Full Metal Panic Fan Fiction ❯ Field Training ❯ Chapter 2 - Orin ( Chapter 2 )

Field Training

 

Chapter 2: Building Skills

 

By: A-Z Mk II

 

With a soft moan, Kyoko rolled over and sat up, blinking at the morning light. For several seconds, she wondered why she had this odd feeling of missing something. Then, her memory filled her in. Eyes wide open, the girl covered her mouth to smother any audible sounds. Oh my god! I slept with Souske last night!! She thought, her cheeks flaming. Almost cringing, she turned to look beside her, half expecting the serious young man to be sleeping there. Instead, she found an empty spot next to her.

Her response was mixed relief and irritation. Reaching to her bedside table, she slipped her glasses on before glancing at the clock. Seeing the time, she blinked, throwing back the sheets. “Gonna be late if I don't hurry.” She muttered, stepping out of bed. Immediately, her tender sex reminded her of her previous night's activities; as did the small trickle of wetness down her thigh. The seepage from her sensitive - but happy - pussy reminded her that she had missed a step last night.

With no time to worry about it at the moment, she glanced at her calendar before grabbing her towel and moving for the bathroom. A quick shower was called for, as she refused to go to school smelling like a bitch in heat. As she moved from her room to the bathroom, she frowned, not seeing any signs of Souske in her house. “Maybe he woke up and headed out first.” She surmised, turning on the water for the shower as she grabbed her toothbrush. Almost feeling the minutes tick by, she focused on the matter at hand - that being getting to school on time so she could slap Kaname.

 

-

 

“Kyoko! Good morning!” came Kaname's cheerful call as her friend jogged into the school gate. The girl glanced at her friend, searching for any signs that she had spent the night doing what she and Souske had been doing. She didn't immediately see anything different about her best friend, but the urge to slap her wasn't completely gone yet.

“Good morning, Kana.” She said, stopping in front of the other girl. “So, how was the date?” she asked her directly, intently watching the taller girl.

“It was ok.” Said Kana, her smile dimming a bit. “It answered a lot of questions, if nothing else.” She added, her voice softer and lower. “Why the curiosity?” she wondered. Kyoko considered that for a moment.

“Just curious if you're going to go steady with him or not.” She said, hiding her question in plain sight. What you say next is going to determine if I slap you. She promised herself. Never before had Kyoko even thought of slapping her friend, but after yesterday, she felt she was justified in assisting her friend in recovering her senses.

“I…no.” said the other girl. “We had a wonderful time, all things considered, but it made me realize that I don't have a crush on him anymore.” Said Kana, turning for the school entrance. “So, after we left the park, I walked him home, told him I appreciated the date, but that there was someone else I cared for now.”

“R…really?” managed Kyoko. Oh, shit! The other girl knew Kana better than she knew herself, and it was obvious whom Kana was referring to. Namely, the guy she had all but dragged to her bed the night before. “Well, that's…nice.” She finished, feeling a bit ill. Kana turned to look at her.

“Are you feeling ok, Kyoko?” she asked, her concern evident in her voice. “You don't look so good.” She said. Reaching out, she touched her friend's forehead with her palm. “Are you coming down with something?” she wondered.

“I'm fine.” Protested Kyoko. Fine for a man-stealing, back-stabbing slut, that is. Kana leaned down a bit and studied her friend's eyes.

“I don't know, Kyoko.” She said dubiously. “I think you should skip today. It's not like we have anything you really need to be here for, and you really don't look so good right now.” Said the class rep.

“I agree. You do not look like you are up to facing school today.” Came the serious voice of a certain Souske Sagara. Kyoko's heart skipped a beat at hearing his voice. Great! Kana's gonna know something's up, I just know it!

“Morning, Souske.” Said Kana, smiling at her guardian. The young man nodded back.

“And good morning to you, Kana.” He said. He returned his attention to Kyoko. “Perhaps you over-exerted yourself yesterday. A rest would be highly advisable.” He continued his earlier thoughts. Kyoko sent him a slightly panicked look.

“M…maybe you're right.” She said weakly. For the love of god, don't talk about that in front of Kana! She silently begged him. “Yeah, I'm gonna…go home.” She said, swallowing the strange lump in her throat. “Call you later.” She mumbled, turning back toward the gate. Kana watched her go, her eyes narrowed a bit.

“Souske.” She said firmly.

“Yes?” he replied immediately.

“Make sure she gets back to her place safely.” Directed Kana. “I'm worried about her.” She added.

“But…” he began. Kana turned a glare on him.

“I'll be fine.” She snarled. “I won't leave the school until you're back, alright?” she warned him. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded curtly.

“Affirmative. I will return as soon as Kyoko is safely home.” He repeated back before jogging out the gate. Shaking her head, Kana turned and entered the school, pausing by her locker to change her shoes.

“Where's Captain Catastrophe?” came the voice of Mizuki. Glancing over, she saw her friend standing near Orin at the end of the row of shoe lockers. “He didn't blow up the lockers this morning. Is he feeling ok?” she wondered. It had become something of a sick joke around school that if there wasn't an explosion before first period, the world was ending.

“The Sarge is taking care of something right now.” Replied Chidori, closing her locker as she tapped her toes to settle her indoor shoes. “Don't worry, though, I'm sure he'll make up for lost time before you know it.” She muttered.

“I don't see Tokiwa this morning. Is everything ok?” asked the taller, more graceful woman behind the tightly-wound Mizuki. Kana noted that Orin was as reserved as always.

“She was here, but she didn't look too good, so I told her she should skip today.” Answered Kaname. “I hope she isn't coming down with anything this time of year.” She fretted. Orin had a thoughtful expression on her face.

“Souske is escorting her home?” she prodded.

“Um, yeah, I was worried about her. She was really out of it.” Supplied Kana. “He'll be back soon, though.” she added hurriedly.

“I see.” Murmured Orin. The bell sounded, and the conversation was shelved for the moment, though not forgotten by the familiar of the President of the Student Council.

 

-

 

Kyoko walked beside Souske toward the station. She had been surprised when Souske had appeared at her side, but he had simply told her that Kana had requested him to make sure she got home safely, so he would make sure she was safely home before resuming his mission to guard Kaname. Kyoko had tried to decide if this was a good thing or a bad thing. The two had been silent for the most part, and as they rode the train to the station nearest her house, she wondered what she should do.

“Um, Souske?” she said, glancing up at him. He turned to look at her.

“Yes, Kyoko?” he replied.

“I…think you should come home with me.” She said. “We…need to talk about…things.” She finished.

“Roger.” He replied easily. Kyoko wondered if he had any idea how hard this was turning out to be on her. Looking out the window at the passing city, she mentally reviewed her situation.

It isn't that bad, I guess. She mused. I mean, yeah, I slept with the guy Kana-chan has a crush on now, but she hasn't claimed him for herself yet, so technically, he's fair game. Her lips twitched a little at that rationale. But that isn't the problem. The problem is what to do now. We had sex, but maybe that was all there was to it: sex. A one-night stand. Maybe it's just me that is worried about this. He could see it as just a fling, and we can go back to being just friends, with Kana none the wiser. She felt Souske's hand touch her shoulder. Glancing up at him, she saw the concern in his eyes. Giving him the best smile she could currently muster, she turned back to watching the scenery and her thoughts. But what if he sees more in it than a night of passion? I gave him my virginity, so he should feel some connection, right? Her thoughts chased each other around in her mind until the gentle squeeze of Souske's hand on her shoulder brought her out of it and the two exited the train for her apartment.

As they stepped into the elevator, Kyoko finally had a plan of action. First, I need to feel him out and see what he thinks about last night and us, then we need to choose what - if anything - to tell Kana. Kyoko's chin came up a bit. Kana's my best friend, and I won't come between her and Souske if they want each other. By the time she turned her key in her lock, she had a plan.

 

-

 

Kyoko lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Having just finished lunch, she found herself wondering what the others were doing. “This is boring.” She muttered to herself. Rolling over, she felt around on her bedside table for her cell phone and checked to see if any messages had come for her from Kana. Seeing that nothing had come through since she checked it last time, she put it back on the bedside table and sighed.

The others should be about half way through gym by now. She mused silently. Oh, yeah! We were supposed to have a game after school with the softball club from Haturoko High. Well, Kana's the best player, and I just tend left field mostly, so I guess I won't be missed too badly. She rationalized. As usual, a thought about Kana brought Souske to mind.

“That was freaky.” She said to herself, sitting up in bed. The two had had the promised talk about the situation, but Souske had the idea that her sleeping with him had been some sort of training exercise from whatever fantasy organization the war-crazed nutcase thought he worked for. Some careful cross-questioning of him had just gotten her more and more confused.

In the end, she had taken the easy way out and just said that he should keep the training to himself unless she specifically told him he could tell others about it. Oddly enough, he had agreed without any questions. Guess there are some advantages to being a military otaku. She smiled at the thought. Irrational orders didn't seem to bother the young soldier any, and she found herself relieved that he accepted her directions without question.

Which didn't mean he didn't have other questions for her. One of the first ones had been about further training. He had seemed a bit puzzled by her sudden blush. “Idiot.” She said softy, remembering her earlier talk. He had immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion, of course, and asked her if he could attempt to pass the exercise again. “Why did I say `yes'?” she wondered to herself.

Getting up, she walked into the living room and grabbed the remote for the TV, settling comfortably onto the low couch to watch some soaps. While not usually much of a TV watcher - being more comfortable hanging out with her friends or playing sports - she did have a liking for the sappy, melodramatic afternoon pseudo-romance shows that Kana sometimes watched. Surfing for something that looked mildly entertaining, she had a final thought on the problem at hand before surrendering her thinking for the time being to the TV: “Well, I've got some time to think about this.”

 

-

 

Tessa was not happy with what she was reading. The daily report from Souske had been business as usual, but the MITHRIL communications now in her hands was another matter. Looking up from the papers, she saw Kalinin standing in front of her desk, relaxed and confident. “Lieutenant Commander Kalinin, are you sure that this can be trusted?” she asked the former Soviet Naval Spetnaz commando.

“Madam Captain, it is my opinion that it can be trusted for accuracy, if not for bias.” He said carefully. Beside him stood Commander Mardukas.

“You thoughts, Commander?” enquired the platinum-haired teen of her first officer. The older retired submarine Captain from Britain paused for a moment to organize his thoughts.

“I am not convinced that the reports and the conclusions drawn from it are legitimate, but I can't find a sound argument for ignoring them, either, Captain.” He reluctantly admitted to his boss. “As for Kalinin's opinions, well…” he paused momentarily, “I have to honestly admit that his instincts are more often correct than not.” He concluded.

“So, you feel that if we are to err, it would be wise to err on the side of caution, and treat this as if it is exactly as presented, then?” surmised Tessa. Sometimes, this job is so confusing!

“Aye, Captain.” Confirmed Mardukas. Tessa's eyes slid back to the intel dump. Silently, patiently, both men waited. After a few moments, Tessa set the papers down on her desk.

“Commander Mardukas, please take command of the bridge and change course for the designated coordinates.” She directed. The man saluted smartly, palm-out, and turned for the door in parade-ground fashion.

“Aye, aye, Captain.” He said as he exited the door. Kalinin waited, not having been dismissed. Tessa waited for the door to close behind her first officer before speaking again.

