Urusei Yatsura Fan Fiction ❯ The Senior Year ❯ Lum's Lesson ( Chapter 19 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year: "Lum's Lesson"
by Fred Herriot
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edited by E.B. Kushnir
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Nineteenth of a series of fan fiction stories based on "Urusei Yatsura,"
created by Rumiko Takahashi
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WRITER'S NOTES: Not much this time, other than this story is the one which
introduces the character of Henry. Of course, who and what he really is
will be further elaborated in future stories.

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A fine fall day in Tomobiki.

This morning finds Lum replaying the weekday ritual. Looking left and
right, she notices other students also converging on Tomobiki High School.
Depressed looks cover many faces. Student morale had taken a bitter blow in
the wake of Chigaiko Inu's passing, especially among the boys. They had
hoped that with Ataru's spending time with the leukemia-stricken senior, Lum
would believe that her Darling no longer loved her, then the Oni would have
left him once and for all. No such luck; Lum had known all along about
Chigaiko's fate and had given Ataru her blessings. Presently, many boys
seem at a loss as to what to do next. Lum hoped they would finally take the
hint and do nothing. "Hey, sexy!" a voice purrs from very close. "Going my
way?"

"Darling!" she gasps, then stops to allow Ataru to kiss her.

Boys near them stop, glaring at Ataru with unabashed jealousy. Girls
romantically sigh, wishing they could possess the courage necessary to
display such affection in public. "Darling, let me go," she purrs. "I have
to get to school! C'mon...I'll see you later!"

"You heard her!!" a voice snarls from close by. "Let her go!"

Lum stops, turning and projecting a vile stare on Megane and the
bodyguards. The four find themselves caught up in a mixture of fear, shame
and bewilderment, wondering what they did to cause their classmate such
offense. "C'mon," Ataru offers his arm. "Someone has to protect you from
the uncultured animals who live in this burg!"

"You're such a gentleman," Lum slips her arm around his.

The guards remain frozen in place as Ataru and Lum proceed to Tomobiki High
School, still paralyzed by the Oni's stare. Before the Spirit War, they
could always drink in her friendly greetings, bathe in her innocence, stare
upon her without pause, dream of one day winning her love...not to mention
help her force Ataru to behave himself. However, events over the last two
months had subverted everything they considered proper. That in itself
still shocked and angered them. Their anger worsened as Ataru stole all
chances of their properly expressing their vehemence; the pre-nuptial
agreement between them also contained a clause demanding the bodyguards'
disbandment by term's end.

The guards had long accepted the truth that whenever they stepped out of
line, they received a dose of Lum's lightning. It was quite a thrill
despite the pain; they were still receiving Lum's attention. However, the
decidedly unfriendly stares she projected at them constantly since the
signing of the agreement between the Oni and her Darling truly unnerved the
guards. This was something which they could never accept. Silence spoke
volumes...but the guards wondered exactly what volumes Lum spoke to them
every time she stared at them.

"C'mon," Megane sighs, waving his friends along. Blind faith had been the
first victim of the Spirit War, innocence the second. No matter what they
did, they could never alter such things again...

* * *

"Good morning, Ataru," Sakura nods on seeing Ataru and Lum approach.
"Heading back to Oshika today?"

"Yeah," Ataru allows Lum to slip her arm away from him. "Much that
visiting Tomobiki may be fun, especially since I can put the screws on these
dummies every time I'm here, but I've got reasons to stay in Oshika." He
gives Lum a kiss. "Miss you, Lum-chan."

"Miss you, Darling," she sighs, then waves as he leaves.

The term was a truncated version of "I miss you already." Nearby, girls
witnessing their parting let out heaving romantic sighs of admiration.
Sakura found that curious; before the Spirit War, they would not have
reacted one bit whenever Ataru expressed any feelings towards Lum. Then
again, Ataru rarely expressed feelings towards Lum in those halcyon
days...and whatever feelings he did express to the fairer gender was always
driven by his libido.

Before Lum heads into school, a boy approaches her. Sakura recognizes him
as Shinjin Koi, a member of the Oni's class. With tawny-brown hair and dull
brown eyes, he seemed quite plain. The nurse finds her observation curious;
when Ataru was here, everyone found it natural to tear his qualities apart,
socially make him the bottom of the pile. That action had been one of the
motivating factors in Ataru's departure for Oshika.

Now that he was gone, everyone found themselves tearing each other apart.
Sakura wondered if this was what Koosei had warned everyone about. With
everyone so accustomed to projecting negative feelings at one target, were
they presently projecting them on each other out of a necessity to feel
superior? The nurse found that disturbing, realizing that someone would
have to put his foot down to get everyone to straighten himself around.
Still, Sakura doubted that serious change would occur before Lum's eventual
departure from Tomobiki to live in Oshika. She knew...Koosei had told
her...that Lum was due to renew her visa soon. Koosei had warned Captain
Invader not to accept any living address other than Oshika when renewal time
came. That information was strictly confidential; if news was relayed to
the remainder of Class 3-4, who knows what could occur next.

"Lum-chan!" Shinjin smiles, bowing to the Oni.

"Oh, hi, Shinjin," Lum nods. "What is it?"

"Er...would you mind going on a date with me?" he gulps.

The Oni considers the offer. Watching this, the guards go insane,
wondering where their classmate had gathered the courage enough to approach
Lum so directly. "Er...I'm not really in the mood to date anyone, Shinjin,"
she shrugs. "Maybe sometime later?"

"I...!" Shinjin catches himself.

"I promise you that I'll go on a date with you," Lum places a hand on his
shoulder, "...but not tonight! Okay?!"

Disappointment flows across Shinjin's face. Sakura quickly notices other
emotions rampaging on his face: regret, understanding, anger, sadness, a
renewed determination. The nurse's hair stands on end; something was wrong!
"Er...of course, Lum-chan," he sighs, nodding. "If that's what you want, I
can wait."

Hearing this, every boy within range goes berserk, shrieking and hurling
unmentionable profanities at Shinjin. The senior laughs as he scratches the
back of his head. His eyes, however, do not reflect the humour of the
situation. Sakura shudders, a chill ripping down her spine. Something was
ominous here. But...what could it be?

