Those Who Hunt Elves Fan Fiction ❯ Paths Taken: Destinations ❯ Destinations ( Chapter 1 )

Paths Taken: Destination

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A Those Who Hunt Elves fanfic by Alpha-Zulu

Note: this is a sort of epilog to Paths Not Taken. While it can be read as a stand-alone, many elements will be unfamiliar due to the events that occurred in that story. It would be worth reading `Those Who Hunt…Eva?' as well given the impact the events of that story has on the characters.

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“You know, I don't think I have ever met your mom before,” chirped the high-school girl as she fell into place beside her boyfriend. The two were wrapping up the school day, and about to head home. After several attempts to visit his house, she had finally managed to get a confirmation that she could come visit. He had visited her house a few times, and they had gone on dates around town, of course, but for some reason, it was like something always seemed to keep her from visiting his house. “I wonder what she will be like,” the girl mused aloud, absently waving to some of her friends and a staff member or two as they passed down the third-year halls.

“You must have,” her boyfriend said, glancing to his side. “She had been to school before, for festivals and the parent-teacher visits and the parents' days before,” he stated. His girlfriend of five months was a cheerful, pretty young woman. She was something of a social butterfly, but was also pretty grounded and serious at times. She wore their school uniform with the skirt a bit shorter than most, the blouse a little tighter and thinner than most as well, but still within the school guidelines. Given her build, it was no wonder. Black hair to her shoulder-blades, she had a pretty face, shapely body and the vibrant personality to match. She was ranked by the boys in school as one of the top five girls in the entire school.

“We weren't in the same class until this year,” noted his girlfriend, “and the last parents' day was just after we started dating, and only your father showed,” she reminded him. He frowned for a moment, thinking back for a moment.

“Guess you are right. Mom had something come up and couldn't make it,” he admitted. It was far from uncommon for his mom to go on trips suddenly or have to miss functions she deemed of lower priority. That was not to say she wasn't involved in things - she knew everything that happened at school and in his social life, she kept a tight eye on the school staff and issues going on around town to an almost worrying degree. He strongly suspected she was in his phone and computer as well, but he had never caught her, and didn't have the nerve to confront her about it; mostly because he knew she would be honest if he did - brutally so, in his experience.

Seeing a fellow Student Council member gesture to him, he paused so the two could talk a little shop. His girlfriend waited, absently checking her phone and the bulletin board. It didn't take him long to wrap up the brief talk, and he and his girlfriend resumed their trek to the exit. She gave him a teasing look. “Aren't you so devoted, mister Student Council,” she giggled playfully.

“Knock it off, Ayano,” he snorted. “I only ran for the position because it would look good on my college applications,” he insisted. She giggled again.

“If that is the case, why do you do such a good job?” she challenged. He glanced over at her.

“Because if I half-assed it, mom would know,” he replied dryly. “By the way, aren't you ditching club?” he asked her, turning the topic back to her.

“All the third years are retired now,” she shrugged. “I just stop by to encourage the freshmen and make sure things are being done right.” His girlfriend had been in the tennis club and the badminton clubs both when she started high school, but had focused on the tennis club her last year. The Girls Tennis Club had made it to the prefectural high school finals, but been defeated in the final round. He knew that she had wanted to make the nationals, but it hadn't worked out. Fortunately, she was practical about the situation and didn't mope over it. “Maybe they will make it next year,” she mused. “What about you?” she asked, her tone teasing and a little challenging.

“Student Council work keeps me pretty busy,” he began.

“The change-over is in a few weeks, and the new council is already handling the work. Did you go to your club at all this last semester?” she challenged playfully.

Her boyfriend had been in the soccer club for the last two years, and was pretty good. The girls in school ranked him as one of the top ten hotties in school, and there had been some stiff competition to land him as a boyfriend. A few girls had managed it, but so far, none of them had managed to seal the deal as it were. In four weeks, Ayano would take the title of longest-running girlfriend. She looked forward to it, actually, as a few of the ex-girlfriends had been obnoxious to her and spread some nasty rumors about her when she landed him.

“I dropped by last week,” he replied calmly.

“Wasn't that to remind the new captain to submit the paperwork for the club budget before the deadline?” asked Ayano sweetly. Her boyfriend shrugged.

“Still counts,” he countered, smiling at her. She pouted cutely.

“Cheater,” she snorted dismissively. He chuckled a little, making her smile as her heart raced a little at the sound. “Did you check the rankings?” she asked him. He shook his head, which didn't surprise her. He was never that concerned with his grade and school ranking. “Well, we are both in the top ten percent again,” she reported. “I am ranked seventh in grade, you are ranked ninth in grade. In school ranking, you are ranked tenth and I made it to twelfth,” she reported.

“Are you saying I won?” he grinned at her.

“At best it is a draw,” she dismissed. “I won in grade, you won in school,” she explained piously. He just smiled at her.

“Whatever you say,” he serenely dismissed the issue. She pouted again for a moment.

“Anyway, I have been wondering what sort of woman your mother is,” she returned to the previous topic. “From what the other girls say, it seems like she is a mystery. Is she a housewife? Maybe a business woman? Is she like an anime character? I'm really curious and can't wait to meet her!” she smiled excitedly.

“Mom?” her boyfriend said aloud, his tone contemplative. “I guess she is a housewife,” he allowed. “But she doesn't spend all her time at home,” he considered. “And she isn't like any of my friends' mothers,” he noted. “I really don't think she is like any anime character I can think of.”

“If mom were an anime character, her intro music would be heavy metal,” came a voice from his side opposite his girlfriend, followed immediately by someone grabbing his arm. He sighed.

“You are cutting club again, little sis,” he said sternly.

“No I am not,” she denied. “First of all, the pool is closed for cleaning and maintenance this week, and secondly, I quit the swimming club,” she replied easily, tossing her hair, which was up in a pony-tail. He glanced at his younger sister. A first-year in high school, she was already being talked about by the boys and with good reason. Outgoing, pretty, smart and athletic, she was also a bit of a trouble-maker, instigator and lone-wolf. “Besides, I only joined because they needed another member to keep their budget, and I only did that because Umeko begged me to and offered to pay me to help them” she sniffed dismissively.

“Mercenary,” muttered her big brother. She shrugged, unconcerned. “Mom is going to know you quit, you know,” he reminded her.

“She already knows,” came the reply. “I am considering what club to join next. The automotive club, the track and field club, the gymnastics club and the literature club are all asking me to join, but I think I might want to check out a few other prospects. The Going Home club seems a good fit,” she grinned.

“Good luck selling that to mom,” he snorted. She gave him an innocent, charming smile.

“I thought I would sell it to dad and let him sell it to mom,” she nearly gloated.

“You are a trouble-maker, sis,” he sighed. She just laughed softly.

“But Chiaki, weren't you one of the better swim club members? I recall you set two club records your first week. I think Moe-chan said one of them still stands,” Ayano interjected. She was fairly familiar with the younger sister of her boyfriend for many reasons.

“So?” shrugged the younger girl. “I mean, yeah, I like swimming, but not enough to do it every day,” she explained. “And if I am going to do something, I will give it my best, because why wouldn't you?” reasoned the girl. “Besides, if I wanted tan lines, I would want them to be from a cuter swimsuit than a racing suit,” she added indifferently. Ayano could relate to that. Tan lines from a racing suit made it harder to wear pretty dresses or certain outfits, after all, without looking weird.

“Did you check the rankings?” asked Ayano.

“Third in grade, thirteenth in school,” replied the younger girl indifferently, one hand absently checking her pony tail. “You coming home with us today?” she asked the older girl.

“Yes,” Ayano smiled at her boyfriend. The younger sibling glanced at her big brother.

“Mom know?” she asked. He nodded.

“You know, I am getting very curious about your mom, the way you two are acting,” Ayano said, frowning a little. “What kind of person is your mother, exactly?”

“If she were an anime character, her intro music would be heavy metal,” her boyfriend parroted what his little sister had said earlier.

Further conversation was halted as the trio reached the school gate, where a group of students were loitering. Chiaki sighed, letting go of her brother's arm. “I'll catch up, big brother,” she said, moving toward the group. Ayano recognized a few of the group as trouble-makers and bullies, mostly from second year. Still, Chiaki didn't hesitate as she marched toward them.

“Is she going to be ok?” she asked her boyfriend. He glanced over.

“Should be fine,” he replied.

“Are you sure? That big one is known to be a bully and has a bad reputation among the girls,” she whispered.

Her boyfriend looked over again, seeing his little sister stopped in front of the group, hands on hips in a pose he had seen from his mother a few times. “Yeah, should be fine,” he repeated himself. “This is Chiaki you are talking about, remember?” he said, giving her a smile.

“True,” she allowed, though she still looked worried. The two exited the gates, leaving the younger sister to face the group alone.

Reaching the bus stop, they waited for the next bus. Living as they did in the country - relatively speaking - they had a bit of a commute. The high school was in the biggest of three modest towns, and due to declining population, the four small towns around it all sent their kids to the schools in the biggest town. Farms were the main industry, and the entire area felt like the country to the kids, most of who could hardly wait to make it to college and/or the big city. He and his sister were not among that group for various reasons.

The bus arrived, and as they were getting aboard, Chiaki arrived in a full sprint, all but jumping onto the bus just before the doors closed. She was barely breathing hard from a sprint that must have been nearly a half a kilometer. She dropped into a seat across from the couple, one hand tucking her school skirt as she dropped down. Ayano saw a few smudges on her blouse and a button seemed to be missing from her blouse. “Um, Chiaki-chan, you are missing a button,” she said quietly, gesturing to the spot where the button was missing. Frowning, the younger sister checked her blouse, finding the button missing.

A scowl appeared on her face. “Oh, they will pay for that,” she muttered before smiling a diabolic smile. “That will cost them so much,” she purred evilly.

“Just don't overdo it, sis,” admonished her boyfriend.

“Who? Me?” she asked, evil smile still in place.

“Yes, you,” he confirmed dryly. “What was that about, anyway?” he asked her.

“Just some first-year stuff,” she flipped a hand dismissively. “Just needed to make them understand certain things,” she added.

“Do we need to get our stories straight for when mom inevitably asks about it?” he wondered.

“There is no story to get straight,” insisted Chiaki. “They were being jerks and bullies to some of my friends, so I had to straighten them out,” explained the younger girl.

“Uh huh,” grunted her brother. “Any of them need medical care?” he asked, sounding resigned.

“Probably not,” came the careless answer. “Can't say that won't be true next time,” she muttered. Ayano considered this strange conversation.

“I heard your dad was in the JSDF,” she shared, “did he teach you how to defend yourself?” she wondered.

“Some,” shrugged her boyfriend. Seeing the look on his girlfriend's face, he signed. “Mom taught us some stuff, too,” he admitted.

Now I am really curious, thought Ayano. Just what kind of person is their mom? Talk turned to other things until they reached their stop, the three getting off. The bus stop was a small, road-side bus shelter rather than a bus station or stop like in the town. Without a word, the two siblings started walking down the road, heading further into the country. Ayano hurried after them. “So, how far is your house?” she asked, looking around.

“We have a bit of a walk still,” Chiaki supplied, stretching her arms before holding out her bag to her brother. “Carry my bag, brother,” she commanded.

“Carry it yourself,” he replied indifferently. Chiaki pouted.

“Then carry me,” she offered a compromise.

“Why would I not carry your bag but carry you? You are heavier than your bag,” he pointed out.

“Because you are my strong big brother, and I am your cute, adorable little sister?” she asked sweetly.

“You are one of those things, anyway,” he blandly replied.

“Then you should at least carry Ayano's bag,” came the immediate rejoiner. He looked at her with a questioning look. “It is a long walk, and she will be tired by the time we get there, and besides, aren't you her boyfriend? It is a boyfriend's duty to carry his girlfriend's bag,” she stated confidently.

“I thought that was purchases,” he replied.

“Those, too, of course, obviously,” the little sister replied. “Give me a piggy-back ride, big brother,” she insisted. “You used to give me those all the time,” she reminded him.

“When we were kids,” he denied her argument. Grinning, she spun lightly on the balls of her feet to walk backward, hand behind her head, school bag hanging negligently from one hand.

“Just carry Ayano already, stop being so stubborn and rude,” she ordered.

“You carry her, if it bothers you so much,” he replied. Chiaki snorted, turning her attention to Ayano.

“Give up on this hopeless boy, Ayano. You see how utterly clueless he is about girls,” she said, smiling sharply.

“I think it is kind of cute,” Ayano replied, peeking at her boyfriend. He rolled his eyes. I had heard the girls talking about him before, but he really is a different kind of guy, she thought. Though she and he had made out and done some petting, he was never overly-pushy about it like some of her previous boyfriends, and he also wasn't easily led around like most boys, either. He was funny, charming and interesting, but nothing like the other boys she had dated. Is that because of his family life? Maybe something to do with his mother? she wondered. She was honestly beginning to be excited to meet the mysterious mother of her boyfriend.

“Oh, it looks like old man Iwati is in trouble,” Chiaki said, having turned back around. Ayano blinked away her thoughts, seeing the two siblings looking at a three-wheeled farm truck on a dirt road that intersected the one they were walking on. “Let's help him out, brother,” said the girl, jogging forward then down the dirt road toward the small truck, waving and calling out the man who had been hunched down by the light truck.

“Sorry, we're going to make a small detour,” her boyfriend said. Ayano smiled at him.

“No problem,” she assured him, the two following Chiaki's lead. When they arrived at the small truck, they found Chiaki kneeling in the dirt, looking under the truck, her school bag set aside.

“Yeah, I see it,” she said, getting back up easily and dusting off her knees.

“See what, sis?” asked her brother.

“Iwati was driving back home and then the truck suddenly stalled and lurched into the ditch. Looks like his rear tire is crooked. Probably blew out or broke the bead. At least, I hope that is all that happened,” she added. “Let's figure out how to get it back on the road, then we can check,” she ordered. Her brother set his own school bad aside and rolled up the sleeves of his school shirt.

“Yeah,” he agreed. The owner of the truck - Iwati, Ayano gathered - was a smaller man who appeared to be a bit older than her own father, his hair turning white slowly as he wrinkled up. “You feeling strong today, Iwati-san?” he asked, smiling at the older man.

“Not as strong as I was when I was your age,” the man replied.

“Let's see if the three of us can lift the back corner,” Chiaki said, having been looking at the truck from various angles as the two men talked. Ayano blinked, quickly setting her own school bag down.

“There are four of us, Chiaki-chan,” she said, smiling at the siblings. The four quickly got in position and tried to lift the corner of the truck. However, there was no good place to stand for two of them, and that prevented them from lifting the truck. After three or four attempts, Chiaki had stopped, frowning.

“We need leverage,” she stated, immediately beginning to look around. In the back of the small truck, she spotted a couple lengths of bamboo the farmer used for various things. Pulling them out, she tested them before beginning to look at what they had to work with. “If we can tie them together, then wedge them under the axel, we should be able to lift the truck with one or two of us, and the other two can push it back over onto the road,” she explained. Within minutes, she had found a bit of wire, some twine and a few tattered pieces of cloth laying around in the small truck.

“Here, I will hold them together,” her brother volunteered, grabbing the bamboo lengths and holding them tightly as his younger sister began to bind them. Ten minutes later, they had their lever and this time, they got the truck back on the road.

“Physics for the win!” declared Chiaki happily before immediately squatting and studying the tire. Iwati was wiping his face with the towel he had around his neck.

“Your tire is low on air and you have sheared off a tire stud and a nut is missing on another, which is why it is loose,” Chiaki pronounced a moment later. “Don't you ever have this thing serviced, Iwati-san?” she asked.

The older man laughed sheepishly. “I was meaning to,” he offered.

“We will take one off the other side for now, so you will have three on each, but you have to have this thing serviced,” stated the high school girl, already rummaging in the small truck. “Where is your tire iron and jack?” she asked him.

“Uh, I think they should be under the seat,” he offered, the young girl immediately checking.

“Well, the tire iron is there, but the jack is not in its spot,” she reported. “Honestly, Iwati-san, you are supposed to be a responsible adult,” chided the girl.

“Sorry,” was all he could say.

“We can use the bamboo again,” her brother said, Chiaki nodding.

“First things first, the lug nut,” she said, moving to the other side and once more squatting down, tire iron in hand.

“Chiaki-chan is going to do it herself?” asked Ayano, surprised.

“Yeah,” her brother said, picking up the bamboo lever they had made. “This is why the automotive club is after her to join,” he shared. “She's pretty good with mechanical stuff, like mom,” he added, beginning to work out a way to use the bamboo to lift the tire on the other side so it could be properly tightened.

“I guess so,” Ayano blinked. Chiaki had the lug nut off in a few moments.

“Your lug nuts here were loose, Iwati-san,” she said crisply. “A proper craftsman cares for his tools,” she added, tone disapproving.

“I am embarrassed,” the older man said, bowing to her. She moved over to the other side and in just a few minutes, she had the lug nuts started. Her brother used the bamboo to lift the wheel just a little, and his little sister got the tire seated and the lug nuts tightened a little. Once the wheel was back on the dirt road, she tightened them more before tossing the lug wrench into the small bed of the truck.

“Done with that,” she pronounced. “Try starting the engine,” she ordered. Iwati got into the truck and tried starting the engine, but it wouldn't start.

“Hmm,” hummed Chiaki, getting the hood up. “Why won't it start?” she asked herself rhetorically, beginning to poke around under the hood. Her brother had put the bamboo back in the back of the truck. Several times, she had had the man try starting it, but it never caught. “I need a wrench,” she said, holding out a hand while still under the hood of the truck.

“Do I look like a tool box?” her brother asked, but nevertheless began to see what he could find that would work.

“You do sometimes look like a tool,” snickered Chiaki.

“Smart ass,” muttered. “No wrenches, but there is a rusty pair of plyers,” he said, dropping the item into her outstretched hand.

“If that is the best you can do, I guess it will have to work,” Chiaki said, the hand and rusty tool disappearing under the hood. A minute or so later, she straightened from under the hood, only to move back to just behind the cab and lay down on the dirt road. Ayano blinked at that. Working under the truck for a minute, she was muttering to herself before finally pulling out a small metal device, some gasoline spilling from under the truck as she did so. Getting easily to her feet, she examined the item in her greasy, dirty hands.

“Was the truck stalling, hesitating and having a hard time cranking recently?” she asked, beginning to bang the item on the bed of the truck.

“Now that you mention it, it has been lately,” Iwati confirmed, scratching his chin.

“And you are still using that cheap, old gas, too,” grunted Chiaki, smacking the steel tube in her hand a few more times. “Your fuel filter is clogged, which has starved the engine of fuel,” she said. “Don't suppose you have some fuel line laying around,” she sighed, already knowing the answer.

“I think I have some in my shed,” he said.

“Let's make that the last resort,” Chiaki said, her tone thoughtful. “We don't have any fuel line, and the two ends won't meet without the filter, but the filter is done for, so how can we make this work….?” After a few moments, she dropped back down to lay on the dirt road, looking under the truck. “That might work,” she muttered.

“What might?” her brother asked.

“I need you to try to carefully rip the barb off the end of the fuel filter,” Chiaki said from where she was once more working under the truck. “It is soldered onto the end of the filter, so if you can score the solder and then carefully bend it back and forth it should snap off without collapsing the tube,” she ordered. Her brother picked up the rusty fuel filter and began to examine the barbs. “Ayano, we need a bit of fine wire if you can find any,” she ordered.

“Uh, right,” the older girl said, beginning to look around the truck. “How much?” she asked.

“About a hand-span should be enough,” came the reply, along with some sounds of metal on metal and some squealing from rusty fasteners being forced free.

In about ten minutes, Chiaki had the ripped off barb in her hand, and a bit of thin wire from Ayano. Working under the truck with the rusty plyers, she finally got back up to her feet, dusting herself off. “Ok, turn the key on, but don't try to start the engine yet,” she told the truck owner, who did as asked. Chiaki bent over and looked under the truck for several seconds. “Ok, now try to start it,” she said, nodding to herself. The man tried, the truck starting on the third try. Chiaki smiled, dusting her hands.

“Fixed for now,” she pronounced. “But you better take this to the service station first thing in the morning, Iwati-san!” she ordered.

“Yes, miss,” the man said. “Can I give you three a ride?” he asked.

“I think we're better off walking,” the brother declined the offer graciously. “Besides, you live in the other direction from us, and this thing may not have that much range left,” he added. Iwati laughed a little forcefully before getting the truck in gear.

“Thank you very much, kids,” he said. “Tell your mother I said hi,” he added, slowly driving off as Chiaki waved at him.

“I give him thirty kilometers before the injectors clog,” she sighed, squatting to grab some grass from beside the dirt road and using it to clean her hands as best she could. Picking up a scrap of cloth, she had used it to finish up.

“Um, Chiaki-chan, you are kind of covered in dirt,” Ayano pointed out. Chiaki checked herself, seeing her blouse and skirt were both covered in dirt from the road.

“Guess I am,” she said, casually unbuttoning her blouse and peeling it off before shaking it out briskly. Ayano was staring at her, trying to speak.

“Chiaki-chan!” she managed. The younger girl looked over at her.

“What?” she wondered, inspecting her blouse again.

“You're in public!” managed the older girl.

“Public? No one is around,” scoffed the girl. “You're a girl, he's my brother, and it isn't like I'm naked,” she added disdainfully. In fact, she was wearing a sports bra. “This bra covers more of me than my favorite bikini,” she smiled easily, slipping her blouse back on before reaching under it and unfastening her skirt and slipping it off, shaking it vigorously as well. Her panties were visible occasionally, but they were obviously a set with the sports bra, and as she had mentioned, they covered more than some bikinis.

Her boyfriend gave her a wry shrug. “This is how Chiaki is sometimes,” he stated.

Satisfied, Chiaki had swiftly gotten her skirt back on and straightened her clothes out. While much cleaner, they were still obviously dirty, as were her hands. “I'm getting hungry,” she said idly, holding out her hand for her school bag.

“I'll carry it, sis,” her brother said. “Don't want to have to replace it again because it got greasy from your hands,” he added.

“Suit yourself,” she said, smiling as she began to walk back to the main road. The younger sister set a brisk pace, and just over a half hour later, they came into sight of the family's home. Ayano had begun to worry as they had walked down the road, turning off onto a smaller gravel road, then off that onto another gravel road, but now they were there. “We're home,” stated Chiaki.

The house was a traditional-looking Japanese farm house by most measures, though a bit larger than many of the surrounding farms. It had a detached garage, two sheds, a workshop and an outdoor hot spring all neatly folded together in a functional format. “This is a really pretty house,” Ayano breathed.

“Yeah, not bad,” her boyfriend replied as the three reached the front door.

“Mom? Dad? We're home,” called out Chiaki, kicking off her shoes before using her toes to line them up neatly before moving into the house. Ayano blinked, seeing the house was not laid out like most traditional Japanese homes. It seemed much bigger on the inside than the outside, though she doubted it was really bigger inside than out, the effect caused by the use of space and how the rooms used perspective. She took off her shoes and followed her boyfriend into the house.

“Going to put these down,” he said, gesturing with the bags, “make yourself comfortable,” he added, moving up the stairs after his sister, who was already entering a room on the second floor. Ayano settled on the couch in what she suspected was the living room. Minutes later, the siblings returned, Chiaki wearing a tee shirt and cargo shorts, her uniform in her hands. Her brother had changed into a short-sleeved short and some jeans.

“Must be in the shop,” Chiaki had said, breezing past Ayano. “Going to get these started then check. You need anything, Ayano?” asked the girl.

“Um, where is the bathroom?” asked the older girl. Chiaki gestured with her hand.

“Down there, second door on the right,” she said, disappearing into a small room that was likely the utility or laundry room. Ayano rose and moved down the indicated hall, seeing two doors that could be the second door on right based on how you counted them. Neither were marked. Crossing her fingers, she carefully slid the first door open enough to look in. It was an office of some sort, with a small desk, two filing cabinets, a computer and a laptop, and a wall-mounted cork board/white board combo. She saw two cell phones on the corner of the desk. Strange, she thought to herself, sliding the door closed and checking the next one. It was the bathroom.

And a grand bathroom it was, too. Though not huge, it was very well appointed and made the best use of space without being so efficient that it felt cramped or tight. A tub on the larger side was against one side, with a sink opposite the door and the toilet to the right, a small linen closet behind the door. The toilet was fancier than any she had seen before, as well. Closing the door, she had relieved herself before washing her hands. After checking her appearance in the mirror, she had headed back to the living room, finding her boyfriend waiting, a small note in hand.

“Where are your parents?” she asked him.

“Hm? Oh, dad is probably in the workshop - Chiaki headed out there a minute ago. Mom left a note saying she had something come up and would be back late,” replied the young man.

“Oh,” Ayano replied, feeling disappointed.

“It happens,” shrugged the son of the woman of the house. “You want some snacks?” he asked her, gesturing to the kitchen area. Once more, Ayano was surprised how nice the kitchen area was. The appliances were all high-end, the layout efficient and the kitchen systems fully integrated.

“Your mother must love to cook,” she said, eyeing the kitchen area.

“Mom? Not really,” he said. “She cooks, yeah, and it's good, but it isn't her hobby or anything,” he shared. Ayano blinked. Not her hobby, but her kitchen is like this? What does she do for a living? And I knew they weren't poor, but maybe they are wealthier than I thought!

Her boyfriend found some snacks in the refrige and handed her one, taking another for himself. She nodded her head, unwrapping the snack. Looking around, she saw the house was a mix of Japanese and international décor and furnishings. Spotting a bunch of pictures on the wall by a low book case, she moved over to it, looking at the pictures.

The pictures were mostly smaller, but a few big ones were mixed in. The top shelf of the book case held framed portrait pictures of the family, both separately and together. Below it were some books of various size and types. The pictures were an eclectic mix, but most of them showed a red-headed young woman, often wearing a school uniform of some sort, doing various things. Looking closer, Ayano frowned. Is that a gun-belt she is wearing? And that other woman seems to be cosplaying as an elf, with those ears. Is this his mother when she was younger? Was she a cosplayer? wondered Ayano. Another picture showed the red-head with a rifle in hand, sitting on top of a tank of some sort, grinning maniacally, wind blowing her pony-tail out behind her. Same style that Chiaki-chan favors, noted the older girl absently.

Her eyes moved picture to picture, seeing the woman alone, with others, in strange locations, usually happy but sometimes not. Of the other people in the pictures, she seemed close to the elf cosplayers, the dark-haired woman who seemed very familiar but not quite identifiable to her, and the other young people, one of whom might be a sister, from the similarities in their looks. A few pictures showed her with her arm around a young man, and Ayano instinctively knew she was very close to this guy. If that is his mom, then that must be his dad, she decided, smiling a little. A few pictures she recognized as being places she had seen in pictures or movies - Hollywood, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas, the Swiss Alps judging by the flags and architecture, London, Rome, Berlin, Stockholm and other places.

There were several pictures of a young man in a JSDF uniform scattered through the set, doing different things, sometimes with other soldiers, sometimes alone. There was a picture of him getting some sort of award or something, and from a few different pictures of him in a fancy uniform, she surmised he had been promoted or advanced or whatever a few times. She admitted he didn't look bad in uniform; pretty handsome in fact. She was pretty sure she could see some of his features in his son - her boyfriend.

The pictures also showed an older-looking red-head with a different set of friends. She recognized a few spots in Japan in the background of a few of these pictures. In several of the pictures, she saw the red-head with a purple-haired woman with an impressive rack as well as some of the purple-haired woman as a teen with what she presumed were the parents of the two. Seeing a picture taken at a wedding with the purple-haired woman in a wedding gown, she had leaned closer, staring at the picture. “Those can't be real,” she muttered, hands instinctively covering her own not-inconsequential breasts.

“What? Oh, aunt Misato,” came the voice of her boyfriend. “But yeah, they are real,” he confirmed. “That was her wedding, and she chose that gown for obvious reasons,” he snorted. “She is a bit of a wild child at times,” he smiled a little fondly.

“Unfair,” muttered Ayano. But if that is `aunt Misato' then the red-head must be his mother! she realized happily. She was solving the mystery of the mother of her boyfriend. “If this is her wedding, where were you and Chiaki-chan?” she wondered.

“We weren't born yet,” he said. “Misato is mom's younger sister. Our cousins are all older than us; well, except for the youngest, who is between me and Chiaki,” he said. “I think we have some video on the server of the wedding, if you are interested,” he offered, reaching for a remote on the coffee table.

“Yes, please!” Ayano said, swiftly joining him on the couch as he powered up the large TV and got a compact keyboard from a hidden drawer on the couch end-table. Barely a minute later, he was playing a video from a very nice wedding. Ayano was jealous of the purple-haired woman and her wedding.

“Foreshadowing, big brother?” came Chiaki's voice, the girl landing on the couch next to her brother a moment later, snack in hand.

“She had the normal reaction to that picture of aunt Misato,” shrugged her big brother.

“If I had aunt Misato's chest, I would be unstoppable,” Chiaki smiled

“If you had aunt Misato's chest, you wouldn't be able to stand up,” her big brother sniped back.

Chiaki snorted, but didn't argue. Ayano silently agreed with her boyfriend. “So, do you have any video of your parent's wedding?” she asked. The siblings shrugged.

“Probably,” the young man said, working the keyboard.

“Dad will be in shortly after he finishes up,” Chiaki reported.

“What was he doing in there?” asked her brother.

“Working on his motorcycle,” she replied. “He is going to order some more parts, I think,” she added, getting up again. “You two want anything to drink?” she asked from the kitchen area.

“Water, please,” Ayano requested.

“We have any of the tea left?” asked her brother.

“Green, barley or citrus?” came the response from his sister.

“Any,” he replied, starting another clip. This wedding was much simpler, but no less nice. So that was his mother, confirmed Ayano, but that doesn't look like the boy she was with earlier. Maybe he was an ex by this time? considered the young woman. Ayano spotted the woman from some of the pictures in the crowd, and again she felt like she should know who this person was.

“Do you know who that dark-haired woman is? She seems close to your mom,” she asked her boyfriend and his sister.

“Dark haired? You mean Airi?” Chiaki asked. “Yeah, she's mom's best best friend forever,” she replied, handing her brother a glass of tea, Ayano a bottle of water, and a sports drink tucked under her arm for herself.

“Airi,” mused Ayano. “I just feel like I have seen her before, but can't place her,” she mumbled.

“She's been in some movies,” Chiaki shared, giving an amused look at her brother. It took Ayano twenty seconds to place her.

“Komiyama Airi!” blurted out Ayano, making Chiaki burst into laughter. “Your mom is friends with the legend of Hollywood and Broadway?!”

“Yeah,” shrugged her boyfriend. Airi was just someone they saw from time to time. She never acted like a movie star around them, and their mom never treated her any differently than any of her other friends. “So?”

“Ah, there you all are,” a man's voice came from the side of the house nearest the workshop. “You must be Ayano,” said a man as he entered.

“Hey, dad,” her boyfriend greeted him. “Yes, she is my girlfriend Ayano,” he confirmed. Ayano hurried to feet, facing him and bowing.

“Excuse the intrusion, I am grateful for this opportunity,” she said politely.

“You are welcome,” he replied easily. The man was about as tall as his son, trim and fit, but not muscular. His hair was close-cropped and he was wearing a pair of cargo pants and a worn tee-shirt. “My wife had something come up unexpectedly, but should be back later tonight. I am sorry you missed her,” he added.

“Ayano is staying overnight,” her boyfriend said.

“I see,” his father replied, glancing at Chiaki, who gave a small nod. “I trust your mother gave the go-ahead?” he asked.

“Of course,” his son replied. “No way would I bring someone over without clearing it,” he replied glibly.