“Commander Kalinin, why do you feel that this is accurate information?” she pressed him. The Russian maintained steady eye contact with the MITHRIL captain.

“Because it feels like it, ma'am.” He said simply. “If it were anyone else but you asking, I would attempt to explain it further, but I believe you know what it is like to `feel' something. Do you understand my point?” he asked her. Slowly, the teen nodded.

“Yes. As a Whispered, I do know.” She agreed. “However, you are not a Whispered.” She pointed out. A single curt nod confirmed her point.

“No, ma'am, I am not.” He agreed. “But I have lived this long in this business by trusting my instincts. Please understand that I am trusting them now, as well.”

“Very well.” Agreed Tessa. “Dismissed.” She said, leaning back in her chair, eyes closed. Kalinin saluted her, turning for the door. Just short of it, he paused, glancing back at the young girl tasked with commanding and protecting the sub and everyone on it.

So young for so much to fall on her shoulders. He thought, exiting the cabin. She reminds me of Souske in a way. If anyone needs each other, it is her and Souske.

 

-

 

Kaname and Souske were sitting in the Student Council room, waiting on the appearance of the President, who was currently `negotiating' with the faculty. Kana often wondered what it must be like in those meetings. Hayashimizu was such a slick operator that he often came off as a yakuza boss or a Diet member. His plans after graduation were murky, but she fully expected to see him either in one or another high branch of the government service, or in the papers as the most-wanted, but un-convictable, crime lord.

Souske was silently fiddling with some sort of dangerous-looking gear at the small table, while she was sprawled in a chair, watching some over-acted sports drama. In spite of her liking of the general formula of the show, Kana kept finding herself glancing at Souske from the corner of her eye. The young man didn't seem to notice, but then, he was hard for her to read sometimes. Why am I looking at him all the time? Wondered Kana to herself. “Hope Kyoko is ok.” She muttered aloud.

“Tokiwa is fine.” Assured Souske. “She should be back to school tomorrow.” He added confidently. Kana's eyebrows lowered a bit as she considered him carefully.

“You're awfully confident of that.” She noted suspiciously. “Do you know something that I don't?” she asked him pointedly. “Like, maybe what she did yesterday to tire herself out?” she suggested. Souske was silent, which just fed her curiosity - not to mention temper. Fortune smiled on him, though, for at that moment, the door opened and Hayashimizu and Orin entered the room.

“Sorry for the delay, Chidori, Sagara, but the negotiations were more difficult than I had initially thought.” Apologized the white-uniform-clad President of the Student Council for Jindai High School. Kana surreptitiously assumed a more lady-like seated position. Assuming his position in his high-back executive chair, Hayashimizu continued his speech as Orin assumed her place behind his left shoulder.

“So, what's the deal this time?” sighed Kaname. Souske hasn't blown anything up today, so it can't be about that. Hmm. He did `interrogate' that supply deliveryman, though. Maybe it's about that. If I were that guy, I'd have complained to my boss about being kidnapped, tied up and tortured.

“There has been an incident that concerns me, and since the faculty has become aware of this incident as well, it must now be addressed.” Said the young man who was technically Kaname's boss in the Student Council. The two waited expectantly.

“This incident occurred two days ago, but the faculty have only learned of it today.” Explained the President. “The incident in question is the growing problem of `compensated dating' among high school girls.” Kana's lips twitched into a grimace. Beside her, Souske had a serious look on his face.

“Pardon, sir, but what is a `compensated date'?” he asked. Kana had to catch herself from falling at the question.

“What?! Don't you know…?!” she began, but stopped herself, her head sagging. “No, of course you don't know.” She sighed. Of course not! He grew up in a battlefield as a mercenary! Hell, I bet he doesn't even know what a date is! Turning to look at him, she decided to just flat out ask what he knew of the terms involved. “Do you know what a `date' is?” she asked.

Souske nodded. “Affirmative.” He replied. “I have observed a `date' before.” He reminded her. Her single eye-twitch warned him about going into any details about that.

“How nice for you.” She replied tightly. “I'm going to guess you understand `compensation', seeing as you're a self-proclaimed mercenary.” She went on determinedly. “Now, let's see if you can put them together. A `compensated date' is…?” she led him.

“A `compensated date' is an occurrence where a person pays another to go to an amusement park with them.” He answered confidently. Kana's hand fell to her fan, a slightly-maniacal smile on her face.

“In essence, that is correct.” Interjected Hayashimizu smoothly. “Perhaps a bit vague on the details, but basically correct.” He said, sending Kaname a look. She let it go at that.

“So, what's the problem? Have some of the girls been doing this?” asked Kana. Orin took this question.

“Nothing that can be confirmed.” Said the girl calmly. “And even if it were, a girl doing so would not be a issue that the faculty would be involved with.”

“So…?” wondered Kaname, frowning.

“It is the fact that some people have been coming on our campus for the purpose of recruiting our girls for the activity off campus.” Explained the man in white, fan in front of his mouth.

“Pimps?” gasped Kana, shocked.

“Not directly; more of recruiters. Typically, they lure the girls with easy money and short hours, then, once they are firmly enmeshed in the trade, they sell them off to gangs or organizations that run those…activities.” Responded Hayashimizu.

“Wow.” Was all Kaname managed, her mind trying to get a grasp on the big picture. “I always thought this kind of thing only happened at less prestigious schools.” She mused.

“Sadly not.” Was the reply from the President. “Though Jindai High is a reputable school in the upper bracket of High Schools, it is not immune from such disturbances. Which is where the two of you come in.” he added.

“Us? What are you…?” frowned Chidori. Hitting the most likely answer, she recoiled a little from the man at the head of the table, her cheeks coloring a bit as she scowled at him. “No way, no how!” she yelled at him. “I am not playing bait this time!” she insisted.

“That will be fine, as it was not my intent to ask you to do so.” Replied the head of the Student Council amicably. Kaname waited, watching him suspiciously. “In fact, I have another job for you.” He said.

“I knew it!” snarled Kaname.

“I need you to begin watching the girls in your year for any signs that they may have been contacted by these elements. If you see or hear something that makes you think a girl has been contacted, you are to bring it to my attention immediately. Understood?” he asked her. Kaname frowned.

“You want me to spy on my friends and classmates?” she asked him slowly.

“Correct. It is for their protection, as well as for their future and the reputation of this school, miss Chidori.” Confirmed Hayashimizu.

“And my assignment, sir?” asked Souske crisply. Hayashimizu smiled a little.

“You, Sagara, are assigned to search and destroy.” He said calmly. Kana cringed as she felt the dark aura that seemed to suddenly envelop Souske.

“Roger that, sir!” he said eagerly.

“Are you mental or what, Hayashimizu?!” exploded Kana, her fan having already slammed across Souske's head, driving it into the table top. Ignoring the muted `ouch!' from the young man, Kaname pointed her fan at her boss like it was a katana. “If you tell him something like that, he'll destroy this place in no time!” she roared at him. Both him and Orin watched her with an almost amused look on their faces.

“Are you done?” asked the man simply. Snarling and muttering, Kaname leaned back a little as Souske straightened in his seat. “You didn't allow me to finish, Chidori.” Noted the boss. “Souske is not operating on his own.”

“Of course not!” mumbled Kana sarcastically.

“He will be working under his partner's direct control.” Finished Hayashimizu. Both Souske and Kaname looked up sharply at that last bit.

“Partner?” they asked in unison. The man nodded.

“Indeed. You will be working with Orin until this is resolved.” He instructed. Oddly enough, that statement made Kaname suddenly want to throttle the man.

“Orin-chan?” she asked sharply. “Why her?” she said before her brain could stop her mouth. Hayashimizu visually measured her.

“Do you wish to trade jobs with Souske, Kaname?” he asked. “If you do, it will put Souske on intelligence gathering, and considering the fact that girls are the key element here…” he let himself trail off. Scenes of Souske engaged in `intelligence gathering' in the girl's locker room, or shower, or at their homes played like a nightmare through Kana's head. “The two things we need are information, and offensive capability. I had thought that I had selected the correct talents for the jobs, but perhaps I was mistaken. You may pick which role you assume.” He allowed her.

“Thanks.” She bit back sarcastically. Some choice! `You can do as I want, or you can do as I want. Which will it be?' is hardly a choice! “But why Orin-chan?” she repeated. Orin smiled at her a little.

“It's because I have some lines of inquiry that might prove useful.” She said simply. “My family has several business contacts, you know.” She noted. Kana sighed.

“Fine!” she agreed. The meeting quickly turned to specifics and sharing of information between them all before they adjourned. As Kana and Souske headed home, Kana had some pointed instructions for her `bodyguard' when it came to dealing with Orin. Mostly it was a list of `if you do this to/around/near/because of her, I'll kill you' things. A very long list, as it turned out.

 

-

 

“Morning, Kana!” came Kyoko's familiar call. Turning, she saw the girl jog up to her, seemingly in better shape than the day before. Giving her friend a thorough once-over, she returned the greeting.

“Morning, Kyoko. You seem to be in better shape today.” She noted approvingly. Kyoko nodded.

“Yeah, I feel better too.” She replied. “Must have just been a lack of sleep.” She offered.

“Or something.” Shrugged Kaname. “Um, hey, something came up yesterday in Council, and I need your help with it.” Said Kaname, the two girls moving into the school shoulder to shoulder as they spoke in low voices. A little ways behind the two, Souske followed them, his eyes avidly searching for anyone who might be one of the enemy's `recruiters'. Spotting an unfamiliar face, he started to veer toward the person before a voice stopped him. “Don't even think about it.” Warned Kana, having turned to look at him as soon as he had taken the first step toward the unfamiliar face.

“Kana, there is…” he began.

“That's mister Ogai. He is the fire chief for this district, and he makes bi-yearly inspections, Souske. Didn't you see the notice on the bulletin board?” she asked, sounding a bit cross.

“Negative. There was a note about the artillery commander inspecting the grounds, but since there are no artillery pieces here, I thought it was simply a misrouted message for some other installation.” He replied. Kyoko's hand grabbed Kana's as she reached for her fan. The two girls returned to whispering to each other.

“Souske.” Came the voice of Orin as the group entered the school. Looking up, the three saw the girl waiting patiently by the shoe locker. “Good morning.” She said, smiling.

“Orin-chan, good morning!” replied Kyoko.

“Morning, Orin-chan.” Added Kana.

“Ready for deployment, miss Orin.” Saluted Souske. Kana turned to him, her eyes warning him to follow her instruction from the night before or feel her wrath.

“You seem eager, Souske.” Replied Orin happily. “We have a meeting after school with a person who might have some leads for us.” She said. “I hope you don't mind guarding me instead of Kaname for a bit.”

“It's not a problem. I have requested additional resources.” He said confidently. Just then, the bell rang, and the four of them started toward the classroom, Mizuki joining them as they passed the girls' restroom. Just before they entered the classroom, Souske touched Kana's arm, causing her to stop short of entering the classroom. Withdrawing a small, shiny charm from his pocket, he handed it to her.

“Please wear this until the current assignment is completed.” He said quietly. Kana glanced at it and slipped it into her jacket pocket.

“Whatever.” She said, moving into the classroom. “Come on, school's starting.” She said. Silently, he followed her in, stepping to his desk. Unknown to the two of them, two people had seen him hand her the small charm. One was Kyoko, and the other was Orin.

