from it onto the floor as she brushed them aside, her hand continuing to drag its length until her fingers caught the handheld microphone resting on its surface. Flicking the switch on its handle with her thumb, Ranko looked down at the lone table in the empty club, an expression of pure adoration that Akane recognized well. It was almost identical to the one her bride had worn a year ago, as she promised Akane the rest of her forever.

    The stage lights reflected off of her dress in pink and green, and the orange light of the candles rimming the stage refracted from her skirt as well. Ranko gave her wife the slightest wave with her gloved right hand, her left raising the microphone to her lips and beginning to sing.

    ¡°Everyone tells us that the world has a plan. That for every woman out there, somewhere, there¡¯s a man. There¡¯s a path we¡¯re meant to walk, and there¡¯s a way we¡¯re meant to go, to some end we can imagine, but can never really know.¡±

    Ranko did not dance, not that she much could in the restrictive cocktail dress, but she swayed slightly at the hips as she walked around the piano, scooping a long-stemmed white rose from the top of it. It, like the one that Akane had found on their kitchen table, bore a thin white ribbon tied in a bow around its stem. Ranko lifted the flower to her nose, closing her eyes as she smelled it. Just like the first night we made love, Akane.

    ¡°But every once in a while, there¡¯s a fork in the pass, and we stop to smell a flower we found in the grass. And then, there¡¯s another, and onward we stray, chasing beauty so long we lose sight of our way. And, before we know it, our fate is undone¡­¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    With a flick of her wrist, Ranko launched the rose forward off the stage. It landed on the tablecloth mere centimeters from Akane¡¯s left wrist.

    ¡°... the story rewritten before it¡¯s begun.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s eyes opened wide, and she leaned back slightly, holding the rhinestone-studded microphone further from her mouth as she opened her voice from the dulcet tone of a lounge singer into a full-on belt.

    ¡°Destiny¡­ might¡¯ve had a plan for you and me, but you and I, we just had to try to stand up and say no.¡±

    The redhead¡¯s voice climbed into the next octave, cocking her head slightly and simpering at the love of her life as she told their impossible story into the sparkling head of her microphone.

    ¡°Destiny-y-y-y¡­. I¡¯m going to hold her hand and declare myself free! This time, we¡¯ll make up our minds that we are going to decide where we¡¯re going to go!

    She made a wide gesture in an arc like a rainbow in the air in front of her face with her right hand, her fingers extended as if she were clearing condensation from a window to see through it better.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to wipe the stars out of the sky and draw a new course - one where nothing gets between us, and I get to be yours. I¡¯ll be right where I belong when you stand next to me-e-e-e¡­¡±

    The songstress gently rested her right hand over her heart. Forget the nearly-empty dance floor of the most popular gay club in Japan - in that moment, there was no other soul on Earth but Akane Tendo in the infatuated redhead¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Defy-y-y-ying des-tiny!¡±

    Only then did Akane finally find enough breath to clap her hands. ¡°I love you, Ranko!¡± Gods, it felt good to shout that out loud in a public place, even empty though it was.

    Ranko nodded, curling her left hand into a fist around her microphone. She dangled it limply in front of her, rubbing the back of her ivory glove in three small circles with her right hand.

    ¡°Everyone knew how the story was s¡¯posed to take place, but the plot disappeared when I first saw your face. They all thought it was crazy, what we tried to do. And yeah, maybe it was, but I¡¯m still here with you.¡±

    The starlet extended her left hand to the woman at the only table in the room, as if inviting her on stage. The stage lights refracted dazzlingly in the diamond of her custom-engraved wedding ring, which she wore outside her glove.

    ¡°Now we¡¯re making it up as we walk on along, hand in hand down the road, and girl, you¡¯re STILL my song!¡±

    Akane wiped her eyes, sniffling a bit at the mention and remembering a morning over a year ago where a shy, nude girl curled up against her chest in their bedroom and sang that song for the first time. Then as now, she had done so for an audience of but one.

    ¡°We¡¯re carving our path through the brambles and weeds. Though it¡¯s not what fate wanted, it¡¯s all that I need!¡±

    Ranko extended her arm, panning it across her field of vision to indicate the mostly-empty room.

    ¡°In the middle of nowhere, where no one can see¡­¡±

    She pinched her skirt with her right hand, lifting it slightly out of the way of her feet and swaying at the hips playfully. Her smile could have outshone the sun.

    ¡°I¡¯m dancing in moonlight ¡®cause you¡¯re here with me! Destiny¡­ might¡¯ve had a plan for you and me, but you and I, we just had to try to stand up and say, no!¡±

    Ranko reached her hand out to her wife again. Though they were two meters too far apart to touch, Akane felt her presence anyway.

    ¡°Destiny-y-y-y, I¡¯m going to hold her hand and declare myself free! This time, we¡¯ll make up our minds that we are going to decide where we¡¯re going to go!¡±

    Again, the songstress waved her hand in front of her eyes, waggling her satin-gloved fingers in Akane¡¯s direction as they passed her cheeks as if she were casting a spell. As she did, some of the strands of twinkling pinpoints of starlight draped over the back curtain were raised, others lowered, and some pulled further toward the outer edges of the stage.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to wipe the stars out of the sky and draw a new course, one where nothing comes between us, and I get to be yours! I¡¯ll be right where I belong when you stand next to me¡­¡±

    Ranko backed up to the piano, her voice cracking the sixth octave into her raised microphone as she leaned back into the prolonged belt. She opened her mouth as wide as she could, just like Ms. Zaito had taught her.

    ¡°Defy-y-y-ying des-tin-y-y-y-y!¡±

    Akane rocked back in her chair. She longed for the overwhelming emotions to give her just one moment¡¯s respite so she could scream her wife¡¯s name. But as she watched the vision she had married stalk the stage and profess her love simultaneously to but one single person, and to the sum total of Ranko Tendo¡¯s universe, she could find no words.

    Ranko hopped up carefully, resting her backside on the piano and sitting on it. She crossed her ankles demurely, resting her fingers gently between her breasts again.

    ¡°Sometimes, I lay awake at night and wonder what our story said, before we tore it up and chose to draft our own, instead. We¡¯re off the map of fate now, and the course we chart is ours. Between us, there¡¯s just enough magic for us to rewrite the stars!¡±

    The beat of the unseen drums intensified, and a sense of urgency seemed to build in the music behind Ranko¡¯s lyrics. Akane felt it in her voice, too, as it took on more of a determination layered atop the softness that had been there since the song had begun.

    ¡°And sure, here may be dragons, but I walk on unafraid, empowered by the miracle of everything we¡¯ve made. For everybody else, the story ends, the curtain falls, but they¡¯re going to sing forever of the legend that we¡¯ve scrawled. When fantasy¡¯s facade falls down, our fairy tale still stands, because we held the pen together in our trembling, coupled hands!¡±

    Ranko hopped down carefully from her perch on the piano, stepping closer to Akane at the center of the stage. She bent down at the knees, raising her hands at her sides as if summoning some hidden power behind her. As her hips swayed gently and her arms whipped around her body, a pair of quiet fans activated on either side of the stage, creating a whirlwind that raised the thousands of rose petals covering the stage floor into the air. They formed a gentle floral tornado around the lovestruck redhead as she stepped forward, caring not in the least about the silky red petals catching on her dress and in her hair.

    ¡°DESTINY¡­ might have had a plan for you and me, but you and I, we just had to try to stand up and say NO!¡±

    Ranko reached out with her gloved left hand, pointing dead at her wife as if claiming her in the eyes of the gods themselves. ¡°DESTINY! I¡¯m going to hold her hand for a-all eternity! This time we¡¯ll make up our minds that we are going to decide where we¡¯re going to go!¡±

    The young woman at the only table in the bar that night was bawling, but she blinked her tears from her bleary eyes to watch the woman she loved as best she could.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to wipe the stars out of the sky and draw a new course, one where nothing gets between us, and I get to be yours! I¡¯ll be right where I belong when you stand next to me, defying destiny-y-y-y!¡±

    Ranko smiled brightly down at the love of her life. We did it, Akane. They tried to tell us we couldn¡¯t. They tried to tell us it would never work. And a year ago today, we told them all to go pound sand, and now, look at us. We¡¯re magic, you and me. Impossible, unbelievable, and yet the most real thing I¡¯ve ever felt in my life.

    ¡°The power of what we¡¯ve done¡¯s blinding and awesome, but that¡¯s what happens when you do what should not be possible! Destiny-y-y-y¡­ might have had a plan for you and me, but you and I, we just had to try to stand up and say no-o-o-o-o!¡±

    The redhead swung her arm through the air across her chest, as if casting away some shadow from her eyes.

    ¡°Let kismet and karma and fortune be damned! I don¡¯t need them at all when you¡¯re holding my hand! Destiny, I¡¯m going to hold her hand and set us both free! This time we¡¯ll make up our minds that we are going to decide where we¡¯re going to go!¡±

    The blonde at the piano leaned forward into the keys, using her weight to strike them with greater force and coax a fuller sound from her instrument as the pre-recorded sound of the drums reached a crescendo of thunder.

    ¡°Our future¡¯s unwritten. Our path is our own. We¡¯re hurtling fearlessly through the unkno-o-o-ooooown¡­¡±

    The stage lights came up brighter, a bright pink that sparkled from every individual sequin of the exquisite singer¡¯s formal gown. She made a fist with her right hand, holding it just in front of her breasts in a show of conviction.

    ¡°DESTINY! Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re going to challenge ME! Because, I¡¯ve spent so long dreaming, and finally made up my mind! Destiny, at last I¡¯ve figured out what I¡¯m supposed to be!¡±

    She pointed down at Akane again, her eyes staring into the empty void at the back of the bar as if the weavers of fate themselves were standing there to hear her cast her lyrical gauntlet at their feet.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what else happens, as long as I¡¯m hers, and she¡¯s mine!¡±

    Ranko waved her hand across her eye line again, and the twinkling lights draped over the back curtain of the stage all blinked out at once.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to wipe the stars out of the sky and draw a new course, one where nothing gets between us, and I get to be yours! I¡¯ll be right where I belong when you stand next to me¡­ DEFY-Y-YING DES-TIN-Y-Y-Y-Y!¡±

    Her soaring belt of the final two words lasted a full three seconds, and when it ended, so too did the recorded drumbeat and the play of the pianist that shared the stage with her. The young keyboardist had given an admirable performance, but she had been all but invisible in Akane¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°So here we are, just you and me-e-e-eeeee¡­¡± Ranko sang softly, without musical accompaniment, reaching an open hand out to her wife again.

    ¡°... defying destiny.¡±

    Akane rocketed from her chair in her new red dress, clapping her hands as hard as she could - if Ranko would eschew performing for hundreds to sing for just her, then damn it, she would applaud as if she were thousands. Her soulmate deserved no less.

    Ranko strode to the edge of the stage, smiling down at Akane. ¡°Happy anniversary, Akane. I love you so, so, so much.¡±

    ¡°I love you too, Ranko. Forever.¡± Akane motioned to the empty room. ¡°How the hell did you do all this?¡±

    The redhead giggled, still speaking into her microphone on force of habit even though the conversation did not require it. ¡°Well, I might owe Steam a world premier show of Defying Destiny next Tuesday. Seemed like a fair trade to me.¡±

    ¡°Is that a good idea? Given, everything?¡± Akane frowned a bit; she knew full well that Ranko had all but declared war on her record label, but an explicitly same-sex love song premiere at a gay bar was still a pretty big red flag to wave.

    Ranko smirked. ¡°Not in the slightest. Now, ask me if I care.¡±

    Akane blushed, but nodded. ¡°Fair enough. What about everything else? The dresses, and all of this couldn¡¯t have been cheap.¡±

    Ranko bit her lip. ¡°I had a little money squirreled away. Been saving up for this for a little while. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Somehow, it didn¡¯t seem like the right time to bring up the fact that Yokai had been giving her a daily stipend for food and incidentals while she¡¯d been traveling for the first leg of the tour, and she¡¯d barely eaten for the last two weeks of it because she had been so upset that she and Akane weren¡¯t on speaking terms.

    Akane¡¯s face softened, taking in the scintillating vision that gazed down at her from the stage. ¡°Gods, Ranko, you are so beautiful. You just don¡¯t even know, princess.¡±

    It was the redhead¡¯s turn to blush.

    ¡°So¡­ what now? Are you gonna come down and eat, or¡­ what¡¯s the plan? This is your surprise, after all.¡± Akane beamed, motioning to the chair across from her at the little square table.

    Ranko blushed. ¡°Oh, baby¡­ we¡¯re just getting started.¡± She didn¡¯t just mean the private concert, either.

    The piano again was tickled to life, and Ranko raised the sparkling microphone to her cherry-red lips again.

    ¡°Did you know the way time stops when our eyes meet? The way that everything else fades out of my mind?¡±

 81. Dirty Little Secrets

    ¡°M¡­ Mister Kondo! Come in, sir, please!¡±

    Amaya Uyehara tossed aside the remote control for the small television on her credenza with a loud clatter, rocketing out of her battered brown leather office chair. She bowed low as the elderly man entered her office, remaining bent at the waist with her nose mere centimeters from her desktop until he gave her a slight bow in return.

    ¡°I¡­ wasn''t expecting you,¡± she stammered, scanning the desk area to make sure she¡¯d remembered to throw away the takeout container from the dim sum she¡¯d ordered for lunch.

    The elder executive nodded, strolling around the spacious office with his hands folded behind his back. ¡°I had a few minutes between meetings, and I thought I''d come check in on our top artist relations rep. The reports I get upstairs are so dry sometimes, and there''s no substitute for coming down from the top floor once in a while and just talking with people.¡±

    ¡°Of course, sir,¡± Amaya said with a nervous chuckle. The CEO just popped by my office for a chat? That hasn''t happened in four years of me working here! What the heck is this about?

    She stepped around her desk, watching his every move. ¡°Sh¡­ should I ask Sachiko to get you some tea, sir?¡±

    The old man waved her off with a perfunctory smile, his eyes taking in the Phoenix Rising album art poster on the officer''s west wall next to the whiteboard. ¡°Oh, no need for all that. Be at ease, Uyehara. Besides, I won''t be here long. Just a quick visit.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ what can I do for you, sir?¡± Amaya¡¯s eyes darted around the room, an almost guilty expression on her face. I feel like I''m back in my mother''s apartment in high school, hoping she doesn''t find my weed, the young executive thought as she squirmed in her yellow patent leather heels.

    Atsushi Kondo shook his head gently, lowering himself to the leather couch with a groan. He was slow and deliberate as he descended, thirty years of sixty-hour weeks in an office chair having wreaked havoc on his lower back. ¡°I swear, forget the long hours, the worst thing about being in charge is that everybody holds their breath when I walk in the room. It''s exhausting, Uyehara.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I''m sorry, sir.¡± Amaya bowed low again, this time at least unbuttoning her yellow blazer so she could do so more comfortably.

    ¡°Amaya¡­ you''re doing it again. Please, just sit down, before you give yourself a stroke or something?¡± The old man motioned to the chair across from his seat on the couch. ¡°Honestly, the amount of paperwork when an employee gets taken out of here in an ambulance is staggering.¡± He gave a disarming smile, but Amaya wasn''t entirely certain he was joking when he indicated that was his primary reason for concern, especially given the implication that he¡¯d actually had it happen before.

    Amaya nodded. ¡°Are you sure I can¡¯t get you something? If not tea, I think there¡¯s a bottle of sake in the break room left over from Miwa¡¯s retirement party¡­¡±

    Mr. Kondo groaned, clapping his hand on his knee. ¡°I can¡¯t, unfortunately. My doctor says I shouldn¡¯t drink when I take my back pills. There¡¯s some concern about the combination of the two actually making my back stop hurting for a minute, I think.¡± He laughed a little at his own joke. ¡°But, please, Amaya, stop fretting and sit down. You¡¯re starting to make me nervous, and I own the place.¡±

    Bobbing her head nervously, Amaya took the chair across from the couch, crossing her ankles politely in her knee-length ivory pencil skirt.

    Mr. Kondo flashed his young employee a reassuring grin. ¡°Thank you. See? Was that so hard? Now¡­ how are we coming along with the new recruits?¡±

    ¡°Sir, is there a problem with my monthly reports? I assure you, I¡¯ve been meticulous in every detail, but if there¡¯s something about the formatting¡­¡±

    The old man raised his hand to hush her mid-sentence. ¡°Amaya, please. I told you. Sometimes it¡¯s just nice to get the story from a human being¡¯s mouth rather than some soulless sheet of paper a computer spat out. We¡¯re in the music business. It¡¯s supposed to be about connecting with people, after all.¡±

    Amaya sighed, looking down at her hands. Stop shaking, Amaya. The more I make this weird, the more he¡¯s going to¡­ ¡°Well, sir, we¡¯re looking really good. We¡¯ve got the contracts in hand for the Martian Minotaurs, the Purple Oranges, and Heartplay, and I think I¡¯ll probably have Zillionaire locked up next week sometime.¡± The blonde smiled, trying to will herself to stop fidgeting. Stressing about relaxing is really counterproductive, she thought. ¡°We¡¯re working on a few hangups on the merch angle; I guess his mom makes some sort of art deco posters for the group that they want exempted. Nothing we can¡¯t handle, but it has to work its way through Legal.¡±

    ¡°Excellent! I heard one of the singles from Heartplay the other day; the post-production people said it¡¯s almost wrapped. It was pretty good!¡± Mr. Kondo grinned proudly. ¡°It¡¯s finally happening for us, Uyehara. Yokai¡¯s finally starting to make an impact out there. We¡¯re on our way now, and your efforts have a lot to do with that. Don¡¯t think we¡¯ll forget it when it comes time for annual bonuses.¡±

    With a deep blush, Amaya leaned forward, trying to affect a bow without actually standing from the seat she¡¯d been ordered to take. ¡°Thank you, sir! My team and I are one hundred percent committed to finding the best talent in Japan for Yokai Records!¡± And then watching the other departments go behind us and screw it all up, she thought, swallowing back her frustration.

    The old man adjusted his posture on the couch, loosening his narrow green necktie around his collar. ¡°It shows! Your work over the last year and a half has been exemplary, Uyehara.¡± He groaned, stretching his back with his arms extended upward as far as his tan suit coat would allow. ¡°Trust me on this, Amaya. Don¡¯t get old. It sucks.¡±

    The young woman managed a nervous chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do, sir.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s the live performance side of the house? Any updates there?¡± Mr. Kondo swiveled in his seat, pushing against his right knee with his left elbow and twisting his lower back.

    Amaya stood, walking to the calendar hanging on the wall opposite the Phoenix Rising poster and gesturing to it. ¡°On the twentieth, we¡¯ve got a sold-out performance for Joystick Attack at Goji¡¯s Garage. It¡¯s a smaller venue in the Asakusa district, only about five hundred, but for a first show for them, we¡¯ll take it.¡± Her hand dragged down to the following week on the July calendar. ¡°On the twenty-eighth, Four for Friday is doing the after-game concert for the Yomiuri Giants at the Tokyo Dome.¡±

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    She dragged her hand to the last box on the calendar¡¯s last row, which had a grayed-out numeral one in the upper right hand corner. ¡°And, of course, on the first of August, we have the kickoff show for the second leg of the Ranko and the Dapper Dragons tour in Manila.¡±

    ¡°Excellent! I heard that show sold out, too?¡± Mr. Kondo twisted his back to the other side, moaning quietly in relief as a loud pop was coaxed from his lumbar spine.

    Amaya nodded. ¡°Both of them, and the Jakarta show on the seventh, as well. With Bandung, we didn¡¯t quite get there, but we had to book a little bit of a bigger venue than we wanted, so we sort of expected that one. There are still a few tickets left for Medan, but I¡¯ll be surprised if that one¡¯s not full by curtain, sir.¡±

    The elderly executive smiled, clapping his knee with his hand again. ¡°Fan-tastic! I¡¯ve gotta tell you, Uyehara, finding that girl was just masterful work on your part. I know I took a little convincing, but that little fireball has really paid off for us! I¡¯m telling you, she¡¯s gonna be Yokai¡¯s ticket to the top! I can just feel it.¡±

    Then maybe we ought to stop pissing her off, boss, Amaya thought with a grimace that she hid behind her hand. ¡°I hope so, sir.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ what else did we need to cover¡­ Oh! Where are we on the code of conduct addenda? I really want to get that project put to bed.¡± Mr. Kondo swiveled back to his right, and a series of two more pops rose from his lower back. He groaned, his shoulders seeming to relax a little. ¡°Oh, yeah. There it went.¡±

    Amaya winced, her eyes taking another nervous tour of her office. ¡°Well, sir, of twenty-six acts, we¡¯ve gotten signed contracts from twenty-five of them.¡±

    The Yokai CEO nodded, beaming at his young employee. ¡°Stellar work as usual, Uyehara! And who¡¯s our last holdout?¡±

    ¡°Take a wild guess,¡± Amaya said, rolling her eyes. ¡°...Sir.¡±

    ¡°Tendo,¡± the elder executive said, sighing quietly. ¡°It¡¯s always the ones with real talent that prove to be a handful.¡±

    Amaya nodded. ¡°Sir, is all of this really necessary? We¡¯ve worked with her for over a year, and there¡¯s been no major problems. Why do we need to rock the boat like this with her?¡±

    Mr. Kondo chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯ve got a lawsuit sitting on my desk right now from a former producer saying she shot at him with a freaking bow and arrow, Amaya. She¡¯s always been a loose cannon, and we¡¯ve got to try and get her under control before she gets even more emboldened by her success.¡±

    ¡°Do we, though? Mr. Kondo, sir, I can¡¯t deny that Ranko has been a bottle-of-aspirin-a-day headache since the day we met her. But we can¡¯t deny that what she¡¯s doing is working. Sure, Heartplay isn¡¯t half the pain in the butt that Ranko is. But I don¡¯t see Heartplay selling out the Araneta Coliseum in Manila two nights in a row anytime soon, either. And if we push her away, and she goes somewhere else¡­¡±

    Mr. Kondo stood, stretching again. ¡°I understand your point, and I do sympathize, Amaya. You¡¯re the one on the front lines dealing with the talent, so your opinion on these matters is valuable, but¡­¡± He sighed heavily. ¡°We¡¯re finally turning the corner, after twenty years of spinning our wheels, and I won¡¯t have our good name tarnished because some no-name singer gets caught snorting coke off a hooker¡¯s ass somewhere. Give it a week, and that¡¯s all Yokai will be known for, and our run of luck will be over before it really begins.¡±

    Amaya winced. Gonna make me say it, huh? ¡°Maybe so, Mr. Kondo, but in the meantime, Yokai is finally starting to be known for actually having¡­ good music. We can¡¯t afford to run off our top talent over things like this. Perhaps we could make an exception for¡­¡±

    The CEO held up his hand. ¡°No. We¡¯re not going down that road. If we give Tendo a pass on the rules, there¡¯s no reason for anyone else to follow them, and we can¡¯t exactly tell the other artists that Ranko and her friends don¡¯t have to tow the company line because she¡¯s more talented than they are.¡± He chuckled, walking to Amaya¡¯s office window and peering out over the sidewalk below. ¡°However true it may be.¡± He shielded his eyes and turned away from the window, the afternoon sun reflecting off the windshields of the parked cars below giving him a bit of a headache. ¡°Besides, if she¡¯s not willing to agree to the rules, chances are good it¡¯s because she¡¯s already breaking one of them, and if so, we definitely need to know before it gets out of hand.¡±

    Amaya sighed heavily, saying nothing.

    ¡°I want this done, Amaya. I¡¯m serious about this. I¡¯m counting on you to make it happen for us. I know you won¡¯t let me down.¡±

    Amaya bowed deeply to the frail old man, praying that her staring at the floor hid the frustration and resentment evident in her eyes. ¡°Yes, sir, Mr. Kondo!¡±

    The executive bowed back, ever so slightly owing to his still-sore sciatic nerve. ¡°Thank you, Uyehara. Your efforts are appreciated, as always.¡± He glanced down at the diamond-encrusted face of his wristwatch. ¡°Oh, hell. I¡¯ve gotta be up on the sixth floor in five minutes. It was excellent to see you as always, Amaya.¡±

    ¡°Have a nice rest of your day, Mr. Kondo,¡± Amaya offered, as cheerily as she could manage under the circumstances.

    ¡°You too,¡± he said as Amaya escorted him to the door to her office.

    As soon as he had stepped out into the hallway, Amaya swung her door closed, turning the deadbolt with a loud clack.

    Fudgebunnies, that was close.

    She took off her blazer and threw it over the back of the couch, frowning at how uncomfortably damp her blouse had gotten with sweat born of anxiety. She slumped heavily back into her office chair, reaching for the black plastic remote control she¡¯d discarded on her credenza when her boss¡¯s boss had abruptly interrupted her.

    Amaya pressed the red power button, and the little combination television and VCR lit up with a blue screen. She pressed the triangular play button, sitting back in her chair.

    The blue screen flickered black, and the grainy video Amaya had been watching when Mr. Kondo interrupted her resumed playing. A series of pink laser lights darted this way and that behind a beautiful young woman in a short black dress printed with several large lavender orchids. She was preening like a peacock as she strode across the glossy black stage. A short brunette and a tall blonde, in matching maroon dresses, flanked her as the three danced to a relatively simplistic choreography routine. It was hard to watch given how frequently the handheld camera was jostled this way and that on the dance floor teeming with people - nearly all women - but the singer¡¯s identity was unmistakable.

    ¡°Destiny, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re gonna challenge me, because I¡¯ve spent so long dreaming, and finally made up my mind. Destiny, at last I¡¯ve figured out what I¡¯m supposed to be! I don¡¯t care what else happens, as long as I¡¯m hers and she¡¯s mine!¡±

    The vexed executive leaned over her desk with a heavy sigh, cradling her head in her hands and curling her fingers into fistfuls of her long blonde hair. Oh, Ranko, she thought with an exasperated groan.

    When are you going to learn? I can¡¯t keep covering for you like this forever!

 82. On the Road Again

    ¡°Okay, babe. So, arak and what else?¡± Sakura tapped on the keys of her portable computer, squinting at its small screen. She turned in her seat to Mei, who was still working on mopping the area in front of the stage. ¡°Oi! Mei! Can you turn that down a little bit? I can¡¯t hear myself think in here!¡± She sighed in relief as Mei adjusted the volume of the bar¡¯s sound system.

    ¡°Sorry, Sakura!¡± Mei blushed, picking her mop back up from where she¡¯d leaned it against the service bar. ¡°It¡¯s just my jam, and, ya know, just thinkin¡¯ about her a lot today.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s another verse comin¡¯, so I¡¯m back from hell to put your shakin¡¯ butt right back under my spell,¡± Ranko¡¯s voice declared from the speakers despite the singer herself being somewhere over the Philippine Sea at the moment.

    Sakura flashed her blue-haired sister a soft smile. ¡°It¡¯s cool, sis. We¡¯re all thinking about her. But she¡¯s gonna do fine.¡± She groaned, her hand dropping heavily to the tabletop in impatient frustration as she glared at her Apple computer. ¡°Ugh! This thing is so slow. I knew I should¡¯ve ponied up the extra dough for the 170 model.¡±

    ¡°If you were smart, you wouldn¡¯t have bought that one, either. Those things are more of a pain in the ass than they¡¯re worth.¡± Yui gave her wife a bit of an eye roll as she leaned down, continuing to scrub out her ice well.

    The blonde¡¯s wife shrugged. ¡°Yeah, well, it was a shit time for both of us. You went on a three-month bender, and I went to retail therapy.¡±

    ¡°The way you shop, girl, actual therapy would¡¯ve been way cheaper. You¡¯re worse than Izumi. If you ask me, computers should go on a desk and stay there, so you can leave them at home and go enjoy yourself.¡± Yui smirked at her partner. ¡°Honestly. Sittin¡¯ there staring at that little screen when your wife is standing behind it in a short skirt and you don¡¯t even notice.¡±

    ¡°On the contrary, Yuri,¡± Sakura said, sipping from her soda through a black plastic straw. She eyed her lover hungrily in her black leather miniskirt and her butterscotch-colored turtleneck sweater. ¡°I¡¯m staring at the computer, because if I don¡¯t distract myself from my wife and her short skirt, everybody on the block is gonna notice what I do to her.¡±

    Mei giggled, returning from the hallway in the back room where she¡¯d deposited her mop in the little alcove they used to store their cleaning supplies. ¡°I swear. First Aya, then Izzi, then Ranko, and now you guys. I am cursed to always be stuck hanging out with horny newlyweds.¡±

    Yui tossed a damp bar towel at her sister, landing it on one of her electric blue pigtails. ¡°It¡¯ll be your turn soon, little sister - at least, if Seiichi knows what¡¯s good for him - and then that¡¯ll be all of us. Unless Mama decides to get back in the pool, that is.¡±

    ¡°Not holding my breath there,¡± Sakura said with a chuckle. ¡°They don¡¯t make boys that can handle her. Especially not ones her age.¡±

    A devious giggle from Mei drew the attention of both of her roommates and sisters. ¡°Maybe instead of a sixty-year-old, we find her two thirty-year-olds? Let them share the load.¡±

    Yui cackled so hard she had to put down the bottle of Midori she was shelving. ¡°You think her heart can take it?¡±

    Sakura nodded sagely. ¡°True. Better go with three twenty-year-olds.¡± She rattled the ice in her empty glass with a playful smirk. ¡°I gotta say, the service in this place sucks. At least you have cute bartenders. Can I get a refill, babe?¡±

    ¡°Only if you ask real nice,¡± Yui said with a coy smile, walking around the bar and taking Sakura¡¯s empty glass. She emitted a quiet purr as she turned back to the bar, propelled toward it by a hard, loud smack on her backside. ¡°That¡¯s better.¡±

    Mei hopped up, resting her backside on the polyurethane countertop of the main bar in her ankle-length denim skirt. ¡°Hey, is Izzi coming in today? I need to return a shirt I borrowed.¡±

    Her elder sister waved her away from the bar as she returned from filling Sakura¡¯s glass. ¡°Get your ass off¡¯a my counter, Mei! I just cleaned that, ya blockhead!¡± She shook her head admonishingly, but she was all smiles. ¡°And as for Iz, no. She won¡¯t be in all week. She¡¯s buried in sewing work. She even had to call Sora in to help.¡± Indeed, Izumi¡¯s work in fashion design had been demanding more and more of her time of late, ever since her celebrity sister gave her a red-carpet endorsement at the Japan Record Awards.

    ¡°Damn. And no Ranko either, and Akane¡¯s back to half-time with her school. If this keeps up, we¡¯re gonna have to hire again, I think - especially if we want Mama to keep taking it easy.¡± Mei¡¯s fretful expression was met with a cheery snicker from her sister.

    ¡°Or, alternatively,¡± Yui said, swatting her sister playfully through the shoulder of her red sequined shirt, ¡°you could get your ass off my counter and go do some work.¡±

    Mei rested her fists on her hips with a little hmmmph. ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that? Besides, I¡¯m working! I¡¯m¡­ supervising.¡±

    Sakura giggled. ¡°The day we let you supervise anything is the day this place burns to the ground, little sister. But speaking of work¡­ I¡¯m trying to get this menu update finished. Yui, the Snakebite?¡±

    ¡°Shit! Sorry, babe! I didn¡¯t hear ya. It¡¯s arak, honey, mint, and a splash of pomegranate syrup.¡± Yui¡¯s voice echoed in the hollow steel basin she had resumed scrubbing. ¡°Oh, did you remember to add the salads?¡±

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Her wife crossed her legs at the knee under the table in her skinny blue jeans. ¡°Of course I did. And Zoe does actually like this thing? Did they try it?¡±

    Yui scoffed a bit at the implication. ¡°Yes, Miss Chino, I made them one. And it¡¯s delicious, thank you very much. But even if I didn¡¯t, Zo¡¯s Australian. I¡¯m pretty sure they can handle it. Everything that lives there wants to kill them. They got poisonous spiders the size of your hand. They probably drink actual snake venom down there.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Mrs. Chino to you, young lady,¡± Sakura said with a loving smile and a quiet laugh. ¡°Unless you¡¯d rather it be Fukawa.¡±

    The blonde waved off her suggestion. ¡°If either of us is gonna change their name, I will. At least you actually still talk to your family. But I don¡¯t see the need, honestly. It¡¯s a huge pain in the ass. I remember when Iz did hers; it took months, and that¡¯s with an actual marriage certificate to work from.¡±

    ¡°Whatever you want, baby. As long as you¡¯re wearing my ring, I don¡¯t care what everybody else calls ya.¡± She tapped a few more times on the button to the left of her trackball. ¡°Aaaaand, done! I¡¯ll take this to the print shop tomorrow, and we¡¯ll have new Ranko¡¯s Rocktails cocktail menus by Thursday!¡± Sakura made a show of dusting off her hands over her keyboard.

    Yui walked around the bar counter again, leaning down and kissing her partner on top of her head as she looked over the changes she¡¯d made to the current menu to add the Snakebite cocktail. ¡°Amazing as always, Sake.¡±

    ¡°Hey, girls!¡±

    Yui and Mei looked up to the sound of the new voice as their mother entered through the front door. ¡°Hey, Mama,¡± Yui said with a wave. ¡°How you feelin¡¯?¡±

    Hana rolled her eyes, grinning softly. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just like I was yesterday and every other day you¡¯ve asked.¡± She handed a stack of mail to Yui, pulling off her black motorcycle helmet and setting it on the bar counter next to Mei¡¯s backside. ¡°What¡¯s left to do before opening?¡±

    Mei stuck out her leg, creating a barrier of denim between the two bar counters. ¡°For you? Nothin¡¯. We promised Ranko we weren¡¯t gonna let you overwork yourself while she was gone.¡±

    ¡°Overwork is one thing, but no work at all? Come on, girls. Let me help you.¡± Hana wrapped her arm around Mei¡¯s shoulders, giving her a little squeeze.

    Yui pushed through the blue saloon door, turning right into her mother¡¯s office. She tossed the stack of mail onto the desk, turning back into the hall before noticing one of the envelopes sliding off the stack onto the floor beyond. She returned to the bar area, where Mei had hopped off of the counter and was pouring Sakura another refill of her soda.

    Laughing as she returned to the bar from Sakura¡¯s table, Mei handed her mother an aluminum tray of lemons, a paring knife resting atop them. ¡°Here. You wanna come back to work, you gotta start with the easy stuff, just like we all did.¡±

    Hana chuckled, taking the knife. She added an overexcited tone to her voice, widening her eyes exaggeratedly. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, Miss Hotaro. If I work really hard, maybe I can get promoted to server by Christmas!¡±

    Her blue-haired daughter giggled. ¡°Sounds ambitious, but I don¡¯t know. I like your spirit, Takahashi. You just might go places in this business!¡±

    Putting the knife back down on the counter, Hana bowed over it with a bright smile. ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am! I won¡¯t let you down!¡±

    Mei¡¯s laughter faded after a moment, and her face took on a mask of concern as Hana began bifurcating the lemons. ¡°You guys think she¡¯s gonna be okay? Ranko, I mean? She looked so scared when she left. Even worse than last time.¡±

    It was not Yui that responded, but Sakura, closing her portable computer¡¯s lid. She winced, having slammed the screen down a little harder than she¡¯d meant to. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. You gotta remember, when she went away last time, all hell broke loose here, between Mama and Yui.¡±

    Hana nodded. ¡°Plus, she had the fight with Akane. So, of course she¡¯s just nervous. But, I think everything¡¯s as good as it can be, and all we need to do is make sure we¡¯re telling Ranko that every time we talk to her, so she keeps hearing it and knows she doesn¡¯t have to worry.¡±

    Yui leaned on her mother¡¯s shoulder as the elder woman worked her paring knife, grinning at her little sister. ¡°That¡¯s right. Besides, we¡¯re gonna keep a close eye on Mama, and Sakura¡¯s here to help out with the bar stuff. I do think we should go ahead and put the hiring sign out again, just to have our ear to the ground.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Hana said with a nod, tossing a bruised lemon from the tray into a nearby trash can.

    Mei sighed, bobbing her head in assent. ¡°Ranko never did talk to Akane about her whole jealousy issue, though. She¡¯s gonna be thinking about it the whole time she¡¯s gone.¡±

    Her elder sister crinkled her nose, shaking her head in the negative. ¡°Naaah. I think in her heart of hearts, Ranko knows Akane¡¯s not the type to mess around. Besides, I promised Ranko that if Sho made a move on Akane while she was on the road, I¡¯d personally puree his balls in my blender. Honestly, the thing I¡¯m most worried about is the Yokai stuff. I¡¯m not sure it was the best move for her to pick a fight with them right before traveling half of Asia on their credit card.¡±

    The blue-haired woman shrugged. ¡°The new song is fire though, and I¡¯m glad she got rid of Freak. That couldn¡¯t have been fun for her to perform every day.¡± Mei gave a little sigh, slumping her shoulders a bit. ¡°Honestly, I kinda feel like this is all my fault. I¡¯m the one who picked Yokai Records in the first place.¡±

    Hana laid her knife on the counter and squeezed Mei tight around the shoulders again, rubbing her forearm roughly in support. ¡°Hey, come on now. Don¡¯t do that to yourself. You got your sister her start, and she¡¯s so, so grateful for it. Even if things go south now, she¡¯s in a position to change course and keep going because of what you did. You don¡¯t have a crystal ball last I checked; you can¡¯t be blamed for what the record people are doing two whole years later.¡±

    Sakura nodded, setting her empty drink glass back on the tabletop in front of her. ¡°Not only that, typically predicting things involves figuring out logically what the next step is, and what they¡¯re doing defies any sort of logic. Talk about pissing in the wind, going toe-to-toe with their meal ticket like this! They know Nabiki will eat them for breakfast anyway.¡±

    The bar¡¯s proprietress waved her hand as if swatting Yui¡¯s concern out of the air. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about the label people, truth be told. According to Nabiki, they¡¯re basically in a game of chicken right now, where the best move Ranko can make is none at all. So, as long as she doesn¡¯t go and do something entirely boneheaded, the situation should at least keep until she gets home.¡±

    Yui cringed, sighing over the clink of the bottle of arak in her hand bumping the bourbon next to it in the well she was reloading. ¡°So, everything¡¯s fine, as long as Ranko doesn¡¯t, ya know, pull a Ranko. And you wonder why I¡¯m worried.¡±

 83. Divisoria

    ¡°No thank you!¡± Ranko sighed heavily, rolling over in bed and covering her head with her pillow. Housekeeping is so insistent here, she grumbled mentally. Can''t you let a girl sleep? It''s¡­ She glanced at the digital alarm clock on the nightstand with a low groan. It¡¯s eight o¡¯clock in the freakin¡¯ morning!

    The door rattled with another series of loud bangs.

    Oh, alright. I''ll get up, Ranko thought as she threw off the white down comforter with a growl. And when I do, whoever is on the other side of that door is gonna die.

    Ranko threw on a pastel blue robe over her pink nightdress, slamming the brass hotel lock open and turning the deadbolt. She ripped the heavy door open almost hard enough to tear it off its hinges. ¡°WHAT do you wa¡­¡±

    She blinked as a brown paper cup full of iced coffee was thrust into her hand, and a pair of women burst into her room. ¡°Shut up and drink that,¡± Emi said with a smirk as Hitomi drew open the curtains to let in the sunlight and the balcony view of Manila from the fifth-floor hotel room.  Hitomi next stalked over to the north wall, throwing open the bifold doors of Ranko¡¯s hotel room closet.

    Ranko rubbed her eyes, a quiet whine escaping her lips. ¡°You guys, what the hell do you want? It''s early!¡± After a five-hour flight from Tokyo the day before, Ranko and her band mates had traveled via taxicab immediately from the airport to the Araneta Coliseum. Their plane had landed at 5:16 in the afternoon and they were due onstage at eight to perform a show, the first of two in Manila. After the show, the post-show meet-and-greet, getting out of her costume, and checking into the hotel, she hadn''t gotten to bed until well past two in the morning. But they were up all night, too.

    ¡°How the heck are you girls so¡­ alive?¡± Ranko sipped her coffee as Hitomi pulled her favorite white lace dress out of the closet, spreading it out on the bed next to her friend and beginning to scour the dresser drawers for underwear. ¡°And, why?¡±

    ¡°Divisoria.¡± Emi said the word with a certain reverence, as if it were some magic spell.

    ¡°Divi-what, now? Is that the name of whatever drugs you girls are on that are makin¡¯ you think you can drag me out of bed this early? ¡®Cause if so, I need some, before I pummel both of your scrawny little asses.¡± Ranko wiped her eyes again, stretching her arms skyward with a wide yawn as a pastel blue bra and matching panties were tossed atop her dress beside her.

    Emi reached into her back pocket and handed the redhead a trifold brochure from the tourism information stand in the hotel lobby. ¡°Divisoria. It''s this huge shopping district. The prices are supposed to be incredible, and there''s literally thousands of vendors, and there''s food, and¡­ would you just freakin¡¯ get dressed already?!¡±

    Ranko shook her head. ¡°Look, girls, I appreciate that you''re trying to inv¡­ yurk!¡± Hitomi took her by the wrists, yanking the half-awake redhead off the edge of the queen-sized bed to her feet.

    ¡°Oh, no you don''t,¡± Hitomi admonished. ¡°You''re not getting into that, oh, woe is me, Akane stayed back in Japan funk again. No, ma¡¯am. You were no fun at all in Australia and we are not letting you do that shit this time. So, we¡¯re instituting a mandatory girls¡¯ day. But the day is wasting, and if you don''t get your cute little backside in that dress, and I do mean right now, you''re gonna see what it feels like to be stuffed into it kicking and screaming.¡±

    Um, have you girls even met Izzi, Ranko thought with a blush as she cast her terry cloth robe to the mattress. Maybe if I told them I wasn''t always a girl, they''d let me skip the girls¡¯ day and go back to bed. ¡°If this is a girls¡¯ day, where the heck is Zoe?¡±

    ¡°First,¡± Emi corrected as she dug through Ranko¡¯s bag of hair supplies, ¡°Zoe''s not a girl.¡±

    ¡°That, and they chucked a steel-toed boot at me when we tried to invite them,¡± Hitomi added with a giggle.

    Ranko blinked, laughing a bit as the caffeine from the coffee accelerated the process of rebooting her neurons from sleep. ¡°Wait¡­ that was an option?!¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Whoooooa!¡±

    Ranko panned the chaos around her with her wide eyes as she stepped clear of the taxicab. There were people absolutely everywhere. Vendor stalls under colorful awnings and tents lined the outside walls of the buildings on both sides of the street, and both they and the buildings themselves overflowed with shoppers trundling canvas tote bags and loose items. In one tent area, plastic folding tables displayed hand-dipped candles. In another, a dingy rug laid on the sidewalk proffered ceramic jugs and stone yard ornaments. The aromas of countless exotic local delicacies hung heavily in the air. Even for a woman who spent her life surrounded by thousands of watts of speakers, the cacophony of bustling and bargaining was almost overwhelming.

    Hitomi clutched Emi about the waist, looking around in starry-eyed wonder. ¡°Ems¡­ we¡¯re home!¡±

    ¡°Just remember, whatever you buy, you gotta get on the plane and lug around with you for the next few weeks,¡± Ranko warned as Emi made a goofy face into a diamond-shaped infinity mirror that was propped against a wooden crate on the ground.

    Emi shook her head, scowling a bit. ¡°Naaah! We¡¯ll just pack it up and ship it to Hitomi¡¯s dads¡¯ place, and it''ll be there waiting for us when we get back to Japan! It''ll be a little pricey, but the stuff here is so cheap, it¡¯ll still work out better than buying most things at home!¡±

    Ranko grinned broadly, looking over a small cement dragon painted in a brilliant blue. ¡°You''re a genius, Emi!¡±

    Hitomi tittered, throwing her arm around Ranko¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Nah, we''re just expert bargain hunters. It''s almost like a martial art.¡±

    ¡°And in martial arts, anything goes,¡± Ranko replied with a smirk.

    ¡°You got it!¡± Emi cackled, wandering toward a folding table covered with an orange sarong under a green tent. She bounced on her heels, gasping loudly and pointing to something on the tabletop. ¡°You guys! Check this out!¡±

    Hitomi approached with Ranko in tow, and sputtered in laughter as her eyes caught what her girlfriend was drawing their attention to. Mixed among a sea of CDs in unwrapped jewel cases, most with covers printed on plain paper on a low-quality printer, was one bearing Ranko¡¯s photograph. The Wild Orchid title text had been replaced with something in Filipino that Ranko didn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°What the¡­ I didn''t think Yokai made CDs in any other languages!¡± Ranko picked it up, turning the case over to note that the back was also translated, equally inaccurately.

    ¡°They didn''t,¡± Emi said. ¡°These are bootlegs. Unauthorized copies.¡±

    The man working the booth finished a sale at the far end of the table and rushed over to the trio. He greeted them in English. ¡°Welcome, welcome! Please, look around! All the latest hits from around the world, yeah? Everything is a hundred percent authentic!¡±

    Hitomi scoffed, nodding her head and replying in the English language they had in common. ¡°Sure they are. I think we¡¯d know.¡± She snatched the jewel case from Ranko¡¯s hand, holding it up next to her friend¡¯s face so the booth worker could compare the photo to the genuine article.

    ¡°Oh my¡­ I''m so sorry! I¡­ I didn''t know!¡± The middle-aged man waved his hands defensively. ¡°I''ll get rid of it right away! I don''t want any trouble!¡±

    Ranko laughed, pulling her black leather purse forward on her hip and unzipping it. ¡°Actually, I want to buy it!¡±

    Emi put her hand over Ranko¡¯s bag before she could pull it open. ¡°Don''t you dare pay this guy for robbing you!¡±

    Hitomi turned to the vendor, waving the CD in the air. ¡°We are taking this, and we had better not see any more of our albums on your table!¡±

    The man cowed in defeat. Ranko was fairly certain he was about to roll over and show them his belly like a chastised puppy. ¡°Yes! Yes! Please, take! So sorry!¡±

    Ranko grinned, grabbing the case back from Hitomi¡¯s hand and stuffing it down into her purse.

    Emi shook her head with a disbelieving smile as the trio exited the stall. ¡°Why the heck did you want that anyway, Ranko? It''s not like you don''t have a million of ¡®em back at home.¡±

    The redhead preened as she zipped her bag closed. ¡°It¡¯s something my pop used to say: you know you got somethin¡¯ good when people are willing to steal it. Sure, this guy probably cost us a couple yen, but girls, this is what it looks like to make it! I can''t friggin¡¯ wait to show Akane!¡±

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Hitomi shook her head, rolling her eyes as the girls walked toward the next stall. ¡°Uh, Ran-chan? I have told you you''re a fuckin'' weirdo, right?¡±

    Ranko giggled, gripping her purse strap as they walked. ¡°Not today¡­¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Oh my gods, you guys, you gotta try this.¡± Emi bounced excitedly on the rubberized metal bench attached to the red plastic picnic table, not waiting to swallow before speaking. She reached out to her left, thrusting the styrofoam bowl in her hand at her girlfriend.

    Hitomi gazed down skeptically into the bowl. It contained a thick, brown stew with large lumps of meat and a variety of vegetables. It smelled sweet, and the broth almost had the consistency of melted ice cream. ¡°What¡­ is it?¡±

    Emi swallowed, glancing at the menu chalkboard leaning against the wall of the little streetside cafe again to refresh her memory of what she ordered. ¡°It''s called kare kare. It''s a peanut oxtail stew.¡±

    ¡°Sounds¡­ interesting?¡± Hitomi shrugged, popping the white plastic spoon in her mouth. She emitted a quiet moan while it still protruded from her lips. ¡°Oh, wow.¡± She motioned to the bowl with the spoon before dunking it back into the local delicacy and passing it to her left. ¡°Ranko, girl, you gotta get in on this.¡±

    Ranko took the bowl, exchanging it for her own. ¡°Here, try my adobo. It¡¯s chicken and it''s got, like, vinegar and soy, I think?¡± She took a heaping spoonful of the peanut stew, her eyes widening as she chewed. Wait to talk until you swallow. Manners. Three years in, that¡¯s still one of the hardest things to remember about the whole ¡®being ladylike¡¯ thing. ¡°Yo, that is the bomb. I gotta get one!¡±

    ¡°Save room, if you wanna try that coconut fruit dessert thing,¡± Emi reminded her. ¡°The¡­ bilo bilo? How come everything in this country has the same name twice?¡±

    Ranko giggled, passing her blonde friend back her bowl. ¡°Beats me, Emi-Emi!¡± She grinned at her laughing friends. ¡°Hey, thanks for today, you two. I really did need it; I¡¯d have just sat in the room and pouted all day. Maybe let me sleep a little more next time, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Not a chance,¡± Hitomi said, tittering through a mouthful of sinigang. ¡°Shop ¡®til you die, sleep when you''re dead.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°You''ve got to get this, Ems!¡± Ranko reached up to a long length of wire strung between two wooden poles in one of the many street stalls, pulling down a long orange wrap skirt and handing it to the tall blonde. The fabric was patterned with large white flowers, and its bottom hem was fringed in gold lace with little dangly tassels every few centimeters. ¡°It would be just stupid cute on you!¡±

    Gods help me, I''ve turned into Izumi.

    Emi held the hanger up to her waist, turning to Hitomi. ¡°Whatcha think, lover?¡±

    The brunette bit her lip, nodding slowly. ¡°It''ll look fantastic on the floor, babes. But I think Ranko should get one, too. The orange will work really good with your hair, Ran-chan.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡± Ranko blushed a bit, brushing her wavy hair behind her right ear with her fingertips. ¡°And what about you? Don''t wanna be twi¡­ triplets?¡±

    Hitomi shook her head. ¡°I''m too freakin¡¯ short. I''d step on it. Besides, if I wanna wear it, I''ll just borrow Emi¡¯s.¡±

    Emi gestured to her girlfriend, tittering with Ranko. ¡°Bad enough she always wants to get in my pants, now she¡¯s after my skirts, too?!¡±

    ¡°Keep teasin¡¯, Ems, and I''ll get into more than that when we get back to the room.¡± Hitomi tossed a pair of green silk panties from a nearby wire rack at her partner.

    Emi grinned hungrily as she returned the underthings to the rack. ¡°Promises, promises.¡± She turned to Ranko. ¡°Go on. Go find one in your size! I wanna get it for you.¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡± Ranko blushed again. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. I''ve got my own money.¡± It was still a relatively new concept for her, however infrequently she actually did have money to spare. She''d done without for far long enough, so she was immensely proud of having worked herself into a position that she could consider herself a modest success.

    Emi nodded, draping the skirt over her arm after checking the tag to ensure the correct size for herself ¡°Uh-huh! I know you do, but¡­ sometimes, it''s just cool to spoil your friends!¡±

    Ranko smiled warmly. ¡°Okay, but I¡¯ll get your next thing, then.¡± As she spoke, she felt her hair being messed with, and looked up in the mirror behind the sunglass display as Hitomi clipped a large banana clip bearing a white faux flower similar to those on the skirt.

    ¡°Oh, yeah. That''s happening,¡± Hitomi said, noting the smile on her friend¡¯s face and the slight blush on her cheeks. ¡°You want one too, babes?¡±

    Emi shook her head. ¡°Nah. It¡¯s too light; it¡¯ll wash out in my hair. But for her, absolutely!¡±

    <hr>

    Still looking down at the postcards she had purchased to send home to Akane, Yui and Soun, Ranko followed behind her friends on autopilot as they turned into the next building.

    ¡°Okay, so if this is¡­ alright, we make a right here, and¡­¡± Emi looked up from the trifold map at the sound of Hitomi cackling, and soon joined her in her laughter.

    Ranko blinked, looking around at the shop she found herself in. It was far cleaner and classier looking than most of the stalls outside. Most of the displays consisted of glass shelves containing dozens of small, shiny boxes, well-lit in white light and pink neon. A framed poster of a brunette with blown-out hair, in just her black bra and panties, hung on the back wall. The store was entirely unfamiliar to Ranko, but clearly Hitomi and Emi knew something about it she did not.

    ¡°What the heck is this place?¡± There was a certain look about Ranko that Hitomi recognized as deer in headlights.

    Hitomi bounced in her transparent gel heels, laughing heartily at her friend''s naivety. ¡°It''s a toy store, ya dummy!¡±

    Ranko looked up at her backup singers, a quizzical expression painted across her face. ¡°They must do ¡®em different here than at home, then. Hoshi¡¯s birthday shopping trip didn''t look nothin'' like this.¡±

    Emi sputtered, letting her face fall into her palm. ¡°Oh, honey. What are we gonna do with you?¡±

    As Emi spoke, Ranko reached out for a small pink ovoid on a nearby shelf, made of some sort of rubber or silicon. It was connected to a black controller with two buttons on it, and she pressed one of them, a curious expression in her eyes. She jumped back as the device began rattling angrily on the glass shelf with a loud buzzing sound. ¡°The hell?!¡±

    Both of her companions positively cackled, and several other shoppers looked up at the sudden outburst.

    ¡°Who the heck wants a toy like that?! Is it for cats, or somethin¡¯?¡± Ranko looked around the shop, her face turning crimson. ¡°Why¡¯s everybody starin¡¯ at me like that?¡±

    Hitomi leaned closer to her friend, putting her arm over Ranko¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s not for cats, ya nutball. But it is for pussies¡­¡±

    Ranko¡¯s eyes almost fell out of her head as the wave of understanding crashed over her conscience like an avalanche down a mountainside. ¡°...What?!¡± She looked at the device on the shelf again, backing away from it as if it were a face hugger from one of those sci-fi movies Mei liked to watch, and it might leap at her from the display and attack at any moment. She was humiliated to have even touched it.

    ¡°Have¡­¡± Emi blinked in surprise, lowering her voice. ¡°Have you really never seen one of those before, Ranko?¡± She chuckled quietly, watching Ranko shrink from her gaze, shaking her head. Her face turned redder still as Hitomi joined in the laughter, far less discreetly.

    Emi stepped closer, almost looking concerned. ¡°How do you manage being away from Akane for weeks at a time, without¡­ ¡° She made a gesture with her hand, rolling her wrist as if trying to summon the words. ¡°... ya know? Do you just¡­ use your fingers?¡±

    Ranko scrunched up her face, shaking her head wildly. ¡°My fi¡­ no! Eww! I just¡­ don¡¯t! Not until I¡¯m home with Akane.¡±

    Hitomi cringed, recoiling in horror as if her friend had just told her she liked to eat babies on toast. ¡°No wonder you were so bitchy in Australia!¡±

    The tall blonde waved her girlfriend off, an urgency in her motions. ¡°Stop, ¡®Tomi. Don¡¯t embarrass her.¡±

    Too late, Ranko thought, her ears practically steaming from the warmth of her face.

    Hitomi picked up a shiny silver box, looking it over. ¡°We should get her one, Ems.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ no, I don¡¯t want¡­ I¡¯m okay, I¡­¡± If there was anything else Ranko said, it was lost in her ever-weakening stammer.

    The young brunette shook her head almost piteously. ¡°No! You¡¯re our friend. We can¡¯t let you go on suffering like that. I¡¯m pretty sure I read somewhere that a girl can actually die if she doesn¡¯t¡­¡±

    Emi smacked her girlfriend on the back of the head with her palm, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to get her attention. ¡°Stop. I mean it! You¡¯re freaking her out.¡± She lowered her voice as she turned back toward Ranko. ¡°But, we will help you pick something, if you want.¡± She smiled reassuringly, resting her hand on Ranko¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Even if you wait to use it ¡®til you¡¯re home with her, they can be all kinds of fun.¡±

    ¡°But, I¡­¡± Ranko eyed the device on the counter suspiciously, her eyes trepidatiously making their way to the other selections on display. I feel like such a pervert just looking at this stuff, but, I guess Yui has stuff like this, and Hitomi and Emi obviously do¡­

    Hitomi snatched up a purple box next to an oblong lavender device on a nearby glass shelf and offered it to her friend. ¡°Jackpot. I think this is the one.¡±

    Ranko took the box in her hands, her fingers trembling. She turned the little cardboard box in her hand, examining it on every side with wide, curious eyes as if it were some artifact she¡¯d unearthed from a long-lost civilization. ¡°Why? Is it¡­ is it¡­ good? What makes it good? Does it¡­ feel nice? Is it gentle? How can you tell?¡±

    ¡°Gentle? Oh, honey.¡± Hitomi took the box from her hand, instead replacing it with the display model from the shelf next to it.

    As Ranko caught it, Hitomi pressed a button hidden on the back end of it, and the device began to rumble violently in her hand.

    ¡°That¡¯s the lowest setting. Girl, this sucker will fucking crack asphalt.¡±

 84. Its Just Business

    ¡°But now, I¡¯ve got the recipe to make you wind up next to me! Together, we¡¯ll be hotter than hell!¡±

    A smattering of polite applause rose from the tables dotting the floor of the most popular dive bar in the Minato district of Tokyo. Mei bounded up to the stage, passing the bespectacled data analyst as he descended the three steps on the right side of the stage. ¡°Alright! That was contestant number eighteen! Let us know if he was your favorite in tonight¡¯s Dapper Dragons Karaoke Contest! Now, who wants to come up next?¡±

    Sakura leaned over her partner¡¯s shoulder, speaking quietly as Yui built a Watch Your Hands cocktail. ¡°Please be merciful. Just put me out of my misery. Make it quick. I beg you.¡±

    Yui shook her head, flipping her short blonde hair into her lover''s face. ¡°Not a chance. Just remember, you could have been in a nice, cushy office in Fukuoka tonight, but you chose to be here instead.¡±

    With a playful grin, the black-haired woman leaned over until her lips almost touched Yui¡¯s right ear. ¡°Yeah, well, what can I say? Mr. Fukumara couldn¡¯t possibly fuck me half as good as my new boss.¡±

    Yui blinked, turning to her with an expression of false shock. ¡°You fuck my mother? Eeww! You¡¯re so gross!¡± She giggled loudly as she handed the bourbon cocktail across the counter to a regular, a flight attendant who tended to stop in every Wednesday night when she was in town.

    ¡°I''m gonna tell her you said that, you know.¡± The young man in the black tee shirt laughed as he reached across the counter for a lemon to add to a glass of diet soda he had poured for a middle-aged man seated near the stage.

    Yui smirked deviously at her sister¡¯s boyfriend. ¡°You do, Seiichi, and don''t be surprised when I accidentally drop your pants down the fire escape the next time you stay the night.¡±

    Seiichi winced, wiping the lemon juice from his hands off on his black jeans and picking up the pilsner glass he had garnished. ¡°Alright, alright! Man, you play rough, girl!¡±

    ¡°Where do you think Ranko got her viper mentality? It sure as hell wasn''t from Izzi¡­¡± Yui smirked, tossing a bottle of arak high into the air and catching it spout-down mere centimeters over a rocks glass.

    Mei bounded up to the bar counter, leaning over it and kicking her left heel up behind herself as a trio of intoxicated young women began a howling rendition of Sneak. ¡°Okay, that''ll keep the stage busy for a few minutes. Any kitchen orders come in?¡±

    Sakura shook her head. ¡°No, and I''m not surprised. I''m not sure I could keep my food down listening to this shit either. Make it stop, Mei. Please. I''m begging you here!¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­¡± Mei giggled, tucking the emcee microphone in her hand into the pocket of her denim skirt. ¡°You could always get up there and sing something, if you''re so worried about it.¡±

    Yui¡¯s wife shook her head emphatically, her cheeks reddening until they almost matched her silk blouse. ¡°I can''t sing! The only difference between me and those kids up there is, I actually know it.¡± She gave Yui a quick squeeze around the shoulders. ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore. I¡¯m gonna go check on your mom.¡±

    Receiving a nod of assent from Yui, Sakura made her way through the blue saloon door and hung a right turn, knocking on the closed office door.

    ¡°Come in,¡± came the response from beyond the wooden door.

    Sakura pushed through the door. ¡°Hey, you. How you doing in here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be doing better if you close that damned door! Gods, is there a migration of like, howler monkeys or something going on out there?¡± Hana laughed as Sakura pushed the door back into place until it latched. ¡°Just three weeks. Three weeks until my daughter¡¯s back on stage and it doesn¡¯t sound like a fucking horror show in my bar.¡±

    The younger woman nodded, smoothing her gray skirt as she took a seat on the battered leather couch. ¡°Right? You mind if I hide back here with you for a bit? I¡¯m getting a headache out there.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Yui will do that to ya sometimes,¡± Hana said with a chuckle, leaning back in her new office chair. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare tell her I said that, young lady. How¡¯s things going with you two? Still good?¡±

    With a bright smile, Sakura nodded and glanced down at her new diamond ring. ¡°No. Way better than good. It still feels crazy that we¡¯re even back together at all, let alone¡­¡± She held up her left hand for emphasis. ¡°I love her so much, Hana.¡±

    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you, Sakura?¡± She flashed a soft, loving smile at the young woman on the couch, wagging the back end of a black ballpoint pen in her direction. ¡°My name is Mom.¡±

    Sakura blushed, a gentle smile crossing her own lips. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. This all happened so fast, and I¡¯m still getting used to it. Sorry.¡±

    Hana nodded sagely. ¡°It¡¯s okay, baby. I¡¯m not mad or anything. I¡¯m just trying to drill into your head that I¡¯m here for you, too, just like I am for Akane, Kaito and Kage. Yui tells me things with your parents aren¡¯t¡­ well, all that great.¡±

    Bobbing her head, Sakura sat back on the couch, fiddling with her hands with a sigh. ¡°Yeah. You¡¯d think after thirty-one years, my mom would maybe get the hint that the whole Sakura likes girls too thing wasn¡¯t, in her words, a phase. She¡¯s really struggling with the idea that me and Yui are forever. But, we are, so she¡¯s gonna have to deal with it.¡±

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°How¡¯s your sister doing with it? Better, I hope?¡± Hana sipped at a bottle of draft beer as she awaited her newest daughter¡¯s response.

    Sakura nodded. ¡°Oh, yeah. You kidding? That girl follows me around like a lost puppy. If anything, my mom was worried she¡¯d try to decide to be gay just so she could be more like me.¡±

    Hana laughed. ¡°Somehow, I don¡¯t think it works like that.¡±

    ¡°Neither do I. Hey¡­¡± Sakura pointed to the carpet at Hana¡¯s feet. ¡°What¡¯s that on the floor?¡±

    The elder woman wheeled her new chair back a bit, looking down under her desk. ¡°It¡¯s an envelope. Must¡¯ve fallen.¡± She started to reach down to retrieve it, but before she could, Sakura had rocketed from the couch and was on her hands and knees in her restrictive pencil skirt in front of the desk. She handed the piece of mail over the desktop to Hana before grabbing the desk¡¯s surface, using it to pull herself back to her feet.

    Sakura smiled as Hana tore the white envelope open with her finger and pulled out the letter within. ¡°Man, I gotta stop wearing heels to work. It¡¯s been a while since I was floor staff, and I forgot how much¡­¡± Her voice trailed off as she watched the color drain from Hana¡¯s cheeks in real time. ¡°Ha¡­ mom? What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Hana looked down, shaking her head. She rocked back in her chair, sighing and rubbing her temples with her fingertips.

    With a mask of concern crossing her eyes, Sakura tentatively reached for the paper Hana had tossed to the desktop, not picking it up until Hana gave her a meek nod of assent. With every line she read, Sakura¡¯s eyes widened further. ¡°My gods. What are we¡­¡±

    Hana shook her head despondently. ¡°I don¡¯t know, baby.¡±

    Sakura dropped the paper back onto the table and walked around the desk, leaning down and wrapping her arms gently around Hana¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Hey. Breathe. We¡¯re gonna get through this, you hear me?¡±

    ¡°Alright, look. We can¡¯t all hide in here! It¡¯s my turn.¡± Yui burst through the office door, closing it behind her. ¡°Mei¡¯s got some fat accountant up there trying to get as high as Ranko does in Once Upon a Rhyme, and I¡¯m about one more chorus from literally fucking murdering somebody.¡± She looked up at her family, blinking a bit in surprise. ¡°What the heck¡¯s going on in here? You guys look like somebody kicked your dog.¡±

    With a heavy sigh, Sakura handed her wife the letter. Yui started to read, a cloud of fury building in her eyes with every word.

    Dear Ms. Takahashi:

    As you may have heard, there have been plans for some redevelopment in the Minato district for some time, spearheaded by Ishido Retail Partners. Their plans have been approved by the city council, and Ishido is nearly ready to begin construction of their new shopping mall project. As a result, Ishido reached out to us about the parcel of land you¡¯ve been renting from us. We¡¯ve reached an agreement to sell to them, with an expected closing date of Thursday, September 3.

    Once the closing is completed, Ishido will demolish the purchased properties and start building the mall.

    We at Tsuchiba Holdings have enjoyed our relationship with you these many years, and we¡¯re terribly sorry, but we will be forced to terminate your lease effective September 3 when the sale concludes. We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

    ¡°They¡­ they can¡¯t do this. They can¡¯t! Can they, Mama?¡±

    Hana gave a hollow nod in response to Yui¡¯s question. ¡°Yeah, baby, they can.¡±

    ¡°This is bullshit!¡± Yui stomped her foot. ¡°We¡¯re gonna call Nabiki, and she¡¯s gonna do her business jiu jitsu and fix this shit. We¡¯re not letting this happen. They¡¯re not taking this place from us. They¡¯re just¡­ not!¡±

    Sakura rounded the desk again, wrapping her wife in a hug. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay. We¡¯ll find a new place, and reopen. We¡¯re gonna be fine, Yui.¡±

    Hana shook her head. ¡°We can¡¯t just¡­ Sakura, honey, you need to understand. This isn¡¯t just a bar. I raised my girls in this place. It¡¯s not just our business. It¡¯s our home. I¡¯ve been here for over thirty years. I don¡¯t know that I can just pick it up and do it again.¡±

    ¡°Then we fight for it,¡± Yui pleaded. ¡°Tell me we¡¯re gonna fight for it, Mama.¡±

    The Phoenix¡¯ matriarch shrugged sadly, slumping over her desk. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a fight we can win, baby. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    ¡°Yui? Sakura? You guys got a line four deep at the bar and I can¡¯t keep u¡­ the hell?¡± Mei scanned the room, blinking as her elder sister thrust a piece of paper into her hand.

    Mei swallowed hard, folding the letter and handing it back to Yui when she had finished reading it. ¡°W¨C what are we gonna do?¡±

    Hana stood, walking around her desk. Gotta keep it together, Hana. For the girls. She put one arm around Yui¡¯s shoulders and one around Mei¡¯s, pulling her daughters close and hugging them tight. ¡°I don¡¯t know, girls. I just don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°My gods,¡± Mei said with a quiet gasp. ¡°How the hell are we gonna tell Ranko? She¡¯s so far away, and she¡¯ll be all alone, and¡­¡±

    Hana released her daughters, wagging a slightly crooked finger at Mei¡¯s nose. ¡°We¡¯re not. Do you hear me?¡±

    Mei rocked back on her heels. ¡°What?! Mama, this place is her home, too. She has to know.¡±

    ¡°And she¡¯ll find out when she gets home.¡± Hana dragged her finger through the air, now pointing at Yui. ¡°You know that girl. If she finds out we¡¯re in trouble here, she¡¯ll do something stupid. That kid would set herself on fire to keep any one of us warm, and all of you know it. She¡¯ll pack the whole damn tour up and come home tomorrow. She already did last time, when I got sick. When they tell her she can¡¯t shut it all down, she¡¯ll just sit in a hotel in Indonesia and slowly go nuts with nobody to be there for her. We¡¯re not doing that to her. We¡¯re not taking the tour from her, too.¡±

    She turned to Sakura, a serious expression in her eyes. If Hana wanted to make it clear that even though she had not raised Yui¡¯s wife, her maternal authority was no less absolute, it was working. ¡°No one says one word to that girl about this until she gets home. Have I made myself entirely crystal fucking clear?¡±

    A chorus of resigned voices answered as one.

    ¡°Yes, mama.¡±

 85. Jammies in Jakarta

    ¡°Oh, hey, Ranko! Hit me too while you''re up, please?¡±

    Ranko giggled, wobbling a bit as she rose to her feet from the mauve floor pillow she¡¯d been sitting on. ¡°Honestly, Emi!¡± She walked over to the rose-colored loveseat in her friends¡¯ hotel room, taking the empty glass from the blonde in the black negligee. ¡°I¡¯m two whole freakin¡¯ time zones away from my waitressing job, and you guys still got me serving drinks in here!¡±

    As Ranko, Emi and the room¡¯s other two occupants laughed, the redhead stumbled drunkenly toward the small refrigerator on the console next to the television. ¡°This shit is so weird,¡± she said as she pulled the black door open. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen wine come in a fuckin¡¯ box before.¡± She, like Hitomi and Emi, spoke in English for the benefit of the newest member of the Dapper Dragons.

    ¡°Yeah, well,¡± Zoe replied, leaning back in a tan vinyl recliner in the corner, beneath a lighted wall sconce with a dusty gray lampshade. They wore a forest green tee shirt, the band logo printed on it having faded long past Ranko¡¯s ability to recognize it, over a pair of heather gray sweatpants. ¡°It¡¯s what the shop ¡®cross the street had, yeah? Ya said ya wanted me to leg it back, so I didn¡¯t get too prissy ¡®bout it.¡±

    Ranko returned, handing the highball glass to Emi before collapsing cross-legged back onto her floor pillow without spilling a drop of red wine from her own paper cup. ¡°It¡¯s fine! Just, if Yui saw me serving this stuff, in these crappy cups, I swear she¡¯d straight up disown me.¡±

    Hitomi groaned as the dance song she¡¯d been listening to ended and the clock radio on the gray mica nightstand began emitting the sound of Indonesian speech. Whatever the late-night radio host was talking about, he seemed very excited about it. ¡°Ugh! Just shut up, dude! We can¡¯t understand you anyway! Put the freakin¡¯ music back on!¡±

    Emi reached down, lovingly stroking the short brown hair of the girl seated on the couch with her. She wiggled her toes as Hitomi dipped the little brush back into the bottle of glittery blue nail polish in her hand.

    ¡°Hold still, ya little shit, or I¡¯m just gonna start tickling ya,¡± Hitomi said with a grin, grabbing her girlfriend¡¯s ankle and restraining it tightly against the scratchy couch cushion.

    The blonde smirked. ¡°Go ahead. You know I kick, and you¡¯ll just end up with nail polish all up on your face.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Hitomi said through her devious laughter. ¡°So, Ranko,  have you¡­ gotten to know your new friend yet? The one from Manila?¡±

    The redhead swallowed hard, her face instantly turning bright crimson. She hid it with her hands in an attempt to preserve some measure of modesty. ¡°No! I told ya, that''s¡­ not something I do!¡±

    ¡°You''re so full of shit, your eyes should be brown,¡± Hitomi said with a devilish snicker. ¡°Don¡¯t lie, Ranko. Every girl does it!¡±

    Yeah, well, I''m not every girl, ¡®Tomi, Ranko thought with a nervous fidget. Not by a long shot.

    ¡°I believe her,¡± Emi said with a giggle and a wave of her hand. ¡°Remember when Akane showed up in Hawai¡¯i? She turns that thing on, there''s gonna be so much screaming in this place, they''re gonna call in the army.¡±

    Ranko blushed further, pulling her knees tighter under her, feeling more uncomfortable with the conversation than she wanted to let on. She didn''t feel as if she knew the band¡¯s newest member well enough to delve into the particulars of either the Full-Body Cat¡¯s Tongue or her sex life in present company. She¡¯d long ago accepted that she had little veneer of privacy with Hitomi and Emi, owing to having to strip in front of them for rapid costume changes backstage, but that was a familiarity she¡¯d not yet built with Zoe King.

    ¡°You want me to do your nails next, Ran-chan?¡± Hitomi waved the bottle of blue nail polish in the air, having finished Emi¡¯s toes.

    The young songstress blushed shyly. Even clad in a pair of red mesh athletic shorts and a matching Phoenix staff tee shirt, she couldn''t have felt more effeminate in the moment. I''m at what amounts to a high school sleepover party, buzzed as shit off of box wine, getting asked about freakin¡¯ playing with myself, and about to get my toenails painted. Dammit, I''m such a fucking girl. ¡°You got any red polish?¡±

    The brunette nodded, moving the little brush attached to the bottlecap to Emi¡¯s left middle toe. ¡°I think so. I''ll check when I''m done with Ems.¡±

    ¡°I got it,¡± Zoe said, hopping to their feet. ¡°I need the loo anyhow.¡±

    As the Aussie began digging through Hitomi¡¯s yellow makeup bag, Ranko answered with confusion in her voice. ¡°Huh? The what?¡±

    ¡°The loo.¡± Zoe shrugged, carrying two bottles of nail polish over and showing them to the redhead seated on the floor. One was a cherry red close in color to Ranko¡¯s hair, the other a darker shade of maroon. Both were speckled with bits of glitter mixed into the viscous colored liquid. ¡°Ya know. The dunny?¡±

    Ranko shrugged, taking the brighter red bottle from Zoe and setting it on the coffee table with a loud clack. ¡°Sorry. My English is getting pretty good, but¡­¡±

    ¡°The bathroom, ya nuffy.¡± Zoe returned the bottle of maroon polish to Hitomi¡¯s bag with a chuckle, shaking their head.

    Nuffy? What the heck kind of English do they speak in Australia?! Oh well. I don''t wanna ask what that means, too. I''ll look like a dummy. Ranko nodded, her eyes wide in false understanding. ¡°Ohhhh! Okay!¡±

    Zoe laughed. ¡°Alright! If there''s no further vocabulary lessons, I think I''m gonna go have a piss now. There¡¯s gonna be a quiz when I get back, mind!¡± With a wave of their hand, they headed for the narrow hotel bathroom, sliding the mirrored pocket door closed with its aluminum bar handle.

    ¡°You want us to do your nails too, Zo?¡± Hitomi yelled over the loud whir of the vent fan in the bathroom, which was tied to the activation of the light switch.

    The toilet flushed and Zoe emerged a moment later. ¡°Nah, I''m a¡¯ight, mate. I don¡¯t generally do me toes; ya can¡¯t see ¡®em in me boots anyhow. Thanks, though!¡±

    Emi smiled welcomingly as Zoe retook their seat in the recliner in the corner. ¡°So! What do you think of being on tour with us? Since, ya know, you¡¯re officially part of the band now?¡±

    Zoe blushed a bit - an unfamiliar sight on the normally unflappable Australian. They leaned back in the chair, crossing their ankles on the glass coffee table and sipping at the brown paper cup of wine they¡¯d retrieved from Hitomi¡¯s nightstand next to the clock radio. ¡°It''s¡­ somethin¡¯, a¡¯ight. Can''t say I expected any o¡¯ this when I left ¡®Straya. But it''s been fun as fuck! Beats the ¡®ell outta sittin¡¯ at home waitin¡¯ on Jakey to come back. I did enough¡¯a that already the last few years, yeah?¡±

    Hitomi nodded, blowing softly over Emi¡¯s toes to help the polish dry and grinning as her girlfriend squirmed under the ticklish airflow. ¡°You seem to be settling in on stage. Not as nervous now?¡±

    Zoe shrugged. ¡°Nah. Still scared shitless. Just hidin¡¯ it better, yeah?¡± They uncrossed their ankles, and the loose glass tabletop began to tip to Zoe¡¯s left.

    ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy there,¡± Ranko said from her seat on the floor as she caught the sheet of tempered glass a few centimeters from her lap and returned it to the table base. ¡°We have a rule in the band about, ya know, not killing the vocalist.¡±

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    Hitomi giggled at the suggestion. ¡°Ooooh! Speaking of¡­¡±

    Ranko blinked nervously. ¡°Uhhhh¡­ yeah?¡± I don''t know what the idea of killing me made you excited about, and I don''t think I wanna.

    ¡°We gotta do fuck, marry, kill! It''s, like, a pajama party tradition!¡± Hitomi tittered brightly as Emi sat up on the couch and kissed her cheek.

    ¡°You wanna do what, now?¡± Ranko blinked. ¡°Let''s pretend for the moment that I didn''t have a lot of parties with¡­ other girls my age growing up?¡±

    ¡°Seriously, mate? I ain''t even Japanese and I know what she''s talkin¡¯ about.¡± Zoe shook their head, laughing at their friend''s naivety. ¡°So like, ya gotta pick three people. One who you¡¯d kill, one who you''d bang, and one who ya¡¯d marry. No pickin¡¯ the same person more than once, and no skipping questions.¡±

    Hitomi nodded excitedly. ¡°Yep! Let''s do¡­ people in the band!¡±

    Ranko swallowed hard. ¡°That''s hardly fair! Zoe¡¯ll just pick Jacob, and you girls will pick each other!¡±

    ¡°Tell you what,¡± Zoe offered. ¡°I''m not allowed to pick Jakey, and nobody¡¯s allowed to pick anyone in this room. Deal?¡±

    ¡°But that¡­¡± Ranko hid her face in her hands, the Full-Body Cat¡¯s Tongue making her palms sweat at the heat rising off of her cheeks. That only leaves the boys!

    ¡°I''ll go first,¡± Hitomi said with a tittering smile. ¡°I''m gonna say¡­ I¡¯d fuck Lance.¡±

    Zoe cackled. ¡°You sure about that, girl? Pretty sure that boy¡¯d split your narrow ass straight from bird to boobs, yeah?¡±

    Hitomi purred drunkenly. ¡°Challenge accepted! As for the others¡­ let''s say, marry Sanyo, and kill Masa.¡±

    ¡°Why Masa,¡± Ranko asked curiously. ¡°What the heck did he do?¡±

    ¡°He almost blows us all up on stage every night, ya dork! And Sanyo¡­¡± Hitomi giggled, blushing a bit. ¡°I dunno, he''s just cute. A little arrogant, but I can live with that.¡±

    Emi grinned, hopping up to refill her wine and taking Hitomi''s glass to do the same. ¡°Well, I''m gonna say, marry Lance. He''s sweet! He holds doors for girls. He''s polite. And he''s not hard on the eyes either.¡±

    Zoe nodded with a grin. ¡°Heard that, girl.¡±

    ¡°And, let¡¯s see. We¡¯re gonna fuck Shinji.¡± Emi smirked, putting the cap back on the box of wine and closing the hotel refrigerator.

    Ranko scoffed. ¡°Why not? Everyone else has.¡± She extended her legs on the taupe pile carpet, reaching down toward her toes to stretch her back with a quiet groan.

    ¡°Right?¡± Zoe laughed heartily. ¡°Boy¡¯s probably got more creepy-crawlies down there than a bar stool at a strip club.¡±

    The redhead cringed, shooting Zoe a glare that the Australian didn¡¯t notice. While she knew Zoe meant no malice by it, Ranko was not ready to joke about sex-related diseases. She was still reeling from Ken¡¯s diagnosis and subsequent departure from the band. She¡¯d at least gotten to speak to him on the phone shortly before leaving Japan for the second leg of the Wildfire Tour, and he¡¯d said the medical trial he was enrolled in was going well so far. Ken was always on the quiet side, and was the last one to want to fill up a room with his presence in the way Shinji or Hitomi did, but she still missed him terribly. There was a gentle steadiness about him, like a warm blanket that just felt comfortable to have around, that she ached for in all the chaos of a tour schedule.

    ¡°And¡­ I¡¯m gonna kill Jake. Sorry, Zo. He¡¯s great and all, but kinda obnoxious when he¡¯s been drinking.¡± Emi smirked, plopping back down on the sofa with her back to the Jakarta skyline out the sixth-story window.

    Zoe guffawed. ¡°As the person stuck with his goofy ass? I can¡¯t say as I blame ya a bit, mate. No offense taken.¡±

    Sipping from her refreshed glass of wine, Hitomi motioned with her hand to the band¡¯s new drummer. She walked around the coffee table, plopping down cross-legged on the floor next to Ranko and taking the offered bottle of red nail polish from her friend¡¯s hand. ¡°What about you, Zoe?¡±

    Rubbing their chin thoughtfully, Zoe sat back in the recliner. ¡°Marry¡­ Ariel, I think. I¡¯ve known him a while now, and he¡¯s a decent bloke. Him and Jakey go way back.¡±

    ¡°Hey! Careful! That t-tickles, ¡®Tomi!¡± Ranko giggled loudly, pulling her foot back on the carpet.

    Hitomi laughed, unscrewing the cap of the red nail polish. ¡°I barely touched you, ya puss!¡±

    Yeah, well, the Full-Body Cat¡¯s Tongue doesn¡¯t like people messing with my feet, Hitomi, Ranko mused to herself, willing her legs to stay still as her friend set to work.

    Shaking their head in amusement, Zoe continued. ¡°I think I¡¯d kill¡­ Norio. He¡¯s just, I dunno, a little weird, yeah? Something about him - like, he¡¯s cool and all, but he¡¯s just got that odd, distant, lives in his mom¡¯s basement, might just like video games, might turn out to be a serial killer vibe, ya know?¡±

    ¡°And what about¡­ ya know, the other thing?¡± Ranko blushed deep red, dreading her upcoming turn at the silly game.

    ¡°Hmmmmm¡­¡± Zoe sipped at their drink, taking a moment to consider their answer. ¡°Utaru! Not sure why, just¡­¡± They shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°... curious, I guess?¡± They motioned forward to the redhead sitting on the floor, who was still desperately trying to force her legs to stay still long enough for Hitomi to paint the toenails of her left foot. ¡°Alright, Blue. You¡¯re up!¡±

    The redhead squirmed on her cushion. ¡°Well, I, ahhh¡­ Let¡¯s kill Shinji.¡±

    Hitomi smacked Ranko¡¯s left calf sharply with her hand, eliciting a little yelp from the vocalist. ¡°Hey! I said, hold still, ya little shit! Man, you sure picked on Shin quick, huh?¡±

    ¡°How many fights have we had in the band, and how many of them did he start?¡± Ranko held her knee down with her hands, not putting too much pressure on it. ¡°Love the guy to death, but even he¡¯d tell ya he¡¯s kind of a jerk sometimes.¡±

    Emi nodded, carefully stretching her legs out on the loveseat to avoid mussing the still-drying blue polish on her toenails. ¡°Touch¨¦.¡±

    ¡°As for¡­¡± Ranko bit her lip, looking down coyly. ¡°Ya know¡­ let¡¯s say¡­ uhhhh¡­¡± I don¡¯t wanna think about it! Not with boys! Wait! Yes!

    ¡°Ken!¡±

    Emi groaned, dropping her arm onto her thigh with a slap. ¡°Oh, come on! That¡¯s cheating! You know he¡¯s gay! He wouldn¡¯t touch ya!¡±

    Ranko grinned broadly, throwing up two fingers in a gotcha gesture. ¡°You guys said I had to pick a boy. Not my fault you weren¡¯t specific!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s got us there, Ems,¡± Zoe said, tipping their wine cup in the blonde¡¯s direction with a chuckle.

    ¡°Yeah? We¡¯ll let you get away with it this time, but you can¡¯t use Ken again, and you still gotta pick somebody to marry¡­¡± Hitomi giggled, nudging Ranko¡¯s ribs. ¡°As if we even need to ask.¡±

    Ranko blushed, squirming on her cushion again. ¡°Whaddya mean? Like you know who I¡¯d pick!¡±

    ¡°And when it all is through, and I¡¯ve done all that I can do, I¡¯m gonna be a little closer to believing that I¡¯m worthy of you¡­¡± Emi giggled as she sang, and Hitomi joined her a few words in. The brunette¡¯s singing was quite off-key, owing to her intoxication.