Is his mother an over-bearing type? wondered Ayano. She knew that such women were terrible mother-in-laws and boys with that sort of mother tended to be difficult to handle for girls. But still, she didn't get the impression that her boyfriend was saddled with such a mother.

“Mom said she could use the guest room next to mine,” Chiaki supplied.

“Then it is all good,” smiled the man. Chiaki got up from the couch.

“I'll fix dinner, if mom is going to be late,” she volunteered. Ayano hurried to her feet as well.

“Please allow me to help, Chiaki-chan,” she offered.

“If you want, but wouldn't you rather spend that time with your boyfriend?” grinned Chiaki.

“Stop being a brat, sis,” chided her big brother.

“Payback for my ex-boyfriend,” Chiaki shot back impertinently.

“That was mom's doing, not mine,” he denied. “Besides, that guy was an asshole,” he commented.

“Yeah, he was, but you over-did the `big brother' bit and it became a chore to break it off with him cleanly,” complained the younger sister.

“You should be thanking me for stepping in before mom lost her patience, sis.” Chiaki and her father both considered that for a moment.

“That's why I asked your girlfriend if she wouldn't rather sit with you,” Chiaki said a moment later. “To pay you back.”

“Uh huh,” grunted her boyfriend. Ayano was very sure there was something behind that exchange, but couldn't see enough pieces to figure out what it might be.

“So, showing your girlfriend video of our wedding? Isn't that a bit premature, son?” asked the father into the silence that followed Chiaki's back-tracking. “Though I do consider it some of my best work,” he grinned at some thought. Ayano glanced at her boyfriend as his younger sister giggled in the kitchen.

“Um….what?” Ayano wondered.

“Dad had to woo mom for more than a year before she finally agreed to marry him,” explained the first-born.

“Totally worth it, though, son,” chimed in the father, smiling widely. The talk turned to more mundane things. Further in the house a phone rang, and the father moved into the office area. From the kitchen came some delicious smells and the sounds of cooking. Ayano sniffed carefully.

“What are you making, Chiaki-chan?” wondered the girlfriend.

“Spaghetti with meat balls, garlic bread, salad and chili fried potatoes,” came the reply. Ayano blinked. “Do you…cook foreign food often?” she wondered. Is this household an international one? she wondered. She herself could make some basic dishes from certain foreign cuisines, but never felt overly confident doing so.

“Sometimes,” came the indifferent reply. “Mom kind of cooks whatever she feels like, and I picked up that trait, I guess,” Chiaki explained.

“I saw some pictures of places over-seas,” Ayano noted. “Did your mom travel a lot when she was younger?”

For a moment, both siblings were still and silent. “Uh, yeah, she did,” her boyfriend said after a pause. “She still does frequently, too,” he added. Chiaki had nothing to add.

“Have you two been over-seas?” wondered the girlfriend.

“Yeah, pretty often,” her boyfriend said. “I went to America when I was less than a year old; or so I am told. Been there a few times since, as well as some other places.”

“You have a passport?” Ayano asked, surprised.

“Yeah,” he replied, looking at her. “Don't you?”

“No,” she admitted. “Never needed one,” she sighed wistfully.

“Show her your passport, bro,” Chiaki suggested, her tone playful.

“Yes, please!” agreed Ayano. Her boyfriend dutifully got up and went into the small office area, returning a few minutes later with a passport, which he handed to her. She eagerly examined it, noting the wear on it. Turning pages, she saw stamps and stamps and stamps. The United States was the most common, but there were stamps from the Philippines, Australia, Germany, Norway, Italy, Spain, Indonesia, Madagascar, Brazil, Argentina, Grenada, St Martins and a few she didn't recognize. “Wow,” she breathed. Looking at the dates, she realized something. “You have been traveling like this since elementary school?" she marveled.

“More or less,” he shrugged. “Mom has friends all over the place, and she doesn't like to leave us unattended, and besides, it's fun to see new places,” he offered.

“No wonder you have good grades in English,” she muttered. She herself could hold a basic conversation in English, but her boyfriend could speak it better than some of the teachers they had had. So could his sister, for that matter. “Does your mother speak English as good as you two?” she asked.

“She speaks it like a native, with barely an accent,” Chiaki said. “She also speaks German at the same level, Spanish well enough to hold a conversation, and…another language,” she diverted.

“She must do translation work,” predicted the girlfriend.

“Um, no,” denied her boyfriend, “at least not as a profession,” he added a moment later.

“What does she do, then?” wondered Chiaki. Her boyfriend didn't seem to hear her. He was saved by the sound of a car arriving.

“Is that mom? She's early if this is `late',” Chiaki asked, leaning back to look out a window.

The group heard a car door slam, then their side door open. “Where are my niece and nephew?” came a cheerful call.

“Aunt Misato?” wondered her boyfriend.

“And me, too, cousin,” came a girl's voice.

“Maya-chan!” chirped Chiaki. “What's the occasion?” she asked.

“Does there need to be a reason for family to visit?” asked the aunt, coming into view. She was wearing a short-skirted dress that had a rather provocative cut, but looked very good on her. “Where is Ritsu?” she asked, not hearing her sister answer her call.

“Something came up,” answered Chiaki, emerging to hug her aunt and cousin before returning to the kitchen. Misato was checking her phone.

“Mom and dad are ok, grandmother is fine, so I wonder what came up?” she thought aloud, putting her phone to her ear. After a few moments, she clicked her tongue, ending the call. “Straight to voicemail. What is she doing?” the woman asked, fingers working the phone.

“Misa-chan?” came the voice of the husband of the missing housewife, “I am surprised to see you here. Does Ritsu know you were coming?” he wondered.

“A surprise visit is only a surprise if she doesn't know, Tosh,” Misato said piously, fingertip in the air.

“True,” allowed the husband. “Are you planning on staying overnight?” he asked. Misato nodded.

“Ayano can stay in my room if necessary,” Chiaki volunteered.

“Ayano? Who…oh, your new girlfriend!” cooed Misato moving over to eye the girl carefully. “An improvement over the last one already, kid,” she pronounced a moment later, smiling easily.

“It…it's nice to meet you, miss Misato,” Ayano managed.

“Go easy on her, aunt,” her boyfriend said, sounding like he often said that to her. “She hasn't met anyone before today.”

“I'm not doing anything,” protested Misato, though her expression and tone made that very suspect. “Seriously, though, Tosh, what is Ritsu doing?”

“Didn't say, but her note said she would be back late,” shrugged the husband. Ayano was trying to figure out this new information. He doesn't seem to worry about her, so maybe she is the dominate one in the relationship? He doesn't look like the whipped kind of husband, though. Could he be in hysterical denial about his wife having an affair? I read in that magazine that some husbands refuse to believe their wives were running around on them even when there was clear evidence. Maybe that is what is going on, she thought.

“You ok, Ayano?” her boyfriend asked, nudging her. She blinked, turning to give him a smile.

“Sorry, was thinking about something else,” she apologized.

“Sorry if we are interrupting your plans,” purred the stacked aunt teasingly.

“N…not at all!” denied Ayano.

“Food will be up in about five minutes,” Chiaki announced. “Aunt Misato, can you and Maya get the table set?” she asked.

Misato sighed, rising from the couch. “If you insist, slave driver,” she replied before giggling.

“Mom was a bad influence on me growing up,” laughed Chiaki in response.

“Me, too,” Misato said, her and her daughter swiftly getting the table set up as Chiaki got the food dished up and set out. Ayano found herself guided to the table by her boyfriend, and before she knew it, she was experiencing a typical meal for his family.

Her own family was more reserved, by and large, but this family seemed to treat meal time as a social event, talking, laughing and joking with each other between occasional semi-serious topics. Misato had asked the two about school, her brother-in-law about the farm and grilled Ayano like she was a suspect in a police box. Ayano had done some grilling of her own, and learned that Misato was a career woman - more or less - and her husband had made senior department head at a major company earlier that year. Her own kids were in college or already graduated except for Maya, her youngest, who was a second-year high-schooler. That fits with what I was told earlier, Ayano thought.

After the meal, Chiaki and Maya had swiftly gotten the table cleared and the dishes in the dish washer, with a covered plate put in the refrige for the missing wife of the house. Tosh and his son settled in the living room, turning on the TV and watching a baseball match. Ayano was sort of caught between the two groups. “How about a walk to settle that meal?” Misato asked, catching her off guard. “When those two are watching baseball, even doing a strip-tease won't get their attention,” she whispered loud enough for them to hear.

“Not true, but not recommended,” Toshiro replied without looking away from the TV. “Remember how Ritsu reacted when you had too much to drink at the anniversary party and got a little adventurous? If she finds you acting that way in her house, I can only image what she will do,” he added.

Misato scowled, then frowned. “You have a point,” admitted the younger sister of the mystery woman. “But maybe she has mellowed a bit,” she hoped.

“Want to make a bet on it?” Ayano's boyfriend asked, sounding a bit eager.

“No way!” denied Misato before sighing softly. “I hope she isn't chasing leads on them again,” she muttered.

“Chasing leads?” wondered Ayano. Misato flipped her hand, dismissing the question.

“Right! A brisk walk will do wonders for settling the meal,” she pronounced, all but grabbing Ayano's hand and more or less dragging her out of the house. “I will show you around a bit,” pronounced Misato, leading her down the driveway toward the road they had hiked up. “It will give us time to talk privately,” she said, giving a predatory look at the younger woman. “I have to look out for my nephew's well-being and safety, after all. Can't have any bad women trying to get their hooks into him.”

Ayano wondered if maybe Misato was in denial about being such a `bad woman'. After a decent hike along the road, down some paths and across a fallow field, and an endless conversation that frequently left her blushing and stumbling to reply, she was pretty sure Misato classified as a `bad woman' herself. She had tried to hit back, of course, but Misato seemed to be completely unable to be embarrassed or of having any real boundaries in conversation.

As soon as they were back at the house, she had bolted to the bathroom to regain her composure while Misato targeted her nephew, choosing to stand directly between him and the baseball game on TV. Better him than me. That woman is…intense, she thought, splashing water on her face after getting herself back together. Exiting the bathroom, she almost bumped into Maya.

“Sorry about mom,” offered the youngest of the cousins, “she gets this way a lot since the oldest of us got married a couple years ago. It has to be something about trying to be a match-maker,” shrugged the girl, ducking into the bathroom.

“Or something,” murmured Ayano, focusing herself for the next round. To her surprise, Misato and Toshiro were not in the living room, her boyfriend sitting on the couch, watching baseball, while Chiaki had disappeared again, the kitchen clean and in order.

“Sorry, didn't expect my aunt to show up,” offered her boyfriend, glancing away from the TV for a moment as Ayano sat beside him. “Wow, looks like she hiked you around a bit,” he smiled.

Ayano was sweating a little, and had some dirt and smudges on her clothes. “Chiaki is going to get a bath, if you want to join her. I am sure we can either get your uniform cleaned or you can borrow one of hers. You should be close to the same size,” he noted. From out in the workshop, they heard a motorcycle fire up.

“You dad went back to work on the motorcycle?” Ayano asked.

“He told her about what is going on, and she said she had the same model bike back in college and thought she could fix it. Guess we will find out,” he replied. Ayano felt her blouse sticking to her a bit with sweat, and got up.

“Where is Chiaki getting her bath?” she asked.

“Upstairs,” her boyfriend said. Ayano glanced around before leaning over and kissing him quickly.

“The girls were right about you,” she whispered before hurrying away, a smile on her lips as well as a small blush, her boyfriend wondering what she meant by that exactly.

Upstairs, she found Chiaki just exiting her room. After a very quick talk, she found herself in a bathroom even bigger than the one downstairs, though no less well-appointed. The tub was bigger, there was a shower with two shower heads and a glass door, and the vanity was a double-sink arrangement. Chiaki casually stripped and began to rinse off. She said she would use the hot spring after getting cleaned up, so the tub wouldn't need to be filled. Ayano followed her lead, treating it like a bath house experience. Besides, the girls' locker room at school was shared as well.

Using the chance, she talked with Chiaki as they got cleaned up. The younger sister of her boyfriend was easy to talk to, but also less open than Misato seemed to be. She also had a rather wicked sense of humor at times, like her reputation at school. They talked about clubs, school, boys and some assorted topics while washing their hair and rinsing off. With that done, Chiaki had slipped on a tiny, tiny bikini, offering her a slightly more modest one before leading her to the outdoor hot spring.

Settled into the hot spring, she had learned the water was spring water that was heated by a small boiler, and was supposedly good for sore muscles and skin health. Relaxing in the water, they had talked a bit more before seeing Toshiro and Misato heading back into the house. Misato called out that she would be borrowing some of her big sister's clothes and her brother's bike. Apparently, she and her brother-in-law were going to test out the fixed motorcycle. Minutes later, Misato reappeared, wearing a pair of somewhat-tight jeans, a snug spaghetti-strap tee-shirt and some worn boots, her hands busy putting up her purple hair in a pony-tail.

Chiaki called after her to remember her phone, and told her dad to be careful. Moments later, the two had roared off, the father on a larger cruiser-style motorcycle, Misato on a smaller bike. When she asked about it, she had learned that Chiaki's dad had been using the motorcycle as his vehicle since he joined the JDSF, while the smaller bike - called an `enduro' bike, whatever that meant - had been bought by her mom before she was born and was fairly regularly ridden by her mom and brother. She shared that both her parents often went on trips on motorcycle.

Her mom rode - or rides, I guess - motorcycles. Interesting. Maybe she was a biker-girl or member of a gang? considered Ayano. Chiaki had also mentioned that they had a small farm-truck and a compact SUV for longer trips or when they needed to carry things the bikes couldn't. So they are definitely not poor, concluded Ayano. To have two bikes, a car and a truck in addition to the farm tractor she had seen in one of the sheds was an indicator that they were certainly not living pay-check to pay-check. Her own family wasn't doing that, either, but they were not in a position to own multiple vehicles and a house like this one.

She asked Chiaki what her dad did now that he was retired from the JSDF. Chiaki had said he pursued his hobbies and traveled with his wife and helped around the house for the most part. So her dad is not the bread-winner, Ayano mentally noted. Again, she asked what Chiaki's mother did for a living. Chiaki had shrugged and said she pursued her hobbies, did occasional side-jobs, traveled and took care of the family like any other house-wife. Yeah, and I am a blonde, blue-eyed Norwegian girl, Ayano thought in derision. Housewives do not live like that, she thought, thinking of her own mom and the mothers of her friends.

Changing tactics, she asked how well-traveled her mother was, and Chiaki had said she had visited nearly every continent at least twice, though she mostly traveled to America for Airi and to Europe for vacations or `meetings' but never said what kind of meetings. Ayano began to get paranoid thoughts about the mother of her boyfriend being part of a crime syndicate, or an assassin, or a spy, but she couldn't really see that in a practical sense. Shortly after, they got out of the hot spring and headed inside. Chiaki had taken her uniform and put it in the wash with her own, which had finished pre-treatment soak, lending the older girl some clothes - Ayano chose a nice sun dress and a pair of low-rise panties. Chiaki dressed in a pair of shorts that were barely bigger than the gym shorts they wore for PE class at school, a tee shirt and a pair of thong panties.

Venturing downstairs, they found Maya sitting on the couch, phone in hand, while Ayano's boyfriend was watching the last of the game wrap up. Looking outside, they saw it was night time already. Turning off the TV, her boyfriend stretched. “Chiaki, you finish your homework?” he asked her.

“I'll get it done,” came the careless reply.

“How about you do it now while Ayano-chan and I wrap up our own assignments, then you won't have to rush to finish it on the bus like usual,” he suggested/ordered. “Maya, you want in on this?” he asked.

Sighing, their cousin had put her phone down. “Might as well. Mom kind of sprung this trip on me last-second, and I didn't finish all my homework before we headed out,” she admitted.

“Aunt Misato sure is free-spirited, isn't she?” Chiaki remarked blandly, a smile on her lips.

“You could call it that,” Maya said, “or flighty, either way,” she snorted, getting giggles from her cousin.

The group sat down at the table and got to work on their school work. Ayano noticed that Maya and Chiaki didn't seem to need a lot of help, though one or the other would occasionally ask her boyfriend about a question or for confirmation on something. She dared to ask if that was normal. Chiaki had said that usually her mom answered questions, but if she wasn't available, her big brother would do, which earned her a brotherly swat to the arm but no denial from her boyfriend.

The roar of motorcycles announced the return of the father and his sister-in-law, the two coming into the kitchen area a few minutes later. Chiaki asked if the issue with her dad's bike was fixed, and he said it seemed to be, which make Misato brag a bit. Maya finished up her homework and headed upstairs to get a shower and ready for bed, Misato once more working her phone for a bit before taking a glass of tea and sitting on the couch. Toshiro headed into the master suite to clean up as well. Idly, Misato turned on the TV, but left the sound muted as the evening news program scrolled across the screen.

Chiaki finished up her homework a few minutes before her brother and his girlfriend finished their own homework, and the three joined Misato on the couch, casual conversation coming and going between them. Toshiro emerged, showered and dressed in a comfortable tee shirt and shorts. Shortly after, Maya came back downstairs, wearing some shorts and a spaghetti-strapped tank top. Sitting by her mom, she had joined in the conversation.

The group decided to watch a movie, and after a short but fierce debate, they had decided on the movie and enjoyed it. As it was about to end, they had seen headlights coming up the drive, and moments later, a compact SUV parked in the garage. Ayano felt her heart rate kick up. This must be the mysterious mother of her boyfriend, at last! The door that faced the detached garage opened as the credits began to roll. “I'm home,” came the voice of a woman.

“It's about time, sis!” Misato said, nearly leaping to her feet and moving around the couch. Ayano turned her head to look at the corner she knew the woman would be emerging from. Sure enough, a red-headed woman emerged, wearing a skirt and blouse, hair in an arched pony-tail, purse over her shoulder. It was clear this was the woman she had seen in the pictures. Studying her closer, Ayano thought she didn't look much older than she had in the pictures. In fact, she looks about the same age as a college girl, mused the girlfriend. Misato wrapped her big sister up in a hug without any hesitation. “What was the emergency?” she asked.

“Not so much an emergency as avoiding one,” replied the woman, giving her sister a smile. “And it isn't like you told us you were coming to visit,” she reminded the little sister.

“Then it wouldn't have been a surprise, sis,” grinned Misato.

“Uh huh. You came because you heard your nephew had his girlfriend over, didn't you, Misa?” countered the red-head. Misato loftily looked away.

“Coincidence,” dismissed Misato.

“Maya-chan, it's good to see you again,” the red-head turned her attention to the youngest of her sister's kids.

“Hey, aunt Ritsuko,” smiled Maya, getting up and hugging the red-head.

“Got dragged off by your mom again, did you?” smiled the red-head, fondly stroking the younger girl's hair.

“Yeah, but I have gotten used to it,” Maya replied, smiling as her mom made outraged expressions.

“Hey, mom,” Chiaki said, standing and stretching before getting a hug from her mom as well.

“Chi-chan,” smiled the mother, giving her daughter a quick kiss on the top of her head. “So what club are you going to be joining now that you have quit the swim club?” she asked. Chiaki twitched a little.

“We can talk about that in the morning. Tired now,” she said, getting a laugh from her mom.

“Ok,” Ritsuko agreed, her son stepping in to give his mom a hug as well.

“Hey, mom,” he greeted her. “Glad you are back and everything is taken care of,” he said. “And old man Iwati said to tell you hi,” he recalled.

“That drunk still forgetting to get his gear serviced? What broke this time?” she asked, derision in her tone.

“More like what didn't break,” sighed the son. Chiaki yawned behind her hand.

“Sheared off a stud, was missing another lug nut, fuel filter clogged, tires not inflated properly, probably hasn't been keeping up with oil changes, no jack…the usual,” supplied the daughter. Ritsuko shook her head.

“Some people never learn,” sighed the red-head, eyes on Ayano. “And you would be Ayano, my son's girlfriend,” she stated, eyes flickering over the girl, who shot to her feet and bowed deeply to her.

“Y…yes, I am Satowari Ayano. I will be in your care!” she said earnestly. Ritsuko glanced at the others in the room.

“What have you been telling her?” she asked them sounding amused and a bit exasperated.

“Nothing weird or odd,” Chiaki assured her. Ritsuko rolled her eyes.

“Then what is with her reaction?” she challenged the assertion of her daughter.

“Big brother's ex-girlfriends tend to spread rumors,” shrugged Chiaki.

“I am the mother of these two, Saruwata Ritsuko, pleased to meet you, Ayano-chan,” she greeted the girl semi-formally.

“I am honored to meet you, Saruwata-san,” Ayano replied. When she looked up from her second bow, she saw that the woman's eyes were on her still. For some reason, she felt a chill run down her spine under that gaze. Fighting the urge to fidget, she glanced at her boyfriend, silently begging for help.

“We saved you a plate, mom, if you are hungry,” her boyfriend came to her rescue.

“Sounds good, sweetie,” Ritsuko said, moving to her husband and pulling him into a hug, her lips sealing to his. “Hey, handsome,” she purred when she broke the kiss.

“Welcome home, sexy,” he murmured, grinning. Ritsuko smirked in response.

“Not in front of the children, sis,” Misato chided, though she was snickering behind her hand. Ritsuko glanced at her kids and Misato's youngest.

“I have no doubt they have not only seen much more, but very likely done much more,” came the unimpressed reply from the red-head. Ayano blinked as she saw Ritsuko's eyes once more meet hers, the look undecipherable. Releasing her husband, she moved toward the master suite. “Going to change into something more comfortable and drop off my stuff,” she said. Chiaki had the covered plate in the microwave already.

“Ok,” came her son's acknowledgement. Ayano saw that what she thought was a purse was in fact a small should bag. Odd choice for a woman like her, she thought. Ritsuko ducked into the small office for a moment before emerging and heading into the master suite, sliding the door closed behind her. And she is very affectionate with her husband, too. My parents barely even hug any more, and I know most of my friends' parents are like that or even more distant than mine. It is almost like they are still newly-weds, but they have kids my age. Why are they so touchy-feely? Could I be like that with my husband, I wonder? she mused, shooting a sideways glance at her boyfriend, who was getting a glass of tea for his mom as his sister laid out some utensils and napkin before getting some salad in a bowl.

The mother of the house emerged then, dressed in a tee-shirt and cut-off jean shorts. Ayano saw her stretch a bit, and realized that the mother of two still had a very trim build; and what she thought was a six-pack. Wow! She's amazing, she thought, stunned. Only the most hard-core sports club girls had that kind of physique and even among them, a six-pack was super rare. Her arms were trim and toned, as were her legs. Over all, it made Ayano feel a bit inadequate as she compared herself to the mother.

“So, what was the almost-emergency?” asked Misato.

“Something unexpected came up and they asked me to help,” shrugged Ritsuko.

“They,” mused her husband, sitting opposite her at the table as she began to eat. “I'm going to guess Atsuko or Kaede,” he predicted.

His wife shot him a grin. “Saeko,” she replied. He blinked.

“Nothing too bad, I trust?” he asked her. His wife shrugged.

“Got ahead of it and fixed it, so no, nothing too bad, though it might have been bad if it had gotten out of control,” admitted the wife. “Took a bit of doing, but it is ok now. They wanted to have a party and karaoke, but I turned them down, since my schedule is a bit full right now,” she shrugged.

“You turned down a karaoke party?” asked Misato, sounding outraged. “You should have accepted and texted me so we could all have fun tonight!”

Ritsuko glanced at her little sister. “You were already all the way out here, and besides, I plan to have fun tonight,” she smiled a languid smile as she glanced at her husband. Ayano blushed, her eyes landing on Ritsuko's hands, which she noticed had a simple band on her left ring finger. For some reason, she thought it was odd that it wasn't gold.

“Gloating is unbecoming of you, sis,” pouted Misato.

“Your husband still having to pull overtime?” Ritsuko asked, eyes on her sister.

“Yes!” huffed Misato. “He is being given all the problem projects by his boss, the scumbag, and he is trying to get it all worked out before the next board meeting,” complained Misato. “We haven't gotten to get any personal time in months!” she shared freely.

“Is that a fact? Maya-chan?” Ritsuko asked, glancing at her niece.

“Well, other than the time they got busy in the kitchen two days ago,” said the daughter of the purple-haired woman, “or the incident on the back porch this past weekend, or what they did in the car in the parking garage the week before, or…”

“Those don't count!” insisted Misato, not the least bit embarrassed. I would have died of embarrassment if someone laid out my love life like that, but doesn't even seem to care! marveled Ayano. “I mean real personal time,” she insisted.

“Two weeks ago, you two were so loud the neighbors complained,” Maya replied, unimpressed. “You didn't leave the bedroom for a full day,” she added, making a face.

“I didn't know you lived in an apartment, Misato-san,” Ayano observed.

“They don't,” laughed Ritsuko. “They live in a nice house; with a yard and fence and everything,” she snickered. Ayano blinked before blushing beet red as she processed that.

“They are just jealous, bitter housewives,” dismissed Misato, waving a hand.

“Do you need me to help you, sis?” Ritsuko asked, her tone amused, but with serious undertones. Misato sighed.

“No, not really,” she sighed, “just need to vent my frustrations a little from time to time, you know?”

“Hmm,” Ritsuko said, mouth full of food. From there, the conversation turned to friends and family and general news sharing. In short order, Ritsuko was done eating and her dishes were washed and put away. “Well, I will see you all in the morning,” said the red-head, eyes on her husband, which she grabbed by the hand and led into the master suit, the door sliding closed behind them, but not before Ayano got a glimpse of the husband grabbing his wife's hips and pulling her to him with obvious intent.

Still a little red, Ayano got a glass of water to settle her nerves. Chiaki said she was going to turn in a bit early, and headed up to her room, Maya following after her as the two talked quietly. Misato sighed, then stood up and stretched. “I guess I will turn in early, so as not to get in the way of you two love-birds,” she grinned at the two, winking at Ayano. “But be sure to clean up the mess - Ritsu can be a bit harsh if you leave a mess in her house,” she giggled, waving as she climbed the stairs.

“Yeah, so sorry about my eccentric family,” offered her boyfriend, though he was smiling to himself.

“It's fine!” assured his girlfriend, waving her hands a little.

“If you are tired, we can call it a night,” he began.

“No! I'm not tired at all,” insisted the girl earnestly. “Um, let's sit and talk a bit,” she suggested, gesturing to the couch. He agreed, the two settling next to each other on the couch. From the direction of the master suite came some faint sounds. “So, your mom is….” she struggled to find the next word.

Her boyfriend chuckled at that. “Not what you were expecting?” he predicted. Ayano couldn't argue with that, but didn't want to admit it.

“Um, so tell me about her,” she said instead, leaning over to rest her head against his shoulder. She felt him move his arm around her shoulders.

“What do you want to know about her?” he asked. Ayano groped for an answer to that question.

“Tell me about her younger days,” she blurted out. “You know, when she was our age, how she met your father - that sort of thing,” she hurriedly added.

“Well, ok, but I don't know a whole lot about that, since I wasn't around then,” he teased her. She lightly slapped his chest. “From what I have heard from grandma and grandpa and great-grandma, she was pretty normal in high school,” he began. “She had a group of friends, hung out, did karaoke, was in clubs, had hobbies. You know, normal.”

“Is it those friends she ran off to help with something?” wondered Ayano. He nodded.

“Yeah. Her friends are very important to her, even now that they all have married and have kids and lives in different areas. Mom is like that,” answered her boyfriend.

“Tell me about them,” Ayano asked, getting comfortable.

“Hmm,” mused her boyfriend, “there should be some pictures of them in the photo albums on the bottom of the bookshelf,” he mused. Ayano got up and checked the books on the bottom shelf of the bookshelf. She found a few and grabbed them all, bringing them to the coffee table.

Taking the first one, she settled back in with her boyfriend and opened it. Her boyfriend looked at the photos and smiled. “Ok, that is her with some friends, obviously doing karaoke,” he began. He recognized his mom's friends in the pictures easily, and though he wasn't especially tight with them, he liked them well enough from the times he had met them. He shared little stories he had heard about each of them, and his mom. His girlfriend turned pages as each photo was explained. A few he didn't have answers for and just said it was from before his time and she would have to ask his mom if he wanted an explanation of who and what was in the picture. She skipped those.

When the first one was finished, she exchanged it for the next one. This one was mostly pictures of Ritsuko and Misato from when Misato had first become part of the family. Again, not all the pictures he knew about, but some he could make educated guesses on. Again, more stories were shared as they worked through the photo album. Ayano had learned that Misato was an adopted sister, which made Ayano feel oddly reassured. When she had asked why, her boyfriend had not been able to say, as he didn't know either. Pictures of Ritsuko and Misato and sometimes their parents were all over the place, different times and places and events. Ayano began to wonder if she wasn't just being paranoid, wondering what Ritsuko did, since it did seem she was almost normal from the pictures.

When she finished the second album, she had gone to the bathroom, gotten some water and then come back, picking up the third album. Once she was settled again, she had cracked the album open. “W…what is this?!” she had sputtered, seeing the photo. Her boyfriend looked at the photo.

“Mom,” he shrugged. “Some sort of Hollywood thing with miss Airi, based on what I am seeing,” he added.

Ayano gave him a disbelieving look. That gown must have cost more than a car! she thought, exasperated at her boyfriend's disinterested reply. Just look at that thing! If it isn't from some world-famous designer as a one-off custom, I'm a chimpanzee! And how could she wear that thing in public?! Doesn't she know how exposed it leaves her? complained the young girl silently. I mean, yeah, she looks incredible in that thing, but there are no lines anywhere on it. Was she naked under there or what? And how come she looks like a super-model? She looked closer. Those are not off-the-shelf heels either! I'd bet my life they are designer, probably Italian. And they are stilettos, too! Is it even possible to walk in those heels?! And they make her legs look so long and hot, how is that even allowed?!

“Something wrong, Ayano?” asked her boyfriend, shaking her out of her thoughts.

“No,” she replied a bit snippily, turning the page, only to see another picture of Ritsuko in that gown, this time at a table next to Airi. Ayano felt distinctly at a disadvantage. Looking at the two women, she had realized that they were closer to each other than she had thought. It was in the body language, the expression, the subtle position of their chairs. How did she get so close with a mega-star like miss Airi? Ayano wondered.

A few more pictures of Ritsuko in that gown were on the next couple of pages, all professionally taken and obviously taken from whatever the sources were. After that were pictures of Ritsuko at a few places around Hollywood, usually in more normal clothes, though there were a few pictures of her in a summer dress in a fancy home, looking a little uncertain. The third picture was of her and the man she had seen in a few pictures on the wall. Even in a sundress, her boyfriend's mom looked like a model or actress, which was very unfair to Ayano's point of view. The next few pages were of her with the guy in various places and activities. A few had them with other people who were not her friends from the first album. When asked, her boyfriend had said that the guy was his mom's former boyfriend, Tanner or something like that, and some of his friends.

“Your mom sails?” asked Ayano, seeing a picture of Ritsuko in a bikini on a sailboat, line in hand.

“She said that she went sailing a few times with Tanner or whoever. Probably his boat,” her boyfriend said. “If you are asking if she is a sailor, not really unless she is in a real bad mood,” he grinned. It was a common joke from his dad - usually when his mom was not around to hear it. Ayano frowned at that before it hit her. Curse like a sailor. Why is it that I can see her doing that? the girlfriend wondered. “I think she said that Tanner and a female friend of his ended up becoming sailors,” he recalled. “What was it she said…?” he mumbled to himself before firing up the TV, sound turned way down, and grabbing the small keyboard. Ayano watched as he opened a browser, then went to a video sharing site and did a few searches before he found a channel. “Yeah, that's what it was,” he said, scrolling through a massive catalog of videos. Finding one, he started it, Ayano watching. A gaijin couple - both well-tanned - were sailing on a boat in some clear water, a rough, undeveloped island in the distance. The video was about a half hour long, and ended with them sailing into a marina for a resupply and announcing they had found a friend there. There was a brief glimpse of Ritsuko and the woman coming back to a table, then the video cut to the two of them talking in the boat as it sailed, about their friend and how they had wanted her to come sailing with them, but they had not been able to convince her, though they both vowed to try again in the future.

