Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Koushirou's Search! ❯ University Mishaps... ( Chapter 15 )

Hi again everyone. Now everyone knows or have an idea as to why Mimi was gloomy the entire day. I really did have fun with the last chapter, especially towards the end where the boys were reflecting on what to do about their situation with Mimi and the girls overhearing about the hug/kiss that Mimi had given Koushirou. Anyway, I probably won't go back to the others for a while as the chapters are already kind of long. Now, the reason this chapter is long, is due to an original character that constantly has a lot to say. As for notes, I don't anticipate that there'll be any or maybe one or two. As for changes, might have a few relevant ones.

 

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with the Digimon series or franchise. Bandai and Toei have that honor, and as a reminder, here are the ages of the characters once again:

 

Jou: 16-17 (Year 10-11; First/second year of High School)

Taichi/Sora/Yamato: 15-16 (Year 09-10; Last year of Junior High School/First year of high school)

Koushirou/Mimi: 14-15 (Year 08-09; Second/Last year of Junior High School)

Miyako: 13-14 (Year 07-08; First/second year of Junior High School)

Takeru/Hikari/Daisuke/Ken: 12 (Year 06; Final year of Elementary/First year of Junior High School)

Iori: 10-11 (Year 04-05)

 

Chapter 15: University Mishaps…

 

It only took about a half hour or so for both Koushirou and Mimi to reach Odaiba University, both coming to a silent mutual agreement to not even bring up what happened in the computer lab earlier. The two had gone to the train station and caught a cab from there. Mimi was willing to keep herself calm during the entire ride and to try her best not to lose her composure. Koushirou kept glancing over at her for the duration of the ride, feeling incredibly sorry for her, and also a bit worried. He wasn't sure if the way Mimi was acting was normal or not. It was one thing he just wasn't knowledgeable in. Math, puzzles, and computers were his specialties.

 

“Here we are, Odaiba University. That will be Â¥1220,” the driver announced while pushing the button for the door to open. “Wow, you guys are some young looking high-school students.”

 

“We aren't high-school students. We're junior-high-school students.” Koushirou handed the fare to the driver, figuring that he thought that they were recent graduates checking out the campus for the next academic school year. “We're only visiting the campus.”

 

The two hopped out of the taxi, and Koushirou made sure to stay there until Mimi was out. After she was out, Koushirou took notice of her. She was holding herself, her look seemed a bit distant, and she even looked a bit paler, as she was staring in the direction where she'd been forced to yesterday.

 

“Um, w-well, we probably should head on in, that is if you want to, but if you don't---”

 

“Stop talking crazy!” Mimi cut him off, coming back to reality. “Let's go!”

 

The girl stomped off, leaving Koushirou behind. Right now, the girl reminded him of a determined Miyako. `Mimi-san, please don't overdo it…' With that, he followed behind her and entered the building.

 

“Wow, this place is huge!” Mimi exclaimed.

 

“It looks much bigger on the inside than it does on the outside.”

 

“Now that we're here, where do we go?”

 

“When I was looking up information on Odaiba University's website, before your four boyfriends showed up…”

 

Mimi blushed slightly. She had always semi-liked the attention, but she wasn't sure if Koushirou was saying that in a joking manner, out of annoyance, or even out of possible jealousy from all the attention she received from boys in general, but felt it was safe to rule out the last possibility. She really didn't feel that it was too likely, and really didn't want it to be. This was Koushirou here. This was the boy who would rather crack a computer code than to voluntarily associate with a person of the opposite sex outside of its being something dealing with business or a school assignment.

 

The main reason for his lack of interaction with girls in general, was because Koushirou was very shy around them for any other reason aside from reasons of a non-platonic nature. The only exception, were those like Sora, Mimi, Miyako, and Hikari, who he'd known for a good while. Some people never seemed to take that into consideration that the boy was just bashful around girls he may have found attractive, not that he didn't have any interest in them what-so-ever.

 

“…I'd read that we would have to go to the information desk. It should be right in front of us since we came in through the front door.”

 

“I don't think that door we came in was the front. I just rushed right in. I wasn't paying attention. There sure are a lot of students just lounging around here, seemingly doing nothing…”

 

“And eating! Look at all of the places where you can buy food! It's like a food court!” His stomach growled. `I should've eaten lunch after all.'

 

A student with short light-brown hair wearing a pair of long khaki shorts, an orange hoody, and thin-framed glasses clumsily bumped into Koushirou and Mimi, dropping his book bag in the process. He turned to apologize.

 

“I'm so sorry! I am such a klutz!”

 

He picked up his book bag and slung it over his right shoulder, but all of his books fell out of it. He sighed as he began picking the books up to stuff them back in before either Mimi or Koushirou could offer to help.

 

“I was in a hurry, and here I am late again! I hate taking these late evening classes, but I have to if I want to get enough credits to graduate from this blasted place! I can not go home a failure. My family will disown me if I do!” he openly complained. “Damn those three older brothers of mine, always doing well in both their academics and their sports,” he grumbled, “and now my parents are expecting the same of me! To graduate with all honors like they did!”

 

He lifted up his book bag, about to strap it around his shoulder again, but noticed that one of his notebooks was still on the floor. When he kneeled to pick it up, the books he had just spent his time putting into his book bag fell out again. He groaned as he went back to stuffing the books back into his bag and ranting about his family.

 

“I actually feel sorry for my younger brother and sister. They're probably going to be tortured just like me, although, maybe my brother won't since he's already favored by my father and maybe not my sister since she's the youngest of us. I wouldn't be surprised if they expect her to do something boring and traditional since she is a girl. I know I remember my parents talking about *omiai for her, which would really be bad on her, given how she is! Either way, they'd probably want her to marry and be a housewife and provide children and heirs or maybe become a nurse or a Kindergarten teacher or something like that. My parents are so old-fashioned! They really need to join the 21st century! They should know that I do not want to become an engineer or a doctor or any of those things! I want to take up art or either become a professional writer of fiction works!” He stuffed in the last book, and grumbled, “Stupid parents…”

 

Koushirou and Mimi looked a bit worried, and started to back away slowly.

 

“Oh, I'm sorry about that!” the boy said, noticing how they were backing away. “I didn't mean to scare you or anything. Just ignore my complaining. I'm just a little stressed.” He noticed their attire. “You two aren't from here, are you? Those uniforms look a bit kiddy. You two must be junior-high students.” They nodded. “Well, I'm very pleased to meet you. My name is Fujitani Keisuke, but you may call me Keisuke. You almost look like you're lost. Do you need any help?”

 

Mimi nodded. “We're trying to find the information desk.”

 

“Wow, you two are a little ways off from there. This is the commons area. Everyone comes here to hang out or relax before heading off to their dormitories or class. You guys ended up lost pretty quickly.”

 

“I guess we were so busy admiring the school, that we ended up lost,” Koushirou said with a small, embarrassed chuckle.

 

“It's no problem. I can take you there.”

 

“No, we don't want to trouble you,” Koushirou said.