    The chorus of the duet Ranko had written with her best friend made the poor singer want to curl up and hide. ¡°Well, if you know, then I don¡¯t gotta say it.¡±

    Zoe shook their head, chuckling. ¡°Oh, nice try, missy. All of us had to get embarrassed. You¡¯re not getting out of it, girl. And the fact that you¡¯re taking this seriously enough to not wanna answer is¡­ well, more telling than not answering it in the first place.¡±

    ¡°Nuh-uh! It¡¯s just¡­ ¡®cause I¡¯m a newlywed, and it¡¯s weird to think about doing that with anybody else!¡± Ranko waved her hands defensively in front of her face.

    ¡°Then say it,¡± Hitomi said, taking hold of Ranko¡¯s right ankle. ¡°If it¡¯s no big deal, say it.¡±

    Ranko swallowed hard. They¡¯re right. It¡¯s just a game. I wouldn¡¯t do it. They know I wouldn¡¯t do it. Akane knows I wouldn¡¯t do it. So why does it feel so weird to say it out loud?

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯d marry Crash.¡±

    Hitomi chuckled, moving the nail brush over to Ranko¡¯s right foot. ¡°Yeah?! No shit.¡±

 86. Working Girls

    Yui growled loudly, hurling the slim black leather folio in her hand to the countertop of the Phoenix main bar from more than a meter away. It landed with a loud clap that punctuated the clacking of her six-centimeter heels on the hardwood bar floor. ¡°Fuck!¡±

    Her partner cringed, walking around the bar to envelop Yui in her arms. ¡°Went that well, huh?¡± She received a sad nod in reply, rubbing Yui¡¯s back comfortingly through the black cotton blazer she wore. ¡°I mean, at least you look good.¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± Yui snapped, rolling her eyes and lolling her neck hard enough to let her blonde hair droop into her face. ¡°I look like a fucking lawyer. Stupid skirt. I can¡¯t fucking move in this thing. I hate it!¡±

    Sakura shook her head with a little tsk. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s my outfit, ya know! You don¡¯t seem to mind seeing me in it!¡±

    Yui managed a weak smile, only then returning Sakura¡¯s hug. ¡°Yeah, but¡­ business girl has always been more your vibe. And besides, you look good in anything, even if it¡¯s this whole sweat pants and tee shirt, just rolled out of bed, no fucks given thing you¡¯ve got goin¡¯ on today.¡± She motioned to Sakura¡¯s body, dragging her hand in the air up and down her frame to indicate its totality.

    ¡°Yeah? Well, right back at ¡®cha, babe,¡± Sakura said, offering the lithe blonde a kiss on the cheek and releasing her from her grip. ¡°You wanna talk about what happened?¡±

    Yui shrugged, tossing the blazer over the back of a bar stool and unbuttoning the top two buttons of the long-sleeved ivory satin blouse she wore under it. ¡°Same thing as the last three. They¡¯re all flush with applicants everywhere around here because the college kids will be back in two weeks, so they won¡¯t hire anybody on without a letter of recommendation and stuff.¡±

    Sakura turned her hand to the side, making a keep going gesture by rolling her wrist in the direction of Yui¡¯s borrowed shirt. She hopped up onto the bar stool opposite Yui¡¯s well on the customer side. ¡°You don¡¯t have to stop at two buttons, ya know.¡± She licked her lips suggestively, trying to lighten her lover¡¯s mood somewhat. So far, it was not working. ¡°I mean, if that¡¯s the problem, any of us could give you a letter. None of us are officially related, or even have the same family names, so they can¡¯t get you on the whole nepotism letters don¡¯t count thing. I¡¯ll write one up for you tonight, and tell everybody you¡¯re an expert bartender, an experienced front-of-house manager, and a fan-friggin-tastic lay. What could possibly go wrong?¡±

    The blonde managed a slight chuckle, eyeing the mostly-full bottle of Jack Daniels in her well a little longingly. ¡°Yeah, maybe that would have worked, except for the minor detail that my superstar baby sister went and announced that everyone who works in this place is a family. On national television. Twice. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m Anonymous Bottle Girl Number Three at Steam, Sakura.¡±

    The black-haired woman reached across the bar for Yui¡¯s hand, taking it in her own and giving it a reassuring little bounce. Sakura¡¯s dangly silver bracelet clacked against the polyurethane counter surface with each move. ¡°Hey, come on, now. That¡¯s not fair. Don¡¯t do that. Don¡¯t hold it against Ranko. She had no way to know this was coming, and she was just being proud of her family - as she should be. Speaking as someone who just married into it a few weeks ago, I have to say, it¡¯s pretty flippin¡¯ awesome.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t have,¡± Yui grumbled dejectedly. ¡°You gave up a great job, making good money, to come up here and get fucked over right alongside all of us.¡±

    Sakura reached forward with both hands, using them to part Yui¡¯s arms. She leaned down over the counter, smiling up at her between her lover¡¯s wrists. ¡°Nuh-uh. Don¡¯t you ever think that, Miss Fukawa. Not for a freakin¡¯ second, you hear me? I would rather get fucked over holding your hand than be a billionaire somewhere without you. I traded that good job for you once, and I¡¯d do it a thousand times, no matter what happens next.¡±

    Yui sighed heavily, taking her hand back. She slumped over the counter, propping herself up on her elbows and holding her head in her hands. ¡°I know, Sake. And, I don¡¯t hold anything against Ranko, either. I never would. Besides, I know she¡¯d be killing herself to try to fix all of this, if Mama would just let us tell her what happened. Mama¡¯s right that Ranko would just do something dumb and self-destructive and probably make things worse, but I know her heart would be in the right place and she¡¯d do her best. It just sucks, is all. Everything about this does.¡±

    The blonde closed her eyes, her muscles relaxing with a long, quiet exhalation as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her back from behind. While she¡¯d not seen anyone approach through the slatted door to the back of the house, she¡¯d have been able to pick out the familiar smell of that leather jacket in a typhoon full of fish markets. It smelled, in a way no other thing ever could, like home.

    ¡°Hey, Mama. Have you heard anything?¡¯

    Hana sighed quietly, squeezing her daughter gently. ¡°Not yet, sweetheart. I left another three messages with the Tsuchiba people today. They own a lot of properties around here, and I''m guessing we aren''t the only ones they did this to. They''re either frantic on the phone with people they screwed, or they''ve metaphorically taken the phones off the hook.¡±

    ¡°What about Nabiki,¡± Sakura asked hopefully. ¡°Did she find anything we can use yet?¡±

    The family matriarch bit her lip, shaking her head softly. ¡°She''s been over the lease three times. She said the contract language is, and I quote, buttoned up tighter than Hitomi¡¯s dresses. Don''t look at me in that tone of voice, Sakura. They''re her words, not mine.¡±

    Yui slumped her head forward in despair. ¡°I feel so fucking helpless! I¡¯m supposed to be the one to look out for my family, and I can¡¯t even take care of myself and my new wife!¡± She gesticulated across the bar to Sakura with her hand in exasperation as she ranted. ¡°I was the one that was supposed to keep everything together, and I fucking blew it! Just¡­ damn it!¡± She slammed her palms down hard on the countertop with a loud thwack that echoed through the empty bar room.

    ¡°Yui, baby, I want you to listen to me now,¡± Hana said softly, resting her chin on her daughter¡¯s padded shoulder from behind as she held her. ¡°It¡¯s not your job to solve this for everybody, okay? If anybody should feel responsible for you girls, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m the owner, and more importantly, I¡¯m your mother. But none of us could have seen this coming. We had no warning, and I left my crystal ball in my other pants.¡±

    Hana sighed quietly, taking Yui by the shoulders with a firm grip and physically turning her daughter to face her. ¡°We are going to get through this. Don¡¯t ask me how, because I don¡¯t know yet. But we are going to get through it. Together. At the very least, Aya and Izumi should be okay financially, between their husbands¡¯ jobs and Izumi¡¯s fashion design work. If push comes to shove, Mei can probably help Izzi with sewing work here and there and make at least a little something temporarily, too. Ranko and Akane have their scholarships, plus whatever comes in from Ranko¡¯s music, however unreliable that¡¯s been. Everybody will have to tighten their belts a little bit for a while until they find something, but they¡¯ll all survive. That just leaves the three of us and Seiichi to worry about.¡±

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Sakura stood on the footrests of her stool and reached across the counter for the soda gun, filling a pilsner glass with dark liquid as she spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve got a call into Mr. Fukumara¡¯s office about my old job - the one in town; the one I left down in Fukuoka¡¯s already been filled - or to see if they have anything else around here for any of us. No bites yet, but his secretary said she¡¯d let me know if she heard of anything.¡±

    Yui rested her forehead on her mother¡¯s chest through the lapel of her leather jacket. ¡°Yeah, but¡­ Mama, this is gonna be even worse on you. I know you don¡¯t have any money put away or anything, between how lean it was around here for so long and you getting sick, so don¡¯t try to tell me you do. Me, Sake, and Seiichi, we can make do just about anywhere, but¡­ you¡¯re supposed to be taking it easy, not hustling out there trying to survive.¡±

    ¡°I can always take the public pension. It¡¯s not a lot, but it¡¯ll keep my apartment and stuff paid for,¡± Hana said, though the tone of her voice left Yui wondering how confident she was in her own assertion. ¡°But either way, it doesn¡¯t matter. That¡¯s not your concern. I¡¯m not old enough yet that it¡¯s time for you to worry about taking care of me. I¡¯m still the mother around here, you got me?¡±

    Yui nodded glumly. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    Hana smiled, stretching up slightly on her toes to kiss Yui on the forehead. ¡°That''s my girl. Now, go give your wife a big hug, and let''s shake it off for tonight. We''re down, but we¡¯re not out yet, and if we¡¯re only gonna get a few more weeks in this place, we¡¯re gonna work our butts off and make every day count. Right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, mom!¡± Sakura reached over the counter, extending her palm upward. Hana reached around Yui¡¯s ribs, slapping her newest daughter''s hand in a high five.

    Yui smirked as Sakura enveloped her in her arms. ¡°Well, I for one am not working anything off until I get out of this itchy-ass skirt!¡±

    Her wife nodded. ¡°Your clothes are upstairs on the bed, babe.¡±

    The blonde purred in gratitude as she collected the blazer from the stool to Sakura¡¯s left. ¡°I do not deserve you, woman, but thank you. I''m gonna go get changed.¡± She managed a coy smile down at the black-haired vision on the bar stool. ¡°You comin¡¯?¡±

    Sakura tittered softly. ¡°Not if either of us want to get anything done before we open, I''m not. Go on. Shoo! I wanna watch that ass of yours walk away in those heels, girl!¡±

    After Yui had disappeared up the stairs, Hana turned to her daughter''s partner. ¡°Okay. Are we having any luck?¡±

    The younger woman reached to the side of the bar, retrieving her portable computer and flipping the lid open. It emitted a merry little bong chime as it began to power up. ¡°Not especially. It''s hard, because half the property in this part of town is being bought up by these Ishido assholes, and everybody being thrown out on their asses like us is in a bidding war for anything in the other half that''s available.¡±

    Sakura turned the computer to face the employee side of the bar, showing Hana a spreadsheet listing dozens of addresses. Next to each were floor sizes in square meters and monthly rent prices broken down at price per meter. ¡°Even smaller venues than this place are being pushed out of our price range by the demand. We could expand the search out to Shibuya if you want.¡±

    Hana nodded in acknowledgement of the grim tidings. ¡°I hate to go out that far, since everyone lives so close to here, and it would be a lot of travel. Let''s give it two, three more days, and if nothing breaks, I guess we¡¯ll start checking Shibuya, Chuo, and Meguro.¡±

    Sakura nodded. ¡°And I suppose I''m still supposed to keep this quiet, right?¡±

    Hana sighed gently. ¡°For a little while longer, please, honey. I don''t want your sisters to get their hopes up. I''m sure you''ll tell Yui. I don''t want you two keeping secrets from each other, especially right now. But let''s compartmentalize this as best we can, just a little longer.¡±

    With a shake of her head and a trio of fingers raked through her hair, Sakura closed the computer screen again. ¡°You know, Mom¡­ I know I''m new to your family and all, and it''s probably not my place to say, but it seems to me like everybody wants to pitch in any way they can and help this place survive. I guess I don''t understand why you''re making it so hard for the girls to help you.¡±

    The proprietress bit her lip, nodding slowly in contemplation. ¡°First things first: you are every bit as much my daughter as Yui or any of your sisters. There''s no waiting period on that. You''re a hundred percent a part of this family, and your opinion is always welcome.¡±

    Sakura smiled sincerely, a warm sensation crossing her cheeks. ¡°Yes, Mama.¡±

    ¡°As for the rest of what you said¡­¡± Hana''s shoulders drooped a bit. ¡°You¡¯re probably right. I just¡­ most of my life, I''ve been there for these girls to protect them whenever anything bad happens in their life. Anything from a sprained ankle, to a failed exam¡­¡± She tipped the soda glass in her hand toward Sakura. ¡°... to a devastating breakup with a cherished girlfriend.¡±

    Sakura winced wordlessly as her mother continued.

    ¡°And now, it''s like¡­ something bad is happening to all of us, something that threatens the home we built together. The place where I promised them they''d always be safe. And¡­ I guess I just feel like I don''t want them to have to fight for this place because I gave them my word they would never have to fight for their places here. I¡­ I know I''m getting older, Sakura. I know how close I came to kicking the bucket back in April. And I just¡­¡± Hana reached up, wiping her eyes with her wrinkled fingers. ¡°I want to protect them from the big, scary monster one last time if I can. I don''t want them to ask them to face this.¡±

    Sakura hopped down from her stool, walking around the counter. ¡°Maybe not. But you¡¯ve spent your life showing them time and time again that standing shoulder-to-shoulder against the big, scary monster is what family does. So now, you can¡¯t blame them when they don''t want you to have to face it alone, either. They - we - want to fight for you the way you always fight for us. The way you taught them, and continue to teach us, every day. It''s family, Hana. It''s supposed to be reciprocal. We - and I dare say especially Yui - want to prove to you that we¡¯re ready.¡± She reached out, pulling Hana into a tight hug behind the bar. ¡°You''ve built a hell of a team, the seven of us girls. Let us have your back as much as you''ve got ours. Please.¡±

    Hana stepped back out of the hug after returning it for a moment, clasping Sakura tightly about her forearms. ¡°You know, Yui has often been the one I worried most about, if anything ever happened to me.¡± She leaned down, kissing Sakura gently on the forehead. ¡°I''m so glad she ended up with someone as wise as you, honey.¡±

    Sakura blushed softly as Hana''s lips broke contact with her face just below her bangs.

    ¡°You''re right, of course,¡± the elder woman said, ¡°with one exception.¡±

    ¡°Ranko?¡± Sakura bit her lip, leaning on the counter.

    Hana nodded sadly. ¡°She¡¯s the youngest. She''s not ready for this stuff yet. She''s¡­ still healing inside. She was so utterly broken, honey. You don''t even know what it was like in the beginning. She needs stability, even if it''s just an illusion right now. And besides, there''s nothing she can do to help from all the way out there but go crazy with worry, anyway.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Sakura said with a resolute nod. ¡°I don''t necessarily agree with your decision, but I will respect it, because I respect you.¡±

    ¡°Thank y¡­¡±

    Hana¡¯s voice trailed off abruptly at the sound of an exclamation coming from the direction of the front door. She looked up to find a young woman, a mask of rage painted across her face, stalking furiously toward the bar room in a pair of black slacks and an orange polyester blouse.

    ¡°Fucking interviews! I swear, Mama! Can you fucking BELIEVE they said I couldn''t keep my BLUE HAIR?!¡±

 87. Medan

    ¡°I¡¯m just a regular girl, but I have real big dreams, and every day, some more are coming true, it seems!¡±

    Ranko flounced across the front edge of the stage in her glittery white dress, not shying away from the flash of cameras in the front few rows of seating owing to the white athletic compression shorts she wore under her knee-length costume. Her eyes lingered for just a moment on a brunette in her mid-twenties seated in the front row, about a third of the way from center at stage right. She wore a long, navy blue empire dress with a wide white sash tied in a large bow at the small of her back. The folding chair to her right was vacant.

    ¡°I mean, I''m not Madonna, and I''m sure not Cher, but I¡¯m out rocking Medan tonight! I''ll see YOU there!¡±

    Ranko pointed outward to the crowd with both of her hands, inviting a wave of cheers and applause from the rows of covered outdoor bleacher seating lining the west side of Teladan Stadium. She covered her heart with both of her hands in gratitude, blowing a kiss to the crowd. Carefully, she dabbed at her forehead with the back of her hand, willing the spirit of Izumi Sando to teleport itself from Tokyo and double-check her makeup after she¡¯d removed the worst of the sweat dripping toward her eyes.

    ¡°Even if I¡¯m flustered, it means everything that you take time to listen when you hear me sing! I just can¡¯t express how grateful I am that you¡¯d be out here roasting in this heat to see a regular girl like me!¡±

    The redhead swayed in place, pausing the song before its final line to bask in the adulation of thousands of Indonesians. That, and to wait for confirmation from her team that they were ready to proceed. Deciding to share the love with the people who brought her to where she was that night in the heart of North Sumatra, she stepped back toward the musicians, extending her hands toward Crash and Jacob and encouraging the crowd to applaud for them as well. On her left, Utaru and Emi repeated the simplistic choreography for Regular Girl as Jacob looped back and played the last few bars of the song again, with Hitomi and Sanyo mirroring them on the right.

    ¡°Nori¡¯s got him, Ran-chan,¡± crackled Ariel¡¯s voice in the earpiece of Ranko¡¯s headset.

    Ranko smiled excitedly, nodding her head as she turned her eyes back to the crowd. Again, her eyes lingered on the young woman in the front row for a half-second longer than the others in the audience.

    ¡°Making music with my friends for you is honestly the greatest thing that¡¯s ever happened to a regular girl like me!¡±

    The young songstress beamed in the crowd¡¯s revelry as the song ended with a hard hit from Shinji Yokota¡¯s bass guitar. Well, that, and stuff like this, she thought with a wide smile. I thought Nabiki¡¯s fan club idea was ridiculous, but if it makes this kinda shit happen, it¡¯s all worth it. She glanced behind the curtain at stage left, receiving a thumbs-up gesture from her orange-haired roadie and the Indonesian man standing next to him in a black sport coat and matching slacks.

    Next to them, a barrage of camera flashes strobed from the hands of a blonde in a denim miniskirt and a pink tank top that read yes, mistress across the front. It was one of a series of new shirts Nabiki had added to the merch stands for the second leg of the tour highlighting individual songs. Thank the gods Ariel didn¡¯t give her a headset, though, Ranko thought as she nodded in Natsuko¡¯s direction. I wouldn¡¯t be able to hear myself think all night, with that chatterbox in my ear.

    Soon, though, strobe lights flickered not just from stage left, but from the entire front of the stage and the trusses surrounding it. The video screen, which currently featured footage of Ranko pressed against the fish counter of the grocery store by a mob of excited Firebirds, faded to black and her bright pink signature again scrawled across the stage in transition.

    ¡°I gotta tell you, Medan. You¡¯re impressing the heck out of me. I mean, it¡¯s hot as hell out here, and it¡¯s wearing me out, but you guys?! They told me there¡¯s something like fourteen thousand people here tonight.¡±

    Indeed, the stadium¡¯s capacity was just north of twenty thousand, but the seating across the entire east side of the great oval was covered with great black tarps. The stage faced west, which would have prevented anyone seated on the east side from getting a decent view anyway, and Nabiki said sometimes it was better to sell fewer tickets and be able to call the show a sellout.

    ¡°But, I was in Bandung on Monday night, with about twenty-seven thousand Firebirds in the crowd, and I gotta tell ya¡­¡± She leaned forward as if trying to keep a secret, holding the back of her hand up to her left cheek as if trying to keep someone on her left from hearing her whisper. ¡°You guys are getting way louder. Don¡¯t tell ¡®em I told you, though!¡±

    The open-air stadium erupted in sound as the audience responded to her compliment. Behind her, Ranko¡¯s signature wiped right from the video screen, and a new clip began to play. It featured a darkened, cavernous room, the camera panning slowly up to the center of the floor. There was no furniture and no windows, and the hardwood floor was filled with thousands of white pillar candles, all lit. The gentle flicker gave an orange hue to the whole of the scene.

    ¡°So, this next one is one of my favorites. It¡¯s really special to me,¡± Ranko began, slowly walking the length of the stage and waving to the crowd as she spoke. She wanted to ensure that everyone got as good a view of her as possible for at least part of the show. If there were fourteen thousand people in Teladan Stadium that night, she intended to make contact with all twenty-eight thousand eyes at least once.

    ¡°See, this thing I do up here, it¡¯s hard. It takes a lot out of you, sometimes. And, it¡¯s not like a job at a restaurant or an office, where if you have a bad day, you can sort of suck it up, keep your head down, and get through it. You gotta be all smiles, all the time, and that can be tough sometimes when there¡¯s a regular girl under the makeup and the glitter at the end of the day that has her own problems and her own worries. So, to do this job, you gotta find something you can think about that makes your heart soar, even on the crappiest day. Oh, don¡¯t worry, guys - tonight¡¯s not one of the bad days. I¡¯m having a blast out here tonight with you!¡±

    And you¡¯re about to see why.

    Again, the crowd cheered supportively, though Ranko paused only a few seconds to allow them to respond before continuing. ¡°Well, I found my something, except it wasn¡¯t a some thing. It was a some one. Someone whose light can burn through the shadows on my darkest days. On the days where I don¡¯t have it in me to smile and dance on a stage somewhere halfway around the world, all I have to do is think about the person waiting for me in that little one-bedroom apartment back home in Tokyo, and my heart just fills with music.¡±

    The audience whooped in anticipation, having mostly discerned what was coming, but Ranko confirmed their suspicion. ¡°This one¡¯s called You¡¯re My Song.¡± As she spoke, Hitomi darted behind the curtain to stage left, motioning to the man in the sport coat waiting with Norio. As she did, Lance Riker stepped out from the door leading to the hollow under the stage, ducking his head under the steel beams holding up the platform. He walked about a third of the way around the stage from stage right, standing with his back to it and watching the crowd. His eyes fell on the empty chair in the front row directly in front of him, next to the woman Ranko had eyed throughout the performance of Regular Girl.

    ¡°Before I sing it, though, I wanna introduce you to somebody: a really special friend of mine, who lives right here in Medan. Firebirds, give it up for my buddy Aabid Ridjali, would ya?¡±

    Hitomi led the man in the sport coat out to center stage, holding his hand. When the pair reached Ranko, she reached out and gave him a tight hug. She¡¯d been excited to meet him ever since reading the letter he¡¯d sent her back in June, to the fan mail address printed on the back of the monthly Firebird newsletter. The building at that address also housed another business: a tiny little hole in the wall of a dive bar in the Minato district of Tokyo.

    The woman in the front row gasped in shock, covering her mouth with her hands as she glanced over at the empty seat her boyfriend had occupied until the start of Regular Girl.

    ¡°Turns out,¡± Ranko continued after releasing Aabid from the hug, ¡°You¡¯re My Song is Aabid¡¯s favorite of our songs, too. You wanna tell everybody why, buddy?¡± As she spoke, Hitomi handed Aabid a handheld microphone, motioning to the switch on its shaft to show him how to turn it on.

    ¡°My, umm¡­¡± Aabid swallowed hard, his nerves getting the better of him for the moment, but Hitomi rubbed his back reassuringly through his polyester jacket. Norio, meanwhile, descended the stairs off the left side of the stage, darting around the front of the stage with a video camera in his hand and dragging its long black cable behind him in the grass.

    ¡°My girlfriend¡¯s name is Tjandra Song,¡± Aabid said haltingly, a wide smile on his face. The candles faded from the video screen, instead displaying a video feed of Aabid and Ranko as he spoke. ¡°And she means the whole world to me. So, You¡¯re My Song is our song.¡±

    The young woman seated just in front of Lance fanned her face with her fingers, trying in vain to dry her tears.

    Ranko¡¯s smile could have outshone the sun even if it had not set behind the bleachers two hours earlier. ¡°You¡­ maybe wanna help me sing it for her, Aabid?¡±

    The crowd roared and whooped as Hitomi handed Ranko a second handheld microphone. The entire shaft of the device was covered in silver glitter, sparkling radiantly in the stage lights as she raised it to her lips. The singer heard a tiny click in her ear as Ariel dropped the volume on her headset microphone to zero, leaving its earpiece active for incoming communications from the team. Behind her, Crash¡¯s guitar began a gentle tune, and Jacob¡¯s synthesizer began singing in its grand piano voice. Ranko soon joined it with her own.

    ¡°Did you know¡­ the way time stops when our eyes meet? The way that everything else fades out of my mind? Did you know¡­ I hear your name in each heartbeat? That you¡¯re the one my soul was always meant to find?¡±

    Hitomi swayed next to Aabid, giving him a reassuring nod and checking to ensure the red light peeking out between his index and middle fingers was lit. He raised the microphone, and Hitomi grabbed it, quickly pulling his hand another few centimeters away from his mouth before he could utter a sound to help ensure he would produce a clear sound as he sang.

    ¡°Did you know I¡¯ve never felt this way before? I didn¡¯t know that it was possible at all. Did you know, no matter how much I get, I want more? The more you raise me up, the harder that I fall!¡±

    Stolen novel; please report.

    Ranko nodded to him with a bright smile, and then did so again a beat later. On the third nod, the pair began the chorus together. Their harmony wasn¡¯t perfect, owing to just one rehearsal with the trembling fan the day before. Neither was Aabid¡¯s singing talent likely to net him any record deals anytime soon, but no one in the audience seemed to care, least of all the flabbergasted woman in the blue dress seated in the front row.

    ¡°I hope you did, but if you didn¡¯t, I wanna tell you endlessly. Don¡¯t want a second to go by that you don¡¯t know you are the very best of me. Some people say my life is music. They hear me sing, and they¡¯re not wrong. But when they see the joy I feel up on this stage¡­¡±

    Ranko waved sweetly to the crying woman in the front row as the pair finished the chorus. Hope you¡¯re not the kind to get embarrassed easy, Tjandra, she thought with a soft smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m just the singer. You¡¯re my song.¡±

    ¡°Aabid Ridjali, everybody!¡± Ranko motioned to the man at her left with her open hand, inviting the crowd to adulate him as the video screen behind her transitioned back to the steadicam shot of the candles.

    ¡°Did you know I¡¯m not the person that I was,¡± Aabid sang alone, ¡°and I have changed

    so many things inside of me? Did you know that I¡¯m so proud of that, because it made my arms a place that you could wanna be?¡±

    Ranko beamed brightly, nodding in encouragement to the terrified man as she took over the second verse from him.

    ¡°Did you know that I feel safest when you¡¯re holding me? You are the shelter I can build my life beneath. Did you know that I can feel your love re-molding me? I need your presence like the very air I breathe¡­¡±

    With a bit less confidence than before, Aabid¡¯s voice re-joined Ranko¡¯s for the second chorus.

    ¡°I hope you did, but if you didn¡¯t, I wanna tell you endlessly. Don¡¯t want a second to go by that you don¡¯t know you are the very best of me. Some people say my life is music. They hear me sing, and they¡¯re not wrong. But when they see the joy I feel up on this stage¡­¡±

    Ranko turned toward the young woman in the front row. ¡°I¡¯m just the singer.¡±

    Aabid stood frozen on the stage, trembling as he clasped both of his hands around the microphone. ¡°Y-you¡¯re my song.¡±

    The redhead flipped the switch on her microphone with her thumb, resting her left hand on Aabid¡¯s back and leaning over to him. ¡°Go ahead,¡± she said, giving him a nudge forward with her hand. Behind them, the image on the video screen changed from the sea of cameras to the live feed from the camera in Norio¡¯s hands, focused squarely on the woman in the blue dress.

    ¡°Tjandra,¡± Aabid asked squeakily into the microphone over the beat of You¡¯re My Song, seeming far more nervous than he had when meeting his favorite pop star. ¡°Would you¡­ marry me?¡±

    The crowd roared in jubilation as the woman on the video screen covered her mouth with her hands and nodded in the affirmative.

    ¡°Yeaaaaaah!¡± Ranko whooped into her reactivated microphone, hugging Aabid tight around the shoulders. Lance reached up from his position in front of the stage, gripping Emi by her hips and lowering her in his powerful arms down to the grass.

    Emi¡¯s skirt flared up around her waist as she was deposited onto her feet. She smoothed it quickly before reaching down for Tjandra¡¯s hand. ¡°C¡¯mon, honey,¡± Emi said, pulling the newly-engaged young brunette to her feet and leading her toward the steps at stage left.

    The music continued behind Ranko, and she playfully nudged Aabid in the ribs. ¡°Hey! Get in the game, buddy, we got another verse to do!¡± While she had implied that the pair would sing the third verse of You¡¯re My Song together, she stood silently glowing as her fan serenaded his wife-to-be while she was led up to the stage by Emi Kimoto.

    ¡°Did you know that everything is falling into place? That my life is finally starting to make sense? Did you know that my whole universe is just your face? I never dreamed I¡¯d find a love half this intense. Did you know the way I crave the sweetness of your lips? The way I ache for you each second I¡¯m alone? Did you know that there¡¯s a magic in your fingertips, and when you touch me, anywhere we are is home?¡±

    Ranko grinned from ear to ear as Tjandra joined her and Aabid on the stage. The brunette threw herself into Aabid¡¯s arms, the thump of her chest slamming into the microphone in his hand reverberating through the arena¡¯s massive speaker system.

    ¡°I hope you did, but if you didn¡¯t,¡± Ranko sang, watching with pride as Hitomi offered Tjandra a congratulatory hug. ¡°I wanna tell you endlessly.¡±

    The crowd watched on the massive video screen behind the performers as Aabid handed his microphone to Hitomi, reaching into the left pocket of his coat. He pulled out a small white box, opening it to reveal a small diamond ring. Tjandra extended her quivering left hand to him, and he wiggled the ring free of its padded slot in the box and slowly slid it down her third finger.

    ¡°Don¡¯t want a second to go by that you don¡¯t know you are the very best of me,¡± Ranko sang with bright eyes, watching the storybook moment she and her fan club had facilitated unfold before her on the stage.

    ¡°Some people think my life is music,¡± Ranko belted as the couple¡¯s lips met in a kiss, Tjandra¡¯s arms wrapped tightly around Aabid¡¯s neck and his arms around her waist. ¡°They see me sing, and they¡¯re not wrong.¡±

    Aabid broke the hug and Hitomi handed him back the microphone. He took it in his right hand, holding his new fiancee¡¯s hand with his left.

    ¡°But when there¡¯s magic happening up here on stage,¡± Ranko sang proudly, walking behind Tjandra and giving her a side hug with her right arm on the opposite side of Aabid. ¡°I¡¯m just the singer¡­¡±

    Aabid turned to his bride, all smiles as he peered down into her eyes and leveled the microphone to his lips. ¡°You¡¯re my song.¡±

    ¡°Aabid and Tjandra, Firebirds! Let¡¯s hear it for ¡®em!¡± Ranko grabbed the enjoined hands of the newly-engaged couple as the music ended, raising them upward as if blessing their union. A raucous cheer rained down on the pair from just over fourteen thousand of their countrymen.

    With another tight hug from Ranko for each, the couple was escorted to stage left and behind the curtain by Hitomi and Emi, both dancers giggling and fawning over the bride-to-be. ¡°Listen, you guys,¡± Hitomi said once the quartet was out of view of the audience, ¡°Come backstage after the show. Ranko wants to talk to you two for a few minutes and get some pictures. Talk to Norio, the guy with the camera down by your seats. He¡¯s got some passes for you. Sound good?¡±

    The sea of candles slowly faded from the video screen behind Ranko, again transitioning to a black star field. Her signature began to scrawl across it again, the leading point of the invisible pink marker spelling out her name in romaji letters raining yellow and silver sparks of glitter down the screen toward the stage as if the word was being etched into the stars with a fairy¡¯s wand. A loud plop echoed from the speakers as the entire outline of a pink heart appeared at once at the end, under the trailing edge of the letter o at the end of Ranko.

    ¡°Holy shit, Firebirds! Can you believe that just happened?! How fucking cool was that?!¡± She spoke through her headset microphone, having sent her sparkly handheld backstage with Hitomi.

    To Ranko¡¯s back right, Sanyo began wheeling a large, round black object forward onto the stage. A thin white mist rolled from its base as it was dragged into position over the asterisk marked on the stage floor with fluorescent orange tape.

    ¡°I mean¡­ I suppose it¡¯s not that surprising that magic happens at my shows. After all¡­¡± Ranko raised her right hand, snapping her fingers a few centimeters from her ear. As she did, a two-meter column of green flame blasted upward through the bottomless black cauldron to her right, and the star field image behind her on the video screen shattered like glass to reveal a scene of an antique two-story building interior that could have been a bookstore or a library.

    ¡°I got that witch-craaaaaaaaaft¡­¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°So listen, you two, I friggin¡¯ better get an invitation to the wedding,¡± Ranko said, squeezing Aabid and Tjandra tight in her arms as Natsuko snapped another picture. The flash from her Nikon camera reflected slightly off of the plastic backstage pass badges dangling from fuschia lanyards hung around the Firebirds¡¯ necks. ¡°Aabid¡¯s got the address to send it to.¡±

    ¡°Miss Tendo,¡± Aabid said, turning to the fuku-clad singer with his face absolutely aglow with joy. ¡°Thank you so much for doing this for us.¡±

    Ranko waved her hand at him dismissively. ¡°Are you kidding? That¡¯s one of the most awesome things I¡¯ve ever done onstage. I¡¯m so glad you asked me.¡± She motioned to Aabid with her thumb, turning to Tjandra. ¡°Listen, this guy¡¯s been an absolute gem while we¡¯ve been setting this up, so, treat him good, yeah? You got a keeper here.¡± Over her shoulder, another series of camera flashes flickered in the little VIP lounge, which had been cleared for a few private moments with the band and the newly-engaged couple.

    Aabid blushed deeply as he listened to Ranko¡¯s words for his bride. ¡°I¡¯ll try, Miss Tendo,¡± Tjandra replied in English, bouncing excitedly on her heels.

    ¡°Ranko, please. And, I got no doubt of it,¡± Ranko said with an ear-to-ear grin. ¡°You two are so flippin¡¯ cute together. You got this! Hey, listen, this has been so great! I wish I could hang with you guys all night, but I gotta talk to my team for a second, and then, I need to say hey to some other folks that are waiting. We¡¯re gonna put these pictures in the next newsletter, so you can frame it up when you get it, okay? It¡¯ll be a cool souvenir, I think.¡±

    Receiving nods of assent from both of her new friends, Ranko ushered the pair toward the double doors. ¡°Follow Zoe there, with the pink hair. They¡¯re gonna take you around front and get you whatever you want from the merch stand. Call it an early wedding present.¡±

    As the pair followed the newest Dapper Dragon out into the hallway, Ranko shouted a single word in Indonesian after them, having only just then remembered it. ¡°Selamat!¡±

    Aabid and Tjandra waved behind them in thanks for her congratulations in their native tongue, and Ranko stepped forward to address the bouncy blonde with the camera. ¡°Hey, Natsuko? Listen, I wanna thank you for helping this come together. I wanna do more of that kind of stuff when we can. I know there¡¯s a limit, but¡­ Connecting like that with people, that¡¯s what this is all about for me, ya know?¡±

    The president of the Dapper Dragons¡¯ official fan club nodded. ¡°You got it! I¡¯ll keep an eye out for any other fan mail where we can do something special, and in the meantime, maybe we can just surprise random people with a gift package, something signed or whatever, once a month when we do the newsletters?¡±

    Ranko beamed. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea! Get with Nabiki when you get home, and let¡¯s start setting that up. You¡¯re flying back tonight, right?¡±

    ¡°In the morning. And yeah, will do,¡± Natsuko said, a wide grin on her face. ¡°You want me to let the rest of the meet-and-greets in?¡±

    Ranko shook her head. ¡°Not yet. Just give me a quick minute. I gotta try to find a phone.¡±

    Natsuko¡¯s face took on a shade of concern. ¡°Are they beeping you, or something?¡±

    The redhead reached into the pocket of the denim jacket slung over the back of her chair in the little dressing room, pressing the button on her pager to check the most recent notification. ¡°No, and that¡¯s the problem. I can¡¯t seem to get a hold of anybody back home. It¡¯s been a couple days now.¡±

    With a little wave of her hand, Natsuko crinkled her nose and shook her head. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re just busy with job interviews and stuff.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s eyes widened and she lowered the can of high-octane energy drink from her lips, a little chuckle escaping her throat. ¡°The what now? Come on, Natsu. You¡¯re gonna have to try harder than that to trick me. I know better. They¡¯ll never leave. They¡¯re gonna bury Yui behind that fucking bar.¡±

    Natsuko gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. ¡°My gods¡­ they didn¡¯t tell you?¡±

 88. Adakah Itu Dia?

    ¡°Ranko, hon, c¡¯mon. You gotta stop this.¡±

    The redhead sighed, swirling the remaining half of her watermelon margarita in her hand and staring down into the little vortex that formed in the pinkish liquid¡¯s surface. It looked like it was going down the drain, which seemed more than apt given the current state of Ranko Tendo''s thoughts.

    She''d called Yui after Natsuko¡¯s slip of the tongue, and her sister had begrudgingly confirmed everything: the sale of the Phoenix, her sisters¡¯ inability to find new work given that none of them save Sakura had ever had a job outside the bar their family called home, all of it. Everything their mother had been working for longer than Ayako had even been alive would be gone forever in less than twenty days. From her seat in a dark and dingy booth in the back corner of a seedy little karaoke bar in the red light district of Kuala Lumpur, Ranko could not even so much as offer her family a conciliatory hug of support, let alone actually do anything tangible to help. It was killing her.

    ¡°I''m fine, Hitomi,¡± Ranko grumbled. ¡°I just wish I could go out on the road one time without my whole world falling apart back home where I can''t do shit about it, is all.¡±

    ¡°From the sound of it,¡± Emi said, sliding into the booth opposite Ranko, ¡°you couldn''t do much even if you were there. The other girls aren''t having any luck. Even Nabiki Tendo, Business Senshi, isn''t getting anywhere. There''s nothing you could do if you were there but help them pack the place up, Ranko.¡±

    Ranko sighed down into her drink, pulling the hood of her sweatshirt tighter around her cheeks to hide her tear-streaked face. ¡°That''s not the point, Ems. You don''t get it. You weren''t there at the beginning and you don''t know what it was like for me. I know I live with Akane, but¡­¡± She exhaled heavily, taking a long moment to regain her composure. ¡°It feels like I''m losing my home all over again. When my whole world evaporated, that bar was my fucking fortress, and now it¡¯s just gonna be¡­ gone? They¡¯re gonna demolish my whole world to put up a fuckin¡¯ department store?!¡±

    ¡°At least Izumi will still feel right at home,¡± Emi offered, but her attempt at levity was utterly lost on her despondent friend.

    ¡°And even worse, it''s not just happening to me. It¡¯s happening to the people I love most, too. When I had nowhere to go, they rescued me, and now they need help, and¡­¡± Ranko gestured vaguely to her surroundings. ¡°I''m five thousand kilometers away with my ass stuck to this nasty vinyl bench, watching some loser at the bar try to put a hooker on a fucking credit card. What a worthless piece of shit of a daughter and a sister I turned out to be. I owe them so much fucking more than this!¡± She slammed the tabletop hard with her hand, momentarily turning the eyes of a few people at the surrounding tables.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, Ranko. Don''t talk like that. You know that¡¯s not true. What''s that thing Yui says, about like, people like you and shit?¡± Hitomi tapped Emi¡¯s shoulder and the blonde stepped out of the booth, permitting Hitomi to exit. The brunette walked around the sticky wooden table, sliding onto the opposite bench and draping her arm over Ranko¡¯s shoulder with a soft shake.

    The redhead sighed into her drink. She answered in a hollow voice, on rote recitation alone, without looking up at her friend. ¡°I am wanted, I have worth and I have people who care about me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! That thing! And it''s true, ya know. Sure, this sucks. It bites the big one, no mistake. But I don''t think there''s anybody at that bar that thinks less of you because you''re out here pursuing your dream and your career right now. I¡¯d bet all the money I have on it.¡± Hitomi squeezed Ranko''s shoulders gently.

    Ranko scoffed, draining the rest of the watered-down cocktail she had been nursing into her mouth. ¡°I''ve seen the way you shop, ¡®Tomi. All the money you have wouldn''t buy me another drink. And I really shouldn''t buy one, either. Everyone in my family, including me and technically all of you guys, is gonna lose their jobs in two weeks, and we need to save our money.¡±

    Emi nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll be alright - at least, those of us in the band. We should get our first tour payouts from Yokai soon. I honestly don''t have any idea how much that will be, but I''m sure it¡¯ll be enough to get by.¡±

    ¡°Me neither. I¡¯m sure Nabiki does,¡± Ranko said. ¡°Just sucks that we¡¯ll have to wait three months for the next check after that. Besides, who knows how reliable Yokai¡¯s gonna be right now? And even if it¡¯s enough for us, a fat lot of good that does Mom and my sisters. Hell, ¡®Tomi, we won''t even have a place to play anymore,¡± Ranko bemoaned, staring at her empty glass as if willing it to be refilled by magic.

    Hitomi shrugged her shoulders a bit, leaning into her friend¡¯s body. ¡°I bet Steam would be all about it if we wanted to do more shows there!¡±

    Ranko groaned in exasperation. She knew her friends were trying to help, but her depression twisted their every suggestion into its most negative possible outcome. I wish Fred did appointments on the phone, she thought wistfully. Where¡¯s Mr. Fix-It when you fucking need him? Her thoughts seemed to spiral downward more rapidly than the ice she was still swishing around in the empty glass in her hand.

    ¡°Yeah! I''m sure Yokai would just love us playing at a gay bar five nights a week! As it is, I can''t get them to publish our third album because they want me to sign a promise not to love my fucking wife! Yeah, and they want it to apply to you two lovebirds, too, don''t forget. It honestly wouldn''t surprise me if they even tried to pull some shit on Jake and Zo.¡±

    Ranko sighed, tapping Hitomi on the arm to indicate she wanted to be let out of the booth. ¡°I should just go back to the hotel. I''m awful company tonight, and I''m fucking up all your fun. I''m really sorry.¡±

    Emi gave a dismissive scoff, grabbing Ranko¡¯s arm to prevent her from getting up. ¡°First off, you''re our friend, and we love you. If you''re in the shitter, we¡¯re in the shitter together. So, we¡¯re not climbing out unless you make it out with us. And second of all, if you think we¡¯re letting you walk back to the hotel alone in this part of town, you''re out of your damn mind, girlfriend.¡±

    The redhead chuckled darkly. ¡°I can take care of myself better than you might think, Ems.¡± Honestly, there''s a part of me that wouldn''t hate an excuse to blow off a little rage on some asshole¡¯s face tonight. ¡°Besides,¡± Ranko said with a smirk. ¡°No matter how cool he thinks he''s being about it, a two-and-a-half meter bald American kinda stands out in a place like this, so I don''t know who the hell Lance thinks he''s fooling. Does he really think I don''t see him watching us from over by the pool table? I''m not that drunk, for fuck¡¯s sake.¡±

    ¡°Yet,¡± Hitomi offered as she flagged down the harried young server and motioned to Ranko''s empty glass for another round. ¡°He followed us over from the hotel. Don''t blame the big lug for trying. He''s just worried about ¡¯cha. We all are, Ran-chan. This doom-and-gloom thing isn''t you.¡±

    Maybe not lately, Ranko mused spitefully. Not since Mom and the girls fucking fixed me. Because they didn¡¯t let me down, like I¡¯m doing to them right now. She looked up as the server brought her a fresh margarita, nodding her wordless thanks. Ranko had ordered the first one by pointing at a picture; the server spoke neither Japanese nor English.

    ¡°Ranko, listen,¡± Emi said softly. ¡°You¡¯re making it. Your sisters and your mom don¡¯t hold that against you - if anything, they probably all wish they had their own things going right now to fall back on, too. Look at how supportive they¡¯ve all been of Izumi since she started doing more fashion stuff and cutting back her hours at the Phoenix. I wasn¡¯t there, but from what I know of Hana, I bet your mom didn¡¯t do all that work to help you and your sisters get right because she wanted you all trapped in that bar until you¡¯re old and gray. She wanted to get you ready to have your life, and honey, you¡¯re living it.¡±

    As Emi spoke, Hitomi grinned brightly and slipped out of the booth, walking over to a computer set up in a little kiosk near the stage and beginning to fiddle with it.

    Ranko scoffed. ¡°I didn¡¯t grow up dreaming of being a singer, Ems. I grew up just hoping¡­ I dunno. I grew up without much hope, honestly. But right now, I just wish I could make things bet¡­¡±

    The remainder of Ranko¡¯s sentence was drowned out by a singing voice blasting from the stage through the bar¡¯s sound system. Surprisingly, the lyrics were in English, and they were sung over no music.

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°Whoa-oh-oh, uh-oh! Look out, look out!¡±

    Ranko rolled her eyes, turning in the booth to look at Hitomi. Unlike most Japanese karaoke bars, there was a singular stage at the back of the bar, not dissimilar from that at the Phoenix. A few of the revelers, out for a drink on a Saturday night, turned to look. How many watched because of Hitomi¡¯s singing voice, and how many because of her green microdress, Ranko was unsure. ¡°What the hell is she doing?¡±

    Emi beamed with her girlfriend¡¯s unspoken suggestion. ¡°Looks like she¡¯s having fun.¡±

    ¡°Whoa-uh-oh! Uh-oh! She¡¯s gonna make you shout!¡±

    Emi darted up to the stage, reaching under the kiosk where Hitomi had selected the song. As Hitomi continued the leadup and the music began, she returned to Ranko¡¯s table with two wireless microphones in her arms, stuffing one into her friend¡¯s hand.

    ¡°No way. I¡¯m not doing this,¡± Ranko said, glowering at Emi. ¡°This is dumb.¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Emi said with a shrug. ¡°But you¡¯re gonna make me and ¡®Tomi look like assholes when we¡¯re just standing there and nobody¡¯s spitting the fire.¡± She looked Ranko dead in the eyes as she leveled her microphone to her lips.

    ¡°Whoa-oh-oh, uh-oh! Beware the flow.¡±

    Ranko sighed in resignation. ¡°I fucking hate you, Kimoto.¡± The slightly inebriated redhead pushed her friend out of the way, taking a moment for her equilibrium to adjust to her body going vertical for the first time in nearly three hours.

    Emi squeezed Ranko¡¯s hand in reassurance as she looked down at the shorter girl with a confident smile. ¡°Whoa-oh-oh! Uh-oh! Turn off the ra-a-di-o.¡±

    Ranko raised the microphone as the music from the karaoke system began, the head of it almost disappearing into the shroud of her pastel blue hood. With one more heavy sigh, she parted her lips and let instinct take over, beginning the first verse of Demon in Your Radio as she still leaned on the divider between her booth and the one behind.

    ¡°It¡¯s the legendary lyricist, the Phoenix rose! I¡¯m here to shake your body from your hair down to your toes! It starts in your ears and flows down your spine, works its way into your hips until it makes you mine. Oozes down into your heart and it infects your soul, until your whole, entire body starts to lose control. ¡®Cause the second you start hearing my hypnotic groove, you¡¯ll forget how to think, and you can only¡­¡±

    Ranko, Emi and Hitomi all shouted the final word at once, for want of a Shinji to add gravitas to it.

    ¡°Move!¡±

    As they did, Emi reached up behind Ranko, snatching the hood of her sweatshirt and yanking it down to reveal her friend¡¯s face to the crowd. Ranko turned with wide eyes to Emi, a what the hell are you doing expression in her eyes.

    In the back corner of the bar, a wide grin crossed the lips of an amused American. Genius, Lance thought. He stepped forward, leaning over a round table where three young women were drinking, none of them paying attention to the trio of singers. ¡°Adakah itu dia?!¡±

    The women blinked in surprise: first at being accosted by a stranger, then by an American speaking Malay, and thirdly by what he had actually said. Their eyes followed Lance¡¯s arm, and widened in shock at the sight of a bona fide Japanese pop star covering her own song in the middle of a dive bar in Kuala Lumpur. ¡°Adakah itu dia?!¡±

    Emi took Ranko by the hand, dragging her toward the stage to join Hitomi. As they moved, Ranko continued the first verse. Lance, meanwhile, moved through the crowd, stopping periodically whenever he saw a distracted group of people, always asking the same question. ¡°Adakah itu dia?!¡± Invariably, it invited a quizzical inspection, first of Lance, and then of Ranko. Momentarily, the realization would set in, and another group of people was ensorcelled by the song, just the English lyrics they might not necessarily have understood predicted they would be.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be shy! Everyone knows you can¡¯t help but lose it when your system¡¯s overridden by the sound of music. It¡¯s not your fault; nobody can maintain their focus when they¡¯re sucked into the Dragon-style hocus-pocus!¡±

    Least of all, a certain young redhead who had previously been intently focusing on her own troubles. She found herself entirely unable to continue doing so as awareness of her presence spread through the narrow little watering hole. In that moment, there was only a crowd and a microphone.

    ¡°La adalah dia!¡± The bartender gasped, covering his mouth with both of his hands.

    The energy in the bar was palpable as word spread to every booth and table, and in moments, every eye was fixated on the stage. Lance grinned from ear-to-ear, watching his young, despondent friend come alive at the sight of a welcoming crowd. All it had taken was the simplest of questions: is that her? He strode over toward the front of the stage through the deepening crowd, making a quick stop at the karaoke station.

    ¡°You can¡¯t help but dance! There¡¯s no time to rest! There¡¯s a siren on the mic that¡¯s making you possessed! There¡¯s nowhere to hide! Nowhere to go! No escaping from the demon in your ra-a-d-io!¡±

    Ranko expected the title of the song to lack impact without Shinji¡¯s booming bass to back her, but she found a more than satisfactory substitute in the mountain of an American that had collected a fourth wireless microphone from the charging stand under the song selection computer.

    <hr>

    ¡°Good night, Lance!¡± Hitomi giggled drunkenly as she waved to their friend and de facto bodyguard, stumbling into her hotel room and leaning on Emi for support.

    Ranko waved as Hitomi slumped onto an ottoman near the front door to begin unstrapping her heels. ¡°Night, you two! And hey¡­ thanks for tonight. Really.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, Ran-chan. That¡¯s what friends are for. G¡¯night, hon,¡± Emi replied with a wave, having already unzipped the back of her dress as Lance pulled the door closed respectfully.

    The redhead turned her back to the door, stepping forward to her own room across the hall. It took her a few tries to fit her key into the lock, as she herself was more than a little inebriated, but Lance steadied her until she got the door open.

    ¡°Good night, Ranko,¡± Lance said gently, giving her a squeeze around the shoulders.

    Ranko purred at the feel of a hug, resting her temple on his chest for just a moment as she was embraced. ¡°G¡¯night, Lance. Thanks for coming with us tonight.¡±

    Lance nodded, squeezing her tighter against his ribs. ¡°Anytime, Ran-chan. Rest well. You gotta have your game face on tomorrow. Stadium Merdeka waits for no one.¡±

    ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± As she was released from the hug, Ranko walked into her darkened hotel room, leaning on the wall a bit to help retain her balance. Lance gently pulled her door closed behind her, leaving Ranko alone to fumble for the switch at the neck of the lamp on the bedside table. Her fingers eventually found it, and she plopped heavily onto the bed, wincing a bit. Awww, man! More scratchy sheets. I gotta start bringing my own set on tour. Stupid fucking Cat¡¯s Tongue.

    She glanced at the phone on her nightstand, and then the clock radio next to it. Can¡¯t call Akane. They¡¯re an hour behind us, so she¡¯ll still be at the bar. Sighing, she rubbed her temples, all of her worries and regrets about her family¡¯s predicament flooding back into her mind at the thought of the Phoenix.

    What are we gonna do?!

    She curled up on the bed, curling her knees around Starlight as she sniffled a little at the haunting memory of nights spent sleeping in train stations or parks without nothing but her growling stomach for company. It¡¯s all gonna be gone. And if the girls don¡¯t find new jobs soon¡­ I can¡¯t let that happen to them. Not for one second. I refuse. There¡¯s gotta be a way to fix this.

    Ranko played with Starlight¡¯s pink mane idly in her fingers as she racked her brain. If Nabiki can¡¯t figure out the contract stuff, nobody can. Sakura¡¯s working on finding a new place, but they don¡¯t have the money.

    I could do another fundraiser show, like I did the first Christmas party, Ranko thought. But it wouldn¡¯t raise anywhere near enough to get a new place. I¡¯d need a way bigger venue, and there¡¯s no way I can get one in three days when I get home. I doubt I could even get one in time if I went to the airport right now. Fuck! I need more time!

    She rolled over on the bed, reaching for her nightstand again, and taking the small framed photo she carried with her on tour in her hand. It featured all of her sisters, Hana and Akane, all hugging Ranko in front of the temporary stage they¡¯d constructed outside the Phoenix for the performance celebrating the release of Phoenix Rising.

    I love that bar. I love every fucking millimeter of it. It¡¯s my home. But it¡¯s not home because of the wood and concrete. It¡¯s home because of them. Maybe I can¡¯t save the bar, but I have to at least save them. They¡¯d probably be okay if they just had a few more months. Some way to survive until we figure out what to do. If I could, I¡¯d give them every single yen from this tour to keep them going until they get back on their feet. But I won¡¯t even freakin¡¯ get it until it¡¯s too late. I wish I could just fast-forward the checks, someh¡­

    Ranko sat up bolt-straight in her bed, barely catching Starlight before the stuffed unicorn could fall off the mattress to the rough berber carpeting. She rocketed to her feet, taking one step and toppling over onto her right knee and hip. Whoa. I had one too many margaritas, Ranko thought with a blush as she crawled the last meter to the chair where her purse lay. And after that, I had some more margaritas. Fuckin¡¯ Hitomi drinks like a fish.

    She pulled her bag open, fumbling in the dim until she found a small black address book. Rolling to her backside, she climbed back to her feet, walking more carefully to her nightstand and snatching up the telephone receiver. It took her a few moments to flip through the book until she found the number she sought, but she eventually did and began to dial it.

    ¡°Please leave a message after the tone,¡± the receiver squawked in Japanese, followed by a cheerful electronic beep.

    ¡°Hey, Amaya? It¡¯s Ranko. I¡¯m ready to talk. Can you come out here?¡±

 89. Compromise

    The nervous redhead closed her eyes, resting her head against the gold-colored aluminum of the elevator¡¯s back wall. Fuck, this is stupid.

    The elevator¡¯s only occupant looked down at her hands and the green marble floor beyond them, fidgeting with her wedding ring. Her mind raced, desperately trying to cobble together another elaborate labyrinth of lies and explanations. Another pile of excuses and half-truths designed to obscure a reality that there was nothing wrong with in the first place.

    I love a woman, and she loves me, and we promised each other forever.

    Maybe it won¡¯t come up, Ranko hoped, though she knew in her heart of hearts that the likelihood of such an outcome was minimal at best. I¡¯ll just ask Amaya for help, woman to woman. She¡¯s always been reasonable. I¡¯m not asking for anything they don¡¯t owe me anyway. This should be no big deal.

    So focused was she on her own thoughts that the sudden stop of the elevator and the downward force pressing her legs toward the floor startled her. She looked up as the loud ding from overhead indicated the little cubicle¡¯s arrival in the lobby on the first floor of the Singapore Grande Plaza hotel. The expansive lobby looked almost regal in its scope, as the Grande Plaza was easily the nicest hotel Ranko and her bandmates had stayed in since leaving Japan two and a half weeks prior. Nothing like that shithole they put us in back in Malaysia, Ranko thought as her white chunky heels clacked across the reflective white marble floor.

    She approached the front desk, a long cherry wood counter with a brass rail around the front of it. Disregarding the elegant surroundings and the four men spaced out behind the counter in red jackets over crisp white shirts with black bow ties, the counter almost reminded Ranko of the bar back home in the Phoenix. She shook her head, sighing. Except it¡¯s not gonna be home anymore. She stomped her right heel once against the floor, trying to vent her frustration at the situation. I gotta stay cool. I can¡¯t look too desperate, even if I am. Ranko swayed impatiently on her heels while the middle-aged woman in front of her got her questions answered, stepping up to the second attendant from the right once it was her turn. He could not have been more than two or three years Ranko¡¯s senior, and he was objectively handsome.

    Man, how much easier my life would be sometimes if I could just think somebody like that was cute, Ranko thought grimly. The musing reminded her of yet another thing that had been worrying her a lot of late, and it roiled her empty stomach somewhat. Can¡¯t go down that rabbit hole right now. I¡¯ve got my hands full as it is. Dial it in, Ran-chan.

    ¡°Good morning, ma¡¯am,¡± the attendant began in English with a warm hospitality smile. ¡°How can we help you today?¡±

    Ranko bit her lip nervously, not with worry about the conversation she was having, but the one she was asking for directions to. ¡°Hi. I¡¯m looking for the Palm Conference Room, please? I have a 9:30 meeting.¡±

    With a nod and a smile, the hotel concierge gestured to his left. ¡°Of course! It¡¯s just right down there, past the elevator, second door on your left. Would you like me to show you?¡±

    The redhead shook her head, her hair tickling her back above the square neckline of her dress. ¡°No, thank you. I got it. Thanks!¡±

    I swear, they book these things early just to screw with me, Ranko thought as she followed the directions she¡¯d been given. Another thing they do to throw people off, like keeping the rooms cold and making people wait. They know we were out until two in the morning at the show. She yawned widely just at the thought of how exhausted she was. Not that I¡¯ve been able to sleep since Medan, anyway. She found the door the concierge directed her to, confirming that the frosted glass plaque mounted to the wall next to it did in fact read Palm Conference Room.

    Ranko looked around the cramped, windowless hotel meeting room, her hands shaking. She spied her reflection in the glass of a small side table, regretting that she had packed none of her more professional outfits when she''d left home. Gotta do the best I can with what I got with me, she thought, smoothing her mint green lace dress and adjusting her breasts in her bra. Somehow, I don''t think my outfit¡¯s what Nabiki''s gonna be pissed about when she finds out about this. Her red hair flowed mostly loose over her back, with a strand on each side brought to the middle and clipped with a large mint-colored bow on a banana clip to keep it off her shoulders.

    The walls were lined with framed paintings of serene beach scenes, but as the young singer stepped into the narrow room, she felt anything but relaxed. Ranko closed the door behind herself and took the middle of three wheeled leather chairs on the left side of the long, polished cherry wood conference table. None of the other chairs were as yet occupied. There''s still time to haul ass, she thought as her foot bounced anxiously on the low-pile commercial gray carpeting under the table.

    It¡¯ll be fine, she mentally assured herself, grabbing her left wrist around her ever-present silver dragon bracelet and trying in vain to hold her hand still. It¡¯s Amaya. She¡¯s always been reasonable. I¡¯ll just tell her I need a little help, a little time for my sisters to figure out what to do.

    Ranko launched herself out of the chair as she heard the door opening. ¡°Hi, Amay¡­¡± Her voice trailed off when a stumpy man in his thirties, wearing a gray suit with a skinny black tie, entered the room.

    Oh, fuck.

    ¡°Hello, Miss Tendo. It¡¯s good to see you again,¡± the businessman said. ¡°How¡¯s the tour been going?¡±

    Oh, just fantastic. Just having to watch helplessly from the other side of the freaking ocean as my family fights for survival. No biggie. ¡°Getting along. Looking forward to getting home for a little bit soon. I¡¯ve got¡­ a lot going on with my family right now, Mr. Kondo.¡±

    Kichirou Kondo nodded solemnly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that, Ranko. Truly.¡±

    Yeah, I¡¯m sure you are, asshole, she thought, glowering as she retook her seat. ¡°Where¡¯s Amaya?¡±

    The chubby man closed the oak conference room door behind himself, slipping into the black leather office chair at the near head of the table. ¡°Miss Uyehara¡­ had a scheduling conflict. She won¡¯t be here. You¡¯ll be dealing with me.¡± He loudly flopped his brown leather briefcase on the table with a loud clap that echoed a bit in the room. The sudden sound made Ranko jump a bit in her chair.

    Shit. Shit shit shit. What do I¡­

    ¡°So, Ranko, what did you want to talk about?¡±

    The redhead swallowed hard. Too late to back out now. ¡°Well, um, ya see, it¡¯s like this¡­¡± She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and exhaling it slowly. Get it together, Ranko.

    ¡°As I¡¯m sure you know,¡± she continued, trying her best to project an entirely false air of confidence, ¡°the band and I haven¡¯t gotten paid for any of the tour stuff yet, and I was hoping we could talk about that.¡±

    Mr. Kondo nodded, unclasping the buckle of his soft-sided briefcase as he listened. ¡°Of course. Unfortunately, we weren¡¯t able to get the revenue from the first leg of the tour on your summer payout because we were still sorting out the fallout of the show we canceled in Sydney. Now that we¡¯ve gotten that resolved, you should see your cut of the April and August take on your October check.¡±

    Ranko sighed at the thought. Another two months. Mom and my sisters can¡¯t wait that long, ya jerk. ¡°Wait a minute, how is it fair that I don¡¯t get paid on time because you guys couldn¡¯t get your act together?¡±

    ¡°An¡­ unfortunate reality in business sometimes, Miss Tendo. Sometimes, what¡¯s fair takes a back seat to what¡¯s practical. You¡¯ll get every yen of what you¡¯re owed soon enough.¡± Go on, kid, the eager executive thought. You wouldn¡¯t have called us if you weren¡¯t desperate for some reason or another. Admit it.

    ¡°Let me ask you something,¡± Ranko pressed. ¡°Most of the shows on the rest of this trip are sold out, right? And what about the December shows?¡±

    ¡°Just a moment,¡± the businessman said. ¡°I¡¯ve got that data here somewhere¡­¡± He flipped through a few papers he¡¯d extracted from his satchel, stopping on a page about a third of the way through the pile. ¡°Ah! Here we go. Looks like for August¡­ both Singapore shows and Bangkok are sold out, and Hanoi and Phnom Penh are at about eighty percent. As for December¡­¡± He flipped to the next page. ¡°All the major shows are full: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul, and the Christmas show in Tokyo. Sapporo¡¯s pretty close, Xi¡¯an, too. The Chengdu show¡¯s not doing as well; we¡¯re only at about sixty percent on that one. I¡¯m honestly not sure who thought it was a good idea to book that one, out in the middle of nowhere like that.¡±

    Funny story about that, Ranko thought. Let¡¯s just say me and northwestern China got a little bit of personal history to talk through. She allowed herself a brief smile, remembering the shock she¡¯d received the morning of her wedding when her father¡¯s mean-spirited attempt to force her to retake her old masculine form had failed. I¡¯m not going to Chengdu for money, dude. I¡¯m going there for answers.

    ¡°Okay then, so, what I¡¯m hearing is, you guys have made pretty much all the money you¡¯re gonna make on ticket sales, right? I mean, there¡¯s merch, stuff like that, but you¡¯ve already gotten paid for all that, right?¡± Ranko sat up in her seat, hoping to press her advantage.

    Mr. Kondo nodded. ¡°That seems to be a fair assessment, yeah. What are you thinking?¡±

    Just think like Nabiki, and you¡¯ll be fine, Ranko. Business is just like martial arts. Just like dis tracks. Look for a weak spot, and when you find it, attack without mercy. ¡°I mean, it hardly seems fair that you guys got paid for these shows months ago, and I have to wait until they¡¯ve already happened. Shouldn¡¯t my checks have our percentage of whatever money Yokai took in on our stuff, regardless of when the actual shows are?¡±

    ¡°One problem with that argument, Miss Tendo. What happens when you don¡¯t show up to a show at the last minute, like you did in Sydney, and we have to give everyone their money back? We have to ensure you¡¯re actually going to perform.¡± The middle-aged man interlaced his fingers atop his stack of papers, a confident smirk crossing his face.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    The redhead¡¯s muscles stiffened in fury. How fucking dare he¡­ He knows what happened! Deep breath, Ranko. Deep breath. We tried the viper approach, and we haven¡¯t gotten anywhere. Now we need the orchid.

    ¡°With respect, sir, my mother was on death¡¯s door. I had no choice but to come home. I would think if it were one of your parents, you¡¯d have reacted the same way. It¡¯s not the kind of thing I would expect to come up often. Plus, Yokai¡¯s got insurance against that stuff; Nabiki explained everything to me and to Amaya.¡±

    Kichirou Kondo chuckled, an almost hopeful sneer crossing his face. It disquieted Ranko greatly. Oh, kid, you have no idea how happy I¡¯d be if my old man would kick the bucket. All of this is gonna be mine the second he does. But honestly, I don¡¯t think I have to wait that long. He¡¯s old, he¡¯s tired, and his time is past. All I¡¯ve gotta do is break the wildest horse in the stable, and he¡¯ll get out of the way. His golden girl Uyehara couldn¡¯t do it, but once I do, he¡¯ll have no choice but to admit I¡¯m ready to take over.

    The son of the Yokai Records CEO shrugged. ¡°Be that as it may, those are, in fact, the terms you and your representation agreed to. I¡¯ve got a copy of the tour contract here, if you need to reference it.¡± The shift in his tone of voice when he referenced Nabiki positively dripped with disgust. Big sister¡¯s not here to protect you now, is she, girlie?

    ¡°I know what it says. I just¡­ I was hoping we could change it. And I¡¯m willing to make a trade for it.¡± Ranko fidgeted in her seat, despite her best efforts not to. ¡°I want all the money we¡¯re going to get for the tour, up front, right now. Every yen we¡¯re owed on all the tickets for the whole tour you¡¯ve sold so far, plus our cut of the merch sales through Sunday¡¯s show in Malaysia. In return, you get to keep our cut of anything you make on merch and tickets we sell after today, for the rest of the tour.¡±

    Gotcha, the record executive thought, a dark joy in his heart. Nobody asks for a lump sum of money unless they¡¯re hurting right now. What was that you said in Rise, Ranko? ¡®One knee on the ground?¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s an awfully big thing to ask out of the blue like this, Ranko. Are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡±

    He spoke with concern in his voice, but Ranko easily detected its falsehood from across the table. It disgusted her. At least if he was showing no emotion, she could have chalked it up to a stoic demeanor. His obvious mockery made it abundantly clear to Ranko that he spared no thought for whatever crisis might have made her desperate enough to summon her record label¡¯s top executives from Tokyo to Singapore on three days¡¯ notice.

    He knows that I¡¯m in trouble, and he clearly doesn¡¯t give a shit. And that means I¡¯m in even bigger trouble. Fuck!

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine. I just¡­ got some things I wanna do, and want a little more up-front cash, that¡¯s all.¡± Ranko looked down at her hands. However much everybody says I¡¯m a good actor, when it comes to shit I really care about, I can¡¯t fake it for shit. He¡¯s fucking got me, and he knows it.

    Mr. Kondo nodded. ¡°Well, I¡¯m certainly glad to hear there¡¯s nothing to worry about. After all, you¡¯re Yokai¡¯s top star! I think we¡¯ll be able to help you out, Ranko. Your request seems more than reasonable. I¡¯ll just need to go to the hotel¡¯s business center and type up a contract amendment real quick, and we can sign it over lunch. There¡¯s a wonderful steakhouse on the roof of the hotel that makes these amazing little cheese tart things. My treat.¡±

    Wait¡­ really? That was too easy, Ranko thought skeptically. What¡¯s the catch? ¡°Um.. sure? Sounds good.¡±

    ¡°Fantastic! There¡¯s just one more thing we¡¯ll have to handle, and we¡¯ll be all set,¡± the executive said, sitting forward in his chair and resting his forearms on the table.

    Aaand, here comes the anvil, Ranko fretted. ¡°Y¡­ yeah?¡±

    Mr. Kondo eagerly reached into his briefcase, pulling out an ivory packet of paper. It was only two pages, clipped together with a staple in the corner. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, Ranko. I know you¡¯ve been with Yokai for a long time now, and our relationship has been wonderful. We, of course, don¡¯t want to do anything to disrupt that. But, well, we have a certain image we want to maintain - a brand identity, if you will, and it¡¯s very important to our company leadership team.¡±

    Ranko swallowed hard. ¡°The code of conduct?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± He slid the pair of papers across the glossy polished tabletop to the young singer. ¡°Our challenge is, all of our other artists have signed, and some of them have started to express frustration with the fact that you haven¡¯t. It¡¯s just not fair to have rules for them, and not for you, ya know? If Yokai signs another contract with you, even something as small as an amendment like this, and we don¡¯t have this in hand, it¡¯s an indication that we¡¯ve endorsed your continuing to be above the rules, and we¡¯ll have a riot on our hands. It¡¯s nothing personal, and I mean, it¡¯s nothing we haven¡¯t already asked you to do from the beginning. We¡¯re just putting it in writing. So, as long as you¡¯ve been a good girl, really, nothing¡¯s changing, right? It¡¯s just a formality.¡±

    Don¡¯t you fucking dare call me that, you jerk. Only Akane and Mom get to call me that. With trembling fingers, she picked up the contract and began to read down the bullet points. It hadn¡¯t changed in any way she immediately noticed from the one she and Nabiki had crumpled up on an eastbound train months ago.

    No illegal drugs. Shinji might not be too thrilled with that one, but I think I¡¯d be okay.

    No getting arrested. Biggest worry about that is Hitomi and Emi making out in public somewhere and causing a scene, or having a fight in the middle of downtown if Ryoga or somebody shows up. No worries there.

    She managed a nervous chuckle at the third bullet point, which had been entirely struck out with a blue ballpoint pen. ¡°I see you guys gave up on the no cuss words in lyrics clause, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We figured with you, that ship has pretty much sailed,¡± the businessman answered matter-of-factly.

    Hey, maybe they¡¯re gonna be reasonable after all. Her eyes fell to the next bullet point. Well, this hardly seems like the sort of thing they should get to control. I mean, it¡¯s the last thing on Earth I wanna do anyway, but¡­

    ¡°Really, dude?!¡± Ranko held up the paper for him to see, pointing to the fourth bullet. ¡°No getting pregnant?! How is that any of Yokai¡¯s business?¡±

    Mr. Kondo scoffed a bit. ¡°It doesn¡¯t say you can¡¯t, just that we want you to let us know in advance if you¡¯re thinking about doing it. Imagine if you turned up pregnant right now and surprised us with it. What would that do to the December shows? It¡¯s purely about protecting our scheduling interests.¡±

    I¡¯ll tell you where you can stick your scheduling interests. You just wanna control a girl¡¯s body, you skeezy prick. At least have the balls to admit it. Before Ranko could swallow her disgust, her eyes reached the final bullet point, and her heart sank into the thick white heels that had not stopped bouncing with anxiety for the last twenty minutes.

    Performer agrees not to engage in romantic and/or sexual relationships with individuals of the same sex.

    The businessman across the table from her sat up bolt-straight, carefully scrutinizing her body language as she slumped back in her chair. Wow. That¡¯s the one she was worried about? I would have thought for sure it would have been the drugs. Well, isn¡¯t that interesting?!

    Ranko¡¯s voice was hollow and distant when she finally found the wherewithal to speak. ¡°I want an exemption on this whole contract for my team. All of them. Everybody in the band, Hitomi, Emi, Ariel, and everybody you guys hired for the tour. No exceptions. Period.¡±

    Mr. Kondo grinned like the cat that ate the canary, nodding enthusiastically. ¡°Oh, of course! It wouldn¡¯t be anywhere near as much of a scandal if your drummer or somebody got in trouble somehow, but you¡¯re the face of the band. You understand.¡± I don¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass what they do, or what you do, for that matter. Just that I can show Father I brought you to heel when no one else could.

    The redhead nodded gratefully. At least I don¡¯t have to sell Emi, Hitomi, Ken, and Zoe down the river. That¡¯s gotta count for something.

    Ranko bit her lip, setting the paper down on the table. If I¡¯m holding a big white thing, it¡¯ll be easier for him to see how bad my hands are shaking. She looked away from the paper, and from her negotiating adversary, gazing up at one of the beach scenes in the paintings lining the walls. Her mind raced back to Akane, and to their argument in a Hawaiian hotel room with a similar view. You thought you hated me before, Akane? If I do this¡­

    All I gotta do is write my name, and Mom and my sisters will be safe. I bet I¡¯ll be able to pay all their bills ¡®til at least Christmas. Maybe even longer. Plenty of time to figure out what to do next. Her eyes fell to the tabletop, and to her left hand laying atop the paperwork. The word relationships in the fifth paragraph was mostly obscured by her third finger, bearing her custom-engraved wedding ring.

    Like he said. This isn¡¯t really changing anything. They always told me I had to play it straight. I was lying before, and it¡¯s been stressful, but it¡¯s working. I¡¯m not betraying Akane. I¡¯m not.

    She tore her eyes away from her wedding ring. She couldn¡¯t bear to look at it. It only amplified her shame. Who am I kidding? Yes I am. I write my name on that paper, and I¡¯m legally swearing I¡¯ll never love her. It¡¯s a lie, but it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m telling the whole world that I agree with the idea that it¡¯s wrong for me to love her. But, I don¡¯t write my name¡­ and my whole family starves.

    Ranko slammed her eyes shut, shaking her head. She prayed for just a five minute respite from the dread scene playing out in her mind, of Hana and Mei huddled together in the snow for warmth with nowhere to go. It had been on repeat in her imagination every waking moment of the last eight days. I can''t let them go through what I went through. They won''t survive it. If it wasn''t for them, I wouldn''t have survived it, and I was used to living rough already from Pop.

    ¡°Are you alright, Ranko? Do you have any questions?¡± The confident brute of a businessman snickered victoriously. ¡°I¡¯ll certainly understand if you need a little time to discuss the details with your sister¡­ or with your husband.¡±

    You¡¯re a real son of a bitch, Kondo, putting me in this position. And you¡¯re fucking enjoying it! Ranko glared hatefully across the table at the smug expression painted across her adversary¡¯s face.

    I will never forgive you for this, Kondo.

    Her eyes darted down at the sound of metal clattering across the tabletop, as the shiny gold pen Mr. Kondo slid across the table rattled to a rest atop the dread paperwork. Even the little snow-capped mountain logo at the end of the pen¡¯s cap seemed to mock her. It evoked imagery of the highest points in the world, even as the act it expected her to undertake made her feel at its lowest.

    I¡¯m so sorry, Akane, Ranko thought, her heart wracked with despair. I wish it didn¡¯t have to be this way. I wish I could go on that stage tonight, and every night for the rest of my life, and tell them nobody in the whole world has ever loved someone as much as I love you. It¡¯s not fucking fair. This feels as scummy as two-timing on you would. She swallowed hard at the intrusive thought she willed herself not to fixate on.

    But, they saved my life, Akane. All of them. Mom, Aya, Yui, Izzi, and Mei. I owe them everything. Without them, I¡¯d have nothing. I¡¯d be nothing. So, honor and gratitude demand that now, when the chips are down, I have to be willing to sell everything I have to keep them safe.

    With a quaking left hand, Ranko reached down for the pen.

    Including my soul.

 90. One Night in Bangkok

    With a heavy sigh, Ranko leaned over the wrought iron railing of the unfurnished little balcony connected to her fifth-floor hotel room. What the heck is the point of this?! Any view she might have had of the Bangkok cityscape was entirely obscured by the fifteen-story concrete building next door. If she stared straight down, she could barely see two rows of the parking lot and the hotel¡¯s dumpster in the dim outdoor lighting.

    Welcome to Thailand. Check out our cool cinder blocks. Come for the nothing, stay for the¡­ even more fucking nothing!

    ¡°Screw this,¡± she said aloud, stepping back through the sliding glass door into her room and latching it behind herself. She picked up a vinyl binder from the three-seater couch against the room¡¯s north wall, flipping to the second page. ¡°Dammit,¡± she exclaimed, her dejection growing as she noted that hotel room service had ended at nine in the evening, just twenty minutes prior. She tossed the binder back to the couch in disgust, where it bounced off the upholstered cushion and slid to the carpet below.

    At least there were only a few days left until she returned to Tokyo. Only her show in Bangkok tomorrow night and one in Hanoi, Vietnam on Monday remained, and then she would be on the next plane home. What would be left of her home when she arrived remained to be seen, however. In just seven days, the sale of the Phoenix would be finalized, and it was a matter of days after that until the two-story brick building where Ranko Tendo had been truly born would succumb to the wrecking ball. According to her last phone call with Hana, none of her sisters had yet been successful in finding new jobs, though Mei at least had a promising second interview lined up for a role at a marketing agency.

    At least her family would be okay financially for a few months, Ranko hoped. All it had cost her was fifty percent of the tour¡¯s merchandise revenue, and a hundred percent of her personal dignity. The check had yet to arrive at her apartment in Tokyo, but Ranko had confirmed the day before with Mr. Kondo that it was working its way through the Yokai accounting department for imminent dispatch. Strangely, since meeting with the Yokai executive in Singapore, she had not heard from Amaya Uyehara at all. She¡¯d yet to speak with her bandmates about what she¡¯d done either, but she hoped that the unexpected windfalls that would be waiting for them in their mailboxes when they got home would soften the blow.

    While her bank account may well have been on track to being replenished, her heart was entirely empty. She had not spoken to Akane in four days. Ranko just couldn''t bear to hear the love in her wife¡¯s voice. She didn''t think she deserved it. It only reaffirmed to her what an amazing person - and a wonderful wife - Akane was, and it made her feel all the guiltier for having stabbed her in the back with a twenty-thousand yen rollerball pen. She¡¯d tried, the last time they spoke, to tell Akane what she had done, but the words just would not pass through the miasma of shame. She knew nothing had changed from a practical standpoint - she was already forced to hide Akane¡¯s existence from Yokai Records before signing the code of conduct - but there was an oily feeling in her heart whenever she thought about having written her name on that piece of paper as if she agreed with it.

    She paced the floor on her bare feet, sighing. This isn''t gonna work. I''m gonna go crazy walking in circles in this room. I gotta get outta here and do something. She slipped on her black flats, opening the door into the hallway and using the deadbolt to prop it open so it wouldn''t lock behind her. Ranko padded to the next door on the left, rapping on it three times. ¡°You guys busy?¡±

    ¡°It''s open,¡± came a feminine shout through the closed door, and Ranko turned the handle and pushed the door inward.

    ¡°Hey, hey! What''s shakin¡¯, gi¡­ GYAH!¡±

    Emi grinned up at Ranko devilishly. ¡°Hey, you. Pull up a seat. We¡¯re almost done.¡±

    ¡°The hell we are,¡± Hitomi purred, diving her head back down between her girlfriend¡¯s legs on the queen-sized bed. Neither girl made any effort to hide Emi¡¯s state of undress.

    Ranko blushed deep crimson, covering her eyes with her hands as she fumbled deeper into the room. ¡°Really, you two?! You can''t fuckin¡¯ warn a girl?¡±

    Hitomi smacked the inside of Emi''s bare thigh loudly with her hand, eliciting a loud yelp from her lover. ¡°You hear that, Ems? I told you that you were being too quiet!¡±

    Wow. They really weren''t kidding. They honestly mean to just¡­ keep going, with me just standing here?!

    ¡°Yeah, this¡­ I''m¡­ gonna go. This is¡­ you two have fun.¡± Ranko turned, shielding her view of the bed with her palm as she made her way back toward the door.

    What I¡¯d give to be able to be one-tenth as open about who I love, Ranko mused in frustration and no small amount of jealousy. At least I was able to spare them from that stupid contract. Small victories.

    Emi emitted a pouting aww, intermixed with another sound that was far less dour. ¡°You don''t have to go, ya know, Ran-chan. I can totally scooch over.¡±

    Ranko gulped. ¡°It''s a¡­ sweet offer, really, but I told ya, I''m not tryin¡¯ to mess around on Akane.¡± I''ve already betrayed her more than enough on this trip. ¡°I was just gonna ask if you wanted to go do something, but¡­ it seems like you got plans already.¡± Uncomfortable though she was, she managed a slight giggle as she made her way back to the door, only tripping once on the furniture as she traversed the room with her eyes closed.

    ¡°Maybe check with Crash,¡± Hitomi offered. ¡°I thought I heard him talking to Jake about something during sound check.¡±

    Ranko nodded. ¡°Will do. Thanks. G¡¯night!¡± She stepped quickly out of the room, willing herself not to hear her blonde backup singer resuming her cries of blissful indulgence as she cleared the door into the hallway and pulled it closed behind her.

    ¡°Well, o-kaaay. So, that happened,¡± she mumbled quietly to herself, shaking her head with a disbelieving smirk as she walked past her still-ajar room entrance and the next two pairs of doors. She knocked sharply on the last door on the left side of the hallway, waiting for a response.

    Please don''t be blowing Shinji. Please don''t be blowing Shinji.

    Crash opened the door in a white tee shirt and blue jeans, his black leather coat slung over his right shoulder. ¡°Hey, Ran-chan! What''s goin¡¯ on, girl?¡±

    Ranko blushed furiously again, looking down at her hands. Stupid brain. Stop that. ¡°I just¡­ I dunno, I was bored, and wanted to see what you guys were up to, and check if maybe you wanted to hang or somethin¡¯.¡±

    The guitarist laughed, grinning broadly. ¡°Talk about timing! Shin and I were just gonna head out. The nightlife in this town is supposed to be crazy, and I promised Shin a boys¡¯ night out. I think some of the other guys are coming, too.¡±

    Ranko winced, looking down a little sadly. ¡°Oh. Okay. Well, have a good time, I guess.¡± She turned with a dejected sigh back toward her room.

    ¡°Whoa, hey, hey!¡± Crash stepped out into the hallway, throwing his arm over the diminutive girl¡¯s bare shoulders. ¡°You okay? Why the long face?¡±

    Ranko shrugged under his arm. ¡°I guess. Just¡­ I¡¯m in my head a little bit tonight, and wanted a distraction. But, it''s cool. You guys go paint the town. I''ll catch you in the morning. Don''t get too hung over, though.¡±

    Crash glanced back into the room he shared with their bassist, where Shinji was still seated on the edge of his double bed pulling his black combat boots on. He sighed quietly. ¡°Hey. Come with us.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Are you sure?¡± Ranko blushed as an ironic thought crossed her mind. ¡°I mean, I''m not exactly a boy, but I think I might be able to keep up with you guys.¡± She glanced down at her sparkly red A-line dress with a little bit of a giggle. ¡°I suppose if I''m gonna go to a boys¡¯ night, I should put on some uglier clothes. Maybe braid my hair, and see if I can figure out a way to smell really bad?¡±

    Crash waved his hand dismissively with a hearty laugh. ¡°Don''t you dare. You look great, Ranko, like always. Just go grab your bag and stuff and meet us downstairs.¡±

    Her face discovering a new shade of red, Ranko nodded and rushed to her room to comply, a bit of a skip in her step.

    <hr>

    ¡°Oh, come on!¡±

    Ranko giggled at Shinji¡¯s outburst, turning toward him and dipping her knees in a little curtsey with the hem of her dress held out at her sides in her fingertips. ¡°I do believe that makes six bullseyes in a row, there, Mister Yokota.¡±

    The group occupied a packed bar in the downtown area, closer in size to Steam than the Phoenix. It was dark, lit mostly by the sporadic coverage of pendant lights and a variety of neon advertisements in various colors promoting liquor, cigarettes, and other vices that dotted the walls of the establishment. The room was filled with a deafening cacophony consisting of two different songs - one playing on the bar¡¯s main entertainment system and another on a coin-operated jukebox in the back corner - and the audio from several televisions on the east wall showing various sporting events. Besides the dartboards, there were billiards tables lining the back wall and a few arcade machines in the far corner, half of which were out of order. A heavy fog of cigarette smoke lingered in the air.

