Chapter 11 ‘Things have been going really well so far,’ Akira thought to himself with a smile as he waited outside for whoever was in the bathing room to come out. It had only been a couple of days since they had arrived at his childhood home for the holidays, and Ami had already won the hearts of nearly all his family members. His father thought she was absolutely charming, Junko considered her an honorary big sister, and he could tell his mother was itching to start planning the wedding. Only Satoshi had yet to really warm up to Ami, but Akira was certain that would change by the end of their visit, so he wasn’t worried. His younger brother simply tended to take a while to feel comfortable around new people. It had been the same way with Maeko, and yet, in the end, Satoshi had been perhaps the one closest to his former fiancée. He was thinking of ways to break the ice between Satoshi and Ami when the door slid open and Ami herself stepped out. “Oh, Akira, I didn’t realize you were waiting out here,” she said, drying her hair with a towel. “I hope you weren’t waiting long.” Akira grinned, taking in her soft, fluffy robe and the light scent of jasmine that filled the air around her. “No, not at all, although if I knew you were in there, I might have joined you.” “Akira!” Ami glanced around the empty hallway, and, finding they were alone, let out a sigh of relief. “You shouldn’t say things like that here,” she scolded him. “What if somebody heard you?” “Ami, it’s not like it’s some big government secret that we’re having sex,” he reminded her, amused by her modesty. “In fact, I still don’t see why you’re insisting on staying in Junko’s room when Mama did say it was fine if you wanted to stay with me. I‘ve missed you.” “I miss you, too, but I just don’t feel comfortable with the idea of doing anything while we’re under your parents’ roof when we‘re not married.” “I suppose that means I can’t convince you to go back in there and help me with some hard-to-reach places,” Akira said with a disappointed sigh, tilting his head toward the bathing room. “Well, can I at least get a kiss goodnight? Certainly, that‘s allowed.” Smiling, Ami wrapped her arms around his neck. “I do believe that can be arranged.” Her slightly-parted lips pressed against his, and Akira drank greedily from her mouth, making up for the fact that he would, once again, be sleeping alone. It took all his restraint not to reach down for the tie of her robe, and, when the kiss had finally ended, he groaned in frustration. “You’re a tease, an absolute tease,” he muttered. “Good night, Akira,” was her only response, landing one final chaste kiss on his cheek before heading down the hall to his sister’s bedroom. As he watched Ami disappear, Akira was suddenly glad that it was his turn to use the bath. He definitely needed to cool down after that kiss. Turning toward the open door, he was about to go inside when he heard another door open. His first thought was that it was Ami, changing her mind about joining him in the bath after all, but, when Akira turned around, he saw that it was only his brother and sighed. “Oh, it’s you.” Satoshi, who didn’t seem to catch the disappointed tone in his voice, walked over. “Were you going to take your bath, nii-san?” he asked. “That was the plan.” “Well, would you mind if I went first? The documentary I want to watch starts at ten, so I’d like to take my bath now so I don‘t miss anything.” So much for that cool down… “Sure, go ahead,” Akira said, moving out of the way so that Satoshi could go in. “I have something…uh, I have to take care of, anyway.” “Thanks.” ***** In the room she was sharing with Junko, Ami turned the page of the book she was reading without much interest and stifled a yawn. Though it was rare that Ami came across a book she simply didn’t like, her current reading selection was an exception. Ernest Hemingway might have been considered one of America’s most celebrated authors, but, no matter how hard she tried, she honestly couldn’t get into “The Old Man and the Sea." Hadn’t he ever heard of punctuation? Deciding that it was pointless trying to keep her mind on the book, Ami placed a bookmark on the page she had left off and set the novel aside. She then smiled, remembering Akira’s offer from earlier. Ami couldn’t deny she was tempted to join him. An erotic bath with her boyfriend sounded a hundred times more interesting than the adventures of an old Cuban fisherman trying to catch some big fish... “No, don’t be ridiculous, Ami,” she scolded herself aloud, rolling over on her side and reaching for the only other reading material in sight: Junko‘s copy of the newest “Cosmopolitan," which was sitting on the nightstand. Unfortunately, the first article she turned to happened to be titled “10 Sure-Fire Ways to Spice Up Your Sex Life." “The cosmos is against me,” she groaned, quickly closing the magazine and tossing it back on the table where she had found it. Why was she even fighting the temptation, anyway? Junko had gone out for the evening with her boyfriend, and Akira’s parents were safely downstairs, watching the evening news. The only one around upstairs was Satoshi, but the studious law student had mentioned over dinner that he had plans to watch some documentary in his room. It actually sounded quite fascinating, and she might have thought of joining him if she hadn’t thought she would be intruding, but since Ami still wasn’t entirely comfortable around Satoshi yet, it was the perfect opportunity for some alone time with her boyfriend. “Why not?” she finally decided, getting out of bed. Ami grabbed her robe from off the back of Junko’s desk chair and slipped it on before heading to the door. To be on the safe side, she looked both ways down the hall before coming out, making sure the coast was clear. When she was positive nobody else was around, Ami tiptoed to the door to the bathing room and quietly slid it open. If Akira had noticed her presence, he didn’t acknowledge it, continuing to lather his body with soap as if she wasn‘t there. Ami didn’t particularly mind, for he was giving her a great view of his backside. Standing at the door, she admired her lover’s body for a few moments, then finally stepped inside, her untied robe slipping off her shoulders. “Need any help with those ‘hard-to-reach’ places?” Ami asked in a sultry voice she never knew she possessed. Surprised, Akira dropped the bar of soap he had been using and turned around to face her. Only the young man