* * *

School ends. Students stream out for the walk home. Lum is, as always,
trailed by Mendou and the guards. "We shall protect you from the advances
of those unworthy of your company, Lum-san," the scion of Japan's richest
family declares, thumping his chest in pride.

Suddenly, the five are frozen by another withering stare from the Oni.
"And who will protect me from the likes of **you**?!"

They freeze as Lum turns around. "Shinjin!" she waves on seeing her
classmate walk through the front gate.

Shinjin stops, shocked that his favourite classmate would address him.
"L-lum-chan!" he gasps. "Hello, there!"

The Oni gently places a hand on his shoulder. "I hope you understand that
under normal circumstances, I'd refuse to date anyone other than Darling,"
she smiles. "However, it doesn't mean that I wouldn't mind going out to
dinner with other people...but not them!" she icily stares at Mendou and the
guards.

The five boys look like they want to be anywhere but there. "I hope you'll
never succumb to them, Lum-chan," Shinjin sighs. "I hope also...and I know
I speak for many others...that you never allow yourself to be entranced by
Moroboshi's promises. You haven't known him as long as we have, Lum-chan.
You don't understand how low he's willing to go to get his way."

Lum looks as if Shinjin had splashed acid on her face. "I see you're no
better than they are!" she hisses, glaring at him. "Fine! I may have
barely tolerated you idiots before the Spirit War opened my eyes, but I
don't tolerate any insults towards Darling, especially behind his back! You
can *forget* ever asking me for a date again!!"

With a huff, she turns and marches away. Shinjin looks as if she had
punched him in the gut. "Lum-chan..."

"Relax, friend!" Megane pats his shoulder. "It was a nice try. All we
have to do is weather the storm and hope Lum-san will return to her senses.
Ataru's sudden good luck can't last forever."

"Maybe," Shinjin sighs. "But then it just might need a push."

To their surprise, he bows to them, then leaves. "What was that about?"
the scion of Japan's richest family hums.

"Search me," Megane shakes his head.

As he proceeds toward a subway station, Shinjin's eyes gloss over.
Determination appears on his face. "Forgive me, Lum-chan..." he hisses,
"...but if this is the only way to break you of your blind lust for that
lech, then so be it!"

On her way home, Lum sneezes! "Oooh!" she rubs her nose. "Someone's
thinking about me! I hope it's Darling or Noa-chan having a sexy dream!!"
she giggles. "About me, of course!!" she laughs, then twirling around, she
flies home...

* * *

That night, Lum studies in her bedroom. Ten-chan reads beside her. "Gee,
how can you like going to school, Lum-chan?" he sighs.

"I know," his cousin smiles. "It gets boring, doesn't it?"

"Yeah!" he points to the text. "Half this stuff is outdated, the other
half's been disproved on a half-dozen worlds!"

She chuckles. "You should concentrate on the social sciences: language,
history and geography. If you want to live here, you have to learn what
Japan is like. School helps you do that."

"Oh, okay," he nods. "At least I'm making new friends there."

"Like this Minami I hear about?" Lum smiles.

Ten-chan turns red. "Well...s-she's nice...!"

The older Oni chuckles, then hums the bars for "Here Comes The Bride."
Ten-chan yells as he flies out of the room. Lum nearly falls over laughing
when she is surprised by a crash echoing from down below. "Stop mooing!!!"
Koosei's voice echoes. "The next time I hear that, I'll measure you for a
crematorium!!!"

Lum sighs; she had been hearing Ataru's mother moo so often that she had
long got used to it. Footfalls are heard. She looks surprised to see
Koosei walk in. "Koosei, what are you doing here?!"

A sad yet annoyed look is on his face. "I don't even understand why I came
here," he rubs his skull. "Anyhow, Lum, did you ever get to know Shinjin
Koi?"

"Shinjin?!" Lum snaps. "Do I know him?! I wish I hadn't! He seemed such
a nice boy until he made snide remarks about Darling!!"

Koosei waves her down. "Relax, Lum, relax!" he sighs, sitting down beside
her. "I just got a call from the Principal." He pauses, then continues.
"Shinjin was reported dead after flinging himself in front of a bullet train
this evening!"

Dead silence falls over the scene. Lum is paralyzed, her eyes wide with
disbelief on hearing Koosei's news. "He...he...he...?!" she stammers,
nearly choking on her bile, "...he killed himself?!"

"You got it," he nods. "Since he was in my class, I have to learn
everything about what might have driven him into doing this!"

The Oni shakes her head, tears appearing in her eye. "I...I just got angry
because he insulted Darling...and I said I never wanted to date
him...th-that's all, Koosei! I swear it!!"

"I know, I know," Koosei reaches over, trying to comfort her without
getting close. "Come on, Lum. Relax, will you? There's nothing to get
upset about. We'll get to the bottom of this, okay?!"

His words provide no comfort. "He...he wanted me to date him..." she
sniffs, her tears flowing steadily. "I refused him...oh, *datcha*, no...I
killed him...!!! With that, she shrieks, dropping her face into her hands.

"Enough, Lum!!" Koosei gently shakes her. "You did no such thing!!! It
isn't your fault!!! Stop it, Lum!! Stop it!!!"

Unfortunately, Lum has lost all sense of control. "It is, it is, it is!!!"
she leaps to her feet and flying out of the room.

"Lum!!!" Koosei yells as the Oni disappears...

* * *

Next morning, Mie arrives in room 337 and sits down. She looks over,
noticing Lum's empty chair. Mie utters a heaving sigh. Since Ataru's
departure, the Sagussan-born Kyushu native had elected herself Lum's
confidant, something the Oni truly appreciated...and Mie's male classmates
loathed; they knew that she wanted Ataru and Lum to stay together and worked
to that end. Mie's present position also gave her an advantage over
everyone else; Koosei usually relayed bad news about Lum or Ataru to Mie
first. The news she received late last night had stunned her beyond
anything she had ever heard.