Her boyfriend scrolled in the list again, finding another one from years later, and played it. Again, the boat was sailing in deep blue water, with some chop on it, and after some scene with the man and woman, they had announced they had a visitor and Ritsuko had come into view, once again in a bikini, sitting calmly near the helm of the boat. The two had seemed excited to have her with them, and said they were sailing to New Zealand from Madagascar, but had stopped off to get provisions and had once more run into their friend, who this time agreed to sail to New Zealand with them. Now the couple had a kid, which was sleeping on Ritsuko's lap. The camera turned to Ritsuko again, who gave a very distant nod before gesturing to the couple. The rest of the video was about them sailing, with Ritsuko being little more than a background character.

“So, yeah, pretty sure that was his first boat, in the picture,” her boyfriend said.

“My sordid past has been revealed,” came a dramatic voice from behind them. Both of them jumped, seeing Ritsuko standing behind them in a thin, short dressing gown, hair disheveled but still looking like a famous actress.

“Mom,” breathed her son, “don't sneak up on me like that,” he added. She gave him a smile.

“I needed some water, and the kitchen is over here,” she said simply. “I was hardly sneaking, and suspect you two would never have noticed if I had not said something,” she snickered, reaching out to ruffle his hair.

“Mom!” he protested.

“Yeah, yeah,” she flipped her hand. She held two cold bottles of water in her other hand. Turning back to the master bedroom, she sauntered off. “Remember what I told you, sweetie,” she said over her shoulder as she moved down the hall. Reaching the master bedroom, she opened the door, Ayano seeing a brief glimpse of her husband on the bed before the door closed.

“What did she say?” Ayano whispered to her boyfriend.

“It's nothing,” he insisted.

“That means it is something,” pronounced his girlfriend, “what is it?”

Her boyfriend sighed. “Mom had told me and Chiaki both that if have sex, we better prove we used protection,” he gave up the fight as unnecessary. “There are condoms stashed all over the place, too,” he groaned as his girlfriend turned red.

“She…isn't…you know?” Ayano managed.

“Going to try to stop us? I doubt it. Mom is kind of cool like that,” he admitted. “Or did you mean supervise? Wouldn't put it past aunt Misato, but mom seems to be more rational about things.”

The two were silent for a while before Ayano forced herself back to the photo album. Turning pages, she saw pictures of Ritsuko here and there, including some she recognized as Las Vegas from the gambling machines and general décor of the place. But a page or two later, she was looking at Ritsuko in a pair of cargo shorts, boots, tee shirt and boonie hat, sunglasses on, a yard-wide smile on her face, and guns around her. “Are those airsoft?” Ayano breathed.

“No,” her boyfriend said. “That is America. They aren't much for airsoft over there, and mom has nothing but contempt for fake guns,” he chuckled at some memory.

“You mean, she has shot real guns?” breathed his girlfriend, amazed. Real guns might as well be unicorns to most Japanese. Her eyes went back to the pictures of Ritsuko, many of which showed her shooting guns.

“Yeah. I think she goes shooting every time she goes to America. She taught me and Chiaki how to handle guns when we were visiting Airi years ago,” he casually shared.

“You and Chiaki-chan have shot real guns?” asked his amazed girlfriend.

“Yeah, several times. Mom and dad insisted; mom more than dad. We like them, and are decent with them, but mom is scary with a gun,” he chuckled. She's pretty scary without one, his girlfriend thought. What kind of housewife shoots guns? wondered the younger girl.

She turned more pages, seeing pictures taken on a set of some kind. “You said your mom had been in a couple of shows, didn't you?” she asked. He shrugged. “These look like movie sets. What show was she in?”

Her boyfriend paused before turning to his girlfriend. “She was in a few movies with miss Airi, but you must not say anything, understood? She is very insistent that no one know she was in those movies,” he cautioned her.

“Why would she not want people to know she was in a movie with miss Airi?” gaped his shocked girlfriend.

“Because she likes her privacy,” came the blunt response. “I'm serious, Ayano - not a word!”

“Which movie was she in? Was she an extra or maybe a background character?” Ayano wondered. Her boyfriend was looking at her with a serious look. “I promise I won't tell anyone,” she assured him.

“Hope not,” he murmured before continuing. “She was in the last three movies Airi made before her retirement,” he said. Ayano had seen those movies. They were some of her favorites, in fact. Thinking back, she suddenly realized the supporting actress had looked a lot like Ritsuko. “No way,” she breathed.

Her boyfriend was working on the keyboard again, back into the same storage array he had been in earlier, and shortly after that, a movie started to play. Her boyfriend stopped the movie at various parts. There was no mistaking Ritsuko, even with makeup and costume. Ayano's mouth was hanging open. She was in movies with miss Airi, she thought, stunned.

“Not a word, Ayano,” he reminded her, closing the movie.

It took Ayano a few minutes to shake herself free of her shock. Back to the album, she slowly turned pages, seeing many shots of Ritsuko and Airi together, as well as some other locations, which she now presumed were set locations during filming the movies. Closing the album, she picked up the fourth album and almost hesitantly opened it. It had pictures of Ritsuko and some of her husband in it.

“This is when they first started dating,” her boyfriend stated, glancing over.

The rest of that album went pretty quick. “Are there any other pictures of her when she was younger?” asked his girlfriend. He said there were some, but they were kept in the office. When she asked if there weren't any on the storage array, he had said there were some folders, but he and Chiaki hadn't been in them. When pressed, he had stated that the folders were not visible nor accessible with either of their logins, and he got the feeling from what his dad has said that they likely were encrypted on top of all that. He recalled hearing his dad say that he had only seen a small bit of what was in there himself.

Not one to give up easily, Ayano had asked to see the pictures in the other photo album - the one in the office. Her boyfriend had said that going in there was risky. When she asked why, he had said that his mom liked her privacy. Considering what she had seen, she could see that easily.

Still. “You went in there earlier to get your passport,” she pointed out. He considered that for a moment.

“True,” he said slowly.

“So how is that any different than getting a photo album?” reasoned Ayano, her tone sweet and innocent.

“What is your fixation with my mom?” sighed her boyfriend, but then sighed and got up. Ayano hid her smile, but instead of going into the office, he headed upstairs.

“Where are you going?” she asked him.

“I need an accomplice,” was all he said, stopping at the door two down from Chiaki's room and quietly scratching at the door. Isn't that the guest room where his aunt and cousin are? wondered Ayano. A few moments later, the door slid open, revealing miss Misato - and a lot of her, too, given the tiny, sheer baby-doll night gown she was wearing, one hand rubbing her eyes as she yawned. Seeing her nephew there, she had suddenly grinned widely and whispered something to him, making him twitch before denying whatever she had said, making her giggle. I don't think I want to know what she said, Ayano decided, seeing her boyfriend narrowly avoid a sudden hug from the woman. Good move, she thought approvingly, you might have been smothered by that rack!

“So unfair,” she murmured unhappily.

Her boyfriend spoke with his aunt briefly, the woman frowning for a moment before stepping out of the room and leaning in to whisper to her nephew for a moment. He hesitated, then nodded. Misato was still for a moment, then nodded, heading toward the stairs, jiggling with each step. Lightly descending the steps, the older purple-haired woman glanced at Ayano, her gaze assessing, before she entered the study, returning a few moments later with a photo album. To Ayano's surprise and slight discomfort, she sat down on the couch without a care, patting the spot between her and Ayano, her boyfriend taking the seat. Ayano felt it imperative to cuddle back up to her boyfriend with that woman sitting close beside them in so little.

“If big sis asks, this was your idea,” she warned the two before handing the photo album over. Ayano was getting less and less sure she wanted to see what was in there. Still, she couldn't resist her curiosity and with the book held on her boyfriend's lap, she nudged him, the photo album opening.

The first picture was of Ritsuko in a high school uniform, watching an elf cast magic. She was casually leaning against a tank. The next picture was of her apparently in a hot argument with a white-leather-clad man, the blonde elf in the argument as well. A few more pictures of her in places that looked almost fantasy-world like, with elves and sometimes human were on the next couple of pages. Then, the pictures changed.

There was a picture of Ritsuko, cuffed and restrained, wearing a paper hospital gown, murder in her eyes. The picture looked like a mug-shot, but was full body. Another picture showed her back in her school uniform, meeting some people her approximate age, and a purple-haired woman who could be Misato's twin, the background showing an apartment. There were some pictures of her in a school, including the girl's changing room which made Ayano wonder how those pictures had been taken. More pictures, many of them looking like surveillance captures, some on a beach, taken by someone else as Ritsuko was in them. Seeing one of Ritsuko and two other girls running along a beach made Ayano a little jealous.

The tone of the pictures started to get grimmer. A picture of Ritsuko sitting beside a hospital bed, holding the hand of a red-headed girl in the bed made Ayano squirm. Seeing another of Ritsuko - very clearly from security camera - pointing a gun at some workers increased the darker tone of the pictures. One of Ritsuko, eyes red from crying, arms around a young man did nothing to lighten the oppressive feeling. Another picture from another camera, Ritsuko in the middle of a magazine change, standing indifferently over the bloody bodies of two people, both in tactical gear.

“I…I don't think we should be looking at this,” Ayano gulped nervously. It was clear that the picture was not a movie set nor air soft. The spent casing were clearly visible, as was the blood pooling at her feet and splattered on the bullet-pocked wall. Her boyfriend had started to turn the page, but stopped, closing the album.

“Agreed,” he said. “Aunt Misato, do you know anything about these pictures?” he asked his aunt.

“No,” she said quietly. “I mean, I knew she had more, and I have seen a few of the ones with her in Okinawa, and some with her and Shinji, but she always just said she would think about telling me when I was older. I heard that for the first when I was twelve, and I am still waiting to be old enough,” she gave a half-smile and soft snort.

“Not surprised,” her boyfriend replied, absently running his hand across the cover of the photo album. “Dad said she has not told him much about her youth, either,” he mused.

“You mean you weren't there? Aren't you her adopted younger sister?” Ayano asked Misato.

“Adopted when I was twelve,” came the easy, unconcerned reply from the woman. “Ritsu met me when I was eleven, and decided I needed a better home environment, and got me adopted. Best thing to ever happen to me, too,” she smiled warmly. “Whatever this was had already happened by that time, near as I can tell.”

“Grandma did let a few things slip, though,” frowned her boyfriend. “She mentioned mom `returning from that world' a time or two, and her friends sometimes talked about her `vanishing only to return weeks later years older'. I always thought they were just joking around or it was some sort of inside joke, but maybe not?” he half-suggested.

“Ritsu-nee is always careful what she says, even around me, but I am not as unobservant as she sometimes thinks I am,” Misato said, yawning behind a hand. “There are gaps in her records, and I found out a missing-persons report had been filed when she was in high school. Her friends mentioned she `came back older' when we were drinking one time, and dad let something slip one time at grandma's place just after grandpa died. He said `at least she had time with him before father died, no thanks to the elves!' I never really gave it much thought, but grandma nodded, like she knew what he was saying.”

“Did miss Airi ever say anything?” wondered Ayano, remembering how close the two obviously were.

Both shook their heads. “Airi is even more careful than Ritsu-nee,” Misato shared. “I tried, believe me, but those two are just too in-tune with each other. It is like they are twins, sometimes. And anytime they are having a serious talk, it is in that language that only they know,” pouted the older woman. “Neither one will teach me that language, either!”

Ayano pursed her lips. There is no way that those movies are based on anything real. I mean, come on! Elves? Magic? Ritsuko as a teenage gunslinger school girl? And then there is the second movie. That entire world made me shiver! Seeing them fight their way through it with everything falling apart around them - it's just too dark to be real! She told herself, trying to make herself forget the pictures she had seen in the album resting on her boyfriend's lap. She hugged herself to her boyfriend a bit closer.

“I suspect that whatever is hidden on the storage array, in her locked files and in her safes would explain a lot of this,” Misato said. “But I am less and less sure it is worth learning whatever happened. I know that her friends all said she was a cheerful, outgoing, friendly girl before she went missing for a while, and came back like she is now. Guarded, careful, less social. But her family and friends are still the center of her world, thankfully,” sighed the younger sister.

“Yeah,” her son said. Silence fell for a long moment. “You said earlier that you hoped she wasn't chasing something again. What was that about?” he asked.

“You will need to ask your mom, kid,” denied Misato. “I don't know everything about that either, but there is a group of people she has been keeping an eye out for a long time, and will chase any lead she gets. I never found out who or why, but it sometimes borders on obsession, and that worries me. It wasn't as intense after you and Chiaki were born, but I worry it might become a thing. Her friends worry about that as well. They once said that they had to stop her from killing their homeroom teacher, but they never said why or anything else.”

“They can't have meant that literally,” scoffed Ayano. “I mean, come on - what student hasn't thought about killing a teacher they didn't like, or telling their friends they wanted to?”

“Have you?” came back the immediate reply from Misato. Ayano blinked.

“Well, no, not me personally,” she began.

“I got the distinct impression that they were not talking figuratively,” Misato said. “And I have seen nee-chan pretty mad before. Madder than you or Toshi have ever seen her, I suspect. I do not doubt they were serious.”

“But why her homeroom teacher?” the son of the woman wondered.

“No idea. You would have to ask her, kid,” Misato shrugged.

“Not that she would tell me,” snorted her son.

“I wouldn't bet on that,” grinned Misato. “Ritsu-nee can be brutally honest at times, and you are getting older, so she might decide to tell you. Then what would you do?”

“Good point,” agreed her son, frowning. Misato got up from the couch, stretching briefly before plucking the photo album from his lap, ruffling his hair with her other hand as she practically shoved her tits in his face.

“Anyway, it is late and I am heading back to bed, so you two love-birds don't do anything I wouldn't do!” she cooed sweetly.

“I doubt there is anything you wouldn't do in a similar situation, aunt Misato,” dead-panned her boyfriend, getting a giggle from his aunt as she returned the album to the study and then headed back upstairs, leaving the two alone.

“I think it is time to call it a night,” he said quietly, looking at his girlfriend.

“Yeah, it's late,” Ayano said, a small frown on her lips.

“We have school tomorrow,” the young man said, helping his girlfriend up. “I will show you to the guest room,” he said, giving her a kiss before leading her up the stairs. Before she knew it, she was in a futon, wondering what she had gotten mixed up in. No matter how busy her mind was, she fell asleep quickly enough.

In spite of the late night, she woke early, hearing small sounds from the hallway. Looking at her phone - plugged in to charge - she saw it was almost an hour before her usual waking time, but remembering the commute before her, she had decided to get started. Quickly checking her borrowed outfit, she had glanced out the window, seeing it was still dark outside.

Opening the door, she had headed for the bathroom, finding Chiaki and her brother at the sinks, brushing their teeth. “Morning, Ayano,” mumbled Chiaki.

“Morning,” Ayano said, yawning. Her boyfriend finished up and headed out, Ayano closing the door behind him before heading to the toilet. Chiaki, she noticed, was dressed in a pair of tiny exercise shorts and a jog top. “What's up with the clothes?” she asked.

“Morning exercise,” Chiaki said before gargling a little and finishing up. “I'm sure mom has coffee on, and there is always some hot water if you prefer tea,” she said, wiping her face with a hand towel. “You could sleep in a bit more, you know,” she added, slipping out the door. As she exited, she heard Ritsuko's voice asking if the kids would be joining them for exercise time. Both affirmed, and Ayano heard the voice of the man of the house, urging them to get a move on.

Finishing up her pit-stop, she washed her hands, then headed down to the kitchen, smelling coffee. In the kitchen, she was greeted by the family gathered around the breakfast table, all with cups in their hands. Her boyfriend had a cup of tea - likely green tea - in hand, while the others seemed to be drinking coffee. There was some milk, creamer and honey on the table. Being greeted by the parents, she had been told to help herself before the talk resumed, apparently about chocolate in coffee, and someone that Ritsuko had once known that liked her coffee that way. Ritsuko was smiling and laughing as she talked about the person, but when asked where she was now and how she had met her, she had smoothly killed off the topic.

Ritsuko was wearing much the same thing as her daughter, both having their hair back in a high pony tail, while her boyfriend and his dad were wearing tank-top tee shirts and field shorts. Ayano had fixed a cup of coffee and asked about her school uniform, being told it was hanging up and ready in the laundry room, same as Chiaki's. Ayano had thanked Ritsuko, then asked about the family exercise time she had heard about.

Before she knew it, she was in a tight but very functional gym at the back corner of the house. The room was longer than it was deep, with most of the back wall a window, overlooking the zen garden and small planter beds around it. Two treadmills were side by side on one end, with the middle having a gym mat kind of spot. Ayano had seen something similar in the school karate dojo and in the yoga room at the gym she had visited a few times. On the other end of the room was a workout machine - she recognized it as a famous, expensive brand and beside it but far enough away not to interfere was a weight bench with the weights neatly stacked against the wall. In the corner was a sandbag, clearly well used, though she didn't know how it would be used where it was.

After a few light stretching routines, Ritsuko and her daughter started the treadmills, while the father and son got set up on the weights and exercise machine. “I see there is a secret to your PE scores,” she had offered to Chiaki. She was surprised at the speed the two had set. It was a brisk jog speed, and she saw that the treadmills were at a modest incline, too.

“Don't tell anyone,” snickered Chiaki. She plucked a remote from the corner of her machine, and clicked on the large TV in front of the machine, swiftly getting the morning news and weather on the screen. Looking at the back of the room, Ayano noticed that the weight bench and exercise machine were situated so they could see the TV as well. Unsure of what she should do - or could do, as the gear seemed to all be in use - she sipped her coffee as she watched the news and weather.

Watching the mother and daughter jog along easily, she could see the similarities in their styles and forms. Kilometers were steadily being put down, but neither of them seemed to be feeling it. Ayano also noticed that the mother had a faint but visible six-pack going on. Two children and she still looks like a teenager, marveled the girlfriend. She also noticed that the treadmills - also high-end models like the exercise machines - were varying the speed and incline, seemingly on a specific workout plan. Both women had heart rate monitors around their chests, breathing deeply but evenly as they jogged.

Looking at the other end of the room, she watched her boyfriend working out on the exercise machine, his father on the weight bench. It didn't look like the father was pumping much weight, but she suspected she would struggle with that weight, though the man just kept banging out sets. After a period, the two men changed machines, with her boyfriend beginning to pump iron, much to her approval. She had known he was trim and fit, but never suspected he did that kind of workout. She absently licked her lips as she watched him press out sets. Again, the two changed machines after a few sets. The mother and daughter puffed along steadily.

After just over a half hour, the treadmills beeped, and the two women stepped off them, meeting the two men as they changed places. She saw a bit of flirty behavior between Ritsuko and her husband. The two men got started on the treadmill and the girls set up the machines, the pattern repeating itself. Ayano was surprised when a hand came to rest on her shoulder, turning to see miss Misato and Maya standing there.

“Morning, nee-chan,” yawned Misato. “Still doing this routine, I see,” she added.

“Of course,” came the casual reply. “I refuse to turn into a bloated housewife. Besides, I worked hard for this body.”

“Feel free to join us, aunt Misato, Maya,” Chiaki invited, working on a set of presses, though her weights were far less than her father and brother had piled up when they were working out.

“No, thank you,” declined Misato. “I don't want to be a shredded macho girl,” she smiled at her big sister.

“Suit yourself, sis, but those pumpkins are starting to sag, and your dress looked a little tight on you,” replied the big sister, getting a soft gasp from her kid sister.

“No they are not!” she protested, arms over her breasts. “Tell them, Maya!” she demanded.

“I have no idea and no opinion,” denied the daughter blandly. It was pretty clear she was used to this behavior.

“Uh huh,” Ritsuko said. A few minutes later, the treadmills beeped again, and the two men - now sweating a little - climbed off.

“We doing some sparring today?” asked the husband.

“Sure,” Ritsuko said, finishing up her own set, lightly sheened in sweat, as was Chiaki. The daughter moved over to the sand bag and grabbed it, reaching up to tug on a rope hanging down to just above the fastening point of the bag to the chain, getting a click sound. She then pulled the bag forward, the bag sliding along a hidden track in the ceiling tiles. Moving it along the lines of the tiles, Chiaki positioned it over the mats, once more tugging the rope, which made another click sound in the ceiling. Toshiro handed his son a groin protector and head protector, while Ritsuko tossed fingered fighting gloves to her family, handing her daughter a head protector as well.

“You want a turn, Maya? It's good stress relief,” Chiaki said, smacking the bag with her hand as she grinned.

Maya - wearing a pair of sleeping shorts and a tee shirt - shrugged. “Sure, why not?” she said, moving over to the bag and squaring up, raising her fists. A few quick jabs and a kick followed, Chiaki holding the bag for her.

“Come on, you can hit harder than that!” Chiaki urged her. “Remember to put your butt behind the hits, and use your whole body to throw the kick. Come one, show this bag who's boss!”

Maya picked up the pace a bit, hitting harder, faster and with more range. Still, Chiaki didn't seem satisfied. “This bag called your mom a slut! It sold naked pictures of you to the boys at school! It spread rumors about you! It stole your money and bought cigarettes with it! It changed the name on your test! Come on, beat it like drum! Make it beg for mercy, Maya-chan!” exhorted Chiaki, grinning like mad.

“How the bag could do all that, I don't know,” huffed Maya, even as she picked up the pace a bit.

“Come on, sweetie! Defend my honor!” cheered Misato, grinning. Maya stopped.

“Tell you what, mom, you can defend your own honor,” she said, gesturing to the bag.

“Oh! How unfortunate, to be abandoned by my daughter in my time of need…!” hammed up Misato, thought she did move to the bag, pausing only to grab her youngest daughter in a hug. After a brief hug, Misato had squared up to the bag. “It has been a while, so let's see if I remember anything from club and big sister,” she said, beginning a pattern of punches and kicks, gaining speed and power.

After a minute or so, Misato stopped, breathing a bit fast. Ritsuko approached her. “Not bad, sis,” she said, giving her little sister a squeeze on her shoulder. She then stepped forward, Chiaki bracing significantly more as her mom led in with a brutal front-kick before pummeling the bag with fists, feet, elbows and knees. Ayano frowned seeing how Ritsuko worked the bag. “What style is that?” she asked her boyfriend.

“It is Invincible Idiot style,” he replied. “Or at least, that is what she always says it is,” he shrugged. Ritsuko went a full minute hammering the bag, making Chiaki stagger a bit as she tried to absorb the power before stopping.

“Not nearly as good as Junpei, but it does the job,” she said, grinning a sharp little smile.

“You are still brutal, dear,” Toshiro said, smiling at her.

“Sorry I am so vicious,” she sang back, smiling sweetly. “Show me some refined moves,” she invited, her tone suggesting she was piling on the innuendo.

“Can't say not to that,” her husband smiled, moving forward, Chiaki releasing the bag as her brother took her spot. Ayano watched as the husband took position and then began to hammer at the bag. It was clear he had taken a lot of unarmed combat training and was pretty athletic as well. After a few minutes of near non-stop work, he stopped, panting a bit.

“Hm, not bad,” purred Ritsuko.

“And you always accused me of being a horny pervert,” muttered Misato, though her tone was not harsh.

“You were and are,” Ritsuko replied indifferently. Misato didn't seem surprised or upset at that comeback.

“Come on, son, show your old man what you got,” invited the father.

“If you insist, dad,” her boyfriend said, the two swapping places. Her boyfriend laid into the bag, clearly using more of the style his father used than the one his mother - and to a degree, sister - used. His father kept up a running commentary on what he could do better, as well as encouraging him to go harder, faster and more. A few minutes later, the first-born stopped, panting a bit.

“Good warm-up,” his dad congratulated him, moving the bag back to the corner.

“Warm up?” wondered Chiaki.

“Yeah, we have time enough for a little sparring,” Chiaki said, looking at the large clock on the wall near the TV.

“You sure you don't want to join the karate club?” Ayano asked.

“Nah, I don't do this for sport,” dismissed the daughter. “Hey, I got a new idea I want to try,” she said to her family, smiling. “Dad, grab me from behind,” she said, turning her back.

“Ah, I think I will pass,” he said, “I don't have my cup on,” he added under his breath.

“I'll be gentle,” giggled Chiaki, obviously not meaning a word of that. “Big brother?” she prompted.

“I think mom would be a better choice,” he declined as well.

“Mom isn't a guy,” Chiaki dismissed the suggestion. “I need a guy to grab me from behind so I can try out my idea,” she almost pouted. Ayano saw Ritsuko slip over to her son, whom she wrapped up and pinned to the mat.

“Why do you always say I should spar with Chiaki-chan, sweetie?” asked the mother, her tone sweet, but her grapple definitely not, from the look on her son's face. He was struggling to break free, but his mom was maintaining control, though not without effort.

Sighing, the father had approached his daughter, who grinned in anticipation, turning her back on him. He stepped behind her and grabbed her in an almost-hug. Chiaki snorted. “Come on, Dad, grab me like a mugger, kidnapper or a rapist would or this won't be a valid test,” she complained. Her dad sighed, but then suddenly grabbed her much harder and without concern of where his hands and arms landed. Chiaki gave a shriek before struggling, her dad trying to keep hold of her, but she managed to wiggle enough to get a few hits in, then widened the gaps until she could break his hold before spinning into him, tripping him back as she fell on him, her elbow aimed for his temple. He got his arm up and deflected the elbow, but wasn't able to dodge or block the rain of blows and strikes as she maneuvered on top of him, grabbing his arm and going for a bar or bind of some sort. Her father, though, planted his shoulder and heel and began to tighten his arm, which slowly overpowered his daughter, who had the sense to bail before it was too late, kicking off him with her heels and rolling back and to her feet in a fluid motion as he rotated to his feet as well.

“Hm. Room for improvement,” she sighed. Looking at her mom, she found that her big brother had managed to get mostly free and was trying to pin his mom, but Ritsuko was not giving him a chance, punishing him with hits and strikes while simultaneously working herself into a position to pin him again. Finally, though, he got an opening and managed to shove her off him with a leg and arm, overpowering her. She fell back, rolling on her back and came right back up.

“Enough, mom,” he said, raising his arm. She was breathing hard, but smiled.

“If you say so, son,” she agreed, straightening and looking over at Chiaki. “That was not a bad idea, but remember, Chiaki, if you are up against a man, you will nearly always be at a size and strength disadvantage - usually a significant disadvantage. Trying to overpower them or fight straight up is a losing strategy. Use your advantages instead, and prevent them from using their strength and size against you.”

“I know, but if I had gotten his arm, I would have leverage to break it,” sighed the daughter. Ayano blinked at the casual admission of planning to do something so violent.

“Better to get out and get an equalizer or escape than hope for good luck,” came the sage reply from her mom. “Still, good work!” she smiled at her daughter, one arm giving her son a hug as well.

The family glanced at the clock, and decided to call it for the day, heading to get cleaned up. Ayano found herself with Maya and Misato. “I can't say I have ever seen a family spar together before,” she noted.

“The family that spars together stays together,” came the cheerful reply from Misato.

“Did she teach you that stuff, too, miss Misato?” Ayano wondered.

“Yeah,” came the reply. “And I taught some to my kids, as well, but Ritsuko is more dedicated than I am in that area,” admitted the younger sister.

“Aunt Ritsuko always said it was better to be judged by twelve than carried by six,” Maya shared. Ayano gave her a puzzled look.

“It is an idiom that says better to defend yourself in court than be buried,” Misato filled in. “Maybe I should make breakfast for everyone,” she considered.

“I think you should wait for aunt Ritsuko,” Maya interjected blandly.

“Hey! I can cook fine!” protested Misato.

“Yes, yes, but aunt Ritsuko is better at cooking, and this is her kitchen,” countered the youngest of Misato's children. Misato pouted a little, but didn't argue the point. Ayano took the chance to grab her uniform and Chiaki's from the utility room and took them to Chiaki's room, finding the girl was just getting out of the shower, towel wrapped around her.

“Oh, thanks, Ayano,” Chiaki said, seeing her uniform in the older girl's hands. Stopping by her dresser, she grabbed a pair of panties and a bra before tossing her towel aside, swiftly slipping into her underwear before reaching for her uniform. Ayano decided it was not worth going to the guest room, and quickly put on her own uniform, the two sharing the large mirror in Chiaki's room to check their appearance.

When they came back down, Ritsuko was working in the kitchen, with some help from Maya while Misato sat sipping some coffee. The stacked purple-haired woman had put on her dress again, and Maya was now in a school uniform. The red-headed mother was quickly churning out rice, fish, toast, potatoes and eggs with a fruit plate on the side with bananas, apples, oranges, and grapes, forming a very eclectic breakfast, but it seemed popular with the household, and Ayano admitted it was very good.

The food was quickly consumed. As the last bits were cleaned up, the sun was just rising, lighting up the fields and house in warm light. Looking out at the view out the windows facing the east where the main road was, Ayano saw a police car coming up the drive way. Police? What would they be doing here? she wondered. “Um, why is a police car coming this way?” she asked at large.

“Don't know,” Ritsuko said, her tone calm and bland, but almost too calm to her ear. The family didn't stop what they were doing, but were quieter than usual. The police car stopped and a police officer got out, approaching the front door. Hearing the door buzzer sound, Ritsuko had dried off her hands and headed to the door. “Yes?” she said, opening the door a little.

“Sorry to interrupt your morning, Saruwata-san,” the police man said politely, bowing to Ritsuko, “but I would like to ask a favor of you, if I may,” he continued.

“What kind of favor would you be needing?” Ritsuko asked, her husband coming up behind her, the door now open more fully.

“Morning, Ukita-san,” he greeted the officer.

“Toshiro-san, good morning to you as well,” the officer bowed back. “I wanted to ask if the two of you would be available to help us again this year. It is nearly time to re-certify and some of us are a bit rusty,” he admitted, scratching the back of his head.

Ritsuko glanced at her husband before answering. “We will see what we can work out. What are the dates?” she asked. The police officer listed off some dates and time, Ritsuko nodding. “We can probably work out something. I will give you or your partner a call later this week with specifics once we check our schedules. I presume you have made arrangements for the use of the appropriate resources?” she asked.

“The requests were submitted two days ago, but we were told this morning that the facilities were not available. So, we are in something of a pinch,” admitted the police man. Ritsuko considered that for a moment.

“We may be able to help, Ukita-san, but we will need to check a few things. I will be in touch later this week, if that is ok?” Ritsuko said, getting a nod and small bow.

“Yes, thank you for your assistance, Saruwata-san,” he thanked her. Chiaki came up beside her parents with a Styrofoam cup of coffee, a small single-serving creamer container on top.

“Good morning, Ukita-san, please enjoy this coffee,” she smiled, offering him the coffee. He took it with a smile.

“Your hospitality is always impeccable, Saruwata-san,” he replied, bowing again before excusing himself. Ritsuko watched the police car reach the road and drive off down the road toward the small town nearest to them. Closing the door, she gave her husband a look.

“What are you thinking, Ritsu?” he asked her. She grinned.

“You've been to America with me,” she giggled. Her husband sighed.

“Yes. Yes, I have,” he agreed. “But this is Japan,” he pointed out. She just grinned a bit wider, saying nothing.

“I should have asked him for a ride to school,” Chiaki thought aloud. Ayano blinked at her.

