Jugular
By Lord Raa
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Disclaim-me-do: If you see a man opening a car door for a woman, it means one of two things: itÆs either a new woman or a new car.
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Haruka handed Kanako a cup of coffee and waited for the last customer to leave before asking her questions.
ôCome on, Kanko-chan, why are you here? I thought Grandmother had decided that you needed to be kept away from here.ö
ôI managed to negotiate a little time away,ö Kanako answered. ôTook some effort, but sheÆs given me the chance to see if I can get along with the rest of my family.ö
ôHmm,ö the smoker replied, somewhat sceptical of the girlÆs true motives. ôOk, so youÆre here to build bridges. I have to say that a little notice would have been nice.ö
ôIt was a last minute get away. IÆm sorry for appearing out of the blue like this, Haruka-san,ö the visiting Urashima bowed respectfully. ôIf I could have, I would have arranged a visit with suitable notice.ö
ôI forgive you.ö There was a pause before Haruka spoke again. ôKeitaroÆs not here at the moment.ö
ôOh,ö Kanako said, disappoint evident in her voice.
ôYes, you can see why it would have been a good idea to let us know you were coming.ö
ôTrue. But that does give me an opportunity to find out whatÆs really going on here.ö
ôWhat are you planning, Kanako-chan? Be honest with me, or IÆll have you sent back to Grandmother before your feet have the chance to touch the floor.ö
ôIà I found out that Grandmother has been acting like some kind of chess-master,ö Kanako answered. ôSheÆs got a plan for Onii-chan and IÆm not sure I like it.ö
Haruka pulled out a cigarette and lit it up. Exhaling a plume of smoke, she looked at the way Kanako had wrapped her fingers around the outside of the cup. ôOk, IÆll buy that Grandmother could have a plan for Keitaro, what with him being the only male Urashima heir and all that. WhatÆs wrong with that?ö
ôA lack of communication, for one,ö the younger Urashima replied. ôDid she tell you about her planned trip around the world?ö
ôSheÆd talked about taking a vacation, but I didnÆt know she was going to go when she did.ö
ôI didnÆt know she was going until Mother and Father told me that I was going with her. They didnÆt think it was necessary, but I overheard Grandmother threaten them into sending me with her.ö
ôThreaten?ö
ôOnii-chan was going to be cut out of the inheritance if I didnÆt go,ö Kanako explained. ôThey may have kicked him out for failing to get into Toudai, but they still love him.ö
ôYou do realise that this is sounding rather far-fetched, donÆt you?ö Haruka asked, rolling her eyes. ôI doubt she threatened to cut Keitaro out of the inheritance; itÆs clear that she just wanted company on her trip. IÆm sorry, but you drew the short straw.ö
ôIÆll say,ö Kanako replied with a shudder. She took a sip of coffee before continuing. ôYou do know that she knows who Onii-chanÆs promise girl is, donÆt you?ö
ôWhat?ö
ôShe knows who it was that Onii-chan promised to go to Toudai with. The problem is that sheÆs not telling.ö
ôI find that hard to believe, Kanako-chan.ö
ôI thought you might say that,ö Kanako admitted. She reached into her handbag and pulled out a photograph of a young boy and a girl. ôThis is Onii-chan. But I donÆt know whoÆs in the photo with him.ö
HarukaÆs expression turned quizzical as she read the note on the back. ôæKeitaro with the girl he promised to go to Toudai with.Æ ThatÆs her handwriting, alright. But that still doesnÆt prove that she knows who the girl is.ö
ôHereÆs another photo of them together. This one had something written on the back, but it was scribbled out.ö
Haruka took this second photograph and recognised the four year-old Keitaro and saw that it was the same girl. She flipped the photo over and looked at the pen marks on the back.
The black marker pen did obscure something, but there was no telling what that was.
ôYouÆve given me two photos of Keitaro with a girl, Kanako. ItÆs hardly compelling evidence of an elaborate plan.ö
ôWell, itÆs hardly likely I will find a document 'How I plan to run KeitaroÆs Life' on her computer, now is it?ö Kanako shrugged. ôBut even so, if you had some idea who it was that Keitaro had promised to go to Toudai with, then you should have at least mentioned it to someone.ö
The smoker sighed. ôFor what itÆs worth, I agree with you, Kanako. Look, if you can get me a family name and a rough date, I can search through the records and get some clue as to who it was that made the promise to Keitaro.ö
Kanako nodded. ôI might be able get something.ö
Haruka poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down opposite Kanako. ôOk, Kanako-chan, letÆs put aside any bad feelings towards family members for now. Why are you here visiting me first?ö
ôWhat makes you think that I havenÆt seen Mother and Father already?ö
ôHave you?ö
ôàNo, but I will visit them as soon as weÆre done here,ö Kanako insisted. She took a deep breath before continuing. ôI found out that because IÆm adopted, I canÆt marry Onii-chan.ö
ôThereÆs a reason for that, Kanako-chan. People were grooming vulnerable young women for marriage.ö
ôOnii-chan wasnÆt going to exploit me,ö the younger Urashima sighed.