 

-

 

At lunch that day, the two of them bracketed Kana. “So, what did he give you?” asked Kyoko, grinning at her friend. After a moment of confusion, Kana figured out what her friend was talking about. Fishing around in her jacket pocket, she withdrew the small charm.

Really looking at it for the first time, she saw that it was made of what appeared to be silver, with a small crystal-like stone set in a light mounting. The chain was fairly short, and would hold the charm close to her throat, though not as closely as a choker. Wow. Not bad at all, Souske. Thought Kana to herself in surprise. She had expected something military from him, but this was a charm a girl could easily wear.

“I'm surprised he didn't give you a pair of dog tags.” Mused Mizuki.

“Somehow, I can see him giving this to you.” Weighed in Orin. The others looked at her strangely. She just smiled and shook her head. “It's nothing.” She said easily. Kana glanced a table over and saw Souske sitting with Ono-D and Shinji. As usual, he was silently eating, his eyes roving the cafeteria as his two buddies talked across him. For a moment, their eyes met before his moved on, seeking someone to kill, no doubt. Kaname felt her heart miss a beat.

Annoyed at her reaction, she tucked the charm back into her pocket before grabbing her sandwich and taking a savage bite. The three girls near her watched her eat with bemused looks on their faces. “What?” she snarled before taking another bite.

“Aren't you going to wear it?” asked Kyoko sweetly.

“If he gave me something that nice, I would at least wear it once.” Added Mizuki.

“What could it hurt?” contributed Orin. Kana swallowed her latest bite.

“Plenty! I'm not wearing it until he tell me what it really is.” She said, taking a swig of her tea. Kyoko's smile grew a bit.

“But you will wear it, right?” she pressed. Kana froze for a moment.

“I never said…” she started.

“That's not what I heard.” Disagreed Mizuki while Orin nodded.

“You said you would wear it once he told you what it was.” Agreed Orin. Kana glowered at them.

“What's wrong with you all?” she asked irritably before sinking her teeth into her sandwich again. The three girls just giggled a little and went on eating.

At his table, Souske was watching Kana and her group carefully, as well as the flow of people around her. While his attention was largely taken up with protecting `Angel', he did have enough left free to sort-of listen to his two friends. Right now, they were talking about one of the three things they always talked about: girls.

“Man, I tell you, Tokiwa is so cute!” enthused Shinji. “I'm gonna ask her out on a date!” he sighed dreamily.

“Yeah, right! You always say that, but chicken out at the last moment.” Scoffed Ono-D. “Now Mizuki, on the other hand, is hot! The last date I had with her…”

“You? Dating Mizuki?” Shinji came back, interrupting his friend. “Last time you asked her, she laughed in your face!” he said. “Just like Chidori does.” He added unnecessarily. Souske's eyes shifted to Ono-D, a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

“Hey, man, don't look at me like that!” protested Ono-D, raising his hands. “He was just kidding! I'd never ask her out on a date!” he assured Souske.

“Oh? And why's that?!” came the voice of the girl in question. The two on either side of Souske cringed at the sound of her voice, slowly turning to see Kaname standing behind Souske, fan in hand. “Are you saying that I'm not good enough for you or something?” she demanded, her eyes beginning to glow. The two slowly shifted their feet, preparing to flee the well-known temper of Kaname Chidori.

“Look at the time!” said Shinji weakly.

“Yeah. We…have an appointment.” Added Ono-D.

“Later, Souske!” they said before bolting for the door. Souske calmly chewed the last of his food. Tossing her long hair derisively, the girl tucked her fan away before turning a serious look on Souske.

“Souske, I need to talk to you for a minute.” She said softly, glancing at the door.

“Roger.” He said, standing and following her out the door and to the student council room. Once inside, Kana turned to him, the charm in her hand.

“What, exactly, is this thing? For real.” She asked.

“It is a device for locating you and monitoring your biostatus.” He replied honestly. Since the incident during the class trip, she had come to accept that there was something different about Souske, and maybe - just maybe - he was really there to protect her from a threat to her well-being.

“All that in this little thing?” she challenged him. He nodded.

“Affirmative.” He confirmed. “I requested that it be made available since I will be working with Orin on this current mission. It will allow me to make sure you are safe at all times.” He said. Kaname silently watched him. After several seconds of silence, Souske went on. “Please wear it at all times.” He added.

“Even when I'm in the shower or playing softball?” she asked him. He nodded.

“Correct. It is waterproof, shockproof and stainless. Do not worry about damaging it or breaking it; it is far stronger than it looks.” He assured her.

Kana considered that for a few heartbeats. “And you're sure that it's completely safe?” she asked him. He nodded. “Ok. Hold my hair.” She said. He blinked.

“What?” he asked. She sent him a narrow look.

“Hold. My. Hair.” She repeated slowly. Seeing him hesitate, she elaborated. “Hold my hair away from my neck so I can put this thing on, okay? I don't want my hair getting caught in the links of this thing.” She explained. Souske silently gathered her hair at the base of her neck and held it away from her neck as she reached back and fastened the thin chain around her neck. The charm settled to rest at the base of her throat.

For an instant, she thought she felt a small tingle from the charm, but she couldn't be sure, as it was just for a split second. Touching the crystal-looking thing, she could feel her pulse in it. Reaching into her pocket, she withdrew a compact and looked at herself in the small mirror inside. It looks better than I thought it would. She thought to herself. She also noticed something else. “You can let go of my hair now.” She said to Souske.

 

-

 

The final bell rang and Kana dismissed the class, watching the rest file out before turning to find Souske standing just behind her. Glancing at her watch, she saw that it was a bit early for her softball club's game, and Orin wouldn't be around for a few minutes, either. “Yes, Souske?” she asked her shadow.

“Have you discovered anything related to our new assignment from Hayashimizu?” he asked her, his voice as soft and calm as always. Kana shook her head.

“Not really. Why the interest?” she asked him. “It's only been a day, you know.” She pointed out. He nodded.

“Affirmative.” He agreed. “However, in this kind of situation, every scrap of information and bit of intelligence is crucial. I suggest that we compare notes each evening after we complete the day's assignments.” He continued. Kana felt her cheeks get a bit warm.

“You mean, like get together each night?” she asked him. He nodded.

“Correct. I can share the intel that Miss Orin and I gather, and you can share whatever you have discovered with me, thus allowing us to conclude this mission as swiftly as possible.” He confirmed. Inside Kaname, she could feel both anticipation and irritation at his suggestion warring for supremacy.

“Why do you want to do that?” she asked, a little unsure of why she felt she should ask him. “I mean, don't you like Orin-chan?” she challenged him.

“I have no problems with Miss Orin.” He said immediately. “However, she is not the one I am assigned to protect.” He continued before Kana could react to the first sentence. “I will protect you before all others, Kana.” He finished softly. Kaname felt her blush gain strength.

“F…fine. How about my place? For the evening meetings, I mean.” She clarified, feeling a familiar tingle in her lower spine and belly. Souske nodded.

“Roger that.” He said. “I will go to your place as soon as Miss Orin and I are finished each night.” He said simply. When Kana didn't say anything, he frowned. “Are you feeling ok, Kaname? You seem to be running a fever.” He said, touching his hand to her forehead. She jerked her head back from his touch.

“I'm fine!” she said, feeling her cheeks heat up a bit more as the blush expanded toward her neck and the new charm there. She was saved from any further embarrassment by the arrival of Orin.

“Oh, Kaname, you look a bit flushed.” She said, her voice both concerned and wickedly sly. “Is Souske-kun hitting on you?” she asked. Souske opened his mouth to ask Orin why she thought he was physically assaulting Kaname, but Kana slapped a hand over his mouth before he could speak.

“Him? Hit on me? Don't be ridiculous, Orin-chan!” she denied. “Anyway, I'm off to softball club, so you two have fun with this meeting, ok?” she said, swiftly exiting the room. Out of the corner of her eye, Orin saw her hand touch her neck and the charm there. Smiling, she turned to look at her escort for the next few nights.

Souske had a small device in his hand, similar to a PDA, and - apparently satisfied with whatever he was seeing - closed it before looking up at Orin. Saluting her, he spoke. “Ready, Ma'am.” He said crisply. Orin inclined her head.

“Very well. Shall we go?” she asked sweetly, turning for the door. Souske fell into step at her shoulder. As they exited the school, Orin glanced around before signaling for a taxi. When the two were in, she gave the driver an address and sat back beside Souske. As with most cabs, this one was small, and she was partially pressed against his side.

“What kind of meeting is this, Miss Orin?” he asked her. “I am familiar with most kinds of informants and weapons dealers, but it is easier if I know what to expect.” He noted.

“I see.” Said Orin. “This is neither, though if you were to think of it like a black market intelligence broker, you would be close.” She said softly. “It should be safe enough, but one can never tell.” Pausing, she considered if she should tell him any more about the evening before deciding to go ahead and give him a bit more information. “Ordinarily, I would never go to such a place alone, but with you along, I feel perfectly safe.” She added.

“Understood, Ma'am.” He said crisply. Orin frowned a bit. Tucking her arm through his, she had another directive for him.

“Souske, please call me `Orin-chan' or, if you must, `Orin-sama' while we are…working together like this.” Seeing him glance at her, she smiled encouragingly. “It will make it a lot easier to avoid unnecessary fights.” She explained. Not to mention that he's cute and could use some help in getting Kana-chan. She thought to herself. She had seen enough of the two around each other to decide that Kana should be involved with Souske. That Chidori needed someone who could keep up with her was a serious hindrance to Orin's match-making plans for the young Vice President of the Student Council. And then, along came Souske-kun! Smiled the girl.

“Are you sure, Miss…” began Souske, only to have Orin smile at him in a strangely kind of threatening way. “Um, I mean, affirmative, Orin-chan.” He said. She gave a soft, short giggle.

“Much better, Souske.” She replied, hugging his arm a bit. He swallowed with a bit of difficulty.

“Is there anything else I should know about tonight's assignment?” he asked her. She considered that for a moment.

“You should be aware that some aggressive behavior is normal, as well as some attempts at intimidation by physical means.” She noted. “Please do not over-react to these attempts, Souske. Just keep me safe, and we'll be fine.” She directed him. He nodded.

“Understood. How long until mission start?” he asked her, mentally reviewing his inventory of weapons. Orin glanced at the passing scenery.

“About twenty minutes.” She said, settling back in the seat. She was, perhaps, a bit closer to him that necessary.

 

-

 

“Wow, Kana!” enthused Kyoko, seeing Kana changing into her club uniform. The girl was looking at Kana's throat, and the small charm resting there. “That looks awesome on you.” She added, drawing the attention of the other club members to her friend's new accessory. Swiftly, the other girls gathered around Kana, excitedly discussing the new item.

“Geez, give it a rest, will you?” begged Kana, trying to shoo off the other girls enough to put her jersey on. “You'd think you guys have never seen a necklace before!” she sniped.

“Not one given to you by a war otaku!” chirped back another of the club members.

“Man, who'd have thought that Sagara had such good taste?” marveled another of the girls. The others buzzed with agreement.

“It's totally unlike him to give something this nice to his girlfriend.” Opinioned another. “An ugly set of those metal tags that soldiers wear, I could see.” She elaborated, “But this is nice! My boyfriend never gave me anything even remotely as nice!” she added, sounding a bit miffed. The little gossip group was interrupted by Kaname's hand settling on the pontificating girl's shoulder, her fingers tightening.