 

“I don't mind. Who cares if I'm late…again,” he laughed. The two thanked him and followed him. “So, what brings you to Odaiba University anyway? Do you have an older sibling who goes here?” Mimi shook her head. “Are you part of a group and just got separated from it?”

 

“Well, no, actually,” Koushirou told him, while making mental notes of the path they were taking to the information desk.

 

“So you came here on your own?! I know you're supposed to start looking into universities when young, but you don't have to literally visit them.”

 

“We're just trying to obtain some information,” the redhead explained. “Toudai is next on our list.”

 

“There too, eh?” He whistled. “Are you two a couple of geniuses? The entrance exam for Toudai is terribly hard.”

 

“No way!” Mimi pointed to Koushirou. “He's the genius out of the two of us.”

 

He shook his head. “I'm no genius.”

 

“What are you talking about?! You always make high scores on our tests!”

 

“*I'm no genius…I'm just passionately curious,” he stated bluntly.

 

“I guess so. You do seem to be your smartest when you get curious over something, and then try to figure it out, like a certain time when you ignored me because of that trait of yours!”

 

Koushirou laughed uneasily, recalling the situation well. It was when he'd ignored her in the temple, and how neither Mimi nor Palmon let him forget it, which is why he actually recalled it. He cleared his throat. “I kind of hate it when people just assume that I'm some kind of a genius when I'm really not. I just have a good memory and am curious about a lot of things which makes me knowledgeable on that particular subject, because I purposely seek out more information about it. That does not make me overly smart in any way. I'm not the type to constantly study nonstop. I do not read the dictionary or the encyclopedia or try to solve unsolvable chemical equations as a past-time.”

 

Keisuke laughed in agreement. “Yes, only a genius would probably do those things.”

 

“Oh yes, the information we are looking for is incredibly vital.”

 

“If it's not too out of place of me, mind if I ask what kind of information you're looking for? Maybe I could help you out with it.”

 

Koushirou shook his head. “I don't really think you could. You're too young.”

 

“I'll take that as a compliment,” he smiled. “I did have three older brothers who attended this university. My oldest brother is about…33 or 34 now. Maybe I can answer your questions based on the boring stories they used to tell me.”

 

“Well, we're trying to find information on one of the old instructors.”

 

“What year?”

 

“He stopped teaching here due to unavoidable circumstances in 1990.”

 

“My older brother would've been here at that time. I have a big family, as I already mentioned.”

 

As Keisuke started to go on about his family, he stopped walking and went through his wallet, showing it to the two. “Let's see…this photo here is my oldest brother Kyuwa-niisama. He's turning 34 this year. He's married and is a doctor at the Osaka Medical Center. He finished up his residency a while ago. He lives in Osaka, obviously. He started here in about…let's see, I was about seven at the time…oh yeah, 1988. He graduated from here in 1992 and then went to the Osaka Medical School to finish up. He sent me this photo not too long ago.”

 

Mimi always liked looking at photos, and was very anxious to see the ones Keisuke was sharing. The man in the photo had the same kind of hair like Keisuke, only it was a bit longer. He also seemed short compared to Keisuke. In the photo along with Kyuwa, was his wife, Mimi figured. She had long auburn hair, and in front of them, they had two small children, a boy and a girl. The girl looked to be about three or four, and the boy looked to be about seven or eight.

 

“It was very challenging for him, but he never gave up! Something we Fujitanis are known for is our devotion and never giving up, no matter how difficult the situation may seem!” Keisuke looked through his wallet again, and pulled out another photo. “Next in line is my brother Masaki-niisan, and he's turning 30 soon. He isn't married. He started here in 1992 and graduated in 1996 and then went to study abroad to work on his Masters and PH.D at Harvard University and teaches Japanese language. He lucked out getting the job at a nearby school.”

 

The man in the photo was dressed up in a suit, and looked to be very neat to Mimi. His hair was perfectly trimmed, his tie was in place, and there wasn't a single wrinkle in his suit. Compared to the tall, slim Keisuke, he too seemed short. Masaki also looked to be a bit husky compared to the other brothers so far.

 

“Let's see, now this one is Toru-niisan, and he's 26. He's not married either. He came here in 1996 and graduated back in 2000 with lots of honors, just like my other two brothers. He was considering becoming a professional soccer player, but finally decided to focus on anthropology and archeology. Other than soccer, he's always been into history, ancient civilizations, and geology. He's in graduate school now in England at the University of Cambridge.”

 

Toru had long brown hair, slim and tall just like Keisuke and was standing in front of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, known as the Round Church, one of the oldest buildings in all of Cambridge. He also had a round baby face, like Keisuke, and also wore glasses, but, he didn't really look like Keisuke. Mimi couldn't put her finger on it, though. His hair was tied back into a single ponytail, like most guys with long hair. To Mimi, Toru seemed to be extremely cute to her. A small tinge of pink made its way to her cheeks. She couldn't help but wonder what someone like Yuuko would think of Toru.

 

“This is my younger brother, Yeijiro. He's 20 and started here almost a year ago. He's probably up in his room studying. So far, he's making high scores, like always. He's into researching and science. He's majoring in chemistry. I'm not sure which branch of chemistry he's interested in, though, or what he'll get into once he's done here. I have this feeling that he's going to end up going abroad too, either way, probably someplace in America. Just like with Toru-niisan, he's always wanted to live abroad.”

 

The photo of Yeijiro was a very nice one, in Mimi's opinion. It was a high school graduation photo and on either side of him was an elderly man and an elderly woman. Mimi figured that they were the Fujitani brothers' grandparents. He had short brown hair and didn't look like either of the Fujitani brothers. The other brothers seemed to share some features, but Yeijiro was definitely the odd one out looks wise. His height seemed average and seemed to be a normal size. Mimi figured that Yeijiro took after his mother more so than his father or vice-versa.

 

“Now, this is my younger sister, Izumi-chan. She's 19. She hasn't started university yet.” He rolled his eyes. “My parents haven't fully decided her future yet. My sister and I are the black sheep of the family, seemingly. We're constantly threatened of being kicked out by our family because of what we enjoy.”

 

Izumi had long brown hair, the same round face as Keisuke, and a very pretty smile. Izumi and Keisuke could've been twins. She was a bit tall for your average girl, but still looked to be a nice, normal size.

 

“And, as you know, I'm Keisuke. I'm 23 and started up here two years ago. I spent my year after graduation arguing with my family about majoring in something more humanities related, but ended up majoring in something more science-based. My sister is going through the same hell as me. She wants to become a songwriter and a musician, but my parents won't allow it, unless she gets into something more dignified, like *enka, not rock or pop. I really sense something like that or *ikebana in her future. She was taught all that stuff over the years, much to her dislike for it.

 

“I just don't understand my parents. With Kyuwa-niisama, they were fully behind him because he was pursuing a career in medicine, and went on about how it's a respectful profession, and good because, `you are helping people'. The same goes for Masaki-niisan, whose choices they were also behind. What was really surprising was how they were with Toru-niisan.

 

“They weren't thrilled about him going abroad, but at first, he wanted to become a professional soccer player! Do you know what the chances are of anyone going professional in anything is? They were even supportive of him, but were more approving of him when he decided to take up some form of a science. It's just not fair!