wasn’t Akira. “M-Mizuno-san?” Ami, immediately realizing her mistake, pulled her robe back up and closed her eyes as the man she assumed to be her lover reached for a towel to cover himself. “Satoshi-san, gomen nasai,” she apologized, never more embarrassed in her entire life. “I-I thought you were Akira. He said he was going to take his bath after me.” “We switched.” “Oh.” Waiting a few seconds more, Ami finally took a peek and saw that Akira’s brother had finished wrapping a large blue towel securely around his waist. Satoshi appeared as embarrassed as she felt, his arms awkwardly crossed over his chest to hide his lightly-defined pectorals and his eyes focused exclusively on the tiled floor. Ami felt absolutely horrible for walking in on him like that, but other than apologizing to him again for the unwelcome intrusion, she had no idea what else to do. “Well…um…I should probably go,” she said, slowly walking backwards to the door. “I-I really didn’t mean to barge in like this…” “H-Honest mistake, Mizuno-san. Onii-san and I do have similar looks…” “But I should have knocked first, or something.” “It’s okay. We‘re adults, right?” “Right.” “Well, see you in the morning.” “Yeah, see you in the morning,” she echoed, sliding the door open behind her. “Oyasumi, Satoshi-san.” “Oyasumi.” As soon as Ami stepped out of the bathroom, she practically sprinted back to Junko’s room and threw herself on the bed, not even bothering to take off her robe. “What have I done?” she moaned loudly into a fluffy pillow. She had wanted so badly for all of Akira’s family to like her, but she could only imagine what Satoshi thought of her after that mortifying incident. He probably thought she was some kind of pervert or in the very least, a voyeur. How was she supposed to face Satoshi the next morning? Or Akira, for that matter? Ami moaned again, thinking of how her boyfriend would react when he found out she had seen his younger brother naked. Even if it was an accident, he was bound to be upset. She knew she should probably go find Akira and tell him what happened right away, but Ami couldn’t make herself get up from the bed, her body feeling as if it was completely made of lead. Maybe if she just forced herself to forget about it, Akira would never even have to know. She didn’t know Satoshi that well, but he didn’t seem like the type who would tattle on her, especially when he knew it was an accident. No, she had to tell him. It wasn’t right to keep such a thing a secret from Akira. He had a right to know. Determined, Ami managed to pull herself to an upright position and tied the belt of her robe tightly around her waist. She took in a few deep breaths to calm her racing heartbeat, reminding herself that she had no reason to feel guilty for what had happened, then went back out into the hall, stopping in front of Akira’s door, which was right across from Junko’s room. “Ami, you can do this,” she told herself, building up courage as she raised a fist to knock. “All you have to do is tell Akira the truth, and everything will be fine. Knowing him, he might even think it’s funny. As long as you tell him, you have absolutely nothing to feel gu--” “Ami-onee-chan!” Hearing Junko’s voice, Ami nearly jumped right out of her skin. She lowered her hand and quickly turned around to face the pretty blonde teen. “Oh, Junko-san, you’re home already?” Ami asked, hoping her voice didn’t sound as nervous as she thought it did. “Didn’t you have a nice time with Ikeda-san?” “No, we had a wonderful time, but my curfew is ten,” Junko explained, crossing her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow in Ami’s direction. “What are you doing outside onii-chan’s bedroom, Ami-onee-chan?” Blushing, Ami tried to fib an explanation. “T-This is Akira’s bedroom? Oh, I didn‘t realize. I thought this was your room. I guess I must have gotten them confused.” “If you thought it was my room, why were you going to knock, knowing I was out on a date with Ikeda-kun?” Junko asked, not buying her story at all. “Why not just go in?” “Um…” Ami couldn’t think of a plausible explanation, no matter how hard she tried. She simply blushed even redder, causing Junko to laugh and shake her head. “Honestly, there’s no reason why you need to lie to me,” the teen said. “If you want to spend the night was onii-chan, go ahead. I don‘t mind.” “No! I-It’s not like that. I promise!” Ami insisted, waving her hands in front of her. “It’s just that--” “Sure…” “It’s the truth!” Junko shrugged. “If you say so,” she said, though Ami could tell that she didn’t really believe it. “But if you ever do want to sleep in onii- chan’s bedroom, you shouldn’t feel as if you have to sneak out. Really, it’s fine. Mama did say it was okay if you shared a room, you know.” Ami remembered the embarrassing offer only all too well. She still couldn’t believe Mrs. Kitagawa had been so forward as to suggest her son share a room with a woman who wasn‘t his wife. “That really won’t be necessary, Junko-chan,” she declared, walking back toward the room they shared and opening the door. “Now, why don’t you tell me about your night?” As Junko, her suspicions appeased at least for the moment, followed her into the room and proceeded to dive into a detailed, minute-by-minute account of her date with her boyfriend, Ami took one last look out the hallway and sighed before closing the door behind her. It looked as if her confession would have to wait until morning. ***** Something was not right. All through breakfast, Akira couldn’t help but notice a pronounced awkwardness between Ami and his younger brother. Despite the fact that they were sitting straight across from each other at the table, they seemed to be doing their best not to look at or talk to each other, and what small amount of conversation did pass between them consisted mostly of “Please pass me the butter, Mizuno-san,” or “Would you like another muffin, Satoshi-san?” A person could practically cut the tension between them with a knife, it was so thick. Akira didn’t understand. Yesterday, Ami and Satoshi were getting along just fine. Okay, so maybe they had been a little shy around each other, but that behavior was normal for the both of them when they had just met somebody for the first time. That didn’t explain why they were acting so cold to each other today. “Well, I’m heading off to work now,” Papa announced as he folded the morning paper and stood to leave, temporarily distracting Akira from his thoughts about Ami and