ôNo, I canÆt help but feel that youÆd be doing the exploitation.ö
ôWell, maybe a littleàö
Haruka shook her head before drinking some of her coffee. ôSo you found out that you canÆt marry Keitaro. Seems a bit odd for you to pick now to come for a visit.ö
ôWhen I found out that Onii-chan might be living with his æpromise girlÆ, I thought I should find out more about her. Unfortunately, I donÆt know which girl it is,ö Kanako said.
ôWe can rule out the younger girls because of the promise, so that narrows it down to Naru and Kitsune.ö
The two women pondered the situation as they finished their coffee.
Kanako was the first to speak. ôOk, so itÆs either Naru or Kitsune. How do they feel about him?ö
ôWell, NaruÆs a complicated young woman,ö Haruka said diplomatically.
ôæComplicated,Æö Kanako repeated. ôIn what way?ö
ôIn that sheÆsà I mean, itÆsà itÆs complicated, ok?ö
The younger Urashima shook her head in disbelief. ôWhat about Kitsune? WhatÆs she like?ö
ôWell, KitsuneÆs a fun, friendly person,ö the smoker answered.
Kanako pinched the bridge of her nose. ôYou do realise that your descriptions of Naru and Kitsune could be interpreted as a bipolar maniac and ægood-time girlÆ. So you know, do you want to try again?ö
ôYou always seem to find the worst case scenario, donÆt you, Kanako-chan? TheyÆre my friends; I donÆt spend time thinking about how best to pimp them out.ö
ôOk, then letÆs look at this differently. Who do you think would be best for Onii-chan?ö
Haruka paused as she pondered that one. ôI honestly hadnÆt given it much thought.ö
ôBut, letÆs say you were in Onii-chanÆs position, who would you go for?ö Kanako asked.
ôWell, Keitaro seems to like Naru the best.ö
ôWho likes Onii-chan more? Kitsune or Naru?ö
ôWell, I suppose Kitsune gets on better with Keitaro,ö Haruka shrugged. ôWhat are you planning now, Kanako-chan?ö
ôWell, we both want Onii-chan to be happy, donÆt we?ö Kanako asked rhetorically. ôWell, how happy do you think heÆll be if he doesnÆt pick the right person?ö
Haruka couldnÆt fault her adopted cousinÆs logic, but that didnÆt mean that she couldnÆt sense an ulterior motive. ôCan I keep one of these photos?ö
ôYes.ö There was a silence before Kanako decided that it was time to leave. ôWell, IÆm off to visit Mother and Father; IÆll see you tomorrow, Haruka-san.ö
ôYeah, see you tomorrow, Kanako-chan.ö
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ôHello Mother, Father, itÆs me, Kanako,ö Kanako greeted cheerfully as she entered the Urashima family home.
ôOh, hello, Kanako-chan,ö Hitomi Urashima answered, somewhat surprised to see the girl in her home.
ôItÆs nice to see you, Mother. How is Father?ö
ôYour father is well,ö the mother replied. ôCan I get you anything?ö
ôIÆm fine, thank you, Mother.ö Kanako took a deep breath before smiling. ôHow is Onii-chan?ö
ôKeitaro? Well, he was doing ok, the last I heard. I havenÆt seen him for a while,ö Hitomi answered. ôDonÆt take this the wrong way, Kanako-chan, but why are you here?ö
ôRecently, I learned some facts that have changed my worldview. IÆm not sure that I like what IÆve learned.ö Kanako didnÆt look or sound particularly angry, but Mrs. Urashima had known her long enough to know that she was upset with something.
ôIÆll make us some tea and we can catch up.ö
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Ten minutes later, Kanako had exhausted her capacity for small talk and the more pleasant updates from her trip with Granny Hina.
ôYou mentioned that you learned something that you didnÆt like,ö Hitomi said before sipping her tea.