    Shinji walked over to the dartboard, examining the blue-flighted projectile that had pierced the exact center of the colored ring as if he was searching for a guide wire or some other hidden mechanism. ¡°Just¡­ how?!¡±

    Ranko smirked victoriously, hopping up onto the wooden railing around the dart area with her backside. Hmm. Let''s keep the showing off to the dartboard, she thought, crossing her ankles rather than risking exposing her green satin panties. Not tryin¡¯ to be like Emi tonight. ¡°Just skill, buddy. Hey, sucks to suck, I guess! But I think the more important question is, where''s my money? Or, would you rather go double or nothing again?¡±

    Shinji grumbled as he fumbled in his pocket, pulling out a thick wad of brightly-colored bills and beginning to count them out. ¡°Fuck, I have no idea how much this even is in yen. Just take it,¡± he groaned, handing her half the stack.

    ¡°Pleasure doing business with you, kind sir,¡± Ranko said with a grin, her ponytail drooping over her shoulder as she stuffed the money down into her black-and-white purse. This must be what Nabiki feels like when she dog walks somebody in a boardroom, she thought triumphantly. The grin momentarily faded from her cheeks at the thought of what her agent and sister¡¯s reaction would be when she found out Ranko had signed away much of their band¡¯s leverage with Yokai Records for want of enough money to pay her sisters¡¯ rent, grocery and electric bills for a few months.

    Ranko¡¯s smirk returned as she spied the billiards table in the dark back corner of the bar. Precision staff work¡­ yeah, I can do that. ¡°Who wants to try that with me?!¡± She giggled gleefully, turning and nudging Crash in the sternum with her hand. ¡°C¡¯mon, one of you boys has to be brave enough to challenge a poor, defenseless girl, right?

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Crash laughed, holding up his palms in surrender. ¡°Don¡¯t fuckin¡¯ look at me! You already cleaned me out at the beer pong thing.¡±

    Likewise, Shinji scoffed, picking up his highball glass of bourbon and sipping at it. ¡°Not it! If you get any more of my money tonight, I won''t even be able to keep drinking!¡±

    Craning her neck, she found Ariel, Zoe, Jacob and Norio huddled around one of the round back tables. They seemed to be very intently watching a rugby game on the rightmost television mounted to the wall, and judging by how excited the quartet got whenever the red team scored, they weren''t likely keen to be disrupted. That left but one member of their entourage unaccounted for, and however much she tried to crane her neck above the crowd, she did not spy him anywhere in the smoke. Ranko rolled her eyes, shaking her head in playful disappointment. ¡°Are there really none of you boys willing to try and reclaim at least a little honor for your gender tonight?¡±

    As Ranko goadingly needled her bandmates and friends, a slender man stepped up behind her. He wore a pair of torn blue jeans and a green plaid button-down shirt, threadbare in places, over a gray tee shirt that was likely black once, the screen printing on it long ago lost to time. He looked as if he¡¯d not had a shave in a week, or a haircut in three years. ¡°I''ll play you,¡± he said in English through a bit of a sneer. ¡°Thousand baht a ball.¡± As he spoke, he ground a blue cube of chalk onto the tip of a pool cue that retained less than half of its original red paint.

    Ranko blinked. Is that a lot? ¡°I, uh¡­ sure! Okay!¡± She hopped down off the railing, grabbing the nearly-empty highball glass of arak that rested to her left. She''d asked the bartender to add a little honey to it, and so it was almost Yui¡¯s signature Snakebite cocktail. It reminded her a little of home. As Shinji began lining up his next dart throw, Ranko followed the man to a billiards table with a faded green felt top in the dim back corner of the bar. A long lamp with a dusty green glass shroud depicting a Thai ginger beer brand¡¯s logo hung over the table, but the bulb appeared to be burned out, as it emitted no light even after she pulled on the little brass chain dangling from it.

    Ranko knocked the remainder of her drink back, waving for a server in a skin-tight pink skirt and pointing to her empty glass to indicate the desire for another round across the loud bar room. Receiving a nod of acknowledgement from the harried blonde, Ranko turned her attention back to the table to watch as her challenger finished racking the balls.

    ¡°You wanna break,¡± the man asked in English.

    Ranko shook her head, waving him back toward the table with the back of her right hand. ¡°Naah. You go ahead. I don''t want you to have any excuses when I clean your clock.¡± In truth, she was getting a bit nervous and wanted to observe for a moment longer. She had only played the game a few times, years ago, before her sisters had removed the billiards table in the Phoenix to make room for the expansion of her stage. I wonder where that thing even ended up. She wasn''t entirely sure she even remembered the rules, and even if she did, she was operating on the assumption that they played by the same set in Thailand.

    The confident man fired his cue forward, launching the white ball into the mass of colored ones. They launched this way and that with a loud series of clacks, and two of them sank into the pockets at the far corners of the table with resonant thunk sounds. ¡°Looks like I''m stripes,¡± he said with a chuckle, walking around the table to plan his next shot.

    Oh, hell. I might have stepped in it a little. Ranko swallowed hard as the waitress returned with her drink, fidgeting as she leaned against the railing and studied her opponent.

    The next shot rocketed forth from the black-haired man¡¯s cue, slamming into two more balls. Both ricocheted toward the middle pocket on the right side of the table, but neither found their intended mark.

    ¡°Damn,¡± he said, motioning to Ranko with his stick as he walked back toward her. ¡°Your shot, sweetness.¡±

    Sweetness? Oh, boy, you''re gonna get it now. Ranko set her drink down on the railing surrounding the billiards area and hopped to her feet. She stalked around the table trying to find the best angle to attempt a shot at a solid-colored ball, but the current position of the cue ball left her few good options. Okay, Kumiko. I stand corrected. Apparently there was a reason to pay attention in geometry class after all.

    Ranko leaned over the table to place her right hand near the cue ball, cringing with a sudden realization and pulling her hand back a bit. Maybe I should have changed clothes after all, she thought as she decided to sacrifice a little bit of additional reach for the retention of her feminine modesty. Don¡¯t need Skippy back there getting a show.

    However, as Ranko lined up her cue, her opponent was not focused on her backside at all. Instead, he was digging for something in the hip pocket of his jeans. As the loud clack of Ranko¡¯s shot split the air, and she watched with bated breath to see if it was successful, he quickly tipped the contents of his hand over the redhead¡¯s full glass.

    ¡°Almost,¡± he said in mock pity. ¡°My shot.¡±

    He walked around the table, grinning as he confirmed that Ranko¡¯s failed shot had lined his next one up perfectly. With a quick poke of his cue, the eleven ball found the corner pocket, and his follow-up shot sank the thirteen ball along the left side just as easily.

    Fuck, Ranko thought, watching his run of the table intently as she sipped the milky-white cocktail in her hand. I might be in trouble here.

    His third shot sent the ten ball wide left of its intended pocket on the green felt table, and he snapped his fingers in exaggerated regret. ¡°So close. Your go,¡± he said, meandering back to the corner. As Ranko rubbed her chin, trying to decide between targeting the four and the two balls, her opponent grinned at the sight of her half-empty cocktail resting on the bamboo railing. Whether I lose this match or not, I think I¡¯m winning tonight, sugar.

    ¡°There you are, babe!¡±

    Ranko jumped at the booming voice¡¯s English words, and her stick sailed high, barely nudging the white ball. ¡°The hell, man?! And in the middle of my shot?!¡± She rose from her bent-over position, leveling her cue stick across the edge of the table. ¡°Dude, Lance, major party foul!¡±

    The enormous man threw his arm around Ranko¡¯s shoulder, engulfing her in a tight hug. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking all over for you, sweetheart! I swear,¡± he said, turning to the man she¡¯d been playing billiards with, ¡°you take your eye off them for one second, and they¡¯re off flirting with someone else!¡±

    Ranko steamed at the accusation, but before she could wrest herself free of the behemoth¡¯s tight grasp, he leaned down as if to kiss her on the cheek. While no kiss came, he whispered hoarsely in her ear, in Japanese.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±

    ¡°Look, man, we¡¯re in the middle of a ga¡­¡± The main in the plaid shirt stepped backward, his sentence dying in his throat at the sight of the expression on Lance¡¯s face. Something about the combination of that much determination, painted over that much muscle, was suddenly giving him the very strong urge to be literally anywhere else. ¡°You know what? You¡¯re right. You two have a great night, and keep a tighter leash on your girl next time, man.¡±

    Ranko blinked as Lance loosened his grip on her. Just in the few moments he¡¯d held her, she¡¯d started to feel a little less steady on her feet. Man, that last drink must¡¯a been strong as hell, she thought, blinking a little at the halos forming around some of the neon beer ads on the wall.

    ¡°Come with me,¡± Lance said in Japanese, taking her firmly by the shoulders. He marched her back to the dartboard area, where Crash and Shinji had resumed a new game. It seemed to be more evenly matched without the deadly accuracy of a master martial artist influencing the score.

    ¡°Guys, c¡¯mere,¡± Lance said, an urgency in his voice as he again swallowed Ranko up in arms as thick as holiday hams.

    Balancing the red dart in his hand, Crash continued to aim his next throw. ¡°Uh-huh. Gimme just a minute, bud. I¡¯m in the middle of¡­¡±

    Lance closed the distance between the two, physically hauling Ranko off her feet and carrying her in one arm like a rag doll as he moved. He reached out with his right arm, grabbing Crash¡¯s leather jacket and yanking him close. His taut left bicep was still locked around Ranko¡¯s chest, enveloping her and preventing her from even contemplating freeing herself from his grasp.

    ¡°Shut up, Crash! Shinji, get your ass over here!¡± Lance spoke forcefully, and in Japanese - two things he almost never did in the bandmates¡¯ presence.

    Ranko giggled absently, reaching out from under Lance¡¯s bicep and curling her finger toward herself in the come here gesture toward Shinji. ¡°Here, Shinji, Shinji¡­¡±

    Shinji hopped up from his table, recognizing the seriousness of whatever the situation was. He spied the distant look in the redhead¡¯s eyes with a chuckle. ¡°Good gods, she¡¯s wrecked. Little princess never could handle her booze.¡±

    Lance shook his head, clutching Ranko protectively in his arms. ¡°No, man. Somebody put something in her fucking drink. I couldn¡¯t get to her quick enough to stop her.¡±

    ¡°Oh, fuck,¡± Crash said, rocking back on his heels. His eyes bulged, panic setting in as he regarded his impaired friend in Lance¡¯s embrace. ¡°What are we gonna¡­¡±

    Ranko tittered again, looking up at Lance with a wide, vacant smile and tapping him repeatedly on the chest with her index finger. ¡°Did you know you¡¯re really tall?¡± She turned her eyes to her bassist, shaking her head with a frown of pity. ¡°Shinji¡¯s not tall. Taller than me, but that¡¯s only ¡®cause he¡¯s a yucky boy. Short Shinji. Shorji? Naaaww. Mini-Shinji. Minji.¡± Shinji could only roll his eyes and glower at his impaired friend¡¯s mirthful mocking.

    Lance looked around the smokey bar room, assessing their situation. He leveled a finger in Crash¡¯s face, still clutching Ranko tight against his body with his great forearm like she was a cherished stuffed animal. The redhead rested her cheek on her roadie¡¯s rock-hard abs, as it seemed to make the room stop rocking a little bit. ¡°Crash, you get her back to the hotel, and I mean right now. You don¡¯t stop for anything or anybody. You don¡¯t talk to anybody. You don¡¯t take your god damned eyes off of her for one mother fucking second. Nobody so much as looks at her until she¡¯s back safe in her room, do you fucking understand me?!¡±

    Crash nodded, reaching for his pocket with hysteria in his eyes. It took him two attempts to find the opening in his jeans, so frantic was he to get it done quickly. ¡°Sure! I uh¡­ lemme just¡­¡±

    ¡°Leave your goddamn tab, Crash! Get. Her. OUT of here! NOW!¡±

    Lance took Ranko¡¯s shoulders in his hands, stretching his arms out and locking his elbows to observe the state of the young woman in his care. His voice softened, and he spoke slowly and deliberately, as if talking to a child he¡¯d found lost without their mother. ¡°Hey, Ranko? How you doing, sweetheart?¡±

    ¡°I should have worn my green dress. Iss less itchy.¡± Ranko smiled up at him blankly, her unfocused eyes seeming to struggle with the bright white glare around the light glinting off of her friend¡¯s bald scalp. ¡°Do you like my green dress, Lancey?¡±

    With a nod, Lance brushed the singer¡¯s hair from her face, adjusting his grip on her left shoulder and counteracting her sway as she teetered slightly on her feet in the hopes of keeping her vertical. ¡°Listen to me, Ran-chan. Crash is gonna take you home, okay, honey? You stay right with him, and he¡¯s gonna keep you safe, you got me?¡± His last few words may have been directed at Ranko, but the look in Lance¡¯s eyes when they met Crash¡¯s over her shoulder made them sound significantly more like a threat to the young guitarist.

    Ranko closed her eyes, nodding softly with a goofy smile. Her head was beginning to droop to the side somewhat. ¡°Uh-huh! Yes sir, mister Lance, sir. I¡¯m safe with Crash. Always.¡± She tried to raise her hand to her forehead in a mock military salute, but she bonked herself in the nose with her thumb instead.

    ¡°You.¡± Lance turned his eyes up to Shinji as a giggling Ranko was transferred into Crash¡¯s arms, collapsing limply against her guitarist¡¯s chest. ¡°Find Zoe, and tell Jake to get them the hell out of here, too. Don¡¯t let anyone take their eyes off of Zo, and for God¡¯s sake, nobody fucking drink anything. Tell the staff what happened, too.¡±

    Shinji nodded. ¡°On it! But¡­ what are you gonna do?¡±

    Lance scanned the room with his eyes, finding it fairly easy to do so given his significant height advantage over most of the locals. The sweet, playful teddy bear expression the Dapper Dragons were so used to seeing on their friend¡¯s face was nowhere to be found. The deadly focus in Lance¡¯s eyes was unsettling even to the hard-edged bassist. In that moment, Shinji realized he was no longer speaking to their kindly roadie Lance, but to Petty Officer First Class Riker, formerly of the United States Navy¡¯s special forces.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go find Ranko¡¯s new friend, and we¡¯re gonna have ourselves a nice little chat.¡±

 91. Things I Almost Remember

    Ranko groaned, raising her hand to her forehead. Her skull felt like she¡¯d attended a heavy metal concert held at a nitroglycerin plant during an earthquake, and she hadn¡¯t even raised it from the scratchy pillowcase yet. What the hell did I drink last night? I don¡¯t even remember coming back to the room.

    She started to sit up, thinking better of it about halfway there, and leaned over on her right elbow. The sunlight streaming through the open curtains hurt her eyes, and she was grateful that most of it was blocked by the same tall hotel building that had ruined her balcony view. She was acutely aware of the cool of the Egyptian cotton sheets and the ticklish texture of the sparkly red dress she still wore from the night before. The air conditioner jutting out of the wall next to the sliding door kicked on, and she immediately shivered, the whole of her body bursting out in goosebumps in an instant.

    Brrrrr. The hell? It¡¯s like somebody took the Cat¡¯s Tongue and freakin¡¯ doubled it. She reached for the blanket she¡¯d thrown off in the night, finding it took her two or three tries to grab it. Man, my hand-eye coordination is all fucked up this morning, too. What the fuck happened to me?!

    She gazed at the open bathroom door on her left longingly, supporting her throbbing head in her hands. Okay. We have ourselves a dilemma, Miss Tendo. My skin says, under no circumstances are we getting out from under this blanket. My head says, no bright lights and no walking. And my bladder says, too freaking bad, time to get up.

    After a few moments, during which she mostly kept her eyes closed and may have briefly nodded off again, Ranko¡¯s bladder won the argument and she swung her legs off the bed. Her eyes were still squinted until they were almost closed. As soon as she attempted to bear weight on her legs, she wobbled and began to fall forward. ¡°Whoa!¡± She reached for the three-seater couch against the wall to prevent her fall, and she collapsed forward onto it, but when she did, she did not feel the rough polyester texture of the upholstery. Rather, it was a softer fabric, like a terry cloth, and what was under it was bumpy and uneven. Her mind didn¡¯t have time to come to grips with the surprising texture before the lump on her sofa gave her a bigger concern to worry about.

    It started moving.

    ¡°Huh?¡± The white hotel bathrobe slid part way down the body of the young blond man in the white tee shirt who had been using it as a blanket. He tried to throw it off, but could not because it was pinned between his body and Ranko¡¯s as she lay on top of him. ¡°Shit! Ranko, you okay?¡±

    ¡°GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!¡± Ranko leapt backward on the couch, startled by the presence of any guy in her room. She tried to perch on the armrest of the sofa, but swayed violently, leaning back toward the wall to stabilize herself and grasping at her throbbing temples. ¡°Owwwww¡­..¡±

    Crash pulled his legs back, drawing them under himself and moving the robe so she could see that the cushion closest to her was now clear. ¡°Hey, you okay? C¡¯mere, c¡¯mere. Sit down.¡± He spoke softly and calmly, despite the bleary, sleep-fogged expression in his eyes.

    ¡°Crash?¡± Ranko blinked as her body almost poured fluidly off the armrest onto the cushion, taking a moment to try and focus her eyes enough to make sure it was him. She ultimately decided to trust his voice, rather than his appearance. ¡°What the fuck are you doing in my room?! How did you even get in here? Fuck that, how did I even get in here?!¡± She rubbed her temples, reaching for the curtain and throwing it closed. ¡°And why does my head feel like I had a fight with a subway train and lost?¡±

    Crash sighed heavily, scooting a little closer to Ranko on the couch. He was in no way looking forward to telling her what had happened the night before, and what almost had. ¡°What do you remember about last night?¡±

    The redhead shrugged gently, mindful of anything that involved moving her head. ¡°We went to a bar. There was a sports thing, and Jake and everybody watched it. I beat Shin at darts, and we did the thing with the bouncing balls and the cups. And then I asked you to play pool. And we d¡­ wait, did we? I can¡¯t remember. Everything¡¯s so fuzzy, and my head is killing me.¡±

    She started to stand, and Crash reached out for her. ¡°Whoa, easy there. You¡¯d better sit down.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± Ranko groaned, leaning on him as he stood to brace her gently around the ribs. ¡°Unless you want me to piss in your lap, I gotta get up first.¡±

    With a chuckle, Crash slowly walked alongside her to the bathroom, leaving her at the door once she could reach the bathroom counter for balance. She didn¡¯t lean on him much, mostly using the sensation of his body next to hers as a physical reminder of what direction was up in order to support her equilibrium. She pulled the pocket door closed, opting not to turn the bright lights and the loud vent fan on as she went about doing her business in the pitch-dark room.

    While Ranko was otherwise occupied, Crash walked briskly to the nightstand, picking up the telephone receiver and dialing 0. The front desk clerk answered on the second ring, and Ranko¡¯s sound-sensitive migraine made her far more acutely aware of Crash¡¯s half of the conversation through the closed bathroom door. ¡°Yes, hello, this is room 518. Do you guys have one of those little convenience store, sundry shop things? ¡­ Can you do delivery to the rooms? ¡­ Awesome. Let me get a couple bottles of orange juice, a couple packs of crackers or something, and some aspirin, please? ¡­ Perfect. Thanks.¡±

    Wincing at the loud whoosh of the toilet flushing, Ranko opened the door, finding Crash standing there waiting for her. She smiled, stepping forward toward him, but her big toe caught the little lip across the bottom of the door frame separating the linoleum flooring of the bathroom from the carpet of the bedroom area, and she stumbled forward with a yelp of surprise. Crash caught her in his arms, steadying her. Before she could protest, the guitarist swept his arm behind her legs and scooped her up into his arms, carrying her back toward the bed.

    Ranko¡¯s face was aflame as she wrapped her arms around his neck for support. It reminded her of how she felt when Akane carried her, and she wasn¡¯t entirely sure it was supposed to.

    Crash ever so gently deposited her back on the mattress before grabbing the chair from the little desk area in the corner and dragging it across the carpet to her bedside. He sat in it, within arm¡¯s reach of her, leaning forward and propping his elbows on the mattress next to her. ¡°You¡¯d better stay put a little while longer, hon.¡±

    The redhead rubbed her temples, wincing at her own touch. ¡°What the hell happened, Crash? I know I didn¡¯t drink enough to feel like this¡­ did I? And why the hell did you sleep in my room, ya weirdo?¡±

    Crash sighed, reaching across the mattress. He took her left hand in both of his, sandwiching it in his palms. Ranko looked up at him, the worry in her eyes increasing at the seriousness in her friend¡¯s eyes. ¡°Somebody put something in your drink last night, Ranko.¡±

    ¡°I mean, they must¡¯ve, ¡®cause I feel like Yui fed me half the damn bar last night. What the heck was in that cocktail, jet fuel? I¡¯ll freakin¡¯ never order that shit again. Talk about a cheap date, fuck.¡± Ranko reached down, pulling the blankets back over her bare legs.

    The blond cringed at the mention of dating in the current context. His voice lowered, trying to speak in the gentlest, most soothing tone possible to soften the blow. ¡°No, Ranko. Someone put something in your drink, after you ordered it. The guy you were playing pool with¡­ he gave you some sort of drugs. You really gotta remember to cover your drinks when you go out drinking, to protect yourself. Nobody would ever try anything like this with you at the Phoenix because they know everybody¡¯s watching you, but out here¡­¡±

    Ranko blinked. ¡°Wait, what? Hang on¡­ I think I remember. The guy with the¡­ yeah. He bet me money on the game. He gave me drugs? But¡­ he was kicking my ass. Wasn¡¯t he? Am I remembering right? Why would he mess with me if he was already winning?¡±

    ¡°Because he didn¡¯t care about the game, Ranko.¡± Crash sighed. How does a girl get to be her age and not realize this kind of thing happens? Especially growing up in a bar? ¡°He was trying to¡­ hurt you.¡±

    The redhead gingerly shook her head. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense. I didn¡¯t do nothin¡¯ to him, and even then, if he wanted to hurt me, he¡¯d have just took a swing at me, and I¡¯da kicked his ass from now ¡®til Tuesday.¡±

    Crash stood, resting his knee on the bed and crawling up onto it with her. He sat up next to her, with his back to the headboard, just as she did. ¡°Ranko¡­ that wasn¡¯t how he was trying to hurt you.¡±

    ¡°But then¡­¡±

    Ranko¡¯s breath caught in her throat as the realization finally washed over her consciousness. It took every ounce of emotional strength Ranko¡¯s best friend had not to look away as he watched her heart shatter in real time. It was as if the backs had suddenly fallen out of her eyeballs, and they had collapsed into yawning event horizons opening onto a bottomless black hole of despair. Through all of the trials and tribulations he and Ranko had gone through together over the years, Noboyuki Matsuyama had never seen fear like that in his friend¡¯s eyes before.

    ¡°... oh. Oh my gods¡­ he¡­ he was g¡­ gonna¡­ oh my gods¡­¡±

    Crash reached around her, pulling her into his chest and wrapping his arms around her tightly. He carefully braced her head against his shoulder, massaging the back of her scalp gently through her bed-matted hair. ¡°Shhhhh. You¡¯re okay, Ranko. Nothing happened. You¡¯re safe, girl. I¡¯ve got you.¡±

    For nearly four minutes, no words were spoken by either of them as Ranko quaked in terror in the comfort of her best friend¡¯s embrace, trying in vain to adjust to a reality in which such a thing happening to her was even possible. It was one thing to have had to come to terms with the fact that the Cat¡¯s Tongue had robbed her of the near-invincibility her martial arts prowess had once granted her, and another thing entirely to discover that there were insidious threats that could make her just as vulnerable or more, through means she would never have seen coming or been able to defend herself against.

    Thinking back on it, she¡¯d often seen girls using coasters or napkins to cover their glasses at the Phoenix, noticing it more back when she was serving tables than since her perspective had largely shifted to the stage. It used to insult her. She had always thought it was a commentary on the cleanliness of the bar, as if the patrons were concerned that some piece of loose dirt, or a bug or something gross like that would fall into their glasses. Her flawed understanding had been bolstered by the fact that she¡¯d hardly ever seen the practice at the only other nightclub she frequented. Ranko had always assumed it was because Steam was a more upscale establishment, and everything looked a little classier thanks to a layer of glitz and shine that the Phoenix could never have hoped to afford. In that moment, understanding slammed into her like a wrecking ball. Of course they don¡¯t protect their drinks when I¡¯m at Steam. I go on freakin¡¯ ladies¡¯ night at a gay club. There¡¯s no fucking men in there.

    It had never occurred to her that the fruity concoctions that her sisters lovingly crafted, a whole menu of which had been designed just around her favorite songs, could be weaponized by unscrupulous men as attack vectors to harm attractive young women.

    Attractive young women just like her.

    ¡°Wh¡­ w¡­ why didn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Lance. He saw the guy do it. He wasn¡¯t fast enough to stop you from drinking it, but at least he got to you in time, before anything worse happened. I¡¯m so sorry, Ranko. Truly. I should have been watching you, too, but I was drinking, and we were all partying and distracted. But, once Lance saw what happened, we got you and Zoe out of there right away.¡±

    Ranko gasped, and her trembling fingers rose in front of her lips. ¡°My gods¡­ Zoe¡­ are they¡­¡±

    ¡°Nothing happened to Zo. They were right with Jake and the guys all night, so nobody was able to get close. Everybody¡¯s safe, Ran-chan. They all got back here about twenty minutes after we did. I brought you back up here, got your room key out of your purse, and put you in bed to sleep it off. But¡­ I didn¡¯t feel right leaving you alone like that. so I stayed on the couch to watch you. I hope that¡¯s okay.¡±

    Ranko swallowed hard, tapping her friend twice on the forearm to get him to release her. She sat up to face him, wiping the tears pooling in her eyes away with her fingertips. ¡°You stayed with me¡­ all night?¡±

    Crash nodded gently. ¡°Yeah. I knew you¡¯d probably be safe in here with the door locked and everything, but¡­ I dunno, It just didn¡¯t feel right leaving you by yourself when you were like that. Plus, I figured when you woke up you might need some help, and maybe some answers, and¡­ I dunno, I just wanted to be here for you. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t ask, but¡­ you blacked out in the elevator on the way up, and I had to carry you the rest of the way.¡±

    The redhead looked down at her hands, her face a portrait of shame. Not only did I almost get r¡­ nope, can¡¯t even think that word¡­ but I might have also¡­ She adjusted her wedding ring on her left hand, sniffling softly at her intrusive thoughts. Not this again.

    ¡°Crash¡­ did¡­ did we¡­?¡±

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°Did we what?¡± He swallowed hard with the realization of what she was asking him.  ¡°Oh! Shit, you mean¡­ fuck, of course not, Ranko! I would never do that to you, or anybody - take advantage of them when they were all messed up like that. That just ain¡¯t me.¡±

    Ranko nodded sadly. She was grateful for his pledge, and she did believe him, but the way he¡¯d worded his denial left her feeling even greater shame and disgust with herself because it left open a loophole that she desperately wished did not exist. One she¡¯d been willing herself to close since before Christmas, on an afternoon where she¡¯d been a bit peckish and gotten far more than she¡¯d bargained for when she went hunting for a snack.

    ¡°Crash, the day I got¡­ ya know, where I ate Shin¡¯s cookies and got all fucked up, you remember?¡±

    With a reassuring squeeze of her hand, Crash nodded gently. ¡°Of course I remember, Ran-chan.¡±

    The redhead sighed. ¡°Good¡­ ¡®cause¡­ I don¡¯t. And I asked you then, if anything had¡­ ya know, happened, ya know, between us, when you took me back to your place, and you said no.¡±

    ¡°Because nothing did happen! And nothing happened last night, either. Ranko, I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re struggling so much to trust me on this. It¡¯s kind of hurting my feelings, if I¡¯m being honest.¡± He rubbed her back gently as he spoke. ¡°Even if I was still into you like that, I wouldn¡¯t do that to Ukyo. Or to Akane, for that matter. And I certainly wouldn¡¯t do it to you when you weren¡¯t in a position to tell me to stop. Guys who do that kind of crap to girls are just disgusting, if you ask me. They don¡¯t deserve to breathe the same air as the rest of us.¡±

    That¡¯s the problem, Crash, Ranko thought in despair. It¡¯s not you I don¡¯t trust.

    Ever since that day, when she¡¯d woken up on Crash¡¯s crappy blue couch in Shibuya with no memory of the previous five hours, there had been a nagging worry in the back of her mind. Over the last few months, it had grown to a point that she felt uncomfortable just looking at her best friend sometimes.

    She knew, in her heart of hearts, that Crash would never touch her without her permission. She had known enough men in her life that would not hesitate to do so - hell, she¡¯d recently attended the burial of one - to know that Crash Matsuyama was one of the good ones. She¡¯d been certain of as much when she gave what amounted to her blessing to his relationship with Ukyo, also one of her best friends in the world. She deserved a good guy, and Crash was one of the best ones.

    And therein lay the real problem.

    Ranko Tendo was a married woman, and she liked girls. Only girls. Those were immutable facts, like one and one is two, and the sun rising in the east. The thought of being intimate with a guy disgusted her, especially given the potential for moments like the one she was currently recovering from, in which she lacked complete control of her faculties. The very concept of a man¡¯s sensual touch made her skin crawl, just like when Mikado had kissed her, or when Takao had tried to convince her to trade her virginity for a head start on her career.

    But that was her heart talking. The possibility that the Full-Body Cat¡¯s Tongue¡¯s power over her body could be strong enough to override her heart¡¯s resistance to intimacy with a guy when the chips were down absolutely haunted Ranko, and it had for years. Yui and Sakura¡¯s wedding gift had given Akane a greater ability to emulate the experience of sex with a man than Ranko could ever have imagined possible. The way her hypersensitive nerves reacted to it every time only confirmed in Ranko¡¯s mind beyond the shadow of a doubt that the danger was very much real. Had Turn Me Off/Turn Me On been written after Ranko and Akane¡¯s wedding night, it would probably have received two or three more verses.

    In the days following the cookie incident, Ranko had spent hours thinking about that gap in her memory, waiting for that rancid pit in her stomach to form at the idea that something untoward could have occurred between her and her best friend and bandmate. It could have started out entirely innocent, she thought. She couldn¡¯t deny that she acted flirty sometimes - it was all part of her stage act, but over time, she had noticed it slowly seeping into her offstage personality as well. In part, she blamed Hitomi and Emi for inviting a flirtatiousness and a casual sensuality into everyday conversations, especially around the band. Ranko had even gotten somewhat comfortable with doing it in front of boys, as long as she could feel confident that they would look, but not actually attempt to touch. Just like with Eiji, it was a performance - a show put on to sell records or serve as social lubricant, but there was never any real meaning behind it. She could see it being easy enough for someone who had been attracted to her for as long as Crash was before Ukyo came along to get the wrong idea, and try to steal a kiss - maybe even a little more than a kiss, depending on how the kiss went. In her impaired state, she doubted she would have been able to summon the mental fortitude required to deny the Full Body Cat¡¯s Tongue its unquenchable demand for more.

    Ranko was almost certain that nothing inappropriate had actually happened between her and her friend. First off, she and Crash were both unendingly loyal and faithful to their partners, and neither had any interest in that changing as far as she knew. If there was one true constant in Ranko¡¯s universe, one north star that would never change for her, it was that she loved Akane with all of her heart. She would never consciously betray her trust when it came to their relationship, especially given their history back when Shampoo and Ukyo and everybody were still in the running for her affections. Still, the fact that Ranko could not be a hundred percent certain that she could rule it out - because she did not remember - concerned her greatly. The possibility - however small it might be - that there could be something lurking in her past, some salacious secret that not even she knew she was keeping, that could threaten her relationship with Akane was entirely unacceptable to her.

    It did not scare her half as much, though, as the realization that when she considered the possibility, the visceral, skin-crawling disgust at the idea of intimacy with Crash had never come. Somehow, when it came to the idea of being alone with him, she didn¡¯t feel that way. He was¡­ different, in a way she could not rationalize. She only had one plausible explanation for why she didn¡¯t feel utterly putrefied at the idea of his touch, and its lingering existence had long felt like a buzzsaw waiting in the periphery of her consciousness for the right moment to rip her entire self-image apart.

    Am I¡­ actually¡­ attracted to him?

    Of course, attraction alone was not a betrayal, as long as it was not acted upon. Her sisters routinely talked about their lists, where they would rattle off the names of celebrities that they found attractive. The idea was supposedly that if they ever got the opportunity to sleep with one of the people on their list, their partner was supposed to forgive it, because everybody knew it would never happen. Ranko herself had always refused to participate in the game. She¡¯d often overheard Yui and Sakura pointing out cute girls to each other at the bar, knowing full well that neither of them would have ever actually made a move on one.

    If she were being honest with herself, Ranko guessed that if she walked right up to Akane and said, ¡°You know what? I actually think Crash is kinda cute,¡± Akane would likely spit out her drink in laughter. Ranko could only imagine the amount of good-natured teasing that would come from Akane and her sisters - in fact, she already endured a good bit of it on a regular basis just going off of their playful accusations.

    It wasn¡¯t their reactions that worried her, though.

    It had been a long, long time since she had viewed herself through the lens of the man among men her biological father had tried to raise her to be. She no longer felt the slightest bit shy about putting her hair up cute, dancing around in dresses, or wearing makeup. She giggled and cried and blushed unabashedly, and never felt like doing so was unbecoming. She was just a girl, and those were all normal things that girls did. Ranko was not at all embarrassed to count herself among their number. In a lot of ways, she¡¯d come to see women as the stronger sex, given their ability to do every bit as much as men could, and do it with three times the number of barriers placed in their way that men faced. The vast constellation of formidable women in her life, from Hana and Nodoka to Yui and Akane and Nabiki and more, only served as proof of the theory.

    But, the idea that the person who was once Ranma Saotome could¡­ actually be physically attracted to a boy, even to the smallest degree?

    The idea that if something had indeed happened between herself and Crash in the gaps in her memory, she needed to worry about the possibility that it might have been not him that initiated it¡­ but her?

    That Crash might be lying by telling her nothing happened, not to protect himself from the consequences of taking advantage of a helpless girl who could not give consent, but to protect her from the guilt and shame he knew she would feel for having done something he knew she didn¡¯t mean because her inhibitions were temporarily lost to her?

    That she could no longer lie to herself and deny that there was an unfamiliar, strange and terrifying sliver of her mind, tiny, unwanted and entirely repressed though it would always be, that might actually want to?

    Now, there was a thought that turned her stomach like week-old sushi.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re right. I do trust you, Crash. Completely. I know you¡¯d never, ever hurt me. You¡¯re a good man. Thank you.¡±

    The guitarist sighed, letting his head fall back limply against the white pine headboard. ¡°Honestly? Thank Lance. I don¡¯t deserve it. It¡¯s my fault this happened to you in the first place.¡±

    Ranko blinked, turning to sit on her hip, half-laying on her side to face him more easily. She reached behind her pillow, pulling Starlight into her arms and hugging her stuffed unicorn tight. ¡°How do you figure that? All you did was take care of me.¡± All you ever do is take care of me, seems like.

    Crash shook his head, sliding off the mattress to his feet at the knock on the door. The resonant sound made Ranko recoil, holding her head in her hands and inhaling sharply through her gritted teeth. A moment later, her friend closed and latched the door, returning with two small white plastic bags and sitting on the bed again. ¡°Here.¡± The young man handed her a small plastic bottle of juice and a packet of headache pills, both of which she eagerly tore into. ¡°Get that stuff in you, and then we should probably let you get some more rest. I¡¯ll reach out to Nabiki about the show after you¡¯re asleep. We¡¯re still in town for one more day after this, so maybe we can push to tomorrow night or something.¡±

    Ranko started to shake her head, crying out quietly and slamming her eyes closed tight. She whimpered quietly, grasping at her temples with both hands. ¡°We can¡¯t call her. I can do it. I¡¯ll be alright. Just gotta get this fucking headache under control.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? Ranko, you went through a hell of a thing last night. Even if you¡¯re alright physically, it¡¯s okay to need some time to just¡­ sit with all of this. Can you really go on stage and sing about being sexy tonight, after this?¡± He stroked her hair softly with his hand, trying to gently massage the back of her scalp where it was hurting. It felt nice.

    She gave the barest of nods, emitting a quiet purr as his fingers dragged across the back of her head when she moved it. ¡°It¡¯s my job. I have to. The show must go on, right? But¡­¡± She looked up at him slowly. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question. What makes you think this was your fault? You didn¡¯t do anything.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡± He shrugged, letting his hands fall to his sides with a little slapping noise. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. I promised Akane and your mom I¡¯d watch out for you. Hell, I promised you. And then some guy was seconds away from¡­ and I was off playing fucking darts with Shin. Hell, you were only at the bar in the first place ¡®cause I invited you. And then Lance told us what he saw, and¡­ I just froze. I panicked. If he hadn¡¯t told me what to do, we might all still be standing there.¡±

    A quiet bzzzzzt sound began droning through the quiet room as he finished speaking. Walking back over toward the couch, Crash dug his leather jacket out from under the discarded white bathrobe on the floor. He withdrew his pager from the pocket and checked it for notifications, finding none. He next walked to the small round table near the entranceway on which Ranko¡¯s possessions had been unceremoniously discarded. Her purse had spilled out somewhat on the small tabletop, so he was able to scoop up Ranko¡¯s sparkly pink beeper without opening her bag. He turned the device in his hand until the display was right-side up, pressing the rightmost of three buttons atop it. ¡°Looks like Akane¡¯s trying to get you.¡± He pushed the button again. ¡°Looks like she¡¯s been trying to get you, actually. I¡¯ll give her a call in a minute and let her know what happened.¡±

    ¡°No! Don¡¯t¡­¡± Ranko curled up around Starlight and pulled her knees up into her chest, hiding her face between them. ¡°Don¡¯t tell her. Please, Crash. You¡­ you can¡¯t.¡±

    Had Ranko looked up from her knees, her heart would have broken even more at the sight of the look of abject pity her friend wore as he closed the distance to the bedside in four long strides. ¡°Ranko, she¡¯s your wife. She has to know. You¡¯re probably gonna wanna call your therapist guy when you get back, too.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Akane myself when I¡¯m home. Somehow.¡± Crash could barely hear her muffled words, spoken as they were into the crease between her knees. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I can even face¡­¡±

    Crash sat back on the bed, resting his hand on his friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Oh, no you don¡¯t. You don¡¯t get to do that, Ranko Tendo.¡± His voice was shockingly stern, and she sat up straight, turning to look at him with a puzzled expression.

    Crash gazed softly into her dampening eyes, his heart breaking at the sight of his indomitable friend suffering so. ¡°You¡¯re gonna feel a lot of things about last night, and I don¡¯t expect they¡¯re gonna stop anytime soon. That¡¯s expected, and it¡¯s okay. You¡¯re allowed to feel angry. You¡¯re allowed to feel scared. You¡¯re allowed to feel hurt. You¡¯re allowed to feel relieved, or grateful. You can even feel lucky, if you want. But the one thing I will not allow you to feel about last night¡­ is shame. You don¡¯t have any reason to be ashamed, Ranko. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. That asshole did. Lance made sure that guy couldn¡¯t hurt your body, and I thank the gods for that, but now, you¡¯re the only one who can make sure he doesn¡¯t hurt your heart. Now is the part when you have to fight.¡±

    ¡°How the fuck do you fight¡­ this?¡±

    The young guitarist reached out, sweeping a tear from under her right eye with a gentle sweep of the back of his hand. ¡°One day at a time, with all of us behind you, ready to listen. That¡¯s what family does.¡±

    The redhead slammed into Crash¡¯s chest with enough force to knock the breath from his chest, and any words he might have added with it. All he could do was sit quietly and hold his best friend in his arms as she cried.

 92. Got Your Back

    ¡°Gyuh!¡±

    With a mighty heave, Lance Riker thrust the steel bar upward until his arms were fully extended. He locked his elbows for a brief moment, letting the round plates balanced on either end of the bar settle before lowering the metal bar back to his chest with a loud clank. It wasn¡¯t much of a workout - the hotel fitness centers never seemed to have enough weight plates available to give him much of a challenge - but it was better than nothing. Maintaining peak physical condition was no easy feat on the road, eating crap food at whatever hole-in-the-wall greasy spoon they could find. At least most of the worst Asian cuisine still involved vegetables, rice, things like that; during the band¡¯s stint in Australia, he was pretty sure he¡¯d actually eaten a deep-fried deep fryer at one point.

    Exhaling through pursed lips as if blowing the weight back toward the ceiling, he extended his arms to their maximum length again. ¡°Twenty.¡± He started to swing the bench press bar back over his head to rack it, and was surprised when a slender pair of hands reached out and grabbed it. The feminine fingers guided the bar back into the pair of hooks mounted above the bench.

    Who the hell does weight training with pink glitter nail polish on?

    Lance sat up, looking forward at the mirrored wall of the hotel gymnasium. The room was poorly-equipped, sporting only a dilapidated exercise bike, the bench press rack, and a small assortment of dumbbells and kettle weights on a small stand in the corner. The torn black vinyl covering the bench he¡¯d been laying on scratched at his skin through his backside as he moved. Not the greatest hotel, but far from the worst place I¡¯ve spent a night in Vietnam, he thought with a sigh.

    ¡°Julie says you¡¯re s¡¯posed to have a spotter when you work out, ya know.¡±

    While his seated form still nearly entirely eclipsed the woman standing behind the bench, he easily recognized the shock of red hair poking out just beyond his left shoulder. He smiled, swiveling on the bench and reaching down for his plastic sports bottle. ¡°Hey, Ran-chan. Nobody else was up. I like to get my workouts in early. I think I¡¯ll probably be okay, though.¡±

    Ranko smiled down at her friend, in his gray Navy tank top and athletic shorts. He was more than ten years her senior, and no one looking at his form would have ever guessed it. The mammoth of a man looked like he could jump in the ring with the heavyweight boxing champion of the world and not look remotely out of place. ¡°Fair enough. The Army probably does a better job teaching people about this stuff than college cheerleading. You can probably lift all that with like, two fingers anyway.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s roadie and de facto bodyguard laughed merrily. ¡°Careful now, girl. Calling a Navy man Army can be a good way to get ya hurt around some o¡¯ the folks I know.¡±

    She winced visibly, resting her hand over her heart in a gesture of sincerity. ¡°Fuck, Lance. I''m so sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±

    Lance waved her off with his hand and an easy smile. ¡°It''s okay. Don''t worry ¡®bout it.¡± Ranko¡¯s friend laughed loudly. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m surprised to see you down here. How you feeling?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay, I think. Better when I don¡¯t think about everything.¡± She was doing a bit better - physically, at least. Her show in Bangkok, performed less than twenty hours after she had been drugged and almost violated in a Thai nightclub, had been far from her best performance. Between the incessant throbbing in her head and the intermittent equilibrium challenges she was still experiencing when she took the stage in Bangkok, she¡¯d had to cut her personal choreography back a bit. As a precaution, Masa had decided to skip some of the pyrotechnics and all of the stuff on the moving platforms, owing to Ranko not trusting her balance fully. Beyond that, she had toned down some of her more provocative dance moves for the evening, having a hard time feeling comfortable with behaving in a sexy manner so soon after the incident at the bar. While she felt awful that the Thai crowd had gotten an inferior show, the Firebirds in attendance certainly had not seemed to mind. Hitomi, Emi, Sanyo, and Utaru had all taken on some extra choreography to help compensate for Ranko¡¯s somewhat muted performance.

    As he tossed his empty water bottle down to the rubber floor mat, Lance frowned softly up at his friend. ¡°I get it. Sometimes, you gotta put your emotional shit away, and just get through it. Survive. Just make it to sunrise somehow, and worry about what comes next tomorrow. But, you¡¯re gonna have to think about it eventually. It¡¯s okay to say you aren¡¯t ready to deal with it yet, just don¡¯t kid yourself into thinking you can put it away forever. I¡¯ve seen a lot of good guys I served with that just kept kickin¡¯ the can down the road. Eventually, the bill comes due when you least expect it, ready or not. If you wait and let it come to you, when that happens¡­ it don¡¯t go gentle. So, just¡­ be smart about it, is all I''m saying.¡±

    The redhead nodded solemnly. While she had never been in a war zone like Lance had, she certainly had her share of experience with banking trauma for a later date and having it sneak up on her out of the shadows at the moments when she was least ready to deal with it. ¡°That¡¯s really good advice, Lance. Thanks.¡±

    She walked around the weight bench to make it more comfortable for him to look at her from his seated position. She wore a pair of purple Minato University mesh athletic shorts and a teal tank top from her concert merch stand. The front bore a simple English phrase in a lowercase cursive font: self-rescuing princess. Her workout outfit was completed with her white cheer sneakers, white ankle socks and a black neoprene brace on her left knee, with her hair tied back in a tight ponytail with a white ribbon and a black hair elastic.

    ¡°Lance¡­ what happened to him? The guy who¡­¡± She could not bear to finish her sentence. Ranko placed her palms against the mirrored wall, extending her left leg backward and bending her right knee to stretch her hamstring. She watched her teammate in the mirror over her shoulder.

    Ranko''s dark-skinned friend chuckled darkly. ¡°That''s nothing you need to worry your pretty head about, now.¡±

    She turned, leaning her back on the mirror. ¡°Lance¡­ I''m asking. Please.¡±

    The veteran shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. ¡°He''s somewhere that he''s never gonna hurt the people I care about again, and that''s all that matters to me. And it ought to be all that matters to you, too. Don''t worry about him. He''s in the past, and he can''t get ya from back there.¡±

    Oh, you''d be surprised at how effective the past has been at jumping out of the bushes and kicking my ass, Ranko thought with a grim countenance. Still, the expression on Lance''s face told her that, like other things that had come up in their many conversations over the last few months, the topic was closed and no amount of further prying would re-open it. She frowned in begrudging acceptance. Ranko kicked her right leg high into the air, until it was almost parallel with the left one on which she stood, grasping the back of her hamstring as she stretched. ¡°They teach you martial arts in the arm¡­ sorry, navy, right?¡±

    Lance chuckled a bit, standing from the bench. He was a little uncomfortable discussing his skills; it was the sort of thing the military had taught him not to brag about. ¡°Yeah, I guess a few things, here and there.¡±

    Ranko nodded, her ponytail bobbing over her bare shoulders. ¡°Do you ever spar?¡±

    The bald man laughed loudly, smacking his brick-solid abs with his hand as if to punctuate his point. The sound reverberated a bit in the small mirrored room. ¡°Not really. Not a lot of folks see all o¡¯ this and are in a great big hurry to tangle with it, if ya get me.¡±

    The young redhead smiled warmly, gesturing toward herself with her hand. ¡°Come on, then. You and me. Scoot the bench out of the way, and there should be plenty of room.¡±

    Lance¡¯s mirth was palpable, and he emitted a belly laugh that echoed loudly in the mostly-empty room. ¡°Ranko, no offense, but¡­ you¡­ wanna fight me? I mean¡­ you sure about that, girl?¡±

    Eh, what the hell. If he hits me even once, I''ll be hurtin¡¯ for certain, but it''s a friendly spar, so he won''t actually injure me or anything. ¡°Sure! Maybe watch the face, though. I don''t wanna have to tell seventeen thousand people you''re the reason I don''t look all cute on stage tomorrow.¡±

    Stolen novel; please report.

    ¡°Ha! Fair enough!¡± Lance finished dragging the weight bench to the far corner of the room, striding back to its center to rejoin his friend. As he did, Ranko gave him a deep, formal bow of respect.

    The large man returned it with a smile, watching the tiny redhead with some measure of amusement. He was surprised to see her drop into a perfect muay thai defensive stance. ¡°Well, all right! Not bad, not bad!¡± He chuckled as he took a loose stance, dancing about a bit on the balls of his feet.

    ¡°Brazilian jiu jitsu? Wouldn''t expect to see that out of American training,¡± Ranko said with a smirk.

    Lance laughed loudly, dancing around her to his left. ¡°What did you think they''d teach us? There¡¯s not really any American martial arts styles. Am I just supposed to go around slapping somebody across the face with a double cheeseburger or somethin¡¯?¡±

    The redhead giggled loudly, watching her friend closely. ¡°You figure out how to turn that into a martial art, and my sister Mei will be a grandmaster by Wednesday.¡± She motioned toward herself, still watching his eyes intently. ¡°You gonna come at me, or what? What''s the matter? Don''t tell me, you don''t hit girls?¡±

    Lance smirked, watching Ranko both in her true form, and in her reflection in the mirrored wall behind her. ¡°I don''t hit friends.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, this is a friendly spar, so¡­ kiai!¡± Ranko¡¯s right leg flashed upward, her foot flashing in front of her face at nearly eye level. She had aimed the kick for his shoulder, but he swatted it away at the level of his elbows with ease.

    Oooookay. If I wanna try that again, I¡¯m probably gonna need to go find a pair of meter-high stilettos first. Fuck, he''s big. Ranko utilized the momentum from his pushing her leg aside to add speed to her spin, dropping low and sweeping outward with her still-whirling leg. She smirked when she felt it connect with his shin. Gotch¡­ owww!

    While her kick had solidly landed, it felt like Ranko had kicked the stump of a two hundred year old oak. There was no give in her opponent''s leg whatsoever. She fell backward, landing on her butt on the black rubber floor mat.

    ¡°What the fuck are you made of, dude?¡± Ranko laughed as she kick-flipped back to her feet. This guy makes Ryoga look like friggin¡¯ Kasumi.

    Lance laughed deeply, his guffaw echoing in the mirrored little hotel gym. ¡°Cheeseburgers, mostly. That''s what we do with them instead of the martial arts thing.¡±

    Ranko giggled at his callback joke. ¡°Well, whatever you''re doing with them, keep fucking doing it. Gods, man.¡± She dropped into a new stance, this time opting for taekwondo. ¡°Come on, aren''t you gonna at least let me dodge one?¡±

    I better freaking dodge it. This guy hits me at half his strength, and they''re still gonna be finding my teeth in the parking lot of this place when Hoshi''s a freaking grandfather. But I gotta do this. I gotta show him.

    ¡°Alright, Ran-chan. You asked for it, girl!¡± Lance high-stepped toward her, lunging forward with his left fist. She ducked it easily, backing off a step toward the corner of the room formed by the mirrored north and east walls. When she popped up to reset, she¡¯d shifted from taekwondo to a krav maga forward stance.

    Lance chuckled with a wide grin. ¡°Wow, krav maga? They teach that in Israeli special forces, and also in cheerleading class?¡±

    Ranko giggled, bending the fingers of her leading right hand into a grasping claw, almost as she¡¯d done in the choreography for Viper. ¡°You know what they say, Riker. Mess with the cat¡­¡±

    She slashed forward with her hand, getting him to take half a step back. With the extra room afforded her, she leapt backward, planting the sole of her left sneaker on the mirrored wall behind her. Ranko kicked off the glass, not toward Lance, but toward the corner to her right. She pivoted her body in the air somewhat as she reached the apex of her wall kick. Thrusting her right foot backward almost hard enough to crack the glass, she kicked off of the room¡¯s mirrored north wall to gain even more height. With three copies of the agile redhead in his field of vision, Lance struggled to identify which to block. He swiped at the air with his open hand, but Ranko¡¯s foot sailed well over his block. The additional height advantage gained from her second climbing wall kick had allowed her to propel herself forward at the head of the gregarious giant.

    She rolled in mid-air into a flying scissor kick with her left leg, striking Lance on the chin as she wrapped her ankles around his neck. Ranko bent her right knee, torquing her entire body weight downward to the left as hard as she could. The twisting force toppled her friend onto his back on the rubber mat, and Ranko reached out with her right leg at the last moment to distribute her weight to the black rubber floor mat before the sum of her fifty-five kilogram frame landed on Lance¡¯s chin.

    ¡°... you get the claws.¡± Ranko smirked, reaching down over her floored friend and slashing at the air a few centimeters from his nose with her clawed left hand.

    Lance laughed loudly from his back, shaking his bald head. ¡°What the hell sort of freaky spider monkey bullshit was that?!¡±

    He reached up a hand, and Ranko bent down to grasp his wrist. Me, and a couple of commercial construction cranes, bud, she thought as she strained to help heave her sparring partner back to his feet.

    ¡°Anything goes, buddy!¡± Ranko grinned at having felled the giant, offering him a deep bow to indicate the end of the spar. ¡°Had to try somethin¡¯ out of the box! I left my beanstalk in my other shorts.¡±

    Lance laughed, returning her bow as he rubbed his jaw. ¡°Damn. I don¡¯t remember the last time somebody put me on my ass like that. Probably not since Coronado. Not bad. Not freakin¡¯ bad at all, Tendo.¡±

    Ranko cracked another, smaller smile, having earned exactly the outcome she¡¯d desired. ¡°Thanks. I just¡­ I needed to show you. I needed you to see that I¡¯m not just some helpless little airhead that can¡¯t take care of herself.¡± In truth, her need to prove it to herself was far greater. Her confident posture had been shattered two days ago in the time it had taken her to drink half of a cocktail.

    The giant man shook his head, waving off her words with his hand. ¡°Ranko, nobody thought that about you. I didn¡¯t, anyway. Somebody got the drop on you. It happens. That¡¯s one of the other things they teach you in the service - you¡¯re only as good as the guy watchin¡¯ your back. Nobody can have their head on a swivel all the time. Next time, maybe it¡¯ll be your turn to snatch my ass out of the fire. I hope so. You got moves, kid.¡±

    The redhead shrugged, slumping her shoulders and turning away from him a bit. The gesture did little to hide the shame in her eyes considering she was surrounded by mirrors. ¡°I don¡¯t know that you¡¯d wanna count on me. For me to fall for something like that¡­ I feel so stupid.¡±

    Lance sighed, wiping his face with a gray towel from his black gym bag. ¡°Don¡¯t. Don¡¯t beat yourself up over it. You had a close call. Thank whatever you pray to, learn from it, and move forward. That¡¯s all you can do.¡±

    Ranko took a tentative step toward him, then another, and then rushed forward, wrapping her arms tight around Lance¡¯s ribs as best she could. Her fingers could barely meet on the other side of his bulky frame. She rested her cheek on his ribs through his sweaty gray tank top, letting him feel her muscles relax. It was something she¡¯d discovered with Akane, a wordless means to communicate what words often could not: the innate understanding that she felt entirely safe in his presence. It was hard for her to feel that in the presence of men in general of late, but with Lance, as with Crash, she felt entirely at ease.

    ¡°Thank you, Lance. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for being the guy that had my back. Just¡­ thank you.¡±

    Her roadie, bodyguard and friend engulfed her tightly in his arms. In the span of just a few moments, Lance had watched the young redhead transform from the brash, confident martial artist who had just bested him in a spar back into the scared little girl she¡¯d been for the majority of the last few days. As the memory of what Lance¡¯s watchful eye had saved her from took center stage in her conscious mind again, she trembled against his powerful form.

    Lance squeezed her so firmly that she could barely breathe, a playful little growl rumbling from his throat as he rocked her in his arms. He lowered his head between his massive biceps, planting the gentlest of platonic kisses on top of her head through her ribbon-bound red hair.

    ¡°Anytime, hon. Anybody wants to hurt you, they¡¯re gonna have to go through me, and I don¡¯t intend to make that easy.¡± He squeezed her even tighter, to the point that it hurt a little, but Ranko didn¡¯t mind. At least she felt safe.

    ¡°Hey. It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re alright. I got you, girl.¡± His voice was soft and soothing, a low bass rumble in the giant¡¯s chest. His eyes widened at the feel of something buzzing against his thigh. ¡°Huh? That you?¡± Lance released Ranko from his grasp, and she reached down into the pocket of her purple mesh shorts, producing a sparkly pink pager.

    The redhead tapped the black button on the pager¡¯s face, needing to do so a second time after the first only served to reactivate the display. ¡°It¡¯s Akane. I¡­ I¡¯d better go call her. I¡¯ll see you at the venue, bud.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t told her yet, have you?¡±

    Ranko did not answer her friend as she slipped through the glass door into the hotel¡¯s wood-paneled hallway.

 93. Checking In

    ¡°Add spices to taste. Let¡¯s see¡­ I bet cinnamon goes good in oatmeal!¡± Akane grinned, reaching for a small glass bottle full of brown ground spice in the front of the pantry. She pulled the little paper cup out of the microwave, removing the plastic wrap from the top and tossing it atop the overflowing trash can. ¡°Holy hell, that¡¯s hot!¡± She set the cup on the counter, waving over it with her hand to help facilitate airflow. When the steam billowing from the instant oatmeal mix had begun to dissipate, she upended the bottle over the grayish mush, giving it several hard shakes. She mixed the powder thoroughly into the mixture with a red ceramic soup spoon, looking down at it with a nonplussed expression. Three more days, and I get real food again, she thought as she lifted the spoon to her lips.

    Coughing and sputtering, Akane spat the grayish-brown slurry into the sink without swallowing. She barely got it out of her mouth with enough force to avoid dribbling it onto her yellow sundress. ¡°What the¡­ Izumi makes cinnamon oatmeal for the kids all the time! How can this be so¡­ Oh, come on!¡± She turned the little glass vial around in her hand, reading the label again. ¡°Chili powder?!¡±

    She upended the paper cup into the trash, sighing in disgust and frustration as she threw the spoon in the sink with a loud clatter. Well, now what the hell am I gonna eat?

    Akane had been searching the pantry in vain for nearly three minutes when the beige telephone receiver on the wall next to the refrigerator began to ring. She answered it on the second tone, propping it against her ear with her shoulder as she resumed foraging in the kitchen. ¡°Tendo residence, hello!¡±

    ¡°Hey, Akane.¡±

    The elder girl¡¯s face brightened, the frustration of her most recent kitchen misadventure entirely forgotten. ¡°Ranko! Hey, princess! How¡¯s my girl?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m okay, I guess. I¡¯ll be better when I¡¯m back home with you. I need one of your hugs so freakin¡¯ bad right now, Akane.¡± Ranko sighed, laying back on the queen-sized bed of her Vietnamese hotel room, idly watching the bamboo ceiling fan spinning lazily in the breeze from the open window. She crossed her left ankle over her right knee, beginning to unstrap the black brace she¡¯d used to support her knee while sparring with Lance. ¡°It¡­ hasn¡¯t been a real good trip this time.¡±

    Akane bit her lip, slumping into one of the four white wooden chairs surrounding the girls¡¯ dining room table in Tokyo. ¡°I know, baby. I¡¯ve been able to hear it in your voice for weeks. This is why your mom didn¡¯t want you to know what was going on here.¡±

    Ranko sighed in relief as she finished undoing the Velcro on her sweaty knee brace, tossing it to the floor at the foot of her bed. ¡°I get that, but¡­ it¡¯s my home, too, Akane. I had a right to know, even if there wasn¡¯t much I could do from all the way out here. Has there been any change?¡±

    I agree, Ranko. You did have a right to know. But I had to give Hana my word I wouldn¡¯t tell you. She made me promise, but I also made a promise to you that I wouldn¡¯t keep things from you. Good thing Mom didn¡¯t say anything about not letting it slip in front of Natsuko. The black-haired girl looked balefully at the two cardboard boxes piled on the floor next to the front door. ¡°Not really. The cheapest place they can find to rent is almost twice the rent Mom¡¯s paying now, for barely more than half the size. There was one place we might have been able to afford, but there was no room for a stage, and Mom said no deal right off the bat.¡±

    Ranko slumped in her bed, rolling over with the phone in her hand. She propped the phone against her pillow, wrapping her arms tight around Starlight. ¡°Maybe she should have considered it.¡±

    ¡°Mom¡¯s exact words: It won¡¯t be the Phoenix if there¡¯s no place for Ranko to play.¡± Akane sighed quietly. ¡°You¡¯re not expendable to them, silly girl, no matter how much you seem to think you should be.¡±

    The redhead stroked her stuffed unicorn softly as Akane spoke. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I have that I don¡¯t owe them. Which means there¡¯s nothing I have that they¡¯re not entitled to take back if they need to.¡±

    Akane sighed softly. She knew where Ranko¡¯s real hangup was, and it broke her heart. ¡°Ranko, you gotta stop thinking you¡¯re somehow different in their eyes. Hearing you talk, it¡¯s like you think there¡¯s going to come a day when they say they can¡¯t take care of extra people anymore and cut you loose. You¡¯re not their houseguest, princess. You¡¯re their family. Izumi and Yui and Mei all came to them the same way you did, and I bet none of them are thinking Hana should sacrifice them to save the rest. And besides, you¡¯ve put so much into that bar already. I promise, Mei¡¯s pizzas aren¡¯t bringing in the customers the way your music does. Nobody thinks you had a debt, but if you did, you paid it off with interest a long time ago.¡±

    Ranko swallowed hard, sniffling a bit against her unicorn¡¯s pink mane. She sat quietly for several seconds, trying to build up a reserve of courage. ¡°Akane, I need to talk to you about¡­¡±

    ¡°Ranko¡­ We started packing the place up last night.¡± It broke her heart to tell Ranko, but the truth would out eventually anyway. As she spoke, she began flipping through an intimidating stack of envelopes on the dining room table. She¡¯d been collecting the mail on the way in from class every day, but hadn¡¯t actually found a moment to sit and go through it in nearly a week.

    Ranko¡¯s voice trailed off as Akane¡¯s broke through the half-duplex telephone connection. By the time Akane had finished her sentence, Ranko had lost the nerve to continue hers.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m honestly surprised you guys waited this long. I¡¯m so sorry I can¡¯t be there, Akane. Please tell everybody I love them, and I¡¯m trying so hard to help as best I can from here. I¡¯ll be home the day after tomorrow, and then I¡¯ll¡­¡±

    Akane sighed, reaching over to the pile of cardboard cartons next to her, and the orange plaque laying on top of them. She blinked a tear from her eyes as she ran her fingers over the engraved kanji that spelled out her wife¡¯s name on the 1991 Japan Record Award for Best Lyrics. ¡°We left the stage set up. Mei wouldn¡¯t let them touch a single cable. She made everybody swear. You¡¯ll at least get to have a last show.¡±

    ¡°Have the girls had any luck with jobs,¡± Ranko asked hopefully, glaring at her suitcase. She¡¯d not even unpacked it after arriving in Vietnam, as if leaving it ready to depart at a moment¡¯s notice would somehow hasten the show in H¨¤ng ??y Stadium the following night, and the takeoff of her flight back to Tokyo the morning after. All she wanted in the world was to hug her sisters and disappear into Hana and Akane¡¯s arms and cry for a month.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Akane flipped through the stack of junk mail on the table, ensuring there was nothing of value mixed into it. ¡°Mei got an offer at that marketing place. She¡¯s not particularly excited about it, but it¡¯s at least something. Apparently, Sakura quitting without any notice at her old gig didn¡¯t go over real well, and now she¡¯s striking out everywhere like she¡¯s been blackballed from the industry or something. And Yui¡­ She¡¯s just angry, Ranko. Like, she just resents everything that¡¯s happening, and she keeps, like, snapping and cussing people out at the interviews.¡±

    Thousands of kilometers away, Ranko could only manage a quiet scoff and a grim chuckle. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s Yui alright.¡± Can¡¯t say as I blame her.

    ¡°Akane, I really need to tell you so¡­¡±

    Ranko rolled her eyes as she felt a vibration against her hip, reaching down into the pocket of her shorts and pulling out her pager. She pressed the button to display the number, wincing as she sucked air in through her teeth. Oh, hell. ¡°Uh, Akane? I gotta run. I love you so much. Two more days, and I get to kiss you again.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait. I love you too, princess. Whatever it is, we can talk about it when you get home. Have a great show tomorrow!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll try. Bye, Akane.¡± Ranko reached over to the nightstand, clicking the button in the phone cradle to disconnect the call. Oh, fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. I¡¯m in trouble now. I forgot they¡¯d send it to¡­ Ranko sighed heavily, looking with disdain down at her pager again. It displayed her father¡¯s phone number, but with three asterisks trailing it. It was the code her family had devised to indicate that a call was an emergency.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with, I guess,¡± Ranko said glumly to no one in particular, dialing 9 to access the hotel¡¯s external phone system and then entering the number for the Tendo residence on the keypad. The call failed to connect. With a sigh, Ranko re-dialed the number for her father¡¯s home, this time remembering to add the 81 first for international dialing to Japan. Always freaking screw that up.

    ¡°Hello? Tendo residence.¡±

    Ranko swallowed hard, giggling nervously. ¡°Hey, Nabiki! What¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING, RANKO?!¡±

    The redhead sighed, hugging Starlight to her chest. ¡°Now, look, Nabiki, before you get mad, just hear me out.¡±

    ¡°Mad?! Oh, no no, little sister, I passed mad twenty minutes ago, right about the time I opened up this check from Yokai right alongside your copy of your little agreement. We are now approaching supremely pissed. Are you out of your fucking head, girl?! We had a plan!¡± Ranko could almost feel her spittle in her ear through the telephone receiver.

    Ranko sighed heavily. ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry, okay? My mom and my sisters are in real trouble. I had to do something, Nabiki, and fast. I owe them everything. I owe them my life. Compared to that, nothing else mattered.¡±

    Nabiki growled loudly into the phone. ¡°Well first off, the money you bargained away wasn¡¯t just yours to give. Everybody in the band was supposed to get a cut of that, and so was I! Did you at least talk to them about it? Don¡¯t even answer that. I know you. Of fucking course you didn¡¯t! When you get home, we¡¯re restructuring the band¡¯s holding company so you can¡¯t sign anything binding by yourself. Clearly, you need a fucking adult!¡±

    ¡°Please watch your language, Nabiki,¡± came a softer voice that Ranko could barely make out through the telephone receiver.

    ¡°I will watch my language when our idiot little sister starts listening to people and not screwing herself and everyone around her, Kasumi! Because now, not only has she given away a bunch of revenue she didn¡¯t have to, she¡¯s also pissed away our only leverage on a new album deal! And I¡¯ll bet all the yen in my pocket that she didn¡¯t even bother to tell her wife that she was going to sign a legal fucking agreement denying she exists!¡±

    Ranko winced, hugging Starlight closer to her body. ¡°Nabiki, I fucked up. I know I did. I was just desperate. What would you have done if it was Kasumi in trouble, or Dad? You¡¯d have done everything you could to help. You know you would.¡±

    Nabiki sighed heavily into the phone. ¡°I¡¯m not saying you shouldn¡¯t have helped them, dummy! I¡¯m saying you should have called me. And I¡¯d have told ya you were being stupid, and then you¡¯d have given me the big pouty voice and went on this big boo-hoo screed about honor and owing people and all that stuff, and then I¡¯d have figured out a way to get you what you needed without selling yourself and your friends down the fucking river! How am I supposed to help you, if you go behind my back like this?!¡±

    The young singer sat in silence for a moment, rocking her stuffed unicorn in her arms. Nabiki was right to be angry, but the last thing she needed at the moment was negativity from yet another source. She felt as if she was under siege as it was.

    ¡°Nabiki, I¡¯m sorry. I know it was dumb. I¡­ I just¡­ everything I care about was falling apart, and I felt so alone and helpless out here, and¡­¡±

    Nabiki frowned, leaning heavily on the kitchen counter. She¡¯s got a heart of gold. She just needs to figure out how to run it and her brain at the same time. ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out, Ranko. I always do. But in the meantime, you¡¯ve made your bed, and you¡¯re gonna have to lie in it for a while. You¡¯re gonna need to be really fucking careful now, because if Yokai catches wind at all about Akane now, you are fucked up one side and down the other. No more sucking face in public at the Phoenix. No more Steam ladies¡¯ night. No more telling stories in TV interviews with holes in them big enough to fly a freakin¡¯ jumbo jet through. At least, not until I come up with a way to get you out of this mess you made. Do you understand me, girl?¡±

    Ranko cringed a little more with each little bit of her freedom that was chipped away by Nabiki¡¯s words. ¡°I understand. I really am sorry, Nabiki.¡±

    The singer¡¯s sister and agent exhaled in another heavy sigh through the telephone receiver, her voice only now seeming to lose some of its fury. ¡°I know you are, Ranko. We¡¯ll fix it. I just need a little time.¡±

    ¡°Is there at least enough money there to keep my family afloat for a couple of months until we figure out what to do,¡± Ranko asked hopefully. Please, gods, don¡¯t let this be for nothing¡­

    Nabiki scoffed softly. ¡°I think probably, yeah.¡±

 94. One Little Spark

    ¡°No shadow can claim you!¡±

    Ranko threw her right arm skyward, her hand held open with her fingers stiffened. The three fire emitters mounted to the front edge of stage right blasted columns of orange flame two meters into the warm, humid air hanging over H¨¤ng ??y Stadium.

    ¡°No challenge can claim you!¡±

    She made the opposite motion with her left arm, as if summoning the flames from the three leftmost emitters by magic.

    ¡°You¡¯re stronger than you realize!¡±

    With both her hands extended skyward, both the left and right banks blasted into the sky at once. The crowd roared in excitement, though she couldn¡¯t really hear them. It was such a strange experience, wearing her stage earpieces - it all but muted the crowd sound, and she heard her own singing voice in her head louder than the instruments surrounding her. It was very different from her headset at the Phoenix, which was a microphone only, and allowed her to remain in the moment. With her concert headset, it was as if she were some otherworldly projection, only half-present on the stage in Hanoi.

    In fairness, her emotions only felt about half there as well, because the following morning, she would board a five-and-a-half hour flight home to Tokyo and it was all she could think about. Having received the financial advance she¡¯d bought from Yokai Records with a price paid in dignity, there was at least hope for her family now, but there was nothing she wanted more than to be there - both to support her family, and to be supported by them. After the events in both Singapore and Thailand, Ranko was in dire and desperate need of a hug from both her mother and her wife.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t a thing which could ever extinguish the INFERNO that BURNS IN YOUR EYES!¡±

    Ranko launched her left fist to the sky, timed perfectly with the centermost of the nine flame emitters mounted to the front of the stage ignited. As it went out, the two on either side lit, and as their flames went out, the next set to the left and right lit up, and so on until the wave of fire made it to the edges of the stage.

    ¡°RISE like a dragon, and RISE from the agony! RISE AND REKINDLE THE FLAME!¡±

    The redhead leapt nearly a full meter in the air, thrusting her fist forward in defiance. She could almost hear the creak of her red leather jacket as she moved. She was still in the full red leather outfit that she¡¯d begun the show in, starting with Demon in Your Radio. Unlike usual, though, she wore a white tee shirt under her jacket rather than the usual sequined black one. I think Izzi will forgive me, just this once.

    ¡°When LIFE turns to ashes, you GO get the matches and SEAR away all of the shame!¡±

    Twin jets of fire erupted on either side of Ranko at the center of the stage, about a meter away from her on her left and right. Hitomi and Emi rocked their hips together on the left side of the stage, well clear of the fire emitters, and Utaru and Sanyo entertained those on stage right similarly.

    ¡°BURN like a demon, and EARN what you¡¯re dreamin¡¯! The Phoenix inside never dies!¡±

    Ranko frowned briefly at the phrase. Can¡¯t get distracted right now.

    ¡°You ignite, and you RISE!¡±

    Again, Ranko raised her hands skyward, the left and right trios of flame emitters roaring to life. As with every other occurrence of the word in the song, the video screen flashed behind her with block letters two meters tall, spelling out the word RISE in orange fire.

    The four musicians on the stage stopped playing, and Ranko gave a quick nod to Hitomi on her left and then Sanyo on her right. Her backup dancers all exited the stage, leaving Ranko standing on the stage alone in front of the band. She could see the crowd¡¯s thunderous applause, even though she couldn¡¯t really hear it. Ranko waited until it looked as if most of them had calmed before speaking.

    ¡°You know, guys¡­ This is my last show of the tour until December, and while I¡¯m so glad to be out here rocking Hanoi with you all, I can¡¯t wait to get home. This trip¡¯s been¡­ hard. I likely wouldn¡¯t even have made it here tonight, if not for the help of a dear friend of mine. He¡¯s here with us tonight, part of our team. Everybody, give some love to my guardian Dragon, Lance Riker! Thank you, Lance!¡±

    ¡°Ranko, I told you, you didn¡¯t need to do that,¡± Lance said in her wireless headset from beneath the stage as the crowd roared in their shared gratitude, though they knew not the details of what for.

    She paced the stage a bit as she spoke, trying to speak with her Firebirds heart-to-heart despite the obvious one-way nature of the conversation. ¡°When I wrote Rise, I was in such an amazing place in my life. I¡¯d been completely screwed over by¡­ well, life, and just when I thought there was no hope, I found that incredible little bar in Tokyo, and met the incredible women in it who became my family. I¡¯m thinking about them a lot tonight. I¡¯m gonna hug them all so hard tomorrow. You guys have no idea.¡±

    Ranko paused a few moments for the cheering to subside. ¡°I didn¡¯t think anything could hurt worse than having nothing, and being nothing. Over the last few weeks, I¡¯ve found something that does: somehow finding everything you ever needed and wanted against all odds, and then all of a sudden, feeling like you¡¯re losing it again just as soon as you started to really feel safe. It feels like everything you went through didn¡¯t matter, like fate suddenly remembered that you were supposed to get the short end of the stick after all. It¡¯s the most disheartening thing, and it just rips through you with this horrible despair, because you know how much work it takes to climb out of the hole you¡¯re in, and it feels so impossible. Like, you barely survived it the last time, and you don¡¯t think you have another run left in you.¡±

    All nine of the fire emitters at the front of the stage lit again, but only just, emitting flames no more than a few centimeters high. It gave the effect of candlelight illuminating the stage, and the stage lights dropped to cast Ranko in primarily the light of the nine little fires. With no musical accompaniment, Ranko resumed singing to the tune of Rise.

    ¡°You¡¯re in flight, finally thinking you¡¯re alright, when a shadow in the night strikes from the dark. The shot hits its mark, and it knocks you sprawling.¡±

    She was used to the audience going berserk at new lyrics, but they must have understood how deeply personal they were because they sat in rapt silence listening to her refrain. Ranko had just written the new third verse on the plane from Bangkok to Hanoi, and their minimalist performance was partially in deference to their seriousness and partially due to her team¡¯s lack of time to prepare for the change to the music, choreography, lighting and stage effects.

    ¡°You cry, curse the gods and ask them why, as you plummet from the sky. And as you drop, you pray for the stop: crash to earth, end the falling.¡±

    Ranko reached up to her face, wiping her eyes carefully with her fingers. She barely swayed on the stage as she poured her heart out, channeling the constant, crushing hurt and fear with which she¡¯d lived the last three weeks.

    ¡°By chance, you take one last, wistful glance down at the place you used to dance. You close your eyes, get ready to die. Accept that you¡¯re finished.¡±

    She panned her left hand across the front of the stage, gesturing to the crowd with an open palm.

    ¡°But the crowd¡¯s shouting up at you unbowed, and they¡¯re screaming that they¡¯re¡­ proud?¡±

    Muted though they were in her ears, Ranko could see the audience begin to stir and applaud. A blazing yellow light came from the five rightmost can lights mounted to the trusses on the stage, as if dawn had just broken on the east side of the stage.

    ¡°¡®Cause even the sun, in the dark night, looks done - but comes back, undiminished!¡±

    Ranko looked down at her hands, which she folded at her waist in sad contemplation. As she did, Crash¡¯s guitar began gently resuming the bridge of Rise, with none of its companion instruments joining it.

    ¡°Your fear and your doubt almost let it go out, but the last spark still flickers within.¡±

    As she sang over Crash¡¯s guitar, Utaru reached toward her from offstage, clicking the sole button on the black remote control in his hand. It triggered a small, battery-operated camp light that flickered a dim orange. Hidden under Ranko¡¯s shirt, clipped to the front of her bra between her breasts, it made it look like her heart was glowing with an otherworldly light through her white shirt.

    Ranko looked down at her chest, letting her facial expression brighten as much as the light did, looking up to the crowd with the beginnings of a smile on her face. As she completed the new third bridge, Jacob, Zoe and Shinji rejoined Crash with their instruments.

    ¡°You open your eyes, and recall how to rise, and decide you can do it AGAIN!¡±

    Even through the performer mix in her headset that all but silenced them, Ranko was certain she could hear the crowd scream. All nine flame emitters at stage front roared to full life, and the video board behind her again displayed the song¡¯s title, pulsating with its every repetition in the lyrics.

    ¡°RISE! like a dragon, and RISE! from the agony! RISE! and rekindle the flame! When LIFE turns to ashes, you GO get the matches and SEAR away all of the SHAME!¡±

    The leather-clad woman did not dance. She planted her feet as if preparing for a charge as she roared the chorus that had become her rallying cry at the top of her lungs. Both of her hands were clenched in fists at her sides.

    ¡°BURN like a demon and EARN what you¡¯re dreaming! THE PHOENIX INSIDE NEVER DIES!¡±

    She screamed the last sentence as if she was challenging the gods themselves to prove her wrong.

    ¡°Never dies,¡± Shinji sang in his low bass voice.

    ¡°Never dies,¡± Crash added in a higher tenor register.

    ¡°Never dies,¡± Jacob added, leaning over the keys of his synthesizer and singing in a higher octave yet. As he did, Ranko made her way from the edge of the stage to its dead center, glancing down at her feet to make sure she was on her mark. An orange asterisk formed on the stage with reflective tape confirmed it.

    ¡°Never di-i-i-ies,¡± Zoe finished. Though they no longer identified as female, their alto singing voice retained a distinct femininity as they sang the only two words of lyrics they would sing throughout the entire show.

    Ranko exhaled heavily, stiffening her muscles and bracing for pain. This part of the show was always uncomfortable for her, thanks to the ever-present Full-Body Cat¡¯s Tongue sensitivity of her skin. She cocked her fist, bending her knees, and launched herself upward, punching at the air as she leapt skyward.

    ¡°YOU IGNITE, AND YOU RISE!¡±

    As her feet landed on the stage, the floor erupted in fire. A total of eleven fire emitters, five of which had been uncovered with a remote button press from Masa¡¯s control booth high atop the stadium, blasted skyward, surrounding Ranko in a heart-shaped curtain of flame and rendering her entirely obscured from the crowd. Only the nine flamethrowers mounted to the front of the stage were unlit.

    She collapsed to her knees, lifting the little door to the underside of the stage. A bundle was thrust up from underneath into her hands by her backup dancer, Sanyo Arima. Ranko sat on the stage, quickly tearing herself out of her black boots and her red leather pants and tossing them down the hole to Sanyo. Her black nylon knee brace soon followed.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Left bank¡¯s good,¡± came Lance¡¯s booming bass in Ranko¡¯s ear.

    Ranko was grateful for the white compression shorts she wore under the pants, as they gave her a little extra confidence that no one could see anything important as she changed costumes on the stage with nothing but a wall of orange flame to protect her modesty. Ranko¡¯s white shirt and red leather jacket quickly went down the hole to Sanyo after her pants, along with the still-glowing orange camp light. She quickly unfurled the sparkly white A-line dress he had handed up to her, throwing it over her head.

    Ranko¡¯s earpiece continued to fill with the voices of her team sounding off as they completed their reconfiguration of the stage, this time Norio¡¯s. ¡°Right bank, done!¡±

    Sanyo next passed a pair of high white sparkly platform heels up to her, which she slipped onto her bare feet. They were heavy, and they almost sloshed with their uneven weight as she scrambled back to a standing position. The shoes were new for the second leg of the tour - as was the song she intended to perform in them, having retired Freak as promised both for her sake and Yokai¡¯s.

    ¡°Center bank, check,¡± came Lance¡¯s voice in the redhead¡¯s ear again.

    ¡°The girls are out, Ranko. We ready?¡±

    Ranko looked up at the wreath of flame surrounding her, nodding in determination in response to the voice in her ear. ¡°Yeah, Masa. I¡¯m good. Drop it.¡±

    Standing a few meters to the right of the blazing heart at center stage in a shimmering orange dress, Hitomi Uyeno opened her mouth to sing into her headset. No sound came from the four instruments behind her yet as she issued her high-pitched three-word declaration on her friend¡¯s behalf.

    ¡°I. Am. Fire!¡±

    The columns of flame all went out, revealing Ranko standing on stage in her sparkling white dress. She had been obscured from view for less than forty seconds. She strode heel-over-toe in her tall heels, a sultry confidence in her presence that had been entirely absent in her heart-rending extension to Rise. She held her hands up to the crowd, basking in their roar. A peppy dance beat began, courtesy of Crash Matsuyama and his friends. While Sanyo was still returning to his position after assisting with the costume change from beneath the stage, Emi joined her girlfriend onstage in an identical orange sequined dress, its skirt composed of several layers of darker sequins to evoke a flame brightening as it rose from its base. The video board behind the girls displayed a continuous sea of orange fire, as if someone had ignited a swimming pool full of gasoline.

    ¡°You¡¯re tantalized by my blue eyes beneath these perfect lashes. But then you realize this smokey eye¡¯s a shadow made of ashes. If you wanna get with me, boy, you¡¯d better be quicker. The last boy who got close burned up before he saw the flicker!¡±

    Ranko shook her head, realizing it was entirely possible that the statement was actually true. It felt good to sing this song, after the events of the week before. Her dance was choreographed to emphasize her body, and her hands were always on her skin somewhere. Her own touch, amplified by the Cat¡¯s Tongue, was enough to put her in the mindset to come off as flirty and sensual, and the recent threats she¡¯d faced were enough to fuel the dangerous undertone she sought to simultaneously convey.

    ¡°I leave ¡®em smoldering inside a flaming, molten crater. The inferno inside me is a heart incinerator! My body is the match and gas, your soul a box of tinder. I recommend that you haul ass before you¡¯re turned to cinder!¡±

    Ranko strode to the front of the stage, making sure she was well in front of the center area where she had changed her costume in the center of a blazing heart of flame. The front chevron of three flamethrowers fired again, casting Ranko¡¯s silhouette in front of them toward the crowd.

    I really gotta learn to take it easy with the lyrics with the fire imagery, Ranko thought. Masa¡¯s gonna spit roast me up here at this rate.

    At that distance, it was as uncomfortable as standing in front of her open oven with the Cat¡¯s Tongue, but she only had to tolerate it for a few seconds at a time. The challenge was doing so while also singing.

    ¡°I am fire! I can¡¯t help but burn! I know you wanna play with me, but try, you¡¯re gonna learn! Throwin¡¯ off an orange glow and makin¡¯ people nervous. Spreading out of all control, engulfing every surface.¡±

    As she sang, she crossed her ankles, kicking at the back of her left heel with her right foot. She then inverted the gesture, nudging the back of her right foot with her toe to trigger the special effect built into her heels.

    The stage lights went out, and the video board switched to a flat gray background. An orange light lit at stage level in front of Ranko to her left, casting her silhouette in orange against the video screen as if it were a wall.

    ¡°Hypnotizing¡­¡±

    The light on Ranko¡¯s left went out, and a new one on her right lit in its place, casting another shadow backward in orange light in the opposite direction.

    ¡°Mesmerizing¡­¡±

    A third orange light came on, this one directly in front of her, as the right canister light went out.

    ¡°Unbound and untamed.¡±

    All three lights powered up at once, projecting three silhouettes of the lithe redhead against the back wall of the stage as she danced.

    ¡°Every single obstacle consumed by wicked flame.¡±

    She ran both of her hands over her body, closing her eyes as she writhed in the warmth of the three canister lights.

    ¡°Dancing so seductively, a flicker in the smoke. Dazzling from a distance, but up close?¡±

    Ranko lifted her left hand from her backside, clenching it in a fist at shoulder level.

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna choke. Turn around and run before this stage becomes your pyre. This human torch is gonna scorch you¡­¡±

    Hitomi and Emi joined her in the repetition of the song¡¯s title. With each word, only one of the three canister lights in front of her lit, ticking her silhouette from the left side of the stage to the center, and then the right.

    ¡°I! AM! FIRE!¡±

    The canister lights went out as well, leaving the stage in near darkness other than the blue glow from the video screen, which had transitioned to a sea of blue flames. Ranko stalked to the back of the stage in the dark. With every step, when she lifted her foot, a small, wispy footprint of flickering blue flame lingered on the stage for a few seconds.