“You wanted to ask a police officer for a ride to school?” Ayano blinked.

“Sure. Why not? His salary is paid by our taxes,” replied Chiaki. “Besides, it isn't like he a stranger; or at least any stranger than any of the others,” she snickered.

“Chiaki, behave,” her father sighed.

“You do realize you would be arriving at school in a police car, don't you?” Ayano asked the younger girl. “Wouldn't that be really embarrassing?” Her reputation at school is already very colorful, I can only image what they would say if she showed up at the gate in a police car, she considered.

Chiaki considered that, slowly smiling. “It might be fun,” she said after a moment of consideration.

“No, Chiaki,” sighed her mother. Her daughter pouted at that judgement, as did her aunt.

“You used to be more fun, Ritsu-nee,” booed Misato.

“I used to be a lot of things, Misa-chan,” came the indifferent reply from Ritsuko. “Not that I am trying to rush you, but you have a drive to make if Maya-chan is going to make class,” noted the older sister. “And you three need to be heading that way yourselves soon as well,” she noted.

“We're going,” Misato replied. A cell phone rang, Ritsuko fishing up her cell phone and checking the screen before connecting the call.

Exchanging a greeting with the caller, Ritsuko suddenly went still. Misato's cell phone rang, Misato checking the screen before connecting the call.

“When?” came the cool, dead voice of Ritsuko. “I see. Who was there?” she asked. “No, of course I am coming right away. What about it?” she asked, her tone colder and harder, “this is far more important than anything else. Yes, I understand, but it is immaterial. Ok, I will meet you there later. Love you,” she said, ending the call.

“Dear?” her husband asked. Misato gave a surprised sound, staggering back against the counter, phone to her ear.

“Grandmother - great grandmother for you kids - passed this morning, about an hour ago,” Ritsuko said, her voice a little uneven. Her husband stepped into her, hugging her tightly. Ritsuko turned to hug him tightly, face buried in his shoulder. After a several moments, she straightened, her face mostly under control. “You are skipping school today. We will be driving down to her place shortly. Please pack for a funeral,” she said, abruptly spinning on her feet and marching to the study.

Misato ended her call, the hand holding her phone dropping limply to her side. “Who called you, Misato?” asked Toshio, looking after his wife's departing back.

“Dad called me. I guess mom called Ritsu,” Misato said, sniffling a little. “I loved grandma, but we all knew this was coming,” she managed, running the back of hand over her eyes. “Ritsu needs you, Toshi - go,” said the younger sister. He nodded, and hurried toward the office.

“Mom?” asked Maya, touching Misato's arm. The mother managed a smile for her daughter.

“I'll be ok, sweetie,” she assured her. “Please text your siblings with the news. I will give them details later about the funeral, but right now, I need to call work and your school and make arrangements.”

“I'm on it, mom,” Maya said, pulling out her cell phone and swiftly starting a text. From the office, they heard Ritsuko's voice.

“This is Saruwata Ritsuko, principal Oonishi. There has been a death in the immediate family, and my children will not be in school for the next few days. Please have their class representatives email their class assignments to them daily, inform their homeroom teachers of the reason for their absences, and inform any staff who ask that no flowers or cards are requested. Yes, that will be fine. Thank you. Good bye.”

Ayano blinked. It sounded like Ritsuko was giving orders to the principal rather than informing him her children would be out of school for a bit. I guess she has his direct line? And why can she take that tone with him? she wondered.

“Ayano, I'll drop you by the nearest bus on the way,” Misato said, breaking her out of her thoughts. “Ritsu, we will meet you at grandma's place later today,” she called.

“Got it, thanks Misa-chan,” came Ritsuko's voice from the study. “Get changed and packed, kids,” she added, her son and daughter already moving for the stairs. Misato herded her into her car, Maya joining them. Cranking up, Misato had departed. Ayano, who didn't often ride in a vehicle, found herself a little scared at how Misato was driving. It seem the woman was driving far too fast, and way too dangerously, but Maya didn't seem to be phased at all. When Misato inertia drifted through an intersection, one hand on the wheel, one working her phone, she gave a shriek.

“Please, miss Misato, be more careful!” she begged.

“Hm?” hummed Misato.

“It's a lost cause, Ayano,” came the voice of Maya - securely belted in, Ayano noticed - her hands working her phone. “Mom has always driven like this,” she added. “Makota-nii wants to know how it happened,” she added to her mom.

“Haven't heard details, but dad said she died peacefully,” Misato said, nearly side-swiping a car as it turned into the road. Unlike me, who might die anything but peacefully! Ayano mentally screamed, hands fisted on the seat belts. To distract herself, she looked at the dash of the car. She had not gotten a good look at it before, but it was mid-sized car, imported, and seemed to have no shortage of power available, from the way that miss Misato was roaring along. Phone still in hand, Misato down-shifted, braked, throttled back up and then up-shifted again - all in a heartbeat.

Hearing a phone ring, Misato touched a control, and the call connected to the Bluetooth audio in the car. “Hey, yeah, I'm driving right now, so make it quick,” Misato said, picking up speed now that both hands were free to really work the machine.

“Misato, slow down,” came a man's voice. He sounded older to Ayano. “Driving like a lunatic will not change anything, and if you or Maya-chan got injured, Ritsu would be even more stressed, so slow it down, young lady!” came the stern order. To her mild surprise, Misato did as ordered.

“Yes, dad,” she sighed, sounding a little frustrated.

“Good. Now, rather than trying to read text messages that look like a collaboration between a chimpanzee and a drunk hobo, let's just have a normal discussion,” he continued.

“Got the new girlfriend of Ritsu's boy in here,” Misato said, not looking at Ayano.

“Oh? Ayaka? No, Akane?” the grandfather of her boyfriend replied.

“Ayano, grandpa,” Maya chimed in.

“Hello, Maya-chan,” he said, sounding pleased and eager. “It's good to hear your voice, sweetie, though I wish it were under better circumstances.”

“I know,” Maya said. “Big brother Makota wants to know how great grandma died,” she relayed the chat question from her oldest sibling.

“We have not heard the official answer yet, of course, but it appears to have been a sudden stroke or maybe an aneurism. From what we know right now, she had gotten up for breakfast, greeted Moeka-chan, and when Moeka-chan came in with her breakfast, she was dead, still sitting at the table. She thought grandma had fallen asleep again, but when she checked, she was dead, still with a smile on her face.”

“That's something, anyway,” Misato said. “At least it was quick and probably painless. I know that grandpa's death really hurt Ritsu-nee because it dragged on for several hours,” frowned the purple-haired woman. “Does Ritsu know how she died?” asked Misato.

“Mom is talking with her now,” her dad answered. “How did she take it?” he asked, his tone more serious.

“Compared to what?” Misato asked rhetorically. “It hurt her, for sure, but I think she took it as well as she possibly could. You know how she is about family and losing anyone,” Misato said, her tone somber.

“Yes, too well,” he agreed. “Grandma is currently with the medical examiner to get an official cause of death, and death certificate, and your mother and I will be opening her will and papers shortly. You know she had her funeral planned out for decades now, so it should be pretty straight forward,” he sighed again.

“I'd rather have grandma,” muttered Misato.

“I think we all would, but that is not possible, and you know that,” he said quietly. “Are you planning to drive here or straight to grandma's place?” he asked her.

“I told Ritsu I would meet her there,” Misato said, almost missing the turn she needed, and chirping the tires as she braked hard, cut the wheel, shifted and cut behind a car going the other way so close that Ayano could see the specs of dust on the back of the car. “Is Ritsu stopping by your place first or going straight to grandma's place?” Misato asked.

“We are negotiating with her now,” chuckled the father of Misato and Ritsuko. Misato laughed.

“Good luck with that, Dad!” she said.

“There's the bus stop, Mom,” Maya said. “But the bus is pulling away. The next one will be in twenty minutes according to the schedule,” she added.

“I can have her at the gate in twelve,” grunted Misato, blowing past the bus stop like a cannonball.

“Misato! Stop driving like a maniac, young lady!” ordered her father.

“I'm driving safely,” Misato protested, pouting.

“If this were Baghdad and the green zone, maybe,” muttered Maya.

“Quiet, you,” Misato commanded her child. Maya smiled a little. “No one likes a tattle-tale,” she added.

Ayano gulped as Misato nearly skidded to a stop at a red light. She suspected that Misato only stopped because cross-traffic was already in the intersection. “If you want, you can just drop me off right over there,” Ayano spoke up, licking her lips nervously. “It isn't that far to the next bus stop anyway, and I can probably jog to school if I have to and still make it in time,” she added.

“No, it's fine! It isn't a problem to drop you off first,” Misato easily dismissed her offer. “Besides, you will be early if this traffic would get out of the way,” she added, exhaling. The light started changing, and Ayano leaned back in the seat, suspecting a hard launch given how Misato had been driving thus far.

“Misato Katsuragi Shimada, you will drive safely,” came the firm voice of her father.

“I am!” protested the woman, launching the car with only a single chirp of the rear wheels. Ayano heard the man sigh.

“Just please don't add more stress to Ritsuko right now, promise?” he gave up the fight.

“I would never do that,” Misato said quietly, all but cutting off another car as she danced through traffic before darting over to the lane she needed to turn onto the road the school was on. Her foot sank down, the car surging forward along the less-traveled road. “Anyway, dad, I will talk to you again soon, love you,” she said.

“You, too, sweetie,” said the man before Misato ended the call.

“This is a 45 kilometer per hour zone and you are doing 90, mom,” Maya pointed out.

“Nag, nag, nag,” complained Misato. “Backseat drivers should be quiet and let me drive,” she added, getting a giggle from her daughter. Ayano said a silent prayer for safety. What felt like hours later but was only a few minutes, Misato once more darted across lanes, braked hard enough to engage the ABS system and ducked into the lane for the school.

Arriving in front of the school gate, Misato once more hit the brakes hard enough to engage the ABS briefly. Ayano barely registered that they had stopped before Maya was out of the back seat and opening the passenger door for her, reaching in and releasing the seat belt and helping her out. Handing Ayano her school bad, Maya quickly made a few quick adjustments to the older girl's uniform, patted her on the shoulder and said. “Here you are, safe and sound. Pleasure to meet you, Ayano,” she said, slipping into the passenger seat and clicking her seatbelt even as she closed the door. “Please excuse us, but we have business elsewhere.”

Misato gave her a half-wave before glancing around and launching, the rear tires chirping a few times from the launch. Ayano's brain finally caught up, and she looked around, seeing everyone staring at her. Some member of the automotive club were staring after the car, which was already gone, and already she could see the other girls whispering to each other. Gathering herself, she headed into school, greeting the students she knew as normally as possible. It did not surprise her to find the teacher on gate duty wanted a word with her about her arrival. Though she couldn't really explain what had happened, when she mentioned that the driver was the sister of miss Saruwata, the teacher stopped asking questions.

It wasn't until she was home and trying to work on homework that she heard from her boyfriend. Her cell phone rang and she saw his name on the display. Grabbing up the phone, she had asked him if he was ok. He had said he was ok, they were at great grandma's place, and it looked they would be out a few days. In the background, she heard Misato's voice saying something. Her boyfriend asked her to excuse him for a moment and then he came back, Ayano hearing crickets and insects in the background. He apologized for his aunt's behavior, and asked if she was ok after a ride with her.

Ayano had assured him she was fine, but couldn't keep from asking him how his aunt had gotten a license. Her boyfriend had laughed and said that was a saga for another time, but it was certainly not without some issues. Ayano then tested a theory she had and asked if Ritsuko had taught Misato to drive. That, her boyfriend assured her, was not the case, though the two sisters did have similar driving habits at times.

“Mom told us once that it was the fault of one of her boyfriends in high school that aunt Misato drives like that. Pretty sure that he was a `bad boy' as mom would say, and I suspect she ran him off, but that is only a suspicion on my part. For a while, aunt Misato was into drifting and street racing and some other stuff like that, but grandma said that Ritsuko didn't let that become a habit. I can only imagine how mom handled that with aunt Misato,” he said, his tone showing his amusement.

“Yes, I understand your point,” Ayano sighed. “Um, is your mom ok? She seemed upset when she heard about your great grandma,” asked the girl. It isn't like his mom and I know each other well, but…

“Mom's…she will be ok,” was the somber reply. She heard something in the background. “Sorry, but I have to go now. I will call you again when I can.”

“Ok,” she agreed. “Ah, I'm sorry for your loss,” she offered.

“Thanks, Ayano,” he said before ending the call. Ayano sighed, wondering what her boyfriend and his family were up to.

She didn't hear from him for three days, though he had texted her a time or two, saying things were proceeding. The last text was that the funeral was about to start and they would be back soon, once a few things were cleared up with great grandma's estate.

That evening, her mom has asked her about her visit to her boyfriend's family, and she struggled to explain her stay. It was pretty clear that her mom like her boyfriend, her dad didn't appear to have complaints, either - not that he ever seemed too interested in her social life and dating. When her mom had asked her about her boyfriend's mom, she had finally decided to say she was a housewife, too, though a little different from her own mom. Not like I can really explain that woman, she thought to herself later in her room. I don't even understand her myself!

The next day, her boyfriend and his sister were back at school. She had been happy to see him again, and as soon as she could, she had asked him about the funeral. He had been a bit evasive, but finally said that there had been a small hiccup related to a real estate development company wanting to buy the land. His mom considered the house and land to be family property, and the guy with the development company had not shown respect nor tact and that had pretty much set his mom off. Ayano wanted to hear about it, but it was pretty clear he didn't want to talk about it.

So, she tried her luck with Chiaki. The girl was pretty busy, what with having to find a club to join and being swamped with recruitment attempts, she had traded a bit on her status as a third year and gotten some space for Chiaki before asking her about the funeral, and hinting that her big brother had told her more than he had. Chiaki had frowned at something, then led her to the roof, where she had told her a bit more.

The morning after they had arrived at the house of their great grandma, a guy had shown up, wanting to buy the property. Chiaki had described him as a glasses-wearing greasy plague rat, which told her a lot about the man and his impression. He had been greeted by Ritsuko's father, and had not even bothered to offer condolences before saying that his company was buying the land now that the owner was dead because it was `under-utilized' and had the paperwork in hand, all they needed to do was sign and leave. Ayano, even with her limited understanding of how her boyfriend's family worked, winced.

Ritsuko had been in the kitchen with her mom, making breakfast, and had heard the man. It did not get better from there. Her father had asked the man how he had known his mother-in-law had died. The man had dismissively said that they saw it in the paper, and that they had tried a few times before to buy it after `the old man' had died, but she wasn't smart enough to sell, and now the house was worth less because it wasn't kept up and they should be glad that his company was so generous with their offer.

Great grandmother's house, Chiaki had explained, was maintained regularly by her grandparents and parents. It was in great shape for its age, and filled with memories for all of them, so even if it were falling apart, it would be far too valuable to sell. Not to mention that the man had already admitted that great grandma didn't want to sell it.

Her grandfather - Ritsuko's father - had told the man they were not interested in selling, and told him to leave and never come back. The man had retreated, but said he would be back when they realized they were making a mistake. The family had considered the matter closed, and moved on with the funeral arrangements and handling great grandmother's will. Chiaki had also shared that Airi had called her mom, the two talking for a while in the language no one knew but them.

The afternoon of the funeral, after most of the guests and mourners had left, the man had shown up again. He had said he was back, since they had time to think about it and doubtlessly realized that they were better off taking their offer than trying to keep the `worn-down hovel' standing. Chiaki had said that the reaction of the mourners - all of them who had known their great grandmother for a very long time and had been getting offers from the same company for a while - was not good, but they all paled in comparison to her mom's reaction.

Chiaki had said that if her grandma and Misato had not grabbed Ritsuko, it was very likely that she would have assaulted the guy right there. Recalling what she had seen of the mother, Ayano could imagine how bad that would have been for the guy. As it was, Chiaki said, her grandmother and Misato had grabbed her mom, while her grandfather, dad and brother grabbed the guy, dragged him out of the house, and threw him in the street. The local police had assigned a car to the funeral because their great grandmother was much liked in the community and they were expecting a lot of mourners and possibly traffic issues.

When the officer had seen the three men drag the other guy out and throw him into the street, he had come to see what was up, as the police did not want a riot starting at a funeral. The man had demanded the police arrest her family members for assaulting him, but after talking to her father, brother and grandfather, the police officer had told the man to leave and not come back. Her brother had talked with the officer a bit more, and explained in more detail what the guy had been doing and gotten some information as well about the company's activities in the town. Several of the town residents had taken the time to confirm with the officer that the man with the real estate development company was the trouble-maker and none of them wanted them around.

Ayano had started to breathe a sigh of relieve that it had ended peacefully, but then Chiaki said her mom had found out the name of the company. She had shared that her mom was in a very bad mood and was not likely to let such a thing go. Imagining what might happen if Ritsuko was anything like some of her theories about her were, Ayano could only be glad that Ritsuko wasn't upset at her.

Ayano had managed to arrange another visit - this time over a weekend, since she and her boyfriend were third years and had already taken their college entrance exams and were just biding time until graduation - that weekend, and gone home with Chiaki and her boyfriend again, this time with an overnight bag. Reaching their home, she had been greeted by Ritsuko, who was working in the garage with her husband. Ayano could not recall seeing the vehicle that Ritsuko was working on there when she had last visited, but pushed that though aside.

It had been another interesting night at her boyfriend's house, and the next morning, she had offered to help Ritsuko make breakfast, the mother agreeing easily enough. As they finished up eating, she had once more seen a police car coming up the driveway. Ritsuko had glanced at the clock and said they were a bit early. Excusing herself, she and her husband had gone out to greet the police, talking with them for a bit before coming back in and grabbing some small bags they had set aside earlier. Reminding the kids to behave, they had gone out, gotten into their farm truck, and drove off, police following them.

When she had asked the two siblings what their parents were doing with the police, worried it might be related to the incident at the funeral, they had assured her it wasn't. Their parents were just helping the police brush up in preparation for their annual re-certification with their service guns. Ayano found herself wondering why the police were asking for help from the parents of her boyfriend. Chiaki could obviously see something on her face, and she laughed, saying mom and dad were better shots than any police officer. Besides, she continued, the local police force was not exactly overly-experienced with guns, and usually struggled with the yearly recertification course of fire. It didn't help that they were still using the old revolvers.

“So, your parents coach the local police on marksmanship?” Ayano asked, sure that she was mis-understanding what was being said.

“Yeah,” Chiaki said. “Honestly, I'm a better shot than most of them,” she smiled. “And I have shot a lot more guns and way more ammo than them, too,” she laughed.

“Where are they heading, if she is going to be coaching them? Wouldn't they have to do that at the police range or something?” wondered the girlfriend. Chiaki shrugged.

“Don't know,” she answered, unconcerned. “They might be going to some private property to train,” suggested the daughter. Ayano frowned.

“Is that legal?”

“The police will be doing the shooting, so it should be fine,” her boyfriend said. “I recall mom saying they had training allotments of ammo, so that is probably what they will be using,” he shared.

“I can't believe your parents coach the police on marksmanship,” she sighed. “But then, your dad was in the JSDF, so I guess it makes sense.”

Hearing the two siblings sharing a laugh, she asked what was so funny. “Just between us, dad has never won a shooting competition against mom,” shared Chiaki. “He's good, yeah, but mom is unreal. Dad has said that he has seen snipers who couldn't shoot as well as mom. She is just a natural, I guess.”

Ayano recalled that they said they went shooting when they went to America. Another weird family activity, I guess, she thought to herself. The weekend went well, and Ayano even got to enjoy a make-out session with her boyfriend that almost made it to home base, but had been caught short at third base by a badly-timed call from one of her friends about homework help, which had broken the mood and before they could capture it again, Chiaki had made a very noisy approach, which made Ayano pretty sure the little sister knew what they had been up to. To her great relief, the mother of the house had only brought some snacks and drinks at the very start, and not shown up again since. Later, she heard that she and Chiaki had gotten busy with a project in the garage while the man of the house had been doing some work in the fields with the tractor. It kind of irked her that she could have gone for it then, but had failed to because she was spooked by the mystery that was her boyfriend's mother.

It was obvious that she would need to eliminate the mother from the equation if she was ever going to feel brave enough to go for a grand slam with her boyfriend. So, she had plotted for a couple of days, finally figuring out that the best way to eliminate the obstacles - as she saw it - was to have him spend a weekend at her house. They would even skip the half-day and leave at lunch on Friday to give them more time. Her father was going to be on a company retreat/planning workshop that weekend and her mom had said she had a `housewife retreat' planned with some neighborhood housewives she was friends with, which would leave her with a clear field.

So, she had asked him to come home with her that weekend, saying she wanted to introduce him to her parents - without telling him they would not be there long if at all - and because he had never visited her house before. He had agreed, and she had been elated. Her trap was set and she had things planned out, along with backup plans just in case. Friday morning, Chiaki had caught her in the hallway and told her she knew what she was planning, and wished her luck before reminding her that she and her big brother watched each other's backs. Smiling easily, the first-year had moved off with a group of her friends, who obviously wanted to know why she was talking a third year, but Chiaki just brushed it aside off-handedly.

The school's girl gossip machine was working overtime as usual, and by the time lunch was about to start, all girls seemed to know she had asked her boyfriend to come to her house. For some reason, it was viewed as far more salacious when she asked him to go to her house than when he agreed with her request to come visit his house. Not that there hadn't been some catty rumors about that, but his reputation as a solid guy and not a horn-dog `player' and her reputation as being sensible and somewhat straight-laced dampened those rumors practically before they started.

With practiced ease, she shrugged off the rumors and focused on her upcoming weekend with her boyfriend. Their departure was delayed by a meeting with the guidance counselor about some small details related to her graduation and college enrollment information. As lunch period ended, the two of them departed school, heading to her house. He already knew she lived in town, not in the country like him, but was curious about her home situation.

It didn't take them nearly as long to reach her house as it did for them to reach his home, and he found himself looking at a small house with a modest yard, a tight carport beside the house, and a fence and wall around the small property. He estimated that the entire property could fit in his family's workshop. Still, it seemed well-kept and orderly. His girlfriend led him into the house, calling out for her mom as she toed off her shoes.

Her mother greeted them, appearing a few moments later from the direction of the living room area, a somewhat frumpy dress on with an apron over it. Seeing they had company, she had greeted him and welcomed him to their home. He had thanked her and gotten points for being polite, behaved and of the type that she approved of, near as he could tell. His girlfriend had quickly gotten him into the living room before dashing up to her room to change. She had thought carefully about what to wear and had settled on a skirt just shorter than her knees, a blouse that looked good on her and showed some skin at her belly and arms when she moved her arms or stretched and had a deeper neckline than the average blouse. Leaving the top button undone had made it just perfect in her opinion. Checking her hair and look a couple of times, she was sure she was ready and came back down stairs, finding that her boyfriend had been talking to her mother, which was not something she had been keen on, but it appeared he had been doing a good job of charming her.

They were talking about her husband and his job, as well as a bit about her and Ayano. Her mother had been bragging about her daughter, of course, but also a little about her husband. Apparently, he was a manager for a local branch company that dealt in agricultural supplies and equipment, and to hear her tell it, he was being considered for a promotion to headquarters. She was obviously looking forward to moving to Tokyo, which she had shared with him had been where she went to high school and a couple of years of college, and was where she met her husband.

Ayano had stepped in at that point to keep the conversation from turning into her mom gushing about her marriage and husband and things like that. Her mom had taken the diversion in step, but pivoted to asking about her boyfriend and his family. “So, where did your parents meet?” she asked innocently.

“They met when my mother was visiting my great grandmother in the country, and after a period of dating, they got married,” he replied. Ayano knew there was a lot more to it than that, but she was glad her boyfriend was being so compact with his answers. Her mother, for all she loved her, was an incurable gossip and tended to be rather snobbish at times. His answer gave her nothing to work with. Good call, she silently cheered her boyfriend.

“I see,” her mother said. “Where did your dad go to school?”

“He graduated from a technical school and enrolled in the JSDF as a non-commissioned officer,” he replied. Ayano wanted to groan as she saw her mother's expression. Well, none of them seem bothered by his military service, and it is the truth, so I guess there is no helping it, she thought, mentally sighing.

“One of those, then,” her mother said, a touch of disapproval in her tone. “I presume your mother graduated from a good school and is the bread-winner of your house?” she asked.

“Mom is not a career woman, if that is what you mean,” answered her boyfriend easily, giving an easy smile. “She is a housewife, like you, in fact.” His answer almost made her snort in derision. `Like you'? They are nothing like each other, she thought.

“I see,” her mom replied. “What college did she attend?”

“Mom didn't go to college,” he said, again smiling easily. “She withdrew from high school for personal reasons, but took the graduation testing and aced it cold. She spent a fair amount of time traveling the world before meeting dad and settling down. Dad retired from the JSDF as a Rikusōchō after five years and three promotions.”

Her mom seemed torn between looking down on his parents for not graduating college and having served in the military, and being impressed by the world traveling. “They all travel a lot, mom. His passport has so many stamps it is amazing,” she threw in with her boyfriend.

“You have a passport? At your age?” her mom asked, surprised.

“We all do, as we travel often as Ayano-chan said. I actually traveled to America a few times before getting a passport. Mom took me and dad to meet a friend of hers who lives there. I don't remember the first few trips well, since I was very young, but we still visit her friend regularly,” he shared, his tone relaxed and casual, which made Ayano feel relief. She would have been mortified if her mom had offended her boyfriend by looking down on his family. “I sort of recall some trips to Europe and some places in the south pacific when I was young. Since then we have visited other places a lot.”

“Do your parents know that many people overseas?” wondered her mother.

“Mom knows a lot of people all over,” shrugged her boyfriend. “One of her friends is a full-time sailor, who has - so far! - sailed around the world twice and will probably make it three times before long. We usually visit America once a year or so, and some other places almost as often. I think mom and dad visit them more than we do, since we have school and all now.”

Her mom was impressed, Ayano could tell. She herself was surprised to hear how casual he was about family trips overseas. “You must come from a wealthy family,” marveled her mom. “Were your grandparents wealthy?” she fished. Ayano started to open her mouth to tell her mom not to ask, but her boyfriend beat her, answering as if it were not a socially awkward thing to ask.

“It is hard to say, really,” he answered. “We don't consider ourselves rich, but we certainly aren't poor,” he smiled again. Her mother perked up at that non-answer.

“You must be aiming for a prestigious college,” she fished. “Are you after Tokyo University? Maybe Kyoto University?”

“Those are certainly good schools,” he replied, “but they take themselves too seriously for my taste. I am enrolling in a local college for a year or so, then will look at going to school in the US or maybe Germany or England for a couple of years. I think it would be a good challenge, and expand my horizons a bit.” Ayano had not heard that before, but didn't want to question it where her mom could use it against them.

“An overseas school?” blinked her mother. Her boyfriend nodded.

“I am still debating if I want to just go straight to overseas school or take some basics here first,” he said. “I have been looking at the entrance requirements for schools and most of them I can already meet, so I could just go straight there, but I think I should think it over carefully, maybe see how college works by going locally for a bit. And Ayano is going to a local college, too,” he added, turning to smile at his girlfriend.

“And your parents are ok with you going overseas for college?” blinked her mother.

“Yeah,” he confirmed. “Mom was actually the one that suggested it as a possibility back when I was a first-year high schooler. I know Chiaki is giving it some thought. Dad is fine with it, too - says that new experiences and challenges are good for life experiences.”

“Chiaki?” wondered her mom.

“My kid sister,” smiled her boyfriend. The mother of his girlfriend gaped at that.

“They would suggest your little sister go to school overseas?” He nodded. She seemed to gather her thoughts. “Well, I suppose if they have the money,” she murmured. Ayano almost groaned.

“Oh, mom and dad said that they would pay for my school and place to live, but I would have to pick up my food, entertainment and assorted expenses myself,” he shared candidly. “If I choose not to go to college, they said I had to earn my own money.”

“That makes sense,” muttered the housewife. “And you said your mother traveled extensively when she was young, didn't you?”

“All over the place. I think she has been to every continent but Antarctica at least once,” he smiled. “She told me about some places I really want to visit myself. There is a chalet in the Swiss alps, a cabin in Sweden, a Spanish town she liked, a port in Greece that sounded interesting, an area in Kenya that is unique, the rain forests of Brazil, several island in the south and central pacific…so many places I want to see myself,” he sighed wistfully.

“I see,” murmured the housewife, hand touching her chin. Ayano could almost hear her thoughts. She is thinking they are wealthy and if I marry him, they will have an easy retirement, she mentally sighed. Her mom, she had learned long since, was that kind of woman. Not that it made her a bad person, but it was just how she was. In comparison to his mom, it is hard to say which one is right and which one is wrong. Maybe both? Perhaps neither? I mean, yeah, I got interested in him because he was popular, and obviously wasn't poor, but still, I like to think I am not like my mom. But am I really?

“Travel can be tiring and lonely,” her mom said, interrupting her thoughts. “Maybe you should consider taking someone with you? Like maybe a wife? Like your parents?” she smiled.

“Maybe,” he replied blandly. A knock on the door interrupted their discussion, the house wife glancing at the clock before blinking.

“Oh! It is this late already? My apologies, but I have a retreat planned this weekend,” she said, standing. “Let me just re-schedule it…”

“Mom, we can take care of ourselves,” sighed Ayano. “Besides, do you think they would let you beg off?” she added. Her mom's expression tightened a little. She looked at the two, considering something.

“If you are sure,” she began.

“Yes, very sure. Have fun, mom,” Ayano cut in immediately. The housewife gave the two a final look before picking up a small bag and heading for the front door.

“Ok, I am trusting you, Ayano,” she said. In minutes, the mother was gone, and Ayano relaxed onto the couch a bit, sighing.

“Sorry about her,” she apologized to her boyfriend. “She isn't as bad as she sometimes comes off as,” she assured him.

“It's fine,” he assured her, still smiling.

“Were you serious? About going abroad to study? Or just travel?” she asked.

“I wonder…” he grinned at her, making her pout and swat at him.

“You are being a jerk,” she complained. He shrugged, still grinning. She leaned against him, resting her head against his shoulder. After a few minutes, she began her planned activities, which started with a movie. Getting settled in as the movie started, she reviewed her plans for the weekend, which would hopefully end up with her scoring.

Two days later, Ayano was waving to some of her friends as she arrived with her boyfriend at the school. Her plan had been successful, by and large. She had gotten to spend a weekend doing boyfriend/girlfriend things with her boyfriend, and the second night at her house, she had managed to turn a make-out session into full-on sex. She was still a bit sensitive down there, but very happy. From the reactions of her friends, she was probably wearing a smug expression, as they all seemed to know she had sealed the deal, as it were.

As she had expected, her boyfriend had condoms on him. The morning after, she had confessed she had gotten a couple just in case, but was glad he had them. He had given her a brief laugh before telling her that his mom had handed him a string of condoms and told him he better use them without fail. Ayano was both relieved and anxious hearing that. That her boyfriend's mother had not told him not to nor stopped him relieved her, but the fact that she had handed him the condoms the morning he was to stay over at her place told her that the mother knew - or at least expected - that they would have sex.

She herself had been a virgin, though she had torn her hymen years before during club and from learning how good it felt to finger herself or use the small vibrator she had bought the year before to relieve stress. Ayano could not tell if her boyfriend had been a virgin before their night together. There were rumors from ex-girlfriends of his, claiming he had sexual experience with them, but there was never much in the way of proof, and though he seemed to know what he was doing, he just didn't seem that experienced to her; not that she could fairly judge. She had decided that if he had slept with a prior girlfriend, then it was really not an issue - she had him now and the magazines and girl gossip circles all said that it was better if the guy had some experience to avoid embarrassing or painful mistakes during the act.