“Excuse me, but did you just call Souske my `boyfriend'?” she purred to the girl. The girl paled a bit as Kana's grip tightened. “He is not my boyfriend, Shoko!” she clarified. The girl winced a little.

“Ok, ok! I got it!” she protested. Kana released her.

“Come on, we're burning daylight here.” Huffed Kana, tugging her shirt on and snagging her glove on the way out of the locker room. Behind her, the other girls watched her leave before resuming their changing into the club uniform. Kyoko slowly changed her bra and shirt as she listened in on the quiet discussion between the other girls. I wonder what they would think about me and Souske? She wondered before shoving the thought aside.

“You know, he's always around her.” Noted one girl.

“Yeah, and he's the only one she ever calls on when she needs something done.” Added another.

“Did you hear that those two always go to the Student Council room together?” asked another eagerly.

“Maybe they're making out in there!” suggested Shoko. The other girls buzzed with speculation about that possibility.

“But at school?!” gasped one.

“If it were anyone but Kana and Souske, I'd say no, but then, those two…” trailed off a girl.

“That's kind of hot, actually.” Weighed in another girl, setting off a ripple of giggles and gasps. “Oh, just admit it!” she snapped back to the critics. “You can't tell me you haven't at least thought about it once before!”

“Well, maybe, but to actually do it…!” admitted another of the girls.

“I could never get up the nerve to do something like that.” Interjected a girl.

“Yeah, what if someone came in while you were doing it? It would be so embarrassing!” agreed another.

“Not to mention against school rules!” chimed in yet another girl.

“Yeah, but she's in with Hayashimizu, and that means she wouldn't get in trouble!” disagreed Kyoko.

“So what? He's just the Student Council President.” Came the challenge.

“Haven't you ever noticed that Souske never gets in trouble for all the things he does? I head that it is because the President goes to negotiate for him with the faculty.” Gossiped one girl.

“Well, he might not get in trouble with the faculty, but Kana's sure fast to hit him with her fan!” offered one. There was general agreement with that. Outside, they heard the other club calling for them. Filing out, they finalized their decision on the Kana/Souske relationship.

“Yeah, they're a couple.” Was the unanimous decision of the girls.

 

-

 

Souske and Orin were standing outside a cramped bar in a seedier part of town, looking out of place with their school uniforms. Several of the loitering guys were making crude comments and rude suggestions to Orin, who just ignored them as Souske selected his order of termination for the guys.

“This way, Souske.” She said, stepping toward the entrance to the bar. Souske fell in at her side, his eyes roving the area expertly. At the door, Orin was forced to stop as a large thug blocked her path with a burly arm.

“Bar's closed, girl.” He sneered. Orin looked at him.

“I'm here to see Tanaka.” She said evenly.

“Tank don't see no skirts.” The man snapped back to her. “Unless they're here to entertain him.” He added, smirking at her. “You here for a call, missy?” he asked her, reaching for her face.

“He'll see me.” Said Orin confidently. “I represent the Mikihara Group.” She explained. The thug paused.

“You don't say.” He muttered, clearly considering the possibility that she might be telling the truth. “You don't look familiar to me.” He challenged.

“I doubt that your own mother would look familiar to you.” Replied the girl. “But that is beside the point. Tell Tanaka that he has guests. And be quick about it.” Ordered Orin, pushing the man's arm aside. Souske stepped past him, eyes sharp. Stopping next to the bar, Orin smiled at the barkeep.

“Might you have some tea?” she asked him.

“We don't serve kids, girl. Beat it.” Replied the man gruffly. Orin's smile didn't change. Behind her, Souske had his fingers touching his gun's grip.

“I'm not here to drink, sir.” Orin responded. “I'm here to see Tanaka.” She elaborated. “Though I wouldn't mind a cup of tea while I wait.” She said politely. The barkeep grunted in reply. Before she could try again, a man called to them from the back of the bar area.

“Yo! Skirt!” he belligerently yelled. “Get your ass over here, now!” Without reaction to his tone, Orin headed that way, easily avoiding the errant hands of the customers at the bar. Souske had slipped out his secondary knife, having decided that severing the hands of the first one to touch Orin's ass would be sufficient warning to the others.

Arriving at the back of the bar, the two were ushered into a small room, with another door off it. The man that had called them over put his hand out, trying for Orin's breasts, but only getting her shoulder. “Not so fast. Gotta search you two first.” He said, leering at her.

“You will not touch Orin-chan.” Came Souske's voice from just behind her. “If you do, I will kill you.” He said as if stating that two plus two equaled four.

“The fuck you say?” growled the man, turning toward Souske. “Listen here, you little shit, I don't take no lip from some cum stain that…urk!” he wasn't able to finish his verbal abuse because Souske had smoothly sucker-punched him in the gut with one hand, while the other hand grabbed his throat. Before he knew it, the man was squirming as Souske pressed his field knife into the man's neck.

“You should be more cautious with your words.” He warned the man. “You are not dealing with some amateur street criminal here, but rather with a seasoned war veteran.”

“And you better release him, kid, or you and the skirt ain't leaving here in one piece.” Came a voice from door. Souske glanced at the man. “I got twenty five men here, punk.” He said. Souske didn't react.

“And I can kill them all.” He replied, tucking his knife away before bringing up another tool. “I have two of these on me, as well as enough ammunition to level this place.” He said. “I will toss them both out the door, then finish any survivors off with my gun.” He stated simply.

The man frowned. “That ain't no real grenade, punk.” He scoffed. Orin sighed.

“I would listen to Souske.” Cautioned the girl. “He has been blowing stuff up at school every day now for months.” She cautioned him. “He's a mercenary from overseas, and doesn't seem to be concerned with adapting to our lifestyle.” She added.

“Yer bluffing.” The man snorted. Souske dropped the man he was holding, stomping on his neck with his boot to keep him in place while his now-free hand pulled the pin on the grenade.

“Orin-chan, please stand behind me.” He directed her calmly. The man frowned.

“Why? What you planning to do with that?” he asked Souske, sounding a bit concerned.

“I am going to toss it into the bar. When it detonates, you will know that it is a live fragmentation grenade, and I will not have to demonstrate it to you again.” He replied, drawing back his arm as Orin tucked herself in behind him.

“You nuts? I got customers out there!” he gaped.

“Affirmative.” Replied the young merc. “I will be sure to throw it far enough out there that we will not be caught in the blast.” He assured Orin. “Those outside will be killed, as the burst radius of this device is ten meters.”

“What's taking so long?” came a voice from inside the second room. The man in the door turned to whoever was inside the room.

“Some crazy kid out here has a grenade and is gonna throw it into the bar to prove it ain't a fake.” Said the man. A moment later, he was shoved out of the way.

“Put that away.” Said the new man. “What are you doing here, kid?” he asked.

“We are here to speak with someone named Tanaka.” Stated Souske. “These men attempted to handle Orin-chan in an inappropriate way, so I took steps to protect her.”

“So the skirt's Orin, eh?” muttered the man. “Sorry, but we don't let anyone in without being frisked.” He said.

“That is not acceptable.” Replied Souske. “I will be happy to tell you what armaments I am carrying, but you will not touch Orin, as she is not armed.”

“Armed?” chuckled the man. “Who gives a shit about guns? I'm looking for wires.” He laughed. Souske frowned.

“Wires?” he wondered. “I…don't understand.” He said, puzzled. This just made the man laugh harder.

“Oh, this is too good to be a police operation!” he laughed. “Come on in, kid, but put the pin back in that thing.”

 

-

 

Kaname stood under the spray from her shower and let the warm water wash away her tension. The softball game had been fun, but the walk home had felt…lonely. She was used to Souske's presence, and without it, she felt almost naked. Sighing, the girl touched the charm at her neck.

Finishing up, she exited the shower and wrapped her towel around her, settling onto her bed as she debated what she wanted to wear. Usually, she just slipped into a pair of panties and a tee shirt, but with the knowledge that Souske would be by later, she was debating a more conservative outfit.

The thought of Souske sent a shiver down her spine - but it wasn't a bad shiver. An audacious thought crossed her mind. What if I just wore my usual outfit? She thought. It wasn't like he hadn't seen in her far less, and a shirt and panties were more concealing than the bikini that she had been eyeing for the last couple of weeks. Smiling, she rose and pulled out her top drawer, considering her choices. Her eyes fell to a pair of lace and silk panties, and before she could think about it, she had them half way up her thighs.

Once her large shirt was settled over her shoulders and her hip-length hair was pulled out from under it, she tucked her feet into her slippers and headed for the kitchen. Glancing at the clock, she began to hum as she prepared some food. As she prepared it, she found herself doubling the amount of ingredients. “Well, why not fix him supper?” she asked herself. Still humming, she continued to prepare her supper, wondering what Souske would think of her cooking skills.

About half way through the preparations, she heard her phone ringing, and plucked the cordless phone from its cradle, connecting the call. Instead of Souske, she found herself talking to Kyoko. Talking with her best friend and watching her cooking, she lost track of time for a bit. It wasn't until she found herself sitting down to dinner that she realized that she hadn't heard from Souske yet.

Quickly ending the call with Kyoko, she dialed the number that Souske had given her to get in touch with him, and waited. The line rang three times, and she was beginning to worry when he picked up. When asked where he was, he had simply said that he had just completed escorting Orin home and was on his way to her place. Kaname felt a flutter in her stomach at that news. After telling him to hurry or the food would get cold, she sat back and tried to plan some sort of conversational topic to talk with him about. Eventually, she gave up. It works best when we just talk. She decided.

She hadn't realized that she had been sitting at her table, staring off into space, until she heard the knock at her door. Jarred from her introspection, she rose and moved to her door, peeking out to see Souske standing there. Swiftly, she unlocked her door and let him in, relocking it behind him before following him to the kitchen area. “Well, nice to know you got here before it got cold.” She said to him.

“I came directly here from Orin-chan's house.” He confirmed. Kana frowned.

“'Orin-chan'?” she asked him, her eyebrow twitching once. He nodded.

“She requested that I call her that while we are meeting with these contacts of hers to dissuade the intel sellers from attempting rash actions against her personage.” He replied. Kana growled softly.

“I see.” She managed. How DARE he! Sitting there talking about Orin like that! She silently snarled. “How nice.” She bit out. Souske was giving her puzzled look.

“Is there a problem, Kaname?” he asked her. “You seem agitated.” He noted.

“It's nothing!” she snapped back. “Let's eat!” With excessive enthusiasm, she dug into her meal, Souske doing likewise, though his attention was on her. As the meal progressed, Kana's temper cooled a bit, and by the time that she was collecting the dishes, she was back to her normal self, the two of them discussing what Souske had done earlier that evening.

Kana washed the dishes, declining Souske's offered assistance, choosing to do it herself. With practiced ease, she had them done in no time, putting the tiny bit of leftovers in the refridge. Turning back toward her living room, she saw that Souske was still watching her intently. “What?” she asked him.

“Are you sure you are ok?” he asked her. “You seemed upset earlier.” He replied, his tone serious. Kaname sighed.

“Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired, I guess.” She said, not wanting to get into her confused reasons for her earlier temper flare-up. “Matter of fact, I think I'll call it a night.” She said, glancing at the clock. It was about an hour and a half before her normal bedtime, but she did feel tired. Souske nodded.