Soon enough, Mendou arrives. He is quick to notice Lum's empty seat.
"Mie, where is Lum-san?" he stares at the Kyushu native.

"I heard she spent time aboard her ship last night," Mie stretches. "She
wasn't around when I passed the house this morning."

Mendou is surprised, then looks incensed. "What has that bastard Moroboshi
done now?!!" he snarls, drawing his katana.

Koosei appears behind him. "***SIDDOWN, JERK!!!!!!***"

Mendou is blasted down by the shout! The remainder of the class quickly
scramble into their seats, not wanting to anger Koosei further. The teacher
moves to the head of the room, then faces the class. "I've got some more
bad news for you people," he sighs, shaking his head. "Another of our
class, Shinjin Koi...has died."

The whole class freezes at the news. Disbelief is on the faces of many,
confusion everywhere else. "Shinjin..." Koosei looks down, "...died by
flinging himself in front of a bullet train after school yesterday. His
attempt...was unfortunately successful."

No one has the ability to speak...

* * *

By morning recess, the only topic on everyone's lips is Shinjin's suicide.
The girls wonder what could have urged him to kill himself, while the boys
quickly exchange information about Shinjin's failed attempt to date Lum.
"How horrible!" Shinobu gasps, speaking to many of her classmates. "First
Chigaiko dies of leukemia, then Shinjin kills himself! What's going on
here?!"

"Despite the honour of suicide, I must agree that it is quite
inexplicable," Mendou shudders.

The scion of Japan's richest family then receives a host of withering
stares from many girls. "Knock it off with your pathetic bullshit about
bushido, Supersnob!!!" Mie bolts up, slamming her hands on the table.
"We're not in the mood to hear that crap!!"

She turns and marches away. "What's with her?" Kakugari hums.

"Search me!" Chibi shrugs.

"This is crazy!!" Paama sighs. "Ever since Ataru left, this place has been
falling apart! Now people are killing themselves!!"

"As usual, Ataru is at fault!" Megane concludes.

The girls of Class 3-4 do not agree with him; they smash a table over his
head!! "There you go again, Megane!!!" Momoe snarls. "Every stupid thing
that happens, you turn around and blame Ataru!!"

"It's true..." Megane gasps as he crawls out from under the table.
"Shinjin tried to date Lum-san...and she refused him because he tried to
tell her the truth about Ataru...!!"

Fists from five girls crush his skull! "Ah, shaddup, you!!!" Ryuunosuke
growls. "What the hell do you know, anyway?!!"

"What did you expect from a one-joke character?" Momoe snorts.

Megane moans. Meanwhile, walking into the hallway, Mie looks around. Soon
enough, she locates a weeping Lum, who stands by the door of the nurse's
station with Sakura. "Lum-chan, there you are!" she runs up to her. "Are
you alright?! What happened to you?!"

Lum hands her a piece of paper. "R-read this...!" she sobs.

Mie takes the note in hand and reads:

"To whomever this may concern,

"I, Shinjin Koi, have decided to end my life in hopes of forcing that most
beautiful alien princess, Lum of Uru, to realize there are better men about
her for her to love than that lecherous slime Ataru Moroboshi."

Mie's scream then blows the school's roof off!! "***WHAT?!?!?!***"

"It's true, it's true!!!" Lum moans. "I killed Shinjin as easily as if I
took a knife and thrust it into his heart...!!"

"NO!!!!" Mie roars.

Lum is stunned by the Kyushu native's outburst. "That would be funny if it
wasn't so pathetic!!" she points to Shinjin's suicide note. "Don't you get
it?! Shinjin was a complete moron if he hoped to break you away from
Ataru-chan!! In killing himself, he was playing to your sympathies,
Lum-chan!! He was **using** you!!!"

"Mie's right," Sakura nods. "You can't allow this tragic act to affect you
so. The thing which should concern us all is not the purpose of his death,
but what made him take such a drastic step!"

Silence falls over the three women. Lum sniffs back her tears. "I suppose
so, but, still...will anyone blame me for this?!"

"They'd be stupid to blame you for this, Lum-chan!" Mie sighs.

"I hope so," Sakura muses...

* * *

After school, Mie and Lum walk to the Koi residence, a detached bungalow.
"We'll tell them we're very sorry about Shinjin's death, then we'll leave,
okay?" the Kyushu native instructs.

"Okay," the Oni weakly nods.

Stepping to the front door, Mie rings the doorbell. The door opens to
reveal an elderly man distantly resembling Shinjin. "Yes?"

"Koi-san, I'm Mie Seikou, from Shinjin's class at school," Mie bows.
"We're here to pass our condolences for what happened."

"'We...?!'" Shinjin's father looks confused, then stares at Mie's
companion. "YOU?!?!?! What are you doing here?!!"

Lum looks shocked at his exclamation. "Please, sir..." she sniffs, "...I
didn't know what happened until it was too late...!"

Before she could explain further, Shinjin's mother appears. Enraged at the
Oni's presence, she lashes out with her hand. "You slut!!!" she barks as
the hand connects to Lum's cheek. "You seductress!!! How **dare** you come
here after what you did?!!"

Lum drops to the ground, stunned by that outburst. "Dear, wait!" Shinjin's
father stops his wife. "It's not right to do that!!"

"It's because of that alien bitch that our poor son's dead!!" Shinjin's
mother points an accusing finger at Lum.

Mie intercedes herself between Lum and Shinjin's parents. "Do you think
she knew anything about his interest?!!" his father demands.

"She should have!!!" his mother screams.

"Will you please tell us what this is about!" Mie cuts in.

Incensed at the interruption, Shinjin's mother lashes out, slapping the
Kyushu native across the cheek. "Oh, shut up, you!!!"

"Dear!!" his father gasps.

"Mie!!" Lum leaps up to keep her friend on her feet.

"I'm fine!" Mie feels her cheek, lethally staring at Shinjin's mother.
"C'mon, Lum! Let's leave these two idiots alone!!" she grabs Lum's arm to
drag her away. "If that's the way they treat people trying to pass on their
condolences, they don't deserve any respect!!"