 

“With me, they constantly say, `What are the chances of your becoming a professional artist', and `There is no future in becoming an artist in this day and age. They all starve', or `What are the chances of your becoming a published author if you become a writer?' It's the same for my sister. She has a lot of musical talent, and would do great if in a rock band. She can write music, play instruments, and has a great singing voice!”

 

He was about to continue on with his rants, when he noticed the looks on Koushirou and Mimi's faces, which clearly meant, “Why is he telling us all of this?”

 

“Oh, I'm sorry for rambling.”

 

“Erm, that's okay,” Mimi said while giving him a sympathetic smile. “We don't mind listening to you ramble.” Koushirou minded, as he felt it wasn't any of his business to know of how the Fujitani family managed things.

 

“I really shouldn't be. It's a bad habit I've always seemed to have, talking more than what I should. Well, let's get you to the front desk. I'm sorry for holding you up by giving you my life story.”

 

The three, once again, started off towards the information desk.

 

“Hey, you never did tell me who the teacher was that you were trying to get information on.”

 

“His name was Fukami Satoru-san. Do you know anything based on your older brothers' stories?” asked Koushirou.

 

“Hm, sorry. It doesn't ring a bell. Kyuwa-niisama might, though. What did he teach?”

 

“He was a lecturer of math.”

 

“I was so young when he attended here. Kyuwa-niisama did used to complain about his math and science classes sometimes to Masaki-niisan, but I don't remember if he ever mentioned the names. Kyuwa-niisama and Masaki-niisan all went back and forth to school as opposed to staying at the apartments nearby or in the dormitories, which is why I remember that bit at least. Still ironic how niisama became the doctor of the family.”

 

The three had finally arrived at the information desk. The two had somehow managed to come in on the other side of the school. How was beyond either one of them.

 

“Here we are. The front desk is right over---uh-oh.”

 

“Keisuke-san, what's wrong?” asked Mimi.

 

“Good luck getting any useful information out of her,” he warned. “That's Anje and not the other woman who's usually there.”

 

“So what's wrong with her?”

 

Keisuke frowned at Mimi's question while eyeing the woman. “She isn't the nicest person in the world. I actually heard a rumor that she was fired for insulting one of the students' younger siblings recently. I guess they're letting her finish out the week. She's been snapping at everyone, but I'm not sure if that's the reason for her being fired. I also heard that she's had a bad romantic life and lost her husband or boyfriend or whatever to a much younger girl, which is why she treats everyone so badly in general. She also seems to really dislike children, though, based on the rumor.”

 

“If she's so mean, why is she allowed to be in a position where she has to talk to people?” Mimi stared at the woman curiously. `I wonder why he only calls her Anje.'

 

“I have no idea. She must know someone who works here for her of all people to get that type of a job or maybe, at one point in her life, she was actually a nice person. It's too bad that I've never seen her being nice before. She's evil, spiteful, and downright unpleasant. Did you two hear about what happened near here yesterday? Some girl was attacked, and Anje just scoffed at the entire thing, saying that the `girl probably deserved it'.”

 

Mimi stared up at Keisuke and then back to the woman, her face going partially red in anger. She definitely didn't want to meet this woman face to face if what Keisuke was saying was true. She'd have to use all of her restraint to keep from saying something unnecessary and rude to her. Koushirou couldn't believe that someone could even think that way.

 

“It's a real shame. I don't know all of the details, but I feel sorry for the girl that was involved. When the commotion started up, I headed out there, but I didn't get a good look at the girl or the other person those around claimed was there. I only saw the guy who attacked the girl. The only thing I know about the girl was that she was supposedly pretty according to my friend, Yutaka-kun. That aside, I really hope she's okay.”

 

“I'm sure that she's fine,” Mimi uttered softly, with as little emotion as possible. She was trying to keep herself from crying as she was going out of her way to not think of the previous day.

 

Koushirou looked to his friend sadly. “Mimi-san…”

 

“I'm sorry. I'm okay, just the thought of someone saying something so heartless and cold upsets me,” she stated rather quickly.

 

“Leave it up to one guy to make us decent ones look bad, but thinking about it, that's something you two shouldn't have to worry yourselves over.” The clock chimed. It was now 17:30 (5:30). He sighed. “I better get going, but before I do, what are your names? I spent so much time scaring you with my life story, I never got the opportunity to ask and I didn't give you much of one for you two.”

 

“Izumi Koushirou.”

 

“Tachikawa Mimi.”

 

“It was nice meeting you, and once again, I'm sorry for boring you with my twisted family with their messed up, out-of-date priorities.”

 

“That's okay, Keisuke-san. Mimi-san and I thank you for showing us here.”

 

“It was no problem at all and good luck with Anje. Oh yeah, I know you're probably wondering about the name. Well, that's what we all call her, so don't worry about it. Oh yeah, if you ever need help with anything, just ask around for me. I could always ask my brother about that instructor you were looking for information on.”

 

With that, the boy rushed off, leaving the two at the information desk.

 

“Keisuke-san is a very nice person, and I'm willing to bet that Toru-san is too!”

 

“How would you know if you've never even met him?”

 

“Ooh, the desk! Go on and ask your question!”

 

Koushirou gave the girl a look, almost wondering why she seemed to change the subject so abruptly. With that, he walked up to the desk where a pretty woman, who looked to be in her mid to late 30s, with bouncy black hair, sat, filing her nails, and seemed semi-annoyed while doing so. Due to the woman's focus being on her nails, she'd yet to see either Koushirou or Mimi. When she blew on her nails, she looked up to see the two standing there. She rolled her eyes at them, as if preparing herself for the worst.

 

“Um, hello there…Ou-Ouguchi-san,” Koushirou began hesitantly, hoping that he wasn't misreading the woman's name plate. `Big mouth Anje? Is that right? Her whole name is kind of strange.'

 

“Yeah, whatever, that's my name.”

 

“Well, yes, Ouguchi-san, I am trying to obtain some information about a former instructor.”

 

“That helps me so much,” she sarcastically replied.

 

Mimi didn't care for this woman already, and was even more irritable than what Keisuke had warned them of.

 

“Why are a couple of kids snooping around here anyway? What makes you think that I would know about the person you're looking for information on?”

 

“Maybe because this is the information desk,” Mimi shot back smartly, though unintentional.

 

“Whatever,” she huffed. “Who do you want this information on?”

 

“Fukami Satoru-san. He was a lecturer of math here, but stopped teaching here almost 14 years ago because---”

 

“Why do you want this information on him?” she rudely interrupted.

 

“I guess I could say for my own personal use. I'm working on something and I need more information or a photo or anything you can find on him so that I may finish it. It's very important that I obtain this.”

 

“You sure are pushy,” the woman muttered sourly.

 

“Old hag,” Mimi muttered under her breath in English.

 

“What did you say?” demanded Anje.

 

“Oh rad!” She wasn't sure if Anje knew any English terms or slang, and decided to cover up just in case.

 

“Whatever,” she growled. She was growing to hate Mimi more by the minute. “Why in the world do you want a photo of a man who no longer works here?”