“Roger that.” He said, rising from his chair. “Sleep well, Kana.” He said, heading for the door. Kaname was following him before she thought about it. At her door, he paused to unlock it, noticing that she was standing behind him as he did so. “And thank you for the food, Kaname. It was delicious.” He said before opening the door.

“No problem.” She assured him, feeling her temperature rise a bit at his thanks, her cheeks coloring a little. “I could cook dinner for you each night, you know.” She offered. He froze for a second before answering.

“I…would like that, Kana.” He said, slipping out the door. “I will see you tomorrow at school.” He promised her, closing the door behind himself. Absently, she relocked her door before heading for her room.

Once in her bedroom, she tossed off her shirt and collapsed onto her bed. For several minutes, she didn't move, just laying there on her stomach, thinking. For the life of her, she couldn't understand why it made her so mad when Souske called Orin `Orin-chan'. I mean, it's not like we're dating, or anything. She reasoned. He probably doesn't even know what that means to a girl! She smiled a bit. “Can't picture him using it as an endearment.” She said aloud. He probably just sees it as a kind of nickname or something. Maybe a call-sign? She mused, vaguely remembering hearing that in an old war movie. The thought of him using it as a radio handle made her laugh softly to herself. Oh, that'd be a good one! `Base to War Otaku squadron, come in, please.'. `War Otaku squadron here, S-chan speaking, go ahead.' She laughed a bit harder. “That would be hysterical.” She muttered aloud.

Her phone interrupted her mental fancies. Rolling over, she snagged her phone from her bedside table. “Chidori residence.” She said.

“Hey, Kana!” came Kyoko's upbeat voice.

“Oh, Kyoko!” replied Kana, sitting up on her bed. “What's up?” she asked her best friend. Kyoko came back swiftly.

“I was just calling to see how your dinner date went.” Said the other girl.

“Dinner date?” blinked Kana.

“Yeah, with Souske.” Said the teen. Kaname frowned.

“What are you talking about, Kyoko?” she asked her friend. How did she know he was over here?

“Well, when I talked to you earlier, you said `he' was due any time now and you had to go. I mean, it's not you hang around with any other `he' than Souske, now is it?” explained the glasses-wearing best friend.

“Whatever.” Dismissed Kana. “He just dropped by to see how I was, ok? It wasn't a date, you know!” she pointed out.

“So you say.” Replied Kyoko suspiciously. “Anyway, did he and Orin learn anything of interest?” she asked. Kana lay back on her bed, telling Kyoko what Souske had told her.

 

-

 

Hayashimizu silently considered the report from Souske and Orin. He, Orin, Souske and Kaname were in the Student Council Room again, having agreed to have a daily meeting until they had some sort of plan of action for dealing with the situation they found themselves in. In her efforts to cover her class more effectively, Kana had recruited Mizuki and Kyoko to help her watch the other students and gather information from the girls in their class.

“It would seem that this is not yet a wide-spread issue here.” Mused Hayashimizu, breaking the silence in the room. “Taken together, the information from Orin and Souske and the observations from Kaname and her friends points to an initial infestation, rather than a larger, more established operation.” He observed.

“If that is the case, we have the advantage, as crushing an enemy early is easier than destroying him once he has a beachhead.” Noted Souske. Kana rolled her eyes.

“Very true. It would also be much more expedient and far less messy to nip this in the bud, as it were.” Agreed the President. “Do you have any suggestions of how to pick up the trail of these people, Souske?” he asked.

“In these kind of circumstances, the most effective way to deal with them is to catch one and make them talk.” Kana's fan reared back for a strike. “However, as this is not a case of sappers within the perimeter, we might have better success with watching for changes in patterns or behavior of those most likely to be susceptible to the enemy propaganda.” He continued, saving himself from being smacked by Kaname's dreaded paper fan of doom.

“That…actually makes sense.” She murmured in awe. How did he manage to make such a sensible suggestion?!

“I see. You suggest that we watch the girls most likely to be approached for changes in spending, behavior or schedules. That is an astute suggestion.” Mused Hayashimizu. He looked to Kaname. “Miss Chidori, can you think of five girls in your class that would be likely to be attracted to such an offer?” he asked her. Kaname considered that for a bit before sighing.

“It's more like ten or twelve, but yeah, I can think of a few. Why?” she asked.

“I believe that if Orin and myself work together, we can narrow our search to a more workable number of candidates, which should hasten our discovery and subsequent eradication of this threat.” He replied. Glancing at his watch, he rose from his chair. “I have a meeting to attend to. Please inform your two friends of this new direction and pick your candidates from within your year. Orin will take care of arranging for the other years herself.” He walked toward the door. “Oh, and I understand that Orin has another meeting to attend to, so be ready, Souske.” He added, exiting the room.

“Another meeting?” asked Kana of no one in particular.

“Yes. I have three more groups to check on.” Replied Orin sweetly. “It is my hope that I can finish this initial round within two days. Is that ok with you, Souske?” she asked him.

“It is not a problem.” He replied crisply. “The sooner we can identify the enemy, the sooner we can destroy him.” He added, sounding eager. Before Kana could answer, a soft chirp sounded, and Orin withdrew her cell phone from her pocket. Glancing at the screen, she bowed to the two in the room.

“Please excuse me, Souske, Kana-chan. I must take this call.” She said, stepping out of the room. Kaname sat at the table, drumming her fingers on the tabletop.

“Kana?” came Souske's voice.

“Wha…? Oh, what is it, Souske?” she replied, her mind having been elsewhere.

“You don't seem your usual self. Is there anything that I can do?” asked the young man, his tone concerned.

“It's nothing, really!” she denied. “Um, I just remembered that I need to talk to Kyoko and Mizuki, so I'll just go find them.” She said, standing abruptly and moving for the door. Souske was a step behind her. “Don't you need to wait for Orin?” she asked him, her tone a bit sharp.

“When Miss Mikihara is ready, she will contact me.” He replied. “My primary job is to protect you, Kaname.” He reminded her. She was suddenly very aware of the charm at her throat.

“I'm…heading for the girl's locker room, so you really don't need to follow me.” She said, keeping her face turned away from him to hide her blush. Souske watched her, wondering what was making her act this way.

“If you are sure…” he began.

“Positive!” she replied with far too much energy. “So, you just wait here for Orin, got it?” she directed him. Before she took a step, she risked a glance over her shoulder at him. “See you tonight? At my place?” she asked him in a soft voice.

“Affirmative.” He confirmed. Nodding, she jogged off down the hall. Souske was wondering if he should enquire if this behavior was odd for a girl when Orin stopped beside him.

“I apologize for interrupting you two, but we need to head to the next meeting immediately.” She said, seeing his eyes on Kana's retreating form. “The party we are to meet will not be in the city for the next few months, so we need to go see him right now.” She explained.

“Roger.” Said Souske, following Orin out of the school. As the two rode toward another meeting in a taxi, he mentally composed his next field report for his commanding officer. I think I should request that Sergeant Major Mao be assigned here for a few days to assist me with this assignment. Kana seems to be acting strangely. He thought. It wasn't until the taxi stopped that he was shaken from his thoughts.

Exiting the cab, he found himself and Orin before an apartment block. “This is our destination?” he asked her. She nodded, linking her arm with his.

“Yes. Our contact is on the top floor.” Said Orin, heading for the entrance. Souske moved with her. As he approached the entrance, he noticed that it seemed to be locked, with two burly men outside the doors. Frowning, he started to reach for a grenade. “Please just follow my lead, Souske.” Came Orin's soft voice from his side.

“Affirmative.” He replied, releasing the grenade. Marching up the steps, Orin pressed herself closer to him. The two men watched the pair approach, but made no move to open the door. Orin stopped in front of one of them.

“Two for two hours, please!” she cooed, handing the man a few folded bills. The man took the bills, glanced at them, then his partner, who shrugged before opening the door for the two. “Thank you!” giggled Orin, entering the smoked-glass foyer. Souske frowned as he saw a couple of men sitting on a couch in the corner, playing cards on the small table in front of them. Beyond them, there were four banks of elevators, with a small counter off to one side.

“This is strange.” He murmured to Orin, who just squeezed his arm warningly. He went silent. Approaching the counter, she cleared her throat, the man behind it looking up from his skin mag.

“Yeah?” he huffed at her.

“Two, please, for the special.” She said, giggling again. Souske wondered why she was acting this way, but figured that she knew what she was doing. The man behind the counter looked her up and down.

“Don't know what you're talking about, girlie.” He said. Orin pouted.

“But they said you would!” she protested. The man frowned.

“They did, huh? Who's `they', exactly?” he challenged her.

“You know!” whined Orin. “Soume and the rest!”

“Soume? Do you have any idea of what…” he seemed to reconsider. “Yeah, right.” He said, his magazine coming up again. “Third elevator. Press `R' twice.” He said simply.

“Thank you!” chirped Orin, tugging Souske toward the third elevator doors. Once they were inside, she pressed the designated button twice. As the elevator rose, she glanced up at the corner of the car and noted the camera there. Turning to Souske, she pulled him into a kiss. After a few moments of kissing, she moved her mouth nearer to his ear and whispered to him. “When the doors open, I need for you to stay calm and not do anything until I say so.” She whispered.

“Roger.” He replied softly, his mouth covered by her shoulder-length hair. She smells good. He thought absently. Not quite as good as Kana, but damn good. He added. Orin's lips touched his neck.

“I'm sure you'd rather be here with Kana, but I guess you'll just have to make do with me.” She whispered, her tone teasing. Before he could ask her what she meant, the car stopped with a chime, and the doors opened. “Oh, my!” she gasped, stepping back from him, a heavy blush on her cheeks. Outside the door, two more goons were staring at her. “How embarrassing.” She said as she exited the car.

“Hold it.” Growled one goon. Obligingly, she stopped. Motioning with his hands, the muscle instructed her to raise her arms, and she did so, the man swiftly patting her down. As his hands crossed her breasts and rubbed her ass, Souske had to physically stop himself from shooting the man. Only Orin's warning stopped him. After a short caress of her groin, the man moved back. “Ok.” He said, motioning to Souske. “Your turn.” He said.

“Oh, he's my manager.” Said Orin swiftly. “He has this thing about being touched.” She added. Of course, it's because he's packing enough hardware for an army… she mentally added.

“So that's why…” began the man before shrugging. Opening the double door, he motioned them through. “That way.” He said. Souske and Orin entered the large rooftop dwelling. Behind them, the doors closed.

“Souske, be ready.” Said Orin softly. “When I give you the word, please take care of any guards in the room as quietly as possible.” She said, leading him toward the far end of the suite.

“Roger that.” He agreed. Pausing before a door, she looked at him.

“Ready?” she asked him. He nodded.

 

-

 

“She what?” gasped Kana. Souske was once more at her house, eating dinner with her. Swallowing his mouthful, he took a sip of his water before answering.

“I said, she asked me to extract the requested information from him.” He repeated. Kana blinked. “I was going to use a torture method I saw employed in my homeland once, but when I pulled out the wire and my knife, he started to talk. Amateur.” He said dismissively. Kana exhaled, her head dropping a bit.

“I just don't get her.” She muttered. She's as mental as Hayashimizu if she just told him to do that! Doesn't she know what that could lead to?! “So, was it worth it?” she asked him in a more conversational tone. Souske nodded.