"Yeah!" the Oni nods. "There's no need for anyone to come here now! I'm
sure Koosei wouldn't mind hearing about these two!!"

The girls storm off the property. Shinjin's parents are stunned silent by
that outburst...

* * *

Lum and Mie step into the Moroboshi home. "What idiots!!" the Oni snaps.
"How dare they blame me for this?!"

"What happened?!" a growling voice demands.

Lum sees her parents seated in the living room. Ataru's dad reads his
paper in one corner. His mom works on dinner. "Daddy! Mommy!" Lum
embraces her parents. "What are you doing here?!"

"We got a call from Koosei-san telling us that some boy killed himself
after trying to date you, Lum-chan," Mrs. Invader sighs as Lum and Mie sit
across from them. "Mind telling us what happened?!"

Lum explains the events. "He deliberately rigged it in such a way that the
onus was placed on Lum-chan's shoulders!" Mie adds. "I can't believe he'd
do such a thing!! Could you imagine what Ataru-chan'd think when he finds
out?!"

"Why should Mr. Groom be concerned?!" Invader looks confused.

"Captain, Ataru-chan is afraid that Lum-chan's continued presence in
Tomobiki will not do anyone any good," the Kyushu native explains. "This
sort of thing is just the point he'd fear most of all. Worst of all, Koi
played up on it!"

"So...now what?" Invader crosses his arms.

"The only thing we can do is discover what made Koi kill himself," Mie
sighs. "After being refused a date?! Ridiculous!"

The doorbell rings. Kinshou answers it, allowing Shinjin's parents to step
in. "Uh-oh!" Mie sighs. "Brace yourself, Lum-chan!"

Lum shifts herself to sit between her parents. Mie moves beside Captain
Invader. The Kois are escorted into the living room by Ataru's mother.
"They wish to talk to Lum," Kinshou announces.

"That's fine," Invader crosses his arms, the expression on his face
hardening. "But if they think of blaming my daughter for their son's death,
they're more than mistaken!!"

The Kois look intimidated by Invader's scowl. "Forgive us, sir, but this
has been hard for all of us," Shinjin's father begins.

"We understand that," Mrs. Invader intercedes. "However, we're curious.
What would've prompted your son to kill himself?"

"I wish I could explain that," Shinjin's dad shakes his head.

"Dear, how could you coddle these monsters?!!" his mother snaps, pointing
at Lum. "They don't care about people who live here!!! They've showed that
since the day they first came here...!!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!!!!!!" Mie smashes the table with her fist!

The Kois jolt in shock. "Now," the Kyushu native sighs. "What made your
son different from Megane or the other fools who want to break Lum and
Ataru-chan apart?!"

"He...worshipped Lum like you wouldn't believe," Shinjin's father replies.
"As far as he was concerned, it wasn't enough that Lum and Ataru Moroboshi
be separated! If he had the chance, Shinjin would've not only killed Ataru,
but this Megane fellow and everyone else who he suspected would try to take
you away from him, Lum!"

The Invaders are stunned. "Maybe we should've used the memory-erasing
device after all," Mrs. Invader sighs.

"Didn't he do anything else other than ogle my daughter and conspire
against Mr. Groom?!" Invader demands.

"No," his father sighs. "All his spare time, he wrote poetry to Lum,
knitted and embroidered clothing for her...it was too much!"

"A suicide motivated by passion," Mie shakes her head. "Surprises me it
doesn't happen around here more often."

"But is that really all there is to this?" Lum wonders.

"I doubt it," the Kyushu native sighs.

The Invaders and the Kois look at each other. "If it's anything to you
both," Lum sighs, "...I'm very sorry about your son. I never really knew
Shinjin, so I can't say much more."

"I...thank you, Lum," his father nods. "We appreciate that."

"However," Lum stands, her eyes narrow, "...if you two expect me to take
responsibility for Shinjin's infatuation towards me, forget it! I don't
care about any other man who might want me save Darling! I long ago made my
decision about who I want to marry and I'll stick with that decision no
matter where it leads me!! If you want someone to blame for your son's
death...then you better find a picture of him!! Good evening!!" Lum spins
around and marches out of the room.

The Kois are speechless at her vehemence...

* * *

The next afternoon after school, the guards arrive at the front door of the
Koi home. Megane rings the bell, then waits. "Yes?" Shinjin's mother
answers, curious as to these visitors.

"Koi-san, I'm Aisuru Megane," the guards' leader bows. "I'm one of your
son's classmates." He then introduces the bodyguards, who bow to her.
"We've come to give our condolences at your son's death."

"Of course," she nods. "Would you people come in?"

The guards step inside. "Thank you, ma'am," Megane bows as they slip off
their shoes. "It must be horrible for you."

"It is," she nods. "Did you say your name was...Megane?"

The guards' leader nods. "I see," she sadly nods. "Then I suspect you and
your friends would be interested in some of Shinjin's personal items. We've
no use for them now. Would you come with me?"

The guards look at each other, then nod. Shinjin's mother leads them to
his bedroom. "I...I've not been in this room since the police came," she
slides the door open. "Please see for yourself."

They pass into the room...then stop. "Gods!!!" Megane gasps.

Shinjin's room is average-sized. However, it is also an insane shrine to
Lum. One wall displays blow-up posters of Lum, depicted in her bikini,
school uniform or civilians. The roof has a life-size **nude** picture of
Lum, having been taken when she was in the shower. Another wall which
contains his dresser drawers also has a sewing machine, an uncompleted
tiger-striped dress awaiting final stitching. Other Urusian-inspired
clothing hang on the window ledge. To top it off, a mannequin remodelled
after Lum stands beside the closet, displaying another of Shinjin's designs!
The guards are understandably awed. "This...this room!" Megane gasps.

"What, Aisuru-kun?!" Chibi prompts.

The guards and Shinjin's mother stare at him. Megane stammers, then
finally declares. "Now, **this** is a shrine!!!"