 

Growing annoyed over being questioned as if he were on trial, he nearly snapped back at her. “Because I do, that's why!”

 

“You have no right coming in here acting all disrespectful to me! Don't you know that you're supposed to respect your elders, boy?!”

 

“It is very difficult to respect or consider you an elder when you are acting like a child yourself,” he responded coolly before he realized it.

 

“Ugh! That does it! I can't stand kids, especially ones like your kind! I came here so I wouldn't have to put up with brats!”

 

“But that's not fair!” the redhead protested.

 

“Not so cool now, are you?” she sneered. “It isn't fair that kids like you exist! Whatever happened to controlling the pet population! There are too damn many of you!!” The woman raised her voice, and began shouting at them. “Now get the hell out of here you redhead, and take your bimbo of a girlfriend with you! I hate her kind the most! Probably nothing but a slut! A hussy who steals men from more deserving women!”

 

Some of the students who had passed by, heard what the woman had said to the two, and muttered amongst themselves over how the woman shouldn't even be allowed in the building. Others were surprised that she was allowed to associate with fellow human beings given her attitude problem, and how that definitely made the school look bad. Amongst the students was Keisuke, who had actually forgotten that his class wasn't meeting and won't for the next couple of weeks. Since he had no class, he decided to come back to see how Koushirou and Mimi were doing with Anje and to get a bite to eat in the commons area. When he walked up there, he'd heard what she'd said about Mimi being a `bimbo' and even worse, `a slut' and a 'hussy'.

 

Koushirou and Mimi were too shocked to say much of anything. Keisuke walked up to the two. This woman wasn't just rude, she was downright impossible. Keisuke definitely hadn't prepared them for that. Mimi was really at a loss as to how she should respond to the insult, seeing as how she'd never received one before, not in the way Anje had delivered it, anyway. She was almost ready to blow her top at the lady and to give her a piece of her mind. She was already upset over how Anje felt that Doppo's victim was deserving of it, but the other insult was just as bad. One advantage of living in New York for a while was that she had toughened up slightly.

 

Mimi was just about to argue, but Keisuke spoke up first. “Anje! How could you talk to them like that?! Just because you dislike children doesn't mean you should take it out on them! Not only is it unfair and disrespectful, it's unprofessional of you too!”

 

“Stay out of this!” the woman snapped at him. “Stop getting on my case for stating the truth! That boy is a redheaded brat and that girl with him is an annoying ugly bimbo!”

 

Keisuke, as well as the other students around, were starting to get upset with this lady. Koushirou on the other hand had nearly reached his limit, and was so annoyed over her attitude that he dropped that polite and courteous guise that he was well known for.

 

“Look here lady,” he pointed a finger at her threateningly, “I don't care if you dislike children or not, but you have no right insulting us just because we are still children to you! Also, how dare you insult Mimi-san! She's prettier to me than a person like you could ever be…”

****

Mimi stared at Koushirou for a moment, taking in what he'd just said. `Did he just say that I was pretty?'

****

“…because she's kind and caring and nice to everyone. She has a great personality and she is definitely not a bimbo because bimbos tend to be brainless and dumb! She's definitely not a slut or a hussy, because she's pure and innocent! You are quite ugly yourself with that attitude of yours! Ten times it in fact!”

 

“Koushirou, don't waste your time.” She gave the lady an arrogant look. “Anje-baba is just jealous because I actually have people who care about me, unlike her!”

 

Everyone who was gathered around clapped for the crack delivered by Mimi, and for the way both Koushirou and Keisuke had stood up to her.

 

“Why you little…” she huffed under her breath. The lady picked up the phone on her desk, about to call in security, when a heavyset man cut through the crowd to get to the front desk.

 

“Is there some kind of a problem here?” the man asked.

 

“Yes, Watanabe-san! There are,” she gagged while pointing to Koushirou and Mimi, “children on the grounds and they're causing trouble.”

 

“She was insulting towards us. I asked her for help and just because of our ages, she treated us disrespectfully.”

 

“Children are meant to be seen, not heard!” she hissed.

 

“You know, Ouguchi-san,” began Keisuke, who only called her as such because of the man nearby, “that's what we call discrimination. You can get into trouble in some places for doing something like that.” He gave her a smug look.

 

“Why don't you go back to whatever class it is you're here for that you're probably failing anyway? You're one of those Fujitani brothers, aren't you?”

 

“Yeah, I am; what of it?”

 

“You're the one that's shaming your family, aren't you? You're the big disgrace of your family!” Those around gasped at the woman's harsh words. “I know all about you since your brothers have a legacy here. The Fujitani family, one of the oldest around in this area, have always had high praise! Now, you on the other hand, stand out like a sore thumb with all of your brothers being successful and worth something, but you're the complete opposite! You have a younger brother, who attends here too, and he has all honors, great at sports…and then there's you. I'm surprised you even passed the exam to get into this university, and it wouldn't surprise me if you don't even graduate with your class, unless you bribe your way out!”

 

Keisuke managed to keep his cool, though it was difficult, and grew pretty defensive. He couldn't help but wonder how his younger brother, Yeijiro, would've reacted to the statement.

 

“Don't get mad at me just because you can't seem to get along with people! I may be the outcast of my family, but at least I'm choosing my own path! Just because my brothers were great in all that they were interested in doesn't mean that I will be in something that doesn't interest me at all!” he spat back. `That does it! I'm going to switch my major and I'm going to study literature. I hate science! I want to become a professional writer, and if mother and father disapprove and threaten to kick me out of the family, then too bad! At least I'll be happier pursuing something that's literally interesting to me!'

 

“Another child that would be better off not existing…”

 

“I'm an adult!”

 

“Look here you runty four-eyed---”

 

“That is enough!” Mr. Watanabe bellowed before Anje could get another word out. He then turned to all of the people who'd gathered around, bowed, and apologized. He then instructed everyone to disperse.

 

Keisuke remained after the others had gone. The man apologized even more so to the boy for the things Anje had said about his family. He then turned his attention to Koushirou and Mimi, and pulled them aside.

 

“Please, on behalf of the university, we are truly sorry for the way Ms. Ouguchi acted. This was supposed to be her last week here, but the way she just carried on was very uncalled for. I will definitely report her to the head of the board. I am sure they will be in agreement about letting her go earlier than expected.

 

“That aside, I am Watanabe Toshika, head of the Admissions Department here at Odaiba University. What's the problem?”

 

Mimi crossed her arms. `That woman!'

 

“Are you two considering attending here once you're finished with high school?”

 

“No sir. We haven't looked into that yet. We are here to find some information on a past instructor.”

 

“A past instructor?” He rubbed his chin. “Hmm, I might be able to help you with that. I've been here a long time and I got to know the staff as if they were family.”

 

“Thank you sir! I'm Izumi Koushirou, and this is my friend, Tachikawa Mimi-san. I'm trying to find some information on a former math lecturer by the name of Fukami Satoru-san. He taught here up until his unexpected expiration back in April of 1990.”