“Indeed. We can skip one of the other visits we had planned now, as his information was instrumental in narrowing the field.” He replied. “This curry is delicious, Kana.” He added, taking another bite.

“Thanks.” She said, shaking off the image of Souske slowly grilling some faceless person over a fire, or skinning them alive with his knife. “I tried a new recipe for making it.” She said, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

“Did you discover anything this afternoon?” he asked her. She hummed a reply as she chewed.

“Sort of. One of the girls is spending a lot more money than she had been, but we don't know if it is from this or not.” She said once she had swallowed. “Kyoko is going to try and see if she can pin down the answer tomorrow.” She added. “What happens then will depend on Hayashimizu.” She noted.

“It would be wise to allow me to deal with this alone.” Replied Souske. Kana frowned at him.

“Why do you say that?” she asked him.

“Because once we identify the enemy, it would be best for you and the others to stand clear. It is not necessary or wise for you to risk yourself in this matter.” He said. Unsure of what to say or feel, she just looked at him. “Kana?” he prompted, shaking her free of her thoughts.

“I…see.” She said. “So, anything else happen this evening?” she asked him.

“Nothing of note. Once we extracted the information, we exited the building and I escorted her home before coming here.” He replied. Kaname found herself watching him eat.

“That's it? They didn't try to stop you two after you tortured their boss in his own house?” she wondered.

“There were only five guards, and they were no problem for me to deal with.” He assured her. “Other than some minor damage to the building, it was a simple enough mission.”

“Minor damage?” wondered Kaname. He nodded.

“Some windows were broken when I used a stun grenade, and there were some bullet holes in the desk from stray rounds.” He elaborated. “It would have been more efficient to use a fragmentation grenade, but Orin wanted to keep the killing to a minimum.” He noted.

“How strange.” She commiserated sarcastically. God, she is mental! From there, the talk turned to less serious topics, and by the time that she had the dishes done, she was feeling relaxed and happy. The two spent another half hour talking before she decided that it was bedtime for her.

Once more, she followed him to the door. “Kana, I really liked the meal.” He said, catching her eye. She smiled at him.

“Good.” She said. “What do you want for tomorrow night?” she asked him.

“Whatever you fix is fine.” He replied. Kana found herself leaning toward him before she thought about it, and by the time that she decided she shouldn't, she had touched her lips to his.

“I'll see you then.” She promised, pulling back from the short, modest kiss.

 

-

 

“So, how was it?” asked Kyoko of her friend as the two of them ran laps on the field. Kana turned to look at Kyoko with a puzzled expression.

“How was what, Kyoko?” she asked her friend.

“How was the date last night?” pressed Kyoko, grinning up at Kana. Kana groaned.

“I've told you before, Kyoko, it isn't a date!” she protested. The shorter girl seemed skeptical.

“So you say, Kana, but you've never invited a guy over before, let alone twice in a row.” She pointed out. Kana wasn't sure what to say to that.

“It's not a guy, Kyoko.” She said at last. “It's Souske.” He's more like a walking war zone. Kyoko just gave her a knowing smile.

“Like I said, Kana, how'd it go last night?” she repeated. Kana's lips twisted into a grimace.

“God, Kyoko, all we did was eat supper and talk! You'd think I was sleeping with him or something, the way you carry on about it.” She muttered.

“You aren't?” asked Kyoko, quirking an eyebrow.

“Of course not!” came the indignant reply. “Tell you what, Kyoko, if you like him so much, why don't you sleep with him?” she tossed back to her friend. She missed the flinch those words caused. “See you later.” She said, increasing her pace, pulling ahead of Kyoko, who maintained her pace, her eyes on the track, deep in thought.

 

-

 

“Kyoko? Are you ok?” came the soft yet masculine voice of Souske. Caught off guard, Kyoko's head snapped up. Looking around, she saw that she and Souske were the only ones left in the classroom.

“Ah, yeah, I'm fine.” She said, managing a weak smile. Souske studied her intently for a moment.

“If you're sure, then I guess I was mistaken.” He concluded, easing back from her a bit. “I'm due at the Student Council Room, so I will see you later.” He said, turning away from her. Kyoko shot her hand out, grabbing his wrist. He turned to look at her.

“Souske, can you come by my place tonight?” she asked him softly. “After you leave Kana's, I mean.” She added. Slowly, he nodded.

“Affirmative.” He agreed. “Is there something wrong, Kyoko?” he asked her.

“We'll talk about it tonight, Souske.” She said, releasing his hand.

“I will be there.” He said. He had taken a step away from her before another thought crossed his mind. “It could be very late when I come by.” He cautioned her.

“Not a problem. I'll be awake.” She assured him. Nodding, he headed out of the room, spotting Kana coming to collect him. Together, the two headed for the Student Council room side by side, neither noticing Kyoko watching them depart from the door to the classroom.

“Tokiwa!” came an excited voice from the other end of the hall. Turning, the girl saw Mizuki running toward her. Stopping in front of the braids-wearing girl, the short-haired friend panted for a moment before grabbing Kyoko's hand and tugging her toward the stairs to the next floor. “I gotta show you something!” she said eagerly, though she kept her voice low. Glancing out the window, she broke into a jog. “Come on! We're gonna miss it if we don't hurry!” she said urgently. Kyoko broke into a jog as well. The two passed some students, but with the school day over, there weren't that many.

Up the stairs and down the hall, Mizuki led Kyoko to end of the building, where one could get a view of the back of the faculty parking lot. “There!” exclaimed the excited Mizuki. Kyoko's eyebrows lowered.

“There, what?” she asked the other girl. Mizuki pointed to the edge of the parking lot, next to the street. Watching where she was pointing, Kyoko saw a dark sedan pull up, and two girls in the school uniform swiftly ran from the back of the school block to the sedan, getting into the back seat. The sedan pulled smoothly away from the curb and into the street.

“Did you see that?” demanded Mizuki. Not getting an answer from her friend, she turned to see Kyoko lowering her digital camera. Looking at Mizuki, she smiled tightly.

“Not only did I see it, I got a picture of the car, as well.” She said, her voice smug. “Come on, we have to go see Kana.” She said, turning away from the overlook. Mizuki followed her as they made their way to the Student Council room.

 

-

 

“Well done, Tokiwa.” Congratulated Hayashimizu. Behind him, Orin smiled at the girl. She, Souske, Kana and Mizuki were standing in a group at the edge of the table, looking at the small picture that Kyoko had of the car.

“It's a fairly small picture, but I believe we can determine the license plate from this photo.” Determined Souske.

“And from that, we can find the car.” Noted Kana.

“And when we find the car, we can see who drives it and to where.” Followed Mizuki.

“And we can see who else is being recruited from the local schools.” Concluded Kyoko. The four of them glanced at Hayashimizu.

“The other schools are not our concern, though we will, of course, attempt to assist them in dealing with the situation.” He said calmly. “Were either of you able to identify the two girls from our school who departed with the people in the car?” he asked the two. Both Kyoko and Mizuki shook their heads.

“They were moving away from us and at an angle, so I couldn't see enough of them to identify either of them, but they both have short hair.” Said Kyoko.

“Yeah, and one of them had this thing on her bag, like a kind of charm ring.” Noted Mizuki.

“There are several girls who have charm rings on their bags.” Commented Kana. “And about half the girls here have short hair.” She added. Behind the three girls, Souske had been fiddling with Kyoko's camera in silence. Now, he had seemingly found what he was looking for.

“This is the license plate number.” He announced, handing a slip of paper to Hayashimizu. He handed Kyoko's camera back to her. “It's fortunate that you carry your camera with you at all times.” He said to her, smiling a little.

“Yeah, I guess so.” She replied, feeling her body grow warm under his gaze. Hayashimizu had handed the slip of paper to Orin, and she stepped to the corner of the room, cell phone in hand. A knock came from the door of the room.

“Yes?” called Hayashimizu. The door opened and Ono-D and Shinji stuck their heads inside.

“Oh, there you guys are!” called Ono-D. “Are you about done here? We were gonna catch the new movie at the theater, and thought you would like to come with us.” Explained the light-haired boy. Beside him, the dark-haired Shinji enthusiastically chimed in.

“It's a really awesome movie, and I got some discount passes! Come on, we can make it with time to spare if we go now!” he said.

“Sounds like fun! I'm in!” replied Mizuki. The two boys' smiles grew larger as they looked to Kyoko.

“I don't know if I…” she began.

“Oh, come on! We can call this a celebration for cracking the case!” pressured Mizuki. Looking at Souske and Kana, Kyoko knew that they would stay on track.

“Well, if Kana doesn't think she needs me to help her out…” she began.

“Souske and I can handle it from here, Kyoko.” Said Kana, sounding a bit distracted. Souske nodded.

“That is correct. Please enjoy the movie for us.” Added the mercenary.

“What? You mean you two aren't going?” gasped Shinji.

“Affirmative. We have other business tonight.” Said the serious young man.

“But…!” began Shinji.

“Man, Souske, do you have any idea of how hard it is to get passes for a blockbuster like this on opening night, no less?!” exploded Ono-D. “You have got to come see it with us.” He stated.

“Kana-chan, you should take this opportunity to enjoy some leisure time.” Came Orin's voice from behind Hayashimizu. Kana gaped at her.

“Huh?” she managed.

“It's all right, Kana. Souske and I will handle this tonight.” Said the girl confidently. “Besides, you have been spending most of your time here, and it would be good for you to get some time away from this.” Added the girl. Kana's eyes slid to Souske for an instant. Her lips tightened a little.

“Fine! I'll tag along with Kyoko.” She said, tossing her head. “And what about you, Hayashimizu?” she challenged her boss.

“I have a meeting to attend to with the regional scholastics board.” Said the white-uniformed President. “But I thank you for the thought.” He added urbanely. Rising, he turned for the door.

“Well, let's get going.” Said Ono-D excitedly. The others swiftly left the room, Kana trailing a little ways behind the others. Before she could close the door, she looked back to see Souske watching her.

“Please enjoy your evening, Kana.” He said.

“Um, yeah.” She replied. “See you later?” she asked. He nodded.

“Roger that.” He agreed. The door slid shut behind her. Turning to Orin, he found her smiling at him. “Ready, Orin-chan?” he asked her. She shook her head.

“First, we need to change into something less conspicuous.” She said, motioning to her school uniform. “We need to go by your place and mine to change our clothes.” She said.

“I see. Which place should we go to first?” he asked her. She smiled a little more.

“Your place first, then mine, as I will need a bit longer to get ready.” Said the gracious girl. He nodded.

“Understood. This way.” Said the man, leading her toward the door.

The two made their way out of the school and hailed a taxi. While they headed toward the apartment complex where he lived, Orin watched him check his strange PDA-like thing three times. As they stopped next to his building, she exited the cab with him. “You do live very close to Kana, don't you?” she noted, her tone a bit surprised.

“It is necessary.” Was all he said as he entered the lobby of his building and pushed the button for the elevator. While they waited for it, Orin looked around the place a bit, absently tucking her arm through his. Other than a quick glance, he showed no reaction to it. Stepping into the elevator, the two rode up to his floor.

Exiting the elevator, Orin watched Souske calmly pull his gun from its holster and prepare the key to his apartment with his off hand. Approaching the door, he silently used his key-hand to gently push the girl against the wall next to his door. Crouching down, he studied the door intently for a moment before inserting the key and turning the lock. With the door unlocked, he withdrew the key, pocketed it and took Orin's hand in his own.