An explosion occurs!! "Oh, we are ashamed!!!" Megane wails, tears jetting
from his eyes. "We are **so** ashamed!!! To step into this holiest of holy
spaces is the honour of honours!!! Oh, Shinjin-sama, forgive us!!! How
could we mere *mortals* even dream of emulating Lum-san as you did?!!"

The guards shiver as Megane faces them, assuming a pulpit as if he were a
priest of the Church of Lum. "We will not allow Shinjin Koi to be
forgotten!!!" he points down to the guards, who have fallen to their knees
in prayer. "We will not allow him to be dishonoured by those who would heap
scorn over him, ever!!! We will see to it he is honoured for his
unadulterated and loyal love to Lum-san!!! We will see him canonized as a
**saint** for this glory!!!"

"Amen, preacher!!!" Chibi howls.

"We repent!!!" Paama bows low. "We repent for our sins!!!"

"Praise be to Lum-san!!!" Kakugari lifts his hands in thanks.

His mother is understandably frightened. "Shin-chan," she drops to her
knees, her voice hoarse, "you wanted to be like *them*?!"

* * *

In Oshika, Ataru relaxes, working on an academic assignment. The doorbell
is heard. "I'll get it!" Nokoko calls as she runs to the door and opens it.
"Yes, can I help you?"

Shinjin's mother stands there, a large box in hand. "Excuse me, please,
but is this the house of Ataru Moroboshi?"

Nokoko waves her in. "I'm his sister Nokoko. Ataru-chan!"

"Hi," Ataru walks up. "Here, let me take that from you."

He takes the box. "Thank you," the elderly woman sighs, then looks around.
"My, this is a beautiful home you have here."

"Thank you," Ataru nods, giving her a questioning glance. "This might be
an odd question, but...who are you?"

"I'm Moeko Koi," she bows. "I'm Shinjin's mother. He was your classmate
in school."

Ataru waves her to a seat, then sits beside her. "You'll forgive me if I'm
curious, but what would you desire with me?"

"Well," she sighs. "I was just visited by four of my son's classmates..."
she then looks queasy, remembering the guards' reaction to Shinjin's
bedroom. "Four...strange men."

Ataru shrugs, still not understanding what is going on. "Um...please don't
think this as disrespectful, but I still don't understand what this has to
do with me...unless, of course, they're trying to con up some plan to break
Lum away from me."

"Don't you know?"

"Know what?"

She looks sad. "My son just committed suicide."

Ataru and Nokoko blink in disbelief. "Shinjin...killed himself?!" the
former gasps. "I didn't know that!"

"I thought Lum told you," Shinjin's mother looks confused.

"She never said a word," Ataru shrugs.

Sighing, Moeko explains the events surrounding her son's death. She is
understandably reticent when she mentions her anger at Lum. When she is
done, Ataru lets out a sigh. "Gods, I knew this was going to happen!" he
shakes his head.

"I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often," Nokoko adds.

"So, why did you come here?" Ataru looks at Shinjin's mother. "If you
believe Lum's not guilty, then what do you want from me?"

In response, Moeko opens the box. Piles of tiger-striped clothing lie
within. Also there is a leather-bound book. Emblazoned on this are the
words MY DIARY. "I came ere to give you this, Ataru," she hands him the
diary. "Given your attempts at trying to convince Lum to leave Tomobiki,
you're the only one I can trust with this."

"Shinjin's diary?!" Ataru looks confused.

Nokoko walks over to glance over his shoulder as he flips through the
diary. Reaching one passage, he reads. "'I see her in the light, her green
hair as bright as fresh grass, her eyes innocent yet wise. I thirst for her
body and soul as if I were some perverse vampire...and I find no offense in
these thoughts?!'"

"Kinky," Nokoko muses.

Ataru stares at Shinjin's mother. "He wrote this?!"

She nods. "There are passages like this throughout! And his diary isn't
the only...veneration my son had for your girlfriend..."

"Hey, Ataru-chan, look at this!" Nokoko pulls out the poster of Lum
showering at school, which once adorned Shinjin's ceiling.

Ataru looks sick. "I see that hole's still there."

"Nice shot of Lum, though," Nokoko stares at the picture. "She might make
a good Playmate...even Playmate of the Year."

"What else is here?" he sets the book aside and begins to rifle through the
box. "Where'd he get all the tiger-striped stuff, anyway?!" he pulls out
clothes.

"He made it himself," Moeko explains. "That's how much my son found Lum
attractive."

"Whoa," Nokoko picks her way through the clothes, picking out the more
intimate clothing. "Whoo!!" she gasps. "I'd love to read that diary if he
made some of this stuff for Lum-chan," she displays an opaque teddy which
would leave little to the imagination.

"So..." Ataru stops. "Why bring all this to me?"

"Well, when Megane and his friends saw my son's room, they reacted in a
most...fervent manner," Shinjin's mother sighs, still queasy over the events
in her son's room when the bodyguards came by to pass their condolences.
"In fact, Megane has put a call out to have my son canonized as a saint!"

Ataru nearly falls over laughing. "You can relax, ma'am!" he covers his
mouth so his grin would not be seen. "Most people in Japan wouldn't go for
that nonsense!!"

"What if it made it to Phentax Two?!" Nokoko muses, rummaging through the
clothes. "Oogi would go ballistic over this!"

"Well, let's nip it in the bud before it gets to whatever spy Oogi might
have left behind," Ataru sighs, then looks at Moeko. "I assume you brought
this here so Megane can't get his hands on it."

"Yes," she nods. "I'm destroying all the Lum-inspired things Shinjin
made...except for the diary and the clothes," she points to the box. "I
suspect they would fit if Lum is willing to wear them."

"If Lum-chan doesn't want them, Mal-chan'd love them!" Nokoko nods. "We'll
take them! Can't let good stuff like this go to waste!"

An idea appears on Ataru's face. Nokoko is quick to notice. "Oh, no!!"
she wags her finger at her brother. "I hate it when you get that look on
your face, Ataru-chan! You keep me out of this!!"