 

“Oh, yes, Fukami-san. I remember him,” the man frowned. “He was one of the youngest instructors here. He was a great man, Fukami. He was a really dedicated teacher. The last time I really associated with him was at that party that the faculty threw after he and his family returned from a conference in America. He stayed there a bit later because of his wife at the time.

 

“I don't know what kind of information I could give about him aside from the obvious.” He scratched his balding head. “Both he and his wife were killed in a car crash. The couple also had a child, but who knows whatever happened to him. Fukami-san didn't have any other family aside from his wife, and I'm sure that she didn't have any. I also heard that the boy was with them when the two died, but managed to survive the crash unharmed. I don't know anything more than that. I'm assuming the boy was eventually placed.

 

“Other than what I said, is there anything else I can do to assist you?”

 

“Well, I was wondering exactly why my fa…Fukami-san decided to teach here and how he came here or maybe photos if you have anything like that.”

 

“Well, I feel he came here for two reasons, the first one being that we had an opening and the second was for his love of mathematics. Seems he wanted to share his knowledge with others. His teaching methods were also kind of different. He wasn't the type to just have you open up your textbook while he worked from the chalkboard, writing up different equations and all that. If the students couldn't figure out one of his math problems, he would let the students test him and his work wasn't always right when he worked them out, but I think he purposely did that so that the students would have some confidence. I only think so because when the students took it, they would always brag about how they scored better than `Fukami-hakase'or 'Fukami-san', who would turn around and give the students even more challenging work. I'm sure the students caught on, though, but that did challenge them.

 

“As for photos, no, we don't have any. I don't have any, and the ones that were around at the time were damaged in a small fire. We didn't lose much, but photographs and old publications were damaged. We did used to have a memorial dedicated to him but that was taken down many years ago. Who knows where all of that stuff is now.”

 

“Thank you, sir, for that information. It was very helpful.” The look on Koushirou's face was a bit resolute, filled with a bit of disappointment.

 

Mr. Watanabe stared at Koushirou closely. `This boy reminds me of Miki-chan a little bit. It's that hair of his…'

 

After the formalities of thanking one another, he slowly walked off with Mimi a short ways behind him. They started past the information desk, noticing Anje scowling at the two of them. Koushirou was going to ignore everything dealing with the woman as he just wanted to leave. Keisuke was a little ways away as well. He had been waiting for them, and was going to offer treating them to a meal since they'd had such a rough evening.”

 

“Koushirou-kun, Mimi-chan…” He ran over to them. Before he could ask anything, Anje started up.

 

“Did you get your worthless information on your old teacher,” the woman asked presumptuously while filing her nails.

 

“Anje is still at it,” muttered Keisuke. He was about to defend the two, but a certain redhead beat him to it.

 

“Yes, I managed to get some information on my father, which I tried to get when coming here yesterday, but of course some idiot had to cause trouble by being sex crazed, which hindered our search even more!” Koushirou continued on with his rants, which, more than likely, consisted of mostly pent up anger and irritation that had been building up for quite some time. “Yes, I managed to get information about a man I never had the honor of meeting because I never knew of his existence, as that fact was kept away from me for years! About my not being their real son! Living a lie for all of my life about who I really am and about where I really come from! Yes, I did find out about him. I now understand why I have a love for math and working with computers and why I have this yearning to obtain and retain knowledge! Yes, I got some of the information I was looking for that I've been seeking for a good while now, no thanks to you…you, you…”

 

Koushirou refrained from finishing and gave off a frustrated yell to keep from saying something that would make Mrs. Izumi ashamed to associate with him.

 

“His father…yesterday?” Keisuke blinked, putting two and two together.

 

Koushirou ran out of the front door, leaving the puzzled looking woman behind.

 

“His father?” Anje wondered.

 

Mimi gave Keisuke an apologetic look, and then rushed off after Koushirou.

 

`Poor Koushirou-kun. Hey, wait a minute! He mentioned something about yesterday. Even though that attack caused a lot of commotion, that shouldn't have hindered his getting the information he needed and I'm assuming Mimi-chan was with him, since he said `our search', not `my search'. Could that mean…that… No, could it? Mimi-chan must was the one attacked yesterday! Her reaction to Anje was a strong one after I told her about what she said about the victim! I just had to go and talk about it! That probably made her feel terrible!' He smacked his head in stupidity. `Keisuke no baka!'

 

“What in the world happened?” asked Mr. Watanabe.

 

“Father?” Anje said again. “That redheaded delinquent said something about the teacher he wanted information for was his father…”

 

“His father?! That's the child?! That boy was the child that Fukami-san brought back after the conference! No wonder he resembled his wife so much! It's her son! That boy can't be any older than 14 or 15 years old. Of course I wouldn't recognize him. The last time I saw that child, he was under a year old and I barely remember what he looked like from then.” He turned to Anje angrily. “You really messed up! We've tried to be lenient since you're the President's niece, but you had no right to treat that boy and his friend like that! That boy's mother and father were both killed shortly after they returned from America years ago.”

 

`The parents of Koushirou-kun died in an accident? Does that mean that he grew up as an orphan?'

 

“Who cares? People die,” she jeered. “At least they died together as a loving couple,” she cynically mocked.

 

Mr. Watanabe shook his head. He just didn't understand why this woman was filled with so much hatred and disdain…

****

“Koushirou!! Chotto matte yo!” Mimi called out in a slight whine while trying to catch up to him. The last thing Mimi wanted was to walk around on the streets, especially within the vicinity of the school, by herself. Even though the occurrence was a rare one, she still didn't know if she'd ever feel safe anymore due to what did happen. It was almost 18:30 (6:30) and it was getting pretty dark out.

 

Hearing his name being called, he stopped running, trying to keep his angry tears from flowing. “That old…ugh!” the boy nearly cursed. “I should give her a computer virus so extreme that it'll wipe out her entire hard drive, and no matter how hard she tries, she'll be unable to retrieve or restore anything!!”

 

Mimi grabbed the boy by his arm, which calmed his resolve some. “Koushirou, please calm down. At least we know what your father was like. You learned a lot from Mitsuishi-san.”

 

“One photo, that's all I ask. Why in the world can I not find one?!”

 

Mimi let go of his arm and gave him a small smile. “We will, you just have to remain positive. I know that we'll get all the information that you need to find out more about your real parents and I promise to help you in the best way that I can.”

 

Koushirou smiled in spite of himself and nodded to her. “Thanks.”

 

“We do have a lot of information already thanks to Mitsuishi-san. We even found out how you were born in America.”

 

“That is true.” Right at that moment, Koushirou's stomach growled some. “Mimi-san, would you like to grab a bite to eat for dinner? I never had the chance to treat you yesterday like I originally promised.”

 

`He was serious about that?' the girl thought in surprise. “W-well, um, s-sure, if you'd still like to.”

 

“O-okay. Well, let's go.”

 

Koushirou started off, Mimi joining him. She had no idea where he was going or if he was just going to go to the first place he came to.

 

“Hey, Koushirou, what is your opinion on Misao-kun, Yuuji-kun, Seki-kun, and Ukyo-kun?”

 

“They're okay, I guess.”