    Yeah, I thought you guys would like that, Ranko thought as she turned to see the crowd¡¯s reaction to the new practical effect.

    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve got more guts than brains. You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doin¡¯. When I get done, nothing remains but blackened husks and ruin!¡±

    Ranko pretended to check her fingernails as the center bank of three stage-front fire emitters blasted to life, as if she didn¡¯t care that the inferno was spreading. Emi and Hitomi rushed up behind her from the sides as Ranko put her hands behind her back, swaying without moving her feet. The girls flanking her made up for her relative lack of movement, sliding up and down Ranko¡¯s body with their hands as they bent their knees. Behind Ranko¡¯s back, Emi slipped a small object into her hand.

    ¡°Ignorin¡¯ all the warning signs, and getting even closer, but pretty soon, you¡¯ll realize that I¡¯m about to roast ya!¡±

    The backup dancers cleared space for her, rushing to the front corners of the stage to dance. Ranko unfurled the orange paper fan Emi had slipped into her hand, flapping it softly at her face as she writhed on the stage.

    ¡°You can¡¯t resist the moves I¡¯ve got. A dance that¡¯s so seductive¡­¡±

    Ranko flicked at the little bit of wood sticking out of the base of the fan. It moved the match Masa had rigged inside it just enough to strike, and the flash paper in her hand ignited in orange flame.

    ¡°You keep thinking I¡¯ll make you hot, forgetting I¡¯m destructive! There¡¯s not enough protective gear to keep you safe from harm¡­¡±

    She waved the burning fan twice more, further away from her face, before throwing it over her shoulder. It had nearly finished burning out before it landed at the center of the stage, and as it did, the entire heart shape of fire emitters that she¡¯d changed her costume in just moments before roared to life again.

    Ranko turned her back to the crowd, slowly rolling her hips with her left hand on her backside. She was careful to minimize the movement of her feet, knowing each footstep would leave another small puddle of flaming ethanol dripped from the hollows in her platform heels if she raised the toe of her foot enough to click the sparker hidden in the soles of her shoes.

    ¡°... ¡®cause when I move my ass up here, it triggers five alarms!¡±

    Ranko model-stomped across the stage from left to right around its front edge, moving carefully in her heavy, unwieldy heels. Man, these things are pain in the ass, but they sure look cool, she thought. They were harder to dance in as more of the fuel supply was spent, as there was more room for the liquid in her soles to slosh about. It felt not unlike dancing on a moving boat.

    ¡°I am fire! I can¡¯t help but burn! I know you wanna play with me, but try, you¡¯re gonna learn! Throwin¡¯ off an orange glow and makin¡¯ people nervous. Spreading out of all control, engulfing every surface!¡±

    Ranko stopped at the front center of the stage, and as with the previous chorus, the video screen behind her switched from the flickering flame to the blank gray screen, and her shadow was cast behind her from multiple directions as the three canister lights at the front of the stage projected her form in orange light.

    ¡°Hypnotizing, mesmerizing, unbound and untamed! Every single obstacle consumed by wicked flame! Dancing so seductively, a flicker in the smoke. Dazzling from a distance, but up close?¡±

    Hitomi and Emi both grasped at their throats at her sides.

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna choke!¡±

    As her backup dancers fled from her, Ranko stalked across the stage after them, leaving a ghostly trail of flaming footprints on the stage floor.

    ¡°Turn around and run before this stage becomes your pyre! This human torch is gonna scorch you!

    Crash and Shinji leaned into their microphones, adding depth and richness to her declaration of inflammatory power.

    ¡°I! AM! FIRE!¡±

    The redhead kicked at the back of her heels again, closing the compartment in the back of each heel that had been dripping ethanol onto the stage. The sparks themselves would still be triggered when she stepped, but they would be trapped inside the hollow of the shoes with nothing to ignite, and go out immediately. She stepped up onto the raised platform at the back right of the stage, and Hitomi and Emi joined her. As it had during the performance of Demon in Your Radio to begin the concert, the platform raised several meters into the air supported from below as the three girls danced on the round platform.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve got a shot, but boy, I¡¯m worth the pain, though. You¡¯ll only find a girl this hot deep down in a volcano.¡±

    Ranko waved her hand in the air, and Hitomi and Emi both fell to their knees at her sides.

    ¡°The backdraft blows you off your feet and puts you on your knees, ¡®cause now we¡¯re turning up the heat to three thousand degrees!¡±

    The heart-shaped arrangement of fire emitters at the center of the stage ignited again, roaring to life in orange flame.

    ¡°I¡¯m a conflagration when you thought I was a candle. In my estimation, I¡¯m too hot for YOU to handle! You¡¯re wanting me to keep you warm and cozy by the fire, but can you stand the firestorm when violence meets desire?!¡±

    To Ranko¡¯s right, a set of green canister lights flickered on, pointing upward from the ground between the stage and the crowd. A set of three red ones fired up on her left, and the orange set that had cast her shadow across the stage during the last two choruses relit as well.

    As she sang, the nine fire emitters at the front of the stage ignited - but not as they had during Rise. The bank of three at stage right burned a bright green, thanks to the boric acid Masa had added to their fuel supply. The ones on the far right burned a deep red, thanks to the strontium added to their fuel, and the ones in the three in the center burned the normal orange. With each beat, the height of the flames being emitted adjusted up and down, creating an enormous graphic equalizer across the front of the stage that danced in visualization of the beat.

    ¡°I am fire! I can¡¯t help but burn! Left a trail of ashes, and I guess now, it¡¯s your turn! So enticing and entrancing; something from a dream. Making your eyes water, and then turning it to steam!¡±

    Every time the flames at the front of the stage reduced, the canister lights caught the puff of smoke lingering above them, giving the effect of a lingering mark designating the previous maximum height the fire had reached.

    ¡°Casting sultry shadows all around me when I dance. You can sense the danger, but it doesn¡¯t break the trance! People can¡¯t distinguish love from fear, so don¡¯t expect it. I¡¯ll never be extinguished, so you¡¯d best run for the exit! Every moment that you stare, the flames are getting higher! Try approaching if you dare¡­¡±

    With each of the final three words of the lyrics, Ranko and her backup dancers thrust their fists forward in the air, and all nine of the front fire emitters blasted blazing columns of colored flame at their maximum three-meter height.

    ¡°I! AM! FIRE!¡±

    In addition to the front jets, the heart at the center of the stage erupted one final time. Ranko waved her hand in front of her face, extending her palm just below her chin. She blew across her hand with a loud puff, as if blowing out candles on a birthday cake. As she did, all of the flames on the stage floor below snuffed out as one, leaving her and her friends in the dark.

 95. Closing Time

    Yui sighed heavily, gently depositing another bottle of vodka into the black plastic tub sitting on the bar counter she¡¯d manned six nights a week for the last ten years with a sad little clink. She wore a gray tee shirt and a pair of cut-off jean shorts. Yui managed the smallest of smiles at the feel of Sakura¡¯s hand on her back, looking up from her work.

    ¡°Hey, beautiful. You doing okay?¡±

    The blonde shook her head hard enough to dislodge the red headband holding her bob behind her ears, turning and hugging Sakura gently. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s gonna be alright, Yui. We¡¯re gonna figure something out, I promise.¡± Sakura tilted her wife¡¯s chin up with her hand, giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek. ¡°I don¡¯t know how yet, but this family has an uncanny habit of making the impossible work.¡±

    Mei smiled wistfully, running her hand over a little chipped spot in the wooden trim on the edge of the bar counter from the customer side. ¡°I remember the day this happened. It was pouring, and I ran in here dripping wet, and slipped on the floor bringing the sidewalk sign in. Straight up ate it, and whacked the bar with the sign.¡±

    ¡°You were lucky you didn¡¯t whack it with your forehead,¡± Hana said, laughing softly as she pulled a neon sign advertising a popular brand of soju down from the screws that had secured it to the wall. ¡°But at least you learned to wear better shoes to work.¡± She¡¯d taken off her trademark leather jacket, working in just a white Jack Daniels tee shirt and jeans.

    Mei grumbled quietly, hopping up to sit on the bar counter. ¡°Look, in my defense, my big sister told me those heels were cute.¡±

    ¡°And they were, but you still gotta be able to walk in ¡®em, blockhead.¡± Izumi chuckled, putting her arm around her sister¡¯s back. ¡°I swear, when you first got here, you fell down more often than Mioko.¡± She flashed a small smile at the green playpen she¡¯d erected near the bar¡¯s stage, in which her nearly two-year-old daughter teethed on the ear of a stuffed rabbit.

    Mei smiled over at her niece, nodding a bit. ¡°Well, I may have slipped on the floor in here, but you literally gave birth in the kitchen, so, ya know, I think I¡¯m doing alright by comparison.¡±

    The brunette blushed a bit, nodding. ¡°I remember when Hoshi wasn¡¯t much older than she is, when I first got here. Mama would set up the playpen in the kitchen, so I could watch him when I was cooking. I thought the poor kid was gonna roast in there, but he just sat and played with his little trucks, and let mommy work.¡±

    ¡°Except when he didn¡¯t, and Auntie Aya had to take him for a walk out back because he was screaming his head off for sweets,¡± Ayako said with a soft smile as she slid the highball glass in her hand into the cardboard grid nested down in the cardboard crate on the floor behind the service bar. ¡°That was rough for a while. I am not looking forward to that age with Jun.¡±

    Yui nodded as she gently stacked another bottle of rum in the plastic tub. ¡°And this is why Auntie Yui will never be Mommy Yui. I have my hands full enough with you girls popping out kids.¡±

    Izumi shook her head, handing another pair of glasses down to Ayako. ¡°Well, I think I¡¯m done. Two is enough for me. Maybe Mei¡¯ll be next.¡±

    ¡°Mei will not, because if Mei¡¯s boyfriend does not bring rubbers, Mei¡¯s boyfriend does not get to have fun,¡± the blue-haired girl said, hopping back down to her feet. ¡°No, thank you.¡±

    Hana sighed, running her hand over the chipping red paint on the glass front door in the shape of a firebird enclosed in a trapezoid. ¡°Eighteen years, this has been here. I¡¯ll never forget the day I painted it. The first day after old Ito gave me the keys to the place, back in ¡®74.¡±

    Mei wrapped her arms around her mother¡¯s waist from behind. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry we couldn¡¯t find a way to save it, Mama. We¡¯ve all been so focused on how hard this is for us because we grew up here, but you¡­ I mean, not only did you grow up here too, but you raised all of us here.¡±

    Ayako nodded, beginning to tape the box she¡¯d finished packing closed. ¡°I¡¯d have gone to jail if she didn¡¯t step out that door at exactly the right moment and grab me.¡±

    Yui sighed, leaning to her side in Sakura¡¯s arms. ¡°None of us would have been the same without this place. Every centimeter of this bar is packed with memories. All of us were saved here. And they¡¯re just gonna¡­ how can they do this to us?!¡±

    Hana shook her head, turning from her art on the glass to face her daughters. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. They can, and they did.¡± She glanced down at her cheap Casio wrist watch. ¡°Closing should have been done about an hour ago. It doesn¡¯t have to be fair, and we don¡¯t have to like it. But we have to accept it, and when we walk out of here, we¡¯re gonna do so with our heads held high. They can¡¯t have our pride.¡±

    Stretching with a wince between boxes of glasses, Izumi checked her own watch. ¡°Kaito should be here pretty soon with the truck, and we¡¯ll be able to get the first load of boxes out of here. That¡¯ll give us a little more room to move, at least.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of getting here¡­ where the hell are Ranko and Akane?! She was in such a hurry to get home and help us, and now that we¡¯re having to do the hard stuff, fuckin¡¯ girl¡¯s nowhere to be found.¡± Yui rolled her eyes. ¡°Not like her to bail on us like this.¡±

    Hana closed the distance to the bar counter, nudging Sakura to wordlessly request her to step back and grant her access to her daughter. The family matriarch wrapped her arms around Yui, hugging her tight. ¡°She¡¯s struggling, Yui. She hasn¡¯t had a month to come to terms with this like we have. She barely got through her set last night, she was so upset. We all have memories here, and it¡¯s hard on all of us, but it¡¯s so much fresher for her. Try to show her a little grace, honey.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s our grace, Ma?! Who¡¯s gonna show up and tell us we don¡¯t have to go through this? That we don¡¯t have to take our whole lives, our whole family, and shove it in a box and put it in some storage shed somewhere?¡± Yui buried her face in her mother¡¯s shoulder, and Hana softly rubbed her daughter¡¯s back.

    Izumi sighed, joining Yui and her mother in the hug. ¡°It¡¯s not our whole lives, Yui. It¡¯s a building. It¡¯s a business. Yeah, this sucks. It sucks so much. But it¡¯s not everything. You¡¯ve still got Sakura, and all of us. It¡¯s not like the bar¡¯s gonna go away, and we¡¯re gonna stop being a family, hon.¡±

    Ayako lifted the bar mat from the service bar, chuckling in wistful remembrance. ¡°We never did fix this.¡± She ran her fingers over the black mark on the counter that had been hidden under the red rubber. ¡°First time I ever tried to make a Dragonfire, and I set the whole fucking counter on fire.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well,¡± Yui said, releasing her mother and sniffling a bit. ¡°You¡¯re a total freakin¡¯ klutz. What¡¯s to be expected?¡±

    The eldest of Hana Takahashi¡¯s daughters smirked, throwing a bar towel at her sister. ¡°Oh? I¡¯m a klutz? Which one of us fell down the stairs coming to work one afternoon and jacked up her knee for almost a month?¡±

    Yui¡¯s cheeks reddened. ¡°That doesn¡¯t count! I was drunk!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, poor Izzi had to bar back for you for three weeks because you were stuck on a stool behind the bar like a freaking cockatoo on a perch.¡± Ayako smirked, trying to keep the mood light. ¡°We should have made you sing.¡±

    Mei shook her head emphatically. ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t. I have to live in the apartment where she showers, and so I¡¯m speaking from experience here. Can we please leave the singing to Ranko?¡±

    Yui gasped, picking up the towel Ayako had thrown and heaving it over the bar at her sister. ¡°Why, you little shit! I¡¯m gonna get you!¡±

    The blue-haired girl ducked under the towel, and it sailed over her head, making it nearly to the front door just as it was pulled open. In walked Ranko, wearing a black pencil skirt, a black blazer, and a cream-colored blouse with a large satin bow dangling from its throat. She carried a green manila folder in her hand. Her hair was pulled back in a severe ponytail, and she wore a pair of short black heels. Akane trailed her, in a white lace dress, and behind the pair came Nabiki in an orange pantsuit.

    ¡°Where the heck have you been,¡± Yui grumbled at her sister. ¡°We¡¯re half done already, and you show up dressed like a fucking secretary. If you don¡¯t mind getting your doll clothes all dirty, grab a box and give us a fuckin¡¯ hand with this, would ya?!¡±

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°No.¡± Ranko shook her head with a bright smile, walking to the center of the bar room. She stood on nearly the exact spot where she¡¯d been when Hana had told her she had a job, and changed her future forever. ¡°I need to talk to you guys for a minute.¡±

    Izumi blinked curiously, setting down her tape gun and turning, leaning on the bar counter with her backside. Ayako clamored to her feet behind the bar.

    Hana walked around the bar counter to greet her youngest daughter. ¡°What is it, Ranko?¡± Hana¡¯s face took on a mystified air of confusion as, before she could offer Ranko a hug, her daughter dropped to her knees at her feet. ¡°Baby?¡±

    ¡°Mom, I¡­¡± Ranko swallowed hard, seeming overcome with emotion despite the happiness evident on her face as she looked up into her mother¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡­ I couldn¡¯t just¡­ I had to do something.¡±

    In the corner of the room, Akane and Nabiki stood watching, holding hands. Nabiki was still quite upset with Ranko over her decision to sign away their leverage with Yokai, but she had to admit, she was happy for her youngest sister. Akane had taken the news of her wife signing the code of conduct better than Ranko expected; she was mostly upset for Ranko rather than at her. It had always been harder for her to deal with being secretive about their relationship than for Akane, and Ranko was the one who had to hide it with thousands of eyes and cameras and microphones thrust into her face every day.

    The family¡¯s matriarch slipped into a wooden chair, and Ranko turned slightly on her knees to face her. ¡°Ranko, honey, what are you doing?¡±

    The redhead bowed her head low, reverently offering the folder up to her mother from her knees with both hands as befit an offering made to the leader of her clan. ¡°This place, and this family, saved my life. It gave me more than I ever could have dreamed or deserved. And I just couldn¡¯t stand by and do nothing while it was taken from us.¡±

    ¡°Baby, I don¡¯t und¡­¡± Hana¡¯s voice caught in her throat as she opened the folder and began to read the first page of the document within. An audible gasp drew the anticipatory attention of all of Hana¡¯s daughters at once.

    Izumi stepped forward, watching the exchange intently. ¡°Mama? What is it?¡±

    Hana closed the folder, looking down at her youngest daughter. Her voice cracked slightly as she spoke. ¡°Ranko, just¡­ how?¡±

    ¡°Would somebody please tell me what¡¯s going on,¡± Ayako said, a mixture of excitement and worry in her eyes.

    Ranko smiled up at her eldest sister from her knees. ¡°Well, the thing about a real estate closing is, that¡¯s when they sign the paperwork and make the transfer all official. Until then, it¡¯s just a handshake thing. And as luck would have it, just before Tsuchiba finalized everything, somebody showed up and made them a better offer.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Yui perked up behind the counter. ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­¡±

    Ranko nodded. ¡°And because the Ishido people thought it was a formality, they didn¡¯t even send anybody who had negotiating power, so¡­¡± She grinned up at her mother. ¡°... Tsuchiba sold it to someone else instead!¡±

    Hana pulled the document out of the folder Ranko had handed her, holding it up for her daughters to see. ¡°It¡¯s true. This is¡­¡± She laughed in utter disbelief. ¡°This is the property deed!¡±

    Yui collapsed on one of the bar stools in utter shock and disbelief. ¡°So that means¡­¡±

    The redhead beamed up at her sister. ¡°It means, you¡¯d better get to work unpacking all those boxes, big sister, ¡®cause this family¡¯s not going fucking nowhere!¡±

    A loud cheer rose from the women surrounding the young singer, including from her wife and Nabiki, who lingered at the front by the hostess stand to give Ranko the moment with her side of their conjoined family.

    ¡°But¡­ how?!¡± Izumi rushed over to Ranko, who stood to hug her.

    Ranko shrugged. ¡°Yokai owed me a bunch of money from the tour. I had no idea how much at the time, but I told them I wanted it all.¡± And may have sold my soul in the process, she thought grimly, but decided not to bring that up to her sisters and ruin the celebration. ¡°I guess it was enough. With a little bit left over, too.¡±

    Ayako looked at the paperwork skeptically over her mother¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Something¡¯s not right here. They don¡¯t just give you the deed to a building. The bank holds it until the mortgage is paid off.¡±

    ¡°They do, unless you pay the whole thing in cash up front,¡± Nabiki said with a smirk. ¡°We just straight-up wrote a check. You girls won¡¯t have a monthly payment on anything but the light bill now. You own the place free and clear.¡±

    Hana, meanwhile, had not spoken in several minutes, looking over the paperwork in her hand contemplatively. She closed the folder again, exhaling heavily in resolve.

    ¡°Ranko, honey, I can¡¯t accept this.¡±

    The redhead blinked, shaking her head with a little bit of a smirk of disbelief at her mother¡¯s reaction. ¡°Mom, you have to accept it. It¡¯s a building, not a tee shirt. You can¡¯t just take it back to the store if you remembered to keep the receipt!¡±

    Her mother stood, shaking her head resolutely. ¡°No, Ranko. I said, I can¡¯t accept it.¡± She walked toward the bar, smiling softly at Yui. Sakura stood behind her wife¡¯s chair, holding her hand over Yui¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say we can¡¯t.¡± Hana extended her arm, offering the folder down to Yui.

    ¡°Mom, what are you¡­¡± Yui¡¯s eyes were wider than the mouths of the highball glasses her sisters had just finished packing.

    Hana grinned up at Sakura. ¡°I don¡¯t believe I ever got you girls a wedding present, did I?¡±

    Yui blinked her tears from her eyes, covering her mouth with one trembling hand as she reached out with the other for the green folder. ¡°Are you saying¡­¡±

    ¡°The doctor told me I should take it easy, didn¡¯t he? Well, I¡¯ve been thinking about it, since all of this, and I think I¡¯ve decided it¡¯s time for me to do something different for a while.¡± She beamed softly up at the stage, where Ayako¡¯s son and Izumi¡¯s daughter played together in their shared playpen. ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna go be a professional grandma.¡±

    She turned her eyes down to Yui. ¡°We¡¯ve known for a long time that it was going to be you that took this place over when I retired, baby. I¡¯ve known all along that was why you were having so much harder of a time coming to terms with the fact that we were losing it than your sisters. The rest of you girls, you all have plans, and I want you to pursue them. I want you to do whatever makes your spirits soar, whether it¡¯s here or out in the world somewhere. But you, Yui¡­ you and your incredible partner¡­ this place was always earmarked to be your destiny, and your sister has secured it for you now. The Phoenix is yours.¡±

    Ranko grinned from ear to ear, looking on with pride as Yui launched herself out of her seat and wrapped her mother in the tightest of hugs.

    ¡°Thank you so much, Mama! We¡¯ll make you so proud, I promise, and you better not be scarce around here!¡± Yui bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet. What a difference twenty minutes had made for her demeanor.

    Hana laughed. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be mixing me drinks for a long time to come, sweetheart. I¡¯m already proud of you. Of all of you. And I¡¯ll always be here if you need help, or advice. You¡¯re in charge now, but you¡¯re not on your own.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯re not going anywhere, either,¡± Mei offered, joining in the hug. ¡°We¡¯ve got your back, boss.¡±

    Yui grinned, looking around at her sisters one by one. ¡°And I¡¯ll be happy to add any of you to the ownership documents who want to be on them. This is a family business, after all!¡±

    Ranko wrapped Nabiki in a tight hug of her own. ¡°Thank you so much for your help with this, Nabiki.¡±

    The songstress¡¯ elder sister returned the hug, grumbling a bit. ¡°Yeah, well¡­ I¡¯m still pissed at you, and what you did was stupid and reckless, and all of that, but¡­ I¡¯m glad it worked out for your family.¡±

    Akane was next to take her wife into her arms, kissing her on the lips. ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you, princess,¡± she said, grinning at her lover. She released the young singer after a moment, walking over to Yui. ¡°So, Miss Fukawa, your staff is all here. What are your instructions?¡±

    All of the women in the bar - including Hana and Nabiki - turned to face the Phoenix¡¯ new proprietress, giving her their undivided attention. Nabiki pulled off her blazer, tossing it over the bar counter and rolling up the sleeves of her white blouse.

    Yui grinned at her sisters, squeezing Sakura¡¯s fingers in her left hand. She still clutched the folder containing the property deed for the Phoenix and the land it sat on in her right.

    ¡°Ayako, Izzi, start unpacking those boxes. Mei, why don¡¯t you go and start setting the kitchen back up? Sake and I will put the bar back together. Akane, you and Nabiki can start putting the chairs back where they go.¡±

    Ranko watched, grinning, as her sisters set about their tasks. Now this feels right. This feels like home. ¡°What about me, boss?¡±

    Yui wrapped her youngest sister tight in her arms. ¡°You, missy, need to get on the horn and get a hold of your band. It seems you¡¯ve got a show in a few hours.¡± She leaned down, kissing Ranko on the temple. ¡°Thank you so much for this, Ranko. You saved us.¡±

    Still embracing her sister, Yui looked up to the leader of their haphazard little clan. ¡°And, hey, Mama? Do me a favor?¡±

    Hana looked up, smiling proudly at her daughters. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Get that fucking closed sign out of the window of my bar.¡±

    ~~ END BOOK TWELVE ~~

 96. Under New Ownership

    ¡°Hyah!¡±

    A cloud of gravel dust rose around Ranko¡¯s ankle as she spun into a high kick that whipped through the air with a snap of the fabric of her black gi pants. She dropped back into her taekwondo stance, firing a punch forward at eye level. The redhead followed her fist with a spinning back elbow, and then a leaping crescent kick.

    She fought with a singular focus. Her invisible opponent stood no chance.

    ¡°Hey, Ranko!¡± Akane called to the redhead as she watched from the rooftop access door of the Phoenix, but she received no answer.

    Ranko sprung from her crouch, executing a back handspring that hurt her hands on the gravel rooftop. She thought she saw someone in her peripheral vision as she flipped backward, twisting mid-air.

    Wow, Akane thought. She¡¯s been training a lot harder since she got back. She squinted into the setting sun, shielding her eyes with her left hand and watching as her wife completed the gymnastic maneuver and turned toward her.

    ¡°It¡¯s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine¡­¡±

    Ranko pulled her headphones from her ears, letting the song continue to play from the black foam-padded speakers hung around her neck. ¡°Hey, Akane. What¡¯s up?¡± Ranko wiped her brow on the long sleeve of her black-and-pink striped cotton shirt, her chest heaving slightly from her workout.

    Akane closed on the young woman, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl. ¡°It¡¯s getting to be about that time, love. You gotta get ready for your show.¡±

    The redhead nodded, looking back out over the rooftop of the little dive bar in which she had been reborn nearly three years prior. She wasn¡¯t quite ready to stop her workout yet. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re probably right. I¡¯m gonna need to grab a shower and shit anyway. The boys here yet?¡±

    ¡°Everybody but Shin. They¡¯re all downstairs. Crash is two beers deep already.¡± Akane frowned, rubbing Ranko¡¯s back through her sweaty tee shirt. ¡°Hey, babe? Are you¡­ okay? It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen you come out here like this. Something¡¯s just been a little¡­ off with you since you¡¯ve been home.¡±

    Ranko shrugged softly, turning her face away from her wife. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m okay. I just¡­ everything makes more sense out here sometimes. Shit¡¯s simpler. I¡¯ve missed it.¡±

    Akane eyed her bride more nervously than before, reaching timidly for her arm. ¡°Ranko, what aren¡¯t you telling me? I¡¯m worried about you. Did something happen while you were away?¡±

    Ranko chuckled nervously. ¡°What? No! I mean, other than the Yokai shit, but we already talked about that.¡± I can¡¯t¡­ I just can¡¯t look at her and tell her what almost happened to me. She¡¯d never look at me the same.

    ¡°Hmm. Alright, if you¡¯re sure. But you know you can talk to me about anything,¡± Akane said gently, leaning over to kiss her love on her sweat-slick temple. ¡°Now, come on, let¡¯s go get you pretty for your show.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Ranko forced herself to laugh, flicking her damp red ponytail over her shoulder and gently nudging Akane in the ribs. ¡°You tryin¡¯ to say I¡¯m not pretty like this?!¡±

    Akane smiled softly, shaking her head with a wide grin. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it, princess.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°There she is.¡± Crash slid from his bar stool, walking to the gap between the main and service bar counters to greet his best friend as she emerged from the blue saloon door leading into the back rooms of the Phoenix. Crash gently wrapped his arms around Ranko, giving her a squeeze.

    She wore a pair of black leather pants, a set of black ankle boots with a short chunky heel, and a white lacy top, her still-damp hair tied back in a high ponytail with a white ribbon. She wished she could have used the blow dryer in the bathroom of her former apartment upstairs, but the heat of it on her scalp was too much for her Full-Body Cat¡¯s Tongue skin to bear.

    ¡°Hey, Crash.¡± Ranko sighed, relaxing into his hug. She hated how awkward she felt when he hugged her of late, ever since the realization she¡¯d reached in Thailand, but she pushed it out of her mind. He¡¯s my friend. I¡¯m not doing anything wrong. ¡°You guys about ready?¡±

    The guitarist shrugged. ¡°Everything¡¯s set with the gear, but Shin¡¯s still not here.¡± He motioned to the far end of the crowd. ¡°Jake and Zo are eating, and Hitomi and Emi are¡­ shit, I don¡¯t know where they are.¡±

    The blonde standing behind Ranko scoffed. ¡°Thousand yen says they¡¯re making out in the bathroom. Again.¡± She draped her arm over Ranko¡¯s shoulder in her yellow satin long-sleeved blouse. ¡°Looking good, sis.¡±

    Ranko blushed shyly, a bit of a wistful smile crossing her lips. Can¡¯t get away with that shit with Akane anymore. But, it¡¯s the price I had to pay to save this place. ¡°Thanks, Yui. Doubt Izzi would approve; she¡¯s always pushing for the dresses and stuff.¡±

    The bar¡¯s new proprietress waved her hand dismissively. ¡°You do you. It works for you - even if you do look a little like a pirate.¡±

    ¡°I am not a pirate!¡± Ranko blushed deeper still, giggling a bit. ¡°I don¡¯t got a parrot or nothin¡¯!¡±

    ¡°Bawk! Crash want a beer!¡± her blond guitarist crowed with a loud chuckle from just over her shoulder.

    Ranko could only smile and shake her head at her friend¡¯s antics. ¡°You are such a goofball. I swear.¡± She gestured over her shoulder to Crash, smirking in the direction of her elder sister. ¡°Although, what can I expect from a boy who tried to rent a fucking kangaroo?¡±

    ¡°Hey! You were part of that!¡± Crash blushed. ¡°Where you get off blaming me?!¡±

    ¡°It was your idea, dumbass!¡± Ranko smirked, resting her fist on her hip sassily. ¡°I just went along with it so you wouldn¡¯t be embarrassed alone.¡±

    Yui smiled, rolling her eyes as she capped a bottle of arak. ¡°Oh, stop it, sis. You¡¯re both loveable idiots. Just lean into it.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not wrong!¡± Crash and Ranko said in unison, laughing with each other.

    ¡°Oi!¡± The new voice from just beyond the slatted blue door admonished the trio. ¡°You guys gonna get up there and sing, or what? Folks are waiting!¡± The door swung outward, and a woman with long black hair in a gray pencil skirt and an emerald green blouse emerged.

    Ranko cringed, looking up at Crash. ¡°Damn, new boss lady¡¯s not fucking around!¡± She turned back to Sakura, smiling and nodding. ¡°We¡¯re just waiting on Shin. He¡¯s late. But as soon as he gets here, we¡¯re gonna do a new song, so the people will be fine. It is ready, right, Crash?¡±

    The leather-clad guitarist laughed. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s ready, even though you only gave us two days¡¯ notice to get the music ready and practice it. And you¡¯re over here sayin¡¯ Sakura is strict!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I asked nice,¡± Ranko said with a playful smirk. ¡°I¡¯m sure Emi has a whip I could borrow.¡±

    ¡°Totally not a pirate,¡± Yui said over her cackling as she finished preparing a Snakebite cocktail  for a middle-aged man in a green sport coat.

    From just beyond the back room, a low, loud rumble overtook the sound system in the still-filling bar room. ¡°The hell?¡± Ranko blinked curiously. ¡°Did somebody bring a fucking tank or something?!¡± Sakura turned to the back room and Ranko followed, finding an equally-perplexed Mei in the kitchen. The roar of the engine from the back alley grew louder still, and Ranko pushed the steel door open and walked out by the dumpster.

    Parked just behind the building was a pewter-colored sports car, low to the ground. Its body was sleek, with only a very slight angle separating the front hood and the windshield, and tapering off into a low spoiler running the full width of the body molded into its rear. Wide grooves ran the full length of both doors, ending in a pair of door scoops just in front of the rear tires to aid with aerodynamics. Its windows were tinted jet black like a limousine. It was waxed to an almost mirror finish, shining despite the thin coating of gravel dust disturbed by the tires in the alleyway.

    ¡°What the shit?¡± Crash blinked, emerging from the door behind Sakura and Mei. ¡°Ranko, you shacking up with some European prince I don¡¯t know about?¡± He almost yelled his words to be heard over the car¡¯s engine, which continued revving loudly, as if it was preparing for a race rather than just idling a few meters from the rusty green trash receptacle.

    The redhead turned, stomping her boot on the concrete stoop outside the kitchen door and clenching her fists at her sides. ¡°Hey! Why do I always gotta be the floozie in your little scenarios?! Why not Hitomi, or¡­¡±

    Crash shrugged with a chuckle, reaching out to squeeze her around the shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re the star. Besides, it doesn¡¯t get a rise out of them when I suggest stuff like that. But you turn red as an apple every fuckin¡¯ time. It¡¯s more fun!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna get you, Matsuy¡­¡± Ranko trailed off as the sports car¡¯s engine cut off, and the headlights folded closed, disappearing into slightly raised bumps in the hood. The door opened, and a tall man in a long black duster stepped out of the vehicle in rugged black steel-toed boots. ¡°What the hell?!¡± Ranko exclaimed.

    Shinji Yokota pushed the door of the car closed, turning to lean his back on it with a prideful smirk half-hidden under his sunglasses. ¡°Not bad, huh?¡±

    ¡°Shin! Dude!¡± Crash approached the slender bassist, his eyes wide as he examined the car. ¡°You bought this?!¡±

    Shinji nodded, crossing his arms over his chest with a proud grin. ¡°Just rolled off the lot, bro! I woulda got the chrome package, but it was a little spendy. Maybe if somebody hadn¡¯t given away a bunch of our money¡­¡±

    Ranko sighed heavily, bowing her head with a gentle shake. ¡°Look, I fuckin¡¯ told you I was sorry, and I¡¯m splitting up part of my cut with all of you for the next year to make it up to you guys. Nabiki set it all up already.¡±

    The blue-pigtailed girl to Ranko¡¯s right scoffed with a shake of her head. I swear. Ranko used her money to save her family, and dickhead uses his to compensate for his little¡­ Sighing at her ex-boyfriend, Mei rolled her eyes and turned back toward the kitchen. ¡°C¡¯mon, Ran-chan. Let¡¯s let the boys play with their toys.¡±

    Ranko nodded, following her into the kitchen. The heels of her black boots made a distinctive ka-clack on the floor, far different from the flats her sisters usually wore to work. The sound never failed to make Ranko feel a little awkward, as if she was somehow not a part of the group anymore, but rather, something set apart. She loved singing for a living, but sometimes, she missed those simple days when she¡¯d first discovered the Phoenix, when she just ran buckets of ice and refilled the dishwasher and didn¡¯t have every eye in the place on her every minute. When what she wore didn¡¯t matter. When every stroke of a makeup brush wasn¡¯t scrutinized. When she was just grateful for the chance to help, and not the one everyone expected to be above refilling a glass of soda or fetching a basket of tater tots from the kitchen.

    Still, though, she knew she had helped the place, and in no small measure. More than once, a timely concert on that little stage had paid the bills during a lean month, going back to that first Christmas show in 1989. And, just the week before, it had been not one concert, but thirty-five, spread out among nine months and more than a dozen countries, that had earned her enough money to purchase the building outright at the eleventh hour and save it from its imminent demolition. Besides the millions of yen she¡¯d invested, all it had cost her was her pride.

    Ranko had tried to present the deed to Hana, her adoptive mother, but she chose to retire instead. Even now, she was probably sitting on her couch at home, getting her ass handed to her in a video game by her grandson, leaving her cadre of seven daughters - one by birth, four by adoption and two by marriage - to carry on with the business in her stead. While there were seven names on the ownership transfer paperwork Nabiki had filed for them, it was clear to everyone in the building who truly owned the Phoenix.

    ¡°Yo, Ranko! They¡¯re getting awful restless out here! You doing this, or not?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m comin¡¯, Yui! Sheesh!¡± Ranko grinned, punching her blonde sister playfully on the shoulder as she passed through the blue saloon door into the main bar area.

    Welp, so much for the days of flying under the radar, Ranko thought, blushing as she emerged behind the bar. She had not yet cleared the bar counter before she was spotted, first by a woman in a too-short yellow bodycon dress who whooped loudly at the bar as Izumi finished pouring her a Hypnoteaser. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°RAN-KO! RAN-KO! RAN-KO!¡± a young man at the bar in a white sport coat began. It quickly spread as more and more of the partygoers took notice of her emergence from the kitchen. Ranko gave them a sheepish wave.

    Her flushed cheeks darkened at the sight of the two girls seated at the near end of the bar, both of whom had joined in the chant. ¡°Alright, alright, you two. You ready to quit drinking and get to work?¡±

    Hitomi Uyeno slipped off the brown vinyl seat of her stool, giggling as she reached out and pulled Ranko into a hug. ¡°The work part, sure! The other thing, not so much.¡±

    Ranko chuckled, looking over the sparkly fuschia designer dress with the flowy skirt that Emi wore as she flounced over from her to join her girlfriend. ¡°Okay, Ems, I am so borrowing that later, girl!¡± I shouldn¡¯t be jealous, Ranko mentally admonished herself. Sure, everybody else got to spend their money on fun shit, but I chose to take care of my family instead. Ranko sighed, shaking her head slightly with the faintest hint of a smile. Shin buys a fucking muscle car, and the thing that triggers my jealousy is an expensive pink dress. Ranma, if you had a grave, you¡¯d be fucking rolling in it.

    Flanked by her backup singers, Ranko strode toward the back of the narrow bar room, and the stage that was all but her exclusive dominion. She resisted - barely - the urge to grab at the ass of the cute black-haired server that was taking a drink order from table nine as she passed. Can¡¯t get away with that shit anymore, she thought with a frown, willing it to fade from her cheeks before she ascended the first of the three steps at stage left to take her rightful place - a place that, not two weeks earlier, she had thought would be lost to her forever.

    Ranko smiled, waving to the crowd as she slipped her headset over her almost-dry red hair and clipped its battery pack to the waistband of her pants behind her.

    ¡°What¡¯s up, Firebiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirds?!¡± She held the sound for nearly five seconds at the top of her lungs, waving to the cheering crowd with a bright smile as she did. ¡°Ya know, just last week, they were actually talking about closing this place down? Are we putting up with that shit, guys?!¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± The crowd roared back at her in a singular voice.

    Ranko nodded, flashing a little smile to Crash as he reached the top of the stairs and mounted the stage. He strode to his usual spot on Ranko¡¯s right and began strapping his instrument over his chest.

    ¡°You¡¯re damn right! And so, for very fucking far from the last time¡­¡± She raised her right fist into the air, pumping it skyward. ¡°WELCOME! TO! THE! PHOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENIX!¡±

    The redhead grinned as the crowd thundered its approval. ¡°Though, some things are a little different around here. You might¡¯ve heard¡­ my mom, Hana, retired. She¡­¡± Ranko paused, not wanting to speak over the crowd¡¯s impromptu cheer for her mother. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right, guys. She¡¯s pretty fucking awesome, no mistake.¡± The redhead¡¯s eyes panned left to the bar, where a lithe thirty-year-old blonde deftly bounced a bottle of tequila over a line of shot glasses. ¡°But don¡¯t you worry. This place is in good hands. The best. Ain¡¯t that right, Yui?!¡±

    The crowd whooped, but it was Ranko herself that organized their smattering of cheers into a single, repeated word.

    ¡°YU-I! YU-I!¡±

    Behind the counter, Yui blushed, hiding her face with her right hand even as the left never stopped pouring.

    Ranko grinned behind the boom of her headset microphone. ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s not embarrass her too much. But yeah, we¡¯re not going anywhere, Firebirds! Would you believe this place has been open forty years this November?! Friggin¡¯ crazy, right?! And man, what a story this little bar has to tell.¡± She smiled softly at Izumi, her eyes panning right to Mei as she dropped a pizza at the counter for Akane to pick up, and then to Yui behind the main bar. ¡°And it plays a role in so many other impossible stories, too - including mine. Especially mine.¡±

    Noting that the remainder of her bandmates had taken their positions, Ranko gave a little nod to Jacob Trimble behind his synthesizer keyboard, and his fingers began to dance across the white plastic keys. His partner Zoe¡¯s drums soon joined him, followed by the thrum of Shinji¡¯s bass guitar. The restless crowd whooped louder still, for there was only one thing that riled them up more than Ranko and the Dapper Dragons playing a song they knew and loved: Ranko and the Dapper Dragons playing a song they didn¡¯t.

    Yet.

    Ranko swayed on her heeled boots with the jaunty tune, which wasn¡¯t quite fast enough to dance to, but too lively to stand still for like a love ballad. With a bright smile, she surveyed the room in which her life had begun.

    ¡°It was opened by a guy named Ito back on November tenth of ¡®52. That first night, the servers wore tuxedos - silly for a place they called the Bottle and Brew. They served sake and soju, cheap whiskey and a few craft beers, and the bar became the place to go to¡­ it only took about seventeen years.¡±

    Ranko smiled in acknowledgement of the crowd¡¯s cheers, bopping side to side with a little wiggle of her backside in her tight black pants as she gave the revelers a history lesson about the little temple that had saved her life - and that her voice had saved in return.

    ¡°The old man was kind and decent, and the day that he retired, he left the building keys in the hand of the very first girl he hired¡­¡±

    The song had an almost American country twang to it, as it sort of lumbered through the lyrics, but with the chorus, Ranko seemed to perk up, swishing her hips side to side with a greater energy.

    ¡°Hey! Welcome to the Phoenix! We¡¯ve been here for a while. We may not always make a difference, but we¡¯ll always make ya smile. It¡¯s the place the locals come to, and it has been since back in the day. Hey, welcome to the Phoenix! C¡¯mon in, and enjoy your stay!¡±

    Crash grinned, repeating the musical signature of the chorus. The song didn¡¯t call for it, but he could tell from the look on Ranko¡¯s face that she wanted a few more moments to bask in the crowd¡¯s appreciative roar.

    ¡°The place was left to Miss Hana in September of ¡®74. That first day, she smoked some marijuana and painted that Firebird on the door.¡±

    The redhead giggled into her microphone at the audience¡¯s loud whoop. Wow, didn¡¯t think that many of you guys were into that stuff. Not me. One day with Shin¡¯s cookies was enough for me.

    ¡°She wanted people to know it was somewhere to go when the times were at their worst, and she knew it always had been, ¡®cause way back when, she¡¯d been the first.¡±

    Hana hadn¡¯t told many stories of her own youth at the Phoenix - back before the bar bore that name - other than the ill-fated relationship that had resulted in the birth of Ranko¡¯s eldest sister Ayako. She¡¯d offered, usually when she¡¯d had a few too many of her favorite craft beers, but Ranko always found some excuse to get out of the conversation. Ranko didn¡¯t want to consider the idea of Hana as a young woman prone to mistakes - her mother had attained mythic status in Ranko¡¯s eyes, and she was more than happy to maintain the illusion that the woman who had saved her life was incapable of missteps in her mind.

    ¡°Hey! Welcome to the Phoenix! We¡¯re glad you stopped on in!¡± Ranko shimmied with a bright smile alongside Hitomi as the brunette joined her in singing the title of the song. ¡°It¡¯s a place where nightmares go to die, and fairy tales begin! We¡¯re here for drunks who¡¯ve lost their jobs, and girls who¡¯ve lost their way. Hey! Welcome to the Phoenix! C¡¯mon in, and enjoy your stay!¡±

    Ranko smiled softly down at Mei, covering her heart with her left hand. What a gift her sister had given her, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, when she¡¯d shamed a nervous girl who wasn¡¯t even sure of her own name into singing for a half-empty bar. She¡¯d only agreed to do it because she feared getting in trouble and being broke and homeless again. If I only knew back then, how much my soul would grow to need this, Ranko thought with a smile. How much my heart would grow to need them.

    ¡°They couldn¡¯t even fit a band up on that worn-out corner stage, until Mei stuck a microphone in my hand on the night I came of age. Now, four or five nights every week, I¡¯m singin¡¯, sometimes strummin¡¯...¡±

    Ranko reached out with her right arm, squeezing her guitarist and best friend in a side hug as his left hand slid down the neck of his instrument.

    ¡°First there was Rise, and then came Sneak, and the hits just keep! On! Comin¡¯!¡±

    This time, Ranko did not pause for the crowd¡¯s adulation, roaring right into the third variant of the chorus alongside Hitomi and Emi. There wasn¡¯t much choreography to the song; she merely strode the stage waving expressively to her fans as she sang. There would be time enough for dancing when Demon in Your Radio or B-O-U-N-C-E came up in the set list. But, with this song - especially for its first performance - she just wanted to connect with the people who had made it possible.

    ¡°Hey! Welcome to the Phoenix! We¡¯re glad you came around, to watch this silly girl get to shake your world with eighteen thousand watts of sound! C¡¯mon, pull up a chair! Order some hot wings to share as you watch the Dragons play! Hey! Welcome to the Phoenix! C¡¯mon in, and enjoy your stay!¡±

    The redhead smiled down at Akane as her wife flitted between two tables in her short blue skirt. Don¡¯t let your eyes linger, Ranko admonished herself, instead turning her gaze back up to Yui. Gotta be careful now.

    ¡°We want you to relax, so please wear casual attire. Take a load off and kick back with a shrimp pizza and a Dragonfire.¡±

    She glanced down at her right wrist, and the silver dragon that rested coiled around it as always. Ranko thought back to those first few nights, back when she arrived at the bar cold and hungry, and Yui and the girls had taken her in with open arms. She remembered sitting on the bed in the little apartment that first Saturday night as Yui told her the stories of all four of the young women who had sat there before her. It was the night Ranko learned just how special the bar she stood in truly was.

    ¡°We take more pride in every beer than most of those other dives, because for everyone who pours one here, these four walls saved their lives! Hey! Welcome to the Phoenix!¡±

    The songstress grinned as most of the crowd joined her, Emi and Hitomi in singing the song¡¯s title over the jaunty little tune.

    ¡°You¡¯re just fine as you are! We¡¯re equal parts an orphanage, a temple, and a party bar!¡±

    Ranko clasped both of her hands over her heart, closing her eyes in her sincerity.

    ¡°And I¡¯m one of the lucky ones who gets to stand here and say, hey, welcome to the Phoenix! Come on in, and enjoy your stay!¡±

    The redhead shivered slightly, lost in her memories as the next verse came up. She bit her lip for strength, pointing over the heads of the crowd to the tinted glass front doors of the bar by the vacant hostess stand. The cracked and faded paint of the red trapezoidal logo had been refreshed, courtesy of Izumi¡¯s husband Kaito. The silent sentinel stood ready at the gates of a sake-soaked Eden to greet a new generation of revelers and refugees alike.

    ¡°A lot of girls over the years crawled through those double doors. Both good and bad, a lot of tears have seeped into these floors. Now, every booth and table is chock-full of memories of times some poor girl was able to get back up off their knees¡­¡±

    Ranko smiled softly as the crowd took over for her. She was glad of it, as it gave her a few beats to fight the urge to cry.

    ¡°HEY! WELCOME TO THE PHOENIX! It¡¯s more than meets the eyes,¡± she resumed. ¡°Here, strangers become sisters, bonding over sad stories and fries.¡±

    She raised her left arm to point at the bar, where Yui and Izumi worked side-by-side, shaking cocktails vigorously over their shoulders with bright smiles.

    ¡°It made us all a family: me, Aya, Yui, Izumi, and Mei! HEY! Welcome to the Phoenix! C¡¯mon in, and enjoy your stay!¡±

    Ranko made a little heart shape with her hands as Yui looked up from her work. She was so happy for her sister; taking over the Phoenix after Hana decided to step down had been her dream for as long as Ranko knew her. In a lot of ways, after Hana, Yui had been the one that had been almost a second mother to Ranko more than a sister. Ranko hoped the day might come that one day, she and her wife Sakura would carry on Hana¡¯s legacy of not just serving drinks, but providing a shelter from the storm for a new generation of desperate, wayward girls in need of help, healing, and love.

    ¡°We had a little close call, in September of ¡®92,¡± Ranko sang to begin the final verse, finding it strange to refer to a month that was less than a week old in the past tense. ¡°We almost lost it all, but worked together, and we made it through. After forty years, Mom knew she¡¯d had enough, and needed rest.¡±

    The redhead pointed to the back left of the bar room with a bright smile as the blonde behind the counter caught a spinning bottle of mezcal out of the air.

    ¡°That¡¯s why my sister Yui is the new proprietress!¡±

    Ranko grinned proudly as Yui blushed, adding a bit more sass to the sway of her hips as she whipped her body forward for the final chorus.

    ¡°HEY! Welcome to the Phoenix! We¡¯re so glad you came!¡±

    The young singer panned her hand over the audience, pausing momentarily at several random individuals to highlight them as separate from the crowd.

    ¡°Everyone who comes here is different¡­¡±

    She threw her arm to the side as if waving away an annoying fly.

    ¡°... but nobody leaves the same!¡±

    Hitomi walked up behind Ranko on her orange stiletto heels, resting her hand on the small of Ranko¡¯s back. ¡°No matter what else happens,¡± she sang in her only solo of the song.

    ¡°Yeah, come whatever that may,¡± Emi added, throwing her arm over the shoulders of the emotional redhead who stood between her and her girlfriend.

    Ranko closed her eyes, smiling softly, and her shoulders seemed to relax. It¡¯s good to be home, she thought.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome at the Phoenix! C¡¯mon in, and enjo-oy your sta-a-a-ay!¡±

    The redhead beamed, offering the crowd a little bow as the music came to an end and the music stopped. It was nearly two full minutes before they had quieted enough to allow her to speak. ¡°Yeah! This is some place, isn¡¯t it? Most folks wouldn¡¯t think of a little dive bar as the kind of place that could change people¡¯s lives, but, here we are. I thank the gods every day I found this place, and the amazing people who run it, and I¡¯m so grateful we get to keep on doing this every night with you all.¡±

    She grinned back at Shinji as the crowd roared its approval. ¡°And you should be glad, too. It¡¯s a much better way to party than sitting around at home listening to the radio. Besides¡­¡±

    Ranko¡¯s voice dropped two full octaves, emitting a sinister laugh into her microphone as Hitomi took her position to her left and Emi to the songstress¡¯ right.

    ¡°... I hear there¡¯s a demon in it¡­¡±

    ¡°Whoa-oh-oh, uh-oh! Look out! Look out!¡±

 97. Good Bones

    Ranko groaned, leaning on her elbows over the bar counter and rubbing her eyes. ¡°I swear, if she¡¯s late, I¡¯m gonna¡­¡± She cocked her fist over the Phoenix¡¯ coated wooden bar counter, shaking it in mock threat.

    Akane giggled, rubbing her wife¡¯s back through her red A-line dress. ¡°Oh, shush. You¡¯re fine. I remember when you used to get up before sunrise every day to train. What happened to you?¡±

    ¡°I started singing and dancing until two in the fucking morning every night,¡± Ranko grumbled, taking another long draught from the paper cup of iced coffee in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m a creature of the night now. Do you have any idea what this is even about, and why Izzi felt the need to torture me by doing it at fuck-you-o¡¯clock?¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on, it¡¯s gotta be almost fuck-you-thirty by now!¡± The black-haired girl shrugged with a smirk. ¡°Your guess is as good as mine, princess.¡± As she spoke, she added a few more characters to the essay she was working on in her spiral notebook. ¡°You should work on your homework while you wait. You don¡¯t wanna let it sit until the last minute. It always burns you when you do.¡±

    Chuckling, Ranko rolled her eyes at her beloved as she drained the remainder of her coffee into her mouth. ¡°Why, so I can drool on it? I¡¯m barely fuckin¡¯ conscious, Akane! I see two of you right now as it is!¡±

    ¡°Then, you¡¯d better come kiss us both,¡± Akane said, simpering into her lover¡¯s eyes as she leaned from her barstool over to join Ranko¡¯s lips with hers.

    ¡°Ugh! Sorry I¡¯m late! Jun¡¯s babysitter got stuck in traffic.¡± Ayako Jirito bustled into the room from the front door with a loud bang of her purse against its brass handle. Her black heels clacked across the hardwood floor until she reached the counter, tossing her keys to its surface with a sharp tink. ¡°Where is everybody?¡±

    Ranko growled under her breath, rubbing her temples at the sudden, jarring noises. She waved in the general direction of the front door as her sister approached, shielding her eyes from the bright sunlight flooding in through the tinted glass door. ¡°Hiding from the worst fucking surprise party ev¡­¡± Her voice trailed off into a loudly-vocalized yawn as she stretched her arms toward the ceiling. ¡°Aw, fuck. Mornin¡¯, Aya.¡±

    Ayako set a large brown paper sack on the counter between the two younger girls. ¡°I figured you two probably would have skipped breakfast. I brought doughnuts.¡±

    The redhead perked up slightly on her stool, giving the newcomer a hopeful look. ¡°Didja¡­¡±

    With a giggle and a nod, Ayako nudged the bag closer. ¡°Yes, goofball, I remembered to get you chocolate.¡±

    Ranko stood on the footrests of her bar stool and nearly pounced at the bag, tearing open the staples holding it closed at the top and reaching in for the flat sleeves of pastry paper stacked at the bottom. ¡°Have I told you lately that you¡¯re my favorite sister?!¡±

    ¡°What about when you said that to Yui yesterday?¡± Akane asked with a snicker as her voracious wife searched for a dark brown confection among the options presented.

    ¡°She had candy bars! Look, nobody denied my loyalty can be bought,¡± Ranko said with a giggle as she tossed aside a transparent white wrapper and bit into the frosted ring of cake with a quiet purr. Both of the other women in the bar joined her in her laughter.

    Akane nudged her wife gently in the ribs with a devious smirk. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re not careful, they¡¯re gonna buy you right into a bigger dress size, girlfriend. After all, you gotta look cute on stage for all the boys¡­¡±

    Ranko flushed, hiding her face with her hand even as she chewed. She waited to respond until she¡¯d swallowed. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Julie¡¯s got us doing so much conditioning at cheer practice, I could eat a whole cake every day and I wouldn¡¯t gain a gram. Freakin¡¯ stadiums, man. Those things kill.¡± As she finished speaking, another thwam from the front door drew her attention.

    ¡°Good morning, sisters dear!¡± Mei said with a chipper giggle as she burst into the bar, with Yui and Sakura in tow behind her. All three girls were dressed in blue jeans, casual shirts and sneakers, and Sakura¡¯s hair was tied back in a tight ponytail. Yui wore a green headband and a matching emerald cardigan over her yellow tee shirt.

    Yui grinned as she approached the girls, tossing her yellow motorcycle helmet on the bar counter and reaching for the half-eaten pastry in Ranko¡¯s hand. ¡°Ooh! Doughnuts!¡±

    Ranko playfully swatted at her sister¡¯s hand. ¡°Try it and you¡¯re gonna pull back a nub, sis! Get your own! I need my chocolate!¡±

    The blonde winced, selecting a jelly donut dusted in powdered sugar. ¡°That time, huh?¡±

    She received a blush and a sheepish nod in reply, but before either woman could say anything else, the front door swung open again, this time admitting Izumi and her husband Kaito. Izumi wore a denim knee-length pencil skirt and a cream-colored blouse with a pussy bow at her throat, and Kaito had a long black nylon tube strapped over the shoulder of his heavy flannel shirt. Ranko thought it might have been a sword at first, but the round tube had a zipper holding it closed at one end rather than a hilt.

    ¡°Fantastic,¡± Yui said with a satisfied grin. ¡°The gang¡¯s all here. We can get started.¡±

    Akane looked up, quizzically. ¡°Wait a minute! I thought this was Izzi¡¯s surprise?¡±

    ¡°Team effort, sis,¡± Izumi said with a grin. ¡°Me, Yui, Sakura and Kaito have been working on this since a couple of days after Ranko got home. Now, c¡¯mon. Let¡¯s go. Field trip time. Leave your stuff.¡±

    Ranko crammed the entire remaining half of her doughnut in her mouth, chewing with bulging cheeks as she dismounted her stool. She shuffled after Akane and her other sisters, following Kaito back out the front door and into the street beyond.

    Kaito turned right and led the seven women to the next building over. Across the narrow alley was a large discount store - or at least it had been once. Like many of the businesses surrounding the Phoenix, the property had been vacated as part of the effort to buy up the land and demolish everything to make room for a new shopping mall - a plan that had been at least temporarily thwarted by Ranko¡¯s higher offer for the parcel of land on which the Phoenix stood.

    Ranko¡¯s brother-in-law pulled the glass door of the storefront, and the redhead was surprised to find it unlocked. He led his wife and her sisters into the cavernous two-story space. Empty shelves lay on their sides on the ground, strewn about alongside empty soda cans and cardboard signage advertising a long-since-ended clearance sale. The far walls of the massive room were covered in graffiti, likely owing to the store having been left unsecured. A layer of dust and grime lay over every surface, and the once-white linoleum floor was marred with divots, grooves and stains from years of heavy industrial use. The air in the large space was stale and warm, and it felt oppressive - especially on skin made extraordinarily sensitive by the power of the Full-Body Cat¡¯s Tongue pressure point.

    ¡°Um, Kaito? You do know this is the kind of place where guys take cute girls when they wanna murder them, right? What the heck is going on here?¡± Ranko¡¯s eyes darted around the room, leaning closer to Akane for safety.

    Yui grinned, squeezing Sakura¡¯s hand as she walked in front of the group and turned to face them. ¡°Well, me and Sake have been talking, and¡­ we have a crazy idea we wanted to run by you girls.¡±

    Ranko scoffed. ¡°Are we gonna do crimes?! ¡®Cause, like, this is totally hide out and plan a bank robbery kinda shit.¡±

    With a chuckle and a shake of her head, Sakura spoke next, her eyes panning around the empty store as she did. ¡°We were making a pretty high rent payment every month on the bar, and not having too much trouble doing it, until they tried to sell it, right? And then, Ranko bought the building. So, the money that used to go to the rent is all extra that we don¡¯t have to spend every month now.¡± Sakura grinned excitedly. ¡°So we got to thinking¡­ what if we could find another use for it?¡±

    Akane blinked, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. ¡°What, you wanna open a department store or something? I don¡¯t think even Izzi can make enough outfits to fill a place this size.¡±

    Smirking, Ayako rubbed her chin thoughtfully. ¡°I mean, this might be big enough to store all of Mei¡¯s stuffed animals. If we¡¯re really efficient with the shelving.¡± She laughed as her diminutive sister hugged her about the ribs.

    With a bright giggle, Izumi nudged her husband with her elbow. ¡°Show ¡®em, honey.¡±

    Nodding, Kaito approached a disused countertop that had once supported a cash register. He slipped the long black tube off of his shoulder, using it to brush the trash and detritus off of the mauve-colored mica onto the floor. That done, he unzipped the end of the tube, and extracted from it a long roll of papers like a poster. With a bit of a flourish, he unfurled them on the countertop, using his wallet and his key ring on opposite corners to help them lay flat.

    Led by Akane, the girls huddled around the counter to look down at the blueprint. It was a scale drawing of the building in which they now stood, but the layout was completely different inside.

    ¡°So, Miss Tendo,¡± Kaito said with a grin up at Ranko, ¡°I present to you, Club Firebird at the Phoenix.¡± He tapped the corner of the paper, on which the words were written exactly as he had said them. ¡°A fully-equipped live music venue. As befits the home of an international pop star.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s eyes bulged and her jaw fell slack as she peered over the blueprints with renewed interest. ¡°... what?!¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Kaito tapped a large trapezoid that ran the vertical length of the room on the paper, about a third of the way from the left. ¡°So, this would be your stage, almost as wide as the building. It¡¯d come out pretty close to the dimensions of the stages they¡¯re building for you on the road, according to Nabiki. Behind it, you¡¯ve got dressing rooms, prop storage, private bathrooms, all that good stuff.¡±

    ¡°Wait, like, I wouldn¡¯t have to get dressed upstairs and come out through the kitchen?!¡± Ranko blinked. ¡°That would be¡­¡±

    ¡°You sure you wouldn¡¯t miss stopping off for a snack on your way to the stage?¡± Mei giggled, throwing her arm around her taller sister¡¯s back.

    Izumi¡¯s contractor husband laughed, motioning to his immediate surroundings with a wide sweep of his arm. ¡°All this area where we¡¯re standing? That¡¯s your dance floor. We figure the fire marshall will let us put about a thousand people down here, give or take.¡±

    ¡°A thousand?! That¡¯s¡­¡± Ranko covered her mouth with her hands.

    Yui nodded with a grin. ¡°No matter how popular you¡¯ve gotten, we could only grow your crowd so much in the bar. There¡¯s just no room to pack in any more bodies. But in here? We could get fourteen, fifteen hundred people, easy! We¡¯d be bigger than Steam, even. I mean, sure, it¡¯s no Tokyo Dome, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But, Kaito said a thousand. Where are you gonna put the rest?¡± Ayako asked, rubbing her temples with a mystified expression in her eyes.

    Kaito smiled excitedly, as if he¡¯d been waiting for the question. He removed his wallet and keys, rolling up the blueprint to reveal another one stacked under it. The second layer featured a similar layout, but with two wide wings on the right side, forming a chevron opened toward the trapezoidal stage. ¡°Upstairs.¡±

    He motioned to the two triangles, turning and pointing upward to the two corners on the near wall where they met the cavernous ceiling of the two-story structure. ¡°We build two balconies for seating, for people who want to sit and watch the show rather than dance. Leave a little space in the middle there for a proper audio and visual control booth for Ariel. And then over here¡­¡±

    He motioned to a shape at the top of the image, overlooking the stage. ¡°Akane gets a VIP balcony.¡± He traced his hand leftward along a long, narrow rectangle that ran across the back wall. ¡°With direct, hidden access to the backstage area through this hallway right here, and then down the back steps direct to her lady love¡¯s dressing room.¡±

    Ranko smiled as she felt Akane squeeze her hand, and leaned to her side, resting her head on her wife¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Upstairs, we¡¯ve got a huge press room for Natsuko to manage the fan newsletter. We¡¯ll build a whole workshop right above the dressing room for Izzi to work on the costumes and get them out of our living room, and office space here for our new entertainment director.¡±

    Ranko shook her head in disbelief. Everything was coming at her way too fast, and she¡¯d not had anywhere near enough coffee to handle it. ¡°Wait, when the fuck did we hire an entertainment director?! And why didn¡¯t anybody tell me?!¡±

    Mei giggled, raising her hand and wiggling her fingers in the air. ¡°Mei Hotaro, entertainment director of Club Firebird at the Phoenix. A pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Miss Tendo. Truly. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be working very closely together in the future. I¡¯ll have my people call your people?¡±

    A nod of affirmation came from the Phoenix¡¯ new proprietress. ¡°Mei¡¯s been dealing with our entertainment schedule since we were a karaoke bar, before Ranko showed up.¡± Yui flashed her blue-haired sister a bright smile. ¡°And it¡¯s high time she settled into an actual career.¡±

    ¡°Hold up, though. We won¡¯t be able to sell liquor over here without a whole new license. The city says we can¡¯t have people walking the sidewalk with booze.¡± Ayako gazed with incredulity at Yui, shocked that her sister would not have considered such an obvious limitation.

    Kaito snickered. ¡°That would be true - if we had separate buildings. But we are gonna blow out the wall. Right over there.¡± He pointed to the center of the east wall. ¡°Knock a hole in the wall of the bar, over by the booths opposite the bar, and we build a little connector across the alley. If we own both parcels, we can combine them into one larger one with the city planner¡¯s office, and then voila! One big-ass night club, with a connected music venue, and folks can buy a drink at the counter and walk right in here with it.¡±

    ¡°So, wait¡­ You wanna tear a hole in the bar?! It¡¯ll be fucked up for weeks doing that!¡± Ranko was relatively sure the cavernous room was spinning with confusion and possibility.

    Izumi chuckled, throwing her arm over her celebrity sister¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Yeah! I can¡¯t think of any suitable time, when the foot traffic in the bar will be way down. There¡¯s certainly no period of time coming up when our celebrity entertainer will be unavailable for almost a month anyway.¡±

    The redhead grinned in realization. ¡°December! I¡¯ll be in China.¡±

    Kaito nodded, wagging his finger at his sister-in-law. ¡°You got it! My construction firm does all the buildout over here between now and November, and then come December, you get on a plane, and we shut the Phoenix down for a couple weeks for demo and renovation. We reconfigure the bar space, take out the current stage to add some more tables, maybe expand the kitchen a little bit, and build our connector space. By the time you come back on Christmas, it¡¯s all done, and we open the place with one hell of a New Year¡¯s Eve bash.¡±

    ¡°The kitchen! What about the kitchen?! Who¡¯s gonna cook for all those people, without Mei or Mom?¡± Ranko gesticulated wildly, as if she wasn¡¯t sure what to do with her hands.

    Biting her lip, Yui turned to another of her sisters. ¡°Well¡­ we were hoping¡­¡±

    ¡°How did I guess,¡± Ayako asked, shaking her head with a grin.

    ¡°Oh, come on, Aya! Come back! You¡¯ve always loved to cook, and we¡¯ve missed you like crazy since you stopped working full-time! Plus, by the time we can get this off the ground, Jun will be a year old. He can stay with Kage and his mom, or we could even set up the apartment upstairs as a nursery for him and Mioko. Please?¡± Yui reached out for her sister¡¯s hand. ¡°I can¡¯t do this without Mama and my big sister.¡±

    Slumping her shoulders, Ayako nodded softly. ¡°No promises, but I¡¯ll talk to Kage about it.¡±

    ¡°YES!¡± Mei pumped her fist excitedly with a spritely little hop of excitement. ¡°We¡¯re gonna get our Aya back!¡±

    Sakura beamed, her hand rubbing Yui¡¯s back through her green cardigan. ¡°We really think we can pull this off, you guys. After the mall project fell through, the prices for land in this part of town are falling through the floor now that everybody bugged out. They¡¯re practically giving it away, just so it isn¡¯t kilometers of empty buildings in every direction. We think we can get this huge-ass space for about what we were paying for rent before. We¡¯d have to take a loan out against the main building to cover the construction costs, but the payments on that would be easily offset with all the extra revenue once we get this place up and running.¡±

    With a smirk, Ayako nudged her blonde sister in the shoulder. ¡°I gotta give it to ya, girls. It¡¯s one hell of a big swing. You have talked to Mama about this, right?¡±

    Yui rolled her eyes with a little shake of her head. ¡°The Phoenix is ours now, Aya. All of us. Mama trusts us. But yeah, of course I asked her about it. We wouldn¡¯t be having this conversation if she thought it was a bad idea. I ran it by Nabiki too, and she said she¡¯d help us with the negotiations. Kaito can handle the permits and shit through his company. But at the end of the day, we don¡¯t do this unless all of us are on board.¡±

    She turned to the short redhead leaning on Akane¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Especially our star. We wouldn¡¯t be in the position to do this at all if not for you, Ranko, and there¡¯s no point building a stage without talent to put on it. Obviously, me, Sake, Iz and Mei are all in, but that still leaves you three. We¡¯re not like someone we know and love, who goes off and does stupid crap on her own without consulting anybody. We don¡¯t sign shit unless the vote is seven to nothing.¡±

    Ayako crossed her arms, giving her sister a sharp nod. ¡°If you girls and Kaito are all absolutely sure you can pull this off, I trust you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me,¡± Akane said as Yui¡¯s eyes fell to her. ¡°On this one, I follow Ranko¡¯s lead. What do you think, princess?¡± She reached down, taking Ranko¡¯s hand in her own and giving it another little squeeze.

    Izumi snickered. ¡°Not for nothing, Akane, but there¡¯s gonna be a great big dance floor that¡¯s indoors and secure. I don¡¯t imagine we¡¯ll have an awful lot of music acts booked at ten in the morning on Mondays and Thursdays¡­ if you know anybody who might like to use the space as a dojo.¡±

    ¡°Really?!¡± Akane blinked. ¡°You guys would let me do that?¡±

    Ranko turned to look at her. ¡°Nowhere could be home for me, unless it was home for you, Akane.¡± She stood up on her tiptoes to kiss her taller wife on the cheek. ¡°And if they¡¯re building all that storage, there¡¯d be places for stuff like mats and training weapons when we¡¯re in music mode.¡±

    ¡°Well, then¡­ does that mean we¡¯re in?¡± Akane asked, the hopeful tinge in her voice betraying her air of neutrality.

    The redhead blushed, frowning a bit as her eyes panned across her family. ¡°I mean¡­ it¡¯s a lot. It¡¯s a lot of pressure. We just managed to keep from losing the bar, and we¡¯d be risking it again on another loan. You guys would be putting so much trust in me.¡± She sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping in dismay. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know if that¡¯s the best plan. I¡¯m not exactly Little Miss Reliable lately.¡±

    Yui stepped forward, resting her slender hand on Ranko¡¯s shoulder. Her ruby ring sparkled in the sunlight streaming into the derelict store through the glass front door. ¡°Ranko, listen to me, blockhead. Yeah, you¡¯re impulsive. You¡¯re reckless. You¡¯re downright fucking crazy, girl. But I think I speak for all of us when I say I¡¯d follow your crazy anywhere. You¡¯ve given us reason to throw our hands in the air more times and choke your freaking brains out than I can count, but you¡¯ve never let us down when it mattered. Not once. We believe in you, little sister.¡±

    The redheaded songstress smiled, pulling away from Yui and Akane¡¯s grasp. She wandered half the length of the dilapidated storefront in silence, approaching a long, disused counter that had once been part of the store¡¯s perfume and makeup department. She hopped up on it, turning to face her family.

    ¡°Once upon a rhyme, not so far away, there lived a little girl who had lost her way. Her fairy tale had been an epic fail from the beginning¡­¡±

    Ranko¡¯s eyes panned the room from her makeshift formica-and-pressboard stage as she sang, gazing into every dusty corner of the neglected space. She imagined it full of people dancing, cheering for her and her friends.

    Club Firebird. A place just for them.

    ¡°Her heroes taught her how to make a stand, went and put a microphone in her hand¡­¡±

    ¡°One thing¡¯s for sure,¡± Akane said as she watched her lover pace the length of the octagonal countertop. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a homey little dive bar anymore. This would be¡­ pretty freakin¡¯ big time. It¡¯s a totally different vibe from your hole in the wall, baby. Are you guys sure you¡¯re ready for that kind of change?¡±

    Ranko shook her head, hopping down from the counter. ¡°The atmosphere of the Phoenix was never about the fact that it¡¯s small.¡± She grinned up at Yui. ¡°It didn¡¯t feel homey because it¡¯s cramped. It felt homey because it¡¯s home, for all of us. I did a lot of thinking about this, when it looked like we were gonna lose the place. It was never the walls, Akane.¡±

    Her eyes panned the crowd of people who had plucked her off the streets, wrapped their arms around her and given her a place and a purpose. ¡°It always was the family. Our family has grown. Maybe it¡¯s about time our home does, too.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean¡­¡±

    Ranko interrupted Sakura with a nod and a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s fucking do it.¡±

    Ayako approached her youngest sister, wrapping her arms tight around the smaller girl. ¡°Together.¡±

 98. Idols

    ¡°Sure! Thanks!¡± Ranko waved to a chubby young man in a navy blue hoodie as he walked off to rejoin his friends on the sidewalk.

    ¡°Doesn''t that ever get old?¡± Yumeko asked, walking alongside her pop star friend in a kelly green shirt featuring a stubby elf with a wooden sword and shield. ¡°Like, you can''t ever walk anywhere.¡±

    The redhead shrugged, rubbing the underside of her left wrist and massaging up into her palm with her thumb. ¡°You get used to it. Just sucks when I get to class and my hand already hurts too bad to take notes ¡®cause I¡¯ve been signing shit all morning.¡±

    Off to their right, a line of tents in various colors had been erected on the quad along the sidewalk¡¯s edge, from which their fellow Mystics were recruiting for a variety of student organizations. There was one for the manga club, which made Ranko smile softly. Reminds me, I need to give Kumiko a call and check in with her, she thought. Next, they passed a tent for some sort of religious group Ranko didn¡¯t recognize, and then one for a political activism organization.

    ¡°You ever think about a disguise? Or, like, wearing a mask or something, like you''re sick? Even if they recognize ya, they might think you have something catching and stay clear.¡± As they walked through the sunlit quad, Yumeko adjusted the weight of her backpack on her shoulder.

    Ranko blushed. ¡°I mean, for one, I would have to get a wig. Pretty hard to miss this going down the sidewalk,¡± she said, playing with the end of her bright red ponytail for emphasis. ¡°But, maybe. Ak¡­ Aki has suggested it more than a few times lately.¡±

    Especially now that we basically can''t be seen in public anymore, Ranko thought sadly, averting her eyes from the lime-green Gay and Lesbian Student Alliance tent and gazing down at her sneakers with a heavy sigh. Stupid contract. We can barely even go grocery shopping together, let alone anything you could consider a fucking date.

    ¡°Maybe! I bet you''d make a cute blonde.¡± Yumeko giggled as the pair passed a bench at the edge of the quad, waving to the muscular, black-haired man seated alone on it with a timid blush. He was wearing a purple athletic jersey and skinny jeans, and sipping from a plastic bottle of iced tea.

    Managing a smile up at her friend, Ranko stopped walking. ¡°Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yui tells me that all the time. Hey, Yume? c¡¯mere a second.¡±

    ¡°Ranko? Ran¡­ what the hell are you doing?! No, no, no!¡± Yumeko protested, digging the heels of her purple sneakers into the grass. She was unable to resist as Ranko''s firm grip clamped around her wrist and physically dragged her toward the bench.

    Ranko waved to the boy enthusiastically, completely ignoring the mortified look on Yumeko¡¯s face as she spoke. ¡°Hiya! You don''t know me, but my name¡¯s Ranko. I''m a singer and stuff. This is my awesome friend, Yumeko.¡±

    ¡°H¡­ hi,¡± Yumeko stammered, gazing intently down at the grass. The heat from her face could have re-boiled the boy¡¯s tea.

    The young rugby player nodded, closing his book and leaning back on the bench. ¡°Good to meet ya, girls. What can I do for you?¡±

    ¡°Ranko¡­ no,¡± Ranko¡¯s blonde companion pleaded.

    ¡°The thing is¡­ Yume here has been looking over at this bench every day at about this time since term started. And I''ve got a sneaky suspicion it''s because she likes you, and she''s too chicken shit to say so. So, I''m saying it for her.¡± Ranko dragged Yumeko forward, nudging her toward the bench with a hip check in her maroon denim jeans.

    Yumeko swallowed hard, adjusting the round frame of her glasses after being jostled. ¡°I am going to commit actual murder, Tendo,¡± she whimpered under her breath.

    ¡°Whatever, just smile, dumbass.¡± Ranko grinned, her fingers still clenched around Yumeko¡¯s wrist with her index finger hooked into the plastic band of her purple digital watch.

    The strapping athlete scooted to his left on the bench to make a space and patted the green wooden seat beside himself. ¡°You wanna sit down? I''ve got a little time to kill.¡±

    ¡°Oh, gods, I¡­ I can''t, I need to¡­ owww!¡± Yumeko yelped at the sudden pain in her foot as Ranko stomped on it hard with her silver cheer sneakers.

    With a giggle, Ranko shoved her companion forward until she all but tripped onto the seat. ¡°I¡¯ll get Mizuki to give you a copy of the lecture notes tomorrow. You''ll be fine.¡± She reached down to her white vinyl belt for her sparkly pink pager, pressing a button on it to activate the display and cringing at its content. ¡°I, on the other hand, need to haul ass. You two have fun, now!¡± She issued a spritely wave with wiggling fingers as she flitted back toward the sidewalk.

    ¡°I''m gonna kill you, Ranko!¡± Yumeko turned to look up at the square jaw of the muscle-bound blond man, giggling nervously and fidgeting with her fingers. ¡°So, ummm, uh¡­ hi?¡±

    <hr>

    Wanna live proud, but if they knew what we get up to, it''s somebody else I gotta say ¡®shut up¡¯ to¡­

    Ranko looked over the verse in her notebook with a heavy sigh. It was more of a poem than a song, as she knew she''d never be allowed anywhere near a stage or a recording studio to sing it. It had always been frustrating, knowing that she and Akane had to be careful given her celebrity status, before she signed the Yokai Records-mandated code of conduct. Nevertheless, the couple had long played fast and loose with the rules. Ranko knew that at times, going back to Turn Me Off/Turn Me On at her pre-wedding party, she''d taken significant risks and almost dared Yokai to discover her secret. Hell, going back as far as Sneak, she corrected herself. A part of her, she reasoned, had almost wanted to be caught, so she wouldn''t have to hide the truth about herself anymore. She could apologize to her bandmates, take the slap on the wrist from Amaya, and go about her business free to live as she and her wife saw fit.

    But now, the slightest slip, and her career would be over in the blink of an eye. One kiss caught on someone''s Polaroid, and she would cost her friends - and maybe even her sisters - everything. She knew what she was risking when she¡¯d signed the contract, and she didn''t regret the stability her sacrifice had bought for her family, but she hadn''t been prepared for how much it would make her feel as if she were imprisoned in her own life. Every time she laid eyes on Akane outside of their apartment, it felt like she was suffocating.

    She¡¯d never say a word to them about it and steal their joy from them, but it was made all the worse by the fact that Hitomi and Emi were not remotely shy in their own affections for each other - and everyone else. Sure, Ranko had negotiated for them to be exempted from the code of conduct, and she was glad of it - in no small part because she knew they wouldn¡¯t last a second under its rigid terms - but Ranko wished they would tone it down a little bit in her presence for pity¡¯s sake. Even Yui and Sakura, within the confines of the Phoenix, stole the occasional kiss or soft moment, but the same heartbeat¡¯s worth of affection that Ranko¡¯s heart screamed for every time she passed by her wife in the bar had the potential to destroy a dozen lives.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    I smile up at you as I walk along down our road, in your favorite yellow dress I borrowed¡­

    Ranko sighed, putting her pen down and blinking up at her music history professor. Chiharu Ogura was a short, stocky woman in her mid-thirties, with short black hair and thick glasses. She hadn¡¯t stopped speaking for longer than it took to sip from a bottle of water in almost an hour. I know, lady. Beethoven. Bach. Handel. Buncha old, dead European dudes with pianos. Great. Who cares? Explain to me how this is gonna help me make better pop music, or else please, for mercy¡¯s sake, shut up.

    Ranko stretched, twisting her back and wincing slightly. The rough plastic chairs were already uncomfortable, especially for someone afflicted with the Full-Body Cat¡¯s Tongue, but the fact that they were mounted to the desks with aluminum bars provided no real options for repositioning. As was the case with the seating in most of her classes, the desk was mounted to the right side of the chair, meaning Ranko had to twist somewhat in her seat in order to write as a left-handed student. You¡¯d think they¡¯d put two or three left-handed desks in every classroom, but nope¡­

    ¡°Alright, everybody!¡± Ms. Ogura said, pulling on a dangling string to release the white projection screen on which a portrait of Mozart had been displayed until a moment before. It rolled up toward the ceiling with a loud zip sound, revealing the green chalkboard behind it. Written on the chalkboard were a series of bullet points about the upcoming assignment. ¡°Let¡¯s talk term papers!¡±

    Alternatively: let¡¯s not, Ranko thought, sighing as she slumped in her uncomfortable seat and fidgeted with the end of her ponytail. Booooring.

    ¡°So, if you read your syllabus, you already got a bit of a spoiler on this assignment, but if you had something more interesting to do over the summer, here you go,¡± the professor continued.

    More interesting? Me? Naaaah. All I did was play packed houses in seven countries. Ranko scoffed, rolling her eyes a bit.

    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing about music history: we¡¯re living it. We don¡¯t talk about it as much in this class, because we focus a lot on what people would consider the classical period - the Renaissance, Baroque, all of that stuff. But, Michael Jackson, CoCo? I don¡¯t think anyone would deny that they¡¯re making new classics, right now. So, what we¡¯re going to do with this assignment is acknowledge that a little bit.¡±

    The teacher pointed up at the chalkboard with a long dowel. ¡°You¡¯re going to do a term paper, eight pages minimum, on a musician or a band. It can be anyone you like, Western or Japanese, as long as they¡¯re alive, and ideally, still active in the business. You¡¯re going to want to talk about their biography a little bit, and how they got started in music. Cover their career, and talk about what makes their music special. What makes it special for you. Include what they¡¯re doing now, if they¡¯re still active. Cite all your sources. This will be due at the end of term, on November twenty-fifth.¡±

    Oh, fantastic, Ranko thought with a sigh. Nothing says ¡°happy birthday¡± like a huge freaking essay. At least it doesn¡¯t have to be on a completely suck subject, I guess. She glanced up at the clock mounted to the wall just beneath a small Japanese flag, smiling in relief and closing her notebook. Almost time to get out of here. Better start packing up. She jammed her notebook and pen into her backpack as the professor answered questions from her classmates about the upcoming assignment.

    ¡°Alright, you guys. Get out of here! Happy Friday!¡± The professor waved toward the door with both of her stubby arms. The room quickly filled with a cacophony of thirty-two desks scraping against the floor as the teens and twenty-somethings rose to their feet and began collecting their belongings.

    Ranko stood, slinging her pink backpack over her shoulder. She stretched with a loud groan, the white lace top she wore sliding up a bit on her midsection. I¡¯d be better off sitting on the freakin¡¯ loor than in those shitty desks, she thought as her lumbar spine popped in two places.

    ¡°Hey, Ranko! You got a second?¡±

    The redhead turned, putting her arms down as a handsome boy in his early twenties with short black hair approached. He was on the skinnier side, dressed in black slacks and an aquamarine polo shirt, and he wore a pair of wire-frame glasses. He reminded Ranko a bit of her friend Ken. ¡°What¡¯s up, Sora?¡±

    The young man strapped his black backpack on, approaching her desk with a sheepish grin. ¡°You, uh, given any thought to who you¡¯re gonna do your paper on?¡±

    Ranko shrugged, turning toward the door to exit the classroom. ¡°Paula Abdul, I think. I¡¯ve read so much stuff about her career, I could probably write twenty pages on her from memory. I don¡¯t really have a lot of time these days for, like, deep research and shit.¡±

    ¡°Right on,¡± Sora said nervously, fidgeting with his hands.

    He shrank back a bit as he spoke, as if he was disappointed in something she¡¯d said, or not said. Ranko racked her brain. What was I supposed to¡­ oh, fuck, I hope this dude¡¯s not hitting on me. He¡¯s a decent enough guy, and I really don¡¯t wanna have to Saburo his ass. Better change the subject. Ranko blushed a bit, offering him a disarming smile. ¡°So, uh, who are you gonna do yours on?¡±

    Sora chuckled timidly, swaying a bit on his feet. ¡°Well, I¡­ uhhh¡­¡±

    Ranko laughed as the pair exited the building into the quad, and she reached up, giving him a firm whack on the back through his backpack. ¡°C¡¯mon, boy, spit it out! You can do it!¡±

    ¡°I was actually hoping I could¡­¡±

    Aww, hell. I was right. Here it comes. I¡¯m fucking married, dude! I¡¯m just not allowed to tell you, because my wife is way fucking cuter than you. Ranko sighed, her shoulders slumping so much that her backpack almost slipped from the left one.

    ¡°... maybe do my term paper on you?¡± Sora looked up at her hopefully.

    Ranko froze in her tracks as if she¡¯d been hit in the face with a board, blinking and shaking her head in stunned shock. ¡°Wait, what?!¡±

    Sora nodded, looking around sheepishly as if he was concerned someone else would see the two speaking. ¡°Well, I mean, think about it. Ogura wants us to research a famous living musician, but we¡¯ve got one just sitting in the room with us. What better research source could I have than just¡­ asking you? Like, I could do an interview with you sometime, over lunch or whatever.¡±

    So, still a date, but with even more awkward. Well, isn¡¯t this just fucking awesome. Ranko closed her eyes, hoping he wouldn¡¯t see the panic in them as she squirmed in her silver shoes. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Ranko deflected. ¡°I doubt ol¡¯ teach would let you get away with that. Feels a little too slick.¡±

    Sora shrugged, having to adjust his heavy backpack as it slid a bit off of his shoulders. ¡°Actually, it was her idea. C¡¯mon, please? What do you have to hide?¡±

    Now, that, you could write a motherfucking thesis on, Ranko thought with a heavy sigh.