"Ma'am," Ataru places a reassuring hand on Moeko's knee, "...I think you
may have given me an idea. As you can guess, I love to play mind-games with
those dorks down in Tomobiki...so I would believe it'd be considered...and I
don't mean this as an insult...somewhat poetic to use your son's expressions
of love towards Lum against them."

"Well, I'm glad for that," Shinjin's mother sighs in relief. "No matter
what, I do not want those four to come back to my house!"

"I'm sure that once I'm done with them, they won't have any cause," Ataru
smiles, escorting Moeko to the door. "I'll come down to Tomobiki in a week
to pass my condolences to you and your husband."

"Thank you," she bows. "Good day."

Shinjin's mother departs. "Smooth," Nokoko walks up beside Ataru. "What's
the plan now, little brother?"

"It's to get Lum up here so I can hear her story," he sighs...

* * *

"I'm here!!" Lum calls out as she steps inside.

"Sister!!" Mal calls from the kitchen.

Lum stops, staring in disbelief. "Mal-chan, is that you?!"

Mal is dressed in a white turtleneck sweater, a long black skirt and a
waist-length tiger-striped coat with very wide sleeves, secured in front
with one button. "Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful!! Where did Nokoko-chan get this?!"

"Actually, the mother of an Purveyor of disUnity from Tomobiki presented
this to Beloved and Ataru-kun," Mal explains, giving her sister a
sympathetic look. "The one...who recently permitted himself to descend to
the depths of the Mother Ocean."

Lum stops, paling. "You know?"

"As do Beloved and Ataru-kun," Mal looks sympathetic. "They are very
concerned. As he is your future mate and she is your sister-in-law, they
have the right to learn of your sufferings at the hands of those
sub-creatures as soon as it occurs, if not sooner."

Lum stops her with a hand. "Mal-chan, I didn't want Darling or Nokoko-chan
to get involved," she sighs. "I want...I hope that one day, Darling will
find it within himself to forgive those people for what they did to him.
That he would feel comfortable around them..."

"Lum-chan," Mal nods in understanding. "You have to remember that
Ataru-kun must feel comfortable around himself before he can concern himself
with others. Further, they must finally accept as sacrosanct the bond
between you and Ataru-kun. Given their pride and belief in their own
invincibility, that will take a while."

Lum looks down. "May I inform you of something?" Mal muses.

"What?"

"When Beloved and I met twelve years ago, we sensed the attraction between
us," the Nendo-kata-turned-Oni smiles. "You see, it was my voice which drew
her to the Outland. When we both realized that we desired the other as a
life-mate...and of course, after the matriarch of my school bonded her life
force with Beloved...we came to the conclusion that because of the sheer
differences between us, we would have to learn about each other, trust each
other, understand our likes and dislikes, before we would solidify our
relationship in a bonding. It took us twelve years to reach the point where
we performed our handfasting...and now will proceed to the final step."

Lum blinks. "You...you're going to have a child?!"

"Yes," Mal nods. "We're in the midst of trying to explore how the mating
process could occur with as little discomfort to either of us. Ataru-kun is
complaining because Beloved and I spend more time speaking than making love.
He feels it's fortunate that you're not here so your sleep would not be
disturbed as much as his."

Both girls laugh. "Oh, I can't believe this!" Lum shakes her head. "I'm
going to be an aunt!!"

Lum embraces her sister. "I hope the day will come when you and Ataru-kun
can fulfil your dreams," Mal smiles. "However, I sense that you are more
disturbed by this atrocious attempt at fostering disUnity between yourself
and Ataru-kun."

"You can say that again," Lum nods as she and Mal descend downstairs. The
Oni is quick to notice the box containing Shinjin's clothing still sitting
there. "What's this?!"

"Shinjin Koi was more than a...fan of yours," Mal sighs. "In truth, he was
far more fanatical than any of the Purveyors of disUnity living in Tomobiki.
These clothes, including this," she looks at herself, "...were actually
meant for you."

"Ugh!" Lum winces. "If you want them, take them! I don't want anything
more to do with the memory of that idiot!"

"In that, you and Shinjin's mother are in agreement," Mal nods. "She
brought this to Ataru-kun to ensure that no one will have more physical
ammunition to promulgate his thoughts of disUnity."

"Good!" Lum nods. "Whatever you don't want, burn it!"

"Actually, Ataru-kun has another idea in mind," Mal warns, raising a
finger. "He believes it will assist him to foster more disUnity between
those in Tomobiki..."

Lum rolls her eyes. "I wonder what Darling has in mind now."

Suddenly, an arm snakes around her neck. "Something deliciously
mischievous and vicious, that is if you were Aisuru Megane," Ataru purrs as
he kisses her.

"Darling...mph!!" Lum gasps as they kiss.

Nokoko steps up, embracing Mal. "Wow!!" Ataru whistles on seeing the
ex-Nendo-kata in her new clothes. "He might have been a fanatic jerk, but I
have to admit, he knew how to make nice clothes!"

"I'll bet Nokoko-chan's already imagining all the ways she can get Mal-chan
**out** of those clothes," Lum adds.

Everyone laughs. When they relax, Lum looks at Ataru. "Oh, Darling, I'm
sorry," the Oni sighs. "I should've told you about what happened to
Shinjin...but I didn't want to bother you about it."

"I hardly consider someone killing himself because of you something which
is not important," Ataru sighs. "Besides, or so Shinjin's mother told me,
you didn't take too well to his death."

"I know," Lum nods. "But, still," she shrugs, "...I can't understand why
he killed himself! I've always made it known that the only man I want to
love, Darling! Why can't people understand that?!"

"Let's not worry about that now," Ataru sighs as he reaches into the box to
pull out Shinjin's diary. "Let's get to the bottom of why he killed
himself, then worry about the other idiots in Tomobiki."

"What's that?!" Lum looks surprised...

* * *

Later, as night falls, Ataru and Lum continue to read Shinjin's diary.
Nokoko and Mal listen in, sitting beside their siblings. Lum is red with
embarrassment at some of the XXX-rated material in the book. "It's like I
was some sort of porn star!!"