 

“Do you really think that they were going to hurt you?”

 

“Hm, not entirely. I do know that Takamatsu-san isn't the type to fight. He didn't even seem to be swinging hard,” he told her. `I'm not going to let her know that I feel almost the complete opposite.'

 

“I'm glad to hear that. I think I'll forgive them. They were just concerned about me.”

 

“I guess…”

 

“B-but I'm not going to say or do anything until they apologize to you first, of-of course!”

 

“That's nice…”

 

Mimi realized that the conversation wasn't going anyplace, and really didn't want to walk in an awkward silence either, like the time a few days earlier when he walked her home.

 

“You know, we're getting all of this good information for the project, but we haven't come up with a way to present it. We only have until the end of the week.”

 

“Oh yeah, you're right!”

 

“Not to worry though, I'm sure we can come up with something.”

 

Koushirou and Mimi continued walking until the boy stopped in front of a cozy looking place, with a semi-full parking lot. “In the mood for Italian cuisine?” he asked coolly. `I saw this on the map earlier. I'm sure she'll enjoy a place like this and the prices are pretty reasonable.'

 

“W-wow, but this is Saizeriya. Isn't this type of place expensive? I don't have that much extra on me.”

 

“Don't worry about it,” he told her confidently. “I said that it was my treat.”

 

Mimi couldn't argue, and the two entered the family-style Italian restaurant with all of the Italian decorations and pictures throughout the place. They were led to a booth and given a menu.

 

The two looked over the items on the menu. Mimi saw a lot of tasty looking foods and decided on having a melon soda and a spaghetti dish with a gorgonzola white sauce. Koushirou was actually in the mood for pizza, but decided to get a pasta dish instead. He also decided to order an appetizer for them, an order of garlic toast, which came with four pieces of toast. For his meal, Koushirou ordered spaghetti and some oolong tea. The two were given moist towels to wipe their hands off. After a short wait, the garlic toast and the drinks were served. The toast was left in the middle of the table and two smaller plates were set in front of the two. Koushirou put two on Mimi's plate and the other two on his.

 

“I can't believe how rude that woman was,” Mimi complained while nibbling on her toast. “She had no right to insult us like that!”

 

“Most definitely,” he nodded. “Just to think, she's supposed to be our role model and mentor since she's our elder. I can't help but wonder how she ended up like that in the first place.”

 

“Who knows, but are you going to go back and apologize to her?”

 

Koushirou finished down his first piece of toast and shook his head. “I have nothing to be sorry for,” he firmly told her. “She was rude to us and worst of all, was her treatment of you. She had no right to refer to you in such a manner. I apologize for being out of character there, but I couldn't hold back. Something just…snapped in me.”

 

Mimi gave him a coy smile. “In a way, I kind of like that side of you. I'm glad that you defend yourself when it's necessary.”

 

“Th-thank you, but, I think I will go back and apologize for making a scene to Watanabe-san.”

 

“Hm, either way, I feel that it's very admirable that you stood up for me. I was also glad that Keisuke-san came back to defend us too. I wonder if Toru-san would have done the same…”

 

Koushirou cut her a suspicious look. “What is it with you and Toru-san?”

 

She began to nibble on her second piece of toast, and abruptly changed the subject. “So, what are you going to do to present your project?”

 

“I haven't really given it much thought. I suppose I could do something nice and simple, like a Power Point presentation. Ishidzuka-sensei never did specify what he wanted; just that it couldn't be something boring, whatever that means.”

 

“I know about that program a little. You can do slide shows and stuff on the computer. Don't you usually need pictures for that?” Mimi said while guzzling down some of her soda.

 

“Yes, but I'm sure I'll manage to find something.”

 

The two were silent again, Koushirou drinking his tea. Mimi found it amazing how this boy could drink oolong tea with pretty much anything. Either way, she still hated the fact that they were both quiet again and figured mentioning the project was the cause of it.

 

“So, um, Koushirou…you never did tell me what happened yesterday with-with the police.”

 

He looked across at her surprisingly. “I didn't think you'd want to get into something like that.”

 

“You're right, I really don't, but I feel that I should know everything and what we'll have to go through later.”

 

“If you say so,” he sighed. He ran his hand through his short red hair, trying to determine where to begin the story. “Well, Lieutenant Tsuya came over yesterday as opposed to the sergeant. Luckily, my parents weren't around…”

 

“Why is that lucky?”

 

“I don't really want them to know. They don't know why I went to Hikarigaoka or where I went yesterday, and given the circumstances, I don't feel that I should tell them,” he explained wistfully. `I don't want them to feel that I'm trying to replace them…I just want information and that's all. I refuse to let it go beyond that…'

 

“Oh…”

 

“Well, all she did was talk about the reward that I specifically said I wanted no part of, but she kept insisting on it. I finally told her, I'll get back to her on that, and only after I talk to you about it. We also talked about the press and I asked her to remind them that whatever they write and print to make sure that the two of us remain anonymous. I-I'm sure that you wouldn't want something like that publicly known, especially at school. I also wouldn't want that type of attention, but I really insisted because of you and your state. I feel that you should talk about those types of things when you are ready to, not by force from the inquisitive ones around you…I know I would dislike it.”

 

“That was really nice of you,” the girl responded slowly.

 

“I wasn't sure what to do. I just felt it would be better for you if we weren't directly mentioned.”

 

“So…how much was the reward?”

 

“What?”

 

Before Mimi could ask again, the server came back with their orders. The both of them thanked her. It was now a little past 19:00 (7:00). It took a while to get their dishes prepared because there was a lot of business that evening, which the server apologized for. After the server had walked off, Koushirou was ready to jump into his spaghetti, but stopped and waited for Mimi.

 

Mimi's eyes seemed to light up to the boy. “Oh!! This is so delicious!!! You really do pick good places to eat, Koushirou.”

 

“I wouldn't mind a pizza after this,” the boy said while rolling up the spaghetti on his fork. He hadn't even heard what the girl had said, as he just knew that the meal wouldn't fill him up completely. `Hm, guess I'll eat my lunch from earlier today after I get home, or eat whatever mother's cooked for dinner or both maybe…'

 

Mimi could only sweat drop over the statement. `He has such a big appetite for such a small guy. He's like a-a garbage disposal! The strange thing is that he never seems to gain any weight,' the girl thought as she watched the boy consume the food. “So, how much was the reward?”

 

“The reward was actually somewhat high. The families of the previous victims had pooled together a lot of money for his capture and it came to Â¥10,000,000 which is close to about…$100,000 from what I figured after converting it over. It seems that all of the victims picked up by that guy, coincidentally, came from well-to-do families. The girls were also the types who'd always dress really nicely and would go to spas and get many beauty treatments, which made them even greater targets, along with their long hair.

 

“Before you say anything, I researched the guy. I'm not going to go beyond what I just said, though. It's too horrendous to continue it.”

 

“I understand, but why did you waste the time to convert it over to American currency?”

 

“After looking up that Doppo guy, I felt I needed something to do to get my mind off of everything, so I tried to convert it over. It was also good practice for me. We have to take our English test soon.”