Given how he had cuddled with her afterwards, she suspected he may well have done it before, but on the other hand, he had always been said to be considerate and easy for a girl to date, so maybe he hadn't done it with some other girl first. Ayano had to remind herself that it didn't matter if he had or hadn't, as her mind kept coming back to it, trying to figure out if she was his first or not. She really wanted to be, after all.

Hearing a familiar voice, she realized she might have someone she could get an answer from. Greeting Chiaki, she had begun to plot how to get the younger sister alone to ask her if she had any information. Seeing the assessing look Chiaki was giving her, she suspected that whatever had tipped off her friends also tipped off the younger sister. Still, she didn't think that Chiaki had any negative reaction to what she and her boyfriend had been up to. Walking beside the two, she had given her brother a quick info dump on what was going on at home, though it was in pretty oblique terms as far as she could tell. From his reaction, he was not surprised nor worried about whatever Chiaki wasn't saying directly.

It took Ayano until lunch period to find a way to get Chiaki alone, catching the girl coming back in from eating on the bench under the trees on the north side of the school with some friends. Smoothly separating her from the other first-years, she had steered her to a mostly-private area to talk. Chiaki gave her an amused look, but played along. When they were standing at the end of a hall that was not usually traveled after third period, Ayano had started a little small talk, working up to asking if the little sister had any information, only for Chiaki to stop her, smirking a little as she said she knew what Ayano really wanted to ask. Straightening her shoulders a little, she had asked directly.

“As expected,” the younger girl had grinned. “But I have no comment to that question, for many reasons. First, I don't care about my big brother's love life,” she help up a finger, “and even if I did, just thinking about him like that is yuk,” a second finger was raised, “and finally and most importantly, we watch each other's backs. I already told you that, too,” finished the sister, three finger briefly displayed before she looked Ayano in the eyes. “And honestly, does it matter, Ayano? Really matter?” she pressed.

The older girl frowned. “No,” she said a moment later, “no, it doesn't matter.” Chiaki gave her a small nod. “But what about you? Does he keep your secrets in that area?” challenged Ayano.

“What makes you think I have any secrets to keep like that?” smiled Chiaki.

“The rumors say you do,” Ayano pointed out. Chiaki laughed.

“So they do,” she agreed. “But I would remind you that the rumors also have a lot to say about you, as well. Are the rumors about me any truer than the ones about you?” smiled the younger girl.

Ayano could not stop the twitch at that question. “Those are rumors from jealous ex-girlfriends and mean girls and spiteful bitches,” she stated frostily. Unlike most first-years, Chiaki was completely immune to the social authority of third-years, her expression unimpressed.

“Then you already know the rumors are not trustworthy, so why even bring them up?” asked Chiaki. “Judging by your expression and posture, a congratulations is in order for you. Hope it was good for you, Ayano,” the girl said, sounding casual. “Anyway, if that is all you wanted, I have to get ready for class now. Have a good day,” Chiaki said, turning and moving off easily.

Both of them are very good at avoiding topics they don't want to talk about, thought Ayano, following after as she, too, had to get ready for class, though at this point, it was moot to be concerned, as she was going to be graduating soon and both attendance and grades no longer matter to her. Still, force of habit kept her on schedule. And she wasn't kidding about them watching each other's backs. Is that because of their mother or is it because that is just how they are? I could see their mother raising them like that, considered the girl.

Before she knew it, Ayano was watching her boyfriend and his little sister walking out the gate, her boyfriend giving her a casual wave as they left. It would appear, at least for the moment, that Chiaki was in the Going Home Club. Of course, her boyfriend leaving with his kid sister meant that her friends could descend on her like sharks on an injured fish, all hungry for details, gossip and teasing. Still, they were Ayano's friends, and she could take what they dished. Three of her friends had already lost their virginities, too, so she was middle of the pack in that.

It seemed that she blinked and it was graduation time, and she and her boyfriend were holding their diplomas and bidding their friends goodbye, sometimes for the last time, as most of them were going to different schools, some not going to university at all. Ayano and her boyfriend were going to the same university; at least for the first year, if what her boyfriend had said was true about studying overseas. Two of Ayano's friends were going there as well, while the rest were either taking cram school to get into their preferred universities, or were going to universities far away. Of her boyfriend's friends, most of them were going to specialized universities, with some not continuing as they had family farms to help with and take over, or were pursuing other careers.

Ayano had seen her parents, and been pulled aside by them for some pictures and other memorabilia-generating tasks, while her boyfriend had gone to find his family. Now, a half hour later, Ayano was on the hunt for her boyfriend. Maneuvering through the slowly dispersing throng of people, she spotted her prey and worked closer. As she got closer, she saw Chiaki spot her and nudge her brother, who turned to smile at her. Greeting the parents, she had been informed they were going to have a celebratory dinner, and if she had no other plans, she could join them if she wanted.

She had assured them that she was free to join them, and after texting her parents, she had joined them in the compact SUV that the parents had driven to the school. She noticed that the father was driving, which made her wonder if the mother drive like her little sister. To her mild surprise, they were not headed for one of the restaurants in town, but headed back toward the family farm. It makes sense, I guess, with all the other families likely celebrating, and the next big town a lengthy drive away, reasoned the girl.

As they drove, the mother chatted with them a little, though she was also busy on her phone intermittently. Her boyfriend had gotten a call from his aunt, which was half congratulations, half teasing and had bits of gossip mining about her. Listening to him verbally dance with his aunt made her smile, and Chiaki would occasionally snicker at some of the exchanged between the two. It seemed just a moment later when they arrived at the family home and headed inside to find that the meal was mostly finished, apparently having being started before-hand.

Ayano started to offer to help, but was waved off by Ritsuko, who told her it was her graduation day and she should relax and enjoy herself. She had done so, Chiaki going to her room and changing into her casual clothes. She had watched Toshio put some pictures in a frame and arrange them on the wall and bookshelf below it. Looking closer, she saw they were pictures of her boyfriend's graduation, and a couple of something she didn't recognize. Seeing the pictures, her boyfriend had commented that they were pictures of one of his cousins, who had just graduated from university.

Chiaki had gone into the kitchen to help their mom with the last of the meal prep, and the father had sat down on the couch and asked his son if he had thought any more about some trip they had discussed earlier. He had nodded, and said they should see about going. Ayano had wondered if she dared to interject herself or not, but had found her boyfriend looking at her. He had asked her if she knew how to ski.

“Water ski or snow ski?” she had asked.

“Either,” he replied, his tone teasing. She gave him a light slap against his chest.

“I have water skied before,” she reminded him. On a class trip to a famous lake a few prefectures away, she had tried water skiing with mixed results. They had not been dating then, but he had been in the same year, so he was there, somewhere, too. “Why are you asking?” she wondered.

“No real reason,” he had smiled at her. “We were just thinking of taking a short break and doing some skiing, that's all,” he innocently explained. “Water skiing or snow skiing is not yet finalized, but I might be convinced to ask if you can tag along,” he teased her, making her pout a bit.

“I presume you ski,” she replied, a bit snippily.

“Learned to water ski on lake Tahoe and a few other lakes,” he said. “Learned to snow ski in Colorado, got better practicing in Austria and Norway,” he added. She snorted, pout back.

“Yeah, yeah, you travel a lot,” she dismissed the back-handed boasting.

“Should I tell her about your snowboarding adventure?” came Chiaki's voice from the kitchen area, along with a laugh that might have been their mother's laugh.

“Sure, if you want me to tell her about your kite-surfing adventure,” he replied easily. This time, she was sure it was the mother laughing. Seeing his girlfriend was very interested now, he had sighed and then explained a bit. “I have tried snowboarding a bit, but I don't seem to have the knack for it, as I find skiing easier. Still going to learn how, but it is fighting me,” he shrugged. “Chiaki got talked into trying kite-surfing when we were visiting an island resort in the Caribbean by some cruiser kids, and, well, it was interesting,” he declined to share what was probably an embarrassing story for the little sister. Even now, they watch each other's backs, she thought fleetingly.

“So, where were you thinking of going? Isn't it getting late in the year for snow skiing?” she asked.

“Depends on where you are,” he had replied. “And we might plan it for later, depending on how somethings turn out,” he added.

“Would I need a passport?” Ayano asked, remember that the four family members were very well-traveled.

“Couldn't hurt,” smiled her boyfriend. Right then, she had decided she was going to apply for her passport right away. If I have my passport in hand, it will be easier to keep up with him, she thought, anticipating surprising him with the passport. “We could also pick water skiing,” he added.

A phone ringing interrupted, and a moment later, she heard Ritsuko answer the phone. The conversation was in English, but she could keep up easily enough. Hearing the mother greet the caller as `Airi' made her blink. She is being called by a Hollywood legend like it is nothing, she thought, marveling at witnessing such a thing. Ritsuko had laughed a little, the sound of a sliding door opening then closing before the conversation was cut off. Chiaki said the food would be ready in about a half hour as the main dish was almost done, and would need a little final prep before serving.

Ayano heard Chiaki humming a bit in the kitchen as she apparently worked on finishing up the details for the meal. After a few minutes, Ritsuko came back in from outside, and resumed working on the meal. When her husband had asked how Airi was doing, Ritsuko had laughed and said he could ask her himself, as she and her lover would be arriving in a couple of hours. They had an unexpected trip and decided to see if they could drop by. Naturally, she had said they could - Airi was family to her now.

Toshiro had seemed glad to hear this. He had excused himself to check the guest room was ready. Shortly thereafter, Chiaki had emerged from the kitchen, going into the utility room for a few minutes before returning and telling her mom that everything was good to go. Ritsuko had said she should relax while she finished up the meal, Chiaki joining her brother and his girlfriend on the couch.

“Um, so, miss Airi and her companion are going to be visiting,” Ayano managed. Chiaki nodded.

“Yeah. You want an autograph?” she snickered, glancing at the older girl. Ayano started to answer, but stopped. Of course I want an autograph! This is a legendary actress! But on the other hand, if I say that, it makes me sound like a groupie or a shallow person, doesn't it? I mean, she obviously isn't advertising her visit, and from what I can tell, she thinks of them as her family, so she is probably not going to be amused to have some starry-eyed girl begging for an autograph, worried the girl.

“Airi probably won't mind,” came Ritsuko's voice from the kitchen. “She can be a bitch, but only to people who deserve it,” she added, sounding amused.

“Um, you seem to know her quite well, Ritsuko-san,” Ayano managed. “How did you meet her? I mean, she is a superstar, and lives in America, right? So, how did you even meet her?”

“How indeed,” murmured Ritsuko, sounding as if she were talking to herself. “Hmm, you could say it was a case of fortunate misfortune, meeting as we did,” she replied without saying anything.

“I…don't get it,” murmured Ayano to her boyfriend. He just shook his head.

“She had never really told us much, either,” Chiaki said. “All I know is Airi has always been mom's BFF.” Ayano wanted to ask for more details, but decided not to, as it was clear no one was planning to talk about that. But how did they become that way? And how did that end up with her starring opposite Airi on her final movie runs? Ayano had, of course, gone and re-watched all three of Airi's capstone movies, and with what she now knew - that it was her boyfriend's mom acting opposite Airi - they took on whole new meanings for her; and raised even more questions. The extended collector edition box set of each had the theatrical release cut, the director's cut, the extended cut and a movie's worth of behind-the-scene and unused cuts. And watching the different versions back to back had raised several questions for her, as well as revealing that Airi and Ritsuko were far, far closer than she had thought. It was almost like Airi and Ritsuko were working off an identical vision, and the acting - even the scenes the critics had not like Ritusko in - seemed like they were not so much playing a roles, but re-enacting something they had shared together.

So many questions, but how would I even ask them - if I dared to ask them! Ayano thought to herself. Several of the interviews with the cast and crew had made note of how the two seemed to be fully on the same page, and nearly off them mentioned that Airi and Ritsuko had frequent talks in a language no one knew. When asked, the two women had blown the questions off or not even acknowledged the questions in the first place.

Ritsuko had called her family and their guest to dinner shortly after, and Ayano had found a feast spread before them, a truly international feast. For the next hour she had eaten, talked and generally enjoyed herself. When the meal was done, she had immediately offered to help with the dishes, but once more been declined, Ritsuko swiftly making up two full meals across six plates, putting some in the cooling oven to keep them toasty warm, covering two more on the table, and placing the last set in the refrigerator to keep cool. With that done, she had swiftly packed the rest of the leftovers up and put them away.

Toshiro had offered to drive her home, which she didn't want, as she knew that Airi was coming to visit. She had quickly said she needed to walk a bit after the big meal, and nearly dragged her boyfriend out of the house. She heard Ritsuko laughing as the door closed behind them. Hand in hand, they had walked down the driveway to the main road, then along it, Ayano following the path that Misato had led her on what felt like a long time ago. But, she was in no rush, being very happy to walk slowly as she held the hand of her boyfriend. When they turned off the road onto a small foot-path, she had recalled that there was a grassy area up ahead along a field bank and she thought it would be a good place to stop for a break.

It turned out to be perfect, if she said so herself. It was nearly a half hour later when they left, Ayano re-settling her clothes. Sex outside is a lot different than in my bedroom, she thought, blushing a bit. I am glad I was right in assuming that he would have a condom with him - today is a very risky day for me, but I might not have been able to stop myself, she smugly considered. She felt him picking a few bits of grass and small twigs out of her hair as they walked along the path, which made her smile. Got to remember to check ourselves carefully before we go back inside, she made a mental note.

Arriving back at the house, they had stopped by the shop and made sure they were presentable and there were no glaring signs of their little romp. Satisfied, they had entered the house, finding that Ritsuko, her husband and her daughter were on the couch, watching a movie. Seeing how Ritsuko was curled up against her husband, Ayano wondered if she would be that way with her own husband. Chiaki was tucked against the end of the couch, phone close to hand, but watching the movie. “Welcome back, you two,” Ritsuko had said without looking.

“T…thank you,” Ayano managed. “Please excuse me, I need to visit the bathroom,” she added, hurrying down the shallow hall.

“I'm sure you do,” Ritsuko said, making Ayano blush. Too embarrassed to answer, she hurried into the bathroom and closed the door. Exhaling in relief, she looked at herself in the mirror, seeing her hair was a little mussed - but nothing that couldn't be explained as a hike along a trail in the dusk - and she had gotten all her buttons re-fastened and her uniform settled. Funny, this is probably the last time I will wear this, she thought in realization. What better send-off than that? she thought, smirking a little at her reflection.

Quickly using the toilet, she washed her hands, did what she could to clean herself up and make her appearance as perfect as possible, and mentally rehearsed what to say when she met Airi Komiyama. Once she was prepared, she exited the bathroom and returned to the living room, finding her boyfriend was absent, and the three had not moved. She settled into an available seat and waited. A few minutes later, her boyfriend reappeared, taking a seat near her. It was only a short time later that headlights came up the driveway.

Before she was ready, she was meeting Airi, the mega-star, and being introduced to the man with her. A gaijin, he was easily the tallest man there, though from his greeting to Toshiro, it was clear they knew each other and were friends at least. Ritsuko had hugged Airi for a long moment before Chiaki had done the same and then her boyfriend. The actress had greeted the two children with familiarity and with a tone more like an aunt than a friend of their mother. Airi's lover had gotten a hug from Ritsuko and Chiaki and handshakes from Toshiro and her boyfriend, the men greeting each other cordially. Then it was her turn, and to her mortification, she had been introduced as the girlfriend, which she felt was unfair, as it was super embarrassing.

Still, Airi proved to be as smooth and polished as her reputation, and before she knew it, she was holding a clean dinner plate, which Airi had written a small message and signed with a paint marker. Ritsuko had seemed amused by this, but had been the one to hand her the plate and the paint marker to Airi. With that out of the way, Ritsuko had herded the two into the kitchen, and put the meal in front of them, taking a seat near Airi as they ate, the two talking quietly, sometimes in the language no one else knew. Ayano, from the living room, kept peeking at the three in the kitchen - Ritusko and Airi more than the man.

As they finished up the meal, Airi had pulled a package from her purse and slid it over to Ritsuko, who had nodded, briefly checking the contents before rising and moving to her study for a few moments before returning. Ayano couldn't be sure, but she thought she had seen a blue booklet for a moment. There seemed to be something embossed on the front, too. A moment later, she blinked, realizing it looked like a passport, but she knew that Ritsuko had a Japanese passport, so why would she be getting a blue passport? She recalled her boyfriend had a red passport, and was pretty sure with the traveling they did that all the family would have red Japanese passports. Once again, her mind threw up wild possibilities of Ritsuko being a spy, mobster, assassin or similar.

Seeing Ritsuko hand Airi a similar small package, she wondered what could be in that package. Then, before she knew it, they were all sitting in the living room, talking casually. Gathering her courage, she had managed to talk with Airi a bit. Airi was as smooth, charming and a reserved as her reputation. Her lover had also talked with her a bit, though she was not sure who he was, and didn't recognize him from anywhere, either. Could it be that he is not a movie star or singer or something? Is it possible that someone like miss Airi is with a normal guy? marveled Ayano.

Her phone chirped with a text message, and she checked it find it was her parents, wondering when she would be getting home, as it was getting late. She swiftly texted back that she would be along shortly, but was talking with a friend of her boyfriend's mother. Almost as if she knew what was on the screen, Ritsuko asked if she was ready for the ride back to her house. Sighing softly, she had thanked her for the concern and accepted the offer. As she rose, she hit on an idea, and boldly asked if she could get a selfie with Airi. Ritsuko hesitated for a moment, but Airi assured her it was ok, as long as she didn't share the selfie on social media. Ayano happily agreed, snapping a picture with her phone.

Ritsuko started to get up, but her husband grabbed her hand and pulled her back down, rising instead. “I will drop her off, dear. You and Airi have not had enough time to catch up,” he said, giving her a quick kiss.

“If you are sure, dear. Thanks,” Ritsuko responded, her husband giving her smile before leading Ayano out of the house, keys in hand. As they left, Ayano heard Ritsuko asking about Airi's sudden trip, and heard her mention someone named `Junpei' and something about making sure they were not going to be a problem again. Ritsuko seemed to know exactly who she meant, and agree completely with her friend. Getting into the passenger seat of the SUV, she had fastened her seatbelt as the father of her boyfriend got into the driver seat and headed out of the garage.

When they were on the road toward the city, she had asked the man who this `Junpei' person was. Her host had said he didn't know much about it, but was someone that his wife and Airi both knew very well. He had also said that his wife and Airi frequently called him an idiot, but both admitted they had never seen a more skilled martial artist, and his wife had admitted he had saved her and Airi a time or two. Ayano recalled hearing Ritsuko say her fighting style was not as good as Junpei, and asked if they were the same person.

“As far as I can tell, yes,” admitted the husband of the woman in question. “If you saw a guy dressed in white leather, wearing a black tee-shirt with a flaming skull on it and fighting gloves in the pictures, that is apparently him. Understand, I have never met the man myself. And if Ritsu has her way, I never well,” he chuckled. “From what I gather, he is almost a stalker of Airi and I can tell he has seriously annoyed Ritsu several times, though they both seem at least tolerant of him because of some experience they share with him.”

“Wow. I didn't think an adult male would wear a tee shirt with a flaming skull on it,” she thought aloud, remembering the picture of a guy matching that description in the photo album from the office.

“To quote my wife,” chuckled Toshiro, “this Junpei is `a muscle-headed dork' who `is mentally and emotionally a fourteen-year old' and `is only skilled in fighting' because he is `dumber than shit on the ground after a hailstorm'.”

Ouch, thought Ayano. Ritsuko sure doesn't pull punches, does she? And yet, he said she was tolerant of him? “Um, so do you know how Ritsuko-san met miss Airi?” she asked the husband.

“No, not really,” he admitted. “All she ever told me was she met her in a grassy field and the rest is history. Sorry,” he shrugged. “Oh,” he added a moment later, “remember to be careful about sharing that photo with Airi, and don't tell anyone about Ritsu being in those movies with her. Ritsu wants to keep that quiet so she can live peacefully,” he reminded her.

“R…right,” agreed Ayano. “Um, so how long have you been married, Toshiro-san?” she asked, groping for a topic.

“Seems like we just got married, but I believe it is seventeen years, now,” he smiled fondly. Ayano blinked. Their oldest is eighteen, she thought.

“I see,” she murmured, peeking over at him. He glanced at her, then laughed.

“You have a fast mind, I see,” he said. “And yes, you are correct. I wasn't able to get her agree to marry me until she was pregnant,” he confirmed. “But keep that to yourself, will you? It makes me sound like a loser,” he asked, winking at her.

“Of course,” she agreed. “But, you said she wouldn't agree until she was pregnant?”

“Yes,” he confirmed easily. “I knew I wanted to marry her after dating her for about a month, but she kept deflecting my proposals, or saying she needed to think about it, but I kept at it, and finally, she told me she was pregnant, and I thought she would agree for sure, but again, she said she wanted to think about it,” he chuckled. “Man, my wife has got to be the hardest woman to convince to get married I have ever heard of, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. I had to get down on my knees and beg her to let me take responsibility,” he smiled at some memory, “but she still resisted until I said I would publically kneel in front of her parents and sister and grandparents and beg them to allow me to marry her. I won't repeat what she called me when I said that, but I think it finally landed her, because she said she would give me a chance.”

“Give you a chance? She was already pregnant, right?” Ayano asked. What would she give him a chance for? Ayano knew that if she turned up pregnant, she would want the guy to take responsibility, but it sounded like Ritsuko had been nearly impossible to convince even when she was pregnant, and it sure sounded like they had been lovers for quite some time by that point.

Toshio's smile faded a bit. “She told me some things about her, things I didn't know, having to deal with her past and some…surprising events,” he said, his expression serious. “But none of that mattered. I loved her and wouldn't give up the fight for her hand. I still love her, and would do it all again without hesitation to win her heart.” He was smiling again. “And I had help from her sister, parents and grandparents, too. I am not sure I would have been successful if not for their help. Still my finest work, though,” he was grinning again.

That is just…wow. What is her deal? Ayano thought, dazed. “I guess she is just really picky,” mumbled the girl.

“Is she ever,” agreed the husband. “But remember, keep that story to yourself,” he reminded her, humor in his voice. She mutely nodded. Before she knew it, they were in front of her house, and she was watching him drive off. Shaking herself free of her thoughts, she greeted her parents, told them a little about the meal at her boyfriend's house and then headed to her room, where she changed out of her uniform, likely for the last time, and got a quick bath. Sitting down at her small desk, she had fired up her laptop and begun researching the passport application process.

It seemed like she blinked and she was being invited to go on a weekend getaway to a ski resort at the end of the season. Busy or not, she had accepted the invite eagerly. So, she found herself bundled up on a snowy slope, her boyfriend helping her get her rented skis settled, while the rest of the Saruwata clan waited on them. Satisfied with the inspection, he had helped her get in position and given her a gentle push, which started her down the slope. He was right beside her, giving her helpful hints and ready to help her when she fell; which she did. With a laugh, he had assured her that everyone did when they started out, and most did from time to anyway thereafter.

They were on a beginner slope, which was not too crowded, and it was easy for her to forget they were not alone, as his mother, father and sister were not hovering over them. In fact, she had heard Chiaki talking with her parents about going on a much steeper slope when they got to the bottom. She decided to encourage this suggestion, saying she didn't want to hold them up or keep them from enjoying their vacation. The looks she had gotten from his mother and sister told her that they saw right through that, but neither said anything, and shortly after, the three of them were at the bottom and heading for the chair lift to the more advanced slopes.

“You weren't kidding about being able to ski,” she said once her boyfriend had gotten her back up and started again.

“Well, I won't say we are experts, but we have had practice. I think Chiaki is the best skier of all of us, though dad is probably the closest to her,” admitted her boyfriend.

“Why am I not surprised?” Ayano had replied, concentrating on getting the balance and timing figured out. Eventually, she was at the bottom again, and the two made their way to the chair lift to go back up to the start again.

“The snow is not ideal, but better than it might have been, this time of year,” he noted as they rode up the modest incline to the start of the beginner slope.

“What was it like, skiing in those other places?” she asked, curious. He had chuckled and told her some stories about them, and before she knew it, they had made five cycles on the beginner slope, and her legs and hips were feeling the burn. Suggesting a break, they had made their way to the small café for some warm drinks and to rest for a bit.

Hot coffee in hand, they had sat at a simple wood table outside the glass door to the café and watched the base of the runs. Seeing a few snowboarders and a tube or two, they had chatted about the differences and how they might compare to each other. Ayano had expressed an interest in trying snowboarding; but not until she got comfortable skiing. As they finished up, a snow-caked form appeared, shaking themselves and revealing Chiaki, who had grinned at them before heading into the café for a hot drink herself.

She joined them at the small table, saying they should try the advanced slope, as it was fun. Her brother asked her where their parents were and she had shrugged, saying they had fallen behind her and vanished. Neither seemed worried about the two. When she asked them, they had exchanged a look and said it was very likely they were busy flirting with each other or having sex in the tree-line. Seeing her look, Chiaki had assured her that it would not be the first time, the siblings snickering at some shared memory. Ayano had blushed at the mental image of that, which only amused Chiaki more.

Finished with their drinks, they had hit the slope again, doing the beginner slope twice more, Chiaki practicing skiing backward as they went. After the second pass, she had suggested that Ayano go for the advanced slope, as she judged she could safely navigate it now. For some reason, Ayano couldn't manage to beg off, and she found herself looking down at a taller, steeper and less straight run.

Gulping, she had looked to see if her boyfriend was beside her - and he was - so she started down, Chiaki starting after them, but swiftly pulling ahead as she carved back and forth on the slope, clearly enjoying herself. The two were almost at the bottom when Chiaki roared down, slide-braking and covering them in snow and bits of ice. She had made it to the bottom, ridden back up, and raced down to catch them at the bottom.

Her boyfriend had swatted at his sister, who had laughed as she leaned out of range. Ayano had said she was getting hungry, and the three had headed into the lodge to get some food. There were not a lot of choices, but they found something nevertheless and settled in for a meal, Ayano noticing that neither of them seemed to pay any attention to the price, which was a bit higher than she had thought it should be. It bothered her a bit that she had not paid for anything on this trip, and seemed unlikely she would be. After the meal, they had found a spot in the semi-enclosed deck and let the food settle a little as they watched the slopes. The day was beginning to draw to a close, though there was plenty of daylight left and the brother and sister were talking about night skiing.

It was here that the parents re-appeared. Ayano found herself looking for any signs they had sneaked in some outdoor sex, but couldn't tell for sure. They had obviously been skiing a lot, from the snow on the two, but she didn't think their clothes looked rumpled. Chiaki had asked them if they were going to get kicked out of the resort, which was met with a reply from her mom that Chiaki hadn't had enough time to be that misbehaved. They like to tease each other in this family, Ayano thought, smiling a little.

Ritsuko had gone on to say that the high-ranked slopes were pretty good, if a bit more than she thought Ayano should try. Chiaki had wanted to go try them, of course, and after a stop by the bathroom, the three had set out, leaving their son and his girlfriend behind. Neither cared. They ended up going on the advanced slope once more, then taking a walk together before night fell. Returning to the lodge, they were located by the rest of the family, and they all had a good dinner. Once that was done, Chiaki had pushed for them to do some night skiing. Ayano had said her hips and knees were tired and sore, but urged them to go ahead. After making sure she was ok with it, the four had vanished into the dark, Ayano sitting on the balcony and watching the moving lights of skiiers on the slopes. There were not too many, but enough to make modest trickles down the slopes.

She wasn't sure how long she had watched before they returned, seemingly very happy. Ritsuko had announced it was time to call it a day, and they had all hit the onsen before bed. Bathing with Ritsuko and Chiaki, she had still not seen any sign that the mother had done anything lewd with her husband, but she was beginning to think she had, considering what she knew of the couple. The mother and daughter talked easily with each other as they soaked, sometimes about people she didn't know, but sometimes about school and boys. Apparently, someone had confessed to Chiaki shortly before the trip, but from what she gathered, Chiaki took after her mother in being picky. She suspected that Chiaki had not hesitated to reject the confession; probably pretty publically, too.

The three had talked about how university was treating Ayano, who assured them that she was doing fine and liking school. Seeing an opportunity, she had mentioned in passing what her boyfriend had told her about going to school abroad or possibly not going at all. She figured this would tell her if he was joking or not. Ritsuko had casually agreed that they had talked about that, and the decision was his to make; same for Chiaki when she was ready.

Chiaki had, of course, believed she was ready and the two had debated if she was or not, and if she were, where did she think she would go to high school? Hearing some of the suggestions of Chiaki, Ayano had admitted she was not nearly that brave. She noticed that the mother asked questions regarding finances, courses, logistics, personal safety and practicality, which were much harder for Chiaki to counter. Still, Chiaki revealed she was more together than Ayano was in that regard.

Out of the bath, they had joined back up with the men and headed to their room. Ayano had found they had a suite at the resort, with two bedrooms. She had wondered how that would work out, seeing they were a married couple, a boyfriend/girlfriend set and a little sister, but Ritsuko had said they could split up however. It ended up being the parents in one bedroom, and the other three in the other, though Chiaki had - gleefully - volunteered to sleep on the couch if needed.

Ayano had turned in a little earlier than the rest, who ended up playing a card game on the coffee table before bed. The next day had followed that pattern, and before she knew it, she was back home and readying for her lectures. She also learned that she had been approved for a passport, and would be receiving it soon. She had smiled, thinking of how she would surprise her boyfriend if they were planning an overseas trip.

A few months later, she had been caught off guard by the casual question of if she wanted to visit America with them the next month. Seems that the family was heading to America for one of the regular visits, and he asked her if she wanted to go with the same casualness as he would asking her if she wanted a cup of coffee. She had all but jumped on the offer, saying she would love to. He had told her when to be packed, and then sauntered off to class. Smiling excitedly, she had made her way to her own class. It wasn't until she was half-way done that it occurred to her that he had never asked her about if she had a passport. If I hadn't already gotten my passport, I would not have time to get it before then, she thought, frowning to herself. His asking me means he knew - or at least suspected - I had one, she realized, pouting. How did he find out? wondered the young woman.

Three weeks later, she was waiting to board the plane on the trip to America. She had found she was travelling business class, which even her father had only done once, usually being forced to fly economy the few times he had flown anywhere. She had been too nervous to sleep the night before, and had ended up checking her bag and ticket and passport again and again all night. Seeing how casual the family was about travelling had made her feel like a little kid. It was very obvious they were all very used to traveling, and it surprised her how light they packed, considering the trip would be fifteen days. The bags that the parents had looked almost like backpacks, not luggage. Chiaki had said they were basically that, her own bag not dissimilar, as was her brothers. Chiaki had more luggage than both the siblings put together, which made her feel a little self-conscious. Her boyfriend had assured her it was her first time, and she shouldn't worry about it.

She had managed a few hours' sleep on the airplane, sitting beside her boyfriend, Chiaki on the other side of him, their parents the next row up. Her day had begun early, with the group driving to the nearest JR rail station before riding the train to Haneda, where they had checked in and cleared security. Boarding their flight to San Francisco, they had just over nine hours, and Ayano managed to sleep about five of them. Chiaki and her brother played some games and read some ebooks, Ayano resting her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. She had woken up in time for the simple meal and visited the bathroom before joining in the games and ebook reading.

Landing in America, they had cleared customs and found that there was a car rental waiting for them, a large SUV. It was the biggest non-commercial vehicle Ayano had ever ridden in. Toshiro slid behind the wheel, Ritsuko taking the passenger seat, swiftly setting up her smart phone with a navigation app open on it, and they were off. Ayano had wanted to look around San Franciso a bit, but had been told since it was nearly sunset, it would be better to do so on the way back, when it would be daylight, and had seen the logic of that. Still, she had snapped a lot of cell phone pics, sending some to her friends and family.