"Tell me something I don't know!" Ataru growls as he flips a page, coming
to the last entry, made the day before Shinjin's death. "Eh?!" Ataru looks
surprised, then reads. "'Today, I just learned I will die?!' What the heck
did he mean by that?!"

The four look at each other...

* * *

Next day, Ataru and Lum arrive at Tomobiki High, the Oni now dressed in
another of Shinjin's designs, a tiger-striped version of the sailor suit.
"Darling, why am I in this today?!" she hums.

"Trust me," Ataru winks. "Pretend this is your uniform from Uru...and say
I gave it to you. Don't mention Shinjin."

Lum giggles. "Darling, you're such a silly!"

They step inside, where they are quickly noticed by the guards. "Lum-san,
what a beautiful dress you have today!!" Megane claps his hands. "Anything
on you is beautiful!"

"Why, thank Darling, Aisuru," Lum beams, slipping her arm around his.
"**He** is the one who got this for me!"

They proceed to the nurse's station. The guards are shocked silent, then
throw a temper-tantrum. "CURSE YOU, MOROBOSHI!!!!!!"

...then all four get headlocked by Koosei! "My friends, can we say..." the
teacher growls, "...A MONTH'S DETENTION?!?!?!"

As he enters another "mood," Ataru and Lum meet with Sakura. The nurse is
shocked on seeing Shinjin's diary entry. "He...*knew* he was going to die?!
I don't understand this!!"

"We don't either, Sakura," Ataru sighs. "Still, this may have something to
do with why he killed himself."

"Sakura, could we please get some help in learning if Shinjin suffered from
any diseases?" Lum adds.

"I'll do that right now," Sakura stands, walking to her phone.

A moment later, she hangs up, her face white. "Sakura," Ataru looks
concerned. "What is it?!"

She looks at him, her voice trembling. "Ataru...do you know what AIDS is?"
she finally asks, sitting down.

Lum pales on hearing the acronym. Ataru stares at the nurse in shock, then
his eyes and voice become even. "'AIDS' is an English acronym which
translates 'acquired immune deficiency syndrome.' It's typically a
sexually-transmitted disease, appearing more in homosexuals than
heterosexuals...but it can be moved from one person to another by other
means, usually via blood transfusions or the repeated use of the same
needles when taking drugs. It is illogical to think that Shinjin was
homosexual and I do not start to believe he was a drug user, so a blood
transfusion would be the most logical means of transmission into Shinjin."

"D-darling..." Lum fearfully stammers, "...are you okay?!"

Ataru shakes his head, clearly confused. "I...it just came to me," he
shudders, then looks over. "Sakura, I know AIDS is fatal, but is it
possible to live a normal life even after you test positive?!"

"Yes, it's theoretically possible," the nurse nods. "Problem is, there's
still so little know about it. Maybe in a few years..."

Ataru nods, then stand, proceeding to the front door. "Darling, are you
okay?!" Lum flies after him.

"I don't know, Lum," he shakes his head. "I'm...confused!"

"What do you mean?!"

Ataru stops, then faces her. "Even if he did have AIDS, even if he was
going to die by some horrible disease, he still could've led a good life!
How could he kill himself like that?!"

"Perhaps he could," Lum lands beside him. "Even on Uru, AIDS and diseases
like it cut down a lot of people. I guess Shinjin felt as if his life came
to an end!"

"He still could've lived it!" Ataru hisses.

"Darling, why are you so upset?!" Lum leans back.

"Because Shinjin Koi was a coward, Lum!" Ataru turns to leave. "To me,
life is more important than death! It always has been that way, it always
will be that way!!"

He storms out of the school. Lum is silent as he goes...

* * *

Time fades, then reverses itself. The days drop back to the day Shinjin
Koi stood on the train station platform. "This is for you, Lum-chan!!!" he
gasps as he leaps onto the tracks.

However, before the train could get close, Lum's hand grabs him and yanks
him into the air. "Got you!!!" the Oni gasps.

Shinjin screams as he floats away, then looks up, his eyes widening in
shock on seeing his rescuer. "Lum-chan!!!"

"Relax," Lum flies him to the town park. "I'll put you down."

As they land, Shinjin faces her. "What are you doing here?!"

"Hush!" Lum smiles, stopping him with a finger. "I know!"

Disbelieving shock crosses his face. "You **know**?!!"

"Yes," she nods. "You don't need to end your life. Even if you have AIDS,
you still can live! C'mon...let's go on that date!"

The stricken senior looks confused, then nods. "Sure!"

* * *

Shinjin and Lum go on a date. Lum informs Ataru about the extent of
Shinjin's problems. He gives her his blessings, as she did when Chigaiko
Inu desired his company. That night, Shinjin and Lum go to the movies,
watch the stars, eat at the Pizza Emporium, then proceed to his house where
he presents her with the dresses he made. They part and Lum returns to bed.

The next day, students file into class. Shinjin's desk is empty as is
Mie's. Lum sits. The other students seem...confused. Koosei steps in at
that time, looking forlorn. "Class...I have some very bad news for you," he
sighs. "This morning, we lost one of our own. Shinjin Koi died last night
in his sleep."

Silence drops on the class as everyone stares at Koosei in disbelief.
"WHAT?!?!?!" Lum screams. "HE STILL DIED?!?!?!"

"What do you mean 'died in his sleep?!!'" Megane bolts up. "Shinjin Koi
threw himself in front of a train because of his heartbreak from not being
able to date Lum-san!!!"

"You dork," she swings at Megane, "...Shinjin had AIDS!!!"

The class shrieks in fright on hearing that acronym. "How did we get back
in class?!" Mendou demands. "Isn't class over with?!"

Confusion suddenly appears on many people's faces. "And Shinjin-sama died
yesterday!!" Megane adds. "What's going on here?!"

"What?!!" Lum gasps. "You mean...you know?!!"

"Lum, what's going on here?!!" Shinobu snaps.

Suddenly, the class and Koosei fade out. Everyone finds themselves in the
middle of a large square chamber, black-walled and lined with a red grid
pattern. Everyone seated falls on their backsides. "Where'd the class
go?!!" Ryuunosuke bolts to her feet.