 

“That is true.”

 

“I still can't help but wonder why we first and second years are doing all of this testing. We don't normally do so at this time of the year.”

 

“It's even more unfair that only our school is going through this!”

 

“I wonder if it's their way of compensating for agreeing to the dance idea.”

 

“Who knows…”

 

The girl had been eating pretty slowly, and had grown quiet. For once in Koushirou's life, he noticed. Normally when it came to food, he tuned the rest of the world out. He saw that her plate was still nearly full, while his was almost empty.

 

“Mimi-san, is something wrong?”

 

“Well, no…not entirely,” she slightly frowned. “I was just thinking about yesterday again, even though I promised myself I wouldn't, but I just feel very guilty over it.”

 

“Guilty? Why are you feeling guilty?”

 

“For not telling my aunt, mother, father, or uncle about what happened. My aunt was very worried about me last night, and even called my mother. I spoke with her for a while, but didn't really get into what had been bothering me.” She sighed. “For once, since I've come back here, I'm homesick for America. I wish my mother were here. I really feel that I need her…my father too, but not as much as her right now…or if I can't see her…maybe Palmon. She would always listen to me and lend an ear…”

 

The redhead noticed that Mimi was trying to keep herself from crying, and was uncertain as to how he should even respond to what she'd said. Everything was just getting so difficult for him with her. He was starting to miss the good old days where they would talk about fun things, even if he couldn't relate to everything she found fun and vice-versa for her with him when it came to figuring out how computers worked, but they did usually enjoy the company of one another.

 

“Well…um…what do you want to do?” ask Koushirou as the server returned to refill their drinks.

 

“A part of me wants to share it, but another part of me feels ashamed if I do because they would worry and probably try to shelter me again as a way of protecting me. I do not want that again. My own parents made that mistake with me, and look at all of the trouble it caused!”

 

“What do you mean? What trouble did it cause?”

 

“Our first adventure in the Digital World.” She continued eating her pasta.

 

“Oh, that. Well, I don't think that should really count. None of us were prepared for such an adventure.”

 

“But it took me a much longer time to grasp onto the reality of our situation, like Takeru-kun in some ways, because of how sheltered I was! Moving back out here has given me that sense of independence that I'd been yearning for and my aunt and uncle really believe in me when it comes to my independence. I just feel that if I share this with them, that they'll start treating me like my younger cousins, who actually do need to be watched over given their ages.”

 

“I really wouldn't worry about that. I know of your aunt and your uncle, and I don't think they'd try to keep you in the house against your will just because something so unfortunate happened.”

 

“I hope so…”

 

After that, Koushirou decided to steer the conversation away from such a depressing topic, and started to talk about something more fun-filled. For Mimi's sake, he started to talk about her four admirers, which prompted Mimi to tell him about how they'd dressed for Sora's party. Koushirou was really surprised that they'd done something so silly and actually couldn't help but laugh at the thought. Mimi laughed as well, going on about how she should get “Ayame-chan to print out the pictures”.

 

Once done with their meals, Mimi asked Koushirou if he was full. He just lied and told her “yes”.

 

“So, Mimi-san, would you like some dessert?”

 

“D-dessert?”

 

“Yes, and I have the perfect thing in mind. The food server should be returning soon, and I'll order it for you.”

 

“B-but…”

 

“Mimi-san, this is my present to you for yesterday. I had already had this in mind. Please enjoy it.”

 

“Oh-okay…” She wasn't sure how to respond.

 

After the food server returned, Koushirou ordered Mimi one of the restaurant's latest specialties, a slice of their white chocolate cheese cake. Mimi was surprised at the combination, but the boy recalled Mimi going on one time about New York style cheesecake every time she would talk about foods from having lived there.

 

“Thank you so much, Koushirou.”

 

After a while, the server returned with the exquisite looking slice of cake. Mimi offered Koushirou a piece, but he turned it down and kept reiterating that this was his gift to her for yesterday. After the first taste, her eyes sparkled. It was very good.

 

Once done, the server gave them their check, which came to ¥1720.

 

“Koushirou, that's a lot. Let me pay at least part.”

 

“It's no problem. I already offered to pay.”

 

“But with that amount, that'd be a bit unfair.”

 

“Don't worry, it's no problem…besides, I really want to…”

 

“Th-thank you.”

 

He smiled to her. “You're welcome, and I'm really glad you enjoyed the meal.” He pulled out the Â¥2000 note that he'd received from his father just a few days earlier and paid the bill. After receiving his change, the two headed home. Given that it was past 20:00 (8:00), they took a taxi back, though Mimi was a bit reluctant to do so.

 

Koushirou paid the cheap cab fare after arriving at the Nishimura home, and hopped out along with Mimi.

****

Inside of the Nishimura home were Miyako and Sora. They had just been let in by Mrs. Nishimura and were in the sitting room. Sué was surprised over how Mimi hadn't even arrived home yet and how Miyako and Sora were there before her. Miyako and Sora then heard a car pull up. Looking through the window, they saw two familiar figures getting out of it.

 

“Is that Mimi-chan?” asked Sora.

 

Miyako tried to get a better look. “It looks like both her and Izumi-senpai.”

 

The two watched Koushirou and Mimi as they talked, curious as to what they could have been saying, as they couldn't hear from where they currently were.

****

“I'm sorry that we didn't manage to find out everything that you wanted to today.”

 

“That's okay. It's like you said, we learned a lot from Mitsuishi-san.”

 

“So, what are we going to do tomorrow night?”

****

*RP cues the Pinky and the Brain Theme*

****

“The same thing I try to do every night, Mimi-san…try to take over Microsoft!” He laughed diabolically.

 

“Huh? What?” She started to look around. “Where is that music coming from?”

****

*RP cues the music to stop*

****

“Erm, I guess we go to the next school on the list, which is Toudai.”

 

“So, I guess we'll go there after class lets out.”

 

“If you'd like. We can take the train there and the fare would be pretty cheap too for that distance. Let's see,” he began to mutter, “the main campus is in Bunkyou and the closest station to there would be…Hongo sanchome-eki, but since we're on the Yurikamome line, we'll have to transfer a couple of times, since Hongo sanchome can be reached if on one of the trains of the Toei Oedo Line or the Tokyo Metro Line…” He looked back to Mimi. “It'd be faster than taking the bus and I'll plan out a route for us later.”

 

“Okay. That could work.”

****

Meanwhile, back in the house…

 

“Oh, I can't hear what they're saying from here!” complained Miyako. “I'm going outside.”

 

“Miyako-chan, we shouldn't…”

 

“It'll be fine. We'll just open the front door and stand there so that we can greet Mimi-oneesama when she comes in.”

 

Sora didn't protest, as she knew it wouldn't have done any good, and followed Miyako back outside.

****

The two stood there for a while in a tense silence.

 

“Well, I guess this is goodnight,” Koushirou responded awkwardly. He didn't understand why he had knots in his stomach, or why his heartbeat seemed to become more rhythmic than earlier. One thing was certain, for some unusual reason, he wasn't ready to part ways with Mimi yet. He wanted to spend more time with her. `Why? She's just Mimi-san…'

 

“Y-yeah, I'll see you during lunch tomorrow. I'll meet you in the computer lab. How's that?”