Without a warning, he jerked her with him as he used his shoulder to knock the door open, gun up as he moved into the room, Orin behind him. Three steps in, he kicked the door shut with his heel and moved into the main room, gun sweeping ahead of him. After a few moments of silent checking, he holstered his gun.

“Do you do that every time?” wondered Orin.

“Negative. If the tell-tale I put on the door has been disturbed, I toss in a stun grenade before entering the room. If there are signs that the door has been forced, I toss in a fragmentation grenade first.” He replied.

“Oh.” Was all Orin said, looking around the small studio apartment. There was a kitchen area on one side of the main room, an open-wall room that served as a bedroom, and a small bathroom. Stacked on a simple table was a large amount of high-tech equipment, with a simple folding metal chair in front of it. The bed was a full bed, but very simple and basic. Beside the bed, there was a large duffle bag spread on the floor, with stacks of neatly-folded clothes on top of it.

“How should we camouflage ourselves for this evening?” asked Souske, interrupting her visual inspection of his home. Orin turned to look at him.

“What do you have that doesn't scream `military'?” she asked him. He considered that.

“I have a suit.” He noted. She shook her head.

“Too formal.” She said, crossing to look over his clothes. “Is this all you have?” she asked him, seeing the folded clothes on top of the large duffle bag.

“Affirmative.” He replied. Pointing to each stack, he named them off. “I have fatigues in desert, forest, black and olive drab, tee shirts in khaki, black and woodland, cargo shorts in tan and black, field jacket, tactical gear, combat boots, and underwear. What other clothes would I need?” he wondered. Orin decided not to answer that one.

“I suppose that a pair of the black pants and a khaki tee shirt would be ok.” She said. He nodded.

“Understood.” He said, tugging off his school uniform as if she wasn't standing there. As he swiftly put his uniform up, Orin turned and made her way toward the kitchen. Glancing around, she noted boxes of some sort of rations, water, and nothing else.

“Is this all you live off of?” she asked him, turning to see him standing next to his bed in his boxers. Her hand covered her mouth, smothering her gasp. He's handsome, in a beat-up kind of way. She thought, seeing numerous scars on his body. He's lean and wiry, like a greyhound or a lightweight boxer. She noted, seeing him briefly adjust himself before stepping into the fatigues. I wonder how the rest of him looks? She thought to herself.

“Field rations are the most expedient means of sustaining my operational capability.” He replied, unaware of her attention. “I have sufficient supplies for three months of operations before requiring re-supply.” Orin continued watching him.

“I've always heard that military rations are bland and hard to eat.” She opinioned. Souske shrugged.

“I have eaten them my entire life, as a basic meal. Most times, they can be augmented with local meats or spices to make it less monotonous.” He said in response.

“I see.” Murmured Orin, seeing the young man pull on his shirt and begin to re-situate the weapons he carried. The pile on his bed was surprisingly large. Within five minutes, he was ready to go.

The two moved back to the front of the building and caught another taxi to her house, where he accompanied her to her room, though he stopped outside the door and waited while she stepped in to change. When she emerged fifteen minutes later, she was done out in a sleeveless blouse, a mid-thigh length skirt and flats, her hair pulled back into a short pony tail. Around her neck, she wore a necklace, and she had apparently applied a bit of makeup as well. As she stepped closer, he caught a scent of perfume from her.

Stopping in front of him, she slowly turned in a full circle, giving him a good look at her outfit. “Well?” she asked him. He managed to stop staring and look her in the eyes.

“That is a very nice outfit.” He managed. Orin tended to wear her skirts much longer than Kana did; about a hand above her knees, as opposed to Kana's a bit more than half-way up her thighs preference. Granted, Kana had longer legs than Orin, but the slightly older girl was not a dog by any means.

“I'm glad you like it.” She said. Retrieving a purse, she once more took his arm. “Shall we?” she asked him. He nodded.

“Affirmative, Orin-chan.”

 

-

 

Kana found herself having to smother a sigh as the movie finally ended. It had been an OK movie, but she just couldn't get into it. Beside her, Kyoko had been periodically looking at her as she tapped her foot impatiently, hardly looking at the screen, her eyes on her watch and cell phone, set for silent mode in the theater.

Mizuki and the two boys had enjoyed the movie immensely, and they were boisterous and energetic as the five of them left the theater. Stepping over to the restroom, Kana tended to business, once more checking her cell phone. “If you're that concerned, call him.” Came Kyoko's voice from the next stall. Kaname flinched.

“But if I do that, then…” she began, only to trail off. Sighing, she exited the stall and stepped to the sink. A moment later, Kyoko was standing at the sink next to hers.

“Then what?” asked Kyoko innocently. Kana refused to answer that question. “So, he planning on coming by your place later tonight like he has all week?” asked the girl, drying her hands.

“Yeah. I'm making him some grilled steak tonight.” She said, her mind on other things. Kyoko grinned at her.

“Kaname, why don't you just date him?” she asked her friend. The taller girl frowned.

“It's complicated, Kyoko.” She said, thinking of the things she knew that Kyoko didn't know about the serious young man. “It's not like he's a normal guy or anything.” She added, thinking of the incident in the woods outside the North Korean base.

“Just because he's not a normal guy doesn't mean you can't date him, Kana.” Noted Kyoko, firmly pushing Kaname through the door. Outside, the others were waiting for the two. When told that they were going to McDonalds for snacks, her face took on an irritated expression of impatience. While they walked to the near-by fast food joint, she once more checked her phone.

 

-

 

Orin and Souske were sitting on a bench, watching the sedan that Kyoko had taken a picture of dropping off girl after girl at a modest and unassuming apartment complex. Orin had her arm linked with his, and was resting her head on his shoulder, the picture of girl on a date with a guy she both liked and trusted. Souske was discreetly noting the number of girls, the license plate numbers of the cars that stopped and the number of men coming and going to and from the small apartment complex.

“That girl is from Houra High School.” Said Orin softly, seeing a girl in an eye-catching uniform exit the dark sedan with two other girls. “It's a girls' high school about two kilometers from Jindai.” She added. Souske nodded minutely.

“Roger that.” He said softly. Over the course of the last two hours, she had been identifying the uniforms and even occasionally the girls themselves as they arrived. They had yet to see the girls from their school.

Along with identifying the uniforms, Orin was keeping an eye out for anyone paying undue attention to the two of them. Seven times, the two of them had done some extended necking while people either coming or going from the target building watched them curiously. Souske had no complaints, and Orin seemed to enjoy the kissing as well.

“It appears that they work shifts.” Noted Souske. “Each girl seems to be on an approximately two hour shift, and from the looks of things, each girl has an assigned location.” He added. The apartment building had no outward vantage points, so they had to assume that the girls were going to different apartments to conduct their `business'. Orin had been doing some private thinking and decided that the most expedient way to run such an outfit would be to buy the building, move all the current tenants out, put in a small security force and turn the other units into the work site.

“It would seem so.” She agreed, leaning over to kiss him again. After a few moments, she broke the kiss. “It would be very inexpensive to run such a place if an organization was behind it. It would be a steady, renewable source of income for a gang.” She concluded. Souske said nothing to that issue, choosing another instead.

“It is still an enemy base of operations, and we need to destroy it.” He said simply. Orin slowly nodded.

“True, but we need to be careful of the means we use.” She cautioned him. “There are two factors to keep in mind, Souske.” She continued. “First is that we need to expose the ones behind it in order to kill it off, and secondly, we should try to deal with the situation with the girls as discreetly as possible. It would be inappropriate to spread this all over the news.”

“Understood.” Said Souske. “What do you propose?” he asked her. Orin considered that for a bit.

“I think we need to make sure that we have the correct information before we take this to Hayashimizu.” She said at last. “And that means, we go inside.” She decided. Feeling Souske reach for his gun, she tugged on his arm.

“That would not be the best way.” She cautioned him. Standing, she smiled at him. “Let's try another approach, shall we?” she suggested. He nodded, rising to stand beside her. Together, the two crossed the street and moved toward the building. As they approached the building, Orin evaluated the options open to her.

Settling on the most likely one, she glanced at Souske. I hope he isn't as stiff as he seems about this. She thought. Nearing the building, she squeezed his arm a little. When he glanced at her, she maintained steady eye contact. “We're going to go in, and that means we will be expected to do some things.” She said softly. “Can you trust me enough to follow my lead?” she asked.

“I think so.” He said, a bit tensely. They neared the entrance.

“Good, then here goes.” She said, smiling brightly as the two marched through the doors, ignoring the guys sitting just beyond the entrance and moving for the desk. Arriving at the desk, Orin smiled at the man. “Hi! I'm Atsuko, and I was told to see you for my key.” She said, mentally crossing her fingers. The man glanced at her, then Souske.

“You must be the new girl.” He said, tossing her a key. “Room 303.” He said, his attention going back to the small TV he was watching. Orin took the key.

“Thank you!” she gushed, grabbing Souske's hand and pulling him along. As the two made their way toward the indicated room, they counted doors, noted the layout and watched for any signs of alternate entrances. When they reached Room 303, Orin slid the key into the door and opened it, revealing an apartment a bit smaller than Souske's own, sporting a large bed as the centerpiece.

Closing the door behind themselves, they looked around the room, quickly spotting a small camera in the corner above the main wall. It gave the device a good view of the room without being obtrusive. Seeing it, they glanced at each other. Mentally shrugging, Orin stepped into Souske and sealed her lips to his. Caught off guard at first, Souske swiftly began to return the kiss. It's not really moving in on Kana-chan's man, as she hasn't claimed him yet. She thought to herself before pushing those thoughts aside.

Orin was not a virgin, though she was hardly `easy'. As the daughter of the Mikihara group, she was sheltered to a fair degree in some ways, and ridiculously worldly in others. It made for an odd outlook on life. Since she had met Souske, she had come to realize that his outlook on life was as twisted as her own - maybe more so, though in a different way. She had found herself comfortable with his presence, and derived endless amusement from watching him and Kana play off each other.

Souske found himself enjoying this situation. As he kissed Orin, his hands carefully roamed her sides and back, recalling the as-yet incomplete directions from his instructor in these matters. I begin to see how Kurz is so distracted by this activity. He thought to himself. If I weren't on a mission, I could easily be distracted by Orin, Kyoko, Mizuki and Kana. He thought. Thoughts of missions brought his mind back to business, though that happened to be Orin at the moment.

Breaking the kiss, he eased back from her a little. She was smiling at him warmly, her arms around his waist. “Orin, do…?” he began. She touched one fingertip to his lips.

“It's ok, Souske.” She said softly. “Just follow my lead, ok?” she breathed next to his ear. Souske shivered as she playfully nipped his earlobe with her teeth.

“R…Roger.” He managed. Orin giggled a little.

“Good.” She purred, resuming the kiss. As she teased his tongue with her own, she let her fingers drift along his chest, feeling his defined muscles. Orin felt her groin becoming warm and could feel her arousal growing. After a few moments of tracing his muscles, she grabbed a handful of his tee shirt and tugged them out of his pants, slipping her hands under the shirt to touch his chest directly. He twitched as her soft, small hands caressed his scarred chest. In short order, she had his shirt off him and on the floor.