"And Ryooki-sensei?!!" Momoe adds.

"This is a holodeck room!" Lan concludes.

"'Holodeck?!!'" several people echo.

"This is a room where you could project anything you want!!" the Seishin
girl stands. "Boy, it must be the most advanced thing around if we were
totally fooled like that!!"

"But...I was going to use my spacializer to prevent Shinjin from killing
himself!" Lum points to herself.

"Er...not to blame you, Lum-chan, but why?!" Paama hums.

Lum gives them a withering stare. "To ensure you dorks don't try to turn
that twisted idiot into some saint!!!" she snarls.

The guards faint! "Um...not to rain on anyone's parade..." Ryuunosuke
points where the image of Koosei stood, "...but who's he?!"

Everyone looks. Standing there is a tall, middle-aged man. Dressed in an
English tweed suit with cane and bowler hat, he would remind many of John
Steed from "The Avengers." He smiles unemotionally at them. "Consider me
your host," he declares in a noticeable English accent.

People panic, then move to attack...but find themselves frozen by
paralyzing tractor beams. Further, all weapons are gone. "All your weapons
are atomic-sized particles, I am afraid," the man continues. "When I
transported you all here, I destroyed them by using my transporter on
maximum dispersal. You are quite helpless."

"This is kidnapping, you know!" Lum snarls.

"Pardon me, Miss Lum, but as far as I'm concerned, your continued ignorance
justifies any action I take against you or the brainless fools you choose to
associate yourself with," the man evenly replies. "Consider me a concerned
bystander."

He produces Lum's spacializer. "You seem to treat this as a toy, Miss Lum.
It is not and I will not tolerate you abusing the power your presence on
Earth grants you." The device disappears in a transporter beam. "You have
power, Miss Lum..." the man walks up to her, "...and you have responsibility
to use that power to the best of your own knowledge and ability. Ignoring
these brainless fools beside you, you **can** be considered a goddess among
the people of Earth." His eyes narrow, freezing her with a stare. "I
suggest you behave yourself from this point on."

Howls rage from Mendou and the guards. The man stares at them...and the
other students disappear. "Where...?!" Lum gasps.

"Granted, I was tempted to terminate their existences once and for all,"
the man muses, "...but I do not think the realms beyond this one would
appreciate such fools joining their ranks."

Lum sighs, then looks down. "Thanks, Henry."

The man smiles. "You cannot continue to appease those people like that,"
he walks up to her. "If you keep doing that, Lum, you nor Ataru will ever
be free of them. I've seen instances like this on two dozen worlds, child!
Appeasement never works with their kind."

"I know," she nods, then stares at him. "Well, since I'm here, would you
mind if I took a look around? It's the first time I've been aboard the
Gatherer in real-time?"

"Of course," he smiles as he escorts her out of the holodeck.

* * *

"Eh?!!" Megane gasps. "Ataru wrote a newspaper article?!!"

Two days had passed. Everyone returned to Earth safely, wondering who or
what kidnapped them. Immediately, Megane and the guards tried to form some
sort of memorial for Shinjin Koi. However, thanks to her mother's efforts,
there was nothing for the guards to use as a memorial. Of course, they were
never told what happened to the clothing Shinjin made, even though it was
obvious when Lum and Mal began to appear in new clothing. Now, everyone is
in class awaiting the start of homeroom period. "That's right," Lum shows a
copy of the district paper. "Darling was asked by Ryooki-sensei to write a
memorial piece on Chigaiko-chan. He got it into every paper in Tokyo. Here
it is," she points to a place on page three.

Everyone looks. The article's title quickly alerts people as to the topic.
"'Delusions in the Worship of False Icons?!!'" Megane howls, his glasses
glowing.

"Let me see that!" Ryuunosuke grabs the paper away from Megane, then begins
to read. "'I was asked sometime ago to write about a friend who is no
longer with us. Since, another student of Tomobiki High School has also
prematurely departed. I decided to speak of them both. Both died of
diseases they couldn't be healed from. One died peacefully, the other died
violently...cowardly.

"'The first of them was a woman who was a stranger until she, knowing her
death was coming, asked a teacher to spend the last days of her life with
me. I was more than happy to do so and I remained with her until she passed
on. She could have died earlier and more violently if six certain
ex-classmates of mine were successful after deciding what I was doing was
wrong and I had to be stopped...'"

Mendou, the guards and Lan look incensed. Ryuunosuke continues. "'The
second was a man who, like all the men in Tomobiki High, is fixed upon a
dream, a fantasy. He learned he was doomed to die of a terrible disease.
Before he died, however, he desired the chance to be with the woman of his
dreams. She refused him. Feeling his life at an end...and sensing an
opportunity to try to break that woman away from the one she truly
loves...he killed himself, hoping his death would shatter the bond between
his fantasy and the one she truly loves. I'm glad to report that his
coward's death resulted in a coward's fate...'"

The guards howl, but are stared into silence by Lum. Ryuunosuke sighs,
then continues. "Let's throw off the secrecy now. Chigaiko Inu and Shinjin
Koi were two examples of what our lives became when a single act occurred:
the day Lum came to Earth. Chigaiko was ignored by the boys of Tomobiki
High because they desired only one girl...Lum. On the other side of the
coin, that manipulative coward Koi tried to play on my fears about undue
alien influences on Earth. He did not succeed because I know Lum better
than those who call themselves her friends...and I know Lum would never
allow herself to be used anymore in that matter.

"'When Chigaiko-chan died, Lum and I promised her that we would see to it
no one will suffer her fate. I warn you now that I intend to see to it that
I *fulfill* that promice...and if I must ask Lum to bring another of her
memory-erasing devices to Earth and mind-wipe all of Tomobiki...then so be
it!'" Ryuunosuke finishes. "Shit, he's mad, isn't he?!"

So are the guards. "***DEATH TO ATARU!!!!***" Megane howls...

...then gets the Saturn Five!!!! "That's **another** month's detention for
you clods!!!" Koosei snaps, his glasses glowing.

The guards moan...

*** The End ***