The group had driving straight out of the city, Ritsuko being heard to mutter about her dislike of cities. Ayano had settled in to watch the scenery pass. They had stopped just past another city for fuel and to eat, before hitting the road. This time, Ritusko was driving. As they drove deeper into the hills, she had gotten a call from Airi, the two talking casually as Ritsuko drove, Toshiro in the passenger seat. It was well past dark when they arrived at a house on the edge of a lake. Ayano was tired, but excited, as she had seen the sign for Lake Tahoe.

They had been greeted at the door by Airi and her lover, Ayano saying how impressive the house was and fit her image so well. Airi and Ritsuko had laughed easily at that, but said nothing. Her boyfriend had nudged her and said it was not Airi's house - it was a rental. Ayano had felt a bit embarrassed, but both Airi and Ritsuko waved it away, and the group had found rooms. Ayano's sleep deficit had caught up to her and she had gone to bed first, seeing Ritsuko and Airi talking in the comfortable den as she bid them good night.

The next morning, she had awoken to find the day was already started, and she remembered the time zone change. Checking her phone, she had found she didn't have cell service, but was otherwise ok. Getting up, she was in time for a late breakfast, greeting her boyfriend, who had asked for her phone, Ayano handing it to him. With practiced ease, he had used a small tool to change her SIM card, and then handed her phone back to her, saying she had service now and cautioning her to remember she had a different number. He tucked her SIM into a small case and explained they would change the SIM back once they were flying home.

Looking out the large glass wall that overlooked the lake from the den, she had asked where everyone was. He said that Ritsuko and Chiaki were out on a morning run, his dad was with Airi's lover, taking care of some small errands, and Airi was working on her laptop in the sun room. After a quick but good meal, she had asked what they were doing that day. Before he could answer, Ritsuko and Chiaki had returned, sheened with sweat but smiling and giggling about something. Ritsuko had greeted Ayano, given her son a kiss on his head as she passed him.

“As for what we are going to do, it is pretty much free-style,” her brother said. “Mom and Airi usually talk business a bit, but the rest is less structured. I presume you want to explore?” he said. Ayano nodded eagerly. Her boyfriend smiled and said they should get going, then. He stopped long enough to let Airi know they were going to go exploring and to please let his mom know before he led her out of the house, to the garage, where he asked if she wanted to ride some bikes or take a car. Looking around, she saw four bicycles racked on a wall, as well as a luxury sedan and a small, open-top car with big tires. She recognized it as a jeep.

Seeing her eyes as they found the jeep, he had laughed, saying she didn't need to tell him what she wanted to take, since her look said it all. Going to a small lock-box, he had opened it and a moment later, he had a set of keys in hand. in the corner of the garage was a small refrigerator, and he opened it to grab a few bottles of water, a couple sports drinks, and a couple of sodas. Tucking them into a thick folded towel he had, he had settled them in the back of the jeep before climbing behind the wheel. Ayano hurried to the other side and got in.

“You have a driver's license?” she asked, a bit surprised and a bit apprehensive.

“Yeah,” he replied, firing up the jeep and backing it out of the garage. In the cobbled driveway loop, he turned the stumpy vehicle around and headed for the gates, which opened as they approached. Stopping briefly at the end of the driveway to look for traffic, her boyfriend had pulled away smoothly, asking where she wanted to start her exploration.

Ayano wanted to see the lake, so he drove south, along the lake as much as possible, the two talking as they went. It was common for them to stop often so Ayano could take pictures, selfies and generally look around. The lake was pretty busy, since it was late summer. The pair took their time, arriving in a town eventually, where they stopped long enough to put some gas in the jeep and walk along a public beach a bit, Ayano amazed at how clear the water was. She said she wanted to go swimming, and he had said there was a small dock on the property where their rental was, and they could go swimming whenever.

Looking around the people on the beach, she had frowned a bit. She had packed a one-piece swimsuit and a bikini, but looking at the bikinis and swimsuits on display, she was not satisfied with them, as she felt they looked too plain and modest in comparison. Seeing her look, he asked her if she had a swimsuit. She spoke before she thought it through and said she didn't have a good one. He had seemed amused by the idea, but had only led her off the beach and along a street along the beach, pointing to several stores displaying swimsuits. She had nearly dragged him into each of them, one after another.

It was over an hour later when they got back into the jeep, Ayano smiling happily and holding two bags, with one bikini in each and a new one-piece in one of the two. She had not considered the price when shopping, and it wasn't until they were ringing the items up that she worried she might not have enough money. Her boyfriend had just handed the cashier cash and it was done. As they were working their way back toward the house, she had asked about the money.

“Mom always told us to be sure to have funds available for costs,” he dismissed her question. “It is as much a necessity for traveling as a toothbrush or clean underwear.”

So they are rich, she thought absently. “Um, I can pay you back later,” she offered.

“No need,” he grinned at her. “Seeing you in those should be payback enough,” he teased her, making her blush. The two fell into their comfortable banter and teasing as they drove back. As they were waiting for the gate to finish opening, Ayano heard her stomach grumble. Her boyfriend had snickered at her, her swatting his arm in response. Parking the jeep, they had entered the house, only to find a meal almost ready.

From the look of things, Airi's lover had been working the grill, and there were fresh-grilled steaks and hamburgers, while Ritsuko had made some coleslaw, dished up some beans and gotten a plate of fresh vegetables ready. Chiaki had set out potato chips, condiments and buns as well as plates and cups. The group had fell to eating happily. After the meal, Ayano insisted she help with the dishes, and working with Ritsuko and Chiaki, the dishes were done in practically no time. The group had settled on the desk that overlooked the lake, relaxing in the comfortable lounging chairs there as the food settled.

When her brother mentioned Ayano wanted to go swimming, Chiaki had said that was a great idea, and there was a boat in the boat shed, and she saw some skis in there, too. The afternoon plans were set. Airi said she would watch from the dock as she got a little sun, her lover saying he would see if he could catch something for supper, and Ritsuko and her husband planning to go out on the lake with the kids.

As mid-afternoon settled in, the group had made their way to the small dock anchored to the rock, finding a covered boat shed, where a ski boat waited. Ritsuko and her husband had the boat lowered into the water and checked in short order, while the others got the gear they needed together. All set, Ritsuko had checked with Airi and her lover before they headed out.

Ayano had changed into one of her new bikinis before they set out, and looking at herself in the mirror, she had felt she had a winner. Emerging from her room, she had hurried after the group. As the boat backed out of the boat house, Ritsuko had shed the beach wrap she had on, revealing a bikini that Ayano would have expected on a college girl. It was small, snug and showed off a lot of the mother. Jealousy spiked in Ayano as she looked at the mother of her boyfriend. She's a housewife with two kids, and she still looks like that? How is that even fair? And what kind of housewife wears a bikini like that? she though sourly.

Her eyes fell to Chiaki, the daughter of the woman who was making her turn green was in a similar bikini, though hers was more sport-cut than Ritsuko's was. Glancing at her boyfriend and his father, she saw they were wearing board shorts, and she appreciated the scenery. In short order, she was swimming in the lake, surprised by how cold the water was. The group stayed more or less in full view of Airi on the dock, her husband fishing off the end while the actress relaxed in a bikini about as revealing as Ritsuko's was. Before she knew it, she had been roped into water skiing, which she wasn't great at, but with coaching from Chiaki, Ritsuko, and the boys, she was getting better. Chiaki had ended up working on her slalom skiing and somehow, had managed to talk her brother into trying bare-foot skiing, though neither of the two found it to their liking.

Ayano liked riding the inflatable sled; more so when it was her and her boyfriend, as it gave plenty of excuses for clinging to him and rubbing against him. She had learned that Ritsuko was devilish when driving the boat, but Chiaki and her dad were borderline maniacs behind the controls. The number of times she had been thrown off the sled was very high. Not that she minded, since her boyfriend always ended up grabbing her as the boat circled back.

As the sun began to drop, the group had headed back to the boat house, and shortly after they were watching the sun set off the patio, Ayano and her boyfriend sharing a lounging chair. Is this the kind of vacation that they usually take? she wondered, holding hands with her man as the rest talked idly. It seemed that it was likely so, given what she was seeing. I…could get used to this, I think, she considered.

As they went inside for supper, Airi had said she had found a spa that she liked, and invited Ritsuko to come with her in the morning. Ritsuko had eagerly agreed, saying she had come to trust Airi's judgment in spas. Chiaki had immediately volunteered herself. Ayano was torn, as she had been to a spa with her mom a time or two, and once with some of her female friends, but never to a spa that a megastar like Airi recommended. On the other hand, she was here with her boyfriend, and felt she should prioritize time with him.

“Ayano, you should go,” her boyfriend said, giving her a smile. “It's clear you want to, and it isn't like you are only here to spend time with me, right?” he grinned.

Ayano wasn't sure if she was relieved or annoyed at his remark. Airi's lover backed up her boyfriend. “Some girl time is fine, and if Airi is recommending a spa, you will want to try it,” he said. “Besides, it will give us men some male bonding time,” he added, smiling at Airi.

“Heaven forbid we girls interrupt male bonding time,” came the droll reply, though there was a playful tone behind her words.

“Ugh! Endless burp contests, crude jokes, juvenile humor and staring brainlessly at a bunch of guys hitting each other while drinking beer - who needs to be here for that?” Chiaki said, giving her brother and dad a playful smile.

“Indeed,” her brother replied blandly. “When you girls are around, we can't drag our knuckles as we walk or talk in grunts. It is very inconvenient,” he said, getting a giggle from Ayano. “All that and you still haven't found a boyfriend, puzzling,” he sniped.

“I've found plenty of boyfriends,” Chiaki replied. “But they were all knuckle-dragging mouth-breathers, so I tossed them. Girls get to be picky,” she insisted airily.

“Girls who are too picky end up Christmas cakes, too, little sister,” he rejoined smoothly. Chiaki smothered a laugh.

“If it is ok, I would like to try this spa with you all,” Ayano spoke up.

“Of course it is ok,” Ritsuko said, though her eyes touched Airi's briefly.

“I will update the spa,” Airi said, working her phone for a bit. “I am confident that you will like it, Ayano-chan,” she added.

The night progressed, Ayano and her boyfriend ending up having sex on the dock under the stars before calling it a night. The next morning, the girls had loaded up after breakfast and driving off in the SUV, Ritsuko driving, leaving the men to their own devices. Ayano had entered a rather modest-looking building after a longer drive than she thought they would take, and was soon experiencing a spa that met the standards of Airi Komiyama. She would never be satisfied with regular spas ever again.

As they had driven to the spa, the four girls had enjoyed some girl time, talking easily. Ritsuko was driving with Airi sitting in the back seat diagonal from Ritsuko - the actress had said she was used to being driven by Ritsuko, which seemed to be some sort of in-joke between them - Chiaki sitting in the passenger seat and Ayano sitting beside Airi in the back. Ayano had to admit she did enjoy some girl-time without the guys around, though the talk did circle several times to men and dating and her relationship progress with her boyfriend.

Chiaki had pressed her a little about if they would become sister-in-laws or not, which Ayano had thought would come from Ritsuko as the mother, but Ritsuko seemed to be more hands-off about her first-born's love life than expected. Ayano had asked Chiaki if she wanted them to be sister-in-laws. Chiaki had given her a strange look before saying it didn't concern her beyond making sure that anyone who wanted to marry her brother was doing it because of him, not because of any other consideration; though she never said what other considerations. Ayano had a feeling that she meant the apparent wealth the family had, but couldn't be sure, since she had a hard time reading any of their reactions.

When they arrived at the spa, they had checked in, and after a short wait were ushered into the spa proper. Massages, hydro-therapy, manicure and pedicures, oil rubs, some yoga, more massages, hair grooming and waxes, a sauna cycle, more massages, and finally a make-up session left Ayano unable to be satisfied with normal spas after this. Looking at herself in the full-wall mirror of the room they were changing back into their street clothes in, she felt like she was a celebrity. She hadn't realized she was posing a bit in just her panties until she heard Chiaki snicker softly. Blushing hard, she had quickly finished dressing.

On and off during the spa cycle, Ritsuko and Airi had been talking in the language only they seemed to know, though there were plenty of talks between them all, usually when enjoying a massage on tables side by side. Ayano found it was easy and comfortable to talk with Airi and the mother and daughter of the family, almost as if she were talking with high school friends rather than the mother of her boyfriend and a superstar actress. For being rich and famous, they are nothing like other celebrities or rich people, she mused. Sure, she had sometimes day-dreamed of dating - or marrying - a handsome actor or a multi-millionaire, but even as a younger, more impressionable and inexperienced girl she had known it was not something that was likely to happen, and as she learned more about the duality of celebrities and the rich, she more she wondered if it was worth it. It was common to hear about outlandish behavior, deviant hobbies or examples of sheer arrogance and social disregard from both camps, and she had come to realize that being in that sort of situation would not be fun unless she was as callous and uncaring as they were.

But Airi-san -for all her reputation of being a bitch to people in Hollywood - is nothing like I expected. She is a little reserved, yes, but she isn't hateful, doesn't seem to look down on me and other normal people, and she doesn't go around beating people over the head with her celebrity status like other famous actors and actresses do. She also shows no inclination to try to seek attention while claiming she can't be `normal' like a lot of superstars do, she considered. The Saruwata family must be very rich, from what I have seen, but they don't live in a mansion, or drive exotic cars, or circulate in the social circles or be close with politicians like most other wealthy families I hear about. In fact, they seem to be intentionally keeping a low profile. Their kids go to normal schools, not private boarding schools, and they seem to have the same basic stuff as any other kid, though maybe a bit nicer cell phones or gear. Still, if I had never started dating their son, I would never have believed they were wealthy enough to live like they do. It's very odd, Ayano mused.

Her musing was cut short by Ritsuko saying it was time to eat, the group loading up in the SUV and Ritsuko driving them off, heading deeper into the town. Arriving at a restaurant, they had gone in and been seated in short order, since it was between the rushes. The restaurant was sit down eating, somewhere between formal and casual dining, and served Asian cuisine. Looking over the menu, Ayano found there were Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Thai and Filipino dishes on the menu - along with the ubiquitous burgers and fries. She was torn about what to order. Ritsuko ordered a Thai dish, Airi ordered a Korean dish, Chiaki ordered a Chinese dish and Ayano, feeling a little pressure to pick a dish, ordered a Filipino dish she wasn't familiar with, but sounded like it might be good.

While enjoying the small appetizers and drinks, the group had talked a bit more before the food arrived. Ayano looked at her dish, wondering if she had made a mistake ordering it. Chiaki - sitting beside her, with the two older women across from them at the booth - glanced over and smiled. “That should be some good Adobo,” shared the younger girl. “Good color, well proportioned, smells like a little coconut milk in there. Dig in - you'll love!” she said before digging into her beef chow mein, sighing happily before sprinkling a bit of sauce from a small cup sitting beside the serving tray. Ritsuko had a serving of pad thai, Airi demurely settling her napkin before starting on her Chuncheon Dakgalbi. Ayano licked her lips before trying the dish in front of her.

The flavor was unusual to her, but after a few bites, she found she liked it. By the time she finished her plate, she was committing the name of the dish to memory, wanting to try it again. She was the next to last finish, with Airi being only a minute or so behind her. Sighing in contentment, the waitress had handed Ritsuko the bill before starting to clear the dishes. Ayano saw Ritsuko glance at the bill, then pull out some cash from her purse, tucking some notes into the receipt cover. When the waitress came back for the last of the dishes, she had handed the woman - maybe the same age as Ayano - the receipt, telling he to keep the change as a tip. The young woman had glanced in the receipt cover before blinking and thanking Ritsuko profusely. Airi and Ritsuko had been smiling like they shared some thought even as they slipped out of the booth, Chiaki nudging Ayano to get her moving. After a quick stop by the bathroom, the four women loaded back up and headed toward the house where their men were. As they drove back, they enjoyed a couple of hours of good girl talk time, laughing and gossiping and acting like high school girls.

Arriving back at the house as the sun set, they had entered the house to find the men sprawled out all over the living room, empty beer cans, liquor bottles, pizza boxes and discarded shirts strewn everywhere. Ayano froze at the scene. The men were all snoring from where they were sprawled out, the TV on and a football game on, nachos on the coffee table. Jerking her head to the side, she expected to see an angry expression on Ritsuko's face, but instead, she found a small smirk on the mother's face.

“Aw, isn't it cute how they try to mess with us, Airi?” she cooed sweetly.

“Yeah, I call bullshit, boys,” Chiaki said, grinning. The snoring stopped, the men straightening up.

“Told you,” said her boyfriend.

“Worth a try,” shrugged Airi's lover, sharing a grin with Ritsuko's husband. “What gave us away?” he asked, standing easily, the other two men doing the same.

“You don't drink that much, and never that brand, nothing is broken, you are all at least somewhat dressed, and there is no serious mess,” Airi said, getting a nod from Ritsuko and Chiaki. “Still, not bad set dressing,” she smiled, accepting a hug and kiss from her lover.

“Big brother doesn't snore, and he would never have ended up like that on the couch if he were drunk - he would have been in a tangled mess on the floor, likely having hit his head, which would have been amusing to see, at least,” Chiaki added.

“Gee, thanks, Chiaki-chan,” her boyfriend replied drolly, moving to hug Ayano. “You look incredible, Ayano,” he murmured as he hugged her. Ayano felt her heart race as heat bloomed through her.

“Good effort, dear,” Ritsuko said, nearly grabbing her husband and kissing him deeply. “Next time, a bit more attention to detail would help,” she said as she released the kiss.

“Maybe you could tutor me, Ritsu,” he said, one hand groping his wife's ass mostly out of sight of the others.

“If you two are going to do that, there is a bedroom for it,” declared Chiaki, though she was smiling a little.

“What a nice suggestion, sweetie,” lilted Ritsuko. “Anything for my dear daughter,” she giggled, grabbing her husband's hand and pulling him toward the stairs to the bedrooms. “Don't wait up!” she called back over her shoulder. Ayano was blushing again, imagining her and her boyfriend doing that.

“What a wonderful suggestion,” Airi said, giving her lover a look. “I trust we can leave the cleanup to you kids?” she asked, leading her own lover toward their bedroom.

“Chiaki, you know you just played right into that, right?” her boyfriend sighed.

“It was going to happen sooner or later, big brother,” shrugged the younger sister.

“True,” he admitted. Ayano was still blushing. “Those two are like horny teenagers,” he muttered.

“Must be nice,” murmured Ayano, getting a look from the siblings. She waved her hands desperately. “Nothing! Just nice to see a married couple still interested in each other, that's all!” she insisted.

“That's one way to look at it,” Chiaki said, surveying the room. “Did you boys make a trip to town just to buy beer and liqueur just to stage this?” she wondered.

“Yeah,” admitted her boyfriend candidly. Chiaki snorted.

“Boys,” she sighed. “Well it shouldn't be too hard to clean up,” she said. “Grab the trash can, she ordered. “Ayano, start grabbing the clothes and straightening the cushions,” she directed.

“Might as well,” sighed her boyfriend, doing as asked, as did Ayano. Chiaki herself began to make groups of trash. Without a word, her brother came along behind her, bagging all the empty cans, bottles, boxes and detritus. Within ten minutes, the house was clean, and the trash back was secured in the large trash bin beside the garage.

Settling in on the couch, Ayano nearly snuggled into her boyfriend, feeling very good and relaxed. Her boyfriend had his arm around her, surfing channels on the TV. “I feel like a third wheel,” Chiaki said, dropping down on the end of the couch.

“Sorry,” her brother said, not looking away from the TV. Finding a movie on the TV, he glanced at Ayano, who nodded, snuggling a bit closer. Chiaki sighed.

“I'm calling it a night, I guess,” she said, standing up.

“Um, you don't have to leave,” offered Ayano, though she very much wanted Chiaki to leave so she could get some time with her boyfriend.

“I am not a chaperone, I don't need to see you two get busy, and tomorrow is another day,” snorted Chiaki, giving a wave over her shoulder. “Just don't get too loud, ok?” she added, snickering.

“You mean loud enough to drown out mom and dad?” her brother asked innocently in return. Chiaki giggled but didn't reply, the door to her room closing a moment later. The two settled down to enjoy the movie, though they kept getting distracted by making out and petting each other. Ayano could tell her boyfriend really like her wax job, and it made her feel hotter and hornier as his fingers ran along her smooth, bare lower lips.

“B…bedroom?” she breathed, stroking his dick through his shorts.

“Deck,” he managed, scooping her up. “Rooms too close to each other,” he nearly panted, hurrying them to the sliding glass door to the deck, then all but dropping her on a lounger, making her squeak softly even as she spread her legs and pulled him on top of her. It didn't occur to her to wonder if he had a condom with him. With a mother like Ritsuko, he did.

The next day found them on the water again, though this time they were further away from the house, and closer to a beach well-filled with people. Chiaki and Ayano had decided to swim in from the boat to get some drinks and cool off, and when they walked out of the water, the two had gotten a fair amount of attention from the men on the beach, seeing as the swim in the cold water made their nipples very easily seen under their bikini tops. For their part, the girls were not oblivious to the men, either. There were quite a few good-looking specimens on display, though also a lot of the opposite. Even before they reached the dry sand, a couple of guys about their age had come up to them and tried hitting on them.

It was not the first time Ayano had been hit on by guys, of course. Same for Chiaki. Girls who looked like them would never have to fear not having guys trying to hit on them or chat them up. But it was the first time it had happened to Ayano in these circumstances. She had a boyfriend now, was no longer a virgin, and was overseas on a trip. It made a thrill of excitement shoot through her to have it happen, knowing her boyfriend was on a boat off the beach and she was in a foreign land and on a public beach.

Chiaki, it seemed, was used to this; or at least she acted like it. Listening to her younger friend brush off the pick-up attempt easily, she had wondered how used to this the girl was. The first two had persisted a bit, but finally given up, only to be replaced by another guy looking to try his luck. Chiaki didn't pause as she walked toward the refreshment stand and changing rooms further back from the beach. Strapped to her upper arm was a waterproof pouch with her cell phone and some cash in it. Ayano had not thought to bring her own cell phone on the boat. She had only realized when Chiaki had strapped the pouch to her upper arm before diving into the lake that all the others had their cells, cash and small items in similar pouches.

After shutting down the guy, the two got into the short line at the refreshment stand. As they were waiting, another guy joined the line behind them, and Ayano almost smiled when he tried his luck. To her surprise, Chiaki didn't immediately shut him down. Peeking back at him discreetly, she saw he was a trim, cut young man, maybe a bit older than herself, six-pack showing above a pair of rather close-fitted swim trunks, brown hair sun-bleached and messy from swimming, gleaming a little with sun tan oil, nice tan and pretty handsome, if she did say so. Listening to Chiaki flirt with him a little, she wondered if this guy was her type. She tried to recall the boys Chiaki had been reported to have dated at school, and frowned slightly as she couldn't recall any common feature among them; other than trying to date Chiaki and being kicked shortly after. Is Chiaki-chan super-picky or maybe a tease? Doesn't seem like it, but maybe? wondered Ayano.

Reaching the counter, they had placed their orders, Chiaki casually chatting with the boy as she paid for the drinks and snacks. Catching Ayano's hand in her own, she pulled the older girl to an available bench spot and sat down, the man following after as soon as he got his own order - a frozen drink of some sort, likely alcoholic if him showing the food worker his license was any indication. Ayano sipped her own drink - a slushie cola-flavored drink - while listening to Chiaki talk with the young man. When the young man had squatted by the end of the bench beside Chiaki, she had blushed a little, seeing what the tightening of the swim trunks showed at his crotch. Big, she thought, looking away as color filled her cheeks. The young man kept working on Chiaki, who seemed receptive to a degree, subtly flirting back with him while talking.

What am supposed to do in this situation? she wondered. If Chiaki-chan decides to go with him somewhere, am I supposed to stay with her? Or maybe go tell the others? Is she stressed out because she is the only one here without a boyfriend? What does her mom expect me to do in this situation? What if my boyfriend expects me to keep her out of trouble since I am older than Chiaki? How would I do that? But then, their parents don't seem to be overly concerned with their dating lives, so maybe I should just step back and let her do what she wants? She can defend herself, so does she even need me to look out for her? Would her parents and big brother blame me if she runs off? Or if she turns up pregnant by some random guy when we were off together? Wait, no, their mom makes them keep condoms with them, so maybe not that…

Her thoughts were interrupted by Chiaki tugging on her hand, guiding her up. Blinking, she realized she had finished her drink and the small snack was done. Tossing their trash into the closest garbage can, Chiaki had broken off her talk with the young man and led Ayano to the bathroom, holding her hand the whole way. When they were done and washing their hands, she had asked Chiaki about the young man. “Is that guy your type?” she wondered.

“Who? That guy I was talking with? No, not really,” she dismissed the question. “But he wasn't hard to look at, was he?” she asked, giving her a sharp smile. Ayano gulped.

“No, he wasn't hard to look at,” she admitted. Chiaki giggled, checking herself in the mirror.

“He seemed ok, for the most part,” she said as they made their way back out of the bathroom. Looking around, she didn't see the young man anywhere.

“So, if he isn't your type, what is your type?” asked Ayano.

Chiaki had hummed thoughtfully. “I don't think I have one,” she said a moment later, shrugging dismissively. “If I like a guy, I like him, if I don't like him, I don't. There isn't really a `type' for that, you know?” she half-explained.

“But didn't you say girls got to be as picky as they wanted?” blurted out Ayano.

“Of course,” agreed Chiaki. “We get to be, but that doesn't mean we have to be,” she laughed. “Hmm, that one isn't bad,” she murmured, inclining her head toward a small group of guys throwing a Frisbee around. They were all obviously into working out, wearing small, tight swim trunks barely more than a speedo, and looked like maybe college-age to her.

“Which one?” she whispered back. The group had several different guys in it, after all. There was a blonde-haired guy with a tan, a black guy with braided hair, a darker-skinned guy who was likely Hispanic or maybe Native American and brown haired guy with a little thicker build. Ayano wasn't sure which one Chiaki had said was not bad.

“Any of them, honestly,” Chiaki had shared candidly, smiling a little. Ayano watched the group for a moment. “Looks like they have some girls with them,” Chiaki said a moment later. “Pity. If they hadn't, I might have gone over to talk to them,” she said, tugging Ayano after her, back toward the water. Ayano gave a little `eep!'

“You would go talk to them?” she breathed, shocked.

“Sure, why not?” Chiaki asked. “You could talk to them, too, you know. You speak English well enough,” she added.

“But….but I'm dating your brother!” insisted Ayano, looking around.

“So? You weren't planning on cheating on him, were you?” Chiaki asked. Ayano indignantly shook her head. “Then it is ok. Besides, until you get married, you can still change your mind about who your boyfriend is,” grinned Chiaki. Seeing the look on Ayano's face, Chiaki had laughed. “Oh, come on! He isn't your first boyfriend, and you are not his first girlfriend,” scoffed Chiaki. “That is the point of dating, isn't it? To see if your boyfriend or girlfriend is `the one'? Or close enough, anyway,” shrugged the younger sister.

Ayano considered that for a long moment. I mean, yeah, she's right. Both of us have dated other people before, but I never really thought about it like that. It's kind of sad that a girl her age is thinking about dating like that. It makes it sound so…clinical and unemotional. Doesn't she want to feel the rush of emotions dating brings? Or is this about her not having a type? Maybe she isn't romantic. “Well, you aren't wrong,” Ayano said at last.

“I know,” giggled Chiaki. Seeing a three-some of young men homing in on them she squeezed Ayano's hand, which she had held since they left the bathroom. “Do you want to check the local selection to see what is available?” she asked, inclining her head toward the group approaching them. “If not, time to swim back out to sea, as it were,” she added, giving the older girl a grin. Ayano was a bit torn, but then tugged Chiaki toward the lake.

“We swim,” she managed, blushing a bit.

“Aw, how cute!” giggled Chiaki. As soon as they were thigh-deep, they released their hands and dove forward, swimming out into the lake, where they had spotted the boat with the rest of their family on it, cruising slowly along the far edge of the swimming area. Chiaki beat Ayano to the boat by nearly thirty second, climbing aboard and grabbing a towel from her mom. Ayano was helped out of the water by her boyfriend, who wrapped her up in a towel, hugging her as he gently rubbed her with the towel. At the helm, the father of the group looked back before shifting the boat into drive and advancing the throttle. Ayano and her boyfriend sat down on the narrow bench behind the two seats, just in front of the engine hump and ski rope post, while Chiaki crouched by the seat her mom was in, one of Ritsuko's arms around her shoulders and Chiaki resting her head against her mom's shoulder. Ayano couldn't be sure, but it seemed like the two might be talking over the roar of the wind and engine as Toshiro put the throttle to the stops, grinning as he roared across the lake.

The next day, the group had gone for a drive and hike, taking a break from the lake. Ayano could not really say she was surprised at how physical the family was. Fortunately, she was pretty physical herself. The hiking was pretty tough, but the views were wonderful. Seeing Ritsuko keeping an eye on Airi had not surprised her, though seeing how the actress was doing pretty good herself did mildly surprise her. Airi was not known as a fitness enthusiast, and she had heard more than once that Airi preferred being pampered in a luxury resort over outdoor activities, but it did make sense that to keep her figure at her age, the actress would have to exercise regularly. Her lover, Ayano noticed, seemed to have entrusted Airi to Ritsuko, hiking beside Toshiro like a couple of college buddies out on a weekend jaunt.

The group had left before dawn, catching daybreak at a scenic stop along the drive, then hiked up trails until just after noon, when Airi and Ayano had been on their last legs. Ritsuko - who had a pack on her back - had set up a quick camp at a comfortable spot high up the trail, serving up some hearty sandwiches, snacks and drinks. Wondering how heavy the pack was and how Ritsuko seemed to be fine with it, she had not had the nerve to ask. After an hour or so, the group had moved off down another trail, which connected them to a different trail, which was heading back toward where they had parked the SUV.

Ayano had stopped frequently to take pictures with her cell phone of the views, texting them to her friends and family when she had reception. As evening began to fall, the group was moving down the last steep part of the trail when Ritsuko suddenly whistled and yelled `hey, bear!' Before Ayano could figure out what was going on, Toshiro, his son and Airi's lover were in a line in front of them, spreading their arms and yelling. Looking past them, Ayano gasped, seeing a brownish-black bear watching them from a short distance away. Gulping, she looked over, seeing Chiaki looking around beside and behind them, body coiled and alert. Ritsuko had slung the pack off her back, and was holding a handgun in her hands.

“Is that…?” began Ayano.

“It's 10mm bear spray,” came the tight, cold response. The bear kept watching them from where it was partially behind a tree.

“Doesn't look like any others around,” Chiaki said, but never stopped looking.

“It has about thirty seconds to make up its mind,” Ritsuko said, stepping forward between her husband and son, bringing the gun up. “If it comes, clear to the sides,” Ritsuko said, “I will empty the mag into its head and throat,” she warned. Seconds seemed to stretch on. Just as Ritsuko inhaled and slowly exhaled, finger tightening on the trigger, the bear turned and moved away, deeper into the woods. Ritsuko tracked the bear with her gun sights. When it disappeared, she lowered the gun. “Smart move, yogi,” she growled, tucking the gun back into a holster hidden under her over-shirt at the small of her back.

Ayano was breathing fast, looking around. Airi sighed softly, relaxing. “Well, that was a thing,” said the actress, getting a laugh from Ritsuko.

“Yeah, it was a thing,” she said, grabbing the pack and slinging it over her left shoulder. “Let's keep moving. Chiaki, keep an eye out behind us, you boys keep an eye out to the sides. If I see that bear again, I'm killing it,” she said simply.