Satoshi. “So soon?” Mama asked, stopping right in the middle of a story she had been telling Junko. “But you didn’t finish your eggs.” “Gomen, but we have an early meeting today at the firm,” he apologized. “I’ll be home at five, though.” He gave Mama a quick kiss goodbye on the cheek before heading to work. “So, what do you kids have planned for today?” Mama asked as she cleared her and Papa’s places. Junko was the first to speak up, a bright smile on her face. “Ikeda- kun promised he would take me ice skating today at the lake,” she said, causing Akira to snicker when he remembered the last time his little sister had gone skating -- or perhaps “gone falling” was a better way to describe it. Junko hadn’t been able to stand for more than ten seconds on the ice without falling right on her rear. “Gee, I hope Ikeda-kun won’t mind you tripping and falling all over him, Junko,” he lightly teased, earning a glare and a muffin missile lobbed in his direction when their mother wasn‘t looking. “I’ll have you know I’ve been practicing, onii-chan. Ikeda-kun’s been teaching me.” “She really is much better than before,” Mama vouched. “She isn’t quite the next Ito Midori or Sato Yuka, but she’s getting there.” “So there,” Junko said, sticking her tongue out at Akira, who just rolled his eyes before divulging his own plans for the day. “Well, I was thinking of taking Ami on a tour of Nagano and showing her all my old haunts.” “You were?” Ami asked, abruptly looking up from her plate. She looked rather startled, as if she had only just started paying attention to the conversation when her name was mentioned. “Sure, if you want,” he replied, trying not to frown at her strange behavior. “I can’t wait to show you the library, Ami. Back when Satoshi and I were younger, we’d used to spend practically our entire weekend there, didn’t we?” Across from them, his younger brother nodded, though he still didn’t look over at Ami. “You’ll enjoy it, Mizuno-san. You should go,” Satoshi said in a clipped tone, stabbing a piece of pancake with his fork and stuffing it into his mouth. He didn’t elaborate any further, barely speaking for the rest of the meal except when Mama asked him what he planned to do. By that time, Akira was almost positive something had happened between Ami and Satoshi. Satoshi, a true bibliophile like Ami, loved the library even more than he did and normally could talk for hours on end about all the books he had read. If not even the mention of the library could spark a conversation between them, Akira didn’t know what would. After breakfast was over, Junko went upstairs to change for her skating date while Ami insisted on helping Mama with the dishes before they headed out. Satoshi, who planned to spend the day working on a paper for one of his classes, headed to their father’s study, the only room in the house with a computer, and Akira followed him, determined to find some answers, once and for all. “Do you dislike Ami?” Akira asked as soon as he reached the small home office, surprising his brother, who evidently had not realized he was being followed. “W-What?” Akira stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him. “You heard me the first time, Satoshi. What problem do you have with my girlfriend?” Sitting down at their father’s desk, the brown-haired man pulled up a file on the computer and started to type. “I don’t have any problems with Mizuno-san,” he claimed. “She’s a wonderful girl, and you two obviously care about each other very much. I’m happy for you.” “If that’s the case, why don’t you come with us to the library?” Akira offered. If anything could break the ice between them, it was their love of books. “I’m sure you probably need to do some research for that paper.” “I’d rather not.” “Why?” “Because I’m busy, nii-san,” Satoshi said, glancing up from the computer screen. “You two go on ahead and have fun. I’m sure Mizuno-san will love the library.” “Satoshi…” Unable to let things go until he got the answers he wanted, Akira took a seat on the couch and studied his brother as Satoshi resumed work on his paper. No matter how hard he tried, he could not understand Satoshi’s behavior toward Ami. Those two were so much alike, how could they not get along? And then it hit him. “You like her, don’t you?” The sound of Satoshi’s typing died away as he lifted his fingers off the keyboard and swiveled around in the desk chair to face Akira. “What?” he asked in disbelief. “Nii-san, I do not have a cru-- “No, it makes sense,” Akira continued, interrupting his brother’s protest. The more he thought about it, the more he was positive he had found the answer. “It’s okay, Satoshi. I don’t blame you for being attracted to Ami. You two do have a lot in common, and I know you and your girl recently parted ways --” “Akira, Mizuno-san saw me naked,” Satoshi unexpectedly blurted out. “What?” The confession came straight out of left field, leaving Akira a bit dazed. Sighing, Satoshi rose from his chair and took a seat beside him on the couch. “Remember last night? When you switched bath times with me so I could watch that documentary?” “Yeah. What about it?” “There was an incident.” “What kind of incident?” Blushing, Satoshi looked down at his hands, which he was wringing in nervousness. “I’m not so sure I should be telling you this,” he admitted. “I really don’t want to get Mizuno-san in trouble. It was just an accident, a silly little screw-up, really…” “What happened, Satoshi?” Akira asked, though he already had a vague idea. “I promise if it was an accident, I won’t get mad at either you or Ami. I just want to know why you two have been acting so strangely.” “Well, Mizuno-san -- she walked in on me…while I was bathing.” “Ah… I see…” “It really was an accident, nii-san,” Satoshi was quick to remind him. “She thought I was you, since you were supposed to be the one taking your bath. You aren’t mad, are you? Please don’t blame Mizuno-san. She was just as embarrassed as I was when she realized her mistake -- Nii-san?” Akira couldn’t help himself. Bringing a hand to his mouth, he started snickering while Satoshi looked at him as if he had completely lost his mind. A lesser man might have been upset to hear that his girlfriend had seen his brother in the buff, but Akira, who knew that it really had been an honest mistake, thought it was absolutely hilarious. “I don’t see what’s so funny about this, nii-san.” “It’s not; you’re right,” Akira said between snickers. He tried to compose himself, but