 

“S-sure thing.”

 

Mimi walked backwards up the walkway, waving. “Thank you very much for dinner! I enjoyed it very much, especially the cake.”

 

“It's no problem,” he called back to her. “If you would like, we could go out again, my treat. You can also choose the place if you'd like, since tonight's place was somewhat spur of the moment.”

****

“Dinner!?” both girls exclaimed.

 

“They went out on a date?!”

 

At that moment, Sué joined the two, overhearing Miyako's accusation of Mimi being out on a date. “Did you two say something about a date?”

 

“Oh no. We were just trying to…”

 

“…agree on a date to go out during our spring vacation,” Sora said.

 

“Well, that's nice, but I still wish Mimi-chan were here. It's not really late, but she is usually home by now and she usually always tells us if she's going to come home later than usual so that I don't prepare too much for dinner. I guess it's okay though since you two mentioned she was spending the evening with Koushirou-kun again.”

 

“Take a look. Mimi-chan is here now, and Koushirou-kun is at the end of the pathway.”

****

“I can't wait! I'll see you tomorrow at school.”

 

The girl couldn't help but smile a little. She really was looking forward to spending time with Koushirou again. She turned around to walk up the pathway. Once reaching the front door, she ended up facing an exasperated aunt, a curious Sora, and a nosy Miyako.

 

“I'm glad you finally got home,” Sué told her.

 

“Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you or anything. I really lost track of the time.”

 

“Mimi-chan, with you living here, you have to realize that your uncle and I are, in a way, responsible for you, so if it's not too much of a bother, please let us know whenever you're going to come home later than usual. If I know ahead of time, I won't have to cook as much.”

 

“Yes, ma'am.”

 

“No need to be so formal,” the woman laughed. “Would you like anything to eat?”

 

“No thanks. I've eaten, but I do promise to let you know if I'm going to be late.”

 

“That's all I ask,” she smiled. “Now, you three girls get along. I'm sure you have lots to talk about.”

 

Miyako nodded vigorously, and grabbed Mimi's arm, pulling her up the stairs. Sora couldn't help but laugh at Miyako's display, as she joined the two in Mimi's room…

 

Author's Notes

 

Note 1: Omiai or miai is the practice of arranged marriage in Japan. It's not as common now-a-days, due to the younger generation coming up being more into the “marrying for love” thing, but it is still practiced.

***

Note 2: The quote, “I am no genius, just passionately curious”, isn't my quote. One of the readers of this fic, Guardianmon, passed it along to me and I still thank him for it, as it's a very good description of Koushirou's character. He isn't a genius, just very curious about things, and the things he's curious about, he tries his best to learn everything he can about it. For some reason, the dub made him way smarter than he originally was, and I think it was because of his being a “computer nerd”, but even that was exaggerated for the dub. In the original, he's not viewed like a “nerd” or a “geek”.

***

Note 3: Enka is a traditional style of Japanese music. I've never heard much as far as enka-style music is concerned, unless Hamasaki Ayumi's song, Will counts. Oh, and another tidbit of information, in the episode where Palmon evolved to Togemon for the first time, and they were walking down the sewer and Mimi sang, she was singing enka-style music, mentioning how her father liked it.

 

Ikebana is “the Japanese art of flower arranging”. A very traditional skill that is still practiced to this day. It's even taught in school. There's a lot to mastering the art, so to speak, as everything has to be harmonious and balanced. I personally feel that it's a cool skill to have. Ironically, seems Sora was trying to learn more about it because of her mother, who runs a flower shop.

 

Fic Chapter Changes

 

I cut out Mimi's pointing out that Keisuke and Mr. Tachikawa shared the same given name.

 

I had Keisuke use honorifics with his brothers. Originally, he didn't.

 

I changed the age of Kyuwa's children. Originally, the daughter was “seven or eight” and the son was “about nine or ten”. Also added in that he went to the Osaka Medical School and that he works at the Osaka Medical Center.

 

I changed Masaki from being a Harvard Professor to his being a student there instead. Given his age, I doubt it'd be possible for him to be teaching there. A two-year college, maybe, but not a university, as a PH.D and Masters are usually needed for that, plus a good amount of teaching experience (I think a minimum of at least five years).

 

I changed Toru from going to “some archeology school” in Arizona to attending the University of Cambridge in England. Also, for his photo, instead of having him standing near the Grand Canyon holding a rock in one hand and a chisel in the other, like I had originally written, I changed it to him standing in front of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which was built in the early 1100s.

 

I cut out Mimi pointing out to Keisuke that Izumi was Koushirou's family name.

 

I gave “Anje” a full name. Originally, she was just referred to as just “Anje”. Anyway, Ouguchi, if using the right characters, would mean, “Big mouth”. Well, that's what I was going for anyway. It probably won't show, but I would write it, å¤§å£ (Ouguchi)アンジãR 18;§ (Anje). The kanji for big + kanji for mouth = Ouguchi. Anje would be written in Katakana (Anjye).

 

Added in the “slut” thing, just so I could have an excuse for Koushirou to describe Mimi as “pure and innocent”…like her character theme. “Sweet Innocent” and she does have the crest trait of purity, so yeah. lol

 

Added in Mimi calling Anje, “Anje-baba”, which is pretty much saying, “Old woman Anje”.

 

Gave the admissions director a full name.

 

Added in that Anje only has the job because she's the niece of the university's President. I never did specify that originally, but it was implied that she only had the job because of someone she knew.

 

Koushirou nearly cursing when Mimi caught up to him was the same as the original, but, for the original, it was more implied as to which curse he was about to use for her. I decided to just leave it to the imagination of the readers this time around. ^^

 

Mimi was the one to initiate their going out to grab a bite to eat for the original version of this chapter. Mimi teased Koushirou for his stomach growling and then asked if he wanted to get something to eat and then he offered to pay for the entire meal. Changed it so that it was Koushirou doing the asking. I also added in a real place for them to eat at, as opposed to a random pizzeria. This place exists, but as far as I know, there aren't any in Odaiba.

 

I changed what the two ate. Originally, I had that the two ordered a pizza with extra cheese. That's not too common in Japan (extra anything, by the looks of it). Also, since they were originally sharing a pizza, I had Koushirou serving it to Mimi.

 

I added in more conversation regarding Anje as far as apologizing went. The topic of apologizing wasn't in the original version.

 

The reward was originally only $5,000. Decided to put up the price and I also added in that extra tidbit of information about how the Doppo guy liked girls with long hair and how they coincidentally were usually rich girls, hence the big reward.

 

I added in the dessert stuff.

 

Originally, after the Pinky and the Brain stuff, I had Koushirou mention taking a bus to Toudai. The bus would take longer than the train because of the traffic.

 

The line where Miyako started and Sora finished after Sué questioned the date thing, I originally had Sora mention the dance, not the spring vacation.

 

Sué acted in a more stern fashion with Mimi after she returned home. I felt that she was being too overbearing, which is why I dropped it.