“You would kill it just like that?” Ayano wondered.

“If I see it again, it means it is stalking us, and a predatory bear stalking people is a bear better off dead,” Ritsuko said indifferently. “It is fifty-fifty if it doesn't immediately run when it encounters people, and it didn't immediately run when we yelled, so the odds are probably a bit lower in this case, but it might have been a young bear. Pretty good size for being a young bear, though,” she noted, leading the group down the trail. The rest of the hike back was mostly quiet, though Ritsuko and her family seemed pretty relaxed, even if they didn't stop looking around carefully. Reaching the parking lot, they loaded up and headed back to the house, the group relaxing as they drove.

Before she knew it, their time was up and they were heading for the airport, Airi and her lover having parted ways with them that morning at the rented house, Ritsuko hugging the actress tightly before the two families got into their vehicles and drove away. They had left early for the airport, leaving Tahoe in darkness. They stopped for breakfast near Sacramento, Ayano getting some pictures as they did, then drove to the airport. Ritsuko had let her husband take over driving after their breakfast stop, and he had taken an extra hour or two to drive the scenic route to the airport, giving Ayano time to take pictures of several famous San Franciso sites before they reached the airport. It wasn't long until they were in the air, flying home.

Ayano finished her first year in college in what seemed no time at all to her, though she suspected it was more because of the trips she had been taking with her boyfriend. Not all of them were overseas, nor were they always multi-day deals. Several times, they had gone to an overnight stay at a famous spot, or sometimes over weekends. Ayano was doing well in her classes, as was her boyfriend. The two had become an established couple, comfortable and familiar with each other. They had a group of shared friends, and each had a group of friends individually, and spent time with them as well.

One of the things they kept talking about was taking a year off school to travel some. More and more Ayano was thinking about doing it. While he had never said it explicitly, she knew her boyfriend was still considering going to school abroad, and it made sense to her that they would want to check things out a bit more before making that choice. And since they were not in financial difficulty, it was even more reasonable to look closer at the options. Her own family was all for it, as they almost considered the two of them engaged, though they had not gotten that far yet.

As they finished their first year, they had finally made the decision to do it. Of course her boyfriend's family had not taken any convincing, and hers had only needed to hear that the costs of their traveling would not be their concern, and they were fine with it. So, the two had planned out what they wanted to do, and where they wanted to do it, and after a month of planning, they had their itinerary worked out with help from Ritsuko and her husband. Chiaki had plans to travel some with their Aunt and cousin, though not for as long as the two lovebirds. From the look of things, Ritsuko and her husband were planning some traveling as well.

A year is really short these days, Ayano thought, shutting off the shower and reaching for her towel. Drying off, she stepped out of the shower, pausing to look at her reflection in the mirror. Smiling a little, she admired her tan lines and her new hair style. She and her boyfriend had been very busy for the last year, having left Japan heading east to America, where they had spent almost two months of their year, mostly seeing places and occasionally checking out some universities. While there, they had stayed a few days with Airi at her home, her boyfriend telling her she could never tell anyone where Airi lived. The house both was and was not what she pictured someone like Airi living in. A Hollywood mega-star would logically be living in a mansion somewhere, right? Airi's house was very comfortable, with a maid to see to what needed to be seen to, but was not what she would call a mansion. It was adjacent to a country club with a famous golf course, and of course Airi and her lover were members, though she got the feeling that they were not under their real names. She had gone to the club the morning after they arrived, and got to try golf with her boyfriend, Airi and her lover. She had not done too badly for her first time, in fact, though she felt she should have done better.

After that, they had enjoyed a good meal at the members-only club restaurant, Ayano getting to talk with Airi more as the two men mostly talked about sports, money, the plans of the young couple, and other things. Airi and she talked about things the two women were interested in. It worked out well, Ayano thought happily. When they were done eating, they had gone back to Airi's house, where her boyfriend and Airi's lover had disappeared into the detached garage structure where `he keeps his toys' as Airi had jokingly described it. Ayano had gotten a peak of several cars parked carefully, tools along the wall, and some motorcycles as well. Once more, she and Airi had opted to enjoy the sun deck and talk as they sipped drinks. Hearing the sounds of motorcycles firing up, Airi had waved as the two men departed on Harley Davidson bikes, both waving to the women. With the two men safely out of the way, Airi had gone straight for the jugular, asking her directly what her intentions were with her god-son and about their relationship.

Even now, months later, Ayano still blushed a bit recalling that talk. Airi was very direct, and seemed to be assessing her far more carefully than the first couple of times they had met, and she couldn't say if she had passed muster or not, though Airi had not warned her off or gotten in her way, though she did hint that if she mishandled the relationship with her god-son, she would regret it. Ayano wasn't sure which worried her more: Airi making her regret it or Ritsuko making her regret hurting her son.

The couple had spent a couple more days with Airi before moving off, new places on their plan, as well as some contacts. They had visited several colleges and universities, talked with some people that they had gotten from Airi and her lover's network, seen sights and explored. Ayano was enjoying herself massively. Her boyfriend had also taken her shooting with a few friends a few times in their travels, and Ayano could honestly say she didn't mind shooting, though she was not sure she liked it as much as her boyfriend and his family seemed to. But, seeing how well he shot, it made her wonder when he insisted his mom was the best with guns in the family.

Departing the United States, they had hit the Caribbean for three weeks. Ayano had gotten her scuba license and done a lot of swimming, diving and exploring as they bounced around the island before heading toward Europe, arriving in Spain. A few weeks in Spain, seeing the sites and even spending five days across the straights in Morocco, and they were on their way to France. While in France, they had bounced over to England for a short visit, then back to France. Ayano had a great picture of her and her boyfriend with the Eiffel tower behind them she sent to all her friends. They had tried a lot of French foods, and visited several famous places before moving into the Low Countries, starting with Belgium.

The couple had worked their way through the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark before hopping over to Sweden and Norway, then back to Germany, moving east to Czechoslovakia, then south to Austria, into Sweden where they had stayed at a small rented chalet in the Alps. The usual pattern for the two were to stay in hotels, youth hostels or camping as needed, so the chalet was the fanciest place they had stayed at since leaving Airi's house. Ayano had her birthday there, and the two celebrated in bed, though the next day, they had headed for a ski resort as the first good snow had hit there. They spent a full day from dawn to dusk skiing.

Arriving back at the chalet, they had found Ritsuko, Chiaki, Toshiro, Misato and Maya there. Ayano had been surprised, but her boyfriend seemed to take it in stride. The family had come to check up on them on their half-way trip, and it just happened that they would all be there at the same time, so they decided to visit. Honestly, Ayano wasn't that upset, though she had planned to spend another night in bed with her boyfriend before they found their surprise visitors. Still, she found she had a good time with them, getting into a bit of a sleepover with Chiaki and Maya, enjoying some time with girls close to her own age. Chiaki had revealed she had dated two more guys, but kicked both in the months Ayano had been traveling. For some reason, Ayano was not surprised.

The next morning, they had headed out for some more skiing, Ayano seeing Ritsuko, her husband and Misato more or less kidnap her boyfriend, while Chiaki and Maya had whisked her away in the opposite direction. Before she knew it, the three girls were doing runs and talking. While waiting in line at the ski lift, a group of four men had chatted them up, and before she knew it, she was watching Maya and Chiaki flirt with the men. Seeing the men were all tall, fair-haired and light-eyed, she once more wondered what Chiaki's taste in men were. Between runs, the group had gone to the café in the ski lodge for snacks and drinks and talk. Ayano had not managed to stay out of the talk, as Maya and Chiaki kept pulling her in. Besides, the guys were pretty friendly and not hard to talk to, by and large and were easy to look at, as Chiaki was apt to say. Maya seemed as interested in them as Chiaki.

On the next run, they had met up with the others at the bottom, and she had excused herself to go to her boyfriend. She had barely hugged him before turning to look at the others, only to see the four guys and two girls moving toward the chair lift. Glancing at Ritsuko, she saw that she and Misato were watching the four men, but didn't seem overly concerned. They murmured to each other before telling the two to enjoy themselves and heading for the ski lifts themselves. Ayano turned to look at her boyfriend, who was also looking after the guys who had left with his sister and cousin. She had lightly slapped his arm, saying the men seemed nice and besides, his sister could take care of herself, right? With that, she had taken his arm and guided him toward the lift, already making plans in her head.

It wasn't until they were about to head back to the chalet that night that she saw Chiaki and Maya again. Both girls seemed to be in great moods, giggling together and blushing a bit. Ritsuko and Misato had studied their girls for a bit before they herded them all back to the chalet. After a good meal, the two mothers had taken their daughters off for a talk. Ayano wasn't sure if she felt sorry for the two or not. About an hour later, the four reappeared, no indication of what might have happened. The group settled in for the night.

The day after, Ayano and her boyfriend headed out, bound for Italy, the others wishing them a safe and fun trip, though Ayano got the feeling that Ritsuko had some serious business in store from her tone and body language. On the train, she asked her boyfriend about it, suggesting that Chiaki had done something to make Ritsuko unhappy with her or the men or both. Her boyfriend had frowned, before saying it didn't look that way, and that his mom sometimes got that look on her face when she had something she needed to do. Besides, he added, Chiaki was not stupid and if something had happened between her and the guys, their parents would accept it as long as it was Chiaki's choice. Ayano wondered why she didn't find that a strange attitude for a mother any more. Snuggling up to her boyfriend, she focused on what was ahead in Italy, smiling at the romantic visions in her head; and the opportunities to have sex with her boyfriend.

Italy had taken up five weeks, and their next stop was Greece. The couple had visited some sights, enjoyed some Greek cuisine and checked out a few beaches before heading out two weeks later for India. While in Greece, Ayano had begun to wonder when her boyfriend would propose. She had also gotten some ideas to expand their love lives, but was not yet brave enough to suggest them.

India was a pretty short stop, considering. The situation on the ground was a bit tense due to some issues between India and Pakistan, and when a terrorist act had happened just hours after they left the tourist spot, they had decided to move to the next country as the situation was not looking great for them at the moment. Ayano could honestly say she was glad to be wheels-up out of India, heading for Thailand. Still, the pictures of the Taj Mahal and a few other sites were pretty.

With extra time on their schedule from the early departure from India, the two had headed north from Bangkok on a tour of some of the northern region - spending most of that time hiking and visiting temples - before hooking back south and going down the narrow panhandle of the country, spending an extra week in Phuket, enjoying the beach and neighboring islands. Swimming and diving were the main things they did while there. Ayano really liked the food, too. Ayano had also managed to get herself psyched up enough to have sex on the beach at night with her boyfriend, the two barely avoiding being caught by strangers.

From Thailand, they had bounced through Kula Lumpur on their way to Australia, landing in Perth. After three days enjoying the beaches, they had decided to go off-schedule and rent a vehicle to drive across the continent to Sydney. They still had a few extra days from India, after all, and seemed like it would be an adventure. Her boyfriend updated his family and they made arrangements and headed out.

It was, in fact, an adventure. Between some mechanical issues, a couple of navigation issues, an odd encounter with some local constabulary, weather-related issues and the delays all of the above cost them, they were four days behind schedule getting to Sydney. After a brief look at a few of the more famous sites, they had caught a flight to New Zealand.

Taking two days off their plans in New Zealand, they had headed to the Philippines. Taking two more days off the schedule - and skipping the southern-most islands - they had gotten back on track. Exploring Manila and some other spots on the two northern-most islands had been fun, and now they were heading home. Once she got dressed, they were bound for the airport to catch their flight to Japan.

“A year goes fast,” she murmured, winking at herself in the mirror before picking up the panties she had laid out, stepping into the thong low-rise and settling them. Next to the panties was the sundress she had taken to wearing for longer flights. She would wear sandals to complete the outfit. After a final check, she had emerged from the bathroom to find her boyfriend had finished securing their luggage and was on his phone.

“Hey,” Ayano said, stepping over to him and kissing him. “We ready?” she asked when she broke the kiss.

“Yeah. Just letting the others know we are about to head to the airport,” he said, cupping her ass and giving it a squeeze, causing her to giggle.

“If you keep that up, we will miss our flight,” she purred.

“Could be worth it,” he grinned. She playfully pushed a hand against his chest.

“Don't tempt me,” she ordered, sighing softly as she eased back from him. Taking her purse as he offered it to her, she automatically checked for phone, passport, money and necessary items before slinging it cross body and taking control of her bag. Together, they exited the hotel, checked out and headed to the airport, where they checked in, cleared security and waited to be boarded. An hour and a half later, they were heading home, and six hours later, they were greeting Toshiro at the airport in Tokyo after a year and a few weeks traveling the world.

They had only been home a week when Chiaki had graduated high school. Ayano had attended with her boyfriend and his family. After the graduation, she had gone with them for their celebration, having a good time. She had learned that Chiaki had passed all her entrance exams, getting acceptance letters from her first choice, second choice and safety college, but didn't seem too interested in attending any of them. When asked what she wanted to be, she had shrugged and said `happy, of course!'

Less than a month later, she was attending the wedding of one of Misato's children - the second youngest she was given to understand - and found herself wondering yet again why her boyfriend had not proposed to her yet. It had been a growing concern of hers at times that he had yet to ask her to marry him. She had found herself deciding on what she would say in different situations while traveling with him, but he had not yet asked. It was beginning to worry her a bit. Granted, I don't think our relationship is failing. I love being around him and we have good chemistry, but why hasn't he asked me to marry him? she thought as she waited for the wedding to get started. Maya was a bride's maid, and she looked very pretty in the dress her soon-to-be sister-in-law had picked for the bride's maid.

It wasn't until after the wedding as she was mingling with the newly-weds at the reception that her thoughts turned to her own situation. She was with her boyfriend, of course, the two very comfortable with each other and acting more like a married couple than she would admit, but she didn't even have a proposal from him, let alone an engagement ring. It isn't like an engagement ring or wedding ring would be any financial issue with him, I am sure, so what is keeping him from asking? she wondered.

“You look pre-occupied, Ayano-chan,” came a familiar voice, along with an arm dropping over her shoulders. She turned to see a very happy Misato grinning at her.

“Oh, uh, just thinking about something. It was a very pretty wedding, by the way,” she assured the mother of the groom. Misato laughed.

“It better have been,” she snickered.

“So, um, how long did they date before getting engaged?” Ayano asked, eyeing the couple.

“Hmm, good question,” Misato said, frowning a little. “Let's see, they dated for a bit in college, then broke up, then got together again just before graduation. Then they moved in together for a bit, and then he asked her to marry him once he got his first promotion, so about a year and a half,” Misato concluded. Ayano didn't know she was frowning at that until Misato snickered, nudging her.

“I see,” she purred. “He hasn't asked you yet, then? Well, I wouldn't sweat the small stuff,” dismissed the older woman. “You heard about how hard it was for Toshi to convince Ritsu-nee to marry him, right? Compared to that, you are on easy mode with that boy!”

I hear that Ritsuko-san got pregnant while they were dating and still had to be convinced to marry Toshiro-san. There is no way he is waiting for that, right? I mean, my parents have been hinting at grandchildren, but I don't think they are suggesting that kind of thing. No way… she dismissed the thought. Her eyes found Chiaki, who was dancing with a guy and seemed to be enjoying herself.

“Look, Ayano-chan, if he doesn't ask soon, you can always get proactive and ask him, you know,” Misato whispered in her ear playfully. “Or you can do what Ritsu-nee did,” she started to say.

“And just what did I do that you are suggesting Ayano do, Misa-chan?” came the voice of Ritsuko from behind the stacked purple-haired woman.

“Nothing, Ritsu-nee,” denied Misato, though a wicked smile was on her lips. “Ayano-chan is just worried that…” she began.

“It's nothing! I swear, it isn't anything!” blurted out Ayano. I do not want to have that conversation with his mom! she thought, desperate to shut the purple-haired woman up before she explained what she had been worrying about to the mother of the man in question.

“If you say so,” Ritsuko said, seeming indifferent to whatever was on the mind of the young girlfriend of her first-born. “Misa-chan, they want a picture of you with the newly-weds,” she said, taking Misato's elbow and moving her toward where the official photographer was working his trade.

“Ok, Ritsu-nee, just let me…” began Misato.

“Your husband is already there, and has been for five minutes,” Ritsuko said. “He asked me to come find you, though I don't know why he couldn't have done that,” she added, her tone a bit flat at the end.

“Now, now, Ritsu-nee, don't pick on my husband,” giggled the purple-haired woman. “I have plans for him tonight, and he gets nervous if he spends too much time around you,” she teased archly.

“Just don't video-call me in the middle of that again,” sighed Ritsuko.

“Like you aren't planning the same thing with Toshi,” scoffed Misato as the two disappeared into the crowd around the couple.

“Ayano?” asked her boyfriend, shaking her out of her thoughts. She turned to smile at him. “Everything ok?” he asked her.

“Fine!” she insisted. The two continued to mingle a bit. Ayano found herself in the bathroom, checking her outfit and makeup at the mirror when Chiaki and Maya appeared. Ayano thought she saw a smudge of Chiaki's understated lipstick as the younger girl checked herself in the mirror. Maya stepped into a stall behind them.

“Enjoying the wedding, Ayano?” asked Chiaki easily as she touched up her lipstick.

“It's fine,” Ayano answered.

“Then you must have something on your mind,” replied Chiaki. For a moment, Ayano weighed if she wanted to get into the topic with the little sister of the man in question. She remembered that the siblings always looked out for each other and backed each other up.

“I was just thinking of what it might be like to be a bride,” Ayano said before she could reconsider.

“Did nii-chan finally ask?” came the response from Chiaki. “Funny, I haven't heard him say anything about,” added the younger girl.

“Uh, he hasn't yet,” admitted Ayano. “What…um…what have you heard him say about me?” she went for it since she was already committed.

“Mostly good things,” shrugged the younger sister. “You are probably the best girlfriend he has had, from where I stand,” she added carelessly, checking her dress.

“Then why hasn't he proposed yet?” muttered Ayano, not noticing she was speaking aloud.

“Not sure, but I don't think he is planning to break up with you,” Chiaki said. Maya emerged from her stall, washing her hands. “Nii-chan can be a bit too cautious,” she added, smiling at herself.

“It is just as likely you could be a bit too adventurous, Chiaki-chan,” Maya said, checking her own makeup. “What brought this up?” asked the cousin.

“Oh, Ayano is worried because he hasn't asked her marry him yet,” answered the little sister easily.

“So that is it,” Maya replied, smoothing her dress. “I could ask mom to talk to him; or aunt Ritsuko,” she offered Ayano with a sharp smile.

“Uh, no, that isn't necessary,” Ayano assured the younger woman.

“If you are sure,” shrugged Maya. “Ready, cousin?” she asked, getting a nod. The two turned to leave the bathroom, Chiaki pausing just long enough to lean close and whisper to Ayano.

“I don't recommend trying to get pregnant to bag him - it isn't like how it happened with our parents, you know, and it could easily backfire on you. Good luck!” and with that, the girls were gone.

Ayano found she couldn't really push the issue out of her head, and five days later, she finally asked him about it. He had given her a thoughtful look and then asked her what she wanted to be. “Be?” she wondered. The two were sitting in the living room of the Saruwata home, having just gotten back from a town run. Ritsuko and her husband were at some sort of local meeting, and Chiaki was with some friends, though she was supposed to be choosing what college she wanted to go to of the three she had been accepted to. The two were alone for the moment. “Like, what career I want?”

“Career, if that is what you are looking at,” nodded her boyfriend. “We were taking general education classes that first year, but you have never decided what major you want.”

“Well, what about you? You haven't decided that yet, either, have you?” she challenged him in response.

“Maybe,” he deflected. “But I asked you first. So, what do you see yourself doing in your life, Ayano?” he pressed.

“What does that have to do with you not asking me to marry you?” she resisted answering. He hummed, not answering her question. It isn't like he has to choose a career, given how they seem to be quite well off, and he never really said what he wanted to do, so I sort of followed along in that. Is that why he hasn't asked me yet? Because I haven't picked a direction? If so, would picking something that doesn't fit with his goals mean he will break up with me? But I don't even know what his goals are, so how can I know what is safe to say and what is not? Why does he have to be so difficult sometimes?! she thought.

Ayano considered her next move in their little game for several minutes, absently playing with the hand on the arm he had behind her back, which was draped over her shoulder, tucking her to his side. “For the sake of argument, what if I said I wanted to become a business woman? Maybe start my own company?”

“Is that what you want to do with your life?” he asked her, giving her a serious look. “What kind of company? Goods or services? Where would this company be?” he asked her.

“It is hypothetical,” she huffed. “Why are you being so difficult, jerk?” she muttered, but didn't move away from him.

“I am being realistic, Ayano-chan,” he replied.

“If I said I wanted to be a housewife, would that make you propose to me? What kind of housewife would I be? Like my mom, alone in the house all day? Like your mother, maybe - travelling around and doing gods-know-what? Would I have children if I was your housewife?”

“Maybe, maybe not. Are you saying you want to be a housewife? A mother?” he asked her.

“It depends on if you are my husband or not,” she replied snippily, turning her head away from him. “Since you are being so obstinate, what are you planning to be, mister know-it-all? I assume you will be doing something to earn money, since it doesn't look like you are planning to live with your parents and sponge off them,” noted the woman. “Are you planning to be a father and family man? Maybe a global bum?” she snickered at that.

“You seemed to have fun traveling,” he replied simply. “Would you say `yes' if I said I wanted to spend a few decades traveling the world, living out of a pack, maybe be a sailor like mom's friends and asked you marry me?”

Ayano considered that. Would I? I like traveling, but maybe not that much traveling. And what about kids? I never really thought about it to be honest. Would I want to have kids? If so, how many? I am an only child, but would I want more than one? Would he? What would it mean to say yes to that kind of life-style? And what about finances? We won't be young forever, right? What about retirement? Visiting relatives? Would that be a kind of life I would enjoy? Ayano glanced over at her boyfriend. Is the reason he hasn't asked yet is because he isn't sure our life goals are compatible? If they are not, is he worth giving up some or all of my goals? Would that ultimately doom us? If so, maybe it is better to part ways now, rather than later. Could that be why he is hesitating?

“Is that what you are wanting to do? Be a vagabond or free-spirit?” she asked him. “Because if so, I would need to think about accepting any marriage proposal from you,” she said slowly.

“I would hope you would need to think about accepting any marriage proposal,” came the calm reply from her boyfriend. “And how many marriage proposals are you expecting to get?” he asked, his tone playful.

“If a certain someone can't make up his mind, I might have to go looking for a proposal from a less indecisive man,” she pouted a bit.

“That indecisive man is waiting to hear what his girlfriend sees as her future before committing,” he answered.

Ayano sighed softly. “Honestly, I don't know,” she admitted. “But I am reasonably sure I want you in it,” admitted the woman. “Do…you want me in your future?”

“I think that would be a good thing to have in my future, if we aren't looking in opposite directions,” he said, leaning over to kiss her. She responded eagerly. The two quickly lost track of time as they made out. Before they could go further than some under-clothes groping, a throat clearing interrupted them. Broken out of their activities, they had turned to see Ritsuko, Toshiro and Chiaki standing behind the couch. The two blushed a little, Ayano more than her boyfriend.

“Hate to break up you two, but those sort of activities are not something to be doing in public,” Ritsuko said. “Unless you are planning to go into the porn industry, I suppose,” she added, one hand patting her son's head as she headed toward her bedroom.

“And don't answer if that is what you two are planning,” warned Chiaki, moving up the stairs lightly.

Toshiro paused to look at the two for a moment. “Looks like the ball is in your court, son. Good luck,” he said, giving his son a smile. The embarrassment of being caught by the rest of his family prevented Ayano from realizing that they never finished that conversation.

It caught Ayano by surprise to find herself enrolled in classes again. It felt like so long since she had been in school, and yet so short a time. It was good to see her friends again, though with the rest of them being mostly a year ahead now and on different paths, it wasn't the same as it was the first year. Still, university allowed for greater flexibility and they were still able to see each other between classes and during group outings on nights and weekends. Her girlfriends - who had gotten a lot of pics from her as she traveled with her boyfriend - had wanted all the details, and she had not been averse to telling them a lot of what had happened. Her boyfriend's male friends had seen a lot of the pictures as well, and frequently grilled him about his year-long trip with his girlfriend. Their shared friends were much the same, though most of them seemed surprised there was no engagement ring on her finger after a year traveling the world.

Ayano found herself being reminded frequently of how little traveling her friends and even family had done compared to her now. Her passport was stuffed with stamps, and had noticeable wear on it, while the few friends of hers that had passports usually only had a single stamp - and usually from a vacation to a relatively-near-by spot. Compared to her boyfriend, she was still a novice in terms of traveling, but compared to her friends and family, she was a veteran world-trotter. She could only image what Ritsuko-san's passport looked like by now.

Another thing that caught her off guard as the end of their first full semester back drew to a close was finding out that a web-based newsletter had caught the fancy of several of her friends, especially the column and `funnies' parts. Being shown a short article by someone called `Asuka Ayanami', she had been drawn in. There was something familiar about the tone and construction of the writing, but she was struggling to place it. Checking the site archives, she realized it has been around for more than twenty years, though it had grown and gotten polished during that time. The `newsletter' web page often - but not always - had simple comic panels on them, obviously drawn by someone who was not a professional manga artist but could easily be one, given the caricatures and clean lines of the work, and those really felt familiar to her, though she couldn't place where or what.

She quickly became a fan, especially of the `Letters From Other Worlds' part, which often featured a writer named `Rei Soryu' and the `Idiots on Review' that sometimes appeared, especially the ones written by `Toji the Jock' and `Kensuke the Otaku'. About once a month there was a section called `Ask the Class Rep' where people who had sent messages to the website could ask for advice. The questions answered by someone called `Iron Iinchou Horaki' were what had gotten many of her friends hooked when they found out about the page, as those responses were always unpredictable, sometimes harsh to the point of near bullying, other times funnier than many stand-up comedy acts, and usually good advice. Talking about the web page with her friends, they had come to the conclusion that this `Iron Iinchou Horaki' was likely an older adult, with a lot of real-world experience in many areas.

The comics - done in the common 4-panel and 6-panel formats most often, but sometimes in manga page format - were a mixed-bag of things. Social commentary, political satire, comedy and sometimes pretty heavy themes. More than one of her friends had a panel printed out and stuck to their book bag or back pack. She had seen a few custom-printed shirts with panels from the page here and there around campus. The characters, settings and topics were nearly random, with no pattern she could discern.

But the sense that it was familiar to her kept nagging at her. She, of course, enlisted her boyfriend to help her try to figure it out. He and she came up empty though, as the page was well-built and hidden in terms of who ran it. There was literally no direct contact info, no list of even pen names of the author pool, and was heavily automated.

Talking about it with her boyfriend the weekend after the end of the semester, she had idly mentioned that maybe that would be something she or they could do, if they were going to travel a lot. This led into a talk about earning money in a non-traditional career or as a content generator. Her boyfriend warned her that it was a very risky venture and more work than most thought it was if it was going to be the primary earning source. That conversation branched into a talk about studying abroad. Before the weekend had ended, she had agreed to try studying abroad with him for a year.

The two had picked a college in America that had an international department, and had the courses they had been taking in Japan - business and pre-law courses mostly as a general base. Applying was pretty straight forward, and both had quickly gotten approvals for enrollment. When she told her parents, she had been surprised to get some resistance. The resistance was mostly because she was not yet engaged or married to her boyfriend. As near as could tell, her parents were worried that either they would miss out on her marrying into the obviously-financially well-off family or of her being dumped while abroad, leaving her stranded overseas. Ayano had been indignant that they thought he would do something like that to her, and mostly brushed off her parent's objections.

Talking with her boyfriend's parents had been a lot less dramatic. They had sat down in the living room after a dinner, and her boyfriend had said they had decided to try studying abroad starting summer semester. His parents had more or less just nodded before Ritsuko-san pulled out a notebook and a pencil and began to question the two, making notes as she went. Before they went to bed, they had a pretty detailed plan, including travel, living arrangements, communication, tuition, classes and a `safety net' set up. Slipping into bed with her boyfriend, Ayano had marveled at how competent Ritsuko-san was with planning and execution. Her boyfriend had laughed and said his mom was the most organized one in the family, and had taught him and his sister how to plan and execute things. His father was pretty organized, but not to the degree his mom was.

Spring came and with it a call that there had been a land slide in the town where the house of the late great-grandmother had been. Ayano had volunteered to go with the family as they drove over to check the damage. Chiaki - nearly finished with her first year of university - was going as well, so the five of them loaded up in the SUV and headed down. Reaching the town, they had made their way to the house, finding it was in decent shape, though it needed some repair from a large rock hitting it in the land slide and from general age. When she had remarked on how well the landscape and cleaning were done, she had found out that Ritsuko, Misato and their parents came by fairly regularly to take care of the place. She had also enlisted the help of some of the villagers.

Once again, Ayano got to see Ritsuko-san in action. Within a half hour, Toshiro had been dispatched with her boyfriend to go get the needed materials and rent a work truck to haul them while she, Chiaki, Ritsuko and Misato got busy prepping the area to be repaired. By the time the two men were back, they were just about ready to get right into the repairs and the parents of Ritsuko and Misato had arrived. After three days, the work was done, though Ayano was sure she didn't want to work for Ritsuko. That woman is a slave-driver, she thought, glad to be relaxing in a local hot spring. Sunrise to sunset, she worked us like dogs. But she worked right alongside us, so I can't say she didn't carry her share, admitted the young woman.

With her in the spring were Chiaki, Ritsuko and Misato. Chiaki and her mom were talking about the house, while Misato and Ritsuko reminisced about experiences at the house when visiting their grandmother - Chiaki's great grandmother. Ayano had to admit, the house was very traditional and comfortable for its age. The land was sizeable, though she suspected the house and land where Ritsuko lived was larger. It had not surprised her to find that her boyfriend and his family were pretty handy with repair work. While certainly not carpenters, they had skills she had not thought they would have and had not hesitated to ask the local carpenter for input as they worked on fixing the damage and some other small issues.

Time went by in a flash, and she found herself at her boyfriend's house, preparing to be driven to the airport the next day to fly out to start school in America for a year. Everything was in order, and ready, and she was pretty excited about it. They would be living in a small apartment near the campus that had been rented for them for a year. Living in an apartment like a married couple, she thought giddily. No family to surprise us, no one who knows us around to cause problems, either. This is going to be perfect!

Sitting in the living room, she had been talking with Chiaki about her current boyfriend, the two enjoying their chat as her boyfriend and his dad were in the garage doing some final checks on things, the mother of the house in her office, having gotten a phone call from some old friends. Getting up to get more tea for herself and Chiaki, she had decided to see if Ritsuko-san wanted any. After making three cups, she had dropped off her cup and Chiaki's before heading to the office. Quietly knocking, she had waited a moment before sliding the door open. “Excuse the interruption, but I thought you might like some tea, Ritsuko-san,” she said, seeing the woman working at her desk, ear buds in, a small smile on her lips.

Moving over to the desk, she started to set the cup of tea down, only to see what Ritsuko was working on. There was no mistake it was a 4-panel comic for the web page. Blinking, she had glanced at the computer, seeing that a document was on the screen with the name `Asuka Ayanami' as the author. She gasped softly, almost spilling the tea. Ritsuko's hand shot out, stabilizing the tea as her other hand removed her ear buds. “Didn't hear you knock, Ayano-chan,” said the woman.

“S…sorry, Ritsuko-san,” Ayano bowed awkwardly. “I thought you might like some tea, so I…” she stopped, debating what to say. Ritsuko was watching her calmly, a small smile on her lips. “You…are you `Asuka Ayanami'?”