failed miserably. “But, boy, would I have loved to see the look on your faces!” Annoyed, Satoshi stood and headed back to the desk. “I’m glad you find so much humor in my embarrassment,” he said with a rare streak of sarcasm. “Oh, Satoshi, I’m sorry,” Akira apologized, finally managing to get himself under control. He wiped away the few tears of laughter that had run down his cheek. “You have to admit it is pretty funny, though.” “Yeah, I suppose it kind of is,” he admitted, and their laughter began anew. ***** Akira had been right about the library. Ami had never seen so many books in one place in her entire life. With five whole floors of reading material and a sixth designated as a comfortable reading sanctuary, it was by far the biggest public library she’d ever visited, with the exception of the library at Toudai. Still, that library didn’t have as varied a selection. Going down one aisle, Ami was amazed to see one side devoted to astronomy and the other devoted to geology. “This place is incredible,” Ami murmured softly to herself as she pulled out a book from the astronomy section and flipped through the pages. She would certainly have no trouble finding something better to read instead of that copy of “The Old Man and the Sea” she had brought with her on the trip. “You like it, then?” Startled, Ami almost dropped her book until she turned around to see Akira smiling behind her. “Akira, don’t scare me like that!” she admonished in a firm, but quiet, voice. “Gomen,” he apologized, though he didn’t look very sorry to her. In fact, Akira looked very much like a cat who had just swallowed the canary. “Hey, guess what I have.” “What?” While she had been browsing, Akira had gone off on his own. Ami assumed he went to look for a couple of chemistry books he said he’d been searching for on the way there. “Did you find those books you wanted?” “Better.” His smile widened, and an all-too-familiar gleam appeared in his eyes. “Don’t tell me you found a copy of the Kama Sutra,” Ami guessed, putting the book she had been scanning back on its proper shelf. Akira shook his head. “No, although now that you mention it…” “What is it, then?” “This.” With a flourish, Akira revealed the hand he had been hiding behind his back. A key chain dangled from his finger. “A key?” “Not just any key,” he said. “This key happens to open the door to the rare books room of the library. I got it from Shimizu-san, the librarian.” “The rare books room?” Ami took the key from his hand, confused. “Why did you ask for this?” she asked, looking at the tag attached to the key chain that gave the room’s number. “I mean, I would love to see what kind of selection they have, but --” “Let’s just say that I’m ready to show you my fantasy.” “Your fant-- Akira!” Ami’s face burned with a bright red blush when she realized what that fantasy must be. “A promise is a promise,” he reminded her. “Y-Yes, but this the library!” Ami replied, her eyes wide. “We couldn’t possibly --” “Why not? As long as we lock the door and be really quiet, nobody would ever have to know.” “I don‘t know…” “Come on, Ami. It’s the perfect opportunity.” Akira grabbed her hand and started pulling her in the direction of the elevator. Ami had no choice but to come along, not wanting to draw any more attention than they already had. Several of the library’s patrons stared as they passed by, and she was almost certain that at least one woman who had been browsing in the same aisle had overheard parts of their whispered conversation, though it could have been her imagination. They headed up to the fifth floor, where the rare books room was located, and Akira led her to the locked door. Luckily, the floor, which mostly served as a reference area, was mostly empty except for a librarian putting away encyclopedias and a group of junior high school kids poring over dictionaries and study guides. Ami recalled that the high school entrance exams were coming up in three months and sympathized with the students going through the traditional “Exam Hell” every ninth grader came to dread. “Hey, Ami, hand me the key,” Akira said, breaking her from a fond memory of her and the girls during their study sessions at Hikawa. “Huh? Oh, right.” She forgot she still had the key. Ami gave it back to him. “Here you go.” “Thanks.” Akira unlocked the door and showed her inside. The room was larger than Ami expected, containing about ten shelves of valuable books as well as glass cages along the walls, which were used to display ancient scrolls. The musty smell of old leather filled her nostrils, and, for the moment, Ami forgot the reason why Akira had brought her there, her fingers running across the binding of the antique books with reverence as she read the titles aloud while her boyfriend locked the door securely behind them. “’The Tale of Genji‘, ‘Oku no Hosomichi‘, ‘The Holy Man of Mount Koya’… I can’t believe this selection, and most of these books are in pristine condition. Some of these must be worth millions of yen.” “I’m sure they do,” Akira said, coming up behind her and pulling her hand away from the books, “but I must say that I don’t find them quite as fascinating as a certain sexy, blue-haired bibliophile.” “Akira…” Her lover turned her around to face him, placing the hand he was still holding against his cheek and kissing her wrist. Ami blushed, fighting against the feelings of arousal she could feel rising inside her. “Akira, we can’t do this here,” she protested once again as he slid her hand down to his shoulder, bring the other one up to join it. “It’s too risky. What if one of the other librarians has another key?” Akira placed his hands on her hips, drawing her closer. “Ami, I promise you nobody is going to interrupt us.” “Yes, but that’s what you said the night we went skinny-dipping in your apartment’s pool,” she reminded him. “This time I’m positive there won’t be any interruptions. Only the head librarian, Shimizu-san, has a key to the place, and that was the one she gave to me when I signed in. None of the other librarians have the authority to allow people in here.” “Are you *absolutely* sure?” “Ami, I’ve been coming to this library ever since I learned how to read. I know how things work around here. I even double-checked with Shimizu -san to see if they had changed anything since the last time I came, and she said the only changes they had made was adding some more computers and getting rid of the out-dated card catalog.” “Well…” Before she had a chance