ôYes. First off, it seems that I cannot marry Onii-chan.ö
Hitomi blinked. ôOh, ok. Well, there is a reason for that-ö
ôYes, I know, itÆs to stop people from being exploited,ö Kanako interrupted. ôBut ok, so I wonÆt be Onii-chanÆs bride. The disappointment will take some time to get over, but I think I can manage that without the need for a prefecture-wide killing spree.ö
ôKanako-chanàö
ôThat was a joke, Mother. But hereÆs something else that I found out: Haruka-san was adopted by Granny Hina.ö
ôWell, yes, when Yoko-onee-san passed away, someone needed to look after Haruka-chan,ö Hitomi said, closing her eyes at the memory of her late sister. ôWhat else were we to do?ö
ôThatÆs not what concerned me about it. How would you say Haruka-san and Onii-chan got on?ö
ôKeitaro and Haruka? Well, IÆd like to think they got on well,ö the married Urashima replied. ôI mean, sure, KeitaroÆs habit of calling her æAunt HarukaÆ upset her, but itÆs not like they were at each otherÆs throats.ö
Kanako nodded in understanding. ôWhat if I said that Haruka was adopted so Keitaro would accidentally call her æAunt HarukaÆ and drive a wedge between them?ö
ôWhat?ö
ôGranny Hina was worried that Keitaro might get a little too close to Haruka-san.ö
Hitomi shook her head. ôThatÆs silly, Kanako-chan.ö
ôPerhaps,ö the younger woman conceded. ôBut what if I told you that Granny Hina knows who Onii-chanÆs so-called Promise Girl is?ö
ôAre you serious, Kanako-chan? This is important,ö Hitomi said, reaching out for her adopted daughterÆs hand. ôKeitaro has spent too long obsessing over who this mystery girl is. Knowing who it is will help Keitaro focus on his studies and, hopefully, finally get him into Toudai.ö
ôI donÆt know who it is,ö Kanako admitted, ôbut I do know that sheÆs staying at the Hinata Sou. IÆve spoken with Haruka-san, and sheÆs narrowed it down to two possibilities.ö
Hitomi bit her lip. ôWhat if the girl doesnÆt remember the promise she made with Keitaro?ö
ôThatÆs a good question, Mother. HereÆs another: what if the girl that made the promise doesnÆt want to get into Toudai? And what if sheÆs not suitable for Onii-chan? What then?ö
ôI donÆt knowà I mean, I want Keitaro to be happy, but if she doesnÆt want the same things as him, heÆll be heartbroken.ö
ôI donÆt know what to do, either. IÆll speak with Haruka-san tonight.ö
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By Lord Raa
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Disclaim-me-do: If you see a man opening a car door for a woman, it means one of two things: itÆs either a new woman or a new car.
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Haruka handed Kanako a cup of coffee and waited for the last customer to leave before asking her questions.
ôCome on, Kanko-chan, why are you here? I thought Grandmother had decided that you needed to be kept away from here.ö
ôI managed to negotiate a little time away,ö Kanako answered. ôTook some effort, but sheÆs given me the chance to see if I can get along with the rest of my family.ö
ôHmm,ö the smoker replied, somewhat sceptical of the girlÆs true motives. ôOk, so youÆre here to build bridges. I have to say that a little notice would have been nice.ö
ôIt was a last minute get away. IÆm sorry for appearing out of the blue like this, Haruka-san,ö the visiting Urashima bowed respectfully. ôIf I could have, I would have arranged a visit with suitable notice.ö
ôI forgive you.ö There was a pause before Haruka spoke again. ôKeitaroÆs not here at the moment.ö
ôOh,ö Kanako said, disappoint evident in her voice.