    ¡°C¡¯mon. I promise, I¡¯ll be nice. I¡¯ll let you read it before I turn it in and we¡¯ll change anything you don¡¯t like. And there won¡¯t be anything weird going on, I swear. I know they probably don¡¯t like you talking about it, but I can see that you¡¯re wearing a wedding ring.¡± Sora smiled softly, and there was a gentleness about it that put Ranko a bit at ease. ¡°Besides, Ogura said she won¡¯t let two people pick the same artist, so if I write about you and let you have a say in what goes in it, nobody else can do it and just write whatever they want.¡±

    Well, now you¡¯re just making me wish I¡¯d thought of writing about myself. Thanks. Feels like kind of a dick move to steal his idea now, though. Oh, hell. Ranko rolled her eyes, giving a heavy sigh of resignation. ¡°Fine.¡±

    She turned to him, wagging a finger up at his chin. ¡°But, so help me gods, Inaba, if you don¡¯t take me somewhere decent¡­¡±

 99. And Yet, So Far Away

    ¡°C¡¯mon, cutie!¡±

    Akane giggled, walking slowly as she gently held the hand of the little girl toddling along next to her. ¡°You¡¯re doing so great!¡± Akane winced as Mioko tripped over her own feet, plopping to the floor in her clunky pink sneakers and her green dress with an elephant print. ¡°Oof! Oh, you¡¯re okay, baby girl. Let¡¯s get back up! We always get back up when we fall down,¡± Akane encouraged, her voice rising to a higher octave as she gently pulled the whimpering Mioko back to her feet by the hand.

    ¡°Sometimes it just takes a few months,¡± Ranko said with a chuckle, laying on her back on the sofa and turning the page of her book. Her right ankle was crossed over her left knee, paying no mind to the way it exposed her in her favorite white lace dress. ¡°Pro tip, kid, don¡¯t get into any fights with grabby assholes with wooden swords.¡±

    ¡°Ranko!¡± Akane gasped, whipping her head around to face her wife with an admonishing expression on her face. ¡°Watch your language around her!¡±

    The redhead cringed, sucking air in through her teeth as she looked up from her book. ¡°Shit, sorry!¡±

    ¡°Really? Again?!¡± Akane rolled her eyes at her young bride. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be more careful! She repeats basically everything she hears now!¡±

    ¡°Sowwy,¡± Mioko mimicked with a bright smile, pointing up at Ranko with a chubby, listless finger.

    Glad she picked that word and not the other one. Ranko dog-eared the page she¡¯d just finished in The Magic of Paula Abdul: From Straight Up to Spellbound, tossing the pink paperback to the couch cushion and sitting up. I¡¯ll never get used to reading English books; everything¡¯s freakin¡¯ backwards. ¡°Yeah? Hey, Mioko? Can you say, Auntie Ranko is the best?¡±

    Ranko¡¯s niece offered no reply, instead finding herself quite focused on the stack of colored plastic rings on the floor.

    ¡°When¡¯s Izzi supposed to come pick her up?¡± Ranko asked, craning her neck to look at the wall clock. ¡°I thought we were supposed to be done by now. We gotta get to the bar soon for setup.¡±

    Akane crinkled her nose, crossing her legs and dropping to the floor next to her niece. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re just fine, aren¡¯t we, Mioko? Your Mommy and Daddy haven¡¯t gotten any grownup time in weeks, and me and Auntie Ranko are more than happy to hang out with you!¡± She turned her eyes up to Ranko on the couch as she stroked Mioko¡¯s brown hair. She really was the picture of her mother. ¡°Worst case, you can head over without me, and I¡¯ll catch up after they get here. You¡¯re always saying you want them to let you help out more, like you used to.¡±

    The redhead gave a soft nod, a wistful smile forming on her lips as she watched Akane play with a doll, engaging with Mioko at every opportunity. She looks so happy. She¡¯ll never admit it, but¡­ I know she wants a kid of her own. I can tell. Just one more thing I¡¯ll never be able to do for her. One more way I have to fail her. She shook her head hard, as if trying to eject the intrusive thoughts from her mind. Don¡¯t need to be focused on that shit right now. ¡°Yeah, I can do that, I guess. Izzi¡¯s not coming in tonight, is she?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Akane said. ¡°Pretty sure it¡¯s just you, me, Yui, Sakura, and Mei. We might have Seiichi tonight after eight; I don¡¯t remember the schedule off hand.¡±

    Ranko made a disgusted face, sticking out her tongue. ¡°Eugh. Gonna be rough for a Friday with just us. Think we oughta call Aya or Mom and see if they can come help?¡±

    Akane stood from the wooden floor, stretching her back with a groan. Her hands reached high into the air, letting her gray Minato University Athletics tee shirt slide up her midriff and separate from her green denim skirt. ¡°That¡¯s up to Sakura - if she thinks we need help, she¡¯ll call somebody. I know you want to pitch in, but right now, it¡¯s important for Sakura and Yui to get to be the leaders, without all of us interfering. They¡¯ve got to build up the confidence that they can do it on their own.¡±

    ¡°I guess,¡± Ranko said with a shrug. ¡°I kinda figured, we¡¯re all co-owners now; we¡¯d just run it together. But I get your point about, like, if you have seven leaders, you don¡¯t have any.¡±

    Her wife nodded. ¡°Exactly. We¡¯re all in this together, but the rest of us have other things distracting us, with school and your music, and martial arts, and all of that stuff. Managing the day-to-day of the bar is their thing. So, I think we need to follow Yui and Sakura¡¯s lead.¡±

    Ranko smiled softly. ¡°Yeah. I think they¡¯ll do fine. And we¡¯ve got their ba¡­ aghhh! OWWW!¡± She yelped through her gritted teeth, reaching down for her calf with both hands. ¡°Little shit! I¡¯m gonna¡­¡±

    ¡°Shit,¡± Mioko said with a grin, toddling off after having kicked her aunt in the leg.

    ¡°Mioko!¡± Akane snatched the child up in her arms, wagging an admonishing finger in her face. ¡°You don¡¯t hit people! It¡¯s not nice!¡±

    Ranko chuckled darkly through her clenched teeth, rubbing her leg with both of her hands. ¡°If only the you from four years ago could hear yourself right now, Akane. I think I¡¯m still workin¡¯ off a concussion or two from you.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Yeah, well,¡± Akane snickered as she bent down to deposit Mioko in her playpen. ¡°In my defense, my ex-boyfriend was kind of a jerk sometimes! Luckily for me, my absolute cutie of a wife is much, much sweeter.¡± She turned her eyes down to Mioko, speaking firmly over the child¡¯s wailing. ¡°And as for you, little miss grumpy pants, I think it''s time for your nap. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s lie down for Auntie, honey.¡±

    After she covered her niece with a pink plush blanket, Akane turned to Ranko with an almost motherly smile. ¡°Are you okay? Looked like she got you pretty good.¡±

    Ranko glowered, huffing under her breath. ¡°Yeah. I''ll be fine. Stupid fucking Cat¡¯s Tongue, getting me beat up by a literal freaking baby.¡±

    And that''s far from the only way I''ve become an entirely pathetic weakling, she thought, her stomach roiling as she recalled the events that had befallen her in Thailand.

    ¡°Well, you shouldn''t be so hard on yourself,¡± Akane replied, turning and walking toward the couch. ¡°After all, there are some more enjoyable parts of the Full-Body Cat¡¯s Tongue¡­¡± She smirked deviously, running her fingers up Ranko¡¯s thigh starting from her knee.

    Akane recoiled, her eyes wide with shock, as Ranko quickly drew her legs back from her wife¡¯s touch and pulled them back under her dress. ¡°R¡­ Ranko? What''s the matter, baby?¡± Her face was a mask of surprise and concern.

    Ranko fought to steady her breathing, lowering her eyes in shame. ¡°I just¡­ I''m not really in the mood. I''m sorry, Akane.¡±

    I just¡­ she touches me and I feel myself losing control and¡­ it scares me. I don''t want to feel vulnerable like that. Helpless like that. I can''t. Not even with her. Especially in front of her.  Ranko swallowed hard. ¡°I really am sorry.¡±

    Akane tossed Ranko¡¯s book to the end table and sat beside her on the gray sofa, wrapping her arms around the slender redhead¡¯s shoulders. ¡°It''s okay. I''m just¡­ I''m worried about you, princess. When you got back home last time, even with Mom being sick, you couldn''t keep your hands off me, and this is just¡­ different. Are you sure there¡¯s nothing wrong? You can talk to me about anything, my love. You know that; at least, I hope you do.¡±

    Sure, Akane. No problem. I''ll just look the person I love the most in the whole world, the person I need validation and respect from more than anyone else in the universe, in the face and say, ¡®Hey, honey! Remember when I used to be a guy, and a damn near unbeatable martial artist? Remember when I was basically invincible? Remember when I promised your father I was strong enough to be a husband to you as well as a wife? Remember when I said you didn''t have to worry about me going on tour because I can take care of myself? Well, turns out, get a cocktail or two in me, and I''m an observant friend away from being literally raped and left for dead in a Thai sewer! Good times, huh?¡¯ I''m sure that''ll be just fine. You''ll never look at me the same way again. You''ll never trust in me the same way again.

    After a long moment of silence, Ranko shook her head softly. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just tired.¡±

    ¡°Ranko¡­¡± Akane sighed, leaning into her lover. She rested her temple on Ranko¡¯s shoulder, softly stroking her lover''s scalp. ¡°You''re not tired. Your head always itches you when you''re overtired. You have a tell. Don''t think I don''t watch you, love. This is¡­ something else. Something you''re not telling me.¡±

    Ranko stiffened, but relaxed after a moment in Akane''s embrace. This¡­ isn''t bad. This feels nice. ¡°It''s nothin'', Akane. Nothing you need to worry about, anyway. Just¡­ a lot¡¯s happened in the last few weeks and my brain is still trying to make sense of it all.¡±

    Not entirely a lie, just an omission big enough to fly a jumbo jet through. I tried to tell you, on the phone, but¡­ I just couldn''t get the words out. I was too ashamed of myself. I still am. I''m so sorry. I know I promised you no more secrets, but¡­

    Besides, Ranko thought, her frown deepening. It doesn''t help that the Yokai people are trying as hard as they can to make me feel dirty for loving you. Like there''s something wrong, or shameful, about it. Why can''t it just be normal? I love you, you love me. That should be all there is to it. What fucking business is it of some empty suit in Shibuya? What you do to me, you do because you love me, and what that dirtbag in Thailand wanted to do to me¡­  all he wanted to do was hurt me, but that, Yokai would have been perfectly okay with.

    The songstress finally spoke, but when she did, her voice was quiet and hollow. ¡°For now, would it be okay if you just, ya know, held me, for a minute?¡± Ranko bit her lip, looking away from Akane toward the slowly-settling child in the playpen a few meters away. Gods, I am such a fucking girl.

    Akane nodded, but rocketed to her feet, disappearing into the girls¡¯ bedroom. Ranko''s eyes followed her in betrayed despair, but she managed a soft smile when Akane returned a moment later, a white stuffed unicorn tucked in her arms. ¡°Sorry! Starlight said she wanted to help hold you, too.¡±

    She handed the unicorn down to Ranko, who reached out for it eagerly with both hands. As Ranko curled around it, Akane retook her position on the middle cushion of the couch, draping her body over Ranko¡¯s as she leaned into the armrest to her left. She wrapped her arms tight around the smaller woman, laying her right leg over her lover¡¯s thigh so as to embrace her even more fully.

    ¡°There, how¡¯s that? I''m always happy to hold my girl. You know that.¡± Akane brushed Ranko¡¯s hair away from her temple, leaning down and planting a whisper-soft kiss on the newly-cleared patch of skin. Her voice was quiet, tender and soothing, and the nearly-asleep toddler in the room had only the slightest bit to do with it. ¡°Whatever''s going on with you, I want you to know that I love you, Mrs. Tendo. Nothing¡¯s ever gonna change that. You''re always safe with me, precious.¡±

    Ranko sighed, burying her face in Starlight¡¯s back and willing the plush to absorb her silent tears before Akane could notice them. I don''t think I''m ever gonna feel safe again, she thought to herself.

    ¡°I love you too, Akane.¡±

 100. Shake it Off

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, girls! Move it!¡±

    Whimpering at the directive yelled from the grass below, Ranko dragged her leg upward onto the next step. It moved like her sneakers and her gray sweatpants were full of lead.

    ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m done.¡±

    Ranko turned to Shizuka, grabbing the doubled-over girl¡¯s shoulder with her left hand. ¡°No you¡¯re not. C¡¯mon, we almost got this!¡± She glanced up the remaining third of the rugby stadium¡¯s bleacher steps, swallowing her own dread at the thought of climbing them again. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Araya! Move your ass!¡±

    The brunette shook her head as she looked pleadingly up at her squadmate, the sweaty tips of her auburn bob sticking to her nose. ¡°No. I don¡¯t got any more. She¡¯s gonna kill us!¡±

    Not if we kill her first, Ranko thought, shaking the smirk from her face. ¡°C¡¯mon. If you quit now, she¡¯s gonna make both of us run more! One more. Let¡¯s go!¡± Ranko gestured urgently with her hands toward the top of the stadium.

    Shizuka sighed, rising from her hunched-over position and turning toward the summit of the staircase. ¡°I hate you, Tendo.¡±

    ¡°Whatever! Just keep your legs moving while you do,¡± Ranko called, giving her partner a push in the small of her back and resuming running up the stairs.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Faster!¡± Julie Akers cupped her hands around her mouth, yelling up at the last two girls on the bleachers. She blew loudly into the silver whistle that hung from a nylon cord around the neck of her white polo shirt. ¡°We¡¯re cheerleaders! We don¡¯t GET tired! Energy! I wanna see ENERGY!¡±

    You¡¯re about to see me energetically break my foot off on your ass, lady, Ranko thought as she reached the top of the bleachers, waiting for Shizuka to catch up before turning to her right and running past the purple-painted press box and across the length of the east bank of seating. It¡¯s not even my fuckin¡¯ fault I was late. As she ran, she shielded her eyes from the setting sun with her hand, wishing she¡¯d remembered to bring her sunglasses to the afternoon cheer practice.

    ¡°Any day now, Tendo!¡±

    ¡°Okay, listen,¡± Ranko called back to her friend as they began descending the stairs. ¡°I know you¡¯re tired, but when we get down there, I¡¯m gonna need you to help me hide her body, okay?¡±

    Next to Julie, a lithe senior with long, sun-bleached brown hair whooped loudly for the two straggling girls. ¡°Come on, Ranko! You got this! Let''s go, Shizuka! Whoooo!¡± She clapped her hands loudly, bouncing on her heels with so much energy that the transparent plastic frames of her glasses nearly dislodged from her ears.

    At least the coach¡¯s daughter is more encouraging, Ranko thought as she ran down the stairs. As hard as she is on us, man, her mom must ride her ass something fierce, but Sarah¡¯s still cool. She¡¯s always had my back, even when her mom¡¯s being a total hardass.

    <hr>

    The quaint little shop was having a busy day, with only a few of the booths unoccupied. The walls were covered in white ceramic tiles that reminded Ranko of the bathrooms back at Yusue High, with larger black-and-white checkerboard linoleum tiling the floor. The tabletops and the counter running the length of the shop were white, too, less the glass windows looking down into the freezers displaying the twenty or so ice cream flavors on offer. The benches of the booths and the seats of the metal stools ringing the counter were covered in recently-reupholstered vinyl in almost the identical bright red as the braid dangling over Ranko¡¯s right shoulder.

    ¡°Somebody kill me please,¡± Ranko whined, slumping onto a padded bench next to Sarah. Why can¡¯t we ever hang at the Phoenix? I can make milkshakes there just as easy. We¡¯ve got a blender. She shivered forcefully as her body adjusted to the temperature; the little ice cream shop was always kept frigid inside, and the Cat¡¯s Tongue made it difficult for her to bear even in a hoodie and sweatpants. ¡°A fuckin¡¯ hundred stadiums, and I still gotta go dance at work in a couple hours?! Fuuuuuuuck my life.¡±

    Kotone shrugged, turning her head to her left and smirking at her friend as Shizuka took the seat next to her. She fidgeted with her brown ponytail as she laughed. ¡°Next time, show up to practice on time. Julie doesn¡¯t fuck around with that kind of stuff.¡±

    Ranko grumbled, pulling the hood of her gray sweatshirt more fully over her head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t even my friggin¡¯ fault! Fuckin¡¯ dummy Yumeko said my name out loud in the cafeteria on campus, and next thing you know, I had a line fifty people deep of people asking for fucking autographs!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re allowed to tell ¡®em no, you know,¡± Sarah offered with a little tsk from her tongue. ¡°They don¡¯t own you. Sure, you¡¯re a star, but you¡¯re allowed to have a life, too.¡±

    The redhead blushed, pulling the drawstrings of her hood to further obscure her blushing face. If only. ¡°I don¡¯t like to do that if I can help it. Like, it means the world to me that they want anything to do with me, so, I don¡¯t wanna push back on that sort of thing unless I really have to. It¡¯s just inconvenient as hell sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Hi!¡± A perky blonde with a beehive updo sidled up to the booth, eyeing the six tittering regulars packed around the rectangular table. She wore black slacks, a white long-sleeved shirt and a red bow tie. ¡°Welcome back to Ishiro¡¯s. What can I get for you girls?¡±

    Kotone raised her hand excitedly. ¡°Mint chocolate chip shake for me!¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± called Shiori from the back corner opposite Ranko. ¡°I¡¯m down to get chip-faced with ya!¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Minori smiled up at the server as she finished re-adjusting the green headband restraining her orange coif. ¡°Hey, Miho! Can I go for a strawberry banana, please?¡±

    ¡°Double chocolate, please,¡± Ranko said, folding the laminated menu and handing it back to the server. ¡°And a cheeseburger?¡±

    ¡°Do you have a chocolate chip?¡± Sarah asked hopefully, looking up at the server with pleading eyes.

    ¡°Make that two, if ya got ¡®em!¡± Shizuka added.

    The blonde waitress nodded. ¡°You bet we do, honey.¡± She jotted the order down on her pad, darting off to prepare the girls¡¯ order.

    Ranko sighed, lowering her head to the table. ¡°Shit, my legs are killing me.¡±

    Shiori giggled quietly, leaning back in her seat. She wore a low-cut lavender peplum top and a pair of skinny black jeans. ¡°You should just have Ak¡­ Aki rub them out for you later.¡± The brunette cringed at her near slip. I gotta remember, last term¡¯s squad knew about Akane, but she doesn''t want anybody talking about her now. Man, that must be miserable for her.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Ranko groaned. ¡°But he has work tonight, and so do I, so three in the morning is the earliest I can hope for.¡±

    With a grin, Kotone waved her hand, sipping at her ice water. ¡°Well, I''m going over to Hiro¡¯s place as soon as we''re done here, so¡­ don''t be surprised if I''m not dancing so great tomorrow.¡± Shiori and Minori joined her in her tittering.

    ¡°Must be nice,¡± Sarah said, grumbling quietly. ¡°At least you girls got somebody to hold besides a phone. Vanessa¡¯s gonna try to come out for a visit over Christmas, but she''s still back in the States until then.¡±

    At least you get to say she about the person you''re dating, Sarah. Your friends can know her fucking name. Talk about ¡®must be nice¡¯. Ranko glowered quietly, wishing her burger would arrive so she could commit violence on something with her teeth.

    Minori reached out, giving Sarah a side hug. ¡°You got any plans when V gets out here?¡±

    Sarah shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°Who knows. Maybe I''ll bring her to one of Ranko¡¯s shows.¡±

    Shaking her head as she slurped her milkshake through a thick straw, Shiori waved the brunette off. ¡°You won''t be able to. Ran-chan¡¯s gonna be in China all December, right up ¡®til Christmas. Maybe you could score some tickets off a scalper for the Tokyo Dome show, but it¡¯s been sold out for months.¡±

    Ranko nodded, growling under her breath. Yep. Won''t even be here to get ready for Christmas with my family, or shop for Akane, or nothin''.

    ¡°I still have no idea what I''m getting her for Christmas,¡± Sarah said, rolling her eyes. ¡°She''s hard to shop for sometimes. I keep thinking about trying to find something you can, like, only get in Japan, but I can''t decide what.¡±

    ¡°Oooh! You could get her a fuku, and she could be Sailor V, like that new manga!¡±

    ¡°Not sure that''s her speed, Shizuka, but it could be cute,¡± Sarah said with a soft blush, hiding her face with her hand. ¡°It¡¯d probably be me that ended up wearin¡¯ it for her, though.¡±

    Shiori grinned, balling up her empty paper straw wrapper and flicking it playfully at Sarah as an upbeat pop song ended on the jukebox¡¯s randomized free play mode. ¡°Sounds like V gets the perfect present after all. And, I mean, there are worse problems than bein¡¯ cute for the right girl.¡±

    For example, not being able to do that, Ranko thought as she grumbled, taking her milkshake from the server''s tray without waiting for it to be handed to her.

    ¡°There''s a long white dress hangin¡¯ over there. My sister¡¯s coming in five hours so she can help me do my hair¡­¡±

    Sighing to herself, Ranko stood, carrying her milkshake with her to the jukebox in the corner and dropping in a coin. Anything but There Are No Words right now, please. She selected Opposites Attract by Paula Abdul, waiting for it to start playing before returning to her seat. She was careful to keep her hood drawn tight around her cheeks to hide her face and especially her hair in the crowded milkshake shop.

    ¡°Ya know, Ran-chan, if you''re so worried about people recognizing you, you could dye your hair until it''s time to go back on tour,¡± Sarah suggested quietly, despite her obvious attempt to change the subject from her relationship.

    Shiori nodded emphatically. ¡°Yeah! You could do it in pink, like Zoe¡¯s from the band!¡±

    The young redhead shook her head. ¡°You can''t be serious. I would look absolutely fucking ridiculous with pink hair. Red hair is, like, my thing. Next, you''re gonna tell me I should have brown eyes or something.¡±

    ¡°I mean, you are pretty full of shit,¡± Shiori said, trying to offer a reassuring smile to her glum fellow Pixie.

    ¡°What about a wig? Something you could take off easy?¡± Kotone grinned. ¡°I bet it would be super fun, to like, put on a disguise and wander through the crowd at one of your shows, just to see how excited people are, hear the stuff they say about you, things like that. Like what old-timey kings and stuff used to do? You could get, like, a big coat or something to put over your outfit, so you can do it after you¡¯re all ready to go on stage.¡±

    Shiori giggled around her straw. ¡°Oh man, that would be great! And then if you felt like it, you could just like, throw off your wig and your coat and be like, surprise, bitches! You¡¯d be like a superhero! It sure would freak everybody out. People would never forget it if you did that!¡±

    Ranko smirked, swallowing the french fry she was chewing. ¡°Could be neat, but it¡¯d be hard to pull off. It takes a long time to get ready for the show with all the makeup and everything. So, about the best I could do would be to catch the people who get to the venue super early.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but those are the most die-hard fans, so they¡¯d be the most fun to hang with anyway,¡± Minori said. ¡°It¡¯d be like what you do at the Phoenix, but, like, on a much bigger scale. Do it once or twice, and people will show up early to your shows forever just hoping it happens again. It¡¯d be fucking legendary!¡±

    Ranko nodded, popping another fry in her mouth and continuing to speak with her mouth full. ¡°Yeah, I guess. The problem is, at my shows, I kinda want to be recognized. It¡¯s mostly when I¡¯m trying to do, like, life stuff, that sometimes I need to go incognito.¡±

    Pushing her empty milkshake glass away with a satisfied ahh, Shiori gave her friend a reassuring smile. ¡°I got you, girl. There¡¯s a really good wig shop in Shibuya I go to sometimes, when I need something for a Halloween costume or whatnot. I¡¯ll take you, and we¡¯ll get you set up so good, your mother won¡¯t recognize you.¡±

    It''s not that I don''t want to be recognized, Ranko despaired, stuffing her cheeseburger back into her mouth. She only had a few minutes before she needed to start walking if she wanted to get to work on time, and she expected to be slowed down by her sore legs. It''s just that I want to really be seen.

 101. The Interview

    ¡°Ooh, what about this one?¡± Akane held up Ranko¡¯s lacy mint party dress, giggling and swishing the skirt about a bit on the hanger as she carried it from the couple¡¯s closet toward the bed. ¡°This is one of my favorites on you.¡±

    Ranko groaned, letting her back flop to the mattress with her calves still dangling off the edge of the bed to the floor. She wore nothing but a pair of white cotton panties. ¡°You''re making a way bigger deal outta this than it is, ¡®Kane!¡±

    Akane tittered brightly as Ranko''s arms flopped to her sides on the bed. ¡°Oh, come on, Ranko! You wanna be all pretty for your big date, don''t you?!¡±

    ¡°I told you, it''s not a fucking date!¡± Ranko sat up on the bed again, the frustration in her eyes reaching a fever pitch. ¡°It''s just a stupid school thing! That''s it!¡±

    Akane snickered, sitting on the edge of the bed and draping Ranko''s dress over her wife''s mostly-nude body. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ A handsome boy is taking you to a fancy restaurant for lunch. Sounds like a date to me¡­¡±

    ¡°Would you quit it?! I toldja, he''s just gonna ask me some questions for his stupid school report, that''s all! Why do you gotta get all weird about it?!¡± Ranko let herself fall back to the bed with a loud grumble.

    Akane rolled onto her hip, looking down at her wife with adoring eyes. ¡°Is that why you spent more than an hour on your makeup, princess? You can be honest¡­ I won''t tell anybody.¡± Her playful giggles only served to draw even more visible frustration out of her lover.

    ¡°There''s probably gonna be pictures and shit. That''s all!¡± Ranko sighed heavily. The last thing I want right now is to be alone with a guy I don¡¯t really know, Akane. Especially where there''s drinks. Why can''t you see that?!

    Akane nodded, sliding her hand under the light green lace dress and caressing her lover''s chest with the barest whisper of a touch, a hungry look developing in her eyes. ¡°Well, okay. If you''re sure you''re still my girl, then¡­ we probably have a little time before you need to get going¡­¡±

    Ranko shivered under her touch, but the moment Akane lifted her hand to reposition it, the redhead rolled over on her side on the bed. She turned her back to Akane, covering herself with the dress as best she could. ¡°Please don''t.¡±

    The songstress¡¯ wife frowned, pulling her hand back. What the heck is wrong with her? She never wants me to touch her anymore. Not since she''s been home. What''s wrong with you, Ranko? Her eyes clouded with hurt and worry. ¡°Look, I was just teasing you, baby. Ya don''t gotta be mad.¡±

    Ranko shook her head, curling her knees up to her chest. ¡°I''m not mad. I just¡­ don''t wanna play right now. I''m sorry. I wish I didn''t have to go to this thing.¡±

    Akane nodded, stroking her lover''s scalp through a shock of as-yet-unbrushed red hair. ¡°I know, but you gave Sora your word. It''ll mess his grades up if you don''t do it now, and that wouldn''t be fair to him. You want me to come with you? I¡¯m not above being your plus-one.¡±

    Yes. Desperately. But if you did, everybody would see us together, and there''d be pictures, and the guy writing my whole fucking life story would know about us, and then Yokai¡­ Ranko bit her lip, shaking her head slightly after a long moment. ¡°I''ll be okay.¡±

    ¡°Alright. If you''re sure. But you should probably start getting dressed, baby girl. C¡¯mon, I''ll help you do your hair.¡± Akane patted her wife gently on the bare thigh.

    Ranko nodded, sitting up with a quiet grumble and laying the dress out on the bed. She brushed her hair out of her eyes as Akane walked to the dresser, willing her hands to stop shaking as they passed her eyes. ¡°Remember, we''re going to Enzo¡¯s, in Shibuya.¡±

    ¡°I know, dummy. You''ve told me three times already. You don''t have to rub it in so much that he''s taking you to one of the best places in town, ya know.¡± Akane rolled her eyes as she returned with a hairbrush in hand.

    I''m not, Akane. Ranko looked down at her hands in silence as her wife began to run a pink chrome detangling brush through her hair. I just want you to know where to start looking for me if I don''t come home.

    <hr>

    ¡°Good afternoon! Welcome to Enzo¡¯s, ma¡¯am. Do you have a reservation?¡±

    Ranko looked up at the elderly maitre¡¯d at his sidewalk podium, holding the skirt of her mint dress down to guard against a sudden gust of wind. Don¡¯t need to pull a Marilyn today, thank you. ¡°Yes, please. It should be under Tendo?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm.¡± The attendant scoured his notebook, looking back up at the songstress in dismay. ¡°I''m afraid I don''t have anything under that name, ma¡¯am.¡±

    Ranko sighed, shaking her head. Of course not, dummy. He made the reservations. ¡°I''m meeting someone here. Sora Inaba? I''m not sure if he''s here yet.¡±

    The aging man adjusted his thick glasses on his nose, looking down at his schedule book again. ¡°Ah! Yes, he was seated a few minutes ago. Follow me, please, miss.¡±

    Ranko accompanied the man in the red sport coat as he led her through the glass doors and into the building. The interior was richly decorated, with dark wood paneling lining the walls. Ranko was led past a set of plush red velvet chairs with brass fittings into the main dining room, where dozens of tables covered in red linens were crowded with people. The air was filled with the smell of tomato sauce and the sound of Frank Sinatra. Every half-wall was draped with slightly dusty fake grapes, and here and there, a faux marble bust of some Roman goddess or other. Paintings of various Roman ruins and Tuscan farmhouses in gold-painted frames dotted the walls.

    Ranko was directed to a relatively secluded table at the back of the restaurant. Sora stood when he recognized her, offering her a polite bow which she returned. ¡°Ranko! Hi. You look¡­¡±

    Oh, please don''t compliment me. It''ll just make this whole thing that much weirder, Ranko thought as she took the seat the maitre''d pulled out for her. So weird that having my chair pulled out for me is starting to feel normal, she mused with a slightly flushed face. She removed her white wide-brimmed hat, setting it in the empty chair next to her along with her purse and her sunglasses and pulling the chair closer to her side of the table. ¡°Hey, Sora. So, how do we wanna do this?¡±

    The young man across from her shrugged his shoulders in his gray suit coat. He reached into his interior breast pocket, removing a small notebook and a pen. ¡°Getting right to business, huh? Alright. I figure, I''ll just ask you some questions, and you tell me whatever you want if you want to add something. Does that work for you?¡±

    Ranko nodded, biting into a breadstick from the wicker basket on the table, lined with a white cloth napkin. ¡°Works for me,¡± she said, covering her mouth with her manicured fingers as she spoke while chewing.

    ¡°Well, I guess, let''s start with the basics. Where were you born, stuff like that?¡± Sora smiled disarmingly at the nervous-looking redhead, scratching his temple with the back of his disposable ballpoint pen. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    Ranko swallowed her mouthful of bread. Not much risk in sharing that, I guess. ¡°Yokohama. November twenty-fifth, 1971.¡±

    Sora nodded, noting her answer in his book. ¡°Right on. And your parents?¡±

    The redhead sighed heavily. That¡¯s the third rail right off the bat, buddy. ¡°I¡­ don''t like to talk about them much, if that''s okay. My pop¡­ took me away from my mother when I was really little, and I didn''t see her again until last year.¡±

    ¡°Oof. That must¡¯ve been rough. I saw an interview where you said you traveled a lot as a kid?¡± Sora listened intently, eschewing the breadsticks in order to give the songstress his undivided attention.

    Ranko nodded. ¡°Yeah. My old man took me all over when I was a kid. Damn near everywhere in Japan, India a little bit, Thailand, Korea¡­¡± She looked down, swallowing hard as a wave of nervousness crossed her face. ¡°China¡­¡±

    Sora nodded, adding little stars next to the names of the bullet points in his notebook. ¡°It must be surreal for you, going back to some of those places now on your tour. Any favorites?¡±

    As he finished his question, a young blonde server in a white dress shirt, black bow tie and black slacks approached the table. ¡°Hello! Welcome to Enzo¡¯s. My name is Emilie, and I''ll be taking care of you. Can I get you two something to drink while you look over the menu?¡± She smiled brightly at Ranko. ¡°Oh, I love your dress!¡±

    Ranko blinked, having not even picked the menu up yet. ¡°Thanks. Um, just a soda for me, please.¡± She scooped up the laminated sheet, beginning to scan over it. I don¡¯t even know what half of this stuff is; it¡¯s all in freaking Italian.

    ¡°You sure? I¡¯m buying, you know. You don¡¯t want some wine or something?¡± Sora looked up to the server. ¡°A bottle of whatever red you recommend, please, and an appetizer sampler for the table.¡±

    The redhead shook her head, bristling as her dangling silver heart earrings tickled her neck. Last thing I want is¡­ ¡°I¡¯m good. Thanks, though.¡± As the server darted off with their drink orders, Ranko turned back to her lunch companion. ¡°Yeah, it can be weird. I¡¯m going back to China in a few months, and¡­ there¡¯s a few places there I¡¯m really looking forward to seeing again.¡± Because I still want some friggin¡¯ answers.

    ¡°Right on! Yeah, sorry for bringing that up. Before today, I went and re-watched all your interviews, and re-read all the Firebird newsletters, and I¡¯ve noticed you don¡¯t talk about your childhood all that much. I just figured, I had to say I tried in case Teach asks why I didn¡¯t include it.¡± Sora sipped at his water, watching his companion¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Ranko sighed, looking down at her hands and picking idly at one of her cuticles. ¡°There¡¯s a reason for that, okay? Got some stuff in my past that¡¯s better off left there.¡±

    Sora frowned, tapping his notebook with the back of his pen. ¡°Sure, but¡­ this is a biographical project. We¡¯ve got to have some detail on more than just the last few years, don¡¯t we?¡±

    The nervous songstress shrugged, a no-nonsense glare of warning in her eyes. ¡°You knew I¡¯m not a fan of talking about that stuff when you picked me to do your paper on. Now, drop it, or I walk. I¡¯m not playin¡¯, Sora.¡±

    ¡°Alright! Alright! Sheesh!¡± The handsome young man chuckled, putting up his hands in supplicant surrender as the server returned with his wine and Ranko¡¯s soda, as well as a basket of fried foods. ¡°But you got out of it, at least, so that¡¯s something.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Let''s just say the old man wasn''t Father of the Year, and I had to split. Make my own way for a little while.¡±

    Sora nodded softly. ¡°Yeah, I remember you talking about that on Bangers on the Beach. And that''s when you met your family? Your new one, I mean, at the Phoenix?¡±

    Ranko nodded, managing a smile. ¡°Yeah. Went in looking for a job, and next thing I knew, they were telling me I could sleep upstairs, throwing me a birthday party¡­ I didn¡¯t know what the heck to make of anything. I¡¯d never really had¡­ family to speak of, and it took the better part of a month before I even felt safe to unpack my backpack, ya know? Kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, and it just¡­ never did. Next thing I know, I¡¯ve got four sisters, a mom, a whole new wardrobe, a stage, a band¡­¡±

    Akane, Ranko finished silently in her mind.

    Sora nodded appreciatively as the server dropped off a new basket of breadsticks and a wooden tray full of smaller dishes. ¡°Right on. That¡¯s really amazing of them! And you said they¡¯ve done this before?¡± He picked up an arancino, waving it in the air a bit to let it cool as he spoke.

    His lunch companion scooped up a piece of bruschetta from the tray, nodding as she popped it into her mouth. It took her a moment to finish chewing before she could answer. ¡°Yep. All of us.¡± Not sure I should talk about Aya¡¯s deal. ¡°That¡¯s the thing with the Phoenix - all of us kinda got dealt shitty hands when it came to our families, and so we decided to just¡­ make our own, one new girl at a time. And now, our family looks exactly like we want it to, and everybody can feel safe and at home there.¡±

    Except me. I still have to lie. It was the deal I made. It was the price I had to pay to save them.

    ¡°And then you met your husband, right? Aki, his name is?¡± Sora grinned, tipping his wine glass gently in Ranko¡¯s direction. ¡°Not for nothing, but I gotta say, he¡¯s one lucky dude.¡± He was surprised when his compliment was met not with a smile, but a sigh and drooped shoulders. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m sorry if I was out of line. It¡¯s just, ya know, with you bein¡¯ all famous and everyth¡­¡±

    He was interrupted by a wave of a raised hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Sora. It¡¯s¡­ not you. Aki is¡­ yeah. He¡¯s amazing. He¡¯s¡­ my everything. My song,¡± she emphasized, playing with her wedding band with her thumb.

    ¡°Yeah? How¡¯d you two meet?¡± Sora took a second arancino, nudging the small white plate containing the last one closer to Ranko.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Ranko blushed. Can¡¯t believe we never came up with an explanation for this. Shit. Umm¡­

    ¡°We met at the bar.  He came to see a show, and¡­ well, it was love at first sight. And I think he might¡¯ve even liked me, too.¡± Ranko smiled, recounting the first night her wife met a girl named Ranko Tendo in the alley behind the Phoenix. ¡°We started dating not long after that. This would¡¯ve been¡­ around Christmastime, of ¡®89.¡±

    Sora grinned. ¡°Wow, you two moved fast then, if you¡¯re already married.¡± He spoke around a mouthful of half-chewed bruschetta.

    The redhead nodded. ¡°I guess you could say that. It was¡­¡± Think about Aki, Ranko. Not Akane. It¡¯ll help keep the story straight. She bit into the remaining arancino, using her chewing to buy herself time to formulate her story. ¡°It was Valentine¡¯s Day, last year. And he was with me all day, ¡®cause he played my boyfriend in the Sneak video. And after we shot the video, he took me back to the bar, and he had this absolutely amazing dress waiting for me there. And I got all fancied up, and he took me to this really ritzy French fusion restaurant down on the water by the Rainbow Bridge.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you mean Maison Ikkoku?¡± Ranko¡¯s lunch companion tipped his empty wine glass to the server, who set about refilling it for him from the bottle she¡¯d brought to the table.

    Ranko nodded with a bright smile. ¡°That¡¯s the one! And then we went upstairs and danced - I¡¯d never slow danced before, but he taught me. And we went outside on the balcony while the fireworks were going off, and he got down on one knee, and¡­¡±

    And ¡®he¡¯ made me ¡®his¡¯ princess. Forever, she mused. It broke her heart to have to lie about her lover¡¯s gender, but thinking about their love story never failed to bring a smile to her lips even if certain details did need to be hidden.

    Sora grinned. ¡°That¡¯s so sweet! And then you got married, I¡¯m guessing?¡±

    With a soft smile and a quiet sigh, Ranko bobbed her head. ¡°In July of last year.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised I didn¡¯t hear about it; a celebrity wedding in the middle of our part of Tokyo?¡± Sora shrugged, dipping a breadstick in a small ceramic ramekin of fragrant olive oil and herbs.

    The redhead shook her head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t super huge. Mostly just our families. I didn¡¯t want a big wedding. Hell, I would¡¯ve done it in a tee shirt and a pair of sweats if Aki would¡¯ve let me. I didn¡¯t care, as long as at the end of the day, I got to be Mrs. Tendo.¡±

    Sora sipped at his refreshed wine, listening intently to his report subject¡¯s story. ¡°Well, it must be incredible, what you two have. I think talking about him just now is the first time I¡¯ve seen you smile all day.¡±

    ¡°Ak¡­ Aki¡­ is my everything.¡± Ranko sighed quietly, sipping at her soda glass.

    Her young companion smiled, waving his thanks to the waitress as she delivered their salad course. ¡°As your classmate, your friend, and your unofficial biographer, I hope I get to meet him one day. He sounds incredible.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s smile faded, and she slumped her shoulders despondently. ¡°Maybe one day.¡±

 102. Not Quite Right

    ¡°Just pick up the pen, and start again; this time, you write the story! You have always been your heroine; no damsel in distress¡­¡±

    Akane sighed, leaning on the service bar counter with a quiet groan. Even by Saturday standards, the Phoenix was packed, and she hadn¡¯t had a break in hours. For as tired as she felt, though, she could only imagine how beat Ranko must have been, four hours into her performance after another grueling cheerleading practice. I swear, that coach of hers is out to kill her, she thought with pity in her eyes.

    ¡°You okay there, Akane?¡± Mei leaned over the wooden bar counter in a kelly green hoodie, resting her hand on her sister¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Need a minute?¡±

    Shrugging, Akane slumped over the table. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t matter if I did; I can¡¯t afford to take one. I¡¯m six orders deep, and there¡¯s no sign of it letting up. Only reason it¡¯s not worse is Ranko doing back-to-back sets and keeping them occupied, and she¡¯s dragging ass, too. You can tell; she¡¯s barely even dancing up there. How are you holding up in the kitchen?¡±

    ¡°You are a non-compliant, strong, defiant, self-rescuing princess!¡± came Ranko¡¯s final declaration from the stage.

    Mei rolled her eyes, exhaling heavily as she looked over her stack of yellow order slips. ¡°Not too bad, I guess. Four pizzas, a couple baskets of chicken and some popcorn shrimp. I should be able to catch up in a few minutes,¡± she proclaimed at a shout over the crowd¡¯s raucous cheers for her sister¡¯s song.

    The young server nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°That¡¯s good. We¡¯re way behind on drinks, though. Izzi had to run home to help Kaito with Mioko, so we¡¯ve just got Yui.¡±

    ¡°Awww, no. Poor thing still sick?¡± Mei frowned, her shoulders drooping.

    Akane nodded again. ¡°Running almost a thirty-eight degree fever. Hopefully Izzi will be able to get her to sleep, and she said she¡¯d come back if she could. We called Aya, but we got her machine. I think she had plans with Kage tonight. And as for Yui¡­¡± Akane glanced over at the main bar, where Yui was trying to serve drinks with one hand while holding the bar¡¯s cordless telephone to her ear with her left shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the hell she¡¯s doing over there.¡±

    Mei shrugged. ¡°Who knows? Boss lady¡¯s gonna do what boss lady¡¯s gonna do. We¡¯re not gonna be able to keep this pace up, though. We¡¯re definitely gonna have to hire somebody else soon.¡±

    ¡°You bet your ass we are!¡± Yui whooped loudly behind the main bar, pressing the green button on the telephone receiver to end the call. She darted over to her sisters, throwing her arms around both of them in jubilation. ¡°That was Sakura! She just got the letter - the loan went through!¡±

    ¡°You mean¡­¡± Akane covered her gaping mouth with her hand.

    Yui grabbed a bottle of beer from the well, slamming it against the edge of the wood countertop to remove its cap and holding it up over her head. Cold water from the ice dripped down her arm, but she ignored the chill trickling its way to her elbow. ¡°Damn straight I do! CLUB FIREBIRD IS FUCKING HAPPENING!¡±

    Akane cheered alongside Mei, but her face took on an air of concern as Yui raised the bottle to her lips. ¡°Hey, Yui¡­ sis, should you be¡­ ya know, doing that? Drinking, and all?¡±

    The blonde bobbed her head, making a little squeak of acknowledgement around the neck of the brown glass bottle. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Me and Sake have done a couple of trial runs at home, where she could keep an eye on me, and I¡¯ve been able to limit it to just one at a time. So, as long as I¡¯m careful, I think it¡¯ll be alright. Amazing what happens when you¡¯re not depressed as shit all the time. Thanks for looking out, Akane, really - but tonight, I don¡¯t give a shit; we¡¯re gonna celebrate!¡±

    A masculine voice called from Akane¡¯s right, closer to the main bar. It drew the attention of all three of the sisters behind the service bar. ¡°Hold on, now! What are we celebrating?¡±

    Akane looked up to the newcomer, shaking her head in surprise. ¡°Sho! Hi! I didn¡¯t expect to see you here tonight!¡± She tipped the soda glass Mei had just handed her in the direction of Yui. ¡°You¡¯re looking at the proud owner of the empty building next door, and over the next few months, we¡¯re gonna build out a whole-ass nightclub over there! Can you believe it?!¡±

    ¡°Owners, plural,¡± Yui insisted. ¡°Just like the main bar, we¡¯re all doing this together.¡± She reached out, clinking her beer bottle against Akane¡¯s soda glass.

    Sho laughed, reaching out and wrapping Akane in a hug. ¡°That¡¯s fantastic! I¡¯m so happy for you girls! When do you start construction?¡±

    Yui grinned broadly, wiping her lips on the sleeve of her yellow satin blouse. ¡°As soon as the check clears. Maybe sooner, considering our sister¡¯s married to the general contractor and he knows we¡¯re good for it.¡±

    As she spoke, another member of the haphazard Phoenix clan approached, pushing her way slowly through the revelrous throng from the direction of the stage. Mei shuddered at the icy glare in Ranko¡¯s eyes as she watched Sho disengage from the hug with Akane. Mei declined to mention her sister¡¯s obvious displeasure, pouring a pilsner glass of soda and handing it across the bar. ¡°Here, sis. You¡¯ve gotta be parched. You¡¯ve been up there for over two hours straight.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ranko¡¯s eyes darted from Akane, to Yui, to Mei, and back again as she sipped from her drink. She wore a sparkly red A-line dress and a pair of patent red heels, her hair braided in her once-signature ponytail with a white bow tied around its tip. A wide white vinyl belt circumnavigated her waist, its clasp shaped like a small bow situated just over her left hip. She did not afford Sho the respect of eye contact. The exhausted redhead leaned against the wall dividing the service bar from the back third of the room, setting her half-empty soda glass on the bar counter.

    Akane walked the two steps over to her wife, pulling her into an excited hug. ¡°Yui and Sakura¡¯s loan came through for the building! We¡¯re celebrating!¡±

    ¡°You sure are,¡± Ranko said, a dark, annoyed glaze in her eyes as she peered at Sho over her lover¡¯s shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s great, Yui. Really!¡±

    Sho cringed a bit, rolling his eyes slightly. ¡°I¡­ think I¡¯d better go.¡± He drained the rest of his craft beer into his mouth, leaving the empty glass on the service bar counter. ¡°Ladies.¡±

    ¡°Wait, Sho! You just got here! You should hang out,¡± Akane pleaded. ¡°Stay, please? We¡¯d love to have you!¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Oh, sure we would, Akane, Ranko thought, not taking her piercing blue eyes off the man in the form-fitting black athletic tee shirt and gray slacks. Absolutely fucking overjoyed right here, watching him hanging all over you in my fucking house.

    The young man chuckled nervously, raising his open hands in an attempt to appear non-threatening. ¡°No, I think I¡¯m good. I just remembered, I have¡­ some homework to do. I really am happy for you girls. Akane, I¡¯ll see you in class on Monday?¡±

    ¡°You bet!¡± Akane waved to her friend with a smile, turning back to Ranko as Sho began pushing his way toward the front door. ¡°Well, that was weird.¡±

    Ranko shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°His loss. Probably gonna do Demon again when we get back up there, and the place always goes nuts for that.¡±

    Akane put her hands on the hips of her tight blue jeans, an aggravated expression forming on her face. ¡°You ran him off, didn¡¯t you?! Gods, Ranko, what is your problem with him?!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say nothin¡¯,¡± Ranko said, slumping her shoulders. ¡°I just don¡¯t like him hanging all over you, that¡¯s all. Gives me the creeps.¡± The redhead reached behind herself for her soda glass, eyeing it nervously just before it reached her lips. She handed it over the counter to Mei. ¡°Hey, sis, would you mind dumping this out and pouring a new one, please?¡±

    ¡°...Sure?¡± Mei gave her sister a curious look as she rinsed out the glass, filling it with fresh ice and soda. What¡¯s that all about?

    Akane growled gutturally, rolling her eyes to the ceiling in exasperation. ¡°Honestly! When are you going to figure out that I¡¯m not going to¡­¡± She lowered her volume, realizing at the last moment how loudly her voice was carrying. ¡°I¡¯m not going to fucking leave you for him.¡±

    The songstress sighed, clapping her hands to her sides. ¡°I know that.¡± At least, I hope I do. ¡°You know that. The problem is, I¡¯m not entirely sure he knows that.¡±

    ¡°Oh, he knows. But, if it ever came to that, I¡¯d tell him again, ya big dummy,¡± Akane said, shaking her head. ¡°I like girls.¡± I¡¯d show you again and remind you, but you won¡¯t let me touch you, the raven-haired woman fretted. And you won¡¯t even friggin¡¯ tell me why. What did I do wrong? Why are you so standoffish about everything?

    Yui crossed the gap between the main and service bars, placing two Dragonfire cocktails and a pair of long-necked brown beer bottles on the counter. ¡°Akane, here. This is table twelve.¡± She glanced up at Ranko as she spoke.

    Akane nodded, scooping the drinks up onto a cork board tray. ¡°Thanks, Yui. They were getting kinda restless waiting on these. Be right back.¡± She darted off in the direction of the far corner of the bar room, her yellow tunic shirt whipping around her waist like a skirt as she did. Wish I could pull off the roller skates in here like I did last Halloween last year more often. My legs are killing me, she thought as she made her way to the far six-top table.

    Spying a wave from Crash on the stage, Ranko downed half of her soda in one long draught. ¡°Duty calls, I guess,¡± she said with a groan.

    ¡°¡®Ey, Ranko? C¡¯mere a sec,¡± Yui said, motioning her youngest sister closer from behind the bar.

    ¡°I gotta get back up there, Yui,¡± Ranko replied, finishing her soda and leaving the glass on the service bar. ¡°They¡¯re waiting for me.¡±

    Yui shook her head, the tips of her blonde bob tickling her shoulders through the open neckline of her tan satin blouse. ¡°They can wait a minute. C¡¯mon, kiddo.¡± She reached behind her, holding the slatted blue saloon door leading into the back rooms open for her sister.

    The redhead followed her into the narrow hallway, her heels echoing with ominously loud clacks on the white linoleum floor as Yui led her into the office that now bore her wife¡¯s name on the door. The room was much cleaner and more organized since Sakura had taken it over, and every corner was bursting with live potted plants. The red and orange phoenix painting Ranko had bought her mother peered down at her watchfully from behind the desk as she entered the room, taking a seat on the tattered leather couch. As much as the room had been chaos before, Ranko missed it. It was Mom¡¯s way. Everything was a disaster, but she knew just how to navigate it. That¡¯s just who she is.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Yui?¡± she asked with no small measure of nervousness in her voice.

    ¡°Alright,¡± the bar¡¯s new proprietress began, sitting on the corner of Sakura¡¯s desk. ¡°I¡¯ve had about enough of this. I wanna know what¡¯s going on in that head of yours, and I wanna know now.¡±

    Ranko swallowed hard, seeming to shrink in stature on the couch under her much taller sister¡¯s gaze. ¡°I¡¯ve just¡­ got a lotta shit going on, okay? It¡¯s nothing I wanna talk about. Not yet, anyway. I¡¯m just trying to figure some stuff out.¡±

    The blonde sighed, crossing her arms over her ample chest. ¡°I get that, but you do know you¡¯ve got a whole lot of people around here who could help you figure it out, if you¡¯d let us in, right? We always go round and round on this crap with you. You keep your mouth shut until the shit hits the fan, and then everything blows over once you actually open up. We¡¯re worried about you. All of us, especially Akane. So how about we skip the drama and go right to the part where you start talking, just this once?¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand, Yui,¡± Ranko replied, her eyes falling to her folded hands in her lap. You¡¯ve all been girls your whole life. And unless you¡¯ve been holding out on your own stories, the closest any of you ever came to what happened to me was with Mei, and I beat the son of a bitch half to death in the alley, she recalled darkly. She visibly shuddered at the memory. Get out of my head, Mikado. That¡¯s the last fucking thing I need right now.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t like that guy, that¡¯s all. He¡¯s too handsy, and too close with Akane.¡± Let¡¯s focus on that, Ranko thought, and not the other thing.

    Yui groaned, rolling her eyes. ¡°First of all, Sho¡¯s a decent dude. He didn¡¯t try anything either time you were gone for weeks at a time, and if he had, Akane would have wiped the floor with him. That girl¡¯s a Rankosexual. She only has eyes for you. I would hope you know that by now.¡± She slid her backside carefully off of the desk in her black pencil skirt, walking around Ranko¡¯s legs and sitting on the couch next to her sister. ¡°But,¡± she said as she draped her arm over the redhead¡¯s shoulders, ¡°you and I both know that¡¯s not the only thing bothering you, so stop deflecting and talk to me.¡±

    Ranko sighed, leaning to her left and resting her head on Yui¡¯s chest as her sister held her. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to talk about it, Yui. I¡¯m just¡­ not ready. I don¡¯t know what I feel. I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m kind of a mess right now, and I need a little more time to make sense of everything. That¡¯s all. I¡¯m gonna be okay. I just don¡¯t know when.¡±

    The blonde nodded, lowering her head and kissing her little sister through her hairspray-coated coif. ¡°Fair enough, but if this crap continues too much longer, with you being all mopey and distant and grumpy and shit, I¡¯m going to break out the nuclear option. You need to talk to somebody, kiddo. One of us, your therapist guy, Akane, or somebody.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± Ranko pleaded, sitting up to look earnestly at her sister. ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡±

    Yui shrugged. ¡°Ask me if I care.¡± She reached out, poking her sister gently on the nose with her index finger. ¡°So, it¡¯s your choice. You can figure this out, or you can let us in so we can help you.¡± The bartender stood from the couch, turning on her heel to face her youngest sister.

    ¡°But if you don¡¯t get out of this funk, and soon, I¡¯m calling Mama.¡±

 103. Griddle Me This

    Ranko sighed softly to herself, running her fingers along the chain-link fence that ran parallel to the sidewalk. She peered through the interlaced metal wire into the river beyond, chuckling as she remembered countless times she had fallen into it after a prank from Akane or a punch from heavens-knew-who. Yeah, not so much with the ¡°oh no, please don¡¯t make me a girl¡± now, are ya, Ranko? She had to admonish herself not to hop up and walk on the top of the fence, just for old time¡¯s sake. Don¡¯t need to draw that much attention to myself. Not here. Last thing I need right now is people lookin¡¯ for autographs in this part of town.

    She blushed, waving to a pair of girls running along the sidewalk in the opposite direction in their rush to make it to school before the final bell. Both wore blue and white Furinkan High cheerleading uniforms. Yeah, not a lot of Furinkan school spirit for me, thanks. Yusue High, class of 1992, baby! Mess with the cat, you get the claws!

    Stretching her arms high above her head as she turned the corner, she managed another wave for an old woman in a jade green kimono that was ladling water onto the street. ¡°Morning, Mrs. Chinen!¡± Man, it¡¯s nice to walk past you and not be afraid of you, Ranko mused with a tentative smile.

    The kindly old lady returned her wave with her ladle hand, straightening her hunched back to look up at the redheaded newcomer. It took the decrepit woman a few moments to do so, but when she did, her smile was warm and sweet. ¡°Well, hello, dear. Do¡­ I know you? You look familiar, but¡­ at my age, sometimes I¡¯m not so good with faces.¡±

    Ranko nodded softly, another quiet sigh escaping her lips. ¡°Yeah, I¡­ used to go to school around here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Mrs. Chinen said, slapping her thigh gently with her hand. ¡°I remember! You¡¯re one of Mayor Tendo¡¯s girls, right?¡±

    The redhead flushed, her smile widening. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am! You got it!¡± I really should stop in and say hey to Dad and Kasumi while I¡¯m in this part of town, she thought. Her brow furrowed, and she looked down to her silver cheerleading sneakers. But¡­ they¡¯re the last ones I need to be bringing all of this crap to. They¡¯d lose their minds. ¡°I need to get going, but, you have a good day, now!¡±

    ¡°You too, dearie,¡± the sweet old lady replied, waving creakily before returning to her daily uchimizu ritual once the young woman had continued along the sidewalk.

    After another few moments of walking, Ranko closed her eyes, inhaling deeply through her nose. I could navigate from here on scent alone, she thought with a smile as she hurried across the street to a strip mall. At its far left end was a storefront with a long red awning, though the signage hung from it had changed since the first time Ranko had set foot in the little restaurant. Not gonna miss that ramen place, she mused as she slid open the door and stepped inside.

    ¡°Good morning! Welcome to Uk-chan¡¯s!¡± A bubbly server with long auburn hair darted up to Ranko in a frantic rush despite the fact that the restaurant was nearly empty. ¡°Can I¡­ wait, is that¡­¡±

    Ranko nodded, giving the server a bashful wave. ¡°Hey! Good to see ya, Tsubasa. Is she around?¡±

    ¡°You bet, Ranko!¡± The effervescent server in the flowery pink kimono bowed low. ¡°She¡¯s just in the back. She¡¯ll be right out! Go ahead and grab a seat anywhere you like!¡±

    Nodding again, Ranko approached the open-air griddle counter, sliding her backside up onto one of the red vinyl stools on the customer side. She shook her head, smiling in the direction of the young waiter. He really pulls that look off. I swear, you¡¯d never know he was a guy the way he dresses. But, if it makes him happy¡­ I mean, hell, who am I, of all people, to judge about people screwing around with what boys and girls are supposed to do?

    ¡°Ya know, Tsubasa, if you¡¯re ever in the market for some really cute dresses, I bet Izzi would love the chance to hook you up. And she¡¯d be able to tailor everything just right for ya, so it¡¯s more comfortable.¡± Indeed, she¡¯d changed into her masculine form enough times while wearing dresses - back when such a thing was possible for her - to know how uncomfortable they could sometimes be on a body shaped like a boy¡¯s. She bit her lip, wondering again about the circumstances that had led to the curse of Jusenkyo sealing itself as it had on her wedding day - or perhaps earlier. She honestly had no idea. It had been so long since she had even attempted to return to her male form by then, it could have been a year or more that Jusenkyo¡¯s magic had laid dormant within her before she knew it, and she wouldn¡¯t have had a clue. I¡¯m gonna get my answers soon, she hoped.

    Tsubasa charged up to the stool, stars in his eyes. ¡°Really?! You think she would¡­ like¡­ the designer who dresses Ranko freakin¡¯ TENDO might make outfits for me?!¡±

    Ranko smiled warmly. Doesn¡¯t suck having connections. ¡°Tell you what. We¡¯re in the middle of building her a whole new workshop, and once it¡¯s done, she¡¯ll be pumpin¡¯ out cute stuff faster than she ever could before. Come by the Phoenix in a month or so, and tell Izzi you¡¯re my friend, and I bet she¡¯ll do you a solid. You¡¯ll probably have to cover the cost of the fabr¡­¡±

    The rest of her sentence was lost, along with all of the air in her lungs, when Tsubasa threw himself at her ribs. He hugged the squirming songstress hard enough to nearly knock her off her stool. ¡°Thanks, Ran-chan! You¡¯re the freakin¡¯ best!¡±

    ¡°Uh, sure!¡± Ranko chuckled as she slowly pried Tsubasa¡¯s arms from around her waist, accidentally knocking the large pink grosgrain bow in his hair askew in doing so. Not really trying to be grabbed at by dudes right now, even ones who look just like girls, she thought.

    The beige shoji door to the back room slid open, and a merry voice wafted out from behind it. ¡°Is that who I think it is?¡±

    Ranko, having finally wriggled free of Tsubasa¡¯s grasp, waved sheepishly. ¡°Hey, Ukyo.¡±

    The chef removed the giant okonomiyaki peel from its holster on her back, resting it on the countertop next to the hot griddle. ¡°C¡¯mere, you.¡± She leaned over the counter, and Ranko stood up on the footrests of her stool to meet her in a hug. ¡°How you doin¡¯, sugar? You okay?¡±

    The redhead shook her head balefully as she was released. ¡°Not¡­ especially. Can¡­ can we talk for a minute?¡± She glanced back at the young man in the flowery kimono, who was busying himself dusting the red vinyl booth benches with a feather duster for probably the third time that day. ¡°Alone?¡±

    Ukyo scanned the empty restaurant. ¡°I think we can arrange that. Hey, Tsu-tsu?¡± She waited until she had her lone employee¡¯s attention before continuing. ¡°Wanna take your break? And go ahead and put the closed sign up for the next hour or so, ¡®kay? Thanks, hon!¡±

    Ranko waited until the boy in the kimono had exited the restaurant before turning back to Ukyo. ¡°Does that ever get weird for you? Him dressing like that?¡±

    The chef in the blue jumpsuit shrugged. ¡°As long as he keeps my customers happy, I don¡¯t give a damn if he dresses like a freakin¡¯ mailbox. We get a complaint every once in a while if somebody clocks him as male; I give ¡®em one warning, and if they say anything after that, I toss ¡®em out on their asses. Tsubasa¡¯s a good guy - a little clingy for my tastes when he first started working here, I¡¯ll admit - but once I told him I was in a committed relationship with Crash, he backed off. But he shows up to work, he does what he¡¯s told, and he does it with a smile on his face - and he works cheap, besides. What more could you ask for?¡±

    ¡°I guess,¡± Ranko said with a shrug. Her face brightened as Ukyo began pouring a ladle full of viscous batter onto the griddle with a loud sizzle, her stomach growling in appreciation before her lips could do so.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Ukyo used one of the small spatulas strapped to the bandolier across her chest to form the batter into a roughly round shape, speaking as she focused on her work. ¡°I¡¯m glad you came by, Ran-chan. I¡¯ve been really worried about you since you guys got back.¡±

    The redhead swallowed hard. ¡°I¡¯m guessing Crash¡­ told you.¡± She hung her head over the counter, and not even the double helping of shrimp being heaped into the congealing pool of batter could lift her spirits.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ukyo frowned, turning her eyes up to her dejected friend. ¡°I¡¯m glad he was there for you. Lance, too.¡±

    Ranko nodded sadly. ¡°Me too. I¡¯d have been¡­ fuck, who knows where I¡¯d be, or even¡­¡± She shuddered, deciding it better not to finish the thought in her mind. ¡°He¡¯s a good guy, Ukyo. Real good. Anybody else, and I¡¯d never sleep again knowing I was alone with them in that state. If it had been Shinji sleeping in my room when I woke up¡­ I¡¯d probably have gone and gotten a pregnancy test, just in case.¡± Her stomach lurched at the very thought of it, and she prayed it would right itself before the lunch Ukyo was preparing for her was ready. She fidgeted with a bottle of soy sauce on the countertop as she spoke, just for something to do with her hands and distract herself from the intrusive thoughts.

    ¡°Well, I guess the important thing is that you¡¯re okay,¡± Ukyo said pensively. ¡°But I can imagine it¡¯s rough for you anyway. I mean, any girl that went through something like that would be freaked out, but for you¡­¡±

    The young songstress slumped forward onto her elbows on the countertop, hanging her head lowly enough for her flame-red hair to pool on the mica surface. ¡°I shoulda seen it coming, Ukyo. I shoulda been ready. And now I just¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do now. Everything feels weird. I freak out whenever I¡¯m around guys, or whenever Akane tries to get close. It¡¯s like my skin is crawling with spiders and I just wanna shake ¡®em off and go hide in the closet. It¡¯s especially bad around Akane, ¡®cause like, a part of me feels ashamed ¡®cause I let it happen, and a part of me¡­ feels dirty somehow, and it¡¯s like I don¡¯t wanna get it on her.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll pass, honey. I promise.¡± Ukyo carefully flipped the okonomiyaki over on the griddle, spooning a bit of sauce over it as the underside began to cook. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard, but you gotta focus on the fact that you are okay. It was close - damn close - but you dodged the bullet. Thank the gods for it, learn from it, and try to move on. What does Akane say about all this?¡±

    Ranko peeled open a pair of disposable chopsticks, breaking the chopstick rest off of the back and separating them. She said nothing.

    ¡°... Ranko? You have told her, right?!¡± Ukyo¡¯s voice took on an almost matronly tone as she plated the extra-large okonomiyaki and slid it across the countertop to her waiting friend.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Ranko muttered around a mouthful of cabbage and shrimp.

    Ukyo looked the chewing redhead over skeptically, resting her fists on her waist. ¡°Liar.¡±

    Ranko hung her head in shame, acknowledging the truth with a small nod. ¡°I tried, Ukyo. On the phone, the day after. I swear I did. And I just¡­ the words wouldn¡¯t come out. The second I say ¡®em, I¡¯m not gonna be the same person in her eyes anymore. I¡¯m gonna be¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna be her fucking wife, dumbass. Same as you always were.¡± The chef laid her spatula across the counter, walking around to the customer side and softly putting her arm around her friend as she ate.

    With a heavy sigh, Ranko set her chopsticks down on her plate and leaned to her side on the stool, resting her head against her friend¡¯s torso. ¡°Depends on who you ask. If you ask Yokai, I¡¯m not even allowed to like her. ¡®Cause, it doesn¡¯t matter if I can sell out stadiums in a dozen countries. Four Japan Record Awards? Who cares?! What¡¯s really important to the fans is who I fuck when I go home, I guess.¡±

    Ukyo squeezed the redhead tighter, rubbing her back through the mauve sweater dress Ranko wore. ¡°Oh, honey. I know. It breaks my heart that they made you sign that stupid thing. You should have seen Crash the night he found out. Maddest I¡¯ve ever seen him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll bet,¡± Ranko said in a hollow tone, trying to convince her stomach to rediscover its interest in her favorite meal. ¡°I cost him a bunch of money with that shit. Shinji damn near quit the band over it. Then again, if a ghost farts too loud near the stage, Shin threatens to walk out on us, so¡­¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that, dipshit,¡± Ukyo said with a mocking shake of her head, the ever-present white ribbon in her dark brown ponytail bobbing over her shoulder. ¡°He was furious that they put you over the barrel like that, when you were in a bind and just wanted to help your family. I thought he was gonna walk over to the Yokai office and clock that son of a bitch Kondo himself.¡±

    Ranko sighed, forcing a bite of shrimp past her lips despite the backflips her stomach was executing. ¡°That¡¯s the last thing we¡¯d need. It¡¯d fuck up the new record deal on top of everything else.¡± She spoke as she chewed. After all, Ukyo knows I used to be a dude. I can have a few minutes of break from all the ladylike shit Izzi made me learn. She swallowed hard, clearing her throat with a sip of soda. ¡°They¡¯re supposed to talk to us about that next week, and¡­¡± Ranko sighed, her shoulders slumping. ¡°Maybe once that¡¯s done, we can get back to making music, and I can stop walking on eggshells all the time.¡±

    Ukyo walked back around the counter to take her position behind the griddle again. She began to scrape the blackening remnants of batter off the cooktop into the grease trap on the left side with another spatula from the arsenal strapped between her breasts. ¡°I hope so, Ran-chan, but this Kondo douchebag doesn¡¯t sound like the letting it go type. Assuming nothing changes, what are you gonna do?¡±

    ¡°Suffer, I guess.¡± Ranko pushed the plate containing her half-eaten lunch away with a regretful sigh. ¡°And the longer it goes, the weirder it gets between me and Akane, and now she¡¯s got this friend from school up her ass all the time. Everybody says he¡¯s cool, but I know the second I turn my back, he¡¯s gonna try to make a move on her.¡±

    ¡°And you honestly think that girl¡¯s gonna go for something like that?¡± Ukyo chuckled, squirting a jet of water from a small plastic bottle onto the griddle. She leaned forward with both arms, beginning to clean the sizzling metal surface with a cloth pressed under one of her cooking implements. ¡°Trust me, sugar. If there¡¯s anybody who knows what kind of fight that girl would put up for you, it¡¯s me. Well, maybe Xian Pu and Kuno¡¯s sister, but¡­ they¡¯re not important right now.¡±

    Ranko shrugged again, hunching over and again resting her elbows on the countertop. ¡°Maybe she¡¯d be better off. I dunno.¡± Her voice was a monotone mumble, entirely devoid of emotion.

    Scoffing loudly, Ukyo tossed the dirty washcloth into a white plastic bucket on the floor that still bore most of the label indicating it had once contained pickles. ¡°Ranko Tendo! Honestly, if Akane heard you say that, she¡¯d whack you off that stool so hard, your head would spin. You know she wouldn¡¯t do that to you! Never! Besides, if she did, forget her being upset, I¡¯d fucking kill her!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯d have every right to, Uk-chan. I sold her down the fucking river. For money. My mom and my sisters needed help, and I could¡¯ve called Nabiki, tried to figure something out, but my dumb ass talked myself into a corner, and¡­¡± She threw her bamboo chopsticks down atop her half-eaten okonomiyaki. ¡°I might as well have stuck that fucking fancy pen right in her heart. I swore - on my career - on my fucking music - that I wouldn¡¯t love her. And I mean, it was a lie. Of course it was a lie! But¡­ I should have told Kondo to shove it up his ass. I should¡¯ve fought harder. And now, she knows that anytime the going gets rough, I¡¯m gonna screw her over.¡±

    Ukyo sighed heavily, leaning over the counter next to Ranko and resting her hand on the redhead¡¯s arm. ¡°Look. I¡¯m guessing you haven¡¯t talked to her about this, because I swear, you two are fucking allergic to healthy conversation sometimes. But, I bet, if you asked her - if she were here right now, she¡¯d say she understood. Yokai put you in an absolutely bullshit situation. There was no way to win, despite whatever voodoo Nabiki thinks she might have pulled out of her briefcase given enough time. You were presented with several shitty options, and you chose the least shitty one you could in the moment. And I¡¯ll bet that if you go home and put your arms around Akane, and tell her that you¡¯re in love with her, she¡¯ll believe you and won¡¯t give a second thought to what some sheet of paper in a file cabinet in Shibuya has to say about it. Hell, there¡¯s a five-hundred-year-old scroll on the wall in your dad¡¯s dojo that says you two are flippin¡¯ sisters, and that didn¡¯t stop you two from¡­ well, ya know.¡± She allowed herself a quiet giggle at the thought.

    Ranko¡¯s head drooped again, and Ukyo had to catch her hair before it dragged in the sauce of her unfinished okonomiyaki. ¡°What am I gonna do, Ukyo? Everything is so fucked¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, honey, if you ask me, I¡¯d say all your problems are down to the same two questions.¡±

    Ukyo waited until her friend looked up to make eye contact before finishing her thought.

    ¡°First, you need to figure out who you really trust with all your secrets. And second, you need to figure out how the hell you¡¯re gonna keep ¡®em from everybody else.¡±

 104. Storm Warnings

    The October air around Akane shook with a sudden, loud crack of thunder. Her eyes lifted from the sidewalk, and she stiffened with a startled gasp. Holy shit! She quickened her pace on the slippery concrete as a bolt of lightning branched its way across the darkened sky. I gotta get the hell out of this mess.

    Jogging as best she could in her damp red jumper dress, her heavy backpack full of organic chemistry books held over her head in a vain attempt to keep her black hair dry, Akane finished crossing the Minato University quad. Huddling in the entryway of the arts building to get out of the torrential rain, she dropped her drenched teal backpack on a relatively dry patch of concrete and wrapped her arms tightly around her shivering torso. It¡¯s still damn near a kilometer to the train station from here. Maybe I¡¯d better just chill here for a bit and wait it out. She looked down at her digital watch without uncrossing her arms. Ranko will be starting dinner soon. I¡¯d better call her and let her know I¡¯m going to be late.

    Akane craned her neck, but found no payphone outside the gray brick building, so she shouldered her sopping wet backpack and slipped through the glass door into the lobby of the arts department. To her right, a quartet of girls giggled about something or another; Akane paid them little mind. Another hard shudder crept down her spine as she passed under an air conditioning vent. It felt like someone had dropped ice cubes down the back of her dress.

    She wandered down a long, empty hallway lined with white pine doors leading into smaller classrooms, most seating no more than twenty or thirty students. I really should be more familiar with this building, Akane thought with a pang of guilt. Ranko spends most of her time on campus in here, and I¡¯ve never even so much as walked her to class. Her shoulders slumped, and while she hated the emotion that had caused it, it was a welcome relief from the muscle tension brought on by the spine-deep chill she felt. She glanced back at the tittering girls in the lobby. I don¡¯t even know if she¡¯s made friends with any of these people. Gods know she won¡¯t tell me anything, but any one of them could know what¡¯s wrong with her.

    The drenched girl ducked into a shallow alcove off the corridor, but found nothing but an assortment of ill-stocked vending machines. No phones. Damn. She kept walking, glancing down every side corridor she passed. Maybe I should just call Hana, Akane thought, hanging a left at the end of the hallway to follow the sound of conversation echoing down the narrow passageway. If anybody could get it out of her, I bet her mom could. She chuckled darkly, adjusting the weight of her backpack on her shoulders as she walked. With a fucking crowbar, if necessary. At this point, I¡¯m not picky. I just want to help her. She¡¯s scaring the shit out of me.

    Akane sighed with relief as the hallway opened into a small lounge area featuring a carpeted nook with few couches and plush chairs. Two of the purple chairs had been turned to face each other, and a young man with long black hair was seated in one playing an acoustic guitar for the bored-looking blonde in the other. Akane thought she recognized her from Ranko¡¯s cheerleading squad, but couldn¡¯t recall her name. On the far couch, three girls - freshmen all, Akane assumed based on how young they looked - huddled around the glossy magazine in the hands of the girl in the middle. They seemed quite intrigued by whatever the music industry gossip rag had to say, but Akane was far more interested in the payphone on a floating shelf mounted to the wall a few meters behind the sofa.

    Hurrying around the furniture, Akane swung her bag around on her shoulder, unzipping the front pocket and digging for a coin. She found one after a few moments of fumbling past pencils, the odd hair clip, and a collection of crumbled old receipts for long-forgotten sandwiches and energy drinks. Sighing with relief, she snatched up the blue plastic receiver and slipped the bronze ten-yen coin into the slot. She had to reset the receiver twice and redial the rotary phone, as her hands were shaking too much from the cold to select the correct numbers in sequence. Akane let her soaked backpack slide down her left arm and fall to the floor as the phone began to ring.

    The jaunty melody from the guitar skipped a beat as a loud peal of thunder split the air, shaking the glass door leading out the back of the building in its frame. For a split second, the lights in the lounge flickered, but the power fortunately did not fully go out.

    The sodden girl leaned against the wall, tapping her foot urgently as the phone rang in her ear, almost drowning out the continued rumble of the thunder outside. C¡¯mon, Ranko, hurry up and pick up, she thought. It¡¯s fucking freezing in here. The phone rang twice, thrice, four times, and Akane perked up when she heard the click of a connection. ¡°Hey, Ranko, I¡¯m¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve reached the Tendo residence. We¡¯re sorry, but we can¡¯t make it to the phone right now! Please leave us your name and phone number, and we promise, we¡¯ll call you back as soon as we can! Have a great day,¡± her own recorded voice said, speaking over her.

    Where the hell are you, Ranko?! What are you doing now? What the hell are you hiding from me? Akane¡¯s eyes were wide with concern, but she tried to swallow it back and not let her worry come through in her voice as the answering machine¡¯s merry beep prompted her to speak.

    ¡°Hey, baby? You there? Ranko?¡± Akane waited in silence for several seconds, hoping Ranko would hear her voice coming through the speaker on the kitchen wall and pick up the receiver, but she received no reply. ¡°Okay, well¡­ I guess you¡¯re out. So, I¡¯m stuck on campus; the weather¡¯s really bad. Don¡¯t worry about holding dinner for me, okay? I love you, and I¡¯ll see you as soon as I can. Worst case, I¡¯ll catch up with you at work.¡±

    She pulled the phone away from her ear. It was almost back in the cradle before she decided she had more to say and lifted it back to her mouth. ¡°Listen, I really hope we can talk soon. I¡¯m worried about you. I just¡­¡±

    A second mechanical beep indicated that the maximum length of a message had been reached. With a heavy sigh, Akane returned the receiver to its cradle and pulled her backpack back up onto her shoulder from the floor. Maybe I can grab one of these chairs and wait out the storm, Akane thought with a disgusted grumble, starting to circumnavigate the navy blue couch closest to the phone.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°Oooh! Look! They¡¯ve got pictures from the Dapper Dragons show!¡± The brunette sitting on the right side of the couch grabbed at the magazine, overruling the blue-haired girl in the middle¡¯s hesitation to flip to the next page without first catching up on all the salient details of the first album release from an American band called Stone Temple¡­ something or another. Akane didn¡¯t really care about the band either, but she paused behind the couch, looking over the trio¡¯s shoulder at a spread of full-color photos. The captions indicated that they had been taken in Medan.

    Akane simpered wistfully at the sight of her beloved in living color, the skirt of her sailor fuku flaring around her hips as she danced. Judging by the sliver of the display screen behind the singer that was visible, which appeared to show the bleachers of a high school football stadium, Akane presumed that the photo was taken during a performance of B-O-U-N-C-E. Over Ranko¡¯s right shoulder, Hitomi was twisting in mid-air, parallel to the stage floor with Sanyo standing ready to catch her.

    She looks so happy there. Akane sighed. So why is she acting so sullen and guilty around me? She promised me that there wouldn¡¯t be any more secrets. What could she possibly hide from me that¡¯s worse than the things we¡¯ve already gotten through together?

    ¡°Mmm¡­ just look at that boy. Gods, the things I would do to him¡­¡± The orange-haired girl on the left side of the couch pawed at the magazine. Akane wordlessly followed her hand to a photo of Crash, in his black leather jacket and black jeans, his blond hair pulled up into a long, rakish spike with hair gel. He was leaning forward a bit over his cherry-red electric guitar, an intent focus on his face. ¡°Hell¡­ the things I¡¯d let him do to me¡­¡±

    The two other girls on the couch giggled at her comment, but the one on the right shook her head as she did so. ¡°Naomi, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve got a chance with Crash, girl. Sorry to break your heart, but, ya gotta face facts.¡±

    You¡¯d better not try, either, Akane thought with a wry smirk. Take it from a girl who¡¯s gotten more bruises from okonomiyaki spatulas than anyone has a right to: Ukyo is possessive as hell where boys are concerned.

    ¡°And why not, Kyoko?! I mean, it¡¯s not like he¡¯s married or anything! He mentioned a girlfriend in the Wild Orchid album notes, but¡­ if there ain¡¯t no ring, it ain¡¯t no thing.¡± Naomi wagged her naked left hand insistently at her friend as if to illustrate her point. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he want me?! I mean, I¡¯m a musician too! Or, I will be, anyway, as soon as some idol group discovers me!¡±

    The brunette, who Akane surmised was Kyoko, shook her head, a smirk of amused pity on her face. ¡°Oh, Naomi, you¡¯re friggin¡¯ hopeless.¡±

    Naomi growled, wagging a finger in Kyoko¡¯s face and paying no mind to the girl seated between them. ¡°I¡¯ll show you! I¡¯m gonna go down to that Tashima Talent Agency this weekend, and before you know it, it¡¯ll be my name in lights! You¡¯ll see!¡±

    ¡°Um, I don¡¯t know how to tell you this, but¡­¡± The girl in the middle shook her head as she turned to her left. ¡°The Tashima Agency closed, like, a year ago. Lost all their clients after word got out that they were doing all sorts of creepy shit with the girls. You dodged a bullet there, girl.¡±

    Naomi rocked back on the couch. ¡°Oh. Well, I¡¯m still gonna make it big, and I¡¯m still gonna end up with Mister Tall, Blond and Handsome. I don¡¯t know why you girls gotta crap on all my dreams!¡±

    Kyoko reached out, tapping another photo in the magazine with her finger. ¡°It¡¯s nothing personal; I just don¡¯t think you can hang with the competition.¡±

    Akane followed her arm to the photo the girl indicated, featuring Crash and Ranko huddled together, looking deeply into each other¡¯s eyes. Judging by the stage blocking and the costumes, she knew it had to have been taken during the duet performance of Worthy of You. Ranko¡¯s face was the absolute picture of joy. It broke Akane¡¯s heart as she realized that it had been weeks since the last time she¡¯d seen that kind of happiness in her wife¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Honestly, Naomi, look at these two.¡± Kyoko tapped another picture, this one of Ranko and Crash hugging backstage. Standing just behind them, an excited-looking couple Akane didn¡¯t recognize were locked in a kiss. ¡°Do you not see the way she¡¯s looking at him? There is absolutely, positively no way those two aren¡¯t fucking.¡±

    Akane staggered back until her backpack clipped the payphone, knocking the receiver from its cradle with a loud clatter that drew the attention of the trio of girls. Is¡­ could it¡­ could she¡­ She wouldn¡¯t! She wouldn¡¯t do that to me! Never!

    The girl in the middle of the couch turned, blinking at Akane. ¡°Uhhh, you okay?¡±

    The poleaxed woman could not even nod. Her mind was screaming far too loudly at her for external stimuli to even register. But, if she¡¯s not doing that¡­ what else would cause her to be so secretive? And, on top of it, cause her to not want to be intimate with me anymore, all of a sudden?

    ¡°Hello-o-oh?¡± The girl waved her arm up and down as if to check if Akane was even conscious.

    She wouldn¡¯t do that to me. I¡¯m sure of it. I¡¯m just being stupid even considering it. She loves me. I love her. Besides, her and Crash have been flirty with each other for years; it¡¯s just the way their friendship is. I¡¯m being ridiculous. Shut up, brain. Stop trying to fill in the gaps with bullshit. So lost was Akane in her own thoughts that she couldn¡¯t even focus her eyes, let alone acknowledge the girl still trying to get her attention.

    Sighing, Kyoko tapped her companion on the shoulder. ¡°Leave her alone, Takumi.¡±

    ¡°Whatever, weirdo,¡± Takumi said with a shrug and an eyeroll, turning back to her friends. ¡°Anyway, I mean, I overheard Sora talking with Suzume the other day. He said when he interviewed her for his paper, she couldn¡¯t stop gushing about the guy she¡¯s with. He must¡¯ve got some drinks in her; he said he was gonna try to get her good and liquored up at lunch so she¡¯d loosen her tongue. For a celebrity, she¡¯s all secrets, and nobody lives like that unless they¡¯ve got something juicy to hide.¡±

    Naomi looked up from the magazine, blinking at the loud bang of the glass door being thrown open. A peal of thunder shook the building. In the glow of the accompanying flash of lightning, Naomi could almost make out the silhouette of a girl in a red jumper dress running through the rain.

 105. The Lightning Flashes in Her Eyes

    ¡°You¡¯ve been there, all week, non-stop, with your nose to the grindstone at your dead-end job!¡±

    Ranko bopped around in the narrow alleyway kitchen, grinning as she rapped into the plastic spatula that was doubling as a dynamic microphone. Her hair hung loose about her shoulders, held back by the headband of her earphones. The first mix of her new song in development spun on the home-burned CD in the Sony Discman clipped to the wide satin sash of her pink princess apron. Not quite fast enough, she fretted, furrowing her brow. But¡­ any more and it would be faster than Demon¡­ can I even make sound with my face that fast, and do it clearly enough that people will understand what the hell I¡¯m saying?

    She darted past the front door, not noticing the blinking green light on the answering machine mounted on the wall next to the refrigerator, indicating a new message had been received. She rushed into the bathroom, reaching up and pulling the dryer door open to interrupt its cycle. Please be done. I really don¡¯t wanna have to deal with this when I get home from work. Ranko quickly hopped back as a blast of hot air belched forward out of the dryer and dissipated into the cramped bathroom.

    Tentatively, Ranko stepped forward, sliding her hand into the dryer until it made contact with the down comforter within. Owwww! Hot! Hot! Hot¡­ and still damp, too! Fuck! Sighing, she slammed the dryer door, adding another thirty minutes to the timer. Sorry, Akane, she thought as she glanced balefully down at the still-full washing machine below. Your volleyball stuff probably won¡¯t be dry ¡®til morning.

    She sighed heavily, shaking her head as she returned to the kitchen. I shouldn¡¯t have spent so long in Nerima today. Really, I¡¯d have been fine if I¡¯d just gone by Ukyo¡¯s, but I should¡¯ve known if I stopped by Dad¡¯s place after, Kasumi was gonna make me stay for lunch. Ranko managed a small smirk despite her self-admonition. I¡¯ve got a strong heart, but not even I have the willpower to resist Kasumi¡¯s potstickers. Nobody does.