to protest again, Akira brought his lips down to hers, his kiss causing all Ami’s worries of being caught to fly right out the window. Oh, how did he always manage to talk her into these things? Moaning as Akira pushed her up against the bookcase, Ami’s hands moved downward to unzip the fly of his jeans. Akira’s lips traveled down her jaw line to her neck, and Ami raised her head to give him better access, gasping when he found the one spot between her neck and shoulder that always drove her crazy with desire. She felt his hands lightly squeeze her behind, and Ami managed to wrap her legs around his waist, allowing Akira to carry her over to the leather couch in the corner of the room which she had failed to notice when they first came in. Without disconnecting, they fell onto the couch together, kissing passionately and taking off each other‘s clothes. Ami could barely breathe, but the lack of oxygen flowing to her brain just made it that much easier to forget where they were and what they were doing. The only thing that mattered was how good Akira was making her feel. When the moment of climax came, Akira covered Ami’s mouth with his own, stifling her scream of ecstasy. Whether it was the forbidden nature of the location or just pent-up sexual energy after days of being unable to be with him, Ami never had an orgasm so strong, the waves seeming to last long after they should have stopped. Completely spent, Akira collapsed on top of her, letting out a satisfied sigh as he rested his head on her chest. “Oh, I can’t believe we did that,” Ami said once she had caught her breath and regained her senses. Chuckling, Akira propped his head up to look up at her, his chin resting in the valley between her breasts. “Did you enjoy yourself?” he asked. “I’ll say… That was amazing, Akira.” “See, I told you nobody would interrupt us.” “No, they didn’t, but maybe we should get dressed before somebody does,” Ami pointed out, one hand already reaching down for her sweater, which was laying on the floor beside the couch. “There’s no point in trying our luck.” Akira groaned in protest, but he reluctantly got off of her, gathering up his clothes and getting dressed as Ami began doing the same behind one of the stacks. No matter how long they had been sleeping together, Ami still didn’t have the courage to dress in front of her lover, her modesty coming back with a vengeance the second she got out of bed, or in this case, got off the couch. Once she was clothed, Ami walked over to where Akira was struggling with the buttons of his long-sleeved shirt and took over. “Thank you,” he said, kissing the top of Ami’s head. “For what?” “For making my fantasy come true.” Ami blushed and finished buttoning the rest of his shirt. They then headed back down to the public part of the library, where Akira returned the key to the librarian and Ami picked out a couple of books at his insistence for him to check out for her to read while they were there. Once they were done, it was nearing lunch time, so they decided to head back to the house. “So I hear somebody was a Peeping Thomasina last night.” As they turned around the street corner, Ami stuffed her hands in the pockets of her winter coat and blushed brightly. She had hoped Satoshi would keep quiet about the little “incident” that occurred between them the night before, but it appeared she had been wrong about him. “I take it Satoshi-san told you what happened,” she said, staring down at her feet. Akira nodded. “I practically had to beat it out of him, but, yeah, I thought you two seemed uncomfortable about something.” “You aren’t mad, are you?” Ami asked, abruptly glancing back up. “I promise you it was a complete accident. If I had known you had let Satoshi- san take his bath before you, I never would have gone in.” “Well, I am a little disappointed that you found Satoshi instead of me in there,” he admitted, with a naughty twinkle in his eye, “but as far as the accident? No, of course not.” Ami let out a huge sigh, relieved. “I’m glad.” “Why didn’t you tell me about it, though?” he asked. “I don’t know,” she confessed, shrugging her shoulders. “I probably should have, but I suppose I felt a little…guilty.” “Why? Did you like what you see?” “Akira!” If possible, Ami’s skin turned an even deeper shade of red. Her boyfriend laughed. “Oh, come on, Ami, lighten up. I’ve seen my brother naked before. He’s not half-bad to look at. I certainly wouldn’t blame you if you did.” “I really didn’t see much of anything, except his backside. Once he turned around and I realized he wasn’t you, I closed my eyes right away while he covered himself.” Remembering that mortifying moment when she realized she had walked in on the wrong brother, Ami groaned loudly. “I can just imagine what Satoshi-san thinks of me now. He probably thinks I’m a sex maniac or something. I was so embarrassed!” “Believe me, he was just as embarrassed as you were,” Akira assured her. “More so, most likely, since he was the one caught in his birthday suit.” That didn’t make her feel any better. “Please, don’t remind me.” “One day, you two are going to look back on this and get a big laugh out of it.” “Not any time soon.” “You’ll see.” Ami didn’t think so, but the humiliating incident was soon put out of her mind when she felt Akira reach for her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. It was the first time they had been able to show any sign of affection in public, and it felt rather nice, even if both their hands were covered in heavy gloves. Ami smiled shyly, and, glancing over at her handsome lover, tightened her grip on his hand. Silently, they continued down the street, side-by-side, and admired the snow-covered scenery. Ami didn’t remember a time when she felt so utterly at peace with the world. Unfortunately, the peace was not to last for long. As they turned another corner, heading down a residential street, Akira suddenly dropped her hand as if it was a hot potato, freshly cooked over an open-fire. “Akira, what‘s wrong?” Instead of answering her, her boyfriend stopped in his tracks and stared straight ahead. Confused, Ami followed his gaze and saw that Akira was looking at an attractive twenty-something female, pulling a handful of envelopes out from a mailbox labeled “Nishimura." One name escaped his lips. “Maeko.” ***** The moment Akira saw her, he felt as if the wind had been knocked out of his lungs. It had been roughly over a year since he had last seen Nishimura Maeko, but she was