Taking his cue from her, he began to work her sleeveless blouse off her. Since it didn't have any buttons, he decided that removing it like a tee shirt would be the most practical. Pushing his hands under her top, he moved up along her sides, taking the top with them. As his hands moved off her skirt and onto her warm, silken flesh, he felt his dick jerk in approval. As his hands neared her chest, he felt her bra.

Orin smothered a giggle as he reached her chest. Easing back, she raised her arms, allowing him to easily slip her top off. As her top dropped to the floor, she smiled at his reaction to seeing her bra. “Like what you see, Souske?” she asked him, her tone betraying her arousal, which was swiftly growing. He nodded.

She had chosen her bra with this possibility in mind, and his reaction was just what she had been looking for. Thin, sheer and small, the bra didn't so much support her as it showcased her breasts. Possessing smaller breasts than Kaname, she was still far from flat, and she had always thought her breasts suited her build perfectly. Firm and shapely, her breasts were just at the limit of a B-cup, but not large enough for a C-cup. Her nipples were a delicate light brown, and her areolas - while large - were not overly so. Currently, the nipples were hard and the areolas were puffy with her lust.

Souske swallowed with a bit of difficulty as he drank in the sight of her chest. The scrap of sheer lace that passed for a bra was no more than an enticement to notice her breasts, consisting of a thin strap around her chest, and cups that only just touched the top of her nipples. There were no shoulder straps, and the clip between her breasts seemed downright flimsy. Instinctively, he reached out and closed his hands around her breasts, firmly kneading them. Orin moaned.

“Souske.” She breathed, pushing her chest into his hands. Souske leaned into her for another kiss, which she gladly gave him, feeling the front clasp of her bra pop open from his manipulation of her chest. Let's get it, then! She thought lecherously, her hands eagerly going to work on his belt and pants. As she worked his pants down, she felt her hands brush his erect member. Oh, that feels nice! She thought. Moments later, she tugged his boxers down and her hands closed on her prize.

Breaking the kiss, Souske leaned back from her a bit, trembling as she caressed his erection. Reluctantly taking his hands off her breasts, he saw her bra flutter to the floor, leaving her topless. Feeling around her waistband, he found the zipper for her skirt and managed to get it unzipped. A couple of tugs, and the skirt landed at her feet, revealing a matching pair of boy-short style panties. Like the bra, they had very little to do with concealing her, and everything to do with showcasing her bare sex.

Mesmerized, Souske reached out and touched the front of her panties, earning him a shiver from the girl. He slowly trailed his fingers along her bare mons. Seeing his enraptured look, she took a moment to explain. “I keep myself bare because it is much easier that way.” She said, feeling her pussy drool. “It also makes certain outfits feel and look better.” She added. Almost all the girls at school kept themselves trimmed to one degree or another, mostly because of the school swimsuit. A few - like Orin - kept themselves completely bare.

Souske had slid her panties off her and was back to exploring her sex, which pushed all thoughts except getting laid from her mind. Impatiently stepping free of her panties and skirt, she pushed herself to him full length, his dick throbbing against her belly as she kissed him passionately. He returned the kiss, hugging her to himself. For several seconds, the only sounds were the soft moans and pants of the two.

Finally breaking off the kiss, Orin leaned back a little, leering at him. “There's a bed right over there.” She noted, indicating the bed behind them. Dumbly, he nodded. Taking his hand, she pulled him to the bed, Souske having some trouble because his pants and boxers were around his ankles. As Orin lay down on the bed, he took a moment to get his pants, boxers, boot and socks off, leaving him naked. While he did this, Orin discreetly checked to make sure she was wet enough, finding herself to be more than ready.

When Souske finished and turned to get into bed with Orin, he found her lying on her back, both hands caressing her breasts, legs open, with an inviting smile on her face. Releasing her breasts, she opened her arms to him. His instincts doing all the thinking for him, Souske accepted her wordless invitation and all but dove between her knees. Even as he got his elbows settled, he was feeling her warm entrance against his tip. Pushing forward, he sank into her tight passage.

“Ah!” gasped Orin, feeling herself open to him. Moving her legs around his hips, she hooked her ankles together and wrapped her arms around his chest, sealing her lips to his. Even as she did this, he was working himself into her fully. Once he felt himself buried in her to the base, he paused for a moment before beginning to slowly thrust into her. Orin moaned, gasped and panted as she swiftly built toward orgasm.

In what felt like seconds, Souske felt himself growing nearer to the edge, his pace almost brutal, though Orin seemed to like it just fine. The girl was urging him on with her legs and arms, beyond speech as she tottered on the edge of release. Surrendering to his needs, Souske grabbed her chest in his arms and sat back, bringing her with him as he buried himself in her as deeply as he could, feeling his dick spasm as the first of his cum exploded into her.

Orin clung to him as she felt him climax inside her, the sensation and change in position all she needed to complete her own orgasm. The last thing she heard for a bit was Souske's voice, groaning her name in her ear. For the next bit, she was elsewhere.

Both of the teens found themselves still joined, clinging to each other on the bed. Orin could feel him in her passage, but didn't want to move yet. Souske could feel her inner muscles occasionally twitching, and it felt good on his semi-deflated dick. For several minutes, the two were silent, resting their heads on each other's shoulders as they held each other tight. Orin was the first to speak. “I enjoyed that, Souske.” She said softly.

“As did I.” He agreed. She's different from Kyoko, but they both feel so good. He thought. I wonder how Kana would feel? He wondered before shaking his head. She's the mission objective, stupid! He reminded himself. Orin felt him shake his head.

“Thinking about Kana?” she guessed shrewdly. Souske flinched. Thought so. The girl thought to herself smugly. “Hey, it's ok.” She assured him. “You know, I think she likes you.” She said.

“R…what makes you think that?” he asked, finding himself hopeful. Orin just giggled.

“Call it girls' intuition, Souske, but I think she's sweet on you.” She explained without explaining. The young man considered that. “So, do you like her?” asked Orin, leaning back a bit to study his eyes.

“Kaname? I…it's my job to protect her.” He said, unsure of what he should tell her. “Should we be discussing her right now? I mean…?” he trailed off, gesturing to the two of them with one hand. Orin nodded.

“Yes, I think we should be, Souske.” She replied calmly. “Because she is central to this.” He blinked at her. Orin chose her words, then continued. “Souske, I do like you and I enjoyed this,” she twitched her hips for emphasis, “but I am not looking for a relationship of this type with you.” She said, watching him closely. He considered her words.

“Field necessity.” He said, nodding to himself. “I understand.” He added. Orin considered that for a moment.

“I guess that will suffice.” She said. “However, Souske,” she continued. “I want you to know that this was not all about necessity. I chose to let this happen because I wanted to. Understand?”

“I…think so.” He managed. “You were not adverse to the requirement of the mission.” Orin frowned a bit.

“I think it is more accurate to say that I was not adverse to the requirement of the mission since it was you that I was paired with.” She clarified. Seeing his odd look, she tried again. “Like I said, I like you, Souske, and I hope we can still be friends like before in spite of this night.” She said. “Think of it as some extra training.” She added, hitting on an idea. Souske's eyes brightened.

“More training. I understand, Orin-chan.” He said eagerly. “I thank you for the additional instruction in this matter.” It was Orin's turn to blink.

“Um…sure.” She said, sounding a bit confused. Is it what I said or the way he heard it that's causing this? She wondered. Oh well, as long as this doesn't cost me his friendship and doesn't interfere with Kana's play for him, it's all the same. She thought. “So, shall we?” she asked him, reluctantly sliding back from him, feeling his member slip free of her inner passage. Souske nodded.

“Affirmative.” He agreed.

 

-

 

Kaname yawned as she exited the shower and began to dress for school. As usual, she was feeling sluggish and weak, though it was getting better every minute she was awake. As she dressed for the day, she turned on the morning news to catch anything of interest. “Not like Kyoko will miss anything, but it helps to be prepared.” She muttered to herself, smiling a little at the thought of her friend. Her attention was diverted by the TV as she was buttoning her school shirt. Turning to look at the TV, she turned up the sound.

“And in breaking news, there was an unexplained explosion and fire in this small apartment complex this morning at about five am. The source and cause of the blast and fire are as yet undetermined. No lives were lost, and there appear to have been some sort of illegal trade going on in this building, as several people have been telling the police investigators about odd traffic and other mysterious occurrences in the building over the last six months. More as we discover it.” Kana blinked as the news moved on. Thoughtfully, she stepped into her skirt and zipped it up. As she did so, she absently touched her charm. Suddenly, she smiled and swiftly completed her preparation for school, jogging out the door and down the hall to the elevator.

As she exited the building, she spotted Souske approaching her, dressed in the school uniform. Not for the first time, she caught herself thinking that he looked good in the uniform. “Good morning, Kana.” He said politely. Kaname smiled at him.

“Yes, so I see.” She replied mysteriously. Side by side, the two headed for school. To those they passed, they looked like another high school couple. And in an odd way, they were. As they neared the gate to the school, Kana couldn't resist any longer. “Hey, Souske?” she asked him. He turned his head to look at her. “You're done with the assignment, right? To guard Orin-chan, I mean.” She clarified. He nodded.

“Affirmative. I resumed my guard detail on you as of 05:45 hours this morning.” He confirmed. Kana wasn't sure why she felt her heart beat faster at that news. “Why ask? Has someone been following you? Or making obscene phone calls to your house? Have there been more kidnap attempts?” he asked her intently. Kana felt her eyebrow twitch.

“Of course not, Souske!” she said, her fingers touching her fan. “Why do you always have to jump to such weird conclusions?!” she yelled at him.

“It's good to see you back to normal, Kana!” came the cheerful - if slyly amused - voice of Kyoko. Kaname turned to see her friend snapping a picture of the two.

“If you call having a war-crazed one-man disaster following me around `normal'.” She scoffed. Kyoko just smiled at her innocently.

“Well, maybe I could get him to follow me around for a week or so.” She suggested innocently. “Just to give you a short break.” She added evilly. Kana found herself scowling at Kyoko before she could think about it.

“Forget it, Kyoko.” She said, a bit sharply. “He's better off with me.”

“Oh?” needled Kyoko. Kaname's face grew warm as she realized how that had come out. She was saved for the moment by the morning bell, announcing that classes would be starting soon.

“Come on, we're gonna be late.” She said, leading the other two into the school.

 

-

 

Orin and Hayashimizu waited on Kana and Souske to arrive at the Student Council Room. As usual, Hayashimizu was reading and Orin was standing just behind his chair, sipping a cup of tea. Things had been quiet since they had finished the matter of the compensated dating ring three days before. To Orin's immense relief, Souske had not acted any differently around her than he had before they had slept together. He also kept his mouth shut. She thought, somewhat relieved. If he had of told anyone, she would not have denied it, but she was glad all the same that he hadn't told anyone about it. Especially Kana. She added.

Just then, the two in question came into the room, side by side, just like a couple. Orin had been watching them closely for some time, but even more so since she had talked with Souske about her. The signs of them being together were getting stronger and stronger with each day. “Souske. Kaname.” She greeted them politely.

“Yeah, yeah.” Waved Kaname. “What have you done this time, Souske?” she asked the young man at her side.

“Actually, Kaname, this isn't about Souske.” Interjected Hayashimizu. “It's about our rugby team.”

 

 

End chapter 2