ôYes, you can see why it would have been a good idea to let us know you were coming.ö
ôTrue. But that does give me an opportunity to find out whatÆs really going on here.ö
ôWhat are you planning, Kanako-chan? Be honest with me, or IÆll have you sent back to Grandmother before your feet have the chance to touch the floor.ö
ôIà I found out that Grandmother has been acting like some kind of chess-master,ö Kanako answered. ôSheÆs got a plan for Onii-chan and IÆm not sure I like it.ö
Haruka pulled out a cigarette and lit it up. Exhaling a plume of smoke, she looked at the way Kanako had wrapped her fingers around the outside of the cup. ôOk, IÆll buy that Grandmother could have a plan for Keitaro, what with him being the only male Urashima heir and all that. WhatÆs wrong with that?ö
ôA lack of communication, for one,ö the younger Urashima replied. ôDid she tell you about her planned trip around the world?ö
ôSheÆd talked about taking a vacation, but I didnÆt know she was going to go when she did.ö
ôI didnÆt know she was going until Mother and Father told me that I was going with her. They didnÆt think it was necessary, but I overheard Grandmother threaten them into sending me with her.ö
ôThreaten?ö
ôOnii-chan was going to be cut out of the inheritance if I didnÆt go,ö Kanako explained. ôThey may have kicked him out for failing to get into Toudai, but they still love him.ö
ôYou do realise that this is sounding rather far-fetched, donÆt you?ö Haruka asked, rolling her eyes. ôI doubt she threatened to cut Keitaro out of the inheritance; itÆs clear that she just wanted company on her trip. IÆm sorry, but you drew the short straw.ö
ôIÆll say,ö Kanako replied with a shudder. She took a sip of coffee before continuing. ôYou do know that she knows who Onii-chanÆs promise girl is, donÆt you?ö
ôWhat?ö
ôShe knows who it was that Onii-chan promised to go to Toudai with. The problem is that sheÆs not telling.ö
ôI find that hard to believe, Kanako-chan.ö
ôI thought you might say that,ö Kanako admitted. She reached into her handbag and pulled out a photograph of a young boy and a girl. ôThis is Onii-chan. But I donÆt know whoÆs in the photo with him.ö
HarukaÆs expression turned quizzical as she read the note on the back. ôæKeitaro with the girl he promised to go to Toudai with.Æ ThatÆs her handwriting, alright. But that still doesnÆt prove that she knows who the girl is.ö
ôHereÆs another photo of them together. This one had something written on the back, but it was scribbled out.ö
Haruka took this second photograph and recognised the four year-old Keitaro and saw that it was the same girl. She flipped the photo over and looked at the pen marks on the back.
The black marker pen did obscure something, but there was no telling what that was.
ôYouÆve given me two photos of Keitaro with a girl, Kanako. ItÆs hardly compelling evidence of an elaborate plan.ö
ôWell, itÆs hardly likely I will find a document 'How I plan to run KeitaroÆs Life' on her computer, now is it?ö Kanako shrugged. ôBut even so, if you had some idea who it was that Keitaro had promised to go to Toudai with, then you should have at least mentioned it to someone.ö
The smoker sighed. ôFor what itÆs worth, I agree with you, Kanako. Look, if you can get me a family name and a rough date, I can search through the records and get some clue as to who it was that made the promise to Keitaro.ö
Kanako nodded. ôI might be able get something.ö
Haruka poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down opposite Kanako. ôOk, Kanako-chan, letÆs put aside any bad feelings towards family members for now. Why are you here visiting me first?ö
ôWhat makes you think that I havenÆt seen Mother and Father already?ö
ôHave you?ö
ôàNo, but I will visit them as soon as weÆre done here,ö Kanako insisted. She took a deep breath before continuing. ôI found out that because IÆm adopted, I canÆt marry Onii-chan.ö
ôThereÆs a reason for that, Kanako-chan. People were grooming vulnerable young women for marriage.ö
ôOnii-chan wasnÆt going to exploit me,ö the younger Urashima sighed.
ôNo, I canÆt help but feel that youÆd be doing the exploitation.ö
ôWell, maybe a littleàö
Haruka shook her head before drinking some of her coffee. ôSo you found out that you canÆt marry Keitaro. Seems a bit odd for you to pick now to come for a visit.ö
ôWhen I found out that Onii-chan might be living with his æpromise girlÆ, I thought I should find out more about her. Unfortunately, I donÆt know which girl it is,ö Kanako said.
ôWe can rule out the younger girls because of the promise, so that narrows it down to Naru and Kitsune.ö
The two women pondered the situation as they finished their coffee.
Kanako was the first to speak. ôOk, so itÆs either Naru or Kitsune. How do they feel about him?ö
ôWell, NaruÆs a complicated young woman,ö Haruka said diplomatically.
ôæComplicated,Æö Kanako repeated. ôIn what way?ö
ôIn that sheÆsà I mean, itÆsà itÆs complicated, ok?ö
The younger Urashima shook her head in disbelief. ôWhat about Kitsune? WhatÆs she like?ö
ôWell, KitsuneÆs a fun, friendly person,ö the smoker answered.
Kanako pinched the bridge of her nose. ôYou do realise that your descriptions of Naru and Kitsune could be interpreted as a bipolar maniac and ægood-time girlÆ. So you know, do you want to try again?ö
ôYou always seem to find the worst case scenario, donÆt you, Kanako-chan? TheyÆre my friends; I donÆt spend time thinking about how best to pimp them out.ö
ôOk, then letÆs look at this differently. Who do you think would be best for Onii-chan?ö
Haruka paused as she pondered that one. ôI honestly hadnÆt given it much thought.ö
ôBut, letÆs say you were in Onii-chanÆs position, who would you go for?ö Kanako asked.