still as gorgeous as ever, even dressed down in a denim miniskirt and a fleece hoodie over a satin camisole. Her maroon hair, dyed from the purple he remembered when they broke up, was cropped short in a very modern, chic style, and he noticed that she had pierced her eyebrow, which might have appeared vulgar on anybody else’s face but hers. “Maeko-san? Your ex-fiancée?” Ami’s voice reminded him that he wasn’t alone. Akira broke out of his trance and nodded. “Hai. I didn’t realize she was back in town,” he said, taking Ami’s elbow. It had been a mistake to go down Maeko’s street. “Let’s go back, Ami.” Akira started to turn around, knowing no good could come of his new girlfriend meeting his old girlfriend, but Ami refused to leave. “Akira, you can’t leave now,” she said. “I think she’s already seen us. Do you want her to think us rude?” She had a point. Looking over his shoulder, Akira could see that Maeko was already walking toward them, stuffing her mail in one of the pockets of her jacket with one hand as she waved the other in greeting. If they left now, it would definitely look suspicious. “Aki-chan!” Inwardly, Akira cringed at his Maeko’s nickname for him -- he had never liked it, even when they were together -- as he turned back around and tried to act suitably surprised. “Maeko!” “Fancy meeting you here, Aki-chan,” Maeko said, smiling as she joined them. “Home for the holidays?” “Yeah, you know Mama. She would kill me if I missed New Year’s,” he joked weakly. “What about you? I thought you were living in Okinawa.” “I’m back with my parents at the moment. Things didn’t work out with the painter.” “I’m sorry to hear that.” “It’s okay. Some things just weren’t meant to be, you know?” she said, shrugging as she turned her attention to a quiet Ami, who she seemed to notice for the first time. “Oh, how rude of me! I’m Nishimura Maeko.” Ami bowed politely. “Nice to meet you, Nishimura-san. I’m Mizuno Ami.” “My girlfriend,” Akira added, in case Maeko had not already come to that conclusion herself. “Oh!” Apparently she hadn’t from the look of surprise on her face. “I didn’t realize you were seeing anyone, Aki-chan. The last time we spoke, Izumi-san said you were still single.” “You’re still on friendly terms with my mother?” he asked. “I wouldn’t necessarily say that. We just happen to bump into each other occasionally at the store.” “Funny she never mentioned that…” Knowing his mother, when she found out Maeko had moved back to Nagano, she probably went out of her way to “accidentally” bump into his former girlfriend whenever she could, just to try to get them back together. He definitely wouldn’t put it past Kitagawa Izumi. “Congratulations on that breakthrough, by the way,” she said. “Izumi -san told me about your paper. I know how long and hard you’ve worked on that research.” “Thanks, but I never would have been able to do it without Ami’s help.” “Really? So, you’re a scientist as well?” Maeko asked, turning her attention to Ami, who blushed at his compliment. “That’s amazing.” “Actually, I’m studying to become a doctor,” Ami said. “Even more impressive. You know, it’s good that you two have a common interest. Aki-chan always thought we didn’t have enough in common, which I suppose was true. When it comes to science, I’m a complete dunce. I don’t know how I ever managed to graduate high school with the grades I got in chemistry.” “Well, it’s a tough subject, and your talents lay elsewhere,” Akira said, wishing the conversation would end. He didn’t know how much more of the awkwardness he could take. “You know, Maeko, Ami and I really should be heading back…” “Oh, don’t let me keep you. I probably should head back inside, anyway.” Shivering, Maeko zipped up her hoodie and stuffed her ungloved hands in the pockets. “I forgot how cold it gets in Nagano this time of year. Back in Okinawa, you can wear skirts and short sleeves practically all year long. I guess I really ought to go shopping for some winter clothes.” “Maybe.” “Anyway, it was really nice to meet you, Mizuno-san. I’ll see you two at the party. Ja ne!” Akira nodded. “Yeah, we’ll see you -- wait, you’re coming to the party? My parents’ annual New Year’s Eve party?” he asked, his eyes widening when he realized what she had just said. “Yeah, Izumi-san gave me an invitation weeks ago. Didn‘t she mention that?” No, she didn’t, Akira thought to himself with an inward sigh. Really, what in the world was his mother thinking, inviting his ex-fiancée to the New Year‘s bash? “I guess it must have slipped her mind,” he said, trying not to look too affected by the news. “Is that going to be a problem?” Maeko asked. “I mean, I’ll understand if you don’t want me to attend, but my parents are planning to go…” “It’s fine, Nishimura-san,” Ami assured her before Akira had the chance to answer. “There’s no reason why you shouldn’t come to the party if Kitagawa-san invited you, right, Akira?” Akira had no choice but to nod his agreement. “Great. I’ll see you guys there, then.” With a wave goodbye, Maeko turned and headed back to her parents’ house, Akira letting out a loud sigh of relief once he saw her open the door and step inside. Things hadn’t gone as badly as he feared they might, but he couldn’t believe what his mother had done. He would have to talk to her some time before the party. Maybe he could somehow convince his mother to uninvite the Nishimuras. “Sorry about that, Ami,” Akira apologized as the two of them continued their walk. “Believe me, if I had known Maeko had moved back in with her parents, I never would have suggested that we take this street.” Ami shook her head. “It’s fine, Akira. Nishimura-san seemed really nice.” “She is, but I know that must have been awkward for you, meeting my ex.” “Actually, I got the feeling that it was far more awkward for you than it was for me,” Ami teased, grabbing his arm and resting her head on his shoulder. “The entire time we talked, you looked as if you were going to bolt at any second. It was really rather amusing to watch.” “I did no-- Okay, I admit the thought did cross my mind a couple of times,” he admitted. “Why, though? Were you afraid Nishimura-san would spill some deep, dark secret about you that you didn’t want me to find out about?” Akira shrugged. He actually didn’t understand why he had felt that way himself. “It’s a guy thing, I suppose. I mean, when we broke our engagement, the split was amicable, but you never can tell what an ex will say when faced with proof that you