    Between the extra-large okonomiyaki she couldn¡¯t finish for breakfast and Kasumi¡¯s offering, Ranko wasn¡¯t hungry in the slightest, but she didn¡¯t think the leftover potstickers Kasumi had sent her home with would be enough for Akane¡¯s dinner. Those¡¯ll make a decent lunch for her tomorrow when I¡¯m at class. But for tonight¡­ She opened the refrigerator, pulling out a thin package wrapped in butcher paper and beginning to unravel it.

    Tonight, I¡¯m gonna push past it. I¡¯m gonna make her a nice meal, and I¡¯m dressed all skimpy, and I¡¯m gonna smile real pretty¡­

    She glanced down at her hips, chuckling to herself as with the realization that the fuschia bodycon dress she wore didn¡¯t even cover as much of her legs as her frilly apron did.

    ¡­ and I¡¯m gonna make it happen.

    Ranko removed the tape from the bundle of butcher paper and began to unravel it to reveal a quartet of eel filets. Okay. Never done this before, and I¡¯m under time pressure. But I can do this. Besides¡­ She glanced up at the digital clock on the microwave. Akane should¡¯ve been home more than an hour ago. What the hell¡¯s keeping her?!

    She pulled open the pantry, digging in it until her arms were loaded with soy sauce, sugar, mirin and a bottle of sake from the top shelf. Arraying the containers on the counter, Ranko consulted the index card Ayako had given her the night before, double-checking the amounts before beginning to measure all four substances into an aluminum mixing bowl.

    No matter how much my skin crawls, no matter how freaked out I get, I¡¯m gonna remember my training, Ranko assured herself in her mind as she vigorously whisked the sauce. Partition my mind. Try to put it away. Try not to think about what happened in Bangkok.

    Ranko dipped the four filets into the sauce, getting them well-coated in the thick, sweet-smelling brown liquid before laying them in her pre-heated griddle pan. She hopped back each time she released one of the filets for fear of even the slightest splash of hot unagi sauce splattering onto her ever-sensitive skin.

    Tonight, after work, if it kills me, I¡¯m gonna make love to my w¡­

    Ranko¡¯s eyes rocketed up, and she swiveled in place, a startled expression on her face, as the front door crashed open. ¡°WHAT the?!¡± She pulled off her headphones, blinking up at her wife. ¡°Oh, shit, Akane! You scared the crap out of me! You okay?!¡±

    Akane nodded and pulled her backpack off of her shoulder, tossing it into the corner. It hit the wall at almost waist height and slid to the floor, leaving a damp spot on the wallpaper where it made contact. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m alright. It¡¯s just a freakin¡¯ typhoon out there. I told you, you didn¡¯t have to hold dinner for me.¡±

    The redhead blinked in surprise. ¡°I didn¡¯t. I¡¯m running late; I had¡­ errands to run this morning after class. Dinner¡¯s gonna be a few more minutes. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you get my message? I called you.¡± Akane looked over at the wall, noting the light still blinking on the answering machine. ¡°You had your music on, and didn¡¯t hear the phone ring. Didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Ranko blushed, reaching down and pressing stop on her Discman, which was still playing Jacob¡¯s first draft of the new song she was writing on repeat. ¡°Guilty as charged. Sorry! You should¡¯a called my pager; I keep that on vibrate, so I¡¯d have noticed it.¡±

    ¡°Next time,¡± Akane said with a nod. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go get changed. I¡¯m drenched and I¡¯m freezing.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good! I love you!¡± Ranko waved, but Akane didn¡¯t see it, as she¡¯d already hurried into the girls¡¯ bedroom. A trail of water droplets followed her along the floor.

    ¡°Love you too,¡± Akane called back, having already peeled her soaked red jumper dress from her clammy skin. She stepped into the bathroom, tossing the wet garment into the bathtub with a moist plop before setting about removing her white undershirt. When that and her sotted undergarments had joined her dress in the bathtub, she reached for a fluffy lavender towel and began drying her hair. ¡°At least the storm¡¯s starting to ease up!¡± Akane shouted over the loud dryer through the open bathroom door. ¡°Hopefully it¡¯ll be stopped by the time we leave for work, and you won¡¯t have to change into something dry for the stage.¡±

    Ranko pushed the final button to start the rice cooker, turning to call back in response. ¡°Hope so! I don¡¯t really have anything at the bar right now to wear. Brought everything home to wash it and I keep forgetting to bring a couple things back. Remind me, next time it¡¯s not raining?¡±

    ¡°You got it!¡± Akane yelled back in reply, wrapping the towel around her breasts and walking back into her bedroom. Gotta put on something warm. Fuck, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get the chill out of my bones. She opened the closet, finding it not yet restocked. Damn, Akane thought. ¡°Ranko?! I thought you were gonna do laundry today!¡±

    Shit, Ranko thought, tossing her whisk in the sink. ¡°I have been, but the blanket¡¯s taking forever to dry, and it¡¯s holding everything else up! Sorry!¡±

    Well, if I don¡¯t have any of my warm clothes clean, I¡¯ll just borrow some of yours, Akane thought, pulling Ranko¡¯s mauve sweater dress from a hanger. One of the many advantages of being married to a girl. After donning a matching set of matching lime green undergarments, she slipped into the dress, rubbing her skin through it for warmth. Brrrrr.

    Akane walked over to the little desk, moving the mouse of her computer to wake it. Wonder if Professor Okara has posted our lab grades to the BBS yet, she mused as she waited for the screen to warm up. Next to the mousepad, which featured a fairy dancing in a forest of huge mushrooms, a spiral notebook lay open on the desk. Both pages of the open spread were filled with English words in Ranko¡¯s handwriting, written in blue ball-point pen. Akane recognized the format; Ranko only wrote in couplets like that when she was writing song lyrics.

    The Dapper Dragons¡¯ number-one fan picked up the book, beginning to read.

    I see you sneakin¡¯ ¡®round the joint, so we¡¯re all on the same page.

    I¡¯ve got a damn good vantage point from up here on the stage!

    I see you over there making those eyes and talkin¡¯ smooth,

    thinking that you might go ahead and try to make a move

    I¡¯ll spare you from my laughter, offer you a course correction -

    you ain¡¯t gettin¡¯ what you¡¯re after, but you still might want protection!

    Guess you think I might ignore you trying to steal my baby¡¯s heart,

    but I¡¯ve never lost a fight before! I¡¯m not about to start!Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Akane reeled back, her eyes wide. Does she honestly think¡­ Sho? I can¡¯t believe her! After all the times we¡¯ve talked about it?! Everybody¡¯s told her nothing¡¯s happening! Steeling her nerves, she continued to read.

    [Chorus]

    Thought you had a shot, but you ain¡¯t ever gonna get it!

    Move your ass along, or bitch, you¡¯re gonna regret it!

    I¡¯ve got a nasty streak in me when it comes to the fellas,

    and I promise you, you¡¯ll see it if you go and make me jealous!

    You can try until you die but you¡¯ll just never be this fine!

    That¡¯s why the one you want

    The one you want

    The one you want

    That¡¯s why the one you wanna be beside is mine!

    Clenching her fist, Akane slumped down into her cheap black computer chair hard enough to nearly send it skittering out from under her on its plastic caster wheels.

    I know I¡¯ve been gone too much, but now I¡¯m putting up resistance.

    That¡¯s not yours, so don¡¯t you touch it! Go ahead and keep your distance.

    Sorry, but access denied; afraid this area¡¯s restricted.

    Should¡¯ve asked before you tried, because I promise you, I¡¯ve licked it.

    I really think it¡¯s kinda funny, and I don¡¯t know what compels you

    to try and beat somebody that the gods all touch themselves to!

    I¡¯m turning up the heat with every single sultry kiss.

    Do you think you can compete against a girl who looks like this?

    Akane rubbed her temples with her fingers. Her cheeks flushed with anger, but at least she was no longer cold. I can¡¯t let her do this. It¡¯ll destroy him. And he doesn¡¯t even deserve it! Her eyes turned to the opposite page, where after an indication to repeat the chorus, the third and fourth verses were packed together.

    I think the party¡¯s over, honey, time for me to write your epitaph.

    When¡¯s the last time anybody ever asked you for your autograph?

    You might be smart, but damn it, you can¡¯t do the things that I can:

    takin¡¯ over half the planet with my mother fucking rock band!

    Yeah, when I make the speakers thump, I got, like, twenty thousand cheering.

    I¡¯ve been telling you for months, but yo, you must be hard of hearing!

    Yeah, when I¡¯m singin¡¯, when I¡¯m rappin¡¯, I¡¯m explosive ecstasy.

    Go ask Saburo what happens when somebody fucks with me!

    My sweat is turnin¡¯ into mist because my rage is gettin¡¯ hotter.

    You don¡¯t wanna be the one who pissed off Hana Takahashi¡¯s daughter!

    You wanna be a friend, that¡¯s cool; there¡¯s boundaries expected.

    Try to play me for a fool, you¡¯ll find yourself getting dissected!

    It¡¯s prob¡¯ly for the best that you give up this thing and quit.

    I catch you sneaking in the Viper¡¯s nest? Your throat is getting bit.

    So I¡¯m gonna warn you one last time; back off and let it be,

    or there¡¯ll be no one you can hide behind to save your ass from me!

    Akane exhaled heavily, pushing her chair back from the desk. She closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing. I can¡¯t believe she would think I would¡­ after everything we¡¯ve been through together! I¡¯ve got to put a stop to this, before she makes a fool of herself and embarrasses my friend, to boot. She stood, picking up the notebook and walking out into the living room.

    ¡°Hey, Akane! Dinner¡¯s almost done,¡± Ranko called over the merry song of the rice cooker indicating it was finished. ¡°Nice dress!¡± She giggled as she turned back to her griddle pan, flipping one of the eel filets in it with a long pair of tongs.

    Akane swallowed hard, holding up her wife¡¯s notebook. ¡°Ranko, I, um¡­ I found this. And I think we need to talk about it.¡±

    The redhead turned, and her eyes widened at the sight of her black Ranko and the Dapper Dragons notebook in Akane¡¯s hand. ¡°Akane, I¡­ what are you doing going through my stuff?!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t go through anything, Ranko! You left it open on my freaking desk! But I don¡¯t know where you¡¯re getting these ideas about Sho. He¡¯s never tried anything. He¡¯s never touched me inappropriately. He¡¯s never come on to me. You need to stop this with him. Talk to him. Something. But I won¡¯t let you go up on stage and roast him like he¡¯s some creep. Like you did with Not Yours, Don¡¯t Touch. I won¡¯t!¡±

    Ranko growled, tossing her tongs to the countertop with a loud clatter. ¡°I wasn¡¯t gonna perform it! Not until he gave me a reason, anyway.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to tell you, dummy!¡± Akane slammed the notebook down on the dining room table hard enough to rattle the plates that were already laid out for dinner. ¡°There is no reason, and there never will be! He¡¯s been a perfect gentleman! And even if he wasn¡¯t - even if he did try to do anything with me, the fact you think I¡¯d even consider letting him?! Do you not remember what I did to basically every boy in my graduating class who tried getting with me when I didn¡¯t want it?! After all this time together, you honestly think I would¡­¡±

    Sighing sullenly, Ranko hung her head. ¡°Truth be told, Akane, with the way everything¡¯s been lately, I don¡¯t know what I believe anymore, okay?! But even with me being an absolute fucking mess lately, if you think I¡¯m gonna sit there quiet and watch him make eyes at you like that¡­¡±

    Akane stomped forward, anger rising in her eyes. She felt her heart pounding in her chest, and a bead of sweat running down the back of her borrowed sweater dress. ¡°You wanna talk about making eyes?! I was on campus today, and people are holding up pictures of you and saying you¡¯re taking Crash back to your hotel room when you¡¯re away! How am I supposed to react to that?!¡±

    The songstress¡¯ eyes bulged as if they were about to fall out of her head. Oh, gods! No! Did somebody get a picture of him taking me back to my room that night in Thailand? Maybe they did¡­ fuck, I don¡¯t remember! I don¡¯t remember a fucking thing after that guy screwed with my drink!

    ¡°Akane¡­ I¡­ uh, I promise, I didn¡¯t d-do any¡­ It¡¯s not what you think, I s-swear¡­¡±

    Wait, Akane thought, rocking back on her heels. She¡¯s nervous! And she didn¡¯t want me looking through her stuff. Why is she acting so dodgy about this? Unless¡­ it couldn¡¯t be that she actually¡­

    ¡°Okay, Ranko. Enough¡¯s enough. I¡¯ve tried to be patient, but I think it¡¯s time you tell me everything. And I mean, right now.¡± She pulled out one of the wooden chairs from under the dining room table, turning it to face the alleyway kitchen and sitting down.

    Ranko shook her head emphatically, turning her eyes away and hoping she did so before Akane saw the shame in them. ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t wanna talk about it! I just feel gross about the whole thing! About EVERYTHING! Why can¡¯t you just accept that I don¡¯t even wanna think about it?!¡±

    ¡°Because that¡¯s not what people do when they trust each other! I want answers, Ranko!¡± Akane rocketed out of her chair. ¡°Please!¡±

    Ranko looked up from the floor, anger and shame competing for space in her eyes. ¡°Well, you¡¯re NOT GETTING THEM TONIGHT! You don¡¯t just get to decide when I¡¯m ready to talk about shit! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE ABOUT IT!¡±

    Akane sighed, digging her silver-painted fingernails into her palms in her fists. ¡°Fine! You want me to leave you alone? You got it! I won¡¯t say a fucking word to you all night at work, and when we get home, after you¡¯ve dumped your soul out all night long for three hundred strangers, maybe you can find a spare minute to talk to your wife!¡±

    ¡°Yeah?! Well, you don¡¯t need to worry about that, because I¡¯m NOT GOING!¡± Ranko crossed her arms defiantly. ¡°Tell Yui to put your nosy ass up on the stage, and see how you like it when everybody in the world is crawling up your ass to get into your business!¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Akane bit her lip, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. ¡°Fine. If that¡¯s the way you want it, Ranko.¡± She reached down for her still-dripping teal backpack, tossing it in the chair she¡¯d just vacated. She unzipped it,pulling out a small white purse that she strapped over her shoulder. Leaving the open backpack sitting on the chair, she walked wordlessly toward the door and unlocked it.

    Ranko rolled her eyes, gesturing to the backpack. ¡°You just gonna leave your shit chilling there like that?¡±

    Akane shrugged, not even bothering to look up at her wife. ¡°Why not?! Seems like I¡¯m the only one of us that doesn¡¯t have anything to hide.¡± She pulled the door open, exiting the apartment and slamming the door shut behind her hard enough to rattle the answering machine from the wall next to the refrigerator. It hung limply from a short length of tan cord, and when it swung toward the fridge, it bumped the large green button on the front.

    ¡°You have. One. New message,¡± came the robotic announcement, followed by a familiar voice.

    ¡°Hey, baby? You there? Ranko? ¡­.. Okay, well, I guess you¡¯re out. So I¡¯m stuck on campus¡­¡±

    Ranko reached up, grabbing handfuls of her loose red hair and pulling on her scalp. ¡°FUCK! Well, THAT went well!¡±

    She received no reply, save the shrill, piercing bleat of the smoke detector mounted above her stove - and the griddle pan full of charred eel that still rested on it.

 106. Pointing Fingers

    ¡°Hey! Take it easy! You¡¯re gonna break something!¡± Yui rolled her eyes as Akane pulled a clean stock pot from the dishwasher and slammed it down hard on the front burner of the gas commercial stovetop.

    Sakura approached down the hallway from her office, resting her hand on Yui¡¯s back to let her wife know she was behind her. Her voice was soft and soothing. ¡°Akane, honey, you need to calm down, now. We can¡¯t have you going off like this in here. What happened?! What can we do to help?¡±

    Akane growled, slamming the dishwasher shut with her foot. ¡°Ranko¡¯s hiding something. Again! Something happened while she was away, and she won¡¯t tell me what it is. She hasn¡¯t acted right since she¡¯s been home. She doesn¡¯t wanna be intimate, and she doesn¡¯t want to talk. She¡¯s just¡­ distant, and every time I try to talk to her, she just gets this look like she¡¯s ashamed of herself. She swore to me that she wouldn¡¯t keep secrets from me anymore, after the whole fiasco with Eiji.¡±

    Yui frowned, sliding onto the metal stool on the near side of the prep counter. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s been acting weird around here, too. Especially around Crash. It¡¯s like she doesn¡¯t even want to look him in the eyes.¡±

    Akane turned to face her sisters-in-not-quite-law, and her eyes widened with an audible gasp. ¡°You¡­ you don¡¯t think she¡­ and¡­ they¡­¡±

    ¡°Ranko? With a dude?! No chance. C¡¯mon, now.¡± Yui waved off her suggestion with the back of her hand. ¡°That girl¡¯s head over stilettos for you, Akane. You shouldn¡¯t even think that way for a second. You know better.¡±

    ¡°Do I?!¡± Akane sighed, turning and leaning her backside on the counter with her arms crossed over her breasts. ¡°I thought I did too, but what the hell else am I supposed to think?! She was cagey on the phone the last few days she was gone, too. At first, I thought it was just the contract she signed, but¡­ it¡¯s more than that. It¡¯s gotta be. We all know about that now, so there¡¯s no reason for her to still be all mysterious about it.¡±

    Sakura rolled her eyes. ¡°I swear, when she gets here, I¡¯m locking the two of you in the walk-in until you fucking talk. This is ridiculous, Akane. You¡¯re both grown-ass women.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me! I¡¯ve been trying for weeks! She just¡­¡± Akane shook her head. ¡°Whatever she did, she thinks it¡¯s so bad I won¡¯t be able to forgive it. But you won¡¯t be able to put her anywhere, Sakura. Not tonight, anyway, because she¡¯s not coming. We fought, and she decided to stay home and pout.¡±

    Yui groaned, throwing her hands up. ¡°The band¡¯s already setting up! She has to come!¡± She rested her elbows on the metal prep counter, scratching at her scalp with her yellow-painted fingernails. I don¡¯t know how the hell Mama dealt with all this drama on the daily and kept the trains running on time. I swear, that woman has the patience of a saint.

    ¡°Give her a call, I guess. Maybe you can talk some sense into her. Gods know she doesn¡¯t want to hear anything I have to say!¡± Akane growled gutturally, crossing her arms over her chest.

    Sakura approached the furious girl, reaching her hand out for her shoulder tentatively. ¡°Do you need to go home? I¡¯m sure we can manage, if you need to go work things out with her.¡± She shot Yui a worried glance over her shoulder. ¡°We can¡¯t exactly have you dealing with customers in this state, regardless.¡±

    Akane shook her head, relaxing a little at Sakura¡¯s touch. ¡°I¡¯ll be alright. I just need a minute. And I need some fucking answers!¡±

    Yui gave a shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t have any for you, sis. But I¡¯ve been watching her - and I have a little more experience than you dealing with girls who have shit to hide. And as much as I hate to say it, you¡¯re right. She¡¯s messed up about the contract thing, but there¡¯s something else. I can see it in her eyes every day.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t even think about it right now. I have to¡­ put it out of my mind somehow. Get through the shift. Then, when I get home, I¡¯m gonna get it out of her if I have to tie her to a fucking chair!¡± Akane sighed, shaking her head as she looked up at Yui. ¡°Sorry for the outburst, boss.¡±

    The blonde chuckled, putting up her hands in a please stop gesture. ¡°Please. Show me somebody Ranko hasn¡¯t driven to drink, and I¡¯ll show you somebody who¡¯s never met her. Take a walk if you need to. Clear your head.¡±

    Akane pushed the dishwasher closed, shrugging her shoulders as she did. ¡°It won¡¯t matter. I just need to stop thinking about it for a minute. Focus on something else. I need a distraction. What needs doing up front?¡±

    Sakura rubbed her chin thoughtfully. ¡°Yui, did you refill the napkin holders on the tables?¡±

    ¡°Day before yesterday, but¡­¡± Yui shrugged. ¡°I guess she could check ¡®em again. We did have that wing special the other day, and we probably went through more than normal.¡±

    Akane nodded. ¡°Consider it done!¡± She forced a smile onto her face, grabbing a long package of napkins wrapped in heavy brown paper and stalking down the hallway in Ranko¡¯s mauve sweater dress. She burst through the swinging slatted door, making a beeline to the VIP table and opening the aluminum napkin dispenser. Try though she might, she couldn¡¯t keep herself from glancing up at Crash sitting on the edge of the platform, laughing with Zoe about something Akane didn¡¯t hear.

    ¡°There she is,¡± Crash said, mirth still lingering in his voice. ¡°Hey, ¡®Kane! Where¡¯s Ranko at? I mean, I¡¯m cute and all, but I¡¯m pretty sure the crowd¡¯s gonna notice if we¡¯re missing our singer.¡±

    ¡°Well, better run home and get your party dress, I guess, ¡®cause she¡¯s not coming tonight.¡± Akane sighed defeatedly, slamming the napkin dispenser shut after refilling it. ¡°Not feeling well,¡± she added, preferring the lie to having to explain her marital dispute to Crash, of all people.

    Crash rolled his eyes. ¡°Alright. Forget it, Zo, guess we¡¯re not playing tonight.¡±

    Akane buzzed back to table two, sliding into one of the red vinyl benches of the booth closest to the stage and reaching to the very back for the napkin dispenser. We should start leaving these on the edges of the tables when we wipe them down at night, so we don¡¯t have to crawl into every booth, she considered.

    ¡°Damn. Tough, that.¡± The Dapper Dragons¡¯ new drummer knocked back the rest of their beer, wiping their lips on the sleeve of their black-and-gray striped overshirt. ¡°Guess you¡¯re just gonna have to spend the night with your actual girlfriend for a change, Burn.¡±

    Actual girlfriend?! Akane stiffened on her knees in the booth. What do you mean, actual girlfriend?!

    ¡°Would you quit with the Burn thing? Where are you even getting that from, anyway?¡± The guitarist turned at the waist from his seat at the edge of the stage, looking up at Zoe.

    ¡°Ya know.¡± Zoe smirked, gesturing to their new friend and bandmate with both hands. ¡°Crash.¡± They moved both hands to their right, as if to indicate a second, following thing. ¡°And Burn.¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    Crash laughed again, popping off the bottle cap from his condensation-slick bottle of beer with the opener tool dangling from his studded belt. ¡°Well it¡¯s weird. Stop i¡­¡±

    ¡°MATSUYAMA!¡±

    Zoe cringed, stepping back toward their drum set. ¡°Oi, I¡¯m gettin¡¯ out the line o¡¯ fire, mate. That¡­ don¡¯t look good, yeah?¡±

    Before Crash could respond, Akane had grabbed him by the studded lapels of his black leather jacket. ¡°Alright, mister. Spill! Enough of the games. Something¡¯s wrong with Ranko, and you have something to do with it. You two have always been thick as thieves. I want to know what happened with you two while you were away, and I want to know right the fuck NOW!¡±

    ¡°Akane! I¡­ what the heck are you¡­¡± Crash stammered as he was pulled off of the stage and onto his feet on the bar floor.

    The irate woman slammed his back against the edge of the stage, eliciting a pained grunt from her wife¡¯s best friend. ¡°Talk, Crash!¡±

    The blond guitarist looked over her shoulder to Yui and Sakura for help, as the couple had emerged behind the bar at the sound of the commotion. ¡°Akane, I don¡¯t have the slightest idea what you¡¯re talking about! I didn¡¯t even touch her that night! I swear!¡±

    Akane blinked, momentarily relaxing her grip on Crash¡¯s jacket. ¡°That¡­ that night? What are you¡­ WHAT DID YOU DO?!¡±

    ¡°Oh, Christ on a pogo stick.¡± Zoe gasped, covering their mouth with their hand. ¡°Crash¡­ Blue didn¡¯t fuckin¡¯ tell her.¡±

    ¡°Whaddya mean?! She said she told her everything!¡± Crash looked up at Zoe incredulously, flailing against the edge of the stage. ¡°She swore!¡±

    Zoe stepped closer to the edge of the stage, dropping to their knees in a long denim skirt. Their voice was soft, a tinge of what could easily be taken as pity in it. ¡°Look at her face, mate. Ranko lied to us.¡±

    ¡°Well, somebody better fucking tell me, or I¡¯m gonna start swinging!¡± Akane¡¯s eyes darted between Zoe and Crash, her anger starting to give way to worry.

    Crash rested his hands on the backs of Akane¡¯s, gently. His voice was sad, quiet, and non-threatening. ¡°Akane, listen¡­ you, umm¡­ you might wanna sit down, hon.¡±

    ¡°Ranko¡¯s never gonna forgive you if you spill it, Crash.¡± Zoe dropped to their backside, swinging their legs over the edge of the stage with a quiet sigh. ¡°You know how she gets about all that touchy-feely shit, yeah?¡±

    The guitarist shook his head as Akane slumped nervously into a seat at the VIP table. ¡°I don¡¯t care, Zo. Akane needs to know.¡± He walked over to the round table, pulling out the chair to Akane¡¯s immediate left and sitting down slowly with a heavy sigh, resting his mostly-empty brown beer bottle on the tabletop. ¡°Akane, I wanna say I¡¯m sorry. She promised us she told you, so we stayed out of it.¡±

    Akane looked up, all the fury in her eyes having been replaced with fear. ¡°Crash, please¡­ you¡¯re scaring me now.¡±

    Receiving a nod of assurance from her partner, Yui slipped out from the bar and walked closer to table one, a mask of concern covering her face like an encroaching shadow as well.

    ¡°So, we were in Bangkok, the night before the show, and we all went to this bar. Well, most of us - ¡®Tomi and Emi stayed at the hotel, but the rest of us all went out. And Ranko was being Ranko; you know how she is, and she wandered off to go play pool with somebody. And¡­¡± Crash shook his head, looking down at the table in shame. ¡°Akane, I¡¯m sorry. I should have been watching her. I promised you.¡±

    Akane swallowed hard. ¡°Crash, what¡­¡±

    ¡°Somebody put something in her drink, Akane.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s wife gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. ¡°... no¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, gods!¡± Yui said, resting her trembling hand on Akane¡¯s back.

    ¡°She¡¯s okay.¡± Crash held his palms up to Akane, hoping to calm her, but he could see in her eyes that it was having no effect. ¡°He didn¡¯t¡­ thank the gods, Lance saw it happen, and we got her back to the hotel before whatever he gave her could kick in all the way. I sat up and watched her all night. I know she doesn¡¯t remember much about it. I had to tell her what happened the next morning. Nothing else happened, Akane. I swear it. But ever since, it¡¯s like¡­ she just hasn¡¯t been right in the head. Akane, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    Akane rocketed out of her chair, stumbling back a few steps as she recoiled from the thought Ranko is¡­ She¡¯s not equipped to deal with this. Not her. No wonder she¡¯s been such a mess. ¡°No one touched her? No one¡­¡±

    Crash sighed, shaking his head resolutely. ¡°On my life, Akane. She was safe. I¡¯d have killed anyone who tried anything. I think Lance actually might¡¯ve offed the guy.¡±

    ¡°Yui, I¡­ I need to¡­¡± Akane turned to glance back at her sister and boss, but got no further in her sentence before she had the answer she sought.

    ¡°Go.¡±

    Akane nodded, taking the first three steps backward before turning and running to the front door, slamming through it with a loud bang that rattled the other side of the double door in its frame.

    Yui stepped closer to the table, standing behind the chair Akane had just vacated, and glared daggers down toward Crash. ¡°I want you to listen to me, Matsuyama, because I am only going to fucking say this once.¡± Unlike Akane¡¯s screaming, there was a quiet, roiling rage in Yui¡¯s voice that might have scared the guitarist even more. ¡°If I ever hear that something bad happened to Ranko and you didn¡¯t call me¡­¡±

    ¡°Yui, she promised she was gonna¡­¡±

    ¡°I DON¡¯T CARE!¡± Yui slammed the table hard with her palm, sending Crash¡¯s beer bottle clattering to the floor. ¡°That headstrong, more-guts-than-brains idiot you knock around the world with is my little sister! I don¡¯t give a fuck if the emperor himself tells you she¡¯s okay! You. Fucking. CALL! ME! IMMEDIATELY! We know how to deal with this kind of shit around here! So fucking help me gods, Crash, I will put your damned balls in that blender over there if I ever hear word that something like this happened again and I wasn¡¯t your first call!¡±

    She thrust her hand forward with a stomp of her black heeled boot, pointing at the cringing drummer that all but hid behind their boyfriend¡¯s synthesizer. ¡°And that goes for all YOU fuckers, too! That girl may be your meal ticket, but that is my mother fucking FAMILY! AM I FUCKING UNDERSTOOD?!¡±

    In all the years he had known her, Crash had never heard Yui raise her voice like that, not even when she was drinking. ¡°Yui,¡± he said softly, bowing his head in deference. ¡°There was nothing you could have done. You girls were dealing with the bar, and¡­¡±

    ¡°BULLSHIT! You don¡¯t get to decide that! I could have been there! I could have held her fucking hand when you told her what happened!¡± Angry tears rained down the blonde¡¯s cheeks as she shook in her fury, and she shrugged off Sakura¡¯s hand on her back. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have been alone.¡±

    Crash stood, slowly walking toward her, his hands held open at his sides in nonthreatening supplication. ¡°Yui, it was the middle of the night. You couldn¡¯t have even gotten a flight. I watched over her. I held her hand.¡± He wrapped his arms gently around the quaking barkeep, relaxing his muscles in the hopes of calming her. He had seen it work many times with her younger sister. ¡°She wasn¡¯t alone. Not for a second. I swear.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s my baby sister. I¡¯d have fucking grown wings,¡± Yui wailed through her sobs into the shoulder of his leather jacket.

 107. Laid Bare

    She¡¯ll never understand. She doesn¡¯t know what it¡¯s like.

    Ranko stepped forward, digging the toe of her black slip-on shoe into the still rain-slick gravel of the rooftop. With a grunt of effort, she slashed across her body with both arms, bringing the blue gilded ancestral katana of Clan Shimizu to bear. It whipped through the crisp evening air with a soft whoosh, kicking up a bit of gritty gravel dust that whirled in gray wisps around the young warrior¡¯s ankles despite the damp.

    She¡¯s never been vulnerable. Weak. She¡¯s been fighting off perverts by the dozen since she was fifteen. She doesn¡¯t know what it feels like, having your power stolen from you like that.

    Helpless.

    Afraid.

    The redhead raised the unsheathed blade overhead, tilting her head to the side at the last moment to avoid lopping off her own loose ponytail with the weapon. The sword seemed to course with power in her hands, as if it sensed her barely-contained rage and joined her in it - centuries of righteous feminine fury coalesced into a meter¡¯s length of angry steel that moved as an seamless, rivetless extension of her left arm. The last drops of the indomitable Shimizu bloodline thundered through her veins as she whirled around, slashing at the air with a kiai that frightened off a pair of greenfinches from their perch on the nearest of three industrial air conditioning units.

    I was completely helpless. At the mercy of everyone around me. I couldn¡¯t even walk. I barely even remember it. Just flashes. Shadows. Phantoms. If it hadn¡¯t been for Lance and Crash¡­

    She followed the arc of the curved blade with a high spinning crescent kick, unintentionally dragging the tip of the weapon in the gravel as she flashed her leg skyward hard enough to elicit a loud snap from the fabric of her black gi pants. The thousands of tiny grains of rock and sand re-settling under her feet almost sounded like mocking applause.

    I don¡¯t know why she has to know everything. Why she has to fucking talk about everything. Why can¡¯t she just let me deal with my shame in my own way?!

    Ranko straightened her back, raising her mother¡¯s sword overhead in a rigid tai chi form and lifting her left foot to knee height in a pose like a figure four. The setting sun glinted off the blade, casting a piercing ray of yellow light that bisected her shadow on the gravel rooftop of her apartment building like a gash of flame cleaved through her silhouette¡¯s heart.

    Of course I love her. I can¡¯t believe she could even think I don¡¯t. I just¡­ when she touches me, the Cat¡¯s Tongue goes off, and I feel like I¡¯m losing control, and I¡¯m¡­ back there. Like the ground is falling out from underneath me. It terrifies me. But how the hell am I supposed to tell her that?! How do I look the girl I was supposed to marry as an invincible guy in the face and admit I was almost¡­ Mikado was bad enough, but this?! She¡¯d never see me the same way again.

    Her ears perked at the sound of rattling steel coming from behind her. What¡¯s that? Footsteps. On the fire escape. Can¡¯t be Akane. She¡¯s at work. Her eyes narrowed in determined focus, her gaze as adamant as her steel birthright in her left hand. I don¡¯t know who you are, but you snuck up on the wrong fucking girl. Nobody¡¯s ever going to get the drop on Ranko Tendo again.

    ¡°HIYAH!¡± Ranko whirled, the razor¡¯s edge following her eyes as she whipped her body around to face the fire escape, but her wrist met resistance. A precision strike to her carpal tunnel, between the two bones of her left wrist, caused her fingers to spasm. Her hand jerked open involuntarily, and her weapon fell limp from her hand and clattered to the rooftop with a loud series of clangs that reverberated into the alleyway below.

    Before Ranko could process what was happening, fifty-nine kilograms of weight crashed into her ribs with the force of a wrecking ball. She stumbled back, trying in vain to brace her back leg against the loose gravel. She was only spared from falling because her assailant grappled her around her torso and held on tight. The redhead blinked in surprise, taking a moment to assess her situation and recognize the distraught woman who had slammed into her chest at full speed.

    ¡°A¡­ Akane?! What are you¡­¡±

    Akane tightened her arms around her wife¡¯s body, clasping her hand on the back of Ranko¡¯s skull through her sweat-soaked hair and pulling it down tightly against her shoulder. ¡°Ranko¡­ I¡¯m so sorry, baby. I know. I know everything. Crash told me what happened in Bangkok.¡±

    No. Damn it, Crash! Ranko swallowed hard, struggling until she squirmed free of Akane¡¯s grip. I¡¯m gonna fucking kill him! ¡°It¡¯s not like you think. I¡­ I can explain.¡± As she spoke, Ranko walked off to her left, bending down to collect her sword from the rocky rooftop and dusting the blade off on the tail of the red tang shirt that was once all but a permanent fixture on her torso.

    Akane reached tentatively for the redhead¡¯s forearm, frowning sadly when her wife pulled it out of reach. ¡°Ranko, do you honestly think there¡¯s anything to explain? Baby¡­ what happened to you out there, it¡¯s unspeakable. It¡¯s¡­¡±

    With a loud grunt and a sharp wooden clack, Ranko slammed the sword into the blue wooden scabbard strapped to her back. ¡°Akane, I swear to all the gods, if I hear one more fucking person say it wasn¡¯t my fault¡­¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t!¡± Akane reached for her lover¡¯s arm, but Ranko stepped back out of her reach. ¡°Ranko, you didn¡¯t ask for what happened. You¡­ You didn¡¯t know better. Nobody taught you the kinds of things to watch out for, to protect yourself. Nobody thought they had to, back when¡­¡±

    ¡°... back when I was a guy,¡± Ranko finished for her with a heavy sigh. ¡°Just one more thing that guys don¡¯t ever think about, unless they¡¯re fucking inflicting it on somebody.¡±

    Akane nodded softly. ¡°Yeah. And Yui and the girls never thought to warn you, because they didn¡¯t realize you wouldn¡¯t know, and¡­ nobody would dare try anything with you or any of your sisters at the Phoenix anyway, not with everybody watching each other. At least I should have known you wouldn¡¯t have been told to watch out for your drinks like most girls are, because I knew about your past. So if you want to blame anybody, blame me. I¡¯m so sorry, baby.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± Ranko pleaded. ¡°You were half a continent away, and I promised you I¡¯d take care of myself, and I was careless, and I almost¡­ They could have done anything to me, Akane! Fucking Mioko would have had a better chance to defend herself! Some badass martial artist I turned out to be! I was just another giggling, drunken bitch in a short skirt that was thirty seconds from winding up pregnant or dead in a mother fucking alley somewhere, having to count on boys to protect me.¡±

    Akane sighed, wincing at her wife¡¯s words. While she knew they were partially true, it wasn¡¯t an image she wanted help to conjure in her mind. ¡°You¡¯re being way too hard on yourself, Ranko.¡±

    The redhead shook her head, an angry glare in her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t get it, Akane! I used to see girls in a state like that all the time, when I was traveling with Pop. And I used to¡­¡± She clenched her teeth, looking away from her wife in her humiliation. ¡°I thought they were just being stupid and careless, by willingly putting themselves in a position where anything could happen to ¡®em. Like, what kind of idiot would get themselves that fucked up, where they¡¯d be vulnerable to anybody who wanted to mess with ¡®em unless somebody showed up at the right time to protect ¡®em. And I was supposed to be the one doing the protecting, and now I¡¯m the one needing it!¡±

    Ranko¡¯s partner nodded sadly. ¡°Perspective¡¯s changed a little now, huh?¡±

    The devastated singer shrugged, utterly disgusted with herself. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe I deserved it, after everything,¡± she mumbled, not expecting Akane to hear her.

    ¡°Oh, nuh-uh. Don¡¯t you dare with that, missy. No one deserves that. No one! Especially not you.¡± Akane bit her lip, slumping her shoulders somewhat. ¡°You got caught with your guard down, but that¡¯s no reason to think that way about yourself. Besides, you did the most important thing you could do to protect yourself, at least. You made sure you weren¡¯t alone. And you never will be again when you¡¯re out on the road. We¡¯re gonna make damn sure of that!¡±

    Ranko nodded dejectedly, kicking a large pebble off the rooftop. It clattered down the grated steel steps of the fire escape with a series of metallic bangs. ¡°I knew you¡¯d never trust me after this. It was part of the reason I didn¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±

    ¡°Baby, no!¡± Akane approached her again, but Ranko again backed off, not wanting to be touched. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, princess. I trust you, always and forever. I don¡¯t trust everybody else. You are beautiful, and talented, and glorious. You¡¯re incredible, Ranko Tendo, and it¡¯s made you famous. But it¡¯s also made you a target.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Akane stepped closer, and Ranko had no choice but to submit to her touch, cornered as she was on the roof¡¯s edge. The backs of Akane¡¯s fingers stroked gently down the redhead¡¯s damp cheek. ¡°If there¡¯s one part of the life you left behind still in you, it¡¯s that nobody beats you the same way twice. I have every confidence that no one will ever pull one over on you like this again. The chances that something like this could ever happen to you a second time are one in a billion.¡± Her hand moved to her wife¡¯s other cheek, wiping away her lover¡¯s silent tears. ¡°But when we¡¯re talking about the most precious thing in my universe, that¡¯s one in a billion chances too many.¡±

    ¡°Always and forever?!¡± Ranko scoffed, looking for a way around her wife and finding none. ¡°You didn¡¯t trust me two hours ago, and then you got all indignant when I thought the same shit about Sho.¡±

    The raven-haired girl nodded softly. ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s fair. I just¡­ You haven¡¯t let me touch you since you¡¯ve been home, and that¡¯s so¡­ not like you. And you¡¯ve been so weird around the band, especially Crash. Now I know that it was because they knew what happened in Thailand, but at the time¡­¡± She threw her hands up in the air, letting them fall to her hips with a loud slap.  ¡°I put two and two together and got snorkel. It¡¯s not right, and I¡¯m sorry. I owe Crash an apology, too. I just¡­¡±

    Ranko sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the song, and everything with Sho, Akane. I won¡¯t perform it, promise. I just¡­ with this stupid contract thing, and then being all broken inside like this, I feel like I¡¯m letting you down. I feel like I¡¯m a shit partner. I feel like I might as well have stuck that pen in your back. And then this happens, and¡­¡± The redhead shrugged, turning away again. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re gonna leave me for Sho because you want him. But sometimes I think you¡¯re going to leave me for him because you should. Because I deserve it.¡±

    ¡°I can understand why you think that, but, listen.¡± Akane sighed, walking around her beloved and resting her palm gently between her breasts. ¡°You did what you had to do, Ranko. I know you want to tell the world about us. It¡¯s criminal what Yokai¡¯s doing to you - or at least it should be. But don¡¯t you dare spend another second thinking I am ever going to want anybody but you. I feel so blessed, getting to be with you every day, but¡­¡±

    Akane¡¯s shoulders slumped as she continued speaking. ¡°Every time you go out on the road, I keep thinking the day¡¯s gonna come when you find your footing in the big, wide celebrity world and realize you can find somebody better out there among the rich and famous. I need your reassurance sometimes, too. I need your honesty. When you¡¯re hurting, I need to know, so I can be there for you, but also so that my mind doesn¡¯t fill in the empty space between us with the things I fear the most.¡±

    Ranko shuddered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I want to¡­ I¡¯m just so fucking ashamed of myself. I feel so gross all the time, about everything, and like¡­ Akane, I want to make love to you again, so much, but every time I feel your hands on me and the Cat¡¯s Tongue makes my nerves start to shut down, I feel myself falling again. I¡¯m scared. Scared to give up control like that again. And I know I shouldn¡¯t be, ¡®cause it¡¯s you, but¡­ my heart wants to let go, and my brain is hanging on the edge by its fingernails because if I let go, I¡¯m in that place again. At somebody else¡¯s mercy.¡±

    Akane¡¯s shoulders slumped with regret. ¡°And I¡¯ve made it worse because I¡¯ve been pushing you so hard.¡± She stepped back a few meters, suddenly realizing she wasn¡¯t likely helping Ranko¡¯s anxiety by having backed her up to a two-story drop in her bid to get closer to her wife.

    Her words were met with a shrug. ¡°That¡¯s my fault. You¡¯d have stopped if I¡¯d told you what the problem was. I tried, on the phone before I came home. I really did. But¡­¡± Ranko turned, looking down at the street below from the corner of the roof¡¯s edge.

    Akane stepped forward again, a part of her mildly concerned that her lover might be considering jumping.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t look you in the face and watch your respect for me turn into pity. It¡¯s one thing, with the Cat¡¯s Tongue, to not be the martial artist I used to be anymore. I¡¯ve learned to live with that. But this¡­ this is different. This is¡­ I couldn¡¯t bear to watch myself shrink in your eyes, from the warrior I was, to this pathetic, helpless¡­ well, whatever you wanna call it.¡± Ranko let her hands drop to her thighs in exasperation. When they clapped against her legs, the katana rattled in the wooden scabbard strapped to her back.

    Akane shook her head, chuckling darkly. ¡°I guess I was wrong before, when I said there was only one part of Ranma that survives in you. There¡¯s another one.¡± Akane approached again as Ranko turned to look at her, and Akane delivered a poke with her index finger right between her lover¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re still as stubborn as a mule, and you still think that your worth in my eyes has anything at all to do with the way you fight. You¡¯re feeling diminished because something profoundly bad, and profoundly feminine, happened to you. I get that, but you¡¯re handling it exactly like the dummy of a boy I used to be engaged to.¡±

    ¡°Damn, Akane,¡± Ranko said, managing the faintest of smiles. ¡°You ain¡¯t gotta insult me like that! Ouch!¡±

    Akane managed the smallest of smiles, glad to see her words starting to break through her lover¡¯s melancholy. ¡°Ranko, you keep holding yourself up against the person you were before the Cat¡¯s Tongue. Before the band, and the Phoenix. But, baby¡­ I knew Ranma. I saw him every day. And¡­¡± She bit her lip, exhaling heavily. ¡°I didn¡¯t love him. I tried, but¡­ I couldn¡¯t love him.¡±

    ¡°But, then¡­¡±

    Akane lifted her hand, cutting Ranko off before she could interrupt further. ¡°Stop trying to turn the woman I love back into the man I couldn¡¯t. Please stop trying to convince yourself that I would trade one second of my life with Ranko Tendo for a lifetime with Ranma Saotome - in a dress or otherwise.¡± She reached forward, holding her hand under Ranko¡¯s chin for just a moment to allow her wife to emotionally prepare for physical contact before initiating it. She cupped Ranko¡¯s chin in her hand, supporting her head and tilting it gently upward.

    ¡°You are a girl now, but that¡¯s far from the most important thing that¡¯s changed about you since then. On your worst day - at your weakest, saddest, most desperate moment - you are better than he was at his best. You are stronger - maybe not in your fists, but in your heart, where it really matters. You are braver than he ever was, because he might have been tough enough to go toe-to-toe with Ryoga when he knew there was no chance he would lose, but do you think he¡¯d have had the balls to get on stage in front of twenty-five thousand people and sing? He could barely handle Rockin¡¯ Around the Christmas Tree with Dad and my sisters! You are smarter than he was, and I¡¯m not talking about going to school. I mean, you know more about how to live, and how to love, than he could have ever understood.

    ¡°You keep trying to compare yourself to the ghost of Ranma, and I guess you don¡¯t remember him as clearly as I do, because if you did, you¡¯d realize there¡¯s no fucking comparison. Stop apologizing for outgrowing him. You are twice as formidable as the woman you are than the man you used to be could have ever hoped for. You don¡¯t owe me some vision of manhood. I don¡¯t expect you to act like a boy, or handle things like a boy. I don¡¯t expect a husband and a protector, and I don¡¯t want one, either. I expect you to be the princess I married. If the tradeoff for that is that I have to stand up and do your fighting for you, then I will be damned proud to do it, because baby girl, you are worth fighting for, and you seem to be the only person left in your life who doesn¡¯t see it.¡±

    Akane framed her lover¡¯s face with her fingers, brushing her hair to the side and smiling lovingly into her eyes. ¡±You are my orchid girl, and you are perfect, exactly as you are today. You might be a little more delicate than you used to be. You might need more protecting than you used to, from time to time. But, you know what? That¡¯s okay! I think even Ranma probably could have used a little more protecting than he got, too, if I¡¯m being completely honest. At least my Ranko is brave enough to accept help¡­ eventually. You might be a mess, girl, but damn it, you¡¯re my mess, and I wouldn¡¯t trade you for all the world.¡±

    Ranko blushed, shrinking from her wife¡¯s gaze with a shy smile crossing her lips. ¡°Do¡­ do you really believe all of that?¡±

    ¡°Anytime you doubt it, princess, look at your left hand.¡± Akane lifted her eyes up to meet her wife¡¯s, smiling softly. ¡°I couldn¡¯t be your song, if you weren¡¯t my singer.¡±

    ¡°What am I supposed to do, Akane?¡± Ranko sighed dejectedly, kicking another pebble off of the rooftop. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to¡­¡±

    Akane silenced her lover with a gentle kiss to her forehead. ¡°That sounds like a good question for Fred, babe. I¡¯m gonna make you - make us - an appointment first thing tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell F¡­¡±

    Ranko¡¯s eyes bulged as Akane laid her index finger across her lips. ¡°You can, and you will. You don¡¯t need to be ashamed. You¡¯re a survivor. You went to hell, and you fought, and your friends fought for you, and you came back to me. I know it¡¯s gonna be hard, but¡­ you¡¯re going to talk to him, baby. I don¡¯t have all the answers for you this time, but hopefully he does.¡± Akane brushed a loose strand of Ranko¡¯s hair from her eyes. ¡°The most important thing to remember right now - to hang onto as tight as you possibly can -  is the absolute fact that you are going to be okay. Me, and your mom and sisters, and the guys, and everybody, we¡¯re gonna make absolutely sure of it, whatever it takes. I promise. And, you and me? Yeah, things are hard right now, but we¡¯re going to be okay, too. I refuse to accept anything else.¡±

    The redhead nodded. ¡°What are we gonna do about¡­ ya know?¡± She motioned to her lower torso, sighing in despair.

    Akane shook her head softly in reply. ¡°We¡¯ll ask Fred about that too, but in the short term, we¡¯re gonna take it nice and slow. We¡¯re gonna go gentle, and we¡¯re gonna do it at your pace.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ what if that takes a long time?¡± Ranko looked down at her feet with concern.

    Akane grinned, stroking Ranko¡¯s damp cheek again. ¡°You¡¯ve never particularly minded that before, beautiful.¡±

 108. Demons

    ¡°Do you have any idea how long I¡¯ve dreamed about this day?¡±

    Ranko rolled her eyes, hiding her face behind the paper cup of mango smoothie in her hand and sucking on the red plastic straw. ¡°Probably since about five minutes after you knew I was a girl,¡± she said in a hushed tone despite the surrounding din of the mall food court. ¡°Just don¡¯t think it¡¯s gonna be an everyday thing, alright? I ain¡¯t some shrine maiden or nothin¡¯; I¡¯m a freakin¡¯ rock star.¡±

    Beaming, Nodoka nodded, looking over her daughter¡¯s attire. Ranko wore a plain, heather-gray hoodie over her red Phoenix staff tee shirt and a black pleated skirt that barely came to her knees, whereas Nodoka herself was clad in a yellow silk kimono, with a cyan obi that matched the large flowers printed all over it. ¡°If I had any doubt of that, dear, the twenty minutes I spent watching you sign autographs in the parking lot would have dispelled it.¡± She lifted her foam cup, sipping at her tea. ¡°But, for this occasion, I¡¯m afraid your punk princess aesthetic isn¡¯t quite appropriate.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know,¡± Ranko said, picking at her udon half-heartedly with her disposable bamboo chopsticks. ¡°Freakin¡¯ Kasumi had to go all traditional. If she¡¯d done a Western-style wedding, I could¡¯a worn a dress like a normal person.¡± Gods, if three-years-ago me could¡¯ve heard me saying fancy dresses were normal, she mused with a chuckle.

    Nodoka grinned. ¡°Well, I¡¯m afraid that just this once, you¡¯re going to have to embrace the fact that, even though you spend most of your time performing Western-style music in a Western-style bar, you are, in all actuality, a Japanese lady. There¡¯s nothing abnormal about that, even if it may seem out of the ordinary for you. Had I raised you, I assure you, you would be more used to it.¡±

    If you had raised me, I¡¯d be going to the wedding in a suit and tie, Ma. Somehow I don¡¯t think we¡¯d have stopped by Jusenkyo on the way to the farmer¡¯s market, Ranko thought with a smirk. Ain¡¯t much I¡¯m grateful to Pop for, but that one¡­

    With a loud groan, Ranko jabbed her chopsticks down into her mostly-empty udon container. ¡°I know, I know. Just, with my normal clothes, you can at least put a little personality in it. Kimonos are so¡­ blegh. She¡¯s lucky I love her! If Kasumi thinks I¡¯m doing that white geisha makeup though, she¡¯s got another thing coming! Sister or no, there are limits!¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s any consolation, dear¡­¡± Nodoka tipped her cup in Ranko¡¯s direction in a cheers sort of gesture. ¡°You won¡¯t be embarrassed in front of Akane, because she¡¯ll be doing it right alongside you. Kasumi asked for all of you to wear kimonos, right?¡±

    You think that spares me from teasing, Ma? Sometimes she has me do the kind of stuff she¡¯s used to just so she can pick on me about it! Ranko sighed softly, thinking back to her lengthy conversation with Akane after the truth of her experiences in Thailand had been revealed at last. But she also understands. She doesn¡¯t mean anything bad by it. She¡¯s always got my back. I wouldn¡¯t trade it for the world, even when she makes me squirm. The redhead¡¯s cheeks flushed. Sometimes, especially when she makes me squirm.

    ¡°Has Kasumi given you any guidance on colors or patterns?¡±

    Nodoka¡¯s question snapped Ranko out of her thoughts and back to the present. ¡°Uh¡­ not really. She said no black, but other than that I think it''s up to me. She''s wearing red, so I should probably avoid that.¡± The young singer blushed, playing with the braided ponytail that hung over her left shoulder. ¡°Well, from the neck down, anyhow.¡±

    The elder woman nodded, rubbing her chin. ¡°I think something floral could work for you. But, we¡¯ll see when we get¡­ Ranko?¡± She turned her head to follow her daughter, as Ranko had launched herself out of her seat like a rocket and was walking around the table.

    ¡°Gimme just a sec, Ma,¡± Ranko said, pulling her hood up over her hair and pulling the drawstrings tight. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± She shouldered her purse and hurried through the central corridor of the mall after someone she¡¯d seen walking past the food court in the crowd, weaving through the meandering shoppers with ease in her silver cheerleading sneakers. It took her but a moment to catch up to a tall, spindly boy in a Shibuya Stars basketball jersey. It wasn¡¯t the uniform for her alma mater¡¯s rival that interested her, but the large boom box he carried over his shoulder. It wasn¡¯t currently playing anything.

    ¡°Hey, you got a sec?¡± She reached up, tapping the boy on his shoulder blade as she couldn¡¯t quite reach the top of his shoulder.

    ¡°Huh?¡± The boy turned, looking down. He towered over Ranko by more than thirty centimeters. ¡°What can I do for ya?¡±

    Reminds me of Eiji, she thought with a smirk. ¡°Sorry, I just¡­ I saw your radio, and I wanted to ask you about it! It looks so cool!¡±

    Grinning, the young man pulled the boom box down from his shoulder, motioning for her to follow him. He led her to a nearby bench, setting the radio down on it to allow Ranko to admire the custom spray-paint job that had been done on the front of it. The whole front of the device shell was purple mixed with blue, and flecked with some sort of glitter, so gave the appearance of a night sky. The black grill of the left speaker was unpainted, but the huge round speaker on the right side of the radio was painted to look as if the speaker grille were being torn open from the inside. A reddish-purple humanoid beast with sinister-looking horns atop her head reached her claws outward through the hole, as if trying to escape the speaker. ¡°I painted it myself. I¡¯m an artist,¡± the beanpole of a boy declared proudly.

    ¡°You did a great job! She looks amazing!¡± Ranko beamed, looking over the young man¡¯s handiwork. ¡°What inspired you to do the art this particular way?¡± C¡¯mon, dude. Say it. As she asked, she peered through the clear plastic window on the front of the boombox, grinning at the sight of the familiar compact disc sitting in the vertical-mounted player within.

    Blushing, the young man gave a shrug. ¡°Just, thinkin¡¯ about my favorite song, I guess.¡± He fidgeted with his fingers a bit.

    ¡°Lemme guess¡­ Demon in Your Radio?¡± Ranko beamed, biting her lip a bit. ¡°It¡¯s one of my favorites, too!¡±

    The athlete gave her an emphatic nod and a wide grin. ¡°You know it? It¡¯s so good! I mean, I must have practiced for months to be able to do it as fast as she does.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?!¡± Ranko chuckled to herself, remembering countless flubs in her bathroom mirror when rehearsing the extended Hellfire version of her first dance hit, especially the line the irreverent revenant, revvin¡¯ up everybody hearing me. ¡°Me too!¡± She pulled her purse around her torso in front of herself, eyeing the custom paint job on the radio. ¡°Hey¡­ you mind if I¡­ try something real quick? I¡¯m¡­ something of an artist, too. If you don¡¯t like it, you can just cover it up, and I won¡¯t mess up your pretty demon, I swear. It¡¯ll only take a second.¡±

    With a skeptical expression, the boy scanned her over, giving her a slow nod. ¡°I¡­ guess?¡± He watched her intently, crossing his arms over his chest. What is this weirdo on about? Who just runs up and asks to draw on your shit like that?!

    ¡°Thanks!¡± Giggling, Ranko pulled open her purse, reaching into it for a silver marker. She laid the radio on its back, with the demon facing up at her. Just below the speaker, on a patch of starry sky, she set the marker to work. ¡°There! How¡¯s that?¡±

    With a gasp, the basketballer covered his mouth with both hands as he watched her sign her name with her trademark heart at the end. ¡°Wait! You¡­ you¡¯re really¡­¡±

    Ranko pulled back her hood to reveal her hair and the rest of her face, flashing the Firebird a grin and a wink. ¡°Shhh. Don¡¯t need a mob,¡± she implored in a hushed voice. ¡°I¡¯m here with my mom. Well, one of ¡®em, anyway.¡± She laid her finger over her lips just in front of her excited smile, giving him just a moment before pulling her hood back up. ¡°Enjoy it! Hey, what¡¯s your name, dude?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± the young fan said, his eyes darting between his radio and the young starlet who had autographed it. ¡°Ranko Tendo signed my freakin¡¯ radio!¡±

    Giggling, the redhead nodded excitedly. ¡°Uh-huh! Now¡­ about that name?¡±

    ¡°Sorry! It¡¯s T-toshiya,¡± the young artist stammered.

    The songstress nodded. ¡°Good to meetcha, Toshiya! You know, you could¡¯ve brought this by the Phoenix anytime, and I¡¯d have signed it for ya, if you wanted.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding?!¡± Toshiya rolled his eyes, continuing to speak in a hushed but excited tone of voice. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to get into the Phoenix when you¡¯re on for months, but it¡¯s always packed. I¡¯ve always dreamed of seeing you perform live!¡±

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    With a thousand-watt smile, Ranko shook her head. ¡°Now that, we can fix.¡± She reached in her purse again, pulling out a small stack of red business cards bundled together with a pastel pink hair elastic and drawing one of them out. The boy peered over her shoulder, and recognized the trapezoidal firebird logo on the front of the card immediately.

    Ranko turned the card over, signing the back of it and blowing on it gently to help the ink dry faster. ¡°Here.¡± She handed the card up to him, rising back to her feet. ¡°Hand this to whoever¡¯s at the door, and they¡¯ll put you in VIP. I wanna introduce you to my sister, Yui. Maybe she¡¯ll ask you to do some art in the new club we¡¯re building!¡±

    ¡°The Dapper Dragons¡­ might perform¡­ in front of my art?! Excuse me, I¡¯m just gonna go die now!¡± Toshiya sat down on the bench, picking up his radio and admiring the new addition to the artwork. ¡°I think I might faint.¡±

    Laughing, Ranko shook her head. ¡°Please don¡¯t, man. I¡¯m not sure I can drag your ass to the doctor. You¡¯re kind of a big dude! Anyway, I gotta get back over there with my mom. Enjoy it, and I look forward to seeing you at a show!¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­. uh-huh,¡± the boy replied dumbly as Ranko flitted back into the crowd and hurried in the direction of the food court.

    <hr>

    ¡°I. Look. Ridiculous.¡±

    Ranko groaned, exiting the dressing room in a burnt orange kimono. The silk was printed in an almost polka-dotted pattern of tiny white daisies, and the obi around her waist was white. ¡°Hello, welcome to Yobu¡¯s Sukiyaki House! Can I take your order please?¡± The redhead rolled her eyes in disgust.

    ¡°Oh, come now, dear, it¡¯s not that bad.¡± Ranko¡¯s mother snickered. ¡°Okay, maybe it¡¯s a little that bad. But¡­¡± She reached up to a wall rack next to her, pulling down the lavender kimono she¡¯d selected while her daughter tried on the previous candidate. The majority of the silk was patterned to look like falling flower petals in a deep indigo, but the bottom - everything from about knee-level down - was styled to look as if the wearer were walking through a field of vibrant orchids. ¡°How about this for my orchid gi-¡±

    She blinked as Ranko snatched the hanger out of her hand. ¡°Well, okay! I take it you like it? Why don¡¯t you give m-¡± Sighing, she reached up, pulling the orange kimono that Ranko had just hurled over the fitting room door off of her head where it had landed. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ just put this back,¡± Nodoka said with a quiet chuckle and a resigned shake of her head.

    Nodoka returned to the fitting room just as the door opened, and covered her mouth with her left hand at the sight of what emerged from it. ¡°Oh, baby.¡±

    Ranko blushed meekly, but was unable to hide the smile on her face. ¡°You like it?¡± She¡¯d paired the white obi from the previous kimono with the orchid-styled one. It reminded her a lot of the album cover for Wild Orchid, her second album. She turned, stepping up onto a little platform surrounded by three mirrors so the viewer could see herself from multiple angles.

    ¡°Do I like it?¡± Nodoka stepped up onto the platform behind her, wrapping her arms around her daughter¡¯s waist from behind and resting her chin on Ranko¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You look incredible, honey. And I am so proud of you right now. Do you have any idea?¡±

    Closing her eyes, Ranko breathed deeply, savoring the moment. I waited so long to hear her say that, and now I get it almost every time I see her. Never gets old, though. She rested her hands on her mother¡¯s at the level of her navel. ¡°I¡¯m gettin¡¯ there, Ma. Slowly, but surely.¡±

    Nodoka kissed the top of her daughter¡¯s head through the shock of flame-red hair. ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡±

    <hr>

    Ranko grunted as she bent down into the back seat of her mother¡¯s Toyota, carefully hanging the plastic-wrapped kimono from the handle just above the door frame and bundling the bottom of it into the car. ¡°You think that¡¯ll be okay like that?¡±

    Receiving a nod in reply, Ranko slipped into the passenger seat of the car, pulling the door closed and reaching for her seat belt. ¡°Thanks for doing this with me, Ma. Really. I had no idea what the hell I was doin¡¯.¡±

    After the click of her own seat belt, Nodoka waved off her daughter. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I had a wonderful time! And it seemed like you did, too.¡± She reached across the arm rest, patting her daughter on the thigh at the hem of her skirt. ¡°It was good to see you smile. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d seen it since you¡¯ve been back from the road this time.¡±

    Ranko shrugged, wrapping her arms around herself in her hoodie. She answered after a long, pregnant pause. ¡°Been¡­ goin¡¯ through some stuff, is all.¡± At least Mom, Akane, and the girls know now. I tried so hard to keep them from finding out, but I gotta admit, the fact that they know about it, and they aren¡¯t laughing or anything, does help. She sighed quietly, shaking her head with a chuckle. They keep telling me talking about shit always feels better than secrets. Maybe one of these days I¡¯ll even believe ¡®em.

    ¡°Well, if there¡¯s anything you ever want to talk about, little orchid, I¡¯m here for you. You know that, right?¡± Nodoka took her hand back long enough to turn the key in the ignition, resting it on Ranko¡¯s shoulder as she backed the car out of the parking space.

    Yeeeeeeahh¡­ as much of a relief as it is not having to hide it from everybody else anymore¡­ we¡¯re gonna need a little more distance from the ¡°man among men¡± thing before I tell you somebody tried to¡­ Ranko shivered under her mother¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be alright. Just¡­ I got a lot of shit going on right now, and it¡¯s confusing the hell out of me.¡±

    Nodoka nodded, turning on the right turn signal to exit the mall parking lot. ¡°I can only imagine, honey. You¡¯re at a confusing time in your life anyway, and that¡¯s before you add in all the extra complexity you deal with being¡­ well, you.¡± She flashed her only child a smile as Ranko vocalized through a huge yawn. ¡°Tired already? It¡¯s barely past noon! The night life is wearing on you again, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Ranko shook her head with another shrug. ¡°Just haven¡¯t been sleeping too good lately. Really stressed about tomorrow.¡± Scared shitless, more like. And angry.

    Nodoka pursed her lips as she turned the car onto the highway from the access road leading to the mall. ¡°Is this the meeting with your record people?¡±

    The redhead gave a small nod. ¡°Yeah. And I just¡­¡± She sighed, letting the back of her head fall limp onto the tan vinyl seat behind her. ¡°I was so stupid signing that fucking contract. I should have told them to go right to hell, but¡­¡±

    ¡°They sort of had you over a barrel, Ranko. You said so yourself. They didn¡¯t give you much chance to get out of it, and without your agent there¡­¡± The singer¡¯s mother turned on her turn signal, merging into the center lane. She spoke over the horn blaring from the car behind hers as it changed to the right lane and passed her Toyota at a much higher rate of speed. ¡°What choice did you have?¡±

    Ranko slumped in her seat. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, Ma. I should have fought harder. I should have¡­ I don¡¯t know how Akane isn¡¯t furious with me over it. I would be. I just feel like such a fucking asshole for doing this shit to her.¡±

    Trying her best not to scowl at her daughter¡¯s foul language, Nodoka exhaled slowly. ¡°An argument could be made that you did it for her,¡± Nodoka admonished as another car whizzed past hers at twice the speed. ¡°Preserving your livelihood helps you both, even if it comes at a cost.¡±

    Ranko scoffed, fidgeting with her fingernails in the passenger seat. ¡°Not a good one. I wish I could convince myself of that, but no. I did what I did for my family. Maybe Nabiki could have found a better way, maybe not. But I¡¯ll never know now. Now I¡¯ll just always feel like I sold my wife out when maybe I didn¡¯t have to. I wish I could tell them how they¡¯re just hollowing my guts out with this stupid thing, but at this point, I¡¯m not even sure they care.¡±

    Nodoka clicked her tongue, biting her lip and bobbing her head side to side a bit as she thought. ¡°What about telling them in a song? I mean, other than that Naruto boy, I think I know better than anyone how¡­ effective you can be at making your point that way when you set your mind to it.¡±

    Chuckling, the redhead shook her head. ¡°His name¡¯s Saburo, Ma. But good on you for trying. And¡­ I tried. But, what¡¯s the point? It¡¯s not like they¡¯re gonna put it on the new album.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Nodoka furrowed her brow, replaying the several shows she had caught at the Phoenix since her child¡¯s wedding a year ago in her mind. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen you perform it.¡±

    That¡¯s because the costuming for Viper would give you a stroke, Ma. Traditional Japanese lady, it ain¡¯t, Ranko thought with a smirk. ¡°After the contract, there didn¡¯t seem like there was a lot of point in being defiant when they¡¯ve already got me in a cage. Nabiki¡¯s gonna do her best to try to fix it, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯s gonna have much luck. And I¡¯m just gonna be¡­ stuck like this. I hate them so much, Ma. And it¡¯s starting to make me hate music, because everything I do, they own. Every time I write a new song, it¡¯s like I¡¯m giving them some new weapon to use against me. Letting them make some more money off of hating who I am. It makes me sick inside.¡±

    ¡°I can certainly understand that.¡± Nodoka sighed softly, squeezing Ranko¡¯s shoulder with a firm grip. ¡°Can¡¯t you just find a new record company? I know you said it was hard at first, but you¡¯re a lot more successful now. Surely someone would be happy to sign you.¡±

    Ranko rolled her eyes, sighing heavily. ¡°I wish it was that easy. But, if I did, Yokai would still own everything I¡¯ve done before. I¡¯d basically be starting my career from scratch. And, I mean, I¡¯m good, but¡­ I don¡¯t think I can catch lightning in a bottle again. I can¡¯t promise myself, Akane, the boys, or anybody that I can write new stuff that¡¯s gonna make people forget Rise, Sneak, Demon, and all of those.¡±

    ¡°Ranko, baby, take it from me.¡± Nodoka forced a smile across her lips, glancing over at her child as a tractor trailer painted with a giant ad for hamburgers whizzed by her car in the left lane.

    ¡°Speaking as someone who never thought she¡¯d see her son again, let alone take her daughter shopping for her first kimono¡­¡± She reached out, patting her child on the thigh reassuringly. ¡°Sometimes, when the current state of things does nothing but cause you pain, the best thing you can do is take a chance and start over.¡±

 109. Deal With the Devil

    ¡°Now, remember, when we start talking, what do you do?¡±

    Ranko sighed, shaking her head as she walked alongside her elder sister Nabiki. ¡°I shut up and let you work,¡± she grumbled over the clacking of her kelly green heels on the Shibuya sidewalk.

    Nabiki nodded in the direction of a young man selling flowers from a cart on the side of the road. ¡°Right! And when they start bringing up the code of conduct, what are you gonna do?¡±

    The redhead growled, slumping her shoulders in her green blazer and cream-colored silk blouse. ¡°I shut up and let you work.¡±

    ¡°You bet!¡± Nabiki grinned at her sister. ¡°And what if they¡­¡±

    ¡°I get it! I don¡¯t fucking talk! You ain¡¯t gotta rub it in,¡± Ranko snapped. ¡°Why did you even bring me if I¡¯m not allowed to be a part of the conversation? I could be home, in bed, and not wearing this itchy-ass business girl skirt!¡±

    Nabiki shrugged. ¡°Kondo wanted to see you. He was pretty insistent on it.¡± She flashed a little sneer to her right as Ranko winced. ¡°Maybe he thinks you¡¯re cute, baby sister.¡±

    ¡°Ugh! Gross!¡± Ranko said, sticking her tongue out and making a heaving noise in her disgust. ¡°He was super creepy in Singapore, too. And that was before he started prying into my love life with a fucking crowbar. Anyway, how come the boys don¡¯t gotta be here, all gussied up and shit like this?¡± She tugged at the tight pussy bow collar of her blouse for emphasis.

    Cocking her head to the side, Nabiki shrugged her shoulders again. ¡°Maybe Kondo doesn¡¯t think they¡¯re cute? Besides, we¡¯re not signing anything today. Today, we¡¯re just talking. We can bring home a draft contract for the guys to look at just as easily.¡±

    The redhead nodded with another quiet sigh of resignation as Nabiki reached for the brass handle of the Yokai Records office building. ¡°And what am I supposed to do if they start asking me questions?¡±

    Nabiki chuckled, leaning in close to her sister. ¡°Talk about the fucking weather.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Nabiki. Ranko. Good to see you. We thought you¡¯d be here fifteen minutes ago.¡± Amaya Uyehara motioned to the seats at the end of the mahogany boardroom table closest to the doorway of the sixth-floor conference room. ¡°Please, take a seat, and let¡¯s get started.¡± There was a nervous glint in her eyes as her gaze met Ranko¡¯s.

    Nabiki pulled the chair at the head of the table out for Ranko, waiting for her to sit before taking her own chair to Ranko¡¯s left. ¡°Ranko¡¯s a pop star, a college student, and a world-class athlete, plus co-owner of a successful entertainment venue in Minato. She¡¯s very busy, you understand. This is why normally, you¡¯d be dealing directly with me as her representation¡­¡± She glared at the heavyset man sitting to Amaya¡¯s right. ¡°... and not cornering her in hotel meeting rooms overseas without me.¡±

    ¡°Come now, Miss Tendo,¡± Kichirou Kondo retorted, folding his hands and interlacing his fingers arrogantly. ¡°Your sister called us. If you have any concerns with what happened in Singapore, you should take them up with her.¡±

    Nabiki clicked her tongue in admonition as she opened her leather briefcase. ¡°Oh, believe me, I have. You should know that from now on, as a result of your little gambit, no one from the Dapper Dragons is authorized to sign any legally binding contracts without my signature as their business representative. The paperwork has all been handled. So, there won¡¯t be any more of that nonsense, I can assure you.¡±

    She loudly banged a stack of papers on edge against the tabletop, coercing them into a neater stack before passing sheets across the table to Amaya and Kichirou. ¡°If we can get down to actual business, then? As you can see, we have nine songs ready to go, and the band can get into the studio and start mastering them and working on videos as soon as we have a signed contract. Ranko has a tenth song she¡¯s working on finishing up now, and that will close our third album.¡±

    I actually have twelve, Ranko thought, glaring at Kondo across the table. Just, there¡¯s a couple you guys can¡¯t ever see. Defying Destiny is just for Akane, and¡­ She sneered quietly, keeping her mouth shut as promised. Somehow, I don¡¯t think you pencil-dicks can handle the Viper.

    ¡°Ten?¡± Mr. Kondo sat forward in his seat, clicking his tongue dismissively as he folded his hands on the table and laced his fingers together. ¡°But, Wild Orchid was twelve songs. Why would we want to step back? We should be raising the bar. Your fans deserve no less; don¡¯t you agree, Ranko?¡±

    They¡¯re called Firebirds, asshole. If you don¡¯t even know that, where the hell do you get off thinking you can tell me what to do with my career? Ranko opened her mouth to speak, her eyes widening silently in shock and pain as Nabiki kicked her shin under the table.

    ¡°The songs will come at the pace they come,¡± Nabiki said, hurrying to fill the space in the conversation before her sister could. ¡°Fewer songs means you get an album out faster, and those extra two songs could just as easily be the start of a fourth album. We¡¯re hopeful to have master recordings for the third record ready to go before the band leaves for China.¡±

    Mr. Kondo shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about a fourth album before we finish the third. I think thirteen songs is probably the minimum we want to think about.¡±

    Ranko glared at the selfsure businessman, digging her fingernails into her palms. This prick is just¡­ taking over my whole fucking career. And I just have to sit here quietly and play the good girl and take it. I hate this. I hate him. Her eyes turned almost pleadingly to Amaya. And why aren¡¯t you helping?! I thought you were my fucking friend.

    Nabiki smiled a bit curiously. ¡°That¡¯s something we could consider. Perhaps, in trade for a concession on your part. Say, tearing up that damn contract you bullied my sister into signing in Singapore?¡±

    The redhead sat up in her seat, a smile of hope crossing her face. I¡¯ll give them fifty songs for that, if it means I can just be myself again. If I can just feel like I can be proud to be Akane¡¯s wife again.

    ¡°Now, Nabiki, you know I can¡¯t do that. The Artist Code of Conduct is a non-negotiable Yokai Records policy.¡± And, more importantly, being the one to bring the little brat under the yoke is gonna get me the big office upstairs sooner rather than later. ¡°As it is, we bent the rules to exempt the rest of the band.¡±

    The odious man sneered in Ranko¡¯s direction. ¡°Besides¡­ if she¡¯s behaving, there¡¯s no reason for her to chafe against it so much. She is behaving, isn¡¯t she?¡± He rubbed his fingers together, an insidious satisfaction in his eyes. Let¡¯s just see if my suspicion was right.

    Ranko felt Nabiki¡¯s comforting hand on her thigh under the table, but it couldn¡¯t stop her from shaking in her fury. How fucking dare you¡­ She bit her tongue hard behind a stage smile.

    ¡°It''s less that she wants to¡­ misbehave, as you say, and more that she doesn''t like her business partners policing her personal affairs. Nor does she think it''s fair for the code to apply only to talent. Clearly it''s mutable to an extent, because you did exempt the rest of the band. Let me ask you, Mr. Kondo: do you and Amaya have to abide by the same code?¡± Nabiki sat back in her chair, confident in her return volley.

    Mr. Kondo shrugged. ¡°No, and it doesn''t matter. Yokai back office staff aren''t in the public eye. It won''t cause an image disaster if someone in our legal department does something objectionable, because it won''t be a major news item that will rile people up. The press wouldn¡¯t even take notice. That said, if you''re concerned about fairness, we would be happy to require Miss Uyeno, Miss Kimoto and the rest of the Dapper Dragons to adhere to the code as well.¡±

    Ranko swallowed hard, trying in vain to hide her grimace. He has to know about them. No way he would have called them out by name and not Crash or Shin unless he did. At least he didn''t mention Ken. I might have come out of this chair if he had. You¡¯d better keep Ken Hirata¡¯s name out of your fucking mouth, buddy.

    ¡°In fact,¡± he pressed, ¡°I think you bring up a good point. We should require all of the band to sign. It''s only fair, as you point out.¡±

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Ranko tapped her sister on the shoulder, leaning over and whispering in her ear.

    Nabiki frowned, but gave her a nod of acknowledgement before turning to the boorish businessman. ¡°We will give you twelve songs on the new album. And in return, you give us, in writing, assurance that everyone else in the Dapper Dragons, including those who may be added later, are permanently exempted from the Code. We¡¯re not going to have you lording that over us forever.¡±

    This isn''t a negotiation, Ranko thought, sliding down dejectedly in her chair as Mr. Kondo nodded with a dark sneer. It''s a fucking hostage situation, and he knows it.

    <hr>

    Nabiki tapped on the tabletop with the end of her pen. ¡°Next order of business¡­ show staffing. I take it you¡¯ve received Lance Riker¡¯s resignation letter. We¡¯re going to need a new roadie for the last leg of the tour. The band is happy to hire one ourselves, at our expense.¡± And under our control, she added mentally.

    ¡°I did get it,¡± Mr. Kondo said. ¡°Damn shame. Everybody always said Riker was a good one. We¡¯re happy to take on backfilling the position, though.¡±

    He¡¯s the best, Ranko thought with a barely-veiled sneer. And that¡¯s why he¡¯s my new personal head of security. With a pay raise, to boot, ya cheapskates. She managed a softer smile, which she did let her adversaries across the boardroom table see. A brilliant idea on Akane¡¯s part. Just another way that my wife makes me so much fucking better, all the time, you bigoted fucks.

    Amaya coughed loudly, turning to her cohort. ¡°You know, Mr. Kondo, your father did mention he wanted to find ways to cut down on the budget. Removing an entire salary from the payroll would certainly look good to the people upstairs, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± the brutish executive said in a tone of defeated acquiescence. ¡°You hire somebody. But you¡¯d better make sure they¡¯re worth a damn!¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Nabiki shot back, sighing as she decided to let his challenge go unanswered. ¡°Our last point is about the show itself. We¡¯ve talked it over with the band, and we¡¯ll consent to one change to the set list. Several of the guys have personal commitments over the next few months and the amount of time it will take to plan and rehearse more new material is not realistic for them.¡±

    Sitting up in her chair, Amaya flashed a curious expression at the singer across the table from her. ¡°Do you have anything in mind?¡±

    Ranko waited to answer until she had received a nod of permission from her elder sister and agent. ¡°If you¡¯re okay with replacing it with another one of the new ones, I¡¯d be willing to drop You Don¡¯t Know Me from the show.¡± Doesn¡¯t really feel right performing that these days, now that me and Ma have made up. ¡°Not Yours, Don¡¯t Touch stays, though. That one¡¯s non-negotiable. The whole closing act¡¯s built around it.¡±

    Amaya nodded with a satisfied smirk. ¡°I think that¡¯s probably fine, Ranko.¡±

    Mr. Kondo started to open his mouth, but Amaya cleared her throat. ¡°As the Yokai executive producer in charge of the tour, this is my area, and I can¡¯t be overruled on it except by the CEO.¡± She turned to the man in the black suit and the skinny tie to her right. ¡°And that¡¯s not you, is it, Kichirou?¡±

    ¡®Bout fucking time you put that son of a bitch in his place, Amaya, Ranko thought, glowering at the chubby man.

    ¡°Fine,¡± he consented with a grumble and a glare in Amaya¡¯s direction. I was only pushing that lever to force the Code on her anyway. I got that, so I still won.

    Amaya bobbed her head again, standing from her rolling office chair and smoothing her bright yellow pencil skirt. ¡°Then, if there¡¯s nothing further, I think we can call it a day. Ranko, we look forward to wrapping the Wildfire Tour and working with you on the new album! Oh, and to celebrate, I¡¯d love to take you and Nabiki to lunch! There¡¯s a cafe across the street I absolutely adore.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not really all that hungry,¡± Ranko grumbled as Mr. Kondo almost pushed her aside to exit the boardroom. Getting your ass kicked in silence for an hour and a half tends to fuck up your appetite.

    ¡°Oh, come on,¡± Amaya said, flashing Nabiki a glare with a measure of surreptitious urgency in it. ¡°They¡¯ve got some amazing zosui there you¡¯ve just got to try, Ranko.¡±

    What is she up to, Nabiki wondered. ¡°Actually, Ranko, I¡¯m feeling a bit peckish. C¡¯mon. It won¡¯t kill you to go be sociable for a few minutes.¡±

    Ranko grumbled as she was led into the elevator by Amaya and her sister, watching the two with no small measure of confusion. No words were spoken as the little metal cubicle descended from the sixth floor to the ground-level lobby. Ranko swayed nervously in her green heels as she watched the tense glares between her two silent companions.

    She followed the two women out the glass doors into the street, and through the crosswalk to a small sandwich shop. Ranko said nothing as the trio took their seats in a booth in the back corner, trying to follow Nabiki¡¯s directive to keep quiet. I fucking hate this. It¡¯s like living in a gilded cage. The redhead sighed softly to herself. I just have to try and remember why I did it. I saved the Phoenix, and my family. I owed it to them. This should feel like a small price to pay for honor, I guess. It¡¯s just¡­ not so small.

    ¡°Hi! Could we have a few moments, please?¡± Amaya waved off the approaching server without so much as ordering tea. The young brunette gave a curt nod and scurried off, leaving the three new customers to their conversation.

    Amaya reached into a small wooden bin mounted to the side of the divider between their booth and the one behind it, pulling out a white paper chef hat, part of the handouts the restaurant gave to children to keep them occupied. She unfolded it and slid it across the table to Ranko. ¡°Put this on.¡±

    ¡°Uh, no?¡± Ranko looked at the tall paper cylinder with disdain. ¡°I¡¯ll look like an idiot. Why would I wanna do that?¡±

    ¡°Because if you don¡¯t, you look like a very recognizable fucking pop star with bright-ass red hair, in a very crowded place, Ranko. Put the damned hat on.¡± Amaya shot the starlet a glare that made the seriousness of her demand clear despite the quiet, almost whisper of her voice.

    Nabiki blinked in concern as Ranko complied. She leaned over the table, looking around to ensure she didn¡¯t recognize anyone at any of the surrounding tables. ¡°Amaya, what¡¯s going on? You¡¯re acting like an extra in a spy movie over here.¡±

    ¡°Ranko¡­¡± Amaya scanned the little cafe with her eyes, checking to ensure she recognized none of the surrounding faces. Satisfied that she did not, she turned to the redhead in the silly paper chef hat. ¡°They know.¡±

    The redhead scoffed with a grin. ¡°I mean, I thought you said nobody could tell who I am in this goofy-ass¡­¡±

    ¡°Kondo knows about Akane, Ranko.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s humor ended mid-sentence, and she nearly choked on her own saliva. ¡°I¡­ What are you talking about? What does my sister have to do with¡­¡±

    Amaya shook her head urgently, the tips of her black hair almost whipping around the back of her booth seat into the table on the other side. ¡°Don¡¯t. I¡¯ve known about your wife for over a year, honey. I¡¯ve just been keeping it quiet for you around the office.¡±

    Damn it. I knew it, Nabiki thought, sitting back in her seat next to Ranko. ¡°But¡­ how? She¡¯s been so careful¡­¡± Lately, at least¡­

    Amaya shrugged, her eyes darting around the cafeteria again to ensure no one was eavesdropping. ¡°I don¡¯t know. And I don¡¯t think he has ironclad proof. But he knows something¡¯s up. He seems awfully sure of himself. He¡¯s an arrogant prick, and all he cares about is power and office politics, but¡­ he¡¯s acting too smug to not have something.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s he planning?¡± Nabiki shook her head as she made eye contact with the server, warning her with her eyes to keep her distance for a while longer.

    Ranko said nothing, shrinking into the corner of the booth behind Nabiki as small as she could in her uncomfortable business attire. She was relatively certain the little cafe was spinning. Oh, no¡­ what am I gonna do¡­ fuck¡­ what have I done¡­

    Amaya shrugged, sipping at the glass of water on the table in front of her. ¡°I don¡¯t know. And I don¡¯t think he can act - at least, not until he can prove anything. He¡¯d be a fool to try anything; gods know Yokai needs Ranko at least as much as Ranko needs us. But now that there¡¯s a contract in place, he might not have a choice. He was so hungry to get her signature on that thing, because he thought it¡¯d make him look good to his daddy upstairs, and now it¡¯s binding.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ he could just tear it up, like Nabiki said,¡± Ranko offered hopefully. ¡°It¡¯s the get out of jail free card for both of us.¡±

    With a nod, the executive rolled her eyes. ¡°He could. But then he¡¯d have to admit to his father that he couldn¡¯t control you, and that would turn his victory in Singapore into a huge defeat. I don¡¯t know that a prick like him is capable of swallowing that much pride to do what makes sense, and he doesn¡¯t have the head for business to realize when it¡¯s the smart move. Gods help us if he ever does take over the company, because he¡¯s only in his position because of who his father is. He doesn¡¯t know his ass from his elbow.¡±

    Nabiki sighed, shaking her head. ¡°What a fucking mess. Alright. What¡¯s our play?¡± She glared over at Ranko. While the elder of the Tendo girls said nothing, Ranko very clearly understood the expression of look what you fucking did in Nabiki¡¯s eyes, and recoiled in shame from it.