“No point denying it now,” Ritsuko said. “But keep that to yourself,” she added. Ayano nodded.

“You are also the artist for the comics,” she stated.

“Only some of them,” denied Ritsuko. “Ok, only most of them,” she added a moment later, snickering softly before sipping the tea. The pieces came together.

“You are also Rei Soryu, Toji the Jock, Kensuke the Otaku and Iron Iinchou Horaki, aren't you,” she gave the mother a steady look. “The tone, wording and feel…no wonder it was so familiar,” she mused.

“Ok, you got me,” Ritsuko replied indifferently.

“How did this all get started?” wondered Ayano.

“With my reckless friends, of course, like most of our misadventures,” laughed Ritsuko softly. “Saeko was the one at fault for the idea, but Atsuko was the facilitator with Kaede and Yuki aiding and abbeting,” she said, smiling at some thought. “Before we knew it, it turned into something. We thought we would stop when we got bored, but that hasn't happened yet,” she sighed. “And once more, keep this to yourself, Ayano-chan,” she reminded the woman, getting a nod.

“Of course, Ritsuko-san,” she agreed. Ritsuko still scared her in many ways. “Does your family know?” she wondered, recalling how her boyfriend didn't seem to know anything about it.

“Beats me,” shrugged Misato. “Toshi should know, and Chiaki had seen me working on it before, so I presume so. As for my son, I would expect him to know, since Chiaki and my husband likely do,” was the unconcerned response. Ayano swallowed, realizing she had a great opportunity here.

“Ritsuko-san? Do you happen to know why he hasn't proposed to me yet?” she whispered, leaning close to the mother of the man in question.

“Honestly? No,” Ritsuko said. “But I try to maintain a hands-off policy if possible,” she warned her. “He does seem very focused on you, though, so I am a bit surprised he has not asked you yet. Are you worried about it?” asked the mother.

“Well, maybe a little,” admitted Ayano. Of course I am worried about it! What girl in a long-term relationship wouldn't be in this situation? she thought. “I was wondering if this was like a reverse of you and your husband,” she said before she could stop herself.

“No, pretty sure it isn't,” Ritsuko said, giving a rather sharp smile at some thought. “I do know he and Toshi have been talking about things lately, but I can assure you it is not like Toshi and my courtship,” she assured the woman. “Sometimes that boy of mine is a bit too cautious, but I suspect better that than the opposite,” she mused aloud. Turning in her chair to face Ayano squarely, the red-head fixed a firm look on the younger woman. “Are you in a rush to get married to him?” asked the mother directly.

“I…well…it's…” Ayano foundered at that point.

“Maybe you should talk to him directly about that,” suggested the mother, turning back to her work. “Thanks for the tea,” she added. Ayano knew she was being dismissed and quickly retreated, closing the door behind her. Returning to the couch, she found Chiaki busy with her phone, apparently texting her current boyfriend. Shortly after, she went to sleep to be ready for the flight to America and her new school.

“Time flies,” Ayano sighed, sitting beside her boyfriend in their apartment.

“It does, indeed,” he agreed, offering her his drink. She took it and drained about half of it.

“It has been sort of surreal, going to school here,” she mused. He nodded. “But we made some fun friends, and learned a lot,” she thought aloud. Again, he nodded. Their apartment was packed up, everything taken care of and arrangements made for their return to Japan. They would be turning in the keys first thing in the morning, then driving to see a few places before flying back. Ayano checked her phone. “Kelly and Steve just got back from their honeymoon,” she shared idly.

“Matt and Shawnica missed their return flight,” he replied. “He texted they were going to extend their honeymoon another couple of days.”

“Not surprised,” Ayano said simply. Several moments passed. Her phone chirped, making her glance at it. “Dad says they have moved into their new apartment in Tokyo,” she read the message. “He wants us to drop by when we come back.”

“So he got the promotion, then,” smiled her boyfriend.

“Yeah,” agreed Ayano. “He has already had new business cards printed up with the Assistant Director of Sales job title.”

“Good for him,” was the urban reply. Silence fell for a few more moments. “Cook or eat out for dinner?” he asked idly.

“Eat out,” she replied immediately. Their stuff was either given away, sold or packed up, after all, the kitchen empty and cleared. “This place feels kind of empty and lonely. Only the memories are left, I guess,” she said. The young couple had often had friends over for studying, parties and sports games, as well as other social functions. For various reasons, they had one of the more stable and workable locations for such things, as most of their friends either lived in the dorms, or shared a rental with many other people, or were living in apartments too small for more than two people to work in. Their apartment was not large or fancy, but it was functional and well-positioned.

Her boyfriend smiled. “Remember when Alonso tried to prank Lizzy but put the hot sauce in the wrong cup?” he laughed. Ayano laughed with him.

“Yeah, that was kind of funny,” she said. “It took me forever to get the stains from the hair dye incident out of the furniture,” she added.

“Call me old-fashioned, but I like you with black hair or dark brown more than whatever that color was,” he chuckled. “How Shelly talked you into dying your hair is a mystery to me.”

“I am a bit fuzzy on the details as well,” Ayano said, blushing a little. “And it was `autumn gold chestnut',” she added.

“If you say so,” he replied. “We will always have the pictures to remind you if you think you want to try that again,” he added, waggling his phone.

“Don't you dare,” she warned him. His phone chirped. He glanced at it.

“Chiaki apparently broke up with her latest boyfriend. She will be a spinster at this rate,” he sighed.

“She might not be the only one,” Ayano said, turning to swing herself in to his lap. “You have not proposed to me in the almost-five years we have been dating, mister,” stated the woman.

“Oh?” he replied, giving her an insolent grin.

“Don't you `oh' me,” she growled. “Five of our friends have started dating, gotten married and gone on their honeymoons while we have been here, but you have yet to propose to me!”

“We have been busy,” he began.

“So you are going to propose to me,” she stated.

“I didn't say that,” he rejoined. “I said we have been busy.”

“My girlfriends have been telling me that I should leave your sorry behind if you don't propose soon. I am beginning to think they are right,” she said, leaning closer to him.

“You are that desperate to marry me?” he asked, smiling, only to have it fade when he saw the look on her face.

“If I am desperate, it is to know how you really see me,” she said. She sighed. “I admit I love you. But if you aren't going to make it official, then maybe it is time to look for someone without commitment issues,” she softly said.

“Ayano,” he began, but she put her finger against his lips.

“Don't,” she said quietly. “When we get back to Japan, either I have an engagement ring - or wedding ring! - on my finger, or I am single again. I am done being patient,” warned the girl.

“When did you decide this?” he asked, frowning.

“Just now,” sighed Ayano, rising and offering her hand to help him up. “What sounds good for dinner? Pizza? Subs? That Thai restaurant? Maybe that awful French place Jodie worked at for a semester?”

Her boyfriend rose with her help, the two grabbing their things from the counter as they headed out the door. “Any of the above,” he said, expression distracted. Ayano nodded, taking the lead. They ended up having dinner at a small booth at the Thai place, talking of light things. Returning to their apartment, they had gotten situated on the inflatable mattress, falling asleep rather quickly, his arms around her and her face against his chest.

They had met the apartment manager at the office first thing, officially turning in their keys and confirming everything was taken care of before heading out and got into their car, which was an older compact SUV, which was already loaded with their traveling stuff, the two setting off on the rather short road trip before their flight back to Japan. The two fell into their familiar pattern, though Ayano's decision never left either of their minds.

Four days later, they arrived at Airi's house, being greeted by the actress and her lover. Before he knew it, he had been roped into a game of golf, leaving Airi and Ayano to talk. It surprised him to find that his golf game had somehow improved, though he was soundly beaten by the lover of Airi. The older man had steered him into the club restaurant, and over drinks and dinner ahd talked to him about many things; including women and how their view of relationships could sometimes make things seem different than they were.

Not one to usually talk about personal stuff, he nevertheless ended up telling the older man about the ultimatum his girlfriend had laid down. The older man had nodded solemnly, as if he was not surprised. “You are your mother's son, no doubt about that,” he said, pausing to sip his drink.

“I'm not sure that is a compliment,” he replied.

“It is, and yet is isn't,” admitted the man. “Ritsuko is - without a doubt - Airi's closest and most loved friend and companion, so I have learned a fair amount about her, and Toshi and I are pretty tight, too, son,” he grinned a bit, getting a grin back. His dad and Airi's lover did get along like college buddies. “I don't know what happened between Airi and Ritsuko before I came along. Airi had never said, and I know better than to ask Ritsuko, but what I have learned tells me a lot about why they are so tight. Unfortunately, whatever happened has heavily influenced her raising of you and your sister, and her marriage with Toshi. If I were a psychologist, I would probably have a book or two worth of content from that, and would be making mad money for therapy,” he smiled a little.

The younger man snorted. “If you ever want to try billing mom for therapy, please let me know - I want to be there to watch. I will bring the popcorn,” he snickered.

“Point taken,” he easily conceded. “So maybe I should offer what free advice I can, if you are willing to listen?” The younger man nodded. “Do you love Ayano?” he asked directly. He was nodding before he could finishing considering the question. “Then marry her. Because life is too short to worry about what-ifs that might not happen, and no one is guaranteed a perfect run. It sounds like Ayano has been patient with you for much longer than most women would be, and from what I see, you two do very well together. My advice is to marry her before she writes you off as a fond memory of her past and moves on.”

“I can't help but notice you have not married Airi,” he observed dryly.

“Not for lack of trying, son, not for lack of trying,” he replied heartily. “Airi is not like Ayano. She has different goals and views than your girl. You need only focus on Ayano and leave Airi to me,” he smirked.

“That is sound advice indeed,” replied the younger man.

“I don't get the impression from Airi or Ritsuko that they disapprove of her, so why have you been hesitating?” asked the older man.

“It is complicated,” he replied. “But it looks like it is time to fish or cut bait,” he nodded to himself.

“So, which is it to be?” asked the man, grinning at him. “If you need some advice on how to propose, I can honestly say I have had a lot of practice with Airi, and can give you some pointers.”

“Again, I can't help but notice none of your efforts have succeeded,” laughed the younger man.

“Yet,” qualified the older man, smiling as well.

“Yet,” agreed his friend, the two touching glasses.

“But seriously, how can I help?” asked the man, his expression serious.

When the two got back to Airi's house, well past dark, they found the girls still talking on the back patio. The two had broken off their talk with the return of the men, and minutes later, Ayano and her boyfriend were in bed, Airi about to join her boyfriend in their bed as well. But first, she had a call to make. Twenty five minutes later, she finished up and headed to the master bedroom, finding her boyfriend just getting into bed. “I presume you called Ritsuko. Or perhaps Toshi?” he said, helping her undress; not that she needed the help.

“Ritsuko,” Airi said. “Toshi is yours, dear,” she smiled at him. “How did it go?” asked the actress.

“I suspect I owe you a four day weekend stay at your favorite resort hotel,” he answered easily. “The kid is definitely Ritsuko's kid.”

“Naturally,” Airi smiled.

“I hear Chiaki is not like her brother,” he offered as they got settled. Airi laughed softly.

“No, Chiaki and her brother are very different people, but both are clearly Ritsuko's children,” she said softly. Her lover kissed her shoulder.

“It's strange, but I kind of feel like an Uncle to the kids,” he shared.

“You are, for intents and purposes, their uncle,” Airi replied. “Both because of me and Ritsuko and because you and Toshi are like frat brothers,” she giggled softly. He hummed, caressing Airi's side.

“Could be worse,” he offered. Airi didn't reply, but she knew how much worse it could have been indeed.

After two days with Airi and her lover, the two were off again, visiting a few sites as they wound their way toward the airport they would be flying home from. Their last stop was at an apartment complex, where they sold the car they had had to a friend of one of their college friends, the new owner driving them to the airport. Just over three days later thanks to a day and a half stop at Hawaii, they were greeting Ritsuko at the airport, the mother having driven to meet them. Ritsuko had hugged her son, then Ayano, before glancing at the woman and congratulating her. Ayano had been giddy, absently caressing the engagement ring on her finger she had gotten in Hawaii, under the stars, on the beach. Of course Ritsuko-san noticed it immediately, Ayano thought.

The group had stopped by the new apartment of Ayano's family, Ritsuko staying in the background as Ayano proudly showed off her ring, but the girl knew her soon-to-be mother-in-law was paying close attention; it was just what she did. Ayano's parents were very happy to hear the news, and it took the three nearly four hours to get free of the parents. She had suggested maybe staying in a motel since it was getting late, but Ritsuko said there was no point, and pointed the car toward home, driving non-stop as if it were nothing. The three had reached home in the small hours of the morning, Ayano having fallen asleep against her fiancé's shoulder in the back seat. Her husband-to-be had talked quietly with his mom for a while before also falling asleep.

Entering the house, they found it empty. Toshiro, Ritusko had explained, had gone to a reunion with his old JSDF buddies, and wouldn't be back until the following day - at earliest - and Chiaki was with some friends at a spa the next prefecture over. Bidding the two good night, she had stepped into her office for a bit before going to bed for a short rest. Before grabbing a little sleep herself, she had peeked in on the two, finding them sleeping easily. Smiling a little, she had gone to bed for a few hours herself.

When the two awoke, they found Ritsuko in the kitchen, making breakfast. Greeting her, Ayano had offered to help, but her offer was declined easily by Ritsuko. The breakfast was a mixed meal, which Ritsuko said was more a brunch than a breakfast. Assessing the two, she had asked if they had given any thought to their wedding. Ayano had blushed and giggled happily at that question, saying the thought had crossed her mind a few times. Ritsuko said little in response, sipping some coffee. Instead, she asked them about their plans for school or work.

The two had about a semester and a half of courses left for a degree, though neither were particularly hot to go into a career in business and pre-law. They had chosen that course because it gave them options and a degree, not because they had a burning desire to work those career fields. Ritsuko had shared that Chiaki had switched to a technology degree course, having taken a few semesters of courses in various fields. She had also made new friends as she changed majors, which was par for the course. Ayano had asked some general questions about Chiaki's dating situation, but Ritsuko had little to say about it other than Chiaki was currently still single last she heard.

As they were finishing up their meal, Ritsuko's phone had rung, and before the call was over, she was committed to a `housewives' retreat' with her old high school friends. Ayano had remarked how fortunate she was to have stayed friends with her old classmates, which made Ritsuko snort at some memory, though she didn't deny it. Looking at the younger girl, she had asked if she wanted to get some practice in, seeing as she was now set to become a housewife herself. Seeing how her boyfriend had reacted to the invite, she couldn't resist agreeing, since there must be a reason for his reaction to the invite.

Two days later, she and Ritusko had left Toshiro and his son behind, passing Chiaki as the daughter arrived back, a female friend with her, having arrived in a car that needed some work. It appeared that Chiaki was going to help her friend get the car working; and maybe with some other things from the sounds of the half-heard conversation between them. Chiaki had immediately roped her brother and father into helping her as Ritsuko had given her daughter a hug and kiss on the forehead as she headed out the door with Ayano. Chiaki had called after them, saying to have a good time and look out for her pending sister-in-law around her mom's friends, which had made Ritsuko laugh a little.

Later that day, Ayano had been introduced to the five friends of Ritsuko's. All married - or in one case, previously married - with kids a little older than Ritsuko's own children, they were more like what Ayano thought of as housewives, though a far cry from what she considered `normal' housewives. Before she knew it, was swept up in their activities like a leaf in a tornado. It had been a fun time, overall, and she learned more about Ritsuko, though it was clear that there were plenty of things the other women would not say about their friend's past.

Hot springs, spas, karaoke, shopping, gossiping, playing games, talking about family and even sometimes their love lives - the group of women were very busy for a `retreat', but Ayano found she enjoyed the experience, and was already considering making her own with friends from high school and college. Ayano was a bit jealous of how good Ritsuko was at karaoke, though also admitted that some of her friends were even better. Yuki could have been an idol, in her estimation. By overwhelming demand, Ritsuko had sung a few songs in a language none of them knew, but it seemed to be a tradition of some sort in the group. None of them would explain anything about that to her.

Ayano had noticed something about Ritsuko and her friends. Ritsuko looked about college age, while her friends all looked a little older, though none of them looked as old as her mom or the moms of her friends from high school she had met. In fact, when she discreetly compared her pending mother-in-law to her friends in the bath, she suspected that Ritsuko could pass for a first-year college girl without any effort. Two children, and she still has a six-pack and is so trim and toned, while her friends are more rounded and soft, even the ones with only one kid. Why is that? Her friends tease her by calling her an `old lady' but aren't they the same age if they were in the same class in high school?

She had finally gotten a chance to bring it up in a way that wouldn't seem unnatural or nosey, and though none of them would say why they teased her like that, they all did agree that Ritsuko looked noticeably younger than they did - which seemed to mildly miff her friends. Ritsuko had not said much aside from her owning it to `clean living, diet and exercise' though her friends all seemed to be of the opinion it was something else; something from her past. Ritsuko had scoffed and said her ears weren't pointed and they should stop being bitches about it. Ayano could tell it was friendly teasing, but she also was certain something lay behind the remarks.

To her surprise, she had found herself offered the chance to write some posts for the web page the group had started, and she had jumped at the chance. Before she knew it, she had been shown how to log into the admin part of the page, how to handle messages sent asking for advice, the mechanics of posting new content, and told to go for it. But, they did insist that she pick a `screen name' for herself, as they cautioned her to never use any identifiable information in anything she posted. Atsuko had also gotten her set up with admin access to the social media feeds for the page, which were busy and had a lot of subscribers. Apparently Atsuko been the spearhead on that side and was eager to take a breather. Getting coaching from all of them on how they had been doing things, she had been encouraged to dive in.

She came back from the retreat with enough work to call it a full-time job. Ritsuko had just given her a smile and encouraged her to do her best, but that she should focus on her marriage first and foremost. Arriving home, Ritsuko had immediately been asked by her daughter to help her, and of course Ritsuko had happily done so, the two disappearing into the garage with the friend of Chiaki. Ayano had greeted her boyfriend with a kiss and told him about her new `job'. He had said he was just happy she had survived meeting his mom's friends. Ayano had said they were not that bad, and she was thinking about setting up similar retreated with her own friends.

Between finishing up their remaining classes for their degrees and her work with the web page - which she found she liked and took perverse enjoyment in teasing her friends without revealing she was now a staff member there - she was very busy. The planning for their wedding was almost an annoyance to her at times. Her mom kept wanting an ever-larger wedding, with all that that entailed. Ayano was not enthusiastic about that at all, for many reasons. Her boyfriend had heeded the advice of his father and Airi's lover, telling her whatever she wanted was fine with him, and dutifully giving his opinions on possible wedding scenarios, ceremonies and dresses and kimonos. Ayano had been a bit surprised that Ritsuko had only shared her thoughts and opinions when directly asked.

Ritsuko's mother - her fiancé's grandmother - had laughed when Ayano had complained a little to her during a planning session, saying that it was how Ritsuko was about some things. She had then shared several stories with Ayano about Ritsuko's own wedding planning - such as it was. As a comparison, she had used her own wedding to Ritsuko's father as a comparison. Ayano enjoyed hearing about the weddings, but did notice that a few times Eri had said things like `when she came back' or `after what happened' when talking about certain changes in Ritsuko's personality.

In the end, Ayano had decided on a wedding dress and a relatively small wedding, to be held in the town they were in rather than a huge traditional wedding at a major venue in Tokyo. Her mother had complained some, though Ayano had noticed that the planning had assumed that her new family would be footing the vast majority of the costs of her extravagant pageant plans. Ayano was a bit irked at that mindset, as she was the bridge, which usually meant her family would be shouldering the majority of the costs. Her father had little to say either way, though he kept wanting more and more fancy and expensive things for their wedding registry. Ayano had firmly told them no, and planned things how she wanted them.

Her wedding was held shortly after they had finished their last classes and before their degrees were formally conferred. She had asked Chiaki if she wanted to be in the wedding, maybe as a brides' maid, to which Chiaki had said if she wanted her to be, she would, but Ayano's friends were already almost fighting over the position, so she might want to consider that when planning. She had seen the logic in that, and had finally gotten peace with her friends by having her two closest friends be her brides' maids. Chiaki had suggested she find the most hideous dresses for them to wear as punishment, but she had resisted the temptation. Her groom's side was populated by two of his closer friends. The bride's maids and best men all knew each other, so it was easier that way.

The wedding went off smoothly and as Ayano and her new husband were leaving the reception for their honeymoon, she had thrown the bouquet. Though Chiaki was in the group of women, Ayano had noticed she had made no attempt to catch the bouquet. She was sure that - given how athletic the little sister was - she could have easily snagged it, but all Chiaki had done was make a very token `attempt' that was hardly more than turning her head to track the bundle of flowers. For a moment, she had caught Ayano's eye, Chiaki giving her a smirk and a wink before slipping out of the press of women easily.

The couple had spent a week at the house of the great grandmother, finding that it had been extensively remodeled. It was a very nice week for them, though they hardly left the bedroom. The small village population seemed to be amused by that, with the older village women giving her sly looks and whispered advice. Ayano couldn't say for sure, but she wondered if that was why she had gotten pregnant on her honeymoon.

Time flew by for Ayano, who had drifted into the job of being a web admin and e-sales manager for a few sites, mostly the one her mother-in-law's friends had roped her into. She seemed to have a knack for it, and her business degree helped a bit. She had given birth to a healthy son, and two years later to a second son. Her husband worked on various projects, but didn't have a `career' as such, though money was never a problem for the two.

Chiaki had gotten engaged to a man about a year after she had gotten married, and it looked like she would be married, but less than a week before the wedding, it was suddenly canceled with little explanation of why. Neither Chiaki nor Ritsuko would say anything about it - not even to her husband. But he had said that it was clear to him that something had happened and the guy had likely run for his life. His mother, he had explained, could be a complete demon lord when angry and he had seen the signs that even mentioning the man's name pissed her off. Same for Chiaki, though his little sister was less rage-prone. Less being a relative term, of course.

The same week her second son had been born, Chiaki had been engaged again. This time, the wedding had taken place, but before it could be completed, there had been a commotion, some drama, and the almost-groom had run off, leaving Chiaki at the altar. Ayano - attending with her husband - had been unable to look away as it all unfolded. Chiaki had not broken down in tears. She had not gone on a rage-induced killing spree. She had watched it play out, including the confessions of love between the groom and the woman who had barged in and disrupted the wedding with an almost blank look on her face, though her eyes were cold and calculating. When the man had turned to her, rather to apologize or beg for his life, it was not clear which, she had just given him a flat look and told him to go, as it was clear that was what needed to happen. He had given her a strange look before running to the woman who had been the cause of it all, and the two had run off, hand in hand. Chiaki had sighed, managed to crack a joke, and then strolled off without a word.

Ritsuko had gone after her daughter immediately, her expression flat and a strange aura seeping off her. Her husband and Misato had run after her, both looking very worried. Her husband had sighed before stepping up and handling the remaining issues, thanking the attendees for coming, apologizing for the unexpected drama, and assuring them that they would be re-imbursed for the gifts, and that there was no point in wasting a perfectly good catered meal, so they should enjoy a good meal and he thanked them for their understanding and compassion in this matter. With that done, he had immediately started working his phone.

Misato and Toshiro had come back about twenty minutes later, neither looking happy, both working their phones as well. Ayano had told her husband she would wait for them at home, as they were obviously busy. He had nodded, phone to his ear. Misato - phone to her ear as well - had offered to drive them to the family homes, as it was nearest, and in spite of her knowing better, she had agreed. The drive home that day made her drive to school years before look like a Sunday leisure drive by comparison. Misato drove like a rally driver, all but running a cop off the road at over two hundred kilometers an hour, her powerful foreign performance sedan roaring along, Misato on the phone still.

Arriving at the quiet country home, Misato had slid to a stop, opening the door and marking into the house, which was empty and quiet. Entering the study, Misato had returned a few minutes later, frowning and once more working her phone. Ayano had caught her breath and called her friend, who was baby-sitting her sons - and let her know that there had been a small issue and she would be a bit late to pick up her boys. Her friend had assured her it was no problem and then immediately asked for all the juicy details. Ayano had blown the question off, ending the call as her phone signaled a call waiting.

Ayano found herself more or less in the eye of a typhoon. Her husband and father-in-law had arrived home a while after Misato and Ayano had arrived home. Misato was still busy with her phone, sitting on the couch. Ayano had made them some tea between calls and text messages. Toshiro had walked into the house and without any preamble asked Misato “Well?”

“Phones, emergency funds, go bag and passport. She's in the wind. No response to any of us,” said the little sister tightly.

“Same for Chiaki,” sighed her husband. “None of her friends can reach her, her wedding dress was thrown on the floor in the changing room, and her daily clothes are gone. Mom's dress wasn't there. Was it in the bedroom?” he asked Misato, who shook her head. He sighed.

“Airi is calling,” Toshiro said, answering his phone. “Airi, yeah, we can't reach either of them. Have they…I see. Do you…no, I suppose not. We have already alerted all her friends, and the rest of the family, but she and Chiaki-chan are missing. I know…! But isn't there…?! Sorry, Airi, I know, I shouldn't be…no, I understand. Is there anything you can think of that might help? Well, please let us know if she reaches out. And tell her they are worrying us, ok?” Toshiro gave a short laugh. “If that is not an understatement…! Ok, thanks again, Airi,” he said ending the call with a sigh.

“Nothing on her end, I take it,” her husband said to his father. Toshiro shook his head.

“Well, I think we have alerted everyone who might be able to help. Now, we wait,” he said, sitting beside his wife.

“What do you think this is all about?” Ayano asked her husband.

“We are not sure yet, but it is obviously an issue with the dead man walking,” grunted the big brother of the ex-bride.

“Preliminary hypothesis is that the guy was involved with that other woman, broke up, dated Chiaki-chan, got engaged, but couldn't let it be,” Misato sighed. “She said she was pregnant, too, but wasn't showing that I could see. Either she was lying or it was less than three months ago - neither is good news,” she thought aloud. “After the last time, I am not sure big sis will let it be this time,” she murmured.

“What did happen last time?” Ayano wondered. No one answered that question.

Misato's phone rang, and she glanced at the caller ID before answering. “Hey, Saeko, we still haven't…oh. Ok, well, you know the drill. Thanks for letting us know,” Misato said, ending the call.

“What did Saeko have to say?” Toshiro asked, sitting on the couch.

“She said that Ritsuko was still silent, but that she had put out a few hooks that might catch Chiaki's eye. Not sure what that is about, exactly, but worth a shot, I guess.”

“By the way, does anyone know anything about the cop car that was in the ditch?” asked her husband, giving his aunt a suspicious look.

“What cop car?” came the nonchalant reply.

It was a couple hours past midnight when all their phones chirped. A text message from Ritsuko had come to all of them. It was very short and terse. `Mother/daughter time. Back later.' For some reason, Ayano felt a little uneasy at the text message. Still, she had sons to worry about, so early the next morning, she and her husband had gone to pick up their sons, returning to their own house as there was nothing more to be done about the situation with their mom and sister right then.

Every day, her husband and her sent text messages to Chiaki's phone, and days went by before anything came back. When the messages were finally answered, it was with a short `busy now. I'm fine.' This understandably did not ease their concern much. Just short of three weeks later, Ritsuko reappeared. She was tanner than she had been, but had nothing to say about anything other than that Chiaki was with some friends, and needed a little time to breathe. Ritsuko assured her husband and son that Chiaki was ok, and would be fine with a little time. Toshiro knew that they weren't with any friends he knew of - Airi had said that she had gotten a call from Ritsuko a couple days after the incident, but wouldn't say what it was about other than that Ritsuko had assured her that she and Chiaki were ok.

Life resumed, Ayano busy with her family and projects. Toshiro and Ritsuko said they were taking some time away, and disappeared a month after Ritsuko had come back. Misato and her husband disappeared two days later, saying they had a business trip. Maya got engaged while her parents and aunt and uncle were away. It was six weeks later when Misato and her husband showed back up, immediately becoming engrossed in their youngest kid's engagement. Ritsuko and Toshiro were gone another three weeks before reappearing. Both were tanned and seemed relaxed. When asked, Ritsuko had said they had taken a second honeymoon and left it at that. Neither her son nor her daughter-in-law bought that at face value.

Chiaki had been silent on social media and almost a ghost on phone and text messages for over six months when she reappeared, tanned like she had never been in her life, and seemingly back to normal. Her brother had simply hugged her tightly for a long minute before welcoming her home again. She had poked fun at him about having a sister complex, but he ignored it, saying that if that happened again, she should tell him so he wouldn't worry about his kid sister. She had scoffed at that saying she could take care of herself. Ayano had given her a hug, fighting to resist asking her what she had been doing; and succeeding by and large.

Though she seemed to be back to normal, Chiaki never again got engaged. She had some boyfriends on and off again, but never again would she consider any marriage proposal. Ritsuko always had her back on the issue any time it came up, which meant that no one in the family made any issue of it. `Aunt Chiaki' was a favorite of Ayano's two boys as they grew older. Chiaki ended up living in her great-grandmother's house, though she was often away. It was many months after her return that Ayano had stumbled over part of the answer of where she had been. While reminiscing about her early days dating her husband, she had recalled that there had been the video channel of some friends of Ritsuko's, and tried to recall what it was called, finally finding it again.

In one of the more recent videos, the couple - both looking older than she recalled, with grey hairs on the man and sun wrinkles on the woman - were talking about how their kids were now off sailing on their own, and how it was both strange and familiar to be alone on their latest boat again. But they had said they got an unexpected visit from `their old friend' and some clips of Ritsuko and Chiaki on a sailboat were shown. The boat appeared to be in some remote place, the water clear, and a little sail set as the boat made its way leisurely through a channel of some sort. Ritsuko had her hair tied back in a pony-tail, sun glasses on, and wore a small bikini. Chiaki was dressed a lot like her mom, pulling on a line while the two professional sailor were giving instructions. A few clips later showed Chiaki sitting on the front part of the boat, sails all neatly stacked, watching the sunset, her head leaning against Ritsuko. The short video was shot from behind, and neither Ritsuko nor Chiaki had any visible top on. That would explain the tans, Ayano thought, blushing a bit.

Ayano's oldest son turned six the same month that Ayano heard that Chiaki was pregnant. The younger sister had little say about it beyond that. She also made it very clear that she didn't care if they disapproved of her being pregnant without a husband or even current boyfriend any of them knew about. Ritsuko again backed her, but was likewise tight-lipped about any details. That she knew the whole story was a given, but was not sharing anything. Toshiro accepted that that was how things would be, and supported her as well. She was five months along when a man about her age moved into her house. Ritsuko had been to visit several times, each time coming back without any negative comments.

Most of Chiaki's friends were married and had kids by now, and were by and large supportive of her. She gave birth to a daughter, and ten months later was pregnant again. Ayano presumed that Chiaki would be like Airi, and just have a lover live with her rather than getting married. Still, for all that, though, Chiaki acted more or less normally. She frequently went on trips, sometimes asking Ayano to watch her daughters, sometimes taking the kids with her. The lover who lived with her often went with her, but not always. The great-grandparents of the kids loved them all, and frequently visited both their houses. Ayano and her husband traveled fairly frequently as well, since they could work more or less anywhere there was internet. As their kids become older and independent, they picked up the traveling a bit more.

Reflecting back on things on their second honeymoon for their twentieth anniversary, she reflected that her life was going great, if not how she imagined it. But I still don't really know much about Ritsuko, she thought. Seeing her husband come into view, she considered that it didn't matter, really. Rising, she shrugged off her robe as she made a bee line for her man, licking her lips hungrily. “There you are, Junichi-kun,” purred the woman. “I have something I need you to help me with…”

END