have moved on. Anybody would be nervous.” “I guess so,” she said. “Do you ever think about her?” “Maeko?” “No, I mean Shimizu-san, the librarian,” Ami said with a slight roll of her eyes. “Of course I’m asking about Nishimura-san.” “No, not really.” “Are you just saying that because you think I’ll be angry with you if you say yes? Because if you do, you don‘t have to lie about it. You two were going to share a life together, after all. I’ll understand.” “Ami, look at me.” Akira stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and took his girlfriend by the arms, turning her toward him. “Maeko is my past. I won’t lie and say I never think about her, because I do, sometimes, but not in the way you think. You, however, are my present and my future, and I wouldn‘t have it any other way.” Ami smiled. “Good.” ***** Later that night, Ami sat on Junko’s bed, the small stack of library books Akira had checked out for her sitting on the nightstand beside her and a biography of Marie Curie open in her hand. She had been reading for over an hour, but, though the book was far more interesting than her previous lackluster reading material, Ami again found herself unable to concentrate. After somehow managing to finish the third chapter, Ami placed a bookmark between the two pages marking her spot and set the book aside. Her thoughts then turned to the young woman they had met on their way home: Nishimura Maeko, Akira’s former fiancée. Akira never spoke of her much, even when Ami asked him about her. All Ami had known about Maeko before the meeting was that she was an aspiring author and that she was living with a painter, which evidently wasn’t the case any more based on what Maeko had said about things not working out between her and her boyfriend. Ami had to admit that Maeko was nothing like she had imagined Akira’s ex-fiancée to be like. She had pictured somebody more like herself, someone quiet and conservative -- not a maroon-haired sexpot with an eyebrow piercing (and who knew what else) and legs that seemed to go on for miles. Climbing out of bed, Ami walked over to Junko’s vanity and took a seat in front of the mirror as she began running a brush through her hair. A frown crossed her lips when she looked up at her reflection. It was silly of her, of course, but Ami couldn’t help but compare herself to the vivacious young woman she had met earlier that day. Would Akira prefer it if she looked and dressed a little more like Maeko? The instant Ami tried to imagine herself with a half-dozen piercings in each ear, however, she started to giggle at the absurdity of the idea. Imagine what her friends would think if she walked into Crown like that! They’d probably think she had been possessed by a new enemy. Not to mention her poor mother would probably die of a heart attack... “Hey, what’s so funny, Ami-onee-chan?” “Oh, nothing.” Her giggles subsiding, Ami set down the brush and turned around to see Junko, her cheeks colored a rosy pink after spending most of the day ice skating at the lake, standing in the doorway. “I was just imagining something,” she said, brushing it off. “You look like you had fun today, Junko-chan.” Coming inside, Junko spun around happily. “Oh, Ami-onee-chan, I had the most *wonderful* time,” she squealed, tossing her skates in the closet. “Guess what? I only fell down three times today. Ikeda-kun says I’m really improving.” “That’s great! I’m very happy for you.” “You know, you and onii-chan should go skating at least once before you leave,” the teen advised. “It’s so romantic with all the snow, and it gives you a great excuse to hang all over your guy in public without the elders giving you dirty looks.” Plopping down on the bed, Junko placed Ami’s forgotten Curie biography on top of the stack of books on the nightstand. “Speaking of onii-chan, how was the library? I see you managed to find some books.” Ami felt her cheeks grow hot, remembering what had happened in the rare books room. “It was…nice.” “Ami-onee-chan, you’re turning all red!” “I-I am?” She turned around to see her reflection was indeed more than a little flushed, which only made Ami feel even more embarrassed. “What did you two do that’s got you so flustered?“ Junko asked, her left eyebrow raised in suspicion. “On second thought, I don’t think I really want to know.” Relieved that Junko hadn’t pressed her for more details, Ami joined the teen back on the bed. “We ran into an old friend of Akira’s on our way back to the house,” she said casually in an attempt to change the subject. “Oh? Who? Maybe I remember them.” Ami paused for a moment before replying, “Nishimura-san.” “Nishimura Maeko-san?” Blue eyes widened in shock as Ami nodded. “Onii-chan’s former fiancée? Boy, that had to be awkward.” “A little, I guess.” Pulling her knees to her chest, Ami once again frowned as she thought about Maeko. “Hey, Junko-chan, what was she like?” she asked before she even realized the words were out of her mouth. “Nishimura- san?” Junko seemed as surprised as she was about the question. “You want to know about my brother’s ex-girlfriend?” When Ami nodded, the blonde leaned back against the wall behind her bed and folded her arms across her chest. “Well, even though onii-chan dated her for about two years, I never really got the chance to know her that well,” Junko confessed. “She was quite a bit older than me, so she hung out more with Satoshi, who was closer to her in age and shared her love of books.” Leaning over, she whispered, “To be honest, I always thought that Satoshi had a bit of a crush on her, but you didn‘t hear that from me, okay? He would probably kill me if he knew I told you something like that.” “Really?” It was difficult to imagine quiet, shy Satoshi being attracted to somebody like Maeko. “Maeko-onee-chan was pretty cool, though,” the teen continued. “She was always streaking her hair these wild colors, and she had a really pretty fairy tattoo on the small of her back.” Pausing, Junko let out a small giggle. “You should have seen Mama’s face when I told her I wanted to get one just like it. Mama didn’t really care that Maeko-onee-chan had one, but she told me if I ever thought about doing something like that, she would kick me out of the house so fast, the ink wouldn’t even have a chance to dry.” “Akira told me she was a writer?” Ami prodded, trying to get the teen back on topic. Junko nodded. “She was really into fantasy novels, ‘Lord of the Rings’ and the like. She let me read a couple of her short