    ¡°I think there¡¯s still time to throw him off the scent, but we¡¯re gonna need something big, and absolutely irrefutable.¡± Amaya glanced over at Ranko, who looked as if she wanted to crawl between the seams of the vinyl booth bench and hide there for the rest of her life. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve got any boys in your life who wanna do you a huge favor and get you pregnant or anything?¡±

    As Nabiki watched, her younger sister slid down the bench onto the floor under the table. Her paper chef¡¯s hat was dislodged from her head by the edge of the table, and rested in her empty seat. A low whine rose from the green linoleum floor. ¡°Kill me now, please?¡±

 110. A Huge Favor

    Akane sighed, rubbing her temples. She sat back in her chair, forcing herself to blink. Staring at this thing for so long is giving me a headache. Closing her eyes, she bowed her head toward the keyboard of her personal computer. Almost done, though. She had been working on the essay, covering the recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging technology, for the past week.

    What time is it, anyway? I should think about heating up some leftovers for dinner. Given the recent demands of her class schedule, she was working fewer nights at the Phoenix, which meant there were nights that she was left to fend for her own evening meal when Ranko had late classes and had to rush right to work. Still, her wife never failed to plan ahead and ensure there was something to heat up, usually by cooking extra the night before to set aside for Akane the following night. She takes such good care of me, Akane thought with a grateful smile. How did I get so lucky?

    Still, Akane could tell that Ranko had been struggling. Even after clearing the air about Ranko¡¯s experiences in Thailand, there was still a heavy sadness about her, especially in public, that broke Akane''s heart to see. She guessed it was due to the increased pressure Ranko felt to keep their relationship secret. Around her sisters and Hana, Ranko hid her melancholy better. She probably just doesn''t want them to feel bad. After all, Ranko all but sold her soul to save the bar for them. She didn''t even get the chance to enjoy her tour money like the rest of the band did. They still had a little money left over from the lump-sum tour payment, but only enough to cover a few months¡¯ budget in their little apartment - certainly not the windfall that had netted Hitomi and Emi new wardrobes, Jacob and Zoe a new condo in the Chiyoda district, and Shinji a high-end sports car.

    Still, a part of her worried that there was something else Ranko wasn''t telling her. Wouldn''t be the first time she bit her tongue to protect me, Akane thought with a fretful sigh. As she inhaled, though, she noticed something lingering in the air - an enticing aroma. What the¡­

    She slipped her headphones off of her head, reaching for the computer mouse and clicking stop on the CD player program on the bottom right of her screen. Her wife''s voice immediately ceased leaking from the speakers that had been around her ears, but yet, she could have sworn she still heard it. Okay, this is weird.

    ¡°Ranko?¡± Receiving no answer, Akane shook her head, chuckling at herself. She can''t be here, dummy. She''s at work. Fuck, I need to get some sleep tonight. She stood and stretched her back, reaching high toward the ceiling with a high-pitched squeak.

    Okay, she thought. Dinner time. Akane pulled the door open, walking out into her living room. The smell of cooking food was stronger, and sure enough, she did hear Ranko¡¯s singing voice coming from the kitchen.

    ¡°When all else fails and you long to be something better than you are today, I know a place where you can get away¡­¡±

    ¡°Ranko, what are you doing here, baby? You were supposed to be at work an hour ago!¡± Receiving no answer, Akane grinned, creeping carefully toward the little alley kitchen. She rounded the corner, finding Ranko in her favorite white lace dress and her pink princess apron, singing into a wooden spatula in her fist as she bopped in front of the stove. Her hair was up in a high, bouncy ponytail secured with a large white bow on a banana clip, and her headphones were positioned over both of her ears.

    ¡°Come on, vogue! Let your body move to the music, hey, hey, AGHH!¡±

    Ranko yelped, jumping back in surprise as she turned to find Akane watching her. She pulled the headphones down and draped them around her neck, speaking loudly over Madonna¡¯s voice. ¡°Akane! You scared the shit outta me!¡±

    ¡°Look who''s talking!¡± Akane said, stepping into the kitchen and wrapping her hands around Ranko''s waist. ¡°You''re supposed to be at the bar, silly girl! What are you doing?¡±

    Ranko turned in Akane¡¯s arms, stirring the contents of the large pot on the stove with her spatula. Both girls could still hear the song from Ranko¡¯s Discman, and the redhead danced along with it, grinding her backside against the front of Akane¡¯s jeans as she did.

    Akane shivered quietly. The pair had still not been intimate since Ranko had returned from the second leg of her tour, and Akane missed it something terribly. She could only imagine how bad the ache for physical affection probably was for the ever-sensitive girl she had married, but Ranko was still struggling with any sort of intimacy. When she¡¯s ready, Akane thought. But gods, I hope she¡¯s ready soon. Fred, I¡¯m gonna need you to work a miracle, buddy.

    ¡°I wanted to surprise you,¡± Ranko said hopefully. ¡°I told Yui I couldn''t come in today because I had to spoil the most amazing girl in the universe. I was gonna bring it in to you, but you came out just a few minutes too early. It''s almost done.¡±

    Akane squeezed her wife tight from behind, resting her chin on the shorter girl¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Whatever you''re making, it smells amazing.¡±

    ¡°It''s called kare kare,¡± Ranko said, beaming. ¡°Something I tried in Manila. It''s an oxtail stew. I thought you might like it.¡±

    Akane sighed happily, tightening her grip around Ranko''s waist. ¡°Do you have any idea how much I love you, girl?¡±

    I hope so, Ranko thought, glad Akane could not see the nerves in her eyes from behind. ¡°I love you too. Hey, why don''t you go sit down, and I''ll bring you your dinner in just a minute?¡±

    Akane smiled, reaffirming her grip on Ranko''s torso. ¡°I may not be where I¡¯m going, but I''m right where I wanna be.¡±

    ¡°Hey! No fair! That''s my song!¡± Ranko protested through her giggling. ¡°Seriously, I gotta be able to move around to finish this, and I can''t have you hanging on my butt! Get outta my kitchen! Shoo!¡±

    Akane put up her hands, laughing. ¡°Alright, alright! Yes, ma¡¯am! I can''t really be blamed though¡­¡± Ranko jumped forward a bit as Akane reached under the redhead¡¯s dress and gave her backside a firm squeeze through her pastel pink panties. Akane laughed loudly as Ranko yelped. ¡°It is, in fact, an awfully cute butt.¡±

    The redhead blushed deeply as Akane made her way to the dining room table. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you like it. After dinner, I''m going to get that cucumber lotion I brought back from Malaysia, and I''m gonna give you the most amazing massage you''ve ever had in your life. And, after that, if you''re not too worn out, maybe I''ll let you play with it some more.¡± If I don¡¯t slip into another panic attack at the first touch, anyway.

    Akane grinned wolfishly. Sorry, Professor Hirato, but your essay just got bumped way the fuck down the priority list. She sat up in her seat, watching her lover''s every move. ¡°Well, aren''t I just getting spoiled? Dinner, a massage, and¡­ wait a minute!¡± Akane chuckled. ¡°You want something, don''t you?¡±

    Shit. Ranko bit her lip, ladling some of the stew into a red earthenware bowl and bringing it to her wife along with a ceramic soup spoon. ¡°Just you, lover.¡±

    Ranko''s wife eyed her skeptically, ignoring the bowl of stew that had been placed before her on the table. ¡°Nice try, princess! I saw the way you slumped when I said that. You do want something! I knew it!¡±

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    ¡°Can''t I just do nice things for you because I love you?¡± Ranko stammered, starting to back away. ¡°Why¡¯s it gotta be all transactional?¡±

    Akane reached out with lightning-quick reflexes, grabbing the pink ribbon securing the apron around Ranko''s back and using it to pull her back into arm¡¯s reach. She wrapped her arms around Ranko''s waist, lifting her and depositing the smaller girl into her lap. ¡°Of course you can, and you often do. But right now, you''re not fooling anybody, silly girl. What is it? A new dress? A date?¡±

    Akane frowned as she saw the mirth melt from Ranko¡¯s cheeks almost instantly. Oh, shit. What did I hit? What¡­

    Ranko leaned into her wife''s chest, rubbing her cheek against Akane¡¯s gray Minato Athletics tee shirt. She didn''t mind at all that some of her foundation rubbed off on it. ¡°Akane¡­ I need your help.¡± There was a quiet shame in her voice.

    ¡°Ranko, baby, you don''t have to butter me up if you need something. You know that. Just talk to me. What''s going on, love?¡± Akane rubbed her wife¡¯s back firmly, holding her tight and rocking her slightly on her lap.

    Ranko swallowed hard. ¡°Well, I, um¡­ You know Nabiki and I went to the Yokai office today, about the new album.¡±

    Akane gritted her teeth, trying to hide it behind her smile. Oh, no. What did those bigoted fucks do now?! ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°Akane¡­¡± Ranko sat up on her wife''s lap, looking down at her with a serious countenance. ¡°Amaya knows. About us.¡±

    The raven-haired girl¡¯s eyes bulged, and she sat up as straight as she could with fifty-some kilograms of pop star in her lap. ¡°She what?! How?! We were so careful! What are they gonna do?!¡±

    ¡°Apparently, she¡¯s always known, all the way since the Sneak video. She¡¯s on our side. Has been this whole time.¡± Ranko sighed quietly. ¡°It¡¯s her bosses that are the jerks. Amaya¡¯s been covering for us. But, she¡¯s worried they¡¯re catching on, and she wants to throw them off the scent.¡±

    Akane frowned, rubbing Ranko¡¯s back comfortingly. ¡°What does she want to do, and how can I help?¡±

    The redhead blushed shyly, hiding her face against Akane¡¯s breasts. ¡°Well, I¡­ um¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey. C¡¯mon, spit it out.¡± Akane bounced her on her knee gently.

    ¡°Your dinner¡¯s getting cold.¡± Ranko whined quietly, and Akane could feel the heat from her wife¡¯s cheeks even through her shirt.

    Akane lowered her head, kissing Ranko gently on the top of her head and wrapping her arms around the smaller girl¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t want all your hard work getting ruined, I guess you¡¯d better hurry up and tell me, because I¡¯m not touching that bowl until you spill. Now, what¡¯s the plan?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Ranko swallowed hard, curling up tighter in Akane¡¯s arms. ¡°Amaya thinks we can get Kondo off our backs if we can prove to him I¡¯m with a boy somehow. So, I was thinking, maybe we can show him some more pictures of me and Aki together?¡±

    Akane chuckled, squeezing her tight. ¡°I think that might be arranged. What are you thinking, dinner date?¡±

    ¡°Actually¡­ I was thinking we could¡­¡± Ranko shook her head. ¡°No, I can¡¯t. It¡¯s too much.¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡± Akane lifted Ranko by the shoulders, tilting her partner¡¯s chin up with her hand to force eye contact. ¡°What is?¡±

    Ranko blushed deeper still, trying to hide her face in Akane¡¯s hand coyly. ¡°Don¡¯t make me say it.¡±

    With a playful laugh intended to disarm her bride, Akane shook her head. ¡°Oh, hell no. You¡¯re being way too cute and shy about this, princess. Now I have to know!¡±

    ¡°Noooo¡­. don¡¯t make m¡­ hey!¡± Ranko tried to hide her face again, but her words devolved into a fit of giggles as Akane tickled her ribs through her lace dress.

    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna stop until you tell me, silly girl,¡± Akane said, only resting her fingers once Ranko nodded in capitulation.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Ranko dove forward, hiding her face against Akane¡¯s chest. ¡°... they think I¡¯m married to Aki. So, if we rented you a tux for a day, and I put on my dress¡­¡±

    Akane burst out into a loud cackle. ¡°Aww, honey, you want wedding photos with your husband? Well, why didn¡¯t you just say so?!¡±

    Ranko whimpered shyly. ¡°You ain¡¯t gotta laugh at me! I already said it was stupid.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, I think it¡¯s a great idea!¡± Akane grinned, lifting Ranko¡¯s chin with her fingers and pulling her into a soft kiss. ¡°I¡¯d love to do it!¡±

    ¡°You¡­ would?¡± Ranko¡¯s voice was quiet, but hopeful.

    Akane nodded, a wide grin on her cheeks. ¡°Of course! I just have one condition.¡±

    Ranko sat up on Akane¡¯s lap. ¡°It would mean so much to me, if you¡¯ll help me get them off my back. I know it¡¯s not the most comfortable thing for you to do, and I hate to ask. I¡¯ll do whatever you want!¡± The redhead swallowed audibly at the devious smirk forming on her lover''s face. ¡°Why do I have a feeling I''m gonna regret saying that?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Akane said, locking her fingers behind Ranko''s back to prevent her escape. ¡°I think it makes total sense. After all, if I remember correctly, Aki did ask you to marry him. And you very clearly said yes.¡±

    Ranko flushed further still, almost lightheaded from it. ¡°But we did get married.¡± She held up her left hand, showing off her ring as proof.

    Akane giggled. ¡°Sure, you and Akane got married. But poor Aki got left at the altar.¡± She reached out, poking her lover on the nose. ¡°I¡¯m sure Aki would be happy to take wedding pictures with you, but I''m not dressing up just for the pictures. If you want photos of you marrying a man, Miss Tendo, you''re just going to have to marry one.¡±

    ¡°What?! Akane, what are you¡­¡± Ranko''s eyes were positively frantic.

    ¡°We are going to throw a whole wedding. You and Aki. We¡¯ll dress the girls up again, get new flowers, the whole thing. And you are gonna squirm through the whole thing, and I''m gonna love every second of it.¡± Akane tittered brightly, watching Ranko search the room for a means of escape.

    ¡°Akane, I can''t do th¡­ everyone will¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, hush. Yes we can. The band knows. The girls know. Our friends know. They''re all in on it. But this way, we can do it convincingly, with the whole wedding party and everything. And this time, we have a little extra money to work with, so you''re getting the full celebrity bride treatment.¡± Akane bounced her playfully on her knee.

    ¡°Akane¡­¡± Ranko buried her face in her hands. ¡°You wouldn''t make me¡­ marry¡­ a boy¡­¡±

    *Of course I wouldn''t.¡± Akane laughed, squeezing her tight around her waist. ¡°Just a girl who looks like one. And you''re gonna get done up all pretty for me, and you''re gonna dance with me¡­ it''ll be fun. You''re gonna get to be the princess again. And you won''t even have to share the bride spotlight with me this time. Hey, this time Dad can walk you down the aisle, and with any luck, I won''t even have to dismember anybody.¡±

    Ranko looked down. ¡°But¡­ Yui and the girls will tease me.¡±

    Akane nodded. ¡°Oh, mercilessly. They''re your big sisters. That''s their job. But you''ll be fine. C¡¯mon. Let''s have some fun with this! You''ve had to hide being with me so much lately. Don''t pretend like it hasn''t been tearing you apart. Let''s have a big old party and make out all night and rub the pictures right in their fucking smug faces.¡±

    Ranko bit her lip, only starting to perk up. ¡°Do¡­ do I get another honeymoon?¡±

    Akane tittered joyfully, pulling her close. ¡°You bet you do, princess. And, more importantly¡­¡± She ran her fingers gently down her beautiful bride''s neck, her laughter growing with every quiver from the sensitive girl in her lap. ¡°You get another wedding night.¡±

    Ranko blushed, biting her lip and looking away, but Akane again took her chin in her hand and turned her head to face her.

    ¡°Ranko Tendo, will you marry me? Again?¡±

    She thought for a moment, but Ranko finally nodded, the shy smile forming on her lips giving way to a broader one of excitement. ¡°Yeah. I guess I will.¡±

 111. Entourage

    How the hell did I get talked into doing this again?! Ranko sighed, holding her head in her hands.

    ¡°Okay, so, we¡¯ve only got a few days to put this together, so we¡¯re gonna have to hustle. You girls all still have your bridesmaid dresses, right?¡± Izumi leaned over the bar, building a checklist on the front page of a Ranko and the Dapper Dragons spiral notebook she¡¯d snatched from the merchandise display behind the service bar. ¡°If not, they actually carry that style at Yoshiko¡¯s Bridal now, so it should be easier to get new ones.¡±

    Nabiki groaned, resting her elbows on the wooden bar counter and holding her head in her hands. ¡°Please don¡¯t remind me. Little princess just had to pick the itchiest dress in the store.¡±

    ¡°Are you gonna do the same wedding party this time around?¡± Mei asked, leaning over Ranko¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve got an opportunity to shake it up a little. Most girls don¡¯t get to marry the same guy twice, after all.¡±

    ¡°I am NOT marrying a guy!¡± Ranko growled, her face aflame. ¡°I¡¯m marrying Akane! In a costume!¡±

    Yui cackled. ¡°Suuuuuure you are. The pictures will make that abundantly clear, I¡¯m sure of it! I can¡¯t wait to hear the updated wedding vows.¡± She turned to her right, smiling at her own wife. This is why we took the shortcut to married bliss. ¡°What do you think, Ranko, are we adding to honor and obey back in?¡±

    ¡°Oh, we wouldn¡¯t do that to her!¡± Akane said, but as soon as Ranko looked back down at her drink, the black-haired girl nodded emphatically in Yui¡¯s direction.

    Ranko growled, hiding her face in her hands again. ¡°You guys, stop it! I¡¯m embarrassed enough at having to do this in the first place.¡±

    Nabiki shook her head, sneering in her amusement. ¡°Oh, no you¡¯re not, little sister. Not by half. This only happened because you decided to go rogue and not involve us when we could have helped you, so, we¡¯re involving ourselves now.¡± She turned, resting her hands on the service bar counter and propelling herself upward to sit upon it, crossing her legs in her black skinny jeans. ¡°And you¡¯re gonna learn your lesson this time, girl. We¡¯re gonna make sure of it.¡± She cackled menacingly, sipping from her open bottle of cider. ¡°You are going to get the full celebrity treatment, you¡¯re gonna doll up sweet and smile real pretty for the cameras, and we are gonna make you suffer through every single fucking second of it for our amusement.¡±

    Akane nodded in solidarity with her sister. ¡°You bet we are, princess. You¡¯re going to get the fairy tale whether you want it or not. In fact¡­ I don¡¯t think six bridesmaids is enough. And if the dresses are easily available, we can seamlessly add more in a hurry.¡±

    ¡°Not enough?!¡± Ranko recoiled from her wife¡¯s words. ¡°What are you even trying to do to me right now, ¡®Kane?!¡±

    Yui grinned. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve got a lot more women in your life now than you used to - people you wouldn¡¯t wanna leave out.¡± She leaned to her left, nuzzling into the arms of the Phoenix¡¯ co-proprietress. ¡°For example, you have a new sister.¡±

    Bobbing her head, Izumi glanced up at a framed photo of the full Dapper Dragons band on stage in Brisbane. ¡°I bet Hitomi and Emi would love a chance to stand with you this time. You¡¯ve gotten a lot closer with them since the tour started.¡±

    ¡°I suppose I did regret not getting to ask Kumiko and Shi¡¯ri the first time,¡± Ranko said sheepishly. ¡°But this is too much. And besides, that would make an odd number, and Izumi would have some kinda OCD freakout.¡±

    Nabiki clicked her tongue, glancing at the same photo Izumi had referenced. ¡°What about Zoe? They could be down.¡±

    Ranko shook her head. ¡°Zo¡¯s not much for the dresses and makeup and stuff. I don¡¯t think they¡¯d wanna do it. And, before you ask, Nabiki¡­ you¡¯re my sister. You don¡¯t get to back out. You don¡¯t get a choice in the matter.¡±

    Akane smiled warmly. ¡°Well, I was thinking about asking the boys in the band to be my groomsmen¡­ what if we asked Zo if they wanted to be on my side, since they do the boy thing sometimes too?¡±

    Yui giggled, nodding emphatically. ¡°That would be great. But we still need one more bridesmaid to have an even number, then.¡±

    ¡°Ukyo?¡± Izumi scratched her chin with the back of her pen. ¡°If Crash is gonna be on Aki¡¯s side¡­¡±

    The redhead nodded. ¡°We could ask, but I don¡¯t know if she¡¯d wanna¡­¡± Being in my wedding might be a little close to home for her, considering¡­

    Snickering, Akane nodded. ¡°Oh, I bet she¡¯d love to help give you away to a handsome man¡­¡± She ruffled Ranko¡¯s hair gently.

    ¡°Really, it¡¯s kind of a shame we¡¯re stopping at twelve, considering thirteen¡¯s a lucky number. Anybody else we could throw in there? Maybe your new friend from school, Yumeko?¡± Yui sipped at her beer contemplatively.

    ¡°There won¡¯t be anybody left in the seats to actually watch the fucking thing at this rate!¡± Ranko whined. ¡°We¡¯re gonna have to wait until the club¡¯s built next door to fit everybody on the damn stage!¡±

    Yui snickered. ¡°The cameras won¡¯t care. We¡¯ll have to get a little cozy on stage, but¡­ you¡¯ll be okay. Not like you like being close to girls, right, little sister? Especially not on the day you finally net yourself a husband¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait! Actually,¡± Izumi smirked, biting the back of her pen. ¡°We already have thirteen. We forgot someone.¡±

    Ranko blinked, an almost offended look in her eyes. How could you accuse me of forgetting someone I care about that much? Can I just not count? ¡°How you figure? I¡¯ve got the four of you, Nabiki and Kasumi, plus Sakura, that¡¯s seven. Kumi, Shi¡¯ri and Ukyo make ten, and then Hitomi and Emi are eleven and twelve.¡±

    Izumi gave Ranko a devious smirk. ¡°Well, the whole point of this is to convince Yokai that you¡¯re not marrying a girl. So, we can¡¯t leave anything for them to pick holes in or raise any sort of doubt.¡±

    ¡°Yeah? And?¡± Ranko watched as Izumi slipped out from behind the service bar, a quizzical expression in her eyes. ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡±

    Grinning, Izzi put her arm around Akane¡¯s back, resting her head on the black-haired girl¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You forgot one of your sisters.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?!¡± Ranko and Akane shouted the exclamation in unison.

    ¡°Think about it. If you have six sisters, and all six are bridesmaids, it makes total sense. But, on paper, you have seven sisters, because of Akane. And if Akane¡¯s missing, people are gonna get suspicious, and from there, all they have to do is realize how much she looks like Aki, and you¡¯re sunk. So the only way to solve this is to not leave Akane out.¡± She turned to her youngest sister¡¯s ¡°groom¡±-to-be, snickering. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re gonna have to be your wife¡¯s bridesmaid in your own wedding, hon. No pressure.¡±

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    Akane shook her head vigorously. ¡°How the hell am I supposed to pull that off?! I can¡¯t be in two places at once, Izzi!¡±

    Nabiki hopped down from the counter. ¡°No¡­ this actually makes a ton of sense. With a bridal party that huge, nobody will expect to see the whole party in one picture. It won¡¯t be weird. So, we get Akane all gussied up with the rest of us, take a few shots of all the bridesmaids, and then she goes upstairs and turns on dashing gentleman mode for the wedding proper. There won¡¯t be any pictures of Aki and Akane together, but that¡¯s okay. It¡¯ll be enough to throw them off the scent. They¡¯ll never be able to say Akane is Aki, because Ranko could be like, That¡¯s not possible, there¡¯s Akane right here in the photos. It¡¯s actually friggin¡¯ genius.¡±

    ¡°I dunno.¡± Akane gave her sister a skeptical look, before turning her eyes to Ranko. ¡°I don¡¯t know that we can pull it off. And besides, everybody knows I¡¯m not really the one that usually does the whole waiting hand-and-foot thing in this relationship.¡±

    ¡°Akane!¡± Ranko hid her face, blushing furiously. ¡°Shut u-uuuup¡­.¡±

    With a grin, Akane leaned over her lover and kissed her on the temple. ¡°I suppose I could let her order me around for an hour or two¡­ with the understanding that the more she teases me, the worse she gets it back when the shoe¡¯s on the other foot on our honeymoon.¡±

    Sakura let out a loud yelp as she was sprayed with cold soda. Ranko coughed and sputtered, putting her pilsner glass down hard on the counter. There was still caramel-colored cola dripping from her nostrils.

    ¡°So it¡¯s settled. Thirteen bridesmaids. Holy crap! There were six colors of dresses, so we¡¯ll have two of each color this time around, and one extra. Ranko, you need to get a hold of everybody today and let them know the date and everything, especially Kumiko, since she¡¯ll have to arrange for travel.¡± Izumi continued jotting down notes, listing the baker¡¯s dozen names and adding the colors of dresses the original six bridesmaids had worn.

    Ranko groaned. ¡°Awww, man, why do I gotta be the one to tell everybody? It¡¯s so embarrassin¡¯ that I even have to go through all this again¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the bride, blockhead. And it¡¯s not even a shared responsibility this time.¡± Yui grinned, topping off her sister¡¯s soda. ¡°You¡¯re just going to have to suck it up and embrace princess status, girlie.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I want yellow, so I can match Yuri,¡± Sakura said with a giggle as Yui squeezed her tight about the waist, and Izumi wrote the appropriate character next to her name.

    Akane grinned, resting her chin on Ranko¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll take red. I¡¯ll match my girl¡¯s hair, since I can¡¯t match her pretty white dress this time.¡±

    ¡°¡®Kaaaaaane¡­¡± Ranko blushed, hiding her face in her hands.

    Scratching her head with the saliva-damp cap of her ballpoint pen, Izumi nodded. ¡°Alright. In the interests of time, I¡¯d presume the same flower setup as last time?¡±

    ¡°I mean, I think this time, you might wanna just do white roses for the bouquet, or some of everything, since we won¡¯t have two brides. Hey, Ranko, this means you can throw your bouquet this time!¡± Mei giggled, ribbing her sister with her finger.

    Ranko nodded, sneering at her blue-haired sister. ¡°And I¡¯m gonna take your fuckin¡¯ head off with it, too! I¡¯d tell you to duck, but you¡¯re too short for it to matter, shrimp.¡±

    ¡°I want her buried in flowers this time,¡± Akane said. ¡°We have a little money this time, and we don¡¯t have to skimp.¡± She traced her fingers gently down Ranko¡¯s cheek, sending her shivering. ¡°I want her to feel like a fairy princess.¡±

    ¡°Akaneeeeeeee¡­¡± The redhead shied away from her lover¡¯s smickering gaze.

    Izumi turned to a new page in her notebook. ¡°Okay, so now for our groom¡­ I¡¯ll go ahead and make Aki¡¯s tux, so I can tailor it to account for¡­ certain things. The groomsmen can just rent - it likely won¡¯t be a perfect fit for Zoe, but I can help them out some if needed. So, Crash, Shinji, Jake and Zoe, then. Anybody else?¡±

    Ranko sighed quietly, saying nothing, slumping a bit on her stool. She slowly swirled the ice in her drink around in its pilsner glass for something to focus on.

    With a sad sigh, Akane rubbed her wife¡¯s back. ¡°I know, baby. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be able to make the trip, but we¡¯ll absolutely ask Ken, just so he knows we¡¯re thinking of him. Do you think we should ask Kaito and Kage, or maybe Tofu?¡±

    The suggestion made Ranko smile again somewhat, and she looked up to her standing lover. ¡°I don¡¯t know, do you think you could handle getting married as a boy with Dr. Tofu right there? Wouldn¡¯t want you getting too blushy there, Aki.¡±

    ¡°Good point,¡± Akane said with a giggle. ¡°And your brothers-in-law would probably feel kinda awkward about the whole thing. So, just the band, then.¡± For the briefest of moments, a frown crossed her lips as she considered that she did have one male friend she might have asked, but she knew Ranko would never be comfortable with including him. ¡°And Crash will be my best man, since he already declared himself the best man last time.¡±

    Nabiki nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true! Now that you don¡¯t both have bridesmaids, Ranko can actually pick a maid of honor this time! So, spill it, girl, who¡¯s your favorite?¡± She turned to Izumi, motioning to her with the neck of her cider bottle.

    ¡°I mean, if Akane¡¯s gonna be a bridesmaid too, I don¡¯t think I got much choice, do I?¡± Ranko turned, smiling softly up at her wife.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d recommend that,¡± Izumi said with a shake of her head, nibbling on the cap of her pen. ¡°It would look a little odd for the maid of honor to be missing from most of the pictures.¡±

    Ranko sighed, throwing her hands up with her elbows still propped on the bar. ¡°But that means I gotta pick a favorite sister. How the hell am I supposed to do that?!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll manage.¡± Nabiki, who had since hopped back up and retaken her seat on the service bar, reached behind her and tossed her empty cider bottle into the trash can behind the counter. ¡°Iz, can I get another one of those? Oh, and when you¡¯re writing the list for tuxedos, don¡¯t forget Daddy.¡± She smirked at Ranko. ¡°He has to walk his little girl down the aisle, after all.¡±

    Ranko sputtered. ¡°Wait, what? Oh, no no no¡­¡±

    Akane laughed loudly. ¡°She¡¯s right, you know. It¡¯s tradition for the bride. And you didn¡¯t have a dad until a few hours after the wedding last time, so it¡¯s only right that you get to have that experience now. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be proud to give you away.¡±

    ¡°Aww, come on!¡± Ranko said, hiding her face yet again. Her face was aflame, but Akane noticed something else in her eyes. ¡°We don¡¯t have to do all that, do we?¡± She looked up when Akane rested her hand gently on her shoulder.

    ¡°Ranko,¡± Akane said, the teasing in her voice replaced with loving gentleness. ¡°It¡¯s okay to be excited about the idea of having your dad doing something to support you. I know you¡¯re¡­ not used to it. But he¡¯s so proud of you, baby. You don¡¯t even know. I think he¡¯d feel honored to do this for you.¡±

    ¡°R¡­ really?¡± Ranko blinked in surprise, biting her lip and nodding as a smile crossed her face. ¡°If you think so, you can ask him.¡±

    Akane shook her head, poking the little silver heart dangling from Ranko¡¯s white lace choker. ¡°Not a chance. He deserves to hear it from his daughter.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re¡­¡±

    Yui chuckled, crossing her arms across her breasts. ¡°Not right now. Right now, she¡¯s the strapping young man who¡¯s riding in to sweep the princess off her feet.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?!¡± Ranko¡¯s face discovered a yet deeper shade of crimson. ¡°Well, just for that, I''m gonna make you be the maid of honor. So, how about that?!¡± She smiled softly to herself. I would have picked her anyway, but I didn''t want to make the other girls feel bad.

    ¡°That''s fantastic!¡± Yui cackled, turning to her wife. ¡°That means we¡¯re on the hook for planning the bachelorette party! Sake, any chance you know any really good male strippers?¡±

 112. Squirm

    ¡°Hey, Akane, while you¡¯re up, would you mind grabbing me a¡­¡±

    ¡°Whoooooooooooooooooop!¡± came a chorus of excited feminine voices, cutting off Ranko¡¯s words.

    Ranko sighed, her forehead falling into her palm. ¡°Really? Again?!¡±

    Giggling, Kumiko nudged Ranko¡¯s shoulder gently with her fist. ¡°You know the rules! Your groom¡¯s name is Aki, and every time you say it as Akane¡­¡±

    Yui wordlessly finished Kumiko¡¯s directive, handing Ranko a shot glass of top-shelf tequila over her shoulder.

    Shaking her head, Ranko took the little vial of liquid from her sister. ¡°I know! I know! You girls are gonna kill me before the night is over at this rate! It¡¯s not even 8:30 yet!¡± With a roll of her eyes, she threw back the shot to the cheers of the assembled bachelorette party. She turned the glass upside-down, adding it to the stack of five that already stood in front of her on the top of table one.

    ¡°It¡¯s not fair! If she were dressed like a guy, maybe, but¡­¡± Ranko ran her hand playfully around the hem of Akane¡¯s glittery blue skater dress as she passed. ¡°Look at her!¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Ukyo reached over Ranko¡¯s lap, grabbing her wrist and pulling it back away from Akane. ¡°Hands off the bridesmaids! We don¡¯t want your future husband getting jealous, no matter how drunk you are!¡±

    Ranko laughed, glancing around the bar room. The Phoenix was empty, save her cadre of companions. Nearly every woman that was important in her life was there - even Kasumi, though she mostly was keeping to herself with a glass of wine. Kumiko and Ukyo flanked the bride at the VIP table, with Akane seated to Ukyo¡¯s left. And they¡¯re all here to make me suffer, Ranko thought, her face flushing.

    ¡°Better be careful, little star. When you walk down the aisle tomorrow, you¡¯ve gotta be able to¡­ ya know, walk.¡± Hana laughed, tilting the neck of her beer bottle in her youngest daughter¡¯s direction.

    Snickering, Sakura reached across the VIP table and nudged Ranko¡¯s shoulder with her fist. ¡°Yeah¡­ walking funny¡¯s supposed to be reserved for the honeymoon, girlfriend!¡±

    ¡°I swear, Sakura, if you and Yui try to get us another present¡­¡± Ranko¡¯s face was beet red at the thought of it.

    Her sister-in-not-quite-law giggled in response. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, sis? Didn¡¯t you like the last one?¡±

    Ranko looked up and to her right at the feel of Akane¡¯s gentle fingers on her cheek. ¡°Oh, no,¡± Akane said with a devilish smirk. ¡°She fucking loves it.¡± Akane reached out, idly flicking the silver heart dangling from Ranko¡¯s white lace choker. ¡°Doesn¡¯t she?¡±

    The redhead¡¯s only answer was to hide her face in both of her hands. She only looked up from her palms at the sound of a glass hitting the table. Looking up, she found a Glass Slipper cocktail sitting in front of her, a long plastic straw protruding lopsidedly from the crystalline shoe the pink cocktail was served in. ¡°Really, Yui?!¡± Ranko rolled her eyes, reaching for the molded novelty straw. ¡°You just had to get the dick-shaped straws, didn¡¯t you?¡± The bit of white chocolate foam dripping from its tip did little to quell Ranko¡¯s discomfort as she eyed it.

    ¡°Thought you could use the practice,¡± Yui shot back with a snicker. ¡°Unless you would rather wait for the stripper.¡±

    Ranko rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she tossed the foamy straw to the tabletop. ¡°You didn''t get a stripper. You wouldn¡¯t do that to me! Especially not in front of Mom! Even you have your limits!¡±

    The blonde bartender scoffed, nodding her head. ¡°Okay. If you think so!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Hana said with a grin, scooping her black leather jacket from the back of one of the bar stools and slipping it on over her white Jim Beam tee shirt. ¡°I¡¯m heading out for the night. Wouldn¡¯t wanna cramp you girls¡¯ style too much with all of my oldness.¡± She leaned down, giving her youngest daughter a kiss on the crown of her head through her flame-red hair. ¡°Have fun, honey. See you in the morning.¡±

    The bride-to-again-be looked up to Akane as Hana made for the door. There was a cloud of anxiety forming in her eyes. ¡°She¡­ she didn''t actually get one, did she?!¡±

    Akane shrugged her shoulders, a wolfish smirk crossing her lips as she sipped her cocktail. ¡°Maybe. But you gotta remember, Yui and Sakura didn''t plan this thing alone. Mei and Izzi helped, Hitomi and Emi helped, and so did Nabiki.¡± She reached out, poking her lover playfully on the nose. ¡°Oh, and I might have had a few¡­ suggestions, too.¡± She reached across the table for Ranko¡¯s discarded straw, jabbing it back into the frothy glass shoe. ¡°Now, drink up. You just might need some liquid courage.¡±

    Ranko looked up to the ceiling with a loud groan as Akane laughed. ¡°I am so utterly, completely fucked, aren''t I?¡±

    ¡°Not yet, babe.¡± Akane dragged her fingers down her bride¡¯s arm. The whisper-soft touch on Ranko¡¯s ever-sensitive skin elicited a hard shudder from the smaller girl. ¡°Best save that for your wedding night, too.¡±

    The left side of the tinted glass double door at the front of the bar opened, and Ranko¡¯s back stiffened. Oh no. They did it. They really got a stripp..

    ¡°Hey, girls!¡± Ayako giggled as she trundled through the door in a sparkly green skirt and a cream-colored blouse, tossing her enormous brown leather purse to the bar counter. ¡°We having fun yet?!¡±

    Yui cackled as she set about building her older sister a Manhattan behind the bar counter that she all but called home. ¡°Ran-chan, you should have seen your fucking face! I thought you were gonna piss yourself!¡±

    Craning her neck to look around the bar room, Akane¡¯s brow furrowed. The place looked like it was ready to open on any regular night. There were no balloons, no streamers, and no flowers. No ramp leading up to the stage, as there had been at her first wedding to the blushing redhead sitting to her left. Nothing whatsoever out of place to indicate that a wedding was due to take place in the room in less than sixteen hours. ¡°Yui, are you sure we can¡¯t help you decorate? There¡¯s so much to do, and with all of us here, we can get it done in no time.¡±

    ¡°I said we¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Yui rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh. ¡°You worry too much. Shut up and drink. The place will be ready for a wedding when it needs to be. I promised Ranko.¡±

    Akane nodded nervously. ¡°I know, it¡¯s just¡­ for as much as we¡¯re teasing her about it, this is Ranko¡¯s career on the line here. We need to make sure we¡­¡±

    ¡°She knows, Akane.¡± Sakura shot a glare at the black-haired girl as she emerged from the hallway leading back to her office and the kitchen beyond. ¡°We said we¡¯ll handle it, and we¡¯ll handle it.¡±

    <hr>

    Akane pumped her fist in the air, turning back toward her bride with a victorious grin. ¡°Good luck beating that!¡± She reached out, poking the little heart swaying on Ranko¡¯s necklace again. ¡°Not even a badass like you can do better than three.¡±

    ¡°Akane! I said I¡¯m not gonna do¡­¡± She rolled her eyes as a chorus of cheers rose from the women surrounding her. ¡°Awwwww, dammit!¡±

    Almost simultaneously, Izumi handed a shot glass full of clear liquid down to the bride-to-be, and Emi dropped a stack of five weighted rings coated in gray rubber on the table in front of her.

    ¡°I said no,¡± Ranko insisted, sighing as she slammed the shot into her mouth and added the glass to the upside-down stack on the table. She gestured to the small box on the floor a few meters away with her open hand. ¡°I don¡¯t even know where those friggin¡¯ things have been.¡±

    With a giggle, Hitomi hopped up from her seat, her white tennis skirt whipping around her thighs as she flitted up to the VIP table and wrapped her arms around Emi. ¡°I do! Don¡¯t worry, though; they¡¯re clean!¡±

    ¡°Aw, c¡¯mon! Like, really, ¡®Tomi?¡± Ranko cringed, sticking her tongue out in disgust. ¡°Why do you even have that many?! Gods, you¡¯re a freak!¡±

    With a pouty expression, the short brunette shrugged under her partner¡¯s armpit. ¡°You know what they say about variety.¡±

    Clapping her hands in her seat, Nabiki whooped loudly. She cupped her hands around her mouth, using them like a megaphone to project her voice to the VIP table over the music. ¡°Come on, sis! Show us how it¡¯s done!¡±

    ¡°Just have some fun with it. We all did it.¡± Akane leaned over from her seat next to Ranko, resting a gentle hand on her bare shoulder and whispering in her ear. ¡°If you beat my score, I¡¯ll even let you kiss me.¡±

    The redhead flushed at the thought of even needing permission to kiss her wife, but Akane had been maintaining the pretext that she was in bridesmaid mode, as Ranko¡¯s sister rather than her partner, all night. ¡°A¡­ alright. It¡¯s on! Stand back!¡± She snatched the stack of rings from the table, striding to the X that had been placed on the hardwood floor with blue painter¡¯s tape. The assembled women cheered loudly as she took her mark.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you guys are making me do this,¡± Ranko said with a shake of her head. She tossed the first of her five rings toward the small wooden box sitting on the floor two meters away from her mark. The weighted ring bounced once before settling around the shaft of one of the twelve upright objects arrayed in rows of three within.

    The chorus of cheers only grew louder as Ranko threw her second ring, but it failed to find its mark. It ricocheted off of the bright orange tip of the tallest of the forest of faux phalluses and rolled across the floor until it came to rest at Mei¡¯s feet.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Ran-chan?¡± Mei giggled as she picked up the ring, setting it on her table. ¡°Can¡¯t handle the big ones?¡±

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Scoffing, Ayako reached out and ruffled her younger sister¡¯s cotton candy-blue hair between her pigtails. ¡°Oh, please! That thing would come out of your fuckin¡¯ mouth.¡±

    ¡°Right?!¡± Ranko laughed. ¡°This one¡¯s more your speed, Mei.¡± She threw another ring, underhanded, giggling as it looped the shortest of the twelve toys and sank to the bottom of the hot pink shaft. When the ring hit bottom, the device vibrated once with a loud buzz before falling over, starting a domino effect that knocked over three more.

    Mei cackled, shaking her head as Hitomi set about resetting the toys to their upright positions. ¡°Nah, I moved on from Shin, remember?!¡±

    ¡°C¡¯mon, Ranko! You got this, girl!¡± Shiori screeched in her excitement as only a cheerleader could, waving her arms in the air in encouragement. Her denim half-jacket and coral-colored tank top slid up her torso, revealing the arc of stars tattooed along her waistline.

    The redhead cast another ring. It hit the outer frame of the wooden box and bounced up, spinning end over end until it caught on a bit of yellow silicon and slid halfway down the slightly curved column before coming to rest between it and its neighbors.

    ¡°YEAH!¡± Shiori pumped her fist in the air, standing up on the seat of her chair. ¡°That¡¯s a tie with Akane! One more, Ran-chan! You can do it! Whoooooooooooooooo!¡±

    The young bride¡¯s arm was cocked back when Akane strode up to her, heel over toe, a lustful look in her eyes. Ranko paused, almost freezing in place. ¡°Ak¡­¡±

    Akane reached down for Ranko¡¯s wrist, lifting the hand bearing her final ring and gently blowing cold air through it into Ranko¡¯s palm. The sensation sent the redhead shivering from head to toe. ¡°For luck.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s ch-cheating!¡± Ranko stammered, her face aflame as Akane giggled and flounced back to her chair. She swung her arm to toss the final ring, but while it was in motion, the glass door at the front of the Phoenix opened with a loud bang.

    Oh gods, Ranko thought. Everyone we invited is already here. Did they really get a¡­ shit! She cringed as the ring sailed wide of the box entirely, bouncing harmlessly on the hardwood floor.

    ¡°Sorry!¡± Crash winced at the glare evident on Ranko¡¯s face as she whirled toward the entrance to face the newcomer. ¡°I¡­ just forgot my wallet and had to come back for it.¡± He paused as the furious expression on Ranko¡¯s face transitioned into a deep crimson blush. ¡°Uh, Ranko? You okay?¡±

    They wouldn¡¯t have asked him to¡­ Ranko balled her left hand into a fist, shaking it menacingly in front of her chin. ¡°Matsuyama, I swear, if you take your fucking pants off¡­¡±

    The blond guitarist sputtered, almost falling over mid-stride on his way to the stage. ¡°What¡­ wait, WHAT?!¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t even think about it!¡±

    Ranko whipped her head around, her loose, wavy hair cascading over her shoulder as she turned to face the new speaker.

    ¡°You had your chance, and you decided you wanted Aki. That one¡¯s mine!¡± Ukyo giggled, slipping off of her barstool to throw her arms emphatically around her boyfriend. ¡°Mine,¡± she repeated for emphasis as she gave Crash¡¯s waist a tight squeeze.

    ¡°You know it, babe,¡± Crash said in reply, grinning as he rested his elbows on Ukyo¡¯s shoulders and hugged her about the neck, lowering his head and breathing deeply of the smell of her hair.

    With a shoo gesture with the back of her hand, Nabiki stalked toward the bar on her stiletto heels. ¡°Okay, you got what you need. Out, out! This is a no boys allowed event!¡± She couldn¡¯t resist a little smirk in Ranko¡¯s direction as she made her assertion.

    ¡°How¡¯s it coming,¡± Ukyo whispered as she gave Crash one final squeeze.

    Crash sighed, kissing her cheek and whispering in her ear. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be a long night.¡± He released her, waving to the assembled women and making for the door to leave.

    ¡°Izzi, you ready to set up the next game?¡± Mei giggled, dancing in her chair to Rhythm is a Dancer by the European group Snap! as it pounded from the bar¡¯s twelve-speaker sound system.

    Ranko shook her head, waving off her sisters. ¡°Please, no more games! I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve stopped blushing from the last one yet!¡± She smoothed the skirt of her yellow sundress, crossing her legs at the knee.

    Izumi snickered, putting down her Hypnoteaser and reaching behind her chair for a long cardboard tube. ¡°You do realize that¡¯s the point, right, little sister?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± Ranko glanced up to her left, smirking at her wife. ¡°How come Ak¡­ Aki doesn¡¯t have to do a weird night with the boys where they do all the gross boy shit?!¡± Gotta be careful. Don¡¯t need to take too many more shots tonight. ¡°It¡¯s no fair!¡±

    Tossing the white plastic lid of the tube on the table, Izumi chuckled again. ¡°It¡¯s not Aki¡¯s fault you have to get married again, is it?!¡± She shook the tube, and a rolled poster and a collection of small cylinders rattled out of it onto the tabletop. ¡°Hush up and take your medicine.¡± She reached out, bonking the redhead gently on the head with the empty cardboard tube.

    Ranko covered her eyes with her hands. ¡°Oh, gods! Not this game again!¡±

    Cackling, Yui reached over the back of Ranko¡¯s chair and squeezed her shoulders tightly. ¡°Yeah, well, we remembered how much you loved it at Izzi¡¯s bridal shower, so¡­¡±

    Owww! Not so hard, Yui! Ranko winced, and wasn¡¯t sure whether Yui¡¯s painful grip on her ever-sensitive skin or the poster depicting a fully nude, muscular man that Izumi had unfurled and secured to the wall of the bar with a few gobs of blue poster tack was more responsible for it. ¡°Aww, gross! Did you have to get one that¡¯s freakin¡¯ naked?!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d better get used to it, Ran-chan. After all, you¡¯re marrying a man in the morning! And who knows what he¡¯s gonna wanna do to you afterward?!¡± Ukyo giggled, stuffing a piece of vanilla sponge cake in her mouth with her fingers.

    ¡°I do,¡± Akane said, a devilish snicker in her eyes as she traced her finger ever so gently down the side of Ranko¡¯s neck. ¡°I know exactly.¡±

    ¡°Rhythm is a dancer! It¡¯s a soul¡¯s companion! You can feel it everywhe-ere! Ooh!¡± Mei giggled, singing along with the bar¡¯s sound system as she slipped off her chair in her denim jumper and reached for one of the tubes of lipstick.

    Ranko sighed, letting her head fall into her hand. ¡°I hate you all for this. Just so you know.¡±

    Mei turned to face Ranko - or, at least, she thought she did, but with the blindfold Kumiko had applied to her, she wasn¡¯t quite sure. She crossed her ankles, bending at the knees in a half-hearted attempt at a curtsey. ¡°Then our sisterly duties are being performed as intended.¡±

    ¡°Did you just bow, Mei?¡± Ranko snickered, sipping from her glass of soda. ¡°You¡¯re so short, I couldn¡¯t really tell.¡±

    Izumi tapped the poster, and Mei turned her head in the direction of the sound. ¡°Remember,¡± Izumi said. ¡°Closest kiss to his lips wins. You got this, Mei!¡±

    ¡°This might not be fair,¡± Emi said with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m not sure Mei can even reach his lips.¡±

    Mei stomped her foot on the floor, clenching her fists. ¡°I¡¯m gonna do¡­¡±

    ¡°If you say so, Mei,¡± Ayako interrupted. Laughing along with her fellow partygoers, Ayako rested her hands gently on her sister¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Okay, you ready, Mei?¡± She spun Mei around three times before releasing her in the general direction of the poster. ¡°Go get him, sis!¡±

    The blue-haired girl stumbled forward, shambling like a zombie with her arms outstretched until her fingers touched what felt like poster paper. She stood up on her tiptoes, planting a kiss on the poster. Laughing triumphantly, she ripped off the blindfold to find her bright blue kiss mark just above the nude man¡¯s right nipple. ¡°Awww, dammit!¡± Her shoulders slumped in disappointment as the laughter of her sisters and friends rained down around her.

    ¡°Okay, Ranko. Pay attention, now. I¡¯m gonna give you some bridal training real quick. Show ya what the boys really like.¡± Hitomi tittered as her girlfriend finished sliding the pink blindfold over her eyes. Emi spun her thrice, and Hitomi charged forward until her fingers touched the poster. To the loud whoops and whistles of her friends, Hitomi dropped to her knees facing the wall, leaning forward and placing a bright red kiss mark below the man¡¯s waist, at the top of his left thigh.

    Pulling the blindfold off while still on her knees, she noticed her kiss had missed its intended target, snapping her fingers in disappointment with a wide swing of her left arm. ¡°Well, close enough that you get the idea, anyway!¡±

    The bride-to-be shook her head, giggling brightly, but her cheeks burned hot. ¡°Yeah, not sure that¡¯s happening, but¡­ my husband and I can talk about it, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°Alright, girls.¡± Akane hopped down out of her chair, taking one final sip from her Regular Girl cocktail and wiping her lips dry on her forearm before reaching out for a pink tube of lipstick. ¡°Time for a real master to show you how it¡¯s done.¡±

    Ranko scoffed loudly as Akane applied her lipstick. ¡°You?! A master at kissing boys?!¡± She blushed red-hot, covering her mouth with her hand. You must have tried maybe twenty times back when I was in boy mode, and every time was more awkward than the one before, Ranko recalled with a wide smile. ¡°Now this, I gotta see!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tease too hard, Ranko,¡± Nabiki said with a devilish smirk as she released her youngest sister from her spin. ¡°After all, you¡¯re next.¡±

    Despite the blindfold, Akane strode confidently across the bar room, walking heel over toe in her slender pumps to the uproarious cheers of her fellow bridesmaids. She stopped just before bumping into the wall, resting her hand softly on the poster. ¡°Hey, baby.¡± She leaned forward, planting a kiss on the man in the photo¡¯s chin.

    A chorus of cheers and whoops told Akane she¡¯d been successful even before she removed her blindfold, but when she did, she turned and snickered at her bride-to-again-be. ¡°Now that¡¯s how you do that. Bet you can¡¯t do better, Ranko!¡± She stepped off to her left, standing just a few meters from the poster and leaning on the wall.

    Damn, Ranko thought with a snicker. Dad¡¯s blind-fighting training came in handy for that, huh? But you forget, Akane, I got that training too. ¡°Okay, A¡­ you wanna play that way? I accept your challenge!¡± Ranko slid out of her chair to the floor, reaching for a tube of glittery emerald lipstick. She puckered her lips and began to apply it, chuckling to herself. Fuck, the last time I played this game, I barely knew which end of the thing to put on my face. She grinned up at Izumi with a snicker as her sister slid a pink satin blindfold over her eyes. Funny how times change.

    ¡°Okay, everybody, let¡¯s hear it for our blushing bride!¡± Izumi spun her sister in her arms. ¡°One!¡±

    The rest of the girls joined in as Ranko was spun again. ¡°Two! THREE!¡±

    Okay, Ranko said, closing her eyes behind her blindfold. Center. See with your mind. Got it. She strode toward the poster with the same confidence her wife had, her dress flouncing around her knees as she walked.

    She stopped just in front of the poster. Ranko started to lean forward to kiss it, but then turned to her left, diving forward until her body crashed into another person. She leaned down, placing both of her hands on the woman¡¯s shoulders as she straddled her. Grinning, Ranko leaned down and kissed her on the lips, and a wave of relief washed over her when the girl she kissed responded. Either I got it right, or Hitomi¡¯s never gonna let me live this down, Ranko thought as she admitted her unseen partner¡¯s tongue into her mouth.

    Her bridesmaids roared as Ranko peeled off her blindfold, snickering down at the pinned Akane after the lengthy kiss ended. ¡°Your perfume¡¯s a dead giveaway. I¡¯d know that scent anywhere, Akane!¡±

    ¡°Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooop!¡± the other girls howled, as Yui hopped down from her stool to pour her little sister another shot.

 113. Smoke and Mirrors

    ¡°So¡­ you ready to become Mrs. Tendo? I mean, again?¡± Akane giggled, squeezing Ranko¡¯s hand as they walked down the sidewalk. Her other hand shielded her eyes from the rising sun, her black sunglasses proving insufficient to protect them from its orange-red glare.

    Ranko blushed, swaying her arm and Akane¡¯s with it. Their clasped hands swatted the skirt of her embroidered white sundress down against the cool morning breeze off the harbor. ¡°I told Aki the day he proposed to me that I¡¯d marry him every single day if he asked. I meant it.¡± She sighed, pausing her stride for just a moment to look up into Akane¡¯s eyes. I want to kiss her so bad. Scanning the street, she saw an old woman in a green kimono walking her Shih Tzu and a middle-aged man scurrying away from the coffee cart with a steaming foam cup in one hand and a newspaper tucked under the other arm. It¡¯s not safe. Especially not today. With a quiet sigh, she wordlessly turned back toward the sidewalk and resumed walking.

    Akane¡¯s shoulders slumped slightly, and she squeezed Ranko¡¯s hand once more. ¡°I know,¡± she whispered glumly.

    ¡°I just hope this works,¡± Ranko said as she reached for the vertical brass handle of the glass door, her eyes lingering on the recently-repainted red firebird logo. ¡°I can¡¯t live like this much longer.¡±

    ¡°I know that too,¡± Akane replied with a sadness in her voice. She caught the door as Ranko passed through it, but couldn¡¯t step all the way into the room because her bride - and  also bride-to-be - had stopped short just inside the door.

    ¡°Uhh, Yui?¡± Ranko blinked in surprise as her eyes scanned the bar room. She looked up at the bleary-eyed blonde sitting at the bar counter with a paper coffee cup in her hand, a forlorn expression clouding her face. ¡°Did, uh, you and Sakura like, forget something?¡±

    Yui yawned, brushing her bangs to the side with her slender fingers as she turned on her stool. She wore a pair of black leggings and a red crop top printed with the Jack Daniels logo in black. ¡°I mean, you said you were embarrassed and wanted something simple. I aim to please, baby sister.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± Ranko turned her head this way and that, surveying the room she had spent most of her life in for the last few years. There was not a single decoration. No signs. No streamers or flowers. No balloons. No ramp leading up to the stage. All the way down to the regular arrangement of round tables dotting the main floor area, the bar looked as if it would open on schedule in a few hours.

    ¡°I thought you guys were gonna do the decorations last night.¡± Ranko¡¯s voice had a hollow ring of dejection to it, but her eyes also betrayed her growing concern. Kondo is never gonna believe this was a real wedding, she fretted as she frantically searched the venue for even a single rose. She found none.

    ¡°Akane, what the heck are we gonna do?¡±

    Akane shrugged, turning to Yui with a perplexed, and more than a bit irritated, expression. ¡°That''s a good question, baby.¡±

    Yui yawned again, more loudly this time, holding up a finger until she finished. She took a large gulp from the paper cup in her hand, emptying it into her mouth and setting the empty cup on the wooden countertop. ¡°Relax, would you? It''s gonna be fine.¡±

    ¡°Yuri, babe? I need a¡­ Oh!¡± Sakura bustled through the front door of the bar in a pair of torn jeans and a white peasant shirt, nearly slamming into Akane¡¯s back in her rush. ¡°You girls are here early!¡± She craned her neck over Akane¡¯s shoulder, looking at her partner with wide eyes and a bit of a cringe on her lips. ¡°Very early!¡±

    ¡°And it¡¯s a good thing, since the place is nowhere near ready!¡± Ranko whirled back to Yui, panic in her eyes. ¡°Yui, you promised me you were gonna take care of the place! We are so screwed! This is my whole career on the line!¡± She whimpered, turning back to Akane and clinging onto her torso through the taller girl¡¯s gray Minato University Athletics tee shirt. And we needed this day to be perfect so badly, after everything we¡¯ve been through lately, she lamented in her mind.

    Sakura sighed, throwing her hands up in exasperation and letting them fall to her hips with a loud clap. ¡°Should we¡­¡±

    Her partner shrugged. ¡°I guess we¡¯re gonna have to.¡± There was a resigned defeat in her voice. She groaned, slipping off of her stool to her feet with a loud flrrp sound as her legs unstuck from the vinyl seat. ¡°C¡¯mon, ya little fuckers. I swear, if you two could just sleep in like normal people for a change¡­¡± Yui rolled her eyes, slipping out the open door that Sakura held open with her backside. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She motioned with her arm for the young couple to follow her as she turned right and made for the sidewalk.

    ¡°Uh, Yui? Where are we¡­¡± Ranko blinked, both in confusion and to block out the glare of the morning sun, as she followed her sister down the sidewalk. It only took her a moment to get her wordless answer, though, as Yui reached for the aluminum handle of the building next door to the Phoenix.

    Akane was first to follow the blonde into the cavernous room that had once been a discount store, though it was unrecognizable as such in its current state. She froze so suddenly that Ranko bumped into her back mid-stride. ¡°Oh. My. Gods,¡± Akane muttered, her jaw agape.

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    Yui stepped out of the way to admit Ranko into the room. ¡°The guys worked on it all night.¡±

    ¡°Yui, it¡¯s¡­¡± Ranko covered her slack jaw with both of her trembling hands, her eyes darting from one corner of the space that, come New Year¡¯s Eve, would be known to the Minato area as Club Firebird at the Phoenix.

    While the construction was far from finished, the interior of the room had been entirely transformed from its state the last time Ranko had seen it a week prior. A new, glossy black laminate flooring dotted with flecks of glittery color had been laid throughout the entire main room. The walls had been painted a vibrant crimson. The main lighting system had yet to be installed, but strands of bright white Christmas lights zig-zagged overhead to brighten the space, all connected with an orange industrial extension cord that had been tucked behind a small black nylon curtain. They twinkled gently in and out, giving the entire space an almost candlelit ambiance. More black curtains shrouded the unfinished balcony seating, as well as the private VIP balcony off to the right, from view.

    Dominating the back wall of the room was a raised black platform, two meters tall off the floor. It jutted in a trapezoidal shape away from the wall, its sides draped with more black cloth to obscure whatever was underneath. The left and right sides of it were all but buried with a hedge of white roses, meeting in a white wicker archway at the center of the stage, a holdover from Ranko and Akane¡¯s first wedding. It, too, was woven with flowers as well as more of the twinkling white lights. Two massive speakers sat on the far wings of the stage, both connected to a portable CD player that Ranko recognized as Ariel Wright¡¯s with cables fastened to the stage floor with black gaffer¡¯s tape.

    A long red carpet runner, almost two meters wide, formed an aisle down the center of the room toward the stage. It ended a meter from the stage, with another similar carpet jutting to the left running along the edge of the stage to a set of wide steps ascending to the stage platform. It passed the stage, where it disappeared under a black drape that hid the remainder of the unused roll from view. On either side of the aisle were three rows of eight folding chairs made of white-painted wood, as well as a series of brass stanchions on weighted bases bearing swooping red velvet ropes to cordon off the aisle. The ropes were braided with what appeared to be vines of white flowers; Ranko wasn¡¯t sure what kind. Positioned in the middle of the entrance to the aisle to block the path was a wooden easel bearing a large white cardboard heart trimmed with white lace. It was almost identical to the ones Mei had made for Ranko and Akane¡¯s first wedding, save that the gold foil lettering read Aki & Ranko: The First Day of Forever instead of using Akane¡¯s true name.

    Off to Ranko¡¯s right, a tall A-frame aluminum ladder ascended almost to the start of the second floor, and as her wide eyes fell on it, a khaki-colored boot began its descent from the top rung. In a moment, the figure of Kaito Sando appeared from the rafters, and he brushed his hands off on his dusty blue jeans with a smile. ¡°Mornin¡¯!¡± he said with a chipper voice. ¡°Sorry we don¡¯t have everything all the way put up; we weren¡¯t expecting you for a few hours ye¡­ oof!¡± He grunted loudly as fifty-four kilograms of pop star slammed into his ribcage at maximum velocity.

    ¡°Kaito, thank you!¡± Ranko squeezed her sister¡¯s husband tight around the waist. ¡°It¡¯s perfect! It¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s perfect!¡±

    Chuckling, he threw his arm over the young bride¡¯s shoulder, returning her embrace. ¡°I¡¯m far from the only one responsible, so don¡¯t give me all the credit. Kage, Crash, and your mom were here with me until almost four in the morning, but I finally had to send them home to get some shut-eye so they don¡¯t keel over during the reception. Jake and Zoe were here for a while, too. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve ever worked so hard; poor Zoe passed out on the floor over by the stage at one point and Jake had to cover ¡®em up with one of the curtains and let ¡®em sleep for a while.¡±

    I¡¯m so glad Akane talked me into adding Kaito and Kage to the wedding party, Ranko thought as she squeezed her brother tightly again. I¡¯d have really looked like an asshole if we didn¡¯t, after they did all of this.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t poke at things too much,¡± Kaito continued with a chuckle as Ranko finally released him and Akane took her place in his embrace. ¡°Like I said, the place is far from done; we¡¯ll be lucky if all the paint is dry. It¡¯s very much a facade right now.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be careful,¡± Akane promised. She released Kaito after one final squeeze, looking up at him with a guarded expression. ¡°Has there been any sign of¡­¡± She swallowed hard, remembering the intruder that had almost derailed her first wedding day before it began. Not that he¡¯d know we were doing this, but¡­

    A booming voice answered her in English from the doorway. ¡°No, ma¡¯am. Nobody¡¯s gotten within fifty yards of the building since nightfall.¡±

    Kaito chuckled, motioning to the enormous man who entered the nascent nightclub behind Sakura, clad in black from head to toe. ¡°And this big lug was here all night with us, too. Wouldn¡¯t even take his eyes off the place long enough to get a cup of coffee.¡±

    Ranko flitted over to her friend, wrapping her arms around his waist. Her fingertips barely met behind his back. ¡°Thanks, Lance! I really owe you one, buddy. But you should go get some sleep now. There¡¯s enough of us here, we¡¯ll be okay.¡±

    The muscular American rested his strong hands on Ranko¡¯s shoulders, extending his arms to create separation between the two so he could look down into her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep when you sleep, honey. Until then, I¡¯mma watch your back, okay? You don¡¯t worry about a thing, and just enjoy your day. Ya got me?¡±

    Giggling, Ranko lifted her hand to her forehead in a poor attempt at a military salute like she¡¯d seen in any number of American action movies. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± She blushed at the gentle giant¡¯s merry belly laugh.

    ¡°Lance, can I get you another¡­¡±

    Ranko¡¯s head of security turned to Sakura, his grin widening. ¡°Jesus, please?!¡± He smiled in gratitude as Sakura turned and scurried back out to the sidewalk. Turning back to Ranko, he shrugged his massive shoulders, chuckling. ¡°You got me hooked on those energy drinks, girl. They can¡¯t be good for ya, but damned if they don¡¯t keep your eyes open in a pinch.¡±

    Giggling, Ranko nodded. ¡°Just be careful, okay? No pizza ovens for you today, got it?¡± She blushed when he offered her a blank look in return. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a long story,¡± she said, glancing down at the faded burn scar on her palm. She turned to Akane, an ear-to-ear grin painted across her cheeks. ¡°So, lover boy, what do we do now?¡±

    As she spoke, a sliver of light on the floor expanded to a rectangle as the door opened behind her and admitted the early-morning sun. A tall silhouette crossed it, and in a moment, Ranko felt a firm hand on her shoulder and saw its mate land on Akane¡¯s. She looked up, beaming at their owner.

    Hana leaned forward, planting a gentle kiss on her youngest daughter¡¯s forehead. ¡°You go get all princessed up, and you get yourself married, little star.¡±

    The matriarch of the Phoenix clan chuckled, turning her tired but joyful eyes to Akane.

    ¡°Again.¡±

 114. Twice Upon a Time

    ¡°You''re enjoying this way too m- urk!¡± Ranko sputtered as the woman in red pulled back on the satin laces in her hands as hard as she could behind her.

    ¡°Yeah, well,¡± Akane said with a snicker as she tied the long, white strands of fabric in a large bow just above Ranko¡¯s waist. ¡°Be patient with me. I''m not too used to getting you into these kinds of getups, just getting you out of them again!¡±

    Ranko turned, her bright blush only amplifying her smile. ¡°Yeah, well, with as tight as you tied that thing, you better hope this time Yui got us a fuckin¡¯ can opener for the honeymoon!¡±

    Biting her lip, Akane¡¯s own smile faded a bit. Her voice lowered to a soft, quiet tone. ¡°Hey, just remember. If you don''t think you can¡­¡±

    With a nod and a wave of her hand, Ranko closed the step of distance between herself and Akane and wrapped her arms around the neck of her bridesmaid and imminent groom. ¡°Don''t bring that up today. I don''t want to think about anything but you right now. And as for tonight¡­¡± Her cheeks somehow reddened further, almost becoming a perfect match for Akane''s puffy bridesmaid gown. ¡°I know, and I''ll stop if I have to, but¡­¡±

    The blushing bride traced her hand slowly down from Akane''s neck until it rested in the valley between her breasts. ¡°I wanna try. I would truly hate to disappoint my husband.¡±

    Giggling as her grin returned, Akane flashed her lover a coy smile with a cute little tilt of her head. She opened her mouth to speak, but stepped back quickly as Ranko leaned forward to kiss her. ¡°Uh-uh-uh! It''s not nice to fool around with the bridesmaids. What will Aki think?¡±

    ¡°Somehow, I think he''ll get over it,¡± Ranko said with a smirk. Her loving gaze into Akane¡¯s eyes was broken by a retching sound coming from behind her, and she whirled to find Mei making a silly face with her nose scrunched and her tongue extended.

    ¡°This is why they don''t let the groom in the dressing room. Save the mushy shit for out there, would ya?!¡± Mei giggled, turning her attention back to the braid she was working Ayako¡¯s hair into.

    Snickering, Ranko rested her fists on her pearl-encrusted hips. ¡°You better be careful making sounds like that this early in the morning, sis. For a second, I thought you might be pregnant.¡±

    ¡°You bite your damn tongue, girl!¡± Mei stood and wagged her finger in Ranko¡¯s direction over her eldest sister¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We do not need to tempt karma and joke around with that kind of crap.¡± Especially not when I''m almost a week late, she fretted in her mind.

    Ayako giggled in her formal gown as she took in the rare experience of looking up into the eyes of her much shorter little sister. ¡°Don''t listen to her, Ranko. She''s just pissed that the baby would have ten centimeters on her before it was out of diapers.¡±

    ¡°Honestly,¡± Izumi called out from behind her mascara brush as she squinted down into her reflection in the lighted portable makeup mirror she had set up on a long white plastic folding table. ¡°At her size, I don''t think she would have a baby the normal way. I think the gnomes would just bring it to her wrapped in a leaf or something.¡±

    The black drape that served as the door in the unfinished dressing room slid aside with a metallic grating sound on a hastily-hung and slightly crooked aluminum curtain rod. The severe ca-clack of stiletto heels on the bare concrete floor silenced the sisterly teasing, and all looked up to the tall brunette that had entered the room in an orange gown matching those on everyone but Ranko. Nabiki waved the Canon camera strapped around her neck at shoulder level, almost clipping herself in the forehead with its telephoto lens. ¡°Are we about done in here, ladies? The next shift needs to come through if we are gonna get everybody dressed on schedule. Shame you couldn''t have waited to do this little shotgun shindig until the other dressing room was done.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Izumi said glumly as she capped her mascara. ¡°Kaito did the best he could. I don''t think he''s slept more than a few hours since Tuesday.¡±

    ¡°It''s perfect, Iz,¡± Akane retorted as she began gathering her makeup. ¡°The fact it''s in the state it''s in, with how little time he had, is a freakin¡¯ miracle, and we couldn''t be more appreciative of it. We know everyone worked their butts off to help us put this together so fast, and it means the world to Mrs. Tendo and me.¡±

    Indeed, the women¡¯s dressing room in the new nightclub were barely framed, and the men''s had yet to be started. Bare drywall had been hastily affixed to the interior of the wooden frame to provide a modicum of privacy, but it had not been painted, nor had the screws even been covered with plaster. The room had not been wired for electricity yet, but a thick orange industrial extension cord had been run under the black drape that obscured the doorway. The lone cable powered the power strip tucked under Izumi¡¯s table, which in turn supplied energy to her portable makeup mirror and the four large shop lights on yellow tripods positioned in the corners of the makeshift space. No counters or other furniture had been installed, so more of the same rented folding tables and chairs were spread throughout the room to create temporary beauty stations.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Nabiki said. She started to lean on the wall, but thought better of it at the last moment, as she was not entirely certain it wouldn''t fall over under her weight. ¡°We need to get a move on.¡±

    Ranko opened her mouth to speak, but Nabiki waved her off. ¡°Yeah, yeah. We know. The bride needs longer on account of her being a fairy princess, yadda yadda. You stay.¡± Nabiki glanced down to the clipboard in her left hand, letting her camera hang loose around her neck. ¡°Let''s see¡­ Mei, Ayako and Akane cycle out for photos. Izzi, you go hair and makeup girl mode on Ranko, and Hitomi, Emi and Ukyo rotate in. That¡¯ll just leave Kumiko and Shiori in group three, but I might tell them to use Sakura¡¯s office next door so we can make up some time.¡±

    Nodding, the Phoenix''s fashionista-in-residence bit her lip nervously. ¡°What time is it? Any idea how the boys are doing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s almost eleven-thirty. The guys are almost done, save for our tardy groom.¡± She snickered at Akane. ¡°They''re in good hands. Hitomi''s been rating them as they come downstairs in their tuxedos.¡± Nabiki scoffed once, her nose crinkling with amusement. ¡°Shinji¡¯s none too pleased that Zoe got a higher mark.¡±

    Ranko laughed as she made her way to the chair opposite Izumi at a wobbly white plastic table, hiking up the skirt of her custom-made wedding dress to keep it from dragging on the unfinished concrete floor. ¡°¡®Tomi¡¯s just trying to butter Zoe up. It''s absolutely killing her that they haven''t gotten Zo in bed with her and Ems yet.¡±

    ¡°Are those two trying to bang the whole freaking band?!¡± Akane asked as she finished throwing her cosmetics into a sparkly red clutch purse.

    The bride nodded emphatically. ¡°They can try, but they''re not gonna, because the lead singer is a one-wo¡­¡± She giggled brightly as she eased herself down onto the wooden chair in her restrictive gown. ¡°One-man girl.¡±

    ¡°Good girl,¡± Akane said with a snicker as she gave Nabiki a side hug, turning back to her wife while still in her sister¡¯s arms. ¡°I''ll see you soon. I love you, flower girl.¡±

    Ranko waved without turning her head much, as Izumi had already begun work on her foundation. ¡°No, dummy! I''m the bride! We decided not to have a flower girl, remember?!¡±

    ¡°Hey, blockhead! You mind holding still? That is, unless you wanna get married bearing a striking resemblance to a panda?¡± Izumi reached out, nudging the bride¡¯s shoulder to get her attention. She blinked as both Ranko and Akane cackled in unison. Must be some weird inside joke with them, I guess, she thought as she resumed daubing at her sister¡¯s cheeks with the powder puff in her hand.

    ¡°Sorry, Iz-¡± Ranko rocked back in her chair at the sound of an ear-piercing screech coming from behind Nabiki as the heavy black curtain slid to the side anew.

    ¡°Dammit, Ranko! Hold st¡­¡±

    ¡°OMIGODS GIRL! YOU''RE FUCKING GETTING MARRIED! AGAIN!¡±

    Hitomi and Emi charged forward, surrounding Ranko¡¯s chair and wrapped their arms around the giggling bride.

    Izumi threw her vat of powder to the tabletop with a loud groan. ¡°I friggin¡¯ give up.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Okay, on three! One! Two!¡±

    ¡°FUCK YOKAI!¡± came the jeers from the bride and twelve of the thirteen formally-dressed bridesmaids packed in tight around her as a series of bright flashes illuminated them. Only Kasumi refrained from the invective, but she joined her companions in a bright smile as she leaned in close to Nabiki and posed for the professional-grade cameras wielded by Natsuko and Hana.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Hana said, waving her youngest daughter closer to herself with the hand not bearing Nabiki ''s camera. ¡°Let''s do shots with Ranko and each of you individually, starting with Akane so she can go get changed.¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Ranko said as she trudged forward. ¡°I swear, we are gonna spend longer doing pictures than the actual party at this rate!¡±

    ¡°I mean,¡± Akane replied as she stepped up next to her wife and put her arm around her corseted back. ¡°The pictures are the whole reason we¡¯re doing this, remember? We have to capture everything for posterity.¡±

    Ranko nodded, answering through a toothy smile. ¡°I guess s- eep!¡± Her eyes widened and she jerked straight up in her heavy dress. When her eyes adjusted from the bright flash, she saw Hana smirking at the couple.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Hana said, chuckling quietly as she readied her camera. ¡°Now, Akane, can we get one where you''re not grabbing her ass, if you don''t mind?¡±

    Akane giggled, rolling her eyes at her mother-in-not-quite-law. ¡°But¡­ you said act natural¡­¡±

    ¡°I swear, Akane!¡± Ranko giggled as she repositioned for another photo. ¡°It''s a damn good thing I''m marrying an upstanding gentleman like Aki, because you''re a total pervert! Pawing at girls like that? Honestly!¡±

    Another volley of flashes bombarded the couple, and when they subsided, Akane turned to her lover, biting her lip. ¡°Well, I guess I gotta go get all unpretty now. I''ll see you soon, gorgeous.¡± She peered over Ranko¡¯s shoulder, waving to Izumi to get her attention. ¡°You ready to do your magic, girl?¡±

    Ranko looked up into her wife¡¯s eyes, the angle even steeper than usual owing to Izumi''s suggestion to have Akane wear ten-centimeter heels while Ranko wore pearlescent white flats in order to exaggerate the height difference between the two. It will make Aki and Akane look less similar when they''re standing next to you in pictures, she¡¯d said. ¡°You are the most beautiful girl in the whole world, and the handsomest man, too. Don''t even start with that.¡±

    ¡°Awwwww!¡± The chorus of affectations rained down from every angle as Akane wrapped her lover in a tight hug. Ranko¡¯s romantic sentiment must have had an effect on its observers, because Sakura turned to lock lips with the slender blonde standing behind her in an identical yellow dress. Emi¡¯s hands traced Hitomi''s back, taking a firm handful of the shorter girl¡¯s backside. Off in the corner, a man in a tuxedo with a bright green mohawk had already backed another of the groomsmen, a shorter one with a shock of pink hair, against the wall of the bathroom. The pair were engaged in a furious kiss.

    ¡°I swear,¡± Nabiki said in a droll tone, rolling her eyes as she took in the scene. ¡°This has to be the gayest fucking straight wedding I''ve ever seen.¡±

    ¡°Hey, if there''s one thing our side of the family is known for, it''s anything go¡­¡± Ranko''s amused retort was cut off by a loud bang and a high-pitched shriek of shock.

    Zoe leapt back out of Jacob¡¯s arms as the drywall behind them collapsed to the floor. ¡°CHRIST on a pogo stick! The ¡®ell?!¡±

    Turning just beyond where the partition had stood a moment before, Shinji Yokota glared as he finished zipping his fly. The water was still running from the toilet he had just flushed. ¡°Really?!¡±

    Sighing, Kaito shook his head as it fell into his palm. He pulled off his black tuxedo jacket, handing it to his cackling wife. ¡°I knew I forgot something. Hang on, lemme go get my drill real quick.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°We''ve got to stop meeting like this.¡±

    Akane laughed with the aging woman in the gray pantsuit standing on the newly-built stage with her. ¡°I promise, Mom,¡± she said quietly in response, ¡°... If I think of any other genders to marry your daughter as, you''ll be the first to know.¡±

    Hana nodded, a mirthful smirk in her eyes. ¡°I hope so. I do one more of these, and I think I get a free sandwich somewh¡­¡±

    She trailed off as the sound of Jacob¡¯s synthesizer began blasting through the massive speakers bookending the stage, courtesy of Ariel¡¯s portable CD player. The instrumental piano cover of You¡¯re My Song turned every head in the audience to the back of the room, where, less the groom, the entire twenty-two member bridal party waited behind a pair of black curtains hung on aluminum rods suspended two meters off the floor by a quartet of heavy metal stanchions.

    ¡°Here we go, Aki,¡± Hana said with a grin as Hoshi appeared from behind the curtain in his dapper black tuxedo. The young man - as he was becoming far too rapidly for Hana¡¯s tastes - strode past the first two rows of seated audience members, consisting mostly of several of Ranko¡¯s high school cheerleading squadmates and Akane¡¯s volleyball teammates. He carried Ranko and Akane¡¯s wedding rings - the former pried with much coaxing from Akane from Ranko¡¯s hand earlier that morning - on a square pillow of white satin sewn by his mother.

    A few other girls he didn¡¯t know dotted the third row; most were Ranko and Akane¡¯s age, so he assumed they went to school with them, too. There was a tall blond boy in a blue silk suit holding hands with a shorter man with black spiky hair with frosted tips. The latter wore an open-collared black dress shirt and gray slacks. Hoshi recognized him from the Phoenix, having met him one night while his aunt was in Indonesia somewhere - Orochi, he was fairly sure the guy¡¯s name was. Another gaunt man with dark hair sat alone in that row, maybe in his mid-to-late twenties, and there was a sadness in his eyes Hoshi didn¡¯t quite understand.

    On the other side, Akane¡¯s friends Mitsuru and Nanami positively jittered with excitement. Hoshi wondered if it was harder to understand Mitsuru when she was overly emotional, because her hands moved faster and more erratically than he¡¯d seen at Akane¡¯s birthday party. I mean, sometimes Mom tells me I talk too fast when I¡¯m excited; I guess it¡¯s the same thing, he mused as he walked down the carpeted aisle between the chairs.

    He tried not to blink at the sudden bright flash in his eyes. Hoshi smiled, pausing for just a moment as Natsuko Ogawa stooped down to eye level with him, her professional camera shutter clicking several times a second. The photographer, and his Auntie Ranko¡¯s de facto publicist, wore a green pencil skirt and a cream-colored satin blouse with a large pussy bow at the collar.

    The last row, closest to the stage, was almost entirely populated with people Hoshi knew. Ranko¡¯s bandmate Ariel had the seat closest to the outer edge on the right side, so he could easily get to his radio to control the music. Mei¡¯s boyfriend Seiichi and Kasumi¡¯s fianc¨¦ Tofu sat next to him. On the left side, only the two seats closest to the aisle were occupied: one by Ranko¡¯s biological mother in a white silk kimono dotted with large red flowers, and the other by a middle-aged woman with black hair in a yellow skirt suit. Hoshi didn¡¯t recognize her. The rest of the seats remained vacant for him and Ranko¡¯s father, once their roles in the ceremony were concluded.

    He smiled as his grandmother waved to him from center stage, turning to his left and making for the stairs up to the stage platform. There, he passed one final person, an enormous man with no hair and dark skin. He wore a tuxedo too, and he broke the adamantly stoic expression on his face to give Hoshi an encouraging smile as the boy ascended the stairs.

    ¡°Hi, Hoshi,¡± Akane whispered, smiling down at the young man. It wasn¡¯t too far down, though, as Izumi¡¯s son had undergone something of a growth spurt over the summer and now stood less than twenty centimeters shorter than his aunt. ¡°You¡¯re looking very handsome.¡±

    ¡°Thanks! You too,¡± Hoshi said, grinning at his masculine-presenting aunt. ¡°You should see Auntie Ranko. She¡¯s about to bounce out of her skin back there.¡±

    Akane giggled, trying to stifle the sound for the benefit of the microphone positioned in front of Hana. ¡°Yeah¡­ she does that, doesn¡¯t she?¡±

    Next, Zoe King emerged from behind the curtain in their black tuxedo. Their floppy pink hair was held back with a plain black headband. On one of their arms was Shiori Nagata, and on the other, Kasumi Tendo. Both wore matching lavender gowns, and bore bouquets of freesia and baby¡¯s breath on the arms not clutching Zoe¡¯s elbows. In the front row, Dr. Tofu frantically snapped pictures. In the back row, a girl with a purple-dyed bob stood, pinching her thumb and index finger together in her mouth to emit a shrill whistle.

    Dammit, Kiku, Shiori thought, blushing brightly in the direction of the sound she walked. That¡¯s not appropriate to do at a wedding, ya jackass! She issued a shy wave with her fingertips under her bouquet, hoping to placate her date before she disrupted the proceedings further.

    Zoe led the girls to the left, waiting at the foot of the short staircase up to the stage. They took Shiori by the hand, offering a chivalrous assist up the stairs from the ground that was largely symbolic. Kasumi, receiving a similar offer from Lance, found his gesture to be far more believable given that Zoe¡¯s hand was almost over their head by the time Shiori made it to the stage platform. Zoe themselves followed the girls up, taking their place to Akane¡¯s left. Shiori and Kasumi passed behind Hana, positioning themselves to her right after leaving space for Ranko. Shiori, the shorter of the two women, stood off-center in front of Kasumi so that both could be seen by the audience, but staggered to preserve space on the stage that wasn¡¯t quite wide enough for twenty-two people to comfortably stand abreast.

    The gap between the black drapes at the back of the room filled again, this time with Jacob Trimble leading his pair of charges up the aisle. His green mohawk seemed out of place bobbing over his sleek black tuxedo, even despite the similarity to the electric blue buns of the woman in the deep cerulean gown clutching his left arm at the crook of his elbow. Opposite Mei, in a matching blue bridesmaid dress, Kumiko Iwata beamed as Natusko¡¯s rapid-fire camera flashes all but blinded her. Flashing a bright smile at her boyfriend Hideo in the second-to-last row, she strode nervously alongside Jacob and Mei, cradling her long bouquet of delphinium in her right arm.

    The trio had scarcely taken their places when Shinji Yokota emerged from behind the curtain. On his right arm, Nabiki was almost an identical match for his height owing to her burnt-orange stilettos, but nothing short of stilts could have done the same for Hitomi on his left. Both girls wore deep orange gowns, their arms overflowing with large matching calla lilies. Each flower was nearly the size of Hitomi¡¯s splayed hand. Hitomi made a silly face, sticking out her tongue and crossing her eyes just as Natsuko snapped a photo. Rolling her eyes, the blonde photographer blocked the aisle and forced the trio to stop until she had taken satisfactory photographs.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°Good news, Shin,¡± Jacob whispered as his bandmate took a standing position on the stage to his immediate left. ¡°All these people saw you in a white shirt, and you didn''t even catch fire.¡±

    ¡°Give it time,¡± Shinji muttered with a barely-amused smirk, crossing his hands behind his waist as he took a comfortable stance at almost a parade rest. ¡°It''s already getting pretty warm in this monkey suit.¡±

    Next, Kage emerged from the cordoned-off area next to the bathroom. He escorted his wife on his left arm and Emi Kimoto on his right, both resplendent in their red gowns. Ayako grinned, offering her mother a little wave under her bouquet of red tulips as she posed for Natsuko¡¯s camera.

    She has a lot of gall showing up here, Emi thought as she glared at the black-haired woman in yellow seated next to Ranko''s mother. Yeah, Ranko said Amaya was on our team and all, but she still sat by and let them do this shit to us - to her - in the first place. She hid her anger behind a stage smile befitting a beauty queen as Natsuko¡¯s camera trilled away. Yep, Kondo, look at all the pretty girls. Absolutely nothing to see here, ya prick. Definitely nobody gay here!

    ¡°Would you¡­ hey, c¡¯mon! We gotta go now!¡±

    As Ayako reached her position next to Nabiki, her eyes snapped up to the back of the room to identify the source of the voice, even though she recognized it. A moment later, her sister Izumi emerged from behind the drapes. She and Ukyo, in their matching green gowns, all but held Kaito up between them as the exhausted contractor yawned widely.

    Izumi released his arm, giving her husband a soft slap on his cheek with her opera-gloved hand to help arouse him. ¡°Come on, babe,¡± she pleaded. ¡°Get it together for half an hour, and then you can go pass out.¡±

    The bleary-eyed groomsman managed a few believable smiles for Natsuko''s camera before being all but dragged up the steps to the stage.