ôWell, Keitaro seems to like Naru the best.ö
ôWho likes Onii-chan more? Kitsune or Naru?ö
ôWell, I suppose Kitsune gets on better with Keitaro,ö Haruka shrugged. ôWhat are you planning now, Kanako-chan?ö
ôWell, we both want Onii-chan to be happy, donÆt we?ö Kanako asked rhetorically. ôWell, how happy do you think heÆll be if he doesnÆt pick the right person?ö
Haruka couldnÆt fault her adopted cousinÆs logic, but that didnÆt mean that she couldnÆt sense an ulterior motive. ôCan I keep one of these photos?ö
ôYes.ö There was a silence before Kanako decided that it was time to leave. ôWell, IÆm off to visit Mother and Father; IÆll see you tomorrow, Haruka-san.ö
ôYeah, see you tomorrow, Kanako-chan.ö
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ôHello Mother, Father, itÆs me, Kanako,ö Kanako greeted cheerfully as she entered the Urashima family home.
ôOh, hello, Kanako-chan,ö Hitomi Urashima answered, somewhat surprised to see the girl in her home.
ôItÆs nice to see you, Mother. How is Father?ö
ôYour father is well,ö the mother replied. ôCan I get you anything?ö
ôIÆm fine, thank you, Mother.ö Kanako took a deep breath before smiling. ôHow is Onii-chan?ö
ôKeitaro? Well, he was doing ok, the last I heard. I havenÆt seen him for a while,ö Hitomi answered. ôDonÆt take this the wrong way, Kanako-chan, but why are you here?ö
ôRecently, I learned some facts that have changed my worldview. IÆm not sure that I like what IÆve learned.ö Kanako didnÆt look or sound particularly angry, but Mrs. Urashima had known her long enough to know that she was upset with something.
ôIÆll make us some tea and we can catch up.ö
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Ten minutes later, Kanako had exhausted her capacity for small talk and the more pleasant updates from her trip with Granny Hina.
ôYou mentioned that you learned something that you didnÆt like,ö Hitomi said before sipping her tea.
ôYes. First off, it seems that I cannot marry Onii-chan.ö
Hitomi blinked. ôOh, ok. Well, there is a reason for that-ö
ôYes, I know, itÆs to stop people from being exploited,ö Kanako interrupted. ôBut ok, so I wonÆt be Onii-chanÆs bride. The disappointment will take some time to get over, but I think I can manage that without the need for a prefecture-wide killing spree.ö
ôKanako-chanàö
ôThat was a joke, Mother. But hereÆs something else that I found out: Haruka-san was adopted by Granny Hina.ö
ôWell, yes, when Yoko-onee-san passed away, someone needed to look after Haruka-chan,ö Hitomi said, closing her eyes at the memory of her late sister. ôWhat else were we to do?ö
ôThatÆs not what concerned me about it. How would you say Haruka-san and Onii-chan got on?ö
ôKeitaro and Haruka? Well, IÆd like to think they got on well,ö the married Urashima replied. ôI mean, sure, KeitaroÆs habit of calling her æAunt HarukaÆ upset her, but itÆs not like they were at each otherÆs throats.ö
Kanako nodded in understanding. ôWhat if I said that Haruka was adopted so Keitaro would accidentally call her æAunt HarukaÆ and drive a wedge between them?ö
ôWhat?ö
ôGranny Hina was worried that Keitaro might get a little too close to Haruka-san.ö
Hitomi shook her head. ôThatÆs silly, Kanako-chan.ö
ôPerhaps,ö the younger woman conceded. ôBut what if I told you that Granny Hina knows who Onii-chanÆs so-called Promise Girl is?ö
ôAre you serious, Kanako-chan? This is important,ö Hitomi said, reaching out for her adopted daughterÆs hand. ôKeitaro has spent too long obsessing over who this mystery girl is. Knowing who it is will help Keitaro focus on his studies and, hopefully, finally get him into Toudai.ö
ôI donÆt know who it is,ö Kanako admitted, ôbut I do know that sheÆs staying at the Hinata Sou. IÆve spoken with Haruka-san, and sheÆs narrowed it down to two possibilities.ö
Hitomi bit her lip. ôWhat if the girl doesnÆt remember the promise she made with Keitaro?ö
ôThatÆs a good question, Mother. HereÆs another: what if the girl that made the promise doesnÆt want to get into Toudai? And what if sheÆs not suitable for Onii-chan? What then?ö
ôI donÆt knowà I mean, I want Keitaro to be happy, but if she doesnÆt want the same things as him, heÆll be heartbroken.ö
ôI donÆt know what to do, either. IÆll speak with Haruka-san tonight.ö
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