stories once, and they were really good. I think she even has a few published in magazines.” “Nishimura-san doesn’t seem like the type of person Akira would fall for. I can‘t imagine they would have a lot in common.” Shrugging, Junko slid off the bed and started toward her dresser. “Like the saying goes, opposites attract, but I guess they realized they were a little too different in the end,” she said, pulling out a pair of pajamas from one of the drawers. “If it makes you feel any better, Ami-onee-chan, I think you’re much more suited to onii-chan. Maeko-onee-chan was nice enough, but I never really got the sense that they were in love, even though they were engaged to be married.” “Really?” “I see the way onii-chan looks at you. I never saw him looking that way at Maeko-onee-chan.” “Thanks, Junko-chan,” Ami said, suddenly feeling much better. “For what?” Smiling, Ami shook her head. “Never mind. It was nothing.” ***** The next morning was the beginning of the New Year’s preparations. Mama had the whole household, save for Papa, who was at work, on cleaning duty, and Akira and Ami had spent the entire morning up in the attic, dusting and going through old boxes. “I can’t believe Mama is making you clean even though you’re a guest,” Akira grumbled as he pushed a large chest back up against the wall where they had found it. Ami, who was sitting on the floor, going through a box of old baby clothes, shook her head. “She’s not making me; I volunteered to help,” she reminded him. “Besides, it’s fun going through all this stuff and learning more about your family. See, look at this.” She held up a tiny navy-and-white sailor suit with matching hat. “Was this yours? I bet you looked adorable wearing it!” “Actually, I think that was Satoshi’s,” he corrected, “but whatever you do, don’t go showing that to Mama. I’m sure she’s been saving that for the day I finally give her that grandchild she’s been dying for.” Stretching out his arms, which were slightly sore after having to do so much heavy lifting, Akira decided it was about time for a break. “I’m going to head downstairs and get something to drink. Do you want anything while I’m down there?” “Some bottled water sounds great.” “One water, coming right up.” Akira headed down to the kitchen, stopping himself just in time when he opened the door and found Mama on her hands and knees, scrubbing the tiled floors the old-fashioned way. “Wait, don’t come in-- Oh, good, you stopped,” Mama said, looking up from the floor and tossing her sponge back in the pail of water beside her. “What are you doing down here, Akira? Don’t tell me you and Ami-chan are finished with the attic already.” “No, we’re still working. I just came down to get us some drinks.” “Oh, dear…” Mama looked around at the wet floors. There didn’t seem to be any possible way for either of them to reach the refrigerator without dirtying them again. “Well, maybe you should go out to the garage,” she suggested. “Your father always keeps some beer in there, and there should be some boxes of soda for the party if Ami-chan doesn‘t drink.” “I guess that will have to do.” Akira was just about to leave when the mention of the New Year’s party reminded him about something he meant to ask his mother. “Hey, Mama, about the party…” “What about the party, dear?” she asked. “Well, Ami and I ran into Maeko yesterday on our way back from the library, and she mentioned you had invited her to the party.” “Oh, I did, didn’t I? I nearly forgot about that.” “Yes, you did,” he said, frowning. “The thing is, I need you to uninvite her.” “What? Akira, I’m not going to take back my invitation,” she declared. “Why not?” “Because it’s only a couple more days until New Year’s Eve. It would be rude,” Mama replied. “Besides, I invited her parents as well, and you know the Nishimuras have always been dear friends of ours. I couldn’t possibly tell them their daughter is unwelcome.” Akira sighed. “But, Mama, Ami’s going to be there.” “Does Ami-chan have a problem with Maeko-chan? Did they get into a fight when you two ran into her?” “No, not exactly, but think about it. If one of Papa’s old girlfriends showed up at the party, would you be happy about it?” “You have a point,” she admitted. “However, I’m still not going to uninvite Maeko-chan to the party. I’m sorry, Akira. If I had known you and Ami-chan were dating at the time I invited her, I wouldn’t have done so, but I was under the impression you were still single.” Leaning against the door frame, Akira crossed his arms and shook his head. He should have known. “So the party was going to be some kind of set-up to get Maeko and me back together?” “Oh, ‘set-up’ is such an ugly word. I prefer to think of it as giving you two the opportunity to reignite your passion.” “Mama, you really are impossible sometimes,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “What else is a mother supposed to do when her son is nearing thirty and still doesn’t have a wife? Or even a girlfriend for that matter?” “I have a girlfriend.” “Yes, but you didn’t tell me that until a couple of weeks ago,” she reminded him, wagging her finger. “Speaking of which, why did it take you so long to tell us about Ami-chan? How long did you say you’ve been dating? Since September?” “I didn’t want to get your hopes up until I knew we were serious.” “And how serious are you two?” Akira laughed. “We’re not getting married anytime soon, if that’s what you’re asking -- and I know you are,” he said, knowing his mother all too well. “We’ve only been seeing each other for a few months, and Ami’s still in school. It‘s too early to be thinking about things like that.” “But maybe you’ll get married someday?” she pressed hopefully. Thinking about having Ami as his wife, Akira smiled. That didn’t sound like such a bad idea at all, even though it would probably be a long time before that was possible. “Maybe. Someday.” “That’s a good boy,” Mama said before resuming her cleaning. “Anyway, if you’re that concerned about Maeko-chan coming to the party, then why don’t you talk to her yourself and convince her not to come? I’m sure she would understand if you explain the circumstances.” “No, never mind,” he said with a defeated sigh. “I’m sure it won’t be that bad. We’ll just try to keep our distance.” DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Takeuchi Naoko. AUTHOR'S NOTES: Comments and criticisms can be sent to me at ElysionDream@aol.com. Special thanks to my editors, Starsea and I Abibde/Samuraiter.