    That left the best man and maid of honor, and Crash emerged from the curtain with Ranko''s maid of honor on his left arm and her wife on his right. Both Yui and Sakura wore yellow gowns, and like the other five groomsmen before him, Crash wore a yellow bow tie to match the pair of bridesmaids he escorted. Both women carried large bouquets bursting with yellow daisies, and Crash¡¯s boutonni¨¨re was a daisy as well.

    Lucky, getting to walk with her girl, Emi thought with only the hint of a glare as she watched Yui pose for photos in the aisle alongside Sakura and Crash. Advantages of being with one of the original bridesmaids, I guess. Still sucks. But hey, at least Crash didn''t get to walk with the girl of his dreams, either. Emi snickered silently, her cheeks warning at the joke in her head that no one else would hear.

    After all, she''s still back there with her dad.

    Her face had barely returned to its normal shade when the piano rendition of You''re My Song faded, and a clatter of chairs screeching on the floor filled the room as the audience stood and turned their backs to the stage.

    As a new song, also a piano solo, began to fill the framed-out night club, Mayor Soun Tendo of Nerima emerged from behind the curtain, resplendent in a white tuxedo.

    The room filled with gasps. No matter how dapper the aging martial artist may have looked, they were not for him, but for the youngest of his four daughters.

    Here we go again, Ranko''s mind coaxed her behind bright red cheeks. How the hell is being a bride the final boss of being a girl, if you gotta beat it twice?

    She wore the same handmade, pearl-encrusted gown Izumi had crafted for her first wedding, fresh from the drycleaners the day before. She had begged Izumi for the addition of a veil to hide her furious blushing, but her sister and stylist had refused on the grounds that her recognizability in photographs was paramount to the success of the ruse they were attempting.

    Her face reddened deeper still as she stood at the entrance to the aisle, trying to look calm and comfortable for Natsuko¡¯s camera. These are the most important pictures of my life, she fretted. She had to force herself to refrain from singing as the music reached the point where she would normally add her voice to its harmony. There''s a long white dress, hanging over there¡­ Ranko smirked, looking down at herself. Well, okay, not quite so much ¡°over there¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you alright, honey?¡±

    A pat on the back of Ranko''s hand drew her attention back to her escort.

    ¡°Do you need a moment?¡± Soun¡¯s whisper was soft and soothing, and he rubbed the back of Ranko''s hand as gently as he might have done with Kasumi¡¯s.

    Shit. Gotta look happy. Gotta look excited. Dial in. Don''t look nervous. Gotta calm down. How can I¡­ Her eyes rose from her dress to the center of the stage, where the love of her life stood surrounded by most of her family and friends. Sure, Aki may have been wearing a man''s suit, and her breasts were bound tighter than Genma Saotome¡¯s pants on all-you-can-eat sushi night, but Ranko would know the other half of her heart anywhere. Her eyes brightened, and her smile relaxed from a forced, uncomfortable grin to a contented, joyful smicker.

    ¡°Nah, I''m good, Dad! Better than good.¡± Ranko said in a bright, chipper tone, not bothering to lower her voice for the benefit of the audience. I just have to remember I get to spend the rest of my life being Akane''s wife, and I can smile through anything, she thought as she and her adoptive father began the slow, stilted march toward the stage.

    Her eyes scanned the audience as she walked. Oh, good. Ryo came. I was worried he wouldn''t make it. And Yumeko! Hey, girl! She offered a tentative wave under her massive bouquet of white roses to the girl in the thick glasses seated on her left, wearing a short, pale yellow skater dress printed all over with golden triangles. Each had a triangular hole cut out of its center, so that it looked like a triangle made out of three smaller triangles with the fourth one missing.

    She turned her head to the left, offering a respectful nod to a handsome young man in a gray pinstripe suit. Good. I¡¯m glad Sho ended up coming. I¡¯ve been such an ass to him about everything. Dude might be carrying a torch, but as long as he¡¯s respectful, it¡¯s no different than what Crash did with me. And he¡¯s important to Akane. Fuck, I¡¯m glad she stopped me before I performed Mine. That would¡¯ve been awkward as hell, unleashing the Viper on somebody who didn¡¯t deserve it.

    Aw, man! she thought as her eyes finished surveying the room. Mr. Gao didn''t show up. Didn''t think he would, but, after all this time, dude deserved to see for himself why he hasn''t slept right in years, she thought with a snicker as she passed Eiji and Orochi on her right.

    ¡°Anybody getting out of line?¡± The young bride offered a smirk to her tuxedoed head of security, flashing Lance a wink as she and Soun approached the steps.

    ¡°Nothing I can¡¯t handle, ma¡¯am.¡± Lance chuckled with a sharp nod of his head, trying to maintain his serious expression. Despite his efforts to keep it quiet, the laughter boomed from his cavernous chest. ¡°You look incredible, girl.¡±

    The redhead stifled a giggle. ¡°You should see my husband.¡± Ranko gently took her father¡¯s hand with her right and Lance¡¯s with her left, letting her wrists go limp as she was guided up the steps to the stage surface by the two much taller men. Soun followed her up, and Ranko paused, looking up at him with the sweetest expression she could summon on her face.

    I want to¡­ but it¡¯s stupid. Such a girly thing to do with someone who knows what I used to¡­ ya know what? No. It¡¯s not stupid. I¡¯m a girl. I¡¯m a bride. I¡¯m allowed. And it¡¯ll feel special for him, too. He¡¯s my dad. He asked to be. Unlike Pop, he actually wants me to be his¡­ little girl.

    She rose to her tiptoes, leaning in close and planting a soft kiss on Soun Tendo¡¯s cheek. She did her best to ignore the Full-Body Cat¡¯s Tongue¡¯s amplification of the tickle from his moustache on her face. ¡°Thank you, Daddy. I love you.¡±

    Soun all but glowed. It wasn¡¯t a blush, so much as it was an overwhelming wave of pride crashing over him. He reached his arms around her shoulders, pulling his youngest daughter into a tight hug on the stage. ¡°I love you too, Ranko. I¡¯m so proud of you, sweetheart.¡± He grinned at Akane over the bride¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You take good care of ¡®him¡¯, now, you hear me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Ranko turned to face Akane, her face aglow with bliss. ¡°I promise!¡± She thought back to a day less than two years ago, where she¡¯d sworn it to him for the first time, her forehead on the floor of his living room as she begged him to reconsider his disapproval of their relationship. We¡¯ve come a long way since then, though, Dad. We¡¯ve grown so much, all of us.

    The father of both bride and groom strode the few steps to the center of the stage, offering Akane a proud smile. Although everyone in the audience knew the groom¡¯s true identity, they had agreed to keep up appearances, just in case. He therefore tried to let his eyes say what his lips could not, offering a bow to Akane. ¡°You look after my little girl, okay? And let her look after you?¡± His words were carefully chosen, as on any other day, Soun¡¯s little girl could have meant Akane herself as well.

    Akane bowed in response, finding it uncomfortable to do so given the tight bindings flattening her breasts under her tuxedo. She couldn¡¯t avoid a blush at the thought, as she clearly understood what her father meant. ¡°It will be my honor.¡±

    Smiling, Soun straightened himself, turning and descending the stairs to the floor of the half-constructed nightclub. He made his way to the empty seat next to Nodoka.

    ¡°She looks even more beautiful than she did last time,¡± Nodoka said, beaming up at her daughter¡¯s adopted father.

    Probably because she didn¡¯t have the snot beaten out of her this morning, Soun thought. He reached to his side, taking Nodoka¡¯s hand in his. ¡°Happiness looks good on her.¡±

    ¡°So,¡± Hana began, grinning at her two youngest daughters in her gray pinstripe pantsuit. ¡°I understand you two want to get married?¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­¡± Ranko blushed at her wife, looking down with a coy grin on her lips. ¡°I suppose I did promise.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you did! I got down on one knee and everything!¡± Aki laughed, shaking ¡®his¡¯ head. ¡°Silly girl.¡±

    ¡°Your silly girl,¡± Ranko said, an almost insistent tone in her voice. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that part. It¡¯s important.¡± She reached out for Akane¡¯s hands with both of hers. ¡°The most important part.¡±

    Hana laughed as the couple joined hands. ¡°Not yet! We still have to, you know, do the thing.¡±

    ¡°Then get on with it!¡± Ranko and Aki spoke in unison, much to the amusement of the observers in the audience.

    Chuckling, Hana threw up her hands. ¡°Alright, alright! Sheesh! You¡¯d think these two wanted to be married, like, a year ago or something!¡±

    A year, three months, and nineteen days, Ranko thought, another easy smile forming on her crimson-painted lips. Not that anybody¡¯s counting.

    Hana glanced down at the sheet of paper in her hand. It was a little worn around the edges from being folded and shoved in a pocket a few times, but still more than readable. She read over her words, pausing for a moment to consider them. You know what? No. The Phoenix clan¡¯s matriarch folded the paper again, stuffing it back into her back pocket. They¡¯re not getting the same speech as last time. I¡¯m just gonna¡­ talk. We¡¯re doing this for show, but we¡¯re not going to get so caught up in the dog and pony show that we forget what it¡¯s all really about.

    ¡°Ranko¡­ Aki¡­¡± Hana grinned at the young ¡°man¡± to her left, a bit mischievously. ¡°For the last eighteen years, I¡¯ve been finding lost people in the world, and showing them how to be part of a family. Three years ago next month, I was blessed enough to find this one.¡± She turned to Ranko, giving her a nod of appreciation.

    ¡°And she, in turn¡­¡± Hana again redirected her attention to Aki. ¡°.. was blessed enough to find this one.¡±

    Actually, Mom, she found me, Ranko thought, stifling her giggle. Well, I guess if we¡¯re being real technical about it, Nabiki did.

    ¡°And together, they have become a family in their own right.¡± Hana smiled out at the audience. ¡°A family that we formalize here, today, in the presence of their own families, and their friends. Because, that¡¯s the thing about lost people. They can be found. And when they are, gods, how special they can be.

    ¡°Ranko, I have not only grown to love, but admire, you. You are brave to a fault, and endlessly giving. You tilt when you should withdraw. You inspire thousands - maybe millions - with your music, but all of us in this room are lucky enough to also get to be inspired by your presence. You love as fiercely as you fight. You think of everyone else first, always.¡± Indeed, it had been Ranko¡¯s desire to provide for her family, no matter the cost to herself, that had necessitated the show ceremony over which she now presided in the first place. ¡°Kiddo, I am just so proud of you. You don¡¯t even know.¡±

    ¡°Mo-om!¡± Ranko blushed, looking down at her hands as they rested in Akane¡¯s. ¡°You¡¯re not the one that¡¯s s¡¯posta make me blush today!¡±

    Hana swiveled again to her left. ¡°And as for you, mister.¡± She smiled softly at the masculine-presenting woman holding her daughter¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am?¡± Aki grinned, but not at Hana. Her eyes were entirely locked on her bride.

    ¡°I have seen Ranko grow so much these last few years. When I first met her, there was a sadness in her I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever see the end of. The only spark of a smile I ever saw in her when she would think about her life before joining us was when she would talk about this boy she used to know. Then, he showed up on our doorstep, and let me tell you, that girl blossomed overnight. As Ranko¡¯s sisters and I got to know that boy, we quickly came to understand why. Your love and support for her has awed us all, Aki. Your strength in the face of adversity, and your tenderness when the challenge has been faced and met, are an inspiration to everyone around you. You are generous and kind. One of the greatest hopes a mother has for her children is that they will find someone who will love them with all their heart and soul, care for them, support them, and keep them safe and happy.¡±

    Hana glanced behind Akane, offering tender smiles to Kage and Kaito. She then nodded to Seiichi in the audience as her head turned left, giving a soft smile of acknowledgement to Sakura. ¡°And, I am blessed to say, my girls have done so.¡±

    ¡°Me most of all,¡± Ranko said, squeezing Akane¡¯s hands tighter in her own.

    ¡°The wonderful thing about this family we¡¯ve built here is that everyone in it is here by choice. There are no accidents. Every person here is bound by love before anything else. And, in that spirit, Aki, we are so happy that Ranko chose you to be a part of it.¡±

    I mean, if you wanna get real technical about it, she¡¯s legally my sister, Akane thought with a smirk.

    ¡°So, on that note,¡± Hana asked, a gentle smile on her lips as she regarded Akane. ¡°Do you, Aki¡­¡±

    ¡°Does it have the word wife in it somewhere? ¡®Cause, if so, yes!¡± Akane grinned playfully, nodding in the direction of her bride as she repeated Ranko¡¯s interruption of her first wedding verbatim. The humor was not lost on those in the audience who had attended that ceremony on a summer¡¯s day a year prior, and they laughed along with her.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Hana waved her hand in the air, dismissing the joke. ¡°Anyway. Aki, will you take my daughter Ranko to be your wife? Will you love her and cherish her every day for the rest of your life? Will you support her, no matter what life throws at you, with a song in your heart? Will you be faithful to her first and always?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be honored to.¡± Akane squeezed Ranko¡¯s hands tighter, cocking her head to the side as she regarded her lover. For a moment, all the facade of her disguise and the re-enacted ceremony around her was lost to a simple truth - she loved the girl sharing the stage with her more than all the stars in the sky. No law of man or nature could have prevented it. It was as immutable, constant and sure as the passing of time itself. ¡°I am honored to.¡±

    With a smile and a nod, Hana¡¯s head turned to her right, regarding the redhead bouncing excitedly in her pearlescent ballet slippers. ¡°And do you, my sweet, beautiful little star, take Aki to be your husband? Will you love and cherish him every day for the rest of your life? Will you support him, no matter what life throws at you, with a song in your heart? Will you be faithful to him, first and always?¡±

    ¡°Eh, I dunno¡­¡± Ranko smirked mischievously, taking one of her hands back from her bridegroom and scratching her chin thoughtfully.

    The assembled guests cackled, but Akane rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, really?!¡±

    Laughing, Ranko slipped her hand back into Akane¡¯s. ¡°I never pictured myself as the kind of girl that would ever end up having a husband.¡± Her gaze softened, a simpering glaze painting her face as a tear rolled down her left cheek. ¡°But for you, I can make an exception. For you, I can do anything. I can be anything. With you by my side, I am absolutely limitless. And it gives me the greatest joy I will ever experience, knowing I get to be your wife for the rest of my life.¡±

    In the front row, the woman seated next to the bride¡¯s mother wiped a tear of her own. And this is why we¡¯re fighting you, Kondo, Amaya Uyehara thought. Because, damn it, look at how they feel about each other. Who are we to try and stop it? How could anybody see the smile on her face right now, and think it¡¯s wrong?

    ¡°Then, I suppose it¡¯s time we get some jewelry involved, huh?¡± Hana turned to her grandson, an ear-to-ear smile growing across her unpainted lips. ¡°Hoshi, honey?¡±

    The young man stepped forward from his place alongside his stepfather, holding the pillow up between the bride and groom. ¡°Here you go!¡±

    ¡°Thanks, buddy,¡± Ranko said, leaning down and giving him a shoulder hug with her right arm as she plucked Akane¡¯s wedding band from the pillow with her left.

    ¡°Aki¡­¡±

    Ranko swallowed hard. It was harder to keep up the act when she had to look the person she loved the most in all the world in the eye and use a different name for her. Then again, I suppose it was pretty tough for her to stop calling me Ranma, too, and she had to do it for a lot longer than a day.

    ¡°With this ring¡­¡± Ranko¡¯s trembling right hand slipped the band onto the third finger of Akane¡¯s left. ¡°I take you as my husband.¡±

    Akane grinned, looking down at her hand. Oh, I¡¯ve missed the sight of that on my finger all day, she thought, sighing with quiet relief as if she could finally relax for the first time all afternoon. After taking a moment to savor it, she reached down to the pillow for Ranko¡¯s conjoined custom diamond engagement ring and wrap, etched with the notes to You¡¯re My Song. His pillow emptied, Hoshi scurried to the steps, descending them and taking his seat.

    ¡°Gimme that ring, ring, ring!¡± Ranko sang quietly, wiggling slightly on her feet in her restrictive wedding gown. ¡°C¡¯mon, put it on my finger!¡±

    ¡°That ring, ring, ring!¡± Hitomi sang from behind her. The brunette giggled nervously as the assembled wedding party looked up at her. ¡°Sorry,¡± she muttered, a slight cringe forming on her face. ¡°Force of habit.¡±

    Laughing, Akane lifted Ranko¡¯s hand. ¡°Ranko, my princess, my silly, silly girl¡­ with this ring, I take you as my wife.¡± Again, and always. She gently slid the silver band down Ranko¡¯s slender ring finger until it found its home at the base of it.

    ¡°Then, I now¡­¡±

    Not waiting for Hana to finish her pronouncement, Ranko curled her finger toward herself at eye level. ¡°Get your ass over here and kiss me, lover boy.¡±

    Akane happily complied, wrapping her arms tight around her bride.

    With a chuckle and a shake of her head, the officiant shrugged, standing on her tiptoes to be more visible over the smooching couple in front of her. ¡°Yeah, that! I pronounce you to be, now and for all time, husband and wife.¡±

    Every seat on the floor of the nascent nightclub emptied as Ranko and Akane¡¯s friends and family rose and applauded. Ariel slid off behind the curtain, pressing play on the third track on the CD Jacob had burned for the occasion. A third piano solo began playing over the large speakers resting on either side of the stage. Of the assembled guests not on the stage, only Ariel and one other person had ever heard the melody before.

    That¡¯s right, Ranko, Amaya thought, recognizing the tune as the starlet of the Yokai Records roster took her partner¡¯s hand and began to descend the stairs to the floor.

    You really are Defying Destiny. And, gods help us all, we¡¯re gonna help you do it if we can.

 115. Hug and Sway

    ¡°Talk about d¨¦j¨¤ vu all over again,¡± Akane whispered, resting her forehead on Ranko¡¯s shoulder as the pair swayed.

    ¡°Yeah, it does seem familiar,¡± Ranko said in a similarly low tone, turning her head to kiss her masculine-presenting wife softly on the temple. ¡°Can we do it again tomorrow?¡± As she spoke, she added a bit of extra swish to her hips through the chorus of You¡¯re My Song. While her slow-dancing skills had greatly improved since their first wedding ceremony the July prior, wearing a dress that was almost a third of her body weight still presented its share of mobility challenges.

    Laughing, Akane took Ranko¡¯s hand, extending her arm as the song concluded and spinning on her feet to twirl Ranko in an orbit around herself. After all the time we¡¯ve had to spend hiding, today, I just wanna show her off, she thought as she made eye contact with a few of the people surrounding the pair in the unfinished space that would, in a matter of months, be a nightclub dance floor. It took some effort on the part of the bride in the rigid corset she wore, but she managed to make the twirl look graceful for the benefit of the observers.

    Ranko released Akane¡¯s hand, taking hold of her skirt and offering her husband a deep, regal curtsey as the final note of You¡¯re My Song faded from the air. Seems appropriate for princess mode, she thought with a smirk behind her heavy makeup.

    Aki responded with a formal bow of his own as the assembled guests and wedding party applauded them. The ever-present clack-clack-clack of Natsuko¡¯s camera served as a bassline, keeping the rhythm to support the irregular whoops and claps. Akane rolled her eyes, shaking her head with a smile as a new instrument was added to the din: the rhythmic tink of something repeatedly striking glass. One glass became two, which became four, which became ten. ¡°Again, you guys?¡±

    Ranko made a show of shying away from her husband, a well-acted coy simper on her face as she raised her right hand to her lips. ¡°But¡­ in front of all these people? It¡¯s so improper¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Akane said, closing the gap between the pair. ¡°You¡¯re a good girl, prim and proper innocence¡­¡± She rested her elbows on Ranko¡¯s shoulders, pulling her bride by the neck into a furious kiss to the cheers of their family and friends. Halfway through it, Ranko popped her foot up from the floor, bending her right leg back at the knee as she¡¯d seen any number of girls do in Akane¡¯s romance movies when they really got the perfect kiss.

    ¡°You ready for the next one?¡± Akane asked in a whisper as she broke the kiss after nearly a full minute.

    Ranko nodded emphatically, puckering her lips and leaning forward.

    ¡°No, dummy, the next dance!¡± Akane cackled loudly at Ranko¡¯s cheeky response.

    Ranko slumped her shoulders in not-entirely-mocked disappointment. ¡°Oh. Then yeah, I guess so.¡± The breathless bride hesitated a moment before turning to face her family. ¡°I¡¯m told I¡¯m in demand today, and I have to keep dancing.¡± She scoffed playfully, shaking her head with a roll of her eyes to the ceiling. ¡°I swear, they give me longer breaks between songs than this on tour.¡±

    As the crowd standing around them laughed, Ranko rotated in place, scanning their faces for the one she sought. Finding it, she stepped forward, offering her hand to Soun Tendo. ¡°Dad¡­ may I have this dance?¡± Neither she nor Akane had warned him that she intended to ask him, nor about the song Ranko had chosen for their first dance at the reception that, thus far, had been less structured than their first wedding.

    ¡°I¡­ well, of course,¡± Soun answered, laughing a bit nervously. He handed his pilsner glass of beer off to Kasumi and stepped forward, taking the bride¡¯s hand in his own.

    Akane slipped out of the clearing at the center of the ring of people with a bright smile for her father, taking a position next to Hana to watch. As she did, Ariel jogged off to his CD player, poking at the next track button with his finger before pressing play. A big-band trombone riff began to pour from his twin speakers on the stage floor above, joined by a gentle drumbeat and a tambourine.

    Ranko reached out, placing her left hand on the small of Soun¡¯s back, difficult as it was to reach his shoulder, and holding up her right for him to take. She smiled sincerely as her father enjoined her in the structured embrace, and the pair began to sway to the twenty-two year old American song Soun had never heard before.

    In a moment, the instruments were joined by the singing voice of Elvis Presley.

    ¡°When no one else can understand me, when everything I do is wrong, you give me love and consolation. You give me hope to carry on. And you¡¯re always there to lend a hand in everything I do. That¡¯s the wonder¡­ the wonder of you.¡±

    Ranko released her adoptive father¡¯s hand for a moment, reaching up to wipe a tear from his cheek with a gentle swipe of her fingers. ¡°Dad, I¡­ I can¡¯t tell you what it¡¯s meant to me, having you as a father. Knowing somebody¡­ actually wants me like that. Like this. You didn¡¯t get stuck with me. You¡­ picked me, just like Mom and my sisters did.¡±

    Soun sniffled, biting his lip hard to try and re-center himself as Ranko took his hand again. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a difficult decision, Ranko. Being your father is an honor - one I can¡¯t fathom any man not cherishing.¡± He sighed quietly. And I can¡¯t understand for the life of me what¡¯s wrong with old Saotome that he never could see it, he thought with a sad shake of his head. I tried, honey. I tried, so many times, to tell him what he was missing. He just wouldn¡¯t listen.

    ¡°Ranko Tendo, I am so very proud of you, child,¡± Soun whispered, pulling her tighter into his embrace as the chorus of the not even three-minute song repeated for the final time. ¡°I love you.¡±

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll never know the reason why you love me as you do. That¡¯s the wonder¡­ the wonder of you.¡±

    Ranko squeezed hard around his back as she was hugged. ¡°I love you, too, Dad.¡±

    Akane smirked, turning to Hana. ¡°Man, he was not expecting to do that again. She got him good!¡±

    ¡°You think that¡¯s bad?!¡± Hana smirked, grabbing Akane tightly by the wrist as she started walking toward Ranko and the girls¡¯ father. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going, boy?¡±

    The bridegroom looked up, shock in her eyes. ¡°Huh?!¡±

    Smirking deviously, Ranko strode past as Hana all but dragged Akane to the center of the clearing to the cheers of everyone standing around them. ¡°Have fun, lover boy,¡± Ranko mewled, standing on her tiptoes to kiss Akane on the cheek. She flashed a warm smile to her mother as she trundled her heavy dress out of the circular clearing, waiting a moment for Shinji and Crash to part to make space for her and her voluminous gown to stand.

    A guitar solo began playing throughout the cavernous room, punctuated only with the occasional cymbal hit. Hana closed her eyes, swaying alone with the familiar rock ballad rhythm for a moment before Akane nervously took her position to dance with her.

    ¡°Mama told me when I was young: ¡®come sit beside me, my only son. And listen closely to what I say, and if you do, it¡¯ll help you some sunny day¡­¡¯¡±

    Hana smirked as Akane flushed in her recognition of the song. ¡°You didn¡¯t think I¡¯d let poor Ranko take all the teasing, did you, honey?¡±

    Laughing, Akane swayed awkwardly to Ronnie Van Zant¡¯s voice, looking up into Hana¡¯s face. ¡°You can be a real shit sometimes. You know that, Mom?¡±

    ¡°And be a simple¡­ kind of man!¡± the song encouraged. ¡°Oh, be something you love and understand! Baby, be a simple kind of man! Oh, won¡¯t you do this for me, son, if you can?¡±

    Hana chuckled as the pair missed a step together. ¡°Uh, excuse me!¡± she protested loudly. ¡°You¡¯re the guy in this dance! Are you gonna lead, or what?!¡±

    ¡°Good luck, if anybody thinks they¡¯re gonna lead you anywhere!¡± Yui called back from the crowd, cupping her hands around her mouth.

    Laughing as Akane found her feet and began to lead, Hana reached in close, pulling Aki into a tight hug as the pair swayed to the guitar stylings of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

    ¡°I meant what I said up there, you know,¡± Hana whispered, her face close to Akane''s ear both to aid in hearing and to obscure her lips from view. ¡°Believe me, I know she can be a handful, but she couldn''t be in better hands. You take such good care of her.¡±

    Akane sighed, eschewing nearly all footwork to just rock Hana in her arms as the pair spoke. ¡°When she lets me. But I''ll always do my best. I promise.¡±

    ¡°I know you will.¡± Hana cringed slightly as the bright flash of Natsuko¡¯s camera caught the corner of her eye, reminding her of the true purpose of the day¡¯s festivity. The loving dance she shared with her youngest daughter¡¯s partner, sweet and tender though it was, was just another surgical strike in the calculation of Ranko¡¯s private war.

    ¡°This thing with Yokai¡­ you know it''s gonna get harder before it gets easier, right? I''m not sure how, but¡­¡± Hana rubbed Akane''s back reassuringly through her black tuxedo jacket. ¡°Just, something in my gut.¡±

    ¡°Boy, don''t you worry, you''ll find yourself! Follow your heart, and nothing else!¡±

    Ronnie Van Zant¡¯s command gave Akane a moment¡¯s pause, and she sighed quietly. ¡°I know. I''ll be ready. I promise.¡± She glanced to her right, where Ranko was giggling with Crash about something.

    ¡°I''ll make sure she''s ready, too. Somehow.¡±

    As the song ended, Hana leaned down and placed a kiss on Akane¡¯s forehead. ¡°Good boy,¡± she said gently, the hint of a grin returning to her lips.

    The couple¡¯s friends and family applauded. Ranko stepped forward into the circle of humanity, taking Akane''s hand. Her mother released her bridegroom and made her way out of the metaphorical spotlight - as the literal ones had yet to be installed in the nightclub her seven daughters owned.

    <hr>

    ¡°Come on, Ranko!¡±

    The redheaded bride blushed, addressing the cheering assembly. ¡°I swear, you guys! Sixty people, and you make me more nervous than twenty thousand sometimes!¡±

    Yui shook her head, closing the distance to her baby sister. She took Ranko by the shoulders, physically turning the bride toward the stage. ¡°Quit your bitching. Go on, scoot!¡± She made a show of kicking at Ranko''s backside, though she had no intention of connecting with her yellow heels.

    ¡°Fine, fine!¡± Groaning over the mostly feminine cheers rising around her, Ranko reached down to the table next to her and gathered her bouquet of white roses.

    ¡°Hey, Ranko?!¡±

    The redhead turned to one of the white cloth-covered folding tables that had been deployed on the dance floor when dinner had been served, following the sound of her sister¡¯s voice. ¡°What''s up, Iz? Got some brilliant plan to get me out of this?¡±

    Chuckling, Izumi shook her head. ¡°No, blockhead. I just wanted to remind you.¡± She pointed up above the stage. ¡°Aim low. We don''t need you hitting the trusses and getting it stuck up there. I don''t want to have to wake Kaito up to get the ladder out.¡±

    Rolling her eyes despite the smile on her lips, Ranko took hold of her fluffy tulle skirt and slumped her shoulders. ¡°I swear, sis, you''re such a mom sometimes. It''s annoying!¡±

    ¡°Right?!¡± Hoshi laughed around his mouthful of cake from his seat at the table he shared with his mother. As Kaito was sleeping off a week¡¯s worth of all-nighters to get the venue ready in the apartment next door that had once been Ranko''s, Kage and Ayako had also joined the mother and son at their table.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Hana called out through the wireless microphone in her hand. ¡°We need all the unmarried women to come up here by the stage!¡±

    Turning as her father nudged her shoulder, Kasumi giggled. ¡°Oh, no. I''m already engaged. That''s close enough.¡± She squeezed Tofu¡¯s hand for emphasis. ¡°Nabiki, though¡­¡±

    ¡°Forget it,¡± Nabiki said, resting her chin in her hands with her elbows propped on the table. ¡°You know what they say, and I ain¡¯t the marrying type.¡±

    Soun frowned, shaking his head with a disappointed tsk of his tongue. ¡°You know, Nabiki, one of these days you are going to wake up and find yourself awfully lonely.¡±

    ¡°I''ll get a dog,¡± Nabiki replied flatly as the floor around the stage began to fill with Ranko and Akane''s female classmates. ¡°What about¡­¡±

    ¡°Don''t even say it,¡± came the reply from Nodoka Shimizu across the table from her. ¡°Once was plenty for me.¡±

    Shinji shook his head as he took in the spectacle forming a few meters in front of him. ¡°What the hell are you two idiots doing?!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not married, are we?!¡± Hitomi tittered brightly. ¡°Nobody said anything about not cooperating for tactical advantage!¡± She glanced down, craning her neck around her fluffy orange dress to make eye contact with the woman whose shoulders she sat on. ¡°Just don''t drop me, Ems!¡±

    ¡°Well, then you shouldn''t wiggle around on top of me so damn much!¡± Emi bent her knees somewhat, trying to find a more stable center of gravity.

    Hitomi giggled, wagging her finger down at her girlfriend. ¡°That''s not what you said last night!¡±

    ¡°Ya know,¡± Yui said, glancing down at the hand of the shorter woman seated alone at table six. ¡°I don''t see a ring on your finger.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, me and my husband¡­ it didn''t work out. I spent too much time at work, I guess. But I got the most incredible baby boy out of the deal, so I don''t regret it,¡± Amaya Uyehara insisted, looking up at the woman who had approached the table where she sat alone.

    Yui motioned over her shoulder toward the stage. ¡°Well, go on, then! Get your ass up there, girl!¡±

    Amaya shook her head, letting it hang a little. Her face took on a pallor of shame. ¡°No, I¡­ I couldn''t. It doesn''t feel right to participate in this whole thing at all, considering¡­ I''ve had a hand in making it necessary. That poor girl has¡­¡±

    Yui¡¯s hand flashed up, waving Amaya''s sentence off before it could be completed. ¡°Are you doing everything you can to help my sister now?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Amaya swallowed hard, fiddling idly with the glass of soda in her hand. ¡°I think so. I''m trying.¡±

    ¡°So, I don''t know how much Ranko''s told you about us, and this place, but around here, we have a word for people who do that.¡± Yui smirked down at the black-haired woman, crossing her arms over her breasts. ¡°Family.¡± She gestured with her neck in the direction of the stage. ¡°Best get a move on! She ain¡¯t gonna wait too much longer.¡±

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Remember, babe. Think clumsy thoughts.¡±

    ¡°Does she have any other kind?¡± Sakura jibed, sneering jovially at Mei in response to Seiichi¡¯s comment.

    Mei frowned in her seat, worry clouding her face - though about what, she did not share. ¡°Would marrying me really be so bad?¡±

    ¡°N- not bad! Just¡­ too soon!¡± The Phoenix¡¯s newest server stammered, recoiling a bit in his seat to retreat from his girlfriend¡¯s glare.

    Sakura clicked her tongue thrice, shaking her head admonishingly in Seiichi¡¯s direction. ¡°I do believe you just fucked up, my friend.¡±

    ¡°Give me that, baby.¡± Hana said, reaching out with grabby fingers. ¡°You''ve been working all day, and haven''t had a minute to enjoy the party. Get up there.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Natsuko¡¯s eyes went wide, and she held her camera out of Hana¡¯s grasp. ¡°Nabiki was very clear. Nobody breathes in this room unless you get a picture of it, Natsuko! It''s so important for Ranko, and maybe we can put some of the shots in the Firebird newsletter too! I can''t let her down, Miss Hana!¡±

    Hana snapped her fingers insistently, twice, flexing her fingers to grab for the professional-grade camera again. ¡°I''ll take the pictures. Go on. I said all the unmarried women, didn''t I?¡±

    Natsuko begrudgingly removed the nylon strap from around her neck, offering the camera out to Hana. Hana took it, but before she could slip the strap behind her head, an arm reached around her to snatch it from behind.

    ¡°Yes. You did,¡± Ariel said, dropping the camera strap behind his head with a cheeky smirk. ¡°And that includes you, if I''m not mistaken.¡±

    ¡°I-¡± Hana''s face turned a brighter shade of red than it had in a year. ¡°But¡­¡±

    Ariel chuckled, quickly leveling the camera to his eye and snapping a photo of her bewildered face. ¡°And that is the sound of a woman without an argument to make. Go on. Shoo!¡± He waved her away with the back of his hand as Natsuko grabbed Hana''s arm in both of hers.

    ¡°Come on, Miss Hana!¡± Natsuko pleaded as she tugged on the old barkeep¡¯s forearm. ¡°We''re gonna miss it!¡±

    ¡°Alright, girls! We ready?¡± Ranko waved her bunch of roses high above her head from the stage to a chorus of whoops and whistles.

    ¡°Okay! Here we go!¡±

    She turned her back to the throng of women, bouncing the bouquet in front of her with each number she counted. ¡°One! Two! THREE!¡± As she called out three, she launched the bouquet over her head with both hands, whirling as fast as her heavy dress would allow to see where it landed. A mad scramble was taking place on the floor in front of her as the eighteen roses fluttered down from the rafters.

    Amaya reached high for the bouquet, but it sailed over her head. She whipped around to see where it ended up, grinning as it fell into the arms of a young bridesmaid with her hair in a silver-dyed bob.

    ¡°YEAH, KUMI!¡± Ranko bounced on her heels, clapping excitedly for her friend, but a loud shriek of terror pierced the air, drawing the attention of all the assembled women.

    ¡°SHIT! ¡®Tomi, I-¡± Emi whirled desperately, blushing as she watched her girlfriend come to rest a half-meter from the floor in the arms of Shiori Nagata and Rin Matsubara.

    ¡°And that,¡± Shiori said with a minxy grin as she helped lower Hitomi to her feet, ¡°... is why you never throw a party without cheerleaders.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°I''m just saying, bro, you should think about it.¡±

    Akane blushed, hiding her face behind one of her hands with her elbow propped on the table. ¡°Nabiki, I couldn''t¡­¡±

    ¡°Excuuuuse me!¡± Ranko shook her head, slipping into the seat next to Aki and giving him a quick peck on the cheek before turning to Nabiki. ¡°Who told you you could embarrass my husband without me?! What''s going on?¡±

    Nabiki smirked, sipping at her martini slowly and deliberately. She lowered her voice to a whisper, leaning over the table close to Ranko. While everyone in the room was privy to Akane¡¯s secret identity, far fewer knew her bride¡¯s.

    ¡°I was just commenting that Daddy signed some paperwork and legally magicked you into existence, and, well¡­¡± Nabiki smirked devilishly, curling just the very corner of her mouth in a way that never failed to unsettle Ranko. ¡°If you two wanted to make this thing official, I''m sure Hana would love to formally adopt a son.¡±

    Ranko covered her mouth, her cheeks bulging with a loud nurph as she fought to keep from spitting her soda at her elder sister.

    ¡°I''m not gonna¡­¡± Akane cringed, looking around as she noticed a few people turning to see what the commotion at the head table was about. ¡°I''m not gonna stop being a girl!¡±

    Nabiki shrugged. ¡°Nobody says ya hafta. I mean hell, look at Zoe. But Aki Takahashi, on paper, could sign a marriage license with Ranko and it would all be on the up-and-up. I mean, the dates would look a little weird if anybody looked too closely, but¡­¡±

    That impish grin cracked her cheeks again. ¡°A few thousand yen in an envelope, in the right places, and you''ll be surprised at all the information government employees tend to¡­ misplace.¡± She snickered, more loudly than she intended. ¡°Especially if you file the papers in Nerima.¡± Nabiki turned her head, glancing at the tall mustachioed man laughing with Ranko''s biological mother and Tofu Ono. ¡°I know a guy on the inside.¡±

    ¡°But, I don¡¯t¡­¡±

    Ranko reached to her right, patting her flustered partner on the hand. ¡°Let''s call it a plan of last resort, if anybody starts digging. Sound good?¡±

    ¡°But, Ranko, I mrphhh!¡± Akane''s eyes bulged as her bride crammed a huge piece of buttercream-frosted strawberry wedding cake into her mouth.

    ¡°Shh,¡± Ranko said with a giggle as Akane struggled to chew.

    ¡°Oh, damn it!¡± Natsuko leveled her camera, clicking her finger as fast as it would bounce on the silver shutter button. ¡°Why didn''t anybody tell me they were gonna do the cake smashing thing?!¡±

    Ranko stood, motioning to Crash as Akane worked to clear her mouth of the mammoth wad of cake and wipe the frosting from her face. Ranko noticed her hand as her best friend approached, blushing and sucking on her fingers to remove the pink buttercream icing from them. ¡°Hey, Crash! We gonna do the thing?¡±

    Crash craned his neck toward the stage. ¡°I think they''re almost ready. Lemme go check.¡± He jogged off to confer with Jacob and Shinji, who were working on wiring their instruments to the audio mixing panel Zoe had carried over from the bar next door.

    Receiving a thumbs up from Crash, Ranko turned and bent down, kissing Akane atop her head. ¡°I''m gonna go sing you a song now, handsome.¡± She grinned down to Nabiki. ¡°Now, don''t let him run off and flirt with any other girls while I''m gone, ya got it?¡±

    ¡°I mean,¡± Nabiki said, laughing as she handed her flustered, tuxedoed sister another wad of napkins. She made a show of keeping one, fanning her face with it as if she were overheated. ¡°I''ll do my best, but he is awfully hot¡­¡±

    ¡°You know it, girl!¡± Ranko snickered, glancing back over her shoulder as she walked to the stage. ¡°But, then again¡­ I''m a pop star, and I deserve a trophy husband.¡±

    ¡°Check?¡± Ranko leaned down into the microphone on its metal stand at center stage, wishing she could wear her wireless headset. Izumi would have a stroke if I messed up my hair with it, she decided. ¡°Check one, two? You guys hear me okay?¡±

    A chorus of whoops and whistles answered her in the affirmative.

    *Alright,¡± she said into the microphone, grinning to Hitomi and Emi as the pair ascended the steps to the stage. ¡°So, I swear I didn''t write this for today. It''s already recorded for our third album. But, given the circumstances, I just had to sing Aki this particular love song tonight. Some of you might have heard it at the Phoenix, but if not¡­ well, it''s a fun one. I hope you enjoy!¡±

    She turned, surveying her bandmates with her eyes and ensuring each looked ready to perform. Ranko turned back to the microphone, her face crimson. ¡°Wow¡­ a whole band of handsome guys in tuxedos playing for me. I feel so fancy!¡± She reached down, gripping her skirt and swishing it around her legs with her hands while grinning coyly at the stage floor. ¡°I?m just like one of those elegant Fifties stars in their cocktail dresses and shit. Maybe I should have them¡­¡±

    ¡°No!¡± was the response, booming through the speakers in Shinji¡¯s deep bass voice. ¡°It''s not happening, Tendo. You''re lucky you got today. Don''t push it!¡±

    Ranko nodded, a disappointed curl forming on her lips. ¡°Yeah, you''re probably right. Anyway¡­ are we ready, Dragons? One! Two!¡±

    Crash¡¯s guitar sprung to life, strumming a rollicking melody befitting one of the alternative rock songs that had been all the rage in the West of late. After two bars, Zoe¡¯s drums and Shinji¡¯s bass joined it while Crash repeated the previous sequence of notes.

    ¡°Yeaaaaaaaaaah!¡± Ranko roared in an almost rock scream into the dynamic microphone, removing it from its stand as an electronic tone from Jacob¡¯s synthesizer completed the melody.

    Chuckling, Akane shook her head as she tossed the last crumpled napkin she¡¯d used to clean her face to the table. She just had to pick this song, today of all days.

    ¡°You were headed off to college, and we were just eighteen,¡± Ranko crooned, stalking slowly across the brand-new stage in her white flats. She wished she could dance, but in her restrictive, heavy corset and long flowing skirt, it would have exhausted her. Instead, she relegated the choreography to two of her bridesmaids, who wiggled mostly above their waists behind her.

    ¡°You waited ¡®til you saw my mother busy with something or other, said we wouldn¡¯t be seen.¡±

    She paused for a moment, giving top billing to the playful riff emanating from her best friend¡¯s cherry red guitar.

    ¡°I figured it was no-o-ow or never. Wasn''t even sure what I''d really miss. But I thought, what the hell? I won''t squeal. I won''t tell.¡±

    With a spritely grin, she winked down at her ¡°husband.¡±

    ¡°I mean, it''s only this o-o-one kiss¡­¡±

    Ranko giggled into the microphone, putting a skeptical smirk on her face and nodding her head. After a moment, she paused, as if reconsidering her decision, and shook it side to side instead.

    ¡°It was just this once.¡±

    ¡°Just this once,¡± Emi and Hitomi repeated into the microphones on the stands in front of them, swaying at their waists and alternating which shoulders were thrust forward toward the crowd. They did their best to emulate the classy, if fussy, female backup singers in all of the Fifties recordings Ranko had made them watch.

    ¡°It was a one-time deal,¡± Ranko insisted in song. ¡°I didn''t think I would love it, but that''s quite enough of it. Babe, we gotta be re-e-e-eal!¡±

    ¡°Gotta be real,¡± Hitomi and Emi repeated.

    The bride shrugged her shoulders, holding up her hands as if she felt powerless in the moment. The next line was hers alone.

    ¡°I mean, I guess if I''m being honest, when the mood just snuck up on us, I¡¯ll admit I didn''t want it to end! Oh, but it was just this once, and we¡¯re not doing this a-a-gain!¡±

    A murmur of laughter arose from her assembled guests at the irony of the song¡¯s premise at not just her wedding, but her second one in as many years.

    ¡°Na, na, no-no, no!¡± Hitomi sang alone, bopping behind her stand microphone in her flouncy bridesmaid gown.

    ¡°Look, I can''t, alright?¡± Ranko answered in a spoken voice.

    ¡°Na, na, no-no, no!¡± Emi sang, crinkling her nose playfully with a shake of her head that let her wavy blonde tresses cascade over her shoulders.

    Again, Ranko answered in her speaking voice. ¡°It''s not gonna happen.¡±

    ¡°Na, na, no-no, no!¡± Hitomi repeated, wagging her finger side to side at eye level.

    ¡°We''re just friends, okay?!¡± Ranko¡¯s unsung words sounded a bit more insistent as she whirled to face Hitomi.

    ¡°Na-na, na, na-na, na-a-a-aaa!¡± both of the Dapper Dragons¡¯ vocalists harmonized together to end the chorus.

    The newly twice-married vocalist gripped the microphone in her hand a bit tighter in her right hand, lifting it to her lips.

    ¡°I tried to keep my distance, but I could tell you were cru-u-u-shing!¡±

    The last word had been sung at higher volume, and she threw her head back a bit to compensate rather than risk overwhelming the microphone.

    ¡°Gave me an eyeball caress in my new pink mini dress¡­¡± The redhead bit her lip, grinning as she looked down at the floor playfully. ¡°And I just couldn''t. Stop. Blushing.¡±

    ¡°Look at her, she''s blushing,¡± Emi sang, turning to Hitomi with a thousand-watt smile as she gestured to the lead singer.

    ¡°Soon as you got me alo-o-o-one,¡± Ranko belted, thrashing her head side to side. Because she held the microphone still, the movement of her head created a slight warble in the volume of the emphasized word.

    ¡°... you put your hands on meeee!¡±

    Hitomi and Emi both made a show of gasping with wide, slack jaws, covering their mouths with stiff fingers on their left hands.

    ¡°Must¡¯ve been out of my head,¡± Ranko admonished herself, bonking herself gently in the forehead with a limp left fist. ¡°... because we wound up in bed. The rest is hist-o-o-oryyy!¡±

    Ranko wagged her finger insistently in the direction of her spouse. ¡°But it was just this once!¡±

    ¡°Just this once,¡± came Hitomi and Emi¡¯s echoed assertion.

    ¡°It was a one-time deal! I didn''t think I would love it, but that''s quite enough of it. Babe, we gotta be real!¡±

    Again, Ranko¡¯s backup singers parroted her last few words. ¡°Gotta be real.¡±

    ¡°I mean, I guess if I''m being honest, when the mood just snuck up on us, I¡¯ll admit, I didn''t want it to end! Oh, but it was just this once, and we¡¯re not doing this a-a-gain!¡±

    ¡°Na, na, no-no, no!¡± This time, it was Emi who vocalized first, rocking her finger side to side in front of her face as she swayed at her microphone.

    ¡°I already told you,¡± Ranko pleaded in her speaking voice.

    ¡°Na, na, no-no, no!¡± Hitomi answered a few notes lower on the scale than Emi had.

    ¡°What would my sisters say?¡± Ranko sighed, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation as best she could in her stiff corset.

    ¡°Na, na, no-no, no!¡± Emi sang, a disbelieving look on her face as if she was now trying to convince Ranko of what she herself was saying.

    ¡°I didn''t say I hated it, but¡­¡± Ranko said, grinning impishly as she looked down at her feet.

    ¡°Na-na, na, na-na, na-a-a-aaa!¡±

    ¡°Look, we both know it would never work, okay? We''re just too different, you and me. It''s a nice idea but¡­ oh, hell!¡± Ranko chuckled as she finished the spoken interlude and began the song¡¯s final verse.

    ¡°You took me out slo-o-ow dancin¡¯. Brought me a long white rose!¡±

    Ranko beamed as she held up her left hand, gazing at the finger that had finally been made whole after a morning of nakedness.

    ¡°I never thought I would see ya gettin¡¯ down on one knee. I never thought you''d propose!¡±

    Both backup dancers gasped, turning to each other and gripping the other by the wrists. They squealed loudly with excitement, bouncing on the balls of their feet.

    ¡°Don''t think my job will like it!¡± Ranko said, cringing a bit.

    Not really, no, Amaya Uyehara thought, chuckling to herself under her breath. But you know what? Fuck ¡®em. You go get it, girl.

    ¡°I can''t afford a nice dress,¡± Ranko continued, even as she gripped the puffy skirt of her handmade wedding gown and twirled it around her legs.

    ¡°My head was screaming out wait, but I could not hesitate when I answered you ye-e-e-es!¡± Ranko threw her head back as she sang, bending back as far as her rigid corset would allow.

    ¡°It was just this o-o-O-o-o-once! But, baby, gods, it''s been nice!¡±

    Hitomi and Emi both covered their mouths, leaning close to each other as if whispering some secret gossip behind their friend¡¯s back.

    ¡°Could you imagine the scandal? I don''t think I could handle going through it all twice!¡± Ranko flashed the crowd two fingers, wiggling them individually back and forth.

    ¡°I mean, if I''m being on the level, that''s the thing about forever - you don''t get another one when it ends! So, baby, it was just this once, and we¡¯re NOT doing this again!¡±

    ¡°Na, na, no-no, no!¡± This time, both Hitomi and Emi sang the vocalized call and response together.

    ¡°Once wasn''t enough for you?!¡± Ranko giggled, tilting her head coyly as she spoke.

    ¡°Na, na, no-no, no!¡± her friends repeated.

    ¡°Gods, all the hair, and the makeup, and¡­¡± The redhead sighed with an exaggerated roll of her eyes.

    ¡°Na, na, no-no, no!¡±

    ¡°Thank you cards. So many thank you cards,¡± Ranko bemoaned.

    ¡°Na, na, no-no, no!¡±

    ¡°Another honeymoon wouldn''t suck, though!¡± The songstress giggled into her microphone. Her masculine-presenting spouse squirmed in her seat as Nabiki playfully nudged her shoulder through her tuxedo jacket.

    ¡°Na-na, NA, na-na, na-a-AAA-aaa!¡± All three women on the stage finished the final vocalization together as the four instruments playing behind them came to rest.

 116. Wifely Duties

    Ranko¡¯s eyes rocketed open wide, staring up at the white popcorn ceiling. Her entire body went rigid as a board, her back arching as a cascade of violent shudders rolled up her muscles in a wave running from her toes to her nose.

    A rustling sound accompanied the approach of the large lump under the hotel bed¡¯s green duvet cover, and in a moment, Akane¡¯s head emerged from its edge. Her hair, still caked with styling gel from her masculine presentation at their second wedding the day before, was stuck in a matted spike on one side - a product of it having rested on her wife¡¯s stomach all night after she finally fell asleep. ¡°Good morning, beautiful,¡± she said softly with a wide smile.

    The nude bride covered her crimson face with her splayed hand, turning her head to the side on her down pillow. ¡°I, um¡­ good¡­ uh¡­ hi.¡±

    Wiping her lips on the sleeve of her unbuttoned white dress shirt, Akane crawled up the bed until she could sit next to her lover with her back leaned on the white oak headboard. ¡°How¡¯s my wife this morning?¡±

    ¡°Mmm.¡± Ranko rolled over on her side, resting her head on Akane¡¯s chest and nuzzling her cheek against it as she curled up tight. ¡°She¡¯s yours. It doesn¡¯t get better than that.¡± Giggling, she slid her head up along Akane¡¯s arm until it rested in the crook of her elbow. ¡°And how¡¯s my husband this morning?¡±

    Laughing, Akane squeezed the naked redhead tight against her side. ¡°About the same as you, I think.¡± She blinked as Ranko began to wriggle free of her grasp. ¡°Where you going? Don¡¯t you wanna cuddle?¡±

    Her face flushing again, Ranko bit her lip as she sat up on the bed and looked back at her lover. ¡°Always. I¡¯ll be right back. I¡¯m just gonna start some tea for ya. After all, a wife should always be willing to serve her husband, shouldn¡¯t she?¡±

    Akane grinned, letting her wife go, but not without first grabbing a handful of her beloved¡¯s backside. ¡°I could get used to this.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d better, mister,¡± Ranko said, swiveling on the bed until her feet dangled off of it. ¡°You¡¯re stuck with me now.¡± She slipped her butt off the bed, letting her bare feet make contact with the gray pile carpet of the hotel suite.

    ¡°You are so freaking ador-¡± Akane trailed off, sitting up straight in the bed as Ranko collapsed to the floor. The thud echoed through the fourth-floor room. ¡°Baby?!¡±

    ¡°Owwwwww,¡± Ranko mewled, curling up in the fetal position on the floor. She pressed both of her hands to her navel.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Akane¡¯s cheeks bulged like a chipmunk¡¯s, and she covered her mouth with her hand to keep from cackling. ¡°Aww, baby, what happened?!¡± Try though she might, she could not hide the mocking in her voice under faux concern.

    ¡°Like you don¡¯t know,¡± Ranko whimpered, tittering a bit despite her discomfort. Indeed, her quivering legs, and the ache in her midsection, had been entirely Aki¡¯s doing. The pair had not made love since Ranko had left for the second leg of her tour nearly two months prior, and Akane had more than made up for lost time on their wedding night.

    ¡°I¡¯d say I¡¯m sorry,¡± Akane said with a grin as she slipped out from under the blankets to her feet, ¡°but I wouldn¡¯t mean it.¡± She walked around the king-sized bed, smiling down at the love of her life on the floor at her feet. ¡°Not in the slightest.¡±

    Ranko flushed bright red - first at the position she found herself in, then more at being reminded of why, and more still when she felt Akane¡¯s forearms slide between her and the soft plush carpeting. In a moment, her limp form was picked up off of the floor and cradled in Akane¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Well, okay,¡± she purred, wrapping her forearms tightly around Akane¡¯s neck as she was lifted. ¡°My hero.¡±

    Akane rocked the young woman in her strong arms as she carried her back toward the bed. ¡°I¡¯ve got you, girl. Always.¡± She dragged her foot along the carpet with the next step she took, kicking the weapon she¡¯d wounded her wife with out of her path. ¡°Look out, D-chan!¡±

    Ranko groaned as she was gently deposited back onto the pillow-top mattress. ¡°I don¡¯t know how many times I have to tell ya, I really wish you¡¯d stop callin¡¯ it that.¡±

    ¡°Aww, c¡¯mon,¡± Akane said, flopping onto the bed next to Ranko. ¡°It¡¯s cute!¡±

    Yeah, but I don¡¯t really wanna think about Ryoga when you¡­ Ranko shook her head. ¡°Forget it.¡± She curled up against her ¡°husband¡± again, shivering a bit as the hotel air conditioning kicked on and sent a tickle of cool air racing over her hypersensitive skin. ¡°What do you want to do today, sir?¡±

    Akane wrapped her arms around her bride, rubbing her bare back firmly with her hands to help warm her. ¡°I wanna go out somewhere. Don¡¯t care where. I only get a few days where I get to go show the world I¡¯m married to the most beautiful girl in it, and I want to enjoy every minute. I want you to dress up like the princess you are, and I want everyone in Japan to see you on my arm and wish they were me.¡±

    Her cheeks warming faster than her back did, Ranko nuzzled tighter against Akane¡¯s torso, dragging her finger gently down from Akane¡¯s neck between her breasts through the gap between the sides of her unbuttoned tuxedo shirt. ¡°True, that does sound fun¡­ Alternatively¡­ we could stay here, and¡­¡± She craned her neck, looking down at the object Akane had kicked against the wall on the floor.

    Giggling, Akane ruffled her wife¡¯s already-matted red hair. ¡°You insatiable little minx! You already can¡¯t walk! I swear, you¡¯re trying to be one of those girls who gets knocked up on the honeymoon, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    The smile faded immediately from Ranko¡¯s face, and she buried her face in Akane¡¯s shirt. It was less that her shoulders slumped, and more that her entire body did.

    ¡°Ranko? Hey. I was joking. What¡¯s the matter, flower girl?¡± Akane spoke softly. She sat up a bit, looking down at her beloved with renewed concern.

    Might as well clear the air, I guess. Ranko sighed heavily, sitting up and brushing the rat¡¯s nest of half-styled hair from her eyes. ¡°C¡­ can we talk for a minute?¡± There was a shame in her eyes that disquieted Akane greatly.

    Akane gave a gentle nod, saying nothing. She reached across her lap, taking Ranko¡¯s right hand in her left.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Ranko looked down at their conjoined hands, biting her lip. ¡°I know you want¡­ that. And I know I can¡¯t give it to you. Not like this. I think, really, that¡¯s the reason my head wouldn¡¯t stop messin¡¯ with me about you and Sho. Everything else, I can do for you even though I¡¯m a girl, but that¡­¡± She seemed to physically shrink a little more with every word she spoke.

    ¡°Ranko¡­ silly girl, gods¡­¡± Akane scooted away from the headboard, wrapping her arms around the dejected woman in her marriage bed. ¡°What the hell gave you that idea?¡±

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    ¡°I see the way you are with Mioko and Jun. I can tell. You think I don¡¯t pay attention, but I do,¡± Ranko lamented, resting her head against Akane¡¯s breast again. ¡°And I can¡¯t make that happen for you.¡± She winced, remembering a very hard conversation she¡¯d had nearly a year and a half ago. ¡°It was one of the first things Dad brought up when I asked him to bless this thing with you and me.¡±

    Akane sighed, leaning her head down and kissing Ranko on top of her head. She nearly gagged at the blended smell of a half-dozen hair styling products that remained caked in her bride¡¯s crimson coif. How in the frozen fuck did Ranma Saotome somehow turn into the most insecure person I¡¯ve ever met? Stroking the redhead¡¯s temple with her fingers, she emitted a single scoff under her breath. Probably the same way that jerk became the sweetest and kindest one, too.

    ¡°Ranko, baby, listen to me. I dream about kids sometimes, sure. But it¡¯s not something I want. At least, not right now. With my school and your career, what the hell would we do with a kid if we could have one? They¡¯d just live at the babysitter¡¯s full-time. If we decide we wanna do it later - and we¡¯d only do it if we decided together; this isn¡¯t one of those things where one of us wants it and the other goes along with it like it¡¯s picking a restaurant - we¡¯ve got options. We can adopt.¡±

    ¡°No we can¡¯t,¡± Ranko mewled in a hollow tone of voice. ¡°They¡¯d check into all our family documents and stuff, and our story would fall apart in ten seconds, and you know it.¡±

    Akane chuckled darkly, shaking her head without her nose breaking contact with Ranko¡¯s scalp. ¡°Push comes to shove, we go through with Nabiki¡¯s idea, then. But either way, it¡¯s not something I want right now.¡±

    She paused for a moment, a thought crossing her mind that she was shocked she¡¯d never had before. ¡°Is it¡­ something you want? I mean¡­ I see the way you are with Mioko, Jun, and especially Hoshi, too, ya know.¡± Akane reached out, batting a springy stray curl of Ranko¡¯s hair out of her face. ¡°I think you¡¯d make a great mom, too.¡±

    The redhead shrugged glumly. ¡°I think about it sometimes. Mostly I get scared shitless at the thought, and then feel like crap knowing you gave up the chance.¡± She motioned with her neck in the direction of Akane¡¯s left hand. ¡°Another dream you traded for that ring.¡±

    Akane reached down, pulling her wedding band off of her hand and setting it on the mattress next to her. Ignoring the aghast reaction on Ranko¡¯s face, she leaned forward and pulled her bride into a furious kiss. Ranko was hesitant to return it, mostly out of shock.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the ring,¡± Akane insisted breathlessly after releasing her wife¡¯s embrace. ¡°It¡¯s you. And I don¡¯t regret it for a second. I never have, and I never will.¡± She scooped her ring back up from the bed, sliding it back home on her third finger. ¡°Even if we never have kids - even if we both decide we want to, and never find a way - it¡¯s not ever - ever - something I want you spending one second feeling bad about. There¡¯s nothing I could ever want enough to make me wish you were still¡­ what you used to be. There is nothing, and I mean fucking nothing, that could make me regret making you my wife for a single moment. There is no sacrifice too big that I wouldn¡¯t make it in a second.¡±

    She glanced down at the uncomfortable black men¡¯s dress shoes that rested just inside the door out into the hotel¡¯s fourth-floor hallway. ¡°If I had to pretend to be a guy every day for the rest of my life to be with you, I¡¯d do it.¡±

    Sniffling, Ranko looked up, following her eyes with her hand. She rested it gently on Akane¡¯s cheek, turning her head back toward her. ¡°Then I guess you¡¯re damn lucky I like girls.¡± The redhead stretched her neck upward, meeting Akane in another kiss.

    Akane didn¡¯t respond as enthusiastically as Ranko might have expected, and when she pulled back from it, her own eyes were clouded with deep thoughts. ¡°So, hey. I¡­ while we¡¯re talking about all this kind of stuff, there¡¯s something I need to talk to you about, too.¡±

    ¡°Uh-oh.¡± Ranko sat up, turning on her backside to face her partner. ¡°Am I in trouble?¡±

    With a laugh that broke through her melancholy for a moment, Akane crinkled her nose and shook her head. ¡°No, princess. Not at all. You¡¯re a good girl. I¡¯ve just been thinkin¡¯ about something.¡±

    Ranko ran her fingers reassuringly over Akane¡¯s bare thigh, listening silently.

    ¡°When you go back out this time¡­¡± Akane sighed resolutely, wiping the glistening corner of her left eye with her fingers before returning her intent gaze to Ranko.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go back to Jusenkyo.¡±

    Ranko recoiled back on her butt, shock in her eyes. ¡°But¡­ Akane! I have to go! I need answers! I need to know what happened to my curse.¡±

    ¡°Do you?¡± Akane reached out for Ranko¡¯s hand again. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just call it a miracle, thank the gods, and leave it alone? Who cares why it happened, as long as it did? What would knowing change for you? For us?¡±

    Slumping her shoulders, and then shrugging them, Ranko sighed quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it would change. Probably nothing. But there might be something hiding in it that we need to know. Something that could sneak up on us when we least expect it. Some other shoe that¡¯s gonna drop. That¡¯s why I have to find out.¡±

    ¡°What scares me isn¡¯t what might happen in some hypothetical distant future, but¡­¡± Akane bit her lip, staring up at the ceiling as if searching for the rest of her sentence there. ¡°When you¡¯re so prone to dumb ideas like thinking I wanna cheat on you with somebody so they can get me pregnant, it makes me really scared. Like, you¡¯re going to go back to that place not looking for answers, but looking for solutions to problems we don¡¯t even have. You¡¯re gonna do what you do, put your more guts than brains hat on, and do something monumentally stupid to try to make me happy. The literal mother of all pulling a Ranko moves, when I already don¡¯t want anything to change from how things are right now.

    ¡°And, even if you didn¡¯t - even if you truly went there with no intention other than to ask the Guide your questions - it¡¯s still way too risky. Anything could happen. You could run afoul of the Amazons again. Xian Pu is cool with us at least, as far as I know, but you know how touchy those women are. Gods only know what could happen, but weirdness and danger seem to be soaked into the ground around that place, and I don¡¯t want you anywhere close to it.¡±

    Ranko nodded, seeming to crumple a bit. She pulled her hand back from Akane, folding it and its mate in the cavitation between her bare thighs as she sat cross-legged on the mattress.

    ¡°I have to, Akane. I¡¯m sorry. I have to know.¡±

    Akane took a deep breath, letting it out very slowly to buy herself one final moment to reconsider the words she was about to say - words she¡¯d been preparing to say for weeks, but had hoped never to utter.

    ¡°If you insist on going to that gods-forsaken place, you¡¯re not going alone, Ranko. I¡¯m going with you.¡±

    Ranko¡¯s eyes widened more than they had in reaction to Akane¡¯s unorthodox wake-up call. ¡°But¡­ Akane! You don¡¯t wanna go there¡­ It¡¯s out in the middle of nowhere, and it¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. Not remotely.¡± Akane steeled herself, straightening her back. ¡°But I would follow you into hell itself to keep you safe. What¡¯s a valley full of puddles?¡±

    Ranko frowned a bit. The thought of visiting the Cursed Springs again reminded her of a history she¡¯d largely left behind - one in which she had been an all-but-invincible martial artist, to say nothing of other things she was far happier to have walked away from. ¡°Who says I wouldn¡¯t be the one keeping you safe?¡±

    Akane, spying the regret in her lover¡¯s body language, scooted over next to her and hugged her around the shoulders again. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m counting on it. You always do, princess.¡± She leaned down, brushing Ranko¡¯s hair away from her forehead before pressing her lips to it. ¡°You always do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Akane. I¡¯d do almost anything for you, but I can¡¯t let this go.¡± Ranko squeezed her lover tight around the waist as she was held.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re going to have to,¡± Akane said, chuckling over the growl of her stomach as the smile returned to her face. She reached behind her back, prying Ranko¡¯s interlaced fingers apart.

    ¡°Some of us don¡¯t have a magic spring to make us look like the opposite sex, and I¡¯ve gotta go get all handsome so I can take my bride out for breakfast.¡±

 117. Painting the Town

    Ranko giggled, walking lightly at an almost prance down the sidewalk. Cradled in her arms was a half-meter tall cyan stuffed dragon, its plush wings flapping over her forearms with her every step. She wore her favorite white lace dress, and her white wide-brimmed hat with the lavender bow on the band - the same outfit she was pictured lying in a field of flowers in for the Wild Orchid album cover. There was an ethereal quality to her, from the way she floated on her feet to the way she seemed to glow with an internal radiance that outshone any spotlight she¡¯d ever danced in.

    Akane - as Aki - strode a few steps behind her on her left, wearing a pair of snow-white jeans and an emerald green polo shirt, with a pair of brown loafers. A pair of dark sunglasses obscured her eyes, and the makeup job Izumi had taught her to do gave her face a narrower, more chiseled appearance. She carried several shopping bags as she all but chased the joyfully-flitting pop star down the cobblestone walkway in the Harajuku district.

    ¡°Come on, slowpoke!¡± Ranko turned, walking backward as she waved to her husband. ¡°What are you even doing back there?¡± She crinkled her nose playfully, swaying her hips as she walked to encourage her dress to swish about her thighs.

    ¡°What I¡¯m doing is carrying all your loot, Mrs. Tendo!¡± Akane laughed, holding up the bags for emphasis. Ranko¡¯s slower movement while walking backward allowed her to catch up in a few steps. ¡°It took you a while to get the hang of this shopping thing, but gods, you¡¯re makin¡¯ up for lost time now, girl!¡±

    Smirking, Ranko reached out, stroking Akane¡¯s cheek. ¡°Yeah, I suppose you are carrying everything, huh?¡± Her hand traced up toward Akane¡¯s hairline, patting her on the head. ¡°Good boy.¡±

    Akane rolled her eyes, grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Don¡¯t look now, but I think our regular girl might finally be figuring out this whole celebrity status thing.¡±

    ¡°I mean, I did say I¡¯d be used to it by album three!¡± Ranko shot back with a smirk as the pair walked. ¡°And now that I¡¯ve got some pictures of my fairy tale wedding to the handsomest man in Tokyo, Yokai can get out of my ass about my personal life, and we can finally get it going.¡±

    The masculine-presenting bridegroom nodded. ¡°Not a moment too soon, either. After everything Yokai¡¯s put you through, it¡¯ll be good for you to get back to making music again.¡± She paused, checking behind herself as she walked. ¡°Hey, would you mind taking your bags for a minute? I need to¡­ find a restroom.¡±

    The redhead smirked, shaking her head as she looked down at her white flats. ¡°You know¡­ you could just tell me the truth, Aki.¡±

    ¡°What are you¡­ Ranko, I just gotta pee! What do you mean, tell you the¡­¡±

    Chuckling, Ranko motioned over Akane¡¯s shoulder with her neck. ¡°Two-meter bald Americans don¡¯t exactly grow on trees in Harajuku, no matter how hard they try to hide behind every bench and stop sign in the city. Did you honestly think I didn¡¯t know Lance was watching us?¡± She fidgeted with the tails of the white ribbon snaking down through her braided crimson hair under her wide-brimmed hat. ¡°Can we at least buy him some lunch or something, if you¡¯re gonna make the poor bastard follow me to every dress shop in town?¡±

    Akane hung her head, scoffing quietly under her breath. ¡°Guilty as charged. Sorry, princess. I just¡­ with as visible as you wanted to be this week, I thought it would be a good idea to have some backup with us just in case. After what happened the first time we got married, I¡­¡±

    Ranko raised her hand to cut the sentence off. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I wish you¡¯d have talked to me about it before asking him, but I understand why you did.¡± The effervescent bride blushed deeply, looking down at her hands. ¡°You don¡¯t have him staying where he can hear us¡­ ya know¡­¡±

    ¡°No, baby. He¡¯s staying a couple floors down from us.¡± Akane stroked Ranko¡¯s cheek, careful not to smudge her foundation. ¡°Your little concerts are just between you and me, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Well, and Mr. Gao!¡± Ranko giggled brightly, taking Akane¡¯s hand. The twine handles of a pink paper bag containing a puffy pastel green dress and a matching tulle petticoat dangled on their conjoined fingers.

    Akane laughed loudly, and it was her turn to blush. ¡°I don¡¯t think he can hear you all the way from Minato, sweetness.¡±

    Ranko released Akane¡¯s hand, reaching out with it and poking Akane¡¯s nose with her outstretched index finger. ¡°Challenge accepted, lover boy.¡± She giggled, motioning with her neck in the direction of the phone booth Lance was hiding behind. ¡°Go on. Go check in with him, give him some money for lunch, and tell him to take the next hour or two off. We¡¯ve run him ragged today and he deserves a break.¡±

    The girl in the white jeans started to turn, but stopped when Ranko grabbed a fistful of her polo shirt and pulled her back.

    ¡°Now, I know you don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to walk away from me without kissing me, mister.¡± Ranko leaned forward, parting her lips to offer admittance to Akane¡¯s tongue. She whimpered loudly, even though most of the sound was trapped in her husband¡¯s mouth. The shopping bags slipped from Ranko¡¯s wrist, falling to the sidewalk with a loud flap as her entire form went limp in Akane¡¯s arms. The songstress all but melted as Akane enveloped her in a tight embrace, and yelped in a high register when the boy holding her took a firm handful of her backside.

    ¡°Is that better,¡± Akane said, a devilish grin on her lips as she released her bride. She reached out, offering a hand to stabilize Ranko, as the smaller girl was wobbling slightly on her feet. Once she was confident Ranko had regained full command of her nervous system, Akane waved and darted off to speak to the young singer¡¯s head of security.

    Ranko stood alone on the sidewalk, her shopping bags at her feet. She wrapped her new stuffed dragon in a hug, giggling as she swayed on her feet. She made a point to smile at every person she¡¯d caught looking when the kiss broke. That¡¯s right. Look at the pretty girl, getting loved on by her totally normal husband, she thought behind her grin. It makes people so happy to see it when two people are in love. How come they don¡¯t think like that when it¡¯s two girls? It¡¯s so stupid that we have to do all this pretending. Like, even if they hated it - even if every person on the street gave us a dirty look on the street when she kissed me - I¡¯d take it without complaint, if I could just keep making music and not have to hide whenever me and Akane are out.

    <hr>

    ¡°Come on, get up!¡±

    Ranko slapped her hand down repeatedly as fast as she could, trying to cover all five of the buttons on the console in front of her with each strike of her palm. She thrashed the joystick in her left hand up and down.

    On the video screen in front of her, a blonde woman in lime green pants and a matching halter top clamored to her feet. Before she could resume her fighting stance, though, she plopped to her back again, felled by a sweep kick from her shirtless male opponent. The English words Finish Her appeared in a red font that looked like blood dripping on the screen.

    ¡°Dammit!¡± Ranko growled at the controls in front of her. A golden-green dragon was coiled around the edges of the console and its red, yellow and blue buttons. ¡°They¡¯re so slow!¡±

    With a spritely giggle, Akane released her joystick, reaching over and jostling the white wide-brimmed hat her wife wore. ¡°Admit it! I¡¯m the real martial arts master in this relationship.¡±

    Ranko turned to her left and bowed, her eyes alight with a bright smile as she maintained eye contact with her husband. ¡°Oh, of course, sensei.¡± On the video screen, the blonde fell over on her back unbidden, as if Sonya Blade herself was shocked by what she had heard.

    ¡°What do you wanna do next, princess?¡± Akane asked. She reached for Ranko¡¯s hand with her left hand, her right scooping a white paper cup full of arcade tokens from the top of the Mortal Kombat machine. A whiff of cheap pizza accosted her nostrils as they passed a quartet of tables next to the concession area of the busy arcade.

    Ranko pointed to a white free-standing machine featuring a parabolic indentation surrounding its display and a single red joystick protruding from the center of its console. ¡°That thing is so cool!¡± She flitted over to it, dragging Akane behind her to watch a teenage boy controlling a cowboy wearing a blue shirt and beige pants across a black grid. The display looked three-dimensional, almost as if it were a hologram like in one of Mei¡¯s favorite sci-fi television shows.

    Akane reached into her cup of tokens. ¡°You wanna play that next?¡±

    With a shake of her head, Ranko turned back to face Akane. ¡°Naah. People are waiting for it, and it only plays one person at a time. I wanna do stuff with you.¡±

    ¡°What about the mini-golf thing? That looks fun,¡± Akane suggested, gesturing toward a two-meter indoor windmill blocking a stretch of synthetic grass fenced in by short walls of red-painted wood. It''s a lot cheaper than burning a few thousand yen an hour on the arcade machines, too, she thought, opting not to share her cost concerns with her wife.

    Ranko nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Sure! You wanna go get us registered?¡± She reached out for the dwindling supply of tokens in the cup in Akane''s hand, practically having to shout to be heard over the hundreds of pinball machines, arcade cabinets, and excited children that filled the air.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    Waiting until Akane had dashed off to the mini-golf counter, Ranko scanned the room for a machine in which to burn the last few tokens in her cup. Grinning as she spied an unoccupied game, she made her way across the black carpet speckled with multicolored neon triangles to a cabinet featuring two elongated seats. Being careful to manage the skirt of her dress and avoid giving any onlookers a show, she slid onto the red one on the right, straddling the plastic motorcycle seat and gripping the handlebars of the controller just below the screen. She had almost dropped her coin in the slot when she heard an excited screech from behind her.

    Chuckling, she looked back over her shoulder. That sound usually means I''m about to get interrupted, she mused with a smirk, and her suspicion proved correct when a trio of teenage girls in green and white high school uniforms charged up to her.

    ¡°E- excuse me,¡± the brunette in the middle stammered, glancing nervously at her friends with an expression that made plain her discomfort at having been elected the group¡¯s spokeswoman. ¡°Are¡­ are you¡­¡±

    The young celebrity beamed, nodding and tossing her coin back in her cup. ¡°Hiya! My name¡¯s Ranko.¡±

    ¡°Omigods!¡± came the squealed reply from the orange-haired girl on the left of the formation. ¡°Really?! Would you mind, if you''re not too busy, s- signing¡­¡±

    With a grin, Ranko swung her white leather purse around on her shoulder, unbuckling its flap and searching for her fine-point marker. ¡°Sure! Happy to! You know, though¡­¡± She gestured over the brunette¡¯s shoulder toward the wall next to the prize redemption counter, where dozens of Polaroid photographs were tacked to the wall featuring excited gamers holding giant stuffed animals and other high-ticket items they had won. ¡°Looks like they''ve got a camera over there, if you wanna¡­¡±

    ¡°Suki, go!¡± came a barked order from the orange-haired girl, and the black-haired one on the right darted off to the counter. She looked to be the youngest of the three, and seemingly was very eager to please her upperclassman friends.

    ¡°What''s going on, princess?¡±

    Ranko looked up to her left, adjusting her position on the plastic bike somewhat. ¡°Oh! Hey, Aki! Just saying hi to some Firebirds. They''re getting a camera real quick.¡±

    Akane leaned the two golf clubs in her hand against the arcade cabinet, shoving a dark blue and a hot pink dimpled ball into the pockets of her jeans. ¡°Right on! I''ll take the picture for you girls if you want.¡±

    The seated redhead reached for Akane¡¯s hand. ¡°You''re so good to me.¡± She turned back to her fans. ¡°This is my husband, Aki.¡±

    ¡°Oh, wow! You''re so lucky!¡± The orange-haired girl all but threw herself at Akane. ¡°Is it weird for you, being married to a star like that?¡±

    With a chuckle and a shake of her head, Akane put her arms around Ranko''s neck and shoulders from behind. ¡°You get used to it. I don''t mind at all.¡± She blushed a bit, reminding herself to affect her voice to sound more gruff and masculine. ¡°But, yeah. I¡¯m damn lucky.¡±

    ¡°Aww,¡± the brunette cooed as Suki returned from the prize counter accompanied by an arcade staffer in a red polo shirt and khakis, holding a camera in his hand.

    Akane stepped back to make room for the girls around Ranko¡¯s plastic motorcycle, but the singer waved her closer. ¡°Nuh-uh. Get over here, mister!¡± Ranko purred happily as Akane''s arms again encircled her shoulders.

    The trio of girls took positions around the front of the motorcycle with Akane standing behind Ranko. A bright flash blinked from the camera, and then three more followed it. Once four photos had been taken, the young arcade attendant pocketed one for the wall, distributing the other three to the ebullient high schoolers.

    ¡°Would you mind taking one more,¡± Ranko asked, stroking the back of Akane''s arm as it rested on her chest.

    The attendant nodded and the three Firebirds resumed their poses. Ranko felt a tap on her shoulder, and she looked up just in time for Akane''s lips to make contact with hers. The camera flashed, and in a moment, a square of celluloid showing Ranko and her husband kissing surrounded by three Firebirds had been tucked into Ranko''s purse.

    After quickly signing the white margin under each of the photos in her fans¡¯ hands and waving goodbye to them, Ranko turned to her left again. She dumped the few remaining arcade tokens from her paper cup into her purse, buckling it closed. ¡°You ready to play, Aki?¡±

    ¡°You know it!¡± Akane rested her hands on Ranko¡¯s hips, lifting her off the plastic motorcycle to her feet. ¡°C¡¯mon, you.¡± She handed a club to the redhead, taking her hand and leading her to the first hole of the mini-golf course. Akane reached in her pocket for the golf balls, placing the pink one in the little rubber divot intended as the starting tee. ¡°Ladies first,¡± she said with a chuckle.

    <hr>

    ¡°YES!¡± Ranko pumped her fist as her pink ball clattered into the cup at the end of the sixth hole on the mini-golf course. ¡°Let¡¯s see, that¡¯s a two for me, and a four for you.¡± She marked on the scorecard with a little silver pencil. ¡°Yikes, Aki! If my math is right, you¡¯re¡­ kinda getting your butt kicked over here!¡±

    Akane laughed, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Get our balls, would you?¡± She scanned the indoor golf course, looking for the seventh hole.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Ranko answered with a playfully shallow bow and a bright giggle. The redhead lifted her skirt a bit and  dropped to her knees next to the hole, scooping both golf balls out of the white plastic cup embedded in the floor. Before she could rise, though, she felt a gentle touch on her cheek. She looked up, blushing as Akane stroked her face with the backs of her fingers.

    ¡°You¡¯re so pretty down there, you know,¡± Akane said quietly, grinning down at her kneeling bride.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not careful, you¡¯re gonna end up having to take me back to the hotel, talking to me like that.¡± Ranko whispered, biting her lip coyly as she nuzzled her cheek against Akane¡¯s hand.

    Akane took Ranko¡¯s hand, pulling her to her feet. ¡°Careful what you wish for, princess.¡± She reached out with an outstretched index finger, poking at the silver heart dangling from Ranko¡¯s white lace choker. ¡°You just might get it.¡±

    Throwing her arms around Aki, Ranko planted a kiss on his cheek and popped her left foot up off of the synthetic grass. ¡°You promise?¡±

    Brushing her arm behind Ranko, Akane lifted the smaller girl in her arms. ¡°Come on, you. Be good. Let¡¯s finish this game, and then we¡¯ll see.¡± She bridal carried the tittering woman in the white lace dress to the start of the seventh hole, depositing her gently back onto her feet.

    Ranko dropped her pink ball in the center tee divot of three, lining up her shot. A steep ramp covered in synthetic grass obstructed her view of the hole she was aiming for, so she blindly tapped at her ball with her club. It shot halfway up the ramp before running out of momentum and began rolling back toward her. She caught it with her foot before it could pass her and escape the golf course entirely.

    ¡°Guess you gotta hit it a little harder,¡± Akane said, sipping at her soda through a white plastic straw.

    ¡°Oh, I can do that,¡± Ranko said, teeing up her ball again. She swung her club back hard, whacking at the ball. It hit the ramp and fired upward, launching off the edge of the ramp and flying through the air. As Ranko cringed and stepped around the ramp, she saw it reach the bank of skeeball machines lining the back wall of the busy arcade. It sank into the top ring of one of the machines. Its winner marquee lit up, and the machine began spitting out several gold-colored prize tickets from the slot near the coin return with a loud whir.

    ¡°Well, I got it in the hole,¡± Ranko said, shrugging through her laughter. ¡°And before you ask¡­¡± She turned to Akane, wagging her finger in her husband¡¯s face. ¡°Yes, I meant to do that.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°I¡¯m wishin¡¯ on a dream, to find out what it means¡­¡±

    Ranko leaned forward, resting her forehead on Akane¡¯s chest. She wore a pastel green dress that sparkled under the neon lights of the Harajuku nightclub dance floor. Its skirt flared around her hips, owing in part to the matching tulle petticoat she had on under it. It tickled her calves every time she swayed her hips in time with the ballad. She purred quietly as Akane¡¯s hands slid down her back to her butt. Her legs ached with exhaustion after a full day of walking the shopping district, three hours of dancing, and the workout Akane had given her in between when the pair had returned to their hotel room to change and drop off their purchases, but Ranko paid it no mind.

    Aki was dressed in a pair of black slacks and a matching sport coat over a burgundy turtleneck, with shiny black loafers to complete the masculine ensemble. His hair was slicked back with so much styling gel that it was almost a shiny black helmet. ¡°I love you, Mrs. Tendo,¡± Akane whispered as she leaned in close, propping her chin on Ranko¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°I love you, too,¡± Ranko mewled as she danced in her sparkly jade heels. She turned her head to the side, smiling a little brighter with every pair of eyes she saw staring at her. ¡°I don¡¯t ever want this to end.¡±

    ¡°The song¡¯s only so long, silly girl,¡± Akane said with a chuckle, but her face took on a more serious tone when Ranko didn¡¯t laugh in response.

    ¡°Not the song. All of it. Just, being yours and not acting like I¡¯m ashamed of it,¡± Ranko whispered over the singing voices of the Cover Girls.

    Akane sighed, squeezing her wife tighter in her embrace as they danced. ¡°Try not to think about that right now. Let¡¯s just enjoy tonight, while we can?¡± She kissed Ranko¡¯s forehead gently. Her bride¡¯s skin tasted of foundation and smelled of lavender. To Akane, it felt like home.

    ¡°And I wish on all the rainbows that I see¡­¡± the song continued.

    Ranko lifted her eyes, her hands sliding up Akane¡¯s back to her neck. She pulled the taller girl down by the back of the neck, leaning up on her tiptoes as the song ended and pulling her into a kiss. The redhead whimpered loudly as Akane¡¯s tongue entered her mouth. She wanted everyone on the packed dance floor to notice her, and many did.

    From a pair of emitters mounted on the ceiling of the darkened nightclub, two trios of green lasers scanned the crowd as a heavy bass hit shook the speakers. A bouncy dance track, not unlike the beginning of Sneak, began blasting the crowd from every direction, and a chorus of whoops rose all around the couple. The dance floor was shoulder to shoulder on that Friday night, and hundreds of hands were raised to the ceiling as the revelers recognized the track.

    ¡°You think you can keep up, lover boy?¡± Ranko snickered, lifting her arms and cheering loudly. Her hips became almost liquid, and she began rocking her arms around herself parallel to the ground.

    ¡°When you trust someone, and you know you¡¯re on their back, you ain¡¯t got no trustin¡¯ about you¡­¡± the lyrics began.

    Akane stepped forward, her hands reaching for her wife¡¯s backside. She slid her body along Ranko¡¯s, letting the smaller girl lead the dance. After all, she¡¯s the choreography professional, Akane thought, grinning as Ranko¡¯s fingers traced sultrily down the front of her turtleneck.

    That¡¯s right, Ranko thought, noticing a few people around the couple stepping back to give them a bit more room. Just watch. You¡¯re never going to forget the night you saw Ranko Tendo out in public with the one she loves. Despite the bulky dress she wore - which in and of itself made her stand out in the packed dance club - Minato¡¯s resident pop princess had decided to hold court on the Harajuku dance floor. She orbited around Akane, her hands never breaking contact with her partner¡¯s body. She slid herself down, bending her knees deeply as she used her groom as a dance pole. If she wanted to make herself a spectacle, she was succeeding.

    ¡°No matter what they say, no, it ain¡¯t that way! Ain¡¯t nobody humpin¡¯ around¡­¡±

    From a shadowed corner of the nightclub, a deep laugh rumbled through the frame of a tall, muscular American.

    You show ¡®em, girl, Lance Riker thought as he watched his charge dance her heart out with the woman she loved. You don¡¯t stop until you¡¯ve shown them all exactly who you are.